What a lovely read! Stacey Halls does some clever research and weaves it seamlessly into her book. Mrs England is a captivating character and the house - atmospheric and creepy! Ah read this novel, it's there to discover and it's best not to read too much about it before going in.

What I will say is that it looks at the work of a Norrland nanny and that in itself is something I haven't read about in fiction before.

Stacey Halls' best one yet!

TL;DR Recommendation:
BIG, big fan. Uneasy vibes throughout with fun humans peppered in it. Just wish it wasn’t a wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am kinda story. Give me moooore.

Ms Halls has a special place in my heart. My historical fiction pal. My story-telling bestie. One of the very few authors I’d read books from even if she went wild and wrote an in-depth dissertation on the inner workings of the Victorian millinery industry. I’d be there. I loved The Foundling, The Familiars and I’m gonna go out and throw Mrs England up on my pit of praise, too. If you grab it, this is what you’re in for.

✨ Set in the proper sticks of West Yorkshire
✨ One nurse defying the dumb rules created by men
✨ Four kids who are actually dead adorable
✨ A wealthy couple where something ain’t quite right about the mysterious Mrs England

Nurse Ruby May is an absolute champ. She storms in, fixes all the broken shite the last nurse left behind and provides a mother figure for the kids in her care. The family she works for LOVES her, but she can’t go with them overseas as much as they’d have her in an instant.

Instead, Rubsters finds herself out in the sticks with four little humans to look after instead of the one she’s used to. Not content with the massive culture change from city to countryside, but she’s also slapped in the face with some societal changes when the main man (Mr England) seems to take on the lowly duties usually expected of the mistress.

But this is Ruby – she ain’t afraid of no challenge and before long, she has the place whipped up and running smoothly with the weird-in-the-1900s gender role switch shoved to the back of her mind. HOWEVER, there is only so long that shit can stay tucked away and, before long, the truth starts to wiggle out and along with it comes a big ol’ shit storm of chaos. It turns out there’s also more than one way to gaslight someone.

If it wasn’t apparent from my earlier gushing, I have A LOT of time for Stacey’s writing.
The world-building? Perfect.
The characters? Loved and hated them which is also perfect.
The pace? Ideal for my poor attention span.

The one bit I wish I had more of? The end. Tbh, I’m greedy – I just wanted that bit drawn out a little more and build up the tension to exploding point, but it’s absolutely not a negative on this book.

If you like historical fiction or either of her past two books, this will be right up your street.

My thoughts:
•absolutely a 5 ⭐️ read for me
•everything in the story was on the verge of spookiness, never quite topping over but definitely causing a sense of near-constant unease.
•the mystery and intrigue was built incredibly well - I had to know what happened next all the time and it made it very hard to put down!
•completely unexpected bombshells - I hate when I can guess the secrets or mystery in the book, but I had literally zero idea with this one, so I was very impressed.
•gorgeous characters, so easy to connect with and like, but that uneasy feeling is always there suggesting there’s more to them than we know…
•deals with power, control, deception, marriage and the roles of men and women during the Edwardian era.

Stacey Halls has such a talent for storytelling - I think this is my favourite out of her books so far! Although I always say that with each new book of hers I read 🙈

Set in the early 1900's against the damp backdrop of West Yorkshire, we meet Ruby May who after surviving trauma as a child relocates to become a Nurse Maid to the England children. Due to her previous family emigrating it is necessary to find a new family and she is keen to settle into her new role even if it is in a very remote location compared to London.

Quite quickly as you read you become wary of the family and the strange relationship between Mr & Mrs England and the strange looks that pass between the staff. Nurse May works hard to prove herself and keep sending money home to look after her poorly sister and you get to see the true strength and determination behind her character as the story unfolds. Filled with vivid descriptions throughout the book, it makes it easy to visualise the mill and its remote location.

Throughout this story I couldn't decide if Mr England or Mrs England had the strangest behaviour and as their secrets continued to unravel I found my opinion constantly changing. As the secrets come to light, Ruby is pushed to find her inner courage and we learn more of what happened in Ruby's early life as she becomes worried about history repeating itself.

Another powerful and enthralling ready by Stacey Halls that leaves you keen to keep reading and discover the truth behind the deception and secrets.

