This is book 2 in a series. It is full of adventure and action. The storyline was compelling and strong. Can’t wait for the last instalment

A brilliantly executed sequel to The Wolf Den, picking up soon after the events of Amara achieving the status of a freed woman in ancient Pompeii. This is a detailed and moving account of the women in ancient Rome, who were glossed over in the history books. Amara finds herself in a precarious situation, enjoying the freedom of being a lady, served upon by maids, but relying on maintaining the affections of the man who keeps her. Her nights are plagued by the memories and visions of the people and events of The Wolf Den. Her heart yearns for love, but pursuing true love is a dangerous game for a woman in a land ruled by ruthless men. A brilliant read. #thehousewiththegoldendoor #elodieharper #netgalley

Headlines:
Free but still owned
Amara takes all the risks
Tragedy lurks

The House with the Golden Door ramped up the tension when it felt it couldn't get higher than Wolf Den. While this sequel had less trauma and violence on page, it lurked in the background and I was constantly waiting for the shoe to drop.

If I expected life to be more even for Amara as a freed woman, I was wrong. Amara made lots of decisions that were hard to witness, yet quite understandable. On the one hand it was good to see some personal satisfaction for Amara while watching through my fingers.

The Wolf Den friends were a big part of this story and I admired Amara's actions with regards to them. I hated where some of this ended up. Felix remained vile, Rufus was as uninspiring as I expected and other men in her life showed some spark of integrity.

The plot in the sequel was strong, clever and nuanced. I enjoyed this read immensely and I'm avidly looking forward to the final installment. I dare to hope for Amara's future...

Thank you to Head of Zeus for the review copy.

I devoured this one shortly after reading The Wolf Den and it was just as great. I tore through it really quickly

The House with The Golden Door 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I am not a visual thinker. Nothing fills me with more dread than when someone says, “picture this…”. But something about Elodie Harpers writing lights up my brain. Never has it been so easy for me to vividly create scenes in my mind’s eye and if these books were over 1000 pages long, it still would not be long enough for me to enjoy this type of reading experience.

The House with The Golden Door picks up where The Wolf Den leaves off, in a state of chaos and upset. Amara is now free from her life as a prostitute in Pompeii’s most infamous brothel, but her freedom depends on the generosity of her Patron for as long as she can keep his affections. Amara grapples with her new status as freedwoman, self-conscious of her vulgar past, never truly feeling safe or confident for her future, haunted by the women she left behind in The Wolf Den.

While The Wolf Den doesn’t hold back on its unflinching depiction of life as a slave in Pompeii, The House with The Golden Door is a slower exploration of character, a drawing out of an anxiety inducing plot and a painful realisation that your heart rarely listens to reason, you will risk everything for those you love.

Pure mastery, whether you know lots or nothing at all about the period. If you enjoy vivid writing, thrilling storylines and never to be forgotten characters I give this soon to be trilogy all the stars. ✨

Having read the first book I was so
Interested to see where the story will go.

Again I loved the characters and through they were strongly described. Pompeii is again very well described and it was easy to imagine what it must have been like.

Im so looking forward to book three but I’m scared I’ll be upset and emotional as im so invested in the characters and I hope there are no major disasters but I really feel there may be.

After having loved the Wolf Den I was worried that this wouldn't live up to my expection in the continuation of this trilogy. I needn't have worried as this novel picks up and carries the story in the same engaging way, with the same, lovable characters. Elodie writes in such an atmospheric way; I've never been to Pompeii but I absolutely felt like I was immersed in those story and was in Pompeii and in the wolf den with the wolves! I can't wait for the next in the trilogy!

I absolutely loved this one! I love how this series is progressing so far and the author has such a captivating way of writing!

I published my review of this on release day and I am still recommending this book to my friends!

Can't wait for the third and final instalment!!

This is the second in Harper's series and I have to be honest, something about the first book put me off from reading this one for a while but it really should not have done. I much preferred this book and I think that is because there is more of a story. We already know Amara and the supporting characters and we follow them on the next steps of their journey through life. I thought a lot more happened during this book and there was a lot more danger and excitement, plus the third book is set up very well.
Once again, Harper really evokes the time period and atmosphere and I could really envisage the surroundings and people I was reading about. I adore this time period and it is always such an enjoyable experience to read and immerse myself in.
This is a strong sequel and I cannot wait for the next book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for an advance copy.

I loved The Wolf Den, and this follow up title did not disappoint. Amara is now ‘free’ but subject to the whims of her patron, Rufus. The characters are are rich and wonderful as the first book. Amara’s big heart means that she puts herself in grave danger - by borrowing money from Felix. They have a complicated relationship which is not helped by Amara’s compulsion to free Britannica and Victoria. Treachery is afoot and Amara should have taken her lover’s advice but her headstrong nature exposes her tenuous situation.

The novel is a wonderful history lesson, shocking, revealing and brutality are all strong themes which are addressed. The book relies heavily on events from the first novel, though they are well explained so this can be read as a standalone title - though why miss out and read them both!

The novel ends as a new chapter in Amara’s life unfolds. Freed from her obligations to Rufus, mother to Philos’ child - what dies the future holds for them? I can’t wait to find out!

