Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for the advanced reader copy of this book. All opinions are mine.

Excellent sequel to THE MINIATURIST. I would not say you needed to read the original in order to enjoy this book, but it would be help. The original was one of my all-times favorites and as always, I judge a bit more critically when that's the case. The setting is 18 years on from the first book...Thea is coming of age under the watchful eyes of Nella, Cornelia and Otto. However, they fail to watch her closely enough as her secret romance threatens to destroy everything they have left. Then, the Miniaturist re-enters their life. Beautifully written period piece.

We are back with Jessie Burton for the second installment of The Miniaturist series. I love the cover art for this series - the art, colors, fonts. Very appealing and draws you in. I enjoyed this book. The magic is alive and well in Amsterdam after the events of Book 1 and Thea is trying to understand and accept her family history. I enjoyed the characters in the story but felt the book dragged a bit most of the way through, with the story picking up the most the last 1/3 of the way through the story. Overall it was a good read.

Jessie Burton returns to the world of Amsterdam and The Miniaturist, picking up 18 years later in 1705 when Marin's and Otto's baby, Thea, is a young woman. Silence remains in the household around the circumstances of her birth and these secrets haunt Thea. Thea loves the theatre, but is it her lover Walter, the set designer and artist, who is the real draw? We, as the reader, can see that Walter is not as invested in their love affair as Thea is. Thea is naive and inexperienced and she is setting herself up for heartache. The enigmatic Miniaturist makes an appearance when she begins sending Thea miniatures that mysteriously coincide with her life. I was hoping the mystery surrounding the miniaturist and her elusive role within the story would be explained better with some kind of resolution. The Miniaturist left me with questions and an unsatisfied feeling when the book ended. The character of the Miniaturist plays a smaller role in this book and, even though I still didn't fully understand her role, it was easier to accept her as an unexplained mystery and leave it at that. I loved Burton's group of characters who became family -- a family, when faced with devastating financial failure, were able to grow closer in the end with hope for the future and the ability to overcome their challenges. There was also a glimpse that Nella would find love with Caspar. Nella, Thea, Otto, and Cornelia formed a heartwarming, realistic family (faults, conflicts and all) with hopes of Caspar joining them in the future. A satisfying wrap up to the story of the Brandts.

Great follow up to The Miniaturist. It was so fun to return to 18th century Amsterdam and find out what happened next in the lives of these characters. Jessie Burton's writing is so evocative. Thank you very much for an early copy in exchange for my honest review. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys well-written historical fiction or has previously enjoyed Jessie Burton's books.

This story returns us to the household featured in The Miniaturist. Eighteen years have passed and Marin’s daughter, Thea, is now a young woman. The years have not been kind to the fortunes of the family. Many possessions have been sold off and they are trying to find a way to secure the future especially for young Thea. There is conflict, differing ideas and as always the stultifying atmosphere of Amsterdam.

I don't know if it's because of how long it took to be published, but I could not get people to check out this title. A third round purchase for most libraries.

I loved the Miniaturist and was very excited to see this follow-up on Netgalley! I didn't really expect one, as the last book seemed pretty well tied up, but I did enjoy this. It was fun to be back in this world.

A good read… but not near as amazing as the first. The gothic, eeriness of the first book, The Miniaturist, is missing here. The last 1/3 of the book didn’t have the same tone as I loved in The Miniaturist. I can’t quite put my finger on it; but something is missing. Maybe Jessie Burton just got a bit softer in the last ten years? And so that is represented in her writing? Maybe there needed to be more death or tragic events? (I know I’m morbid…)
After thinking on this for about a month I can honestly say that my biggest concern is that The House of Fortune was forgettable. Whereas The Miniaturist is will a book, even having read it 10 years ago, that comes to mind and has moments I can remember. This might be one of those times when a sequel was not needed; but the publisher wanted one? Whatever the reason it's a good read. I wouldn't not recommend it, but I would say only if you love The Miniaturist is this one worth picking up.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

Following the Brandt family, and picking up 18 years after "The Miniaturist," we learn about Thea as she emerges into adulthood on her 18th birthday. The family have continued to to scrape by in their elegant, but faded, house on one of Amsterdam's main streets. Nella is a central character as Thea's aunt and widow of the house.
I enjoyed seeing the interaction of the characters and learning about Thea and Nella's motivations. The descriptions were so interesting and immersive into the atmosphere of 1700s Amsterdam. It was a bit of a slow burn and I enjoyed the ending and was also surprised.

