I loved this book! Brilliant historical fiction with a dual timeline and women connected through centuries of blood. Highly recommend

I am obsessed with Clare Marchant's books, and this is right up there with the best of her work.
I knew very little of tarot card reading prior to this book (although I do remember haing a reading many years ago!) and this really opened up my eyes to how they are less about fortune, more about guidance when the person needs it.
The dual timeline was, as expected, superb. I adore this format in my historical fiction books, and Marchant is a queen of executing it wel.
A truly emotional, gripping read and I am thrilled to recommend this book.

I was immediately intrigued by both the beautiful cover and the blurb which promised a mystery spanning centuries and a theme of Tarot cards. Tarot has always fascinated me, and I think that weaving it into a historical mystery was a great idea for a book.

The dual timelines were easy enough to follow without getting confused and both were written in the 3rd person with plenty of names given for clarity. In one we see a dangerous time for living, a survival game and secrets aplenty. In the other, we see a new start, a budding romance and a huge search for answers. In both we see a strong family connection through the years, courageous females who help other people as much as they can and a strong tarot reading element.

I enjoyed hearing about the cards and the readings and as always Clare Marchant has definitely done her research on the times set in her books. It was beautifully written, and the descriptions had me smiling. It had me tensed up for a lot of the historical timeline waiting to see what would happen, although the endings of both timelines were largely predictable.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It's 1644 and Portia is living in London having escaped a brutal man in Italy. Making her living reading the cards, she also helps other women who wish to escape from abusive men.
In 2025, Beatrice flees to London following the death of her mother and her father's decision to remarry. Se sets her sights on building her tarot reading shop, whilst looking for a missing Devil's card from a pack that has been passed down through her family.
Two women linked by the cards across the decades.
This was a fast paced read, whilst sometimes it was disconcerting with the dual timeline, it really added to the tale as the threads of the interwoven history was revealed.
This was the first time I read this authors work and I am already on the look out for more.

1644. Portia, having fled the plague in Milan in 1629 together with her dead sister’s baby daughter Vittoria, has found sanctuary in London. She makes a living from her tarot readings but also from helping women escape from their abusive husbands into a new life. She begins to feel uneasy – is her peaceful life under threat and by whom?

2025. Bea has moved to London, upset by her father’s plan to remarry, just a few years after her mother died. By opening a shop specialising in Tarot she’s helping to fulfil an ambition of her mother’s and a dream of her own. Whilst unpacking she discovers a family heirloom – an old pack of cards that has been passed down the generations. The pack isn’t in good condition and is missing a card which, when she starts to search for it, appears to be linked to a series of murders in London in the seventeenth century.

Having thoroughly enjoyed the other books I’ve read by this author, this one is no exception. Moving easily between the two timelines, the lives of Portia and Bea begin to connect, all centered around the old pack of cards.

I really enjoyed this book.
A quite quirky storyline with a missing tarot card linking a dual timeline. We have Portia helping women flee during the 1600’s using a tarot devil card, and a modern time Beatrice finding a decadent old pack of tarot cards with a certain card missing…
Well written, intriguing story and a different subject to what I have read recently.

My thanks to Net Galley, Boldwood, and the personal invitation I received to review this arc.

A missing tarot card ties 2 centuries together. Portia and friends flee Italy to London, give card readings and secretly help women flee abusive situations with the "devil card " during the 1600s. In present day 2025 Beatrice has a deck of tarot cards passed down to her with the devil card missing. She goes on a journey to discover where the missing card is.

Very excellent read!

Overall, I found the story to be engaging and the mystery was well drawn out. My only complaint was the main character Beatrice was a bit repetitive and overly obsessed with overthinking the relationship with her landlord, which got quite annoying. Other than that, the information of the tarot sprinkled throughout was very interesting and the dual timeline was done very well. I loved how it all came together at the end and will definitely look for other works by this author.

Clare Marchant writes wonderful dual time novels and The Daughter of Tarot is another winner.

In the mid 1600’s, Portia flees Italy during the plague with her daughter and a deck of tarot cards. In London, Portia uses her talent with the cards to tell fortunes and to asssist women fleeing their abusive husbands, This is dangerous for Portia and the women that she strives to save, one betrayal and all that she holds dear, and all that she has sacrificed for her daughter will end in tragedy.

