This book was atmospheric and creepy. But there were too many characters in the book. I had guessed the big reveal before it happened.
It’s an ok read.

A fresh Stacey Halls is the only thing you need this year, Mrs England is a cracking example of how to create a mystery within historical fiction and I loved it! I wanted nothing more than for this book to go on forever and my god, that ending!🤯🤯 If you haven’t read any of Stacey’s books yet I definitely recommend you do, she is the sole reason I started to trust historical fiction more and look at me now!

I really struggled with this one as I deeply wanted to love it as I do with Stacey's other books. I can absolutely see the parallels between the classics and Mrs England with the fantastically gothic setting but the pace was a little slow for me. Definitely a me problem!

I love Stacey Halls’ writing and tore through both the familiars and the foundling so when I saw that she was releasing another I was hooked.

Really fantastic and a great addition to her writing repertoire.

Thanks SO much to the publisher for allowing me to read a copy

Stacey Halls is one of my “go-to” listens for Audio books and I have listened and loved her previous books The Foundling and The Familiars.

Mrs England is beautifully narrated by Imogen Wilde and once again the listener is transported back in time to the early 1900’s in Yorkshire where we meet Nurse Ruby May who is starting her new position looking after Mr & Mrs England’s four young children.

Ruby is a fascinating woman who has overcome so much hardship and sorrow in her young life. Her determination, loyalty and strength of character are evident from the opening pages and the listener follows Ruby from London to Yorkshire where she meets the enigmatic Mr Charles England and his unfriendly and aloof wife who appears to have no interest in her 4 young children.

This is a really atmospheric novel set in an isolated house in Yorkshire. There is a simmering tension throughout the story and the reader/listener is taken on a journey fraught with secrets and emotions.

Slowly the story reveals Ruby May’s traumatic past and sheds light on Mrs England’s strange and uncaring behaviour. Mrs England is a wonderful historical novel with a touch of gothic and mystery which I thoroughly enjoyed listening to and can’t wait for this authors next book.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

I already love Staceys first two novels, she is the queen of historical fiction, delivering a different time period for each book. Mrs England did not disappoint, set in Edwardian Yorkshire and in typical Halls style, it was so descriptive I could almost smell the cigar smoke and the wood polish.

All of the characters were brilliant, loveable ones and villains alike, I loved Ruby May and the Children. The book was such a mystery for a long time, that I felt I couldn’t stop reading as I needed to know more.

Mrs England will be published in June and if you loved The Familiars or The Foundling or just Historical Fiction, you will love this book.

Yet again, Stacey Halls proves why she is a favourite author of mine. It took entirely too long for me to pick this up, but I enjoyed every minute. Her writing style, the atmosphere, the characters, the plot - everything was done top-notch. It is such a delight to immerse myself in one of her stories! Can highly recommend.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK / Manilla Press for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Stacey Halls has quickly become a favourite author of mine, and I have been eagerly awaiting her latest release. The moment I heard this was available I jumped at the chance to read it. My expectations were through the roof, I expected to enjoy this, I just didn't know how much I would love it.

Stacey has a delicate way of describing the worlds she paints with her words, that draws you in and take you there. Every character has a voice, has a place in the world, for us to discover as they do.

It's a tough call, but I think this might be my favourite yet! Highly recommend to all Historical Fiction lovers. This compelling tale demands to be read, and I promise you won't be able to put it down.

5 impeccable stars

This was my very first Stacey Halls book, but it won't be my last. Halls has a way of transporting you into the characters' lives so seamlessly, it really brings the story to life on the page. If you are a fan of dark gripping historical fiction this is a must read.

This was an enjoyable book set predominantly in Hardcastle House surrounded by the moors in Yorkshire. The pace picked up about half-way through with the picture becoming clearer about three-quarters of the way through. I enjoyed the characters and there's no doubt the writing is excellent – the suspense is expertly built up – but it didn't quite hit the spot for me. A little melodramatic (based on the period it's set in, that's to be expected) which makes it more similar to the author's previous novel, The Foundling than her first novel, The Familiars.