Jessie Burton is the champion of writing historical fiction. Much like The Miniaturist, the first in this series, Burton fills out every tiny detail of the world we find our characters in. No detail is too small for its attention from Burton. We find ourselves some time after the completion of The Miniaturist. Thea is a grown woman, navigating Amsterdam as a Dutch-African woman. Burton lets us explore this world through Thea and it is a glorious ride.

I read this book with a purpose- I wanted to discover the mystery of The Miniaturist from the first book in this series. I loved that book, save the inclusion of a character that I didn't get at all. What was the purpose of this character? Why would someone take the time and effort to craft objects and people but not ask for anything? I remained frustrated as the rest of the first book was delightful. A young farm girl is married to a wealthy Dutchman and moves to Amsterdam to live with him and his sister, only to be ignored and given a mysterious doll house to keep her occupied. I really enjoyed it, except for that one aspect of the story that formed the titular character.

I hoped this installment would bring the Miniaturist out of the shadows and we continue the story with the next generation in the same home. I adored the setting, the writing, and the characters. But I was again thwarted by this shadowy character that can shift the plot like a god, and the reader is expected to shrug our shoulders and accept the gifts she leaves on the door, learning no more at all. It left me dissatisfied and frustrated. And what's worse is that I am not convinced that it was needed for the story to hold up.

Read if you like family drama and Dutch history!
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The sequel to the miniaturist, this book takes place 18 years after the first book. Thea is all grown up and the book follows her pursuits as she tries to find love and meaning, and we follow the family as they try to navigate their financial troubles. We get to read all about their drama and adventures.
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I loved reading about what happened to the characters after the first book. I loved the first book so it was a treat to be back. I also really enjoyed reconnecting with Nella and seeing what happened to her/ what kind of aunt she became. She continued to be a strong character which I loved.
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CW: sexual content, infidelity, toxic relationship, classism, abandonment, death of a parent.

A charming and captivating story with interesting characters. They are all haunted by their pasts and wrapped up in secrets they are afraid to share. Much of the plot, in terms of Thea's romances, seemed a bit predictable, but it didn't matter, it was still enjoyable to read, but then there was an unexpected twist at the end.

“The Miniaturist” was ok, but this (unnecessary) sequel doesn’t have the gothic atmosphere which was the best part of the first book. Some cheesy romance. Disappointing. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

The House of Fortune is the highly anticipated sequel to The Miniturist. However you do not need to read the first book to enjoy this one. The story starts slow but builds to the secrets and intrigue in the Brandt family.
The family fortune has dwindled to nothing in 1705 Amsterdam . The book opens on Thea's 18th birthday and while she has a secret love her Aunt Nella plots to marry Thea into a rich, respectable family. It's a rich story with strong characters which keeps the reader turning pages.

📚𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀📚
4.5/5🌟

This is a sequel to 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑴𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒕, which I haven't read (yet) but - while I would’ve liked to know a bit more about the actual miniaturist, I felt the book was a stand alone. This is the story of 18 year old Thea and her unconventional family - the father, aunt and beloved cook who dote on her and attempt to protect her at all costs. Despite their efforts, Thea finds herself in frightening and complicated circumstances which she hides from them, all the while they’re hiding lifelong secrets from her. Thea is torn between following her heart (to possibly devastating circumstances) and her sense of familial obligation.

I absolutely loved the characters, their development and the setting - early 18th century Amsterdam, a city of culture, manners and gossip; a city not very welcoming or forgiving if you’re different like Thea and her family.

Precise writing with excellent detail,
a compelling story, and fully formed characters frame this wonderful novel, but I do think it would’ve had even more impact had I read 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑴𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒕 first.

My thanks to @netgalley and @bloomsbury publishing for the advanced copy!

The story was entertaining, but I’m not sure why it had to be tied to the previous novel. The Miniaturist was tangential at best. I much preferred the ordinal story/novel to the sequel. I really did enjoy the time period and setting and hope that the author explores this again- but leave the miniaturist on the shelf.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy!
I’m a huge fan of Jessie Burton, so was really looking forward to her new book. The House of Fortune is a sequel to the Miniaturist (her debut) and continues with the original characters and setting of 18th century Amsterdam. This time, it’s all about Thea, Nella’s niece (Otto and Marin’s daughter), and the pressures to marry well to save her family from financial ruin.
Now, the Miniaturist isn’t one of my favourites (I prefer the Muse and Confession) and I wasn’t sure a sequel was even needed, but was still interested. I have to say I was a little disappointed. It’s amazingly well written - you get completely transported to Amsterdam and it’s great to get the introspective into Nella and Thea’s characters. But otherwise, it felt flat - the miniaturist hardly appears at all, in spite of lots of teasers, and the ending was fairly obvious. Everyone also constantly seems to be sniping at each other, which makes for a gloomy atmosphere. Still, worth a read, if only to see what happened to the original characters.

“But I always said that was part of our problem. Too many secrets.”
“Some secrets are all right. Others are not.”

The relationships in Jessie Burton’s The House of Fortune are wrapped up in secrets. Secret hopes and desires. Secret acts and failures to act. Secret friends and enemies. Secrets from the world. Secrets from one another. And sometimes even secrets from themselves. Amid these secrets 18 year old Thea tries to find her place in the world, her father and aunt try to create both a new and a traditional place for Thea in their worlds.

In this sequel to The Miniaturist (fun, but not required), Burton again delves into the ever-changing politics of love, family and the expectations of both. I really liked this book (4 out of 5 stars) which is on sale everywhere August 30, 2022.

Jessie Burton's House of Fortune is a follow-up to The Miniaturist, which made a splash when it was released in 2014. I began reading House of Fortune without going back to read the review I'd written of the Miniaturist, so I can attest that it works as a stand-alone title, but the stories are so rich and so connected that I'd recommend starting with The Miniaturist regardless.

The central characters of House of Fortune are the remains of a rather unusual family, teetering on the brink of financial ruin in 18th Century Amsterdam. Thea, whose mother died giving birth to her, is a young woman coming into her own, a theatre aficionado who is experiencing her first love. Otto, her father, is originally from Dahomey, making Thea mixed race, and putting the family on the fringes of the "best" social circles. Nella was once married to Thea's uncle, for whom Otto worked. (There's a back story there that comprises most of The Miniaturist.) Having been widowed young, Nella is painfully aware of the way marriage can—or can't—provide a woman with security and has little patience with Thea's romanticism. Cornelia is the family's single servant, a woman who shoulders most of the work of the household. She's an employee, but also a family member, able to speak freely to other members of the household.

House of Fortune focuses on the tensions within this family group. Class hierarchy and piety are everything in their Amsterdam, and each of them carries secrets—some truly secret, others known—and each struggles both in pursuit of their own goals and in their concerns for the security and happiness of the others.

This might sound like the set-up for a typical period romance, but House of Fortune is much more than that, given the uncertain positions and complex identities of the central characters and a thread of more-or-less-magical realism that also ran through The Miniaturist.

It took me a while to warm to Thea, whose story provides the backbone of this novel. She's young, she's sure she knows things her elders don't, she's naive, she's combative in ways one expects of an eighteen-year-old. But once the first few chapters laid out the context of the novel and the plotting expanded to embrace other characters I found myself much more engaged—and less impatient with Thea.

If you enjoy historical fiction—especially historical fiction that looks beyond the normal conventions of the time in which its set—you're certain to enjoy House of Fortune.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.