The Gilded Cage is one of the best realistic historical romance books I’ve read in a while. The audiobook was narrated by Katie Villa, who did a great job of bringing the characters to life with her voice and the ability to read in different tones - that an added bonus to this already good book

This book is ver y realistic - like I said before, so please readers check the content and synopsis and see if its for you, this is really how life could have been at this time period, so there is heavy content and its detailed

Luisa Jones is an excellent story teller - I so enjoyed her writing style, she drew me in from the first chapter with her relatable characters and intense situations. The way she brings us along and takes us thru Rosamund’s world you can’t help but be completely connected to her and feel all the feels with her and her journey, thru her life.

Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing as well as Macmillan Audio for giving me the opportunity to listen to this book. I’d highly recommend this book to anyone who isn’t offended by the heavy subject matter - you will enjoy this book!

Thank you to NetGalley for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I could not finish this book. I got a few chapters in and could not keep with the story line. I am not a fan of the subject matter. I really wish I could get passed that part because the writing is done well.

This was an extremely difficult book to read at times, and now I understand why it comes with a trigger warning. A heartbreaking story of abuse during a time women had absolutely no rights. This story was well written and the narrator did a beautiful job. While the story line was difficult at times, I will look for more books by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Storm Publishing for my advance reader copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

The Gilded Cage
By Luisa A. Jones

Genre:
Romance, Women’s fiction

Red Flags:
VERY HEAVY CONTENT: Domestic Abuse, Infidelity (many scenes required me skipping), Sorrow, Loss

Summary:
After the loss of her father, Rosamund becomes a financial burden to her brother. Therefore, she has no other choice than to become the second wife to Sir Lucien Fitznorton. He is known in society as a gentleman, however, behind closed doors, he makes Rosamund’s life miserable. Then Joseph enters the novel, as the newest hired chauffeur, he quickly notices the stern and harsh way Sir Lucien Fitznorton treats his wife. While away on an extended trip with his daughter, Sir Lucien Fitznorton receives word of some events happening between his wife and his chauffeur back at home, and so ensues the family saga of “The Gilded Cage.”

Review:
Luisa Jones is an excellent writer who knows how to draw in a reader with beautiful historical descriptions, deep relatable characters, and suspenseful situations. I struggle reading about abuse and infidelity which are the heavy topics of this novel for that reason, I am rating this a 3.5. If these topics are sensitive to you, I would avoid this novel. If you can handle these situations, you will enjoy this read!

Thank you to Luisa Jones, Storm Publishing, and Netgalley for the Advanced Readers Copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

#reluctantreaderreads
#Thegildedcage
#LuisaAJones
#macmillanaudio
#netgalley
#advancedreadereditions

Short, quickly paced, and intense, this novel follows its heroine through a morally complicated effort to survive a lonely, abusive arranged marriage in early 20th-century Wales. Servants, relatives, and titled and wealthy peers observe hints -- and more -- of the cruelty, but the rigid complexities of class and societal expectations for women mean that there is little help or even sympathy. The heroine’s social anxiety makes her a near pariah, but her desire for an intellectually active life and wish for at least a little control over her life lead her to try something few women of any class did at the time: learning to drive. Her fascination with the relatively new automobile is deepened by the kindness and respectful demeanor of her teacher, her handsome chauffeur. But when he and his wife aren’t arguing, both still grieve the loss of their young daughter. The emotional responses of Jones’ characters feel realistic, with the ethical worries that most adults might have in such situations. Jones writes truly nasty and selfish villains, which supports the feelings of dread, fear, and release when characters decide to take risks and act. As a Librarian, I would recommend The Gilded Cage to readers of historical romance with strong character arcs.

The Gilded Cage was one of the best realistic historical fiction audiobooks I’ve ever listened to. The narrator and author had me so engrossed in this story. There are many complex subjects in the book that might trigger some, so please keep this in mind.

This is Rosamund's heartbreaking story set in 1987; it's a realistic tale of the many social class issues of the time as Rosmond finds herself after the death of her beloved father. Her brother gives her only one choice: marry Sir Lucien Fitznorton and become his second wife and stepmother to his daughter. All Sir Lucien wants is an heir and a beautiful plaything, and as the years go by without him getting his heir, life for Rosmand worsens. Rosmand soon finds herself in a dangerous web of secrets, desires, hope, violence, and lies. Her Gilded Cage

I am in awe of the author's words; the way she told us this story was marvellous, and I have not read or listened to anything as good as this was to me. The audiobook was narrated by Katie Villa, who did such a fantastic job of bringing all the characters to life with her voice. I will be checking out her work in torture, as I believe I enjoyed the audiobook possibly more than if I had read it myself; she was that good at drawing you into the story.

