Felt overly-wordy. I lost interest pretty quickly at various times throughout the book. Good premise behind the book though. Maybe this author's writing is just not for me.

A dark, foreboding house high on a cliff top in Cornwall. Into this comes Alice in 1947 after leaving her boring job in austere London to be a governess to adorable twins. Present day Rachel inherits the house. Loved this sinister tale which starts with a blood curdling curse, strange objects, hero’s and villains and lots of creepy goings on. Sent one or two shivers down my spine! Very gothic, atmospheric book best read in front of a log fire when it’s dark outside. Excellent story and can highly recommend it.

The story has echoes of the classics, it has a distinct feel of Rebecca and Jane Eyre, which is especially evident in the writing and the first few chapters.

The story ventures into three periods in time beginning with the woman who goes on to influence the paths of quite a few women in Winterbourne, and not in a good way. Her presence is felt in the area and in the house. A nefarious essence lurking in every corner, every swirl of mist and each drop of water in the cold murky sea.

Rachel inherits the decrepit old mansion, and finds herself drawn into the mysteries of the past during her attempts to trace her real parentage. She also wants to know why her mother gave her up for adoption. The answers she finds are completely unexpected, and she is really surprised by how drawn she is to the house and the local people.

She finds evidence of a governess called Alice, who used to live there in the late 40s. She left under a cloud of mystery and scandal. It seems as though she was one in a series of women with a tragic connection to Winterbourne and the family de Grey.

It has a haunting gothic vibe and is infused with a creepy sense of foreboding. James pulls the readers, and some of the characters, along on kind of a red herring trail with the majority believing Laura is controlling the house. The truth is far more sinister.

The author creates an eery atmosphere which seeps through the characters, the house and the surrounding area, almost like a dark cloud of evil. Even when it seems as if the characters are finally getting the upper-hand or moving on, something or someone puts them back in their place. Once a Winterbourner always a Winterbourner.

James has created a ghostly read with a vengeful presence controlling the narrative, it is a dark and compelling read.

This is a book set in two time periods. We have 1947 when Alice Miller goes to remote Winterbourne in Cornwall to be a governess to twins. In the modern Day we have career driven Rachel who is going to Cornwall to see a legacy she has received from an unknown relative.

I found this book to be a mediocre ghost story. I could see far too many ghosts of other author's work - primarily Henry James' "Turn of the Screw" and Susan Hill. There are also echoes through other less well known ghost stories. Unfortunately I continually saw parallels as I read this book and ended up making comparisons. This did not live up to the aforementioned excellent works.

I read a lot of ghost stories and am familiar with the style. Yes, any gothic ghost story is going to have echoes of other works but it is up to the author to add enough of their own style to make their book unique and able to stand alone. I did not feel that this book did that.

As books go - leaving aside any comparisons - this is quite mediocre. I have seen it advertised as both horror and suspense but feel that it fell down on both these accounts. There was a lack of suspense. That certain something that keeps me glued and tense ready to jump was simply not there. I didn't find either Alice or Rachel particularly nice characters and didn't find myself caring about them. The supporting cast wasn't much better.

This was simply not a book for me. I found the writing mediocre & the suspense lacking. There are much better ghost stories out there than this - though I will also admit there are worse!

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.

Do you believe in ghosts?
In this mystery gothic story, there's no place for closed minds, because after reading the first pages you could almost feel the dark presence near you, the woman in the mirror that observes you, hunts you till she controls you...
This mysterious story is told between Rachel and Alice, the past and the present that collide at Winterbourne, where there's always a sadness and darkness enveloping the house... Rachel and Alice are two independent and brave women whom their lives will be mixed with the haunting Winterbourne. Both of them will have to fight for their life and loved ones, but the fight will not be easy, but the prize is too important to not risk the life for it.
While Alice meets the Winterbourne thanks to a job, Rachel inherited the place, she only wants to know more about her parents that she never met. Both of them will be fascinated by the house and the story of it, but they will not see the danger until it will be too late...
While I was reading this story I was totally abducted in it; atmospheric, mysterious and dangerous. If you are searching for a book that will not let you sleep this is for you, is an amazing read!

Ooh I do love a dark creepy book and The Woman In The Mirror definitely ticked both of those boxes.

