I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I found the subject matter really interesting. The book was well written and easy to understand. I highly recommend this book.

This book has all the ingredients of a real page turner, and whilst the ending delivered with enough of a twist to be satisfying, there was something of the uncanny about the experience of getting there. The protagonist I found hard to like - her manipulative nature and the way she treated those around her made her hard to empathise with, regardless of the fact that she received as much ill treatment as she administered.
This may have been intentional (I suspect it was), and it did have the effect of creating an unsettling and tense atmosphere. If you enjoy a winding tale of manipulation with a smattering of gothic spice, it’s an entertaining read.

lying with lions was a great book with good queer rep. with an amazing plot and characters, I highly recommend it if you like historic fiction. this book has great writing and even better character development.

I'm still not entirely sure how I feel overall about this book. It was not what I expected but I did enjoy it a lot. Set in Edwardian England a young woman is hired to an estate to be their archivist and catalog the family history. But she quickly embeds herself into the daily life of the house and works her way all the way up to be the secretary for the lady of the house.

This book had a very strange feel to it all the way through. You could tell everyone was playing a role, their expected role, but there was so much more beneath all of their actions and intentions. Duplicity as I would call it. It was captivating in that way that I never really felt like I knew what someone was intending and where they were going with something.

Very well written and enjoyable, but kind of a mystery historical fiction in my opinion because there was a lot of background information that keeps bubbling to the surface threating to take the family down and you feel like you're just waiting for that other shoe to drop. A great read for fans of history and this time period!

Firstly I'm so sorry this has taken me so long to review, time really got away with me.

Lying With Lions follows archivist Agnes at the beginning of the 20th century as she works for a wealthy and influential family, a family with many secrets. The book covers a span of about a decade, I think - at times I felt it quite difficult to keep a sense of the passage of time. Some aspects of the plot seemed to fall by the wayside early in the story and were never really explored that much. I also felt the characters were a little wishy-washy, particularly Agnes, who really just felt like the pair of eyes from which we were viewing the story, rather than an active person with a personality of her own. It might have been the way it was written which made me feel this sense of disconnect from the characters - it was quite melodramatic in style, like reading a play with a lot of clever declarations that sounded good but bear little resemblance to the way real people talk, even, I suspect, in the early 20th century.

I quite enjoyed reading the book but it just needed a bit more oomph to it somewhere - more characterisation, and more exploration of some of the more interesting plot strands.

I was very fascinated by the way the author constructed the characters. Agnes was a big mystery to me throughout. Once I thought I had grasped her character she eluded me again. She was innocent and submissive in some ways, something I was used to from lonely female characters in historical novels, but on the other hand she was determined, focused and ambitious, a mix that allowed her to move up the ranks in the house over time.

The relationship between Agnes and Lady Helen was deeply fascinating and unlike anything I have ever read about in historical fiction. I don’t want to go into too much detail though because I don’t want to spoiler anything, but it definitely takes up one of the main themes in the book!

In the end, when I was absolutely sure there couldn’t possibly be more secrets to be uncovered, that was when the twists and turns grabbed me by surprise. The plot was excellently woven, with many times an element of surprise, and it is definitely a must read for fans of historical fiction with a touch of gothic vibes! The cover that had drawn me in in the beginning ended up being the red thread running through the story. Detailed descriptions of the Edwardian Era added another nice touch for me and I can only recommend it!

4 stars from me!

I enjoyed reading about Agnes and her life, in a time where single women without family had difficult choices to make to survive. We see how society changes during the Edwardian era and into the new era of George V. There’s a gothic touch to the story too and this added an extra element.

If you’re looking for a historical fiction novel that centres around strong-willed and morally corrupt women, then this is the book for you.

The book follows Agnes, an archivist working in a big house for Lord and Lady Bryant. She unearths secrets even before the real events of the novel take place. Any big family has its secrets, but events ramp up and soon, they are at breaking point.

An atmospheric book that beckons you back into Edwardian England and plops you into the complicated life of Agnes Ashford, who uncovers a dark and dangerous secret hidden within the library walls of the Bryant Family. Mysterious, intense, historical, and brimming with political intrigue, Lying With Lions is perfect for readers who adore Bridgerton and Crimson Peak.

