Haunting Miss Trentwood (illustrated hardcover) signed

I absolutely ADORED this book!

When I first read the synopsis, I was a little worried I was getting into a scary story, but I'm very pleased to tell you I had nothing to worry about. Instead of hiding under the covers of my bed I was laughing all the way through! Belinda's characters are sassy and hilarious and she weaves a beautiful sweet romance into this cozy Victorian setting.

Mary and Alex's story starts out with one of my favorite tropes - annoyances to lovers! I'm a sucker for two people who start off on the wrong foot and then completely fall head over heels for each other. Alex is just everything, and Mary feels familiar in so many ways. I adored them and cheered the whole way through as they grew to love each other. Then there's Trentwood. He will have you laughing so hard your friends and family will look at you funny as you look at your phone screen because you have to know what he's going to say next. I fell in love with all of them and was a little sad when I turned the page to the Acknowledgements because it meant I didn't get more Mary and Alex.

This whole book is darling and I love it! I can't wait for Jasper and Tessa's story and to get to see Jasper grow up - and good heavens I hope the man grows a backbone. This really is your next feel good read!

This charmingly well written story reminds me of a humorous classic Cary Grant movie. Who wouldn’t want a loving, caring parental ghost to crawl from the grave to protect them from danger? I thoroughly enjoyed this combination mystery, ghost story, and romance tale. This is one of those stories that you have terrible putting down. Definitely worth reading!

Loved it!

I read A LOT, so it’s rare when I see a book—especially a fiction book--that is truly something different. This is one of those rare unique books, and though I’ve finished it, I haven’t quite decided whether or not I like it.

The book feels a bit uneven to me, going between a very British tongue-in-cheek humor and a somewhat macabre Gothic feel. The dialogue felt a little stilted at times, like the author was trying a little too hard, perhaps. If the dialogue were better, I think I would have been more firmly on the “like” side of the equation.

The characters have strongly distinctive voices; you can easily determine which perspective character a chapter is written from before you read too far. The heroine is strong, cannily intelligent, and sure of herself, even in unusual circumstances. The hero is a no-nonsense guy… who has to deal with a lot of nonsense. The butler Pomeroy was a hoot, in the classically English understated way, whenever he showed up. The ghost dad was a bit gruff, but you could tell he loved his daughter and wanted the best for her.

So, this is a quirky read that you’ll probably either love or hate, depending on how you feel about a book that could be called whimsically Gothic.

Haunting Miss Trentwood is a charming, sweet romance that will have you devouring each chapter in pursuit of answers and just more time with these eccentric characters. The ghost is very nearly the star of the show with his frank and teasing observations. That said the rest of the cast hold their own, each being interesting individuals with backstories, motives and agendas of their own.
For all the darker moments, ultimately this story is charming and more often than not the characters leave you smiling and wanting more. I loved reading every page of this story.

this was a great concept for a historical paranormal story, it was what I was hoping for when I read the description and loved the idea of a supernatural historical series. Hesitant Mediums didn't hesitate to hook me in and keep me invested.

From the premise to the ending, this book was all surprise and complexity, and some were somewhat unrealistic. However, that is why we love romance--even the most unlikely events somehow work out to get an endearing couple to their ending.

The first book in the Hesitant Mediums series, this is a new Author to me. Mary, Trentwood her Father's ghost and London lawyer Hartwell's story.The story is well written with an interesting storyline that kept me turning pages. This is a new Author to me. I want to read more by her. I received a copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

This book was very different, very unique and I enjoyed the author’s writing style. It has a rather dry humor with a touch of suspense and danger within this fantasy. I liked the characters but I did second guess the heroine and that whole Jasper thing. The ending was super interesting I loved it. If you are looking for something ordinary this is not the book for you but if you want to live on the edge pick this one up. I did receive a free copy of this book from Booksprout and voluntarily chose to review it.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Ms. Kroll writes excellent dialogue. I was frequently laughing out loud during Mary’s conversations with her father’s ghost. The book was well paced and enjoyable to read.

