I was excited to read this novel. The description was quite gripping, setting the reader up with high expectations of dark, hidden secrets, mystery and intrigue. The "could have beens" or
"should have beens" for this storyline are endless with possibilities. The reality of the finished product fell sadly short.
As a reader going into his I at least thought Mrs. England would have a horrible dark secret,m a debilitating mental psychosis, be a border-line psychopath/serial killer or something! What I actually got when reading, a big fat, flat, nothing. No horribly dark, twisted secret, nmo psycho serial killer, not even a trace of deep emotional or mental psychosis. How disappointing when the storyline had such promise and the descriptive passages set time and place wonderfully. Perfect landscape for a gothic thriller that simply never hits the thrill!
Now don't get me wrong, this book is not horrible, the author's writing is exceptionally good actually. The plot sim0ly never achieves a pointy above ordinary, underwhelming, uneventful., The =book could be called a "staid account of a young nurse's life", Ut never achieved its goal!
Thank you to the publishers at Harlequin Trade Publishing, Mira, and Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review in return.

I read this in one sitting and my favorite part of the book has to be the setting and all the details the author gave us about West Yorkshire, England. I could totally imagine the pollution in the air due to the industrial jobs around at that time. I don’t know how anyone could breathe well there! I love how remote location of Hardcastle House, it really added mystery and a creepy undertone, giving the feeling that something wasn’t right in the town…or in the family. But what it is – we don’t find out until later. Ruby’s position as nanny/nurse was very well detailed also. She was a very fleshed out character and through her eyes we see the ongoings within the England household where something is amiss but we don’t fully know the extent until the end.

I thought the story did a good job of making me suspicious of everyone around Ruby, except for the kids, who are amazing kids with different personalities. I was as attached to them as Ruby were. Ruby was indeed a good nanny to her charges. Mrs. England was so mystery, aloof and inattentive towards her children, seeming afraid of her husband and just absolutely unhappy – but is she a danger to herself like Mr. England tells Ruby?

The writing is fantastic and kept me hooked into the story.

The things that didn’t quite work for me was I felt like nothing much happened in the story until the very end. I found the writing and the household dynamic interesting enough that it held my interest but in the end, I felt like it was missing something. I wish there was more suspense. Also there were some interesting feelings Ruby was feeling for a man in the town who was already engaged to one of the maids at the house – not sure where it was going with that storyline but it went nowhere.


Why you should read it:
*you like historical fiction with some mystery that involved a dysfunctional marriage and a nanny
*good writing
*great setting details

Why you might not want to read it:
*for me it fell a little flat, needs more suspense

My Thoughts:

I read this in one sitting because I found the writing to be wonderful plus it gave me some suspenseful vibes but I feel like it fell short and had to much more potential to surprise me. I love the setting and characters but I wish more of the action happened earlier in the book instead of at the end of the story. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Mrs. England is a novel set in Yorkshire in 1904 with some Gothic elements. The story gets off to a great start, pulling me in from the beginning and holding my attention until the end. More than one mystery makes this a captivating read, together with the dark atmosphere of Hardcastle House. Mrs. England is one of the most magical and atmospheric novels I have had the pleasure of reading in some time. I look forward to reading more from the author.

I was thrilled to receive a copy of this book and it did not disappoint. I flew through this book in one day. There were just enough gothic elements to keep me on tenterhooks, but the plot was entirely realistic. I feel as though there were a few plot points that were left unresolved, but by and large its conclusion was satisfying. I feel as though the heroine of The Familiars had a more vivid interior life than Ruby, but I still understood her and was able to connect with her. Overall, I would recommend this book to my fellow historical fiction enthusiasts and I can't wait to see more of what Stacey Halls has in store.

1904 England. A nanny with a past she hopes is secret takes a job in Yorkshire when her first employer family moves to America. She finds four children hungry for affection, learning and adventure. Neither the master and mistress of the house are what they seem. But which one can she trust? As she navigates her way through the household staff, the townsfolk and her employers, she always keeps the welfare of the children uppermost. She grows closer to them and comes to feel she needs to protect them, even from their family members.
These are strong characters and well fleshed out. The mysteries surrounding them are not easily discerned by the reader. The author keeps the reader pushing on to find the truth. And it is surprising when it’s revealed.

