The House with the Golden Door is the follow up to The Wolf Den, and I'm glad I decided to continue reading the series despite my indifference to the first book.

I think the development of Amara as a free woman was infinitely more interesting and compelling than the prostitute narrative in the first book. I really loved that we got to see Amara as a person, experiencing love, politics, and her own moral quandary of becoming a slave owner herself (via her patron).

I'm looking forward to the final installment!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Loved stepping back into this world. Elodie Harper has a gift for exposition and intrigue. Amara is strong and ruthless while also being soft hearted. I love her and can’t wait to see what she gets up to next!

Spoiler Free Review:

Wow. Stepping back into Pompeii and following along with Amara in the second book of this trilogy was incredible. In book one, The Wolf Den, I was struck by Amara’s determination to take control of her life, and in this book I saw that determination again as she clung to her freedom. Reading about her life book two was once again heartbreaking and brutally honest. I found myself sitting for several moments in silence after finishing the last page, struck by her sacrifice and the pain she has to endure as she continues to fight for her freedom.
At the start of the book, Amara quickly realizes just how delicate her new freedom is, and must walk the line between living how she wants and living how she must while trying to please the patron that supports her. Old friends come back into her life, as well as old enemies.
I find myself looking forward to the next installment and how Amara’s story will conclude. There is power in her life and in these beautiful words. Eloise Harper wrote such an incredible story and is one I will think of for a long time.
This is perfect for fans of Jennifer Saint and Madeline Miller as well as any person who wants to remember their own strength.

Thank you NetGalley, Elodie Harper and Union Square & Co. for this eARC.

This book is the second in the Wolf Den trilogy. I often find that the second book in a series is even better than the first, and this proved true for The House with the Golden Door!

[Summary next - includes minor spoilers]

Now that Amara is a freedwoman, life should be simple.... but of course it's not. Driven by a desire to make her own money separate from what her patron Rufus provides, as well as intense loyalty and a need to settle a debt between herself and her friend Victoria from the brothel, Amara finds herself taking immense risks. Every move she makes is calculated - and yet despite all her hustle and focus, she finds herself falling in love. Now every move she makes has the potential to dismantle her life as a freedwoman, but also the life of the man she's fallen in love with.

[End Summary]

I couldn't put this book down. I grew to know and love Amara and other characters in book 1, but the second book really dives into their characters and gave me a deeper understanding of their motivations, thoughts and dreams. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, knowing how much they all had to lose.

I also felt like I learned a lot about Pompeii and the hierarchy of society. I thought the quotes from Pliny the Elder, the Pompeii graffiti, and other bits of Pompeii history at the beginning of each chapter were fascinating, and I really enjoyed Elodie Harper's Afterward discussing her research. Historical fiction can be dense and difficult to understand, but the writing is so fluid and digestible, while also weaving a beautiful story.

I highly recommend you read The Wolf Den if you haven't already, so that you can be prepared to dive into The House with the Golden Door! I can't wait for the final installment of the trilogy!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This was definitely not as amazing as the first book. It was still really good though. I did go into it with high expectations. Some of the things I felt fell short in this book are: the plot was so slow, and I just didn’t feel as great of a connection to the characters. The first bit of the book was so underwhelming. The ending was the best part of the book. I was definitely not expecting it to end the way it did.

“Perhaps you shouldn’t have discarded her so easily. There is always a price to pay for underestimating a woman.”

The Wolf Den was one of my favorite books last year, and I was anxiously awaiting the sequel. The House with the Golden Door was hard for me to read this straight through, only because I care about the characters too much. Amara is playing a dangerous game in this one and everyone around her could pay the price. I don’t fault her, as she’s trying to make a way for herself in a brutal society. She’s finally free, but is she ever really free when she’s at the mercy of the men around her? I was so anxious waiting to see what would happen to her, Victoria, Philos, Beronice, Britannica, and more.

Britannica took such a spotlight as one of my favorite characters in this book. She’s such a fun and lively character. Philos becomes a major part of the story as well. Amara keeps us on our toes, per usual. She’s daring and shows no fear even when she’s internally cowering. I love her so much, even though she can be infuriating at times. The loss of a certain character from book one (don’t want to spoil for others), really drives her to become ruthless especially when confronting Felix.

