A Review of Bellewether, by Susanna Kearsley

This is a dual-timeline, slow-burn romance with one timeline in the present day and the other in 1759, and they are woven together so beautifully that both will tear at your heart. This book is a masterpiece, and Susanna Kearsley is an absolute master!

Setting

Both timelines are set on Long Island, with one in the present day and the other in 1759.

Main Characters

Present day, Charlotte Van Hoek—Charley—is the new curator at the historic Wilde House on Long Island and is dealing with a divided board of trustees that makes every step a challenge. In the course of her work, she discovers a tragic love story about two inhabitants of the house that she wants to include in their exhibits. The board will only agree if she can find evidence that it isn’t just a legend.

In 1759, Lydia Wilde is holding her family together after the death of her mother and the return of her brother. He is physically well, but is not the same man since his return after surviving the massacre at Fort Oswego, where he was working as a shipbuilder, not a soldier.

Lieutenant Jean-Philipe de Sabran, a French Canadian of the Troupe de la Marine, has given his parole and, with another officer, has been sent to Long Island until they can be exchanged. He speaks no English and is reliant on his abrasive fellow officer for translations. He quickly observes that Lydia and her brother appear to be especially uncomfortable around them.

Romance

Present day, Charley has a long-distance boyfriend who is high-maintenance and not at all happy that Charley has taken this job. She tries to focus on work, not on the kind contractor working on the building restorations. When she has had enough of the boyfriend’s selfishness and ends their relationship, she is not nearly as upset as she expected. And she realizes it is entirely because of Sam Abrams, the contractor. But she does not know if he is even single, let alone interested.

In1759, Lydia is predisposed to fear and loathe the French officers foisted on their family. But she cannot help but notice Jean-Philippe, while outranked by his fellow officer, is truly the gentleman of the pair. When he finally smiles at her, her world shifts. And when he protects her against random mob violence, it shifts even further.

Jean-Philippe, by terms of his parole, is under no obligation to do any labor, but he cannot help but help. He tries to ease the household burden on Lydia and helps with farm work as he grows to like and respect her father. He tries not to let anyone spot him watching Lydia, because he is a soldier to his core, and that is no life to offer a wife.

Plot

Charley, with Sam’s help, searches for proof, but civil war is breaking out among the board members, with half the board thwarting her efforts for their own selfish reasons. Her strongest ally on the board is a descendant of the Wilde family. And as she gathers artifacts, she finds information that might make him turn on her, putting her livelihood in jeopardy.

Having the French officers in the house pushes Lydia’s brother almost to the breaking point. Jean-Philippe can see the problem, but his fellow officer doesn’t recognize the damage their presence is doing to him, and doesn’t care. Jean-Philippe is a man of honor and will not break his parole, but their presence is bringing on a crisis, and he can’t bear that–for Lydia most of all.

Historical Worldbuilding

Kearsley’s worldbuilding is beautifully immersive. The house, in both timelines, becomes a character in and of itself, as does the Long Island Sound, and the Bellewether, a merchant ship belonging to the family. Jean-Philippe’s uniform and his care for it subtly bring to life his sense of duty and dignity. The simple meals Lydia cooks show us her love for her family, her shortcomings, and her efforts to hold her fracturing family together. The work on the Bellewether and her plight allows us to feel how quickly fortunes can be made and lost, as well as the healing power of work in an age long before psychotherapy. And the transitions between modern day and 1759 are done masterfully, so you never feel jarred out of the world.

French Troupe de la Marine, illustrating what Jean-Philippe’s uniform would have looked like.

Tropes

This is a forbidden love trope, as well as an enemies-to-lovers. It is an extremely slow burn in both timelines, making it so very satisfying when they all finally figure out they should be together.

Secondary Characters

In the present day, the board members and Charley’s family are well drawn and compellingly flawed. In 1759, Lydia’s family lives and breathes right alongside Lydia and Jean-Phillipe. They each could be main characters in their own right, and are all integral and vibrant throughout the story.

Point of View

The present-day timeline is all in Charley’s first-person POV, and the historical timeline is in third person, alternating between Lydia and Jean-Phillipe.

In Summary

• This is a slow-burn, dual timeline romance that weaves an intricate web that will capture you in its seductive subtleties.
• It is set at a historic house on Long Island in both the present day and 1759, during the French and Indian War.
• Charley is a smart, determined woman, who you can’t help but root for, and you will fall in love with Sam right along with her (probably even before she does). Lydia and Jean-Philippe are caught in a historical moment neither can control, and through their decency and humanity, they make it impossible not to feel triumphant on their behalf when they finally get their happily ever after.
• Kearsley weaves the two timelines together with such skill that having the two timelines makes you feel even more immersed in the world, rather than being bounced from one time to the other.
• This is a forbidden love and enemies-to-lovers story, and in both timelines, it is a super-slow burn. They really have to earn it…and they do!
• On a scale of 1 to 5, the heat level is a 1. Kisses only, and even those are quite chaste. There is a brother with what we now recognize as PTSD, and that leads to some intense conflicts. The story also touches on slavery and political violence and does not sugarcoat either.

Keep them Coming!

What historical romances are you reading right now? Please let me know! I am a reader, too, and I am always looking for historical romances to read and to review.

Love gritty historical romance? Check out Passion’s Return, a six-chapter short story set during the French & Indian War. That is the war that laid the foundation for the American Revolution. As we embark on the 250th anniversary of the United States, this is the perfect time to read it. It is yours for no money whatsoever. Be sure to check it out!

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Image: Drawing from the “King’s troops, infantry French and foreign, 1757, Volume 1.” Army Museum, via Wikimedia Commons.

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