Such a lovely and well written story!
I loved the great characters and found the story entertaining, poignant and engrossing.
The author did an excellent job in managing the dual timeline and developing excellent characters.
I appreciated how she describes the past in a realistic and vivid way.
I loved her previous books and I loved this one.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A beautiful novel with 2 main characters Madame Burova a fortune teller and tarot card reader based on Brighton Pier and Billie who after the death of her father discovers she was abandoned as a baby. Madame Burova keeps the secrets of all her customers. The book is dual timeline based in the early 1970's and present day.
Another great novel by Ruth Hogan, I read it in one setting. Very sad to read in the acknowledgements that her parents died during the writing of the book
Thanks to Netgalley and publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own

Ruth Hogan creates the warmest characters, and real feel-good comfort stories; her new book Madame Burova is no exception.

Imelda is the title character, a tarot reader and fixture of the Brighton seafront. She's friendly, a crucial listening ear to many, and holder of many histories; Imelda's story takes place across two timeframes - the present day, as she looks back on her past and whether it's time to retire, and years ago when she was a young woman and in love. The two halves of the story thread together intricately, with a realm of characters weaving the narrative together.

This is a real comfort read, full of warmth and love, and the joy of the seaside. Highly recommended.

I received a proof copy of this book and fell in love with it. This was my first read of Ruth Hogan and I will definitely be going back for more!

It was such a great story I just couldn’t put it down, I loved all the characters (even the ones I disliked if that makes sense), and the emotional journey they go on was captivating. I enjoyed how the book follows the two main characters, Madame Burova and Billie, in two different time periods, it gave much more insight into them.

Although I did figure out half of Billie’s parentage I was still changing my mind about the other half until it was finally revealed. Each individual character was well developed regardless of how big or small a role they played, it made me feel as if I knew them personally. Whilst generally a lighter read, the story also touched on some important topics such as racism, sexism, and sexual harassment.

I was really impressed with this even though it’s not my usual genre and would definitely recommend it.

Ruth Hogan, bestselling author of “The Keeper of Lost Things” is the Queen of up-lit fiction and her latest novel “Madam Burova” is no exception. I have adored Ruth’s previous books and couldn’t wait to read this one. The intriguing premise, like no other I’ve read before, had me chomping at the bit to get started and with a tarot reader with a name like Imelda Burova, you just know she will be a character with character!

Madame Imelda Burova - tarot reader, palmist and clairvoyant is retiring and leaving her booth after fifty years on Brighton’ seafront. She has spent a lifetime keeping people’s secrets and her silence has come at a price. Imelda is weary of other people’s lives, she needs some peace and a life for herself. But before that, she has to fulfil a promise she made a long time ago. Meanwhile in London, Billie has lost her job, her marriage and her parents are now both dead but she has suddenly discovered something that puts her identity in doubt. To follow the trail of clues, it may just take her to Madame Burova’s door and a remarkable past world that features the lives of many a wonderful and unique character.

Set intermittently between two timelines, now and early 1970’s, where life in Brighton was full of holiday camps and seaside entertainers. You truly enter a world that transports you to an authentic happy place of time in the UK but which sadly also features a cultural, social and political society filled with racism and work place sexual harassment. Ruth Hogan conveyed these subjects with empathy and an obvious first hand knowledge.
This novel is pure perfection and as like her other books, had me choked many a time with emotion. Incredibly atmospheric, I saw myself walking along the promenade enjoying the sights and sounds of Brighton’s eclectic lifestyle. Pure beauty and tremendous storytelling.

I was saddened to learn that the author’s parents both died whilst she was completing this book and the emotions she surely experienced must have made it difficult to finish it but she did and wow! What another beautifully written, utterly exquisite tale with many memorable characters that stay with you forever.

5 stars for a wholly original “Madame Burova”.

A Ruth Hogan novel never disappoints and Madame Burova is no exception.
The story is told in two timelines, the present day and the mid 1970s and tells the story of a palmist who keeps the secrets of her clients safely hidden away.
When a woman who was abandoned outside her beachside booth as a baby comes looking for clues Madame Burova has to delve into her own past as well.
This is a book for anyone who enjoys mystery and nostalgia, love and loss and a really great story.

This is the type of feel good novel that Ruth Hogan excels at. I really couldn’t put it down.. read it in two sittings. Madame Burova is a retired fortune teller. The back story is rich and full of detail. and you really warm to the characters. This is bound to be one of the stand out books of 2021. A real up-lifting hug of a book.

This was a first for me with this author and have now gone to peruse her previous books. This was such a lovely book to read, well written and a good storyline. The characters felt so real and some I were rooting for and others I hope got a taste of karma. I won’t write about the storyline but if the blurb is enough to draw you in and peak your interest you won’t be disappointed.