Just as stunning as book one of the series. Elodie Harper just has such a way with words that keeps me wanting more. Cannot wait for anything else that they bring out.

I absolutely adore this series. The first book in the series was amazing and I loved following Amara's story as she explores life after the Wolf Den. This is rich in historical detail and compelling characters. Very excited for book three!

Regular readers may remember that last year I loved The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper. It was the first in a trilogy set in a brothel in Pompeii. The House with the Golden Door is the second in the trilogy. Amara, our heroine, has escaped the brothel and slavery and is now a free woman but still a courtesan. Page turning stuff, now I’m counting the days until the final instalment appears next year.

As with the first book in the series, the descriptions are so vivid as Elodie Harper brings Pompeii and its inhabitants to life. I particularly enjoyed the scenes where the streets were bustling and I could clearly imagine the colours and the sounds.

I enjoyed Amara’s development in The House with the Golden Door as she became a more complex and nuanced character. She was still reckless and impulsive but she learnt to become cunning and resilient. Some of her decisions were questionable but I always understood her motivation.

The themes from The Wolf Den run throughout this book, including body autonomy and the quest to be truly free. I enjoyed the author’s exploration of the power dynamics in Ancient Pompeii, not just between slave and owner, but also between men and women in the patriarchal society.

The betrayals and looming threat created an almost foreboding atmosphere. However, I did find the storyline wasn’t quite as compelling as The Wolf Den. It felt more like it was setting the scene for the final instalment of the trilogy.

Having said that, I will definitely be reading the third book. I’m keen to know how the story ends (and whether we get to read about the eruption of Vesuvius!)

This was worth more than 5 stars! Having read and loved the Wolf Den, I immediately requested an arc when I saw it was available. I was strangely reluctant to start it though- in my mind, once the main character had been freed, I couldnt imagine there ‘being much of a story’ left. I was completely and utterly wrong. The emotional stress Amara feels throughout her time at the house with the golden door was very real- how to keep her patron interested, realising the conditions for her freedom are not as good as they first seemed, falling in love with someone inappropriate. The ending really shocked me! I need the next book asap.

Following the events of The Wolf Den, still set in AD75 Pompei, Amara is now out of the den and Felix’s control. She lives in a house rented by her patron Rufus, has freedom, money and luxury she never had before, but she is not happy. Still plagued by the death of Dido, the memories of her life in the brothel and Felix’s treatment, and apart from her sisters in the den, Amara still suffers, now just in a house controlled by a man and surrounded by slaves she feels resent her. While very aware that her new life is still under the power of a man and his current interest in her and her body, Amara has been saving money, running a loaning business helping women out with loans (with a lower interest rate and without the violence of Felix’s venture) for her own security - but when she finds out Felix is becoming more violent with Victoria, still stuck at the den, she has to face her fear and try negotiate a price with Felix to save her friend and sister. Putting herself in his debt by agreeing far more than she can afford, and with the fragility of her patronage ever looming, Amara has saved Victoria and Britannica, but has it been at the expense of herself? And does she still have an abusive owner in a man she thought she thought was good?

This is a brilliant book but it’s also not an easy book to read due to the subject nature. Surprisingly this 2nd instalment is more unsettling than The Wolf Den, set in Felix’s brothel, the threat or act of sexual, mental and/or physical violence of multiple male characters on several female characters always present. Rufus, Amara’s patron, likes his girls fragile and comments on her weight, so throughout the book she starves herself, losing weight so she maintains his favour. Rufus is possessive, he calls it love but he treats Amara like an object, a toy no one else can play with and punishes her by reminding her of her place when he feels his ego is threatened. Then there is Felix, this is a strange sentence to type but I’m praying Vesuvius gets him in the final instalment. The power dynamic changes here between Amara and her former owner, or rather she believes it does and that is the problem in itself. Felix desires Amara but he no longer owns her and she is protected by her patron, she has defied him, humiliated him, she has bought Victoria from him and with this confidence and illusion of freedom from her change in circumstances and new business ventures, she confronts and tries to play his own game back at him. This creates an even bigger enemy in Felix you feel that fear of his shadow over all the characters.
Power dynamics have also changed between the friends; Victoria has been bought and freed but she owes this freedom Amara, she works for her singing, with sex coming with it, and the money goes towards what Felix is owed. The privilege and status Amara has over Victoria quickly becomes a problem and both women in this story have the temporary feeling of liberation before they have chains in a new form.
There’s also the added dynamic of Amara as the lady of the house, in effect, a former slave who now has slaves at her command, including Philos, who she falls in love with, and for her music venture with Drusilla, they also buy slaves to perform. In order to avoid returning to her own misery, there are times where Amara has to become the very people she hates, including Felix, and use people as pawns.

