Finally the book I have been waiting for - the full backstory on my favourite badass , time travelling recovery agents / security consultants for hire. If you have read the Chronicles of St. Mary's series and the Time Police spin off then you will have encountered Smallhope and Pennyroyal as minor characters who are critical to the storylines and arcs of both series. This book is an ode to them and their complex relationship and I loved it.
We are introduced to Lady Amelia Smallhope at the age of 17 where her life changes drastically with her elder brothers engagement to the despicable Caroline. From there things for Amelia go rapidly downhill, her father dies and she is packed off to an exclusive Swiss finishing school whose only benefits were the networking opportunities it provided her with. Once back at her ancestral home a chance meeting with an enigmatic young man at a family party changes her life forever. From there Pennyroyal scoops Amelia up, introduces her to martinis, time travel and the joys of bounty hunting. There is joy, sorrow, love and betrayal, trust lost and trust regained all wrapped up in a fast paced narrative stretching across time.
There is enough context in the story for this to be read as a standalone, however if you are hooked by this then I can see a new reader drawn into this world. In fact after reading Smallhope and Pennyroyal there are certain books I want to revisit! My one hope is that there is a sequel...

Every time Jodi Taylor begins a new series, I wonder if this will be the one that doesn't land for me. I am always wrong. This was brilliant - full of the humour, action and heart we have come to expect. Loved this origin story for Smallhope and Pennyroyal - easily one of the best friendships of the St Mary's universe. Highly recommend this author's entire bavk catalogue.

I am a huge fan - I have read all of Jodi’s books, and I particularly love the St Mary’s and Time Police series. The Ballad of Smallhope and Pennyroyal has been much requested by readers, and hugely anticipated, so it’s a very welcome addition to the team.

It’s great to learn the origins of Smallhope and Pennyroyal’s partnership, and more of the characters’ backgrounds, though there’s more of Smallhope than Pennyroyal’s, so I have my fingers crossed that there will be a part two where it’s told from Pennyroyal’s perspective and, of course, that it turns into another wonderful series.

There are some interesting teasers in there that are just waiting to be unravelled (who is Uncle *****?), wicked villains, and an unexpected hookup. It’s funny and gut wrenching at times, and the ending had me on the edge of my seat - I certainly didn’t see any of that coming!

I love this book! Love, love love it. Jodi is a brilliant and clever writer. I can’t wait to listen to the audiobook - what a fabulous weekend I have ahead of me.

Thank you, Jodi.

To enjoy the complete bonkers-ness of Smallhope & Pennyroyal please make ensure you've read the St Mary's series and or the Time Cop series. Whilst you could read this independently I don't think you'd get the full effectiveness of this "prequel" without knowing about the others series.

Amelia Smallhope is an aristocrat. A maligned, side-lined younger sister, made to be the fally guy for her nefarious sister in law. Pennyroyal just makes me think of Neal Caffrey from White Collar on TV - the eponymous handsome, charming, extremely plausible conman. A con man with serious chutzpah and some muscle when required!

They've made some cameo appearances previously and we know their general background but with this story we get to see how they met, became partners and essentially became the Mr and Mrs Smith of Time Recovery Agents!

The entire backstory of Amelia was just so good. She really should have been the heir, she would have been such a great down-to-earth landed aristo! She knew she had money but didn't think that made her better than anyone else.

Pennyroyal is at times protective big brother and other times crush. He came into her life at the right moment to both save her and open her eyes to own worth. Their scenes with Uncle Albert were so sweet. I don't want to give too much away but you will be hooting and hollering, cheering for our dynamic duo and occasionally wanting to smack them on the back of the head!

The whizzing through time helped move the story at a good pace but I never felt rushed or that I was missing things due to the pacing. Can't wait to get time to do a re-read of St Mary's!

