Lying with Lions follows Agnes, an archivist with a tale of woe who finds herself wrapped up in a game of murder, desire, and lies that reach back through generations. This is easily the first and only lesbian novel I've ever seen set in Edwardian England and, for the most part, it is satisfying dark, sometimes even fleeting gothic, and well written. The book suffers from some pacing - the plot is often episodic and the second half of the novel drags greatly before coming to a shocking conclusion. Though the book suffers some dry spells, Agnes' characterization and her slow climb to power was fascinating- so, too, was Helen Bryant, her employer and lover. These characters aren't likable, but they aren't met to be and I argue they really shouldn't be at all. In my mind, Helen was more of a Cersei Lannister than an Elizabeth Bennet. Similarly, Agnes transforms from an "innocent lamb" to a titular lion, revealing a hidden nature not unlike the ruthless Bryant family's own. Readers, beware of mentions of sexual assault and suicidality. Though the novel could've used some speeding up and was even a bit boring in some places, when Fielding shines, she shines. Her rich, compelling, and believable characterizations is what makes this novel work as well as it does, but the abundant research Fielding clearly must've done ahead of this project helps give this novel a real, organic setting that only contributes to the enormity of the plot's stakes, twists, and turns.

I received Lying With Lions by Annabel Fielding through NetGalley for free in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much for this advanced copy!

I've really been enjoying historical fiction lately and I was instantly intrigued by the concept of Lying With Lions! When Agnes is tasked with organising the Bryant's family archives what secrets will she uncover? And after getting tangled in the mess what secrets will she have to take to her grave?

The writing is beautiful throughout and very descriptive - the imagery immediately draws the reader in and keeps them captivated. Plus, I also enjoyed the mysteries in the story that all came together in such a clever way with some fantastic twists!

The characters were very interesting and I loved the sapphic relationship! It was such a nice change of pace to have a historical fiction with sapphic representation and I am definitely on the hunt for even more now. With Helen being very calculating and Agnes being brilliantly smart, they made a great pair!

I liked how there was a bit of everything in this story. From politics, cover-ups, parties and even a court case - there is definitely something for everyone!

Lying With Lions is a really good historical fiction that will keep you guessing!

I really enjoyed this gothic novel about how manipulation--of things, of people--can save, and how it can doom. Agnes is an excellent anti-hero, and I found myself rooting for her as she climbs her way through the wealthy family that employs her. An archivist, she learns--and the audience learns--the power that documents have, even when they appear trivial on first glance. Agnes's secret lover, Lady Helen, is a bit of a caricature at times, but her scheming too is fascinating to see, even as it leads to ruin. I also appreciated the structure of the book, which moves through time without losing steam, and which doesn't conform to a typical intro-conflict-resolution template.

Historical fiction would never be a genre that I'd actively seek out and I am unsure why but I was intrigued by the synopsis for this one.

Agnes is employed by the Bryant family to curate archives about Lord Alistair and Lady Helen Bryant and their family. The two have three children, one of whom died when he was 10. Agnes is thrown into the secrets that this family hold and it is just captivating.

Fielding has a wonderful way of writing and the prose is beautiful. The family drama, the inserting of actual events that happened in the past and an LGBTQIA+ romance thrown in - I am here for it. The hierarchical differences between and women were interesting and especially the quote "Don't you know that mud sticks to women much easier than it does to men?" Still a very real thing.

I really enjoyed Lying With Lions and it has definitely changed my opinion on historical fiction.

LYING WITH LIONS is a really excellent piece of well-grounded historical fiction.

Using real-life scandal as a starting point, Fielding has created a novel that kept me on the edge of my seat to see who would be caught out by which lie and who the truly guilty parties were.

The novel has quite a quiet, understated feel to it, sticking to subtler events and relatively isolated locales in a story that builds to the outbreak of WW1 as an almost background event. The subtlety, with a relatively slow pace (not in a bad way!) gives this novel a Gothic feel, perfect for fans of Jane Eyre and Rebecca.

The characters were wonderfully complex and morally grey, especially the protagonist, Agnes, who has a rather flexible attitude to what constitutes the truth. I liked Agnes, and it’s testament to how well she’s written that even when she lied, forged and looked the other way, facilitating some awful things, I never really thought of her as being a real wrong-doer. I loved how determined she was to claw her way up in the world, and how dedication she was to the people she loved, even to the detriment of everyone else.

Atmospheric, and with a lovely writing style that kept me hooked even in the quieter moments, LYING WITH LIONS is an enthralling family saga, one I could easily picture with a mini-series adaption.

Annabel Fielding knocked me down with a feather in her newest novel, Lying with Lions. This incredible story takes readers on a journey through one woman’s desire to become better. But, how far will she go to become the best?

