It doesn't seem five minutes I was reading Laura Purcell's last novel!

I did struggle a little with this one. The storyline was good and the writing as always good. I just couldn't really connect with it and found myself skim reading rather than being completely absorbed.

I really enjoyed Moon Stone by Laura Purcell, it was such a simple but atmospheric story to read. Easy and engaging, I couldn't wait to piece everything together.

The narrative surrounds Camille who is sick and reminiscing about being sent to stay with her reclusive godmother and her daughter who is suffering from a mysterious illness.

While Camille is a bit of a whiny character, Lucy is prickly and unpredictable, I loved every scene with her in. And even though, to the reader it was obvious what the sickness was that afflicted Lucy, I still enjoyed watching the story unfold and the relationship between Camille and Lucy develop.

I still got a few surprises on the way to the conclusion and genuinely didn't see the ending coming but it was satisfying to finish.

I was very excited for this book, and I really wanted to love it and really tried to stick with it but unfortunately it wasn’t for me and I DNF’d at 35%.

My main issue was that Camille was so insufferably unlikeable and I just could not gel with her. I also felt like every few pages, at least once a chapter, she would pick up on something being amiss or hidden or kept secret from her but it wasn’t progressing any further than that and I felt like it was just going around in circles when honestly they were not at all subtle about something being off… it felt pretty obvious what was happening and it was so frustrating. In terms of the plot I struggled to feel like it was realistic that Rowena would agree for Camille to stay with her if she was so dead set on keeping secrets and things hidden from her and I also agreed with Camille when she expressed confusion that, considering her family were trying to repair her reputation, they seemed to send her to the place where she was expected to act as far from what was deemed proper as possible- it just didnt make sense to me!

MOONSTONE is a gothic historical fantasy about a family full of secrets and the girl who accidentally stumbles into the middle of it all.

You can really see all of Purcell's experience writing gothic novels for adults come into play in this book. Everything is off from the very start as Camille finds herself in a house of secrets with a girl her age whose illness matches nothing she knows. It's so atmospheric, this creeping sense of unease that begins with Camille being alien to the life (a rich girl now working on a farm!) and just grows as the odd things stack up.

As a reader, you can guess what is happening a lot earlier than Camille (the cover and marketing line really help too!) However, there is enough mystery over exactly how she will find out (and what the consequences will be) and tension to keep you reading onwards. It's not the what but the how that is the core of the mystery.

At the same time, the book has scenes from the "present" - after everything at the house has gone down. Camille is in a bad shape and it adds to the need to know exactly how it all goes so horribly wrong - and what she is going to lose because of it all as her family is now in danger from her.

It's quite a short book (under 300 pages) which means it's perfect to simply sit down with and devour, racing along to find out what exactly happens.

3⭐️

Again I made the mistake of seeing the author name and not reading the blurb. However I enjoy some YA and historical fiction.

Camille created a scandal with her behaviour at a masked ball, she is whisked away to live with her godmother in a secluded house in the woods until the gossip dies down.

The language used and writing style gives a good feel of the time period, I was immediately immersed. But then I didn’t gel with the style of magical realism so I lost interest as that aspect developed, my bad the cover does hint at the content. For me it’s more chiller than gothic romance, although there is a light romance angle, but you don’t feel any sexual tension/ chemistry, so you don’t see that coming.

I found the pace was just too slow and there was too much repetition which killed the mood for me rather than enhancing the suspense, the reader twigs far sooner than Camille and I found the reveal far too drawn out. Generally I find YA novels pacier as they are shorter.
It starts off quite light and floaty but becomes quite dark which I’m sure the YA audience will enjoy.

Overall I was disappointed with this book, shame as I just loved The Corset. I didn’t gel with Camille or any of the characters.

I think the YA audience will love the magical realism aspect, although I feel that aspect could have been further developed also earlier on in the book.

As I expected, I literally COULD NOT put this book down! Anything Laura Purcell is an absolute gothic dream and Moonstone was no exception.

As this is the authors YA debut, I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy it as much as her adult novels. However, the pacing was great and the characters (while maybe a bit less nuanced compared to an adult novel) were interesting.

We follow Camille as she is sent away from her family in disgrace after sneaking a kiss with a suitor in Vauxhall Gardens (scandal!). She ends up with her godmother and her sickly daughter, Lucy, in a secluded house that feels totally cut off from the world she knows. As the days pass, it becomes clear (to the reader, not to innocent Camille) that something strange is going on with Lucy and her “illness”….

I’d recommend this to readers of all ages, honestly. It was an exciting story with a real gothic vibe and my only gripe was that I wished the romance had more time to develop!

Thank you so much to Laura Purcell, Harper Collins UK and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my unbiased review!

I really wanted to love this book but sadly it was just ok. The pacing is so slow that getting through it was a struggle and I almost gave up and DNFd it but I wanted to see where it would go. I am now left feeling like I should have stuck with my gut and given up at the 40% mark, sadly.

The fact that Camille's inner monologue is so one-dimensional is what keeps everything slow. She goes back to the same points and thoughts repeatedly, which means some chapters seem to take forever to get through.

While the premise is interesting, the predictability of the story removes any mystery so you're just left a bit annoyed that Camille hasn't figured everything out yet. Her naivety becomes grating as she seems intent on ignoring the fantastical, despite the fact she's a fan of fantasy books and stories.

Having the story switch from past to present made it more interesting but then there are only so many times you can read about someone being in their sick bed. Once the past caught up, the pacing moved much quicker and the end was more interesting. However, after the slow pacing, the ending happened all of a sudden and I was left feeling a bit cheated that it wasn't more exciting.

I appreciate what the author was doing with this book and you don't see many regency-era werewolf stories. Then again, maybe there's a reason for that.

I requested this as I have really enjoyed the author’s previous books. However, I didn’t realise that this was YA. For me, it was a bit too slow paced and I just didn’t find it particularly interesting. I am a fantasy reader, but just couldn’t get on with this. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers.

This book is described as a haunting gothic romance, and for me it didn’t deliver on any of these points. It’s a regency era drama to me - picture Daphne from Bridgeton being sent away to live with reclusive relatives, and having to learn how to work herself to help the house running instead of relying on servants.
We know from the cover alone that this is a werewolf story, but we find ourselves waiting until the last 3-4 chapters for this to actually be delved into in any real fantasy-esque detail. The majority of the story is around Lucy’s “illness” and how her carers are treating this.

I didn’t find the characters all that likeable. Camille is privileged and a bit stuck up, though she does develop throughout the story she’s still quite selfish and I just didn’t gel with her. We spend so long with Lucy being…. Lucy, that you don’t really even get much personality from her until the very end and therefore for me she wasn’t likeable either. I found the plot quite predictable, though there were some minor elements I didn’t guess at which I did enjoy (I am a serial guesser of plots and twists so being surprised is always a bonus!). The romance is also pretty much non existent, though I appreciate this is a YA novel the romance is limited to a quick kiss and then deciding it meant love instantly and that was all.

Overall I rated this 3⭐️ as despite all my comments, this was a nice easy read and the regency era was nice to be in for a change. It did have plot, albeit most of the good stuff occurs right at the end of the book. The chapters were a good length and the writing itself was beautiful, the descriptions of the woods and how the changing season affected it was lovely to read.

I have posted a review to Goodreads but I’m unable to share the link at the moment.

I needed a change of pace after reading so many thrillers I saw that a new Laura Purcell book is coming out. Until I received a copy, I didn’t read the blurb to notice that it was the author first YA novel she has written.
Camille is a naive young girl that has been sent away to live with her godmother and her daughter Lucy after kissing someone and putting shame on the family. Her Godmother hasn’t interacted with the family for a long time due to her daughter Lucy’s mystery illness, which stops her socialising with others.
But when she arrives at her godmother’s it is so different than what she was expecting and living. She will have to do hard work like the others in the family. She also has been given a Moonstone necklace that protects are from Lucy’s illness. Her godmother tells her she can’t out as a rapid dog that is Terrorizing the neighbour. But something is not right about all this, and her godmother is hiding something from her.
I have read several of Laura Purcell’s books which I enjoyed so I was looking forward to this one. This is a dark, gothic mystery novel which I found to be a slow burn. Camille is an innocent girl and not experienced much in her life and she full of curiosity of her new surroundings and what is happening to Lucy. I guessed early on what was happening to Lucy it was obvious of what was going on and Camile really didn’t see it and it annoyed me a bit. But maybe because it is a YA novel it is meant to be like this. Apart from that I found it to be a interesting read. 4 stars from me.

This was a very good book and i enjoyed reading it a lot.


Don’t misbehave. Beware the moon. And never go out after dark . . .

Following a scandal at the Vauxhall pleasure gardens, Camille is sent to the woods to live with her reclusive godmother and her strange daughter, Lucy. Cast out from polite society, she must learn to live by her godmother’s strict rules.

Camille has never met anyone quite like Lucy before, and as they grow closer and cross forbidden boundaries, strange things begin to happen. Mysterious deaths, claw marks raking the doors, and the nights are pierced by the howls of a creature that sounds almost . . . otherworldly.

Should Camille be more afraid of what’s hiding in the woods – or her own heart?

From award-winning bestseller Laura Purcell comes her YA debut, MOONSTONE, a haunting gothic romance with real bite…



Thank you for letting me read and review this book on Netgalley.

