I was initially drawn to this book because of the description “Bridgerton meets da Vinci code” however, I’m not sure this is entirely accurate.

The first part of the book is slow moving, the language is appropriate for the time but difficult to read. I’m very thankful I was on my kindle to be able to click words and make sure i was understanding what I was reading. this made the story more difficult to get into.

There were twists I did not see coming and the end picked up the pace a little. The language is just not for me and so it made it difficult to hold my attention (as evidenced by taking almost a full month to get through)

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fun historical mystery with good characters and a plot that held my interest. There were times that it felt like a slog to read because of the long winded dialogues/banter between the characters explaining things to each other. This book definitely read more YA in my opinion (which I know the author is more known for) and I think this made it harder for me to connect with the characters. Overall, I had a good time reading this and I think people who enjoy a good mystery will also have a good time, it just didn't blow me away.

This book was unique, even for its genres, and unlike anything I’ve read before. It was quite interesting and I was on the edge of my seat for most of it. The romance was good. The mystery was good. I enjoyed this one! The writing style read more like a play at times which was interesting but I didn’t hate it. There were a couple casual mentions of almost rape/SA that I didn’t feel like were necessary at all to the plot.

This story starts with Andrew Pennington murdered by a mysterious assailant. What comes next is a mixture of Bridgerton and sherlock holmes, with the enigmatic Dora and Dr Sandys as lead characters,

This was an easy read, a perfect sunday afternoon mystery. There was a lot of action, and the deciphering of the "codes" was paced well, keeping you interested throughout.

The romance between Dora and Jacob, however, was a little lacking for me, I didn't really understand where their attraction came from in parts, and I was more invested in the mystery than that element of the story.

Overall, it was a good read with some unexpected twists involved that kept me invested until the last page!

This historical mystery started out really strong. I quite enjoyed both the main characters and I could see how they would work together. The dynamic between Jacob and Dora was great. About a quarter into the book I thought I was going to love it. I do love a good secret society story after all. The novel did continue to have moments I enjoyed, but the characters started to fall apart a bit. I felt they were inconsistent and messier than they needed to be.

A lot of the plot points were quite obvious pretty quickly. I did enjoy some aspects, such as the ‘treasure hunt’ that Anthony sent Dora on, but this idea kind of fizzled out.

I did not love this novel, but it was a decent read. In the end I was maybe just a little frustrated with the characters and sad that the plot did not quite work for me.

Described as "Bridgerton" meets "The Da Vinci Code", for me "The Persephone Code" by Julia Golding didn't entirely fit with this description. However, it was an enjoyable story. I've learnt a lot about the Hellfire Caves (definitely will be visiting) and the sinister back story of the Lucy Locket and Kitty Fisher characters mentioned in the seemingly innocent nursery rhyme. I can see the duo of Dora and Dr Sandys embarking on many more adventures together.

I wanted to like this book, but unfortunately, I just couldn’t. At all. As a fan of both Bridgerton and The DaVinci Code, I thought this book was going to be a new favorite of mine. At the very least, I thought I’d devour it in an afternoon or two. Alas, the comparisons are essentially set dressing: Bridgerton for the era in which the book is set, and the DaVinci Code for the vaguely satanic murder mystery. The writing feels uninspired and clumsy, while the mystery is both unrewarding and rushed. Additionally, while this book is pitched as a mystery-romance, I felt… very little about the characters. Their romance felt contrived, and I really couldn’t care whether or not they ended up together. Truly, I’m just disappointed. This feels, in my opinion, like a wasted opportunity. Apparently, the author writes mostly YA and children’s fiction, and that much is clear from the prose. I admire the chutzpah of writing outside of her comfort zone, but I believe a few more passes from an editor are sorely needed.

1.5 stars

Sometimes with historical fiction like this I find myself getting caught up in the details of getting by before the modern day - like how long does it take to get to places when you just have horses? How do women get new clothes on the run when dresses were generally made by hand and fitted to the wearer? What about when you're traveling a long distance and get hungry? What if you get injured and no one's discovered germ theory yet?

Well folks, it turns out that having those questions all answered in the text does not really make for that interesting of a book. (Except for the last thing. By the end we really had some injuries piled up that the MCs seemed to have gotten over faster than they should have.) I liked the main characters well enough though, and the author does have a dab hand at writing chapter endings that keep you turning pages. The writing style went a long way toward keeping me engaged in a plot that was at times somewhat silly (the map thing...it's giving The Rise of Skywalker. Nothing should EVER give The Rise of Skywalker) and then towards the end VERY silly.

Still, there's potential here. If this is the start of a series I think it could become pretty fun.

My thanks to Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for the ARC.

I had high hopes for this book as its described as Bridgerton meets The Da Vinci Code, but unfortunately it didn't work for me.

The characters are not well developed and come across as quite wooden. I didn't feel the chemistry between them and some of the terminology during the sex scene was cringy and a bit odd from a female author.

Sadly the book isn't saved by the plot, the pace is slow and unexciting. I guess the writing style was just not for me.

