Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Content warnings from the reviewers of Storygraph: Graphic: Racism, Death, Emotional abuse Moderate Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Infidelity

The Rebel of Seventh Avenue strongly aligns with my well-established preference and love for historical fiction. There’s a lot to like about this book, from social struggles in the early 20th century, to the well-researched historical aspects, most especially the Triangle Shirtwaist fire in 1914, of which I knew something about.

This book does have one of the content warnings that I try to avoid, but it was unknown when I requested the book: domestic and emotional abuse, so I struggled a bit during those scenes. And if you haven’t heard of the above-mentioned Triangle Shirtwaist fire, it’s a horrifying and terrible disaster for young women in the early part of the 20th century. In other words, this is the sort of book that brings about strong emotions.

I recommend this book with the above reservations noted. This is the best type of historical fiction, the blending of real events along with a compelling story.

This was a fascinating story, but could have been a tad shorter. Overall I enjoyed the characters and their development throughout the story.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of The Rebel of Seventh Avenue by Annabelle Marx, published by  Storm Publishing
It takes en exceptional author to bring tears to my eyes at the end of a novel. Just wow! This novel was brilliant. I read every word, the book flowed so well, I didn't want to miss any detail. One of the best books I've read this year.
I was instantly drawn to the main character, Maisie with her determination and confidence. I loved the legacy she created, the friends she made, the people she employed, the creativeness she found in herself, and the lives she helped and changed along the way. This woman had quite the vision.
The author created an excellent plot, and great characters, perfectly describing people, places and things. The reader can envision the story unfolding as they read.
Absolutely loved this book and will be reading Annabelle Marx's other novel in the near future

This was a really interesting book that drew in my attention. There were some parts that were harder to get through due to the themes, but overall I was pulled in through the whole thing.

🧵 The Rebel of Seventh Avenue by Annabelle Marx is a book full of major life decisions, aspirations, dedication, and regrets.

🪡 Maisie McIntyre is the second daughter of a seamstress, living a hard life in Edinburgh. As a young girl Maisie dreams of creating couture fashion designs, dressing women of all skin tones and body shapes with cutting edge designs, fabrics, and colors that would suit them best.

👗 Maisie takes the risk of a lifetime to pursue her dream. She very quickly learns of the poor work conditions women are exposed to, the pressures/expectations placed on those who are in wealthy social circles, and the unfair treatment of those who are looked down upon during this period in time.

🧥 The Rebel of Seventh Avenue is a perfect title for this book as Maisie was rebellious from her early years up through adulthood. She stood up for what she felt was right, extremely progressive in her thinking. Unfortunately Maisie learns a bit too late that even though she took a hard stance on most things she believed in, she compromised the ultimate sacrifice, one that haunted her until the day she died.

💠 This story encompasses many issues that occurred during the time period, whether it connected to women’s suffrage, prohibition, the Great Depression, segregation, WWI, interracial relationships, other taboo relationships, or inequality: this book literally has it all.

✨ I thoroughly enjoyed EVERY page of this novel. If you are hesitant to pick up this book because historical fiction is not your preferred genre, take a risk as Maisie did. Go all in without a second thought and read this! It was FANTASTIC!

🤩 Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for providing me with the opportunity to read this novel. All opinions are my own.

#netgalley #historicalfiction #annabellemarx #therebelofseventhavenue #annabellemarx #summerreading #stormpublishing

I went into this book blind and oh my gosh what an amazing read. This is one of the few books to make me cry at the end and for that alone it definitely deserves the 5 stars.
The book begins in Edinburgh in 1902 and having come into some money Maisie leaves Scotland on a ship ending up in New York. She uses her textile skills to start making dresses and takes us through the decades of her life.
The descriptions of the dresses and fabrics were colourful and beautiful. The book also focused on the racism and sexism of the era with her falling in love with a black man and having a black workforce and the trials this brought. The story took us through wars, the depression, love and friendships as well as the stark contrast between Scotland and America in those times. I loved the characters and especially how strong and powerful they were. I will be recommending and looking out for more from this author.

For the most part, I enjoyed this. It was a good mix of history, details about an industry I don't know much about, and good characters.
HOWEVER. I had a VERY hard time with the surprise pregnancy and Maisie keeping the baby, despite really not wanting to become a mother, because Oti told her she should. That sent a very gross message to women, like me, who do not desire motherhood. I think her getting an abortion, losing the pregnancy naturally, or giving the baby up for adoption would've been a better choice for the character and sent a better message to childfree readers.

This is absolutely one of the best books I've read recently.

I think this might be due to a recent personal bias, but I have been searching for a book about successful women and their journey.

We follow Maisie on her journey as a New York couturier and we follow her stories alongside the tumultuous and ever changing world of fashion and life from 1900 to 1950s. We see discussions of race, femininity, sexism concerns around motherhood and of course the journey of creating a business from nothing and the innovation that it entails.

The book feels real in the conversations and concerns the characters have and the reality of artist block and creativity spurts that creatives have.

A thing that stood out to me was the main character's characterisation, unlike quite a few "blank-canvas" characters in modern day who have little to no personality so that the reader can project onto them, the determination, temper, drive, and constant innovation of the character truly made her feel like a person who could exist in the cut-throat world of fashion and come out successful.

There are also too few books that truly drive into the nitty gritties of the hobbies or industries that they are based in and whilst reading this book I could get a true sense of the research that was undertaken to get the intricacies of the style of dress at any specific era correct. I enjoyed learning about the fabrics and fashions.

I really wanted to love this book and I didn’t. The time and places in history in which it was set, the fashion industry and the details about the fabrics and clothes are all things I’m fascinated by. However, the story didn’t grab me. I found it difficult to relate to the characters, which meant I didn’t really care what happened to them.
2.5 stars.
Thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for an advance copy.

Thank you, NetGalley and Storm Publishing, for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

The book started well, creating a strong presence of fashion and its influence on Maisie, the main character. Her interest in fashion is evident, as she seems to come to life when designing and making clothes that she admires so much. Her penchant for creativity pulls together so many strong female friendships in her life, which was truly heartwarming. Unfortunately, because of how much the timeline stretches, I began to lose interest. The Aiden T Cruikshank romance felt a bit unnecessary and forced to me, especially since I felt he was wasting Masie's time, especially since we had to wait so long to find out his true intentions. I had to take a star off due to the usage of a slur towards Arctic indigenous people at the end of the eighth chapter, Knitting. I understand that it was a commonly used word back then, but we know better now, and there are better ways to describe affection. The ending gave a satisfactory sense of resolution and was well written.
I give this 3/5 stars.

Maisie's challenging younger life prepares her for her future when she leaves Scotland to seek success as a fashion designer in New York. Life is still difficult, not very different from Scotland, but she uses her contacts, harnesses her ambition, and begins establishing her own business. It portrays the importance of the fashion industry to women and the way it mirrors female emancipation in this absorbing and emotional story. Maise is a trailblazer, but her life is not without loss and sacrifice, as she and those she cares for have to overcome New York society's poverty, prejudice, and misogyny in the early 20th century. I like the relatable characters, the historical details relating to the fashion industry and the emotional storytelling that immerses you in the characters' lives.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

So many emotions I felt while reading this. I’ve always loved the 20’s era and adding fashion to it, I was so excited to read this. Some parts were difficult to read due to the racism and misogyny but it is also an important read and gives us a glimpse of what life was like then. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this. I will not soon forget it.

Lies, theft, mystery and finding ones true self.
between the fabrics and colors you find Maisie in a struggle with herself to find her creative path. With the changing paths of war, economy depressions and racism is alot for one to handle.

This is my first book by this author, it is a powerful story of friendship cruelly torn apart, of tragedy, of deep racial prejudice, of closet homosexuality, of women's suffrage, it is one woman's fight to climb from the bottom, clawing her way up to the very top using any means possible to get that start, that woman is Maisie McIntyre.
Maisie, with the help of stolen money, a stolen bolt of expensive fabric and her late mother's Singer sewing machine, leaves the rest of her impoverished family behind in her native Scotland and heads for the bright lights of New York.
Maisie isn't well educated but she does have some things in her favour, her imagination, her ability to design, her talent for sewing and most of all her ambition, belief in herself and her work ethic.
Maisie started small but with good luck and beautiful, innovative designs her business grew but tragedy struck and now Maisie needed help. Help came in the shape of Oti, the sister of Joseph Jackson, the man that Maisie fell in love with, the man she couldn't have. Oti's embroidery and bead work were exquisite, she soon became irreplaceable but Oti had to be kept hidden, Oti was black and Maisie's clientele were New York's very prejudiced high society.
This is Maisie's story, she is selfish in some ways but in others she defies society to bring work to dozens of women who society looked down on.
I like that this story is like a timeline of things that are happening in the world through Masie's lifetime, the story is enjoyable and informative, it moves quickly although sometimes it does seem a little long winded.
Thank you Storm Publishing and Net Gallery for this ARC, my review is totally voluntary.

The Rebel of Seventh Avenue is an ambitious, sweeping historical fiction that follows Maisie McIntyre, a bold and determined seamstress from Edinburgh, as she builds a new life in early 20th-century New York. From a traumatic start in Scotland to rising through the fashion world in Manhattan, Maisie’s journey is filled with heartbreak, reinvention, and resilience.

