This is not the normal kind of book that I would read, it reminded me of Downtown Abbey when I first started it and I wasnt sure I was actually going to enjoy it, but alas I did. The story follows a family of 4, a mother, father and 2 sisters who end up moving to another area. There are many twists and turns along the way and in essence this is a 'who dunnit' style book but also an underlying love story between couples, sisters and son & mother.

This is a gripping story set in France before and during the French Revolution. With a focus on women during this period, we hear the perspectives of sisters, Sofi and Lara and Hortense, the wife of factory owner Josef.

I initially found the changes in pov difficult, however I quickly was able to differentiate between each character and could get a sense for their personalities in the writing.

This extraordinary debut follows three young women from different ends of society navigating the tumultuous landscape of revolutionary France. Following the tragic murder of their beloved father, young Lara and her sister Sofi have found work in the countryside outside Paris at the legendary Oberst Factory, creators of extremely desirable and complex “Toile de Jouy” wall coverings for the finest French houses. A chance meeting sees the two sisters strike up a friendship with Josef Oberst, the lonely young heir to the factory, who lost his mother in mysterious circumstances. His mother’s likeness appears in some of the factory’s creations, unsettling young Lara, who bears an uncanny resemblance to the missing woman. Even more sinisterly, it seems the wallpaper in certain rooms of the family’s manor house somehow depicts scenes from Lara’s own life: can she be imagining this, or is the outside world’s political fever affecting her judgement? At the other end of the social ladder is Hortense, a young aristocrat used to the finest things in life yet suddenly promised in marriage to Josef: she must now sacrifice her comfortable life at court for her family’s status, but outside the palace’s ornate gates, society is smoldering ominously, just waiting for the right kind of kindling to ignite a revolution. Layers and layers of secrets and lies peel back in quick succession, revealing stories and subterfuge that affect all three women. A fascinating and rigorously researched tale that’s heavy on detail from this compelling time period: one for lovers of mysteries, historical adventures and feminist-focused political drama.

Written amidst the background of the French Revolution. The Woman in the Wallpaper follows the tragic circumstances of a working-class family caught up in the whims and deceits of the upper-class. Set within the overall theme of societal revolution is the story of a young boy’s loss and his misguided attempts to resurrect it at the cost of the life of those he loves. The central characters bring with them a strong sense of pathos as we accompany them on their journey. This novel explores the many complex avenues in the struggle for ‘Egalite, Fraternite and Liberte’. The novel is very engaging and well worth a read.

Set against the backdrop of pre-revolutionary France, this story of loss, bravery, obsession and deception uses both suspense and historical events. Told from the point of view of two working class sisters, Sofi and Lara, and the aristocratic Hortense, based in the Oberst wallpaper factory, this novel highlights the plight of women before and during the French revolution.
With political turmoil brewing in France, Sofi finds herself caught up with the revolutionaries and longs to play a part in shaping her country’s future. Lara, however, has other things to worry about – like the resemblance between herself and the late Mrs Oberst and the way incidents from her own life seem to be replicated in the pictures on the factory wallpaper. Meanwhile, Hortense, newly married into the Oberst family, discovers that as a member of the aristocracy she could be in the most danger of them all as the revolution picks up pace.
The novel is narrated by both of the sisters and at first, even though the name of the narrator is given at the start of each chapter, it was difficult to remember which one I was reading about as their voices felt very similar. This improved in the last quarter of the book.
Thank you to @netgalley and @littlebrownbookgroup_uk for this #arc.

111Set against the backdrop of pre-revolutionary Paris, this story of loss, love, bravery, obsession and deception is both a gripping, full of suspense psychological thriller and a rich and vivid work of historical fiction. Told from the point of view of two sisters, Sofi and Lara and the aristocratic Hortense, three very different women bought together by circumstance, this novel perfectly highlights the role of women before and during the French revolution and their public fight and need for change - a subject rarely written about in literature.

