I absolutely loved "The Other Gwyn Girl" by Nicola Cornick. The dual timeline narrative was captivating, and the exploration of the relationship between the Gwyn sisters was compelling. I found Rose Gwyn's story from 1671 particularly engaging, as she navigated the challenges of her time with courage and resilience.
I also enjoyed the present-day storyline involving Jess and Tavy Yates, which provided an interesting parallel to the historical narrative. The themes of family, sisterhood, and mother-daughter relationships were beautifully explored throughout the novel.
Cornick's writing brought both periods to life, and her attention to detail in portraying the 17th-century setting was impressive. The blend of history, mystery, and romance made for a truly engaging read that kept me hooked until the very end.
Overall, "The Other Gwyn Girl" is a must-read for fans of historical fiction, especially those interested in stories of forgotten women from history. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a well-crafted and captivating novel that will transport you to another time and place.

Fans of Barbara Erskine will enjoy this story of Rose and her more famous sister Nell Gwyn, and the time slip plot of the missing Crown Jewels. A rich fantasy that takes place in the lush backdrops of an English country house in the present day, and the vibrant, dangerous world of the Restoration era. An entertaining and engaging story that I definitely would recommend.

Amazing - captivating, gripping, unforgettable tale of treachery and treason...
Well paced, brilliant characterisation and an ending I didn't expect, this was a wonderful book. A complex, plot with tension so thick that it felt palpable. Wonderfully-developed characters with depth and substance. I was immediately drawn in and held captive from beginning to end. It was a fast paced roller coaster ride.

I thought The Other Gwyn Girl by Nicola Cornick was a fascinating premise, which was brought to life with a wonderful mixture of history, mystery, romance and supernatural elements. An affecting tale, that swept me away, and I finished in less than two days!

Raise your hand if you realized royal mistress Nell Gwyn had an older sister. If not, you’re not alone. Nicola Cornick has a knack for taking interesting women from history’s sidelines, digging into the limited facts on their lives, and weaving them compelling dual-narrative plots.

In this highly diverting romantic caper, Rose Gwyn has gotten herself into a muddle. It’s 1671, and she’s been languishing in London’s grimy Marshalsea Prison for six weeks after being arrested as an accessory to her highwayman husband John’s theft of the crown jewels. Pregnant and despondent – and illiterate – Rose asks her jailer to scribe a note to her sister Nell, theatrical darling and Charles II’s beloved, begging to be freed. Nell comes to her rescue but has motives beyond sibling affection. Perpetually worried about money after the sisters’ impoverished childhood, Nell had plans for the stolen jewels herself, but they’ve mysteriously disappeared.

The parallel narrative, set today, involves librarian Jess Yates, forced to relaunch her life after her fraudster ex-boyfriend’s deceptions. She lands in rural Berkshire, working as housekeeper for her sister Tavy, a celebrity influencer whose latest reality TV series follows the restoration of “Fortune Hall,” a manor where legends about the Gwyn family still circulate.

Compared with Rose’s Restoration-era tale of dangerous conspiracies and betrayals, Jess’s story could have felt lightweight and ignorable, and it’s to Cornick’s credit that it isn’t. With the help of Ethan, a historic building consultant, Jess begins exploring the house’s shadowy centuries-old history; fans of Lauren Belfer’s Ashton Hall will enjoy her research journey. One of the novel’s love stories develops too fast, a small flaw in a well-constructed tale of two independent women and the complexities of sisterhood. This story stands alone, but the author’s fans will note cameos of characters and places from her earlier novels.

(From the Historical Novels Review, May 2024)

I really liked the dual timeline. It's 2 stories in one that are connected. Whats not to like?!? Also I adore all historical fiction, rsp England's history, so this was perfect for me. I thoroughly enjoyed it and cant wait to read more for this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I love Nicola Cornick’s dual timeline historical novel. She is an absolute master at giving a voice to some of history’s forgotten but important women.

The Other Gwyn Girl explores the story of Rose Gwyn, the less well-known sister of enigmatic Nell. While Nell’s story has been told and retold, this book exploits the gaps in her sister’s life to create a story of survival, resilience and romance.

Rose is story is mirrored in the present day by the story of Tavy and Jess Hates. Tavy is a reality star and influencer who travels around the world with people catering to her every whim, while sister Jess is academic, thoughtful and intensely private.

In both timelines, the dynamics between mothers and daughters and the relationship between sister is explored.

I absolutely loved Rose’s storyline. And while I enjoyed both, this timeline was definitely the one that pulled me in the most. The writer creates the world of the 17th Century and the opportunities for uneducated women thrust into poverty in vivid detail. Both Rose and Nell will do whatever it takes to survive even though their choices take them down different paths.

This is an interesting and engaging read with strong, interesting female characters. There’s history, mystery and romance in a book that will keep you up reading past your bedtime.

