After reading the household, I quickly purchased some of Stacey Halls precious books to enjoy them too. Such beautifully written characters that really stay with you, long after you have put the book down.

Stacey Halls brings Victorian England to life in this vivid and colourful domestic drama. Based on true events, The Household explores the lives of a group of ex-prisoners who are selected to live in a home for ‘fallen women’, set up by Charles Dickens. The plot unfolds as the women settle into Urania Cottage, cut off from the rest of the world and trained in domestic duties to further their skills and chances in life. Theory put into practice, humans are complicated and we experience the struggles and highs and lows of these ‘fallen’ women.

I love Halls’ writing which always has full, distinctive characters and I enjoyed getting to know their backstories as the women settled into Urania Cottage. I was especially fond of Mrs Holdsworth, the matron of the house who stayed strong, resilient and dignified when challenged and when things got tight. Themes on social class, feminism and gender were strong features in this piercing and moving novel.

It was a slower pace than the author’s other books but still held suspense and drama. It’s a must read for Stacey Halls fans but if the author is new to you I’d still recommend reading The Familiars or Mrs England first.

I know others have written far more eloquent synopses than I can so I will stick to the review part!
I would have bought this book but requested it from netgalley and was kindly gifted it. I have bought other books from the same author though or borrowed them from our library.
The plot is interesting and I always like stories about strong women. I liked the characters and found myself rooting for Martha and Josephine. I also think it’s a very well written book.
The bad part of this book is I didn’t understand or like the inclusion of Charles dickens. It was like a bit part without a reason. Maybe if I had read the books the character premises were borrowed from I might feel differently but it felt weird without that insider knowledge. I also felt it was a bit long. The first half of the book, not a lot happens and the plot really wasn’t clear. I also didn’t really understand the end. And I didn’t like the use of a racist term to be correct to the genre- it felt weird reading it.
That said I did enjoy the story and would definitely have bought it myself.

I have loved Stacey Halls’s writing since I first read “The Familiars”, and her latest offering “The Household” did not disappoint. I really enjoyed delving into a part of history I was not familiar with. I loved the character development, and the way Stacey interlaced the lives of of them all.

I have loved Stacey Halls' previous novels to the point where I have shared them, gifted them and recommended them to my daughter. I cannot say the same of this one, however.
The problem for me is how quickly it is established that 'Mr. Dickens' is Charles Dickens and that the characters we are reading are intended to be characters who influenced those in his stories - fine if, like me, you have had the pleasure of reading and enjoying Dickens' writing but not so for anyone less familiar who will miss the references and, therefore, a large chunk of the underlying story..
I found the pace lagging a little and some of the characters superfluous, other than to support the Dickens influence but paper thin on their own.
The start is rather dry and it took me a few attempts to get into the story, but I never found myself caring about it. I found it easy to put down in order to read more exciting, engaging books and pop back to this one in between.
I wanted to feel for these characters the way I felt for those in The Familiars or feel a thrill as I did when reading Mrs England. This just isn't her best book, in my opinion, but perhaps I will find her next one more engaging.

Interesting and absorbing story featuring women of different classes in Victorian times and how they impacted each other’s lives. The characters were introduced bit by bit, with information about them revealed as the book progressed. The historical detail was vivid and the accounts of Old London engrossing. The plot simmered in the background but the real strength was in the personalities and motivations of the characters. The narrative gathers pace and menace as the book continues. A very satisfying read.

A fab historical novel following a group of Victorian fallen women.
Urania Cottage is a second chance at life.
Fallen women will be trained in household skills and then have the opportunity to emigrate to the colonies.
It was a bit of a slow burner and felt a bit disjointed at times due to there being so many characters, but eventually the connections began to emerge.
The characters were well written and developed, each with their own unique voice, particularly Martha and Josephine.
The author’s writing style totally transports you to Victorian England
Loved that it was based on fact - Urania Cottage was set up by Charles Dickens with bank heiress, Angela Burdett Coutts.
Leaves you wanting to do your own research and find out more about Urania Cottage and Angela Burdett Coutts.
Thanks @stacey-halls, @manilla-press and @netgalley for the fascinating read

This book is based on Urania cottage, a home set up by Charles Dickens in 1847 for “fallen” women with the goal of teaching them skills and then sending them overseas to the colonies to start afresh.

I really enjoyed reading this, it had a lot of complex characters and in-depth storylines. It is well written and you really feel empathy for the characters. I particularly liked Josephine and her story. I love that the main characters are women even though it is set in time when men were seen as superior.