In the present Beatrice opens her own Tarot shop and is delighted to discover an antique deck of cards, however, the deck is missing the devil card and is useless without it. Beatrice goes on a quest to discover the missing card and along the way the unlocks mysteries of her own.

Two women almost 400 years apart, both find that the mystery of the tarot can direct their lives in different ways.

Thanks to Netgalley, Boldwood Books and tha author for the chance to read and reivew this ARC.

This is a dual-timeline story, with the first timeline in 1644, and the second timeline is in present day. In the 1644 timeline, Portia is living in London, having escaped living with an abusive man in Italy, and with just baby Vittoria. The man in question was her sister's husband, and when he believed that his wife died of the plague before giving birth, he fled, leaving Portia there to die. What he didn't know was that his wife had given birth to a daughter. So Portia fled with the baby, and has been passing her off as her own daughter. Making her living reading tarot cards, she starts to realise there are other women like her - women who need help getting away from terrible men. So she comes up with a system ; she gives them a Devil's Card out of a tarot deck and tells them when to meet her friend at the docks. They are to leave home in the middle of the night and give him the Devil's Card as proof that she sent them, and he will carry them away to a new life in another town. The rumours begin about a series of murders of women as a result of all of the disappearances. In present day, Beatrice has left home to open a tarot shop in London, after her mother’s death and father’s hasty plans to remarry, But when she’s unpacking, she finds a set of cards she’s never seen before, one that’s evidently been handed down through generations of her family. It’s a set that is missing a card though… the Devil’s Card. She begins to search for the lost card, but she also starts to hear rumours of that very card being linked to a series of murders of women in 17th century London…

I always enjoy this author's books. I enjoyed the 1644 timeline much more than the present day timeline. I loved the idea of using the tarot card as a means of helping spirit women away in the night. Portia was such a brave and ingenious woman. If you enjoy historical fiction, then you should definitely check this out!

Historical fiction perfection. This was beautifully depicted, heartfelt, and absolutely stunning.


London 1644

London was a fresh start for Portia, carrying a new daughter in her arms. Escaping an abusive man and the life she knew, she fled under the cover of night. London became a new beginning… until it wasn’t. That’s when the disappearances started. They called them murders, but Portia and her tarot knew the truth.

London 2025

London was also a fresh start for Bea, lost after her mother’s passing and her father moving on. Her anchor was her tarot. Opening her new store—the tarot shop of her mother’s dreams—she discovers a mysterious family deck, missing one card: the Devil. That card holds a dark history. Along with her new friend Jack, Bea embarks on a hunt that reveals far more than she expected.


As a tarot lover, this book truly captured me. The energy, intuition, and significance of the cards were highlighted beautifully across past and present, connecting each woman’s journey to the family deck. I savored this read, immersing myself fully, and by chapter five, I was rushing to get my own tarot deck.

Clare Marchant writes delicately, richly, and thoughtfully. Quiet little moments stole my heart, while the tension of the mystery and the emotional depth kept me hooked. The swoon-worthy romance across timelines was the perfect touch. The ending left my heart bursting and tears flowing. A completely unforgettable read.

📱E-Book Review📱

Daughter Of The Tarot
Clare Marchant

🌟🌟🌟🌟

I was instantly drawn to this book by the gorgeous front cover and title.
I absolutely love anything to do with tarot - not that I can read cards well or anything, but I'm really intrigued about everything that surrounds them and I also love to see all the different deck images.

I've not read this author before, but I knew I'd love this regardless.

This was a dual timeline story following 2 string FMC's between present day and back in the 1600's.
Portia flees Milan to free her self and her suaghter from an abusive husband.
On arriving in London, she reads tarot and helps other women in similar situations.
Distant relative Bea is opening a tarot shop and on unpacking, discovers a deck that she's never seen before.

This was an intriguing storyline which links the two women over the timelines and Portia's story unfolds between her own chapters and the information that Bea uncovers now.

This isn't my usual go to genre, but there were too many great elements to pass up reading this.
I loved the writing style and how both the storylines intertwined throughout.
The settings were well described and this gave me a clear image of both the present and the past, with the past feeling wholly authentic.

I'm keen to see more from this author in the future and really enjoyed this read.

I was entirely immersed in this book from its opening pages – the very best dual time writing, and a tale that entirely gripped me to the very last page.