Thank you One More Chapter for providing me with an ARC to read and review.

thank you netgalley ,publishers and author for giving me a chance to read and review this. i really wanted to like this book ,so much that i took my time because maybe i was the one who didn’t understand what it stood for. but for a book that starts with a murder this was stiff and not that attention grabbing ,i don’t know if it’s just me but anyway 2.5 rounded up.

Historical fiction, adventure, murder and secret societies. A coded trail of clues to decipher, an indomitable heroine and an unfolding romance make this fun and diverting read one I would recommend to anyone who likes a Regency costume drama with a modern sensibility.

Anthony Pennington is found murdered, seemingly by foodpads, he has some items which need to be passed onto his illegitimate half sister, Dora who is an actress. The man tasked with this duty is Dr Jacob Sandys.

This starts a chain of events which includes the infamous Hellfire Club and an absolutely rip roaring read.

I really enjoyed this book, and look forward to more involving the two main characters

3.25 stars

While this book was slow in the beginning, it really picked up pace and left me wanting to read more. The Persephone code had rich character development with a captivating plot that I was glad that I stuck around for! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

I really enjoyed the shifting perspectives between Dora and Jacob, it enormously helped in building characters, making the story very interesting. The book gives a historical spin to a Da Vinci’s Code style mystery- and you won’t be disappointed. The plot flows well with not too many threads to follow, so you definitely feel hooked! Thanks to Net galley for sending across an advanced copy! If you have 4 hours and a cup of coffee, with a love for historical fiction, then this is your pick!

This had everything that I was hoping for from a regency novel, it had a strong concept and worked with the time-period that I was hoping for. I enjoyed how the characters were everything that I expected and really enjoyed how everything went. Julia Golding does a great job in writing this and creating a unique world that I wanted to read more in.

It feels strange to say a book that starts with a brutal murder and deals with the Hellfire Club and Illuminati was delightful, but there it is. This was delightful. Our flawed main characters are thrown together on a bit of a quest and then must thwart two dangerous secret societies ang bring murderers to justice. Along the way, we get a romance (and a few steamy scenes) and the promise of further developments in a sequel.

Dora is the illegitimate daughter of a wealthy merchant, born in the West Indies. Though her family pretends she's dead, she has stayed in touch with her brother while she's been acting with a traveling company. When her brother is found dead in the caves used by the Hellfire Club, the local pastor asks a friend, Dr. Jacob Sandys, to intercept Dora's theater group and notify her of the death. Jacob arrives at Dora's current theater as masked assailants are attacking Dora. They work together to escape and go on the run.

Dora and Jacob wind up fighting two sets of villains as they follow clues to solve Dora's brother's murder. There's a twist that's somewhat evident about halfway through the story, but I still enjoyed the journey towards the inevitable conclusion.

One interesting aspect of this story was the romantic subplot. The relationship between Dora and Jacob isn't slow burn, as is almost ubiquitous in historical mystery. They are attracted to each other and act on that attraction. There's a notable fade-to-black scene that serves this part of the story.

The pace is fast and the main characters are compelling. I can't wait to see what else is in store for Dora and Jacob.

This was alright. Nothing about the romance or mystery really had me hooked, I just wanted to see how it would end. Even then, it was a pretty disappointing ending for the build up for the reveal of the Hellfire Club and Anthony’s murderer. The characters were flat and uninteresting, and they had zero chemistry. I’ll never understand why characters are infatuated with each other after only knowing one another for a matter of days. I don’t know what the goal of the epilogue was. It tried to set up for another installment, but also gave nothing.

I couldn’t stop imagining that Dora the Explorer was going on this big adventure set in Stranger Things, so I guess thanks modern media for that image. This isn’t going to be the most page turning book I’ll read in 2024, but it was fairly entertaining.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was an entertaining Regency murder mystery, with powerful players with powerful secrets. Calling it Bridgerton meets The DaVinci code is honestly a disservice to the novel, as I think it sets the wrong expectations. There’s a secret club full of debauchery and blackmail, there’s Illuminati, and there’s people in power doing terrible things. I did really like both Dora and Jacob. They had great rapport and I liked how their relationship developed. The roadblocks they faced didn’t last too long to be irritating. Plus they both have shortcomings that made them feel more real. They’re both connected to the Ton while not being truly part of it.
The mystery was the biggest part of the book, and I was not expecting the Jamaica Inn style twist!
While this book ends well with no cliffhanger, it’s definitely left open for more books to follow. So I think we’ll be able to see more of Jacob and Dora in the future!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the preview. All opinions are my own.

An exquisite Regency murder mystery with Bridgerton and Da Vinci Code vibes. Loved the MCs Dora and Dr. Jacob Sandys, who team up to solve the killing of Dora's brother. Add in an infamous Hell Fire Club, the ever secret Illuminati, and one of the most gorgeous covers ever, and you've got a brilliant read!

I liked the premise of this book and couldn't wait to read it. However the writing of this book was very hard to read and the sentences felt unnecessarily long. And I love reading books like Pride and Prejudice but here it wasn't it. The book definitely needs editing or just simply a change of the writing style.