Jessie Burton is one of my favourite authors and I eagerly awaited the follow-up to The Miniaturist.

I was excited to get a sneak peek of the first chapter thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. The House of Fortune takes us quite some way into the future from the end of its predecessor and Thea Brandt is now at the heart of the action.

I have since bought and read the entire book and very much enjoyed it. It was beautifully written with a propulsive plot and strong themes. I also appreciated the setting and historical detail. Another hit for Jessie Burton!

A return to the world of 'The Miniaturist' and a wonderful introduction. I loved this short episode and want to read the rest!

I enjoyed The Miniaturist when I read it, but I loved this unexpected follow-up so much more.

I'm not always a fan of initially unplanned sequels to novels that don't necessarily warrant a sequel - sometimes they can completely ruin the magic of that first book - but The House of Fortune is such a me book, focusing on one family's love for a child who longs to understand everything that happened before she came along.

Set in 1705, 18 years after the events of The Miniaturist, The House of Fortune follows young Thea Brandt, raised by her father, her aunt and their ever-loyal housemaid, who's resisting her aunt's attempts to marry her off while they slowly but surely run out of money so she can pursue her all-consuming love for Walter, a set painter at the local theatre. We also once again meet Nella, now 37 and doing everything she can to keep her dysfunctional but loving family together.

Give me any story of one younger and one older woman trying to understand one another and I'll probably love it. It's so easy to understand Thea and Nella's frustrations with each other, and to understand how each of them believes their way of thinking is the right one, but their love for one another is unmistakeable and at times it was heart-wrenching to watch Nella trying to save another 18-year-old girl from Amsterdam's claws.

Jessie Burton should also be given credit for just how readable this book is. Nothing about the plot is surprising, I guessed pretty much everything that happened before it happened, but it's not the plot that's the focus of this book; instead it's a story about second chances and facing the past to give yourself a chance at a future. I loved learning more about Nella's life before she moved to Amsterdam and watching her rediscover the country girl she'd once been.

The House of Fortune is a delightfully pleasant surprise, and a novel I think any fan of The Miniaturist would enjoy.

For me, The House of Fortune is a beautifully woven tale through the eyes of Thea, Nella, Cornelia and Otto of how:

- lives and families can be shipwrecked (the last painting to be sold) and need to chart tempestuous and uncertain waters.
- from the theatre scenes, we can all be puppets following the storylines we think we should be living.
- there can be masters of pre-determined or random fate.
- we are architects of our homes, marriages, relationships and ultimately lives.

It’s just beautiful and that’s why Jessie is one of my favourite authors. Congrats Jessie on The House of Fortune.

If you haven’t read it, make sure you do!

It’s been wonderful being back in Amsterdam with Nella and Otto. Jessie Burton captures the setting wonderfully and seeing the city through Thea’s eyes was a great experience. I loved her naivety in seeing the world as part of the stage setting at the theatre. I loved the reintroduction of the Miniaturist with the little images of the characters lives ( and would have personally liked more of her ) and thought it linked beautifully to the former lives of Nella and Johannes.

It's 18 years after the events of The Miniaturist and Marin's child Thea needs to marry because they are poor and have no security to offer her. But in Amsterdam reputation is everything and their reputation took a hit eighteen years ago. And she loves an artist…Nella tries to do her best for her but Thea has her own ideas of course.

With memories of the past (the events of The Minaturist) this book is engaging and enjoyable from the start. It's great to be back with Nella again and familiar characters and meet Thea. It's a story with characters you care about, you can see their flaws and hope by the end they have better lives than the ones they are currently experiencing.

Jessie Burton's writing is as exquisite as ever. I didn't want this rich immersive book to end. I did find a flaw, the characters were wringing their hands a few times when distressed which is a cliche I never get but who cares when the rest is magical.

Hoping for another book featuring these characters to see where their lives take them next, with or without The Minaturist.

If you already like Jessie Burton then you'll likely like this book. Easy to read though plods at times with the reader needing to concentrate perhaps a bit too much without being hooked. Worth reading if you already like Burton's books.

I wouldn’t say that I didn’t enjoy this sequel to the much loved The Miniaturist, but I will say that not very of note much happens. I found it a bit of a slog to get into and then just when I thought the pace might pick up, that there might be a twist (and there were definitely hints at things that didn’t come to fruition), it just continues on in the same vein. The descriptions of the opulent setting of Amsterdam in 1705 were wonderful, but that wasn’t quite enough for me.

If like me, you read The Miniaturist all those years ago and have been longing for a sequel, then you won't be disappointed! We're transported back to Amsterdam and the atmosphere of the first novel is carried through to this one, with the bustling streets, canals and merchants trading their wares. The Brandt family are nearly penniless and must come up with a plan to save themselves from destitution. The Miniaturist starts to leave more effigies on their doorstep and it seems young Thea's life is predestined - she must marry a wealthy man despite having loved another. This is a book about family secrets and the face we present to the world whilst keeping our darkest, most shameful secrets hidden. Love is the overriding theme for me, love for a child, your family, unrequited love and true love in all its forms. Just a beautiful book.

