1868- Theodora and her sisters are in mourning after their parents and brother were lost at sea. But whereas her sisters want to go find society husbands, she wishes to stay on the family country estate pursuing her aspirations as a nature illustrator. And her dreams begin to come true when she discovers a butterfly never seen before in Australia.

1868- Clarrie is pregnant out of wedlock with few options. She loses her job, and once her baby is born, has to trust someone to take care of him while she goes and works as a maid for Theodora searching for that rare butterfly. But then her son goes missing and everything is up in the air.

1922- Verity desires to become a journalist, but losing her job at the paper so they can open jobs for more men. But the same day she is canned, things take an interesting turn when she is sent an invitation to the Sydney Artists Masquerade Ball along with an elaborate butterfly costume. She doesn't know who sent them, but she is willing to go to the ball and try and find out. There, she makes a connection and lands a commission to write the history of a charity that supports disgraced young women and their babies. But as Verity digs, she begins to uncover a complex mystery that goes back decades. What will she uncover, and who will the truth effect?
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Although the title makes it seem like butterflies are central to the story, they are only a subplot in this book that is much more about family and how families are made and maintained. This book has a lot happening in it and little has to do with butterflies.

The first half of this book is slow. It has a lot to set up in both of the timelines to get us to the second half which moves pretty quickly. A lot happens in the second half that you have to really pay attention to get all the layers of the stories. Then the ending is a bit of a let down because there is no grand conclusion. Everything just kinds of wraps up and ends. The pay off wasn't worth it.

That being said, even though the pacing of this book is a bit of a mess, I still found it interesting. There was a lot happening and I would have liked much more information about the butterflies, but I was engaged and wanted to get to the conclusion (even though it wasn't as satisfying as I would have hoped).

This was my IRL book club's book for March. It definitely led to some robust discussions and made the book more multifaceted for us as readers. This is a good pick for a buddy read or a book club read.
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I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A thoughtful intriguingly woven story that doesn't disappoint. I enjoyed the bits of real history interwoven and the characters were inspiring.

5 stars

Great story. I liked the links between the two timelines. There were some lovely descriptions of both 1920s sydney and 1868 Newcastle area. The subject matter is very worrying and I felt scared for Clarrie, Sid & Charlie. It's very realistic that though there is a HEA for Verity there was only a partial resolution for her relative and friend.

The author is new to me but I will look out for more of her work.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Such a thoughtful, lovely dual timeline story with two very intriguing heroines. I love this type of book and greatly enjoyed the fact that Australia was the setting. (Plus, I find the time periods totally fascinating!) The mystery woven throughout kept me turning the pages!

Many thanks to Harper Muse and NetGalley for the generous eARC in exchange for my honest opinions!

The Butterfly Collector is a dual timeline story set in 1868 Morpeth and 1922 Sydney. Theodora Breckenridge, is mourning the loss of her parents and brother at sea. She enjoys working on her art at the family's country estate, not looking for a husband in Sydney society like her sister wants her to do. She is a nature illustrator and is thrilled when she discovers a butterfly never seen in Australia. She is on the verge of making a name for herself when her maid, Clarrie's son goes missing. In 1920s Sydney, Verity Binks has just been let go from her reporting job. Women, who were welcomed to the workforce to fill the slots of men who had gone to war, are now being sent home to open jobs for those men to return to. Her boss loves her writing, so offers to purchase freelance stories from her, at least it will keep her in the business to a degree. When she is invited to a masquerade ball, she goes to find out why she was invited and gets a tip on a 50 year old mystery/crime. Can she solve it and get a break to force her boss to hire her back?

I've been putting off this review because I wasn't sure what to say. The writing is beautiful and lyrical. It is descriptive and tells a wonderful story, all good. The problem was, I was not drawn into the story at all. The storyline in the past was long and drawn out. The 1920s storyline was a bit more interesting. It moved quicker and I did enjoy Verity Binks. She was a great character, one who didn't give up and was gutsy. As she uncovered secrets about her family, she learned about the selling of babies under the guise of adoption. Both of the storylines blended well into one another, with both women being strong, independent women. Overall, I just didn't get into this story the way I thought I would based on the blurb. If you enjoy historical fiction and dual timelines, I recommend you give it a try as there were many people who loved this book, and this is just my personal thoughts.

