Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Men are the real horror story.

This was MESSY. Like, in a good way. I couldn't stop reading the absolute chaos of Mary, Percy, Claire, Lord Byron and Polidori. So frustrating.

The writing is beautiful, the character relations are insane and I feel extremely motivated to read more from people in Mary's life and find out more information about her. I think she is a true literary icon.

I always worry about reading fiction based on a real person who can't have a say but I think Caroline Lea did this in a very respectful and honouring way whilst also making it appealing to the masses who may not have read Frankenstein or even be aware of who Mary was

how one famed book came into being. well we are about to find out in the best of ways. this book was dark, atmospheric and oh so wonderful. both place,scene setting and plot were on point to give you all the feels all the way through.
we are told of the summer Mary Shelly birthed her monster. Mary has fled from life and its realities. she has fled with her lover and sister. she is young and reckless and showing her age completely. shes been hurt and so is making rash decisions and coming up with the answer she sees HAVE to be the answer to what haunts her.
but Lake Geneva doesnt appear to be giving her that respite or reprieve.
at the insistence of Lord Byron in his darkened over villa things take a turn. stuck in a storm he task each with writing a mystery plot. Mary is letting it all out. she is about to let the rage,loss and hurt all out.
such a spell binding novel. it had me holding my breathe and tense in moments i couldnt even tell you for why. it was woven with complexity and moving chapters that took me in and forced me to read more.
it was a delight in all the perfect dark and gothic ways.
the eerie feeling i had whilst reading was just divine and all you want when you dive into a book like this.

I thoroughly enjoyed how Caroline Lea opens with a prologue that felt almost dreamlike. That, followed by a handbrake turn into the street, sweat and squalor of poverty-stricken Mary Shelley struck me as a lovely bit of frankenstein-like writing. It worked a treat.

This historical novel felt very contemporary. As you might expect from the teenage author of Frankenstein, Mary Shelley is not your typical Victorian heroine. Mary Shelley was the daughter of feminists and philosophers of the time, Mary Wollstonecraft and William Godwin, which gives an interesting lens through which to explore feminine rage, wrongs and rebellion in a way that rings true centuries later.

Percy's treatment of Mary, insidious, cruel and diminishing, is its own horror. The toxic, intoxicating relationship that we all know as a great romance feels very familiar. We've all been or known a Mary as she convinces herself that disregard is mystery, that careless intimacy is passion, that contorting herself to suit his moods is love.

The stormy night of Frankenstein's creation is ripe for its own telling and Lea does a great job of bringing larger than life historical figures, Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley back from the dead. Byron, in particular, jumps off the page. I also appreciated time spent with Mary's step-sister, Claire. She's another young person navigating adult situations whilst still coming to understand her own power and boundaries. She's a cruel brat which often masks her vulnerability and overrides people's concern for her. She's a teenager at a time there was no such thing.

The ending was fantastic. I thought I knew how we'd get to the end, but there were revelations and realisations still. Lea has created a thorny, modern gothic story that breathes new life into the myth surrounding the creation of Frankenstein. I highly recommend.

A smart, stunning twist on the creation of the birth of Science Fiction. I enjoyed this sparky little novel!

I’ve read numerous books on Mary Shelley and the origins of the story of Frankenstein. It holds a huge amount of intrigue for me, romance, deceit, jealousy, passion. Let me tell you, nothing compares to this book. I feel like I’ve burrowed under Mary’s skin, become her, felt what she feels and loved as she loved. I will never fail to be intrigued by how the likes of Shelley and Emily Bronte conceive such raw and wild stories from the background they’re from. Books like this are an eye opener. As for the story in the villa beside Lake Geneva, I’ve felt myself there so many times in the insufferable damp, the storm, amidst some of the greatest geniuses of the time; Percy Bysshe Shelley, Polidori, Lord Byron and above all, Mary herself. I can’t recommend this book enough, I’m so glad I requested it. It’s released June 19th and I’ll definitely purchase a copy for my forever shelf.

