Historical fiction is one of my comfort genre's so I was extremely excited to get stuck in to Lying with Lions. A thoroughly enjoyable read. Thanks to Netgalley and KDP for the ARC in exhange for an honest review.

TW; death of a child - mentioned, rape - mentioned, abortion - mentioned, suicide, murder.

What I liked:
- Historical fiction grounded in real historic events, some well known such as the break out of World War One, some lesser known like the Denaby miner's strike. This brings authenticity to the book and feels believable. For those that are interested, Fielding points out the specific events that inspired her in her acknowledgements and they're worth reading up on in their own right.
- It's refreshing, in historical fiction especially, to have a morally grey protagonist like Agnes. Her decision making is not based upon right or wrong, in fact, acknowledgement of right or wrong does not seem to come in to the novel much.
- Agnes' development through the years is so brilliantly executed. From family archivist to lover to something I really wasn't expecting.
- The family drama! I could honestly see this being adapted for a TV series with ease!


What I didn't like:
-The ending. I swear I've read half a dozen Historical Fiction books making use of the same style ending and that was the only thing that really let me down. I predicted it might happen within the first few chapters and I was disappointed to be proved right.
-I wanted more of Meredith Bryant. I really enjoyed her interactions with her brother Harold but there wasn't enough of them for me.
- A few grammatical errors, but they're not deal breakers at this point.

A solid 4 stars from me!

MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THE BOOK
To be honest, I wasn’t sure what I would be getting into when I began reading this book. I don’t have a lot of experience in historical fiction, but I do enjoy me some queer fiction. This isn’t a book about big feelings and grand gestures – at least not directly. A lot of stuff is unsaid, hinted at – much as I would expect a woman-loving-woman relationship would be in the Edwardian England. Or perhaps just…pre-Ellen Degeneres coming out + before we knew how she actually acted ^^;
Things are subtle and not explained directly. Agnes starts out as an archivist – standing in the back and not attracting any attention. But, there’s someone she is very much infatuated with, who’s attention she very much craves. Lady Helen Bryant. Beautiful, elegant, older and more experienced.

The good
-How history is woven into the story – I’m no historian, and don’t know much about English history, but for me, it was well-written and I could sense the work that the Fielding has put into her writing. Again, I don’t know how accurate the events are, but there’s definitely been put a lot of thought into this story

-The relationship between Agnes and the other characters

-The relationship between Agnes and Lady Helen

-I don’t know. I just really like the young, intelligent and quiet woman observing her surroundings played off with the older experienced woman who knows the game

-Agnes

The not so good
-Some of the spelling and grammar. It wasn’t so bad as to throw me completely off from the reading experience, but I do notice it.

WHO SHOULD READ THIS BOOK?
If you’re a person that enjoys historical fiction with a pinch of drama, sapphic love, and the thrill of working between the noble families. Think Downton Abbey, but not as outwardly emotional and with more woman-loving-woman 😉

I thought I was really going to enjoy this book, and I did, for the first half and then it slowly began to lose my interest. It turned out to be entirely different than I was expecting, and it didn’t appeal to me.

Agnes was a little too dull of a main character for me, she didn’t have a lot of personality and was very much a blank slate/mirror for those around her. There was a great deal of foreshadowing regarding her ‘past’ that was never really fleshed out properly and her romantic storyline was shallow at best. It wasn’t at all passionate and seemed to be held together by the finest threads of desire.

Some of the side characters, particularly the two surviving Bryant ‘children’ were slightly more interesting, but they barely had any interesting scenes. The conflict in the story was wishy-washy and I felt that the book just spanned too many years for what it was.

I didn’t hate it but I also had to push myself to finish it, it did nothing for me.

I received an arc from Netgalley in exchange for a review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was an enjoyable read, I loved the Edwardian era and all the historical elements throughout this book. The writing was very beautiful and descriptive. The premise of the book was very interesting and the beginning definitely was captivating. However, it did slow down and kind of drag towards the middle and end.

The relationship between Agnes and Lady Helen was well written and developed. Their dynamic was intriguing and definitely based on loyalty and servitude.

Overall, this was just a beautifully slow written historical family saga filled with secrets and a sapphic romance.

