The Dream House

This was my first book by author Rachel Hore. The beauty of the cover art enticed me as it promised hidden delights within and it didn't disappoint.

This is Kate's story, as she and her husband Simon move out of city for family life in the country. Kate stumbles across and old house and forging a bond with it's elderly owner Agnes finds that they may be linked more than they could have every thought possible. And what of Agnes's family home, why does Kate feel she's been there before and why does it feel like home.

This book is beautifully written, it gives up it's story little by little. Building throughout to a nice, but perhaps transparent, conclusion. The author takes the tale of Kate for the main part and mixes it with flashbacks to the life of Agnes in her youth.

For me personally the flashbacks were evocative and a lovely part of the book and could have been used a little more. I could have read about Agnes all day and her family with their mix of relationships. The story instead stays mainly with Kate and the struggles she finds adapting to her new life and the ultimate devastation it bring.

This book was one I struggled to put down. I wanted to keep going and uncovering more of Agnes's story and finding out her secrets. This made it a hugely enjoyable and interesting read. Highly recommended and Hore is an author I will now look forward to reading more of. She reminds me a lot of Kate Morton and that is high praise indeed.