"Secrets of Sloane House" by Shelley Gray

{{AGE WARNING on this review & book. There are sexual hints in this book and listed in this review. This review should not be read by girls under 14.}}

About this book:

  “One woman's search for the truth of her sister's disappearance leads her to deceit and danger in 1893 Chicago.
  Rosalind Perry has left her family's rural farm in Wisconsin to work as a housemaid at Sloane House, one of the most elegant mansions in Gilded Age Chicago. However, Rosalind is not there just to earn a living and support her family--she's at Sloane House determined to discover the truth about her sister's mysterious disappearance.
  Reid Armstrong is the handsome heir to a silver fortune. However, his family is on the periphery of Chicago's elite because their wealth comes from "new money" obtained from successful mining. Marriage to Veronica Sloane would secure his family's position in society-the lifelong dream of his ailing father.
  When Reid begins to realize that Rosalind's life may be in danger, he stops thinking of marriage prospects and concentrates on helping Rosalind. Dark things are afoot in Chicago and, he fears, in Sloane House. If he's not vigilant, Rosalind could pay the price.”


Series: Book #1 in the “Chicago World’s Fair Mystery” series.

Spiritual Content- Isaiah 1:18 at the beginning; Prayers; A couple Scriptures are mentioned; Talks about God, Heaven, church; ‘H’s are not capital when referring to God; Mentions of God, & angels, good works; Mentions of prayers; Mentions of church, choir & Christians; Mentions of hymns; Mentions of Bible reading; Reid & Rosalind both say they have faiths; A bit of witnessing.

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘blasted’, a ‘dumb’ and a ‘gosh’; Sarcasm; Mentions of curses said, not written; All about a missing girl & what happened to her; Many mentions of kidnappings, abductions & girls being snatched; Many mentions of murders, killing, dying & bodies (semi-detailed); Many Mentions of pubs, drinking, wine & spirits; Mentions of blood, pain & injuries (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a fight (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of abuse & whipping behinds; Mentions of gambling; Mentions of cigarettes, smoking & tobacco; Mentions of gossips; A couple mentions of vandalism; A couple of robbers & thieves.

Sexual Content- a hand kiss, a barely-above-not-detailed kiss, four semi-detailed kisses; Wanting to kiss & imagining kissing (up to semi-detailed); Touches, Warmth, Heat, Embraces & Smelling (semi-detailed); Dancing (barely-above-not-detailed); Noticing; Douglass stares/leers at Rosalind closely; Douglass has taken advantage of many women & many mentions of it; Douglass used Nanci and she ends up pregnant; A POV girl is raped (paragraph ends after a hard kiss and touches); A jerk asks how a girl is under the sheets; Another jerks comments on how his sister’s viper disposition might “make her interesting to bed”; Many mentions of reputations & morals; Many mentions of being accosted, preyed on & molested; Many mentions of compromised & ruined women & compromising & ruining them; Many mentions of flirting; Mentions of lewd comments & offers; Mentions of pretty servants being told to watch themselves around men & jealous women; Mentions of jealousy; Mentions of favors; Mentions of teases; Mentions of brothels; Mentions of mistresses; Mentions of abuse; Mentions of liaisons & romps; Mentions of scandals; Mentions of blushes; A mention of rapists (no details); Love, falling in love & the emotions.

-Rosalind Perry, age 20

-Reid Armstrong
                                P.O.V. switches between them & Eloisa (once)

                                              Set in 1893
                                                        316 pages

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Pre Teens-

New Teens-

Early High School Teens-

Older High School Teens-

My personal Rating-

Six days into the new year and we have our first 1-star rating. Well, boo! :(

I’ve read (or tried to read) the author’s Amish books, which are published under Shelley Shepard Gray, but never really like them due to the predictably of the stories. I thought I would try one of her historical books, thinking maybe she was better at writing Historical than Amish. Turns out it’s the same.

I honestly knew exactly how everything was going to happen by page 74. (And I was right on every account.) I lost interest at page 3. I’m very disappointed that so many authors are doing the cad/player/womanizer character in all their historical books. It’s over used and cliché. I could go on ranting about that plot, but I will not.

This book is somewhat advertised as a gothic book. A Christian gothic book. Anyone else not sure how Christian & gothic can be together well? In my opinion, it wasn’t done well at all. The faiths seemed like an afterthought and a try to make the main characters have personalities, when I found no depth in them at all. Rosalind was incredibly naïve.

Why in the world would a girl willingly follow a cad into a passageway by themselves—while knowing that he has raped many women before—is beyond me. And then book #2 is all about her, needless to say I wouldn’t be reading that book or any books again by this author—Historical or Amish.

See y’all on Friday with a new review!

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.