Agnes takes a job with a titled family to archive their ancestral history. However, Agnes had no credentials nor experience when Baron Bryant hired her. She comes from a background of lower than low. Where she vows to become someone while taking care of her drunken father before his death. Unfortunately, Agnes doesn’t know how manipulative the Baroness is before becoming attached. When it comes to Agnes’s attention, she attempts to right some wrongs, but it is a little too late. Both women need to face their demons. But will they escape the heinousness they unleashed on the world?

I didn’t know what to think of Agnes when I first met her. She seemed like an okay kind of person. But there was a hint of something under the surface that rubbed me the wrong way. It turns out she was a social climber, yet not the way most people think of a climber. She wasn’t looking for money or a fancy title. She wanted to feel important. Who of us can’t understand the longing to be important to someone?

Helen gave me chills from the beginning with her frigid snakelike qualities. I knew there was something wrong with her. But, Agnes followed her willingly in her reach for the top. For this alone, I formed a hatred of Agnes in my mind. In the end, I couldn’t reconcile Agnes’s struggle for inclusion with her deeds as Helen’s secretary/lover.

I felt for Harold and Meredith. Unfortunately, they were collateral damage in Helen’s twisted deceit. I am happy with how their story turned out. Though, I still don’t trust that uncle of theirs. Regardless of how well his intentions seem to be. I think there is more to him. His story felt unfinished, which disappointed me.

One of the most wonderful things about this book is the LGBTQIA representation. This feat is hard to do in historical fiction. I offer many kudos to Annabel Fielding for doing it so well. I also want to congratulate her on the tremendous amount of research that went into this tale. I adore history, and how Annabel pulled this all together makes me happy to be a reader.

My only real problem with this story is how the chapters tend to jump ahead in time without warning. That jarred me a bit and made me scratch my head in wonder. It would be wonderful if a dateline headlined each chapter. The only place where it told of a jump was the epilogue.

It pleases me to award Lying with Lions 4 out of 5 stars. The jarring time jumps pulled me out of the story, so that’s why it is 4 instead of 5 stars. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who loves history. The book is unique and full of characters you love and characters you love to hate.

In Edwardian England, Agnes Ashford, an archivist, is working for the Bryant family. In the course of her work, she stumbles across a big family secret that has been carefully hidden away. This starts a relationship with Helen Bryant which takes her from archivist to personal secretary when an unexpected death occurs in the household.

I loved the setting of this book. From the suitably creepy Hartfell Hall with its tunnels to Rome (one of my favourite places). Starting in Edwardian England, we travel through to the First World War (I'm also a huge fan of books set in wartime - another check!).

Agnes is a really interesting character. I think I'd have enjoyed a little more backstory on her part, but that's just my own opinion. I was never very sure whether or not I particularly liked Agnes, but I certainly didn't hate her. I felt a similar way about Helen, who seemed to be very much in control from my point of view. Meredith was my favourite character and I'd have loved to have seen some more of her, along with her brother, Harold. She had a lot of wit!

I enjoyed the first half of the book a lot more than the second. The intrigue of the secret that Agnes uncovered, along with a murder and the relationships between Agnes and Helen and also Helen and her son, Harold, after being reunited. I struggled with the politics involved in the second half of the book. That part of history is something that I studied at A Level but it was the least favourite part of my studies! But that's just my personal preference! The big reveal at the end was expected but I did enjoy the flash forward at the end, along with Anabel's note after the book had finished to explain what parts of the story had been based on real events. Especially the link to Wentworth Woodhouse which is just down the road from me!

The only other thing I struggled with was a couple of instances of present tense being used when it should have been past tense, but I was reading an advance copy!

If you're a fan of historical fiction with a bit of a dark side, make sure you check this one out!

***Special thanks to NetGalley and KDP for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review***

This is my kind of book! I love the premise of a woman finding out the secrets of a powerful family (in some ways it reminded me of Downton Abbey, one of my favorite shows!) The writing was outstanding and actually kept me hooked throughout the novel, which can be uncommon for me.

I would definitely recommend this book

Atmospheric and detailed in historical facts. This is an entertaining read .

This isn't usually my genre but I could see the research and love that had gone into this novel. Some of the descriptions were besutiful and the romance is very touching. A very interesting pefiod of time which enlightened my understanding of the period.

If you are a fan of this genre you most definitely will enjoy it.

***3.5 stars!***

When you have nothing, you have nothing to lose.

Lying with Lions is the latest release from new-to-me author, Annabel Fielding, set in Edwardian England telling the tale of Agnes Ashford’s rise within the aristocratic Bryant household.

