I have loved Lucinda Riley’s books ever since I was recommended the first of the Seven Sister’s books back in 2017. There is a reason she is known as a master storyteller.
With ‘The Hidden Girl’, her son Harry Whittaker has done an amazing job editing and reworking the original ‘Lucinda Edmonds’ book ‘Hidden beauty’ from the early 90s to become the Lucinda Riley book that it is today. You would never know it has been reworked and it is such a lovely thing he has done, continuing his mother’s legacy.

I was surprised to find this book is a lot darker than her others. In some areas it even takes on an element of the thriller genre, which is very different to her other books, as well as being the usual mix of part romance, historical and family saga. However, the mix works, and her characters and storytelling are as compelling and moving as ever. I found Miranda’s storyline to be especially so.

The author clearly spent a long time researching the topics of her novel and doing location visits, as she paints such a vivid image of the 80s fashion industry, the art world and of course, the Holocaust. This section of the story was particularly hard to read, she presents such a tragic and horrific picture of real events. Despite this, I still found myself reading late into the night and even though it is over 500 pages, I finished the book in a week- for me that is quite some feat!

If you’ve enjoyed Lucinda Riley’s previous books, or even if you’re just starting out with them, I would thoroughly recommend!

Leah Thompson spent her childhood in a small village on the Yorkshire Moors until she was discovered by a photographer and her features made her into a top rated model who toured the world.
Leah’s story is interspersed with that of the tragic fate of siblings in the WW2 camp of Treblinska and how ultimately their stories are intertwined.
Family secrets, romance and tragedy can be found in this skillfully revised epic story..
A little too in depth at times but a riviting read.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan for this eCopy to review

I loved The Hidden Girl and did not want it to end. From the very first page, I was hooked. Riley’s storytelling is nothing short of magical. The way she weaves together the past and present is seamless, creating a rich tapestry of mystery, emotion, and intrigue. The characters are so well-developed and relatable that I felt like I was living their lives alongside them. I loved that we got chapters from different characters as it helped the story come together and reveal the secrets

The plot twists kept me on the edge of my seat, and just when I thought I had everything figured out, Riley threw in another surprise that left me gasping. The historical elements were beautifully researched and added so much depth to the story.

What I loved most was the emotional journey. The themes of love, loss, and redemption were handled with such sensitivity and grace. I found myself laughing, crying, and cheering for the characters as they navigated their complex lives.

“The Hidden Girl” is a masterpiece that I couldn’t put down. It’s a book that stays with you long after you’ve turned the last page. Lucinda Riley has truly outdone herself with this one. Highly recommend to anyone who loves a good mystery with a heartwarming touch.

A decent book but I think I had higher expectations of it. The story overall was good but I felt that it could have been shorter; I didn’t need all the information about Leah’s modelling, I felt that it just went on a bit too long. The old timeline was really interesting and carried the story. I do find the style of writing a bit outdated but it is something that can be overlooked. A good story that seemed a bit far fetched but easy to go with it.

I loved the Seven Sisters series and think Harry did a wonderful job carrying on his late mother's work. This did not live up to the standards I was expecting sadly.

I loved this book. It had me captivated from the beginning following Leah's life. A fascinating read full of twists and turns.

All I can say is WOW! I have just finished this book and my heart rate is so fast I feel like I’ve been for a run! Lucina Riley is a master storyteller, and this book is an epic lost masterpiece. After Lucinda’s passing, Lucinda’s son Harry Whittaker has taken this story, originally entitled ‘Hidden Beauty’ and has reworked it, doing her proud.

The story is told in timeless between WW2 and more modern times. It is the story of David and Rose who escaped from the camps in Treblinka. David became a property magnate and Rose a famous artist, but they had fallen out and weren’t in touch. David’s son Brett is sent to stay with Rose in the school holidays – their first contact in many years, and whilst there he falls in love with the beautiful Leah – the housekeeper’s daughter. Unfortunately, this doesn’t go down well with Rose’s children Miranda and Miles.

