A fast paced action adventure with a side order of romance which isn't too explicit for those who dont like that. There are lots of twists and red herrings in a different to the normal setting which is well researched, a very entertaining read but at the same time quite light hearted despite the series topic. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I enjoyed this book immensely.

In a Ripper Street x Bridgerton style crossover, this murder mystery, regency novel has you traipsing across the English countryside in a quest to discover who is responsible for the murder of the heroine's brother.

With secret societies, spies, lords and clergymen all involved, can Dora and Jacob solve the clues in time, whilst evading masked pursuers themselves?

The main characters in this book had me gripped with their flawed pasts and uniqueness. The will-they-won’t-they nature of their relationship teased me right to the very end, and only added to the mystery.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What do the fine Gentry get up to in their elite clubs? This book is based around the very real Hellfire club of the 18th Century. In the story, Dora is delivered the news that her brother has been murdered, but has left her a letter with some clues. Turns out these clues are the key to the countries security and there are some very rich powerful people after them. We see Dora and the messenger ( a Dr Jacob Sandys) try to follow the clues whilst trying to keep themselves out of harms way.

I knew nothing about the hellfire club so this was really intriguing as a plot for the story. I really liked the main character Dora and her clever antics, I also loved the relationship between her and Jacob. The book was fast paced and full of adventure. I enjoyed trying to uncover the secrets as the characters did. I did find the story was very heavy on politics and history which would be good if you already knew a lot about that time period. As someone who knew little, at times it felt confusing or overwhelming. I liked learning about the time period but felt like the book was less accessible for those who didn’t already know something of the politics at that time.

It was interesting to see how the story line all tied together and the secrets unravelling. I enjoyed this one a lot and know want to know more about the hellfire clubs

A great read this story is full of intrigue and danger….
Anthony Pennington dies under distressing circumstances, he’s been tortured for information. He has been working for the Hellfire Club at the time, which is a house in a secret location for the rich. His friend Jacob who’s an ex army officer and a doctor, has to inform his sister Dora that Pennington has died. She’s given a letter from her brother, which is coded so only she knows where to go to retrieve something that the murderer wants. They know they are being followed so have to be careful.
I found it a really great read. I was on the edge of my seat throughout this story! Knowing there was someone on their tail
as they tried to find Anthony’s hidden item, made the tension too much!!
Many thanks to HarperCollinsUk for the opportunity to read this arc copy via Netgalley.
#Netgalley, #HarperCollinsUk, #JuliaGolding.

Do you ever read a book by an author you loved as a kid and find yourself thinking, wow I shouldn’t have done that. If only I had kept the rose-tinted view I had of Julia Golding’s books in my mind! If only! (That being said, maybe her writing does work better for the kidlit I read by her. There’s still hope!)

That’s what happened with The Persephone Code. I mean, Bridgerton meets The Da Vinci Code should have spelled it out for me, but I thought at least this could be fun! Sadly, dragging myself through it killed any semblance of fun it might have had. The plot was ridiculous, sure, but I can deal with ridiculous plots. I can (sometimes) suspend my disbelief.

It wasn’t so much the plot here where it fell down (although I did note that, at times, the plot was as subtle as a faceful of bricks and occasionally very stupid, so there is that too), but the lack of development in the characters and their relationship. I get it, you’re trying to write a romance alongside an adventure thriller thing, but it was just… abysmal. There are no other words for it. The characters were underdeveloped to the extreme and their relationship was so completely underbaked as to be raw. And not in the good sense!

Having said this, though, there are times when that character underdevelopment tied into the plot: namely, points where I was clearly intended to care about certain events, but I couldn’t, because the characters weren’t compelling (and also spelled some things out so clearly in their POV that I had to roll my eyes at the other character’s POV for not seeing it).

The thing is, I think both here and in the plot, everything was too rushed. The characters had decided they were on the way to being in love within a couple of days, the plot was never given time to breathe (there’s a difference, I think, between a fast-paced plot (which doesn’t feel rushed) and a plot that is rushed), and the ending was resolved in the blink of an eye with no apparent impact on anyone. Even the clear attempt in the final pages to hint at more to come was flimsy.

All in all, not the most enjoyable read, it has to be said!

A man is murdered. His name Antony Pennington, the warden of a secret society, and he leaves behind a letter addressed to illegitimate sister, Dora. Dora is informed of her brother's passing by a military doctor, Dr Jacob Sandys, and they both embark on a quest to find his killer and get to the bottom of what is going on within these secret societies. They quickly realize the conspiracy goes deeper then they could have imagined.

This book was a fun time, the characters were very enjoyable. They had good chemistry and it was fun to go along with them as they solved the mystery. I guess most of the twist and turns from a mile away but that did not take away from my enjoyment. They setting was also fun, and I love a good historical romp type situation.