*I received this book free from NetGalley and the author in exchange for an honest review.*

When the writer suggested my participation on this blog tour, I checked the synopsis and classification first. I have to say I was already into it after having a look at these, but my excitement grew considerably when I was given the link to the book on NetGalley and saw this incredible cover!!! Isn’t it stunning?!

Thanks to Annabel Fielding who kindly asked me if I wanted to participate on this blog tour.

4 stars.

Agnes comes from a modest background and seems to be a sweet girl who doesn’t understand the dark secrets of the Bryants, an aristocratic family she comes to serve as an archivist to document the complete family history and bloodline at the end of the 19th century. As the story develops, mysteries and evil intentions are unveiled, which takes us to find out everyone carries their burden and most of them do not even care; including our sweet Agnes.

This historical fiction story depicts the years that lead to The Great War and those who came after this event, places in several European countries and life in England at the time, perfectly, taking the reader back in time to those settings and occurrences that changed the world.

I started this book completely lost. I was directly thrown into the story and could not comprehend Agnes Ashford’s motives. I could only discern there was a sweet girl working for a rich family in England, but her thoughts did not make sense to me at all. However, about 25% into the book, there are some discoveries that make the whole story come together and allow the reader to grasp the reasons given by our main character on the first chapters.

I’m not keen on spoiling books, so I’ll try to keep it as non-specific as possible. There’s a sapphic love story that made me smile many times throughout this book and also made me feel disgusted. The tragedy that love and life are are depicted masterfully. Everything has an end and it’s regularly a bittersweet one. This and the loyalty to historical events gave me that sense of reality and allowed me to immediately dive under the skin of one of the characters.

Characters are deeply developed, their backgrounds and motives understood. They’re relatable and coherent, unreliable, variable and as extreme as all humans are; especially since they reflect the society of those times from their corresponding social status.

The plot is full of twists and turns learnt not a bit too soon and the ending is one of my all-time favourites on a historical fiction.

If you like intrigue, historical fiction and LGBTQIA+ romance, this book is for you.

Hope you let me know in the comments if you get to read it!

When I started this blog last July, I also joined Twitter so that I could link my blog and hopefully get some eyes on my words. As a result I became a part of the Writing Community where I am able to interact with other writers. I really feel like I’ve found my tribe in a sense within the group. A few weeks after starting my blog a friend asked what I hoped to gain from doing this and it took me a while to answer because I honestly hadn’t thought of a goal apart from the joy I gained from writing again. Then eventually I told her that perhaps, if I am lucky, writers would send me their books so I can review them... Well almost a year later and a writer reached out to me through Twitter and asked if I would participate in a blog tour for her new novel! This review is by request of Author Annabel Fielding who graciously sent me a copy of her new book Lying with Lions in exchange for an honest review and participation in the blog tour.

Full disclosure historical fiction novels aren’t really my forte and I haven’t indulged in them by choice since leaving school. That said, I really enjoyed Lying with Lions. Set in Edwardian Era England, this novel was a political mystery with a side of romance and familial deceit. Fielding’s writing carried the grace and elegance that one would associate with the genre, while also maintaining an edginess as well as complexity of characters throughout the crafting of the plot, which followed a young woman as she navigated the generational and political intrigue surrounding the affluent Bryant family.

Fielding’s understanding of the era and the politics especially as they related to females enabled her to bring the story to life and even infuse some modernity without taking the reader out of the setting. I enjoyed the mystery and the politics more so than the romance. I haven’t read any LGBTQ romances so I really have no frame of reference as to whether it was relatable. As my first foray into LGBTQ romance, I will say that it played fairly obvious and somewhat predictable to me that a romance would develop between Agnes and Lady Helen which could just be my modern sensibilities. I understand that this type of romance during the era that the book was set added an extra layer of ‘danger’ and ‘intrigue’ but personally I didn’t find it as compelling. I did however, like the characterizations of Agnes and Lady Helen. These characters were intelligently written and Fielding captured the complexities and nuances that these women would have developed through the lives they led. I also take some exception to the time jumps which felt a touch convoluted but not sufficiently to derail my enjoyment of the novel.