Tea Cooper creates an intriguing mystery with The Butterfly Collector, the history of women's rights and the struggle to do a man's job. The characters are well-developed and the story moves swiftly between the two periods. A peek into the history of Sydney, Australia, and the marvel of the 1920's. I enjoyed this novel as it kept me engaged and I enjoyed the plot.

This book was just “meh” for me. I felt like I was reading it because I had to finish it instead of reading it because I wanted to finish it. I can’t quite put my finger on what it was.

"The Butterfly Collector" by USA TODAY bestselling author Tea Cooper is a captivating historical mystery that seamlessly weaves together the worlds of art, science, and intrigue. Set in 1868 Morpeth, the story follows Theodora Breckenridge, a grieving artist with a passion for botanical illustrations. Her pursuit of scientific discovery takes an unexpected turn when her maid's newborn son goes missing, altering the course of Theodora's life. Fast forward to 1922 Sydney, where Verity Binks, a determined journalist, uncovers a mysterious parcel and an invitation that lead her to a complex puzzle involving the Treadwell Foundation. As she delves into the Foundation's history, the novel unfolds into a twisty and dark mystery that has been in the making for fifty years.

Tea Cooper excels in creating a rich historical backdrop, and her characters are vividly brought to life against the evolving landscapes of 19th and 20th-century Australia. The narrative is skillfully layered, blending elements of art, science, and societal expectations. The intricate plot, filled with unexpected twists and turns, keeps readers eagerly turning the pages. Cooper's storytelling prowess shines in "The Butterfly Collector," making it a compelling read for those who enjoy historical fiction with a touch of mystery and a strong sense of time and place.

Th Butterfly a collector takes place in & around Sydney, Australia in the mid 1800s and early 1900s. In 1922 Verity Binks is a writer for the newspaper in Sydney and gets fired when men from WW I come home. The newspaper editor agrees to let her bring stories to him to review for publication. Little does she know that she will stumble on the story of a lifetime that involves her family’s past. When she is invited to a masquerade ball, complete with costume & mask, Verity uncovers the horrible history of illegal adoptions. With flashbacks to her grandparents in 1868, The Butterfly Collector is a complex story woven together through generations of family and the mystery of these adoptions and how they are all interconnected. Loosely based on real accounts, this story is interesting and heartbreaking at the same time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

Moving back and forth between the two time periods of 1860's and 1920's gives one understanding of women and their status. Verify [1920's] is a person who wants to write for a newspaper. She just needs the right story. With an anonymous invite to an Arts Ball, she embarks on a story that involves her grandparents and prestige land owners. The chasing of the story of baby farming which was prevalent in the late 19th century and early 20th and how that topic relates to Verity is tale.
Read and learn.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

In this complex historical fiction novel, readers explore nineteenth and twentieth century Australia through the perspectives of Theodora (an upper-class woman who aspires to be a naturalist illustrator), Clarrie (her maid), and Verity (Clarrie’s journalist granddaughter). However, there is a mystery connecting all three women over sixty years, and Verity is working to uncover it in the post-World War I years. As she works to discover the mysteries of Morpeth, readers also learn about Theodora and Clarrie’s lives in tandem with Verity’s journalistic investigation. If not everything in Morpeth is as it seems, then the three women must stay vigilant as the world changes around them. Cooper’s characters are complex and unique, and the three women’s narratives contrast and connect in some fascinating ways. Adding the mystery element and Verity’s investigation to the novel make it even more complex and engaging. The choice of setting in Morpeth and Sydney adds to the intriguing nature of the novel, as neither setting is common in historical fiction, and weaving in the Scott sisters (naturalist illustrators) adds to the stakes of the novel. The Butterfly Collector is a fascinating historical fiction novel with some clever elements (the mystery, the naturalism, and the Australian setting) added to it to make this an incredible read.

The butterfly collector is a historical fiction set in dual POV.

One is 1868 Morpeth - story of Theodora Brackenridge who lost her parents and brother to an accident. She is neither much attached to her three sisters nor interested in getting marital proposals. She wants to research about the butterfly she spotted in her garden. In her house, works Clarrie who is caring and devoted. Things go awry when Clarrie's son goes missing.

Another pov is 1922 Sydney where would-be and passionate journalist, a granddaughter of Sid - an esteemed newspaperman "Varity Binks" loses her job but at the same time receives an unexpected invitation to a masquerade ball with an extravagant butterfly costume. Sender unknown. As intrigued she is about the whole mystery, she is asked to write about prestigious Treadwell foundation , an institution that supports women and their newly born children in difficult times.

