Published By: HarperCollins
Pages: 384
Released On: 12/02/2026
Ava Adams is known as The Storyteller, using hypnotism to draw long-buried memories from the lost and the lonely. When her heart is shattered by a broken engagement, she vows to leave her gift behind, unable to bear the pain of others.
Damien Carter is running from disaster when he finds himself staring at an old advertisement with Ava’s face on it. The promise that her gift can help unlock his past draws him to her.
As dark forces conspire to break them, can they reach beyond the prison of their memories to find redemption together?
*****
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I had read a few thrillers back-to-back before this and so I was keen to read something a little different, if not necessarily lighter.
Sophie has this unique talent for creating a sense of place, space, time, and atmosphere. She doesn’t just present a list of adjectives describing the weather, she invokes all your senses so you can hear the horse and cart, feel the wind, smell the fresh raindrops, and it really grabs you and you find yourself feeling more involved with the story.
I love it when historical books are set in a theatre. I love the theatre, there’s something magical about it, and if you add that with this almost nostalgic, romanticised idea of a theatre within a historical setting, it makes it even more magical.
Ava was a good main character. She has been through some hardships and she’s at a crossroads and she isn’t sure what to do to help herself and her family, she’s conflicted, and I felt for her and really wanted her to succeed.
Damian is the other protagonist. He’s a bit hard to work out. He’s mysterious, down on his luck, running or hiding from something or someone, and you’re not sure if he is to be trusted.
There are many other characters, from Ava and Damian’s pasts, her family, friends, and colleagues. Some have bigger roles than others, but generally this is Ava and Damian’s story and they work well together, as well as in their individual stories.
I find dialogue the hardest thing to write, and Sophie has managed to create realistic and believable conversations that just feel right.
There is a magical element, and fantasy, worked into this historical novel; it’s about memories, what you want to forget, what you want to remember, moving forward, love, loss, friendships, and hope.
It’s an historical novel for the most part, but there’s also crime and thrill, romance, and a touch of magic.
It is a thoroughly enjoyable book and flows well. It’s not particularly fast paced but it still doesn’t feel like a slow, sluggish story. It still feels exciting and if you’re like me you’ll zoom through it. The last quarter or so is especially good.
I don’t know if Sophie is planning on sticking to the historical genre for future books; if she does then we’re in safe hands, but I am intrigued to see how her talents would lie in something a little different.
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