Beneath Hartfell Hall is a labyrinth of tunnels that is the province of Agnes Ashford, an archivist engaged by the affluent and titled Bryant family. These tunnels hold the history of the Bryant family.

The Bryant's declining fortunes were bolstered by Lord Alastair Bryant, the current Baron of Willoughby, marrying a wealthy coal magnate's daughter, Helen Davenport. Helen is disparaging of her husband and his family, especially her sister-in-law who has always viewed Helen as an interloper because of her origins. She is also estranged from her only brother, Reginald Davenport, the black sheep of the family, but maintains a relationship with her father, Theodore Davenport.

While wading through documents Agnes uncovers a family tragedy that no one speaks of and a son banished from the home. This sets Agnes on the trail of a mystery, but her attention is diverted when the death of Alastair Bryant threatens to expose another scandal.

Agnes is not the innocent she seems. Circumstances have taught her that she must make the best of the opportunities that come her way, even to making those opportunities, if she is to regain the position in society she once enjoyed. Clever and unobtrusive, Agnes inveigles her way into the family's lives and grows even closer to Helen, unearthing more secrets and potential scandals.

Helen Bryant is a cold, selfish and conniving woman. Her purpose in life is to retain her position in society, preserve her wealth and protect the family from scandal any way she can. She is a product of her upbringing. Occasionally, she shows a little softness towards her lover, Agnes. At face value, her actions seem noble, but the political situation of the day reveals to what extent she is prepared to go, willingly aided by Agnes.

As war breaks out, Helen is determined to keep her son away from the battlefields, but when Agnes discovers an unforgivable act, her conscience finally prompts her to sacrifice all that she has worked towards.

Mystery and drama abound in this novel from Annabel Fielding. It begins in the latter years of the Edwardian era and continues into the early years of George V's reign. When Edward VII dies and George V takes over, the political outlook also changes, especially for the wealthy. Socialism is on the rise, Home Rule for Ireland is being debated (where many have estates), there is a constitutional crisis in the House of Lords and an increase in taxes is proposed on the wealthy to fund social welfare. These historical aspects are cleverly woven into the story and provide a real threat to the family's wealth and position.

Both Helen and Agnes are unlikeable characters, although I did feel more sympathetic towards Agnes at the end. I enjoyed the power play between them and the exciting final showdown.

Lying with Lions is a very intriguing novel that I'm happy to recommend.

This book was more character driven than I was expecting it to be and at times felt that I didn't know what the plot of this book was as a result. However, after I noticed it was more to do with Agnus' ties with the family I did seem to get more into the book.

I did find that this was an easy read so was able to read through it rather easily however did get confused as parts seemed to be told from other characters and move forward in time without any notice which made me have to re-read parts to fully understand what was happening. I did also like how it had the secret romance in which would have been secret in those times and how they managed to be together while not having that come up as a possibility from the family except a working relationship. The ending of this was probably my favourite just before the epilogue and the drama which was happening really kept me engrossed.

However, at points there was spelling mistakes and added words which did make sections of this make no sense but I did manage to understand after re-reading the sentence.

Overall, I thought that this book was okay and I did find it an easy read. Definitely something people should pick up if you like character driven historical fiction.

I haven’t read a lot of Historical Fiction focused outside of war so this was a refreshing perspective. The writing is overall engaging but I felt the pace of time and the plot could have been more refined. Agnes’ attraction to Helen is obvious from the start and develops well. Portraying a lesbian relationship in that era between women at least a decade apart added another refreshing element with the mix of aristocracy falling for the working class.

Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me a complimentary copy of the book for an honest review.

There is room to grow and develop in, but I am more than sure we’re looking at a future famous author. I haven’t read her previous books, but from Lying with lions I could tell that she’s someone we should keep an eye on!

If you like reading historical fiction I would highly suggest you look her up and you put Lying with lions on your TBR. As I just said, historical fiction is not my thing. In spite of that, I liked this one. Imagine then how much you’ll enjoy it if you’re actually a fan of the genre! Also, if you’re NOT a fan of the genre, do give it a try!

I am very pleased to be on the blog tour for Lying with Lions by Annabel Fielding, a truly gripping historical fiction novel. After being invited onto the tour, I was intrigued by the book description and how this was set in Edwardian England, and it did not disappoint!

