Sometimes a book with a mediocre plot can end up asking its readers to tackle difficult questions. This is one of those books. Its two main characters, both women, one from the late 1800s and the other from the 1980s, face the question of whether family history is important and, if it is, why. Bailey, in the relative present of the 1980s, is the poor relative in a rich family with an illustrious past in New York City. Sara, 100 years before, is tied to that family through her relationship with its patriarch.

The plotting, full of coincidences and devices, draws a line between these two women through their connections with the Dakota building on the Upper West Side. A murder plays prominently in the past and, when Bailey finds evidence hidden for a century, the two timelines converge. The author is at her best when she is describing social mores both past and present, and as she describes the building. The book is entertaining more for the author's ability to bring scenes alive than for her ability to design a convincing plot.

Terrific book with wonderful characters and a very rich and well imagined plot. Davis captures the times so perfectly and weaves a complicated story told between eras seamlessly.

This is one of those stories that I wish I could read again for the first time. I thought all of the characters had great dimension and sucked me right in. The star of the story is of course The Dakota, which I immediately read more about as soon as I finished. I have drove past the building before when visiting New York City, but I definitely will be making a stop next time to view the gorgeous details that were described. Fiona Davis weaved a masterful story that kept me engaged from page one and never faltered. I would highly recommend historical fiction fans to check it out and I will definitely be on the lookout for more titles by Fiona Davis.

"Fiona Davis, author of The Dollhouse, returns with a compelling novel about the thin lines between love and loss, success and ruin, passion and madness, all hidden behind the walls of The Dakota—New York City’s most famous residence.

After a failed apprenticeship, working her way up to head housekeeper of a posh London hotel is more than Sara Smythe ever thought she’d make of herself. But when a chance encounter with Theodore Camden, one of the architects of the grand New York apartment house The Dakota, leads to a job offer, her world is suddenly awash in possibility—no mean feat for a servant in 1884. The opportunity to move to America, where a person can rise above one’s station. The opportunity to be the female manager of The Dakota, which promises to be the greatest apartment house in the world. And the opportunity to see more of Theo, who understands Sara like no one else...and is living in The Dakota with his wife and three young children.

In 1985, Bailey Camden is desperate for new opportunities. Fresh out of rehab, the former party girl and interior designer is homeless, jobless, and penniless. Two generations ago, Bailey’s grandfather was the ward of famed architect Theodore Camden. But the absence of a genetic connection means Bailey won’t see a dime of the Camden family’s substantial estate. Instead, her “cousin” Melinda—Camden’s biological great-granddaughter—will inherit almost everything. So when Melinda offers to let Bailey oversee the renovation of her lavish Dakota apartment, Bailey jumps at the chance, despite her dislike of Melinda’s vision. The renovation will take away all the character and history of the apartment Theodore Camden himself lived in...and died in, after suffering multiple stab wounds by a madwoman named Sara Smythe, a former Dakota employee who had previously spent seven months in an insane asylum on Blackwell’s Island.

One hundred years apart, Sara and Bailey are both tempted by and struggle against the golden excess of their respective ages—for Sara, the opulence of a world ruled by the Astors and Vanderbilts; for Bailey, the free-flowing drinks and cocaine in the nightclubs of New York City—and take refuge and solace in the Upper West Side’s gilded fortress. But a building with a history as rich—and often tragic—as The Dakota’s can’t hold its secrets forever, and what Bailey discovers in its basement could turn everything she thought she knew about Theodore Camden—and the woman who killed him—on its head.

With rich historical detail, nuanced characters, and gorgeous prose, Fiona Davis once again delivers a compulsively readable novel that peels back the layers of not only a famed institution, but the lives—and lies—of the beating hearts within."

Something about The Dakota has always fascinated me, beyond Rosemary's Baby and John Lennon, those big gas lights outside? Spooky.

A sign of good historical fiction is that the reader learns of events he or she has never heard about before. I have been by the Dakota many times, but never imagined what a rich history the building might have had. Davis constructs a complex story that allows the reader to see in the past (the 1880s), and how the effects are felt in the 1980s. There is a lot of drama, and much of the writing feels overly melodramatic for me, but I learned a lot and am glad that I got a chance to read this book.

WHY DID I LISTEN TO THE ADDRESS BY FIONA DAVIS?
The Address by Fiona Davis is 100% RIGHT UP MY ALLEY. I love a good historical fiction audiobook. Also, I love dual story lines. OH and then there’s a stabbing murder? Yes, I am here for it. You should know by now that audiobooks are totally my thing, so of course, that is how I HAD to experience this book. Let me tell you, I waited for a few months to listen to this! Apparently everyone else in my library system wanted to listen to The Address too.

