User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
Jane Cockram’s debut was hauntingly atmospheric a perfect fall read. Her descriptive writing style will completely transport you too the creepy Barnsley House. I would not classify this as a thriller it was more of a slow burn suspenseful family drama a little reminiscent of a Kate Morton Book. The beauty of the story was not twists and turns but rather immersive incredible storytelling. Miranda’s life has hit a bit of a bump and she is looking to reinvent herself. When she receives a mysterious letter from a cousin she’s never met Miranda believes it is the perfect time to leave Australia and fly to the UK to find a piece of her pass. Miranda’s mother Tessa was a famous author who died when she was young. Tessa had fled the UK for reasons unknown to Miranda so she ensconces herself in the family as the new nanny. What follows is the unraveling of a web of family secrets and lies.
A creepy house full of creepy characters with a creepy past. The story really drew me in these characters were so vividly drawn, so real to me. I wanted nothing to happen to these children, I wanted to know where their mother Daphne had gone? I needed to know what was up with Max and scary Mrs. Mim. What was Elizabith really up to out on that island? Miranda was a great character and I was right there with her trying to piece all of this together. The ending to this story really surprise me, however there was an abruptness to it that didn’t flow with the rest of the book. All in all this was a captivating debut and I am looking forward to what’s next from Miss Cockram.
This book in emojis: 🌫 📖 🛥 ✍🏻 🏚
*** Big thanks to Harper Collins for my copy of this book ***
Rating: really liked it
4.5 stars! Long hidden family secrets. An old secluded (haunted?) mansion. Unreliable and mysterious characters. Gothic foreboding atmosphere. This book has all the ingredients to satisfy my reading tastes!
Miranda discovers a letter from her estranged twelve-year-old cousin asking for help. Intrigued by her mothers’ dark and secretive past, Miranda starts to dig into her familial background uncovering secrets and long buried stories that make her question her sense of identity.
The writing was excellent! I was completely engrossed from the first to last page and felt as if I were actually there alongside the characters. The thick, eerie atmosphere was palpable and ever-so-enjoyable. The pace and flow were consistently perfect and kept me curious throughout. Miranda was a unique and endearing character who I loved rooting for - I enjoyed following her journey in uncovering her family’s past.
Though there were a few convenient situations that occurred within the pages of this story, they didn’t take away from my love for this novel. The writing, characters, old mansion house, family secrets and foreboding atmosphere were so brilliantly done that I could easily overlook those aspects and stay lost within the story.
This was a phenomenal debut novel and I look forward to reading what this author comes out with next!
Thank you to Edelweiss for the review copy! Thank you to my lovely local library for the loan of the physical copy!
Rating: really liked it
Honestly… This book... Let me just recap the first couple of chapters to get you in the mood...
As an Insta famous social media influencer, Miranda develops a fertility app. Soon, however, the public discovers the app is not only a dud but potentially dangerous and Miranda finds herself with no likes, no income, and… totally the worst… recognised as a fraud in an activewear change room. Never fear, her rich father bails her out and finds her a job. To repay his generosity she leaves his car parked under the tree that will drip sap and bird droppings, decides to ditch the job he’s paid someone else to give her, and steals his credit card details to buy a plane ticket for England and her [late] mother’s childhood home, a mansion which is now owned by Miranda’s uncle, Max.
Arriving at the house, Miranda pretends she's there to be a nanny to Max’s children. Max is pretty cool with that, despite never actually corresponding with anyone called Miranda for the position, and let’s her have the job. He decides it’s best his sister, Elizabeth (Miranda’s aunt), comes to give Miranda the nanny induction.
Elizabeth arrives and decides what Miranda, as the newly arrived nanny, really needs to know is how much the baby!mummy Daphne drinks and enjoys drugs, and that maybe Max is doing the dirty with his housekeeper, Mrs Mins. Not to mention that vitally important information when it comes to childminding, that Miranda’s grandparents and great grandparents were bits of party animals. Miranda cries that she just wants to know about the school run and lunches but Elizabeth’s gotta go. She lives out on an island and no, no one can come visit her because it’s all really rough and scary out on the water.