Employed initially as an archivist, Agnes is a bit of an enigma. Her past is shrouded in mystery, but I was left with the overriding feeling that there was nothing she wouldn’t do to secure her position and future.

Hartfell Hall and the tunnels running beneath where we first meet Agnes lend a dark gothic undertone to the narrative which weaves its way throughout the book creating an uneasy atmosphere.

Although admittedly it took me a few pages to connect with the writing style, I was engrossed from the beginning. Imho, they aren’t exactly the most likeable of characters. Some might even say morally corrupt, but I had to see how all the plotting and scheming played out.

One of things I love most about historical fiction is when real life events are interwoven and reimagined in books. The author’s research and attention to detail was evident in Agnes’s story.

Despite not liking the characters very much (were we meant to?!) and with an ending that felt a bit rushed for my tastes, I did overall enjoy this fascinating story. Plus, I really wanted those ciphered notes to be fully decrypted! (I’m so bad at needing to know everything *shrugs*.)

I have a feeling I’m still going to be talking about this book in the weeks to come.

An atmospheric and gothic read set during the Edwardian age about a young woman hired as an archivist to an affluent family who uncovers secrets and turmoil within and the matriarch determined to hold onto her power at any costs

Young and outspoken Agnes spends her days documenting the lives of the old, moneyed Bryant family when she discovers a long buried secret deep within the tunnels of the estate. Reminding herself of her place as she moves forward in her work Agnes begins to gain the confidences of the formidable and icy Lady Helen who is presides over the family with an iron fist and the two women embark on a passionate and scandalous relationship but being privy to the inner members of the family Agnes will bear witness to their political aspirations, loyalties and just how ruthless Lady Helen can be when she is trying to hold onto the reigns of power.

This book was super cool: the historical context with the Bryant history goes well together. Only a small part ( around the middle) was a bit too fast so it’s was difficult to follow. Appart from that, this book is awesome

As anyone who’s been reading my blogs for a while will know, historical fiction is my favourite genre to read, so I jumped at the chance to read this historical fiction novel via NetGalley. I found the beginning of the book quite confusing – it felt like we were thrown into the story with very little context, and it is for that reason that the I gave the book a 3 star rating. Once I’d figured out what was happening, I started to become deeply invested in the storyline. Despite the lack of context at the beginning of the book, I thought the writing was fantastic throughout.

The relationship between Helen and Agnes was great, and I think that LGBT+ representation in historical fiction is so important – just because at the time it was frowned upon doesn’t mean it didn’t exist! The storyline is intriguing and immersive, and when I was starting out reading the book, I wouldn’t have been able to guess its plot if I was just going off the synopsis.

There are a number content throughout the book that could be seen as problematic for some readers (see trigger warnings at the top of the page). Being mindful of these, I would recommend this book if you’re looking for a historical fiction with plenty of drama and Edwardian lesbians.

Thanks again to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for this review.

I love historical fiction and so jumped at the chance to read this book, set in Edwardian England. Thank you to NetGalley and Annabel Fielding for the copy of the book in exchange for an honest review, plus the chance to join the blog tour.

This is the story of an archivist, Agnes Ashford, who is employed to work cataloguing the records of the aristocratic Bryant family. However, she soon uncovers a secret that has huge implications for the family...and Agnes' place with them. The Bryant family are not going to be pushed around and Agnes finds her position - from archivist to Helen Bryant's personal secretary to something more - increasingly problematic as the stormclouds of the First World War begin to gather.

I loved the setting of the novel. Hartfell Hall felt suitably sinister and claustrophobic - especially the tunnels under the house which become Agnes' domain as she sorts through the Bryant's documents and artefacts. It isn't a comfortable setting, and rightly so - the family have seen tragedy and have secrets that need to stay hidden. Other parts of the novel shift to Rome and Venice and the sense of place is just as fabulous - I love the idea of a Grand Tour accompanied by a Baedeker travel guide which feels gloriously E M Forster-esque!

Indeed, the historical moment of the novel is well done. We get the sense of the decadence of the Edwardian era shifting into something darker and more disturbing with the advent of war. Historical events like the sinking of the Lusitania are woven into the fabric of the novel and it is clearly well-researched. Fielding's notes at the end about the source material for her story are engaging and demonstrate the thought that has gone in to crafting the novel.

I also enjoyed the characterisation, particularly of some of the women in the novel. Agnes herself is an interesting central figure and we see that she makes some startling decisions for a woman in her day and age. Helen Bryant, the lady of the house, is also well-portrayed and has a steely determination which is to be respected - even if her methods perhaps are less honorable. I also liked the daugher of the family, Meredith - I was really rooting for her as her fate became more uncertain.