Laura Purcell's YA debut, "Moonstone," is a mesmerizing journey into the depths of Gothic romance, where suspicion lurks around every corner, twists abound, and monsters, both literal and figurative, hide in the shadows. As a devoted fan of Purcell's previous works, I approached this novel with both excitement and curiosity, wondering how her distinctive style would translate to a younger audience. I was delighted to find that "Moonstone" not only lives up to the high standard set by her other books but also offers a fresh and compelling take on the genre. One of the most striking aspects of "Moonstone" is its pacing. Purcell expertly weaves together a tapestry of intrigue and suspense, keeping readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. The characters are intricately drawn, their quirks and flaws adding depth and dimension to the story, their interactions brimming with authenticity. Whether you're a longtime fan of Purcell's work or discovering her for the first time, "Moonstone" is sure to leave an indelible impression.

** I received an ARC copy of this book in return for an honest review**

Don't let my 3-star review deter you.
This book is beautifully written and leaves you hanging to find out what will happen in the end.
With both historical and fantastical elements, this story is something straight out of Red Riding Hood but with much more intrigue.
I would recommend this book to a lot of different people.
Just don't let the wolves find you....

Having read and loved Laura Purcell's previous books, it was an automatic instinct to want to read her latest 'disturbing gothic chiller' but I was doomed to a strong sense of disappointment. This is partially my fault, I did not take sufficient notice that it was YA, so perhaps I was not the target audience. Even so, beyond this, whilst I did enjoy aspects of the writing and atmospheric rich descriptions, far too much was blatantly obvious, including the title which give the plot away. This robbed the text of any suspense and tension and to add to this the romance felt unconvincing. A scandal has Camille sent to Yorkshire to her godmother's home in a remote location, having to live with her strict conditions. Camille feels drawn to her strange daughter, Lucy, suffering from a mystery illness. There is a forbidden house and odd happenings and deaths, raising suspicions, and putting Camille on the path of wanting to uncover the hidden secrets.

This may appeal to younger audences but I would suggest readers read other revicew prior to making the decision to read this. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and harper Collins for giving me the opportunity to read this book for free for an honest opinion.

I absolutely adored this book! Regency era with alchemy and werewolves. What else can Laura Purcell do!

I would especially like to mention the fact that the symbolism of the women always being punished for being alone with a man and the curse of being hidden in fear of one’s own identity because of men’s rule.

Although I wanted to scream at Camille I did see myself asking the same questions but with less trust and naivety.

DNF at 30%

What a shame. I truly wanted to like this book. The promise of werewolves always entices me. But the way lycantropy was handled here felt icky to me. I couldn't connect with the characters and the writing felt sloppy to me. I couldn't continue reading this book.

I enjoyed this mix of historical fiction and fantasy. The book had quite a dark feel and the first half was quite slow paced. The plot twists were a little predictable and everything came to light in the last 20% and everything was resolved quite quickly. I liked the protagonist ‘Camille’ and liked the time period that it was set and the setting, which gave it a darker feel.

“All changes worth making hurt a little, my dear”

Moonstone leaves you questioning the level of sacrifice & pain you are willing to endure for the people you love. For our FMC this journey unfolds across 2 timelines and challenges the life she thought she wanted.

The gorgeous cover tells you werwolves are within the story but you are left guessing who they are until the last 20% of the book. Although the pacing was slow at times this is what kept me hooked!

I did find the last 20% and conclusion felt a little rushed. I personally loved the blossoming friendship between Lucy & Camille but I didn’t feel the romantic chemistry. I wish this was developed further.

I’m excited to read more books by Laura Purcell as the writing style flowed beautifully.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollinsUK for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I liked the setting of the book, set in a gothic era in Yorkshire, there was an air of isolation and apprehensiveness about the situation that added to its creepiness. However, i knew exactly what was wrong with Lucy in the 1st few pages, and i just became more and more bored by the dragging on of her mother and friend and the whole moonstone and herbs nonsense. Even the bad guy was obvious.

I did like the growing relationship between Camille and Lucy though, the innocence of taking care of farm animals etc, and i think it lends itself to a sequel, but if the author does write a sequel then i hope that she makes it a bit more mysterious and unique because as as i said, its very obvious.

3.5 ⭐️

I'm torn with this book.

I absolutely loved the writing style of the author! It was really great and captivating.

However the storyline fell a little flat for me. The "plot twist" on Lucy's illness was a little bit too obvious throughout the book so I think that's why I wanted more.

Now, if this was book 1 in a series then I'd have said it was fantastic world building and I cannot wait to learn more about the other side of Lucy etc... (keeping spoiler free)

I also didn't feel any romantic connection between the two FMCs, but it is YA and o haven't read YA for a long time.