W.T. actual F.
Meanwhile, Mrs Mins is being all creepy in the garden and talking about the mysterious Mr Mins. Plot twist, Mr Mins turns out to be her brother. And, in 2019, everyone just calls them Mr & Mrs Mins for… affect? It’s obvious Cockram was a big fan of Rebecca (right down to using the name Max and the housekeeper being addressed as Mrs Mins) and maybe even Hitchcock in general, and she was trying to emulate a gothic novel. May I suggest you actually read/watch Rebecca instead of this?
I’m not sure about Cockram’s age but I’m confused as to why Miranda had to be the most immature and ignorant person on earth. Oh, and let’s not forget dramatic.
For most of the book the only real leading man or love interest for Miranda is Max. Yes, her uncle… This makes for a weird incestuous vibe through the book that was probably more creepy than the attempted horror.
Cockram doesn’t understand ‘show not tell’. Pretty much none of the action happened in real time; it’s all óff screen’. Characters tell Miranda what has happened before her arrival at the house, either in person, a letter, a diary entry, the book her mother wrote, and even a bloody recipe book. All conveniently written in great detail by people who witnessed something (which, unless they can see through space and time can’t have witnessed anyway) and who leave their informed scribblings around somewhere that Miranda conveniently finds them.
I read this as an uncorrected proof and I hope - at least - they have amended the glaringly obvious plot inconsistencies. There’s so many examples of contradictions, timeline errors, and generally things being so incorrect that they make zero sense… For example, there's Miranda having an inner thought regarding her uncle’s behaviour (the sentence is something like, ‘it’s just like Max to act like that’) the very night she meets him. I mean… How did she know how he always acted when she’d only just met him for the first time?
My absolute favourite is the climactic scene, however. I can’t actually go into details without spoiling (if you’re tempted to read, that is) but it’s such a mess I actually couldn’t stop wondering if I’d get to the end and there’d be a page just saying ‘surprise!’ and an admission the whole thing was some kind of social experiment.
Yes, I did make it to the end (sadly, no ‘surprise!’ page was found). I guess I wanted to see if there was any sort of shock twist that might raise my rating. There wasn’t.
Look, this review is savage, yes, and I've thought about toning it down but this book is not some 99 cent self published piece with a photoshopped cover. And frankly, unless there’s been MAJOR changes from my version to the final version, I am shocked someone had the audacity to publish this, let alone expect me to recommend it. I cannot give it more than 1 out of 5.
Rating: really liked it
An atmospheric tale of long-hidden family secrets.
Miranda is a failed lifestyle influencer. While dealing with the humiliation of her fall from grace, she returns to her father’s house one night after a family dinner...only to find a letter from her cousin, Sophia. The letter is addressed to Miranda’s mother, who passed away 20 years ago. Sophia is asking for help where she lives at Barnsley House, a family estate in England.
The house has a history, and was made prominent when Miranda’s mother wrote a book about it, called THE HOUSE OF BRIDES. The book is a true story about the women who married into the Summer family, and their notorious ways. With her life in shambles and nothing to look forward to at home, Miranda books a flight to England and to Barnsley House.
Once she arrives at the house, things are not what she thought they would be. The house was recently renovated to include a hotel and fancy restaurant, but those parts of the house are boarded up. Max Summer (her uncle) is the current owner, and lives there with his wife, Daphne, and his three children. Daphne is nowhere to be found, and the only other person Miranda meets on arrival is the housekeeper, Mrs. Mins. Feeling like something isn’t right, Miranda hides her identity...moving into the house to look after the children, and determined to find out the secrets of Barnsley House.