Amara is a fascinating character, she’s the daughter of a doctor from before she became a slave, she’s a former slave who still bears the emotional scars of having her body taken from her and seen as barely a person, and she’s a young woman with money and perceived status, with slaves, a house, business ventures and people of status as her peers but ultimately knowing she owns nothing, it can all be taken away with the interest and lust veiled of love of her patron. These different and duelling sides of Amara create conflicting thoughts and fears with the confidence of happiness and love battling with desperation and need for security and protection for her and her loved ones. While Amara longs to be a daughter of a doctor, a mother, a wife and lover, a businesswoman, as the book progresses she sadly realised this world is not kind to women and she can not escape the shadows of the men in her life.
The interactions between Amara and Victoria are particularly interesting as, while Victoria does behave badly (no spoilers), she is also a woman just trying to survive and be loved, a woman who has been hurt and used by people, now this includes Amara. Likewise the interactions between Amara and Felix are electric, you learn more about him and while you won’t feel sorry for him you understand him better. These scenes are menacing and dangerous in a way far stronger than The Wolf Den.
Tender moments can be found between Amara’s love story with Philos, the house steward and slave, they grow to love each other and in these moments hidden away in her room, you can experience the peace (though brief and temporary) of these 2 hurt people.
Brittanica is an absolute delight too, I would have to say she is my favourite character, she’s a good friend, she’s loyal and brave and protective but she has her own demons she wrestles with. I love how this book ended for her.

Like I’ve said above, this book was harder r read than TWD, the sexual violence and threats, the treatment of slaves, the unfairness of this time feels even more magnified so it’s not necessarily a book you can soar through for your own mental health. That said, the characters are wonderful with some beautifully complex and strong women in particular who don’t always do the right thing but are good and you want and need them to survive not just the impending eruption but also each day of this battle they face in a world of men and their power.
Likewise the writing is wonderful, it’s not overwritten, it’s not self indulgent to show off the time spent on research but it’s rich and brings Pompeii to life and it flows well.

I’m both excited and terrified for the final instalment in this trilogy with Mount Vesuvius’ eruption growing ever closer, but this is a fantastic series dealing with both sensitively and respectfully to those who were victims in many forms.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review

What a treat this second instalment in the Wolf Den trilogy was! This is the first historical trilogy I read and I'm thoroughly invested, it'll be hard waiting until November to read the final book. As it's the second book, it's hard to say anything about its plot in a review as that would spoil the first one, but just know if you like Amara and are invested in her story, this will grip you even more.

The Roman empire setting, about 3 to 5 years prior to the eruption of Vesuvius in Pompeii is one that I was always interested in but had never read about, especially not from the perspective of a slave prostitute. Although I'm no expert in this time period (does 4 years of Latin in middle/high school even count?), I feel that this series is mostly historically accurate (probably more so in this book rather than the first one as I felt that some of the interactions between slaves and freepeople were a little unbelievable at times), and I am enthralled by Harper's beautiful, easy writing style. I usually don't love books written in the present tense but this one just does it right.

I haven't felt this strongly about a book in a while, if I'm honest. I felt so many things so hard for Amara and her friends, and I was left gasping left right and centre in those last 30% of the book. In fact, I read that last third in less than 24 hours. I just couldn't put it down, and I kept thinking about the characters and what might happen to them whenever I did have to stop reading. These characters are going to stay with me for a long time, and I need to know what will happen to them.

I can't quite give this book 5 stars as I did feel that it lulled a bit around the 50% mark, although not for long. I also finished the book wondering about a specific plot point that was important in the first half but totally forgotten about after the 70% mark after a significant event in Amara's life, which I wonder if we will hear about again but highly doubt after that ending. Overall, this was a highly enjoyable book that transported me to AD 76 Pompeii, and I can't wait to see how it all ends (I have some guesses and they all break my heart).

Thank you to Head of Zeus and NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

While I enjoyed the first in this series, The Wolf Den, I felt it was lacking in substance and unfortunately that's also how I feel about this sequel. Now Amara has gained some sort of freedom (if you can call being owned by one man instead of anyone with the right fee freedom) there's a real lack of threat running through this. Amara knows she has to keep her man happy, enthralled by her to keep her place, but there's less danger involved. It's almost as though Amara knows she can't really do anything and she gives up her sense of self along the way.

I still love Britannica though. She's someone who never compromises herself for anyone, fighting anything and everything to be free. Vicious yet vulnerable she's the character I wanted Amara to be, and all the more complex and interesting for it.

I'll probably not read the final book in this series. It feels really dragged out at this point, as though the author really only had a standalone book in mind that has morphed into an overly long series. However, if they ever decide to write something new I'll definitely check it out.

I loved being back in ancient Pompeii with these characters. This book series is one I can never stop thinking about and i have really enjoyed reading. I already can’t wait for the third!

I really like Amara’s character and her journey throughout the books. The cast of characters are all really intriguing and easy to get attached to as well, so that really enhances the story. I really like Elodie’s style of writing, it’s really easy to follow and sets the world up for these series so well.

I have already recommended to others and wouldn’t hesitate to gift to friends who I know love historical fiction or want a nice easy way into historical fiction.

A very worthy follow up to The Wolf Den, which was one of my favourite books in 2021. I thoroughly enjoyed the way the narrative continued, and Amara got some brilliant moments, but much like the first book, this also broke my heart in so many ways. Cannot wait for the next one!!