Those of you familiar with The Chronicles of St Mary's will be familiar with Lady Amelia Smallhope and her sidekick Pennyroyal, bounty hunters supreme. But have you ever wondered how they got together? Actually, I hadn't, until I heard of this book, then I was very very interested... This is their origin story... And what a story...!
We start at the beginning... obviously... before they met, when Lady Amelia lived with her family. We watch as that family slowly starts to disintegrate, sped up when her brother marries... and how that disintegration is the catalyst for everything that happens thereafter. How when stealing something already belonging to, but stolen from her, Amelia meets up with a strange butler who, as it happens, is also trying to steal said item... how the two find common ground, and eventually become the duo you have learned to love already...
I loved this book. It's a long old tome but it flashes past at the speed of, um, something quite fast but not mega fast! It's interesting and, most importantly, totally fits with what has come before and what we already know of them. It's exciting, and harrowing, funny, and sad. And all things in between. And lots of trust.
If you are familiar with Jodi Taylor and her often acerbic style of writing, you'll definitely not be disappointed. Her sarcastic, tongue in cheek, attitude shines through once again. Love it!
As it does refer to things that have happened in previous books, it might be better read in sequence with all the other books. If you are new to the author, it would probably be OK as a standalone but you'll be missing out on a lot of the "in humour".
All in all, a cracking addition to a very well loved series. Can't wait for the Christmas Special. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Lady Amelia Smallhope and Pennyroyal -just Pennyroyal- have been popping up in the Jodiverse and saving the day for a while now but where did they come from? What exactly is a recovery agent? How did they become one? Where do they go? This is their story and it’s a corker. I loved all of this, it’s fun, it’s action packed, it’s emotional and it’s full of nerdy Easter eggs that Taylor fans will love. Told mostly from Lady Amelia’s perspective it’s her story in the main, Pennyroyal is allowed to keep some air of his mystery. I hope this isn’t the last we see of this formidable pair.

I love Jodi Taylor and have read the The Chronicles of St. Mary's series many times, so was delighted to spot a new title set in the same world. And I wasn't disappointed. We've met Lady Amelia Smallhope and her partner/butler, Pennyroyal, in several of the St Mary's books, but now we dive into their background and follow them on their time-hopping adventures. Smallhope is rather like a posher, taller version of Max, with the same self-deprecating banter and gung-ho spirit (and even the same red hair!). I devoured this book in one sitting and can't wait to read the next one.

How did Smallhope and Pennyroyal meet? What were their bringing up like?
This is the origin story of these interesting characters from the St. Mary’s and Time Police books.
As someone who is not entirely familiar with the lore, I was able to enjoy this book as a standalone book.
Though, if you would like to start reading all the books in the series, it may be wise not to start with this.
It was overall enjoyable thanks to the action and the atmosphere.
3.5 stars
Plot 3
Characterisation 3
Prose 4
Enjoyability 4

I love all the books by this author and devour any new one. I like the hint of these characters in the St Marys books and so was delighted to read a whole book about them.
Now I want Jodi to write more books about them as well as all the new books she needs to write for the other series.

Rating: 4.5/5

I have previously read a couple of Jodi Taylor's traditional Christmas novellas, but never a full length novel by her. I enjoyed the shorter versions and was impressed with the author's writing style, but I was reticent about reading anything else from the "Chronicles of St Mary's" or "Time Police" without going back to the very beginning of the series. So, when I saw this origin story featuring Smallhope and Pennyroyal, I thought it may offer me the ideal opportunity to read a full-length Jodi Taylor novel without feeling that I was missing out on essential background information by dropping in mid-series - and I am very glad that I did.

At no point while I was reading "The Ballad of Smallhope and Pennyroyal" did I ever feel that I was in any way disadvantaged by not being well acquainted with Jodi Taylor's other related works. The story is extremely well-structured and the storytelling abilities of the author are sublime. Were it not for the time travelling elements, this could could quite easily be an example of the type of emotionally engaging dramatic fiction that classic authors such as Hardy, Dickens and Hugo used to produce back in the 19th century. There is drama, witty humour, romance, intrigue, social commentary and ample helpings of adventure and compelling plot developments throughout. Jodi Taylor draws the reader into the world of the two key protagonists wonderfully well. It is fair to say that the audience will likely feel better acquainted with Smallhope rather than the more enigmatic Pennyroyal, but that is, I am sure, a deliberate ploy on the part of the author as well as a consequence of the story being written predominantly from the viewpoint of Smallhope. This is a joy to read and should appeal to anyone who admires quality literary fiction of any genre.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

I have to say I enjoyed this latest Jodi Taylor more than most (but not all) of the others I've read and bear in mind I've not ventured into the Time Police series yet.

Not because it is funnier - it's as much of a giggle-fest as the others; not because the storyline is better - because all Taylor's stories are clever and well-plotted; and not because the characters are better - I love Max and Markham (and even Leon at times) just as much as Smallhope and Pennyroyal.