It was nice to learn something new too, reading this made me look into Urania House as I had no idea it was a real thing!

I felt really attached to a lot of the characters, I would love to have a sequel to know what happened to the girls after the end of the book!

This book is one of Stacey’s finest. It’s a totally unique subject and written so sympathetically as well from the perspective of the women. Totally recommended reading and would be great for book clubs.

4 stars - an emotional story following the stories of two main girls who live at Charles Dickens “home for fallen women”

Based on actual events the home for fallen women at Urania cottoage, was for young ladies who were currently in prison for petty theft, prostitution etc in the early 1800s to reform and eventually move to Australia.

We follow two of the of the ladies and a benefactor of the house:
Martha - she is the first lady to join the house, she longs for a different life but can she leave knowing her sister is missing.
Josephine- supposed to join the house with her secret girlfriend Annie but Annie disappears after being released from prison earlier than Josephine.
Angela- the wealthy benefactor of the house who has a mysterious stalker that interferes with her life.

I really enjoyed the characters in this story and was hoping they each got a happy ending. The girls even though ex prisoners were dealt a hard blow in early 1800s London and most were left with no choice than to commit the crimes.

Based on true events the books ends with some of the ladies venturing to Australia and I only hope they led a happy life and not those who met hard labour and slavery.

Mrs England is still my favourite by the author but this one comes a close second.

Stacey Halls is one of my favourite writers and her previous two novels The Foundling and Mrs England were both excellent. The Household is based on the true story of Urania House in Shepherd’s Bush in London, set up by Charles Dickens to rehabilitate so called ‘fallen women’ and financed by the incredibly wealthy Angela Burdett-Coutts. The latter was the victim of a stalker for many years and this becomes part of the plot of The Household as she becomes involved with the women at Urania House.
Sadly, I found The Household to be a disappointing read. I enjoyed the Victorian setting and the author is excellent at bringing to life the period and the institutions that feature in the novel. The story of Angela Burdett-Coutts was interesting and I was drawn into the lives of the women at Urania House. However, for me there was something missing here. The novel was very slow paced and there was a lack of a plot. I’ve found the author’s previous novels to be real page turners and I did not experience that with The Household. I am so reluctant to give this a less than excellent review but sadly it just fell a bit flat for me.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.
3.5 stars

This mesmerising story held my attention from start to finish. I love it when you learn about a period in history while reading a novel, and with this book I learned a lot about life in Victorian England, for women from different levels of society. The characters are so well drawn I felt empathy with many of them. I will definitely look out for other books by Stacey Halls.

My first Stacey Halls book and a rear visit for me into the world of historical fiction. I loved how we were transported to the time of Charles Dickens and how he became a reference point in the book which added to the fictional story. For me a very quick read I completed the book in a day and I see from other reviewers that this book is going to be a winner with fans of Stacey Halls. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

Based on the Victorian principle of improving those less fortunate, Urania Cottage is designed to rehabilitate young ladies providing them with the skills to begin again in the new world of Australia. Organised by a wealthy socialite, Charles Dickens and other dignitaries, the enterprise is destined to succeed.

However, the girls come with a past and although all share the misfortune to have been in prison, their lives are complicated and there is no quick solution.

Halls has created memorable characters and a powerful narrative. The various plot twists work well and don't feel too neat or contrived. If you like historical fiction this will suit you well.

Headlines:
"Fallen" women
Support and interference
Strange plot device

I have mixed feelings about The Household, the premise of which sounded very promising but the execution felt unpleasing and sometimes lacking in lustre. The story was based on a house for rehabilitating women who had been in prison for various reasons, not all criminal. There were a few benefactors, Charles Dickens and a rich spinster, Angela.

The young women, especially Martha and Josephine were the most interesting characters. Where the plot went a little strange was where the story did full circle related to a stalker that Angela had had for over a decade. The whole story of Angela and Mr Dunn didn't appeal to me and then when that linked up with the household, I was even less keen. The side story of Angela and the Duke was poorly explained and I disliked the wrap up. The ending felt a little rushed and again, a lack of depth to how it culminated left it feeling weak.

The story is supposed to be feminist and yet it lacked an empowering female stance. In fact, the way the women from lower classes were characterised when it came to men, portrayed them as jumping for attention and proposals from a man.

This book isn't bad but it was slow to start and the plot wasn't to my taste. Overall, I wanted to love this book but ended up somewhat disappointed.

Thank you to Manilla Press for the review copy.

