A two-hundred-year-old curse. A tangled thread of mental illness. A growing list of Ross family women dying young. The house where it all began, Desolate Ridge, holds all the secrets. Abandoned at a hospital when she was only three years old, Aubrey Ross grew up as a ward of the state, passed from one foster family to the next. Having endured years of abuse and neglect, she’s become hardened to … neglect, she’s become hardened to the world around her.
She’s flirted with depression and anxiety, and she’s haunted by premonitions. When a strange man approaches Aubrey with information about her past, she knows her life is about to change. Inside the envelope is the deed to a house in Ohio—her ancestral home.
When Aubrey arrives in Rossdale, the town named after her family, she immediately experiences situations she cannot explain. She hears voices, sees apparitions, and has vivid visions of tragedies she can scarcely comprehend. Aubrey comes to realize she is reliving events which have happened to those who came before her.
Then she meets Hank Metzger, the town’s sheriff, whose family has an eerie connection to her own. As the secrets of Desolate Ridge are unearthed, Aubrey begins to understand her destiny is tied to Hank’s in a way she cannot escape.
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A mystery and a ghost story rolled into one. Loved it!
Couldn’t put it down. Wish it was a series
Amazing! I gobbled it up in one sitting!
An intriguing paranormal suspense that will have you thinking what could happen next as the pages are turning. Aubrey’s story is complex and well written, even though some parts of the story bothered me some based on their nature. I would recommend this story for anyone looking for a unique mystery that all comes together in the end.
Aubrey’s life has been rough almost since birth. You’d think being abandoned by her family at three would be the worst she’s endured, but you’d be wrong. Years of abuse and neglect at the hands of people trusted to care for her has made every day hell and she’s closed herself off to protect herself from future hurt.
All she’s been through has taken a toll on her in numerous ways, including mentally. While it’s impossible to say what caused the premonitions she’s now experiencing, it doesn’t change the fact it’s yet another thing she must accept.
When she’s given a chance to learn about her family, she, of course, takes it, unknowing the consequences it will bring about. And when she meets Hank, the sheriff of the town named for her family, she realizes not only is he connected to her past, but he may just be her future, too.
One-click now and follow along as a woman that’s proven how strong she is after surviving all she has begins to learn about her family and discovers she might’ve been better off not knowing. Your heart simply hurts for Aubrey and you wish you could just wave a magic wand and give her a do-over. By Elizabeth
Two days later and I still don’t know what to say about this book. I am left speechless. Nothing Hidden Ever Stays is captivating right from the get go, and it only got better! The secrets this house holds. I loved every minute of it. I devoured it in a day, I just could not put it down!
What a spooky good book! It was an easy quick entertaining story! I loved it! Definitely recommend for all ghost story lovers! Thanks to Netgalley for the early copy
3.5 Stars
Aubrey Ross was used to only relying upon herself for many years, but at twenty-five years old, she receives news of an inheritance and the possibility of discovering why she was abandoned by her family. Upon arriving at Desolate Ridge, the ancestral estate, Aubrey’s premonitions intensify stirring more questions and unease about her family’s history.
Narrated between present and past timelines, the plot unfolds with Aubrey’s extrasensory experiences coupled with the signs she discovers. The tone starts quite eerie as Aubrey is all alone is what the locals refer to as a haunted house. With secondary characters that begin to emerge, Aubrey is left to determine how to navigate her newfound knowledge.
From the beginning, I sympathized with Aubrey’s past and related to her independence. Compared to her family, Aubrey wasn’t interested in money and lacked their avarice. To her credit, she was determined to get answers despite the consequence.
While I liked the idea of the storyline, some parts were a bit repetitive and I wanted to know more about Aubrey’s past. Though the ending reconciled all the details, a slightly different dynamic would have had more effect. That said, I do believe this book is a good debut and look forward to reading more by this author.
Nothing Hidden Stays Forever is a gothic thriller with romance elements. This book would appeal to those who enjoy deciphering clues.
Not bad for a first book. I found some of the action summarized very quickly, i.e. 1 paragraph, and many of the mysterious characters should have been fleshed out more. Very readable for a first try but she needs to take more time to fully tell her story. The mystery aspect could have been twistier. But it was an easy read.
I’m not sure I can really recommend this book. If you are looking for deep characters or an involved plot this isn’t the book for you. Our main character was somewhat ridiculous and had no real depth. “minor spoiler:” If you were living in a dump of an apartment and in a dead end job, would you turn down a house for free? Not even talk to the person sent to find you? I would at least get the information. There was this entire background she was supposed to be finding out about but she never really goes looking. The timeline is very messed up and the ending… I would call it good. That all being said the story wasn’t all that bad.