Such a good read! My heart was in my throat for most of the book. So sad hearing about slaves and the kind of things they went through. Miss Martha was quite different and it was sad when she was on the opium, but I liked her.

How would you feel being put into an insane asylum when there was nothing actually wrong with you? Would you start to lose your mind while trying to convince doctors, that think you're crazy, that you don't actually belong there?
So goes the story with Clara. I felt so bad for her throughout this book!
Izzy is a foster kid, almost to the age of aging out of the system, has some problems from her past and current ones at school. She was such a strong character to me. I felt bad for her also throughout the book. She goes on a journey to find out what happened to Clara after reading her journal.
Great ending that wrapped up nicely in my opinion.

*I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway*
I enjoyed this book. At first it seems like it would be kind of creepy (as there is a supposed curse that turns out to be what we now know of a post-partum depression ) but it was more just mysterious. I enjoyed Alice, but it took a bit for me to warm up to Mrs. Jelphs. Turns out, Mrs. Jelphs just held the secrets of Elizabeth and didn't want to relive the past.
Tom was a nice character that was never cruel to Alice, but does trust her with his secrets and it's great to see them married at the end of the book.
A great overall read

*I received this book in a giveaway hosted by goodreads*
I thought this story could have been a little bit shorter. There was A LOT of detail and sometimes just seemed too much.
that being said, I did enjoy this story.
It's too bad that Alice had to lie to Tom about their baby, but it was nice that Alice's granddaughter got to know her in the end. I love reading the part in the island is Corsica, I think that was my favorite part.

I love stories that go back and forth in time. This book flowed along great with each chapter alternating between past and present. The last couple of chapters made me tear up a bit.

I loved hearing how the story ended. Winter was an interesting personality. I personally thought 823 pages was way too long and it could have been shortened.

*I won this ARC from a Goodreads Giveaway *
This is a hard book to read, especially when you have seen this kind of relationship. Manipulation, mine games, verbal, and (not as often, though) physical abuse.
Great opening lines from a great play RENT "Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes."
"That's how long it takes for me to start falling out of love with you. One year. Our season of love"
Grace gets the guy she had wanted from afar and it doesn't take long for the relationship to turn toxic. She keeps getting told that she should break up with him and doesn't want to listen, thinking she can change him. She has a mother also in an abusive relationship and can't see that her relationship with him is the same. Even her sister telling her (after he gets jealous of another guy talking to Grace) "I've stayed out of your relationship...... Even though, frankly, I never thought it was a good idea. But this sh*! that just went down is the kind of stuff The Giant (stepfather) pulls with mom."
Heartbreaking and hard to read sometimes, but overall a well written book.
Be forewarned, quite a lot of swearing throughout, so if you hate that, probably not a good book to read.

Interesting and eerie at times.