Gabriel is fighting a dark past that he is trying to leave behind, one that has left him wounded. He is fighting demons both mentally and physically in Pale Harbor. He does not agree with the towns peoples treatment of Sophronia, but he is clouded by his own lust. At times I enjoyed his character, and liked having his viewpoint, but at other times I found his self loathing tedious. Sophronia is strong, passionate, in fear of everything outside of her safe space. I really liked her character. She inherently trusts people who help her, because she has been so mistreated in her life. I did find that I was confused by some of her reasoning, like why she stayed in Pale Harbor instead of returning to family in New York. Maybe it was mentioned briefly and I missed it, but I don't think so. I loved her determination and pride though, and maybe that was her reason, because she would not run away from her past, her history, and the towns prejudice. I was fascinated by the mystery in this novel and wish that there had been more pages surrounding the crimes. I felt that there was too much focused on the insta-love between Gabriel and Sophronia, which is a trope I tend to stay away from. I did think they had good chemistry, and I was glad that Sophronia finally had someone fighting in her corner. I also enjoyed the conflict between Gabriel, Sophronia and her long-time friend Helen. There is a lot of eeriness in this novel, frightening imagery. As well, there is an oppressiveness Sophronia must confront on all sides, from the narrow minded townspeople, to the jealous and clingy Helen, to a murderer intent on scaring and/or destroying her. She is trapped in a gilded cage, Gabriel her only source of light and life outside of town. A great read for fall, with its ominous atmosphere and use of Poe. A gripping mystery that haunts everyone within this prejudiced town, which is already on the brink of flying off the handle in a mob rage. With hints of witchcraft and devil warship, you will be thrilled and chilled. I was sent a copy of this book by the Harlequin Publicity Team for the purpose of sharing the release on my Bookstagram page @onemamareads.
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