There was much to enjoy here, but I found I couldn't connect with it. I'd read more from this author in the future though.

lol this review is SO LATE, but I ended up buying my own copy of it and I finally sat down last weekend to this absolutely brilliant Georgian romp. I'm so sad that I waited so long to read it (like, back in 2017 when it was published). This book was a delight. I read it in one day. The cover compared it to Sarah Waters, which I definitely felt, but I'd also say that I got shades of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. I went in expecting a dark twisty novel about a 18th century woman's fall into prostitution-- and it was that!-- but it was also extremely hopeful? A shining bubble of a book. 10/10 stars, I loved it.

"I would like to make myself the heroine of this story and my character to be noble—an innocent victim led astray. But alas, sir, I would be lying…

In prison, accused of murder, Tully Truegood begins to write her life story. A story that takes her from a young girl in the backstreets of 18th century London to her stepmother Queenie's Fairy House—a place where decadent excess is a must…

Trained by Queenie to become a courtesan, and by Mr. Crease—a magician who sees that Tully holds similar special powers to his own—Tully soon becomes the talk of the town.

But as Tully goes on a journey of sexual awakening, she falls in love with one of her clients and the pleasure soon turns to pain. Especially when the estranged husband she was forced to marry by her father suddenly seeks her out. Now Tully is awaiting her trial for murder, for which she expects to hang…and her only chance of survival is to get her story to the one person who might be able to help her.

Delaney's incredible tale of a young woman's journey out of the depths of despair is shocking, haunting and evocative. Part historical fiction and part magical realism, this juicy, jaw-dropping story will linger long after the last page is turned."

This sounds like Fanny Hill meets The Night Circus, and I'm in for that mash-up!

Sophisticated reason to read a book: I was intrigued by the title. But it turned out to be charming. Tully Truegood ends up as a courtesan accidentally (as one does), then in prison (quite intentionally). Here, she recounts events. A pleasing costume-drama confection. Light on the erotica, light on the romance, gently witty, very nice use of the heroine's magical ability to turn ghosts manifest. The literary equivalent of a bon-bon.

This is an odd book falling somewhere between historical fiction and romance. It is erotic in detail, and the main character, Tully, works out of a brothel for much of her life. At the same time, there’s a kind of innocence to her that suffers her state, and yet Tully finds beauty and joy where she can.

It’s a historically accurate presentation of the mid-18th century with all the light and dark of England in those times. There is no allowance for modern sensibility in how it shows the state of women of that time, and as such, there is nearly every horror and abuse possible either in passing reference or on the page. This is not a read for the weak-hearted.

The presentation itself is fascinating as the tale begins with Tully in prison awaiting trial for murder. A medical examination reveals her to be pregnant so her trial is delayed until the birth of her child, called “pleading the belly.” This gives her ample time to reflect on her circumstances and how she came to be here. The reflection, in the form of her writing a memoir, becomes the over-story with occasional reminders of from where the narrator is speaking. Most of the time, the story, starting in Tully’s childhood, is told in a straightforward manner.

Though the narrative voice sometimes feels a little too modern, the contents are pure seventeen hundreds. As an example, there is not just the belief but also the actuality of mystic abilities, while mistresses are simultaneously treated with both acceptance and scorn. The social structure is presented in lovingly accurate detail with all its contradictions. This is neither a modernized nor an idealized portrayal.

The story is the tale of a young girl used for others’ purposes who tries to survive when she has nothing to call her own. She’s a caring, likeable girl who forms strong attachments that are returned if not in full measure then very close to it. She brings joy and strength to those who most need it, holds her head up high, and fights for herself and those she cares for.

This duty is complicated by her ability to see “ghosts” of the troubles haunting the people around her, the quotes only because some are events or fears more than the actual soul of someone long gone. These ghosts help her navigate a situation where some are trying to cheat their way to success at the cost of others, involving Tully in their twisted schemes.

The book is full of open sexuality, something Tully enjoys quite a lot, but only when she feels affection for her partner or partners, something she discovers when contracted to entertain a man who wants only a status symbol and nothing more. There are many lovely lines in the book, and so much emotion of the complicated kind that you really feel a part of Tully’s journey to selfhood. Little is spared in the portrayal, as might be guessed from how the book begins. This was not a good time for women of little means, or even of good standing, and yet there were ways to make a life at it.

This is not a pretty tale for all it has moments of loveliness. It’s not an easy read nor a particularly happy one, but it is intense and full of meaning. There is one tiny linchpin upon which the overall story stands that I found a bit unlikely, but still plausible enough to make this book well worth the read. A truly fascinating account that spares none of the horror while showing light even so.

P.S. I received this title from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I did not finish this book as I did not engage with this story at all.

Different. I wasn't expecting the story that the book told which was fine, I just think other readers would get more out of the book then I did.

When Tully’s neglectful father remarries, she quickly learns to love her step-mother and two new step-sisters. However, when her step sisters marriage falls through, and they learn that Tully was married as a child, her new family leaves in the middle of the night. When her father barters her away in a poker game, Tully is instantly grateful to be won by her disguised step-sister. Taken to Queenie’s Fairy House, she quickly learns that not everything is as it seems. Her step-mother runs a brother, and her step-sisters work as prostitutes. When Tully decides to join them, her tender heart falls for her first patron, and then breaks when he leaves her. At the same time, her childhood groom returns, determined to claim Tully for his own.

This was a fascinating book. It was the perfect mix of seduction and magic. Well written and engaging, it was hard to put down. I’m curious to see what this author writes next. Overall, highly recommended.

This was an excellent novel. With brilliant main characters and a wonderful plot, this book is a real page turner. I would highly recommend this book.