This story is exquisite in its historical detail and beautifully poetic in its prose. Full of atmosphere and suspense, the mix of thriller and the uncanny work together perfectly to create a novel that both keeps you on the edge of your seat and chills you right to the bone. Although a bit of a slow burner the pace of the novel works really well and the charac ter development is brilliantly done - i was invested in the lives of all the minor characters just as much as the main ones and I loved how the author was able to brin g all their stories together in a way that was completely uncomplicated and easy to follow.

From the storming of the Bastille to a tower with haunted wallpaper and from the stinking streets of Paris to the decadent rooms of Versailles, I enjoyed every element of this book. It is highly original, shocking in places and tragic and upsetting in others with a twist at the end that was totally unexpected. Perfect for fans of Gothic literature and historical fiction or anyone who has an interest in Revolutionary France I want to thank Netgalley and Littlebrownbookgroup for an advanced copy of this fantastic book. If I was to give one small criticism it would be the characters points of view - they were a little confusing at first and I found it a bit difficult to differentiate between them. This did improve as the novel progressed. However, ths was most definitely a four star read for me 🌟🌟🌟🌟

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I like the premise of this book, learning about the women in the French revolution, and I loved the last quarter, it was gripping and interesting with twists and turns but unfortunately I found the rest quite slow and a bit boring

Paris 1789 - after the untimely accidental death of their father, Lara, Sofi and their mother find themselves cruelly evicted by their landlord. Fortunately, on learning of their fate, Aunt Berthe is able to offer them a home and jobs at the Oberst Wallpaper factory as she is housekeeper to the factory owner and his son, Josef. The company is famous for producing exquisite wallpaper that graces the homes of so many members of the aristocracy. The girls soon learn that Josef’s mother died tragically when he was very young, and his distraught father has become a virtual recluse. Eventually Josef is forced to marry, against his will, and his wife, Hortense, loathes “factory” life to the extent that she does her best to ignore everyone and has time only for her little dog.

As time passes Sofi becomes more and more involved with the partisans and the Revolution becomes more imminent, whilst Josef asks Lara to become his wife’s personal maid. Life for Hortense is far from happy and as the atmosphere becomes more and more political she endeavours to flee abroad, but will he succeed?

A gripping read beautifully constructed with vivid descriptions of life at that time.

A sinister gothic novel set against the background of the French Revolution and the fashion for wallpaper with idyllic country scenes. The contrast between the scenes in the wallpaper and the real lives of the people both portrayed in them and creating them is portrayed well and the story is well researched. I did not however find the story particularly compelling and could not relate to the three women protagonists.

With thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review an advance reader’s copy of this book.

The French Revolution is a fascinating subject and I’ve read several novels set during that period. The Woman in the Wallpaper, Lora Jones’ debut novel, is another and is written from the unusual perspective of two sisters working at a wallpaper factory in northern France.

Sofi and Lara Thibault are the daughters of a stonemason who dies suddenly under tragic circumstances early in the book. In need of work to support themselves, the sisters and their mother move to Jouy-en-Jouvant, a town near Paris, where all three have been offered employment at the Oberst factory. The factory produces wallpaper with a unique design featuring a woman thought to be the late Mrs Oberst, who died several years ago and may or may not have been murdered. As they settle into their new jobs, both girls are drawn to Josef Oberst, the heir to the factory, but Josef is soon to be a married man, with an aristocratic young wife due to arrive from Versailles.

With political turmoil brewing in France, Sofi finds herself caught up with the revolutionaries and longs to play a part in shaping her country’s future. Lara, however, has other things to worry about – like the resemblance between herself and Mrs Oberst and the way incidents from her own life seem to be replicated in the pictures on the factory wallpaper. Meanwhile, Josef’s new wife, Hortense, discovers that as a member of the aristocracy she could be in the most danger of them all as the revolution picks up pace.

