Book Review: So Pretty by Ronnie Turner

Have you ever read a book so captivating that its story lingers in your thoughts days after finishing it? If not, I suggest you pick up Ronnie Turner’s novel So Pretty for an unforgettable gothic reading experience. In this hauntingly beautiful story, readers follow the journey of Teddy who has recently moved to Rye and taken a job at Berry and Vincent’s which changes him and bring up some long-buried secrets. With suspenseful twists and turns at every chapter, So Pretty will take you on an immersive adventure of discovering what lies within forgotten memories and experiences from the past. Its engaging mystery coupled with passionate character development keeps readers hooked until the very end – giving them a much-needed escape into another world.

Click me to go to my Review

Synopsis

Fear blisters through this town like a fever…

When Teddy Colne arrives in the small town of Rye, he believes he will be able to settle down and leave his past behind him. Little does he know that fear blisters through the streets like a fever. The locals tell him to stay away from an establishment known only as Berry & Vincent, that those who rub too closely to its proprietor risk a bad end.

Despite their warnings, Teddy is desperate to understand why Rye has come to fear this one man, and to see what really hides behind the doors of his shop.

Ada moved to Rye with her young son to escape a damaged childhood and years of never fitting in, but she’s lonely, and ostracised by the community. Ada is ripe for affection and friendship, and everyone knows it.

As old secrets bleed out into this town, so too will a mystery about a family who vanished fifty years earlier, and a community living on a knife edge.

Teddy looks for answers, thinking he is safe, but some truths are better left undisturbed, and his past will find him here, just as it has always found him before. And before long, it will find Ada too.

About The Author

Ronnie Turner grew up in Cornwall, the youngest in a large family. At an early age, she discovered a love of literature. She now works as a Senior Waterstones Bookseller and barista. Ronnie lives in the South West with her family and three dogs. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and taking long walks on the coast.

My Review

When Teddy Colne, a 33-year-old from out of town, arrives in Rye, he quickly discovers the mysterious antique and curiosity shop run by Mr Vincent -a man known for changing his window displays to shock and offend. Despite its creepy vibe that keeps the townsfolk away, an infatuated Teddy takes a job as an assistant at Berry & Vincent’s- largely due to having secrets of his own hidden past. He soon finds himself steeped in both his history and the strange happenings within this enigmatic corner store where it seems nothing is quite what it appears at first glance!

I hadn’t heard of Ronnie Turner at all but then I saw a review for this new release on a friend’s blog and her review was so superb I couldn’t wait to pick up a copy so I pre-ordered it immediately, which doesn’t happen very much and wow, what a read this is!

This is by far one of the darkest books I have read in a long time, there are points that I just wasn’t quite sure where it was heading and what was behind the mysterious Berry and Vincent’s shop or the slightly strange but curious Teddy. The mostly unspeaking Mr Vincent himself gave me the creeps from the off, what had I let myself in for?

Enter Ada Belling and her four-year-old son Albie. They are as lonely as Teddy despite living in Rye for two years they still don’t know anyone as the locals won’t accept them into the fold or share their secrets, though Ada is very astute and listens to all their conversations and doesn’t miss a beat.

Ronnie Turner does a great job of drawing you in, to begin with, things seem relatively normal but as you begin to know the characters more and their backstories the more you begin to feel the chill. So Pretty holds onto you tight though and without realising it you know you can’t leave it for a second because the bogeyman is coming for you otherwise!

I can’t write too much for fear of giving something away but I found the writing stunning, it’s so captivating it’s almost claustrophobic. I was amazed to find that Ronnie Turner herself is so young with such talent and this is only her second book (I can’t wait to read the first now!). there is a perfect mix of humanity, nature/nurture and evil within these pages, definitely a must read for 2023!

Rated