I love Laura's adult books and wanted to read this YA novel before recommending it to my nieces who are in their mid teens and they will absolutely love this! Unlike some YA novels this is aimed squarely at that market, so my review is based on a teenage audience for which this is perfect!

2.5 stars like it was ok?

- Werewolves
- F/M F/F romance
- gore
- secrets

This book was ok. The main character being 16 really shows the YA-ness of this book she thinks like a 16 year old.

The werewolf aspect was differently done like most books and what I'd expect so that was nice to see a change to the normal plot of werewolf books. I felt like this story needed more something to it.

The romances in this to me felt forced and fell flat for me, was giving teenage aw look I like them as they are there vibes.

The main character was bothering me as an adult was i was just like listen to them Christ. but maybe I am just the wrong age demographic for this book and someone in their early teens may appreciate this more.

Thank you netgalley and HarperCollins UK for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Following a scandal, our protagonist Camille has little say in what happens to her next. Sent to the woods to live with an estranged godmother, Camille is lost.

But as creatures come out of the woodwork and the elusive Lucy come further into Camilles life, she has to question more than her own actions.

A sapphic YA novel that sets its pace pretty quickly, I wanted a bit more from the plot but I really enjoyed this.

Such a spooky, atmospheric, haunting book that allows the reader to meet shy and privileged Camille who is sent to live with her godmother and her 'sick' daughter Lucy, who Camille is a bit unsure of. However Camille's inquisitive nature allows her opinion of Lucy to shift throughout the story and show her huge character development throughout the book and really see the real Lucy by the end. Lucy has so much history and trauma that has made her so introverted that it was beautiful to see her grow and heal and free herself from her past and take on a new identity. I loved the descriptions of the regal side and the gothic vibes really set the eerie atmosphere typical of Purcell's books. I was immediately drawn in and invested in the characters and thought the worldbuilding and plot was on point. I loved how the friendship between Camille and Lucy blossomed throughout into something more tender as they grew to understand themselves and each other, and with Camille's relentless pursuit to try and find a healing cure for Lucy.

Moonstone is a YA fantasy that follows a young woman called Camille who is sent to stay with her godmother following a scandal with a young man. Her godmother is a recluse that spends her days living in the forest and looking after her daughter Lucy who has a strange illness. As the two spend more time together Camille soon discovers there is much more to Lucy than her illness.

This book is a gothic book, well paced and a quick and engaging read. However, it felt a bit predictable, but the writing style was quite good. I felt like the author could create the right atmosphere with some gothic and horror vibes to it.

I would recommend it to those who enjoys a historical gothic book with a touch of horror and mystery.

Moonstone is a YA fantasy story that follows a young woman called Camille who is sent to stay with her godmother following a scandal with a young man. Her godmother is a recluse and spends her days living in the forest and looking after her daughter Lucy who has a strange illness. As the two spend more time together Camille soon discovers there is much more to Lucy and her illness than meets the eye.

Moonstone is the YA debut of The Silent Companions author Laura Purcell. I have read a number of books from this author previously and given them all five stars so I was very intrigued by this one. Moonstone is very different from the gothic historical horrors I have come to expect from Purcell and while it did not grab me in the same way, this was still an enjoyable read. It was well paced and being just under 300 pages it was a pretty quick and engaging read. I did find the story somewhat predictable but that did not mean I was not intrigued to see how it all played out.

I liked Camille and Lucy as main characters and I thought Purcell did a good job of developing their relationship as they spent more time together. I thought the romance could have done with a little more development but overall I thought the story came to a satisfying conclusion. I absolutely love Purcell’s writing style and that definitely shone through in Moonstone. Whilst I didn’t fall in love with this one I am not necessarily the target audience so if you are someone who loves YA fantasy then Moonstone would definitely be your kind of book and I am of course very much looking forward to whatever Purcell writes next.

Here we join Camille who is sent away to her godmother after a scandal at home. The godmother has a strange daughter, Lucy, and some odd help at home. Things are strict, you can't go out after dark or talk to the locals.
It's a werewolf book basically. Some will love this, I'm just not a big werewolf fan.
I wanted to read this after reading another book from the author that I loved and hoped that the writing style would be enough but unfortunately this just didn't do it for me. I just found it very slow paced and dragged a bit in a few places.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me access to an e-arc of this title.
I have read a couple of titles from this author before and was very excited to be approved for this one. Moonstone is such a perfect storm of gothic horror, historical vibes, and mystery. Perfectly atmospheric, I was hooked from the first page. Laura Purcell has a very distinct writing style that flows beautifully and is so suited to the historical vibes. I would recommend this to anyone who likes a gothic, mysterious, time. If you're not into historical fiction... I would still recommend this as it was more about the vibes and the plot was interesting enough to distract from that vibe. I would also recommend this to anyone who is new to either gothic and/or horror... it's a good blend of the genres that inspire it so it would be great for those just delving in.

3.5

First, I want to apologize for taking so long to review this book–thank you for your patience! Moonstone is a YA fantasy novel with gothic undertones by Laura Purcell that offers readers a dark and compelling experience. The story takes us to 19th-century England, specifically a remote farm in a small village in Yorkshire, where the shadows are long and the whispers of a menacing creature echo through the trees.

The main character is Camille, a young aristocrat forced into hiding on her godmother’s farm after a social scandal. Initially, Camille sticks to her aristocratic habits, but over time she has to adapt to a simpler, more laborious lifestyle. This isn't just about her daily life, but also about her mental development. Her godmother is despised by society because she's a married but separated woman and because she leads a reclusive, secretive life. But thanks to this isolation, they enjoy a certain freedom from societal expectations, which ultimately influences Camille, leading her to grow and reevaluate her beliefs, seeing the world through a new lens.

Although the story progresses slowly, I enjoyed Camille's development, even if it felt strange at times that she struggled with certain realizations despite being quite open-minded. However, she is redeemed towards the end when she delves into the secret that her godmother and Lucy have been keeping to themselves, despite being responsible for some mishaps.

Lucy, the godmother’s daughter, is a character whose complexity is only gradually revealed. She remains an enigma until the end, which is part of her charm. Isolated by an unknown illness and friendliness, her connection to Camille is a ray of hope that allows her to open up and eventually form a bond that goes much deeper than friendship. Lucy embodies the darkness while Camille symbolizes the light; together they balance the shadow and light in a way that enriches their growth.

While the book's atmosphere is captivating, I missed a more intense connection to the romance and a more impactful twist. The chemistry between characters felt a bit forced or underdeveloped, and though the twist at the end was well-executed, it was somewhat basic. The last part of the novel moves at a much faster pace than the rest, which makes the ending engaging but takes away from the climax, which feels rushed and lacks the proper intensity.

Overall, Moonstone is a haunting and atmospheric novel that excels at creating a gothic, tension-filled setting. Camille’s growth and the mystery surrounding Lucy offer readers two protagonists who balance each other perfectly. However, the slow pace and predictable plot may leave some readers a little unsatisfied, especially those expecting a bigger twist. Still, I rounded my rating to 4 stars because, despite its slow pace and predictable plot, it’s an enjoyable and captivating read—perfect for a quiet autumn afternoon.


Thank you to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An enjoyable YA gothic fairytale with wolf shifters and a sapphic romance. The characters were interesting and I appreciate that the main character had some unlikeable personality traits but a kind heart to balance it out. Purcell's writing was atmospheric but easy to read and I look forward to more from her.

If you like fantasy gothic books this is definitely something for you. A dark forest, great mysteries and a slowly emerging romance. Really interesting world-building.

Lucky enough to receive the eARC on netgalley to write and share a review of my honest opinion.

I enjoyed the writing style and felt it was a good story with An interesting mix of characters.

I found the female main character Camille to be very self centred and oblivious to many things. Her caring nature kept me reading.

I found the plot quite predictable and the love interest for me could have been explored and developed more. I was not fully sold or believing the romance was there, until it suddenly was.

It felt very YA to me, and I hoped to enjoy this one. A good book, but not one I'd revisit.

Just finished moonstone by laura purcell I am a massive twilight girly team jacob all the way I love any book with wolf shifters so I new I had to read this I really enjoyed the storyline the characters and the ambience of the cabin in the woods was really intriguing and spooky it starts of when our main character camille is sent away from her family to live in the middle of nowhere with her godmother and her daughter Lucy who from the start is very cagey about where she lives and about Lucy being ill and needing alot of strange potions and looking after which camille is kept in the dark about it all which of course only makes camille more intrigued to find out what is going on she's worried for Lucy even though Lucy is very hostile towards her also in the middle of this all something else strange is going on funny noises and howling and strange things happening all over town this book had me hooked i really enjoyed it and the romance is so cute

I liked this more than I expected, and it gave the perfect gothic spooky season vibes. Moonstone follows Camille, who after a scandal is sent to live with her reclusive godmother deep in the woods. There she meets Lucy, a sickly, fragile girl who is suffering from a mysterious affliction.

Purcell constructed a vividly dark world that set itself apart from your typical werewolf novel. The depiction of the monsters was perfection and supported the gothic horror elements. I felt the ending was a little rushed and 100 more pages would have greatly benefited the conclusion.
Overall, I had a great time, and I recommend this book to anyone who’s into slow-burn gothic romances, regency pieces and werewolves.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK, NetGalley and Laura Purcell for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Book review 📚
Moonstone by Laura Purcell
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A fairytale but make it gothic? I absolutely loved reading this book. With a target audience of YA, this will be a huge success.

The description of not only the surroundings of our characters but the characters well was brilliant. Purcell went into so much detail and did not leave a single thing out. I am in awe of the amount of imagination used whilst she wrote this book. It was so descriptive.

The eerie and ominous atmosphere that surrounds is the characters is nothing short of spectacular. It is easily a book you can curl up with on a brisk autumn evening and finish within one sitting. Loved it.

I’ve loved all of Laura Purcell’s books that I’ve read and this was no exception.
Her first work in the YA category is a sapphic gothic fairytale and I loved every minute of it.
I can’t wait to see what she does next.

When Camille's actions bring shame to her family, she is sent to live with her estranged godmother and her ailing daughter, Lucy. Camille, unfamiliar with her new surroundings, is aware only of Lucy's mysterious and severe illness, which seems to be linked to strange occurrences around her.

The novel unfolds slowly, delving into Camille's sheltered life of privilege and her transition to the secluded, enigmatic world of her godmother's home. Camille's innocence and curiosity drive her to uncover the secrets surrounding Lucy and the bizarre events that haunt the household. Her desire to help Lucy uncovers more than she bargained for, raising questions about the cost of her newfound knowledge.

Laura Purcell's storytelling is rich and atmospheric, creating a haunting gothic fantasy that draws readers into a world of dark secrets and eerie mysteries. Her descriptive prose crafts a deeply immersive experience, leaving a lingering sense of foreboding as the secrets of Camille's new life are slowly revealed.

This is my first read by Purcell, but I’ve heard a lot about her other stories (I have them on my TBR), and when I heard she was dabbling into YA, I was keen to see where this would take me.

Here we follow Camille as she’s sent to live with her reclusive godmother after a terrible scandal, but her godmother’s home is full of danger and opportunities for her to learn more about herself, her dreams and desires.

Camille is a feisty and inquisitive main character, who struggles to understand her godmother and her daughter Lucy’s way of life. But as she learns more and more, she starts to questions what she knows, and has been told. I really enjoyed this gothic setting, the commentary of women in society of the time, and take on the supernatural. Thrown into the mix is forbidden relationships.

Whilst I would have liked more focus on her building relationship with Lucy, I did like some of their moments together - particularly when Camille realises her feelings. This one has left me wanting to read more of Purcell’s books - I’ll have to bump them up on my shelf.

Thanks to NetGalley, the team at Magpie/ Harper Collins, and the author for the opportunity to read this review copy. I am also so pleased to have the Locked Library edition - it’s such a beautiful copy!

Thank you Netgalley and Publishers for the ecopy of Moonstone

I loved reading Moonstone, the set up and the world building captured me from the start. The alternating time frames confused me at times though as I didn't think it was clear it was time hopping, Though towards the end it became clearer. I still loved the layout and formatting of the novel, it was really gripping and I really enjoyed the characters. Lucy and Camille were stark contrasts but I loved how they developed and how everything changed towards the end. Bridget and Rowena kept me guessing all the way through, I felt each brought a uniqueness to the storyline. The writing itself was vivid with descriptions and the pacing was set well, the scenes that were tense came off the page well and as a reader I was immersed in it all unravelling, I loved how everything twisted and turned and how storyline all came together.
I thoroughly enjoyed Moonstone.

*Many thanks to Laura Purcell, HarperCollins UK, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
Ms Purcell's writing always draws me, and I could not resist the temptation when I saw her latest novel and requested it despite a little red bulb signalling YA. I am definitely not the target reader, being well above this age group, and unfortunately, I was unable to enjoy this book as much as I wished.
On the positive side, this gothic romance has all attributes: an isolated heroine, a mystery behind an illness, a villain etc. The downside is only on my side entirely, namely, not being able to connect with characters in any way and predicting what awaits me as a reader.