Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “The Solemn Bell (Neill Brothers #1)” as Want to Read:
The Solemn Bell
(Neill Brothers #1)
by
This is an alternate cover edition for ASIN B01MAZ35H0
Reeling from a motorcar accident, Captain Brody Neill seeks shelter in a derelict manor house. But the injured Captain is not alone. Haunted by horrors of the Great War, he has become addicted to the only drug strong enough to dull his tortured soul. Without his precious morphine, he cannot keep the disturbing visions ...more
Reeling from a motorcar accident, Captain Brody Neill seeks shelter in a derelict manor house. But the injured Captain is not alone. Haunted by horrors of the Great War, he has become addicted to the only drug strong enough to dull his tortured soul. Without his precious morphine, he cannot keep the disturbing visions ...more
Kindle Edition, 251 pages
Published
February 2018
by Fifty Forty Productions
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Reader Q&A
To ask other readers questions about
The Solemn Bell,
please sign up.
Be the first to ask a question about The Solemn Bell
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30

Start your review of The Solemn Bell (Neill Brothers #1)

What did I just read?? 😂😭 I actually only made it to page 70 but what the actual f*#%! So, when I started the book I actually was very intrigued by it. It seemed very unique and original. I was pulled in immediately and the writing and storytelling seemed very good. I was captivated by what was going on and the author didn't just put everything out there immediately. So I was pulled in and excited to unfold the layers of the story. Also, the early interactions between Brody and Angelica were wel
...more

OH HEY there's a bunch of sexual assault in this book that really gets swept aside in an off-putting manner, and the rest of the book didn't do enough to make up for it. The end.
...more

Frankly my entire review is going to be a spoiler, but one that should be noted. You've been warned.
I felt like this big needs a blaring trigger warning:
(view spoiler) ...more
I felt like this big needs a blaring trigger warning:
(view spoiler) ...more

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

The Solemn Bell
I enjoy reading Allyson Jeleyne books. This book is so good. Yes there is a lot of sex in it. If you can't handle it don't read the book but you would miss out on a great story. I cannot wait for the next book. This is a wonderful story of a drug addict falling in love with blind girl. She helped him over come his addiction and his demons. She came from a wonderful family. His family was rich but there was no love at home. Brady's father didn't live at home but lived with his mist ...more
I enjoy reading Allyson Jeleyne books. This book is so good. Yes there is a lot of sex in it. If you can't handle it don't read the book but you would miss out on a great story. I cannot wait for the next book. This is a wonderful story of a drug addict falling in love with blind girl. She helped him over come his addiction and his demons. She came from a wonderful family. His family was rich but there was no love at home. Brady's father didn't live at home but lived with his mist ...more

Well I finished it but didn't like it. It was not that there was a lot of sex in it as that doesn't bother me. I think it was the attitudes about sex that I found unpleasant. I also can't understand how the h could go from a reclusive, innocent virgin to a sex addict in the space of a few weeks! Won't be reading the next in the series
...more

This wasn't a bad book, just not for me. It's grittier and darker than I tend to prefer. Definitely NOT the gothic it was advertised to be.
...more

Nov 22, 2016
Natalie Dennis
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical,
romance
This is the first Book I have read by this author and I really enjoyed it. It was a very quick read.
-1 star because I feel that there wasn't complete closure about Angelica’s inheritance and the disappearance of her mother. ...more
-1 star because I feel that there wasn't complete closure about Angelica’s inheritance and the disappearance of her mother. ...more

Engaging Characters Underneath the Fabric of a Romantic Mystery with a Period Drama Feel
I have to admit that I almost stopped reading this when I reached the first erotic encounter because I didn't realize it was going to be that sort of romance. Lol. I typically like dark, brooding mysteries with romantic elements ( think Wuthering Heights). This story seemed similar, but if you have issues with "relations" (lol) on the page...steer clear. I decided to give it a chance past that because of the ...more
I have to admit that I almost stopped reading this when I reached the first erotic encounter because I didn't realize it was going to be that sort of romance. Lol. I typically like dark, brooding mysteries with romantic elements ( think Wuthering Heights). This story seemed similar, but if you have issues with "relations" (lol) on the page...steer clear. I decided to give it a chance past that because of the ...more

A love story with forgiveness, redemption and second chances!
Both hero and heroine persevere through extremely harsh conditions, they both struggle with moral decline and learn together to forgive and move on. Good plot with plenty of twists and turns. The character development was complicated and interesting as they changed due to circumstances. Nice ending with the possibility of a sequel. Some language and graphic sex, it may have been necessary for the story but felt unpleasant and crude. Bu ...more
Both hero and heroine persevere through extremely harsh conditions, they both struggle with moral decline and learn together to forgive and move on. Good plot with plenty of twists and turns. The character development was complicated and interesting as they changed due to circumstances. Nice ending with the possibility of a sequel. Some language and graphic sex, it may have been necessary for the story but felt unpleasant and crude. Bu ...more