WHAT’S THE STORY HERE?
Fiona Davis’s The Address follows two different timelines. The first timeline is that of Sara Smythe who is basically the head housekeeper in this London hotel in 1884. After saving the child of famous American designer Theodore Camden, Sara is made an offer. Basically, Camden is all come work for me at this new co-op building in America called the Dakota it is the new and upcoming thing. Sara hems and haws, but obviously she heads to NYC. There, Sara begins to fall for Camden who lives in the Dakota with his wife and kids. OH AND SOME REAL SHADY STUFF GOES DOWN in this timeline.

One hundred years later, in 1985, we have the other main character Bailey Camden. Bailey was an interior designer. Then she went to rehab right. She comes back and her old job is like, nope we don’t want you. She is blacklisted. So, then she is enlisted by her cousin Melinda to revamp her apartment in the Dakota. That apartment is none other than the one that Theodore Camden had and also the one where he was stabbed to death in. Anyways, Bailey and Dakota are cousins in name, but apparently not by blood.

There is drama! There are reveals!

HOW DID I LIKE THE ADDRESS?
The Address by Fiona Davis is totally compelling. If you are a person who needs to be ENGAGED and not bored while reading, here you go. This book is solid. I mean, solid to the point of me having to whip out the eARC and turn ahead because I had to know and couldn’t wait through the audio (this also happened while I listened to The Queen Of Hearts). Let me just say readers of historical fiction and mystery will not be disappointed. ALSO THE SETTING – i.e. time and place and making you feel like you are there is well done in this book.

HOW’S THE NARRATION?
As there are two points of view that take center stage in The Address, there are two narrators for the audiobook. The audiobook is narrated by Brittany Pressley and Saskia Maarleveld. I could not tell you right now who narrated which — as is my typical response with dual narrators that I do not know well. However, both did excellent and felt convincing and easy to follow along with. I would say this is a good audiobook to get sucked right into and transported to another time.

Between an intriguing plot, engaging characters, gorgeous setting and two timelines that 'overlap' one another The Address has a little bit of everything a good historical fiction novel needs.

The Setting
The apartment building that The Address is set at can still be seen in New York City (it's a historical building now) and I can't wait (after reading this) to visit it. The Dakota has a long history for sure; but many will know it as the building in which John Lennon was shot in front of. Sad but true. The Dakota has housed many celebrities over the years and so it naturally has many secrets in it's walls.
What makes The Address so wonderful however; is that it isn't a story about a celebrity or famous incident. Instead it's the story of a woman brought over from England looking for a better life. Her story from the late 1800's is blended with the story of a 1980's recovering alcoholic who is struggling to also find her place (as a woman) amongst all the (now past) riches of The Dakota.

The Plot
Recently I have noticed a lot of historical novels using the two timeline and story approach. I personally love this when it is done well. In the Address, Fiona Davis takes us along the journey of our two leading ladies trying to find a place for themselves in the world. This is a place that doesn't include children, a husband or a lot of readily available income. There's some mysterious events and situations that unfold during their story but in the end (for me) the real plot that I loved was seeing these two women struggling, in their own ways, to survive.

The Characters
I adored all the characters. Whether they were harsh and mean, gentle and rich, poor and tough or snobby and spoiled. Each one of them stood out as their own individual persona and each had a backstory and characteristics that were easily identifiable.
One way I know the characters were solid in any given book is that I can remember their names (or at least their traits) even a week after reading the book. I'm not good with names, in real life or fictional life, and so when the names or specific roles/characteristics of characters stick out to me it's very striking. Often I finish books knowing the lead, maybe a romantic interest and (of course) the villain and that's it. Fiona gave so much richness to each character (without ever being bored) that even after reading this days ago I can imagine the characters in my head.

Overall
Have you figured out that I loved this book yet?
It's truly a masterpiece of both writing, setting and characterization. Some might criticize it's loose plot; but for me it was clear that this story was about our characters and their journey to find themselves (as opposed to being about finding out a mystery; although there is some of that too).

I can't wait to purchase a print copy for my library of The Address so that one day I can pick it up off the shelf and visit my old friends.
I'm hopeful that one day I will get to experience the grandeur of The Dakota in New York City. And while others are imaging Lennon and others that lived in the building, I'll be wondering about the (not entirely fictional) characters that Davis brought to life and wondering if there are trunks of items that hold mysteries of those now lost to us.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

I loved this glimpse into the Dakota's history! I was intrigued from the first page and did not want to put it down!

