Night Blooming by Victoria Wren, eBook, 284 pages
Synopsis from GoodReads: A gothic psychological horror from the author of The Wild Spirit Series. She lives in the shadows but learns beauty can thrive in the dark. When her older brother passes away after a rapid illness, Marianne Fox drops out of college to care for her broken-hearted mother. Only her mother can’t accept James’s sudden death, forcing Mari into an isolated existence, where she loses contact with everyone and slips out of the social grid. Working as a freelance fact checker and proofreader keeps her busy, dealing with her demanding author, Eric Summers. It leaves her time to care for her mother and their pup, Bear, and she can hide away from the world. Mari doesn’t mind the dark and lonely nights in their farmhouse. She’s developed a rational way of dealing with things that go bump in the night, even faced with the derelict Rosewood Hall across the cornfields and Mr. Raggerty—the scarecrow that haunted her since she was a kid.
As the lights flicker to life in Rosewood, Mari is intrigued by her new neighbors. The derelict manor, practically crumbling into the earth, now seems to hold a glimmer of life. She meets the charming Ash Martin, the new tenant, who introduces her to his sister, Clover, a girl with a rare allergy to light. Clover's world, a dream-like realm of beauty, music, and shadows, captivates Mari. Surrounded by her plants and flowers that bloom under the moon, Clover lives a life that Mari could only dream of. Enthralled by her new friends, Mari is drawn into the enigmatic life of Ash and Clover. Clover believes in the magic of botany, that it can cure her illness, but Mari soon uncovers a darker truth. Something lurks in Rosewood's dark shadows: stone maidens with their faces covered, broken mirrors, and covered-up portraits. Clover is getting closer to finding her cure, walking in the daylight and growing stronger, while Mari grows sick, weak, and drained of life. Ash’s kisses are deadly, and she needs to stay away from Rosewood. Forced to confront her old life, bury old secrets, Mari must learn to believe in what she sees before she disappears into the shadows.
BOOK REVIEW: The way that this book had me hooked from the very beginning had me guessing the whole time. There are still parts that have me scratching my head and not knowing will drive me crazy for awhile. What we only get a glimpse at in the synopsis is that Mari's brother is up on a pedestal, not by their mother but the whole town and it's the old life that does play into the story more than what is lead to believe in the description. The life the characters live are very touching. I can relate to most of them throughout my life in various ways...except Clover. I'm not allergic to the sunlight. The feelings of loneliness and hope are ones that I'm far too familiar with and sometimes wish I had someone who wanted me to light a candle in my window to let them know I was okay.
The writing and narration throughout this book are wonderful. The author paints a vivid picture of the small towns, the dilapidated mansion, the forest and trails. The little touch of Mari telling the out-of-towner to head back because the river tends to wash out the roads in that kind of storm was perfect. I love the little details like that.
This was a 5 star read for me. I would have had this book finished sooner but not knowing what was coming and my daughter trying to read over my shoulder (gotta love 6 year olds that love to read), I had to take breaks to let her read other things to me. This was a quick and engaging read for me. The only thing I wish is that it was part of a series because I have some questions. If it's not going to be a series, maybe she is planning to do stand alones that all tie together but don't necessarily need to be read all together to really understand. While this was my first book by this author, it won't be my last. I'm adding her series to my TBR right now!
5/5 Stars
2024 Reading Challenge: 47/50 complete
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