This is a great story with many layers, shifts back in time, and the Brontes! What not to like. Trudy Heaton is trying to put her life back together after the loss of her husband overseas and to look after her young son. She returns to the family home to heal but has to try to build bridges with her cantankerous mother. The history of the house and the area, her own love story and that of earlier generations are all interwoven with ghosts, and books and mystery. It is a good yarn that will be very popular.

A novel set during 3 times: historical, 10years ago and current time. It is well written and moves seamlessly through the eras. Romance and ghosts are the main theme and it is an enjoyable book

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This is a truly beautifully written historical book this is both a romantic novel and a ghost story. Highly recommend.

received a copy of this book from penguin random House via neutrally in exchange for an honest review. I was riveted from the outset, a wonderful blend of fact and fiction encompassing well known literary figures.

Trudy is an archivist who returns with her son to her Yorkshire home and estranged mother after her husband goes missing in Peru. She is seeking peace and healing but finds so much more. Rowan Coleman evokes Yorkshire so beautifully in telling this story. Into a blend of Haworth and the Brontes she mixes a haunting tale of love. loss and despair. Ghosts help Trudy to uncover this mystery.

There are some parts that are predictable and others that feel just a little too far fetched for me but this is, in my opinion a real winner. I have had a very busy day but dudnt want to put this book down and have managed to squeeze it in before the day is over

If it is any way indicative of her other work she will fast become one of my favourite authors

I absolutely loved this book. Wonderful characters and setting. I’m not sure what I was expecting from this book but it wasn’t this. Will be looking out from more by Rowan

The Girl at the Window by Rowan Coleman a five-star read that will surprise you. I didn’t know what to expect with this one, I have loved the authors work before so jumped in without even bothering to read the blurb, so I was a little confused at times getting used to the style and story. But once I did, I was so hooked I couldn’t put it down, Rowan Coleman is a great storyteller, and this may just be one of the best stories I read all year.

Having previously read & enjoyed novels by Rowan I was looking forward to this one, and it didn't disappoint. I think what I loved most about it was that it wasn't quite what I'd expected. I began it half-thinking it would be a romantic story, which then adjusted to more of a tragic family drama, but as the book unfolded I saw it was an amalgam of genres, growing seamlessly from romance and drama, to mystery, historical fiction and a ghost story! You wouldn't think all those aspects would sit well together, but somehow it works, and it works really, really well.

With writing that is always very readable, we find 3 different timelines to the story. They are never confusing, and you always know exactly where you are and what's happening, which is my usual bug-bear with this style. Here we have Tru in the present, Tru & Abe's courtship in the past, and then way back in time, the story of a lowly young woman called Agnes. And in and around everything in the story there are the Brontes, for the story is set in Bronte country, and it's evocative writing because I've been there & I could picture the landscape as I read.

I didn't know where the story would go, or how the mysteries would unravel, and whilst I've seen one review say the ending isn't believable, I found that as unlikely as it seemed, I liked it because it left me feeling hopeful, which is a good way to feel in these mad days we currently live in.

The ghostly parts gave me real scares whilst reading late at night, and my favourite character was Ma. As a librarian, my favourite parts were all about the old books & papers, but I also loved hearing about Ponden Hall (a real place, but don't read up about it until you've finished the book!) There's an author's note at the end which will explain more about which parts are real & which are fictional, and now of course I really want to go back to Haworth and check it all out!

Oh wow, Rowan Coleman has done it yet again! A book to savour, The Girl at the Window is a moving and beautifully eerie ghost story that I did not want to end. I adored it!

My full and expanded review will be posted closer to publication date.

My thanks to Rowan Coleman, Ebury Publishing and Net Galley for my ARC.
You got me at Bronte.
First of all the cover. Absolutely gorgeous and so indicative of the story inside. I wasn't expecting what I found...a real treasure of a story that just got better and better, and as soon as I realised what was happening i was totally hooked.
Trudy Heaton and Abe meet as youngsters still in education when they fall in love. With Abe being of mixed race and Trudy's mother being difficult and seemingly not open to anything out of her comfort zone, they were rightly worried to tell her that Trudy was pregnant.

Fast forward sixteen years. Abe, now a qualified doctor and Trudy, a trained historical archivist are living in London with their son, Will. Abe works for the Red Cross and goes missing after a plane crash in Brazil. After a fruitless search Trudy and Will return to Ponden, the family home of the Heaton's a house frequented by the Brontes, particularly Emily who wrote Wuthering Heights and pulled much of her story from the house and the scenic area surrounding their home. To say much more will spoil it for other readers, but I absolutely loved it. Very clever. Wish I'd written it! A very deserved five stars.

This is a beautifully written book and deserves high praise. If you are a fan of Bronte writing and Emily in particular, then I think most people would really enjoy this book. It is well researched and quite complex in uncovering the history behind the Bronte story (true or not?) Personally I was uncomfortable about some aspects of the tale as I am not someone who likes to read about the paranormal or believe that it is good to focus on but that is just my own opinion and should not distract from this excellent piece of literature.

Firstly I must compliment the cover, so pretty and mesmerising! I love covers as they are a big party of the overall novel for me. This is a wonderful story, rich with emotion and imagery and I really loved it. It transported me away from dreary UK and I was sad to end it.