3.5 stars.
Annabel Fielding has created a novel full of atmosphere, of a titled family struggling to hang onto their privileges and influence in a changing world.

From its gorgeous cover one immediately gets the sense of meticulous control, beauty and wealth, darkness, and secrets.

Employed as archivist at Hartfell Hall by Alastair Bryant, Agnes Ashford is self-taught, middle-class, and intrigued by the tensions between Alastair and Lady Helen Bryant, a former heiress of a wealthy family who made their money in coal. Helen’s dowry was used to prop up the failing Bryant fortunes, and she clearly has no love for her husband, who is known to take his pleasure with many other women of lower classes.

Hartfell Hall has twelve miles of tunnels beneath it, full of the detritus, and secrets, of generations of the Bryants, and Agnes is tasked with making sense of it all. There’s something cloying and dark about the idea of all those letters, clothing, paintings and other things below the large house and unhappy family above it.

Agnes becomes confidante, fixer, and lover of Helen as the years go by, smoothing family problems but gradually gaining the enmity of Helen’s grown children Harold and Meredith. Agnes is both an avid watcher and listener of those around her, becoming a holder of many secrets. She’s a bit of a cipher otherwise, despite the author telling us Agnes was mourning her father when she first came to Hartfell Hall, and that she’s attentive to details and initially scrupulous about the truth.

The book was great at holding my attention till the last quarter or so, when there was action related to titled families wanting to maintain their House of Lords prerogatives, and growing conflict in Ireland and the Bryant support. It came as a surprise to me that the author based this book on actual events, which I think she handled skillfully. My waning attention in the final quarter was not due the author, but my lack of detailed knowledge about how British parliament worked during the Edwardian period.

Thank you to Netgalley and to KDP for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Set in Edwardian England, Agnes Ashford accepts the position of a historian for the incredible Lord and Lady Bryant. Somewhere inside the passages underneath the family’s palace, she looks through curiously across the letters from the family and their precursors to sort out their set of experiences, then sort everything in a sequence. Her obligations to the family change in a moment, especially on Lord Bryant’s abrupt and unforeseen passing. Agnes hauls herself out of the dark passages by her brains, becoming Lady Helen’s secretary, associate, sweetheart, and thug. As Lady Helen’s offended child accepted this situation, as the top of the family, Agnes assists them with clutching force and shrouding the mysteries that would compromise it. Meanwhile, Agnes has privileged insights of her own.

This book had an engaging story and spellbinding depiction of the years paving the way to WWI. The author delicately brings the readers down into the air, customs, and sights of that time. The readers will experience the story as if they were present in that time themselves. All things considered; water runs somewhere down in this book. Agnes, albeit thoughtful from the start, is an opportunistic person. Currently affluent and incredible, Lady Helen appears to give Agnes what she needs to clutch power. Nonetheless, any bad sentiments I had about them didn’t cheapen the story. Rather, they made the book more convincing. I turned to be so profoundly submerged in the story that I felt like a piece of it, similar to the Bryan family’s servants, noticing everything quietly.

The book is a flawlessly composed story that contains a gleam of sentiments and a ton of self-centeredness, debasement, and eagerness. I can suggest this as a book that caught my eye and conveyed a charming read. If you want to read a light historical fiction book, then this is the book for you.

As a huge fan of historical fiction, I really enjoyed this novel. It was gothic and atmospheric, and I enjoyed the mystery vibes of it. I also really enjoyed Agnes, even if she doesn't seem to be that much of a likeable character. Following her was interesting and I couldn't help myself from rooting for her. I also liked Agnes and Helen's relationship, and aside from them, the other characters were enjoyable too. Definitely would love to read more of the author's books.

I've attempted to pick this book up several times and never get more than just a few more pages read before I put it down again. The characters are vague and I'm having trouble digging a plot out of whatever this is. It was almost like reading someone taking minutes at a meeting. There were things happening that were only discussed in the broadest terms and no life was ever given to the characters on page.