“He was always generous, but my father really did not deserve the godlike worship my mother lavished on him. No man does. A mistake she was later determined her daughter would not repeat.”

These books are so unique and I’ve learned so much of the enslavement that took place in Pompeii (and other parts of the world during that time). You can tell that Elodie Harper does her research. I love learning while I’m reading and that’s I’m such a huge fan of well done historical fiction. This trilogy is going to be one that I recommend time and time again.

These books are full of heart-racing excitement. The characters make you fall in love with them. The House with the Golden Door is as equally heartbreaking as it is fulfilling. I cannot wait to read the final book. I would follow Amara’s story for many more installments, but I’ll settle for one more! The House with the Golden Door is out in the UK already and will be out in the US on September 6, 2022. Thanks so much to Union Square and Co. for the advanced copy!

This is the second book in the Wolf Den series, which is currently slated for three books. We rejoin our heroine, Amara, at her new place of residence — would you believe it's a house with a golden door? The house has been rented for her by her new patron, Rufus, who has purchased her freedom from Felix, her former pimp and owner. So our dear Amara has gone from whore to courtesan, which is a large step up in the ancient world, though it doesn't much feel like it as the story progresses. Amara spends the majority of this book working toward true independence for herself and those she loves.

I think this was a perfect second installment in this series, as it was a pretty seamless continuation with a unique storyline. Existing relationships become more complex, and new ones are introduced. The author's irreverent style and voice are unchanged, bringing a modernity to this ancient world. (**Very slight spoiler ahead, stop if you want to know nothing at all**) The one thing that bothers me about this book is that Menander was truly dropped as a love interest. I suppose this happens often in real life! Just a bit sad about his poor little broken lamp and matching broken heart.

Anyways, I really enjoyed this story and am looking forward to book three in the series!

Thank you to Elodie Harper, Union Square & Co, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

I loved the first book and this one just as much. Elodie Harper has quickly become an author that will be an auto-purchase for me when books are released.

Officially obsessed with this trilogy - I read this while on vacation, and couldn't go through a single night in our aribnb without waking up and thinking about what might happen next. Or splashing around in the Aegean only to stop and stare into the middle distance, eyes glassy with worry about Amara. Or telling everyone I met about the uncomfortable plot.

Not many beach reads will stay with me the way this book did. I basically formed a parasocial relationship with the entire cast, in all their grey-morals glory. So it was a great vacation! I just wish I didn't have to wait another year to get to the finale (and for my next beach read).

CONTENT WARNING: grief, mention of rape, mention of murder, enslavement, violence, abuse, blood

I have been drawn to this series as soon as it came to my attention, and after finishing The Wolf Den, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book. And to be honest? It far surpassed my expectations. It was like sliding right back into Amara’s life, except now the stakes are even higher for Amara and the people around her.

Amara has gained her freedom, but life has a new level of complexities. She’s trying to maintain her patron’s affections, while learning more about him, and the discoveries aren’t all positive. But no matter how she feels about it, she still has to draw upon all her acting skills to make him think that she’s just as in love with him as she’s pretended to be all along, if not more.

Unfortunately, running her own household of slaves comes with additional challenges. Pompeii is ruled by a strict hierarchy of social classes, although there is some social mobility within these classes, as evidence by Amara herself. She went from being the daughter of a doctor to a slave to a brothel whore and now a concubine. Naturally, her own household slaves aren’t thrilled about answering to someone who belonged to one of the lowest classes of slaves fairly recently.

“A few months ago, she was a lower order of slave than anyone else here. Now they all have to wait on her. She can easily imagine what the others might say about their brother-whore-mistress behind her back.”

After the events of book 1, she’s even more haunted by her past, and the people from it. Despite getting what she wanted—her freedom—she’s lonelier than ever. Even at the lowest point in her life, she was surrounded by female companions who helped her get through the worst of it, and now she’s suddenly alone and feeling lost. She uses her smarts to set aside money for the inevitable day when her patron loses interest, leaving her with a cushion to fall back on, but she decides to pay up on a debt that she owes to one of her fellow whores, and invites trouble back into her life.