In this haunting book, we follow Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin (not yet Shelley) on a trip of a lifetime. We begin in London and end in the Villa Diodati in Switzerland, where fateful events lead to what we know today as the classic that is Frankenstein. We don't just look in from above however, but experience the depths of Mary's mind and the personal relevance of this body of work to her and the inner workings that cause its creation.

I was immensely excited by the prospect of this book, as someone who has only recently read Frankenstein in a book club and discovered the history behind it, I was keen to hear about these events from Mary's perspective. However, I was a little disappointed in the end, as I felt that the book was lacking in several aspects.

Firstly I want to mention that the writing was vivid and expansive, and objectively very well and beautifully written. For me personally, I struggle with writing leaning on verbose, as I personally enjoy more straightforward and snappy writing and struggle to stay motivated when reading expansive writing. Therefore, unfortunately, this book put me in somewhat of a reading slump as I had to really bring myself to pick it back up again in anticipation of the ‘heavyset’ writing. But for readers who enjoy vivid descriptions, this will be a fun read! And the writing definitely fit the setting and gave it that gothic feel. Just not my style!

The pace definitely picked up for me toward the last 100 pages roughly, as I felt that the story was becoming more consistent and interesting and I wanted to pick it up again to read about what happened (although it slumped again at the very end).

Before then, my main issues were that the description of the people involved, and most disappointingly Mary herself, fell a bit flat for me. Most of all that came through in the interactions and the way Mary made sense of the others internally. The best example is her relationship with Claire. It is a hugely interesting relationship to explore: step-sisterhood, jealousy, manipulation, but then the shared experience of being women in this world and time, with similar experiences with men. While all these elements are present in the book, it feels like Mary just keeps going back and forth between: “I hate Claire she’s so hysterical and dramatic”, and holding her hand in a fleeting moment of kindness and then wanting to be mean to her again. There could have been a lot more interesting exploration of that shared womanhood, as so much of this story is about being a woman and exploring female rage. I think this was missed potential because so much of Mary’s development, I believe, is finding her female rage and realising her womanhood and this important female companion amidst all these men seems neglected in the story.

In terms of the relationship to the men, I really do not have a lot to say. I didn't find it particularly overwhelming or "sexy", which the title sort of leads you to believe, but again just a bit flat. I really did not care for the way the men were portrayed. The felt attempt at enemies to lovers did not get me, because it was not enemies to lovers but "He's a terrible person but he likes me and is nice to me so I guess we can get it on" and that trope is a bit tired for me because when someone is that plainly horrible, no matter how nice they may be to the love interest, I am already mentall checked out. I understand historical constrictions but it could have been explored more in depth - there is nothing more interesting than conflict, but there was not a lot of high stakes conflict felt here (even though there could and should have been!).

In terms of Mary herself – I really appreciated the attempt at female rage and the build up to that explosion of rage and the realisation of herself but it did not really feel satisfying as the build up was mostly “I hate Shelley, I want to leave” to “Actually, I love him” and back again. It became a bit repetitive and reductive and I would have liked to see that be, plainly said, more. I think I came to this with “Nightbitch” sort of female rage expectations and got Beth Harmon smoking in a nightgown ‘female rage’ instead – you see my disappointment.

She also just felt really inconsistent to me, where even after her “big break” and coming to terms with herself, all of a sudden she hears a voice and she wants to leave again but at that point it really does not make sense anymore? Mary’s inner world does not feel very credible or complex, even though, looking at the real Mary, it should be. It feels like Mary only has two settings in this book and I wanted a more multilayered and complex Mary.

Overall, the ‘bigger’ moments on womanhood and societal expectations also felt like they only scratched the surface. This book felt like it wanted to be Greta Gerwig’s Little Women monologue from Florence Pugh or that one in Barbie but it unfortunately did not get there for me.

