I found the book confusing at the beginning, but it was really worth persevering with. All the characters are well drawn and there are so many twists and turns to the plot - all very believable. All the venues were well drawn. I really enjoyed the book.

I loved this book.. I was glued to my seat all day. Beautifully written with wonderful characters and a lot of family secrets. This is a compelling read.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

This is a really enjoyable, well-written story which slowly unravels its' secrets. The characters are all intriguing, although I was a little confused at times by the different names. The author tried hard to introduce menace through her descriptions of the forest, but I did not feel this, as most of the forests in this country are quite tame and tranquil. I thought the plot was very clever and was pleased by the ending which tied all the ends up, but not in an overly sentimental way.

A thoroughly enjoyable read which is brilliantly constructed and beautifully written. A truly satisfying story that never felt contrived.

Thank you to Netgalley, Eve Chase & Penguin Michael Joseph for my arc of The Glass House in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: When the Harrington family decamp today Foxcote manor the last thing they expect to be doing is finding a baby abandoned in the woods and bringing her into their lives. But there she is bringing light to the darkness of the family Manor House, a place filled with secrets, lies and mystery. But within days a body lies dead in the grounds and the consequences of that summer reverberate through the years as the pieces are slowly put together.

I really enjoyed this book, the characters particularly Rita were likeable and I liked the time switch between modern day and the days of Rita's work as a nanny for the Harrington family. There was enough mystery and family drama to keep the pages turning and I liked the twist even though I worked some of it out early on. It was one of those stories that is both happy and sad and brings up emotions and engagement with the characters. I haven't yet read Eve Chase's other book Black Rabbit Hall but hope to get to it soon.

This is a beautifully written book that I did enjoy but found it a little slow at times. The story is told in two timelines and from the points of view of Hera, Sylvie and Rita and little by little these stories all come together. The characters are all believable and the settings of the the book beautifully described and there are many secrets to be uncovered some a bit more believable than others but still it made for a good story.
So overall for me this was a three star read as I just struggled at times to connect with it but maybe this was just me or perhaps because of the difficult times we are living it wasn’t the right time for this book and I’m sure others with love it.
My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have read so many good reviews on this book so when given an ARC I was desperate to dive in. Sadly I have been left disappointed.

After managing to force myself to get to 40% I had to throw in the towel and give up. There are way too many books out there to spend time reading one that doesn't pique my interest.

Although well written with well detailed characters it just didnt do anything for me apart from leave me frustrated.

Super slow burning to start but starts to build up eventually.

1.5*

Thanks to netgalley and Penguin UK for the ARC.

I loved this book. Very well written and holds you in suspense to the very last page.

Rita is the Nanny to the Harrington family. Mum, Dad, Teddy and Hera and a new baby on the way. But whose baby is it? Then tragedy strikes and the family minus dad are sent to their other house in the woods. Then a baby is found but within three days there is a dead body. Whose is it and who did it?

Years later and the truth is about to be revealed but with what consequences?

I really enjoyed this book! A great story line that kept me hooked and excellent main characters. I would highly recommend this book.

My thanks to Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and NetGalley for my ARC of The Glass House. I had previously enjoyed Black Rabbit Hall by Eve Chase and looked forward to reading this. I was disappointed. It is certainly well written if you don't mind a metaphor riddled narrative. Two time lines, decades apart, seems to be de-rigueur nowadays with so many story lines. And three narrators - Rita, Hera and Sophie - with threads that intertwine and relationships are eventually uncovered. Other reviewers have obviously enjoyed the book more than me as I struggled to finish The Glass House.

Slow, suspenseful and with plenty of twists - The Glass House tells the story of two families and how their past and present intertwine in the strangest of ways. I thought the novel started off a tad slowly but it definitely picked up and was worth the slow start. I thought the characters were well rounded and I particularly liked Rita, she was a compelling narrator and I liked that she blossomed despite the adversity. I also enjoyed the fact that I didn't predict some of the twists, and the novel kept me on my toes, so to speak. Overall, a great mystery thriller with good character work.

A family ripped apart by trauma spend the summer in a country house in the Forest of Dean - the mother Jeannie, two children and their Nanny Rita. Then they find a baby on a tree stump - is she enough to draw the family together again before the summer ends and they return to London to be reunited with the Father? Running alongside this we have Silvie in the present day. Newly separated from her husband with her mother in hospital she is struggling to hold her life together.
I really enjoyed the bulk of this book but there were a small number of things towards the end which were a step too far. However, sometimes as a reader you just have to accept some things which are slightly unlikely in order to complete the story.
The book is well written with three dimensional characters. Jeannie was particularly well written with her slow removal of herself from the world as she slid further into depression. Rita was a great character - so full of life and determination to do her best for the children whilst struggling not to take the place of their disintegrating Mother. In fact, I think i preferred the past setting as opposed to the modern day thread.
On the whole a good read with some great descriptions & characters.
I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley

The story centres in the Forest of Dean in 1971 where the Harrington family of mum, Jeannie and 2 children (minus the father) and their Nanny, ‘Big Rita’ have decamped for Summer after a fire damages their stylish London home. Jeannie has just lost a much anticipated baby at birth, then spent 8 weeks away from her children at ‘The Lawns’ to recover; sent by her domineering husband .

