The CRESTMONT by Holly Weiss, though a good read, left me a bit puzzled. It wasn't until the end of the book that I realized the story was really about the hotel and an era gone by, and the characters only served as a back drop for Ms. Weiss to tell her story.
The main character other than the Inn itself was Gracie Antes. Gracie decides to leave her family home behind because of the rising feelings she has for her brother-in-law to be. Striking out on her own with a music career in mind, she decides to make a stop at the Crestmont Inn to earn some cash before going out on the road. As a housemaid at the Crestmont Inn, Gracie's life is forever changed by the people who surround her.
The CRESTMONT had highs and lows. The book dragged in some areas and I found myself breezing over some of the excessive details regarding the objects in the book instead of the characters. The book had enough highs, to keep me reading, but the ending felt a bit empty.
How did I come to the conclusion that the book was about the Crestmont Inn instead of the characters that inhabited it? Because the ending leaves too many unanswered questions about the people you came to know throughout the story. So many plots were handled quickly or without resolve. Without giving anything away, a near tragedy regarding Eleanor was added but quickly breezed over. The non relationships that Gracie toyed with were never really explained. Whatever happened to PT? Why did Bessie leave in such a hurry? What happened to Gracie after she left the Crestmont? What happened to Mr. Woods? The ending did not give me a warm, satisfying feeling because it seemed to be handled in such a hurried fashion. I enjoyed the endnotes of facts regarding the Crestmont, so it isn't that I don't like history. I guess I just felt that Ms. Weiss put a lot of energy into adding colorful characters to her novel only to leave their individual stories unfinished.
Book provided for review purposes.
Please visit Holly's website from more information www.hollyweiss.com
Crestmont available on Amazon at http://amzn.to/bbjTtE
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