This was quite an enjoyable and delightful read with characters that were so very likeable. Mary is brave; Mr. Hartwell reminds me of a sinister villain, while Mr. Steel reminds me of someone who lets his ego get the better of him. To me, the most loveable character of the whole book was Mary’s father. This is a novel that not only is humorous throughout, there is also a touch of suspense that kept me turning the pages. With the secrets of others pulling Mary into the web, danger abounds, and death could be waiting at the door. This book contained just about everything I like to read: Victorian, slightly paranormal with humor and suspense combined throughout, and cleanly written. I really enjoyed this author's work and look forward to more if they are written in this style. If you like Victoria Holt or Jane Austen, then I feel you will like Haunting Miss Trentwood.

I was really hoping to like this book, both because it seemed to have an original plot but also because the authorial style was different and unique. I thought that the premise of the novel sounded really interesting. Or rather, to be more precise, the premise of the story is one that takes the usual romance plot of the orphaned young lady and adds this interesting twist: that her father’s ghost is haunting her. Not in a metaphorical way, but actually haunting her. That is intriguing. That is a ripe and rich vein to harvest a story from. So what was gothic or psychological about the novella at its opening became farcical and comedic by the end and it seems to me—based on the tonal shift—intentionally so. But I don’t know why there was that intention or if there was that intention. Overall, I was disappointed with this book because it has so much potential. On occasion there were flare-ups of lovely prose and good, strong characterization. The underlying themes of grief, losing a parent, family connection, and loneliness were solid and could have been interestingly explored through the return of Mr. Trentwood’s ghost. But this was not how the plot played out. It unraveled very swiftly, leaving behind the ghost of a good gothic. So that what remains is only the promise of a story, one that seems to have been stitched together by a plethora of the author’s favorite tropes, favorite trivia, and favorite scenes from her imagination, rather than through knitting a few of these into a larger, tighter, and more coherent narrative.

Sadly, I must give this book. C-

Haunting Miss Trentwood is the novel to curl up with and leaves the reader with that warm and fuzzy feeling that can only be delivered by a fantastic bit of delightful historical romantic fiction.

Haunting Miss Trentwood is a tale that practically screams Gothic. Whether it is the dreary days, the pouring rain, the suspects, or the ghost himself, the scenery within the novel is matched perfectly to the genre. I do have to say I found Mary to be more of the anguished heroine versus the typical tormented hero, which shows Ms. Kroll used a unique and fresh idea while penning this book. I did find there were parts of this tale that dragged a bit and left me hoping for something to happen to pick up the storyline a bit. Overall, this is a tale that will set the mood and tone to fit perfectly with those who enjoy gothic novels.

The Haunting of Miss Trentwood is a gorgeously crafted Victorian novel through which Kroll creates a perfect gothic literary revival. Admittedly, the author suggests that upon completion she recognized the influence of Hamlet in the story. I also see other classical influences such as Bronte and Shirley Jackson. However, the most notable and flattering comparison I can draw is to The House of Seven Gables, by Nathanial Hawthorne because “The Haunting of Miss Trentwood” visits the archetypal theme of withdrawal and return. It explores isolation and redemption along with a person’s relationship to the past and determination to a future. It’s about escaping and embracing all that influences or paralyzes. This concept (theme) can be examined as it applies to each character, which is fascinating and would make for a lively literary analysis. Similarly, Kroll achieves the proper restraint evocative of the classical Victorian era while harmonizing it with just the right amount of shadowy eeriness necessary when portraying a haunting. The use of the dying house as a character as well as setting is specific and greatly important in this style of novel. Much like Jackson and other gothic authors, the home is often a breathing thing that isolates or separates characters. There is a definite elegance presented in the word choice and proves the painstaking effort the author took in committing to the voice of the story. The lead character, Mary, is vulnerable, but not overtly fragile. There is a feminist quality to her reactions and thoughts, which is evident in her finding a prince in need of rescuing.

Belinda Kroll describes herself as writer of “quirky historical fiction”. I totally agree. I love historical fiction and I have read a lot of it. But I have never read a historical fiction like this one. There is romance, suspense, humour, drama and even the supernatural. In fact it reminded me a lot of Victoria Holt books which I devoured as a 16 year old.