This is the first book I've read by Stacey Halls, but I really enjoyed it. It had a bit of mystery, with a bit of a plot twist at the end, and told a really great story. I loved the setting of both London and the English countryside, and thought the characters were very well developed.

An entertaining read but with a very slow burn. It wasn't boring but it was just a bit lackluster. The plot wasn't the best and the characters were not fully developed. I found myself wanting more from this story. This is the kind of book you read when you just want something light. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion

A Sunday Times bestseller!

"Highly atmospheric and tense."--Richard Osman, New YorkTimes bestselling author of The Thursday Murder Club

Simmering with slow-burning menace, Mrs. England is a portrait of an Edwardian marriage, an enthralling tale of men and women, power and control, courage, truth and the very darkest deception.

West Yorkshire, 1904. When recently graduated Ruby May takes a nanny position looking after the children of Charles and Lilian England, a wealthy couple from a powerful dynasty of mill owners, she hopes it will be the fresh start she needs. But as she adapts to life at the isolated Hardcastle House, it becomes clear something is not quite right about the beautiful, mysterious Mrs. England.

Distant and withdrawn, Lilian shows little interest in her children or charming husband and is far from the angel of the house Ruby was expecting.

As the warm, vivacious Charles welcomes Ruby into the family, a series of strange events forces her to question everything she thought she knew. Ostracized by the servants and increasingly uneasy, Ruby must face her own demons in order to prevent history from repeating itself. After all, there's no such thing as the perfect family—she should know.

This captivating new feminist novel from Sunday Times bestselling author Stacey Halls is her third work of fiction and proves her one of the most exciting and compelling new storytellers of our time.

My Review to come closer to my stop on this blog tour

Young Ruby May is a talented young nurse at a prestigious English school for nannies when she takes on a position for Mr and Mrs Charles England in the wind blown cliffs of remote Yorkshire. As much as she adores her charges, Mrs England is a cold, distant, and mysterious figure that seems to want nothing to do with her children. Ruby can't help feel drawn toward discovering more about her mysterious employer, even to her own expense and possible harm. This quietly drawn domestic drama has fascinating characters and motivations, and Ruby has enough layers of back story to keep readers engaged to the final page. A lovely story for readers who enjoy quiet English historical fiction with a little domestic drama.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I’m not sure how I feel about “Mrs. England” and for that fact also Mr. England and Nurse May, Nurse May has been assigned to the Edwardian home of Mr. and Mrs. England at Hardcastle House for the care of their four children. Mrs. England senses something is not quite right in the home, but what is it? Mrs. England is withdrawn and uninterested in daily life and is often locked in her room. Mr. England, runs a family owned mill and is approachable and interested in the lives of his children but seems to have an underlying moodiness or darkness. I found some things strange in the novel, like Mr. England asking to be put to bed by Nurse May and Mrs. England’s lover sitting in a tree outside her window but these people are strange. The author does an excellent job of a sense of place and mood. However, the ending is beyond perplexing!

An eerie, dangerous landscape, a wealthy family, a children’s nurse, a controlling husband, and characters with secrets greet us in this delicious, Gothic novel.

Ruby May graduated from Norland Institute, a nursing school in London, to take her first position as a nursemaid to an infant.

Her first position did not last long because she couldn't leave England for America with this family. The school found her another position at the remote Hardcastle House taking care of the four children of Mr. and Mrs. England.

Ruby May was worried about taking care of four children, but the children should not have been her main concern.

The staff at Hardcastle House was not welcoming, and Ruby had to do many things she hadn't done in her first position.

Along with everything else, Mr. England was subtly controlling, and Mrs. England was quiet as a mouse. Mrs. England seemed to be afraid of her husband, and Ruby saw cigar burns on her hands.

Was this house safe for her and for the children?

Why was Mrs. England so quiet, and why did she seem so indifferent to her children?

Why did Mr. England not trust his wife to take care of their children?

MRS. ENGLAND is very descriptive, very well written, and it drew me in immediately.

I had read Ms. Halls' book THE LOST ORPHAN/THE FOUNDLING and thoroughly enjoyed her writing style and story line.

