Title: Hush
Author: Stacey R. Campbell
Publication: November 15, 2012
Publisher: Green Darner Press
Source: Netgalley
Genre Category: Children, Teens, Family
SYNOPSIS: (From Goodreads)
For small-town girl Blakely Henry, any hope of finding her biological parents died when she stopped believing in fairy tales and Disney princesses. That is, until she spots her boarding school’s new British exchange student, Max Ryder, staring at her. Why would a boy who looks like he stepped out of the pages of a magazine be looking at her? Because Max knows something Blakely doesn’t.
Following the tragic demise of one of Europe’s most beloved royal families, Max has stumbled upon information he thinks may lead to a lost royal heir, and now he is on a quest halfway around the world to see if he’s right.
Sworn to secrecy by his university professor and the headmaster of Lakeview Academy, Max is admitted into an exchange program with the sole purpose of finding out the truth. But will his personal feelings for Blakely get in the way?
When a stolen email surfaces, Blakely and her friends’ lives are threatened, and Max starts to question what he is really after.
From the exclusive rolling lawns of Canada’s most prestigious boarding school to the University of Saint Andrews’ hallowed grounds, Blakely’s quiet, unassuming life is turned upside down. Is she really who she thinks she is? Can she survive long enough to help Max unearth the truth?
REVIEW:
Stacey R. Campbell’s first book in her Lakeview Series sounded great when I read the synopsis. I’m a sucker for a great coming of age story with a bit of surprise and mystery thrown in. ‘Hush’ was exactly that.
Hush follows the story of Blakely Henry, a student in boarding school who was adopted at birth by her loving family. Max, the main male figure in the story, is a student at St. Andrews University in Europe and thinks he has found the last living heir to the Tamura throne. In the process, he may not be able to keep those heart strings in tact…
Needless to say ‘Hush’ is jam packed with mystery, suspense, fun, and a little love. It is the perfect mixture of everything that makes a good book. Campbell had well developed characters that we could relate to and were fun to read interacting together. The only part I found a slight let-down was the revealing of the big secret in the story. I had been building up to it and it happen so suddenly and in a way I was not expecting that it left me wanting more. But the ending of the book more than made up for it and that small part did not seriously effect my opinion of the book. A great read by Campbell and I am looking forward to reading the second book in this series, ‘Whisper’. Four stars well deserved.
Make sure to pick up ‘Hush’ on Amazon or Barnes & Noble and mark it TO READ on your Goodreads list.
Thank you for the great review. I’ve got a lot inshore for the Lakeview gang including the release of book three, Scream, in late spring and two novellas, Silence and Joy, to be released this fall. If you would ever like to do anything for your blog let me know. I love connecting with readers. 🙂 All the best. – S