The von Strassenberg Saga — Gwenn Wright

Not all romances are fairytales.

In 1877, Katherine Demure, brimming over with discontentment, is swept into the arms of the mysterious Viktor von Strassenberg who is newly arrived from Europe with dark rumors preceding him. Hoping to find love and adventure, she instead becomes the centerpiece of a mystery that will take generations to unravel.
The responsibility falls into the hands of her granddaughter, five times removed, who has no inkling as to the origins of her strange name or the reason she has no connection to her family. All that changes and begins to unravel when she makes the mistake of being found.

From Refracted Light Reviews:
Wright's formatting of this book is part of what makes this book so “un-put-downable.” (Yes, you can quote me....lol.) She switches the story's POV chapter to chapter (first person for Rocky and third person for Katherine) and masterfully keeps the mystery moving through both storylines, revealing just enough to make sense of both stories, and often leaving you with mini cliffhangers until that heroine's next chapter. I've read some books recently where the shift between narrators is just a confusing mess; however, this is never a problem in Filter and the shift between narrators/timelines is one of this story's greatest strengths. Another aspect of the shifting POVs that I absolutely LOVED was that each POV was written to the period of the narrator. I absolutely hate when period pieces sound too modern day, but Wright has expertly tailored each girl's POV to their respective times.

I don't want to give anything away in this story, but Filter is a dark gothic romance and to me evokes a little Bronte, and some other authors that I won't mention for fear of revealing too much....*wink wink*. Wright really has created something original and lovely with Filter. (June 2011)

It's a dark mystery that encompasses three families, the von Strassenbergs, the Demures and the Drexlers; secrets, betrayal, romance and tragedy abound. Gwenn artfully navigates multiple narrators as they tell their stories over several generations and as their experiences begin to form a cohesive picture of the secrets that surround these three families. It's fascinating. It sucks you in. And while not a paranormal book, it does have elements of the gothic and strange. (December 2011)

From BunnyCates.com:
Filter is book one of a series, and thus the beginning of the story. In this installment we are following two timelines of events: the late 1800s and present day St. Louis. Told through alternating P.O.V. we meet the 1800's young Katherine, and we also meet present day Rocky. Normally, I am not a fan of the alternating point of views in a book. It usually ends up distracting from the story instead of enhancing. However, in Filter, the author has written the p,o.v. transitions with such skill that the story just flows through the changes. I can't imagine it being written any other way.I have to admit, I loved the Katherine/Viktor storyline (picture me saying “Veek-tor”, lol). There, I admitted it. I can no longer deny that I enjoy romance. *sigh* What has happened to me?! Katherine, a prominent St Louis attorney's sickly headstrong daughter. Viktor a foreign Dr/Scientist's sickly and handsome son. Meet. Sparks. Parents forbid them to be together. Ahh, young love.
Rocky's storyline: A headstrong orphaned teen, who flees to St. Louis on the hopes of finding her own path (and a promise of wealth through an unlikely bloodline). She is strong, independent, and smart. Usually. And “the Third”. OMG, *swoon*… yes, “the Third” makes my toes curl and my face to girl giggle…haha.
How they are connected is a mystery, and the story is basically page after page of adventure as we try to fit together the pieces of the puzzle. The story is dark, gothic, romantic, and tragic.