Thank you to the author for the ARC! I was asked to take part in a blog tour (my first one!) and share my thoughts about this sapphic historical novel.

LYING WITH LIONS takes place in Edwardian England and follows Agnes, a young archivist who has been hired by the head of the Bryant family, the Baron of Willoughby, to organize the family’s extensive history. She is grateful for the work, having lost both her parents and with no other means of supporting herself. However, along the way she uncovers potentially dangerous family secrets, which brings her to the attention of the cunning Lady Helen, wife of the Baron. All of a sudden, Agnes is playing a much more important role in the lives of these important people and Agnes has to decide how far she is willing to go at the side of this ambitious woman.

One of my first overall impressions of this book is that Agnes inhabits a world where the men are all kind of silly, despite being the ones officially in power. The Baron is a ridiculous (and loathsome) man who doesn’t seem to care about anything beyond who will end up in his bed that night. Lady Helen’s brother, who raised her son Harold after an accident in his youth, is portrayed as a selfish cad who only really looks out for himself. Harold, who inherits his father’s title after an untimely death, is inexperienced and makes a fool of himself several times, having grown up far away from his family’s estate and unfamiliar with the ways of gentry life. These impressions are undoubtedly colored by the fact that Agnes is in love with a woman, Lady Helen. She has no patience for, or interest in, men and the ones that cross her path don’t particularly impress her.

In this world, the women are the interesting ones: Helen who hates her husband (rightfully so) and desires power, which she will do almost anything to get. Sylvia, sister of the late Baron, who tries to disinherit her nephew with a ridiculous, if clever, claim. Meredith, daughter of Lady Helen, who would much rather live in Ancient Greece than Edwardian England. Penny, a servant whose role in the story I don’t want to give away. And Agnes: at first a lowly archivist, but an ambitious, observant, and clever girl who rises to be Lady Helen’s companion and secretary, at least to the outside world. Agnes is in actuality her confidant, friend, and lover (she even refers to herself as Lady Helen’s wife after a few years).

Agnes is the connector between the servants and the family, occupying a sort of in-between place as the family archivist. This is a world where roles are clearly defined, so movement between the classes is not normal. Agnes’ ascent from hired help to Lady Helen’s companion is unusual--compare it to Tom Branson’s move from chauffeur to member of the household in Downton Abbey, which takes place around the same time. Agnes, of course, has ambitions of her own, so she will take any advantage she can get, and a close relationship with a rich widow is definitely advantageous compared to the life of an archivist-for-hire.

LYING WITH LIONS is at its core a story of ambition, and all the potential darkness that comes along with it. Lady Helen’s ambition, and Agnes’ own. As the tale goes on, it gets darker and darker and Agnes becomes more and more willing to do what Lady Helen asks of her to get and retain power in a world where a woman has very little. Also, the romantic relationship between Agnes and Lady Helen was interesting. The power dynamics and the age difference between them certainly played a part, whether it was acknowledged or not. Agnes often saw herself as Lady Helen's equal, having been intimately acquainted with her for years and having been trusted with secrets and deception. But Lady Helen never quite forgot that Agnes was at her mercy and a few decisions away from complete ruin.

Oddly, it’s also a quiet story. It’s rather slow-moving most of the time, with bursts of surprising action. There are times when the plot gets a little bogged down in description--the book is less than 250 pages but it took me a week to read it. The action was the most interesting part, and when Agnes was scheming with Helen or plotting behind the scenes, that was when the story was at its best.

As someone who doesn’t read much historical fiction anymore, it was still an enjoyable read! Like I said before, a little slow at times, but a well-rounded story. Fans of the genre would definitely like it, and it was clearly well-researched.

Agnes is working on the archives for the Byrant family when a terrible incident happens. She uses this incident to propel herself as a companion for Lady Helen. As more obstacles affect the family, Agnes uses her brains to make sure that she keeps her place.

There is a lushness in the narrative that makes this feel like a dark Victorian tale on the Moors. Instead, this takes place in the Edwardian period, mostly in London. Agnes is brilliant with her ability to work the system.

My one problem was that I didn't completely get the feel of Agnes. At one point, I thought she was capable of murder. I was surprised to find out she isn't.

This review is based on an advanced reader copy provided through Netgalley for an honest review.