“‘The gods raised you to freedom. Treating slaves as equals only lowers you back to the gutter you came from.’”

I couldn’t help but look at the quote above and see Amara in a different light. While she herself has only recently been freed from her own enslavement, she has little issue with owning slaves of her own, outside of some guilt. And while she definitely treats them better than many people do, she doesn’t offer them much agency over their own life, and her main concern is becoming too much like Felix, her former owner.

The writing is beautiful, and makes it feel like I can just reach out and touch the Pompeii of 75 CE. It’s clearly well researched, from the structure of society to politics to architecture to the minutiae of daily life. And it was incredibly easy to lose myself in this story — it’s immersive and tense and emotional, allowing me to empathize with Amara. Some of her choices were bad, and some were the least bad choices available to her when she had no good options to pick from.

By the end of the book, I was both heartbroken and hopeful. I want Amara to finally have a chance for happiness, but I’m trying to stay realistic, knowing that the best outcome for her is stability and safety, not necessarily happiness. Even so, there’s a lot going on in Pompeii overall, and in Amara’s circle specifically, and I’m so curious to see how this plays out. I’ve already added the final book in this trilogy to my TBR, even though there isn’t even a name, and I can’t wait to get my hands on it!

First line: The painter stands balanced on a wooden platform, his brushstrokes hidden from sight as he brings the goddess to life.

Summary: Amara has gained her freedom from Wolf Den but her new life depends on the generosity of her patron. But as she gets to know him better she learns more about his man who now holds her future in his hands. As she starts her life as a freedwoman she finds herself missing her friends and being taunted by her former master. However, her biggest challenge will be finding happiness for herself and trying to come to terms with what it may cost.

My Thoughts: I loved this book just as much as the first one. As I followed Amara’s life in Pompeii, I was constantly worried about her. There are so many threats, silent and real, surrounding her. As her life changed throughout the book, more threats appear. My stomach was in knots during much of story.

Harper does a fantastic job of recreating the world of Pompeii and life in it. Since the city was so well preserved after the eruption of Vesuvius I can easily picture what Amara sees as she goes about her day. I enjoy that the author includes quotes from scholars, poets and graffiti in Pompeii with each chapter. The fact that we have these sources that give us an even deeper glimpse is outstanding.

I was happy to have characters return from book one. And have their parts expanded in this book as well. Especially Britannica! After finishing the book I cannot wait to see what Harper gives to us in the final installment. There are so many changes happening as the book closes that I need to know ASAP!

FYI: Sex, violence and language.

This is the second book in the Wolf Den trilogy, so if you haven’t read Wolf Den, PLEASE don’t read any further to avoid spoilers! I’ll wait. Ready? The House With the Golden Door finds Amara a free woman installed in her own household courtesy of her patron, Rufus. Although Rufus says he adores her, Amara knows that she must build up a nest egg to save against the inevitable day when Rufus marries or withdraws his support. And while Amara may be physically free of the Wolf Den, the violent brothel of the first book, the reader finds in the sequel that it still has claims over her heart and mind. Trying to balance doing the right thing, being independent, and being happy will prove challenging for Amara; life as a free woman isn’t quite the paradise she supposed.
Likes: Harper brings the ancient city of Pompeii and its people alive through meticulous research and the judicious use of details -- the smell of scented lotions, the feel of olive pits pelted at a character’s skin, the shock of riding in an elevated carriage for the first time, the sound of many languages. I especially loved Britannica, with her fierce warrior’s spirit. Amara and most of the characters are convincingly morally gray; Harper writes eloquently in the back of the book about how difficult it was to understand formerly enslaved people buying and owning their own slaves.
Dislikes: the plot takes it time, and sometimes it feels like we’ve taken a detour from the main part of the story. For those who’ve been following me for a while, you know I dislike it when the romantic lead is portrayed as perfect, and that happens here a fair bit (though I’m not going to tell you who it is!). But on the whole, I found the book a very enjoyable, thought-provoking work of historical fiction.
FYI: Harper writes about a very violent, misogynistic culture, and it’s all here: murder, violence, references to sexual assault of adults and children, slavery, kidnapping, suicide, child abandonment, etc. Strong language.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Elodie Harper and Union Square & Co. for this eARC.

