A history of loss and a terrible stammer have led gravedigger Benjamin Hood to a life of isolation.When a rash of untimely deaths sweeps through his small English village, he cannot stand by in silence. To uncover the truth about the lives lost, he takes up a long-neglected role of responsibility among the townspeople.As Benjamin questions the victims’ families, he finds that beautiful widow Juno … beautiful widow Juno Stephens has preceded him in each case. She makes no secret of her odd midnight ceremonies and dark powers of persuasion. The villagers are whispering about a woman bearing a lethal hex.
Is Juno the source of danger in the village, or a victim of it? Benjamin must resist her beguiling ways and decide if he can trust her…until another death sets his smoldering worries ablaze.
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Soil and Ceremony by Julia Byrd
What a wonderful book this proved to be! I love reading new-to-me authors that I know will become go-to authors for me in the future! This book has wonderful characters, impeccable plotting, dialogue that drew me in and left me happy that I had met and been able to spend some time with the characters in this book,
Benjamin Hood seems to be an unassuming stuttering gravedigger when the story begins but proves to be a whole lot more by the end of the book. He has an apprentice named Everett who will take over his job at some point in time. Ben is surprised to find a note tied to a pair of his work shears. He decides to leave a note for the note writer on those shears and then finds a note attached the next day on something else. And thus begins a relationship that was a delight to read. Who wrote the note? None other than Juno Stephens. Juno is just out of mourning and finally able to be who she wants to be and do what she needs to do. The fact that some of the things she needs to do take place on hallowed cemetery soil does lead to some interesting interactions.
The village has experienced an increase in the number of deaths of babies that leads villagers to suspect foul play and those suspicions lead to scapegoating someone living in the village. Within this story, in addition to the mystery of dying babies, there is a family with darker skin that has some trouble, there are questions raised about Juno and her peculiar ways, there is the question of why the manor house of the town has been left almost abandoned for so many years, there are questions of faith that are raised, there is a romance unlike any I have read before and the fact that two people find a HEA but also find their true selves by the end of the book.
Did I like this book? Definitely
Would I like to read more by this author? Without a doubt
Thank you to the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
Interesting story although it took me a bit to get into it. It seemed to drag at times, but I liked the characters. Ben was an hard worker, trying to get back his property. His beliefs were challenged, and yet he found himself attracted to Juno. Juno had her secrets and her beliefs differed from Ben’s, but the two always tried to do the right thing. With those secrets and the danger surrounding them, there was plenty to keep the story going though.
I received a copy of this story through Goddess Fish Promotions, and this is my unsolicited review.
Interesting complex characters; even some we could identify in another day and age. I got mad at Ben in this story of a little romance and mystery but as I have said many times, I don’t think becoming impatient with a character is anything more than an author writing in a style that can evoke emotion in the reader.
This is one of those books that you always want more pages when you come to the end. Not that it doesn’t end properly because it does, but moreso that you want to know more about the lives of the characters and more of the story. You think this sounds like someone wishing for Book 2? Well maybe I am.