Coming to the research on this book - you could definitely tell the author knew what she was writing about. Although, I felt the quotes at the beginning of each chapter only ever being from Frankenstein felt a bit like the research done was only done on Mary in relation to Frankenstein and not paying much attention to her other work as a writer. I guess it makes sense seeing as this book is about the creation of Frankenstein, but each new chapter I was hoping for something else somehow.

Finally, I want to say that I was also slightly disappointed by the inclusion of big ideas that are hugely relevant in understanding Frankenstein (e.g. renaissance humanism, nature/nurture…). It would have been so interesting to see these ideas really take shape in Mary’s personal life and discussions and unfortunately it felt like the whole book was just the Mary as described above, with no real influence or discussion of these ideas, and then in the last few pages there was a few paragraphs that tried to squeeze these massive ideologies into a few sentences where Mary suddenly had this huge realisation of, actually, there is no god, when this debate never really popped up to begin with.

In the end I was just left a bit lacking and wanting. I would have liked to have seen more than a well written retelling. But that it definitely was, the story and all its elements were there.

2 Stars

I mean, I am fascinated by Mary Shelley and her writing of Frankenstein, and so jumped at the chance to read this, especially given the positive reviews it was getting.

It's often been said that the opening sentence to a book is the most important, as it draws you in, but I've never really understood it. I can't imagine judging an entire book on its opening sentence, however I got it with this book. I am awaiting permission from the publisher to be able to quote the opening line here, and if I get that permission then I will edit this review accordingly, but just believe me when I say the opening line hooks you in instantly, and it doesn't let up.

Historical books, especially ones depicting a real-life, or adaptation of a real-life event, can be a bit heavy and dry, intent on providing information over entertainment. But this has both. I'm learning more about the Shelley's time at Lake Geneva and writing Frankenstein, but it's so well written that I am thoroughly enjoying it, it's light and quick but thoughtful.

It has made me want to re-read Frankenstein, as it has been some years since I last did, but it is definitely one of the greatest novels ever written, and I don't think any sci-fi book will really surpass it.

We all know of Mary Shelley and Percy Shelley and Lord Byron and their time at Lake Geneva and the writing of Frankenstein and whatnot, but we don't really know them as individuals, rather than just the stars we know now. Whilst this may be fictional, Caroline has given us the heart and soul of the Shelleys.

I don't know much about Caroline's work (this is my first book of hers) and so I don't know if she has a link to this story or not, but I think she's got to have a passion for it. The facts can give you the story, but passion gives it its soul.

It was so addictive and I had to ignore my want to sleep to read it long into the night as I just couldn't part with it. I ended up reading it in less than 12 hours - and that included time for sleeping.

It's not always an easy read in terms of topics discussed. It's raw and nasty and callous and rude, and yet there's this undercurrent of hope and love which stops it from being miserable.

Caroline embodies Mary Shelley's spirit and storytelling ability in this masterful book.

Hauntingly atmospheric and rich in psychological depth, Love, Sex & Frankenstein captures the volatile genius of Mary Shelley and the stormy summer that would birth one of literature’s most enduring monsters. Set in 1816 at Villa Diodati, this book takes us into the emotional and creative crucible of Mary’s life with vivid, aching intimacy.

Mary is reeling from grief, jealousy and betrayal. Her relationship with Percy Shelley is unravelled by infidelity, the loss of their child, and the constant, unnerving presence of her stepsister Claire. Geneva offers them refuge, but as thunder cracks above and the volcanic ash dims the summer sun, the real storms rage within the villa’s walls.

Caroline Lea’s prose is evocative, lyrical and utterly immersive. The oppressive weather mirrors the rising tensions among the characters, and every interaction crackles with a mix of passion, resentment and longing. The group’s restlessness finds an outlet in Byron’s challenge to write ghost stories, and from that darkness, Mary’s imagination kindles the first spark of Frankenstein.