My heart went out for both the characters, Angelica and Brody. It seemed like both needed major help in overcoming their demons. I got interested in this book partly because the blurb mentioned an injured captain who served in army in the world war and I am an avid reader of world war literature. This book however falls short on a number of levels. The book leaves behind many questions about other characters. The end really humbled me as a reader. It was a reminder of the dire times people lived
...more

4.5 stars. I've never read a book like this. It is a realistic romance that is true for any time, not just the 1920's. Angelica is blind and alone. But she is strong in places she feels comfortable navigating. Brody is hooked on drugs and crashes his expensive car. He finds Angelica's home that looks abandoned. They get to know each other and become infatuated. Later she misses him and hooks up with someone else. He gets off drugs but his obsession with her takes the place of morphine. He takes
...more

The premise was very interesting, as was the first part of the book. The characters and the setting, the atmosphere, it was all good. The historical aspect was pretty well written.
And then it went downhill from there. From the normalisation of sexual assault to unbelievable actions and dialogues by the characters and situations. Just no.
It's a shame as there was a lot of potential, and sometimes I can overlook unbelievable stuff, it's fiction after all. But normalising sexual assault, rape even ...more
And then it went downhill from there. From the normalisation of sexual assault to unbelievable actions and dialogues by the characters and situations. Just no.
It's a shame as there was a lot of potential, and sometimes I can overlook unbelievable stuff, it's fiction after all. But normalising sexual assault, rape even ...more

The story line was intriguing, but I don't enjoy reading about sexual relations. Some of the story was also unrealistic. I hardly think a blind woman could stay hidden for years in her home and manage on her own to find food for herself. I also don't think a drug going through withdrawal could perform as described in the book. Some of the writers writing was so realistic I felt I was there in the conversation with Angelica and Brody and then she'd go off and the writing was very unrealistic.
...more

Grim
He lived in a nightmare world where the war never ended. His friends haunted his dreams. He saw their deaths over and over again, until he couldn’t take any more.
A bit of a twisted Jane Ayre, of course set in the 1920s life was hard for women. Rape, childbirth and domineering hierarchy. This book proudly states their is no rape in this book so God knows what other books this author writes. Also opium addiction and ptsd.
He lived in a nightmare world where the war never ended. His friends haunted his dreams. He saw their deaths over and over again, until he couldn’t take any more.
A bit of a twisted Jane Ayre, of course set in the 1920s life was hard for women. Rape, childbirth and domineering hierarchy. This book proudly states their is no rape in this book so God knows what other books this author writes. Also opium addiction and ptsd.

This book was so dark and depressing, but definitely fit the feeling of the 1920's. Anyone who enjoyed The Glass Menagerie or Great Gatsby would probably enjoy it, but I found it dark and depressing and wasn't my thing at all. It was a romance, but far from cute and only a little 'sweet'. Not my thing at all.
...more

Captain Broderick Neill smashes his car on his way to seek out his next morphine fix. Angelica Grey finds Brody staggering about her home. Being blind, she stays hidden in the shadows and doesn't let people know she is there. But Brody pulls her out into his world of nasty family and "friends. " Will their love for each other save them?
...more

Thankfully this book only took me a few hours and I got it for free. Characters fell flat, were poorly developed and frankly dumb (but maybe just seemingly so because they were poorly developed). This story had great potential! Dark, gritty plot points that were glossed over, and underdeveloped, leading to poor overall pacing. Could have been a great book, instead was a waste of my time.

This book started out pretty good, really good premise but I don’t know what went wrong. I’m only giving it a two star because there was a lot of WTF moments in the story. There are some really good parts and that’s what kept me reading to the end but I gotta say I would not recommend this as a book to read to anyone.

The saddest romance I've ever read.
...more

Markedly different, but then I haven't been keeping up with the new hypererotic romances.
...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Goodreads Librari...: Create my series | 3 | 12 | Apr 15, 2017 04:21PM |
Allyson Jeleyne is a writer of bold, passionate historical romance featuring kind heroes, complex heroines, and steamy love. Her characters are adventurers, homemakers, prostitutes, peeresses, and, most importantly, survivors.
She earned an interdisciplinary studies degree in Creative Writing and Journalism while also studying British history & literature in her spare time. When not writing, she en ...more
She earned an interdisciplinary studies degree in Creative Writing and Journalism while also studying British history & literature in her spare time. When not writing, she en ...more
Other books in the series
Neill Brothers
(3 books)
Related Articles
Mexican Gothic begins when happily ever after turns into a nightmare. The story unfolds with the Taboada family receiving a mysterious letter from...
141 likes · 23 comments
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »