If Stacey Halls writes it, I'm going to read it. Easily one of my favourite historical fiction authors. Charles Dickens is a side character in this book which is crazy! It also features a real life place set up by Dickens, Urania Cottage. The book follows the lives of the girls inhabiting Urania Cottage, life hasn't always been kind to them so it was interesting to see if they'd turn their lives around or return to former lifestyles. I loved the strong female characters we had and I was so captivated by their stories. If y0u're craving an incredible piece of historical fiction with a sprinkle of real life facts, then this book is for you.

The Household was such a wonderful read. Angela and the girls are characters that will be hard to forget and the story such an original idea. Stacey Halls is a brilliant writer who’s written another great book.

As an avid reader of historical fiction/mystery set in this time period, I did find myself guessing the twist just before it happened. However, I think the average reader who doesn’t encounter books constantly with similar plot devices and themes wouldn’t work it out! I felt so much of the book happened in the second half which could have been shared a bit more equally into the first so I didn’t feel I was racing through the second half.

A wonderful book, fantastic characters and such an original story. Well Done Stacey Halls!

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4.5 stars ⭐️

I had not read any of this author’s previous work, so had no particular expectation. I was attracted by the synopsis though. However I found this book to be very slow, disjointed, lacking in character development, and much too long. Long descriptive passages of just about everything, failed to hold my interest.
Some other reviewers have commented that the last 25-30% of the book improves greatly. That may be so, but I prefer a book that holds my interest for 100% of the time.
This book was not for me, and was a DNF.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book.

The Household by Stacey Halls ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Another great book from this author. Historical Fiction. Set in Dickensian London, Urania Cottage is a home for ‘fallen women’. Another cleverly plotted novel. The author writes great characters and really takes you back in time. I loved this book but I’ve loved all Stacey Halls novels

London, 1847. Thanks to Charles Dickens and a group of benefactors, Urania Cottage, a quiet house in the countryside outside London, is set to welcome its new residents, under the watchful eye of Mrs Holdsworth. The residents will all have one thing in common: they are what the Victorians referred to as ‘fallen women’. Offering refuge for prostitutes, petty thieves and the destitute, Urania Cottage will offer a second chance at life.

Meanwhile, a few miles away in a Piccadilly mansion, millionairess Angela Burdett-Coutts, one of the benefactors of Urania Cottage, makes a discovery that leaves her cold. Her stalker of ten years has been released from prison, and she knows it's only a matter of time before their nightmarish game resumes once more.

The women's worlds will collide in ways they could never have expected, and they will discover that freedom always comes at a price . . .

Stacey Hall’s novels are always eagerly anticipated and this one is engaging, absorbing and fascinating, with an added richness and depth. It is possibly her best writing yet. Inspired by real events and historical figures, I was completely immersed in this story which offers insight into an incredibly enlightened social project, as well as the dark underbelly of Victorian life and the limited choices for survival (thieving and prostitution) facing women who fall into destitution.

It shows how Victorian society was a man’s world in every sense, despite a female queen, and even the women of the wealthier classes were generally patronised, mostly indulged, and had limited options and protections, even in the face of horrific and outrageous stalking.

Stacey Hall’s trademark is to weave historical facts with a strong and dramatic storyline, and populate it with well-drawn, believable and convincing characters with whom the reader quickly becomes invested and cares for. Strong women characters is another of Hall’s trademarks, and there are many in this novel, including Mrs Holdsworth and Martha. I was absolutely fascinated by Angela Burdett-Coutts, and disappeared off down a Google rabbit hole to find out more about her.

This novel has drama, suspense and intrigue, and as the plot unfolds there are plenty of twists to keep the reader’s interest - one really unexpected one which I did not see coming at all. It paints a vivid picture of Dickensian London, and is clearly based on considerable research which never once bogs down the plot or impedes the narrative flow. It is a treat for lovers of historical fiction, and a great read. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thank you to the publisher, Bonnier Books/Manilla Press, for the Netgalley e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a novel based on Urania Cottage a second chance home for women “fallen women” founded by Charles Dickens and other benefactors. I wasn’t aware of this cottage until I read this novel and apparently Dickens was instrumental in choosing the inmates.
It is a tale of how the very different worlds of the inmates and one of the rich benefactors collide. I was really looking forward to this book as I have read and enjoyed Stacey Halls other books. However, I found this one hard to get into and at times confusing. In particular I found the character Angela Burdett-Coutts annoying. Having said that the final quarter of the book where everything began to make sense was the best part for me.