This novel is set in a period that is infrequently visited by story-tellers: the cusp of World War I. Against the backdrop of an emerging, unionised work-class labour force, Agnes tries to find her niche in the Bryant household. It's a broad story, ranging from the coal fields of Leicestershire to Egypt, weaving several strands together: the 'cuckoo' heir, the self-made woman, domestic abuse, Edward VII's amours and the hypocrisy of the upper class - all are compellingly treated.

The only thread that didn't quite fit for me was the gun-running for Ulster happenstance of Helen Bryant's combative sister-in-law observing the crime. Hence 4 stars, not 5. But overall a really good read.

This was such a fun read and made me think of a modern Game of Thrones with the Lannisters at the front and center.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC which I received in return for an honest review.

Trigger Warning: Death of a child (mentioned, happens off-page), Abortion (mentioned, happens off-page), Rape (mentioned, happens off-page)

Set at the end of the Edwardian Era and in to the first World War, Lying with Lions is a page turning tale.

Told primarily from the view point of archivist Agnes Ashford, she is a young woman who has been hired to sort and categorize the countless documents amassed by the Bryant family. It is during this time that Agnes uncovers a secret the Bryant family would rather forget. Armed with this information Agnes positions herself closer to Lady Helen, moving from mere employee to close companion and even lover.

The story of Lying with Lions takes place over many years, through numerous changes both to society as a whole and to the Bryant family itself. There are not only changes without but within as slowly Agnes’ “power” grows. Like Lady Helen, Agnes need only say the right word to the right person and she can move mountains. As the relationship between the two women deepens over time, one is left to wonder who is controlling and influencing who.

It is obvious that Fielding put in a great deal of research to write Lying with Lions. The atmosphere she is able to create is at times breathtaking, as is the way she is able to effortlessly weave historical and fictional events. The relationships between characters – not just Agnes and Helen, but the Bryant children, Harold and Meredith – are so carefully thought out. Each event serves not only to push the story forward but to also subtly reveal new facets of each person involved.

Some readers might have issue with the overall pacing of Lying with Lions. Much like the Bryant family, change – and the overall storyline – can be slow. And while there are a few placed where the story does seem to drag, I encourage any reader to stick with the book as it all pays off in the end.

A wonderfully gothic tale centering on the lengths one will go to for power and control, Lying with Lions is for older readers.

3.5/5 stars

Lying with Lions is a historical fiction family saga that follows the Bryant/Davenport family primarily from the perspective of Agnes Ashford, a young archivist with forged qualifications who is looking to make her place in the world. Agnes falls into an affair with Lady Bryant and finds herself catapulted into the family drama: no longer is she merely the orphaned archivist, she is now the dearest confidant and secretary to Her Ladyship. The drama that unfolds is brutal, and none are left unscathed.

LwL reads very much like a classic from the period, but lacks the social commentary I normally appreciate coming hand-in-hand with the style. I hoped I would find the family saga compelling enough on its own, but I instead found myself irritated with the success of Agnes' manipulations despite her regular lack of forethought (many of her actions seemed to be contradictory to her characterization—in an unbelievable way, rather than in an unreliable narrator way) and the stale chemistry between Agnes and Lady Bryant. The last quarter of the book did finally begin to change my harsh opinion of Agnes and her affair, but not significantly enough for me to rate the book a full 4 stars. The concept of the story and much of its plot I thoroughly enjoyed, but its execution less so.

This was an interesting read. I thought it started off really well and found myself intrigued. I did feel like the story got a bit bigger down and started to drag a bit halfway through.

I was provided with a copy of Lying with Lions by NetGalley

This book follows Agnes, as she attempts to archive the history of the equally illustrious and mysterious Bryant family. Uncovering more than she expects, Agnes gets caught up in their drama and ambition.

Everything about this book was appealing to me, from to title and cover to the plot and tone. However, I actually have to list this book as a did not finish. Although I was enjoying where the plot seemed to be going, the writing was very confusing and made the book difficult to read. There was focus and a lot of description on strange small details, and a lack of description or action surrounding actual plot development. This author knows a lot about the time period they're writing on, and a fascinating amount about archiving (the passages on which I was always excited to read).

Overall, I would like to revisit future publications from this author. Their ideas are great, they just need to improve their writing ability a bit.