Wonderful characters and beautiful storyline . As always the author delivers a truly amazing book with wonderful characters

I loved this book - I could not put it down. This is a story about love, family relationships, the past and ghosts. It is linked together by Ponden Hall - an entity in its own right - to which Trudy is particularly sensitive. She is also a Bronte enthusiast who comes home to grieve with her son after the loss of her husband. Emily Bronte used to stay at Ponden with one of her Heaton descendants. Trudy unpicks her story and that of Agnes. In doing so she builds a closer relationship with her mother - understanding why she acted as she did and comes to see what is important. A story of hope and love.

One I will be recommending.

The Girl at the Window tells the story of Trudy Heaton Jones who returns to her childhood home, Ponden Hall with her son, after the presumed death of her husband. Ponden Hall, is the real life inspiration for the famous Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. I really enjoyed this book, I thought it was very cleverly written by Coleman and it has been one of my favourite books of the year so far. I look forward to reading more from Coleman in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC

Synopsis: When her husband's plane comes down in the jungle of Peru and he is declared missing, presumed dead, Trudy Heaton Jones takes her eight year old son back to live at the family home Pondon Hall in Haworth. Owned by the Heaton's for hundreds of years Ponden has recently fell into disrepair after Trudy left when she had a falling out with her mother. As renovations begin Trudy begins to discover secrets she never knew, strange happenings begin and an untold story begins to unfold.

I really enjoyed this for the most part. Like Trudy in the book I'm obsessed with the Brontë sisters and managed to finally get to Haworth and see the parsonage a few years ok although I do have plans to go back! The story was told in three parts, present day Trudy at her old home, renovating, cataloguing and trying to deal with her grief as well as her reconciliation with her mother, Trudy and Abe's (her husband's) courtship and the story of a young girl called Agnes which Trudy finds in the house. I really liked the Trudy present day and Agnes stories but didn't feel that the Trudy and Abe part was needed and the ending felt a little far fetched which is the only reason I didn't give this 5*.

As I mentioned in my last review which was of The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters I really love stories which revolve around houses particularly when they involve history or the paranormal (as long as they're not scary!) and this was absolutely perfect, I liked the development of the plot and characters and at 80% I was beginning to feel that there wasn't enough time left to answer all the questions but the author managed it well and I came away satisfied that I had all the answers! I'd definitely like to read more from Rowan Coleman!

A mixture of fact and fiction set in Bronte country, Haworth. If you like the Brontes then you should enjoy this ghostesque type story. I enjoyed reading Emily Bronte's poem at the start of each part. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me review this book.

Firstly, I adore this cover, such great use of imagery of the old window that just instantly draws you in to the darkness inside the house and the colours of moody skies (anyone who has visited Haworth/ the Yorkshire Moors will agree it can be moody). The cover artist is super talented Sarah J. Coleman @Inkymole

The Girl At The Window is a work of magic in gothic fiction and the more I consider all of the elements of it the more passionate I get about what a stunning book it is. There's romance, an old hall, superstition, obsession, danger, family curses, bravery; all of the Gothic traits! Tying in three main storylines, this book navigates centuries of mysteries, female experiences, and fate. This book alternates between the historical written diary entries of Agnes, a lowborn young woman in the 17th century, the modern story of Tru and Abe and how their love began, and finally the experiences of Tru in the present day, with her son Will and her "Ma"; all connected by Ponden Hall.

If you are a fan of Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights, or want to know more about either, this is a fantastic book. It weaves together pieces of history that are very much factual. The authors notes at the end of the book explain the parts that are historically accurate and which are fictional, which I found hugely helpful and increased my love of the story even more. There is a real life Ponden Hall for example, however I advise not researching the history of the place before reading this book, as I say there are factual elements and it could spoil the plot, but worth looking up after. Rowan Coleman takes the history of the hall, the families and mysteries it has housed, and has created this fantastic story brimming with emotion, suspense and supernatural realism.

The differences, and heartbreaking similarity, in experiences across the centuries of Agnes and Tru are explored with great skill throughout this exhilarating read. A bond is formed, both between the characters and with the reader, through their despair, sorrow and belief. Tru sets on a path to discover all of the truths that Ponden Hall keeps hidden, despite the ominous presence that threatens danger and terrifying consequences.

Apart from the historical nut in me that loves old houses, family history and mysteries, the part I treasured most about this book was the direction of Tru's relationship with her mother (Ma). Ma is perhaps the character that evolves the most, you see her growth across the timeline, and her no-mess approach, vulnerabilities and sharp sense of humour made this book for me. There are so many subtle crossovers and paradoxes between this book plot and Wuthering Heights (it is called The Girl At The Window after all), but the correlation between Ma and Emily Brontë's character of Catherine Earnshaw was strong to me; I felt Ma's strong-willed, mischievous, flawed and domineering nature was so very reminiscent of what Cathy would have been in older age if she'd had a chance to grow older and wiser.

This is a book to absorb, study, treasure, and enjoy.

Trudy Heaton and her young son return to her childhood home Ponden Hall when her husband goes missing after a plane crash.
Ponden hall is an old house in need of repair and Trudy's mum has been unable to do anything about this. As Trudy tries to rectify this she stumbles across some letters that puts her on a quest to find out some history of her ancestors.
This is both a love story and a ghost story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK, Ebury Publishing
for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.