Exciting, fresh, and downright brilliant. The sequel in The Wolf Den Trilogy provides an equally enthralling story that captivates you into its pages making it an addictive read with an onslaught of juicy and compelling chapters that kept me page turning constantly till I reached the very dramatic, striking end.

Amara has escaped The Wolf Den and is now no longer a slave to her former master Felix but that doesn't mean she still isn't haunted by her past. Amara now relies on her new Patron to carry on her new lifestyle but even with all his affections is he really the man Amara claims he is.

This book is absolutely amazing. I enjoyed it from the beginning - middle - and end. Elodie Harper paints such a beautiful and realistic imagine of Pompeii as we follow Amara through her second story. The characters are gorgeously fleshed out and we come to see different sides of people we thought we may have knew from the first novel.

I have my pre-order in at waterstones already for May 12th!

Thank you to Net galley for providing me with an early copy in return for a honest review and Thanks to Elodie Harper for creating such a magnificent read.

Aahhhh, I wanted to love this second book in this series as much as I loved the first one, The Wolf Den. But I didn’t enjoy it much. I loved Amara in the first book because she was tough and pragmatic. She was a survivor. But in this book, she is not a badass like she used to be. She makes very poor choices too and I wasn’t feeling her unfortunately.

Still, I loved the friendship she made with a certain female character (I can’t say the name to avoid spoilers!). And I love that character!🥰 I want to read more about her than Amara at this point😂

To say I thoroughly enjoyed this book would be an understatement.
I was immediately transported back to familiar people and places and it was like getting together with an old friend
My only negative, I have to wait for book 3 to know what happens
Another triumph!

I loved this latest installation of Harper's Wolf Den series! I ended up finishing the last half of the book in one sitting and couldn't put it down.

Amara may think she's free, but she's still trapped in a gilded cage as she navigates life as a courtesan for a wealthy man. She must also contend with her former owner Felix and her past as a brothel slave and try to put that past behind her. I really enjoyed the historical aspects of this novel and learned a lot about the ways of life through Harper's writing.

Female friendships are still at the forefront and I loved that we see more of Brittanica and how her friendship with Amara progresses over the course of the novel. I like that we also traveled outside of Pompeii for a spell and met some other historical figures.

I didn't understand Amara's reasonings for withholding some information at the end of the book, but all in all I really enjoyed The House with the Golden Door and can't wait to let readers know about the continuation of Amara's story.

Harper gives those lost to history a voice, however heartbreaking their circumstances, and I am very excited for the last book in her trilogy.

The House with the Golden Door is the second part of the Wolf Den Trilogy. I really enjoy reading stories about Ancient history and culture and this book was a pleasant read.

The whole book gave me the perfect historical Pompeii vibe come to life. I felt like walking through the whole novel like I’m part of it, and couldn’t put down till the end.

I absolutely enjoyed reading a piece of classical story.

The Wolf Den was one of my favourite books of 2021 and I couldn’t wait to be transported back to Pompeii for Elodie Harper’s much anticipated sequel - it certainly didn’t disappoint!
Having escaped the brothel and the brutal hands of her pimp Felix, Amara is now a freedwoman. But will she ever be truly free? Her fate is determined by her patron Rufus. If he tires of her, her world will come crashing down. Will she outsmart him and sacrifice all that she has for true love?
Beautifully written, with such wonderfully detailed descriptions of Ancient Rome, the author has certainly done her homework.
I loved how every chapter started with a genuine quote or piece of graffiti from the era and cannot wait to head to Rome!
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this amazing arc and please don’t keep us waiting too long for the final book in this trilogy!

The House with the Golden Door by @elodielharper - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Thank you so much to @headofzeus and @netgalley for my advanced copy!

The Wolf Den was the best book I read last month - one I’m still gushing about - so obviously I was excited to see an advanced review copy of the sequel was ready as I was finishing up as The Wolf Den is one of those books you won’t want to finish once you get to the final few pages (or minutes - the audiobook edition is brilliant!)

Scroll down a few posts to read that review in my grid, but what can I tell you about why you’ll also need to pre-order The House with the Golden Door? Well, without giving any spoilers away we’re staying with Amara as we explore a different side of Pompeii to life in The Wolf Den brothel. The writing is still stunning, the characters are still vivid and bold, and this plot, while not as addictive as the last, actually has higher stakes, more shocks and much more drama! Honestly, I’m gutted I’ve probably got at least a year to wait and see how it all ends…

The House with the Golden Door is out on May 12th - so grab a copy of The Wolf Den and get stuck in so you can be ready!

