Review Roundup

AMBER HOUSE is out and reviews are getting posted all over the place!  And, positive or negative, we are always grateful for feedback as we work on the sequel.

In thanks to the readers who have shared their kind reactions on their blogs, on Amazon, on Goodreads, we're going to do a "Review Roundup" every Friday for the month of October.

Blogger Kelly Lasiter called AMBER HOUSE "terrific rainy-night reading" in her review on Fantasy Literature, and picked up on one of the themes of the book that is closest to our hearts:

"What Amber House is really about, deep down, is mothers and daughters.  As Sarah delves into her family’s past, she finds a long chain of heartbreak — of mothers who failed their daughters, who then failed their own daughters in turn.  What Sarah must figure out, before the ominous happenings at Amber House end in a fresh tragedy, is whether it’s possible to change the past and thereby change the present and future…."

Alyssa, on her blog Books Take You Places, made our inner Stephen King fangirl personas shriek in excitement a little bit with a reference to The Shining:

"Amber House is a gothic tale stirring up feelings reminiscent of Bronte’s windy moors and King’s room 237.  It is a novel that kept me up way past my bedtime and had me falling asleep with the lights on. For those of you looking for a good 'autumn read,' I highly suggest you pick up Amber House. It contains all of the amazing horror elements to keep you looking over your shoulder while also molding in intricate relationships and a deliciously vibrant plot."

Over at Luxury Reading, Amanda Farmer gave us a five-star review and said:

"I love a good ghost story and Amber House did not disappoint. I hated for it to end –– I was that into it.  This story has everything from friendship, love between siblings, romantic love, mystery, secrets, and of course, spirits, all mixed into one.  The descriptions were so vivid that I felt like I was there with Sarah going through the motions.  When she felt joy, I felt it, when she experienced heart ache, I did as well."

We tend to agree with Misbehavin' Librarian:

"If you don't fall in love with Sammy you are one cold-hearted person."

Even just the title of Jessica's review at Cracking the Cover -- Mother-daughters trio hit the ball out of the park with 'Amber House' -- gave us Chesire Cat grins.

"Normally, when I see three authors on a book, I worry about its cohesiveness.  It’s not easy to make three voices sound like one. But in Amber House it does.  In fact, after the first page or so, I forgot about the authors all together and allowed my self to get lost in their story.  And there’s a lot to get lost in.  Inside Amber House readers will find stories within stories, hidden passageways within walls and houses within houses."

Paulette, at Paulette's Papers, posted our collage along with her review (we were so flattered!) and said:

"Amber House has such a well put together plot that while I was a bit freaked out I was also mesmerized.  There were so many surprising twists and the characters have such a real depth to them that I had trouble putting it down. The ending was amazing and yet so perfect.  This was written in such an elegant yet real way that it is sure to be a classic one day."

Amber at The Musings of ALMYBNENR said:

 "The most important characters to me were Sarah, Sam, and the house.  That is right; Amber House.  I almost always love when something inanimate in a book becomes an essential entity with a lot of personality of its own.  The house was full of history, family treasures, memories, and secrets and it was the focal point of the story."

Amber at Fall Into Books gave AMBER HOUSE an A+ review:

"I couldn't put this book down!  I had to figure out the mysteries of Amber House and its inhabitants (both past and present).  I was hooked from the beginning, and the ending simply left me wanting more.  I cannot wait for the sequel."

 And author Ann Wingate posted her professional review to Amazon:

"Never before have I read a romance in which the resolution of the plot depended upon the truth of a Southern superstition, the logic of an autistic child, and the action of quantum physics.  ...  I sat up till one-thirty reading this book.  My review copy was an ebook, and three times I put the ebook reader away and tried to go to sleep, and each time I wound up turning the light back on and getting the reader back out.  I found this one of the most unputdownable books I have read lately, and publishers tend to hand over to reviewers only their best books.  So I have read a good many good books since I resumed reviewing on July 4.  This is intended for YA readers, but I think anyone interested in romance, history, or general spookiness would love it."

We read each and every review we can find.  So thank you, everyone, for sharing your thoughts on the book!  Your opinions, your feedback -- it's invaluable.

Our best,