I have been looking forward to getting my hands on this book for some time. I saw the gorgeous cover on Threads when the author, Natalie Kelda, revealed it and I was immediately entranced. Isn’t it stunning! She did it all herself and I love how it so clearly calls to mind Mucha and the art of that period. Isn’t it amazing, I would love it as a poster or a phone cover!
When Natalie Kelda asked for volunteers for ARC readers I jumped at the chance. Even though this month is super hectic and I am running up and down the length of the British Isles, I knew that I would be more than happy to take the time to read this book.
And I was right.
Lilje’s story is beautifully written. That’s the thing that really jumped out at me as I was reading it. I would pause every so often and run the words through my mind like when you find a scrap of silky fabric and run it through your fingers. Every so often I would have to stop myself from saying things out loud, which would have been awkward given that I was on a train for most of these points. This story was a treat to read.
While her chronic illness is not something that I would have to worry about (since I am, in case you were wondering, approximately 100% human) the symptoms were ones I recognised. I have had days where the thought of moving was painful, where doing anything more than than what is strictly necessary is impossible, so seeing it reflected in someone else’s life made me feel seen and held. Even and especially when that person is a water nymph.
And I loved the setting. It is set in an Edwardian Spa Town which is a really interesting space for a story to happen. Obviously, the most famous one is Bath, but there were these little towns all over the place. I actually grew up near-ish one and it is beautiful. It is full of stunning old hotels and even a few mansions for the really rich, and I’ve always been a bit curious about them. It seems almost magical to go to a place where ancient people once worshipped water and do something so similar, and yet Spa Towns like this were where a lot of the medical and scientific discoveries were happening. Because that is where the rich people with illnesses were to pay for the doctors. Meanwhile, there is the fact that these were also the holiday resorts of the period, while also, being a place where thousands of people worked and lived their ordinary lives too. There are just so many intersecting and woven together bits of history in such places, I find this fascinating.
The class structures of the period are picked apart in interesting ways in the story. I think it is because we see them from Lilje’s kind of clueless point of view, their ridiculousness is poked and prodded until it is clear. And I am always a fan of that in my historical novels, as much as I love a classic Regency Romance it does feel better to know that the writer has thought about these things in more detail. Not just thoughtlessly copying the works of other writers.
The romance is also wonderful. Everything from the first steps to the final moments of this relationship feels real and impactful. You cannot read this and not feel like you are falling in love with the characters too, or at least I couldn’t. I felt for Mel, Lilje too, of course, but I wanted Mel to be happy!
This was a beautiful story and one that I would highly recommend preordering. I will post the links below so that you can get it as soon as it comes out! Apparently there will also be hardbacks coming soon, so ummm, I guess that is where some of my money will be going this summer!
As always, thank you for reading and stay safe out there!
K
Amazon.co.uk Link (Affiliate)
Link to Natalie Kelda’s Website – Go have a look at the wonderful art!
Leave a Reply