This is the sort of book you need to give plenty of time to read - it is not a ‘few chapters at bedtime’ book - it’s an up all night til you’ve finished it, book…… the story weaves through the 1950’s, 1980’s and 2018, following the interwoven lives of Sylvia, Simon, Kitty, Janey and their families. It is both heartbreaking and uplifting as the story unfolds. Please be warned that there are some dark passages and the story includes some scenes of sexual violence, which are difficult to read, but crucial to understanding the personalities of the people involved. The story will stay with me for a long time having weaved it’s magic. Wonderful.

A fabulously well written, engrossing read. Perfect escapism. The setting, the storyline, characters and clever intertwining timelines - everything about this book absolutely captivated me.

I was absolutely thrilled to receive this digital ARC from NetGalley as I adore Harriet Evans family sagas and The Beloved Girls has been on my wish list since I heard the title and saw the gorgeous cover. There are many positives to this novel and it ticks all my requirements of a classic family saga- an old family home in the countryside, a dual timeline and a present day mystery. It's set in 1989 when Jane LeStrange spends a summer with the Hunter family at their Somerset manor house (Vanes) and in the present day when Catherine, a barrister disappears. Harriet Evans writes beautifully and I really feel that I can sink into her prose and thoroughly immerse myself in her novels. She writes the characters so convincingly and completely brings the setting to life. For me , sadly this did fall short of her best work - The Wildflowers, a gorgeous classic of the genre and I wasn't gripped by some of the events at Vanes , particularly the bee ceremony. However, this is still a highly recommended and perfect escapist read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review a digital ARC

Janey and her father go to stay with his old friend Sylvia and her family in their grand old house. Janey is captivated by Kitty, Sylvia’s daughter, and the strange way in which the family seem to live. Years later, Janey returns after the death of her father. This time she is to participate in the collecting- a ritual performed each year to remove some honey from the bees who have made their home in a chapel on the land. It’s a long, unsettling summer and by the end nothing will be the same.

The story flits between Catherine Lestrange now, and Kitty and Janey in the past, then further back to Janey’s father and Kitty’s mother, Sylvia and her parents too. It’s one of these books that I’d prefer to read on paper so I could flick back to remind myself, but I managed ok on kindle!

The author writes well and I found the book very atmospheric. It has some very dark and disturbing themes, but overall it just feels vaguely menacing. There’s always something in the shadows- you just aren’t sure what! I didn’t love some of the ambiguity, but that’s my personal preference. It’s a long and tense read with interesting characters and a decent story. I enjoyed it and I’m sure it will do well. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

"The Beloved Girls" is a complex book full of many layers of plot, mystery, ritual and family. The title take its name from a ceremony that happens every year where the comb (honeycomb) is taken from the bees (half for us, half for them), and the question is - should this ritual still happen if it endangers some members of the party? The main mystery is centered around the 1989 ceremony when Janey goes to stay with Kitty and her family. Their families are intertwined, Janey's father being Kitty's mother's ward. As I said it is complex but worth a read, sometimes uncomfortable, sometimes heavily reminiscent of the heady days of 1989 - what wonderful talk of "Neighbours" and music references.

An old manor house. An ancient family ritual. A family tragedy, the repercussions of which are still being felt decades later.

A little slow to start but so glad I persevered. A good compelling story which is well worth a read.

I'm still reeling from reading this book !
It started a little slow . A little girl and her father go to stay in a house in the country, where everyone and everything is a bit ' weird and strange ' The family that live there are compelled to carry out a ritual every year and feel there would be consequences of they fail to do so.
A great book that has many moments that keep you turning the page to see what happens next.

A little unsettling in the fact you always know something is coming,but for a very long time,you just don't know what.
The characters lives mix together,sometimes in a positive way,other times not.
I found myself racing through pages just to find out what had happened and indeed what was happening in the here and now.
Enjoyable stuff.