Fielding’s Lying with Lions is a compelling story of rich characters and strong females set in a time when both weren’t as rare as you would believe. With themes of power and trauma, familial obligation and responsibilities, love and loss, secrecy and obsession, Lying with Lions is a great way to test the waters of historical LGBTQ fiction if you are looking for a new genre.
Available on Netgalley.com

**Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review**
"Lying with Lions" by Annabel Fielding is an atmospheric historical fiction novel about Agnes Ashford and what happens after she's hired as an archivist by an English Lord. It chronicles her various years in the Byron's employ, years that include affairs, murder, smuggling, court cases, and so much more.
I liked that the story was written like a classic, I find that's always a good choice when it comes to historical fiction, as it tends to set the mood just right, but the present tense in this book took me out of that. I felt it would've been better in past tense, or keeping the tense but switching to first person.
I liked the plot of the first half, it didn't drag on too much and was intriguing, plus it kept you wondering how and when Agatha and Lady Byron would fall in love, but the second half made me lose all interest I considered DNFing many times. It was too heavy on politics for my taste, and I always felt that there was something I was missing as someone who knows nothing about English history. I also never understood the character's motives, especially Agnes's at the end and Lady Helen's at the beginning when talking to Agnes.
I am very disappointed that I didn't like this story, and wish I could see it how many other people are, but the characters didn't feel real and the plot just wasn't for me. Overall, I'm giving it 2/5 stars.

Lying with Lions is set in Edwardian England and features Agnes Ashford as the lead character. We meet her as she uncovers a potentially chilling record whilst working on the Bryant family archives. Agnes is the sort of character who likes to get to the bottom of things and despite meeting resistance when she begins to probe for more detail about this record, she continues to seek out the truth. She develops a rapport of sorts with Lady Bryant and this permits her to draw back the curtain a little more on the history of the family and sheds a little light on some of the less savoury aspects of their past.

There is a lot more to Lying with Lions than I had been initially expecting. Although set in the past, there are a lot of comments which sadly still apply in todays society. Outward appearances must be maintained no matter what is going on under the surface and having an XX chromosomal arrangement will always leave you on the back foot and left to carry the weight of actions by those with either more money, status or simply XY genetics! There are plenty of layers to the story and it is very engaging to read. I liked Agnes as the lead, she has many positive qualities which make her well suited for the tasks she is undertaking and the family she must work with.

Lying with Lions is a fairly short read which packs a lot in. It is the first book by Annabel Fielding that I have read; she has also written A Pearl for my Mistress which is also historical fiction set in the 1930s so also worth a look!

About Annabel Fielding: Annabel Fielding, having graduated from the University of Arts London with an MA in Public Relations, is a PR assistant by day and a novelist by night. Being a self-professed history geek, she dedicates her free time to obscure biographies, solo travel and tea. She also posts a mix of book reviews and travel photos on her blog at http://historygeekintown.com

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Before starting this book, I was in a MASSIVE reading slump and I’m so glad I picked up this book because it was a very quick and enjoyable read and I feel it’s gotten me out of my slump!!! Historical fiction is typically a genre I don’t tend to go towards but the synopsis plus the fact that this had a sapphic couple made me very excited to read this!!! The writing style was automatically something I loved from the very start, it has that porse-type style to it that I always love. Agnes also interested me because of how smart she seemed and I loved how ambitious she is throughout the story, especially because it was something I could relate to in the character. But, I found beyond that I didn’t really care that much for her character. Initially I went into the book for the romance (as I always do lol), but I was pleasantly surprised with the fact that the plot was very, very well developed and I found I enjoyed it more than the romance aspect. I didn’t connect much at all to Lady Helen and her relationship with Agnes, which was disappointing. I feel this is definitely a book to read more so for the plot and aesthetic rather than the characters and romance. I’m very glad I checked out this book and will definitely look forward to reading more of the authors works!!!!

‘Lying With Lions’ is a historical family saga, starting in the Edwardian era. Agnes Ashford is an archivist for the Bryant family, an important and influential family, thanks in part to the money from Lady Helen’s dowry. Whilst combing through the family’s papers she uncovers a secret. With this information she becomes invaluable to Lady Helen and her life changes for the better. But in order to hold onto that life Agnes must make uncomfortable choices.