The plot of the novel is engaging and did keep my attention, although I did struggle with the more political focus towards the end. I also sometimes found myself a bit lost with the relationship between the characters and their motivations - I think maybe a physical copy of the book would be better for this as I wanted to be able to flick back and forth to check who was who. A family tree in the front would be even better!

Overall, this is an interesting novel about aristocracy, tradition and power. Although it was presented as having LGBT+ themes, I found that this was actually not that central to the novel - the same-sex relationship develops and fades into the background without any real sense of significance or focus on how transgressive it is for reasons of historical moment, social acceptance and the class divide. However, this is an enjoyable historical novel that certainly took paths I wasn't expecting.

I must confess I have expected something different. I chose the book because it had LGBQT+ Content and it was there, but it was not in the center of the book. That irritated me a bit as I was expecting quite a different kind of story.
But if I have a look at the book as a traditional historical novel, I can recommend it highly, I liked the setting very much and the family was depicted well. Also the problems and difficulties faced by the high-profile families at the beginning of the 20th century and the posotion of women and children were very well-shown.

First of all, I thank Netgalley for giving me an arc even though my review comes after the publication date.
I was never a fan of historical fiction, so that's why I struggled a bit with the pace of the book. The dialogues were interesting and intriguing, but the detailed descriptions between them didn't capture my attention. Agnes was not a character I was able to connect with or love, but I still enjoyed her adventure and seeing how her bright mind works. I was not a big fan of the writing style which, as I mentioned before, is a little too much description-based, but the mystery and plot twists were what kept me going. I love the LGBTQ+ representation and the ending, but the way the book was written was just not right up my street.

DNF @ 25%

I'll admit that this DNF was more of a me problem. I couldn't connect with the characters or storyline in general. I liked the premise but it ended up not really grabbing my attention at all.

I've also just been quite busy lately and don't have the time to spend hours on books I don't really care for.

Thank you to Netgalley and KDP publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved Lying with Lions, it reminds me of everything great of Downton Abbey with plenty more intrigue and darkness. I really enjoy historical fiction and this book hits all the right notes. Agnes is a really compelling character and is really empowered despite the setting. Lying with Lions really handles classism and the shifts between classes really well and the romance aspect of this is handled with care. It's a definite must-read!

I’d like to thank Annabel Fielding for contacting me to take part in the blog tour of this haunting historical fiction story.

The story follows Agnes who originally started working for the Bryant family as an archivist. I initially found the beginning a little confusing as we were thrown straight into the story with little information about Agnes and her history. However I soon got into the chaotic life of the Bryant family and was intrigued to see how Agnes story played out.

One thing was certain, everyone in the Bryant family was either scheming or keeping secrets. No one seemed to trust one another and would happily let an innocent take the blame if it meant they were saved. In amongst the chaos was Agnes who’s love for Lady Helen blinded her to the corruption. Agnes soon found herself swept up in the family drama’s and I admire her loyalty and clever ways to protect those closest to her.

The settings were described vividly and Hartfell Hall was especially gothic and dark in my imagination. I loved all the different places they travelled too as well. Harold and Meredith’s stories were very interesting and I felt they had Agnes sussed quite early on.

The relationship between Agnes and Lady Helen was delicately written and gave the book a different edge. Neither lady were particularly likeable but I was intrigued to see how their romance would play out. It was hard at times to tell who was using who but ultimately I felt that Agnes had placed her trust in the wrong person.

The ending was climatic and as dramatic as I had expected. All lose ends were tied up and the ultimate betrayals were revealed. At under 300 pages this story is packed with devilish characters, beautiful settings and a lot of family drama!

This is 2.5⭐️ for me because the genre and the pacing was not my cup of tea. I don’t read much of historical fiction, and if I do the pacing just needs to be there and it wasn’t in this one. Pacing is a make or break for me, it’s what brings books down from absolutely incredible to pretty good.

I did enjoy the plot though, it’s mysterious with plot twists all through it. The relationship between the two leading women was so intricate and complex, and it’s something that I did like because there was just so much that happened in order for them to be together, and then once they were, they were in so deep there was no going back. There’s definitely a power play within their relationship and it unfolds fittingly. I enjoyed the ending, I like how Fielding didn’t hold back with it.

But since historical fiction is not my typical genre, I did find myself getting lost often. The book is also written like a classic — which is good and difficult at the same time. I love the writing, as I do with all classics, but I found myself rereading frequently or going pages without understanding what was happening (this is on me though, not the book itself!)

Overall, I loved the idea behind this book. I enjoyed how shocking the scandals were, and the grotesque atmosphere that Fielding created. But the pacing is what I struggled the most with.