The sole reason is that there's only sloppy stuff right at the end. I'm afraid, despite it being part of the plot, I get very bored with the sex scenes in the St Mary's books - purely personal taste.

Anyway, in this novel we get an in depth introduction to our two eponymous heroes who, apparently, pop up in various previous books. Both the characters are funny and intelligent and their exploits are excellent. I do love a bit of comedy revenge. It takes us through their initial meeting to their collaboration and beyond.

It's very amusing and has a good, varied plot line that I really looked forward to reading - in fact I rationed myself because I was enjoying it so much. This is the first Taylor I've read rather than listened to but as Zara Ramm is the narrator for the audiobook I'd listen to that too.

This is an excellent addition to the St Mary's/Time Police stable and I'd highly recommend it.

Thankyou very much to Netgalley and Headline for the advance review copy.
Edit Review

I liked this book but it wasn't what I expected. I found it to be simultaneously too similar and too dissimilar to the author's previous works. Too similar in that the main characters felt very like Max and Leon. A beautiful fiery redhead who defends those she loves and a quiet, capable man with a mysterious past. On a couple of occasions Amelia even mentioned what Max would have said if she were there. Too dissimilar in that it was less of a light read than your typical St Mary's book. Violence happens in those books but it is generally a little vague as opposed to the more detailed descriptions in this book. It doesn't happen every time but enough to make it not feel like a light read. There was also more explicit language than usual. I found that without the buffer of any real trips to the past (my usual highlight of a St Mary's book) this was quite a bleak read at times. Especially the ending for the main baddie. There was the humour you would expect from a Jodi Taylor book but it wasn't enough to outweigh the other events.

Characters are divided into the usual clear cut goodies and baddies but they don't feel properly fleshed out. Not even Pennyroyal who is one of the title characters. Maybe there is another book in the works from his point of view but I never felt we got to know him beyond discovering the fridging trope of his motivation. We do learn about Smallhope but other than being informed about the years passing I didn't notice any character development over the circa 16+ years she was away with Pennyroyal.

To get the most out of this book it would be best to be up to date with the St Mary's and Time Police books. It references events from both those series that will make more sense to you if you have read the other books first and will avoid spoilers. I'm not quite sure why the references were included though as we didn't really get to see events from the point of view of Smallhope and Pennyroyal it's mostly just a recounting or a brief mention of events. Maybe it was intended to show how the different timelines fit together but it felt like a wasted opportunity.

If you love the author's writing style full of characters that are witty, sarcastic and sometimes a little odd then this book could definitely be for you. The plot is encumbered a little by all the references to events in other books but still flies along pretty fast.

A book I liked but left me disappointed because I wanted to love it.

I'm already a great fan of Jodi Taylor's Chronicles of St Mary's and The Time Police series, and her other spin offs. So I was delighted to get the chance to read about the origins of Smallhope and Pennyroyal, characters who crop up in other novels from time to time. I thoroughly enjoyed their story which is written in true Jodi Taylor fashion. Recommended as an excellent place to start if you're new to her books or as an add on to extend your knowledge and enjoyment if you're already a fan.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Fast paced, action packed with a marvellous time travelling duo!

I have only ever read the first book in the Chronicles of St. Mary's series and really enjoyed it. I had no idea this was going to be about two characters that make an appearance in that series( i didnt read the description). Boy, did they leave an impression on me.

I really think this could be read as a stand-alone. There are snippets that mention St Mary's and that things are written elsewhere, but I don't feel like I'd missed out on anything or needed more information to carry on reading.

Pennyroyal seems to be Mr Mystery. Everything about him seems to be kept back. I do hope that there will be a book more about him and his past.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the digital copy.

I'd never heard of the author or her series that this book relates to, but that didn't diminish it for me. The time-travel and fight scenes were the ones that mainly related to the other series, and they were the least interesting to me. I absolutely loved the start and the end, it was so funny and fast-paced. I wish the whole thing had been in that vein, but it was still a great read. I'll be looking out for the author's other books as I love how she writes.

I’m a huge fan of Jodi Taylor and the St Mary's series, so when i saw this new novel on NetGalley, I had to request it.
I wasn’t disappointed, It was a quick read for me as i couldn't wait to get to the end. It also works so well as a standalone novel. I'll be pre-ordering my own copy

I requested this book not realising that it was the back story of characters from other book series by this author of which I have not read.

