The Peacock House was an engrossing page-turner, keeping me hooked to the end to uncover the story. Plenty of hooks and turns in the unfolding and the location of Wales was like a character itself and very vividly written. Thoroughly enjoyable story with some very interesting characters and a dash of vintage fashion moments thrown in.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in return for an honest review.

A great dual timeline book set in North Wales I loved the storyline unfolding with all of the pieces dropping into place in time and the great cast of characters, not all likeable but then when is everyone in life. A great story for lovers of family sagas

1943
Evelyn dreams of escaping Vaughan Court and the loveless marriage that led her there. Then, at the height of the Second World War, a single moment changes her life and tethers her to the house for ever.

2016
Decades later, life has given as much as it has taken from Evelyn. Although a bestselling author, Evelyn still cannot escape the painful hold of the past.

Aspiring journalist Bethan hasn't been back to Vaughan Court since she was a little girl. But the opportunity to interview her grandmother's oldest friend - the Evelyn Vaughan - leads her back to North Wales. As Bethan learns about Evelyn's life, she realises the ghosts of the grand house are yet to be laid to rest. And soon she's determined to uncover the secrets hidden within . . .

The Peacock House was a fascinating look at a challenging time in history and the long term ramifications of personal and historical events. It was interesting to see how the author wove Evelyn's story and unexpected past throughout the book, gradually revealing secrets that shaped her views now. Some of the secrets were not all that unexpected to learn when they were discovered but others were not at all what I thought was going to be the turn of events. It was fascinating, like a puzzle gradually coming togethe. Towards the end it became much more clear why certain characters behaved the way they did (although not unexcusably). Of course there were misunderstandings and readers are left wondering how the characters lives and the story would have been if the misunderstandings were cleared up much earlier. The characters all have their flaws but for the most part they are likeable and in some cases more so because they are more relatable. Overall it was a highly interesting book.

2/5
While I haven't ever read Kate Glanville's other works, the blurb made me pretty excited for this one.
However the dual timelines made that a little difficult. I love dual timelines, but here it seemed to jump at any point in Evelyn's life, especially in the beginning. This made it really difficult and I had to reread some chapters after her story had been revealed to make sense of it all.

I have read and enjoyed several of Kate Glanville's books so was looking forward to reading this one. I wasn't disappointed. A fantastic story of love, family, war and relationships. I really enjoyed the setting and could clearly picture the peacocks wandering around. The characters were all interesting and the story flowed beautifully. I loved the history and twists and turns.

I highly recommend this as a perfect read for an afternoon on the sofa with a cuppa.

I look forward to the next book from Kate Glanville.

With a backdrop of North Wales, Glanville's new historical fiction novel will appeal to those who like a story of family drama with twists and surprises. Thank you to Net Galley and Headline, Headline Accent for the advance reader's copy and opportunity to provide an unbiased review.

Kate Glanvillie The peacock house

The story starts with Evelyn married in a love less marriage set dueing WW2 . Flipping between present day where Bethan the grandaughter of Evelyn close friend comes to interview her Evelyn who is a author and had an interesting life. Peter and Billy evacuees play a part of the story when she mets Mel the pilot who crashes his plane near Evlyns home . The story revolves with these characters.,a family drama warm and unpredictable.
Thank you Netgally for letting me preview this book

The Peacock House is the second book I have read of Kate Glanville’s. Years ago I read A Perfect Home and remembering how I enjoyed it, I requested the Peacock House. I love the premise as well, dual time period, a famous novelist living in a country mansion and a young journalist traveling to interview her. Bethan, the journalist has ties to Evelyn Vaughn the novelist through her grandmother, Nelli. Nelli was Evelyn’s maid, companion and friend during the early years of her marriage during WWII.

The novel starts with Evelyn having a bad fall as she is waiting for Bethan to arrive. She breaks both her wrists and is unable to care for herself. What started as a possible interview turns into a caregiver situation for Bethan as she decides to stay and assist Evelyn with her recovery. Evelyn is consumed by memories of her past during WWII. After her family is tragically killed in a bombing, Evelyn marries Howard Vaughn an unsuccessful mama’s boy and goes to live with the mother-in-law from hell at his house Vaughn court. One day an American plane crashes near the house and Evelyn saves one of the airmen, Jack Valentine. He is carted away for treatment, but returns when Vaughn Court is turned into a makeshift hospital for American servicemen. Through flashbacks we learn of the love that Jack and Evelyn have for one another and the tragedies that unfold.

