I was soon pulled into Rosamunde’s story, as matrimony leaves her trapped in a house and a life which, though full of privilege, leaves her powerless and traumatised as she endures the most horrific cruelty. This meant I was thoroughly invested in her, and later, her romance and her friendships. We watch her grow from loved young woman under her father’s care, to a woman with all vitality drained from her - until her husband’s prolonged absence allows her spirit to rear its head once more; at which point we start to see Rosamund lift herself up and start to make changes. There are, of course setbacks along the way but there are also moments of joy and of freedom. I found the end of the story thoroughly uplifting.
Luisa A Jones deftly weaves a picture of society in the early twentieth century across all social classes and fills it with life, her characters are thoroughly believable and she writes about traumatic, but common, life events with insight.
Overall I thought this was a fabulous debut and I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I honestly wasn’t sure about this one going in…it sounded like a thriller romance which is a step away from what I normally read.

Be warned. There is some seeeeeriously heavy content in this book. Domestic, verbal, physical and occasionally sexual abuse run pretty much all the way through it. It’s extremely difficult to see a female character THAT broken and terrified in a marriage.

And no matter how bad a marriage is, I just cannot reconcile infidelity in any way, especially on the male character’s part, as he has a loving family, even if his wife is distant. I’m so conflicted about it though, because I really wanted Rosamund to experience some sort of happiness in this book, but it just felt wrong.

This book has trigger warnings for a reason, and it was a bit much for me.

I really enjoyed The Gilded Cage. I was drawn in and eager to find out what would unfold with these characters. There are some hard to read themes, but it makes you root for Rosamund.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced digital copy.

This was so good. I was hooked and had to know what happened. This kept me entertained and it was perfect for by the pool.
I just reviewed The Gilded Cage by Luisa A. Jones. #TheGildedCage #NetGalley
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While the subject matter is uncomfortable at times, the book is clearly well researched and gives an insight in to the lives of women and the lower classes at the turn of the 20th century, I read it in a day and Will seeking out more of the author’s work