An unusual time period, but really works for this historical novel.
Felt a bit Agatha Christie meets Sarah Waters for all the right reasons. Loved Helen and Agnes' relationship too.
Agnes really changed my perceptions of her as the book continued and I found her particularly intriguing.
Lots of characters that add to the plot and the small time hops are also interesting,
Its packed in so many things that it felt pacey and kept my attention throughout,
Good to see LGBTQIA representation in this type of novel- not enough in my opinion.
A wonderfully written read, very enjoyable.

This book was a wonderful surprise!
I am a huge fan of historical fiction and this one was no exception. The plot was intriguing enough: Agnes Ashford, an archivist is employed by the Bryant family to catalogue their archives but uncovers secrets that changes everything.
I loved the mystery aura this book had. We learn through the main character, Agnes, secrets about the mysterious family and how they each navigate them. The subdued mystery/ crime aspect was thrilling.

But the best part was the author’s voice. As it is mentioned in the Author’s note, so many elements of the story are inspired by historical events and historical figures but the author added their unique and interesting voice. The prose was beautiful and I highlighted so many quotes.
I liked the narration which focused on Agnes, who is a social climber with a lot of ambition. How could she not be in the world she was living in? I didn’t find her to be especially likable but that didn’t bother me at all. On the contrary, I loved reading about her ambition, the way her beautiful brain worked and how devoted and loyal she was (even if it was sometimes for her own gain). I will forever root for cunning, smart and ruthless young women. Her character development was the best part of the story; she began the story as a naive “little lamb” to becoming a ruthless lion under Helen’s supervision.
That’s another element I loved: the romance between Agnes and Helen! I loved the fact that there was a sapphic relationship in this setting and I regret that most of the romance aspect happened off the page even though their closeness could be seen by everyone. I loved how they helped each other in their own way and also how unhealthy it was. It was raw and honest and I couldn’t get enough. And there were the other characters: Henry and Meredith who I couldn’t help rooting for. They were great “supporting” characters and it was nice to read their thoughts when the author shared them.

At some point the characters travel to Italy and the description was excellent because I felt as though I was traveling with them. This voyage was accompanied by talks of history and art which I truly enjoyed and I think the author captured Edwardian England pretty well.


I really recommend this book if you enjoy historical fictions, laced with political scheming, secrets, romance and betrayal.

I told myself I didn’t have time for any more ARCs… but when Annabel Fielding asked me to be on the blog tour for LYING WITH LIONS, I couldn’t refuse - historical lesbians are my kryptonite!

READ THIS IF… you like historical fiction, dark family secrets, and sapphic romance.

THE STORY… In Edwardian England, Agnes is tasked with cataloguing the archive of the Bryant family. In doing so, she learns of their darkest secrets, which in turn brings her closer to Lady Helen. Her companion by day, and her lover by night, Agnes is swept into the Bryant’s world - but how much is she willing to risk for them? And what would they risk for her?

I… fell headfirst into Agnes’ world, immediately captivated by the secrets of the archive, her apparent distaste for men, and her growing relationship with Lady Helen. This is a thoughtful and delicately written book, which struck me with its wisdom on multiple occasions. “The world rarely gives us what we want, and when it does, it is usually to twist our heart out on the next turn” declares Lady Helen, speaking aloud a central theme of the novel. Secrets of murder, infidelity, and family divides crop up at each turn, with twists and heightened stakes coming when you least expect them.

At the heart of the novel is the relationship between Agnes and Lady Helen - tender and trusting, but always threatened by the fear of discovery, and the power of ambition.

NOW… I definitely need more historical lesbians in my life! Do let me know if you have any recommendations. I would definitely read another book by Annabel Fielding.

*Copy provided by netgalley and Annabel Fielding in exchange for an honest review*
At the time of writing this review, I have just finished Lying with Lions and can state that I have enjoyed this book. Even though it has its flaws, particularly in what regards our main character construction and motivations, and the fast pacing that makes you wander from one subject to another without actually focusing on a narrative, it has a beautiful prose with immersive descriptions, very much needed when approaching the subject of a noble family in the Edwardian era, and the secrets they keep… and where they are willing to go to actually keep them.
I adored how our main characters were two intelligent and driven female characters, and the female-female relationship that arouse from their interactions was interesting and well written, given more to the story than if it hadn’t been there. For me, the best part of the story was the ending, the payoff and the resolution for the characters was exactly what I would hope for, and I applaud the author for it.
Even though most of the plot points were fairly predictable, in no way did that deterred the reader from enjoy the cozy mysteries that Annabel Fielding crafted throughout the novel, and I am confident that the love for historical mysteries and nobility scandals that pour in each page will develop into incredibly interesting new books by this author.

I really wanted to love this book! I usually enjoy historical fiction and add in some LGBQT+ representation and it sounded like a brilliant read! Unfortunately it fell short. The characters felt quite flat and one-dimensional and there were stretches of the book that were quite boring, unfortunately. I struggled through it in places.

Lying with Lions wasn't amazing. I admit that I'm not the biggest fan of historical fiction to begin with, but this book's description piqued my interest. The presence of a character who's an archivist AND queer elements? That sounded exciting.
The story was well-researched; it's obvious that the author put a lot of care into portraying Edwardian England in the most realistic way possible. The political parts of the book were kind of boring to me, and I'm someone who usually loves a bit of political intrigue and drama. I did enjoy the romance between Agnes and Helen, but I think their relationship could've been more developed/fleshed out; perhaps this could've been possible if a little bit more of the book had been dedicated to it. All in all, I didn't find this book to be incredibly remarkable, both because of my personal aversion to historical fiction and because I found it slow and somewhat boring at certain parts.
I wish I had seen some content warnings before I dove into the book, so I'd like to add a couple to this review:
CW for suicide and rape (off-page).
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this E-arc in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re looking for a historical fiction novel that centres around strong-willed and morally corrupt women, then this is the book for you.

The book follows Agnes, an archivist working in a big house for Lord and Lady Bryant. She unearths secrets even before the real events of the novel take place. Any big family has their secrets, but events ramp up and soon, they are at breaking point.

Female characters have agency in this book. Usually, it is the men who sneak around and try and backstab other rich and noteworthy men to gain more power and money. Here, we see women doing it and we also see a woman take control of her narrative to better her lot. Agnes comes from a very humble background and manages to climb high up within the Bryant household.

My main struggle was finding a connection with any of the characters. I mainly felt for Harold seeing as he suffered quite a bit during the course of the novel. Despite the trauma Helen had suffered by being raped by her husband, she does not come across as a very sympathetic character as she is also part of the problem within high society. She does not seem to care about her son nor her daughter. Only their titles and money.

Again, it is usually men who are the focus of these types of novels, and I enjoyed that it mainly focused on Agnes and Helen. I also enjoyed their relationship and power dynamic. Just not sure I fully appreciated the story as I did not care for either of them.

I really wanted to like this book, as the premise and story is incredible! However the writing style was very jarring to me with the third-person present tense (even passive present in some areas) and it made it difficult to be immersed in the world.

Not only that, but the characters felt very shallow. Many times we're told that they have depth and are mysterious, but we aren't really shown it. The reader is consistently told how characters feel and how "mysterious" they are, rather than shown the depth and intricacies of each character.

Agnes as a narrator felt very empty. I wanted to feel as she did, rather than be told how she felt. Overall, it was just a very different writing style than most books and wasn't for me.

This book was great! I loved the Edwardian setting and our protagonist, Agnes. I love how she is this fierce young woman with a great sense of duty.
I loved the political aspect in this book and how the loyalties were changing. Also, I loved the romance, it was so sweet and lovely... I'm a huge fan.
I absolutely loved the ending and secretly hoping for a second book, just because I want to see more of these characters.
P.S I know this review is kind of short but I just couldn't get more into it without this being at least 20 pages long. I hope you guys will give this book a try.
My rating is actually 4.5 stars.

I did not know much about Edwardian England before trying Lying with Lions, but this was a great historical setting with a good dash of intrigue and political/social maneuvering. The plot gets a little complicated and there are some unresolved holes that I wonder about, but its also fast paced and fun. I think fans of historical fiction and England based fantasy in general will like it. A quick read, too.

Set in Edwardian England, Agnes Ashford takes a job as an archivist for the powerful Lord and Lady Bryant. Deep inside the tunnels below the family’s castle, she searches through artifacts and letters from the family and their ancestors to piece together their history, then sort everything in chronological order. Her responsibilities to the family change in an instant; however, upon Lord Bryant’s sudden and unexpected death. Agnes pulls herself out of the dark tunnels by her wits, becoming Lady Helen’s secretary, confidant, lover, and henchman. As Lady Helen’s estranged son assumes his position as the head of the family, Agnes helps them hold onto power and hide the secrets that would threaten it. All the while, Agnes has secrets of her own.