In 1629, abandoned by the man who should have provided protection and with Milan in the grip of the plague, Portia flees for her life with baby Vittoria – and we encounter them again living in 1640s London. Portia reads tarot cards, but the women who visit her are often looking for more tangible help – with the assistance of boatman John (a man she really trusts, and to whom she’s growing closer), she helps them escape their lives of neglect and abuse in the dead of night, giving each of them a Devil card as proof of their identity. Rumours abound about the women’s disappearance, and her task becomes increasingly difficult – but then the threat is increased by a chance meeting when her past begins to catch up with her, and threatens both her relationship with Vittoria and her life.

In the present day, Bea is finding her feet with a new venture – a small shop where she sells tarot cards and offers readings – still trying to come to terms with the loss of her mother and her father’s decision to make a fresh start. Her delight at finding an antique set of tarot cards is only dimmed when she finds its Devil card is missing, making them unusable – and, with the support of landlord Jack who owns a nearby bookshop and becomes a close friend, she embarks on a mission to find the missing card, with a number of false leads and obstacles along the way. And, during her search, she gradually uncovers Portia’s amazing story.

The storylines are wonderfully wrapped around each other, equally compelling and involving – and the pacing of the whole story, with its seamless shifts between past and present, is so perfectly handled. The historical setting is vividly drawn, very atmospheric, bringing the period to life – and the connecting thread of the tarot cards is absolutely fascinating. Both Portia and Bea are beautifully drawn, very real and wholly sympathetic – and I enjoyed too the romantic elements to both their stories. There are some particularly well written moments of drama that had me on the edge of my seat – but plenty of emotional moments too, all handled with the perfect touch. There are a number of recurring themes – reality and illusion, interpreting the truth – and I’ll leave them for you to discover, but I really loved the way they were mirrored in both stories, everything perfectly balanced.

I’m so impressed by the author’s writing – this was a book I really loved, undoubtedly one of my books of the year, and would very much recommend to others.

I really enjoyed this book, it was set in two timelines, the present day and around 1629 in Milan and 1644 in London. Portia had arrived in London in 1644, with 15 year old Vitoria and a maid. She was a strong and determined woman and having escaped an abusive household was determined to help other women. She also read tarot cards and through this she used ways to help others. However, there is dangerous times for her ahead and a secret she has kept.
In the present day, Beatrice has begun a new life in London, opening a shop that sells tarot cards, she also does readings. Usually with a dual timeline story I’m more interested in the earlier period but not this time, I found both eras very engaging. Bea was on the hunt for a missing tarot card and this took her to many places. She also had things to resolve with her father. I enjoyed the way the two stories linked together and there was a very satisfying end for all parties. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The magic and mystery of the Tarot cards is the basis of this latest wonderful dual timeline novel by Clare Marchant.
In the mid 1700's Portia is trying to keep her daughter Vittiria and friend Maria safe. They travelled from Milan during the plague with very little, escaping from an abusive husband. Portia has a beloved set of tarot cards and earns extra money by reading the cards for women in London. But she also assists fellow women who wish to escape their abusive lives, but the danger for Portia is never far away.
Present day and Beatrice opens a tarot shop, she finds some antiquated cards in a box belonging to her late mother. Discovering the Devil card is missing she embarks on a mission to discover what happened to the card to unite it with the others
The past and present mould seamlessly together. Portia showed great strength and resilience in her quest to stay safe and protect the people around her. She put the needs of others to the forefront.
The novel is very descriptive and a great read

This book follows two women across the mid 1600s and present day London. They both read Tarot cards to help and guide women.
Portia has run from Milan during the plague of 1629 with baby Vittoria to find a new life in London. Portia reads tarot cards and she uses the Devil’s Card to help women escape abusive situations.
Beatrice, present day London is feeling lonely. She lost her mother 3 years ago after caring for her and now her father is moving on and in with Kerry. She makes the decision to move to London and open a tarot shop. All the women in her life have had the talent and have handed down the gift to read the cards. While opening one of her moving boxes she discovers an old inherited deck of cards but it is missing the Devil’s Card.
She begins the search for the card which leads her on a journey of self discovery.

This is an emotionally charged dual-timeline novel that intwines tarot, secrets and the resilience of women across centuries. A great read for historical fiction fans.

