Not what I was expecting at all, better in so many ways! I really enjoyed this book, the storyline was back and forth between past and present, but so interesting, and Jonathan was a vile character; he made me feel uncomfortable through the page!
Highly recommend this one and will definitely look out for more by this author in the future!

A lovely book. I’m not one to give spoilers so won’t go in to detail other than to say you get two stories, which eventually and satisfyingly come together. The two female protagonists are both very likeable and other characters are well described and easy to envisage. Both stories are equally engaging and enjoyable. The writing is descriptive, atmospheric and beautiful, you can readily picture everything. It’s not often I give a maximum rating but the only fault I have with this book is that I did not want it to end.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review and my sincere thanks to the author for such an exquisite book and for the hard work you put in to it over so many years.

Timeslips? Fated lovers? Long-hidden secrets? This book has it all, and I enjoyed every moment of it!

I loved the premise of this book – I loved the small, seaside village of Winterthorne – I loved Xanthe and Jude, the heroines of this story – but most of all I loved how the author wove their stories together. I sometimes find with timeslip novels (or novels that follow two protagonists) that I have a favourite, and I want to “get back” to the other part of the story. With this novel I was hooked throughout, and I think that’s because the writing was just masterful – and the characters were so well fleshed out. Every scene was another piece of the puzzle, another clue for the reader to try and solve – and I found myself staying up WAY past my bedtime for “one more chapter… no maybe TWO more chapters…”

An enchanting read!

I really enjoyed this. A castle given to a woman and there's a maze and secrets within its walls. There's some novels that are just so atmospheric and this is one of them. I was transported to the story and felt I knew the characters and cared for them. I love a dual time line and this was done really well. Oooh and that cover!!!!

Thanks to Netgalley.co.uk for a copy of this book in return for an honest review

Amazing, and in totally unexpected ways. I thought this would be an interesting story going by the blurb, but I wasn't prepared for the brilliant direction it took - no spoilers, you just have to read it!

Xanthe and Jude are fantastic characters to read. They both give the reader an insight into their lives, which then forms the backbone of the story.
Around them, the story becomes stimulating and engaging, with the result of it being incredibly hard to put down. I wanted to read it all in one sitting, but that sadly was not possible, so I had to read it whenever I could. I did, however, make excuses so that I could get back to it quickly. The pages kept on turning as I became more invested.
I couldn't describe what I liked best about this story - it was all so fascinating and very well presented.

How I loved this book… it made total sense when I read that it took the author 10 years to write it, as each line is considered and beautifully crafted. I think this is one of the best paragraphs I have read in any book, ever,
“People aren't what you can see on the surface. Every one of us is a whole universe, galaxies and worlds and colliding stars hidden under the skin. You don't have to understand what someone else is going through to have compassion. Stand up for yourself, yes, one hundred per cent, but be kind too. Give people the benefit of the doubt if you can. One day you might need it too.”

A novel to keep on your bookshelf and read again and again.

THE MOONLIT MAZE is a sweeping dual time story based on an intriguing premise – that different periods of time might be occurring simultaneously. And that occasionally we could somehow pull aside the veil that separates us from other eras and experience them for ourselves. This book kept me spellbound throughout as the two heroines – Xanthe in 1924 and Jude in the present – battled to find love (not just the romantic kind), acceptance, happiness and contentment. To be allowed to live their lives on their own terms, and to learn to accept that which they had no power to change. Xanthe (who is autistic and not like everyone else) has struggled all her life to fit in, while Jude has had to fight her way back from the brink due to grief and losing everything and everyone she loved. The two stories were emotional and atmospheric, and the setting – a little Yorkshire village on the coast – was perfect for the Gothic feel of these tales. Highly recommended for fans of slightly spooky, mysterious and thought-provoking reads that keep you on the edge of your seat!

I was drawn to this book by the title and beautiful cover. It didn’t disappoint. I’m not usually one for books that flit back and forth between time but this one flowed beautifully between the two and I had no trouble keeping up. There was plenty to keep the pages turning, and I didn’t see the end coming.

A lovely central character with some very engaging writing. Unusually for this type of novel I found the current day setting more engaging than the narrative set in the past. But an enjoyable read.

I was drawn in by the beautiful cover and title, which are glamorous and mysterious. It’s a well-crafted dual timeline novel, with the different threads cleverly woven together. The dreamy, atmospheric descriptions of the settings give it a fairy-tale feel.

In the prologue (so I hope this isn’t too much of a spoiler) the 1924 character, Xanthe, wanders in the maze and then: “…She broke off with a gasp as he wrenched her arm, dragging her closer. He stank of whiskey… The brutal grip on her wrist tightened, twisted, slowly, calculatedly, until her bones protested with hot, elastic twinges of pain…”) This put me off a bit – whatever secret was going to be hiding in that maze, male violence wasn’t one to make me excited to read on. I did keep going, but warily.

The writing is highly polished and the story reaches an emotionally-charged and dramatic finale. The author, Zoë Marriott, is clearly talented, with a terrific imagination, and I’d happily read another of her books, I just didn’t quite click with this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

"...you have a chance, here on this earth, to make a life that is about love. Not some grand, romantic love, but the kind of love that encompasses everything, that makes a person joyful, and generous, and brave."
"The Moonlit Maze" by Zoe Marriott

Dual timeline enchanting story set in a small seaside village. It's so hard to describe this book without spoilers but authors choice of words used along with mesmerising style literally transports you to beautiful castle and gardens in 1924 giving you a peek into a lavish and entitled lifestyle. We are a witness of first love, grief, violence, and so much more... In the other timeline we meet a young girl who is on the verge of giving up as nothing goes as planned until one letter arrives...
Both timelines blend very well and once we realise what they have in common the story becomes more magical than ever.. Then there is the ending, the last chapter that it makes it even more beautiful
I feel very lucky to be chosen by Netgalley and Headline as one of the first recipients of early copy. I'm definitely going to get a printed version of it once it hits the shelves in JUNE 2025..

Just WOW!

Set in the windswept Yorkshire village of Winterthorne in 1924, a young woman slips away from a glittering ball at Kearsley Castle , She is set to meet someone in the maze and what happens next changes the history of the castle. By the morning, the grand house is in ashes, two bodies have been removed, and the events of that night swiftly covered up. Fast forward to 2024 and the ruined castle is rediscovered and past and present collide.

I loved loved loved this book. It's is beautifully written and tells of betrayal, a forbidden love affair and of course secrets.

I was intrigued and captivatedby this novel and found it hard to put down. I so wanted to get to the end to see what happened and of course it did not disappoint.

It's a wonderful read..