Jen P

Very suspenseful and emotionally moving! I enjoyed getting the insights and perspectives from two very different women - Ruth the misfortunate seamstress and Dorothea the self righteous intellectual. As the story goes on I realised that there's more beneath their surfaces and until the last page and even beyond I was left questioning ‘coincidence or magic?' This was the first work of Laura Purcell I read and was delighted when my mum said she had “Bone China” and “The Silent Companions” also. I couldn't wait to explore more of the mysterious supernatural spine chilling yet emotionally compelling worlds that Laura Purcell creates effortlessly.

I found Alice a very compelling 3 dimensional character who had her soft spots and edges as hard as steel. Her headspace was an intriguing one to get into and I enjoyed it. I knew very little about Alice before this story, though the author focused a little on Alice's business acumen when it came to property and was able to paint a convincing picture of Alice as a savvy ‘femme sole' of the medieval ages.

I found that a lot happened in this story with some moments glossed over or rushed to cover a set time period. I would love to have read more scenes between Alice and her formidable fellow courtiers/rivals Princess Isabella, the Duke of Lancaster and Princess Joan Plantagenet. That said, the writing from Anne O'Brien is beautiful and I feel she has a gift for crafting emotional and thought provoking stories based from real people.

Having read Alison Weir's historical non-fiction on Katherine Swynford at the start of this year I was keen to see an interpretation of her life and romance with John of Gaunt.

The chemistry between the characters was amazing! Compellingly page turning without there being too overt or crude details.

The writing style of the author was as precise and engaging as usual. I've found it so satisfying to note that the 1st person perspective of the different Anne O'Brien books I've read to date has differed in that she can write more than one character (other authors sometimes struggle with this trait and end up writing the same character throughout their whole catalogue just with different names and hair colours).

My only reason for not giving this 5 is that the story did gloss over some events to span more or less Katherine's whole life, whereas I think if it had been more focused a timeline then it would be perfect for me.

((That said, I'm a glutton for details and slow burns with enough intrigue to keep on patiently leaping forwards towards thrilling outcomes. Whereas I think I'm the minority in that preference!))

This story was set in a different place and time than I've read about and some of the content bit more crude and bloody in places than I'm used to. The writing style at first through the character of Luciana made me cringe and I actually considered not going further than chapter 5 because it seemed a poor match, but I persevered and it turned out to be an incredible read for me (one of my favourites of this year which seems like a big u-turn!) The characters definitely grew on me but I'm not sure if it's because I got used to the narration style or if it did tone down.

There was a sweet romance was running throughout the story in a slow burn manner, yet there was more drama and danger to the story to keep me engrossed too in the meantime. I was eager to continue with the adventure which is a sign of a great read for me.

I am very much inspired to explore more about 15th century Italy and try some more stories from the author in 2024.

They say truth is stranger than fiction, and this read is a wild ride! Wendy Moore is able to illustrate a colourful representation of life in the 1700s for not just the poor Mary Bowes, but for women in general. It's astounding what her criminal husband got away with though the ending, his comeuppance, was bittersweet jailed and shamed from society and Mary finally free, but he found another victim to torment for the last years of his life

This is my first historical non-fiction that I've read and it's made me feel so encouraged to try some more out. I was concerned about being bogged down with dates and facts, but Wendy's writing style is very informative and conversational; reading this felt like having a chat with your favourite quirky school teacher who made lessons fun.

Only complaint is that I wish this had been longer! Although works really well as a short story and very poignant. One of Madeline Miller's earlier works that I intended on reading on Kindle, though I was lucky to be gifted the beautiful hardcover edition this year.

This was a fun page turning read, and a worthy sequel to Wendy, Darling. For a slightly dark alternative retelling of Peter Pan, I think it would be hard to be beaten!

I really felt for Captain Hook and his pirates, with his character arc very satisfying and poignant. I wish there was more light shed on the workings of Neverland and what had happened to Pan after the first book. The world still seems very vague and inscrutable, and hard to connect with and with the characters, although I suppose that's to highlight how strange and mysterious Neverland is (or maybe there will be a 3rd book in the series that explains everything?? Here's hoping!))

I liked this story and enjoyed reading it, though can't help but feel that there was something missing? I wanted to love it. Maybe because it was a shorter story, there couldn't be as much character or setting development? I feel like some elements of the story were quickly brushed aside or skimmed over, when I would have preferred to have a deeper dive into the plot, the characters, the time period etc. That said, this was an easy read and I would recommend if you want a short slightly mysterious and a little bit dark story.

I enjoyed how Elizabeth Macneal explored the different character's motivations and imbued each page with a simultaneous sense of wonderous optimism and despairing revulsion. I really felt drawn into the character's world. Despite the Victorian setting, the main character Iris was relatable, quite modern in her desire to follow her own path and explore the world of colour and art. She somehow remained ladylike but spirited. Usually in Victorian type novels the heroine is either completely rebellious and wild or prim and proper. Iris seemed to be “normal” in that you could easily picture her walking down the streets of London and not obviously pick her out as a fictional character.

This was a gripping tale from the start to finish. The use of metaphor was sublime. I look forward to perusing Elizabeth Macneal's future works.

Captivating mystery from the first to last page. The ending leaves you questioning “what if?” yet somehow wraps the story up in a neat bow, which is a strength of Laura Purcell in her writing. You are left wanting more yet not because the story wasn't resolved, but because you desired for another 100 pages to pick up on more nuances details and dive deeper still in her gloriously soulful, romantic yet spine chilling world. I definitely recommend this book and it was a joy to read!