I loved The Wolf Den and was delighted to receive an ARC of the sequel,thanks to the publisher and NetGalley.It definitely lived up to my expectations;it’s every bit as good as the first book.It continues the story of Amara ,devastated by the death of her dear friend Dido,but embracing her life as a freedwoman and concubine to her patron,Rufus.
However, she soon finds out that her new life is not as idyllic as she expected ,and that the problems she had with her previous owner, the brothel keeper Felix , have not gone away.She makes the decision to buy two of the women from the wolf den ,and this causes her great problems.Along with this is her love affair with Philos ,Rufus’s steward,which puts them both in a perilous situation.
The book is so well written and the characters so well developed ,that I really felt that I knew them by the end of the book.As before ,each chapter begins with an inscription or quotation from the time which really brings the past alive.I can’t wait for the next book and finding out what happens to Amara next.
This is an honest review based on my own opinions.

Just brilliant!! After reading and loving the first book, I was not let down by the sequel. So accurately written but also absorbing; it was hard to leave the characters behind! The historical immersion of Madeline Miller with the commercial sauce of Philippa Gregory.

Frankly, there aren’t enough words to describe my love for this book and Harper’s writing. I simply cannot get enough of it.

With the Wolf Den being such a fantastic book with interesting plot, I was nervous that this would not live up to the expectations the first book presented. However, there was never need for any doubt. The House With The Golden Door takes place after the events of The Wolf Den, with Amara now free.

Plot twists and heart wrenching moments litter this sequel in the best way, I couldn’t put it down!

Being back in this world was amazing, and the writing is just phenomenal.

Perfect for fans of Circe and Ariadne - a new modern classic, that’s for sure.

If I hadn't fallen in love with this series when reading The Wolf Den I have now!

This sequel takes us right back into Amara's Pompeii after the events of the first book left us hanging. As a freedwoman, Amara learns that all is not as it seems as she continues to fight for her survival and that of those she cares about. Her precarious survival had me on edge the whole time as we learned along with Amara who she could really trust.

I love the way we get transported back to the sights and smells of Pompeii and my hatred of Felix still knows no bounds in this second book. Amara's fight to get away from her enslavement is compelling and the characters new and old she encounters on the way make for a breathtaking read.

Elodie Harper definitely knows how to tug at heartstrings and I felt every betrayal and glimmer of hope in The House With the Golden Door.

An amazing read and I can't wait until this book is published on the 12th May 🎉

I highly anticipated reading the second instalment of Elodie Harpers trilogy and it did not disappoint! From the first page I was once again drawn into the life of Amara as she battles to survive in Pompeii. The writing is excellent and I found it easy to visualise what I was reading. The story is full of twists and turns and I didn’t want it to end. I cannot wait for the third instalment and to see what other gems Elodie Harper releases after that!

Massive thanks to House of Zeus and NetGalley for allowing me access to this book.
#elodieharper #housewiththegoldendoor #houseofzeus #netgalley

I thought the first book "The Wolf Den "was possibly the best book I have ever read and I was giddy with excitement when I got a review copy of the follow up. Sadly I didn't enjoy it as much as the first book. In parts it seemed to ramble as though to fill up pages, although all the historic detail was amazing and Pompeii came to life in my brain, which is such credit to Elodie Harper.
Amara is now a courtesan with Rufus as her patron, she is no longer a common prostitute from The Wolf Den, and we see her changing from a very smart but gullible girl to a very smart but hard woman who can lie to Rufus and make him believe her. She still is in contact with some friends from The Wolf Den, although living with regret over the death of her best friend Dido, and she is still pursued by Felix her former owner from the brothel, who is a very evil manipulator and determined to have Amara back.
Love blossoms for Amara, a forbidden love, which must be hidden and that made me hold my breath at times. The last quarter of the book was a surprise, a strange one that I think is the reason I didn't enjoy the book so much, but which showed Amara at her calculating best. It was beautifully written but only 4 stars as I was a bit disappointed.
Thanks to Head of Zeus for my advance copy in return for an honest review.

Thanks to Apollo (Head of Zeus) and Elodie Harper for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This series has my heart. I adored The Wolf Den, so I’m not joking when I say this was probably my most anticipated release of all time. Thankfully, it did not disappoint. It was perhaps a bit slower paced than The Wolf Den – which is saying something, because that was also fairly slow – but I was so invested in the characters that, to me, it didn’t matter one iota. The research that Harper has put into this work is evident; the locations, real people and cultural, social and religious issues are all so brilliantly tackled. The level of DETAIL with which she includes elements from the Roman milieu circa AD 75 is astounding. I particularly loved the discussion about Martha (a Jewish slave)’s heritage and experiences as a free woman and then a slave under the Empire after the annexation of Judea. I have a personal interest in this period, so I am perhaps biased – I could read fiction set in the Roman world forever - but it is a particularly joyous experience to find a work so well-researched, sensitively – yet boldly – written, and so utterly captivating. This series will always have a special place in my heart, and I NEED book three NOW.

