Sorry to say I DNFed this book at 25%. I tried to read it too soon after My Dark Vanessa and the #metoo theme was strong. It's very well-written and gripping, but I needed something lighter subject matter. I recommend to readers who enjoy darker suspense novels, My Dark Vanessa, and if you like Megan Abbott's books.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was incredibly well-written and I loved the character dynamics. The plot kept me reading all the way through. This was a great read.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Rachel Kapelke-Dale for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! I hate to say that I couldn’t get into this one… I recommend it still though because it seems really interesting!

This book was slow, and heavy. A lot of darker topics are discussed; this definitely qualifies as "literary fiction," which isn't really my jam. However, it WAS well written. 3 stars.

Starting a bit slow, The Ingenue (published 12/22) is a dark but well-developed story, covering two intertwined timelines of the late 1990s/early 2000s and early 2020. In the earlier timeline, appearing first in each chapter, Saskia is a teenager in Milwaukee, playing piano as a child prodigy. In the later timeline, ending each chapter, Saskia has returned to Wisconsin from NYC after her mother’s sudden death, where she finds the house she grew up in, which she expected to inherit, has been left instead to Patrick, the man she had a secret sexual relationship with as a teenager. Prior to both timelines, each chapter begins with an excerpt from Saskia’s mother’s reimagined fairy tales which she wrote with feminist main characters and published to much acclaim. There were many interwoven themes that kept my focused attention while listening to the audiobook, narrated beautifully by Stephanie Willis. I did not see the ending coming and thought it was unexpectedly bright and hopeful for a novel with such dark themes.
Many thanks to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.

"The Ingenue" is a brilliantly conceived story. The layers built into it allow the reader to become completely engrossed in the narrative. Kapelke-Dale's ability to create deep, complex characters just makes the tale that much better. Cannot wait for her next book!

The Ingenue is a contemporary novel about a woman who returns to her homeland after her mother’s death and the baffling inheritance she left behind.

Saskia Kreis was a child piano prodigy but stopped playing when she left Juilliard for a degree in computer science instead. Her relationship with her mother (author and artist Evelyn Harper Kreis) never quite recovered but it’s still a shock when Evelyn not only dies unexpectedly but also doesn’t leave Saskia the family’s 150 year old mansion the “Elf House”. Desperate to keep her inheritance Saskia is forced to look into her own past (including a secret relationship) to try to understand her mother’s motivations.

This novel has a little of everything. The closing paragraph of the first chapter is so powerful that it kept me turning pages curious to see how Saskia was going to end up there. And the explanation about the cost and upkeep of the house really made me think about the burden of chaining future generations to the past even if it’s something valuable like a home. Even though it’s a hard subject to read about Rachel Kapelke-Dale also did an excellent job showing the reader how a young girl could be preyed upon and then struggle after that relationship ended. And through quotes from Evelyn’s children’s book series of re-imagined feminist fairy tales we see a mother trying to create a world where young women have a strong voice but is unaware that her own daughter is losing hers.

Rachel Kapelke-Dale has written another complicated heroine that the reader can’t help but root for despite her flaws. I really enjoyed this book that isn’t quite a thriller but has suspenseful and mystery elements. It also has family drama and secrets plus a peek behind the curtain of the life of a young prodigy. I recommend to it readers that enjoy darker stories where the main character is flawed but hard to look away from.

I had not previously read a book by this author before, so I was not sure what to expect. I am not sure if it was the author’s writing style, but the book itself was a bit slow for me, and I struggled to get through it. The concept was interesting, and I am glad I finished it, but I don’t think it was for me in the end.

I was given an advanced reader's copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own

I previously read "The Ballerina"s by the same author, which I very much enjoyed. I was excited to read this newest release, however, it wasn't a light/easy read. It covers a topic/topics that aren't being discussed enough in our society today. I do recommend.

Upon her return to Milwaukee following her mother's sudden passing, former piano prodigy Saskia Kreis anticipates inheriting the family estate—the Elf House. However, an unexpected twist in her mother's will leaves the Elf House to a man with whom Saskia shares a complex history. This revelation prompts Saskia to reevaluate her past, especially the romantic entanglement that altered the trajectory of her life.