I enjoyed reading about Agnes and her life, in a time where single women without family had difficult choices to make to survive. We see how society changes during the Edwardian era and into the new era of George V. The family Agnes works for has to change too. Their lives have been pampered and regimented for centuries, but the new era begins to break down the barriers between the classes. And the Bryants and Davenports were not prepared for that. The romantic elements of the story were handed well, as they were written with subtlety and a gentle touch. There’s a gothic touch to the story too and this added an extra element.

I was given this ARC for review.

Massively outside my comfort zone and normal read this is an LGBTQ historical family drama, set in Edwardian England, with parts of the story based on historical facts; albeit specifically not about this family. It did take me a few chapters to get into the book but it was an interesting and intriguing read.

Briefly, Agnes Ashford has obtained employment as an archivist for the wealthy and powerful Lord and Lady Bryant. However, when Lord Bryant dies, in suspicious circumstances, she sees an opportunity and soon becomes Lady Helen Bryant’s secretary, and lover…. With Lady Helen’s estranged son taking over the title new threats arise for the family. Threats that Agnes deals with in her own way.

Annabel Fielding is clearly a very talented writer and her description are beautifully written; you can almost believe you are there with them. There are quite a number of different tales interwoven into the book and at times I found myself a bit confused. The character are well written. Lady Helen was not at all likeable although she clearly seemed softened by her feelings for Agnes. Agnes however seemed likeable initially but she was clearly bent on raising her position in society and is not worried how she does it. I had feelings of sorrow for Agnes at first but it soon became clear that her morals left much to be desired. A haunting and sometime dark tale with a modicum of romance this was an enjoyable read and I would consider reading another historical offering in the future. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My thanks to NetGalley and the author for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

To be quite honest, even though, I tend to be quite partial towards historical fiction I don’t think that this book was for me. I felt like it dragged on often but that may just be because I am very used to reading more fantasy-like plots or plots with lots of action. I thought that the writing was very flowery and appropriately fitting the time. I definitely recommend this for fans of more classical novels.

I really loved Laying with Lions, very fitting title and also one I'd pick up at the store. I also love the cover. I wish I could put it in my bookshelf tbh. It's simple, yet elegant. I rate this with 4 stars because of the slow and heavy start for me, but otherwise it was a fantastic read I truly enjoyed. Great character development, interesting story, scandal, death, murder, mystery and an end I truly didn't see coming! I mean what the hell! I loved the end and yet it broke my heart completely but also made me happy! I don't want to spoil it so no hints or details on it but you'll love the end!

Anyway, if you want to pick up a great read, love historical fiction and some LGBTQ romance, go pick up Laying with Lions!
It's out on 21st June.

[full review on my blog! :) ]

Thank you to NetGalley and Anastasia Rydaeva for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

TW: rape, child death, murder

Lying with Lions is a gothic historical novel with a Wuthering-Heights-esque energy. Our Main Character Agnes, a Woman pushed from a well-off position in life by the debt and alcoholism of her Father, is an Archivist for the Family of a Baron. It is her job to comb through and sort hundreds of years of letters and documents the family has been collectiong in the expanse of tunnels under their estate. This endeavour opens up possibilities for Agnes as she discovers secrets long-forgotten or put to rest. When the Baron is poisoned, the estranged Son to be contacted and the Lady of the House in need of companionship and counsel, Agnes is close at hand. So begins a tale of love and lust, of greed and servitude, of guilt and betrayal. So begins the tale of Helen and Agnes.

This book grabbed my arm and wouldn't let go. The way it was written kept me hanging on to every word. The imagery was rich, the storyline flowing. The Characters were fleshed-out, their motives clear where they needed to be and unclear when it was better. If you are a fan of morally grey characters, then this book (and this genre) is for you: the multidimensionality of horrible acts and unjust justification of inexcusable acts were expertly displayed.
I particularly enjoyed the sapphic romance. It was, as romances often are in gothic fiction, not a healthy relationship dynamic. However, watching the development of the relationship, the waxing and waning of love and resentment side by side, was very enjoyable. I did think it felt a little rushed in the beginning, though this is ultimately forgiveable given how much I loved the rest of the book.
Beware the ending, it will destroy you. Also it was amazing and inevitable and fitting. All roads lead to rome and all.
If you loved Wuthering Heights and the Bridgerton Series, but wish they were sapphic, then you will enjoy this book. I highly recommend.