I was drawn in by the setting and the rich historical detail—especially the backdrop of immigration, the women’s movement, and the early days of American fashion. Maisie is a compelling character who never stops pushing forward, no matter what life throws her way. Her relationships, particularly with Rosa and Joseph, add depth and emotion to the story.

That said, a few things didn’t quite work for me. The use of heavy Scottish dialect ("tae" for "to," "nae" for "no") was difficult to read at times and pulled me out of the narrative. There were also some strange timeline inconsistencies early on, and the story becomes a bit chaotic with so many plot twists, time jumps, and dramatic turns packed into one book.

Over the course of the book, Maisie experiences tragedy, success, love, loss, and more than a few shocking twists—(view spoiler) The pacing can feel rushed in the second half as years—and entire eras—fly by.

Despite that, I admired the ambition and emotional depth of this story. If you enjoy generational sagas, fierce female leads, and historical fiction with lots of drama, this one delivers. It’s not perfect, but it kept me turning the pages until the very end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Having read this book I can honestly say that it will not leave my thoughts. A truly stunning piece of work. Simply enchanting. One of those that I will NEVER forget.

The Rebel Of Seventh Avenue is a story of a woman who has been through it all and still created beauty during the hardest times of her life. Thrilling, beautiful, stunning and creative all in one! 💫💫💫💫💫


Maisie McIntyre was most definitely ahead of her times. She starts off in Scotland with little to her name and big dreams. When her mother dies, sewing brings into life all of the wonders that live in her head. But Scotland is not enough for her so when she finds spare money hidden away in her mom's things she sets her eyes on New York. Here is where her whole life starts and all the trials and tribulations of the 1920s, with its racism, homophobia, hatred and misogyny.  This book is perfect for lovers of fashion, historical fiction and those who love a book with a strong heroine who suffers along with the changes of the world and survives.

Thank you Netgalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC. All opinions are entirely my own.

Thank you Storm Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC.

4.5 ⭐️

An excellently written, rich story. It was a tad too long for my liking but otherwise I loved it. I look forward to reading more from Annabella Marx, starting with The Herbalist’s Secret.

The Rebel of Seventh Avenue

"Nobody was going to own me, nobody was going to tell me how to live my life." Maisie mclntyre

TW: Racism, Violence, Homophobia, and SA.

Happy Release day and hello, my sweet, awful creatures!

I hadn't expected this ARC to be sent to me, as I got the email a week before the release date, but I quickly realized that the story and book are so well narrated that I ended up finishing it quite quickly.

Maisie McLntyre, a young Woman stuck in a life consisting of working in a textile factory with bad working conditions and taking care of her mother and sister, decides in a moment of courage that she wants to follow her dream and become a famous fashion designer in New York. This story follows all the hardships and happenings on her path to fame, including the lives of the people she meets along the way. The question is, will Maisie be able to achieve her dreams and become New York's most requested fashion designer, or collapse under the pressure of being a woman in a man's world and make her way back home?

This is a heartbreaking, rage-inducing story of a woman trying to survive through the misogyny, racism, and upcoming wars at the beginning of the 1900s as she climbs the stairs of fame and realizes that misogyny is not just caused by men, but also by women. Feminism at its finest!

I don’t know how to put the emotions I felt as I read this book into words, but I can tell you that I had moments where I had to put the book down and take a breather. I am too much of an empath and feel for someone intensely which is why I try to move past stories like this one. However, I do not regret reading this book, on the contrary, it became one of my favorite feminist stories.

Usually, I tend to build a connection to the FMC and relate to them slightly, and I do not deny that I had a few moments in which I sympathized with her. Though when she became the mistress of the Senator, all the sympathy I had for her disappeared... You guys know that I cannot stand women like that, as I don't see how any reason would make it okay for a woman to hurt another by doing that. Even if it was or is normalized for powerful men to have a mistress, I will not be justifying that. Ever.

In conclusion, I loved this Story for the women who held onto each other since the first days of working in a small room until they made it to a whole couture house together, hand by hand.

Until next time

Mira

I love historical fiction & so when I saw this book on NetGalley, I requested it right away. The cover is so beautiful & I really wanted to enjoy this book.

I was so disappointed when I could not connect with the FMC & the story. The plot spans over decades & it just felt a bit drawn out for me. The book was repetitive. The historical setting and the potential for exploring an interracial relationship in early 1900s NYC were intriguing but the book ultimately fell flat for me. The characters felt shallow and underdeveloped, and I never felt truly invested in any of them.

If you are into fashion, overly detailed descriptions of fabrics and fashion design, you will probably like this book.