The book was filled with many intriguing and suspenseful plot strands, woven together to create an unexpected yet satisfying ending. The vivid descriptions throughout the novel heightened these strands and particularly driving these plots were the strong female characters, all with flaws and possessing both likeable and unlikeable traits. I especially liked Agnes’ character development as I actually went from liking her to not, but also admiring how she gains authority and a voice, turning from a lamb into a lion. She grows, whilst also allowing the reader to explore Lady Helen from an intimate perspective. The romantic relationship between Agnes and Lady Helen felt a little suddenly introduced at first, nevertheless it was still a very interesting relationship that I was pleased happened. The complicated and dramatic family dynamics underlying the plot also created tension that kept me engaged.

I additionally loved the Author’s Note at the end of the novel as Fielding highlights with specific details how lots of the events and political contexts were based on real historical events and records. I felt that this was a really great way to end the novel.

If you are a fan of historical fiction that explores themes of family dynamics, greed, and betrayal, with strong female characters and a Gothic undertone lingering throughout, then this should be your next read!

Thank you so much to author Annabel Fielding for my place on the blog tour and ARC copy from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review!

Full RTC as part of blog tour, great read tho! 4/5 cups of coffee thanks so much to the author for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Honestly a delight for historical fiction and I could hardly put the book down.

This is a book absolutely buzzing with period detail. It is a story of family secrets, intrigue and a fight for survival as the world heads towards irresistible and irreversible societal change.

The characterisation is strong, direct and you will find yourself drawn towards points of view and sympathies you never expected. Of particular strength is the considered and careful portrayal of both Agnes and Lady Helen. Born in different eras, both from different social classes theirs is a meeting of minds and a testament to what happens when strong, intelligent women come together, working to common ends. It is tale of unexpected courage and unexpected love.

The plot is dark and twisting. There are many skeletons rattling within these Edwardian cupboards and at times it is hard to see where morality and necessity both begin and end. But for a family with such a chequered past the Bryant’s passage through life was always going to be eventful.

From beginning to end this story has you guessing, has you reeling and has you hooked! If you love historical fiction and want to dip you toe into some Edwardian intrigue then Lying with lions could very well be the place for you to go.

This is the story of self-taught archivist Agnes Ashford, who has somehow blagged her way into being employed to catalogue the history of the lofty Bryant family. She spends her days sifting through papers and an odd collection of items gathered by the family throughout history, in the catacomb of tunnels that lies under Hartfell House. She is strangely positioned somewhere between the staff below stairs and the family in the splendid rooms above, which keeps her at a distance from those around her, but at least her task keeps her busy and her mind off her own unfortunate past.

When Agnes discovers evidence of shady happenings around the time of the death of the Bryants' eldest child, and confronts Lady Helen Bryant with what she has found, she finds herself being taken into the confidence of Lady Helen, and her position gradually shifts to one of companion and trusted secretary to the woman she has admired from afar.

An unlikely love affair blossoms between Agnes and the Lady of the house across the class divide, and between them they forge a partnership that creates the power to ensure Lady Helen's schemes come to fruition - the inheritance of Lady Helen's surviving son must be held in tact whatever the cost. Agnes is a woman with many talents who holds all the dark secrets of the Bryant family close, and she has gone to great lengths to ensure they remain under wraps, but eventually the loyalty she owes to Lady Helen is called into question to protect a pawn in her lover's schemes. How far will Agnes go to protect the innocent?

Lying with Lions is an engaging one volume family saga that has Annabel Fielding combining a series of intriguing factual scandals and historic moments in time into the life and times of a fictional wealthy Edwardian family. There are so many lovely elements here, cleverly woven together into a sweeping story that encompasses forbidden romance; dark secrets; Machiavellian manoeuvres of daring proportions on both family and political fronts; and the position of women in Edwardian society.

Fielding covers a lot of ground here, moving locations from a gorgeous Gothic backdrop of a stately home, and the sinister tunnels that lie underneath it; to splendid 'Grand Tour' locations in Europe and Egypt; to the turmoil of an Ireland torn apart by civil strife; to glamorous pre-war London; all the way to the horror of the trenches in the Great War - all vividly described and clearly based on solid historical research.

