The Haunting of Brynn Wilder

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Synopsis

From the #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author of Daughters of the Lake comes an enthralling spellbinder of love, death, and a woman on the edge.

After a devastating loss, Brynn Wilder escapes to Wharton, a tourist town on Lake Superior, to reset. Checking into a quaint boardinghouse for the summer, she hopes to put her life into perspective. In her fellow lodgers, she finds a friendly company of strangers: the frail Alice, cared for by a married couple with a heartbreaking story of their own; LuAnn, the eccentric and lovable owner of the inn; and Dominic, an unsettlingly handsome man inked from head to toe in mesmerizing tattoos.

But in this inviting refuge, where a century of souls has passed, a mystery begins to swirl. Alice knows things about Brynn, about all of them, that she shouldn’t. Bad dreams and night whispers lure Brynn to a shuttered room at the end of the hall, a room still heavy with a recent death. And now she’s become irresistibly drawn to Dominic–even in the shadow of rumors that wherever he goes, suspicious death follows.

In this chilling season of love, transformation, and fear, something is calling for Brynn. To settle her past, she may have no choice but to answer.

Synopses source: The StoryGraph

Review

Genre(s): Fiction, Mystery/Thriller, Paranormal
HB&W Rating: 4 stars
View on StoryGraph, Goodreads
Buy on Barnes & Noble | Amazon

This is a great paranormal story but the title and cover is misleading. I was expecting a dark, gothic, scary, read-with-the-lights-on book. What I got was an emotional, heartbreaking but empathetic look at how we are haunted by our past. I was getting Heather Webber crossed with Susanna Kearsley vibes, which I loved.

The book focuses on grief, loss and coping with caring for loved ones in decline in a very understanding and empathetic way that is both an acknowledgment and a balm. It ended up being very much a comfort read that was both cozy and mysterious, and exactly what I didn’t realize I needed. The majority of the book felt like a warm hug.

I wish the end wasn’t quite as rushed. There were still some pretty big unanswered questions at the 90% mark and that last 10% answered them and then it was just over. But overall, I loved the message of the book and the characters. I loved the small town lake setting. And I loved the way it made me feel, and isn’t that what it’s all about?

Until next time,

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