Sometimes you’ve just got to go with it. This bold historical debut with its setting of France at the time of the Revolution is certainly audacious, at times over-blown, occasionally verging on the ridiculous, but do you know what, it won me over, very much as Kathleen Winsor’s English Restoration set classic from the 1940s did “Forever Amber” which ended up in my Top 5 of the year in 2023.

I’m not sure that this book will do this but it has a lot to recommend it. It actually starts off quite calmly focusing on the production of Toile de Jouoy wallpaper although a guillotine’s presence in the Prologue suggests that all will not go well for at least one of the characters. There are three first-person narratives from would-be artist sisters Sofi and Lara (I felt initially Lara needed a stronger identity within her narrative to distinguish her from her sister) and representing the nobility, the spoilt Hortense, whose entry into the book provides a definite shift, living at Versailles with her parents who are keen to find her an advantageous marriage.

Circumstances take the sisters away from sketching around their Marseilles home to the Oberst wallpaper and fabric factory and there things continue to escalate. An old injury causes Lara to hallucinate at times causing the scenes in the wallpaper to change or come alive which adds a surreal touch and perhaps, if anything, there’s rather too much wallpaper in this book.

What works for me is the flavour of the period which once again may have the contrast turned up a little too vividly but the author does well to convey the indignation of the masses and the shift towards paranoia of the nobility.

There are quite a lot of changes of tone here and it’s not always clear where the author is going but I actually like that. Some scenes and plot events grated on me, some I felt really worked and like the aforementioned Winsor book it’s all done with such enthusiasm that it kept me enthralled as to what the author was going to put her characters through next. It’s all brought vividly to life- it might get some disapproval from historical fiction fans who like a close adherence to facts but I found it all rather entertaining.

The Woman In The Wallpaper was published on 20th February 2025 by Sphere Books. Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the advance review copy.

A friend passed along an ARC to me so I’m happy to have read it around publication!

This is a historical fiction set in 18th century France. Sisters Sofi and Lara have their world turned upside down after the death of their father, and they move to begin work at a wallpaper factory. At the factory, the wallpaper itself features the owner’s deceased wife, who died mysteriously.

Both sisters connect with Josef, the son of the owner. As time goes on, Sofi becomes interested in the revolution. We also follow Hortense, part of the aristocracy, so this was a very different point of view. She struggles to adjust in Paris, and the lives of these women will be forever changed not just by their life at the factory, but also by the revolution.

I thought the concept was really interesting. I don’t think I’ve read any historical fiction set at this time, but I am interested in the French revolution, so it worked really well to see the wide impact on a range of people. I also definitely wanted to find out what the deal was with the wallpaper.

Honestly, I flew through this. The book is pretty chunky, but most of the chapters are extremely short, so I found it really easy to just keep reading large sections at a time. This was especially true as the POVs alternated throughout, and I found the end section of the book the most engaging.

The characters were definitely flawed, but I was also rooting for them. In particular, the sibling relationship between Sofi and Lara felt really fleshed out. However, all three of the main characters really irritated me at times. This was true most for Hortense, which was definitely intentional from the author’s part, which I get. But given some things that happened later in the book, I found it hard to feel sympathetic on the whole. As for Sofi and Lara, both of them made decisions which I really just could not understand. There were also a few developments of Josef’s character which I won’t mention (as they are spoilers) but I didn’t like how that played out at all.

Based on the synopsis, I thought there would be some fantastical elements, but that wasn’t the case. There was definitely an air of mystery, but I really only felt it strongly towards the end. I think the pacing was just a bit uneven throughout.

There were definitely some moments in the book I was not expecting. Some parts, I thought I could predict, but then I ended up being wrong. Some of the twists I thought were great! However, some of the explanations and results at the end of the book were a bit too neatly tied up for me and I felt a bit disappointed.

