What do readers think of The House of Hidden Letters by Izzy Broom? Write your own review.

I enjoyed this historical fiction from two vantage points. I actually preferred the modern day tale to the historical one. While the plot was strong and characters fairly well developed, I still found myself wanting more from the storylines. Overall, a good read but a predictable ending.

The House of Hidden Letters is a very enjoyable book. The story is set in a small village in Greece and goes back and forth between the present and WWII. The main characters, Skye in the present and Katerina in the past, are well drawn and relatable. The supporting characters provide a bit of romance, mystery and humor. The story was at times a bit predictable but the author also explored some new territory involving memory, connection and loss. The book lingered in my thoughts even after I finished it.

This is a heartwarming story of a woman who wins a lottery offering a home in Greece at just the moment when she has lost her job and needs to get away from troubled relationships in England. She finds community with the other lottery winners as well as with the locals. She also finds letters hidden in the house from a woman who lived through the occupation in WWII.

As the result of her relationships with her new neighbors and with the inspiration from the letters, she finds the strength to stand up to her past and find healing in her new life. The descriptions of the Greek island and her new home are beautifully done and make me want to travel there.

Enjoyed the book and definitely recommend.

The House of Hidden Letters is about a woman who wins a housing lottery, allowing her to purchase an old house in need of renovation on a remote island in Greece. The storyline develops with the addition of some history, culture, & other characters who are entertaining. The author uses a dual timeline, the main character's timeline being current & another character's timeline being the early 1940s.

I enjoyed this book, as it was a very easy read and had enough suspense to keep me engaged.

I went into this expecting more of a mystery with a touch of romance, but for me neither element really pulled me into the story. I especially struggled to connect with Katerina's timeline from the 1940s, and overall I had a hard time feeling invested in the characters.

The attraction between Skye and Andreas never fully developed in a believable way, which made some of the emotional moments feel unconvincing. There were also storylines that seemed important early on but didn't reach a satisfying resolution. Skye's relationship with her mother is one example that felt abrupt and hard to believe by the end.

The overall tone often reminded me of a Lifetime movie of the week, with emotional moments that stayed mostly on the surface. I also ran into a few scenes that were unexpectedly difficult for me to read, which caught me off guard.

For my taste, I was hoping for deeper character development and a stronger emotional connection to the story.

The premise of The House of Hidden Letters intrigued me when I read the description. Skye, the main character, wins a lottery to purchase a neglected home on a Greek island for one euro. During the renovation, a bundle World War II-era letters written by the previous resident are discovered. The story then proceeds with two timelines, that of Skye in the present and of Katerina during World War II. It is an interesting story, and the characters are likeable but I did not find them to be well-developed. While the author provides a wonderful vision of the island's beauty and the warmth of its community. I found the first half slow and struggled to maintain interest. I found the second half of the book to more engaging, overall delivering a pleasant story of friendship, fresh starts, and romance. Please note that the novel does touch on themes of mental abuse and the tragedy of war.

My thanks to BookBrowse, NetGalley, and the publisher for providing this ARC in return for an honest review.

The House of Hidden Letters has two stories that run side by side through the book, one a modern tale with the protagonist working on her own issues while also trying to solve a mystery of years long past.

While the story itself was intriguing and often emotionally wrenching, the characters are challenging to relate. The ending was a little too neat for my taste and seemed forced.