I have read and very much enjoyed all of Stacey Halls' previous books and this one did not disappoint. Set in the 1800s in a house for "fallen girls", this is a wonderfully recounted story of several very interesting characters and with some excellent plot twists that I did not see coming! Halls' writing style is superb and if you like historical fiction, I can definitely recommend this book.

Stacey Halls writes enthralling historical fiction. This story is based on real people and places. It is set in 1847 and tells us about Urbania Cottage; set up as a place for 'fallen' young women to learn how to run a home and become useful members of society before they emigrate to Australia.
Urbania Cottage existed and one of it's benefactors was the author Charles Dickens. The benefactor we hear most about though is Angela Coutts of the banking family. A fabulously rich but rather sad figure who also existed and has a rather troubled life.
The young women in the story have all had problems but show us that with determination, friendship and forgiveness we can all make the most of second (and even third) chances.

The Household may be the best yet from Stacey Halls. Taking real people and places as anchor points, she has crafted an engrossing story encompassing life in Dickensian London. Urania Cottage was a real place - opened as a place of safety and education for ‘fallen women’ who are vetted to ensure their suitability for rehabilitation. Once at Urania Cottage they receive an education: reading and writing, are schooled in the art of running a home and taught religious instruction. They have a warm bed, good food and the opportunity to see themselves as women with a future. Urania Cottage was driven by Dickens and by Angela Coutts, whose vast fortune funds and underpins the project. Dickens himself is an off-stage character; the primary focus is on the female protagonists which range from Angela Coutts herself, to Mrs Holdsworth in charge of the day to day running of the house and the various young women who find themselves there. Each character has her own backstory and challenges to face, all cleverly interwoven. The stories are tense and compelling. A wonderful novel!

I enjoy Stacey halls writing and this did not disappoint I loved the characters and their interlinking read this in 2 days couldn’t wait to find out what would become of them all

Stacey Hall can sure knock out some fascinating thrilling superbly preformed characterisation of books that keep me totally enthralled, invested and entertained plus….. Urania Cottage was co-founded by Charles Dickens in Shepherd’s Bush on the then western outskirts of London in the late 1840s so although fiction it’s a fact.

A house for “fallen girls/women” which involved some that didn’t even realise they were seen that way.

There are a mixture of strong characters to those not so strong. Emotionally challenged.
The bonds formed within that house were touching.

The class distinction totally exact.

This author has fast become a favourite of mine as she takes parts in history that are very rarely explored and opens a readers mind to aspect of life that you never thought you’d want to know about, until one of Stacey Halls books and then it won’t leave you alone. You will always remember what the book was about.

Very impressionable.

If you’ve never read a book by this author and like historical fiction that delves in other than WWI OR WWII, try this.

Unfortunately a DNF as I was not drawn into the story and engaged in it. The premise was interesting but the characters were boring and I was not interested in continuing. A shame as I have previously enjoyed one of the authors books before

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 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 her stalker of 10 years has been released from prison . . .

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

Unfortunately, the story fell a little flat for me and I did not feel the same excitement after I read the blurb, The storyline is no doubt intriguing, particularly as there are real life aspects to it; this is the premise of a story around Charles Dickens and Angela Burdett-Coutts investing in a "halfway house for fallen women" being Urania Cottage in the 19th Century. Halls is a brilliant writer and you can sense the research that was carried out in the creation of this book. However, I felt this was not translated into the narrative itself.. Although I appreciate the need to show women from different backgrounds and how fate brings them together, often we see that with juggling multiple characters and storylines, there was alot of words but not alot of movement in the plot itself. At times, the story also feels disjointed as the POV jumps to a different characters multiple times within the same chapter and this made it hard to follow for me personally. Although the plot did thicken and build up in parts (I found the twist regarding Richard Dunn a noteworthy attempt to switch the pace of the book in the second half) but otherwise, I was not able to connect to the characters sadly and there seemed to be something missing. None of the romantic interests made sense to me - unless the moral of the story was that women at the time did just pick and settle with anyone because there was no genuine feeling/ability to have a "true connection".

