Isabelle Threfall is discovering that responsibility is only the start of her problems. Riverdell is in chaos, Asha and James need her help, and Moth has slipped away in the midst. Sorting out the house and the estate seem to be her only option but the empty rooms remind her that Moth is still missing.
Kit's life has become a micro-managing extreme sport with Isabelle at the end of every list, but every tick closer takes him nearer to choices he's not ready to face.
As Isabelle and Moth try to prove themselves capable, Beth is denying the painful reality of her married life in her letters home from India. But when the past catches up, will Moth and Isabelle run from reality or face up to it?
THE DOORS OF RIVERDELL
Published: March 2021
Genre: Adult Fiction, Modern Family Saga
My rating: ⭐4.5 / 5 stars⭐
~ trigger warnings ~ abortion, infertility, scenes of a sexual nature, abuse
Where do I begin with book 2? Let me start by saying how invested I was in the continuation of this story having read the first, The Doors of Riverdell, in 2020 when I was fortunate enough to be part of the launch team! I think discussing it in such depth and speculating over characters, relationships, parentage and plot lines made me all the more eager to see how The Halls of Riverdell would progress!
I was gifted the second novel by the lovely author (thanks Marianne), and was thrilled to reconnect with the original launch team purely for enjoyment to compare notes and get excited over some of our predictions for this book coming true! Book two in the saga certainly did not disappoint! Never have I read about a family so dysfunctional! This is a truly gripping, shockingly saucy, emotionally wrecking, contemporary family saga. I feel wrung out, like I've ridden a rapid of emotions with the characters and been battered with them along the way. I've been shocked, brought to tears, had my heart wrenched out and put back in place - and probably all in the space of one chapter!
The characters have stepped up a notch. They were well established in book one and we thought we knew them, but the dynamic is constantly shifting - such is the world - and I found myself invested in characters I didn't have a very high opinion of in book one - Kit being a prime example. Though I have a feeling Kit's the kind of person you love to hate, and hate to love. No doubt by the end of the next book my opinion will have changed all over again - ha! But for now, you have to appreciate how unapologetically himself he is, grabbing pleasure in life wherever he sees it, acknowledging his mistakes but regretting none of them. The 'life's too short' approach.
Regardless of his human flaws, I loved reading Kit's sections above all others. Let's call him a guilty pleasure of mine! And I sympathised with his unrelenting workload, described so accurately in the blurb as 'a micro-managing extreme sport'.
Moth is a character my heart bleeds for, and I longed for someone to drag him home to Riverdell to keep him safe. It's easy to forget he's still a child whilst tracking the progress of his solo journey through Italy. I read his sections tentatively, not enjoying them as much as the others and almost wanting to skim read, sensing something coming that I was going to hate reading. I'll say no more, but definitely take note of the trigger warnings on this book.
Onto lighter notes, I love the theme of renovation and houses in these books; of making a house a home, putting your own stamp on it to claim it as your own. Home is not simply where your hat is - it's not even four walls and a roof. Home is a feeling of belonging, where you can be yourself without having to hide or explain why. Both Riverdell books have given me this sense of searching for this feeling of completeness. So many of Marianne Rosen's characters seem to lack a place to call home, including Isabelle, rattling around in Riverdell and struggling to comprehend her ownership of it. You can have a home a not feel a part of it.
Book two, like its predecessor, comes to us from three parallel time lines, Isabelle and Kit rooting us in the present, Moth peddling a little into the future, and Beth's letters drawing us back to the past with nostalgia and the loneliness of being separated by oceans from those she loves.
More than anything in this book, Beth's letters made me yearn for the next instalment. Rose is the one character that has yet to be given a voice in any capacity, and Beth's frequent mentions of her in her letters only piqued my curiosity. I sincerely hope this free spirit is illuminated in the next book!
So much happened in book two that I'm struggling to articulate it into a review. I don't know how much to write without dropping more spoilers than I've already eluded. But once again, I have to say I relished the opportunity to discuss this book during the buddy reads. I don't know if I would have coped not being able to air my speculations about characters and plotlines, or exclaim my shock over certain scenes. So many of our predictions turned out to be correct for this book, some sadly so, and some deliciously and satisfyingly so. Some new predictions are already in place for book three! I would definitely recommend reading this book series alongside someone else so you can discuss each new development in the Threlfall family. Their dramas are huge and riveting!
If you read this book, especially at my recommendation, please let me know your thoughts. I've yet to exhaust discussion of its contents. It's like a drug I need to detox.
For more bookish content, come and find me across social media @zuzuspages (links below).
Happy Reading,
Zuzu 🖋
How amazing that you've been part of the launch team for both of these books. Your review of the book is really interesting and I'm now fascinated to check out these stories. Thanks 💋x
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome! Glad you've been inspired by the reviews x
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