‘Mrs England’ is a tense, atmospheric page-turner of a novel that explores themes such as coercive control, mental health issues, and the roles of men and women in Edwardian society.

Ruby, a Norland nurse, is newly qualified and needs a new placement, so she jumps at the chance to move to Yorkshire following the end of her time with a family in London. From early on in the story, we learn how important Ruby’s family, based in Birmingham, are to her and how this impacts and informs some of her reactions and decisions throughout the novel. However, the family she joins in Yorkshire are not quite as she expected. The eponymous Mrs England is quiet and withdrawn, barely interested in her children, where as it is Mr England who takes on much of the running of the house and requests that Ruby comes to him with any questions, rather than troubling his wife. As Ruby settles in and starts to care for the children, both she - and we - get the uneasy feeling something is not right at Hardcastle House.

Fans of both historical fiction and psychological thrillers will certainly enjoy this book. It really does take you along at pace, keeping you guessing before delivering a series of dramatic revelations, not only about the Englands but also from Ruby’s past. In addition to this, the author shares in the notes at the end of the book that some of the storyline was inspired by real events - something I always find very interesting.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Bonnier / Zaffre Books for the advance copy on which this review was based.

Set in 1904, in London and Yorkshire, this is the story of Children's Nurse, Ruby May. When her current employers move to Chicago, she finds herself heading to the home of the England family in a Yorkshire mill town. Very early on it becomes apparent to Ruby that all is not what it seems within the household. Mrs England is distant and distracted. Mr England is full of bonhomie but Ruby senses an underlying tension. The atmosphere within the house is full of unease and unspoken issues.

The background of the mill town is really well created and conjures up a real sense of the time period. The characters are beautifully drawn, as are the relationships between them, especially those between Ruby and the children. The plot develops slowly and there is some clever misdirection. It was difficult at times to know who to believe. There aren't only secrets in the England family. Ruby is very elusive about her past and I became really invested in finding out what happened to her.

This was a really satisfying read. There are clever themes and a suitably dramatic ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jane Eyre meets Wuthering Heights in this gripping story of a Norland nanny working in an isolated household high on the Yorkshire moors. It's 1904 and nurse Ruby May has arrived to look after the the affluent Englands' four children, Saul, Decca, Millie and baby Charley. The children are a delight and Mr England is affable and welcoming, but it soon becomes clear something is not right in the household. Why does Mrs England keep to her rooms? Why is local blacksmith Tommy Sheldrake sending her clandestine letters? And what is happening to Ruby's own correspondence from her family and the Norland Institute? Friendless, isolated and lonely, Ruby gets on with the day job, but cannot ignore the tensions all around her. Past tragedy in her own life keeps her keenly alert to imminent danger - but as events escalate, can she protect the family she's responsible for from their own terrible secrets?
With its Gothic feel and the air of mystery surrounding both the England family and Ruby May herself, this was a haunting read. Undercurrents of tension pervade the pages, the suspenseful narrative amplified by the beautiful but often dangerous setting of the stony crags, rushing rivers and bleak moors surrounding the house, where anything might happen.
While the story explores a modern-day issue of coercive control, the author never loses sight of the historical context, and the narrative breathes authenticity. Like Stacey Halls' previous books, I read this in one sitting, and loved it from beginning to end.

Having read all of Stacey Halls previous novels, I was delighted to read 'Mrs England' and of course the cover design is worth a mention too - superbly eye-catching and engaging. Halls had delivered another excellent historical novel and I was hooked from start to finish. A character driven mystery in a fabulous setting and there's a real sense of unease that drives the page-turning. At its core is a serious and threatening storyline that provides the darkness and drive; the setting is moodily gothic and I had a fabulous time reading this book. Loved it and whole-heartedly recommended it.

West Yorkshire, 1904. Nurse May is eager to start afresh. The position offered to her by Charles and Lilian England, a wealthy couple from a powerful dynasty of mill owners, seems to be exactly what she needs. But as she adapts to life at the isolated Hardcastle House, it becomes clear there's something not quite right. After all, there's no such thing as the perfect family and she, above everyone else, should know.