I feel this book is perhaps better suited to people who have read the book series that these characters otherwise feature in as although there is some fabulous humour and I do like the characters, I have struggled to find a connection to them and their story.
I really like Smallhope's feisty persona matched with Pennyroyals calm demeanor and recommend this book for those who have read Jodi Taylor's other books.

For now I am marking this as a DNF at 30%, however, I am interested in reading the other works by this author which feature Smallhope and Pennyroyal and hope to maybe come back to this book in the future.


Thank you to the publisher for an advance copy of this book via Netgalley

As Jodi Taylor is possibly my favourite author (feel guilty even saying that - as how many books are there in the world?!) it will come as no surprise that I enjoyed her newest book!

Smallhope and Pennyroyal have been popping up in her other novels for a while now and they are a deeply intriguing pair. I definitely wanted to get under the skin of Pennyroyal and see what makes him tick! When do they come from? What’s their backstory, etc, etc…

However, I feel this book was a bit of a letdown.
I’m so sorry to say that but Smallhope’s back story which is what we mainly get isn’t very different or interesting. For an extraordinary character she has a very unexceptional adolescence. And Pennyroyal? He’s a brilliant character who leaps off the page in the other books and he just isn’t served here. No idea why he’s the way he is. Just a few hints. And references to things that have been mentioned in other books, I can’t fully remember.

That was the problem with the book overall. Every time something exciting happened Smallhope says, ‘well this has been written before’ and well yes it may have been but I haven’t read it for a few years and I can’t remember! There’s no way of finding out, no key or website so you have to remember. And that is frustrating. It also drastically affects the momentum of the story, how engaging it is and how enthralling the characters are. It adds up to a whole load of nothing really.

The main villain of the piece seems to have no motivation and the conflict rather forced. Why is Caroline like she is, why does she hate Millie, why does George do nothing?

So much is told in summary, we aren’t in the action, we don’t see it and the most exciting parts of their lives seem to have been the bits with the lot from St Mary’s and TTP, couldn’t they have had a few of their own exciting adventures to prepare them for the experience with the other characters?

Overall it suffers from the success of the other books. Taylor doesn’t need to tell us these things again so doesn’t but it makes it seem as though her world isn’t big enough to hold three concurrent narratives and work. These characters deserved their own story and not a cobbled together one and that is what is disappointing.

Am I going to read the next one? Of course! Will I still be reading everything Ms Taylor writes, you bet but I won’t be buying a copy of this one to add to my physical bookshelf as I have with all the others.

Thank you to Netgalley, Jodie Taylor and the publisher for a free ebook copy of The Ballad of Smallhope and Pennyroyal.

I absolutely love the St Mary's Series and I have read (or to be honest listened to Zara Ramm's brilliant audio) every one. Although I do enjoy the short stories, I don't usually rush to read them as much as the novels but not so "The Ballad of Smallhope and Pennyroyal". As soon as I saw this was an ARC, I really wanted to read it (and I will be buying the audiobook too as soon as it is released).

Smallhope and Pennyroyal are the sort of masterful "minor" characters (don't tell Pennyroyal I said that) that Jodie Taylor absolutely excels in including in her work. They sort of creep up on you and are suddenly an integral part of the story one expects to meet (and feels let down if they don't appear). The backstory of this superb pairing is something that has been shrouded in the mysteries of time. Until now...

Put your feet up, gentle reader, brew yourself a proper cup of tea, and settle in because this one will blow your socks off!

I read this book without realising that it is the origin story of two characters that feature in several other books by the same author. With that in mind, I'd highly recommend reading Jodi Taylor's St Mary's and Time Police series before reading this one. It works as a standalone story, but several events that seem highly interesting are skipped over (presumably because they are dealt with in detail in the other books).

We follow Lady Amelia Smallhope from the moment she meets Pennyroyal, from their early partnership to establishing themselves as bounty hunters. All while hopping back and forth through time.

This silly caper of a book was so much fun to read. Narrated with the irreverance of the My Lady Jane series, it is filled with impossible events, sleek comebacks and loveable villaneous characters. I'm not off to read the other books in which Smallhope and Pennyroyal make an appearance!

A recommended read for fans of Jodi Taylor's other books, My Lady Jane, and morally grey protagonists.

Thank you to Netgalley and Headline for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.