Ahhhhh this was just such a great read. I just didn't want this book to end and I was sad to turn the last page. I'm so excited to see what's next from this author.

I was excited to read this historical mystery, but it took me at least 100 pages to really get into the story. The beginning letter from the trenches was confusing, and I really only found out during the last few chapters how the timeline was supposed to be.

I like historical mysteries, but this one was way too long…it dragged out too much. There was an incredible amount of “filler” or “fluff”. All along I felt that the book should end, and I would see that there were massive amounts of pages yet to be read. I persevered and continued reading, though I wanted to stop many times, since everything moved so very slowly. Actually, many parts were just plain boring.

Ms. Grey is a brilliant writer, and this book is well written, however there was too much back and forth, which did not always work. It required some going back to read and understand, and some of the “cliffhangers” left one wondering what really happened. I also did not appreciate using the F word, which thankfully was not overused, and it did not add anything to the story.

I am so glad that the 3 bad people were gone by the end. They were very stressful characters to bear.

I am also happy that there was a halfway happy ending. After 357 pages you want something happy to end the story with.

All in all, I have to repeat what I said to a friend who asked me if I was enjoying this book : “Yes, but it does not keep me on the edge of my seat”

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for making an advance reader’s copy available for me to read and post a personal review.

This was not an entirely enjoyable read for me. I never connected with the book. I was 30% in and still had very little idea what was going on. I expected a Downton Abbey sort of book, but just ended up confused.

I received a free copy of this book from St. Martin's Press. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

I really enjoyed this book! Historical romance with some mystery elements, I couldn’t get enough! I fell in love with the characters and the story and I was really happy with how it ended! Definitely will be recommending this one!

The Housekeeper's Secret slowly but surely draws you in to the mystery of the housekeeper's secret at Coldwell Hall.

The story is told in dual time

It is the 1900's and on the verge of WWI .

We meet Kate, the housekeeper and Jem the newly hired man.

Both of them are hiding multiple secrets and when circumstances lead to the son of the manor taking over , (nasty man) these secrets are about to be discovered.

Iona Grey does a fantastic job of letting the reader know what it was like to live in that time frame with none of the necessities that we take for granted: no indoor plumbing, no central heat.

I loved the concept of upstairs/downstairs along with those we love to sneer at and those we love to cheer on.

The Housekeeper's Secret is a compelling and captivating read that was hard to put to down.

Highly recommend you get your copy, settle in and go back in time for a great read.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the privilege of reading and reviewing The Housekeeper's Secret.

I very rarely DNF a book, especially if it’s one that’s been sent as an ARC. Unfortunately I found this book extremely difficult to follow and get a grasp on the characters. There were too many people introduced too quickly and the multiple POV changes had me constantly going back and forth to reread to try and decipher what was happening. Got about 20% in and had to give up. Sad because the description sounded quite interesting!

A well-written historical fiction with a little mystery and little romance in the mix. The author does a beautiful job in revealing the story bit by bit with alternating perspectives in both character and time. Very enjoyable!

This is the first book I read by Iona Grey. I liked it. It was not what I was expecting but in a good way. I enjoyed author's voice and plot twists.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this eARC.

The past, the present, secrets, duty, and romance. The Housekeeper's Secret is a historical fiction/romance book that takes place between the years of 1911 to 1919.

This is a book that has me torn over my rating. I found this book to be slow moving at times and it took some time for me to become engaged in the plot. I struggle with slow books but powered on and I am glad that I did.

I loved the atmosphere, setting, and sense of time in this book. Coldwell Hall is in the moors of northern England. I could feel the wind and the chill in the air. Plus, the servants did back breaking work. They spend their days scrubbing, cleaning, cooking, laundry, and doing as they are told. It's exhausting just thinking about it. It's not an easy life and I thought Iona Grey did a great job depicting their duties and lives.

Kate Furniss has a secret and works as a housekeeper. Jem Arden, recently hired as a footman, has secrets as well. As they grapple with their desire, they also keep their individual secrets close and hidden.

This book is told in alternating timelines and shows the changes in people, lives, the world, war, and progress. People live, people die, people move on, and people love.

I had both the book and audiobook versions of The Housekeeper's Secret. I thought the narration of the audiobook was very nicely done and did a great job bringing the book to life.

Overall, an engaging story with vivid descriptions of life of not only servants but of the main characters of Kate and Jem. Fans of historical romance will enjoy this one.

