“The Housekeeper’s Secret” is a historical fiction book by Iona Grey. I struggled at the beginning of this book - the beginning was slow, confusing, and characters were thrown in in various ways (sometimes by job title, sometimes by last name, sometimes by first) that I wished I had kept notes about who was who and working where. I think the overall idea of this book is a good one, but between the timelines (changing) and the POV voice changing (second, third), it was a difficult book to get through. I’ll give it three stars because I think the bones are there, but one needs to push through the story to see them.

"The Housekeeper's Secret" examines the goings-on of a fictional estate in the early 1900s. There is intrigue, drama, and politics abound among the service staff, which fuels the story of Kate Furniss, the housekeeper, as she aims to keep her secrets veiled. The book particularly focuses on one summer, when her heart was stolen by the new footman, Jem (who is quite a jem).
The story was a slow start, and like many other have said, a bit confusing. Many characters were introduced rapidly and called by various names (first name only, last name only, or their station in the house) which became confusing. I found myself wishing I took notes at the beginning. Furthermore, there are 2-3 (?) timelines occurring at points, which was slightly confusing in the manner it was presented. Sometimes a place, date, or only a season, or sometimes just a new chapter section would indicate the timeline jump, and it was hard to follow at points.
That being said, the book became very engrossing as it went on. I would say this is more of a love story with mystery elements set in the early 1900s as opposed to a full historical fiction novel, but it was enjoyable all the same. I would recommend to fans of slow burns with sharp and satisfying twists. I found myself gasping out loud at times. The writing was very effective in mental illustrations, and was poetic throughout. I appreciated the author's writing style as it added to the otherwise drum landscape of the moors. Overall, I would give the book 3.7 stars!
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Kate has been the housekeeper at Coldwell House for five years, and in this time, she’s almost come to believe that’s all she is. When Jem joins the household staff in 1911, Kate finds herself falling for the handsome footman.Vacillating between the glories of Edwardian and the the miseries of World War I battlefields, this is an immersive and unforgettable story

The present tense and switches between second and third person voices in the same POV, while also being part of a multiple POV book was very confusing for me. This took far too long for me to read because of this (and I’m a speedy reader). I feel like the writing is lacking in the sense of grammar, usage, and mechanics. Even so, the storyline was entertaining and the character development was great! If it goes through another round of edits, this could be gold.

Yet another book written in present tense. I was only able to get a few pages in before I had to throw in the towel. Based on the many Goodreads reviews which state that there are multiple POVs, me abandoning this book certainly seems like a good thing.

Thank you anyway for the ARC. Better luck next time?

I absolutely loved the description of this book and was excited to read this title. However, I was not able to get into this book and sadly DNF. I had a hard time keeping track of the characters and the plot did not pull me in. I so wanted to love this book!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review!

I thought this book was incredibly slow paced and I was quite confused by the multiple timelines and POV’s. I thought the plot sounded so interesting but this book just fell flat for me. I don’t enjoy romance and there wasn’t even much going there. The premise made it sound interesting however. I thought I would enjoy the historical fiction but that didn’t do it for me either. Disappointed in this one.

Thank you to Net Galley for this e-book in exchange for my honest review.

I wish I did it have to DNF an ARC, but I just could not get through this one. It’s even more disappointing because I am a fan of Iona Grey. I enjoyed Letters to the Lost (4 stars) and The Glittering Hour (5 stars), but this latest one from her just felt cumbersome, too many characters, not enough plot, pacing was slow. DNF at 22%.

Thank you very much to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Housekeeper’s Secret by Iona Grey
Historical fiction
4 ⭐️
Release date: 8/13/24

This historical fiction/historical romance is dual POV with alternating timeline set at Coldwell Hall, in northern England. An angst-y forbidden romance begins between Kate, the housekeeper and Jem a footman who arrives to work with his own agenda at Coldwell Hall.

The story goes between the manor and WWI frontlines and through each season’s events of Coldwell Hall: a funeral, a renovation, a wedding. This book reminded me a bit of a Kate Morton novel with a mystery woven into the alternating timeline.

Would recommend if you like historical fiction!
ARC via NetGalley

#bookreview #ionagrey #thehouskeeperssecret #historicalfiction #netgalley

This is a super entertaining story set in an old manor house in England. The author does a wonderful job of conveying the time period without letting her research get in the way of the story. The different timelines and stories keep readers on their toes, and the pace never lags.

Highly recommended for fans of Gothic fiction and historical novels.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in this review are 100% my own.

This story had some interesting plots which required a lot of attention as the story jumps between time periods. That does make it difficult at times to keep track of characters with changing names and behaviors. The main storyline of a brother trying to find out what happened to his sibling gets a little lost at times. Overall not a bad story but it did drag a bit in the middle.

This is a interesting book






Interesting book, as you travel back in time ! Women were property at this time hard to understand , how different times were! Men ruled! But sometimes servants could change to balance. Storie as old as time.

Adoration! Loved loved loved it! The true story of most of the old manor houses in England. The disregard for the help.. the mistreatment of women, the inequality of pay and respect. The novel is a brilliant recreation of pre WWI England and the hard working lower classes taken advantage of by the upper crust. Most of us associate this kind of cruelty and poverty with Dickensian England but here we are 70 plus years later and not much has changed. The novel recreated the sounds, smells, weather and life in the english countryside mostly romanticized by the Brontes and others. This is realism and romanticism mingled and at its best. Kate and Jem.. wonderful protagonists who propel this historical novel to its heights!

From the first line, I thought this was written in second person, but then it seemed like third person, but then it went back to second, and I got confused and frustrated. I didn't care to stick with it. I was just annoyed by it.

Leaving five stars. I don't feel I made it far enough to be able to judge how it will be received by the target audience.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

The Housekeeper's Secret by Iona Grey. St. Martin’s Press, 2024.

Coldwell Hall is a neglected mansion near Sheffield, seven miles from the nearest train station. Locals avoid the place, unwilling to be live in servants. I could smell the decay of the place as I read.

We come to know something that brought almost every person we meet to Coldwell Hall, whether servant or upper class. Although most of the servants have suffered at the hands of others, they get on well with each other and there’s mostly a family feeling among them. The new baronet is a self-indulgent and often violent wastrel, his friends and valet are cruel misfits, we can only feel sorry for his bride and her maid.

The Housekeeper's Secret unfolds in four sections, one for each season, and within each, a dual timeline (1911 and 1916), as seen through the eyes of two main characters. There is Kate, hiding from her past, as the Hall’s housekeeper in 1911, and again as a housekeeper in Brighton in 1916 but with a different name, volunteering half-days weekly in a military hospital. There is Jem, in 1911 willing to work as a footman so he can search for evidence of his brother’s murder at Coldwell Hall, and a soldier in 1916, writing letters to Kate from the battlefield that he doubts she will ever read. Occasionally supporting characters step in to tell us things Kate and Jem are less likely to know.

I am not an expert of the period, but appreciated the historical details that support the story and firmly place the characters in 1911-1916 England. In this respect as well as this book’s superb character development, and writing and approach reminded me of Susanna Kearsley’s latest book. From me there is no higher praise. The Vanished Days, also historical fiction is also written using a dual timeline (1683-1687 and 1707) but moving back and forth, not linear, within seven sections.

This is my first experience with Iona Grey, but I see she has written two other highly rated books that I will buy and read right away.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of The Housekeeper's Secret for free via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. #TheHousekeepersSecret #NetGalley