It sounds like I have a lot of negatives, now that I am reflecting on my thoughts. I really think the very end was just let down by how everything resolved. However, I really enjoyed my overall reading experience and I was hooked throughout. Overall, I’m still happy I read this, but I doubt I will revisit it in the future.

I was completely entralled by this historical fiction novel set during the French revolution. Told from the POVs of three women; their lives, loves and struggles are vividly depicted thoughout the story.

I enjoyed the rich detail that I found immersive and brought this whole world into life. Some may find the pace a little slow but I appreciated the leisurely unfolding of the mystery surrounding the woman in the wallpaper. A spellbinding read I just wanted to savour.

Thank you to Little, Brown Book Group and Netgalley for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I thought this was going to be more a gothic novel than it was. Slight YA vibes too!
I enjoyed it, definitely speeds up considerably towards the end but didn't really take to the characters (except Hortense & little Pepin!).

1789.
The Oberst Factory supplies beautiful wallpaper for the best Parisienne homes.
There is always a woman depicted in the wallpaper who is said to be Mrs Oberst, who died in suspicious circumstances.
Two sisters, Lara and Sofi, come to work at the factory and soon form a friendship with Josef, the owners son.
Soon their lives seem to be intertwined with the wallpaper as is the wallpaper in Josef,s house.
What is happening?

This is a gothic style historical fiction and enjoyed it thoroughly. 2 sisters arrive at a wallpaper factory in Paris. The year is 1789. The two sisters form a friendship with Josef Oberst heir to the factory who lost his mother when he was just 11 years old. Whilst Sofi becomes increasingly involved with the revolution Lara finds herself as Josefs new brides lady maid.

Lara finds herself and her life mirrored within the ever changing wallpaper in her room. Lara becomes increasingly concerned that she is in danger and will have her life cut short like the late Mrs Oberst.

I did find this to be a slow starter but I persevered and I am so glad I did. This is a perfect example of historical fiction with a gothic twist. I look forward to reading more by this author and I definitely think they may become an auto buy author for me especially if they continue with the historical fiction genre

Sorry to say, I gave up on this one as I really didn’t connect with the characters. It was a poor choice for me.

Strangely enthralling.

Set at the time of the French revolution, this is the story of working people who are struggling to afford the very basics of life while the nobility live it up - but that is only part of the tale . . .

I hold my hands up that I didn't appreciate the gothic part of this novel when I began reading. Not my usual kind of read - and not a part of history where I knew more than the basics but I found myself sinking into this one quite quickly. It wasn't always comfortable reading, but that was all down to me. It's an engrossing read, beautifully written and, for me, four stars - only because it's way out of my comfort zone.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley.

Two sisters, Lara and Sofie Thibault and Hortense, a young woman from Versailles, are the central female characters in this fascinating debut novel.
Set amongst the events leading to the French Revolution in 1789, Lara and Sofie work at the Oberst factory in Jouy , this makes the famous material, in this novel it is wallpaper, a very expensive product for the grand houses of Paris and the Palace of Versailles.
Toile de Jouy is comprised of small vignettes, pictures of pastoral scenes, usually idealised images of happy, healthy country folk, or love scenes using period figures. When Lara observes these images closely in her work, she notices they echo her own life events, and she also bears a stunning resemblance to the central character Justine, the deceased wife of the Oberst factory owner.
Sofie is the more radically minded and politically aware of the sisters, so when food riots and workers unrest reach Jouy, she and other workers go to Paris to witness the storming of the Bastille, the symbolic start of the Terror, which eventually culminates in the introduction of Madame Guillotine.
Hortense is a spoilt young woman from the Palace of Versailles, her haughty manner has not endeared her to the many suitors her father has introduced to her, so when Josef Oberst agrees to marry her, she reluctantly agrees, his family are trade, and so below her station!
When they both move to Jouy, the lives of these three women collide in spectacular ways that bring events in Paris and Jouy to a stunningly and desperately sad conclusion.
Not your normal happy ever after story. This is a Gothic, almost supernatural romance, filled with suspense, emotional heartbreak, with an underlying theme of mental health issues. There is a wonderful blend of historical facts and fiction. The saying of walls have ears, should now be updated to walls have eyes?
I found the medical question of how long a body could remain lucid after decapitation to be most interesting, this supposedly happened after the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, her lips were observed moving for several minutes after her death.
A five star novel. Lengthy but so well researched, and not interrupting the flow of the narrative. A really enjoyable story, with wonderful twists and turns
I look forward to future novels from this author.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers, Little, Brown Book Group UK, for my ARC, freely given in exchange for my honest review. I will leave reviews to Goodreads and Amazon UK upon publication..

