I found this story strangely flat. On reading the blurb and seeing the cover, I expected a gothic and atmospheric read, but I didn’t feel that either the writing or story delivered. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

A young expectant mother goes to care for an elderly man who seeks to atone for his part in the slave trade. Is he truly repentant, or just cleansing his soul? She discovers unexpected links to his family, and her sister is in danger from an amorous son. It has all the ingredients of melodrama and penny thriller, which would have been lapped up by the servants in the house. Abolition means that the slave trade has been banned, but there are many loose threads to tie. The cast of characters could be from any nineteenth century novel, the simple yet likeable kitchen maid, the suspicious and resentful housekeeper and the rogue son who has no intention of letting his inheritance slip away from him. It was all too predictable, and yet unbelievable at how this pregnant woman was dashing all over London looking for answers and no one suspected her condition.

I really enjoyed this book, its well paced and interesting. I liked that it delved into slavery partially and this bought up repercussions for the slave owner.

Doctoress Hector reeves was a fantastic character but had strong dislike for the house from the get go without knowing its history so the beginning felt abit blindly emotional.

All in all a great gothic story with depth.

House Of Shades by Lianne Dillsworth. Hester is a doctoress and wow she has a strong dislike of the house she’s been employed to work in before she has even got there. It’s a good story and I enjoyed all the characters but Hester bounces from one extreme to another. I enjoyed the concept of dealing with the fall out from slavery but I could have done with a bit more of that. It was a good book I just think it could have gone deeper. My take away from this is don’t be a slave owner.

Absolutely loved Lianne Dillsworths’ debut novel so I was very excited to see what her second book would turn out to be and House of Shades has exceeded my expectations. I absolutely loved it.

The book is receiving reviews about it not being very gothic but to me that’s a good thing (personally) and not something the actual blurb describes it as anyway.

It’s a brilliant story following Doctress Hester Reeves as she takes on a job nursing an old and rich man who is trying to make amends for the wrongs he’s done in his life. Secrets are unveiled and the Doctress is more linked that initially realised.

Really well written with great characters and it’s paced really well.

I devoured this book and cannot wait for others to pick it up. Will be recommending for sure!

"House of Shades" by Lianne Dillsworth is set up like a gothic mystery book but it turns out not to be fully that genre. Yes, there are mysteries, unlikeable characters but it is more about plantation owners seeking forgiveness by their slaves. It is very topical for now and although the topic and story did interest me, it wasn't what I thought it was originally going to be.

Thanks netgalley and of course LD for this fab piece!
If you’re fans of Claire Douglas and Heidi perks then lianne definitely sidles up nicely within.
I don’t like giving reviews with spoilers so il say that if you’re tempted by the blurb, you’ll be blissfully lost in the book. I love how many new authors I’m getting to read. Another brilliant book in my library 📚

This book wasn't what I expected. The description made it sound as though it was going to be more of a gothic, almost supernatural/historical fiction novel. It became obvious as I read that where the house held secrets, it was the family itself that held the secrets. This is a story of an ailing slave owner who owns a plantation in Honduras. Despite the act making it illegal to own slaves being passed, Mr Bright, the local priest, urges Gervaise Cherville, owner of the plantation and a factory in London with a great fortune, to repent and release and compensate the slaves he owned and unbeknownst to him, still owned in Honduras where they were still being treated appallingly. Mr Bright encourages Doctoress Hester to take on a job at Cherville Manor to help aid him in his illness. However, Cherville has an ulterior motive and needs Hester to find 3 slaves her brought back with him to London. He believes it is their cries he hears in his nightmares and theirs alone that he will be judged on when he passes. Hester, a strong black female protagonist, is used for her race to appeal to these women. But with the promise of money for her unborn child and her family, including her wayward sister Willa, she agrees to help Cherville on his quest. There are many setbacks along the way with character such as the overprotective housekeeper and the son due to inherit his father's fortune who believes the abolition of slavery to be an injustice. Secrets are revealed and lives are changed for good. I enjoyed this book. It was easy to read. I wasn't riveted by it but it was a simple read with a strong message and a true representation of the part Britain played in the slave trade.

