Mrs England

The Foundling by Stacey Halls was one of my recent stand out reads and so I was thrilled to be able to read Mrs England. In Mrs England Stacey Halls moves on to another landscape and period of history- West Yorkshire in the Edwardian era . It is gorgeously written, the character of Ruby is beautifully drawn and I loved the menacing Gothic feel of the novel. It is gripping, compelling and atmospheric and as with the author's previous novels I felt myself completely transported to the era and in this case to the isolated Hardcastle House and the landscape of West Yorkshire The novel looks at class, at the position of women during this time, and successfully weaves together Ruby's past and present. I adored this novel and would highly recommend it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC.

I was so excited to get the chance to review an ARC of a Stacey Halls novel, especially as I now consider her one of my favourite authors.

I am so pleased to say that she didn’t disappoint! The way the authors brings her characters to life is like nothing else I’ve ever read, they feel like people I truly know after just a few pages.

Ruby, a Nurse brought in to care for the England children, was a fantastic narrator. The descriptions of the nursery, the games she plays with the children in her charge and her dark backstory all come together to make her story alone totally absorbing.

Adding the Mr and Mrs England into the mix was the cherry on top of the cake! Mrs England was fascinating, as the author included tiny details of facial expressions and hand gestures to hint at something sinister. Mr England was equally interesting in this way.

As another reviewer has stated, the blurb gives the impression that this novel is a thriller. I would suggest that it is, in some respect, however the story incorporates elements from so many genres that it would be hard to pin this one down.

All in all, a terrific read that fans of Stacey Halls will definitely love. I’m giving this one 5* and will add it to my “must read again” pile!

Thank you to Netgalley and Bonnier Zaffree for the ARC.

I love Stacey Halls' writing - accessible and readable while creating a excruciatingly real sense of place and time. Her mastery of setting is exquisite. You won't be disappointed by this eerie, menacing novel, with more than one mystery at the heart of it. Every book of hers gets better and better.

Ruby May is a nurse with the Norland Institute. She’s been working for a family in London and when they are given the chance to live abroad Nurse May decides she can’t leave the country, she’d be too far away from her family so she must resign from her position.

When she speaks to the Principal she makes it quite clear that resigning is not something that should be done and if done three times she will no longer be allowed to work for the Norland Institute. She begs for another job and is given a chance, one that will take her from the big city to the country, in Yorkshire.

All starts off well but over time the England family seem strange to her. She’s not sure what’s going on or who it is she should trust. Is Mrs England ill or is there something more disturbing going on behind closed doors?

I’m so pleased I was given the opportunity to read this book early, It was once again another brilliant book by Stacey Halls. I love how she intertwines fact with fiction in her books. There were secrets and mysteries from all angles and it kept me hooked and wanting more. Such a fascinating read and I love to read the acknowledgments at the end because it gives you an insight into parts of the story that are based on fact. Just a totally fantastic book.

Wow this book. I've loved both of Stacey Halls books so far but think this one is my favourite. Loved the characters, the setting, the time period, the beautiful writing. It had all the ingredients I love in an historical fiction story. Highly recommended.

Thank you to netgalley, manilla press and Stacey Halls for allowing me to read this eARC in return for my thoughts. Publication date 10 June 2021

Stacey Halls has a way of writing captivating historical fiction and I absolutely adore her books. I was lucky enough to obtain an audiobook ARC of her second book, The Foundling, and I have very kindly been accepted to also read an e-ARC of Mrs England.

Mrs England was a quick easy read and left me wanting more. I hope this won't be the last time we hear from nurse Ruby May, but the story did finish off in a way that the reader was satisfied with the ending. The depth that went into the characters was phenomenal; you can tell Stacey Halls researches into the time period she is writing about and really thinks about her characters and their story. After reading the author's note, I also found out that the character Ruby May was based off of Ruby Browne, which adds to the touching story line we see. Mrs England is clearly distant from nurse May; the reasoning for this isn't obvious to the reader until we are given the missing pieces, but I found her story blended well with that of Ruby and her time at Hardcastle House. The writing style was descriptive so really set the scene and I really felt connected to the characters. I like that the writing was clear and easy to follow for the readers, with only occasional idioms and phrases which are central to Yorkshire. I'm not surprised that this received 5 stars, which now marks the third book of hers which I've rated high. I can't wait to see what Hall's brings out in her future releases.

She is a firm favourite author of mine. I hope you will all enjoy this story as much as I did! Release date is 10 June 2021, I've had my copy preordered since January and can't wait to get my hands on this stunning book!