This book is oozing with atmosphere, thanks to the wonderful writing of debut author Jane Cockram. It’s also a slow burn. It starts out very slow until maybe about 50 pages in, and then lightly simmers with suspense. This is a mystery and a family drama...definitely not a thriller. I was intrigued to get to the bottom of this family’s secrets, and it definitely held my attention. The ending is a bit anticlimactic, but the whole story is very well written and wraps up nicely. I really enjoyed it overall, and would recommend it as long as you know this isn’t a fast-paced thriller...and you are okay with that.
3.5 stars.
P.S. A few parts of the book use an odd, cursive font. Prepare to squint your eyes until they get used to it. 👀
Rating: really liked it
The synopsis of this one grabbed me from the start. Miranda is a social media influencer who falls from grace when the product she endorses completely flops. Trolls are all over her accounts, and all she wants to do is hide. So, that she does on her family’s English estate.
Once there, Miranda is surrounded by secrets and a dark family mystery. The descriptive writing works so well in this story. The storyline is original, and the pacing kept my thoughts churning. I had a hard time putting this one down.
If you are looking for a refreshing thriller, you should check out The House of Brides. It has Gothic touches making it perfect for fall. Plus, it has an eerie old manse and is full of family secrets and drama.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. Many of my reviews can also be found on instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
Rating: really liked it
Well, well, this one surprised me! A lot is going on here with this one, and I had to think a bit about how to describe this story. I would say it's a modern gothic psychology thriller, entertaining family drama with a hornet's nest of secrets and lies and a twist to Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca.
Because I like to make up phrases, I would also call this a surface read. What you read is what you get. I didn't find much depth layered in here to the story or the characters. It's an easy, entertaining read with enough suspense and tension to keep me turning the pages to see how it all comes together. I would say there is some of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca brilliantly layered in well (layered might be a stretch)in the story, and that could be a hit or miss for some readers.
I enjoyed the eerie gothic feel to the story however the modern side of the story with Miranda's character and her fall from social media grace missed that mordern mark for me, and that felt disjointed from the story for me. I found Miranda likable and more a shallow character, and because there wasn't much depth to her, and I didn't deleve into her character like a normally do. For me, it was all about the suspense, and I enjoyed her quest to find those secrets and lies hidden in the house of brides.
I enjoyed the easy feel to the story that didn't require a lot from me, and like Lindsay, it "had all the ingredients to satisfy my reading tastes" and gave that overthinker in me a rest. I highly recommend for an entertaining, light and easy read.
I received a copy from the publisher!
Rating: really liked it
EXCERPT: It's easy to remember what it felt like to see Barnsley for the first time. Not in a photograph but in the flesh, the grand house appearing in front of me. The beauty of the limestone is hard to see in a photograph, and harder to explain. The stone is different to that of other houses in the area, softer somehow, and in the summer, Max said, it felt warm for weeks on end. Some days, when the sun was not strong enough to warm Daphne's cold antipodean bones, she would lean up against the wall and hope that the warmth would penetrate through her summer dress and cardigan. That was before my time. It has only been cold, bitterly cold, since I have known it.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: Miranda’s life and career has been a roller-coaster ride. Her successful rise to the top of the booming lifestyle industry as a social media influencer led to a humiliating fall after a controversial product she endorsed flopped. Desperate to get away from the hate-spewing trolls shaming her on the internet, she receives a mysterious letter from a young cousin in England that plunges her into a dark family mystery.
Miranda’s mother Tessa Summers, a famous author, died when Miranda was a child. The young woman’s only connection to the Summers family is through Tessa’s famous book The House of Brides—a chronicle of the generations of women who married into the infamous Summers family and made their home in the rambling Barnsley House, the family’s estate. From Gertrude Summers, a famed crime novelist, to Miranda’s grandmother Beatrice, who killed herself after setting fire to Barnsley while her children slept, each woman in The House of Brides is more notorious than the next. The house’s current “bride” is the beautiful, effervescent Daphne, her Uncle Max’s wife—a famed celebrity chef who saved Barnsley from ruin turning the estate into an exclusive culinary destination and hotel.