An engrossing tale and captivating snapshot of the years leading up to WWI, “Lying with Lions” by Annabel Fielding was my first foray into historical fiction, not to mention LGBTQ historical fiction. I found myself getting swept away by the vivid descriptions of the Bryant’s Hartfell Hall home and other locations in the book. Not knowing much about this period of time, I was worried the book would seem heavy, and I would get lost in an over 100 year old setting. However, that was never the case. Author Annabel Fielding carries you back in time and gently lowers you into the atmosphere, customs, and sights. You’ll be able to clearly see Lady Helen in her gowns and hear the characters’ voices as if you were there yourself.

Still waters run deep in this book. Agnes, although sympathetic at first, is a social climber out for herself. Already wealthy and powerful, Lady Helen seems to give Agnes what she wants as she seeks to hold onto to power. Neither were all that likeable. However, any negative feelings I had about them didn’t detract from the story. If anything, they made the book all the more compelling. I became so deeply immersed in the story that I felt like part of it, like one of the Bryant family’s maids, observing everything silently.

“Lying with Lions” is a beautifully written tale that contains a flicker of romance and a lot of selfishness, corruption, and greed. Since I don’t usually read historical fiction, I can’t compare it to others in its genre to make a recommendation. But since I don’t usually read historical fiction and got hooked on the story, I can recommend it as a book that grabbed my attention and delivered an intriguing read.

3.5/5 stars!

I was kindly gifted a copy of this book from the author in the exchange for an honest review. So, thank you again Annabel Fielding!

I’m not usually a massive fan with historical fiction, it can be a really big hit and miss for me as to whether I’ll enjoy it or not. I love a good romance, but I find often there’s a lot of either politics or just simply family ‘politics’ going on which I either don’t enjoy or find it really hard to follow.

So I normally wouldn’t have picked this one up, BUT I am pleased to say I enjoyed it. It took me longer than I hoped to finish it (due to me getting my COVID jab and subsequently feeling like I had been run over, and at present I am coughing my guts up), but after having some free time today I sat down and read the last 100 pages or so in one go.

I wasn’t sure what the plot was initially, I got the impression it was a murder mystery with the revelations about Lady Bryant’s son, then it morphed into more of a romance before morphing again into something more political.

Personally, I would have found it more enjoyable if rather than having over four different plots happening the story stuck with one or two, with the different storylines and the time jumps it felt quite disjointed at times, and quite a quick read, with things developing a lot quicker than normal. It’s not necessarily a bad thing but I would have liked a longer build up to the romance aspect, rather it seemed a little out of the blue.

Overall, I did enjoy the book, I did (naturally) get a little lost when the politics began, but I just about managed to get my head around it.

Thank you NetGalley & KDP for the ARC.

Agnes Ashford is a budding archivist newly in the employ of the Bryant family, cataloguing their rich history in the tunnels below the sprawling Hartfell Hall. In her work, she stumbles upon a long buried family secret and her choices moving forward lead her into a new life of romance, ambition, and deceit.

This is historical fiction, and I found it to be well-researched and appreciated the way it was woven into the story. As the book went forward, the descriptions got better, and I loved the details of all the locales, the art, and the atmosphere that was created. Agnes is a clever character, and I enjoyed how her story went overall, so I am glad I got the chance to read the book.

I almost DNF'd this book around the 20% mark. The early writing in the book was very disjointed to me and there was a major pacing issue. I'm glad I kept reading because after I got past that, the story picks up and everything just flows a little better. The blurb of the book hints at past wounds for Agnes, but I felt I got no real reference to that and was expecting it to be a bigger part of the story. If it had focused fewer secrets or scandals and the bigger ones explored more, I think it could have been a much more interesting story for me.

Agnes Ashford begins work as an archivist for the prestigious Bryant family, but in doing so she begins to unravel long-held family secrets that draw her deeper into a web of mystery.

This is a darkly gothic story set in 1910s England. The start, set in subterranean tunnels crowded with artefacts from the Bryant family’s history is deeply atmospheric and compelling. I enjoyed watching Agnes find out the first series of secrets that have ruled the lives of Lord and Lady Bryant and their children. I enjoyed the fledgling friendship and romance develop between Agnes and Helen, Lady Bryant.