Bethan and Evelyn had a bit of a prickly relationship, but Bethan was able to understand Evelyn and her behavior as more of her past was revealed. Then there was the doctor Tom and his adorable daughter Tilly to add to the mix. All in in all I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it for someone wanting to wile away an afternoon with a good book.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher Headline Accent and the author for the chance to read and review this book.

If you like stories about family, secrets, friends and love, you will love The Peacock House by Kate Glanville. This was a wonderful read!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The book begins with a brief chapter setting the scene as Evelyn's married life in Wales begins in 1943, then goes on to discover Evelyn has fallen over in 2016. In the meantime Bethan, the granddaughter of Evelyn's close friend, is on her way to interview Evelyn for an article as part of her journalist job for an online magazine. The book covers the developing relationship between the two characters whilst delving into Evelyn's past history during World War 2. There are interesting characters from the village popping up at intervals, and Bethan's unfortunate love life features intermittently through the novel, with the outspoken Evelyn offering advice and pithy language about Mal and his behaviour. Comedy, jealousy, selfishness, love and sadness feature throughout the plot - the life led by Peter and his brother Billy as evacuees is horrific and also realistic.
The novel offers a realistic view of life and relationships during WW2 interwoven with an interesting modern-day viewpoint as Bethan and Evelyn consider and explore the past. I wish Evelyn was a little more choosy in the language she uses, but I really enjoyed this book and would read more by this author.

I live historical fiction and this book met my expectations.

A young woman goes to interview a famous writer, her grandmother's best friend during WWII. What follows is a remarkable story of the past meeting the present . . And I Loved the way the peacocks were introduced in the story. Highly recommended.

4.5 stars .

The Peacock House is a book that you will just love to sit down with and get involved in the story of Evelyn Vaughan and Bethan an aspiring journalist who comes to Vaughan Court to interview Evelyn. at Vaughan Court.

The book has it all: love, broken hearts, deception, courage, friendships and family dynamics.

Evelyn is such a character that I so loved her, admired her and wished I could interview her.

The supporting characters are also well defined; some you love to hate and those you just love.

The Peacock House is both heart warming, heart breaking but also full of strength and determination.

This is my first Kate Glanville book but I am off to read her other books.

Thanks to NetGalley and Headline, Headline Accent for a very enjoyable read that I hated to end.

A great read bringing together the two main characters in a very relatable way. The book is well written and the characters are drawn in such a way that you can empathise with them.
The descriptions of the period of WWII are very evocative and certainly add to the reader's pleasure.
Highly recommended.

I received The Peacock House as part of a NetGalley giveaway.

Bethan travels to Wales to interview her late grandmother's best friend, the esteemed novelist Evelyn Vaughan. But when she arrives, she finds an injured Evelyn and an aging house . As she extends her stay to nurse Evelyn back to health, she discovers the older woman's grim temperament is a front for decades' worth of secrets and tragedy. And in uncovering Evelyn's story, Bethan has an opportunity to forge her own destiny.

I really enjoyed this! The broad strokes of the story were clear and fairly predictable, but there were plenty of twist and turns that I didn't expect. Everything worked together in a really lovely way, and created a story that was both powerful and heartwarming.

An enjoyable tale about the past and present and how some dreams can take 70 years to come true. I loved the added subplot of the peacocks, but the subplot of the mysterious vandalism and outcome seemed unnecessary.

I was provided with an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Bethan is hoping to launch her career as a journalist by interviewing her grandmother’s best friend, famous author Evelyn Vaughan. So Bethan heads back to North Wales to grand home, Vaughan Court, expecting an exciting, interview, but she uncovers a bombshell about the reclusive author and why she has never left her home after World War II. This is a gorgeous English country house novel full of history and atmosphere