Fiona Davis has a runaway hit with The Address.

The novel takes place between two different time periods, 1985 and 1884. While such a contrast in times you’d feel that there wasn’t any connection between the two. Davis has wrapped up the past and the present so tightly they feel completely intertwined.

Sara Smythe has worked her way up as a head hotel housekeeper in London when a twist of fate brings her into contact with the famous Theodore Camden, a New York architect. After some persuasion, she leaves London to work at the soon to open famous Dakota apartment house.

Without giving too much away, the story also follows Bailey (a distant relative of the Camden's) through rehab, her discoveries about the past and the family connections.

This is one book that I snuck off to read just a few more sentences at a time. The writing and story line is so engaging that it was extremely hard to put down.

Put this on your “to read” list – you’ll be glad you did!

Fiona Davis’s is premised around The Dakota, a famous landmark hotel with a rich history in New York City. It was first built in the late 1800's and was destined to boast its opulence and convenience for the wealthiest citizens. It is a novel that flips back and forth between the 1900's and the 1800's, a tale of two women, Bailey and Sara, and their link to the architect of the building, a most intriguing man.

The details of how, why, and when the building came to be are skilfully intertwined with a rich story of greed, power, and rags to riches. The characters were ever evolving and at times, not what they seemed. This kept me flipping the pages until the secrets and conflicts came to a head at the brilliant end.

I am very fond of this author. Having read The Doll House, I had high expectations of this novel. And she did not disappoint. Two very different stories, but each one engrossing! This is one author you need to follow!

This book was wicked good! I pretty much read it in two sittings, couldn’t put it down. Murder mystery, identity mystery, two time periods, illicit love affair, oh and The Dakota apartment building as almost a character! I was fascinated learning the historical details of the building and ended up on a search to find out more online about it. If you like historical fiction then you HAVE to read this. The dramatic ending was not what I expected at all!

Another interesting and well developed piece of historical fiction by Fiona Davis. You feel the NYC vibe in two different time periods, 1980s and 1880s. Every female character is independent, strong and multifaceted. There's a bit of a mystery that the 1980s characters are trying to solve involving the 1880s characters. The chapters go back and forth from each era which is set in the same NYC property, the infamous Dakota. I highly recommend this wonderful story.

Couldn't get into it, couldn't finish it.

I was very disappointed in this book. The storyline was good but the telling was too melodramatic for my taste. It was too much like a Harlequin novel.

Bailey is struggling. She is finally out of rehab and about to really get her life together. Not as easy as it sounds. She lost her job as a designer, she has no place to live and she has no money. She falls back on her family…well, maybe not her family by blood (need to read the book!) Melinda, her “maybe” cousin gives her a job redecorating her apartment in the historical building, The Dakota.


This novel follows two storylines, Bailey set in 1985 and Sara set in 1884. Sara’s storyline is essential to following Bailey’s troubled life. I admired Sara. She is tough and hard-working. However, her story is a tale of mistakes which leads to a tragic outcome. The mystery of Bailey’s family past impacts her future.

I adored the setting of this read. The time periods and the historical building make for a very eclectic story. This book is not without problems. There are places where the conversations are stilted or a little canned. Plus, I hated Melinda. And sometimes the plot is a little “too convenient”. However, I am still giving it a five star rating. I loved the history and the mystery. I take great pleasure in a book which has me doing research and I was all over researching this building and the architecture.

I enjoyed many aspects of this read, the mystery of the trunks in the basement, the small historical details about NYC, oh….and don’t forget the insane asylum with the cameo appearance of Nellie Bly. This book is super fascinating and I cannot wait to read The Dollhouse

I received this novel from Netgalley for a honest review.

This has gotten a lot of press leading up to the release so I was anxious to check it out. This is a dual time period novel focusing on 2 women a century apart. The mixing of past and present was done really well, although it did take a bit before I gained momentum. Most of my favorite novels are historical fiction, but this one didn't quite hit the mark for me. I was much more engaged when it was just the story of Sara working as the manager of the Dakota; when it jumped forward to 1985 I never personally connected with the characters. I will say, though, that this might be a nice transition for anyone just begininning to delve into this genre. It's quite different from any of the historical fiction that I've read recently. The way she jumps back and forth adds some suspense and there are a couple nice surprises along the way. It made me begin to imagine my own grandparents and their former lives back in the early 19th century - what secrets might be discovered if I was able to find a portal into their past lives? Overall, I liked the book and will definitely check out her other work in the future.