Mysterious, unsettling, twisted. In other words: Mrs England.

I have to admit that it was a bit slow at the beginning, but as the Englands' were introduced and the pace quickened, my engagement grew stronger.
There is undoubtedly a duplicity that unites the characters. Nurse May has something to hide: what's her secret? Is she running away? Why is she so elusive about her past?  The reader's hunger for details is constantly solicitated by the crumbs Stacey Hall leaves around.
Mr and Mrs England are ambiguous as well and it is hard to shake the feeling of being manipulated by one of them.
It's like walking on eggshells all the time, not knowing who's lying and who's being sincere.
The uneasiness I felt all along, the curiosity that kept me reading line after line, the doubts I had about every single sentence spoken from the characters are proofs of a gorgeous and captivating storytelling.

Ok I'll admit it, I have Stacey's other books on my shelves at home which I am still yet to read (apologies profusely) however I have finally kicked myself up the bum and read Mrs England.

I wish I'd read it sooner.

What I'd describe as a historical psychological thriller (if that genre even exists), there is an eerie atmosphere throughout this historical tale.

Ruby, or as she's better known as Nurse May is employed by Mrs England to care for her four children.

I immediately felt immersed in the story, the scenery, the language used, as the reader it felt as though I was transported back in time.

The author has managed to describe everything from the houses, to the clothing, the jobs and the roles of each person. I'd say it was well researched, the details fitting for the story.

Both Mr and Mrs England were fantastic characters.

Strange, perhaps guilty of something - of what we don't know - their movements and mannerisms questionable. I believed that they were both caring parents but as Ruby also discovered, everyone seems to have their secrets (including her).

Although I wouldn't describe this book as a page turner, I certainly didn't want to stop reading.

With a slow pace, Mrs England is a novel that offers some wonderful characters, who are for the most part likeable, all wrapped up in a story that is full of suspense and mystery.

It's one of those tales that I'd really enjoy sitting and discussing various elements of it with others.

A big thank you to Netgalley and Bonnier Zaffree for the ARC.

I was very pleased to be approved for this ARC on NetGalley as I loved The Foundling by Stacey Halls. I thought this book was even better and it is now one of my favourite books of 2021. I found the story completely compelling from the first few pages!

The story starts when Ruby has to find new employment as a nurse and finds herself moving suddenly to Hardcastle house in an isolated part of Yorkshire caring for 4 young children. There is a sense of foreboding right from the start when Mr England, the master of the house tells Ruby to direct any queries to him about the children instead of to the mistress, Mrs England. Slowly the tension builds as you are left to wonder why Mrs England hardly ever leaves her room or shows any interest in her children. At the same time I wondered what had happened in Ruby's past and why she wouldn't read any of the letters from her father.
Ruby slowly begins to uncover the secrets within the house and very gradually you also learn snippets about her previous life with her own family.
I found it very hard to predict what was going to happen in this story and I was desperate to find out why the main characters were acting so strangely and what was going on! I loved the mysterious nature of the book and the slow reveal. It all came together so brilliantly at the end. Stacey Halls creates such great characters that you feel you have met them and the brilliantly atmospheric, slightly eerie setting in the Yorkshire moors was fantastically created!
Definitely a 5 star read for me and one I will be recommending to anyone who loves a compelling mystery set in the past.
Thank you to NetGalley and Manilla Press for this ARC.

Mrs England is about a nurse who gets sent to work in a family for the children of Mr and Mrs England. Mr England is eccentric and a powerful member of society whereas Mrs England doesn’t seem to be fully involved in her family life. The more time that Ruby spends at Hardcastle house, the more she realises that there is some secret at the heart of the England family, specifically concerning the marriage of Charles and Lillian. What follows is a story around power, class and societal expectations.

This was the easiest 5 stars EVER! What an absolutely beautiful and engrossing read. Stacey Halls writes historical fiction in a way that is so engaging and her Third novel was no let down. I loved how Ruby was such a strong character and used her position as the family nurse to constantly challenge the restraints around her.

I really can’t wait to read more from Stacey Halls, and I definitely will be re-reading this as soon as it releases!

When I found out I’d secured an ARC for @staceyhallsauthor’s new book Mrs England I was super, super excited. I loved her previous two novels The Familiars and The Foundling and couldn’t wait to get stuck into Mrs England.

We follow Ruby, a Norland Nurse sent to a family in Yorkshire. She connects beautifully with the children - but there’s something a bit... off with Mr and Mrs England. Alongside this, Ruby is battling her own demons, which somewhat cloud her judgement of the current situation.

The first 75% of the book builds the suspension and it’s not until the final 20% where the real action happens. I would say that this storyline is subtle, unlike Halls’ previous books which are pretty action packed - so this book felt very different, but it was still great. It isn’t pacy, so if you like a bit of a slow burn and the building of suspense - this one is for you! Congrats @staceyhallsauthor on another wonderful novel.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK for approving me for an ARC of this book. I have both of Stacey Halls’ previous books sat n my shelf waiting to be read so I was very excited when this one popped up! Luckily my good friends Meg Readz and Clare got approved too so I did this as a buddy read with them, I really enjoyed discussing the book as we went.

I honestly do not know where to begin with this one. One word seemed to spring to mind a lot during my buddy conversations and that was QUESTIONS! I felt that I had so many questions and every time I carried on through the read I would find some of the answers but more questions would pop up. This compelled me to read on as I desperately wanted to know certain things such as Ruby’s family story, what would happen to her and why was everyone so strange at Hardcastle House?

The setting of West Yorkshire in the 1900’s was beautifully described and provided the perfect chilling setting to Hardcastle House. It was fascinating to learn about the Norland Nurses Institute and other timely features from that period. This is why historical fiction is one of my favourite genres as I feel that I learn so many interesting facts about history.

Ruby was a brilliant main character. It was clear from the start that she had a way with children and whilst the prospect of looking after 4 children was quite daunting, she handled it with true professionalism. She was firm but fair and showed a lot of affection to all four children, she was also very creative with their projects. Ruby’s attitude and how she carried herself was admirable. She wasn’t a pushover and felt able to voice her opinion, which she demonstrated with Saul’s asthma attack (the treatment the doctor administered still shocks me now!)

Mr and Mrs England were very interesting characters. Their stories were cleverly written and to begin with I couldn’t work out which one of them was the more damaging. It quickly became clear to me and I loved how that part of the story unravelled, as well as Ruby’s part in it.

This stories climatic ending had me frantically turning the pages, desperate to know the character’s fates and finally learn the answers to all my questions. Family secrets and lies are all intricately woven into this story to deliver a spooky and captivating tale.

I adored Stacey Hall’s first two books The Familiars & The Foundling so I couldn’t wait to get stuck in to Mrs England.
I wasn’t disappointed. It’s a beautifully written piece of historical fiction with an enjoyable slow burning story. Ruby is a fascinating character and it’s easy to picture the rugged Yorkshire landscape which provides the backdrop to Mrs England.
I’m a huge fan of Stacey’s writing style, she weaves enough mysteries to keep you hooked throughout, my only (tiny) criticism is that it left me wanting more.

Another compelling historical novel from the fantastic pen of Stacey Halls! I was so excited to be given access to an ARC of 'Mrs England', having loved both of her previous books; 'The Familiars' and 'The Foundling'.

In 'Mrs England' we follow newly qualified Norland Nurse Ruby (A.K.A Nurse May) as she is relocated to a wealthy mill-owning family in the North. Used to the bustle of London, the large house in the Yorkshire countryside is a remote one - but it seems not quite remote enough to outrun her past. And as Ruby begins to suspect all is not congenial felicity between Mr and Mrs England, she even begins to fear the past will repeat itself...

Simmering with slow burning tension 'Mrs England' is a true page turner that explores the battle for power and control between the sexes, alongside dark secrets that can rip a life apart. The atmospheric backdrop of Edwardian life is brought vividly to life by Halls skilful portrayal of daily living and the real people who inhabited the past.

Timeless and enthralling - a book that will stay with you long after you have read the last page.

Having read The Foundling I really wasn’t sure what to expect, but now I know that this author has hooked me on a genre I didn’t think I’d like. Stacey Halls ability to create complex characters with hidden depths and ulterior motives is brilliant. The plot was not quite what I expected but it’s so clever and enthralling. A stunning read, I’d thoroughly recommend it!

Norland nanny Ruby is very happy in her job with a family in London. But when the family relocates to America, Ruby is adamant she cannot go with them and so is reassigned to the England family of Hardcastle House. Arriving in Yorkshire, city girl Ruby has to rapidly adjust to life in the damp and craggy landscape around Hardcastle, and to the mysterious England family. Used to taking her orders from the lady of the house, she cannot understand why Mrs England barely ventures out of her room nor talks to her children, and why there seems to be such tension between her and her husband.

The twin puzzles - of what happened to Ruby that means she can't leave the country, and of what exactly is happening in the England household, and marriage - are unfolded over the course of the book (although I have to confess that the strand dealing with Ruby's past never felt entirely convincing to me) and answered to greater or lesser degrees. Fans of ambiguous endings will find a lot to enjoy here.

The setting of Hardcastle will be familiar to anyone who has visited Hardcastle Crags, with the National Trust property, Gibson Mill, at the Crags forming the basis for Mr England's mill, while the neighbouring town (never actually named in the narrative) is very obviously Hebden Bridge to those who know it well. I had great fun following Ruby as she traversed the streets of my home town and was able to vividly imagine how it might have been just over a hundred years ago. Just a few miles down the road from where Emily Bronte wrote Wuthering Heights, the valley makes for an appropriately atmospheric and gothic setting for the book.

I wish Stacey Halls had been writing when I was a teenager, because I think I would have loved her books; ten years on, my tastes have changed and I no longer feel the pull towards commercial historical fiction that I did back then. (A shame!) After feeling mixed about The Familiars, I was hoping to enjoy Mrs England, her latest novel, more. I did and I didn't. Ruby May is a children's nurse from the famous Norland Institute, posted to the mysterious England family in North Yorkshire. I loved the first parts set in London, which evoked such historical atmosphere and detail, but I found the descriptions of Yorkshire a lot less compelling (a personal preference, I'm sure). The story was good and very readable, the characters were interesting (I thought the children were especially well-written!), and the book felt completely rooted in the historical period (I kept thinking about all the research Stacey Halls would have done to make this feel so authentic). But I wasn't as hooked or gripped by the twists and mysteries as I suspect I should have been. I'm not entirely sure why - could be the fact I read this in fragments on a city break, instead of gulping it down in a few sittings. Either way, when the main action unfolded, I was left a bit unimpressed. A good read, but not a favourite. 3.75 🌟, to be incredibly specific.

Being a big fan of Stacey Halls’ previous two books (The Familiars and The Foundling) I was very excited to get started on Mrs England. Like its predecessors, this is historical fiction (set in 1904) and centres around a strong female character trying to work out her place in the world.

Yes, so Ruby May is our narrator. A student of the prestigious Norland Institute, she has trained to be one of the very best children’s nurses in the country.

When she finds herself placed with affluent mill owners, Mr Charles and Mrs Lilian England of Hardcastle House, Yorkshire to look after and nurture their four children (ranging from teenage Decca to baby Charley) she enjoys it at first, but soon realises there is more than meets the eye bubbling away under the surface.

Speaking of, Ruby has her own family traumas that she is concealing. An incident with her father when she was younger has shaped her whole life since and she is torn between letting people know about it and hiding her past.

I love a Gothic story and there was definitely a nod to the genre here. The isolated Yorkshire moors setting, sense of unrest and secrets to be uncovered had Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre vibes and that only made me fall for Mrs England even more.

A slow burner overall, I was completely engrossed in the rural setting and Edwardian time-frame – Stacey Halls is so good at transporting you into an era – and Ruby May is a character that you really care for. She is earnest and pure and it’s her sense of right and wrong that makes her so strong.

I would say I found Mrs England to be a comfort read: I anticipated the tone thanks to Stacey Halls’ previous novels and I love a good slice of historical fiction with a strong conclusion and sense of putting the world to rights. Although a slight story curve ball was thrown in at the end (I think!) that definitely left me pondering. That and why the novel was named for Mrs England, rather than Ruby May. Intrigued? You’ll have to give Mrs England a read to find out…