In this fascinating dual timeline novel, readers follow two overshadowed sisters, Rose Gwyn (sister to the actress and royal mistress Nell Gwyn) in the seventeenth century and modern-day Jess Yates, a librarian and amateur historian getting out of a bad relationship and taking a backstage position in her glamorous sister’s celebrity life. Rose must solve the mystery of the theft of the Crown Jewels and plots against Charles II (and maybe fall in love) while Jess uncovers the history of Fortune Hall and its ties to Rose and Nell Gwyn. As the two narratives unfold, readers get a glimpse of the joint histories and the growths of two overshadowed sisters into their own people in their new lives.The characters, particularly Rose and Jess, are the star of the novel, and readers get to explore and understand their similarities across time and space as the novel progresses. By exploring the life of a marginal historical woman, Cornick adds depth to the moderately popular history of Nell Gwyn thanks to this novel and its narrative focus on Rose. Cornick’s latest historical fiction novel is a fascinating, fun journey to the seventeenth century’s corruption and opulence and a life just offstage from the courtly drama of the period that fans of the genre are sure to enjoy.

Maybe more a 3.5? I received an ARC and was so pleased - the description included so many things I love: strong heroine(s), history, Ireland etc. And don’t get me wrong, it’s mostly an entertaining read, but I found myself expecting much of the plot and character arcs well in advance. At times I questioned the exact character comparisons between the two timelines - did they need to be EXACT replicas? I don’t know…wanted to like it more, but also, I did enjoy it mostly. Take that for what you will!

I can't remember the last time I enjoyed women's historical fiction so much. The Other Gwyn Girl is dual pov with each comparing a 'perfect' sister with her far more notorious sibling. It's a breath of fresh air with excellent characterisation - no beautiful tragic hetoines here but do expect competent morally grey women willing to do what it takes to survive, battles of wits and an intriguing mystery based around exactly what Charles I did with the Crown Jewels. Enjoyed every second - highly recommend.

What a fascinating story this is! The Other Gwyn Girl is dual timeline set partially in 17th century England and partly in the present day. In the 1650’s, we first meet Rose, Nell Gwyn’s older sister and discover the massive challenges she faced as an impoverished woman in those times. With three stints in the Marshallsea Prison and a thoroughly nasty first husband, Rose certainly had a difficult and unpleasant start to life, however she is a strong character, filled with a drive to survive and if possible to thrive. I found myself cheering for her again and again.
In the present day we meet librarian and history buff Jess Yates, who has been invited to stay at Fortune Hall by her celebrity sister Tavy. Jess is hiding from the publicity that surrounded the imprisonment on fraud charges of her long time boyfriend Jared. Tavy needs somebody to act as housekeeper and Jess needs the privacy. Fortune Hall, formerly Becote Manor, has many secrets to reveal and I found it fascinating to watch Jess as she investigated the various centuries-old books in the library and discovered Rose’s links to the manor.
This story was a real page-turner for me and is one I will definitely read again.

I loved this book from the first page, it drew me into Rose's story and I just had to know more about her! I'll be honest I didn't realise Nell Gwyn had a sister so this was a brilliant book for bringing a little know about woman from history into the light. I really loved skipping back and forth between the 17th century and the modern period, I loved Jess and Rose equally and seeing the parallels between their relationships with their more famous younger siblings was an interesting way to forge that connection between them. I really liked that they had that romance element for both of them and seeing them have their happy ever after of sorts brought a smile to my face, I think they both really deserved to have it. Oh, and the theft of the crow jewels element was brilliant! I so wished the book hadn't ended where it did i wanted to know if Jess finds them!
It was my first book by Nicola Cornick and it definitely won't be my last because I now realise that bringing little-known women from history to our knowledge is what she does, I want to read the rest of her back catalogue.

Thank you to Netgalley, Boldwood Books, and Nicola Cornick for giving me an arc copy of The Other Gwyn Girl to read in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I’ve been reading Nicola Cornick for a long time since I accidentally discovered one of her Historical Romance Mills and Boon titles in a holiday cottage in Devon. I loved a book so much; that I asked the owner of the cottage if I might be able to keep it (I was a very polite and honest soul as a teenager). Thankfully the nice lady said OK (the book got left behind by another guest and added to the bookshelf in the cottage for future guests).

Nicola’s writing always brings the past to life in a vivid wonderful way, she weaves the past and present together seamlessly with the dual timelines portrayed in Jess and Rose’s stories. Her historical romances are always so evocative and atmospheric – I almost could hear the Merry Monarch’s voice (he surprisingly sounds like Sam Neill). The plot is full of political intrigue, mystery, and secrets to uncover from the history of Fortune House and an attempt on the Crown Jewels that went horribly wrong. The romances Rose and Jess find are sweet, redemptive and brought to life with the gentle, tender love they both needed after being bruised by their past husbands/lovers.
The characters are lavishly detailed and well-developed – both female protagonists, Rose and Jess, and relatable – we have all been in their shoes with bad life decisions for love and bear the scars. I thought Nicola wrote with great sensitivity and care on some of the topics of grief and loss. As someone who has been in Rose’s shoes myself, I felt the scenes were written with great empathy and understanding of the mental state of losing a child.