Such an interesting setting, compelling read, fascinating situation

The Address is historical fiction at it's best. At the end I loved knowing that parts were very accurate including The Dakota and the role of Nellie. I appreciated reading about life in both 1885 and 1985. I loved that it was 1985 and not the present! The Address had the perfect amount of mystery and characters although flawed that I was rooting for! This is a great book for book clubs as there is lots to discuss. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I found another favorite author! Gosh, I loved that book. So much was going on, there are a lot of unexpected developments. To think what one can do to achieve a so-called perfect life, and how it could bring the worst — or the best — in people...

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my e-copy of this book.

I enjoyed learning about The Dakota but wasn't crazy about the "modern-day" characters.

Fiona Davis has beautifully crafted this story within a story. Based around the historical building the Dakota, “The Address” weaves its way back and forth between 1880 to 1980s flawlessly. With human intrigue, romance, drama, a mystery, and family story spanning a hundred years, Davis delivers a story that draws you and has you watching your back page after page. This historical fiction novel has earned its place on my shelf and I would be wary of loaning it out for fear that it would not come back. There was clearly a lot of research that went into the writing of this story, and the way it was shared with the reader, felt conversational rather than a lecture. There was a very clear “Restoration not Gentrification” vibe that really warmed my heart. Too often it is a tear it down and make it shiney and new conversation, rather than a bring back the light on these beautiful works. Fiona Davis clearly has a taste for NYC history and architecture that I hope draws a few more books out of her. I very quickly added “The Dollhouse” to my TBR list and I can’t wait to see what else she produces. The architecture, the history, the celebrities( hey Nellie Bly totally counts as a celebrity) it really is a great read and I strongly encourage you to buy a copy for yourself and a copy to share.

*This ebook was provided by Dutton Books and NetGalley in exchange for honest feedback*

I really enjoyed the Dollhouse by Fiona Davis, so I was excited to read this. I love stories where the building is a main character in the story. This book flips between the 1880s when the Dakota was being built to the secrets uncovered during a renovation in the 1990s. I’d love to see pictures of the inside of this place.

This story is based a hundred years apart and around the same physical location.It is not a ghost story in the typical sense, but it does involve looking back at the past for the way forward for our lead lady. Sara Smythe, in England in 1885, is given a chance to change her life drastically by moving all the way to New York. This chance comes due to a chance encounter and her presence of mind. Parallelly Bailey Camden in 1985 is not an ideal heroine, she is dealing with hard life choices and she ends up in the Dakota ( actual building with historical significance in NY) and there the connection begins to get clearer. Sara is fighting bigger odds, and her repercussions are stronger than what Bailey is going through but there is a common thread of self inquiry that both end up doing. There is only a partial 'happily ever after' but the book is very thorough and lets us envision a time when the city may have not yet reached the pinnacle is style, the style which is the city's claim to fame in current times.

I have never actually noticed the building when I was in the city but after reading the book I wish I had.The story is only based on a real location and is fiction otherwise.

I was sucked in by the dual timeline, and the secret family history but became obsessed with the clear amount of historical research the author did. A wonderfully written book that will delight anyone interested in historical fiction, women's history, immigration, or architecture! I'm definitely going to be checking out the author's other book.

An entertaining historical fiction novel set in New York's famous Dakota apartment buildings. A nice, light mystery for fans of NY city, glamorous lifestyles with dark shadows, or late 19th century America.

There’s nothing like a dual timeline-family secret-mystery plot to suck me right in!

Certainly, the strongest point of this book was its history - this author has clearly done her research and it shows. I loved learning all about the Dakota, as well as the architectural development of New York City in the late 19th century. The Gilded Age is a fascinating time, and having lived in NYC for four years, I love learning about its rich history.

I was definitely engaged in the mystery and wanted to see how the two timelines would come together. It took a strange left turn about halfway through and from that point, I wasn’t as engaged. The resolution didn’t come together as convincingly as I would have liked, but I thought all in all it was a strong story. 3.5 stars.

Another enjoyable novel by Fiona Davis. The historical details were spot on. The story ended rather abruptly and could have provided more details on why the murder took place.

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33607640-the-address" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="The Address" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1494949882m/33607640.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33607640-the-address">The Address</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14903705.Fiona_Davis">Fiona Davis</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2157689303">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
The Address is a book with two story lines that go back and forth between 1884 and 1985 focusing on an apartment building, 'The Dakota' and the Camden family. This was an extremely readable novel - I haven't read anything by Fiona Davis before and really liked the ease of her writing style and how she was able to transition back and forth between stories.<br /><br />There were plenty of expected and unexpected plot twists and I loved the history of New York - Davis does a great job of painting a picture of the time. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Address by Fiona Davis in exchange for my opinions.
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