Curious about this legendary family she has never met, Miranda arrives at Barnsley posing as a prospective nanny answering an advertisement. She’s greeted by the compelling yet cold housekeeper Mrs. Mins, and meets the children and her Uncle Max—none of whom know her true identity. But Barnsley is not what Miranda expected. The luxury destination and award-winning restaurant is gone, and Daphne is nowhere to be found. Most disturbing, one of the children is in a wheelchair after a mysterious accident. What happened in this house? Where is Daphne? What darkness lies hidden in Barnsley?
MY THOUGHTS: Give me an old house full of family secrets and lies, and I purr like a cat with a dish of cream. Add a dysfunctional family and I am enraptured. Throw in a letter, a hidden notebook, a housekeeper reminiscent of Mrs Danvers, and a missing wife....nirvana!
The writing is hauntingly atmospheric, the characters perfectly drawn, and the plot gripping.
I read this overnight, and even while catching up on the housework today and listening to an audiobook, I couldn't stop thinking about the characters in House of Brides.
One of my favourite passages is: 'The truth is what you make it: add a little here and there, take away what you need. It's a work in progress.'
💖👀💌😯.5
#TheHouseOfBrides #NetGalley
THE AUTHOR: Jane Cockram was born and educated in Australia, where she studied Journalism at RMIT, majoring in Literature. The House of Brides is her debut novel.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harlequin Australia via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The House of Brides by Jane Cockram for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system, please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
Rating: really liked it
I received an ARC of
The House Of Brides and judging from the blurb and cover of the book I thought for sure I would love it... I didn't. I had this feeling of something was "off" the entire time I was reading book and I kept waiting for a full explanation for everything and that did not happen. Added to that, most if not all the characters were a bit unlikeable and I did not care for them.
I felt A LOT was happening in the book, maybe too much and when everything was revealed I felt the justification was so over simplified, maybe even eye rolling.
I really didn't like this one.
Rating: really liked it
3.5 Stars rounded down. This was definitely a mystery and family drama, but in no shape or form was it a thriller. Regardless, I was engrossed throughout, the writing was exceptionally beautiful and atmospheric and I could not put it down! I needed to find out what happened in this family's past, and what secrets this notebook our protagonist discovered would unearth. The disappearance of Daphne was an added mystery element that I appreciated, and I definitely did not see the ending coming. This is a perfect book for those who love slow-burn mysteries, creepy atmospheric manor types of reads, and I'm incredibly impressed that this is a debut novel. I'm definitely a new fan!
Rating: really liked it
Add this to your TBR for October!
Jane Cockram captivates with her haunting debut novel, The House of Brides. With echoes of Daphne de Maurier, it examines the inescapable ties of family and what happens when a complex tangle of secrets starts to unravel. Gripping, atmospheric and with an ending you won’t see coming, this book held me in its spell long after the final page. A sure-fire bestseller!
Rating: really liked it
The House of Brides by Jane Cockram is a bit of psychological suspense entangled in a family drama. The setting in this one takes place in England in an old family estate known as The Barnsley House and is atmospheric and haunting with gothic undertones.
Our main character, Miranda, is just coming into adulthood while still being treated as a child by her family and let’s face it, still making many mistakes along the way. Miranda had become a successful influencer but her fame had gone spiraling downward when she was caught in some lies on her products.
Being at a crossroads in her life Miranda had always wanted to know about her mother’s background and family so when a letter shows up years after her passing Miranda sees it as a sign to head to England for answers. When arriving however she impulsively masquerades as a nanny while she looks to uncover the secrets of her mother’s past.