Overall it was not as impactful as I hoped when I picked this up and I was struggling to get through this read at one point. Disappointing as this is the first book I have read by Stacey Hall and hope I can read Stacey's work in the future as the reviews of this book and others have been fantastic. Sadly it was not one for me but I do laud the attempt at bringing light to a part of history and time period which I had never come across before.

Thank you Netgalley, Bonnier Books UK and Stacey Halls for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an unedited, honest review.

I really enjoyed this book & the fact it was inspired by real people & events was what piqued my interest.
I have read most of this authors books & have really liked them as I did this one.
Well written with good characters she sets the scene beautifully.
Set in 1847 this interesting plot takes us to a quiet house in the countryside in a secret location.
This is all about second chances given to a group of fallen girls.
Non of them know each other they range from prostitutes petty thieves & the destitute.
The question is how badly do they want their second chances.
Meanwhile the wealthy benefactor of this house Angela Burkett- Coutts has just found out some shocking news.
Her stalker locked away ten years ago has been released from prison.
How long will it be before she has to face the nightmare of it starting again.
The worlds of the women come together in ways they never expected.
Captivating heartwarming read.

I absolutely loved this book.Set in a very interesting era.I have read or listened to all of Staceys book now.Shes a fabulous talent, love the research she does on books andshes only just starting go Stacey.Loved, in this book she used real historical figure in novel.

I’ve read everything Stacey Halls has written to date, and with varied success. I LOVED The Familiars, I enjoyed The Foundling, but Mrs England was lacking a bit of depth for my tastes. The Household falls between Mrs England and The Foundling for me, and I think if you enjoyed either or both of those books then you’re going to love this one too. The vibes are a good match, and the sort of story feels inkeeping with those two. I do think The Familiars is a bit of an outlier, it doesn’t read in the same way as her others. Or perhaps I just feel that way because it was the first I read, and now it’s been a while - maybe I’d feel differently on a reread.

All that to say, The Household is a solid book. It takes an interesting time in history (set against the backdrop of Charles Dickens' home for fallen women) and delivers its story with compelling characters that move the plot along. It doesn’t do anything ground-breaking, but it’s also not trying to. I think this is the sort of Historical Fiction that can appeal to non-Historical Fiction readers, and gives it a wider appeal.

Not one that will stick with me, but a fun time, and worth giving a try next time you want a nice quick easy-reading HF to curl up with, this one delivers that perfectly.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

The premise was very interesting, but The Household didn’t live up to it and I was mostly bored. The pacing was a problem, none of the characters really grabbed me and overall, I struggled to stay engaged.

Stacey Halls has written yet another historical fiction that ticks all the boxes. I loved this story, how it unfolded and the characters involved. The wonderfully realistic characters each have their own backstories which has impacted how life has moulded them into how they are now. The friendships and bonds that grow and develop between the characters is truly heartwarming.

The book also really makes you think about how women - class irrelevant at times - have been treated in the past and viewed as something lesser than by many in society.
I enjoyed The Household so much, the plot is packed full of drama and suspense and gallops along nicely with surprises galore. It will suck you into the pages and make you feel as if you have stepped back in time and are part of the lives of the characters.

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book through NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK, Manilla Press, which did not influence my unbiased and honest review of the book.

This was an enjoyable read that was brilliantly written & wonderfully descriptive.
A great historical fiction read.

When I thought that Stacey Halls wouldn’t beat The Familiars, or at least wouldn’t be able to repeat my love for it, I was wrong again. The Household is an absolutely stunning read, wonderful writing, a story that is engaging and will get hold of you and not let you go, if you’re looking for a book you will not forget, this is for you.

It’s 1847, Urania Cottage in the countryside outside London, is being readied to receive it’s first residents, ‘fallen women’, the intention to offer a refuge to those coming from prisons - prostitutes, petty thieves - and the destitute. They are to be trained for service, and rehabilitated and given a safe place to live, so as they can go on to live a different life abroad. We learn the stories of Martha, Josephine, Emily and Annie through their time in Urania Cottage and beyond it’s doors. Mrs Holdsworth is the matron who runs the house, in charge of both the house and the residents. Her character and that of the women are so well drawn.

