Literally just finished this book. I very much enjoyed it, though it didn't have much depth. A fun and fairly fluffy bit of historical fiction.

I don't know much about urban England in the 1660s, though I've read about life in the country, particularly during the plague--so this trip to the city taught me a lot. I waffled over whether to include this in my "good world-building" category and I'm going for it, though mostly because this time wasn't familiar to me and yet I could see everything clearly in my mind's eye.

The sisters were great characters, and I particularly liked Ella. Not because she was a likable character, but because she wasn't. We don't get a lot of women like her in fiction--Sadie's type of character is more usual: the girl who stands out but just wants to go unnoticed learns to find her strength. It's so formulaic I hardly consider that a spoiler. Ella, on the other hand, can be incredibly callous and selfish, wrapped up in her own efforts to get ahead in the world and experience the finer things that she never could before. Her pangs of remorse made her more complex than just the all-around the "bitch" a couple characters say she is. As much as I didn't like her, I loved her character.

I have conflicting thoughts about the pacing. On the one hand, slow: it takes a lot of time for much action to happen and everything is relatively quiet until then. This makes sense because Ella and Sadie are in hiding, and I wasn't annoyed by the pace except... Well, on that other hand, the pace was too fast: Everything happened at once at the end, the sisters' personalities changed far too quickly and permanently, one flat-out forgives the other's attempted second-degree murder, the main villain is revealed to be even more of a scuzzbucket than thought for the first 300 pages, and the tensest action fits in 30 pages (admittedly, they might have gone more quickly than usual because it is a pretty gripping scene). I never was impatient for the book to go faster--I actually wanted it to go slower at the end because I was enjoying it! But the unevenness of the page was odd.

The inclusion of an insta-love-interest was disappointing, though I did love the smaller characters that contributed to the plot. Corey Johnson was a great addition, and I hope to see more of her in Swift's no doubt forthcoming companion novels. I also want to know more about Wycliffe's background, though I have a suspicion he's an insta-love-interest in his own right.

I did appreciate the surprise of Ella's final important action. I was afraid this would be another Cinderella story, but fortunately the only rescuing involved was of a man by a young man and a young woman. Thank goodness for small mercies!

Some things I didn't like:
>> Evil is gay. Because of course. Duh. (This was so unnecessary, which somehow feels even worse than if it had been an important part of the character. Sisters, please smack me upside the head if that thought deserves it.)
>> I feel like I've read a lot of books with massive fires at the end of them lately. Obviously not a fault of the text, but I'm pretty much expecting sparks to fly at this point.
>> I did not want Jay to die so quickly. That man deserved disgrace, ruin, humiliation, jail, and a public execution. A relatively quick and painless death was too easy. Like I said, scuzzbucket.
>> The murders didn't really become central to the plot until the end, nor did the depth of Jay's nefariousness...so I was still kind of expecting him to have a soft spot even at the bitter end.
>> We never learned whether Thomas had been smothered or not. I think that might be in Swift's first novel, [b:The Lady's Slipper|8378780|The Lady's Slipper|Deborah Swift|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1311993308s/8378780.jpg|9690870], which I'll be keeping an eye out for on Free Book Day.


And as for the book's happily-ever-after? I have three words/"words" for you: London. Plague. 1665.


Quote Roundup

Not intentionally picky this time. Like I said, it was relatively fluffy reading.

14) By now the river was thick with craft of every shape and size and the air was a Babel of men and women, all shouting to each other in an accent Sadie could barely fathom.
I was delighted to see "babble" used in its original form and function.

219) "When my father told me that tale he used to say, 'Always remember, you can't hate someone if you know their story.'"
Of course I go for the metaliterary quote... Though it is particularly fitting considering that I liked Ella as a character.

326) Ella hung tight to the stair rail as she stepped out onto the frozen surface. ... And it felt like blasphemy, that any highway felon might walk on water just like Jesus had.
Wow. Just, wow. I really like this thought, that walking on ice is like Jesus's walking on water, and Ella's consideration of blasphemy really drove her fear home for me.

411) "Though sometimes I think [heaven and hell] 'tis all just a myth to keep us in line."
This line drove me up the wall. It was totally out of left field, out of character, and way too modern-feeling for a 17th-century country girl who'd been isolated in one way or another for most of her life. ( )

Although this is a sequel to “The Lady’s Slipper”, it also works perfectly as a stand-alone novel. This is mainly because none of the leading characters from “The Lady’s Slipper” appear in “The Gilded Lily”. Instead, one of the secondary characters from the previous book shares centre stage with a new character. This in itself is an admirable way to write a sequel, as it shows originality and creativity.

So, the main theme is two young women – sisters Ella and Sadie – head to London because Ella is suspected of murder. I didn’t warm to Ella and I’m not sure that it was the author’s intention that the reader should warm to her.

Sadie, on the other hand, immediately gets a sympathy vote because of the birthmark on her face. I liked her easy-going personality and hoped she’d find happiness before the end of the story.

The plot features many well-written scenes, which vividly bring 17th-century London to life. I could feel the cold when winter struck hard.

As I’m writing this four years after reading the book, it’s hard to add more, but I do remember thinking that “The Gilded Lily” was a very good read, though not as enthralling as “The Lady’s Slipper”. ( )

The Gilded Lily tells a frightening tale of two young girls in Restoration London. Young Sadie has been brought from her country home in Cumberland by her more worldly older sister, Ella, to start a new life. Ella has stolen from the house of her dead Master and now she is suspected of his murder. Perhaps they could have gone unnoticed, but Sadie has a distinctive port wine stain on her face and the dead man’s brother is hunting for them.

As Ella becomes entwined in the dangerous world of ambitious Jay Whitgift, she decides Sadie must hide away. I empathised with Sadie's feeling of entrapment in the city which teemed with unkind, threatening people but I began to realise that Ella’s thoughtless behaviour was rooted in her tragic childhood and her longing for love and prosperity.

The story shows the hard toil of girls making wigs in a perruquier’s workshop, the corrupt world of rich, self-obsessed young men and the lives of ordinary people such as clerks and barber-surgeons in 17th century London. I particularly liked the role of the Thames, which fills Sadie with awe, as she watches a ship set sail on a distant voyage while later Ella sells beauty products from a stall on the frozen river. The details of life, the complexity of the plot and the variety of characters take time to unfold but the pace hots up in the last few chapters where the plight of Ella and Sadie worsens and there seems no escape from the gallows.

For Sadie and Ella, the bond of sisterhood is sorely tried by their difficulties and separation but they cannot deny their need for one another. The Gilded Lily which shines so brightly in Ella’s eyes proves to be fool’s gold concealing ugliness. ( )

I received this book as a Goodreads ARC giveaway. This was a great book and I really enjoy it ( )

Formerly released in England to rave reviews, this book is finally available in the US. Greed, adventure, danger, mystery, and history combine for a memorable, absorbing read.

You will be hooked by this masterfully told story by the middle of chapter one. Sisters Ella and Sadie Appleby flee their home in Westmoreland by night after the suspicious death of Ella’s employer. Danger lurks around every corner and the reader is caught up in an engrossing adventure. Can Ella and Sadie stay two steps ahead of the constable? Will they survive this mess they have made for themselves? We read of their blundering persistence amid the squalor of life with the unfortunates on the streets of London. They work for a malicious wig-maker, until Ella lands a job at a ladies emporium participating in a scam to determine what wealthy homes are left empty and open for stealing.

After receiving copious praise for her first novel, The Lady’s Slipper, Ms. Swift continues to garner praise for her knowledge of the seventeenth century and her ability to weave complex characters and spot-on historical detail. Restoration London is exquisitely evoked with period detail and dialogue.

Swift imbues her characters with palpable motives and impressive survival skills. The tension set up between the Ella and Sadie keeps the reader guessing about their relationship and hazardous exploits. Ella is bold, conniving, and nasty to Sadie. She knows how to keep a secret and to use her bosom and dimples to her advantage. She is very smart, but her appreciation for the finer things in life is her downfall. Sweet-natured Sadie is the more layered character. She is hopeful despite being scorned for having “the Devil’s paw print” (a birthmark) on her face. A master seamstress with a big heart, she forgives her sister over and over for harsh treatment. The character of Dennis is a special treat—a must-have-friend for any down and out girl. The author paints the poor sections of Restoration London accurately—squalid and hazardous.

The story is not sunshine and flowers. It is real. The dark nature of the book is balanced by a surprising redemption at the end.

Reviewed by Holly Weiss, author of Crestmont ( )