I'm absolutely terrible when it comes to remembering author's names. Of course, the truly famous ones that are everywhere stick eventually, but the rest don't. When I requested this book from Netgalley I had therefore not realized that I already read books by this author. Firstly, the Jane Austen investigates series, which I really enjoyed. Secondly the books the author wrote as Joss Stirling, books I absolutely loved. Luckily One More Chapter granted me a review copy.

I have to admit that I had expected a little more from this book. But, let's start with all the positive things. Despite its themes, this book was an easy read. That's mostly because of the writing style. The sentences aren't too complicated, the words chosen aren't too sophisticated and the dialogues were easy to follow. I therefore flew through the book. The chapters being on the shorter side, especially for adult novels, helped too.

I also liked the setting, the plot and the historical nods throughout the story. I'm no way a historian, I'm sure those have strong opinions on this book, but I at least noticed nothing that felt completely off. And yet, the story never really grabbed me. I was reading the words, I was flying through the book, I was taking in the plot, but I never got excited, I never had issues putting the book down, I never needed to read on.

That's firstly because a book being compared to the Da Vinci Code should be more thrilling, more dangerous and more action packed. I missed the adrenaline rush and the true fear and horror. It's secondly because a book being compared to Bridgerton should be more romantic, sexier and there should be a lot more tension between the romantic leads. It feels like all the ingredients are there, but its full potential doesn't shine yet.

It is April 1812 and the war between England and the Napoleonic regime is well under way. In West Wycombe in Buckinghamshire a young man is murdered in the notorious Hellfire Caves. The Hellfire Club was a private club, in various locations in Britain and Ireland, for the wealthy and privileged where any debauchery is accepted and where the ton can carry out their darkest fantasies without fear of retribution. I love all the historical detail in this book, the author has clearly done her research.

Briefly, at Lake Windermere in the Lake District Dr Jacob Sandys has been asked by his friend and vicar in Wycombe to tell the murdered man’s sister of his death and to give her a letter from her brother. She is Dora Fitz-Pennington who is an actress and also a very clever forger. The letter is a code to obtaining a secret that her brother has hidden but, if his killers get their hands on it, could likely change the course of the war.

A fast paced action adventure with a smattering of romance. The attraction between Jacob and Dora is really well done, lots of flirty banter without being sickly, as is the depiction of the Hellfire Club and the Illuminati. Plenty of twists and turn kept me avidly page turning until the last page. A good novel with a great plot and unusual settings, a very entertaining read.
4.5 ⭐️

Dora Fitz-Pennington's brother is brutally murdered and with only a handful of clues to his killer, Dora must try to find out why her brother died in such horrific circumstances and of the connection to the notorious Hell Fire Club. With the help of Dr Jacob Sandys, an ex-army officer and a former opium addict they negotiate the tricky clues left behind.

The story gets off to a good start and I enjoyed trying to piece together the many parts of the mystery in order to discover just what was going on in the infamous Hell Fires caves and the significance of the clues which Dora and Jacob must solve in order to discover why the club's warden Antony Pennington met such an untimely death.

The Persephone Code is an exciting romp through the Regency world with an interesting couple of lead characters who very early on the story realise that they are attracted to one another. Dora is a feisty heroine, her acting backgrounds comes in useful and she is no shrinking violet when it comes to getting what she wants. There are more than enough twists and turns in the plot to keep you guessing and it certainly lives up to its description of The Da Vinci Code meets Bridgerton.

This book was just fine. The romance was a bit to insta-love for me and the mystery a bit complicated and unbelievable. I did like Dora as a main character.

This just wasn't the book for me.

I was intrigued by the premise "Bridgerton meets the Da Vinci Code," as those are two of my favorite shows/movies, but I felt like that was just a marketing ploy to get people to pick the book up. It was unnecessary, and I think it actually hurt the book for me.

The book was an interesting Regency era murder mystery at its core with the Illuminati and Hellfire Club mixed in and that element of it was very cool! The dialogue was a bit stiff and I did not connect with the characters as much as I wanted to. The ending was well done, and if I hadn't been so bored in the middle and also expecting some huge Bridgerton-level romance, I would have rated the book higher.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

its a long drawn out affair with hints of Bridgeton and the da vinci code but i would also add a touch of sherlock holmes into that mix.....

if you can get through it all that reading its not a bad.... i was initially drawn into the book by the way the author wrote it but as it went on and on and not much happened it started to lose my interest... but then again i like lots of action this was a romp seen through the eyes of yester years where women were things to be kept and abused with no respect for them and men were men who had all the control....