Absolutely brilliant! I’ve just read the last page and feeling heavy hearted that it has ended.
I was drawn into this beautifully written story very quickly. I found reading about Imelda’s (Madame Burova) story so interesting and loved how we are taken back to 1972/1973 when she was young and just starting her work as Madame Burova. There are many characters we meet along the way, I especially liked Treasure, a young boy of mixed race, his story of being bullied because of his ethnicity and how this hurt and confused him and deeply impacted on how he saw himself was heartbraking, but an important story to tell and relevant even today.
The story is also set in the present and we meet Billie who has recently lost her father and has already lost her mother. She finds out she is adopted and is looking for answers. Billie and Imelda form a beautiful friendship and we go on a journey of discovery with them both.

I Loved the characters in this book and also the fact that it flicked between the 70s and the present day. It was a nostalgic and heart warming story of love lost and the finding of self. Madame Burova has a gift. She works with tarot and sees into peoples souls. She also has a secret, and when Billie is brought into her life once again, after losing both her parents, Madame Burova has to fit together some jigsaw from her past before she can help Billie complete her puzzle.
This is a book that keeps you guessing and takes you on a heart warming seaside journey along the way. I would definitely be interested in reading more of Ruth Hogans books.

If you loved Hogan’s other well known novel ‘The Keeper of Lost Things’, then you will be excited to know that the greatly anticipated ‘Madame Burova’ is here.

Hogan’s writing has lost none of it’s charm, and her knack for creating characters you can sit and have tea with is unsurpassed, but I had two issues with this book. I personally don’t think it’s a good as ‘The Keeper of Lost Things’ and I found it predictable. Although it was a good read and I would recommend it to friends, it just didn’t live up to the hype for me.

“She seems fine – too fine, actually for someone who was about to give up their child.”

Any drama or tension that Hogan had taken the time to create, was over within a matter of a few paragraphs. The only true driving force to this novel is the question of Billie’s parentage, so if you guess this early on like I did, it gets a little run of the mill. Although Hogan touches on subjects such as sexism, love and betrayal, but she never goes too deep. If you are looking for a comfortable and comforting novel, that’s not going to make you think too much, then this is the perfect read.

This was a good book but not a great book.

I liked it, but I didn’t LOVE it.

Wow!! Another brilliant book from Ruth Hogan!! Fantastically well written story, great characters and a book I could not put down this week. I was fascinated by the first couple of pages, and growing up near Brighton where the story is set, set my imagination rolling.
The story is split between 1973 and the present day, around Imelda Burova, clairvoyant, palmist and tarot card reader, on Brighton sea front, and the secrets she has kept over those years.
The families and characters around the central story are wonderful, if only I could meet them! There are also some really interesting pertinent issues brought up which I loved.
Wonderful read, highly recommended.
Thank you to NetGalley for the early read!

I absolutely love Ruth Hogan’s novels, because they have interesting, quirky characters that I always want to do more about and stories that are ultimately uplifting. I was immediately fascinated by Imelda Burova, with her Russian Romany background and her gorgeous borzoi Dasha. Imelda has inherited her mother’s fortune telling booth on the seafront in Brighton. Not that Shunty-Mae has gone anywhere. She comes to help when the booth is busy in the summer season and has a disconcerting habit of sitting behind the curtain at the back then interjecting the odd comment when least expected! She is invited to read for people as part of the entertainment at the holiday park and this introduces her to a whole new group of people. There’s the three mermaid sisters, a contortionist, Jeanie who has the voice of an angel and the dark, handsome wall of death rider Cillian. Imelda feels an immediate spark with Cillian, but Jeannie’s femme fatale friend Vivienne makes it clear that Cillian is off limits. Book ending this tale of 1970s Brighton is our other heroine Billie, who is in a vulnerable place having lost her university job, her marriage and her mum. She receives some life changing news from her Dad, that sends her on a trip to Brighton to meet a mysterious woman who holds two brown envelopes. These will give Billie some clues to a mystery that has spanned forty years, and a love story that has lasted through time.

I really felt for Billie, who has reached a point in life where everything is changing, but she’s willing to take on the challenges she faces. She finds her seventy year old benefactress inspiring and starts to be drawn into the world of Brighton. She meets a family named after precious stones who run the cafe next door to the fortune tellers booth. She has help getting a project off the ground with a lovely man called Treasure. There’s a man who travels all the way to St Pancras once a week just to play the piano. Plus a man who seems to be just a passing eccentric, using his elastic bands to send colour messages to the CIA or MI5, but who witnesses a crucial event that answers so many questions. In the time she spends in Brighton, Billy starts to feel at home. What could fate have in store for her here and is she brave enough to follow the path?