Told in a three person narrative, we get the unfolding story of Lara and Sofi Thibault, sisters who, after a family tragedy, move from Marseille, to the Oberst wallpaper factory in Jouy, to learn the skill of wallpaper production. We also meet Hortense du Pommier, a spoiled aristocratic young woman, whose brittle personality epitomises the French aristocracy on the eve of revolution and whose marriage into the Oberst family brings the lives of these three women into sharp spotlight.

The story gets off to a slow and steady start and sets the scene of discord well with a chilling opening chapter.. This was a time of great social and political upheaval with swathes of poverty and hardship which is juxtaposed against the blatant wealth of the aristocracy who quickly become the target for violence. Both Lara and Sofi are fascinating characters, emotionally close as only sisters can be, who need to find their way in an increasingly troubled time. Hortense, adds her own sense of volatility to this story of three very different young women who were caught up in some of the most momentous years in French history. The production of the Oberst wallpaper is well explained and quickly becomes another character in the novel and adds an interesting dimension to this fascinating story.

Well researched, and rich in historical detail, The Woman in the Wallpaper is an imaginatively written historical novel and a commendable debut by a talented writer.

Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for this eCopy to review

Lora Jones's "The Woman in the Wallpaper" is a truly immersive experience. It's the kind of historical fiction that pulls you in and doesn't let go, and I found myself completely captivated by the world she created.

The story unfolds against the backdrop of the French Revolution, and Jones expertly weaves together historical events with a compelling mystery. We follow the lives of three women: sisters Sofi and Lara, and Hortense, the aristocratic wife of a wallpaper factory owner. The Oberst Factory, where much of the story takes place, is shrouded in mystery, particularly concerning the enigmatic woman depicted in its wallpaper designs.

What I found particularly compelling was how Jones explored the lives of these women within the tumultuous context of the revolution. Each woman grapples with her own challenges, from social inequalities to personal tragedies, and their stories intertwine in unexpected ways. The wallpaper itself becomes a character, with its patterns mirroring and even predicting the events unfolding in their lives.

I enjoyed the atmospheric setting, Jones paints a vivid picture of revolutionary France, from the bustling streets of Paris to the intricate workings of the Oberst Factory. The details are rich and immersive. The characters are complex and well-developed. Their individual struggles and motivations drive the story forward. The mystery surrounding the woman in the wallpaper adds a layer of suspense and kept me guessing until the end. The historical events are cleverly integrated into the story, providing a compelling glimpse into the social and political climate of the French Revolution.

"The Woman in the Wallpaper" is a beautifully written and captivating historical novel.. If you enjoy historical fiction with a touch of mystery and suspense, I highly recommend this book.

Well this is a timely place to capture my thoughts on this enjoyable piece of historical fiction.
Listening to Lora last night at Waterstones Clifton was a treat, and to hear her thoughts on her research and the characters hugely insightful.
The woman in the wallpaper is one of those delightfully gothic reads with darkness hovering on the turn of every page.
The relationships between the three women were brilliantly described and I loved seeing these stories play out with the backdrop of the French Revolution. The mystery of the wallpaper, of the setting and family we’re introduced to with the impact of the uprising of the people thrown in, all added to the interest.