The House of Brides was a solid enough debut for this author although sometimes along the way it felt as if there were a tad bit of something missing. The setting was done rather well and along with the characters it had a wonderfully creepy vibe that pulled the story along. I’m not sure if I just longed for more depth or perhaps a bit more action to it along the way but it was enough that I’m glad I gave it a go and would pick up another by Jane Cockram.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Rating: really liked it
An English estate has been home to generations of the women who married into the Summer family.
When one of the daughters gets a letter from a current, teenage relative addressed to her mother pleading for help, Miranda leaves Australia and heads to Barnsley House. The funny thing is that her mother has passed away.
Miranda never was reliable, and after her job disaster and her father's finding her another job she doesn't want, she thinks this letter from a cousin will save her.
Miranda tricks her father into paying for her flight from Australia to England to find out what the letter meant and finds herself being interviewed for a job as a nanny instead of why she came in the first place.
Did Miranda go from a bad situation to a worse one?
She can't reveal why she really arrived, and she doesn't know what really is waiting for her at Barnsley House, but she soon finds out all isn't as it should be
What she finds are three children, their father, a housekeeper, an empty, not well-kept inn, an estate in disrepair, odd things happening, and no visible mother.
Ms. Cockram created the story line in a very creative way. She revealed some of the family's secrets by using a book Miranda’s mother had written that describes the history of the house and the family. Ms. Cockram also used a diary with background information of the characters written by the infamous, "missing" mother.
Everyone and everything seemed to have a secret at Barnsley House. The housekeeper was especially secretive, dangerous, and frightening.
If you enjoy odd characters, old mansions, family secrets, supposed ghosts, a stolen book, and Gothic undertones, you will want to have THE HOUSE OF BRIDES added to your TBR.
HOUSE OF BRIDES has an absorbing, captivating story line you won't want to put down.
Ms. Cockram’s writing style is descriptive and draws you in. A marvelous debut all around. 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: really liked it
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
3.5 stars
With an enticing front cover quote from one of my favourite Australian writers, Sally Hepworth, I was quite ready to be held captive by The House of Brides, written by debut novelist Jane Cockram. This modern day gothic thriller, crossed with a family drama, is a story of loss, identity, career crisis, secrets, tragedy and revelations. An alluring premise set the bar high for Jane Cockram’s first release.
The House of Brides revolves around the lead character of Miranda, a twenty something social media influencer who suffers a career nosedive in the early sequences of the book. This career crisis begins a chain of events that sees Miranda return home with her tail between her legs. Still nursing the loss of her mother, Miranda’s grief is amplified by the loss of her job. A mysterious letter comes into Miranda’s possession at just the right time. This letter comes from Miranda’s cousin requesting help. With a clear absence of information about her mother’s past, this letter may prove to be the key to unlock a whole host of secrets.
The House of Brides has been compared to classic gothic fiction novels such as Rebecca, Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. Kate Morton also receives a mention on the back cover of The House of Brides and I was excited by this prospect as I am a big fan of Morton’s work. The House of Brides set off to a galloping start, the premise was intriguing and the final cover was absolutely stunning, it definitely seduced me into reading this one sooner than later!
Cockram is clearly very aware of the key ingredients that are required to craft a successful modern gothic fiction novel. Cockram has a tormented lead protagonist, a creepy but magical old mansion, suspect characters, a ghostly presence and a rich tapestry of past secrets to uncover. All the vital gothic fiction elements were very present in this novel, which I appreciated very much.
In terms of the atmosphere, The House of Brides has a swirling, tension filled, edgy and speculative feel. I had plenty of questions about the characters and events of this novel, which held my interest level. Cockram indulges in lots of descriptive passages, that work to situate the reader in the spiralling events of the tale. I particularly felt like the stately home in this book was rendered well, it had a strong presence in the book, making a solid impression on the reader.
Character wise, The House of Brides has an extensive cast. The protagonist set will keep the reader on their toes. Each character is touched by a sense of unease, or mistrust. I wasn’t quite sure who, or what to believe in some instances of the book. Miranda, the prime protagonist, leads the charge in this novel’s case. She is the conductor of the performance, but I found her hard to like and I couldn’t put my finger on why this was the case. However, it does seem like this is the consensus based on a number of reviewers who have already covered this book.
