Sadly, I seem to be in the minority that didn't enjoy this novel, so I'll keep my review short and sweet.

The Secrets of Dragonfly Lodge is based on a very interesting concept, and I enjoyed that the novel champions female scientists and women in STEM. At its heart, this book is about past historical struggles against male oppression and the importance of these career women receiving justice and recognition.

However, I found the novel to be overly long and dull, and the writing certainly was not for me. I felt very distant from Stef and Nancy, so I didn't feel any empathy for them (even when I should). The tone is quite monotonous, and the romance felt extremely forced. In the end, I struggled to finish and had to persevere through each chapter.

That said, other Goodreads reviewers seemed to really enjoy this novel. Therefore, unfortunately, this was probably just a case where the writing didn't work for me personally. So, if you're a fan of Rachel Hore or stories of women overcoming substantial challenges, go ahead and give The Secrets of Dragonfly Lodge a try. You might have a better experience!

*Thank you NetGalley for the e-ARC*

Journalist Stef meets an elderly lady, Nancy, who once worked as a scientist, and is keen to interview her for her book on overlooked women scientists. But Nancy isn't keen - what secrets is she hiding?
This story is told in parallel time frames, following both Nancy and Stef as they negotiate the tricky world of love and work and family relationships, fifty years apart. They are both warm, sympathetic characters, and Nancy, in particular, has an interesting story to tell about male dominance in the science field, and how even the best of men would betray their female colleagues in their determination to get to the top of the tree. There are hints of industrial espionage, and of very real danger to Nancy, both in the past and now, which helps add tension to the plot.
But overall, this was a gentle story with no huge twists and turns - just the tale of one woman's determination to be true to herself, and another woman's determination to make sure that history remembered female pioneers in male-dominated fields.

A book about a writer/journalist, Stef, who is writing a book about women scientists and their struggles in the mid 1900s. She meets Nancy, a former zoologist, and quickly forms a bond with her. Nancy shares her story of how it was to be a woman in a man's field.
This was a nice read, with an easy to follow flow. I enjoyed hearing Nancy's story, while also feeling invested in her elderly age pov.
Nancy was an easy to like character with layers. Stef was a solid protagonist who had a surety of herself that can be lacking in novels sometimes.
There were a few parts of the story that I didn't think added to the overall theme (the random, threatening letters Nancy gets sent).
However, the book as a whole was informative and enjoyable.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

Another lovely book by Rachel Hope. Stef is a freelance journalist and author whose relationship has recently ended.
Stef's mum Cara is living in the Norfolk Broads and when Stef goes to visit her she meets Nancy who seems to be perfected for Stef's new book about women scientists who were overlooked or mistreated by their male colleagues. Nancy is initially reluctant to tell her story but soon needs Stef's and Cara's help.
Stef's younger sister Pippa also turns up at the cottage struggling with having to cope with young twins while her husband works away all week.
Add in Red who has quickly become a fixture in Sara's life and Aaron, Nancy's grandson and life for Stef is a bit complucated.
Needless to say it all works out beautifully in the end.

One night Lena inadvertently records her new neighbours’ conversation. They are a retired stylish middle-class couple in their early 60s, who have moved into the swanky renovated house next door. She becomes increasingly obsessed with the idea that they are planning something illegal and puts her personal safety in danger trying to find out what. Or does she? Has she got the wrong end of the stick? Lena has her own past experiences of being caught up in something shady, and may be trying to ease her own conscience by preventing something happening.

There are enough characters to keep interest and keep you guessing, but not so many that you have to keep checking back to see who they are, several side plots run alongside the main story and there a fair few red herrings. The New Neighbours is a twisty and gripping psychological thriller. I enjoyed it. If you like books by Gillian McAllister, TM Logan or Claire Macintosh you’ll enjoy The New Neighbours.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

I so enjoy Rachel Hore's books and this is no exception. It is a beautifully written and engaging book and it was so interesting learning about the way women scientists were treated at this time, Really well researched book which flowed effortlessly between the 2 storylines. Would absolutely recommend. Many thanks.

A beautifully written dual timeline love story. It's slow pace allows the writer to explore the trials of both a journalistic and scientific career. The focus on the perils of a woman in science in the 20th century was brilliant, so glad to see it highlighted, such a shame that more isn't made of it.
The book was easy to read with great characters but still very informative.

Rachel Hore is a favourite author of mine. I also live in Norfolk and can picture exactly the sort of place most of this book is set in. Such an interesting novel telling a story within a story. The present day is a general sort of loose love story woven around a deeper telling of the young life of a remarkable woman scientist. Based on research about what life was like for young women in the 1950s and 60s. Such an interesting and frankly, unsurprising tale. It makes you realise that, although we still have room for improvements in the areas of equality, women like Nancy in this book, have paved the way for the progress so far achieved.

Nancy Foster is considered an elderly lady, but in the post war period she was an ambitious and driven young scientist trying to make her way in a male dominated profession, during a time when all that was expected of her was to be a wife and mother.

Stef Lansdown is a freelance journalist trying to find her way after a year where her relationship ended and she was made redundant from her prestigious job on a newspaper. She is currently writing a book on the struggles faced by female scientists through history, and when she visits her mother’s new cottage in the beautiful Norfolk Broads, their lives cross. Nancy has a dark secret from her past she’s never told anyone - but she gradually opens up to Stef.

I love Rachel Hore and this book was very readable, but it didn’t sparkle for me as much as others I’ve read by her. Nancy’s story was very interesting, and some of the details of how women scientists were treated in the 1950s were depressingly familiar. I felt less invested in Stef however - I found her lack of empathy for her sister annoying, and she could be judgemental of other people’s relationships. A solid read, but not my favourite Rachel Hore.