The Address is a wonderful novel about the lengths people will go to for saving face in light of what could have been a scandal. Sara is a wonderful character who is blazing her own path by snatching the opportunity presented to her. The novel is full of interesting facts about The Dakota along with how women were treated if they acted improperly.

This is a historical fiction/somewhat fact novel that alternates between decades, all taking place at The Dakota apartment house in New York City. Sara Smythe is the house manager at The Dakota in 1884. Bailey Camden, living in The Dakota in 1985, is a distant relative to the original architect of the building, Theo Camden. Bailey finds a few items leftover from the earliest days of The Dakota, and connections start to be made, the story of what happened to Sara and Theo slowly being told as Bailey uncovers the details. Bailey finds out that she's maybe not so distantly related after all.

This is a pretty good read. I liked it okay...but I'm not raving over it. It had a distinct melodramatic, soap opera feel. The ending, while predictable, was happy and satisfying--better than I'd predicted actually! I think part of my inability to really get into this novel and review it properly has to do with school starting back. I've been super busy, and not able to keep my eyes open when I'm NOT super busy. Not the best recipe for getting into a good book.

The Address was a fantastic book surrounding the history and life of the first apartment house in New York City, The Dakota. This historical fiction story is expertly written and paints a very vivid picture of what The Dakota and its occupants looked like in 1885. The book goes back and forth between 1885 and 1985 as Bailey, an interior designer that is working on the Dakota, researches the history of Theodore Camdem and Sara Smyth, former occupants of the building.

In 1884, Sara was the head housekeeper in London when she met Theo Camdem and his family. After saving the life of one of his children, he wanted to repay her kindness by offering her a job in America at this new apartment house that he is an architect on. Sara kindly refuses, but when the ticket and money show up to allow her to travel to America she decides that she’s ready for a new adventure and heads to New York. Sara has no idea what awaits her at The Dakota and how her destiny will be forever changed.

In 1985, after Bailey returns from rehab, her “cousin” Melinda offers for her to stay at The Dakota and gives her a job to design and remodel the apartment building to something newer. Bailey has no place to go and no money so decides that the job will give her the opportunity she needs to establish herself on her own as an interior designer. Bailey does not want to throw away all the history of the apartment building and with the help of the Super, Renzo, they decide to place the old building materials and pieces in the basement storage. As they search the storage, clues start to turn up that not all the stories regarding The Dakota are as they seem. Bailey is determined to find the truth about the building and her family as well.

This is the first book I have read of Fiona Davis’s and to say I am impressed is to say the least. Not my usual type of book, but I do have a fondness for historical fiction and decided a change was in order. The book was full of twists and turns which made it easy reading. Be prepared for many surprises all the way to the end!

The Address is the second novel by Fiona Davis. Sara J. Smythe is the head housekeeper at Langham Hotel in London in June 1884. Sara happens to notice a little girl walking on the ledge outside a hotel room and rushes to rescue her. Theodore Camden, the child’s father and an architect, offers Sara a job in New York at The Dakota. The Dakota is a fancy apartment house with hotel amenities. Sara, after some thought, accepts the position and sails for New York. She arrives at The Dakota and finds herself promoted to managerette. Sara works closely with Theo in getting the building ready for its new occupants. Life is full of possibilities in America. Will Sara find the happiness she has been yearning for in America?

Bailey Camden has just been released from Silver Hill, a rehab facility, in New York in 1985. She was hoping to return to her position at Crespo and O’Reilly, but it seems Bailey burned her bridges with them. Her last hope is her cousin, Melinda. Melinda and her twin brother, Manvel own an apartment in the Upper West Side of New York at The Dakota. Bailey has loved the building since she was a child. Her grandfather was a ward of Theodore Camden, who was murdered in that very apartment. Melinda is redecorating and offers the job to Bailey along with a place to live. Melinda’s “style” involves ripping out all the beautiful woodwork and vintage features of the gilded age apartment. In the storage area of the building, Bailey uncovers trunks belong to Theodore Camden and Sara Smythe. Secrets that have long been hidden are about to come to light. Bailey embarks on a journey of discovery. Dark family secrets have a way of coming forth into the light.