The book did start to lose me towards the end and I did get lost in the myriad of plot threads, if I’m honest. I think it could have benefitted from one less scandal.

I think, in all honesty, a lot of this is a me problem, rather than the book. I think this was more of a gothic story and character study of Agnes – and of how far a person will go to better their position – than the romance I thought I was going to get. I think that accounts for some of the disappointment I felt on its conclusion. Helen herself was a hard character to like at times, and I think that soured me on the romance element.

Agnes was a very interesting character though, with motives for everything she does. She’s a glorious shade of morally grey that I’ve always liked, and I couldn’t help but root for her, even if she does do some things to protect her interests and those of the Bryant’s that I didn’t always agree with.

I wasn’t entirely in love with the decision to write the novel in third-person present. It always took me a while to settle into. That said, it is beautifully written and atmospheric – Fielding clearly has a lot of talent and knows how to use it. I can’t fault the writing itself, other than to say it wasn’t for me.

There were a couple of places where another edit could have been useful – a character was referred to with the wrong surname at one point – but nothing that would put me off recommending this.

In all, I did enjoy reading this book – it perhaps wasn’t exactly to my tastes, but that’s not to say I wouldn’t instantly recommend it to someone who loves gothic stories of fading grandeur.

"It is our choices that make us what we are, day after day, not some kind of structure of our hearts predetermined centuries ago."

Agnes Ashford, in need of a secure job, finds herself as the new archivist of Lord and Lady Bryant, organizing and cataloging all of the various family heirlooms, left to rot in the basement. There, she discovers a letter that suggests that the death of the Bryant's first born son might have been more than it seems, leading her to the conclusion that Lady Bryant is being blackmailed. Agnes offers her help, entangeling her fate with Lady Bryant's in a journey through England and Europe in the Edwardian era.

First of all, this story is incredibly well researched and the descriptions of all of the time period specific clothes, furniture etc. make it easy for the reader to imagine the story and the era it's set in.
However, as someone who has no idea about all things Edwardian politics, there were times in the novel were I felt a bit lost, especially because there are big jumps in time (about one or two years), leading one political intrigue right into the next without enough time to properly connect these events to each other. This could have been an opportunity to add about 30 to 50 more pages into the narration, without it feeling to long or to clustered.
Secondly, due to this being a story of multiple years, you can see how all of the characters choices develop over the years and how one thing leads to another into tragedy. (That's why the jumps in time make sense, there could have just been a bit more information in between.)
Overall, I loved the character development, specifically the way that Agnes' and Lady Bryant's relationship evolved over the years all the way to the fabulous ending!

I wouldn't recommend this to someone who's just looking for a queer love story, but I would definitely recommend this to anyone who's looking for a historical fiction that doesn't shy away from showing the deep, dark truths of living, especially as a (queer) woman, in Edwardian era England.

Trigger Warnings: death of a child (off page, in the past); rape (off page); murder (off page and on page); suicide (on page); abortion (off page)

This was a really enjoyable read! I felt that both the plot and characters were interesting and well developed enough to almost transport the reader into the story with them. Would 100% recommend this book to some of my friends who I know would really enjoy this kind of read!

This was a really interesting read! Felt like a blend of gothic, historical, and murder-mystery.

It's about Agnes Ashford, an archivist who gets involved with the Byrant family and their secrets, including working down in tunnels filled with mysteries and past secrets the Byrants would rather stay hidden.

The book has some pacing issues but that is likely due to the political aspects of the book not quite capturing my interest enough - others might really enjoy this section, in fact, especially as it's very insightful. The family dynamics are tense and engaging enough for me to stay hooked amidst the political drama.

The romance between Agnes and Lady Helen is dark and at times quite tense, but in a fantastically written way; it's layered and intelligent and I don't want to spoil anything but the build-up to the end is nicely done, and makes so much sense for their characters and relationship.

Unfortunately, I didn’t love this book. The writing had quite a few grammatical errors, which caused me to be pulled out of my focus all the time. I found Agnes’ character all over the place and I didn’t resonate with her and I also disliked lady Bryant. The plot was interesting, but not enough to really keep me pulled in throughout the book.