You really can never go wrong with a Lorna Gray book, I have read her stories from day one and am thoroughly saddened that she has appeared to stop writing to concentrate on her other talents with her very successful publishing career. But we can always wish and hope that one day another story will come from her, until then we will have to hold on to these stories for dear life.

I have always loved her books as I said above, her stories are always so engaging and insightful, but this one seems to have lost a little of that much loved Lorna Gray sparkle, this book like all of her previous ones is incredibly detailed, there are huge parts taken up by describing what is going on, which I personally thought was a little distracting to the story. There were times I was feeling lost and unsure as to what was happening but there was a lot going on - which makes no sense at all! There are lots (and I mean) a lot of back and forth between the characters, a little too much to be honest which gave me a headache, there seem to be lots of loose threads and parts which did appear to be very unclear as to what was going on and it was in those moments where I did give up put the book down for a while and start again, it was a too full-on and made for reading rather difficult.

And yet, the actual story itself was really good, if it was cut down significantly it would have been top-notch, but as it is it was too long ad too jammed with confusing conversation.

There were parts I did like, the characters on their own were very likeable, Emily was a strong woman she is a little set in her ways but quite endearing and I loved the setting it's breathtaking and the vivid description of the Cotswold made me imagine standing right there with Emily.

Overall, it's a good story but would have been a perfect story if it was shorter.

Well done historical fiction. Emily didn't expect what happens in the Cotswolds when she's sent there by her parents. There's mystery and romance both in this nicely plotted novel of the post war period. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Emily Sutton has her life planned out for her, except it is not her plan but her fathers. He is an antiques dealer and taught her what she needed to know so that she could take over. However, that is not what Emily wants. Neither is it to get married and settled down. The time is 1947 where women did not have much say in their choices. So Emily’s parents sent her to live with her cousin who was unmarried. When she arrived her cousin was not home but she discovers someone else. A man who had been beaten over the head. The story moves rather fast at this point once Emily meets Captain Richard Langton who is the son of the Colonel and the lord of the manor. These two are very interesting characters with secrets that they want to keep. Emily decides to work for the Colonel as a housekeeper. There is someone out there who needs to be stopped. Someone whose criminal activities may or may not be related to The Colonels son John who is deceased..
I am sad to say that while the premise of this story and the publishers blurb caught my eye and had me very adamant about reading this book, the writing really could not keep my interest much due to the convoluted and overly descriptive writing. I think that the writer could have left out a few chapters and condensed some of the remaining and this would have def been a 5 star book. The author absolutely has done their research though and I will give her credit for that. She knew a lot of information about that timeframe and area. This book has it all though which I why I loved it enough to give it 4 stars. I think that it is worth the read even if you have to reread a few chapters like I did to fully understand some of the descriptions that are given.

Thank you so much to. Netgalley as well as the author/publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

This historic novel is set just after WW2 with Emily, the daughter, as the main character. She is trying to regroup after living in London during the conflict as she was too old to be evacuated and too young to be put to work. She goes to stay with her cousin in the Cotswolds but when she arrives she finds her cousin is in hospital in Gloucester. Then her adventure begins all because she’s trying to find a telephone she can hear ringing, which turns out to be in the deserted Manor house. This book has it all - mysteries, secrets and romance. The only downside for me was I felt the writing style was a bit old fashioned for the time it was set in and I had to keep re reading some of the sentences to fully understand what was going on, but overall a charming read.

Thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest review.
I Was looking forward to reading this book but I found it to be slightly confusing in parts and rather disjointed in other parts. I had a hard time getting into this story.

A beautifully descriptive novel, but I had trouble keeping up with things because of so much description. It is historically accurate and would have been delightfully charming, but I kept getting bogged down in the wordiness of it. Maybe it was just me, but I feel that a good 30% could be condensed down. It was still a nice story and interesting characters.

I loved this book and did not want it to end. I don't say that about many books, but this author is superb. The story was interesting and the writing style was well done. I look forward to reading more by this author. Very good book!

Excellent book with a great storyline. Characters that are so well written. I would highly recommend this book to anyone!

Thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest review
Was looking forward to reading this book slightly confusing in parts and rather disjointed but none the less quite a good read I would recommend this book to others

The Antique Dealer's Daughter was my first book by Lorna Grey, it was given to me from NetGalley for an honest review. I am sorry to say that I was not a huge fan, I found it very long, and drawn out. That being said, I would still give her next novel a look.

I feel bad, but I really could not finish this book.
I found the writing style to be confusing and hard to follow.

The story is an interesting one: Emily is a young woman living in post WW2 London. Her parents suggest her to go and live with her cousin. When she arrives there, she discovers an older man who has been beaten over the head. She meets Captain Richard Langton, and decides to become the housekeeper. While making lunch for the Colonel, she interrupts a burglary and is hit on the head herself.
i didn't make it much past this point, but will try to pick it up again another time.