Fantastic and intriguing first chapter sampler extract. Can’t wait to read the full book. The House of Fortune follows on from The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton. Based on what I've read, I know the rest of the book will just as good. I like the characters, especially Thea, and already have a good sense of the setting. I look forward to seeing what lies ahead.

I enjoyed 'The Miniaturist' and you really do need to have read that book before you embark on 'The House of Fortune'. It was great to be reintroduced to Nella, Otto, Cornelia and the house. Thea is a welcome addition to the family as a spirited eighteen year old. The writing is as beautiful as before, the descriptions of Amsterdam and the oppressive society built up the atmosphere.

There is something missing though - I am not as excited to have read this book as I was with 'The Miniaturist'. Perhaps the plot is too predictable, perhaps I really did not want Nella's safe and respectable plans to come about. If you care about Nella then read this book, if you are ambivalent then I would go elsewhere.

Not the full book, but this promises to be every bit as good as Burton's other books. It will no doubt be a huge hit.

Fantastic first chapter extract. Can’t wait to read the full book. I really enjoyed The Minaturist by Jessie, so I know the rest of the book will just as good

Great first chapter, would be keen to read more.
Dint realise it was only the first chapter I’d requested- entirely my own fault as I obviously didn’t read properly when requesting.
I loved the miniaturist though and I can’t see that this would have been any different!

I loved this book since i read the sampler and was immerse in the atmosphere of Amsterdam at the beginning of the XVIII century.
A rich town at the end of a Golden Age in the cultural and economical fields but still full of wealth.
Nella, Thea and the characters made me discover new sides to this town and age and I appreciated how the historical background is well researched.
Jessie Burton is a talented storyteller and delivers well developed characters and plot.
It was great to travel to Amsterdam and meet these great characters.
Even if it features the characters of The Miniaturist it can be read as a stand alone.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I'm afraid I found this disappointing. I re-read The Miniaturist beforehand and had great anticipation for what Burton was going to do next.
However, this fell short in so many ways.

The writing in The Miniaturist is beautiful, with rich imagery and exquisitely crafted turn of phrase. This seemed to be lacking in The House of Fortune for me with an accomplished, much more sparse prose.

The gothic and magical realism were weaker and that elusive meaning or conclusion still doesn't manifest.

And whilst there were still strong themes of representation it lacked the drama and boldness of The Miniaturist.

I was just left wondering what Burton was trying to achieve with the sequel after all this time?

This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

My thanks to Pan MacMillan Picador for an eARC via NetGalley of Jessie Burton’s ‘The House of Fortune’, the follow up to her 2014 debut, ‘The Miniaturist’.

While background is provided, I feel that it is best that ‘The Miniaturist’ be read first to fully appreciate the society of Amsterdam of the period and its characters, including the mysterious miniaturist of the title. As such I won’t mention any plot details to avoid spoilers for both novels.

‘The House of Fortune’ opens in 1705, eighteen years after the conclusion of ‘The Miniaturist’. The narrative focuses on the lives of the surviving characters as well as introduces various new ones and explores the changes in their fortunes.

I took my time reading this, finding it very rich in historical detail. I felt transported by Jessie Burton back to her elegant world of pineapples and tulips and felt that it provided a satisfying conclusion to the story.

I purchased its hardback edition as I already owned ‘The Miniaturist’ in this format. It was beautifully presented with decorated endpapers and a gorgeous detailed cover.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

A great return to Amsterdam with the characters from The Miniaturist. The writing is sublime but there was a distinct lack of the Miniaturist for me. I would still highly recommend as a book in its own right though.

This is the sequel to The Miniaturist, which I absolutely loved. So it’s great to be back in Amsterdam in the company of characters we got to know in the first book - but this is 18 years on with a new generation too.
The writing and storytelling is outstanding, making it so easy to read this gripping tale of family, honour and secrets. It has the same sort of feel/atmosphere as it’s predecessor but is a little lighter, less menacing, less disturbing.
It is a brilliant read - I thoroughly enjoyed it but am now greedy for another sequel with even more about the intriguing character, the Miniaturist!
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. All views are my own.

I loved The Miniaturist so was very keen to read the sequel. I found it to be very enjoyable but a bit predictable,. I love how Jessie Burton transports us to the Netherlands of the past - her writing is very atmospheric and I felt I was there with the characters. All the characters are very well drawn and believable. The miniaturist is in the background a bit more in this novel, but her influence is very much felt in many ways, both past and present. Whilst I enjoyed the plot I was disappointed that I could predict exactly what was going to happen at every ‘twist’. None the less I very much enjoyed being reunited with characters from the first book as well as meeting new ones and becoming immersed in Amsterdam society of the time once again.