This book had me totally entranced. I literally could not put it down. Ever since reading The Wolf Den, I have been thinking about Amara and where her future will lead her. With that being said, I will try to leave this review as spoiler free as possible for those who have not yet started/finished The Wolf Den.

This book continues Amara's story as she learns what it means to be free and how limiting freedom could actually be for her. I find this story so compelling because it is all about the choices she makes, and how these choices affect her future. In my review for The Wolf Den, I mention that I loved that all the little details in the book add up and come together beautifully in the end, the same is said for this sequel. The story is so beautifully written, the characters and the setting are so well thought out and researched. Along with Amara, we are able to see the characters we know develop in different ways, as well as the introduction of new characters. I loved that we were able to see a different side of Amara, along with the badass woman we know her to be already. I could already tell that this book is going to set up the next one perfectly, and I am curious to see if the looming Mount Vesuvius eruption will play any part.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves stories with strong feminist themes and anyone who loves mythology/Greek/Roman retellings. There are some themes in this book that could be triggering.

I already cannot wait for the third book to come out. I am so excited to see where Amara will land at the end of this trilogy.

The publication date for The House with the Golden Door is September 6th, 2022

Thank you NetGalley, Union Square and Co., and Elodie Harper for providing an ARC in return for my honest review.

For anyone who hasn't read The Wolf Den, I feel like the first quarter of the book would be quite difficult to immerse yourself straight into the book as The House with the Golden Door does reference the first book quite a lot, so my recommendation is if you haven't read the first book already then it's definitely worth it.

This book follows Amara after she has been given her freedom, and we follow her story to see what she will do with herself. She is definitely an impulsive and stubborn character but I enjoyed her story immensely as she finds her own freedom. The pacing of this book compared to the first in the series was a little slower, but this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Now to wait until book 3 is released to find out what happens next!

Thank you to Union Square & Co., NetGalley, and Elodie Harper for an arc of this novel.

The House with the Golden Door is just as, if not more, enjoyable than the first novel. Harper does not let you down with this sequel and leaves you eagerly waiting for the last novel in this trilogy. To start, I think the writing improved from the first book and the faults I had with the first book are quite diminished now.

I absolutely adored Amara in this one, her character growth and transformation from the first book is conducted well, specifically how she has transformed into adopting qualities from her abuser which is done in a realistic depiction (Though that is NOT to say that those abused turn out like their abusers, it is just a theme I enjoyed reading in this book). I enjoyed the character dynamics in this novel, especially between Amara and Felix as it was so interesting to see Amara continue to grow into this clever woman as her hold on power increases and strengthens. I thought the shift in their dynamic was quite well written and enjoyed the theme of these two characters portraying two sides of the same coin.

With the characters themselves, I enjoyed how realistically they were portrayed and written. I specifically think that Amara’s continuous handling of her grief was well done and I am glad that the author did not forget about it after a few chapters.

There were several issues I had with the book, one that I still did not enjoy was the modern way these women talked in using expressions like “boyfriends” though these instances are reduced compared to the first book. In addition, I did not like the romance Amara had with one of the other characters. I thought it kind of came out of nowhere and I don’t really believe that Amara is in love with this person. I find that she was a bit out of character throughout the novel, specifically when it came to this romance and especially in the last third of the book.

Regardless, I highly enjoyed this sequel and I rate it at 4.0-.5 stars. Eagerly waiting for the last book!

This book had me on my toes. Much last book one ,Wolf Den, it is a pretty much a year in the life of Amara and her journey as a now freedwomen. She is cunning, stubborn, selfish and a pain in the ass. I loved hating her as she become true to herself and recognizes that her need for money and chose is more important then anything or anyone. She is so IMPULSIVE omg! This book had me screaming! Amara has this bad habit of thinking she just HAS to do stuff even though the rest of the cast is telling her not too. There’s no real plot as many little things happen and the attention span of Amara is everywhere, which made it a little hard to follow if I’m honest. I would still recommend this book to create chaos as that’s the state I’m in. 4/5

4 stars for this beautiful and captivating novel!

