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There are currently 31 member reviews
for The House of Hidden Letters
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Borderlass
Romance and Intrigue in One Book, Two Time Periods
Ordinarily, I don't like books with a narrative that bounces between two time periods, but veteran author Izzy Bloom has pulled this one off so seamlessly and with such skill that I can't help but award this novel a full five stars. The book features well thought out characters with sufficient touches of humor, WWII history, and contemporary intrigue that the reader is likely to feel well-rewarded upon finishing its pages. Bloom's ability to maintain suspense throughout this novel set in a European country hearkens back a few decades to Helen McInnes' classic WWII espionage tales.
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Kevin H. (Littleton, CO)
Captivating Duel Timeline Novel Set on a Greek Island
Skye MacKinnon embarks on a new beginning on an exotic Greek island surrounded by an air of mystery that gradually reveals itself throughout the story. Things are not what they seem, and the reader slowly learns Skye's backstory and how she ends up in this setting.
Numerous subplots abound, but none are as fascinating as the dual timeline which includes a story taking place in the same location at the outbreak of WWII that has impacts to Skye's life in the modern day. With deft agility, the story switches back and forth between the two timelines, and it kept me on edge to see how the stories would intersect, and the payoff was definitely there in the end.
Izzy Broom has a narrating style that really draws the reader in, and I was hooked from the start of this story. I felt like I knew the many characters very well, and all of the various side plots integrated beautifully in this well-told story of relationships, community, moving on, and new beginnings. The Greek island setting only added to the story.
I can't wait to read more books by this author.
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Debbie C. (Sun Lakes, AZ)
Mystery and discovery
I enjoyed this book. At first, I thought it was going to be slow because it started out with "what is the rest of the story." As it went on, I had a hard time putting it down. There are 2 mysteries in the book, and both are enjoyable and tied together well.
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Peggy T. (Richardson, TX)
Read with a Box of Tissues
The House of Hidden Letters by Izzy Broom
This author was new to me but now I will look for more of her books. This was a little slow going at first but after the letters were found and then when we found out why Skye left London, it got more interesting. I read the second half of the book much faster than the first half. For me there were a lot of tear jerking moments, especially during the wartime sections.
I did dislike the traditional romance trope of a late in the storyline upset between Skye and Andreas. But it was resolved very easily. I did enjoy the cohesiveness of the group of home buyers. Especially at the end where there was a very satisfying twist.
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Mark S. (Blauvelt, NY)
A Hidden Treat
Some books are slow developing and require a commitment to get into. Not this one. It was a great book to rip through during a winter storm. Set in Greece and weaving a heart wrenching WWII story into Skye's modern day story of a desperate women who wins a lottery and a chance at a new start on the remote island of Folengandros, Broom's writing kept me equally captivated by both tales. Learning about this little island, Greek culture, and the mixed cast of characters who all found their way to this beautiful place and created their own community of sorts would have been enough, but using the hidden letters to tell the amazing story of the Greek experience during WWII was the unexpected icing on the cake (albeit a sad one). This was my first experience reading Izzy Broom's work, but it definitely will not be my last!
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Angela W. (Shelby Twp, MI)
Greek Lottery home
Hoping to escape a bad marriage, Skye enters a lottery and wins a derelict house on a remote Greek island. Eighty years earlier, the Nazis and the Italians had terrorized the island's residents. While restoring the cottage, Skye discovers a bundle of old letters that reveal Katrina's wartime story.
This dual-timeline novel moves between the two periods, though it is primarily Skye's story. As she and her builder work to turn the cottage into a home, Skye confronts her past and begins to shape her future.
A riveting, beautifully written novel that hooked me from page one, I highly recommend this book.
Thank you to BookBrowse and Berkley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review. The pleasure was all mine.
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Louise E. (Ocean View, DE)
absorbing story
I really enjoyed reading The House of Hidden Letters by Izzy Broom. The author drew me in right away with a unique premise and kept me interested in the story. I could picture myself there. So many things could happen and did, some I figured out and others were a surprise. The author did a great job with the dual timeline; it worked well in this story. I'm so happy Skye met wonderful people at her new home, and she seems like she has a great future to look forward to. Katarina, who we learned about through her letters and artifacts, was a fascinating strong woman. I would recommend this book.
