When her mother passes away unexpectedly, 30-something, directionless Saskia Kreis returns home for the funeral, expecting to inherit her family estate. When the will reveals a different beneficiary, Saskia begins to reexamine her past—her childhood as a piano prodigy, her relationship with her parents, her childhood friendships, and first love—and to question how repercussions from her childhood experiences impact her present circumstances.

Told through a mix of Saskia’s present day thoughts and actions, her past, and excerpts from her mother’s feminist fairy tale retellings, The Ingenue is a dark suspenseful tale with some twists and turns. Days after finishing the book, I am still thinking about it and ruminating on some of its themes.

I highly recommend the audiobook version, narrated by Stephanie Willis. Willis’s narration kept me hooked, and I did not want to put this one down. She truly captures the essence of each character. I am afraid if I were to go into more detail on that, however, that I would give away spoilers.

I received an advance copy of the audiobook from Macmillan Audio and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

Please check trigger or content warnings.

The Ingenue is one of those books that makes you feel sick while you’re reading it, such as is the way with My Dark Vanessa or Lolita.

This book is the about the grooming of Saskia from the age of fourteen and on. She’s an extremely talent piano player—a once in a lifetime type of talent. Her parents always wondered why she stopped wanting to play, why she suddenly became distracted, why she has taken on boxing as an adult and ruined her hands. They were unaware of Patrick, a colleague of Saskia’s mother, focusing his attention on her. Patrick’s grooming ruined love and relationships for Saskia and it took her until her mother’s death to realize the extent of the damage he has on her life.

The Ingenue focuses on grooming and the devastating consequences, while exploring the nuances of familial relationships. Saskia’s mother writes fairytales that are molded into feminist stories for little girls. Even with her enlightened outlook, she still misses what’s going on with her daughter—motherhood does not equal perfection.

I was absolutely drawn into this book, even when it made me feel queasy. The writing style is enthralling and sweeps you along. The story spirals towards a frenzied and emotional ending that seemed to go well with the mental strain this took on Saskia.

I was gifted a copy of the audiobook by Macmillan audio and our narrator is Stephanie Willis. They do an absolutely phenomenal job keeping us immersed in the Saskia’s story. I felt attuned to Saskia’s feelings with the help of Willis. Their narration was a perfect way to experience this novel.

After loving The Ballerinas, I eagerly dove into The Ingenue, totally intrigued by the plot. Ultimately, while well written, and the characters are relatable and well developed, the plot fell flat to me. The #metoo movement is an important one, one that I actively support in any way that I personally can, but I felt The Ingenue took a lot of time developing the plot and setting the stage, only to rush the ending in a way that just didn't feel believable to me. I will still eagerly read anything that Rachel Kapelke-Dale writes, but this wasn't my favorite of her two books.

I really enjoyed this book overall. The plot was well paced and I believed the characters motives. However, I don't love the title or the cover. It didn't sell what the book was really about. Also, you don't get into the true meaning of the title until much later, so at the surface it's a bit shallow. I think there could have been better titles and I'm afraid fans of The Whisper Network, The Turn of the Key, and Luckiest Girl Alive may not pick it up based on the cover. However, readers of those titles would be a perfect audience for this dark novel. I love the setting of the house in the middle of the drama. As I believe the author intended, it becomes a character itself and I can picture it. In some ways the ending is less sastisfying because not everyone gets a happy ending. However, this makes it a better book and more believable.

When I saw The Ingenue described as "My Dark Vanessa meets The Queen's Gambit," I knew I had to check out this book! I don't think that description quite works because it leaves out the mother-daughter relationship that is a huge part of this story, however I loved the book and that description grabbed me.

This is the story of Saskia Kreis, a former piano prodigy, who returns home as an adult after receiving the news that her mother has died. She is the last in a long family line who have lived in the same house for generations. Saskia expects to inherit the house, but instead her mother has willed it to Patrick, the man who Saskia "dated" in her teens and who was then in his 30s or 40s. The story is about Saskia coping with her mother's death, with losing the house she expected to spend the rest of her life in, dealing with the fact that it has been given to Patrick, and fighting to get it back.

One thing I enjoyed about this book was the organization. It has a contemporary setting but includes many flashbacks which are (fairly) evenly spaced throughout the novel with an excerpt of a retold fairytale, written by Saskia's mother, before them. This organization was especially great when listening to the audiobook because it made it easy to follow. On the topic of audiobook-specific reviews, the reader was wonderful and kept me engaged in the story.

