Dual time lines and compelling characters in both settings.
2028. Beth is at Melham Manor, which belongs to her great- aunt Nita Bineham, the house is a run down and dilapidated property, but one that Beth has fond childhood memories of. She is there because Nita is dying and has asked to see her. Nita tells Beth that there is a box in the attic that holds secrets.
Beth has just found out that her husband, David, wants a divorce.
1940. Nita missed out on finishing school- thanks to Mr Hitler. Mother says that Bineham Girls don’t go out to work, they are expected to marry well and produce children. When a friend of her father’s offers her work , unpaid of course, at his local newspaper, The Bugle, due to so many young men being called up for the war, Nita is delighted. She can have a crack at independence and her own money, but she finds out she is only a glorified tea maker and receptionist, Nita would rather be a reporter.
Nita and Joe, a fellow reporter, both become aware of rumours that a Nazi spy is working in their area, they decide to investigate in depth. This thrilling hunt has repercussions across these two time zones.
The story of the Bineham family is one of lost loves and betrayal. Families can be such a trial as both Nita and Beth find out. Life is just as exhausting in modern times as it was during war time England. Nita and Beth are both enterprising and determined women, they vow to make the best of life, even when there is disappointment and grief at every corner.
There is Romance, emotional experiences and otherworldly events that are neatly and surprisingly resolved in a most satisfying way.
I found this to be a very exciting and reflective story, sometimes we don’t know what to believe. Times have changed for women in so many ways, but we still bear the weight of heavy expectations even in these modern times.
This would make a good Book Club read, I have recommended this to my local groups. A five star read.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Boldwood Books, for my advance ARC, freely given in return for my honest review.
I will leave this review to Goodreads and Amazon UK, upon publication.

This is my first Victoria Scott novel. It drew me in right from the start. Similar to Louise Douglas' style of writing, who is a huge favourite of mine.

Two women, separated by decades, uncover a dangerous family secret hidden within a Surrey village’s history. One seeks escape in 1940, the other independence in 2008, but both are drawn into a mystery that will change their lives forever.

This is a gripping story with magical elements. Nita’s story didn’t go in the direction I expected—but since this is women’s fiction and not a spy thriller, I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I was pulled in right from the start. It’s a dual time story, somewhat dark and gothic. Full of twists and turns, leaves you guessing.

The Storyteller’s Daughter is a story of family, of family ties that strengthen through the years rather than weaken.
A beautiful story of secrets and loss, of the strength of women, supporting eachother without condition.
I loved the dual timeline in this story. Nita’s life so different to Beth’s but that link between them drawn from the very beginning with the love of the house and gardens. I felt that the little clues left for Beth in tracing who Nita truly was really added to the interest and kept the two stories flowing.
It was fascinating seeing how Beth was able to draw strength from Nita’s story and find her own confidence to move on with her life.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of The Storyteller's Daughter by Victoria Scott

I loved reading this story of 2 generations, 2 wonderful women, Beth current day and Nita Beth's aunt as a young woman in the 1940's
This novel had me hooked from the beginning, I loved the characters and the plot. The author does an amazing job with description of people and places. I loved how the story developed, I couldn't put the book down and didn't want it to end
I will definitely read more books by this author

4.5 stars

At times poignant, mysterious, and heightened by wartime drama, family entanglements and buried secrets, this book was a pleasure to read. Following the death of her great-Aunt Nita, Beth moves to her family estate in Surrey to take care of the arrangements for dispersal of property, whilst simultaneously dealing with the fallout of her life path gone astray. But Nita left behind some tantalising clues for Beth to find about her early life during WWII, leading Beth to discover hidden secrets about her family and the great-aunt she wished she could have gotten to known better. Beth is led on a journey of self-discovery and healing as she delves further and further into Nita's former life.

Style-wise, the book was an easy read and it never felt like it lagged anywhere. There were plenty of mysteries throughout, both familial and historical, and we the readers were given just enough information when we needed it, until everything eventually coalesced and revealed itself. The timeline swung back and forth between bomb-blitzed Britain in the 1940s and 2008/09 for the more modern plot points. There were so many strings stretching between different elements of the storyline and by the end they all come together rather effortlessly (at least in the reading of it). It feels like the characters each get their chance to challenge the status quo for a shot at independence and real happiness.

Thanks to NetGalley, author Victoria Scott, and Boldwood Books for giving me access to a digital ARC of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own and are provided her voluntarily.

This is the first book I have read by this author, but it most definitely won't be the last!

A beautifully written story told over dual timelines of the 1940s, during WW2 and 2008.

Melham Manor, set in the Surrey countryside, has been the family home of the Bineham family for generations, but since WW2 has been solely inhabited by Nita, until in 2008, Beth is called to Nita's deathbed. Hardly coherent, she tells Beth that there are secrets hidden in the attic, that's the last words spoken to Beth before she passes away.