I felt that Fiona Davis did a notable job at capturing the historical time-period and setting of New York at it was being developed in 1884. The Dakota (which is a real building in New York and can be viewed online) was a unique apartment building, and I loved reading about the beautiful details put into the building (along with the gorgeous dress descriptions). I preferred Sara’s chapters over Bailey’s (especially in the beginning). In a way, I wish the whole novel had been about Sarah and what happened to her. It was interesting to see how Ms. Davis tied the past to Bailey Camden in 1985. I am rating The Address 3 out of 5 stars. The story is interesting but it has an expected ending (especially regarding Theodore). I was hoping the author would surprise me, but I was let down. I accurately guessed how the story would play out. I found the pace of the novel to be slow which can be attributed to the amount of detail provided by the author. While I love her descriptions and historical accuracy, the do make for a slow-moving story. Bailey’s chapters had a faster pace but they were less captivating (the 80s hold little appeal with the terrible fashions, party lifestyle, and the horrible Palm Beach/Miami Vice type décor). I am not enamored with the alternating chapters (the past and present) which seems to be very common lately in books. The Address ended up being a romance novel with a little mystery thrown in.

The Address by Fiona Davis focuses on The Dakota in New York City. The author tells the story in a dual timeline format alternating between the mid-1880’s and 1985. The novel has something for lovers of historical fiction, romance, murder mystery, conspiracy, and big money fraud involving several generations in one family.

The Dakota pulls together the different generations of the families who have lived there from its grand opening to its current fame. Sara Symthe, the managerette, is the main character in the early years while Bailey Camden, an interior designer, is the 1985 center of activity. Both characters have tragic flaws and difficult lives due to the nature of how things were during the century in which they lived. As you continue to read the novel, you will be amazed at how the events intertwine and the surprises will keep you reading. The intent of actions and the results that follow make the story spectacular.

Who knew that the walls of the building were stuffed with thick horsehair and the space between each floor of The Dakota contained three feed of mud. Ghosts rumored to haunt the place are described. The storage rooms in the basement and the building superintendent are fascinating. Nellie Bly makes an appearance as well as the erection of the Statue of Liberty. New York has never been a city to bore it’s residents. Although I have visited New York more than once, I have ignored The Dakota which is a mistake I won’t make again after reading the descriptions of the architecture.

I particularly disliked the scenes in Blackwell’s Island Insane Asylum even though they are factual and well researched. The truth behind the madness makes it an important chapter.

I read this book in the evening before bedtime and did not feel an urgency to continue reading late into the night. I would recommend the book, but parts of it are very slow. In the end, I felt I knew the people in the various generations of the family and what shaped their destinies. The book has great voice and passion. It reminded me that people are often not who we think they are.

I received an advanced copy from net galley in exchange for a fair review.

A special thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fiona Davis' novel takes readers to the historic Dakota —the famous home of John Lennon from 1973 to his murder outside the building in 1980.

The story opens in England with Sara Smythe, a head housekeeper at an elegant hotel. She is offered a job by Theodore Camden after she saves one of his children from falling out a window. Wanting a better life, she accepts the job which is to be the managerette of the Dakota, an upscale apartment building in New York City.

Fast forward to 1985 New York City, where Bailey Camden has just completed a stint in rehab and is trying to get her life back on track. She is hired by her cousin, Melinda, to redecorate her apartment in the Dakota and is hopeful that this opportunity will relaunch her career. Davis joins the two storylines with the Dakota when Bailey finds Sara's belongings in a trunk in the basement of the decrepit building.

As a reader, the best parts of the story were in the past. Even though the 80s are by far my favourite decade, um hello, best music ever, I simply couldn't connect with Bailey and just wanted to stay with Sara. Davis fell victim of the duelling storylines and I feel of late that this style has been done too much and as an avid reader, this type of narrative is old hat.

The Dakota was built in the 1880s on the northwest part of NYC before there was an "upper west side." It was created as an apartment building with each apartment in it being unique. The Address is based upon the construction and early days of the famous apartment building which faces Central Park. In Davis' novel, Sara Smythe, head housekeeper of a posh hotel in London, is recruited to be a female managerette of The Dakota by one of the architects, Theodore Camden, after she saves his daughter from falling out of a window. She is thrilled to leave England and start a new life. The Dakota is to become the first apartment house for the wealthy, as previously they had all lived in private homes.