Inevitably, the story does move fast as it cover as lot of years, focussing on pivotal events and moments of great emotional weight for various characters to move the story along, and there were times when I felt it would have been nice to linger a little longer here and there, particularly to build some slow-burn into the budding relationship between Agnes and Lady Helen which happens a little too fast to ring true. However, Fielding does give you a lot to think about in the telling, and I really enjoyed how the story turns full circle by linking the beginning and ending to fateful events in the tunnels under Hartfell House.

There is a delicious thread of subversion that underlies this novel, and little echoes of Thackeray's Vanity Fair set on an Edwardian stage that I found very entertaining. It's a well written tale, and the original mix of themes, locations, characters, and direction of the story, offers a very wide appeal to lovers of many aspects of the historical fiction genre too. This is promising stuff and I am very interested to see what Annabel Fielding writes next.

Agnes Ashford starts working with the Bryant's as an archivist but soon stumbles upon quite a devastating secret that allows her to become much more involved personally with the family. Overtime her role evolves but it always includes keeping the families secrets, especially those of her employer and lover Lady Helen.
Through death, deceit, loss, and war Agnes is there. The world was changing so the Bryant family must adapt as well but can they survive it?
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One of the first things that struck me was the detail in the story. It was atmospheric, dark in mood and often tone due to circumstances of story/characters and very descriptive. It feels as if the author picks you up and plucks you down right into the story.
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I was a bit thrown off when we learn about a major secret alluded to in the synopsis quite quickly but no worries this read has a few twists that surprised me. It did start off quickly with little background information and I found it really hard to be invested in some of the characters.
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Definitely recommend to those who enjoy a detailed histfic

As a story alone, this book is captivating: filled to the brim with family politics, conflict, and drama, it has an intricate plot, morally questionable characters, and an LGBTQ+ romance – all set against the backdrop of a mysterious, gothic castle in Edwardian England. When I found out it was actually based on real events from history, I was even more intrigued. The book is incredibly well-researched, full of little details that make all the difference in historical fiction.

I love a morally grey, flawed protagonist, so I enjoyed following Agnes and her climb to power within the Bryant household immensely. Her relationship with Lady Helen, particularly the power struggle between them, was one of the most gripping parts of the book.

Fielding’s gift for transporting description shines not only in her depiction of Edwardian England, but also in her illustration of Italy when the characters take a trip there. A major plus point of this book is its power to completely immerse the reader in its setting.

Thank you to Annabel Fielding for asking me to be on this blog tour, and for the ARC via NetGalley!

Historical Fiction is not really my go to genre and I haven't read many. However this one intrigued me from the onset.
The story follows Agnes a young single woman, without a family in the Edwardian times. It shows how life is very difficult to those without status and money, how choices are limited and you have to work extremely hard to get anywhere. She manages to instill herself into the lives of an important family and work her way up from archivist in the tunnels beneath, into the heart of their home.

Her progress is fascinating to watch, how she becomes invaluable, she is a shadow in the home always watching and using information to her advantage. Her relationship with Lady Bryant is written sensitively and in a very genteel fashion, suitable for the time the book was staged.

I found the historical elements very interesting as she includes lesser known events which I began googling while reading as well as the large event being WW1. I enjoyed the acknowledgements at the end which depicted the events she had used as inspiration. I found it very interesting learning all about different times and the class system people adhered to so religiously back then.

All in all this was a very interesting and enjoyable read. It had dark, gothic elements, death, love and all that falls between.

Some trigger warnings there were mentions of suicide, rape, abuse, violent death.

Thankyou to Annabel for reaching out and offering me a copy of this book for an honest review

Lying with Lions is a historical novel that depicts the life of Agnes Ashford after a discovery that forces her into a position with the powerful Bryants household. This book depicts the times well and gives enough references to always be aware of where you are in the timeline. It also does a great job of demonstrating the disadvantage women had at the time and the cruel reality of keeping appearances. I enjoyed that Agnes and Helen's relationship wasn't the centerpiece of this book and that it was subtle enough to still be able to understand other issues that are presented

I do have to admit I had a hard time figuring out what the plot was. This book for me felt like a photo album. You are aware of the diverse characters and of the events of the album but there isn't a plot. I only figured out the concept of this book because of the ending. Which I found was a great one but this book definitely relies on subtleties.

Overall this isn't a bad book, it has a great depiction of setting and time but there isn't a clear plot.

Thank you, NetGalley, KDP, and Annabel Fielding for the arc.