I see this book in your future, and here’s why:
Clare Marchant blends past and present so smoothly you’ll feel like you’re slipping through time. Daughter of the Tarot has everything—mystery, a touch of darkness, and fierce women determined to claim their freedom. It’s atmospheric and enchanting, like swapping ghost stories by candlelight with tarot cards spread on the table. A bewitching, time-hopping mystery packed with secrets, courage, and tarot magic—totally my kind of escapist treat!

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood books for a chance to read this book . I loved that it was told in a duel timeline and I found this very informative . This is a good historical mystery and I really got to love the main character Portia and her daughter . This is the first book I’ve read of Claire’s and it won’t be the last .

Daughter of the Tarot by Clare Marchant caught my eye because I love historical fiction, especially if there is a magical element and though there is less "magic" in the story than I expected it is still a charming tale. The dual timeline narrative takes us from seventeenth century Italy to modern day London and shows how two different families are linked by a single set of tarot cards.
Beatrice has moved to London still grieving the mother she lost several years before. Her biggest connection to her mother is tarot, reading the cards is a skill they both shared, and so she decides to open a tarot shop, selling cards and doing readings, While unpacking she finds a tarot deck that has been handed down for generations, beautifully hand painted and priceless not just because of their age but even more so because of their links to her mother and the generations of women who had gone before. Unfortunately the deck is not complete, the Devil card is missing. Determined to track down the missing card Bea embarks on a quest that will take her back to Italy and uncover a story of love, strength and compassion.
Centuries before her ancestor Portia fled from Italy to London, bringing little more than the clothes on her back, her deck of cards and her newborn daughter. Fleeing both the plague that was decimating Italy and the cruelty of the man who fathered her child she sets herself up in a new home and establishes a reputation not just for her tarot readings but also for helping other women in desperate circumstances to escape. For years Portia and her daughter live in relative peace until one day a chance encounter on the streets of the city brings the past back into their lives and threatens the peace and comfort they have found in their new home.
I really enjoyed the use of dual timelines in this story and I think the author did a very good job of bringing the two stories and the two timelines together. The writing style is very descriptive, almost too much so at first, in the early chapters of the book I felt like the author did a little too much telling rather than showing and I was worried that I would find the writing too stilted but that did ease as the story progressed and was far less noticeable as the book went on and the author found their flow. Both characters were well crafted and I enjoyed both timelines, though I think I preferred the historical setting a little more, and I appreciated seeing that the trait of wanting to help others through the cards passed down the generations and the parallels between the two women despite the centuries that separated them.
This book is a great blend of historical fiction, mystery and just a touch of romance and I can imagine that many other readers will enjoy it as much as I did.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

2025 sees Beatrice still grieving the loss of her mother, the selling of the family home and her father’s new life with another woman beginning. She makes the decision to move to London, leaving all she loved about life in Nottingham behind her.
She has found the perfect place to set a small shop selling Tarot Cards, reading Tarot cards and making a new life for herself. Her mother was a Tarot reader, as was her grandmother and great grandmother, Bea being taught at a young age by her mother to learn the cards, the secrets held within and how to interpret their messages.
Bea is left a very old set of cards with one missing, the Devil Card and one with what appears to be dried blood stains. She decides that she should try to find out more about this set of cards that date back to the 16th century which sets off a series of events that help her understand better the real meaning in the Tarot’s messages for her.
Portia is a woman on the run; it is Milan in 1629, the Plague is everywhere, people are dying and not being buried, and she has a newborn babe to care for. The father is a Nobleman, dangerous and ruthless, a man running from the City leaving the women and new born child behind.
Leaving Milan undiscovered, eventually finding safety in England, she raises her daughter, conducting Tarot readings for those who come asking, leading a dangerous double life helping women escape brutal and violent marriages.
Both these stories come together in a captivating tale of love, life, fate and understanding in Daughter of the Tarot as Bea learns that life is not always about certainties, that when one journey ends another new one is just beginning.
Claire Marchant was inspired to write a slightly different historic fiction as her sixth novel based on her love of Tarot cards. Portia evolved as a mysterious Italian woman living in London, a woman of secrets and knowledge, Her modern-day Portia had to be another strong woman, but one who needed to learn from the past.
Together these women make a page turner of a book which is very difficult to put down.