Rating: 4/5
The nightmares may free her…but destroy the man she loves. Enjoy another Gothic Style Regency from Hannah Linder. Eliza Ellis has stayed hidden in Balfour Forest for as long as she can remember. Perhaps her only friends are the trees, or her little dog, or her story-telling father called Captain. But at least she is safe from the cruel world outside, a world Captain has warned her against and protected her from. That is, until a handsome stranger named Felton Northwood invades her quiet forest and steals her away. Why does he tell such lies? Why does he insist that her name is Miss Eliza Gillingham, daughter of a viscount, who disappeared fourteen years ago after the murder of her own mother? A murder Eliza is said to have witnessed. When Felton returns Eliza to Monbury Manor and reunites her with a man who is told to be her father, all she remembers are the strange nightmares that have plagued her since childhood. Why have they suddenly grown worse? Are the answers hidden inside her own mind? As danger mounts and lethal attempts are made on her life, Eliza and Felton must work together to uncover the identity of a killer who has stayed silent for fourteen years. When she finally uncovers the horrendous memories trapped in her mind, will divulging the truth cost her the man she loves—and both of their lives?
I received a free copy of The Girl from the Hidden Forest through Austenprose PR for a book tour. Thank you so much for this opportunity!
This was such an enchanting peculiar historical fiction read. I didn’t really know what to expect. Though I will admit, the jumping around at the beginning made things hard to follow at first, as we bounced between the characters. I struggled slightly to understand what was happening. But within a few short pages, I was entranced needing to know what was happening and how things would play out. And this gave me so many fairytale vibes!
The premise of a girl hidden away in a cottage deep within a forest, who didn’t even realize she had been fed lies her entire life, stolen away when she was young. The man she always believed to be her father thought she was protecting her. But a handsome man finds her and steals her away from her forest and all she’s ever known, and now she’s thrust into a world of nobility, the daughter of a lord. And now her life is in danger because of a memory she can’t even truly remember.
Just from a quick snapshot of this story, I get vibes of Rapunzel and Sleeping Beauty. Mostly from the idea of our main character living in a forest the majority of their lives not knowing who they truly were. But as we see the story continue, I get vibes of several other fairytales as well. Our main character, Eliza has a very imaginative mind, she spent her whole life creating these stories within her mind to make her feel less lonely and when we follow her perspective we get to see these details come out which just adds to the fairytale feels we see throughout. I loved following Eliza, she was so adorable how innocent she was.
And the handsome stranger we met was just as charming! Definitely giving off those Flynn Rider vibes, “Here comes the smolder.” We follow a slow-burn romance between Felton and Eliza and it couldn’t be cuter! I loved how tender Felton was with Eliza, wanted to protect her. A truly magical romance.
And not only does this story feel magical, but we also get a cozy mystery to follow. The mystery around the murder of Eliza’s mother, and the memory that Eliza can’t seem to remember. The mixture of the fairytale vibes with the mystery made this such a fascinating read. One I didn’t want to put down. I really didn’t know what to expect with the mystery aspect, I kind of just went with the flow and loved every minute of it! It definitely kept me on edge.
If you love regency historical fiction with fairytale vibes you might love this one too! This is a magical read with a captivating mystery alongside it. One that will surely keep you on your toes!
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