The Household was an excellent read, with a somewhat hurried ending. The characters are well-created and believable, from the fallen girls ( Martha and Josephine, especially) to Angela and Mrs Holdsworth. The life in the house is fascinating, with great detail and mystery. Angela has a stalker who has been blighting her life for 10 years. Martha, Josephine and the other girls are learning skills needed before being transported to Australia. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book, and all the twists and turns, following Martha’s and Josephine’s journeys and how they intersect with the life of Angela and The House. I was disappointed only by the ending of the various plot threads, which felt a bit hurried. Overall, a very engaging book

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book with no obligation to review.

This is an interesting and quite enjoyable read, made more interesting by the fact that Urania House was real and was, just as in the book, set up by Charles Dickens and Angela Burdett Coutts. Many of the characters such as Josephine, Martha, Angela and the tireless Mrs Holdsworth are well drawn and vivid.

The book would be an excellent and informative read for anyone who does not appreciate how terrible life was for women in general and particularly poor, single women in the past - it took very little to be deemed a "fallen woman" for example and to be sent to jail. There was no presumption against short jail sentences in those days! Once a woman had "lost her character" in any way, the only option was life on the street as a sex worker or a pickpocket. With no contraception for women, married woman had their own problems and even the very rich were not exempt from society's attitudes towards women - Angela is being stalked by a dangerous man but the men in authority such as her solicitor, do not take her seriously.

I did enjoy the book but not as much as I expected to. It is detailed and authentic but not very exciting and there is no tension anywhere. I don't mean this in a bad way but it reminded me a bit of a serial in a magazine - it interests you at the time, but if you didnt get to read all the parts, you wouldn't really mind and what you did read, you would soon forget.

Synopsis -London, 1847. In a quiet house in the countryside outside London, the finishing touches are being made to welcome a group of young women. The house and its location are top secret, its residents unknown to one another, but the girls have one thing in common: they are fallen. Offering refuge for prostitutes, petty thieves and the destitute, Urania Cottage is a second chance at life - but how badly do they want it?

Meanwhile, a few miles away in a Piccadilly mansion, millionairess Angela Burdett-Coutts, one of the benefactors of Urania Cottage, makes a discovery that leaves her cold. Her stalker of ten years has been released from prison, and she knows it’s only a matter of time before their nightmarish game resumes once more.

My thoughts !
I just love a @staceyhallsauthor novel and this one did not disappoint.
Angela a benefactor sets up a home for unfortunate women , ( dickens himself set one up and actually features in this novel).
The characters are fabulous richly written full of complexity , vulnerability and strength.
Mrs Holdsworth the Matron keeps a tight ship to nurture, teach and give the women a better life before they sail to Australia.
The protagonists Angela, and the women Martha and Josephine share their lives in Urania cottage and their past life and what happens and has happened to them.
With in the novel is also Richard Dunn the stalker who has plagued Angela for her lifetime since a change meeting in her late teens and the lovely Frank Mrs Holds worth’s son .
A Dickensian novel full of kindness, justice, values and social difference . A fabulous read if you like historical fiction and this author it’s for you ….!

Urania Cottage was a real place, established by Charles Dickens and Angela Burnett Coutts, for ‘fallen’ women to learn to be a servant, as well as being taught how to read, write and play a musical instrument. This fascinating fact is explored in the novel, to focus on those women in question and the realistic outcomes of such philanthropy.

The story is told in 3rd person present-tense, which is not my favourite, but that just comes down to personal choice. The pacing did seem to slow down half-way through the book, but then a shocking twist soon recaptured my interest.

The story is told through a mix of very different POVs, from the destitute to a millionairess, and they all have their own personal trauma to work through. The nature of being women in the 19th century means that there are many obstacles and depressing back stories which just highlights the strength and resilience of each character.

Release date: April 11th.
TW: Stalker.

This reads more like a social experiment, and when the name of Charles Dickens is introduced, then the reader is on the right lines. Dickens did have an interest in the “ fallen “ girls he met on the streets of London, and this household, full of the unfortunate members of society who are being given a second chance to redeem themselves, is hauntingly beautiful.
The details of each girl and their circumstances are portrayed really well. You can feel their suspicions, and become involved in their gradual acceptance of their new way of life.
Lady Angela Coutts is the incredibly wealthy benefactor of Urania Cottage, where the girls are taken to live. . It is isolated to prevent too much curiosity about them, and to prevent them from absconding and returning to their old way of life. The home is managed by a Matron, Mrs Holdsworth, who has previously worked in the penal system.
Angela, despite all her trappings of wealth, is frightened, she is being stalked by a man, possibly deranged and obsessed with marrying her. She and the girls begin to form a unity of spirit and friendliness. The girls will be educated, taught how to run a household and then start a new life in Australia . How Angela and the girls cope with stressful situations, and how they deal with freedom from fear is the constant theme that underpins this intriguing novel. Full of historical facts , these are skilfully woven into a story of female strength and friendship, that transcends ideas of class, all have much to lose. A truly mesmerising story, with very likeable characters.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Bonnier Books UK, for my advanced digital copy, freely given in exchange for my honest opinion. A five star read. I will leave a review to Goodreads and Amazon UK upon publication.

