Review ~ The Night Mark by Tiffany Reisz

Book Description:

She has nothing to live for in the present, but finds there's something worth dying for in the past…

From Tiffany Reisz, the international bestselling storyteller behind The Bourbon Thief and The Original Sinners series, comes an enthralling new novel about a woman swept away by the tides who awakens to find herself in 1921, reunited with the husband she's been mourning for four years. Fans of Kate Morton and Diana Gabaldon will fall in love with the mystery, romance and beauty of an isolated South Carolina lighthouse, where a power greater than love works its magic.

Buy Links:

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2mSFZzu

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2lApub4

Our Review:

Reviewed by Donna ~ 3 stars

***ARC received for an honest review***

“That’s how you tell us apart in the dark. You see, a light’s night mark is its heartbeat. You know a man by his heart. You know a lighthouse by its beacon.”

Tiffany Reisz is one of my favourite authors so it pains me that I didn’t love this one as much as her others, whether they be the saucy, erotic reads of the Original Sinners series or the beautiful, engaging story telling of The Bourbon Thief. I desperately wanted to love this one, but for me, this was a book I started several times, yet just couldn’t get into and that was so frustrating.

““…I will love you and take care of you as long as you live, Faye”

“Don’t you mean as long as you live?”

He said no. He wasn’t interested in till death do us part. Even if he went first, he would find a way to take care of me. I treasure that vow. I hold it right here…But I’m still waiting for him to keep it.”

I loved the premise of the book, the writing as ever was perfection in its execution and the voice of Tiffany Reisz is one that I just find intoxicating and totally beguiling. Tiffany Reisz had obviously done her research and the snippets of history interspersed with this time travellers love story was fascinating. The chapters set in 1921 were a great flashback to the times and I clearly pictured Tiffany Reisz pouring over old cook books as she delivered the little details that really cemented the reader in the era in which she was writing. Lighthouse lore and history satiated my need for facts and history and for me, personally, it was the history lesson that kept me turning the pages.

“To think I spent my whole life believing time only went in one direction… Thought it was a river. Turns out it’s an ocean. Waves come in. Waves go out. Sometimes those waves take us with them.”

For me and I will probably be in the minority I had no character connection and anyone that knows me, knows that I need that for a book to work. I just felt that I knew too little about the characters to be able to empathise with them as individuals. Yes, I felt for Faye, after losing the love of her life, anyone would, but to understand her as a person, I felt bereft of information, I just needed a little more background. With regards to Carrick, again, no real pertinent background information, I had so many questions with regards to him, I would have loved a few chapters in his POV to maybe help understand the man behind the name.

“Whoever first said it was better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all had neither loved nor ever lost.”

I loved the side characters, Pat and Dolly, they both had their parts to play and I found myself enjoying scenes more when they were in them. I felt that the ending was rushed and rather confusing as so many loose ends and plot lines were frantically tied up. I did have a few issues with certain statements made that just didn’t add up and thought that inconsistencies like these would have been picked up in editing.

“This is me, Will…I’m just like this lighthouse. Still standing, still here. But I’m falling apart. The light’s off, and I don’t know how to turn it back on again.”

For those that loved Quantum Leap, this book definitely reminded me of that somewhat, albeit Faye had the ability to return to the same place at the same point in time. The logistics do not make sense but if you can open your mind and embrace the implausibility as miracle and magic then you won’t get too bogged down in the details. Once the book got going I did have the urge to finish and while for me it dragged in places I was focused on finding out how their story ended.