From the start the book is incredibly atmospheric, especially when it comes to the eerie descriptions of the house. The air almost crackles with mystery and feels weighed down with all the secrets the house holds. The reader is given the sense that anything can happen at any moment which made me quite jumpy at times. This is definitely a book to read with lots of people about and the light on! The description of all the paintings in the house sent a chill down my spine as they seemed so threatening and I shared Alice’s sense that they were watching her.

I felt quite sorry for both of the main characters who were both trying to find a new start and a place to belong. It was quite emotional to see them not get the happy new life they hoped. Both of them are hiding secrets in their past which I was very intrigued to find out more about.

The secrets of the house and what happened to Alice are slowly and tantalisingly unwrapped which ensured I was thoroughly gripped to the last page. The slow merging of Alice and Rachel’s story was very realistically done and never seemed forced with some far fetched connection to each other. I felt that this story could have actually happened, which did also help to add to the tension in the book.

The ending was brilliant and I closed the book with a happy, contented sigh of having read a fantastic book. If anything I felt a little sad to have to leave the characters and Winterbourne behind.

Huge thanks to HQ stories and Joe Thomas for my copy if this book via Netgalley and for inviting me onto the blog tour. If you like dark, creepy and atmospheric books with a dual timeline mystery than you will love this book!

I do enjoy a bit of gothic fiction and The Woman In The Mirror ticked all the boxes with it also being a dual time frame novel.
Apart from the prologue all the of the novel takes place in either 1947 or 2018. Both women, whose connection is initially unclear both have had to rebuild their lives after suffering a devastating loss. That is their only similarity though, Rachel is much more independent than Alice and a lot more likeable.
Whilst Alice did suffer from the events that occurred at Winterbourne I found her to be frightening in her own way. I did understand the reasons why she was like she was, loneliness and the sense of going through life unloved, but I found her quite possessive. Especially with her relationship with the children who she didn’t really know.
The twins reminded me of the children in The Turning of The Screw by Henry James and whilst they did feature quite a lot I would have liked to see more of them and to know more about what happened in the intervening years. But this did not stop me enjoying the novel, I just wanted to enjoy more spookiness.
I loved the descriptions, both of the house and the area and also London during the blitz. The author did brilliant job of showing the view through the eyes of somebody who had to work there at the time.
I would love to read more books like this, its something I only read occasionally but I always enjoy it when I do.

Oh my word. Words really do fail me as to describe what I have just finished reading.

Alice and Rachel really pulled at my heart strings. I found myself holding my breath as Rach lived those painful lives in different eras, pulled to the same ominous house.

It has been a long time since I’ve read something so haunting and and heartfelt.

The ghosts of the past coming back to inflict pain and suffering on the present, the hint of a curse from a witch a long time dead

1947

Governess Alice Miller loves Winterbourne the moment she sees it. Towering over the Cornish cliffs, its dark corners and tall turrets promise that, if Alice can hide from her ghosts anywhere, it’s here.

And who better to play hide and seek with than twins Constance and Edmund? Angelic and motherless, they are perfect little companions.

2018

Adopted at birth, Rachel’s roots are a mystery. So, when a letter brings news of the death of an unknown relative, Constance de Grey, Rachel travels to Cornwall, vowing to uncover her past.

With each new arrival, something in Winterbourne stirs. It’s hiding in the paintings. It’s sitting on the stairs.

It’s waiting in a mirror, behind a locked door.

The Woman In The Mirror by Rebecca James... wow, just wow! What an amazing, gripping story of passion and an obsession that will not let go. The story has dual timelines of present day and 1947. It keeps the reader hooked from the start.
The house in the story seems to have its own personality. It draws characters in before consuming then.
Set in Cornwall, the novel is very reminiscent of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca. I kept being reminded of the line "last night I dreamt of Mandelay." The setting becomes a character in its own right. Inanimate objects seem to spring to life and nothing is as it first seems.
There is a search for roots and to belong. We all need to know where we came from in order to plot where we are going.
A sense of loss surrounds characters. They believe they were cast aside but nothing could be further from the truth.
Rebecca James had a marvelous plotline linking the two time periods. I could not guess where the action came from nor where it was going to.
I think The Woman In The Mirror would make a fabulous movie - a film noir with elements of gothic horror as the house dominates the whole novel.
A perfectly marvelous read. I cannot wait for more from Rebecca James.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.