This reminded me of a lifetime movie in the best way possible. I have recently read the housemaid’s secret by Freida McFadden and thought this book would be similar but I was wrong. This book was so bingeable and addictive that I read it in one sitting. I loved every single aspect of this book and I will definitely read more from this author in the future

While "The Housekeeper's Secret" is slow-moving, the story lends an atmospheric air of mystery that illustrates northern English life in the early 1900s. Readers who dont mind a steady-but-slow pace will be happy to find an immersive peek into a time long gone, with a light touch of romance & mystery. This is less an endless twist mystery, but more a slow build through the unraveling of of past secrets. If you loved Downtown Abbey, you'll love a tale in the same domestic era. We follow Kate Furniss through the story, a housekeeper for a wealthy family. Kate begins to crush on Jem Arden, the new the footman, and believes the feeling is mutual. But not all is as it seems, with Jem or the House.

I wasn't so sure about this read at first -- it started a bit slow and honestly the structure was a little confusing to start. But it really pulled me in! It's a good mix of the historical romance elements but also some suspense and mystery, and of course the setting (early 1900s England manor house) is to die for. Would recommend!

The Housekeeper’s Secret is a dual-timeline historical fiction novel that unfolds like a whispered confession across decades. We follow two women: one in the 1940s navigating the elite world of British aristocracy as a housekeeper with secrets of her own, and the other in the 2010s, unraveling the past while trying to make sense of her own fractured life.

Iona Grey spins a rich, slow-burn mystery filled with lavish settings, buried scandals, and the quiet rage of women who've been silenced or sidelined. It’s Downton Abbey meets The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo—with a layer of wartime grief and class struggle underneath all the glamour.

What Worked:

🔹 Atmospheric and Immersive
Grey does what she does best—evoking a strong sense of place and time. Whether it’s the hushed halls of an English manor or the smog and rubble of post-WWII London, every scene feels textured and cinematic. The pacing is deliberate but never boring—it’s built for readers who love to sink into a story.

🔹 Class and Gender Are Always Present
This isn’t just about secrets for shock value. Grey uses the housekeeper’s position as a lens to examine class dynamics in 20th-century England—what’s seen, what’s ignored, and what’s punished. There’s also a quiet feminist thread here, showing how women carved out power in worlds that offered them very little.

🔹 Well-Drawn, Flawed Women
Both protagonists—past and present—are messy, emotional, complex. Their stories mirror one another in satisfying ways, exploring grief, shame, ambition, and the weight of inherited silence. They aren’t moralized or flattened. They feel like women you might know, or be.

🔹 The Secrets Are Earned, Not Gimmicks
You know how some dual-timeline novels rely on twist after twist just to keep you hooked? Not here. The mystery unfolds naturally, with emotional weight behind each reveal. It’s not just about what happened—it’s about why it had to be hidden in the first place.

What Could Be Stronger:

🔸 Slow Start for Some
The book takes its time building its world and characters. If you need immediate tension or big plot events up front, this may test your patience. But for those who love a good simmer before the boil, it pays off.

🔸 The Modern Timeline Isn’t as Strong
While the historical storyline is rich and layered, the contemporary plot occasionally feels more like a vehicle to get us to the past. It’s still engaging—but it doesn’t carry the same emotional depth or urgency.

Big Themes & Takeaways:

✨ Women as Witnesses and Archivists: The housekeeper sees everything—but isn’t seen. This story honors the invisible labor of women and how they hold the receipts, even when history forgets them.

✨ Legacy and Inheritance: What do we inherit from those who came before—stories, silences, trauma, or strength? And what do we do when the truth finally surfaces?

✨ Survival vs. Respectability: The women in this book make hard choices. Not always “good” ones—but ones they needed to make. The novel never shames them for it.

Favorite Quotes (No major spoilers):

“A housekeeper learns early that silence is her most powerful tool.”

“History is made by those in power. But remembered by those who survive it.”

“She kept the truth like a shard in her pocket—dangerous, but necessary.”

Final Thoughts:
The Housekeeper’s Secret is a quiet powerhouse of a novel. It’s for the readers who like their history with heart, their mysteries with meaning, and their women with layers. Iona Grey offers a love letter to the forgotten women of the past—those who were always present, always watching, always holding more than we knew.

Perfect for fans of Kate Morton, Kristin Hannah, and anyone who likes their fiction with tea, tension, and a trail of letters in a dusty attic.

Rating: 3/5
Content Warnings: Grief, war trauma, sexual coercion, class-based discrimination, emotional abuse
Age Range: Adult historical fiction

I loved this book. It really showed the struggles of the time while also being a great historical romance! I would recommend this to anyone looking for a romance or historical fiction as this felt like it could be loved of readers of both genres but anyone who loves reading would also be a fan of this story. I think it was all written and I enjoyed the characters very much!

Thank you to the publisher for my eARC!

Unfortunately I had to DNF this book. I even tried to read it on audio and I just couldn't get into it. I think it was just a "right book, wrong time" for me and I hope to try to pick it up again soon!