London 1833. Hester Reeves is employed as a nurse/healer to Gervaise Cherville, old, frail and ill. He is head of his rich family at his London house, Tall Trees, which is a forbidding, neglected property. Hester is of Afro-Caribbean ethnicity and she soon discovers that the Cherville family wealth derived from former plantation and slavery ownership in Honduras. Gervaise Cherville appears to be suffering from guilt for his slave-owning past and asks Hester to track down two female slaves that previously worked in Tall Trees so that he can make some form of reparation by retrospectively paying them for their labour, thereby assuaging his guilt. Hester uncovers all sorts of secrets in her quest and inadvertently sets in train a series of profoundly events.
The style is fairly formulaic gothic: the young friendly servant and the hostile housekeeper, as well as the dangerous and sinister son Rowland Cherville who has lewd designs upon Hester’s younger sister, whom Hester made a deathbed promise to their mother to protect. The story is rather routine, although the plot is well told and proceeds agreeably with a few unexpected twists and turns. The issue of slavery, guilt, reparation and atonement is very much the essence of the narrative. The historical context is quite light and lacking credibility at times, and the dialogue is not very period in terms of what the characters say and how they say it. Moreover, without giving away any of the denouement, the ending involves a technically highly implausible event that seems to play fast and loose with basic physics.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book as it’s not a genre I lean towards usually but the description intrigued me.

The story was well written, in fact so well I had expectations of a twist that never came and do was then disappointed but not the author’s fault.

Good book if your thing.

This is an incredibly thought-provoking book about historical British slavery and what atonement might look like. Hester is unwittingly hired by a wealthy factory owner to help him track down three women he previously enslaved so that he can pay them their dues. The role forces Hester into incredibly difficult situations and unveils secrets from her own history.

This is a well-written fiction book that forces the reader to confront some very uncomfortable yet real truths.

I really enjoyed this book and the setting, the characters and storyline were very engaging. Thanks for letting me review it!

This isn’t my normal read and honestly not one I would venture to go towards again. The story was simple and written well, however I was expecting a lot more twists and turns that never happened. My excitement soon disappeared as such I have given this a 2 star rating as it wasn’t a book for me.

I found that the novel itself isn't what that stupendous cover art, or the blurb and descriptions promise.

Certainly, there is no conspicuous carelessness in Dillsworth's technique; there's nothing in the craft of her writing with which to take umbridge. It's just a bit heavy-handed.

I would describe Lianne Dillsworth's style as too much telling, not enough showing.

I did enjoy the act of reading 'House of Shades', when I could be bothered to remember that I had it 'on the go' as a current read; it was cosy to come back to, but I didn't yearn to get back to it between readings.

Overall, the novel is a bit bland, a bit monotonous; it's all just a bit featureless and flat.

Huge thanks to the author and publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC, in exchange for an honest review. I loved House of Shades Lianne Dillsworth captivated me with Theatre of Marvels and has done so again, with House of Shades. It’s a beautifully written, rich story packed with emotion and mystery. I loved Hester, was intrigued by the mystery surrounding her sister. Personally, I wanted to hear more from Wila, but perhaps a sequel will happen in the future. I can’t wait to read whatever comes next.

Ideal for fans of Gothic tales with a hint of something Faustian. Rich in the telling.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.

The House of Shades follows Hester who arrives at Tall Trees to care for its dying, wealthy owner. The characters are well-developed and Hester, in particular, is a strong and complex protagonist. Overall, this book is a must-read for those who enjoy a well-written and captivating novel.

There's a possibility I read the description of this book being 'a dark, Victorian mystery' wrong, but I was expecting more mystery, more twists and turns and excitement. So I went into this expecting something very different, alas the writing was beautiful and the story flowed well but it needed something more thrilling for me to rate this higher. A great book for those who prefer a simple story that includes events and elements that have happened in history. Also, love the cover.

A fascinating and important novel of atonement and justice, which also happens to be a fabulous Gothic read. Loved this.

A well developed story with dark undertones. This book deals with the subject matter of slavery.
Hester arrives at Tall Trees to care for its dying, wealthy owner. A doctress, like her mother before her, the money she has been offered will change her life forever. However the air surrounding Tall Trees is malignant and dark secrets lie within it.