Like The Ballerina, The Ingenue slowly creeps up on you like a robber. This is the only author who has been able to write literary fiction with suspense and psychological thriller thrown in, and gotten away with it, with me.

She is the exception that proves my rule. I hate when a book is marketed as a thriller etc.. but it is too emotional or too "X-insert whatever themes" more than it is what it is supposed to be (a thriller).

But there is something about how she spins prose, tells a story, that just resonates and it works to keep me rivited. Then the thriller kicks in. And even at that point, she never loses that light touch to her writing and weaving of the stories.

Also, like the Ballerinas, it was a little slow at times, hence the 4 stars. But absolutely a beautiful, poignant, and yet punch to the stomach story.

Ahhhh this book was heart breaking and I would definitely check the trigger warnings, but it was so good!

I put this book off for a while because I wasn’t sure what to expect or what kind of headspace that I needed to be in in order to truly appreciate it. I am not sure if I was ever going to be truly ready for this story. What happens to Saskia is very dark, and her coming to terms with what happened to to her and then with how her mother helped her before and after her death was very powerful. There were so many things throughout the story that I didn’t expect, but to me, that’s what makes a great story. I don’t want something that I can think up all on my own because believe me, I am not creative.

Story 4/5
Audio 5/5

When this is advertised as Queens Gambit crossed with Dark Vanessa my curiosity is as instantly perked and it definitely is an apt description for this story.

I think any book that explores sexual abuse with a minor is going to be polarizing and not for every reader and therefore I say be aware of the trigger warnings going into this one. With that said I thought this story was well executed and forthright. We meet Saskia in the present day after her mothers death and shocking revelations surrounding her will and loved estate, the Elf House, from here the story looks back at Saskia’s past and the inappropriate relationship that formed between her and Patrick the now heir apparent.

Everything at first is shrouded in mystery and it was a bit frustrating being left suspended but as the story unfolded it all began to make sense. And the authors does an exceptional job at peeling back the layers.

Saskia is at times hard to like, she is naive, but if you know the definition of ingenue then this has already been foreshadowed, she does come to redeem these qualities and grow and I felt satisfied with the conclusions to everything.

A solid read for those of you comfortable with tougher subject matter, do your research before reading.

Also the narration is perfect on this audio.

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the advanced listening copy all opinions are my own.

The Ingenue is a slow-paced revenge thriller about reliving and addressing trauma. Normally I prefer books that move more quickly, but the pacing of this was perfect for the story. I also loved the way the fairy tales started each chapter, which I think added some lightness to a rather dark read.

Check content warnings before reading

I listened to this book and I had to find out how the story ended. Saskia's character was intriguing to me and this book had an underlying mystery that I enjoyed. This has a large plot line of the #metoo movement, but this book also has so much more. I love the title and the double meaning I feel like it had. The fairy tales that were told between characters added to my interest level, I love how they were incorporated.
Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Macmillian Audio for the opportunity to read and listen to this book (the narrator is a perfect fit for the tension in the book).
This is the 2nd book I have read by this author and I love the fine art themes that are heaven into the stories!

I was only given this audiobook for two or three days. That is insufficient time to review this story so I have no review for it. I do like the cover and the synopsis. Thank you.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read the ARC for my honest opinion. As the description says, this book is My Dark Vanessa meets The Queen's Gambit. Saskia returns home for her mother's funeral after 2 years and finds that her mother left their beloved family home to Patrick and not her or her father. Saskia is not only shocked she is enraged. Now she must struggle to find out how and why her mother did this without revealing her secrets of the past. I did enjoy this story and I liked that it was back and forth and did not solely focus on Saskis' past experiences in too much detail. Enjoy!!

Dark, thrilling, eretheral - Rachel Kapelke-Dale has done it again! Fans of "Catherine House" will love this moody and suspenseful story.

Solid 3 stars for me. As a former piano student, the beautiful cover that screams gothic music mystery pulled me right in. I was a little disappointed that the actual story reads more like a heavy historical fiction meets awakened feminism with only a touch of the slow burn gothic mystery I expected.

Content warning: child abuse is discussed several times and may be difficult for some readers.

This story unfolds from Saskia’s point of view as she arrives back to her sprawling childhood estate to deal with the passing of her mother. She finds out that her mom left the family manor to a professor at a local college. Saskia is devastated, while her father is disappointed but resigned to move out.

Going through the story from only the point of view of Saskia is frustrating. She goes from meek and timid to angry, impulsive and entitled. Definitely not your typical redeeming character arc. The biggest problem here was that it left me wanting for someone to root for. This book is a mess of broken people that never grow in a positive way from the junk life throws at them.