The cover for Lying with Lions is simply breathtaking and drew me in immediately!

This historical fiction was very entertaining. A bit of a mystery, a bit of a gothic feel. I thought this slow-burn story would focus more on the work that Agnes was employed to do but it actually was very different than I expected.

The story definitely has an interesting plot. If you can stick with the slower-pace of the story, I think most readers of historical fiction will appreciate this tale.

Lying with Lions is set in the Edwardian era and this is really brought to life by a mixture of factual events and fiction. I love, and am fascinated by, history but the Edwardian era isn’t my strong point so I found the factual aspect to be really well written and very interesting to learn about.
The fictional setting was atmospheric and from the early pages there felt a slight sinister feel to the Bryants and their home. I enjoyed the knowledge of the different classes and how the hierarchy of the servants worked too. The house itself was vividly described and despite not knowing what the features of a home would be during that time period, I could picture it well in my mind. Intentionally I think but it never felt like a happy home or a home filled with love, fun and laughter and this came across really well. This provided a perfect backdrop for the mystery aspect of the novel.
To begin with, Agnes is employed with the task of cataloguing the family archives but a grim discovery enables her to become a confidant of Lady Helen Bryant and work her way up into a higher position within the family business and into their trust.
I enjoyed Agnes’s character development. Very early she came across as a meek and mild-mannered woman although it was clear that she was also determined to seek answers and clever enough to do it. She very quickly developed into more of a ‘lion’ as she became closer to Helen and her true ambitions and character emerged. The romantic relationship between Helen and Agnes was very well written to and felt natural. It was a great way to show a softer side to them both whilst cementing their joint teamwork in holding onto the family power.
Lying With Lions is an historical family saga that unfolds gently but is fascinating and captivating to read. I really enjoyed it.

Lying With Lions was a highly enjoyable read and reminded me how much I enjoy historical fiction. We follow Agnes Ashford, beginning in Edwardian England where she has been employed as an archivist to the Bryant family. The book follows events right up to WW1 and we see how Agnes slowly develops into becoming the confidante and more of Lady Bryant.

I particularly enjoyed the different settings of the book, especially those set in Leicestershire as that is where I live. Parts of the book really conjured up images of Calke Abbey in Derbyshire and the way in which the family lived there, it felt very familiar and mysterious at the same time.

Annabel Fielding has created very well-rounded characters, I felt as though Agnes was very bold and brave in some ways but then also very aware of her sex and social position. I think she showed well the limitations placed on women of all classes at the time.

I can highly recommend Lying With Lions, the plot and characters are strong and it was a lovely book to lose myself in for a few hours. Many thanks to the author for kindly sending me a review copy.

Lying with Lions by Annabel Fielding
@readingwithstitch

Good points :
The description of this book caught my eye. I was drawn into this story really easily. The characters are really interesting.

Negative points:

Some moments lack a bit of details and the book could have been a bit longer

𝙻𝚢𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚆𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝙻𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝙱𝚢 𝙰𝚗𝚗𝚊𝚋𝚎𝚕 𝙵𝚒𝚎𝚕𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐
@𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚊𝚋𝚎𝚕
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𝙻𝚢𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚆𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝙻𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚊 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚑𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕 𝚏𝚒𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚜𝚎𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝙴𝚍𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚒𝚊𝚗 𝙴𝚗𝚐𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍.
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𝙰 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚖𝚎 𝚑𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚎𝚍 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚜𝚑 – 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚙𝚞𝚝 𝚒𝚝 𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚕𝚘𝚝 𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚘 𝚌𝚕𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚞𝚗𝚒𝚚𝚞𝚎, 𝙸 𝚏𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚢𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏 𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚌𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚘𝚜𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚞𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚎. 𝙰𝚐𝚗𝚎𝚜 𝙰𝚜𝚑𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚍 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚗 𝚘𝚗 𝚋𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚐𝚒𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝙱𝚛𝚢𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝙵𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚔 𝚊𝚜 𝚊𝚗 𝚊𝚛𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚟𝚒𝚜𝚝. 𝙸𝚗 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚌𝚞𝚕𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚌𝚑, 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚞𝚗𝚌𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚒𝚗𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚍𝚎𝚟𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚎𝚚𝚞𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚜. 𝙳𝚘𝚎𝚜 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚡𝚙𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙱𝚛𝚢𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝙵𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚢, 𝚠𝚑𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚔 𝚏𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚢 𝚜𝚎𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚍𝚛𝚒𝚙𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚖𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚌𝚎. 𝙰𝚐𝚗𝚎𝚜 𝚊𝚕𝚜𝚘 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚊𝚐𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚊, 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚕𝚘𝚠 𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔𝚐𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚎 𝚞𝚙 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚒𝚗 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙱𝚛𝚢𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚏𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚢 𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛’𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚋𝚋𝚎𝚛𝚜, 𝚜𝚎𝚎𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚎 𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛.
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𝚂𝚘𝚘𝚗 𝙰𝚐𝚗𝚎𝚜 𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚎𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚜 𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚢’𝚜 𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚛𝚒𝚊𝚛𝚌𝚑, 𝙷𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚗 𝙱𝚛𝚢𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚘𝚗𝚎.
𝙰 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚖𝚎, 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚌𝚞𝚗𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚏𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚢 𝚍𝚢𝚗𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚌𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚜 !

#lyingwithlions #annabelfielding #bookstagram #booklover #booksgalore #instabook #goodreads #readersofinsta #readerslife #bookcommunity #bookmorning

Just like that dazzling cover image, Lying with Lions is a novel rich in the lush descriptions of the era that the story has set in. Edwardian England vibrates thru the different hues and colors that the author, Annabel Fielding has captured in its vast canvas.

Lying with Lions is the tale of a young girl Agnes Ashford whose ambitions and desire to make something of herself catapults her into the limelight of the dysfunctional Bryant family. Employed first as an archivist, it is not long before she discovers that the winding tunnels of Hartfell Hall have hidden a gruesome secret and the price of silence could be her own life. With a clear outlook of what her place in the house should be, she forges a path ahead that sees her move from a mere employee to the companion helper of Lady Helen Bryant.

The story progresses through the political ups and downs of the time and the repercussions of the war and it is Agnes who sometimes with a whisper here and a whisper there who pulls on the threads that run the house smoothly. There’s something Machiavellian about the games that both Agnes and Helen play that was absolutely thrilling. Lady Helen, a force to be reckoned with, was an impressive character using her cunning and wiles to get away with everything and thus seeing to the core of the desire hidden in Agnes and making her a mirror image of oneself.

The author’s research of the era is definitely admirable as is evident in the weaving of historical events that move the story forward. The relationship that develops between Agnes and Helen is kept as a background to the main story of the events that circulate around the Bryant children, Harold and Meredith, and the growth of the characters is captured wonderfully as each incident unfolds to reveal a different facet to all the players involved. The ending was twisty which I was thoroughly surprised as I had no inkling that there were more secrets to be unearthed. It is not often in historical fiction that you have a lead protagonist who is not a goody-good girl, but the author has kept the sketch of Agnes as stark as possible with the kind of ruthless ambition that one can’t help but admire.

Excellent plotting with a deep sense of gothic allure, Lying with Lions is a must-read for all fans of historical fiction.

Fascinating 5 stars ☔☔☔☔☔

Many thanks to Net Galley, Publisher, and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.

This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.com/, Goodreads, Amazon India, Medium.com, Facebook, and Twitter.

Set in Edwardian England, this story follows the main character Agnes Ashford who has been hired as the Bryant family’s archivist. During her cataloguing of the family’s history, she uncovers a secret, one that pulls her deeper into a web of mysteries surrounding the family. Desperate to keep her place among the family, along with her growing connection with Lady Helen, Agnes becomes an invaluable tool to help the family keep their secrets.

From the instant Lady Helen entered the novel I was drawn in, much as Agnes was, and I really enjoyed getting to see their relationship unfold over the course of the novel. I was curious to see, given the time period it was set in, whether this relationship would be described merely through subtext or more outright and I was happy to say it was the latter. Both Agnes and Lady Helen are very dynamic characters so it was fun to see how they interacted with each other and how their individual motivations impacted their relationship throughout the course of the novel.

While I loved how the plot unfolded, I found the pacing sometimes too slow and sometimes too quick which disrupted my enjoyment of the story at some points. However, I feel this may be a reflection of my unfamiliarity and disinterest with certain aspects of historical fiction and not a reflection of the quality of the story. Other than that, I would highly recommend it for anyone looking for a good sapphic historical fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The description of Edwardian atmospheric novel with LGBT theme caught my eye. I was drawn into the story of Agnes, an amateur archivist. The plot was meandering, a series of wild dramatic events, but I enjoyed the character development. The writing too was beautiful and detailed.