The colourful sibling dynamics were quite interesting to view – I think Nicola captured how sisters can be with great accuracy. How things can divide a wedge between sisters, how parents treat you differently (even though they say they don’t), and how at the bleakest of times no matter what has come between you or the state of your feelings you will be there for each other. No one is allowed to execute Nell’s sister but Nell! Jess and her famous sister Tavy have a similar relationship, though I think Tavy treats Jess more as a handy family assistant than a sister, but she is there to give Jess a place to live and a job when she needs it.

A great time-slip story delving into the unknown past of Rose Gwyn’s life and the riveting historical events of Charles II’s rein and showing the dynamics of the relationships between sisters who have famous siblings in the spotlight.

Bravo!!! Historical fiction magic at its best! I have always loved historical fiction with a curious heart. But when it comes to time dual novels I have found the book I want LOL

The Other Gwyn Girl is rich and beautiful in detail I felt as if I was on a movie set! The relationships between the characters gave me a soap opera feel with more and more to enjoy!

I couldn't get enough of the mysteries connected between the present day and the 1600s! 5 stars!!!!

A wonderful book that deals with the dual timeline in an easy to read way. The story of Nell's sister is intriguing and I loved the way the old house and the duality of the current sister's is used to discover the history. A well written book.

This is a fascinating dual timeline story of the lesser known elder sister of Nell Gwyn, Rose.

I was particularly drawn to Rose’s story and the historical aspect of the narrative, although I did like the present day parallels between Jess and her sister Tavy.

It’s a period of history I know little about and I definitely found myself immersed in the period and wanting to discover more.

I also really enjoyed the dynamics between Jess and Ethan and how they seemed able to connect to the past.

A thoroughly enjoyable read.

With thanks to the author, Rachel at Random Resources and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to participate in the tour.

Nicola Cornick uses the time-slip perfectly in this novel, it had everything that I wanted from a historical fiction book. The characters felt like they belonged in this universe and how everything worked together. I enjoyed the characters and how beautifully done it was written. It was captivating and enjoyed the history element perfectly.

17th Century London and Rose Cassell is in prison awaiting her fate or the whim of her infamous sister Nell Gwyn, implicated in a plot to steal the Crown jewels Rose's life is forfeit. However fate brings Rose to Becote Manor near Oxford where she finds contentment and love. Modern day London and Jess is trying to lie low after a scandal involving her ex, that's not easy when your sister is a TV celebrity. however Tavy does offer Jess a lifeline, to act as housekeeper at Fortune Hall, the mansion she is restoring.
This is a very lightweight novel which does have historical background but which wears history very light. For that reason I didn't love it as much as like it. The plot is simple and the characters endearing enough, I could even cope with the slight hint of supernatural visions etc. It's a perfectly pleasant way to spend a few undemanding hours.

It's always such a treat to read a new Nicola Cornick novel ! The Other Gwyn Girl transports us to the 1600's where we are immersed in the lives of sisters Rose and Nell. Although they are family, their lives couldn't be more different. Rose is down on her luck and facing serious issues and needs her sister, Nell, who is a favorite of the king to come to her rescue.
Fast-forward centuries and we are introduced to another set of sisters who are polar opposites: Tevy and Jess. Although their story is set in modern times, their situations have many parallels to their long ago counterparts, Rose and Nell.
Throughout it all, another character in the story shines through... the location! The manor, Fortune Hall, is the center of both timelines and holds many mysteries and secrets!
As with all of her previous books, Nicola weaves her stories in such a way that you feel like you are actually there with the characters. I love how she takes snippets in history and makes them come alive as she does in The Other Gwyn Girl.
I loved this book and highly recommend it!

The Other Gwyn Girl is the story of Rose Gwyn, the sister of famous Nell Gwyn, actress and mistress of King Charles II (aka the Merry Monarch), set in London in 1671. Raised in poverty, Rose marries a feckless (and not very successful) highwayman, but quickly discovers that he's not what she thought, and the marriage is a mistake. When her husband gets involved in a plot to steal the crown jewels it Rose who ends up in prison. Desperate to get out, she reaches out to her sister Nell to save her. It's Rose's story that makes up the book, revealed to us from Rose's perspective, and that of Jess Yates, a librarian and history lover in the present day. Jess has secrets of her own including a criminal ex-husband, so she heads off to England to see her sister and get away from the hoopla surrounding her ex. Like Rose, Jess's sister Tavy is famous, and Jess finds that the quiet retreat she thought she was headed to, isn't so quiet. Also like Rose's sister Nell, Tavy has secrets of her own to hide.

The dual story lines weave Rose's story together and drew me so deeply into her story that I couldn't put it down. A fabulous book!