What a rich tapestry this book turned out to be. And a debut to boot!
We follow Sofi and Lara who, after the death of their father, after fleeing with their mother to Paris, start working at a nearby factory belonging to the Oberst company, renown wallpaper manufacturers. They notice that within the intricate patterns in the wallpaper there are pictures of a woman, believed to be the late wife of the owner, Justine Oberst. Whose death was a wee bit suspect. The rest of the book mirrors this theme of pattern repetition and also concerns the son of the company owner, Josef, who grows close to the sisters.
I am quite the fan of history but I am more familiar with English rather than French history. In fact, my only real knowledge of the French Revolution comes from a Carry-On film (Carry on don't lose your head, if you want to know) so you can see I was well lacking in real knowledge of this going into this book! This means that I can't speak for the voracity of what I just read, But I have to say that the author both opened my eyes and my heart to the shenanigans going on during this time in France, and I have to admit that, by the end of the book, I wanted to know more... The sign of a good historical novel. I also learned quite a bit about wallpaper!
The rest of the story concerns itself around the lives of the three women, Sofi and Lara I have already mentioned, the third being Hortense, an aristocrat, and we witness their similarities and differences in life. And realise that, even today, things haven't really changed that much, sadly.
All in all, an impressive debut which I thoroughly immersed myself into during my time with it. I'm excited to see what the author has in store for next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

It’s Paris in October 1793 as a tumbril approaches the Place de la Revolution. Its occupants know what awaits them, Madam Guillotine, and that they do not have long for this world. Heads shorn, they are driven through the crowd who are baying for blood. One by one they are led to the scaffold and the young woman in the tumbril remembers disturbing patterns in wallpaper from an earlier time before the blade falls.
Years earlier in 1788, the Thibault family, Sofi aged 15 and Lara aged 16, and their mother leave Marseilles to work in the renowned Oberst wallpaper factory at Jouy. A family tragedy and an unscrupulous landlord have forced the move and Lara has had to leave her sweetheart, Guillaume behind. Her mother is pleased as she disapproves of the match feeling that he’s not good enough for her.
The girls are intrigued by the wallpaper that the factory produces which is destined for aristocrats. They see a worker who is permanently scarred by the dyeing process and note that the wallpaper is;
‘sold to people who never stop to consider the real cost to them at all.’
While learning the work, they admire the factory’s speciality of vignettes showing scenes of apparent charm and pastoral tranquillity. But, if examined closely, there can be subtly hidden depictions of cruelty. Lara shivers as she recognises the similarity between her and a woman who appears again and again vignettes.
The work is hard and demanding but they fit in with the workforce. However, outside the factory there are signs that all is not well. Beggars are seen in the countryside and there is a growing dissension. Wilhem Oberts, the factory owner and a widower, is remote and has shut himself away since the mysterious and tragic death of his young wife, Justine. They had one son, Josef, who has never said what happened on the fateful day that he and his mother went out and only he returned. Inside the factory, Wilhelm’s workers are dissatisfied with low wages, unaffordable basic foodstuffs and the feeling that those at the top are exploiting them.
The two sisters have different natures; Sofi is fiery, determined, impulsive and wants to be part of things whereas Lara is quieter, more equable and exceptionally talented at drawing. On impulse, Sofi goes to Paris with some of their fellow workers and is caught up in events as the Bastille is stormed and the Governor decapitated. The cry is Liberte. Equalite, Fraternite!
But there is another young woman in Versailles whose path is destined to cross with the sisters, Hortense du Pommier, a spoilt young aristocrat. Her father is at his wits end trying to find someone to marry her until he finds Josef Oberst and so Hortense arrives at the factory muttering that he is ‘in trade’. She has no time for the factory or its workers and as the news from Paris becomes more and more darker with the death of the King and Maris Antoinette Hortense begins to make plans which will include Lara. Unfortunately, so has someone else….
This was a really well plotted book with many twists and very believable characters. The action takes part in the beginning of the French Revolution and the events that led up to ‘The Terror’. I liked the way that the author showed how ordinary people are caught up in the action as they began to unfold.
The bond between the sisters was also very convincing and Hortense’s rich, spoilt life was well described. All three of their stories were told in the first person from very different perspectives and I knew that Hortense was a survivor.
There was a supernatural, Gothic element to the book with the wallpaper and how Lara sees it changing. She is being haunted by the woman in the vignettes but is she trying to tell her something? Once she becomes Hortense’s maid, she has to live in the tower which was Justine’s old room. She feels watched and there is a strong sense of an invisible companion. This added to the dark atmosphere of the narrative which had several themes including politics which the author deftly handles. It’s well researched and done subtly.
‘The Woman in The Wallpaper’ title reminded me of Charlotte Perkins Gillman’s novella, ‘The Yellow Wallpaper.’ The cover is wonderful and is what attracted me to reading it. AThis is one of the best books that I’ve read this year.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC. `

