The Fallen Woman is the first book I have read by Fiona McIntosh. It was an easy, quick read and I knew just how the book would end as soon as I started it. That is not always a bad thing. Sometimes you just want a book that carries you away from the craziness of life and has a predictable ending. One of the story lines involves the search for an heirloom apple and I enjoyed learning about the history of the apple. I will search out more by this author, I imagine each of her books has an interesting side plot.

What a stunning story, I couldn't put it down! Jane Saville gets railroaded into the most awful situation by her mother and her sister, after which she ends up living in Salisbury as a housekeeper and companion to a wonderful elderly gentleman. Guy Attwood is on the hunt for a specific apple, thought to be extinct in England. With his father wanting to retire and wanting Guy to take over the business, Guy has one last attempt to find his apple. He does find it, and finds Jane. There are some truly heartbreaking moments and terrible misunderstandings along the way, but ultimately all's well that ends well. Jane and Guy are wonderful characters that I really cared about!
Thanks to Netgalley, Storm Publishing, and Fiona McIntosh for the free ARC. All opinions are my own

What a saga! I was riveted from the off. When Eugenie Saville dreams up a plan to save face and marriage prospects for daughter Charlotte, neither of them care what price this cost daughter Jane.
I’d say Jane got the bonus of a lovely young boy in Harry who loved her without question. Jane is embarrassed when Harry accidentally mis-kicks his football hitting passer-by mr Kearney. This begins a series of events which leave Jane questioning me Kearney’s motives. Jane is employed as housekeeper for William Angus who looks upon her and Harry as family & is very good at giving advice, especially when Jane receives a visitor who threatens everything thing that is precious.

I loved the way the story unravelled, keeping you enthralled along the way. My favourite character was Jane for her unassuming manner and she was so likeable. Least favourite was Charlotte who lived life as if society owed her a debt.
Learnt so much about colours and apples. The story made you realise how fortunate we are now to be able to make our own choices.

Look forward to more by this author.

I am a big historical fiction fan and I just finished a good one. The Fallen Woman by Fiona McIntosh is coming soon and is one to read.

A delightful historical romance. I loved seeing the world through an artists eyes, with the description of colour being so precise. Some interesting twists.

Fiona McIntosh has a way of telling a story that never leaves you disappointed. I loved this book and found it hard to put down! There are so many wonderful characters and a story that will stay with you after you have finished it .
Jane Saville is a botanical artist but she doesn’t know how good she is. Her family treat her as an after thought and expect and rely on her to do the right thing when there is a problem to be solved. In solving a major problem she not only becomes an outcast from her family but also society and this is where she really begins to shine.
Guy Atwood who is heir to a wealthy estate is spending his time hunting for a rare apple on behalf of the Royal Kew Gardens. His time doing what he loves is coming to an end as his father is demanding he return to the running of the estate.
Guy and Jane’s path cross and there is hope for a better future for Jane but a series of events hamper this.
The book is set in the English country side and you are transported back in time, wandering through Salisbury and hearing the boys choir in the Cathedral.
This is an epic historical fiction story of family secrets, treachery, jealousy, love, trust and loyalty. Another 5/5 read by Ms McIntosh.

Oh my gosh. I do love a good book from Fiona McIntosh and this one didn't disappoint. Set in the English countryside (a beautiful setting for such a book) we find botanical artist Jane Saville is banished from her family and home to save her families name. Then we have our other main character, Guy Atwood, heir to a fortune yet a man who has his own ideas of what he wants from life.

What will happen when these two meet and how will Jane live up to a world of people who may think these two are not meant to be together. This is their stories and is a wonderful read. It has everything you want and need from a story of life, romance, friendship, family and so much more. Fiona McIntosh is a great story-teller and her writing is flawless. I loved this book and would highly recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Jane Saville is a watercolour botanical artist, she has an older sister Charlotte who's her mother’s favourite and she will do anything to protect her and she decides to send Jane to Wiltshire to ensure her sister makes a good match. Jane works as a housekeeper for a kindly older gentleman at Cathedral Close, but other than her employer she doesn’t have any friends and people openly talk about her in public.

Despite being the heir to one of the richest families in England, Guy Attwood is a pomologist or a scientist at the Royal Kew Gardens and he specializes in the study of plants and the cultivation of fruit trees. Guy is the champion of the humble apple, and he’s hunting for a rare one. Guy's a close friend of King George V, and he want's the apple to be a gift to him and rename it after the new sovereign at his upcoming coronation.

Guy and Jane meet, two people who understand each other and could talk for hours and not get bored. Guy is being pressured to get married and produce an heir and Jane has her responsibilities and job, and she questions why he would be interested in her. Their budding new friendship and possible romance is rocked by jealousy and greed, misunderstandings and others selfishness, duty and family, treachery and secrets and lies.

I received a copy of The Fallen Woman from Storm Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. I've been a big fan of Fiona McIntosh’s historical fiction since I read the Nightingale over ten years ago and she has the gift of writing stories that make me feel a connection to the characters and the fascinating subjects she uses as a bases for her novels and their locations.

Set in the London, the Cathedral City of Salisbury and the English countryside, you’re taken on a heart-warming literary journey and the talented Australian author has visited these places herself and it shows. You will cheer on and want the best outcome for Guy, Jane, young Harry and William’s characters and dislike a couple of others and how they treat Jane.

A homage to England and all things British, friendship and found families, righting wrongs and most of all finding love and an elusive apple and five stars from me and a must read.

This was a solid 2.5 🌟.

What I liked

✔️Jane's love for Harry.
✔️Williams love and care for Jane and Harry.
✔️The villians Charlotte and her mom, well written villians.
✔️Some of Jane's characterization, her protectiveness, her sacrifice
✔️Guy finally developing a backbone with Eleanor


What I disliked

✔️the fact that it was insta love
✔️Eleanors come back, did not add to the plotline
✔️Jane's annoying habit of not listening for a moment
✔️And Guy allowing himself to be bulldozed

Overall, this was an okay read. It needs a nice edit. There were grammatical errors and hard to read sentences throughout.

#netgalley #TheFallenWoman