Title: The Winters
Expected publication: out now
My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟1/2
Book Description:
After a whirlwind romance, a young woman returns to the
opulent, secluded mansion of her new fiancé Max Winter - a wealthy senator and
recent widower - and a life of luxury she’s never known. But all is not as it
appears at the Asherley estate. The house is steeped in the memory of Max’s
beautiful first wife Rebekah, who haunts the young woman’s imagination and
feeds her uncertainties, while his very alive teenage daughter Dani makes her
life a living hell.
As the soon-to-be second Mrs. Winter grows more in love with Max, and more afraid of Dani, she is drawn deeper into the family’s dark secrets - the kind of secrets that could kill her, too.
As the soon-to-be second Mrs. Winter grows more in love with Max, and more afraid of Dani, she is drawn deeper into the family’s dark secrets - the kind of secrets that could kill her, too.
My musings:
If I could sum up The Winters in just two words, I would
say: “great entertainment!” For me, this was just such a fun thriller to read –
as far as “fun” and “thriller” go together in one sentence. To be totally
honest, the book started off very slow, and I imagined a run-of-the mill story
that has been done a hundred times before. Young woman meets older rich man,
gets married, finds that life as a trophy wife is not as glamorous as expected.
I have read a few of those in my time, and most barely held my interest. To my
surprise though I found that I soon came to like the young “new” Mrs Winters –
who, I discovered, is never mentioned by her first name in the entire book!
Slowly but steadily, Gabriele managed to draw me into her tale, until I was
thoroughly hooked!
True, the general premise is one that has been done many
times in the past, and the book has been touted as the modern day “Rebecca”.
However, I felt Gabriele did really well to steer away from stereotypes, giving
the new Mrs Winter the personality of a free spirit who somehow manages to stay
true to herself for the entirety of the book. Even Dani, the rebellious
stepchild, is portrayed in a way where I could see the young vulnerable girl
grieving for her mother underneath her facade. I loved the way the ghost of the
deceased Rebekah and old family secrets overshadowed the story, giving it a
sinister feel. And just as the story was gently meandering along, sweeping me
with it into the opulence of the Long Island mansion – BAM! – the rug was
pulled from under my feet. I love it when a book surprises me. Which is why I
will say not more about the story here, as it is best delved into blindly.
If I had to be picky, I would say that I thought the ominous
presence of the house could have been used even more for a more sinister
undertone – it nearly got there for me, but not quite! Especially some of the
outbuildings never lived up to their full spook-potential (I mean, what is more
creepier than an old boat shed?).
If you haven’t read Rebecca, don’t despair, as this
psychological thriller holds its own. Sometimes I wonder if comparisons to old
classics do a book any favours, as one is tempted to compare them and not take
each on its own merit. For me, The Winters perhaps lacked the eerie brooding
atmosphere of Du Maurier’s classic tale, but made up for it in its many little
plot twists I absolutely did not see coming.
Summary:
This was a fun, fast-paced read for me, which I devoured on
a sunny weekend off. It made for good entertainment and the perfect undemanding
beach read!
Thank
you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Vintage Publishing, for the free electronic copy of this novel and
for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.
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