My Five Word TL:DR Review: Well, No Women Were Harmed

I mean, as titles go this certainly grabs the attention – and that cover, I just love it, and I know that you can’t judge a book by it’s cover and you shouldn’t be so fickle (beauty being skin – or cover – deep) but I really must say I do love a good cover.  Anyway, this book was really good.  I was hooked from the very start and even now writing this review (which is very overdue because of circumstances that I won’t bore you all with) I could literally read this again just to try and pick up on all the things I may have missed the first time round in my haste to reach the conclusion.

This is really my kind of story.  I like the style of narration.  The Victorian period really lends itself to anything gothic and make the setting an asylum and you really have my attention.  We have dual timelines that flit back and forth and the most unreliable narrator ever – although she doesn’t flinch away from telling quite a few shocking truths.

Lily is our MC.  Named for the funeral flower Lily has a very engaging way of telling a story.  We visit her in the asylum that she has been incarcerated in (following a hysteric murder) and as she relates her story to a visiting psychiatrist who wants to use Lily as a focus for her studies, it becomes clear that Lily is simply weaving a pretty narrative in the hopes of release.

I loved the writing and can’t believe that this is a debut.  I will definitely be watching out for what this author comes up with next.  The settings are so well described – no purple prose here – just the right amount of detail to drop you into a scene and bring it to life.  Every element of the story shines from the page and it’s absolutely absorbing to read.  From farm setting to dance hall to asylum, it’s all equally gripping.

I do love a historic setting and the Victorian era is a firm favourite.  We start off with a glimpse of Lily’s upbringing on a farm, life was harsh but being a quick study and believing herself to be her father’s favourite Lily thinks her prospects will be different, she can help with the business.  Imagine her disappointment then when she overhears her father discussing his plans to marry her off as soon as can be.  This little nugget is followed by many other reveals in which male acquaintances disappoint or fail to meet Lily’s expectations.  Set in the ‘grim’ north the story gives you a good idea of a woman’s lot in life – and it wasn’t all a bed of roses for sure.

Now, on top of this, during the conversations with Lily’s psychiatrist, we start to uncover a few truths as Lily relates her story and then, on occasions shares with readers a slightly different version.  I loved this.  I mean, I’m not saying that Lily is an upstanding character but it’s easy to see her expectations and motivations even if you don’t always agree with her actions.

Overall, this read is more compelling and entertaining than I expected, completely outdoing any notions I had going into the read.  I was gripped and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks.  The above is my own opinion.