Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield

Once Upon a River is even more beautiful than what I expected based upon the cover. It's a quiet tale told with a fairy tale-esque vibe that makes this the perfect winter and cozy read. I was completely sucked into Diane Setterfields gorgeous prose as she slowly unfolds the story. There was a rather extensive cast of characters, but at no point did it ever feel like there were too many characters--she introduced and developed them all so well that I loved every scene with every character. I fell in love with many and frustrated with others as necessary. Setterfield truly has a gift for crafting a story that draws the reader in in such a way that it is genuinely difficult to let go of the story and the characters and return to real life. This is an easy five stars from me!