I enjoyed The Woman in the Wallpaper, although I wish authors would stop writing in present tense! I’ve never read a book set in a wallpaper factory before and it was fascinating to read about the process of making the paper and preparing the coloured pigments, as well as the work carried out in the printhouse, where the designs are carved onto the wooden blocks which are then coated with ink and pressed onto the paper. The parts of the novel dealing with the French Revolution are also interesting. Some of the key events, such as the storming of the Bastille and the arrival of the guillotine, are included, but the main focus is on the role of women and how the Revolution seemed unlikely to bring about the level of change they were hoping for.

The novel is narrated by both of the Thibault sisters and at first, even though the name of the narrator is given at the start of each chapter, I found myself forgetting which one I was reading about as their voices felt very similar. Later in the book, as their stories began to diverge, the two became easier to distinguish and this wasn’t a problem anymore. Lara is the gentler, quieter, more mature sister but Sofi, the impetuous younger sister, was my favourite. However, there’s also a third narrator – Hortense, Josef’s selfish, entitled wife from Versailles. Hortense makes no attempt to adapt to the changes in society or to endear herself to the people of Jouy; in one memorable scene, she deliberately hosts an elaborate birthday party for her pet dog, knowing that peasants are starving and workers are protesting. I thought perhaps I would warm to her as the book went on, but that didn’t happen – I found her cruel and heartless right to the end.

As for the central mystery surrounding the images in the wallpaper and their connection with Lara’s life, I found it easy to guess what was really going on, but it was still quite unsettling! This is an impressive first novel and I hope Lora Jones will be writing more.

The woman in the wallpaper delivered everything I expected it to, and then some.

Set in France during the revolution, the story follows 3 very different women during a tumultuous and tragic few years.

The story took me a while to get into, reading the first half of the book slowly over the course of several days. The descriptions, the world building, the depth of character development, beautiful writing and mysterious dreamlike backstory took time to process. When the plot was ready to come together and pull me through the rest of the book, I was enthralled and couldn’t put it down.

Heartbreakingly sad and poignant. Historical fiction, a gothic mystery, the overly decadent society of aristocratic France, the despair and rage from the workers. Misogyny, racism, worker’s rights, feminism, and love. In so many forms, and despite great pain. It’s all here.

Thankyou to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for approving access to the arc of Lora Jones’ fantastic debut historical novel.

Historical mystery novel taking place in France at the end of the 18th century - very interesting.

Two sisters are forced to move to work in a wallpaper factory outside Paris. The story involves the owners of the factory and the tragedy that has affected their lives. This has a huge knock-on effect on all those around them, particularly the two sisters. As the French revolution unfolds, all the characters get embroiled in all sorts of romantic and tragic events. The characters are well-developed and the plot moves along a reasonable pace. The novel is interesting and engaging with plenty of misunderstandings and revelations. It's also gives us an insight into the plight of women in this era. Well worth a look. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The woman in the wallpaper - Lora Jones due for publication Feb 2025

A fascinating fictionalised account of the early years of the French Revolution centred around 3 women. Two sisters from a poor background and one spoilt beyond belief into unimaginable wealth forced to marry a man with secrets and move to a chateau surrounding a wallpaper factory.
The women's lives interact in devastating ways through a series of misunderstandings and spite.

Central to the story is the strange goings on with the toile de jouy wallpaper which gets creepier and creepier.

This was a complex tale a bit slow to get going but it was worth perservering as the story had a gripping climax.

A thoroughly enjoyable read.

Thanks to Netgalley for a preview copy.

Gothic historical novel set at the time of the French Revolution. Overall I liked the books and the characters, especially the two sisters. The sections about the wallpaper mirroring scenes from one of the sister's lives intrigued me and I put it down to being part of the gothic genre. Couple of things that didn't make sense to me was the likeness of the sister to the woman who had died and I don't think the beginning part matched the scene that came later in the book (bit difficult to describe without spoilers). Still a good but grim book about the French Revolution.

Fabulous historical gothic novel. Set partly during the French Revolution, it's the tale of two sisters, work, wallpaper, privilege and passion. With twists and turns and well-written, the novel is an interesting read, not what I expected; however, it's an enthralling read.