This review will appear on my instagram @/flybybooks on 13.06.21

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

A very interesting. I wasn't sure if I like this one right away but I'm glad that I stuck it out the ending was fabulous.

“Shared secrets tend to raise awareness of one another in a certain way. Heighten the sensitivity like flayed skin.” — LYING WITH LIONS, Annabel Fielding
•
{𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖} ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

LYING WITH LIONS is a fantastic historical novel set in Edwardian England, where secrets are just as abundant as social climbers. Filled with ambitious characters, political machinations, morally grey characters, and at its center is a brilliant woman who manages to outsmart (and outmaneuver) them all.

{𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄𝐃}⁣
* The time period. The majority of the tale is set during the time when WW1 is on the horizon. It had all the feels of a Victorian novel, but with delightful motorcars and more modern conveniences.
* The characters. Each one has secrets, each one has goals, each one wants power. Agnes in particular managed to fool them all when in reality, she’s just as power hungry as the rest of them. She just hides it better.
* The relationship between Helen and Agnes. I love me a good sapphic love story, and these two were perfect for one another from the beginning.
* The political machinations, scandals, and the cutthroat atmosphere that goes along with that.
* The overall tone and air of mystery. Fielding manages to keep readers guessing not only about the secrets each character keeps, but about their motivations and who they are as people. I live for morally grey, and each and every character in this book falls under that description.

Bottom line — an interesting and immersive read that’ll keep you guessing until the end. There’s mayhem, murder, secrets, lies, and betrayal, with a little f/f romance to round it all out. 4 stars.

The combining of gothic, murder mystery, history and LGBTQ romance made for a captivating, compelling and enthralling story.

It was a rollercoaster page-turner of suspense with many twists and turns.

The beautiful vivid descriptions of the different settings were the perfect backdrop.

Throughly researched by the author.

A wonderful historical novel.

Agnes Ashford is hired by the prestigious Bryant Family to work as an archivist. When she comes across a secret that could potentially affect the reputation of the family, she falls into a trap trying to maintaining her position and saving her job at the same time. She also finds herself drawn to the charming Lady of the house, Helen, who is as equally beautiful as she is ruthless. I would have preferred a tug of war between the two women instead of the blossoming relationship between the two female characters. The perfect book to curl up on the sofa with.

Agnes Ashford the archivist uncovers mystery after mystery at Hartfell Hall, the sprawling estate of the Baron of Willoughby aka Lord Alastair Bryant, and his beautiful (and ebulliently wealthy) wife Lady Helen Bryant. Ensuing intrigue involves their children Gregory, Harold, and Meredith, his Lordship's sister Lady Sylvia Lowe, and Lady Helen's brother Reginald. The author Annabel Fielding tells a tight story, the many family members are given depth and characteristics making them easy to keep track of, despite the ambling range of the tale throughout history, from 1648 when the Bryants were loyal royalists, to 10 yr-old Gregory's tragic death of extenuating circumstances in 1895, through pivotal moments in British WWI history to a post-war ending.

I loved the feminist tone to this story about two different types of very strong women, and the numerous nods to historical names and events. Not that it's a major issue, but I do think the title might have been referenced earlier than 99% of the way through the book.

I intend to avoid spoilers.

I received this book from NetGalley for the purpose of an honest review!

Let me say this, from the first page I was blown away by the care the author took to details. Whenever you tackle historical fiction it's important for the author to try and remain true to the time they are depicting--this one a gem from the start. Fielding described the Edwardian era vividly.

The story follows Agnes Ashford, who's been sent to the Bryant family to trace their family tree and keep order in their family's timeline of events. As she tours the tunnels below the large estate, she begins to uncover strange happenings and secrets that the Bryant family would like to leave uncovered....and the plot thickens...
*Cue* dead son...but did he die the way they said?

Along the way, Agnes gets entangled with the lady of the house, Helen Bryant. They engage in sharing secrets and then an affair. I did expect a touch more romance, but I still enjoyed it.

At first, I thought Agnes was this "goodie goodie" character, but as the book moves on Agnes becomes much more and resembles the morally grey characters we all love.

My only complaint was pacing. Sometimes I wanted more in chapters or for the story to slow down rather than jumping in progression.

I would recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction, mystery, LGBTQA+