A very atmospheric read, one I couldn't put down due to suspense in each chapter. It was also so interesting to get a glimpse into what life was like in Iceland in the 1600s; I only know about English history and culture from that time. The world seems pretty bleak and harsh; the landscape and inner demons more dangerous than any “spirit”. It's the people who add the tension and danger to this tale, not the supernatural.

Definitely recommend for those who like slightly gothic historical themed stories.

I have to admit that whilst the ending did feel a bit rushed, the mysteries and plot twists tied up in a neat package and I suppose the story could be picked up as a sequel down the line.

I found Tidelands was a good re-introduction into the world of reading - I've had a few year break due to contending with an anxiety disorder which meant I couldn't focus on reading. The characters were compelling, kept me turning the pages and wanting to keep with the story - it is a slow burner really. The ending was a bit sudden, a much faster pace, however there is another book in the series which explains why there felt to be an open end.

A brilliant first novel by Megan Campisi. I found the very thinly veiled references to Elizabethan history quite tongue in cheek and amusing. A very emotive story, a few grim and ghastly moments but overall May's bright and guileless inner thoughts provided a sense of wry humour and more importantly, hope. I look forward to more works from Megan Campisi.

PS: I also found the cover art really stunning, one of my favourites ever.

Bittersweet and heartbreaking in places. We know the tales of Mad King George but I loved how Laura Purcell humanises King George 3rd as well as highlights the struggles and hopes of those blinded in his orbit. Queen Charlotte is a fascinating character, both very fragile and strong as steel. A seeming oxymoron but she straddles the lines of both gracefully.

I felt that Laura's approach to mental health was one of love and understanding. One of the phrases that really stuck out to me was from one of the daughters after their Father had his last breakdown, along the lines of “the day finally came that we had all dreaded. Yet life continued” Which I found to be very humbling. There's scary dreadful things in the world we fear, and believe we won't cope if and when they do happen. But life continues and we do cope, someone, and things can be right again. That was the lasting message I got from this poignant story.

For a debut novel (please correct me if I'm wrong!) this is an excellent read and I can't wait for more works by Rose Black to come out.

I found the story itself very gripping, an odd mixture of fear, futility and hope which was imbued in all of the characters.

The technique of Pepper's Ghost is something I'd heard about being used in Disney's Haunted Mansion ride so I was fascinated to read a story that was an exploration of the special effect and the Victorian desire for spiritualism that was prevalent in the 1800s. I feel that there could have been more supernatural elements added in especially around the Salt's Mother, and different locations as opposed to theatres, hotel rooms and the seaside.

The story does leave several unanswered mysteries and the ending felt a bit rushed in comparison to the rest of the story. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read though and recommend to anyone who loves gothic historical fiction.

A very heartwarming tale. I rated 3.5 purely because I wasn't as thrilled throughout the story as I was with Stacey Hall's debut novel “The Familiars”. That said, I loved the characters in this tale also and really sympathised with ‘the other mother' as much as the real mother Bess. I hadn't heard of the Foundling Hospital before so was curious to learn more. The pacing was slower than in “The Familiars” but I felt I could really get stuck into each character and consider their motivations and personality fully, which I do actually prefer in a story than lots of rushed action. I look forward to many more works by Stacey Halls! Her brand of historical fiction I've found very captivating and full of heart and hope.

I found this very gripping from the first page to the last. Each page imbued with a sense of frantic dread. Very well rounded female leads that I was rooting for the whole way. The ending wrapped up the story very nicely with a little bit of a mystery at the end - was witchcraft real? I didn't know a lot about the Pendle Witch Trials so this inspired me to read more about what took place. For a debut novel this was fantastic and I quickly got a copy of Stacey Hall's second novel “The Foundling”, eager to read more.

Captivating story. Excellent debut storytelling that definitely makes me want to keep and eye out for further Bridget Collins works!

I found it interesting the way the story was split distinctly into 3 parts from 3 different perspectives though at first I was dismayed when it got to the end of the first part and the perspective changed - I was like “nooo I need to know what happens next, not what already happened!” But actually I did find the differing perspectives kept the overall story engaging. As I neared the last few chapters I had a sense of loss that the story was almost over and it didn't feel like there would be resolution. There was certainly a conclusion, one built on hope and some mystery remaining (perfect for a sequel?) but I did feel that the ending did seem rushed in comparison to the slower descriptive prose that dominated the rest of the book.

Another thrilling tale by Laura Purcell. I read this after [b:Bone China 44597241 Bone China Laura Purcell https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1556549547l/44597241.SY75.jpg 69230264] and thought “how can anything top that?” Well, The Silent Companions doesn't top it but is on par. A strong storyline that again keeps you guessing from start to the finish. Although this ending was less open ended and perhaps the bleakest one out of her novels. I found this story more chilling and there was a stronger sense of peril. I would recommend it as a must read. Laura Purcell once again has written a page turner.

Such a heartwarming and thought provoking story; you never know what goes on with a person behind closed doors. You root for Eleanor the entire journey and empathise with her quirks. Gail Honeyman has created a beautifully complex character. There's light humour mixed in with the poignant moments. I smiled through most of this story.

The intrigue and drama of the Georgian court kept this to be a riveting read that I didn't want to end.

I knew little of the Georgian monarchy before reading this story, and throughout reading and even afterwards have felt compelled to find out all I can about that time period. The main characters, Henrietta Howard and Princess-then Queen Caroline may have seemed like chalk and cheese but actually both were quite similar and I did get the sense throughout the narrative that their destinies were intertwined and they had the same motives; to be adored, to be in power which meant safety, to love their children.

Laura Purcell is amazing at developing fleshed out characters who are neither complete saints or absolute sinners, a healthy mixture of both.