I’ve read all of Stacey Halls’ books, so was excited to get my hands on this one. Although I enjoyed it, I can’t say I love it like some of the other books. Stacey’s writing is wonderful and her storytelling superb – I loved the intertwining of real-life characters such as Charles Dickens and Angela Burdett-Coutts, but when your debut novel is as great as The Familiars is, it can be hard to beat! Fleetwood Shuttleworth is a formidable heroine, to whom it is difficult to hold a candle. All in all, a pleasant romp through Dickensian London, with well-written and observed scenes that offer literary comfort combined with moments of high drama. It touches on social and feminist issues that unfortunately still stand today. If you like Stacey Halls, this is a recommended addition to your bookshelf.

This book had been on my radar for a little while so I was very excited for this and it did not disappoint. I loved the mystery and coupled with the historical era it made for more of an intense read.

This was an enjoyable historical novel, where Urania Cottage is a home for fallen women. The details of the period are convincing and the characters are well drawn. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for giving me a copy of the book.

The last Stacey Halls book I read was Mrs England, and I really enjoyed that and so was keen to read this new one. But unfortunately, it didn't hit the mark for me.

First, the positives.

Stacey is really good at capturing recent historical elements (yes I consider 1847 to be relatively recent in terms of historical inspiration). I mean, I wasn't around then, obviously, but Stacey puts so much passion and honesty into her books that she really captures the time perfectly, and it feels like you could just step into the pages.

I did also really like the references to Charles Dickens though. That's a sure fire gold star from me.

But now for the not so positive bits.

This will feel like I'm contradicting myself because I just said it was a positive, but all that detail can have its drawbacks too. It is soooooo full of description that it can be hard to find the action within it, and you start to glance over another description of another house, or another woman, or another meal. Whilst very well researched and written, it does become a bit too heavy for me at times and I feel I don't want to read any more.

It took me a long while to get into. There are a lot of names introduced very quickly and I struggled to remember who was who and how they related to each other and to the story itself.

It didn't sit right with me. It felt disjointed. Scenes that didn't match up, not a lot of flow. It didn't even feel there was much of a plot to be honest, nor much character development, just large passages of description which gets tedious after a while.

I mean, I didn't enjoy the first two books Stacey wrote - liked the third - and didn't like this one. Perhaps she's just not the author for me. Which is perfectly okay. As I know she is the author for a lot of other people.

Urania House is a home for fallen women, offering them a second chance after a spell behind bars. Funded by wealthy benefactors (including Charles Dickens) the home will teach these young women how to run a household in order to move overseas and start a new life of service.

Having read Stacey Halls' previous books, I think I knew I was going to love this. I love how Halls is able to craft such beautiful characters with a beautiful historical storyline.

This did not disappoint, the way each characters story was intertwined was very clever and had me hooked.

I've read one of Stacey Halls' novels before and had enjoyed it, so thought I'd give this one a go too. Same rich historical detail and entertaining characters, it kept me engaged throughout. I did find it a bit predictable though.

Stacey Halls can do no wrong when it comes to historical fiction and I feel this is her best yet! Set in Dickensian London in Urania Cottage- a home for fallen women- where they receive training and education for a life of service in the colonies. We are allowed to share the lives of some wonderful young women- Josephine, Annie, Martha and Polly as they try to survive in a society set against them. The matron, Mrs Holds worth is a wonderful character, who underneath her strict exterior, is the maternal figure the girls all need. Mixed in with all this are crimes, stalking and all kinds of love. A truly wonderful novel

I thought this book was a little slow going at first although the story picked up towards the end. I had no knowledge that Charles Dickens was involved with the setting up of a house to help 'fallen women' during this difficult times, so this was interesting.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Books for the advance copy of this book.

Highly enjoyable and immersive tale based on facts, of a home for “fallen” young women in Shepherds Bush. Charles Dickens and Angela Burdett Coutts were among the founders and fascinating though they are, it’s the residents that drive the story. Almost Dickensian in its cast of characters and complex story, this gives a real insight into just how hard and dangerous Victorian society was for the unprivileged masses and women in particular. Now I must find out more about the real events of that time but this is excellent.