In The Antique Dealer's Daughter we are introduced to Emily, who with a mind of her own, doesn't always see eye to eye with her parents. Her father would prefer it if she followed him into the antique business but Emily refuses to conform to tradition. In desperation, her parents send Emily to stay with an unmarried cousin who lives in a cottage in the Cotswolds, but when Emily arrives to an empty cottage, she finds that she is inadvertently involved in a rather dark mystery which is haunted by a scandal from the past

The author writes with great enthusiasm and clearly does her research well as both time and place are nicely described and, within the 1940s setting, there is a real sense of history. As with this author's previous stories, the mystery is complicated and there is much to take in, both in terms of character and plot, but, as always, the strength of the lead female character does much to carry the story forward. The adventure is filled with twists and turns and Emily finds that she needs to keep one step ahead of the game. I found the story a little over descriptive at times. and it takes a while for the story to settle. however, once I got used to the author's distinct style of writing, I started to enjoy the book.

The author seems to be developing a niche for this type of historical mystery/adventure and I look forward to seeing what she writes next.

Emily is a fairly strong young woman, trying to find her path after the war on her own and not join her father's antique business. Sent to stay with an aunt, she finds an empty cottage. Parts of the story dragged a bit, I did some skimming in the middle as it was hard to keep my interest with lots of the descriptive prose.

Thank you NetGalley for the Opportunity to read The Antique Dealer’s Daughter by Lorna Gray. This was my first book by the author. I will not give you any spoilers. It held my attention and it was an enjoyable read. If you get the chance you should check it out.

Emily is the antique dealer’s daughter, who is the main character and the only thing that has to do with the title. This novel takes place in post WWII England. Teenage Emily spent the war in London too old to be evacuated and to young to help with the cause. With the war over, older Emily needs to find herself. Leaving her parents home to live with her spinster cousin in Cotswolds she arrives to find her cousin Phyllis in the hospital with a broken wrist after having had a bicycle accident. As walking on the way to her cousin’s cottage she comes involved with the aftermath of a mugging. Add the mystery of vandalism, death and mysteries makes this story very intriguing. I did have to look up a bunch of British words and slang which was no trouble. I highly recommend.

Enjoyable read although slightly confusing at times.
The 'daughter' could have been anyone daughter the Antique Dealer' really didn't have much to do with the story.
Plenty of red herrings but even so the outcome was fairly predictable.

I wouldn't rush out to buy this book but readable if down loaded or given to you.

I have a mixed reaction to this book. I loved the two main characters, Emily Sutton and Richard Langton, as well as the story of life post World War II. However, the early chapters were exceptionally wordy, and dialogue was more reflective of the 1800’s than post war. There were many twists and turns to figuring out who was good and who was evil, which kept me reading.

Gray’s third historical novel takes place in the postwar Cotswolds, a place whose bucolic appearance conceals a difficult past. In 1947, Emily Sutton, a Londoner in her early twenties, arrives to stay with her older cousin, Phyllis. Her parents hope that seeing Phyllis’s unmarried state will deter Emily from pursuing an independent life. Things don’t quite work out as planned. After finding Phyllis’s cottage empty, Emily stumbles upon an elderly neighbor lying on a garden path and with a bleeding head wound. Later that day, she makes the fateful decision to answer the incessant ringing of the telephone at the manor house on the village’s far side. Both events bring her into the company of locals who clearly share some tangled secrets. Captain Richard Langton, son of the Colonel who is the lord of the manor, is simultaneously puzzled by her presence in his father’s home, grateful for the help she offers, and protective of her safety – since someone dangerous is out there. The attacks may relate somehow to Richard’s late brother, John, and rumors of his criminal behavior.

It sounds like an alluring recipe for romantic suspense in a classic English village setting, but its execution falls short. The first chapter starts off promisingly, and the novel’s strongest aspects are Emily’s reflections on postwar life. She was a teenager during the war and struggles with guilt over her forced passivity; she was too young to serve. Also, her knowledge that the men she passes on peacetime streets may have taken human lives creates an uneasy tension. However, the novel is overstuffed with her constant ruminations on people and events; she overthinks everything and shares it all in plentiful detail. This slows the pacing to a crawl. The story would have been a stronger, sharper novel if pared down by half.

(from the Historical Novels Review, August 2018)

Steeped in historical detail and authentic characters you could undoubtedly find in post-war Britain, 'The Antique Dealer's Daughter' follows Emily's endeavours as she forges a life for herself in the rural idyll of the Cotswolds.

World War 2 changed lives and gave women chances and certain emancipation that would have happened much more slowly without the impetus of the war. This story illustrates this and the frustration many women felt when they were expected to return to their post-war roles. The post-war era and life in the rural Cotswolds immerse the reader, but the slow pacing and length of the story sometimes negate the powerful messages both social and political and the depth of the characters.

It's not an easy read, there is perhaps a little too much historical detail and the characters' behaviour and attitudes, while realistic makes them hard to understand and empathise. The mystery and the danger the heroine finds herself in underlines the story but only seeing it from Emily's point of view reduces its impact; always being in her head is often confusing for the reader.

If you are a devotee of historical fiction in the 1940s, this is an absorbing read, but if you are more interested in solving the crimes and mystery, you may find it difficult to discover and keep the clues in your mind. The romance is gentle and rather lovely, entirely in keeping with the period.

I received a copy of this book from Harper Impulse via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I enjoyed reading about Emily's journey to find her place in the world after World War 2. She did not want to follow in her father's footsteps, so she travels with her cousin. This book highlights their adventures. I really enjoyed this one.