Meanwhile, in 1985, Bailey Camden, whose grandfather was a ward of the Camden's, has just been released from rehab but fired from her job as an interior decorator. Bailey is penniless and about to become homeless so she accepts a job from her friend Melinda Camden. Melissa, soon to become heiress of a large fortune, coke addict and a woman of lavish but poor taste, wants Bailey to to renovate her apartment in The Dakota, even though it means stripping it of its historic architectural details. In going through the basement where she stores panels and moldings that Melinda wants removed, Bailey finds trunks with papers and other items that cause her to delve into the history of the building and Theodore Camden and his family.

The details of life in the Gilded Age in New York and the squalor of the insane asylum on Blackwell (now Roosevelt) Island are brought to life in this captivating novel full of twists and turns.

Set in one of the most famous buildings in New York City in two different time periods one hundred years apart, THE ADDRESS is a rich and riveting historical fiction novel. The opening pages sucked me in and immediately made me excited about the story of a hotel housekeeper in England being enticed to move to New York for a chance to work in a fabulous new building. The writing style is incredibly readable and the pages just flew by as Sara makes the move from England to New York and the real drama begins.

The setting of the Dakota is just fascinating, making me want to research the history of the building in much more detail beyond this fictional account. I loved the alternating chapters between the 1880s and 1980s and couldn't stop reading as I tried to figure out how Bailey and Sara were connected. I appreciated the author's note with information on just how historically accurate the story was as well. My only thing I wish would have been different is perhaps a less wrapped-up-in-a-bow culmination of the mystery - it seemed a bit rushed and I would have loved it to be more drawn out.

This is a very fast-paced and historical look at the Gilded Age in New York City - I predict this as a favorite book club pick for years to come. Now that I have read THE ADDRESS, I need to go back and pick up Davis' other book THE DOLLHOUSE - I have read rave reviews about it for the past year and THE ADDRESS has convinced me to finally read it!

Last summer I had the pleasure of reading Davis’ debut, The Dollhouse and I was so impressed. I was never a huge fan of historical fiction before I read her books and I have her to thank for opening my eyes to yet another amazing genre. I’ve read so much more HF this past year and I don’t know if I would’ve without reading The Dollhouse, so thanks Fiona Davis for expanding my world!

Having been such a fan of her debut I had that nervous feeling I always feel when I’m about to read an authors sophmore book. Well, I shouldn’t have worried at all, I ended up liking this one even more than her first, it was mesmerizing, full of detailed historical descriptions, an amazing setting and two characters that I fully connected with.

This is told using dual narratives set one hundred years apart. Sara is a thirty year old woman who moves from England to New York for a job opportunity in 1884 and Bailey is also thirty and living in NYC in 1985. Both of the timelines were equally fascinating for me, they were both mainly set in the famed Dakota Apartments and Davis truly brought this wonderful setting to life. Most of the book was historically accurate and the liberties she took fictionally were perfectly executed. I really felt like I was beside both women in the Dakota, it was such an immersive, engrossing setting.

Sara and Bailey had many similarities despite being from two completely different worlds. They both have struggles and difficulties to overcome and I was rooting for them the whole way. I found myself sympathizing easily with both of them and couldn’t wait to find out what would wind up happening with their lives.

This is one of those books that will truly sweep you away to another time, there is such a strong sense of place that really worked well for me. While this isn’t a traditional mystery there were some surprises along the way that add another layer to the wonderful plot. If you loved The Dollhouse you’ll like this one as well, and if you haven’t read it but enjoy HF what are you waiting for?!

Sara Smythe has been handed the opportunity of a lifetime. The year is 1884 and Sara is head housekeeper at a luxury hotel in London. When she assists a child of a guest named Theodore Camden, he is so grateful that he offers this industrious woman a ticket to America and an opportunity to run his up and coming apartment building in NYC, The Dakota. The chemistry between Sara and Theo is immediate and it takes only a few moments for Sara to grab hold of this chance to change her life. A hundred years later Bailey Camden is just out of rehab and desperately trying to get her interior design position back. Her wealthy cousin, Melinda Camden, offers her refuge and a job decorating her newly inherited apartment in none other than The Dakota. Alternating between the span of years, The Address narrates the lives of these two women with their uncanny similarities and vast disparities, especially for an unmarried woman in the late 1800’s. What a difference a century can make! Filled with historical detail, romance, an insane asylum and a murder, The Address was truly unputdownable. Definitely add this fabulous read to your summer picks.

I was thrilled to get the opportunity to review this book. I loved Davis' other novel The Dollhouse, but I have to say The Address was even better! Davis has truly mastered the art of intersecting the history of an iconic building with her fictional characters.

