Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. Unfortunately it's just not right for me. While the descriptions are beautiful, there's too many of them. I stopped reading at 10% because it was just too slow moving for me.

Set over two timelines and told from the points of view of view of Eve and Vita. This highly atmospheric, almost gothic, read has the Cathedral at the heart of the storyline and is very much a character in its own right.

It's a slow burn read where you are drip fed all the secrets. Once all had been revealed, it was quite sad what happened to Vita.

Polly Crosby writes with ease and draws you into the Suffolk coastline in this atmospheric book "Vita and the Birds". I enjoyed the story of Eve clearing her grandmother's art studio and meeting the mysterious Dolly. The Cathedral of the Marshes sounded like a wonderful ruin but I kept thinking about Blythburgh church which is also called "Cathedral of the Marshes"... turns out the name was inspiration. The back story of Vita and Dodie was a touching one too. Definitely a read for fans of Eve Chase.

Crosby’s writing is so whimsical and light—within the first chapter I felt as if I were immersed into the middle of summer, too. There is a gothic aspect that kicked in very quickly, and to be honest I wasn’t completely expecting it!

The paralleled relationships that you were presented between timeliness and those that interconnected them were so clever and really added to the world building. Not to mention the parallels between the cathedral and the well !!!! The murder mystery, the sapphic beauty, the LGBTQ+ themes, the familial love…it’s got it all.

Overall, between the powerful female characters, the haunted vibes, and the beautiful writing, I’d give it a 5/5, must read

The cover design caught my eye, and I was intrigued by the book's description.

This was a very beautifully written book. Everything about it came to life while I was reading, and it felt like a story that I could escape into. I was drawn in from the beginning and became quickly invested. The style reminded me of a Kate Morton book, so I wonder if fans of her books would also like this. Given that I liked this book a lot, I would be interested in reading something else by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

This story is set across two timelines which beautifully merge together.

In 1938, we meet Lady Vita Goldsborough. She lives under the control of her older brother, Aubrey who restricts her life and doesn’t allow her out of the estate grounds. On a walk around the estate, Vita comes across an artist called Dodie Blakeney. The two women form a close bond, which unleashes a taste for freedom in Vita.

In 1997, Eve Blakeney returns to her grandmother's home following the death of her mother. Eve, her brothers and her mother used to spend their summers with their beloved grandmother, Dodie. Eve is in need of solitude, and time to work out where her life is heading, and being back at her grandmother’s home with the task of clearing it out, gives her the ideal opportunity. However, when she stumbles across a bundle of letters which suggest a love affair, her family's history begins to unravel revealing a life-changing secret.

Polly Crosby is an #autobuyauthor for me. I didn’t even need to read the blurb before pre-ordering this book and when I saw it was available on @netgalley, I had to request it. Historical fiction is my go-to genre, especially when a story time hops and reveals family secrets and this ticked all the boxes. Vita and the Birds is an evocative and alluring tale which drew me in and held me captive as I tried to work out the links and solve the mystery.

A hugely evocative and beautifully written dual-timeline tale of hidden stories and the search for freedom beginning in 1938.

I really enjoyed this one.
I was drawn in by the cover and blurb, but got the bonus of a falling apart building thrown in.
I hope that cathedral in as bold and beautiful in everyone else's imagination as it was mine.
Some excellent characters, and a storyline that seemed to add mysteries as it went along rather than reveal them. 😄
An excellent dual timeline that revealed the story at a good pace and tied everything up well at the end.
Despite some of the darker moments in the book, I was always warmed by Eve and her siblings relationship.
Good stuff.

I'm going to try not to give too much of the story away, as this really deserves to be read for itself. This is an extraordinary book that I read in a 4 hour straight session without stopping for food or drink. So be warned to clear your diary before you start this, as you'll want to remain utterly submerged in this book, without coming up for air!
The tale revolves around the lives of Vita and Dodie, two women whose relationship resonates through the ages, and through the generations that come after them. We see two timelines running throughout, both past and present, as the stories gradually intertwine, grow roots, and blossom.
The spellbinding descriptions of the Cathedral of Marshes bring the setting into vivid detail. As other buildings turn to mere grey remains, the glasshouse remains full of light and life, no matter its external appearance.
We are warned from the start that Vita's brother "Aubrey held a grudge like no one else." Indeed his character becomes increasingly dark, monstruous and unhinged, whilst Vita tries to take back control of her own fate. For Vita and Dodie grew up in a world where men held all the power, money and authority, and as such women could be caged whenever the patriarchy demanded it.
This novel has everything you could possibly want. Twists and turns, mysterious letters, paintings that appear to change appearance, jewellery buried in treasure chests, and the sound of hope that the birds sing when they fly. It's about a woman claiming her own life, a family dealing with loss, the relationship between siblings, control disguised as love, the togetherness that comes from a families healed trauma. But, as the author states, above all else, it's "always about the light."
The final image of the novel I can still vividly see in my mind, and I know that these characters will stay with me for a very long time. A spellbinding read.

Beautifully written, a dark and moody yet intriguing story that you can't wait to get to the bottom of it. Heartfelt and tragic, but at the same time Vita showing Eve there is more to life than misery.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.

this was a beautifully done historical mystery novel, I was hooked from the first page and getting captured in this universe. I really enjoyed going on this journey and getting to know the characters themselves. It had what I wanted and am glad it was so well done. Eve and Vita were unique main characters and I enjoyed how their story intertwined.

"She tried to banish memories of those last few weeks of bedrest. Of Aubrey’s hissed insistence, of the private doctor, of the pain and the slow recovery. She focused instead on the artist.On Dodie’s neck a single freckle marked the pale skin, and Vita remembered how on the day she had met her, freckles had stippled her collarbone."

The story of two women: Lady Vita Goldsborouigh (1938) who lives with her controlling brother who has fallen in love with a local artist who is a woman and of Eve Blakeney (1997) a artist who finds letters from her beloved grandmother who wants to discover her past, they are both connected by Dodie Blakeney, the artist Vita fell in love with and Eve’s grandmother. Eve’s exploration into Dodie and Vita’s past will uncover dark truths and family secrets that will forever change Eve’s life. This is a lush story of forbidden romance, cruel families, and the strength of one’s self. It’s a great read if you enjoy mysteries with a touch of gothic and some forbidden romance!

*Thanks Netgalley and HQ for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

A beautiful and haunting tale of family, love, control and connections. This book and its characters will stay with me for a long time. I found Eve, Vita, Dodie and Aubrey’s story and their connection to the glass cathedral in the reed marshes, intriguing. I enjoyed the story being over two time lines, fifty years apart. Full of descriptive narrative, Polly Crosby brings this story to life from the pages and I sat up well into the night to see how the story ends. Fabulous and highly recommended. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Told over two timelines in 1938 and 1997 through the voices of two women, this is a luminous and enchanting story about. women and the secrets they carry. In 1938, Vida, who lives with her controlling brother, Aubrey, finds escape by watching the birds fly over the wetland near her home. Her meeting with artist Dodie Blakeney changes everything as the two women form a deep and abiding bond. Fifty years later, Eve Blakeney returns to the home where she spent her summer vacations with her grandmother, Dodie/ Grieving over the death of her mother, Eve is surprised to come across a stash of old letters that tell the story of her grandmother’s great love, a woman named Vita. This is a lush and evocative novel of loss and forbidden love