The Life & Times of a Book Addict: Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson

Synopsis:

The Bluebeard fairy tale retold. . . .

When seventeen-year-old Sophia Petheram’s beloved father dies, she receives an unexpected letter. An invitation—on fine ivory paper, in bold black handwriting—from the mysterious Monsieur Bernard de Cressac, her godfather. With no money and fewer options, Sophie accepts, leaving her humble childhood home for the astonishingly lavish Wyndriven Abbey, in the heart of Mississippi.

Sophie has always longed for a comfortable life, and she finds herself both attracted to and shocked by the charm and easy manners of her overgenerous guardian. But as she begins to piece together the mystery of his past, it’s as if, thread by thread, a silken net is tightening around her. And as she gathers stories and catches whispers of his former wives—all with hair as red as her own—in the forgotten corners of the abbey, Sophie knows she’s trapped in the passion and danger of de Cressac’s intoxicating world.

Glowing strands of romance, mystery, and suspense are woven into this breathtaking debut—a thrilling retelling of the “Bluebeard” fairy tale.

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I have to admit that I went into this story not knowing very much about the fairy tale of Bluebeard. Except that he was a mean, creepy, and a pirate. Who doesn’t love pirates? I was sold.

After the death of Sophie’s father, she receives a letter from her ‘godfather’ Bernard de Cressac; requesting that she come and live with him at his home. I was a little surprised that since Sophie had other siblings, he only requested her.

She was too enamored with him and all of the gifts and trinkets she was given by him.

There were times where I wanted to tell Sophie to get the heck out of there and run as far as her legs would take her.

When she does try to leave however, her efforts appear futile. And de Cressac creates even more boundaries for her. All too quickly her seemingly wonderful home starts to feel more and more like a prison.

What I liked:

Bernard de Cressac was such an interesting character. He could be sweet and charming one moment, then angry and evil the next. He is a fun villain to read about.

What I did not:

I thought that there could have been more suspense and the pacing of the story was a little too slow for me. It seemed to take a while for something really attention grabbing to happen.

Final thoughts:

Strands of Bronze and Gold is an intriguing story with a nice Gothic feel to it. Even though it was slow going at first for me, the story was in no way boring. It was a fun and delightfully creepy tale. Fans of dark historical fiction stories /fairy tales might be interested in this one.

Rating: 3 ½ out of 5.

** I received this book from Random House / Knopf Books for Young Readers in exchange for nothing, but my honest review. Thank you!**

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