ARC Review: Solsbury Hill by Susan Wyler

Solsbury Hill by Susan M. Wyler

Published April 1, 2014

ARC received thorough NetGalley

Goodreads

The windswept moors of England, a grand rustic estate, and a love story of one woman caught between two men who love her powerfully—all inspired by Emily Bronte’s beloved classic,Wuthering Heights. Solsbury Hill brings the legend of Catherine and Heathcliff, and that of their mysterious creator herself, into a contemporary love story that unlocks the past.

When a surprise call from a dying aunt brings twenty-something New Yorker Eleanor Abbott to the Yorkshire moors, and the family estate she is about to inherit, she finds a world beyond anything she might have expected. Having left behind an American fiance, here Eleanor meets Meadowscarp MacLeod—a young man who challenges and changes her. Here too she encounters the presence of Bronte herself and discovers a family legacy they may share.

With winds powerful enough to carve stone and bend trees, the moors are another world where time and space work differently. Remanants of the past are just around a craggy, windswept corner. For Eleanor, this means ancestors and a devastating romantic history that bears on her own life, on the history of the novel Wuthering Heights, and on the destinies of all who live in its shadow.

I’ve been Wattpad obsessed for a while now and this was the first BOOK book I’ve read since the addiction began. And I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. A world outside Wattpad?? Say whaaat?? I know, crazy, right? But there is apparently. And a gorgeous one, to say the least. Solsbury Hill was a lovely and utterly enticing mix of old and new with a dash of the Bronte sister’s, Emily, more specifically. I’ll admit it right now, I’ve never read Wuthering Heights but after reading this and the passion that the book elicits from the characters, I have got to read it. (what did y’all think about Wuthering Heights, by the way?)

This book begins with a cheating *insert not so nice word of choice here (the one I’m thinking of is synonymous to donkey)* and a broken hearted girl who is stuck in a world of whimsy and dreams in New York. This may sound fine and dandy but the fact is that she is, nonetheless, stuck. When she receives the call from the house on the hill with the news that her Aunt is dying, she goes with the intention of only seeing her Aunt. What does she not expect? She doesn’t expect her mother’s secrets. She doesn’t expect true love. She doesn’t expect Emily Bronte. And she certainly doesn’t expect Heathcliff. Nope. None of that. Another thing she doesn’t expect to find while on her little trip? Herself.

Onto all my thoughts about this book.

The Cover!!! OHMYSWEETBABYJESUS. I adore that font. I have got to learn how to do that. And the house in the background is absolutely gorgeous. The whole cover captures the feeling of the book rather perfectly. Short of anything else, I adore the cover. Teeheehee. The colors are beautiful and it just feels right. You know what I mean?

The House on the Hill: I absolutely love the whole history that was woven into the house and Wuthering Heights. I loved the mystery and the hope and how it all went back to Eleanor. I really liked the way the whole setting was depicted. It had a Jane Austen air, but it felt Bronte through and through. The whole town was depicted as relaxed and happy and airy and, more than any of the other traits, they felt real. Real is a good thing. Especially in this book. I could feel the flowers, and I could see the ghosts. I saw the children’s room and the beautiful book shelves that Mead built. Maybe that’s why I like Mead best. He built her bookshelves. His love was epic. Also, he wasn’t a cheating swear word. *sarcastic smile*

Mead and Miles and Eleanor: Weeellll who do we have here? We have the Lover, the Liar, and the One Caught in the Middle. And yes, that was in order. I’m looking at you mister O.O The characters were depicted wonderfully, but for as much as I liked them, I didn’t connect to any of them. As a reader, being able to relate and connect with the characters is kind of a big, okay HUGE, thing. And sadly, I wasn’t able to.

The Writing: God, the way Susan Wyler write is simply gorgeous. Can you tell I like that word? But it was! The whole book felt perfectly whimsical. Is felt airy and bright and beautiful. It was like the middle of spring with the fresh flowers and the rain pouring from the sky. That’s how the writing felt.

In the end, this book was lovely, but sadly wasn’t able to earn a place on my favorites shelf, even though it made its way into my heart.

"It can't be 'bout choosing the right love, my love.  It's all about choosing yourself, finding what's true inside you."

So, who wants to go to Yorkshire now? It's not just me right? I mean the country around there is beautiful. Also, someone who has read Wuthering Heights, is it any good? How soon should I read it? Should I read it? And how do you feel about ghosts? *wink wink*