This was a haunting, dark read. Lucy Blunt in the beginning is set to hang for two murders. It takes you back and forth between when she's in prison to when she's working for the Burton's as their maid. I found the characters all likeable but Aurora and the mysterious Dr. Finch.
The story is fascinating and hard to put down until the end. Yes it was another very late in the morning read. I had to see what happened!
You won't be sorry picking this book up to read.

Thank you to publisher and NetGalley for the eARC

The Companion gives us a mystery wrapped in a historical setting with an unreliable narrator. Lucy Blunt has been sentenced to death for the murder of two individuals. We hear from Lucy, both in the “present”, 1855 New Hampshire, as she sits in jail awaiting her execution, and the past, as she tells us the story of how it all came to be. We have no clue as to whether she’s guilty. We don’t even know initially who the victims are.

Blakemore does a good job of keeping the reader off balance, as well as setting the scene. It’s a dark, haunting story. Who to believe?

The pace is languid, at times I felt it dragged. While I wanted to know if Lucy was truly guilty, I can’t say I was fully invested in this book. The book features an ambiguous ending, so if that sort of thing bothers you, steer clear. I enjoyed that Blakemore left it to the reader to determine what truly transpired. Readers who enjoyed FIngersmith will probably enjoy this one.

My thanks to netgalley and Lake Union for an advance copy of this book.

I'm not entirely sure how to feel about The Companion. There are a lot of things I really enjoyed about it, but just something that didn't quite click for me personally when, by rights, I should have adored it.

The Companion is a really good piece of historical fiction and Blakemore clearly knows her stuff.

The period details were incredibly rich and believable. Combined with the writing -- which was immersive and beautifully atmospheric -- the author has created an oppressive, claustrophobic feeling that runs throughout the novel, whether during Lucy's confinement in her prison cell or when wandering through the halls of Eugenie's home. What really happened is kept as a mystery throughout, and because Lucy is quite an unreliable narrator, I was was on the edge of my seat right up to the end, desperate to know exactly what had happened in the house between the three women.

I particularly liked Lucy as a character. I'm not sure she's going to be for everyone. I love the unreliable narration -- which I thought was pulled off very well -- and I'm always a sucker for a complicated or seemingly unlikeable protagonist.

I can't quite put my finger on why I can't rate The Companion higher. Although I really wanted to know Lucy's secrets and the truth, I found the last couple of dozen pages a bit of a chore. I'm not sure if the book just needed to be cut down a tad or whether it was just the mood I was in.

I wouldn't want to put people off reading The Companion. I think if you like historical fiction or literary mysteries then this will be a great fit for you. I think it would be particularly suited to fans of Margaret Atwood's Alias Grace or Laura Purcell's The Corset.

3.5-4 Stars

I don’t often read historical fiction, but the synopsis for this book instantly drew me in. I really liked the author’s style of writing and the story had a bit of an “Alias Grace” vibe which I enjoyed.

While I felt invested in the storyline overall, I thought the end was a bit rushed. There was so much buildup to the truth being revealed, and once it finally was and Lucy’s fate was determined, it left me feeling a bit underwhelmed.

I would definitely recommend this for anyone who is a fan of historical fiction. The writing is engaging and kept my attention throughout, I just wish there had been a bit more at the end to bring it all together.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3054294804

Right from the start there is an atmospheric air of mystery and bleakness in The Companion. We are introduced to Lucy, who is set to hang for a double murder of her employer and maid. Told in two time lines and narrated by Lucy, we are given glimpses into her life and the events leading up to her arrest. With small clues dropped along the way by an unreliable character, we try to determine if she is guilty or wrongly accused.

Overall a well written book with an interesting story but, I was left me with some questions at the end as well as divided feelings of dislike and sympathy for the characters. I’m honestly a bit torn on this one. I feel like this could have been more and some of the content just didn’t fully convince me. 3.5 ⭐️

A dark and haunting tale reminiscent of Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood. You know from the beginning that our narrator is condemned to be hanged for murder, but how she got there and whether she committed the crimes are not immediately known. Throughout this mysterious narrative that goes between the past and Lucy's present, readers slowly gain more clues about the events that led her to her prison cell. Many things are only hinted at and by the closing chapters, you begin to doubt not only her innocence but the truth behind the events that transpired.

The reader is a fly on the wall, experiencing not only the clashes of personalities of the characters, but experiencing first hand the helplessness the working class had within their situations. Lucy never stood a chance and it almost seems inevitable that this story would end with such bitterness.

I found the characters to be quite engaging and the story fascinating, its ambiguity only adding to the mysterious air of it all. I was fully transported to the 19th century Burton household, my emotions roiling within me at every turn of the page. While there are many parallels to Alias Grace, The Companion sets itself apart with its twists and turns. It was a gripping read that I completely devoured.