We move to present day and London where Sylvie, a make-up artist has just left her husband and is trying to start a new life without losing contact with her 18 year old daughter, Annie. Her life is turned upside down when her mother has a near fatal accident when cliff walking with Annie.

The forest is an ever-present living entity, both backdrop and cocoon to family strife, secrets and uncomfortable relationships. Rita is forced to ‘report’ on Jeannie to her husband; Jeannie is unable to be a practical mother and Rita holds things together for the 2 children, Hera and Teddy. Their fragile existence is rocked when Don, Walter’s best friend and ‘intrepid traveller’ arrives, to spice things up.

The stories become linked. You learn of further relationships, secrets, an abandoned baby, a pregnancy and a murder. All very mysterious and astonishing threads pull the story together. A real wintery-afternoon-by-the-fire page turner! I do have to say that some of the later co-incidences are huge, so you do have to leave belief at the door a bit (a lot – hence loss of 1 star), but I still really enjoyed this book – read, escape and enjoy!

Can we start with the cover? It’s absolutely beautiful and definitely caught my eye!

Then the story....oh wow this story! The Glass House left me speechless at times. Incredibly well written with complex characters and a fantastic plot. All I ask for from a book but The Glass House excelled.
5/5

#TheGlassHouse #NetGalley
Mind blowing historical mystery. No one can write like Eve Chase.
The Harrington family takes her in and disbelief quickly turns to joy. They're grieving a terrible tragedy of their own and the beautiful baby fills them with hope, lighting up the house's dark, dusty corners. Desperate not to lose her to the authorities, they keep her secret, suspended in a blissful summer world where normal rules of behaviour - and the law - don't seem to apply. But within days a body will lie dead in the grounds. And their dreams of a perfect family will shatter like glass.
Years later, the truth will need to be put back together again, piece by piece
Outside a remote manor house in an idyllic wood, a baby girl is found.
Read it and find your all answers. Its a complete package of entertainment.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin UK, Michael Joseph for giving me an advance copy.

An absolutely beautiful book. This story is woven so delicately with threads of love, deceit, anger, heartache, secrets, joy and many other imperfections of life. The characters are wonderfully developed and all the little pieces of the puzzle come together nicely at the end. For me this book is stunning.

Two threads in different timelines intertwine in this richly written book: a summer in the 70s, when Rita’s job nannying for the wealthy Harrington family finds her staying with them in an old house deep in the Forest of Dean after a fire ravaged their London home soon after the still-birth of a daughter; and present day, when newly separated Sylvie is trying to cope after her mother had a serious accident. Rita’s story is the most intriguing, but as it develops you begin to understand how the two are tied together. The overall story was compelling and intriguing, too, but I did find all the ends tied up a bit too neatly for comfort. I loved Rita’s character, though, and the rich descriptions of the almost suffocating atmosphere of the forest.

** spoiler alert ** Rita and Sylvie ate the two things that keep this story together.
Both strong and wilful,but so incredibly likeable.
The story takes some turns that at times seem a bit over the top,but all in all,the family drama aspect of it was good.
Thrilled all loose ends were tied up,and I could close the last page,satisfied with all the answers.

I was going to give up at around 20%, so glad I didn't.
After a slow start, I was drawn into the world of Baby Forest, the dysfunctional Harrington family, and Big Rita (as someone who is tall, with large feet, I felt for her)
And in the present day, Sylvie and her daughter Annie.
But most of all, the forest, a character in its own right.
Their stories intertwined slowly, with several "Oh" moments, and damp eyes in a few places, to come to a very satisfying conclusion.
Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin UK Michael Joseph for the opportunity to read this book.

At the beginning of the book I was unsure if I was going to enjoy it but then something resonated and I found myself drawn into the storytelling. This is the story of two women, Rita and Sylvie that centres around Foxcote Manor in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire. This is the second home of the wealthy Harrington family, the father is stern Walter, the mother is Jeannie who is having an affair with odious Don who is a friend of Walter. Some friend. Walter and Jeannie have two children Hera and Teddy to whom Big Rita is the much loved nanny. Rita is exceptionally tall and very striking. The second principal character Sylvie Broom who is recently separated from Steve and they have a daughter Annie. In ways you don’t see initially the Harrington family’s lives intertwine across the generations with those of Rita and Sylvie and what unfolds is an atmospheric and intriguing story. The tale is told in different timeframes by Rita, Sylvie and Hera which works really well.

The characters are very well created and many are very likeable especially Rita and Robbie who Rita meets when she lives at Foxcote in 1971. Robbie is a lovely kind man who helps Rita to heal and cast off a trauma from childhood. Rita is the lynch pin at Foxcote and throughthe book as none of the Harrington family function well without her and nor do her immediate family. The Forest provides a wonderfully atmospheric setting as it is also pivotal to the story which is shown in the clever use of descriptive language that makes it come alive. The Forest is part of the body and soul of Robbie and Sylvie and I find that fascinating. Sylvie's and Annie’s story are also really interesting and I enjoyed how their stories fit well into past events at Foxcote.

The story is well written, the storyline unfolds naturally with some well placed creepy moments, there’s tension where some characters act so horribly that your jaw clenches but it’s also peppered with humour which I especially like. There are some surprising revelations although some you do see coming but that doesn’t mar the enjoyment. The ending pulls the whole story together and is heart warming and makes you smile. Overall a very enjoyable read with lots of elements that keeps you interested.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin, Michael Joseph for the ARC.