Structure wise, The House of Brides flits between Miranda, the central protagonist’s point of view, along with diary entries, letters, clippings and a book within a book, ‘The House of Brides’, which was penned by the protagonist’s mother. I thought this was a creative move on behalf of the author. However, I will have to be honest and admit that I was often confused by the storyline direction, my handle on the narrative definitely slipped. I also found the script in the notebook sequences hard to decipher. Despite this, I was compelled to stay loyal to the book and I was happy to read until the end of this gothic inspired saga.
The House of Brides is a story of family connections, dark secrets, scandal, complications and disclosure. Jane Cockram’s first novel will be sure to reel in devoted gothic fiction, or family drama readers.
*I wish to thank Harlequin Australia for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
The House of Brides is book #139 of the 2019 Australian Women Writers Challenge
Rating: really liked it
*www.onewomansbbr.wordpress.com
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
**2.5 stars**
The House of Brides by Jane Cockram. (2019).
Miranda has been having a rough time; her successful career as a social media influencer has crashed after the controversial flop of her fertility app. Humiliated, she has moved home and misses her mother Tessa who died years ago. Tessa wrote a bestselling book (The House of Brides) that chronicled the generations of brides in her family, each more notorious and tragic than the last. Miranda doesn't know that side of the family so when a mysterious letter arrives from a young cousin asking for help, Miranda acts. She poses as a live-in nanny but nothing is what it seems. The luxury hotel and world-renowned restaurant created by the most recent bride, Daphne, is gone. Soon Daphne is also gone. One of the children is in a wheelchair after a mysterious accident and the sinister housekeeper Mrs Mins has a dark influence over the master of the house...
I'm a bit disappointed really because I went into this book thinking I'd really enjoy it but unfortunately it didn't go that way; perhaps my expectations were too high. I think one of the biggest issues is that Miranda just doesn't feel a real person; she is in her mid twenties yet seems to have the attitude and mind of a 16 year old, she is totally impulsive and makes decisions that don't really make sense, she herself admits she is a liar but then she also does things like stealing and tries to justify why when really there is no justification. The other issue I had was that sometimes the chapters felt like they were cut off too soon, like literally in the middle of a conversation and then the same conversation would resume at the beginning of the next chapter - that was a bit strange. I did like the use of having letters, newsletters and diary entries etc make up some of the formatting, but I did struggle to read some of the cursive 'handwritten' sections haha. I was interested enough in what the outcome of the story was but the big reveals just didn't really feel quite satisfying to me.
There are heaps of people out there that have really enjoyed this book so check it out if the synopsis sounds interesting to you.
Rating: really liked it
The House of Brides doesn’t come out until October, but when I heard I was staying at the Grand Hotel Praha in Slovakia, I knew I needed to pick it up and read it on my Eastern European adventure.
The main character, Miranda, decides to travel from Australia to England in order to reconnect with distant family at their estate—The Barnsley House (this hotel made me feel like I was in the story!). While there, she goes undercover to find out more about her estranged family. After the first night at The Barnsley House, her uncle’s wife goes missing. There’s a lot of deep secrets in The Barnsley House, but is Miranda ready to uncover them?
The House of Brides is Jane Cockram’s first novel, and it’s definitely going to kickstart her career as a mystery novelist. While the story is more of a family drama than psychological thriller, I felt intrigued to keep digging into the story. The slow building suspense works in this story and really got me questioning everything. I did NOT know how this book was going to end, and that’s always a great thing for a thriller connoisseur, like myself. While the pacing of the novel allowed my imagination to run while, I was a little shocked to see the abrupt stop towards the end. Overall, a solid debut by an author we will all be talking about this fall. RATING: 3.5 stars, PUB: 10/22