The Woman in the Wallpaper by Lora Jones is an engaging historical novel set during the French Revolution. The story revolves around three young women whose lives become tangled in a web of secrets, passion, and political turmoil. Much of the action takes place in a wallpaper factory near Paris, which produces a unique style of wallpaper that plays a key role in the plot, almost becoming a character itself.

Jones does an excellent job of bringing the world of pre-revolutionary France to life, with vivid descriptions that make the setting feel immersive. The attention to detail, especially when it comes to the wallpaper-making process, is impressive, though it can slow the story down a bit at first. As the story unfolds, though, you start to really appreciate the rich world she’s built, and it becomes easier to get lost in the characters' emotional journeys.

What really makes this novel stand out is how the wallpaper itself evolves into a symbol of the turmoil and growing tension of the time. What starts as a fascinating historical story soon becomes a thrilling, gothic adventure. Jones blends suspense with insightful social commentary, creating a gripping and thought-provoking narrative that will stay with you long after you finish reading. If you love historical fiction with a touch of gothic suspense, this one’s definitely worth checking out!

The Woman in the Wallpaper follows the story of three young women caught up in the French Revolution. The majority of the action occurs in and around a wallpaper factory close to Paris which produces a unique style of product.

Each of the characters is written in the first person and, the more I read, the more I was impressed by the writing. These women are all very different in class, in nature and in their view of the world yet they all leapt from the page fully formed.

The story is a deeply tragic yet all too human tale which almost brought me to tears at the end (and fiction rarely causes me to well up however sad it is). As revelations are gradually teased out we begin to see how damaged some of the characters are underneath and how their behaviour is actually their only defence against a world which has caused them nothing but pain.

There is a mild supernatural element to the story but I suspect that this has been toned down through the many drafts that the author tells us have been consigned to various recycling bins as it does not really impinge greatly on the main narrative.

Issues around mental health are sensitively handled by the author as some of the characters struggle to cope with their lives. The truly awful results that can come from misunderstandings and incorrect assumptions are woven into the novel without ever being unrealistic or over the top, but the lesson that making assumptions without all the facts could not come over more strongly.

I enjoyed the book and the characters will stay with me for a long time. There are many morals in the novel and much food for thought though it is never ‘preachy’. I would recommend it to those who enjoy historical fiction with a hint of the supernatural but those looking for a straightforward ghost story would perhaps be better served elsewhere.

Many thanks to Little Brown Books for a review copy.

When I started reading this book I didn’t enjoy most of it found it a bit boring but I persevered and about three quarters through the book I started to enjoy it.

After Lara and Sofi with their Mother leave their family home after tragedy has struck to go and work in the wallpaper factory. Lara meets the son of the factory Josef and he is very taken with her. Josef’s Father arranges for his son to marry Hortense who is a spoilt woman. Over the years we see what happens to them all.

The book had a wee bit of a twist in it and I enjoyed some parts of the book. It was well written.