An overarching theme throughout, thanks for excerpts from her late mother’s writings, is feminism through powerful headstrong outspoken women. Great theme, unfortunately not one Saskia took to heart. Even at the end, she’s wanting the men in her life to fix her problems.

The writing is well done and held my attention, the premise is unique and interesting. It isn’t a bad story. It just isn’t great either.

Thanks to Netgalley for the audio arc of this book scheduled to be release early December 2022.

"The Ingenue" is a story of complicated family relationships. With a main character that hasn't made great relationship decisions her whole life, the Death of her mother causes her to return home and take a deeper look at her first relationship as her and her father work through loss and surprises that have arrived as a result.

The prologue did a great job at making the story seem too crazy to be real, but as the book worked its way through the twists, turns, conversations and decisions it was all made it clear. With an explosive finale this read certainly keeps you om your toes.

“𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺. To say: 𝘖𝘩, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬—𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘥.
To say: I’m 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳. 𝘔𝘦.
And then, that Wicked Witch voice every woman carries, somewhere inside herself: 𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶?
But people need to know what he did, she thinks.
People need to know who he is.”

When former piano prodigy Saskia Kreis returns home to Milwaukee after her mother's unexpected death, she expects to inherit the family estate, the Elf House. But with the discovery that her mother's will bequeathed the Elf House to a man that Saskia shares a complicated history with, she is forced to reexamine her own past––and the romantic relationship that changed the course of her life––for answers. Can she find a way to claim her heritage while keeping her secrets buried, or will the fallout from digging too deep destroy her?


This is such a multifaceted story. I usually end a book and immediately write my review. If not, at the very least, I jot down my thoughts. This one, though, had me pondering my feelings for some time. There’s a lot to unpack here. The story is good, if a bit disjointed. It almost seemed like the first 1/3-1/2 of the book is a totally different book compared to the second half. In the first portion there is a lot about Saksia’s musical talents and her journey to accept or give up the dreams her parents have for her. And a lot about the house. For me this part was a bit slow and I wasn’t quite sure where it was going. But once you get to the second half the story got going and it really flew! Then I could see the My Dark Vanessa #metoo comparisons.

The audiobook was wonderful. Dare I say it may have been why I kept going with the story in the beginning? I think so! You can really feel the dilemma and angst in Saskia through the narrator. She captured that perfectly.

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I was drawn right in from the description of comparing it to my dark Vanessa and they weren’t wrong! This was a gothic revenge novel told in two dual time lines when when the FMC ( not even gonna try to butcher how to spell her name) was growing up in the big house passed down in her mothers family called the “elf house” as she becomes a piano super star at a young age. As she grows older she really hates it feeling like she won’t be special the older she gets that people think she is so good because she is young. But she has never felt young, she has always felt like a grown up and the pressures of living up to her mother and the world expectations weighing on her at all times all she wants is to be special and admired. Than when she is 14 she runs into Patrick and Patrick makes her feel so special and loved but Patrick is a grown man having no business loving a 14 year old. But she feels special and has no idea what he was doing was wrong, feeling like the adult she always made to be when with him. Than we have the time line of present, where her mother has passed away and she has to take care of everything thinking she is getting the house but something happens and it’s given to Patrick and through this she finally realizes what Patrick did to her and others and sets out to get her justice. This had a great gothic feel to it, I loved the setting of the elf house. I also loved the main character and felt like she had great development, especially her relationship with her dad! She did annoy me a bit also and sometimes had me shaking my head but Overall I thought this was a great book and shows us how the pressure of things can take over and how easy it is for young children to be groomed and the effect it has on their whole life. Please check TW before reading Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook for review

This book started very slow for me, but as it went on it became much more interesting. Great ending and loved the exploration of the dynamics of mother/daughter relationships.

We follow the main character and former child piano prodigy, Saskia, when her mother unexpectedly dies. Saskia is then put in a position she was not expecting which takes her down a path to revisit her past.

Perhaps my favorite parts of the book were at the beginning of each chapter where a portion of feminist fairytales were told, written by her mother. We see the relationship of mother and daughter as the book flashes back to Saskia's younger teenage years and the problems she dealt with as a musician, a teen and a daughter.

A couple of the driving topics in this book are not ones I seek out in my reading and with it I tell for a number of trigger warnings. Overall, it was handled fine and well. I just didn't really care for the storyline all that much. The book felt a bit slow to a point where I didn't feel like much was really happening, but I was satisfied by the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance audiobook.