Both POV are connected with each other which becomes quite obvious in the start of the book itself. What unfolds later is dark and twisted mystery which has tried to come to surface several times in the past, nonetheless by Varity's grandfather even. What others know is just tip of an iceberg.

Overall I loved the writing, the prose was beautiful and had a rhythm. I just had figured out everything far too early in the story and it didn't come to me as surprise. I also didn't see the importance of butterfly and even the title of the book as it doesn't really contribute to the main theme.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Muse for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

I've never heard of this author before but I'll be looking for more of her books. A great historical context book with a dual timeline, I enjoyed that the author made it come alive with her detailed descriptions. The characters were well developed and I enjoyed the twists and turns. It kept me reading until the end. This is a story about love and transformation as illustrated by the weaving of butterflies throughout. Many thanks to #netgalley #thebutterfly collector #teacooper #harpermuse for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Involved duel time line story of a young women in 1020s Australia who investigates a charity helping unwed mothers, and stumbles across a mystery going back to the 1880s involving ties to her own family. Interesting story, but a little hard to keep track of the two timelines and the characters at first.

A great dual time novel that let me travel to Australia and experience the wonderful discovery of Monarch butterflies in the land down under.
The writing was beautifully descriptive and I was immersed in both time lines. Such interesting details of The Wanderer butterfly and its habitat.
Equally intriguing was the journey Verity takes in 1922 to discover her family history and a disturbing, immoral practice that led to new laws being enacted. Strong, sensitive heroines in both times were helping women to be seen as contributing to society and breaking out of conventioal roles. The characters were flawed, realistic and relatable.
There is much to learn from historical fiction and this author does it so well, blending real circumstances with believable fictional people.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher though NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

The Butterfly Collector by Tea Cooper is a wonderful novel full of rich historical insight, and detail. This highly descriptive story seamlessly blends together two different timeliness with very engaging characters. This book brought me in immediately and kept me until the satisfying ending. This is my favorite Tea Cooper book, and believe me, that's saying something.

Overall: A unique story with an 1800s Australian setting, tying in butterflies, art, and a missing baby.

Characters: Such Victorian names! It was a little confusing at times because they names felt so similar to me, but I felt so immersed in this story world with how authentic the names were.

Atmosphere: I really enjoyed the time period of this book - I haven’t read a book set in the 1800s. The Australia setting was great and made the story super unique.

Writing Style: The long chapters were great to be immersed into this story and I enjoyed the multiple POVs

Plot: Such interesting historical context - I wasn’t sure how everything would tie together, but Tea made it work. I couldn’t believe the historical roots either.

Intrigue: to be honest, a little hard for me to stay engaged with

Logic: probably because I struggled with intrigue, I should have taken notes on the logic

Enjoyment: the latter half of the story was the most exciting in my opinion. So much going on and coming together. I liked the slow burn but this could probably have been a bit shorter

What a fascinating story! This was the first Tea Cooper story for me but it will not be the last. The historical Australian countryside comes to life in full colour under the skillful pen of Tea Cooper. The characters quickly pull the reader into a story that covers 2 different timelines. But bizarre situations and connections keep pulling the storylines together. With the true nose of a seasoned reporter, questions and unexplained events rise to the surface to entice the reader to flip just a few more pages and find out what is going on. Both timelines face loss, danger. love, and the chance to move forward with grace and truth. It was easy to get lost in the story, flying through Australia on a bicycle or crossing the river in an old boat. Or "seeing" a beautiful butterfly come to life in the pages of a book. I loved every minute of budding romance, was saddened by loss for both timelines, and cheered when the reporters got their story. I love when I can learn along with the entertainment in the story. This book opened a historical truth that I had never heard much about. But I have gained knowledge through the amazing research Tea Cooper did, and want to learn more. The questions and hunt for truth lasted until the very end, keeping the story clipping along until it was time to say goodbye. I look forward to the next Tea Cooper book and the adventure and history it brings to life. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A beautiful work of historical fiction that is set in Australia and pursues dual timelines with one being set around exposing the tragic practice of baby selling/stealing of children from poor women through deception with the thought the children would be in better circumstances. . Although I enjoy dual timelines that an author masterfully intersects, which Cooper does, I wonder if these two stories would actually have made two amazing books of their own. Wonderful read! If you like strong female characters and historical fiction with a twist of mystery, I think this book is worth your time! Highly recommend and am thankful I had the opportunity to read the galley from NetGalley.