Title: Madly, Deeply
Author: Erica Crouch
Publication Date: June 17, 2014
Synopsis: It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea...
Annaleigh Wells and William Calloway had a love even the angels envied. It was as if the universe spun them toward one another, like the stars crafted their souls to fit perfectly together.
With a wedding on the horizon, fate had a change of heart. Whispered warnings from phantoms and morbid nightmares darkened every night—but even visions of the future couldn’t save Annaleigh.
Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s poem Annabel Lee, Crouch’s period romance Madly, Deeply tells the tale of love so great, it cannot be contained in just one life.
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Review: I don't know why I thought that a book that was a retelling of Edgar Allan Poe's Annabel Lee would do anything except make me cry ugly tears all night long. I've been excited to read this book since Erica announced it, mostly because I loved her Ignite books and I love retellings, but I seriously should have known better. Annabel Lee is so full of heartbreak and Erica's story remained true to the original while still maintaining a fresh new voice.
I was hooked on Madly, Deeply from the first sentence. Erica just has this way with words that made me want to keep reading even though I just knew something terrible was going to happen. Her descriptions of Annaleigh, William, and their world are flawless. Instead of telling us how strong their love is, she shows us. Every word, every action drips with their love for each other and it's no wonder even the angels envied it!
I loved the gothic feel of this book, and I loved the little bit of magic that was woven in. The setting is haunting enough as it is and it just makes everything feel a little bit darker and a little bit more other-worldly. I often found myself thinking, "that seriously did NOT just happen. Things will right themselves in the next section!" The Victorian feel of the book really made this story that much better and I'm not sure it would have had the same impact if it was set in any other time period. I'm also kind of a sucker for books set in the Victorian era, so I just loved all of that.
One of my favorite parts of this book was how it was broken up into sections based on the stanzas of the original poem. It doesn't exactly follow those stanzas, but it does give an idea of what's to come and what might happen next. The crying, for me, started around the second stanza, and quickly changed to ugly crying by the third stanza (for the rest of the book....). Especially after Annaleigh and William's fight in the cabin. That scene took my hurting heart and broke it into a million pieces.
The end, although not your typical "happily ever after" was satisfying and still happy in a way. If you read this book, you'll totally know what I mean. I was still crying all over the place, but my heart started to mend so I walked away feeling a little bit better. But Madly, Deeply has stuck with me for several weeks while I've tried to write this review and I just can't get it out of my head.
So I would 100% recommend this book to anyone looking for a re-telling of Annabel Lee that remains to Poe's original poem while still taking on a life of its own. Especially if you don't mind a good cry. This book has all of the feels and Erica's gorgeous writing will probably turn you into a blubbering mess before it's over. I loved everything about this book, and I can't wait to find out what Erica has up her sleeves next! 5/5!
--Ashley