Stacey Halls books are always well received and this will be no exception. Well written as always and an interesting theme.

Stacey Halls has done it again with another absolutely brilliant historical novel. Based on a true story, this is a dark, powerful and beautifully written book, set in London, Birmingham and Yorkshire. The characters are so vividly drawn, the sense of place is perfect and the whole book is utterly captivating. Highly recommended.
With grateful thanks to Netgalley, Bonnier Books UK and Stacey Halls.

Absolutely brilliant! I am totally in love with the way Stacey Halls writes and how she brings the story to life. It makes this book so easy to read and it moved at a quick pace. I also enjoyed the story itself, especially the characters who were brought to life so vividly. Particularly Ruby and Decca!

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would.
Going into someone else’s house to look after the children can be tough but things really can not be perfect all the time can they?
As cracks appear friendships are made but lying in the cracks the truth is bursting to be set free.

I really enjoyed this book. I do like Stacey Hall's style of writing having previously read The Familiars. The story is intriguing and the characters have an air of mystery about them that is so engrossing. I read it quite quickly as I just couldn't put it down once I'd started it.

An enchanting read from the very start. Each time I read a Stacey Halls book I fall in love with it even more than the last one I read and this certainly didn’t disappoint. I didn’t want to put it down.

Completely compelling and even better than The Familiars! I was instantly transported to the bleak industrial North and the nursery. I could not put it down.

DNF at 40%.
Going into this book, I was really intrigued by the promised gothic mystery, but just found myself 40% in without any intrigue or even any questions. There wasn’t any gothic mystery I felt drawn in enough to uncover, and I simply had no desire to carry on or find out how the story develops. Either this book isn’t right for me at all and makes promises it can’t keep with its marketing as a gothic mystery, or it’s executed incredibly slowly without the intrigue required to draw a reader into the mystery. I really wanted to love this book, but it was a disappointment for me and not one I wanted to continue with. Perhaps I will revisit in the future, in which case I’ll update my review.

"'I just have a feeling that...'...'Never mind.' 'A feeling that what?' 'That something's not right here.' I was aware of Mr Booth' s eyes on me and he seemed to hold his breath. 'What do you mean?' 'In the house. With the family."

TW: coercion, abuse, mental illness, attempted infanticide

In Edwardian West Yorkshire, Norland Nanny, Ruby May arrives at Hardcastle House to take care of the England family's young children. Mr and Mrs England's family, the Greatrexes, are wealthy owners of cotton and wool mills. Ruby soon takes to the children and charismatic Mr England, but Mrs England is mysterious, distant and quiet. Ruby has her own cross to bear, but she gradually becomes aware that all is not well in Hardcastle House.

Told from Ruby's perspective (her childhood and present day in Hardcastle House), she's a likeable but vulnerable protagonist, struggling but determined to do her best by her charges. It's beautifully written, with the wild and isolated West Yorkshire moors embedded into the plot. However I found it rather slow and perhaps not as Gothic or menacing as the author's other novels. Whilst I felt I could predict some of what was happening at Hardcastle House and why, having discussed it with book clubbers, I suspect I missed some subtleties that, without spoiling the plot, put a different slant on some characters and some events. Mr and Mrs England may be more complex and Ruby's tragic background influences her perceptions and choices. Having listened to the author speak about the book has altered my perception. It is fascinating to hear where she gains her inspiration from and how she researches the time periods and settings. A complex and clever tale of manipulation and determination in Edwardian England.

I found myself immersed in Mrs England from the very first page. It's an intriguing beginning, and it remains so throughout.

Ruby May, a Norland nurse is sent to take care of four children in a remote house in Yorkshire. She believes it is her job to raise children to be good humans, and she is kind and loved by her charges. But she hides a tragic past, and senses all is not well with the family she is living with. Mrs England is remote and isolates herself. Mr England seems friendly and gregarious, but is he all he appears to be?

Events build to a dramatic conclusion and as she confronts her own past she is finally free to take charge of her own destiny.

A wonderful storyteller, Stacey Halls has written another brilliant book.