Customer Reviews

Whispers of Goodbye (Candleglow)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Catherine "Cat" deClaire Reed had recently lost her son, due to drowning, and her husband, due to suicide. Even though the war was over, the Yankees made sure she had little left. Her only living relative was her sister, Elizabeth, who married John McMahon seven years before and left. Cat had not seen her since. So when out of the blue, Cat received a letter from Elizabeth begging her to come quickly, Cat did!

Upon reaching Whispering Oaks in Louisiana, Cat learned that Elizabeth had disappeared. She also learned that she was an aunt! Rebecca was about five years old and full of secrets about the voices that whisper to her at night. Rebecca also enjoyed spying on people and learning more secrets. She was open, loving, and Catherine grew to love her as her own.

When Elizabeth was found dead, rumors blamed the husband, John. But Cat knew well enough by then that Elizabeth had changed and NOT for the better. Cat no longer recognized the woman people described to her. She knew too that John would never have murdered his wife.

Someone, or possibly more than one person, were now out to harm Cat, the new mistress of Whispering Oaks, and little Rebecca. Everyone had dark secrets, nothing was as it seemed, and the swamps could be deadly!

***** Oh, how I adore Gothic Romances! This one is pure bliss to those, like myself, who enjoy indulging in gothics. Beautiful woman, dark and dreary background, and a man that is mysterious, dangerous, and in love with the heroine. Perfect!

I stayed up late to finish this one. I found myself unable to sleep until the last page had been turned. Author Karen White has created the perfect "old time" gothic with the "modern" happily-ever-after ending that readers of today crave. Highly recommended reading! I can hardly wait for this author's next gothic release! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

I found this book to be very fun to read. There are not that many Gothic Romances out there that are worth the time it takes to read. I was glad that this book was an exception. Set in post civil war Louisiana the story is about Catherine who comes to her sisters plantation at her sisters frantic request. She has not seen Elizabeth in over seven years so Catherine does not know what to expect when she gets there. When she arrives she finds that her sister is missing and there are many strange and scary incidents that follow and Elizabeth is later found dead. Catherine finds that she is drawn to John her brother-in-law but does not know if she can trust him. She finds out that she must listen to her heart and that John is the one that she is destined to love for all time.

This book is written in the first person so it is totally from Catherines perspective. For this reason the reader does not get the thoughts of others so you should keep this in mind while reading. Otherwise the reader my get frustrated by the actions of Catherine. With plenty of "Southern Flavor" and many twists and turns you won't know who's the "bad guy" or what the secrets are that are kept so well within the dark halls of the plantation until the very end. This book is well written and a first for me by this author and I look forward to reading more by her real soon.

Of all the books I have read this year--and I read all genres, not just romance--this is the absolute best.

The characters are brilliantly detailed as is the setting and tone. The expertly-devised plot kept me turning pages until the wee hours of the night. But, most of all, the actual writing of this very talented author pulled me in and kept me enthralled until the very last page.

I can not wait to see what Ms. White comes up with next. I predict her writing career to soar!

Grieving the tragic drowning of her young son, Catherine was unprepared for her husband's blame and subsequent suicide. The years of the Civil War brought devastation to their fields and mansion, leaving little for Catherine to live upon. When her sister Elizabeth's letter comes from Louisiana, bidding her to come quickly, she immediately leaves for Whispering Oaks, the beautiful house on the Mississippi left to Elizabeth by her grandmother. She couldn't help wondering if her sister's letter would leave to her salvation or to her ruin.

When John McMahon married Elizabeth and took her to Louisiana, Cat had resented him with a fierceness reserved for the young. The sisters had been close, and at fourteen Cat had resented the implication that he might need Elizabeth more than she does. Now twenty-two, she arrives at Whispering Oaks to learn her sister was not necessarily the woman she remembered. Elizabeth has disappeared, and whispered gossip and overheard comments reveal a selfish, sometimes cruel woman who always sought, but never seemed to find, happiness. When her body is discovered in a nearby field, even her husband does not mourn.