It deals with freedom and love. How one person struggles in search for the true definition of freedom. The writing was exquisite and immersive. It evoked emotions from me and pulled me in to the deep world of Pompeii- not letting me go at all. This is just the type of novel that will live inside you, taking root until it blooms.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, Union Square and Co., and Elodie Harper for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! I LOVED The Wolf Den and I was so happy to see that I got approved for an arc of this one! This book picks up where the first one left off and follows Amara as she is living as her new patron’s courtesan. However, things are more complicated than they appear, and she misses her friends at the Wolf Den. She’s also dealing with her old master, Felix, and learning to understand her new feelings for someone else that she’s not supposed to love.

I really enjoyed seeing what Amara was up to in this book and learning about how everything still wasn’t perfect for her after being freed. The author has created such a rich setting and it truly felt like I was in Ancient Pompeii while reading. I enjoyed learning more about the customs and the holidays that they celebrated as well.

My favorite part of this book was honestly Brittanica. Amara freed her as well as Victoria at the beginning of this book and she ended up being the star of the show (in my opinion) - I loved all of her scenes and especially the ending! She had great character development and her friendship with Amara was really sweet.

The relationship in this book struck me as a little odd at first, but I began to really enjoy it as it went on. It’s heartbreaking but shows the meaning of love and protecting the ones you love.

Overall, I loved this one! It was a little slower than the first book, but I was intrigued the entire time. I can’t wait to read book three and see what happens to everyone. I highly recommend it!

4.5 stars

I've been so blessed to have discovered this series, I tell you. I'm always interested in reading historical fiction set in the Very Olden Times, so that alone makes this a must read for me. But the perspective of prostitutes is not one often read about in fiction, or nonfiction for that matter, and the setting of the doomed city Pompeii is just the cherry on top. I loved the first book in this trilogy even though it broke my heart, and I love this second book as well.

Revisiting Pompeii and our protagonist Amara was wonderful, and the story sets in basically right after the events of book 1.. It's a very smooth continuation and it was more than intriguing to see all these chances in Amara's life, who has now gone from a prostitute to a freedwoman working as a wealthy man's courtesan. It's a glamorous life, but it is not a free one. Amara is still haunted by the events of book 1, especially by losing her best friend and confidante, and the trauma of her life at the Wolf Den is constant company. The plot is slow but steady just like in the first book, giving us time to learn more about Acient Pompeii and reconnect with the characters we learned to love or, well, hate (I'm looking at you Felix) while still never getting boring. The focus is always on the characters, which is generally what I prefer.

Speaking of which, Amara is still a wonderful character, and I loved the bigger focus that Britannica was given. She's my beautiful wild queen and I want only the best for her - but knowing this series I'm also very scared for her life. Just don't hurt me, Elodie Harper, I'm begging you. While I also enjoyed the romance blossoming between Amara and Philos, I was never completely enraptured by them purely because I'm much more interested in the women in this book, so I never managed to fall in love with Philos as a character. Still, he has an important story to tell, too, and I very much enjoyed this look into slavery and the life of slaves. By that I mean, obviously, this was heartbreaking to read. Felix returns as well and while Amara doesn't live in his brothel anymore, he is a constant threat and a complex, terrifying antagonist. I hate him, but I love to hate him and seing his demise will be one of my greatest joys in life, i already know it.

Harper's writing is once again stellar, beautiful and captivating. The pacing is great, too - I honestly had a very hard time putting this one down. I absolutely love the beginnings of all the chapters, too, with little snippets out of Roman literature or graffiti found around Pompeii giving us even more of an insight into how life was back then for those less fortunate.

I honestly can't wait to read the final book in this trilogy and I need it on my shelves too, because this might turn out to be one of my favourite historical fiction reads of all time.
Now please just take down Felix or I will do it myself.

✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ 4/5

Having loved first book of the series The Wolf Den, I was really excited to read the second book and I was not disappointed.
Following Amara and her new life outside the brothel is both exciting and frustrating at the same time. I loved seeing her meet new people and build new relationships and her character development was really interesting.
The novel makes you question the meaning of freedom and what it means to be truly free.
The author gives enslaved women of that era a voice which is incredibly educational as most historical pieces of literature are written from the perspective of slave owners.
Thank you to netgalley and Union Square & Co
for letting me access an advance copy of this book. The House with the Golden Door comes out this September!