We return to Amara's story as she begins a new journey as a concubine. No longer a slave, she must adjust to her new status in society and all that comes with it. What I found fascinating about this story is how Amara is drawn back to her former master. It's such a complicated but interesting relationship that she has with Felix, and at times it is frustrating. Felix has his claws deeply in her, and Amara finds she must employ some of his own tactics against him in order to rid herself of his influence. Amara makes some pretty ruthless decisions to keep herself and those she loves safe. Her story remains a heartbreaking one to read. Her strength and determination to improve her situation make this book really enjoyable. She's a brilliant, complex character and I can't wait to read more of her story in book three.

Other Thoughts (Possible Spoilers Here)
- I like Philos as a character and how she finds comfort in him; I just wish we could have seen her mourning her relationship with Menander a little more before the rather sudden shift to her feelings for Philos.
- I also love the development of Britannica's character in this book. She became really likeable, and I found myself quite attached to her. Her broken language is really well done in terms of how it makes her fierce and endearing at the same time.

The House with the Golden Door is a second part of a trilogy. You can read here (https://focusread.blogspot.com/2021/04/the-wolf-den-by-elodie-harper-head-of.html about the first book - The Wolf Den.

Amara escapes the brothel, but she isn't free at all. She feels captured and lonely in a golden cage and wears a mask of lovely, delicate and naive concubine. It doesn’t matter that she outwitted the most violent pimp in Pompeii, or that she could move mountains with her rage. This is not what her lover wants to see, so she hides it all. She holds the master's attention, even manipulates him, because she knows that her look will last only a short period of time, lovers are just as bad, but a closet full of coin never made any woman cry. Freedom has already exacted a heavy price. She cannot give up everything, or she will have nothing left of herself.

As is a first book, this one is also extremely enchanting, wonderfully written with vivid characters, real figures from history (Pliny) and in an atmosphere of an ancient Pompeii in the shadow of forthcoming volcanic eruption.

And in the middle - powerful Amara - love, grief, friendship and everyday struggle (of slaves and freemen) to achieve better life.

Every chapter begins with graffiti or a quote from ancient Roman era as a reminder that human nature stays the same.

Elodie Harper is a great storyteller and I am looking forward to Amara's adventures in Rome.

Highly recommended.

this beautiful sequel to the wolf den has been long awaited! it’s actually a 4.5 star from me - rounded down. It was so amazing to revisit the characters and places from the first novel and to see the relationships between the characters change and mature (sometimes not in a good way but that’s life) was so precious. No spoilers but i definitely have a new couple that i will be shipping! It didn’t rip my heart out and have me feeling as emotional as the first one did - hence i rated that 5 stars and this 4.5 but it was nevertheless very good and essential to read if you enjoyed the wolf den.

4.5*****

While I didn’t enjoy this as much as book 1, I still sped through it- reading the last 50% in one go.

As soon as I was approved for this, I started reading it.
Amara is out of the Wolf Den but is sorely missing this sisterhood she had, and deeply grieving the death of her truest friend in book 1.
She is learning what it means to be a concubine and how this elevated her position in society, above that of her previous slave status and prostitute. We see her troubles adjusting to this, as well as trying to move on from her past.

However, Felix will not let her go that easily. And not only does she have to deal with her completely horrible and dispicable previous owner, she’s also got new challenges to face, including keeping her patrons interest, and a dangerous/forbidden love which could leave devastating consequences.

In this we see Amara just trying to navigate a new scenario and situation for her, as well as trying to improve on her current situation and help those she loves… even if it means destroying herself in the process. We see her make difficult decisions and great sacrifices. She also becomes more cold and calculating- but it’s the only route of survival she has to try and save everyone she loves.

In this we also get to see her bond more closely to Britannica and more about Britannica- which I really enjoyed. I loved seeing the development of this deeply loyal and ferocious fighter become a fantastic confidante and teacher to Amara.

I really enjoy Elodie Harpers writing- the way she shows the delicate and often stringent relationships of those in the wolf den, the new relationships between courtesans and the slaves in general.

I cannot wait for Book 3 where I really hope Felix dies.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this E-Arc.

Having read and thoroughly enjoyed The Wolf Den I was delighted to hear that a sequel had been released.

While it doesn’t cause as many questions to be raised as it’s predecessor, this book still enthralls and you are invested in the story of the wolf pack and their lives in Roman Pompei

I loved the wolf den and so I had high hopes for this book and it didnt disappoint me. This book is so well written with well developed characters and a great storyline. I loved the setting in this book as well. I couldnt put this book down it was so gripping. Really well written.