This was very exciting and engaging. It ran a bit long and some of the inner monologues were repetitive, so I think it could have benefitted from some further editing but that’s just my opinion. The story was both romantic and eww creepy - an odd combination, but it works.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

I really enjoyed this fast moving mystery. Both Dora and Jacob made great leads and the author brought the time period and characters to life. A really great read. I did feel the ending was a bit rushed but overall would highly recommend if you enjoy a light period adventure.

Thank you so much for the arc! Although an entertaining story, I did not find myself particularly attached to any of the characters. Because of this, I wasn’t particularly invested in the story or the outcome. 2.5 stars.

Wow, what an entertaining story! The Persephone Code is the first book I have ever read by Julia Golding (or any of hers under other pen names). When I saw the cover and title I was incredibly intrigued (yes, what’s on the front does matter!) and knew I had to see what story was waiting inside. I was not sure what to expect but the book blurb sounded fascinating. I had a feeling I would enjoy it, though, and I can sincerely say I did! (Thank you One More Chapter for offering me the ARC.)

I found The Persephone Code to be a riveting and intriguing fast paced tale that never let up in its surprises and challenges. I loved the characters Dora and Jacob with their clever witty banter. And their ongoing fascination with and attraction to each other. I rightfully loathed the baddies with their sarcastic and snobbish inference and their ruthless vile acts! Which means the author has done her job well on both counts. This novel with its unusual plot, peculiar settings and significant historical time period (note the war of 1812) kept me pinned with curiosity and furiously turning the pages to see what would happen next.

This story focuses on the Hellfire Caves, a place where a secret society reigned for the rich and where they carried out socially unacceptable or unsavoury acts without conscience or care. When Dora’s brother, Antony Pennington, the club’s warden, is murdered, she must try to decode a strange set of clues to uncover his mystery killer. She does this with the help of Dr. Jacob Sandys, an ex-Army officer.

Jacob is a brilliant likeable character: a real gentleman and son of a Viscount. But as kind and generous as he is, he is not perfect and has had his own demons to battle. Such as: a past opium addiction. He keeps his distance from the drug so as not to become ensnared again. He is almost successful until an incident occurs that requires him to have more confidence and strength than he feels he can muster.

Dora, on the other hand, is not perfect either and has her own secret sins. Yet together they make a marvellous team in trying to solve the mystery. Of course, they run into all kinds of trouble and dangers on their journey that left me holding my breath many times! For they get caught in a conspiracy between the legendary Illuminati and the Hell Fire Club and their lives are on the line numerous times. There is so much happening in the twisty plot with these two in their race for justice, that there never is a dull moment.

I was quite satisfied with the ending but the events just before in the caves left me uncomfortable (as they should) and I was glad to be back out in the fresh air with our hero and heroine! Ms Golding has done an excellent job with the telling of this tale and got me reading further on these secret societies: much of which is quite alarming but certainly provides some great material for a novel. I think The Persephone Code deserves five stars for it achieves what it is meant to do. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to One More Chapter and Netgalley for my review copy.

A compelling read that brings us back in history to the year 1812. It has both the Da Vinci Code vibes and Bridgerton vibes! The cover is also absolutely stunning.

When Dora's half-brother Antony is murdered she sets out to find a secret that he had entrusted to her. She is aided by Jacob, a recovering addict and former army surgeon.
I really enjoyed this book, devouring it in one day. It is set in the Regency period, a time that I enjoy reading about but would not necessarily enjoy living in. It is uncompromising, not shying away from the darker side of the times, but also has the better side of humanity included. There are many twists and turns during her search, with secrets revealed and further surprises revealed, plus a few spicy moments. Recommend for those who enjoy a romantic suspense, with a bit of history thrown in. I really hope that there will be more books with these characters.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

DNF at 28%
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for reaching out about this book. I stopped reading about 28% of the way through after taking a chance with this book. It had some good pacing for the first 15% and I was enjoying it but then I found the book lingering on events as if trying to stretch them out and I became uninterested. The way the MMC began thinking about Dora and wanting to lie in bed with her felt rushed considering they had known each other less than 12 hours and it seemed to come out of nowhere. The book as advertised as Bridgerton meeds The Da Vinci Code but that feels like a stretch to sell the book based on what is popular rather than what accurately reflects the work itself as, besides the time period, I could not find similarities to Bridgerton at all. The book lacks thrill after the first couple of chapters and didn’t stand out from other books I’ve read in that time period.

Murder mystery and The Hellfire Club in the 1880s. The initial scenes of the Hellfire Club in a cavern are horrifying. Dora attempts to find out who killed her brother, with the help of Jacob, an ex-army officer and opium addict. There seems to be a conspiracy against them and they try not to get themselves killed. I found this rather slow, though everything connected at the end.