A Troubled Heart

Loved this book read it at speed as I couldn’t get enough of the main character Verity, her family and the guests and staff at The Fitzroy Hotel.

I really enjoyed the first book in the series but read it quite some time ago and felt this easily followed on.

Would highly recommend for a very absorbing read.

I enjoyed this book immensely! Set in London 1905. The imagery in this book is exceptional- it literally brings the book to life! The story line is unique and all of the characters are fantastic! Verity is one of my favorites! She's 18 years old with her whole life ahead of her. She has many experiences that change the course of her life. She's intelligent, a good friend and extremely loyal. Lawrence- swoon worthy! Steadfast and dependable. He takes care of his family and employees. There's so much going on in this book- it's remarkable! A definite must read!
I was provided an ARC copy from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one! Set around the turn of the 20th century in the world of Edwardian London, full of socialites and parties, this is a sparkling little gem. The character development is good, and some characters even turn out to be incredibly surprising in both bad and good ways…I like a good shock! Highly recommend.

A Troubled Heart by Kay Seeley is the second book in the Fitzroy Hotel Series. A compelling family saga set in Edwardian London, it continues to follow the lives of the Fitzroy family. This novel unfolds eighteen-year-old Verity Templetons’ story intermingled with the rest of the Fitzroy family and the shenanigans of their employees at the Fitzroy hotel.

Though I had not read the first book in the series I had no problem following the novel as Seeley does give us an insight to the back story as the novel progresses. I guess this does not make it boring and repetitive for those who have. The Fitzroy hotel is owned by the Fitzroy family and their home is Maldon Hall in the country. Verity lives with her aunt Avril and her two cousins, Lawrence and Jeremy. The story moves between Fitzroy hotel and Maldon Hall but mostly the hotel where Verity prefers to stay. The employees of the Hotel mainly Daisy Carter contribute significantly to an equally juicy side story.

Seeley does not miss an opportunity to highlight the injustices in Edwardian Society. As the saga of love, deceit, honour unfolds Seeley weaves into this tapestry the struggle for justice. Notable amongst them is the suffragette movement. I could not help but admire these women who had fought long and hard for the freedoms we enjoy today. She impressively uses the story arc to also reveal other injustices prevalent in Edwardian Society. The blatant misogyny of Edwardian society and the rampant abuse of women under cover of societal propriety are skilfully woven into this plot. Such behaviour pervaded throughout that society regardless of rank or birth. Most women bought into this culture.

Seeley seamlessly moves from one trope to another making this a smooth read with a thrilling edge to it. I love how Seeley has captured Verity’s quiet independence. There is almost a stillness to her persona, suggesting a rather boring and ordinary person, nonetheless loyal. I had a few surprises awaiting me regarding the true Verity. In contrast, Charlotte is an extrovert in the extreme constantly craving new diversions. Seeley beautifully juxtaposes all the characters and I could truly appreciate both the positives and negatives of Edwardian Society. It’s an immersive read and I felt I had travelled back in time. An uplifting story, heart wrenching at times with compelling characters. A smooth yet riveting read keeping me glued to it. Seeleys penmanship uses the characters and the story rather than the bawdy to drive the tale.

The novel ends with an HEA and no cliff-hangers though I suspect more will follow. As the blurb suggests fans of Upstairs Downstairs and Downtown Abbey would love this book and the series. Thank you Seeley for a great read.

Many thanx to NetGalley, the author and publishers for allowing me to read and review this book

My 1st impressions of the book cover were not very positive but I'm so glad I started to read as this story just got better and more intriguing as the pages turned!! The author managed to have many characters all having some small, others larger, crisis to deal with.
The characters were mostly likeable and the many stories weaved into this book made for such a great read. Thoroughly enjoyed this book, unfortunately did not know there was a previous book but I don't believe that took away any of the drama! Would love to read a 3rd in this series should the author write it!

Loved this one and just couldn’t put it down until I finished it. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.