I felt as if I was transported to the 1880's and the construction of the Dakota. The gilded age was a perfect backdrop for the mystery of this novel. Then as the parallel plot with the characters in the 1980's, you can't help but be pulled into a voyage of rapid page-turning.

The overlap with fact and fiction was just want you want in historical fiction. A little intrigue layered with facts like arrival of the Statute of Liberty or maybe the appearance of famous journalist, Nellie Bly.

The Dakota is the local of love, betrayal, adventure, new beginnings and tragic endings. Definitely pick this up if you were a fan of The Dollhouse.

**I received my copy via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thank you to the author and publisher for this opportunity.**

For some reason, this has me all stirred up. I guess because all this— the building, the tenants, the history inside these walls— it means something to me. I know it affects you the same way.

Alternating between 1885 and 1985 in New York City and the narratives of two women, The Address tells the story of one building at the forefront of the Gilded Age of architecture, the families that inhabit it and their ability to withstand the test of time.

The name of the building is the Dakota Apartment House, and it is the largest, most substantial, and most conveniently arranged apartment house of the sort in this country. An astonishing geographic and architectural landmark, the Dakota will undoubtedly be known as ‘The Address’ of New York’s West Side.

Sara Smythe is the head housekeeper at the prestigious Langham hotel in London, but when she saves the precocious young daughter of the American architect Theodore Camden, she is given an opportunity that will change her life forever.

Camden offers Sara a job as the manageress of his newest architectural creation, The Dakota. A multifamily estate on the pioneering West End of New York City. Designed to offer the convenience of a city abode without sacrificing the service and amenities of a country estate, The Dakota has claimed a unique stake at the forefront New York real estate. Much to the surprise of her surly mother, Sara accepts the position and voyages across the Atlantic and into a whole new life.

She shifted to the other side of the carriage and stuck her head out the window. An enormous building, the color of butter, seemed to have been plopped down on the flat landscape by a giant, like something you’d find in a German fairy tale. She counted nine stories with windows that a man could stand in and not reach the top pane, and a complicated gabled roof lacking any consistent pattern. “Is that it?”

Working closely with Mr. Camden to finalize the variety of tasks required of a new building before the tenants arrive, Sara begins to feel quite taken with the architect.

She’d craved his company the past few days, the way he looked at her and the way he listened to her when she spoke. Not in an intimate way, she told herself, as that wouldn’t be proper. But he was a kind person and she hadn’t had many friends.

Though she tries to resist his charm, she enters naively into a professional friendship turned tête-à-tête which quickly escalates into an affair. Caught up in the romance of it all, Sara forgets about Mrs. Camden and her energetic children who suddenly tumble back into the Dakota and fill its rooms with innocent glee and spousal suspicion.

When Sara is caught with a priceless possession of the Camden’s hidden in her desk drawer, the finger of suspicion points blatantly to her, though the truth is not as it seems. The judge sentences her to rehabilitation on ‘the island’ and she is whisked away. But she has a secret of her own hidden beneath her frock.

“Do you not know where you’ve been put away?” Sara looked at her. The woman was young, with kind brown eyes. She didn’t wear a hat, and snowflakes dotted the waves of her hair. “A private hospital?” “No. We’re going to Blackwell’s Island Insane Asylum.” A madhouse. They thought she was insane.



A century later, we are reunited with The Dakota which is in shambles as the result of an assortment of owners with varying degrees of taste and senses of preservation. Here we meet Bailey Camden, a struggling young women recently ejected from drug rehab and crashing on her cousins couch in exchange for her expertise as an interior designer. Bailey is put to the task of assisting her cousin’s drastic and destructive renovation of the family apartment within the historical property.

Desperate for a new start, Bailey suppresses her angst at the obliteration of history and takes matters into her own hands by hiding the valuable pieces of decor in the basement storage. With the help of the building super, also a recovering addict, Bailey is able to save much of the priceless artifacts and discover some of her own history in the meantime.

This is where are two stories converge and we learn that, to Bailey, The Dakota means more than just a historical piece of New York architecture; it is an heirloom that opens many doors towards securing her future.

But it was the way the woman stood, the line of her neck, the set of her mouth. Bailey’s parents had a photo album with a photo that was an exact match, except that it was taken in this century, not the last. Her father holding a newborn Bailey in his arms, with the same half smile.

The Address by Fiona Davis is a sumptuous historical fiction that chronicles two women on the brink of opportunity and the struggles they face within the walls of The Dakota.