As I mentioned above, I loved the atmosphere and setting of this book. The author did a tremendous job setting the stage for this book. As I struggle with slowness in books, at times I felt this book was a little long and I wanted to give it a little nudge to move things along. That is my personal preference.

Well written and atmospheric.

This was a great historical romance novel with a touch of suspense given the amount of secrets embedded into the story. It took me a little to get into the story as the beginning slowly sets the stage and doesn't make a ton of sense at first. The alternating timelines and amount of characters were difficult to follow at times. If you are someone who really enjoys a thorough plot development this one will really satisfy you. Set in the early 1900s the author did a great job at accurately portraying that time period. This is a must for any historical fiction/romance fans.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest reveiw.

It’s a shame the lengths women have to go through to escape the vile acts of men. That they had to act as if they were on the run from murder, just to be sure that they can’t be found, to the point that they might as well have with all the secrecy surrounding their new identity. This is the life for our main character, Kate Furniss. All is well, she maintains a spinster status as no one knows she’s actually married. Then Jem arrives at Coldwell and all goes to ruin. Not because Jem knows her secret; but because she falls for him and wants him and a love like that is not something she can have. He wants her too though.
The book is told in different timelines, from this time in the manor and when Jem is in the war (WWI). This, combined with the POV changes between different characters, I got a little lost at first but eventually righted myself and got into the rhythm of the story. There’s a parallel between their life and the war, tumultuous and on the run, and then concluding with peace.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the gifted e-galley.

This historical mystery novel definitely has shades of Downton Abbey, even though it focuses primarily on the lives of the servants during the end of the Edwardian Age at Coldwell Hall, an estate in northern England. Central to the plot are Kate, the head housekeeper, and Jim Ardeen, the new footman, both of whom harbor interesting secrets. This is a well written and enjoyable read, one that has a nice amount of suspense and interesting characters.

This was honestly just okay for me. I enjoyed it, but never really felt inclined to pick it up, so it took me forever to read. The mystery wasnt really mind blowing or anything. It was pretty easy to know what was happening all along. However, the character work was great. I did end up really caring for a lot of them.

I couldn't put this book down and am taking it with me on my first trip to the UK! Stupendous novel!

This is book 2 in the Housekeeper's Secrets Series. Written from the Housekeeper's point of view, she is looking for a new job and feels great that she found a new job cleaning the penthouse of the Garrick's. She has never seen the wife, but notices strange things like blood on her nightgowns. She begins to wonder if she can help Mrs. Garrick. Maybe, she can make a difference.....

Drama-filled, Edwardian excellence. I loved this. I plan to recommend this to all my historical-fiction friends. Very well done and kept me engaged all the way through. Thank you to NetGalley for the epub!

Wonderful historical romance. I found this suspenseful with lots of character interaction and intrigue. Well written, I find I could definitely read this again.

This is a nice historical romance.

The novel is suspenseful but there are lots of characters that can cause some confusion throughout the read. Overall I did enjoy this novel

I received this as an ARC for my honest review.

The Housekeeper's Secret is perfect for fans of Kate Morton, Ariel Lawhon, and Tea Copper. The book follows Kate Furniss, the housekeeper of Coldwell Hall. Jem Arden is the new footman for the estate. Jem has other motives to work at Coldwell. It was the last place his brother Jack was seen alive. Mrs. Furniss also has her own secrets that she doesn't want the other staff to find out about her past and why she is really at Coldwell also. This book tells the story from the propestive of Kate, Jem, and some of the other staff at Coldwell. It also follows Jem years latter while he is a solider in WW1. and writting his final letter to Kate even though he is unsure it will ever make to her hands.

There’s a lot to enjoy about this book. The plot primarily centers on Kate Furniss, the housekeeper of a mysterious aristocratic house in remote Northern England, and her attempts to hide (from) her past and wall her heart off. We also glimpse the alternate timeline of WWI years later. Throughout the story, the characters are complex and three-dimensional. The setting is mysterious and beautiful. There is excellent tension to the plot. I felt what the characters felt, and that’s a sign of a great novel.

However, the book is overly long and wordy — though the words flow beautifully! It has the suspense of a thriller with the pacing of a cozy mystery, and that dissonance pulled me out of the story and made it hard to finish. Though it ended well, the story was mostly depressing. I would read another novel from author Iona Grey, who is clearly a very skilled wordsmith, but this one ultimately didn’t do it for me.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.