WHISPERS OF SHADOWBROOK HOUSE (Proper Romance Victorian), by Rebecca Anderson, Shadow Mountain, Aug. 5, 2025, Paperback, $17.99 (young adult/ new adult/ adult fiction)
A governess and an heir to the estate she works on unravel a mystery and fall in love in the process in Whispers of Shadowbrook House, by Rebecca Anderson.
London, 1880
Pearl Ellicott dreams of falling in love and having a family of her own. Until then, she is content working as a governess for young Maxwell, tending to his education and fragile health. Together, they explore the mansion’s empty rooms and secret passageways in search of the haunting violin music that seems to come from nowhere.
Oliver Waverly is young and independent, with plans to sell the run-down mansion once he inherits. But his strained relationship with his reclusive uncle, Arthur Ravenscroft, complicates matters when Ravenscroft refuses to relinquish Shadowbrook House without explanation.
As they spend more time together, Oliver slowly becomes enchanted by Pearl’s wit and love for Maxwell, and Pearl finds herself irresistibly drawn to Oliver’s passion and resolve. However, the social gap between the heir and the governess makes pursuing a relationship difficult.
Oliver must decide whether to follow his heart or adhere to his family’s expectations, while Pearl grapples with her fear that if Shadowbrook House is sold, she will lose her job, her found family, and her chance for long-lasting love. Will the lovers part ways or choose to be together despite the odds? The answer lies within the walls of Shadowbrook House and the echoes of its haunting past. —Synopsis provided by Shadow Mountain
Shadowbrook House is a historical romance full of mystery.
The story is told from the alternating viewpoints of Pearl and Oliver, who both come to the stage with a fair bit of baggage. They’re both likeable enough, although not particularly memorable. The two fall in love almost immediately, which makes the whole romance element feel rushed.
A cast of supporting characters, especially a psychic of sorts, brings some life to the story. And the one unifying element throughout the novel is Maxwell, a sweet kid who’s been ill his entire life.
I wanted to love Whispers of Shadowbrook House, but I only liked it. Author Rebecca Anderson was definitely going for a gothic vibe, but, at times, it felt like she was trying too hard. I’m not sure how many times you can describe dark, dank and dingy, but it feels like she used every possibility.
My other problem — the house itself. It’s hard to tell the size of the thing. It doesn’t seem like the size of Downton Abbey from the overarching description, but it’s like the Tardis — bigger on the inside than on the outside, with rooms that seemingly appear out of nowhere.
Whispers of Shadowbrook House is a fast-moving chaste historical romance that is fine but not spectacular. I suggest it as a library read.
*Editor’s note: Though not written specifically for a young adult audience, Whispers of Shadowbrook House will appeal to younger fans of the genre.
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