A realistic heartbreaking story of spousal abuse set in 1897. Rosamund story will have you pausing several times so that you can collect yourself to continue to read. But do finish reading it, the ending isn’t quite what you would expect. But very good ending to a story that unfortunately still happens today.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #NetGalley #TheGiltedCage

A very different Historical book but it give the redder an insight to how things were back then especially for a women who has no control over their lives.
Very emotional,angst,heart break.
Voluntarily reviewed.
Good narrator and narration

First of all, the synopsis is a bit deceiving. The prologue takes place in 1897. That is when Rosamund's father dies and she marries. The book actually takes place around 1914- a time with automobiles, telephones, and a looming war.

Second, there is a lot of domestic abuse- physical and mental in this book. So keep that in mind if you choose to read it.

Now, my opinion. I have mixed feelings. I enjoy historical fiction and was taken in by the story. However, <spoiler> Joe cheating on his wife really, really bothered me. I was fine with Rosamund cheating, given the circumstances, but Joe's infidelity was a lot harder to take. I get that he was grieving and his wife shut him out. But he is supposed to be this great family man. I hated him. </spoiler>

Katie Villa narrates and does a good job. This is told by several POVs, and sometimes audiobooks can be hard to follow when one narrator tackles multiple POVs. I did not find this to be the case. There was a pause and the POV was declared at the beginning of each chapter. (You'd think that'd be a given, but that is not always the case.)

I received an audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rosamund’s life is full of despair and hopelessness until she meets Joseph. Joseph is in an unhappy marriage and looking for basic human connection. My heart ached for both of them until the last chapters.

I really enjoyed the setting and time period of this book, it was different from other historical fictions I've read and I appreciated the differences because it felt like something fresh. The ending ended up surprising me, but in a great way because I felt like it was the most appropriate ending for the story. I found Nelly to be a surprisingly endearing non-main character. Will definitely recommend this book to my groups!

Before you get into The Gilded Cage, it is incredibly important that you check the content warning. The main plot line is a major trigger for some people, so please look before you read or listen to this book.

That being said, The Gilded Cage is the first audiobook I've ever listened to and I was pleasantly surprised. Some parts were difficult to hear just because of the content, but there are characters who are written for you to hate and Luisa A. Jones definitely get a good job at that. There are also characters that you're supposed to feel for and hearing their dialogue instead of just reading it made me feel a little more for them.

The story follows Rosamund as she's thrust into a marriage drawn up by her brother. Her husband, Lucien, is known for not being the nicest of men, but Rosamund finds out just how far his cruelty goes. Things begin to look up for Rosamund when Joseph is brought on to be Lucien's new motorcar driver. The two of them end up spending a lot of time together and built a friendship, even though it's technically against social rules since Joseph is staff. With this new friendship, Rosamund feels empowered to take her life into her own hands and does so more than one time... While neither Joseph or Rosamund expected to end up in the situations they are left in at the end the book, they're both in better places physically and mentally.

I gave The Gilded Cage four stars because I had hoped it would end differently. While I was absolutely shocked toward the end, I was disappointed with the outcome, but that's only because I'm a huge sucker for renewal stories, especially when love is involved. I understand why it ended the way it did and that it was supposed to be that way. My sappy heart is just sad that a potential future no longer exists...

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Actual Rating 2.5

TW: Physical/Verbal Abuse, Marital Rape, Miscarriage, Affairs

Rosamund never really wanted to marry, but in 1897, with her father dead and her brother in control of the entire estate, she finds herself married to Sir Lucien. Soon after, Sir Lucien realizes this marriage is not what he expected and begins to take out his anger on Rosamund. But when her husband buys a new motorcar and hires a handsome chauffeur, Rosamund finds herself growing interested in learning to drive. The two of them grow closer during their lessons, and as rumors begin to fly, Rosamund realizes that she may have just endangered her and Joseph’s very lives.

This read was a character-driven work. It’s told from the POV of at least four characters, and though there is little plot, you get to see events happen through the dialogue and actions of the characters. I did want a bit more from the setting. When I read historical fiction, I want the setting and times to come alive. I never felt completely immersed by the setting of this work, though the author did include some good information about the early days of motoring.

One thing that took some getting used to in this novel was that it was quite difficult to like the male protagonist. From the first moment we were in his head, his thoughts made me want to give him a good shake then send him home to his wife and children. I wasn’t expecting having an unlikeable male love interest from a historical fiction, and though I was a little offput at first, I came to enjoy it. Though I will say I still want to give Joseph a nice punch. While the characters were written well enough, I never felt a connection to any of them, which detracted some from my enjoyment. Their characterization fell a little flat, and the secondary characters all felt like they were defined by familiar tropes rather than being fully-rounded people.