This book is just as amazing.

If you enjoy spending time with wealthy families in Edwardian England and feel an undertone of danger as you turn every page, be sure to add MRS. ENGLAND to your reading list.

Ms. Halls does not disappoint and will have you staying up late so you can find out what's going on in this household and with each character. 5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

Beginning in London in 1904, Mrs. England is an atmospheric, suspensful novel that will keep you reading. Ruby May is employed by the prestigious Norland Institute that has trained her to be a nurse to children of wealthy families. When the current family she works for plans to move to America, Ruby decides that she can’t move with them because she helps her family financially and is close to her younger sister who has a physical disability. Ruby must find another job quickly. When a job becomes available to work for a wealthy family with four children in West Yorkshire, she leaps at the chance.

When Ruby arrives at the isolated home in Yorkshire, Hardcastle House, she immediately begins to feel uneasy. The servants are distant and unfriendly and something seems to be wrong with Mrs. England. She stares off vacantly, is cold and distant, ignores her children and spends hours in her room with various ailments. Charles England, on the other hand, is friendly and charismatic and seems to enjoy his children. The England family is part of a family mill dynasty and many people in the town work in the mill and for Mr. England. Mr. England tells Ruby to discuss things that concern the children or the running of the household with him instead of his wife. Ruby hears the servants whispering and finds out that Mr. England locks his wife in her room because she wanders at night and he wants to protect her from injuring herself in their isolated setting on the moors.

As Ruby cares for the children and begins to settle into her surroundings, she starts to realize that something isn’t quite right with the Englands and their marriage. She doesn’t know who to believe, she doesn’t receive letters that have been sent to her and her sense of isolation intensifies. Hardcastle House has secrets but Ruby is hiding a secret of her own.

This is the first book I have read by Stacey Halls and I enjoyed it. There were some surprises and a twist at the end that I didn’t see coming. If you enjoy historical mysteries with a strong sense of place, gothic overtones and family secrets, you should enjoy Mrs. England.

Thanks to Mira publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reading copy of Mrs. England in exchange for an honest review.

I found the book to be enjoyable. It did leave me guesses till the end though I admit it was a wee bit slow in parts. The characters we lovely though I would have liked a little more background on a few.

Not sure I believed some of the connections between some of the characters. I felt there were several times the author could have made a bigger impact and didn't but overall a nice read.

I felt Ruby had secrets and would have liked for the author to delve deeper into them. The one we got was rather shocking but still, I felt there could have been more.

I did enjoy the author letting us know from the beginning that this story was taking place in a cold remote area. It set up the surroundings to really add to the creepy feel the house and family had.

Not sure I say a 5 star read but close and one I would read again on a story night.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC! I will admit that it took me a bit to get into this book. I struggled a little with the very beginning of the book, but once I was hooked it was hard to put down. This book has a very gothic feel to it, and everything is a bit dark and dreary. I expected a romance, but other than a hint of something that cannot be pursued, there isn't any romance in this story. There is, however, mental illness, childhood trauma, and a controlling relationship.

Ruby is a nursemaid, at the beginning of the book Ruby takes a new appointment, with a new family, in a small country "village". The village is essentially owned by the England's, her new employers. She is hired to care for the England's four children, but something doesn't feel right in the home. I thought I knew where this story was going and was thrown a bit when I realized that I was wrong in my assumption. Overall, I enjoyed this book and would be willing to read other books by Stacey Halls.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. This book was absolutely done in the Gothic tradition, with a slow burn dread that builds until the climatic moment. Ruby is a determined, involved nursemaid who has taken a position with the Englands, a dynastic family that seems to run the area she moves to to take care of the sweet England children. Immediately, something feels off when Mr. England seems to take on more of the traditional "motherly" roles instead of Mrs. England. Something feels very, very wrong.
Ruby feels more and more isolated, confused and puzzled as the novel progresses, as do readers. What is really going on in Hardcastle House? Why does it feel like there are layers of secrets about the family and the children? What is going on with Mrs. England? When the BIG TWIST happens, it is truly surprising. I didn't see it coming at all. Full of suspense, drama, menace and intrigue, this is a perfect Edwardian read that will be a perfect curl-up-and-read book