i liked it but it definitely not my favourite book I've ever read. fell a little flat for me. wouldn't read again

3.5 stars

I don’t often read historical romance but I was tempted by this one because of the title! Kirsty and I had recently been on a spa visit to Blythswood Square hotel so I thought it was quite intriguing!

The story follows two main characters from quite different upbringings and backgrounds. Charlotte, from Glasgow, is from a well known and well to do family. Ellory on the other hand is from a working class background with terrible family shame to her name. They meet in Glasgow at turning points in their life and the story follows their lives and new friendship.

It appears to be quite scandalous to be a woman trying to break the mould of societal expectations! There’s a lot of kick back against Charlotte and Ellory as they get to grips with their new ambitions.

I think I prefer listening to new genres on audiobook - especially historical fiction - because it helps me hold my interest. I recently read Dracula and I know for a fact I’d never have been able to finish the book on paperback or kindle. Not that this is anything like Dracula! But to draw the comparison I’m sure I’ve enjoyed this book more by listening to it on audio with an engaging narrator.

If you’re looking for another Scottish historical romance with female main characters who are maybe trying to break the mould you could try The Last Summer by Karen Swan. I also listened to this one on audio and really enjoyed it. Of course, there’s also the Outlander series!

This was marketed as a gothic, romantic, mystery novel and it ended up just being a mundane story about a bunch of different people going on business ventures and finding out scandalous things about family members (the tea wasn’t even hot the guy was just a bit of a perv). I’m sure some people will love it but I was waiting for something to happen the entire time; this may have been a marketing thing where I expected something and got something different but, it wasn’t for me :(

In Victorian Glasgow ia resident of Blythswood Square inherits a fortune - but one made on the back of an erotic art collection. How to deal with this is the secret.

3.5 stars. This was wonderfully written and the absolute depth of detail and research threaded throughout the story is immense. The worldbuilding is truly beautiful, and combined with the fact I've lived in Glasgow and know these streets (and always was in awe of the house on Blythswood Square) I was completely immersed.

Wow. This was an incredible story and so well written. It transported me wholly to Glasgow. The two women were so deeply written and engaging. Just an incredible book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I had never read Sara Sheridan before, but this won't be my last read of hers!

The plot, based in Glasgow, attracted me as a fellow Glaswegian myself. I love historical fiction, and although this may not be based on true events, it provides a great insight into Glasgow in the 1840s. Think Bridgerton without the smut. Romace, secrets and lots of fun gossip.

Fans of feminist historical fiction, this one is for you! I absolutely adored Sara’s debut, The Fair Botanists, so couldn’t wait to get into this one. Whilst I must admit that the topic of photography and art/p*rn didn’t captivate me quite as much as the plants etc of Fair Botanists, it was still well worth reading for the incredible cast of characters and the relationships they built, plus Sara’s glorious writing and sense of time and place.

An especially big shoutout to the female characters in this book, who were all about resisting societal expectations and doing things their own way, whether that was by starting their own business or refusing to marry - I loved both Ellory and Charlotte, and was so glad they found each other despite their very different backgrounds. There are also lots of brilliant side characters who really make this story, not to mention plenty of scandal and drama to keep things interesting!

Whilst I think Fair Botanists was still a standout for me, this book definitely cements Sara as an auto-buy author now, and I can’t wait to see what comes next!

I found this audiobook a little slow to start with and actually restarted it twice. I am not sure why, but I am so glad I persevered because once I had got to know the characters I was fully invested in what the future might hold for them.

The story is set in Scotland, which strikes me as unusual for the reading I usually do. I enjoyed the change of location and felt that Sheridan developed a story set against an atmospheric city which was up and coming, meaning that it offered potential for those looking for opportunity.

I am not sure whose story I was most intrigued by - Ellory's or Charlotte. Both characters find themselves in extraordinary circumstances and how their story was going to play out was far from clear to begin with. Charlotte's dear father dies suddenly leaving her vulnerable - both financially and socially. Ellory is given an unexpected chance to take control of her own destiny and follow her dreams. The friendship which slowly develops between the two was heart-warming and unexpected.

I was fascinated by the historical background, particularly relating to the development of photography as an art form. Both females are non-conformists and become liberated and courageous in spite of their gender and the social norms of the time. The female form, erotic art and soft pornography are important elements to this story in a non sensational way.

This was thoroughly entertaining and I loved the fact that the narrator had a Scottish accent - it really helped bring the book to life for me as I read on.

thank you to the publishers for such a wonderful audio book .

i really enjoyed this listen . i loved the story telling I thought the narrators told the story very well .

i felt spellbound and sucked into the story and felt like I was there with the characters.

i thought Sara did an amazing job with the book

i was highly captivated and i would highly recommend a listen .