Full review to come on my blog at publication.

There weren't too many likeable characters to be found, initially, in this book and I found the start to be a bit slow to grab me because I wasn't invested with interest in anyone until getting through the first few chapters. I found myself a bit confused about the setting as well.... and I think it threw off my enjoyment of the book because I wasn't quite sure where things were happening until I had gotten well into it. Despite those two criticisms I enjoyed the story, it was not exactly what I expected it to be and I found myself rooting for the flawed characters and feeling sympathetic as well (and they weren't terribly likeable so that's something to note). I would read more from this Author. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review.

This was a fantastic book, really enjoyed it, the writing style was brilliant and if you like historical then you are going to like this. There is a lot of mystery and goes places you won't expect. Read into the early hours :)

What a great book! Incredible story with great characters. I would have preferred the timeline to be less jumped but overall very much enjoyed it. Thank you publisher and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book is set in 1855, Lucy Blunt is on death row at New Hampshire State Prison for killing two women, her employer and another woman in the house, Rebecca. This book jumps timelines a lot, it bounces between Lucy on death row, Lucy being hired by the Burton’s and being employed as their maid, and Lucy’s life before the Burtons.

The book starts out with Lucy being hired because the previous maid Mary Dawson had drowned. Lucy has lied and faked her references to get the job. We also find out that Lucy’s son died at 3 days old. The house is kept locked up tight, and keys are a frequently referenced item throughout the book, because Mrs. Burton wanders. We then find out that Lucy is telling her story to a newspaper man, possibly to try and get out of being hanged. One day Rebecca is locked out of the house and almost dies, it is never made clear how it happened, if Rebecca did it herself or if Mrs. Burton locked her out. While Rebecca is recovering Lucy is recruited to help Mrs. Burton. As the book unfolds we find out many secrets. Lucy and Mrs. Burton become close, and eventually form a romantic relationship, Rebecca is very jealous. It is never clearly stated that Rebecca and Mrs. Burton used to be lovers, but it is implied. Mrs. Burton gives Lucy many gifts such as lace, and dresses and jewelry, these are also used as evidence against her in the trial. But how does all this secrecy lead to two deaths and a woman awaiting her own hanging? Did she do it? Will her appeals be granted?

This was a good read, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The time line was a little jumpy, but I think that was on purpose. Lucy wasn’t thinking in a straight line, how could she tell her story in a straight line? The book got a little slow in the middle, but it really picked up in the end. It reminded me style wise, and even storyline wise of Sarah Water’s Fingersmith. The book kept me guessing right up to the end as to if Lucy really committed the murders or if she was framed.

As Lucy sits in jail awaiting execution by hanging for murders she may or may have not committed, she reflects on her life choices and how they brought her to this cell. Kim Taylor Blakemore takes us from Lucy's younger days to her life just before and after she is hired into a wealthy home. Murders are committed, by whom is the question, and can we trust Lucy's version of the truth? A very good story, set with an excellent cast of characters that will have you going back to look for missed clues as history unfolds and lets us see for ourselves.

Truly a book worthy of the time spent in its covers. The author, Kim Taylor Blakemore, has an inspiring talent for writing of this time period. We are taken back to the mid 1850s to a dark, bleak historic New Hampshire where we are wrapped in the mysterious life and path of Lucy Blunt. This is that occasionally mystery/suspense book that will draw the reader into its pages so thoroughly you can feel the misty darkness that hovers in staircases of the house of where Lucy seeks shelter. Prepare to feel the confusion and suspense woven by Ms Blakemore. I was provided an ARC of this amazing book by Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing.

I feel as if this could have been really successful -- but it wasn't for me. This felt as if it was trying to be fictional true crime, but it didn't work for me.

First off, the dual timeline would have been a lot clearer if it had been delineated. It was not, and so it gave me a headache trying to go back and forth with figuring out which time we were in. That is one of my biggest complaints overall. The timeline was just a mess.

On top of that, I thought the plot lacked. It meandered and it felt as if there was no true purpose to it. I was bored for almost all of the book, I couldn't stay interested in it. I didn't find it engaging at all, which is highly disappointing. The concept was interesting, but I feel as if the execution of it wasn't done well at all.

The writing too, was short and choppy. I can't explain why it didn't work for me, but it didn't. There were pieces of dialogue that just grated on me, and prose I couldn't get into. The funny thing is, the first 10% was actually interesting to me, and I thought I would like it. But right at 11 or 12% my interest faded fast. I wasn't gripped by this book.