I usually like historical fiction books was interesting to read about this period but felt the book was maybe a wee bit too long as some of the bits were as I say not scintillating.

Sorry but this book did not hold my attention enough to give a thorough review, I keep picking it up,enjoying it then it goes back in time and I lose the thread, Hopefully I'll get into it again and when I do I will place a review on Amazon,

Lara and Sofi are sisters with only a year between them. Living in Marseille with their parents, their lives are turned upside down when their father dies in tragic circumstances. No longer able to pay their rent, they are forced to leave their house, and they travel north with their mother to Jouy-en-Josas near Paris where their aunt has managed to secure work for all of them at the Oberst Factory – positions that fortunately come with a small residence. There, they attempt to settle into their new lives, desperately missing their father, and both independently developing an attachment to Josef Oberst, heir to the factory.

The novel is told from the perspectives of Lara, Sofi, and Hortense – a young aristocratic woman. I found the characters largely unlikeable although they have all suffered in their own way which does at least make them sympathetic. Lara is the calm and quiet one – intelligent and artistic, she prefers the path of least resistance, but I found her too docile and compliant – even when things go awry (and they do go awry) she was too accepting of her fate. Sofi is the complete opposite in temperament – she is quick to anger, particularly when she feels that she or Lara are being treated unfairly. I think that where I struggled is that there wasn’t much nuance. Lara is always calm and accepting of her circumstances – she might not be happy about it, but she just gets on with it – while Sofi is always raging against something.

Hortense’s perspective is quite different. She has a very privileged life, and comes across as a spoilt brat – making people wait unnecessarily on her behalf, and always rude and demanding. Hortense is of a marriageable age, and yet is considered difficult even amongst her fellow aristocrats, with no one willing to take her as a wife (or daughter-in-law, given most marriages were arranged by the parents) despite the impressive dowry that she comes with. It’s revealed in the blurb that she and Josef marry, despite neither of them wanting to, particularly Hortense who sees Josef as beneath her and her circumstances much reduced as a result. Hortense’s behaviour is gradually explained, but I found it difficult to feel sympathetically towards her given her actions and she feels like a caricature for much of the novel.

I was immediately attracted to the blurb of this novel when I was invited to read it via Netgalley, and particularly the mystery surrounding the titular woman in the wallpaper who the reader soon discovers to be Josef’s late mother. This adds an element of eeriness to the novel, although it does at first seem like a coincidence as Lara bears a resemblance to the woman. It takes on more significance as Lara repeatedly sees vignettes from her own life mirrored in scenes from the wallpaper and I enjoyed seeing that element of the plot play out – it went in a direction that I wasn’t expecting. Similarly, the broader plot is very well done – I enjoyed seeing these three characters brought together, and if there were elements to the ending that I personally didn’t like, the journey there was a fascinating one.

The novel is set against the backdrop of the French Revolution, and while both sisters attend rallies and the storming of the Bastille, Lara seems largely ambivalent about it. For Sofi, however, it becomes something to latch on to, fuelling her anger over the death of their father. I like the way in which this was brought into the narrative, particularly as Jones highlights that while the intention was for a fairer society, it didn’t significantly benefit women who continued to be denied suffrage, property rights, and who were banned from political meetings. It’s easy to forget that fraternity traditionally meant a brotherhood, but I think that it was meant in that sense in the slogan Liberté, égalité, fraternité.

The Woman in the Wallpaper is a novel that I think that many readers will enjoy but unfortunately this one just didn’t work for me. This is a case of it’s me not the book, however, and I think that lovers of historical fiction will enjoy it.

I was really excited to read this as I had heard a buzz about it. I thought that the whole concept was great but I found it overly long. I could see why as it played out against the backdrop of the French Revolution which was well done. I loved the voices of the sisters and the wife. The details of the classes. I liked the characters but it was also flawed. I really wanted to love it and I’m sad I didn’t! It’s really a 3.5 out of 5.