I’ve read all of Stacey Halls’ books, so was excited to get my hands on this one. Although I enjoyed it, I can’t say I love it like some of the other books. Stacey’s writing is wonderful and her storytelling superb – I loved the intertwining of real-life characters such as Charles Dickens and Angela Burdett-Coutts, but when your debut novel is as great as The Familiars is, it can be hard to beat! Fleetwood Shuttleworth is a formidable heroine, to whom it is difficult to hold a candle. All in all, a pleasant romp through Dickensian London, with well-written and observed scenes that offer literary comfort combined with moments of high drama. It touches on social and feminist issues that unfortunately still stand today. If you like Stacey Halls, this is a recommended addition to your bookshelf.

This book had been on my radar for a little while so I was very excited for this and it did not disappoint. I loved the mystery and coupled with the historical era it made for more of an intense read.

This was an enjoyable historical novel, where Urania Cottage is a home for fallen women. The details of the period are convincing and the characters are well drawn. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for giving me a copy of the book.

The last Stacey Halls book I read was Mrs England, and I really enjoyed that and so was keen to read this new one. But unfortunately, it didn't hit the mark for me.

First, the positives.

Stacey is really good at capturing recent historical elements (yes I consider 1847 to be relatively recent in terms of historical inspiration). I mean, I wasn't around then, obviously, but Stacey puts so much passion and honesty into her books that she really captures the time perfectly, and it feels like you could just step into the pages.

I did also really like the references to Charles Dickens though. That's a sure fire gold star from me.

But now for the not so positive bits.

This will feel like I'm contradicting myself because I just said it was a positive, but all that detail can have its drawbacks too. It is soooooo full of description that it can be hard to find the action within it, and you start to glance over another description of another house, or another woman, or another meal. Whilst very well researched and written, it does become a bit too heavy for me at times and I feel I don't want to read any more.

It took me a long while to get into. There are a lot of names introduced very quickly and I struggled to remember who was who and how they related to each other and to the story itself.

It didn't sit right with me. It felt disjointed. Scenes that didn't match up, not a lot of flow. It didn't even feel there was much of a plot to be honest, nor much character development, just large passages of description which gets tedious after a while.

I mean, I didn't enjoy the first two books Stacey wrote - liked the third - and didn't like this one. Perhaps she's just not the author for me. Which is perfectly okay. As I know she is the author for a lot of other people.

Urania House is a home for fallen women, offering them a second chance after a spell behind bars. Funded by wealthy benefactors (including Charles Dickens) the home will teach these young women how to run a household in order to move overseas and start a new life of service.

Having read Stacey Halls' previous books, I think I knew I was going to love this. I love how Halls is able to craft such beautiful characters with a beautiful historical storyline.

This did not disappoint, the way each characters story was intertwined was very clever and had me hooked.

I've read one of Stacey Halls' novels before and had enjoyed it, so thought I'd give this one a go too. Same rich historical detail and entertaining characters, it kept me engaged throughout. I did find it a bit predictable though.

Stacey Halls can do no wrong when it comes to historical fiction and I feel this is her best yet! Set in Dickensian London in Urania Cottage- a home for fallen women- where they receive training and education for a life of service in the colonies. We are allowed to share the lives of some wonderful young women- Josephine, Annie, Martha and Polly as they try to survive in a society set against them. The matron, Mrs Holds worth is a wonderful character, who underneath her strict exterior, is the maternal figure the girls all need. Mixed in with all this are crimes, stalking and all kinds of love. A truly wonderful novel

I thought this book was a little slow going at first although the story picked up towards the end. I had no knowledge that Charles Dickens was involved with the setting up of a house to help 'fallen women' during this difficult times, so this was interesting.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Books for the advance copy of this book.

Highly enjoyable and immersive tale based on facts, of a home for “fallen” young women in Shepherds Bush. Charles Dickens and Angela Burdett Coutts were among the founders and fascinating though they are, it’s the residents that drive the story. Almost Dickensian in its cast of characters and complex story, this gives a real insight into just how hard and dangerous Victorian society was for the unprivileged masses and women in particular. Now I must find out more about the real events of that time but this is excellent.

This is a story about brave woman in the Dickensian era where women were deemed to be subservient to men regardless of their class.
It is a fantastic read which tells how a group of well to do people from the upper classes which included Charles Dickens set up a house to reform fallen women and set them on a course to improve themselves.

This was my first Stacey Halls book, and it did not disappoint! I was gripped from the beginning, constantly reading and anticipating what would happen next. The twists and turns shocked me each time! I loved the historical context, rich characters and interesting settings. I highly recommend this novel.

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐻𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑒ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑑 | 𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑦 𝐻𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑠 | 𝟒*

𝑆𝑚𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑆𝑦𝑛𝑜𝑝𝑠𝑖𝑠
A story centered around Charles Dicken’s fallen home for women: Urania Cottage, which offers a second chance to prostitutes and petty thieves. Inspired by real historical figures and events, this story explores how much women have to pay for freedom.

𝑇𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑇𝑜𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑠
❥ historical fiction
❥ set in 1846 london
❥ follows a series of women
❥ found family
❥ stalking

𝐿𝑖𝑘𝑒𝑑
I genuinely really loved this. This isn’t my first Stacey Halls but it is my new official favourite. The story that has been crafted is ridiculously compelling and I loved how the author has taken inspiration and explorations of real historical figures and moments.

One thing I adored was how this book subtly explores the villainizing of women and the advantage society takes with them. Whilst quite a subliminal piece of storyline subtext, I loved how the girls were sold the idea of redemption as a form altruism from Dickens and benefactor, Angela Burdett-Coutts, when really Dickens was clearly collecting novel inspiration (though this is denied in reality) and Coutts assuages her loneliness.

Despite the subtext and the storyline being full of suspense with a missing sister and a stalker freed from prison, there is a sense of warmhearted ambience. there is a sense of found family even if it feels fragile and teeters on the edge of fracturing. The characters were flawed and multilayered, finding comfort in each other whilst the reader finds enjoyment through them.

𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒𝑑
One thread of storyline was left quite open and this felt incongruent to how fully the rest of the story was explored.

𝐹𝑎𝑣𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑄𝑢𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑠
“𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦, 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘔𝘳 𝘋𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘸𝘪𝘧𝘵, 𝘴𝘶𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘹 𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘢 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘢 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘴. 𝘋𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬?”

The Household is another gripping historical novel from Stacey Halls.

I love the way she juggles multiple characters’ perspectives together, weaving the strands together into one compelling narrative. Most of the story is pretty predictable (you can see the big twist coming a mile off), but I was so invested in all the characters that it didn’t matter. Fast-paced, with palpable tension, I devoured the book in a day.

Another must-read for fans of feminist historical fiction.

I love Stacey Halls’ books and this one was no exception. If you have enjoyed any of her previous work then you will not be disappointed. I feel Halls books have a certain feeling to them - even when the content is unnerving there is still such a lovely feel to her words.
The Household follows the inception of Urania Cottage - a house for fallen women to be taught life skills and skills suitable for domestic service, with the view to then moving to colonies and working/becoming a wife. Behind the Cottage is a company of benefactors including Charles Dickens and Angela Coutts - a single lady who inherited great wealth. The story follows a number of the girls who come to live at Urania Cottage, as well as Angela and the house mistress at the Cottage, Mrs Holdsworth. Problems within Angela’s own life collide with the problems the girls have at the Cottage. I won’t spoil it but it is very well done and I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and look forward to Halls next!

The Household is based on Charles Dickens house for 'fallen women's in Shepherd's Bush named Urania Cottage. This was funded by Angela Coutts a very rich single woman friend of Dickens. The story flits between the lives of the girls in Urania house, the Housekeeper there and Miss Coutts. Very different women with different lives but all restrained and controlled by men and Victorian society. I really enjoyed this book as I have all Stacey Halls books. They are easy to read, informative, well researched and not sensationalised just to get readers. A nice twist at the end as well. Recommended by me definitely.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Stacey Halls writes such good books and this is another hit with me. A great sense of time and place with the atmosphere of early Victorian London almost tasteable and smellable. Josephine and Martha are great characters, as are the rest of the cast. Highly recommended to lovers of well written historical fiction. I shall have to buy this one to read the Acknowledgements and Author's Notes as I am fascinated to know the back story to the house set up for the fallen women,

Another really lovely book from Stacey Halls. The characters are rounded, and have some interesting storylines. It would have been nice to have a bit more fleshing out of one or two of the characters, Martha and Polly in particular. There was an interesting twist towards the end that I hadn’t seen coming, and then the story sort of hurtled a bit quickly towards the end then. Maybe another chapter or two would have been nice.

I'd previously read and enjoyed The Familiars, so was looking forward to reading this. Unfortunately it was pretty slow paced and by the time any action or the three separate povs began to come together I was kind of bored of it. There was a lot of set up and the way it connected was a bit outlandish for me. I was also slightly put off by it mentioning real people, I think it would have been less jarring to have not used the names of real people (Charles Dickens) and the actual cottage name. I also work in a similar industry to the overall vibe of Urania cottage and so it felt a bit like a bus man's holiday at times.

I really enjoy Stacey Halls books, I am left wanting to learn more about a subject and the existance of the real life Urania Cottage was no exception. You can tell that an enormous amount of research has been conducted by Halls but you arent force fed information. The characters are well written and your absorbed into their world. I particularly liked the character of Martha and found her search for her sister really moving. The novels shows how little agency women have during this time, even Angela with all her money is not really involved in decisions about the house and its inhabitants. The female friendships are really important in the book but not everyone is what they seem. Another great read from Halls and I look forward to reading her next book.

As a big fan of Stacey Halls’s previous work I was delighted to get the opportunity to read an early copy of ‘The Household’. I'm pleased to report that it lived up to my high expectations. I didn't know that Charles Dickens was a benefactor to disadvantaged women and I enjoyed how some characters, and places, in the book were based on real life. I loved all the characters and found the story really heartening and uplifting. I'm sure this will be another hit for Halls!