Book Review: Hush (Lakeview #1) by Stacey R. Campbell

Who #1: Stacey R. Campbell

Who#2: Green Darner Press

What: Hush (Lakeview #1)

When: January 23rd 2013 (read in 2014)

Where: Goodreads – Kobo – Amazon – Book Depository

Why: Secret princesses!?!?!

How: A copy of this novel was provided by Gemelli Press LLC‏ via Net Galley.

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?

The premise of Hush sounded really unique and interesting. The book itself … not so much. I found myself forcing my eyes to continue reading Hush, even though the story was unique and interesting. I just wasn’t invested in it.

The book is told from a third person perspective, and I think this diminished our ability to get to know the characters. Yes, we knew the basics of each character that we were introduced to, but I felt as if I didn’t really get to know any of them, and therefore wasn’t really invested in what happened to them.

The writing style used in Hush was very fluid, and was easy to engage in. In general, the chapters were very short, but I found myself liking that. I didn’t feel as if it made the story choppy or hard to follow. I thought that it allowed Hush to focus on more than our main two characters, Blakely and Max. We were able to see chapters from almost every character in the book, and I was appreciative of this insight.

I felt as if the relationship between Blakely and Max moved too fast. I enjoyed their witty and cute banter in the first third or so of the novel, but then I felt that the romantic aspect of their interaction moved a little too quickly. I understand that Hush spans the time of a few months, but I just didn’t see any evidence as to how Blakely and Max came to love each other in such a short amount of time.

As a side note, I would love to read about Blakely’s parents’ story. The prologue in Hush was captivating and I immediately wanted to read about a princess who fell in love with a chauffeur. I mean, that just sounds awesome, right? I would definitely read it, that’s for sure.

I loved the sound of Lakeview Academy, and wished that I had attended a school as awesome as that. It kind of made me jealous that I didn’t experience houseparents, and house dinners, and all the other fun stuff that Blakely and her friends partook in; even if it is a fictional school. I am interested in reading the other Lakeview novels, especially since the second one is about a ghost.

Overall, Hush was a quick and easy read about an everyday girl who finds out that her life includes much more than she ever thought. If you’re one for cute romance and some royal mysteries, I would recommend Hush to you.

© 2014, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity. All rights reserved.

Your Turn: Do you think third person perspectives can take away the personal-ness of a novel? Do you ever read of a certain time or place and wish you could visit? Let me know in the comment section below!