I have mixed impressions of and feelings about this novel. I found the plot intriguing, and enjoyed Serafina's narrative voice in her alternating chapters, as compared to Sara's, which disappointingly tended to fall more often into cliché turns of phrase. I understand the need to set the characters' "voices" apart and distinguish the eras in which they are living, but wonder if this could have been done with a bit more finesse for Sara's chapters. Some plot revelations were telegraphed and therefore more predictable, while others felt more satisfyingly surprising. At times, the events and interactions themselves seemed to draw on stereotypes, though I appreciate that the author appears to have researched the book quite thoroughly. There were also some unexpectedly graphic passages in the book, so readers who are especially sensitive to intimate and/or violent imagery may wish to be aware of this before reading. Overall, though it would be missing a meaningful modern dimension, I think I might have preferred this as a purely historical fiction novel, set entirely in Serafina's time period. All that said, I would still be interested to read other novels by this same author, in the hopes that they are more of the quality of Serafina's chapters than Sara's.

A page turner for sure. Great story, hard to put down. Love the characters and the twists… and I will admit that I fell for them all. Highly recommend this one.

Everyone should read it. I really liked how Skye got a chance to be OAP (oldest available Penderwick) and how Roslind had a break

A murder mystery from the murderers’ point of view! Bought this as a beach book but was pleasantly surprised. Very creative and enticing storyline that kept me interested as someone who’s not much of a bookworm.

This book will tear your heart out and stomp on it. The author captures the experience of motherhood perfectly. Relevant today because of its depiction of historical events and its representation of the way people treat outsiders.

This book is really interesting. It is about a boy who ran away from home to live in the woods and how he survives.

Entertaining book about an American woman working on her postgrad lit degree in London. Struggling to pay her bills, and tutoring wealthy kids as a side job, she is swept into the world of the ultra-wealthy. It's a pretty nice place, at least materially, and she begins to do more and more things to stay there--until there's a reckoning. More than just fluff, there's depth to the characters and plenty of Austen references.

I adore this series. Light fun and intriguing. Each book said with be characters and interest. The references to everyday tasks with a mystical element are delightful.

This book had me in tears by the end of it. It was almost like I could feel the pain of the characters seeping through the pages. By far one of the best books I have ever read.

This was a very entertaining book! Alice Feeney’s books always keep me guessing and have twists I can never truly guess at accurately. I was a little confused with how the stories came together at the end, however.