Urania Cottage was founded by Charles Dickens with benefactors, one of which is Angela Burdett-Coutts. Dickens doesn’t really feature in the story other than acknowledging his role in the project. In Angela Burdett Coutt’s house in Piccadilly in London she learns that her stalker is being released from prison early again. I love how Stacey Halls brings fact and fiction together, grounded in what is real and happened. Her stalker Richard Dunn is determined and misguided in his attention towards her. His life and that of Angela and the women residents of the cottage are about to collide.

Captivating, evocative and engaging. It is a story of hope, friendship and opportunity. It is up there with another favourite from Halls, Mrs England. Thoroughly recommend if you enjoy historical fiction, this is one to put on your TBR.

'The Household'. I ended up listening to this as I was struggling to finish it but, the q & a at the end was fascinating. While it was interesting, a privately funded household away from everything and everyone out in the Countryside, the Household taught young women vital life skills. Specifically, however, this Household (which Charles Dickens himself secretly funded with Angela Burdett-Coutts who created the RSPCA) focused on thieves, prostitutes, criminals as a way of bettering them for another life in Australia. While it was interesting and fascinating that this is steeped in history, I found it confusing with the stands of different characters.

This book is inspired by real people and events, it’s based in Urania cottage, a home for fallen women to give them a second chance that was setup by Charles Dickens and other benefactors. The story follows the lives of Martha and Josephine, two women who have both left prison under different circumstances to try again in a new home, and Angela Burnett-Coutts their millionaire benefactor.

I love Stacey Halls’ writing, she sets the scene so well I feel completely transported to her world when I’m reading. I think her descriptive writing contributed to the stark contrast between classes as the chapters flick between the girls at the home, and how they got there, and Angela’s privileged life as an heiress. Although Angela has her own problems that impact how she lives her life too.

I didn’t see where this one was going at all and how their worlds would collide so the ending was brilliant for me!

Definitely recommend!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Great historical fiction with sweeping characters and a plot that had me hooked. It took me a while to get invested, but once I was I really enjoyed it

Never say never? It seems this adage comes true at least once in our lives.

Stacey Halls has written some of my favourite Historical Fiction novels. Beautifully written, ‘populated’ with characters that stay with you. Therefore, I was delighted to be approved for an ARC of her latest novel The Household. Alas, we were simply NOT meant to be.

The story is based on true events and, without a doubt, the vast majority of readers will find it interesting, moving even. To me? It was utter boredom on pages. A heiress with money to waste chooses to ‘’create’’ a ‘’household’’ for fallen girls instead of a hospital or an orphanage. The ‘’girls’ feel as if they have been locked up - never mind that most of them have recently arrived from prison - screaming ingratitude towards Angela with every sentence. Her keeper desperately tries to resemble Mrs. Danvers and poor Angela (the only character who is remotely interesting) tries to escape her stalker while pining for a man 30 years her senior.

Not impressed.

I am sorry to say that the toils, woes and troubles of prostitutes did not attract my sympathy or my interest. In addition, Mrs Holdsworth was irritating to the core. Certain parts of the plot ‘’felt’’ fake and cheap. For example, the remarks about colonization from a girl who can’t write her own name seem to serve a gimmick urge to satisfy a portion of the so called ‘’modern’’ audience. And don’t even get me started on the atrocious dialogue.

Yes, well, I doubt these people even KNOW how to read…

The atmosphere is excellent, and the sense of setting is beautiful. And that’s just about it. Unfortunately, this novel was not for me but I have no doubt it will appeal to the majority of today’s readers.

And that says a lot about today’s readers.

Many thanks to Bonnier Books UK and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Stacey Halls is a great storyteller. Her characters come to life on the page and the pace is just right to hold and keep the reader’s interest. I’m particularly impressed that her stories have converted me to historic fiction. I thoroughly recommend it.

My thanks to the author, the publishers and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review The Household.