In the Shadow of Croft Towers {A Book Review}

**Book received for consideration. Post contains affiliate links. All thoughts are 100% my own.

I've been doing book reviews for MANY years now (and have been an avid reader even longer), and one thing that I have said time and time again was that while I enjoy many styles of books--- historical fiction isn't typically one of them. To be honest, aside from the classics, if I see old fashioned clothing on a book cover, chances are I'm just going to skip right by it. I know, I know.. never judge a book by it's cover, but we all do it, right?

Still, despite my general disinterest, I recently found myself on the search for something new to read, and when I could find nothing in my typical genes, decided to expand my horizons a little bit. I gave one of those books a second glance and found myself actually intrigued by the story synopsis and decided to give 'In the Shadow of Croft Towers' a shot:

From debut author Abigail Wilson comes a shadowy Regency tale of secrets and spies, love and treachery.
“Mysterious . . . Melodic . . . Thrilling and original . . . Abigail Wilson has crafted a debut that shines.”—Kristy Cambron, bestselling author of Castle on the Rise
Croft Towers holds more than its share of secrets . . . and Sybil is determined to uncover them all.
When Sybil Delafield’s coach to Croft Towers was robbed by highwaymen, she should have realized that her new position as companion to old Mrs. Chalcroft would be no ordinary job. Upon Sybil’s arrival, Mrs. Chalcroft sneaks into her room in the dark of night, imploring her to relay messages to town that are to stay hidden from the rest of the family. Who exactly is she working for and what do the messages contain?
When fellow passengers of the robbed coach are later murdered, Sybil’s hunt for the truth takes on a new urgency. The only person she can rely on is Mr. Sinclair, Mrs. Chalcroft’s godson, but under all his charms he too leads a double life. Sybil must decide if he is the one honest voice she can trust, or if he is simply using her for his own advances.
With murderers, smugglers, and spies on the loose, nothing—and no one—in Regency England is what they claim. Can Sybil even trust what she knows about herself?

Going back to that age old saying, you truly shouldn't judge a book by its cover because sometimes you truly might miss a really great story. Had I had other options at the time, I likely wouldn't have given this- what promised to be a historical romance novel- a second glance. And I would have certainly missed out because I found that in the end, I actually really loved it. Yes, it wasn't my typical style--- but I found that the story was so well developed that that didn't bother me in the slightest this time.  A good story truly has the ability to make us fall in love- regardless of when they may take place, right?

This isn't JUST a romance though, it's packed full of mystery and intrigue that will keep you guessing right through the very end. Every character we meet seems to have their very own secrets and I couldn't wait to find them all out. Some of them had hints throughout that led me to the guess them along the way, while others seemed to come completely out of the blue, though the very subtle hints were established all along the way!

Whether you are already a lover of this type of historical fiction, or you're just looking to try something outside of your typical reading list, this book truly is a great read.