I also didn't connect to the characters. I didn't care about any of them, even our protagonist. Which is never a good thing for a book. Instead I couldn't wait until the end and the resolution. I didn't care what happened to Lucy or the murdered victims. None of them. I felt as if this was supposed to be an unreliable narrator, but it didn't work.

I guess this book just wasn't for me!

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this, however!

Wow. This book was so beautifully written it was easy to get caught up in the vibrant descriptions and language, sometimes I had to reread a paragraph just to appreciate the stylish purity of the words.
Poor Lucy caught up in events not of her making, she may be cunning but what choice does she have if she is to survive? My sympathies are with her.
From being cast out by Her drunken father, losing her baby to becoming a lady's companion to a blind woman in a strange household, finally being on trial for murder.
I highly recommended this book the description of the extremes of weather are particularly vivid, especially the ice and snow followed. by searing heat.

The story opens in 1855, New Hampshire State Prison with the opening, haunting, narrative ..... "Count the bodies. One. Two. Three if we count Mary Dawson. Four is we count my Ned ........All blamed on me."

Immediately - we ask ourselves - how, why. Lucy begins to cast her mind back to events that have led to her awaiting her fate at the end of a hangman's noose. Lucy's story moves back and forward, between past events and the present, as she relates to the readers of how she came to work for the Burtons as a maid; her rise through the ranks and her rivalry with Mrs Burton's current companion, and her ultimate fall from grace.

The build up is slow - but not laboriously so - the scene is being carefully crafted, the characters develop and change the further we are drawn into the story. Events pass before us, fleeting hints of what is yet to come. Then we have our "aha" moment as the scattered clues and hints have now coalesced, and Lucy's imminent fall is only pages away. The tension both inside the household and for the reader is palpable. The opening lines begin to make sense now. But still, who is Lucy Blunt - the question eludes us until the final pages.

The more I read, the more I kept thinking this has shades of Charlotte Bronte's "Jane Eyre" or Daphne du Maurier's "Rebecca"- it is more of a gothic novel rather than a straight up mystery.

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A long, long time ago there was a young woman who was to be hanged for murder. Did she do it? And if she did, why? This story will rip your heart out and surprise the pants off of you near the end! Wow. Loved the writing.
The story is told from present and past events and unfolds in such a way that you can’t put it down. At times I couldn’t follow which part was being said but I felt pulled into the story anyway. Heartache and sorrow are her constant companions, but she’s quiet comfortable with them. And her loving people has been her undoing. It’s beautifully written and very sad. It was like I was watching a train derail in slow motion, witnessing the train break apart causing damage to everything it touched.


This was a NETGALLEY gift and all opinions are my own.

I tried and tried to get into this book but found it very confusing, I found myself going back and re-reading sections as I was a little unsure who the character in jail was. Then realised it was Lucy and we were following her story on multiple timelines which really is not very clear and becomes very confusing.

The concept of the book sounds great, the text is well written, but the story layout means you need to put a lot of effort into reading this book with absolutely no distractions. You concentrate so hard it doesn't really sweep you away into another world of enjoyment.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this pre-release.

I really enjoyed the concept of this story and the general writing style but unfortunately found the execution to be a bit confusing. The story jumps between Lucy in jail, Lucy working for the Burtons, and Lucy's past sporadically without clear indication of what time period the reader is currently reading about. I found this made the story hard to follow and less enjoyable for me to read because I frequently had to stop and go back to reread part of a page because I'd missed a time change. I really wanted to enjoy this story because the mystery aspect of it was interesting but I couldn't get past the reading experience personally.

The Companion is a historical fiction.This novel is set in Main during a hard winter in 1850’s. Lucy, a servant, is on trial for murdering her lover who is also her employer. And the story is explaining how she got here and her journey.
Different characters shape the story and that is why it was a bit slow for me. couldn’t connect with the characters.

My thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for sending me an ARC copy.

Review posted on my blog: https: https://bookoholicscafe.blogspot.com/2019/10/companion.html

The author of "The Companion" has such a way with words. I loved the imagery invoked as I felt myself planted in the frigid winters of New England while reading this book. Ms. Taylor Blakemore can certainly paint a picture. Our main character, Lucy BLUNT (aka as a few other names), is not a very reliable one we learn from the very start. She has had a hard life and is now facing execution for the murders she supposedly committed. We learn that she was a servant for a wealthy woman, Eugenie, who is sheltered from most of society because she is blind. Unfortunately, the woman appointed to be her assistant-her husband's cousin, named Rebecca, is a cold and jealous woman and Lucy cannot abide her. Once Lucy enters this household it begins a dangerous web of secrets and betrayals that leads to the death of Gene and Rebecca. I highly recommend this book to readers who were fans of "Burial Rites" by Hannah Kent.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.