A French Revolution story following three very different young women through some catastrophic events. I enjoyed the story even although it was perhaps a trifle long, but I wasn’t always happy about the extreme vilification of one of the three main characters. I find it hard to believe that anybody could be that unlikeable and unreasonable. Still, overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it!

I delved into this book with much anticipation after being selected to read as an arc for NetGalley. Unfortunately for me it just wasn’t gripping me. I did power on and I admit I did have outside influences interrupting this a particular read but I just couldn’t gel with the storyline. It was incredibly well written and I wouldn’t say it was a bad book at all it just wasn’t my book.

A fascinating story. Set just before and during the French Revolution the book opens in Paris in 1789 where an unnamed woman watches three people being taken in a tumbril to meet Madam Guillotine! Going back in time we meet sisters Lara and Sofi who live in Marseilles with their parents. Times are very hard for the working man and there is unrest all over the country. When their father is tragically killed and they are thrown out of their home they travel with their mother to work in the Oberst factory which prints high class wallpaper, just outside Paris. Told from the POV’s of Sofi, Lara and Hortense this is a slow burning and evocative story.

Briefly, it isn’t long before the beautiful Lara catches the eye of the wealthy owners son, Josef. However, Josef is forced into an arranged marriage with spoilt and selfish aristocrat Hortense and to keep her nearby he arranges for Lara to become his wife’s ladies maid. Meanwhile Sofi is becoming more and more involved with those seeking to overthrow the aristocracy. And the strangest thing is happening, the pictures on the wallpaper in Lara’s room seem to be mirroring what is happening in real life!

Whilst Lara is likeable, Sofi comes across as self centred and jealous and Hortense is just another level of narcissistic; although my opinions did soften slightly later in the story. There are so many secrets that have been hidden for years and I had no inkling about any of them. I liked that this was a new setting for me. I read a lot of historical fiction and this was original, and brilliantly brought the terrible conditions of the poor and the treatment of women, regardless of class, to life. A dark and compelling gothic tale. Enjoyable read.

Paris 1789 in the time of the French Revolution.
After their father dies Sara and Lara have been told by their mother that they must find work. So, the pair are sent to the Oberst Factory where they make intricate wallpaper. They soon come to realise that the woman featured in this wallpaper is of the owner’s late wife. Sofi’s political favour grows but Lara is attracting the interest of the owner’s son Josef. Lara who think there is a future in the relationship is sadly mistaken when Josef takes on a new wife Hortense a stuck up aristocratic who hates living in Paris and is in danger becoming like the late wife in fron of the Guillotine.
In the first part of this story, I found it to be an interesting premise but as I read on the storyline for well-drawn out and sometimes felt parts were unnecessary. This is a very long sty and although I did enjoy some of it. By the last 25 % I just skimmed read the rest of this story as I was losing interest. 3.5 stars from me.

Historical fiction for 2025: ‘The Woman in the Wallpaper’ by @lorajoneswriter (out in Feb 25). [AD/PR copy]

I’ve seen a lot of hype for this one - the story of sisters working in a wallpaper factory in Revolutionary France, where appearances are deceptive and the wallpaper itself seems to contain impossible images that mirror unfolding events.

Being impatient, I leapt at the chance of an advanced copy via Netgalley, but there’s always a nagging doubt with hype …

And I’m delighted to report that, for me, this more than lived up to it.

I found it brilliantly plotted with a masterful drip-feed of uncanny intrigue. Each crumb of enlightenment is served with a twist that takes things in new, often darker, directions.

It’s easy to be swept into the world of the factory, its melancholy young master, the sisters, and the mystery of what the printed paper actually shows. The characters, while doing some awful things, are compellingly complicated and sympathetically nuanced. I also loved the gorgeous illustrations that ape the wallpaper designs (swipe for a couple).

Eerily, given the novel’s theme of wallpaper mirroring life, when I was wondering what to photograph for this post, I opened a drawer of my dresser and found some (mock) C18th wallpaper…

Highly recommended if you like your historical novels deliciously twisty with irresistible slow burning tension.

Big thanks to @netgalley for the eARC.