The Household is the much anticipated new release from Stacey Halls , whose previous books Mrs England and The Familiars are firm favourites in the historical fiction genre.
Once again the author is inspired by real historical characters and events , in this case Urania Cottage, a sort of half way house for " fallen women" founded by Charles Dickens and with the patronage of Angela Burdett- Coutts, one of the wealthiest women in England at the time. While Angela features as one of the major characters in the book, Dickens is only fleetingly alluded to here and there and I have to say I think this is a brave choice as the temptation to centre the story around such a well known figure must have been immense. However this is a book about women, and so as well as Angela we also follow the stories of several of the so called "fallen" women who move to Urania Cottage in order to prepare for a move to the colonies and a new future. Unfortunately I felt like we were following so many characters that the book became disjointed and at times I struggled to stay interested, which is a shame as I enjoyed the writing style and the author's ability to set the scene and bring Victorian London to life on the page.
Overall a good premise that just didn't work for me this time.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

The Household focuses on Urania Cottage, an almost 'half-way house' for young women with the aim of giving them the skills they need to help them make a fresh start. Some of the women each have their own missions - Martha wants to reunite with her sister's and Josephine is hoping to find her love. We also meet the main benefactor of the house Angela Burdett-Coutts who, along with supporting these young women, has troubles of her own that she has to confront.

It was interesting to see how these very different women came together, and I especially enjoyed when the pace picked up towards the end. Highly recommended if you like your historical fiction with a twist of mystery!

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑯𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 ✨

I was very excited to receive this arc last week as I have all of Stacey Halls books on my bookshelf. I am now really looking forward to reading them, after reading The Household 📖

𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤…
Based on the real Urania Cottage, a home established by Charles Dickens and Angela Coutts for “fallen women”, the story follows Angela, and some of the women who live in the house.

Expect twists and turns, with a stalker thrown into the mix.

𝐌𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬…
This was my first real introduction to historical fiction, so I was apprehensive, and wasn’t sure what I’d think of it. But honestly, I really enjoyed it. The way everyone’s stories interwove, and the likability of most of the characters was refreshing. I really enjoyed the suspense, and it had a lovely conclusion.

The Household tells the story of Urania Cottage, a new enterprise set up by author Charles Dickens and Heiress of Coutt’s bank, Angela Burdett-Coutts. Home to girls down on their luck, the household aims to educate and train the girls for a better life in the colonies. However, not all the girls adjust well to life in the cottage. Freshly out of prison, Martha is determined to find her missing sister Emily, and Josephine longs to reunite with Annie, who she struck up a relationship with whilst serving time. Life also isn’t easy for Angela. Though she is incredibly lucky in terms of her inheritance,
she suffers in her personal life: in love with her older family friend that refuses to marry her and living in fear of long-time stalker Richard Dunn.

I really enjoyed reading about the characters and thought that their stories weaved together well. I had an advanced copy so didn’t see any notes from the author but thought the book was based on real life events and figures really interesting. I would be interested to see how much of the story was factual. I like how Charles Dickens was the big name, historically speaking, but the female characters took centre stage, and that the book explored female liberation and empowerment. I think the darker themes of the book were juxtaposed well with the positive, more uplifting moments in the book that achieved a balance to telling an interesting and insightful story.

I think the book was well-written and enjoyed the pace. I found the first half slower whilst setting the scene. I would have liked events in the second half to be a bit explored a bit more as there was plenty of opportunity.

Especially recommended for fans of Victorian historical fiction.

‘The Household’ of the book’s title is Urania Cottage, a home set up in 1847 with the purpose of educating ‘fallen’ women with a view to helping them start a new life. The story follows a number of these young women, their matron Mrs Holdsworth, and one of the home’s main benefactors, Angela Burdett-Coutts. The young women are trying to overcome years of poverty or crime; Angela is a woman terrified of her own shadow due to a persistent stalker.

I was excited by the premise of this book, wondering how the lives of the young women and Angela might intersect. Not realising the real historical background to Urania Cottage until after I’d finished the book, I think I thought they might live together! Not so, it turns out, but I liked the changes of scene between the two very different houses. I also particularly enjoyed the descriptions of mid-nineteenth century London, and tried to imagine a time when places like Shepherd’s Bush were in the countryside.

I initially found it a bit difficult to keep track of the different young women living at Urania Cottage until they thinned out and I could focus on Martha and Josephine.

The high point of the book, for me, was a twist that happens towards the end. I totally didn’t see it coming and I felt it really reinvigorated the story.

In summary, a good choice for those who enjoy historical fiction loosely based on real events. Four stars rounded up from 3.5.

My thanks to the publishers and to the NetGalley for the advance copy on which this review is based.