“A volunteer for the newly established Weather Bureau, Sophie van Riijn needs access to the highest spot in her village to report the most accurate readings. Fascinated by Dierenpark, an abandoned mansion high atop a windswept cliff in the Hudson River Valley, Sophie knows no better option despite a lack of permission from the absent owners.
The first Vandermark to return to the area in sixty years, Quentin intends to put an end to the shadowy rumors about the property that has brought nothing but trouble upon his family. Ready to tear down the mansion, he is furious to discover a local woman has been trespassing on his land.
Instantly at odds, Quentin and Sophie find common ground when she is the only one who can reach his troubled son. There’s a light within Sophie that Quentin has never known, and a small spark of the hope that left him years ago begins to grow. But when the secrets of Dierenpark and the Vandermark family history are no longer content to stay in the past, will tragedy triumph or can their tenuous hope prevail?”
— from Goodreads
My Review(Spoiler-Free)
There was so much I loved about this story.
Despite its tragic and mysterious history, Dierenpark sounds like such a fascinating and beautiful place! Aside from water lilies, the estate has fruit trees, berry bushes, an herb garden, and even fresh honey.
I thoroughly enjoyed Sophie’s cooking scenes and how all the men staying at the mansion loved her food.
Watching Pieter blossom under Sophie’s care and rebuild his relationship with Quentin was quite sweet.
One thing I did find a bit disappointing was the romance between Sophie and Quentin. It felt rushed, especially toward the last third of the book. I really wanted to like them together. And I do think they could have worked as a couple, but their relationship need more time to develop.
While the romance did let me down a little, overall Until the Dawn was a fun and intriguing read.
See Content Notes
noticing and awareness, death and dying (from suicide, murder, fire, and illness), a family is rumored to be “cursed,” a few characters believe in superstitions (fairies, goblins, etc.), the hero starts out as an atheist, a character is said to have “dabbled in Buddhism, Shamanism, Transcendentalism, even the rites of the ancient Druids,” the hero recalls the day his son was born (no graphic details), brief mentions of surgery, description of a past kidnapping and the trauma associated with it (nothing graphic), retaliation against the kidnappers that is implied to have killed some of them (no graphic details), “melancholia” and “dark moods,” touching, characters briefly consider the possibility of an illegitimate child, mention of a wedding night and implied intimacy of a married couple (no explicit details), mention of Buddha, kissing, men are mentioned being shirtless a couple times, a married man is said to have fallen in love with another woman, the aftermath of a broken leg is described with some rather graphic details mentioned, leg amputation with a couple graphic details mentioned
Favorite Moments
🪷 All of Sophie’s cooking scenes 🪷 Quentin saving Pieter from the bees 🪷 Sophie and Quentin working on the proposal for the Weather Bureau 🪷 Quentin comforting Sophie after she overhears Dr. Clark 🪷 Cocoa beans
Favorite Quotes
“‘Maybe you’ll never operate a climate observatory, but the mark you will leave on the world will be far more important. Your legacy will be how you soothed a lonely and anxious boy… how you extended basic human dignity to a passel of scary bodyguards. How you taught a cynical and embittered man to look at the world through your eyes. You touch everyone around you with kindness and grace, and that has an incalculable effect on the world. Most happiness isn’t created by acts of great heroism or prestige…it comes from people like you, Sophie. Your legacy of quiet grace and compassion will echo down through generations to come.’“
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Leave a Reply