Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher.   I really enjoyed this book, loved the characters, the descriptions and most of all the storyline,   a really good read

Unusual and interesting story,one modern ,one medieval. Two female characters tied by history and loss. A good read.

This book lived up to the promise of the description. I always enjoy dual time period novels and this one did not disappoint, both time periods have interesting plots and both heroines were believable and developed well over the course of the book. So many novels set in Tudor times focus on the time around Anne Boleyn being queen so it was nice to read one set in an equally fascinating and tragic period, the rise and fall of  Catherine Howard. This setting meant that once the final section of the novel began it was obvious what the tragic outcome would be for Eleanor and her family, but it was still handled sensitivitely by the author and the conclusion for Amber was satisfying. I look forward to more novels by this author in the future.

I loved this book. I’m a fan of dual timeline novels and this one was particularly well done. 

We first meet Eleanor, in 1541. In our next chapter we are in 2019 with Amber. This story cleverly weaves parallels between their lives and we begin to see how they are linked.

Eleanor is an educated young lady who finds herself married to a widower with a small daughter after the death of her father. Her portion of the story is a good insight into the hard work involved in growing saffron, but also the court of King Henry VIII. Historians will surely recognise what is happening as they read- I was unfamiliar with some names and therefore was rather more surprised!

Amber is living temporarily with her grandad in her ancestral home, grieving her stillborn daughter. When lightning strikes (literally!) she finds a small prayer book, wrapped in linen. Her chapters deal with her exploration of this book, while she tries to rebuild her life after devastating loss. 

I liked both main characters. They were strong women who dealt with the hand they were given. 

The book itself was beautifully written and kept me gripped and interested throughout. I wanted to see what would happen in both timelines but I was also intrigued with how they fitted together. 

All in all, this is an excelled debut novel and I look forward to reading more by this talented author! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

I looooove these types of books and I never get tired of them.

I particularly enjoyed this one as it was very well detailed and easy to read. Some can get confusing to follow, but this one definitely wasn't.

This book could almost have been written by one of my favorite authors of this genre, Suzannah Kearsley.  Like many of Kearsley's books, The Secrets of Saffron Hall is split between the present and the distant past. There are mystical links between the narrator in the present and the one in the mid-1500's during the reign of Henry VIII.

Aside from the similarity in style, Marchant's  book would have fared a lot better if it had had judicious editing.  There are many grammatical errors, like "...pushing a wheelbarrow with Callum knelt inside."  Although the planting, growing, harvesting and drying saffron was interesting, there was entirely too much repetition of the process. We got that it was hard work the first two times around.

Having said that, and ignoring the nit-picking, this novel (a first effort) was a page turner and easy to read.  Amber, following a tragic stillbirth of her first child, escapes her grief by leaving her husband, a minister, to depart to her grandfather's house, Saffron Hall.  (She is ostensibly there not so much to grieve, but to catalogue her grandfather's library) In the tower connected to the house she finds a Book of Hours that is also the diary of Eleanor in 1539 and 40.  The book speaks of a child in need of a proper burial and Amber feels a connection to the story of the woman whose book she is reading.  (Tudor history buffs will have a blast following the fortunes of Eleanor's husband in King Henry's court.) As she struggles to overcome her own grief, she becomes more and more embroiled in the story of another woman whose child died at birth 500 years ago.

Told  in alternating chapters between present and past, the book leads to the conclusions of both stories.

Thanks to NetGalley, Avon and Clare Marchant for the opportunity to read  and review an early copy.

Saffron is one of the most precious and expensive of all spices, and Amber has discovered a very old book in her grandfather’s home, Saffron Hall about the dark history of her home and the precious flavoring. Much of the story centers around the court of King Henry the VII and the green thumb of the wife of one of his subjects. Eleanor is able to grow and harvest the crocuses needed for saffron and while at first this ability makes Henry look favorably upon the couple, things take an ugly turn. Stories that connect a past event with the present are everywhere right now and this one is especially good for those interested in the Tudors

Loved this book. It told the story of 2 women separated by over 500 years but both touched by sadness. One in Tudor times and the other in 2019. Both have connections to Saffron Hall. Ancient book of hours is discovered in an old locked tower and the story slowly unfolds of how the house got its name and what ties these women together. Great read. Highly recommend.

This was a lovely book set in the olden days and then the modern day. How two worlds collide. Very interesting sad and funny in places.