If you're a fan of the shows Upstairs, Downstairs and Downton Abby, and enjoy seeing the lives of the average worker/person in a world of the Upper Class, this may be a book for you.

This was one where I went back and forth between reading and listening. It was slow to get into, which is why when the audiobook popped up, I got it as well. I preferred listening to this one, the story seemed to flow better in the audio. The narrators, Shakira Shute & Raphael Corkhill, did a wonderful job, and I enjoyed their voices and tones.

This did jump around a bit, which could be distracting at times, but it's a detailed story with complex characters that's emotionally gripping and has a well-written, slow-burning romance. Overall, this is an enjoyable and good read that gives insights into the lives of those who lived below and how war affects all.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for advance readers' & audio copies of The Housekeeper’s Secret.

Fans of Downton Abbey will love this downstairs take on big house drama with a shocking twist. Grey’s writing is beautiful and immediately immerses the reader in the just out of reach luxury of Britain’s elite in the early 1900s. Coping with personal and global change, the characters come alive in ways both beautiful and terrifying. I’ll keep the Housekeeper’s secret so as not to spoil, but you definitely want to find out what it is…

It took me a while to get to this one. But I’m really glad I did.! It was well written with good character values. First that I’ve read by this author, but it definitely will not be the last.

I love the time period this book set in - early 1900s. The author obviously did a lot of research about about the life in that time. This novel is suspenseful and has a great cast of characters.

A captivating story which would have benefitted from a great deal more editing. The historical significance and charm of the book got lost in the redundancy.

i’ve been really interested in pre wwi fiction so i picked this up. i found it pretty intriguing, thoigh i think it fell flat on both the romantic and mystery aspects, which is a shame.

the bill of the story takes place in 1911. if i’m being honest i didn’t think there was need for the framing device of the battle of the somme since we spend so little time in that timeline, and it obscures rather than reveals.

i liked the setting; it’s downton abbey esque and focuses almost entirely on the lives of the servants. there’s a lot of jumping around between the characters, though, which took away from kate and jem’s story, and i really wished we were more focused on them as they were such interesting characters

definitely pick it up if you’re into mysterious romances!

Gave some downstairs/upstairs or Downton Abbey vibes. A bit slow to start to the story, but picked up eventually.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc of "The Housekeeper's Secret".

This story started out a bit slow, but about a quarter of the way through I couldn't get enough of it. One of the main character, Kate. was a very likable character with a good head on her shoulder's. Jem was also a likable, but I like that he was realistic person and didn't win at everything he did. Man, there was so much drama in this book, but it satisfied my guilty pleasure, it felt like I was in the middle of the story figuring out what was going on.

(Rounded up from 3.5 stars)

This historical romance fiction was mostly enjoyable. I found it dragged a bit at times, and a few bits were confusing. Overall, it’s a love story that stands the test of time.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for my copy of this book.

There was much that drew me to this book going in - a historical mystery/romance set in the early 20th century, in an era and setting that gives Downton Abbey/Upstairs, Downstairs vibes. It's told with dual timelines, alternating between a country house on the moors of Northern England in 2011 and letters written in 2016 in the trenches of WWI Somme valley, France. The mysteries and stories unfold slowly. It's a bit confusing in the early stages, with multiples characters introduced, and early on I wasn't quite sure how I felt about this one. But the main characters, Kate and Jem, both have shadowy pasts that are hinted at and are eventually revealed, as is a current ongoing mystery. The characters were intriguing enough to keep me wanting to read more and learn their secrets, and in the end I was happy I'd stuck with it for the satisfying conclusion.

A touching story about love, loss, and secrets. Clara, the housekeeper with a mysterious past and one of my favorites in the book. The book switches between past and present, blending historical and modern elements beautifully.

I think the book could have been shorter as it dragged in some spots for me.

Grey's writing is vivid and engaging, bringing the settings and characters to life. Nice historical fictional elements. Themes of forgiveness and healing are woven throughout.

Overall, "The Housekeeper's Secret" is a heartfelt and compelling novel that stays with you. Perfect for fans of historical fiction and emotional stories.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Net Galley for the ARC.

I really tried to like this one, but I couldn’t get through it. I had to DNF. The story seemed like it was going to be interesting, but it was such a difficult read. I couldn’t visualize and it just wasn’t holding my attention. I’m sorry. I really tried.

As someone who enjoyed watching the separate lives in Downton Abbey I was excited to read this book. In a set-away mansion everyone has their own secrets. Slow paced at the start it was hard to get into but I was so nosey I had to keep reading. Did feel like something were left unsaid by the end of the book but I really enjoyed reading the story lines which had a small time jump but were about the same characters. It kept me guessing but isn't really a thriller or mystery just historical fiction with romance thrown in.

. Part of the story is in the trenches in WWI and part in England. Kind of a Downtown Abbey type story focusing on the servants. Both Kate, the housekeeper and Jem, the footman have secrets they are trying to keep hidden. I didn’t like this as much as I hoped. Although, I listened to the audiobook and liked that version better.