A lovely story intertwined with the present and past. I found it fascinating how women were treated (and still are to a lesser extent) in what is though to be a male environment as surely women can't understand the complexities of science. I can't imagine the frustration of only being taken seriously when partnering with a man. A great tale.

An absolutely wonderful read which was difficult to put down - a real page turner. It was a beautifully written dual time line story. I loved reading bout Nancy's like both during her time as an undergraduate it what must have been a difficult time for women both in every day life but even more so in education especially as a budding scientist. Nancy was a wonderful lady who found herself in a difficult situation in her work. Steph was a great character and her friendship with Nancy was lovely to watch grow.

I normally enjoy this author but found this book to be incredibly boring. It just wasn't for me. I felt that there was too much description about her work as a scientist and the bits that could have made it more interesting were glossed over.

I was asked by NetGalley to review this book and I was so pleased to do so as I love Rachel Hore and her stories. This one did not disapoint.

A dual timeline of two women- Nancy who studied Zoology and feels her life has been ruined. Then she meets journalist Stef and as friendship blossoms and Nancy feels she can tell her story now she is older. Stef realises that post war Nancy suffered predudices as a woman scientist.

The story is powerful and interesting and keeps the reader interested till the end of the story.

Recommended read - due for publication 30 July 2025.

This is a hard one for me as I love Rachel Hores previous books but this one seemed over long and I really found it a bit of a struggle. I loved the theme and the different timelines but everything seemed crammed right towards the end of the book! Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read this book. TheSecretsofDragonflyLodge #NetGalley.

I absolutely love Rachel Hore’s novels, the historical aspects, the dual timelines and the characterisation, so was thrilled to have the opportunity to read The Secrets of Dragonfly Lodge.
It’s set in Norfolk in 2010, when journalist Stef moves back to live with her mother. . Stef is researching women scientists and when she meets Nancy she hopes to interview her. The reader is taken back to Nancy’s life in 1940s and 50s London as Stef discovers the secret Nancy is hiding.
I felt that the novel started off well, I loved the setting in the Norfolk Broads and the characterisation of Stef. I didn’t immediately warm to Nancy but as soon as the story moved to the earlier setting and I began to have an understanding of Nancy and her life I became completely immersed. I definitely preferred the earlier setting, this part of the story was well researched and gave a good insight into women’s lives at this time.
As with the author’s previous novels this was an easy and immersive read that I loved.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

Journalist Stef Lansdown is researching
women scientists who remained in the shadow of their male counterparts. One such woman is Nancy, a neighbour of Stef's mother on the Norfolk Broads. Initially reluctant to trust Stef, but later keen to tell her story, her fascinating account reveals how life was for a female scientist in the 1940s and 50s. This is not only a satisfying novel but also an informative and interesting one.

Rachel Hore's latest novel, The Secrets of Dragonfly Lodge, is a masterful tale of secrets, scandal, and redemption. When journalist Stef Lansdown meets Nancy Foster, she uncovers a shocking secret that has haunted Nancy for years, destroying her career and personal life. As Stef delves deeper, she realizes she has the power to restore Nancy's reputation and heal her wounds, but only if Nancy trusts her. However, someone else is determined to uncover the truth first, and will stop at nothing to keep the secrets buried. Spanning decades, from the Norfolk Broads in 2010 to post-war London, Hore's gripping narrative explores the complexities of women's lives, past and present.

I found this book a curious paradox. On the one hand it theoretically explores the limits women are placed under, and some of the ways they can challenge these, but on the other is filled with a vocabulary, phrasing and concepts that confirm and emphasise those limits. The writing is also loaded with numerous obvious cliches, which read, to me at least, as if the author has been informed by old romance novels, which I found off-putting. It is also unnecessarily long, and would have been a more impactful and enjoyable read if it had been more concise. The length felt self indulgent and to contain many unnecessary details that added nothing. The story Nancy relates to Stef is presented as if it’s a novel in itself, interspersed with the present narrative, rather than the relating of events one person might share with another, which is how it’s theoretically offered.
Nancy is repeatedly referred to by Stef as ‘the old lady’ which was an artifice I found irritating and divisive, without serving any useful purpose other than to contradict her supposing genuine interest in her, and the commonality between them. I found the writing overall to be dated. I was tempted to give up several times, but did persevere in the hope that it would get into its stride. I got slightly more engaged as it went on, but not to the degree I wanted to know how it would play out, because that was predictable on all scores.
I was thrown by the dates of events as I wrongly assumed a novel published in 2025 would be set at the same time, until I realised it was 2010, at which point that made sense, though I was a little puzzled as to the reason for the 15 year gap.
There has clearly been a considerable amount of research into the scientific background, but the bigotry and misogyny which is emphasised with good cause is partly lost in the diminishing of the main female characters and their priorities in the writing,.
I apologise if this review seems unkind, but as reviewers are asked to give an honest review anything else would be false. I haven’t read any of the authors previous books, and from reviews I seem to be in the minority, so perhaps we’re just not a good match. I’m not really a romance novel type of girl, maybe that’s why.

Pure joy! I absolutely loved this latest book by Rachel Hore. It effortlessly draws you in right from the start. I enjoyed the two timelines and hearing about the young Nancy’s experiences in the 1950’s. It’s an enlightening subject and throws light on the way women in science were perceived 75 years ago and the many challenges they faced. The modern day part of the story is equally enjoyable. I enjoyed the setting of the beautiful Norfolk Broads. The characters are interesting and complex. The storyline is compulsive and I loved the conclusion of the book when all the threads were gradually drawn together in a very satisfying way! A great read all round.

I found this to be a delightful read. The research that has gone into it is obvious. This is fascinating and scintillating read. The dual timelines are easy to follow and the characters provide an engrossing and rich story. A really good solid read.

Thank you Netgalley