Very well written; I was immediately absorbed into 1870s New Zealand at the beginning of the book, which sees Will Stewart prospecting during the gold rush of the 1860s, when a ship bringing new arrivals breaks on rocks and he finds himself rescuing a girl named Rose from the clutches of the sea. It’s not an easy town to be in for a woman however and soon Rose finds she needs rescuing again... Will’s kindness stands out in an environment which is unkind to women and a romance blossoms. However jealousies are evoked elsewhere which threatens to undo everything. Rose is snatched away to Melbourne and then Scotland and from then on we are following the two parallel journeys of Will and Rose separately, as they struggle to make their lives what they had once hoped and dreamed for. There are a lot of (cruel) coincidences in the book which, while unrealistic, make for a riveting story, and I found myself reading quickly particularly in the latter stages as I was keen to find out what happened to Rose. The book title also refers to photography, of which Rose develops an interest during the pioneering days of the profession: as with ‘To the Bright Edge of the World’ I found the information on the early days of photographs very interesting. I would also recommend this to fans of Outlander as it felt similar in some ways, minus the time but not the travel.

My thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher Hodder and Stoughton, for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Loved the cover of this book and the blurb which made me want to read it.  But it wasn't quite what I was expecting, more of a romance than a gripping historical novel.  Don't get me wrong, its a fascinating setting and I quite enjoyed it but I was expecting a more literary offering from the cover so I was a bit disappointed.

So this is the first time I’ve read anything by this author. The plot summary and the cover is what got my interest.

I’ll be honest, it’s not my cup of tea, the ending was a bit disappointing for me. After all that back and forth, I didn’t feel justice was served... personally I don’t think I would purchase this for my friends or myself.

I couldn't put this book down, I needed to know what happened to Rose. Rose was a character that was so well written you could feel her emotions, and I really wanted her to find happiness. Will's  journey to try and find Rose was an amazing tale.
This is one of those books that you need to find out what happened, but at the same time you don't want it to finish, I really enjoyed every page of this.
Great book once again by Sarah Maine.
Thank you netgalley.

I loved the first half of this. The story of New Zealand's gold rush is fascinating and the characters, with their strange triangle, were wonderful. I also loved the last section. The trouble for me was that between about 50% and 85%, the story (while well-told) was so frustrating. I think too much of the book was spent in the painful 'oh no, everything's gone wrong' stage and throughout that section there was very little light to lift the mood. I'd have cut that section down so the reader isn't left so low for so long.

One star is for books I did not finish. At 64% I realized I wasn't enjoying this book and not wondering at all where it would be going with Fraser and Will, nor Rose and her being manipulated by Robbie... not for me.

If you love historical fiction, I think you’ll love this. Set in 1866, Will Stewart has come to New Zealand to seek his fortune. There’s gold there and he teams up with a friend to do his bit to get rich. But life when you’ve no readily access to cash is bleak, and being far from home has its disadvantages. He saves a young woman, Rose, as her boat, carrying her and goodness knows how many, hits a rock, saving her life. They remain together and it seems almost as though they were destined to unite. Things are still not ideal but a little better. However, when circumstances mean Rose and Will are separated, one must decide to go in search of the other. This feels like an epic read, and it is beautifully written, evocative novel that I anticipate you reading and re-reading for years to come.

Alchemy & Rose is a truly inticing novel, with characters who seem to step right off the page. An absorbing historical fiction which kept me gripped.