Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey: Review

Violet Willoughby doesn't believe in ghosts. But they believe in her. After spending years participating in her mother's elaborate ruse as a fraudulent medium, Violet is about as skeptical as they come in all matters supernatural. Now that she is being visited by a very persistent ghost, one who suffered a violent death, Violet can no longer ignore her unique ability. She must figure out what this ghost is trying to communicate, and quickly because the killer is still on the loose.

Afraid of ruining her chance to escape her mother's scheming through an advantageous marriage, Violet must keep her ability secret. The only person who can help her is Colin, a friend she's known since childhood, and whom she has grown to love. He understands the true Violet, but helping her on this path means they might never be together. Can Violet find a way to help this ghost without ruining her own chance at a future free of lies?

About the Author:

Alyxandra Harvey lives in a stone Victorian house in Ontario, Canada with a few resident ghosts who are allowed to stay as long they keep company manners. She loves medieval dresses, used to be able to recite all of The Lady of Shalott by Tennyson, and has been accused, more than once, of being born in the wrong century. She believes this to be mostly true except for the fact that she really likes running water, women’s rights, and ice cream.

Among her favourite books are 'The Wood Wife' by terri Windling, 'Jane Eyre' by Charlotte Bronte, and of course, 'Pride and Prejudice' by Jane Austen. Elizabeth Bennet is her hero because she’s smart and sassy, and Mr. Darcy is, well, yum.

Aside from the ghosts, she also lives with three dogs and her husband.

My Thoughts:

My teacher book club read this book this month and it is quite a genre change for me, but a good one!  I loved the novel, was hooked and following every word! 

I have never read anything by this author before but she definitely proved to be a great writer, one that can write a good mystery/ghost story!

I loved the tangle between Violet and Colin, and how they are so much in love but unable to act on it because of the class issue - she writes poignantly about their hidden love and it parallels nicely with the love affair of the other main character, Rowena and her hidden love, Reese.

The ghostly encounters are amazingly written, I was very intrigued by who the next appearance would be and she writes these characters in beautifully!  Mr. Rochester was one of my favorites :)

I loved the book, loved the plot, the characters and everything this ghost story has to offer - following this author is the only option!