The earlier sections, told by Madame Burova with hindsight, are so evocative of the 1970s. There’s an incredible bohemian feel to the interiors, such as the decor of the booth, the stunning gypsy caravan that sits in the garden for occasional sleepovers, Madame Burova’s wardrobe. Lush fabrics and vintage clothes float my boat so I was in heaven here. The central love story is brief, but all encompassing. Cillian is the perfect hero - I was thinking Peaky Blinders as I was reading him so it was hilarious to find ‘Cillian Murphy’ left on a page in the NetGalley copy! It shows that Ruth Hogan and I are on the same page when it comes to passionate love interests. He and Imelda are clearly made for each other, so watching Vivien try to come between them is infuriating. Not that Cillian helps, his taciturn nature and avoidance of fuss can lead to misunderstandings. Imelda isn’t sure whether he’s playing the field, but his eyes are on her all the time. I was transfixed by the love story and hoping against hope that Imelda wouldn’t have her heart broken.

This is such a charming and whimsical novel, with a a huge side helping of nostalgia for the time of the seaside holiday heyday. A time when people did take their families to a holiday park and take part in all the entertainments on offer. I love the way Brighton fits Billy perfectly, with her vintage style, bowler hat and the opportunity she gets to potentially bring that retro vibe to the seafront seems perfect. Will she take the chance? More importantly, will the quest that brought her to Brighton and to meet Madame Burova, come to a happy end? I was happy with the end, despite the heartache along the way and came away with a real feeling of joy. Along with the apple blossom coming in and birds nesting in the garden, this book has been like a little breath of spring.

Finished this book at 3:30 this morning as needed to know the end!

I loved the characters in this book, kind, generous and living their lives honestly. The setting takes you to sunny days beside the seaside and I could smell the sea and so wanted to sit and have a cup of tea in the cafe on the pier!

Brilliantly descriptive, uplifting and funny. A great book!

This is a beautiful, nostalgic story about a woman named Imelda Burova, or Madam Burova as she is known in her professional capacity as a clairvoyant. Now a lady in her early 70s, Imelda feels the time is right to close up her Fortune Teller's booth on Brighton seafront and retire. But in her work over the decades Imelda has found herself keeping many secrets and confidences and before she calls it a day and packs away her tarot cards and crystal ball there are are few things from the past that need setting right.

Another wonderful story full of fantastic (often quirky) characters and touches of wit that are the trademarks of a Ruth Hogan book. It has been far too long between books so please don't make as wait too long for the next one.

👩 The story is based on two main characters: Madame Burova and Billie. The first has been a Tarot Reader, Palmist and Clairvoyant since 1970. When she understands that she can't keep other people's secrets anymore, she decides to retire. Before that, though, she has to fulfil a promise. Billie, instead, lives in London. When she suddenly loses everything, she also discovers something that leaves her identity in question. ⁠
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♥️ I liked:⁠
⏰ The dual-time narration. The story moves effortlessly between the early 70s and the present day. On one side, we enter the fascinating world of Imelda Burova, made of the secrets she kept, of the holiday park life and of a heartbreaking love story. On the other, we follow Billie in her search for the truth about her identity. The two stories connect because, over the years, Imelda's booth has acted as a sort of confessional: she might be the only one to know the answers to Billie's questions.⁠
👩 The characters. I love how Ruth Hogan manages to depict quirky and super intriguing characters - like in The wisdom of Sally Red Shoes - making them feel alive. In this case, Madame Burova - so different and funny - was definitely my favourite. ⁠
💕 The nostalgic vibe. Reading Madame Burova's story has been like taking a trip down memory lane. It reminded me of when I went to Eastbourne in High School. It was my first experience in the UK, and what I loved the most were my strolls on the pier, eating fish and chips.⁠
➕ There is more to it. In the book, there are many other themes: racism, inappropriate advances and much more. It's more than just a love story.⁠
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⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5 In typical Hogan style, this is an uplifting read, with an incredibly vivacious set of characters⁠.⁠
Thanks to #netgalley for the ARC.⁠

Wonderful characters. Flitting between the 1970 and the present time. The difference in the culture and attitudes are painfully but honestly recorded. A heartbreaking but beautiful story. This is the first book I have read by the author but I will be looking out for her previous books.

This book pleasantly surprised me. I had never read any Ruth Hogan books before, but I certainly will. Madame Burova is beau fully written, and keep me intrigued throughout. All the characters are so rich and I was invested in all of them. As the book flips between time lines it always leaves you on a cliff hanger for both so you’re never disappointed when it goes from one to the other. The ending was beautiful, kept me guessing until the end, and brought a tear to my eye.

I loved this book! It drew me in right from the start and I just had to find out how the story would end. I really liked the characters and the book is well written, split between the past and the present. I will definitely be reading more from Ruth in the future. I highly recommend this book. Thank you #netgalley

Madame Burova - Tarot Reader, Palmist and Clairvoyant is retiring and leaving her booth on the Brighton seafront after fifty years. Tarot and palmistry have always held a fascination for me so I relished a book that celebrated these traditions and their history. Knowing that Ruth spent a great deal of time learning to read tarot gives this book a real sense of authenticity. Her respect and passion for this mystical profession are easy to sense through her writing and the creation of Madame Burova.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.


3.5/5.