This is no dry historical reimagining. Lea breathes life into each figure, giving us complex, flawed, and entirely believable versions of Mary, Shelley, Byron and Claire. The emotional undercurrents are as compelling as the literary history, and the pacing carries the reader effortlessly from tension to revelation.

Beautifully written, sensual and emotionally charged, Love, Sex & Frankenstein is a spellbinding portrait of creativity born from chaos. A must-read for fans of gothic history, feminist reimagining and the secret heartbeats behind iconic stories.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

An enjoyable imagining of the events that led to the writing of Frankenstein. Narrated by Mary Shelley, it charts her state of mind and her relationships with her sister, Percy Shelley, John Polidori and Lord Byron. It evokes the imagery of the year without summer and the violent storms, as the inspiration for the book.

Thank you to Caroline Lea, Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House, and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was spellbinding! Beautiful, haunting, descriptive prose and very good pacing. Each character was fully fleshed out and their behaviour was believable. Excellent characterisation overall.

Love, Sex and Frankenstein tells the story of the birth of one of the greatest novels of all time at Lord Byron's villa on the shores of Lake Geneva and the tangled love affairs between Mary Shelley, her step-sister Claire, Percy Shelley and Lord Byron.

It is obvious the author has done a lot of research and has used some entries from Shelley's diaries, although this lends the story a sense of authenticity it made the first part of the story feel a bit disjointed and I had to keep rereading passages to understand what timeline I was reading about. The author has taken some liberties with the story, which may offend some purists, but as this is a work of fiction I wasn't too bothered about this. The writing is very atmospheric and melodramatic, which felt in keeping with Shelley's work, however the plot is a little uneven and the second half of the book was much better than the first. With the title, Love, sex and Frankenstein, I did find it strange that the writing of Frankenstein was only mentioned at the very end of the novel.

If you liked The Essex Serpent you will enjoy this book.

Thank you to the publishers for my ARC.

I was excited to read this but that excitement didn’t last long unfortunately. I don’t feel like this book really added anything new in terms of perspective or adaptation to Frankenstein. The writing isn’t the best and the story is slow and not very engaging. I struggled to get through it sadly.

In 1816, Mary Shelley leaves for Geneva with her partner Percy Bysshe Shelley, her son William, and her sister Claire, purportedly to join Lord Byron.

What ensues is a painful tangle of love and loyalty set against eerie storms and debauchery. The various love-hate relationships, especially between the sisters and between Mary and Shelley, are frustrating in the circularity. Although perhaps that is the point; there are those we cannot walk away from even though we should.

I thought more of the novel would be about Mary writing Frankenstein but we have to wait almost to the end to move past her emotional agonising and to the true Mary and her inner monster.

Knowing some of the real story, I was also confused by some of the plot. Prepare for historical artistic license which maximises the pain of the love triangles and betrayals.

Fans of this novel will also enjoy Clairmont by Lesley McDowell.

I was really attracted to the premise of this book, but sadly it fell a little short on execution for me. The writing style was oddly detached which made me feel quite removed from the plot and dulled emotional investment, erring rather on the side of 'tell' rather than 'show'. I consequently found I couldn't root for Mary herself, despite being a historical figure who is pretty easy to naturally empathise with in many respects. In part one there is frequent movement between time periods alongside inclusion of extracts from journals etc. which felt jarring and disrupted the flow for me. I also understand the intention in including quotes from Frankenstein at the beginning of the chapters, however this came across a little heavy-handed. It did come across as well researched, and I think perhaps if you are not so familiar with the context behind Shelley writing Frankenstein you may find this interesting.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Lea has obviously done her research and intersperses extracts from Shelley's letters and journals - all the same, this doesn't really manage to breathe new life into the familiar story of the complicated lives of the Shelleys, Byron and Claire Clairmont. The writing style is adequate but not distinctive and the thrust is quite soap opera-ish (though there is that element to the history, to be fair!) - most of all, this simplifies Frankenstein, a book about which a lot has been written and made available for a popular, non-academic audience. I'm not sure what this book is adding.