5 amazing stars

DNF, unfortunately. I found this really difficult to get into with the constantly shifting character perspectives and locations. The audiobook narrator was great, but the actual meat and potatoes of the novel just wasn't for me.

1846. Glasgow is a city on the cusp of great social change, but behind the curtains, neighbours are watching, and rumours of improper behaviour spread like wildfire on the respectable Blythswood Square.

When Charlotte Nicholl discovers that the fortune she has been bequeathed by her father is tied up in a secret collection of erotic art, she is faced with a terrible dilemma: sell it and risk shaming her family’s good name or lose her home.

An encounter with Ellory McHale, a talented working-class photographer newly arrived in Glasgow, leads Charlotte to hope she has found not only someone who might help her, but also an unlikely friend.

Yet Ellory is hiding secrets of her own – secrets that become harder to conceal as she finds herself drawn into Charlotte’s world.

As the truth begins to catch up with both women, will it destroy everything they’ve fought to build – or set them both free?

I loved Sarah Sheridan’s The Secrets of Blythswood Square. If you’re from Glasgow, you’ll know that it used to have a certain connotation to it as a place where one might meet prostitutes. This is not true of Sara Sheridan’s 1846 Blythswood Square which is entirely douce and proper, though as Sheridan discloses, behind closed doors things can be very different.

Sara Sheridan’s wonderfully researched historical novel follows the journey of two women. Ellory McHale is a working class woman with determination. She has been working as an assistant photographer and knows with a burning passion that she could make better photographs than her employer. So she does what is perhaps the most scandalous thing of all and moves from Edinburgh to Glasgow. Captivated at an early age by the wonders of photography, she is determined to make her way as a photographer at a time when such a thing as a female photographer was unheard of and would be looked upon as an unsuitable job for a woman.

But Ellory has had a solid if uninspiring apprenticeship and she knows what she wants to achieve, so armed with grit and determination, she sets out on her journey.

Charlotte Nicholl has lived with her father in the very comfortable surroundings of Blythswood Square where her neighbours are all affluent, church going, respectable people. When her father dies her life is thrown into turmoil as she discovers from her father’s solicitor that there is no money to keep the house going though neither Charlotte nor the solicitor can understand why as her father had always said she would be well provided for and he was clever with money.

Grieving for her father and not understanding her financial situation at all, Charlotte stumbles across a secret room in her father’s study which is full of erotica. She is shocked, but more than that, she is worried about how to deal with this substantial collection without being discovered by her neighbours.

Sarah Sheridan’s novel follows the lives of these two women and what happens when their lives intersect. In this story she explores female friendship and the development of women’s independence. She also explores the hypocrisy of those who loudly proclaim their religion while actively looking for ways to cast the first stone.

The Secrets of Blythswood Square is an enriching, heart-warming tale of the determination of two women from very different backgrounds to assert their independence and stand tall among their peers. It is a story of how these two women met and became friends and how they help each other to achieve their aims.

Sheridan’s characters are wonderfully realised. I loved both Ellory and Charlotte, but I also enjoyed the character of Jeremiah Catto, a gay man, whose life is arguably the most difficult of all. I also appreciated the insertion of a real life historical figure into the story. Frederick Douglass the American social reformer, abolitionist, and supporter of women’s suffrage finds an admirer in Charlotte, though is perhaps less popular with her neighbours.

This is a character driven narrative and it works beautifully, with a slow tempo allowing the reader time to get to know all the characters and enjoy them. The research is excellent, resulting in an atmospheric novel, rich in historical detail which both informs and entertains.

Cathleen McCarron narrates flawlessly and her mellifluous voice draws you into this wonderfully immersive story. Though there is jeopardy, violence and double-dealing in this book, the overwhelming feeling after reading it is one that reflects the warmth and humour in the writing.

Verdict: A wonderful tale of female friendship, emancipation and independence. An historical novel rich in atmosphere with characters you’ll love and a story you’ll find riveting.

I loved listening to the Fair Botanists and I also loved listening to this book. The narration is superb, very easy to listen to with each character's voice standing out clearly. The story and characters were engaging and it was also interesting to hear about the early days of photography. It must be a good book to make me sit in the car in the supermarket car park until I reached the end of a chapter!

