Told in past and present timelines, when Nessa and Mab’s father takes his daughters to his first wife’s house to be looked after, when their own mother is dying. Con loves the girls but there is mixed reactions from the 2 half brothers. But in the spate of a week all will change and it will reverberate for years, especially for Mab.
But years later when the news of their narcissistic father’s passing arrives, the time has come for Mab to face the past and try and move forward.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book, it didn’t hit the emotions for me like I suspected it may but I certainly became invested in the characters with this dysfunctional family. Loved the resolution and certainly the novel finished with hope.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to read.

3.5 Stars
One Liner: Mixed feelings

After the death of Mab and Nessa’s mother, their father relocated to New Zealand and married his third wife, dusting off his young daughters’ responsibilities. The kids had to deal with a lot more than the loss of parental support.
Twenty years later, the sisters receive the news of their father’s death. They are forced to handle the grief that weighed them down for years and confront the secrets from the past that changed their lives forever.
They return to the Lowlands where they live for a while with Con, their father’s first wife. Can Mab and Nessa find the answers this time?
The story comes in the third-person POV of Mab, Con, and Nessa in a dual timeline.

My Thoughts:
Rating this is hard coz I like it but also didn’t like it much.
The book is essentially a family drama with secrets and messy emotions. The story shifts between present and past, clearly distinguished by the years mentioned under the chapter title.
Mab has a major share of the narration, which works and doesn’t work. At times, she sounds like an adult. But most of the time, she sounds pretty much like the eight-year-old version in the past. Moreover, her POV is not entirely reliable since she continues to think like a kid even twenty years later. The way her thoughts spiral into a tangled mess is exhausting to read.
Nessa, the older sister, has a better arc. She was parentified as a young teen and grew up taking care of her younger sister (Mab). This affected her in many ways, though her POV is reliable and easier to read.
Con is an intriguing character. She is rather sweet and lovely, which is a welcome change from a bad stepmom (though she is not really a stepmother). However, she too is flawed and makes some mistakes, which have long-lasting effects.
The core premise relies on assumptions, keeping secrets, and lack of communication. While it works to an extent, the story goes in circles in the first and second parts to keep the reader in suspense. However, there are clues to guess (which I did) that make it hard to enjoy the narration.
While the descriptions are lovely, there’s too much internal thought. Some of it aids in character development but it mostly reduces the pace and tires the reader. There were many instances when I had to skim a bit when the characters went on and on without a break (Mab specializes in this).
The third part is stronger since we finally address the issue. Such a relief! The ending is hopeful and positive. It may seem like an easy way out but I don’t mind.
Not sure why but the last chapter (the one before the epilogue) is in omnipresent third-person POV breaking the fourth wall and has a philosophical touch. I don’t think this is necessary. Much of it could have been included in the epilogue.

To summarize, The House of Echoes is a slow-moving story about a dysfunctional and broken family caused by a selfish man who couldn’t take responsibility for his actions or for his people.
Thank you, NetGalley and Bloodhound Books, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

The House Of Echoes
By: Rachel Crowther

5 Stars

Mab and Nessa shared a traumatic childhood. Now, as adults, the secrets of the past still hold root in their lives. To move forward, they will have to go back to the past first.

This was a powerful story. Mab and Nessa are a duo of sisters who face so much hardship at a young age. These change them and set them on a path that will change their lives as well as those they are around. This story brought sisterhood and love to the forefront of a traumatic and heartbreaking story. It was hope and being scared. It was love and regret. It was a book that was emotional and captivating from start to finish. I loved the emotional roller-coaster it set me on. It was written well and will make you laugh and cry, but most of all, it will captivate the heart, mind, and soul.

*I want to thank Netgalley and the author for this book in return for my honest review*

Stormi Ellis
Boundless Book Review

An interesting exploration of family relationships, the impact of loss and how feelings change over time. Well written and interesting.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "The House of Echoes" and all opinions expressed are my own. This was a very slow burn. The characters were ok. It was a bit hard to follow sometimes. Overall ok read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. This one was a bit of a slow burn, but well written and a great reset to actual literary fiction.

A wonderful book and read about the past and how it always catches up with you. Can you keep the past in the past!? This is a story of family, secrets, the bounds we make and the silence we keep. This is a bit of a ride of a read and it is gripping, interesting, intriguing and the love of family that comes through on the page.

I enjoyed reading this book, the characters are great and you can relate to them and the family dynamics as we all have family problems at some stage in our lives. A great read and one I highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Bloodhound Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Really enjoyed this book! The struggles, the fear, the desperation, all overcome by truth and love.

3⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Bloodhound Books for an advanced copy of The House Of Echoes.

Mab and Nessa receive the news that their father has passed away. Neither of them really know how they feel about it having no contact with him for decades. But what it does is open up old wounds of the past and raises questions about there step brothers death years ago. It was ruled as an accident but Mab has always had questions about what really happened that day.

This book has a good storyline but for me I found it pretty boring until about half way through and then it picked up a little. It was hard to relate to the characters and I felt a little underwhelmed by the conclusion.

Two sisters, Mab and Nessa, are devastated when their mother dies and their father leaves them to set up a new life In New Zealand. Prior to their father's departure, they are left with his previous wife and sons while their mother is in hospital receiving care. Tragedy occurs, an event which will shatter both the sister's lives. A heartbreaking well written story that will keep the reader totally engrossed. Will recommend to book clubs.

Told in dual timelines, The House of Echoes by Rachel Crowther is an emotive book about family dynamics, sister bonds, memories, grief, love and hope.

Adult sisters Mab and Nessa are contacted by their once beloved stepmother with the news of their estranged father's death. He was only in his sixties. The sisters knew this day would come but not yet. Their reactions are mixed and not what they'd expected. Their grief is complicated but nonetheless raw as they relive memories of the past, especially the sickness and death of their mother in her thirties. Their dad left them bereft and conflicted but Con helped them navigate. With others' help, they learned to heal and move forward from these and other issues. Problems don't just disappear but they can get less awful.

Books about sisters grab me as I have two sisters. The characters are explored deeply and realistically.
The writing is gorgeously descriptive and poignant, evoking quiet strength. Human nature is thoughtfully captured. The pink lilies on the cover melt my heart.

My sincere thank you to Bloodhound Books and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this touching novel.

This was a wonderfully done novel, it had a strong writing style and was engaged from the first page and was enjoying the overall storyline. The characters worked well overall and enjoyed how it uses the secrets and tension that I was looking for. Rachel Crowther wrote this well and was glad I got to read this.

I loved the title of this novel and I couldn't wait to read it.

It is a well plotted tale and the writing is just beautiful. The setting of Lowlands was so nice.. I want to stay there.

I loved Mab and Nessa's story and the love of family shone through even though betrayal and secrets were the main cause.. The story is mainly told through flashbacks of past and present but this was easy to follow and I really enjoyed my time

Thank you NetGalley and Bloodhound Books for the eARC.
This was such a great book; really outstanding story, writing and atmosphere. Heartbreaking, but ultimately uplifting, it features 2 sisters and their traumatizing childhood. The characters are written vividly, I loved them and felt deeply for all of them. The husband/father character was unlikeable but realistically drawn ... but even he came through in the end.
Don't miss this book, it's sooo worth it!