1940s Melham, Nita is offered a rare taste of freedom and independence by working for the local newspaper, The Bugle. With rumours circulating locally of a spy in their midst, Nita decides to try and solve the mystery in her own time with the help of her colleague Joe, a junior reporter. They fall head over heels in love and take every chance they can to be together, secretly, before he is called to war.

2008 Melham, Beth's life feels like it is slowly crumbling around her. She is suspended from her job, working for the family business. Her husband, out of the blue, has asked for a divorce, and she has now been tasked with dealing with the aftermath of her Aunts death and the family home.

As a diversion, Beth remembers Nita's last words and heads to the attic to try and work out what she could have possibly meant. This sets Beth on a journey of not only trying to unravel hidden past secrets but also finding out just who she really is.

I adored the characterisation in this book. Both main characters are similar in personality but also in circumstance. The main difference being that Nita was a headstrong and wouldn't follow the rules and expectations set out to herby her parents, where Beth, unbeknowingly, is ruled by her parents' expectations and until it is pointed out to her, is unaware of this fact.

A well written plot with great characterisation and location that had me hooked from beginning to end.

Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC.

3⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advanced copy of The Storyteller’s Daughter.

Beth arrives to see her great aunt Nita while she is in her deathbed. She has not seen her in decades but she loved coming to visit her as a child. Nita tells her that there are secrets in the attic and that she is sorry. Beth goes on a journey to find out what her aunt has been hiding and what she finds will change everything.

I enjoyed parts of this book like the dual points of view from Beth in current time and Nita during the 1940s. I did feel like the story drug on a little with a lot of unnecessary information. Overall the book was just okay for me.

Dual timeline story moving between the 1940s and the 2000s. Secrets to uncover and unravel, heartache and joy. A good read.

Moving between the 1940s and 2000s, this evocative well written novel hinges on a secret and the impact it has across the generations - the novel is full of twists and turns which I really enjoyed

Ok this is a dual story timeline featuring an aunt and a niece. It was ok at first but it did take a bit and reading several chapters for me to start to get into the story. It was good.

The Storyteller’s daughter is told in two timelines over a 40 year span. It was intriguing and I very much enjoyed it.

This book was definitely one that I wouldn't finish. Didn't care for the characters didn't care for the story, the writing the protagonists Finished several chapters and then deleted the book. My bad, I tried. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel, sometimes stories don't work out for readers..

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my copy of The Storyteller's Daughter by Victoria Scott
This is a dual timeline story told by Nita in 1940 and her great niece Beth in 2008, and it's wonderful.
A great story full of love and despair, pain and hope.
I loved it.

This was such a cool story! Loved the two timelines and how they intertwined, there were so many layers to this story and I loved how it all unfolded.

Once I started reading this, I couldn’t put it down. Both Nita's story in the 1940s and Beth's in 2008 were so compelling. Both were bits of non conformists, and it was fun following Beth as she worked out Nita's secrets after her death. And what a story it was, and it impacted the present day through Nita's bequests. This was a thoroughly enjoyable read, as both women worked towards the life that suited them. Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A good dual timeline story with Nita Bineham and her family home Melham Manor the link between both timelines. In 1940/1 Nita, aged 21, lives with her very wealthy parents at their estate in Surrey. In 2008 Beth Bineham visits her great aunt in the now rather dilapidated Manor House and Nita’s deathbed conversation sparks something in Beth who starts looking into Nita’s past. Well written and satisfying plot with both timelines meeting seamlessly.

Briefly, Nita craves her independence and when she is given the opportunity to work for a local newspaper she jumps at it. She makes friends with Joe who also works for the newspaper and together they search for a German spy reputed to be living in their area. Beth’s job in the family firm is in jeopardy and her husband has told her he wants a divorce. As a child she loved visiting Nita but aged 10 the visits stopped abruptly and she never knew why. She immediately feels at home in the manor and when the house and lands are at risk she is desperate to stop the planners moving in.

There were a lot of similarities between Nita and Beth. Both loved writing, both kind and caring and both ruled by their families until they rebelled and found they were stronger than they thought. The Wiccan element of the book was interesting and added an extra dimension to the story. An enjoyable story about families and friendships, you can’t choose your family but you can choose your friends and they chose well. Very entertaining read.

this is a dual timeline book, set in 1941 and 2008, about a niece and an aunt and about a house that links them together. good story.

Having previously read a novel by the same author I was already looking forward to reading The Storyteller’s daughter and it did not disappoint. With its dual timeline narrative (and the clue in the title) it wasn’t too hard to see what one of the major plot twists was but I still really enjoyed the story and would definitely recommend it. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy