I liked the idea of this Gothic YA novel set in Regency Era more than the actual novel. The main character Camille is not only very naive, but also kept uninformed nearly to the end of the novel. The spoilt young lady is sent to Yorkshire to stay with her godmother. The godmother's daughter Lucy is very ill and Camille's presence will certainly cause trouble. The safest course of action for everyone involved: do not tell Camille what is going on, because then she could act accordingly and the plot would have been ten pages long.

A gothic fairytale! I am so happy that Laura Purcell has branched out into YA - I really enjoy her stories, and this was no exception. You never really know with her books whether it'll be magical, or something that can be explained with science! Similar to her adult novels but with a younger, easier storyline.

I love Purcell and her gothic delights and this YA debut gifts us more of the same quality of her adult fiction without the lewdness or excessive page count of many recent YAs. This is pure Regency era, vampiric romance set where else but in a hidden house in the woods with some reclusive inhabitants. A fab read.
My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own unbiased opinion.

A truly lovely book! I enjoyed this book so much the writing was beautiful. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

Reading this as an adult I can see the simplicity of the story, however, thinking about reading this as a young adult, which this is targeted too, I would have loved it.
The pace goes between slow and fast as the story progresses. The ‘secret’ seems quite obvious from the start, but the development of the story is presented really well. I enjoyed this book even as an adult. It’s a bit of an escapism into a world of YA fantasy.
I liked Camille as the main character, she had her human flaws like naivety, but she was brave, head strong and not afraid to get stuck in. She was also kind and understanding and I felt she questioned things for all the right reasons. Lucy was clearly trapped in a very sad world her mother Rowena and Bridget created for her to keep her safe and Camille became the one bright star in the darkness.
I would certainly recommend this to any budding young adult reader, who would like to delve into mystical creatures fantasy genre, it’s a great start into this world and a thoroughly enjoyable read.
Thank you to Netgalley for this book.

I absolutely love Laura Purcell’s work and was so excited to read her first YA novel. Our first introduction to Camille was brilliant, a bridgerton-esque setting and a headstrong female lead made for a promising start. The drama that ensued in the first quarter all came to a halt and I found the pace dipped by half way through, so much so, that the lead up to the ending lost its sense of suspense.

There are some great elements to this novel, the character development, the relationships between the characters and the vivid settings. However, I usually enjoy YA novels for their fast pace and this was just a little slow for me.

Laura Purcell still remains my favourite author!

I really loved this foray for Laura Purcell into YA fiction. It has all the trademarks of her excellent work especially the gothic setting and atmosphere. Laura Purcell is one of my go-to authors. Excellent stuff! Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

Moonstone is a haunting gothic romance filled with suspicion, twists, and monsters. The book is beautifully paced, with real, witty characters and an eerie atmosphere. The isolated setting and intense conflicts capture the gothic vibes perfectly. While I guessed some plot points, the character conflicts kept the story thrilling and unpredictable.

3.5 upped to 4
I recently re-read Carmilla and there were a lot of elements in this story that made me think of that novella.
There's a lot of potential, a lot of intriguing aspects but it's very slow and I wasn't a fan of Camille that i found both naif and self centered.
I liked it but didn't love it
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This was a perfect read when you've just finished a long book and have a trilogy lined up. Light simple reading.

This is a gothic tale really, not so much fantasy imo, its the whole werewolf idea and written in a gothic style. Although not my normal read I did really enjoy the book and didn't have to thi k too much. Yes it wasn't the biggest plot twist but it was nicely tied together. Great for when you want something quick and simple.

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book

Moonstone by Laura Purcell
3/5 stars

I loved the idea of this book, however I struggled to fully get into it. I wish Camille was more relatable and I feel as though there could have been some more background regarding the other characters. I did enjoy the subtle hints to werewolves since the beginning when Camille moved to the farm, however I just felt that it was quite a slow-paced book until the end and then it felt rushed?

I overall did not enjoy this book.

Thank you to Netgalley, the Publisher and Laura for this arc.

What a wonderful surprise this title was! I was expecting something in the vein of modern romantasy with werewolves and sapphics--imagine my delight when what I got was something which instead read like the pitch perfect YA version of a period gothic. I loved it. It was dark, moody, atmospheric and beautifully written, with gorgeously drawn characters. I ADORED our lead, with her--to quote another reviewer--' delicate innocence' and incredibly realistic blinkers and flaws, and the way the dramatic tension didn't derive from dramatic reveals to the *audience*, but from the audience knowing exactly what's going on and being unable to stop what's coming.

This was an incredibly refreshing read in today's YA landscape, and I sincerely hope Laura Purcell continues to write in this space. Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the eARC in exchange for my review!

I absolutely love Laura Purcell’s work: the settings, the characters, are sometimes creepy, sometimes kind hearted and generous, but always nuanced. I was intrigued by news of her debut YA, and wondered if it would be for me. Having just read it in one sitting, I needn’t have worried: of course it’s for me. She’s successfully blurred the line between YA and ‘Adult’, ie it can easily be enjoyed by both demographics.
After an indiscretion in the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, Camille is sent to live with her reclusive Aunt Rowena and cousin Lucy for a period of one year. She’s taken from life among the high society of London to secluded woods in Yorkshire where there’s no need for her fancy clothes or manner. When she arrives, she’s told that Lucy’s very ill and is then given strict rules to follow in order not to make Lucy’s illness worse. After a while, she becomes suspicious and wonders whether Lucy is actually ill or whether she’s being harmed by others! I’ll leave it there because you really need to find out what happens yourself. Just bear in mind that the, at times, self-righteous and self-absorbed Camille’s behaviour precipitates what follows.
I love the structure of Laura Purcell’s plots and the fact there’s always a little more, just when the reader thinks it’s all over.
Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins for the ARC

I wasn’t expecting this book to be as cosy as it was, it was definitely a book you could curl up with and devour in one sitting.

There was some mysterious elements to this book as well as being fantasy, dark, a slow burn sapphic romance and werewolves of course.

This book had me gripped the whole way through as the mysterious parts really had me wanting to find out how the story unravelled.

The one and only downfall for this book was that it just didn’t include enough werewolves as I was expecting but I’m really hoping for a second book where it expands on the werewolf adventures.

A gothic tale with romance and werewolves
I enjoyed that this wasn't your typical werewolf romance, it reminded me of hound of the baskervilles slightly with the atmosphere.
I'd say that this book would be perfect for the younger side of YA I would of adored this more if I was still in the ya age group
One critique that I did have that took Mr out of the story was during the same chapters it would switch time frames but with no warning or headers so it would take me a minute to realise what was going on.

An interesting premise! I liked how naturally Camille and Lucy's friendship developed throughout the story and the final act was action packed and engaging

My review for Moonstone by Laura Purcell (4 stars): A dark gothic tale full of monsters, scandal and secrets

Thank you Harper Collins and Laura Purcell for sharing an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The story follows Camille, a gentlewoman of high society, forced to join her estranged godmother and her daughter Lucy in a secluded hut deep in the Yorkshire forest. Camille is only 16, but her name is already attached to scandal, following an incident in the Vauxhall pleasure gardens. Her family seeks to avoid societal displeasure and sends the girl away to make sure she doesn’t ruin their reputation. A decision they will end up gravely regretting.

The hunting hut in the woods is full of secrets, more dangerous than even Camile’s vivid imagination could ever foresee. As Lucy suffers from a mysterious illness and the nearby village is haunted by a dangerous beast, Camille tries to untangle the secrets and lies that surround this reclusive and strange family. With help from a friend from the past, the girl is adamant she has to reveal the truth and save those who are suffering.

Full of vicious creatures, forbidden boundaries and gruesome deaths, this is a true YA gothic mystery that packs a punch (or, rather, a bite). I really enjoyed the build-up of this slower-paced book and loved getting to know the characters. The suspense is strong and kept me going through the slower parts of the book. The prose is beautiful - if you read and enjoyed Belladonna and the Honey Witch, I highly recommend picking this one up too. A tiny hint of sapphic romance was a nice touch.

The only downsides of this book are its slower pace and the slightly rushed ending. I do hope this will be turned into a series, as I’d love to find out what happens to our characters next.

Thank you to Laura Purcell, Harper Collins and Net galley for letting me read an E-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book. A cup of tea. A rainy day. PERFECTION. The gothic vibe was so indulgent. This book was a 10/10 for the atmospheric aspect which made up where some of the other areas were lacking. Such as the romance. I didn’t feel and overwhelming amount of connection between the main characters. However, as a heavy romance reader maybe I am just not used to things being on the more subtle side. I did find the FMC Camille a tad irritating at times but that’s doesn’t usually deter me from a book. Not every character has traits you love and that’s the best parts about trialling different authors. I do think Camille being kept in the dark was intentional for the plot but it is a little frustrating. I did like that this book was set across 2 timelines. I found that concept captivating.

This is the first book I’ve read by Laura Purcell and I will be going back for more.
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Learning to push against boundaries is part of growing up. No longer wishing to be treated as a child, learning about the adult world and all the emotional hormonal changes that brings and also learning who you want to be. Horror is often quite skilled at exploring changes too with various monsters being metaphors for power and control. In Laura Purcell’s interesting historical YA fantasy we get a take of two young teenagers finding out their world is more complex and scarier than they ever realised.

Camille had caused a scandal - a single kiss in public is enough to set tongues wagging and hurt her family reputation. To allow things to cooldown her family send her to the remote countryside to stay with her Godmother Rowena and her daughter Lucy. Two women also used to family scandal. Camille finds herself alone, having to learn farming and household chores for the first time and Lucy is very hostile to her. However things in this remote house are strange, Lucy had a strange undisclosed illness, the family are constantly experimenting with herbs and now the countryside is getting terrorised by a large loose dog. More secrets are to be revealed and danger lurks.

What I enjoyed about Moonstone is how Purcell gently explains what women were expected to be in this period. A momentary kiss is enough to destroy a woman’s reputation (never the man’s). We also see Rowena was in an abusive marriage but her escape is such she must hide in the middle of nowhere as men have all the power. Purcell brings to life these constraints and a big part of the story is Camille coming of age. Told via Camille we feel her confusion, frustration and realisation things aren’t as she has been told.

We slowly get supernatural elements weaved in but in many ways this is less horror than gothic fantasy. A enclosed house, a sick/possibly mad young lady in the form of Lucy and the Camille’s young man appears back to tempt her further. We have a family saga and two young women learning to trust one another.

Now my one issue is pacing. For me it’s rather clear early on what the secret is. I know when people mutter about silver and moons where a story heads. But a YA reader may not and I have to caveat this criticism but I did feel the first half feels quite slow and perhaps an earlier reveal would have allowed the second half to breathe then we get more reveals about the family, betrayals and deaths (off the page) and a new dimension to Lucy and Camille’s relationship but it’s all quite rushed. A little more exploration of the relative and scenes would have helped earn the very good set piece awaiting the end of the tale.

Moonstone is a fun YA piece of gothic mild horror. For some it will be their first werewolf tale but older readers may need to remember we all started somewhere not knowing what lurks out there at night

I really wanted to love this book. The description sounded SO good but the book fell a little short on expectations for me.

The first few chapters really sucked me in to begin with. We had a scandal, the FMC had to move away and then we had mysterious family members. Then it got annoying that our main character, Camille, couldn't see what was glaringly obvious to the reader. I guess you could put it down to her naivity but honestly it was obvious from chapter 3, so the fact she didn't find out till well near the end frustrated me while reading. The ending seemed rushed and not well executed.

However, I am in my 30's and if I was a teenager again, this probably would have been a hit. I think that this could be the start of something, just not for me. It was really nice to see something different done with werewolves but sadly it's just not for me.