The narrative unfolds across two distinct time periods, with each chapter seamlessly transitioning between the current era and pivotal moments in Saskia's history. As the story progresses, lingering questions find answers. Saskia, the sole narrator, infuses the entire novel with a gripping and discomforting perspective that resonates in all the right ways.

"The Ingenue" delves into profound themes, including exceptional talent, familial dynamics, and the sensitive issues of inappropriate conduct and sexual assault. It's a narrative of substantial depth, not to be taken lightly, yet its emotional impact and compelling storytelling ensure it leaves a lasting imprint.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was hard to read and explored some dark topics. I wouldn’t say I liked all of the choices the main characters made, but I felt for their dilemmas. And who knew how well gothic elements could play out during a Milwaukee winter?

If you are interested in coming-of-age and//or #metoo storytelling, Kapelke-Dale has written a good one.

This was described as my Dark Vanessa meets the Queens gambit, and definitely got this vibes from it. I struggled to get into it, but really want to try again at some other point, I think. I was just in a rut.

For most of this book I was hooked, on the edge of my seat. I was horrified by the story and anxiously awaiting vengeance for the awful things that had happened. But then things took QUITE the turn. I wasn’t expecting the ending and while it was twisty and shocking it was also disappointing. I enjoyed a lot of it but things didn’t wrap up the way I hoped. Mixed feelings on this one!

Thank you Netgalley & the publisher for a copy of this book. All thoughts & opinions are my very own.

This book had multiple timelines and manipulation between a teacher and a student.
Former piano prodigy Saskia Kreis had returned to her hometown Milwaukee after the sudden death of her mother. She’s expecting to receive her family estate that is called Elf House. To her shock her mother leaves it to a former colleague, Peter, with whom Saskia shares a complicated history. With each chapter we get little bits of fairy tales that Saskiaa mother wrote. We soon uncover a dark secret and a relationship that changed the course of her life. Some of these parts were a bit difficult to read. As Saskia digs into why her mother would leave the family home to Patrick, we get the story of Saskia as a young girl whose fourteen. We soon uncover something dark and Sinister and how far will Saskia for justice.

This book was in vain to the movie center stage. I thought the character development was very good but the pacing was a bit slow and I thought it could’ve been a bit faster. I loved the setting in the repulsiveness of it.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy that I barely finished reading. I overdid it on ARC requests and I am trying to get all caught up.

The cover and title really got my attention. The story had me hooked at times, other times I was confused and had to backtrack to see what POV I was on, and other times I was not interested in the story. I think this just was not a story for me.

Dark and disturbing--sometimes it's fun! And sometimes it's not for everyone. But I loved it anyway and enjoyed every second.

Compared with My Dark Vanessa, The Ingenue is another novel that pairs an inappropriate relationship between Saskia, a young and special woman with an older man. Each chapter begins with "Fairytales for Little Feminists," a book written by Saskia's mother that really adds to the overall #metoo vibe of the book. Overall, the story makes me think about being special as a child - Saskia is a piano prodigy - and how these children grow up in a world of adults, without being fully adult. It's the kind of book that sticks with you after finishing up the last page.

The Ingenue by Rachel Kapelke-Dale was awesome. It told us the story about Saskia, how the timeline spanning from her childhood . It told us why she didn't inherited to her. Like the similar predecessor book from Kate Elizabeth Russell, My Dark Vanessa, The Ingenue featured an inappropriate and predatory relationship between a minor with much, much older man in position of power, in which in this book is Saskia's teacher. It's creepy. Well, because it's predatory. I adored the writing because it truly made us seeing the light of this situation, how older men with predatory tendencies would do anything to manipulate minor girls that they're close to go. And as someone with a sister of the age when Saskia was groomed back then, it chilled me. This is not an easy topic to write, that's for sure. I appreciated how the author's able.to wrote it well.

When seeing The Ingenue introduced as My Dark Vanessa meets The Queen's Gambit, I knew I had to read it. It did not disappoint. It took a little bit for me to become fully invested but once I did, I really enjoyed the story. Looking forward to reading The Fortune Seller when it is released next year.