Dark shadows of betrayal and secrets lurk beneath a promise of new beginnings in Karen White's gothic romance WHISPERS OF GOODBYE. Cat questions the truth as to her sister's character, boldly confronting danger and disillusionment with equal strength of character. The dark and secretive John lends the novel a sensual undertone, balancing the shadow with light as he and Cat fall in love and build a marriage together. Yet classic gothic elements continue to cast lingering doubts and shadowed fears, keeping the ominous overtone consistent as ancient superstitions and dark family secrets come to light. Highly recommended.

I usually don't have a great opinion of romance novels. This one is different. While it follows and almost cliche plot line (woman on a Plantation with handsome man...) it has enough intrigue, creepiness and plot twisting that truly do surprise you. This is an excellent book for romance, mystery, gothic and suspense readers alike.

Not only is WHISPERS OF GOODBYE a gothic romance, it goes beyond romance and realistically portrays the consequences when two people leave trust and faith in the other out of a relationship.

Throughout the novel, this reader, kept shouting at Cat and John to stop keeping secrets. Come clean. Talk to each other. Trust the other to understand.

When a book gets me to yell and scream at the characters, the author has done her job. I'm involved. What more can a reader want?

suicide. The years of the Civil War brought devastation to their fields and mansion, leaving little for Catherine to live upon. When her sister Elizabeth's letter comes from Louisiana, bidding her to come quickly, she immediately leaves for Whispering Oaks, the beautiful house on the Mississippi left to Elizabeth by her grandmother. She couldn't help wondering if her sister's letter would leave to her salvation or to her ruin.

When John McMahon married Elizabeth and took her to Louisiana, Cat had resented him with a fierceness reserved for the young. The sisters had been close, and at fourteen Cat had resented the implication that he might need Elizabeth more than she does. Now twenty-two, she arrives at Whispering Oaks to learn her sister was not necessarily the woman she remembered. Elizabeth has disappeared, and whispered gossip and overheard comments reveal a selfish, sometimes cruel woman who always sought, but never seemed to find, happiness. When her body is discovered in a nearby field, even her husband does not mourn.

Dark shadows of betrayal and secrets lurk beneath a promise of new beginnings in Karen White's gothic romance WHISPERS OF GOODBYE. Cat questions the truth as to her sister's character, boldly confronting danger and disillusionment with equal strength of character. The dark and secretive John lends the novel a sensual undertone, balancing the shadow with light as he and Cat fall in love and build a marriage together. Yet classic gothic elements continue to cast lingering doubts and shadowed fears, keeping the ominous overtone consistent as ancient superstitions and dark family secrets come to light. Highly recommended.

From the very start you are swept into the heroine's tragic life and your heart follows her every step of the way. This is a classic gothic, filled with shadows and secrets that will keep you turning the pages until you reach the satisfying and suprising conclusion. If you're looking for fluff and frills then look elsewhere because this book of well-crafted substance searches through the heart of Cat, a woman who has lost both her husband and her young son. When Cat answers her sister's call for help, she finds her sister has disappeared. In searching for her sister, Cat uncovers some startling truths. Nothing and no one are what they appear to be, least of all the hero. Under the darkness covering his life burns the bright and passionate light of true love. A love that chases the shadows from Cat's heart and paints a new future from the ashes of the past. A book well worth reading and keeping.

Karen White's Whispers of Goodbye is a deliciously dark gothic tale set in post Civil war Louisiana. Ms. White's rich, evocative prose draws the reader into a setting and plot of chilling intrigue and forbidden temptation. In the tradition of Victoria Holt, she captures the spirit of a heroine who is in grave danger, perhaps from the man with whom she is reluctantly falling in love. Whispers of Goodbye is a beautifully written book with mysterious, multi-layered characters who will fascinate from beginning to end.

In Whispers of Goodbye, Karen White captures the essence of the deep Southern Gothic. For those of us who love to travel the darker travails of the human heart, this book takes us down the lane of love lost, betrayal and redemption.

You can nearly feel the humidity, the press of the night, the breeze through the Spanish moss. Let Karen White take your hand and lead you through a world long gone.