Thursday, December 10, 2015

Review: The Forgotten Room by Karen White, Beatriz Williams, and Lauren Willig

Title: The Forgotten Room
Author(s): Karen White, Beatriz Williams, and Lauren Willig
Series: Stand Alone
Published By: NAL (January 19, 2015)
Source: ARC Copy Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
Genre: Contemporary
My Rating: 5 Stars!


Book Description:
New York Times bestselling authors Karen White, Beatriz Williams, and Lauren Willig present a masterful collaboration—a rich, multigenerational novel of love and loss that spans half a century....

1945: When the critically wounded Captain Cooper Ravenal is brought to a private hospital on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, young Dr. Kate Schuyler is drawn into a complex mystery that connects three generations of women in her family to a single extraordinary room in a Gilded Age mansion.

Who is the woman in Captain Ravenel's portrait miniature who looks so much like Kate?  And why is she wearing the ruby pendant handed down to Kate by her mother?  In their pursuit of answers, they find themselves drawn into the turbulent stories of Gilded Age Olive Van Alen, driven from riches to rags, who hired out as a servant in the very house her father designed, and Jazz Age Lucy Young, who came from Brooklyn to Manhattan in pursuit of the father she had never known.  But are Kate and Cooper ready for the secrets that will be revealed in the Forgotten Room? 

The Forgotten Room, set in alternating time periods, is a sumptuous feast of a novel brought to vivid life by three brilliant storytellers. 








It isn't often that three point of views, in three different eras, are seamlessly woven together and so well done that it really is breathtaking but the authors of the Forgotten Room, not only pulled it off, but mastered it.

Beautifully detailed, spoken and interwoven, the tale of Olive, Lucy, and Kate was one I soon won't be forgetting. Foreshadowed, mysterious, and lovingly laid out, these three women all with different, strong, and determined voices, couldn't have been presented better. 

Each lovable, endearing, and completely relatable, it was hard to choose a favorite any more than I could have chosen a favorite hero from each section.

Beautifully detailed, told, and unfolded, this really was so well done and has a story line that will stick with you long after the book has been put down. I couldn't get enough of The Forgotten Room and it truly took me by surprise with how much I not only connected with it but savored and enjoyed it.




*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*

39 comments:

  1. Oh this sounds like something I would love!!! Love multiple POVs - especially when they al works s well together. Just added this one. Great review!

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    1. It worked so well in this! I hope you love it!

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  2. That sounds really cool how everything weaves together. I love when that's done well. Going now to add to my to read list on goodreads! Lol

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  3. Multigenerational stories are always tricky. I have to be completely taken by every aspect, or it will not work for me. Glad that you loved this!

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    1. I really do too and I was in this which was why it was so great. I hope you decide to try it.

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  4. Interesting concept, to say the least. I admit that I didn't know about it, but it does sound rather wonderful. So, thanks for the rec, Ali - as always, your review is fantastic!

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    1. Thanks so much Ramona and I'm so glad I could introduce you to it!

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  5. This sounds like a definite winner Ali! Thanks so much for putting it on my radar:) I can't wait to meet these ladies!

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  6. Five stars is strong incentive to look into this book! Thanks for the review; I will check it out!

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  7. Oh wow! 5 stars! I hadn't heard of this one before today but I love how it weaves together all these POVs. And all the characters sound fantastic!
    Beautiful review, Ali!

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  8. Yeah for five stars. I read something by Karen White a couple of years ago. I havent' seen this one, but I like the sound of it, and I really need another good read. I had two five star reads this week, and I am wanting more!

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  9. Wow, 5 stars?! I hadn't heard of this before but I'm so happy to see you loved it!

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  10. Three POV's, three eras and it still worked? That there is some major talent, craftsmanship and polishing. Wowza!

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  11. So this is one complete novel and not an anthology? It's like The Hours

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  12. Three point of views and that too done beautifully? I'm in

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  13. I hadn't heard of this one. It sounds beautifully done though! Thanks for sharing.

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  14. Wow, the same story but with three authors, that's awesome!

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    1. It really was well done and it wasn't exactly the same story but they did all come together and merge into one in a way.

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  15. Ali, this sounds wonderful and yes to a standalone. I am adding it .

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    1. Woo hoo! I think you will really like this Kim.

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  16. This sounds great! And I like that it's a stand-alone. Those seem to be kind of hard to find lately.

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  17. You had me at:"a complex mystery that connects three generations of women in her family to a single extraordinary room in a Gilded Age mansion."

    This sounds like something I would love and its new to me! Runnning off to Goodreads, now :)

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  18. That sounds really neat! I have one of Lauren's on my TBR pile. I'd not heard of the other two. Sounds like I've been missing out!

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    1. It was so good. I will definitely be reading more by all of them.

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  19. This sounds amazing, but I will have to wait until the price goes down! You made it sound wonderful though :)

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  20. I loved this book. It is a true tour de force. Three authors producing a book like this--seamless, beautifully done in every respect--has to be a rare event. But they did it!

    Zia
    Dallas Wedding DJ

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