This is an incredible story, carefully woven together to reveal just enough through the novel that you can see why things are as they are, at key points through the story, but with many ‘aha’ moments where more is revealed to explain the narrative. I loved it.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6751624906

https://maddybooksblog.blogspot.com/2024/08/the-hidden-girl-by-lucinda-riley-all-i.html4

The Hidden Girl starts in Yorkshire and follows the career of Leah Thompson who becomes a successful fashion model. While telling her story, we are taken back in time to WW2 and the horrors and suffering of Treblinska. There are so many aspects to this novel: a beautiful love story. a family saga. the modelling world, greed and revenge. I was totally engrossed. Highly recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Such a lovely but complex story, it isn’ta new novel s as such and I had read it previously when its title was slightly different. Nonetheless it’s well worth another read, so much happening with tales of horrible characters during World War Two and the suffering at Treblinska and how it affected so many people for years to come. There are lots of characters in the story however it’s written so beautifully that it’s easy to keep up with who is who , you long for a good outcome for the heroes of the story and for the bad ones to meet a just ending.

A wonderful book to have a deep dive into and come out feeling very satisfied. Lucinda’s writing will always be missed

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and authors for an arc in exchange for an honest review

Tragically, Lucinda Riley passed away,  but thankfully, for her legions of fans, Lucinda’s son Harry Whittaker has taken up her mantle and reworked and given new life to a lost treasure, The Hidden Girl. As you would expect, The Hidden Girl is a captivating saga with the most incredible characters. The writing is exceptional, from the descriptive settings to the exquisitely drawn characters.

This sweeping saga is told across two time lines, the first follows Yorkshire born Leah Thompson, who finds herself thrust into the world of modelling. The second focuses on the tragic tale of two young siblings in Poland during the Second World War. The two timelines intertwine beautifully, creating a memorising story that explores family secrets spanning generations and a long-forgotten prophecy from the past.

If I had one small niggle, I found some chapters didn’t flow quite as well as I hoped, as they jumped from one timeline to another. Despite this, I still loved this memorising story. The Hidden Girl will capture the readers’ imagination right from the beginning, taking them on a journey from the horrors of the concentration camp to the catwalks of Milan. Beautifully told, I found this book to be heartbreaking, tender, and uplifting in equal measures. Highly recommended.

Leah Thompson grew up is a village on the Yorkshire moors, so when she is spotted by a photographer and is catapulted into the world of modelling she finds her head spinning.
Although Leah finds herself moving between the biggest fashion cities in the world, she refuses to be dragged into the drink and drugs fuelled parties that are frequented by the rich and famous, and that only adds to her allure.
As Leah’s star climbs she can’t shake the memory of a prophecy made when she was a child, and she finds her dreams haunted by the words she was told.
When the past and present collide will Leah find herself in more danger than she ever imagined.
This sweeping, epic tale takes you from the wilds of the Yorkshire moors to New York. It’s moving, poignant and full of friendship, love, and loss with many twists along the way.
Perfect for fans of Lesley Pearse and Barbara Taylor Bradford

Harry Whittaker did such a good job with Atlas the last of the Seven Sisters series of books by his late mother Lucinda Riley that I was really pleased to see this book on the ARC list. Unfortunately it wasn't up to Lucinda's standards. The story was very predictable and jumped about the timeline in a disorienting manner and the characters were one dimensional. I'm afraid I had to stop reading half way through and I won't be reading any more books published under Lucinda Riley's name.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

I was really excited about this book as I lover Lucinda's Seven Sisters series but this was a let down. During part one I got lost of where we were in the timeline, it just began bouncing around. I didn't really connect with the main characters. The writing was okay but as a rewrite of a previously written book I would have said to have left it alone.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, released after Lucinda Riley had passed and was finished by Harry Whittaker. But, wow, what a book to be proud of, I couldn't put it down. It travels over recent history and through some very dark times, showing some of the darkest sides of humanity. Throughout we have some amazing characters and an insight into the modelling and art worlds. A captivating book that was so much more than I had hoped for.

Wow wow wow. So very sad we lost Lucinda Riley but Harry has helped finish an ace book. You had dark family secrets, memories of the Second World War, evil men, money , naivity, the modelling world, a beautiful love story and revenge. I can’t do the review justice. It is a fabulous read. Absolutely loved it. Was honoured to review it early .

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book through Netgalley! I really enjoyed this book. I went in with quite high expectations because I've read books by Lucinda Riley before and I always really like them. This book definitely lived up to those expectations! The storyline and the characters were very well written and you can tell that a lot of thought went into this book. Would definitely recommend this book!