I was pleasantly surprised by the ending. I wasn’t expecting it to go the way it did, but it honestly caused my enjoyment of the book as a whole to increase. If you’re in the mood for a darker historical romance, then this would be worth checking out. My thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This story wasn't perfect. It was good, yes, but it was kind of bland at times. I think that the characters were wonderfully crafted, but the plot seemed to drag on at times. The best way to describe how I felt can be summed up in my thoughts during and after the climax. I remember thinking that this couldn't have been the true climax because I was still only 80% of the way done with the book, but it was. And the last 20% seemed slightly redundant at that point. I was waiting for something else to go wrong but, it just didn't, and it left me wanting.

The Gilded Cage is a unforgettable tale about loss, sorrow, and courage in the face of danger and adversity. This realistic historical fiction follows Rosamind Pelham who is forced into marrying an older man after her families financial ruin. After her wedding Rosamind finds herself in a loveless and extremely abusive marriage. She has all but given up hope of finding any happiness when she meets Joseph, her husbands new chauffeur. The Gilded Cage is a heartbreaking and painfully realistic representation of the type of situation that many women found themselves in during this time period. I was not sure about this novel when I picked it but I’m so glad that I read it. Rosamind is a memorable and powerful character who finds the courage to take control of her own life. The descriptions of domestic violence are quite graphic so be aware of that. While this novel is heartbreaking it is also infused with so much hope and will leave the reader with a smile.

I found this tale moving and compelling and I thought there would be no escape for the heroine, but I was wrong. There is a warning at the beginning of the book that it contains domestic abuse, and the scenes, whilst sensitively written, are shocking. A compelling story with great characterization, The Gilded Cage is in parts shocking but nevertheless, a compulsive read with a strong heroine. I would recommend this book to anyone that loves historical fiction. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for a chance to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book did take a bit for me to feel hooked in the story or with the character(s) however when I reached about 49% I was hooked and wanted more. The ended didn’t disappoint in the closure but allowing the possibility for a continuation in the story. The trigger of domestic assault/sexual assault I would imagine would be hard for someone who has been through that so heads up.

I normally don't read historical fiction, but I will read more now. I absolutely loved this book! I loved everything about it from the beautiful cover to the amazing storytelling. It was like I was transported into another time. It's like Wuthering Heights meets The Bridges of Madison County. There were great characters, some I loved and some I really couldn't stand such as Phelps and of course. Sir Lucien. What a fitting name!

I loved Nelly and Rosamund and how their relationship blossomed. The narrator did an amazing job. The author chose the perfect narrator for this story. She really helped to create the atmosphere.
I really loved the romance in here. It was realistic, human and refreshing. I didn't know there were real romance stories without all the smut. I much prefer ones like this where it mirrors life more. It was so well written. After reading I just wanted to talk about it with others because I loved it so much!

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC for my honest review.

When Rose Pelham lost her elderly father her brother couldn’t wait to get her married off and claimed he had no way to support her the day she met Lucius Fitz at first she was just slightly annoyed but once she realized her brother invited the elderly overweight man to be her suitor she almost fainted. Little did she know his age and size would be the least offensive about him. He was abusive and fed off of her fright and when he was away lol to taunt and tease her with what was coming her way. For over 10 years her life was a lonely misery that is until Lucius bought an auto car and needed a chauffeur. This is when Joseph Katwala came into the picture. She fell into his kindness like a thirsty woman and before she knew it he wanted her just as much the only problem is he was married with seven children but when rumors go around in the butler couldn’t wait to let the Lucius know what his wife was up to while he was in England it doesn’t look good for any of them. After all Sir Lucius‘s first wife died from mysterious circumstances or if you believe the servant he killed her. This book was so so good and although it was 13 hours long it did not feel like that at all it blew by . Not only that the narrator does such a superb job doing the male and female voices and hills a best array of talent to pull from she can do multi women talking and you can’t even tell it is the same person she is so awesome having said that I usually do not like stories where people cheat with other Maori people but this book was so beautifully done and heartwarming and it doesn’t end like normal historical regency romances usually do and OMG if this isn’t the most legitimate Victorian era romance I have ever read absolutely love this book and would give it 10 stars if I could. I want to thank dreamscape media and net galley for my free arc copy. Please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

So I had to DNF this one. It is beautifully written. The story is very good. The characters are deep and multi faceted. It is a good book. But there is some subject matter that I cannot get through. I got about 50% into the book and just could not keep going. Just is not for me.