When Charlotte Nicholl's father dies she discovers that he has a highly valuable collection of erotic art and literature. Since her inheritance is half the value of the collection she has to figure out how to liquidate the items without bringing shame upon the family name. She also needs to work out who is the mystery beneficiary of the other half of the bequest.

Historical fiction isn't my first choice when deciding what to read, however, I'm not opposed to it, a couple of my favourite books would fall into the genre. Therefore, the opportunity to listen to an audiobook seemed ideal.

The Secrets Of Blythswood Square by Sara Sheridan turned out to be an engrossing listen. The narrator, Cathleen McCarron, has a lovely Scottish accent which really helped you immerse yourself in a story set in Scotland. The audiobook is over 15 hours long and at times I felt the narration was a little slow so I increased the listening speed to 1.25 without it becoming too fast to enjoy.

I found the tale of women pushing the boundaries in Victorian society immensely interesting. The story focuses on two very different women. Charlotte is an only child and for years has lived alongside her widowed father, enjoying the trappings of wealth. There has never been any pressure on Charlotte to marry but once her father dies things change. It seems hilarious now that two hundred years ago it was scandalous for a woman to be single and live alone, even with live-in staff.

Ellory McHale is very different but faces similar prejudices. From a working-class background, Ellory works as a photographer's assistant. It is frowned upon when she decides to open her own photography studio. Once again the notion of a single woman setting up her own business, and being successful, is a scandal. The glimpse into the early days of photography is fascinating.

Alongside the storyline featuring the independence of women is the storyline involving erotic art and photography. It is obviously left to the imagination as to the nature of the paintings described. I am sure that some of them would seem fairly tame today, however others may still be classed as shocking. It is the descriptions of the titillating photographs that raise a wry smile. The idea that the sight of an ankle or a bare throat is outrageous seems laughable.

There are many secrets to uncover for both women as they forge their way in a society that would rather see them married and consigned to the drawing room. The different standards expected of men and women in Victorian society are enough to make your blood boil.

Gorgeously narrated, sweeping read. I loved the details, the crafting of the characters and their motivations, Ellory was a fantastic lead. Five stars from me.

Huge thanks to the author and publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

THE SECRETS OF BLYTHSWOOD SQUARE is a novel about life of those on the edge of society and power in nineteenth century Glasgow - women of all classes, working class, gay men, and men with physical disabilities. It also explores the tensions within the churches in Glasgow at the time and the relationship of money and power.

I am a little familiar with Glasgow but I don't know much about its history, so it was interesting to get a snapshot of the sort of lives that existed in the era when Glasgow was undergoing a lot of change. While Charlotte is of the upper class, it is not about the people of highest society, a change from a lot of historical novels I've read, and the rest are all people who work (but Murray is a well-to-do lawyer.)

This was a very different read compared to what I'm used to. I usually read a lot of SFF, which is very plot heavy. This is a historical that is far more character driven with few stakes and less plot-related tension. While I did enjoy it, it took me a while to get into it as there wasn't an immediate, obvious hook for a central conflict or stake.

I very much liked that there was a historical note at the end, putting the book into context (and explaining where the book simplified or glossed over things, such as the extent of Frederick Douglas' campaigns as they didn't all fit within the scope of the book). Plus there was an explanation of the inspirations behind the book. I liked getting this insight in the creative process.

The narrator Cathleen McCarron handles the cast well. There are five main characters (though there are others who have a scene or two of their thoughts) and they all have distinct voice to immediately place which character was talking.

Sara Sheridan writes such quality historical fiction transporting the reader back in time so wholly. Her characters are believable & the secondary characters are equally well developed.

The audio is brilliantly narrated, each character distinguishable & the accents, from deep highland to American & all in between, very accomplished. The characters & their stories weave together so well & a really vivid picture is created. I particularly liked the side characters of Jane & Jeremiah, each with a little story of their own to tell.

One of my favourite parts is the authors/historical note at the end, where the real life characters are explored & the quality of the research undertaken is revealed beyond what is so apparent in the writing.

If you have enjoyed The Fair Botanists or any of the Ambrose Parry books, well written & researched historical fiction with strong female characters, then you will enjoy this.

Sara Sheridan weaves a beautiful tale of 2 unlikely friends, brought together through their determination to shake off the restraints of their class and build lives in a male dominated world in 19th century Glasgow, when woman were denied independence and autonomy. The church and the wealthy make the rules.

All of the characters are beautifully written, I felt instantly connected to both Charlotte and Elliory but even side characters wholly formed relatable and undeniably likeable. The audio narration was nothing short of perfect for me.

Stunning work!! All the stars 🌟 #Jorecommends

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in return for an honest review.