Book Reviews

Book Blurb

At twenty-nine, Mark is lonely and unhappy. With his teaching degree, he never expected to be scraping by at a dead-end job in a bookstore. So when he’s given the opportunity to do the work he’s always dreamed of, he jumps on it.

 

But there’s a catch. Mark has just agreed to spend the summer teaching a recalcitrant student at a lonely manor outside the most haunted village in the UK. It doesn’t take Mark long to figure out there’s something strange, really strange, about Thomas, his host and the father of his pupil. They say the village changes people, and it turns out Thomas is living proof. Now Mark has to decide if he should run like hell or stay and become part of the family.

 

 

A story from the Dreamspinner Press 2016 Daily Dose package “A Walk on the Wild Side”.

Book Review

I am easily snagged by a description that doesn't lay out the whole story for me in one fell swoop. I like a little mystery and something I can't immediately predict. 'Putting Down Roots' certainly had that and since I've been enjoying the Daily Dose package very much, it stood to reason that I had to read this.

Poor Mark. Frustrated and lonely, not being able to use his teaching certificate and stuck working in a bookstore for very low wages. I didn't blame him a bit for jumping at the opportunity to escape for the summer to Atley to tutor a teenage girl in English. Even though Atley is known as the most haunted village in all of the UK, with some story about it being built on top of an old fairy village and the longer you stay the more you change, Mark needed to have something better in his life.

Mark's first impression of Thomas eases some of his anxiety. At least until he sees the absolutely hideous home the Lansdowne family owns. Trust me, from the description I would have laughed out loud. Mark managed to be more socially graceful. And that's just the outside! The inside looks like a bad gothic novel in serious need of a few repairs. It's a wonder Mark ever got to sleep that first night. He settles into a routine, though, and discovers that Bryony is quite smart and they get along well. Mark is surprised when he realizes that he's falling for this small village, the strange looking house, and Thomas.

I was utterly charmed by this story. Even though I had a sneaking suspicion what the paranormal aspect was, the author wrote it in such a lovely way that it warmed my heart.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Short Story, 29 pages/9033 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	01-June-2016
Price	$1.99 ebook
Buy Link	https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/putting-down-roots-by-tam-macneil-7160-b