Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of the book drew me in but once I started reading it, I just couldn’t get into it at all.

Really enjoyed this book. Great plot and engaging, believe characters. I was drawn right into the story. Would definitely recommend.

This was a very well written story of a near fatal love triangle in the early part of the 1900s. It is a time of unrest as Irish immigrants are struggling to find their voice in a new homeland. Mary, a lady's maid is in love with her mistress, Charlotte. Charlotte is in love with Mary's brother, Sean. Sean is a groom, and not a suitable candidate for an English heiress. And so the troubles begin, when Sean joins up with the rebelling Irish. Mary covers for her lady and her brother while finding solace for her needs with a young woman of the streets with a mysterious past. All of the characters are living double lives between what they want for themselves, and what society expects of them. This is a gallop of read, with so many different threads to follow, but it never overwhelms. You come to care about the characters, and eagerly wait to see what happens next. It doesn't always turn out well and how each woman resolves her circumstances is what makes this book so powerful. A strong debut offering that deserves notice.
I received an eArc from Net Galley in return for an honest review.

Fingersmith + Gangs of New York? I am all the way here for that although I would have loved a little more Gangs of New York thrown in. The characters felt fleshed out and real. Mary's longing was so tangible. Some reviewers had a problem suspending disbelief. I did not.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC. I ended up listening to this on Scribd, and thought the narrator did a fantastic job.

I'm surprised that more people don't put this into the Romance genre. Surely it's Historical, taking place in the early 1900's in New York City (think Gangs of New York movie timeline and you're perfectly in its place); but it's got some steamy lesbian moments and the majority of the story revolves around our characters having infatuations with one another.

Lesbians!
Easily the best part of The Parting Glass is the lesbian representation. It's honest and sincere. Gina Marie Guadagnino has also given us a lens into how impossible it was to be gay in the 1900's. If we all think it's hard today; we've got nothing on our ancestors. From a couple steamy lesbian scenes, to stolen kisses and forbidden thoughts Guadagnino doesn't leave anything unsaid or uncontested for our lead gal about how difficult life is being Irish, an immigrant and a lesbian.

Historical Context
It's clear that Guadagnino has done some research in order to understand the time period, it's societal challenges and linguistics. There is a moment in which our gal passes through Five Points and I couldn't help but imagine her walking next to Leonardo DiCaprio in Gangs of New York. We encounter the Irish struggles from two viewpoints in a way; even though the story is only told through the eyes of our lead gal. As a ladies maid whom can hide her Irish accent we see how high society feels and reacts; and on her nights off we see how an Irish gal might struggle to get by in this rough landscape. I felt the descriptions and context given to New York at this time were well done. However, I can't help but wonder how much of that is because I've seen Gangs of New York many, many times.

Overall
There were lots of things to love here from casual mentions of the penny dreadfuls (stories of horror in the day) to descriptive clothing styles to the challenges of horse drawn transportation and more. But I must say that without the lesbian representation I think I would have become bored. Maybe a good forbidden romance (regardless of sexual orientation) would have worked here no matter what; but for me I felt like I just wanted to know about our lovely girls and their destiny's.
Not a bad read; but not one I'd be quick to recommend. The Parting Glass gets 4 stars because of its LGBTQ+ representation where it otherwise probably deserves 3 stars.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

This book and I did not start off on the right foot, but things eventually worked out pretty well between us.

The beginning of the story is largely focused on an oddly populated love triangle. As is the end. I was more interested in what went on in the middle.

While it’s always good to see LGBTQ relationships get some ink (especially in historical fiction) at the end of the day a love story is a love story and that just isn’t my cup of tea. This book has far too much pining and angsty unrequited love for my taste, but it’s also a beautifully written, raw account of 1830s life in Manhattan, and that part of the content suited me just fine.

Guadagnino writes gorgeously of friendship, of loyalty, of service, and expressively and harshly of the troubles that befall both recent immigrants and society ladies in this era.

It was a tough time in which to be a woman who dared to have some opinion about the course of her own life, and Guadagnino reminds us that such perils existed for all women at this time, from whores to maids to debutantes.

The book could have done with more action and less mooning, but otherwise it was impressively done.

An absolutely fantastic work of fiction. I typically enjoy stories that tell the day-to-day details of 19th and 20th century servants, and this was no exception. Guadagnino's historical details were well-researched and well-incorporated, lending an immersive quality to the narrative. While there will never be enough representation of queer women throughout history in literature, this is certainly an excellent step in the right direction.

Absolutely loved this novel! Excellent character development, the storyline was fluid and kept me in suspense and wanting to learn more about the characters.

Mary Ballard is a lady's maid who happens to be deeply in love with her lady. And her lady, Charlotte, is deeply in love with Mary's twin brother. And Mary's twin brother, Seanin, is secretly involved in a New York street gang.

I definitely enjoyed this queer historical fiction. It's very atmospheric and the historical elements are really strong. The ending was a little unsatisfying, and really I wish the whole book had been about a secondary character (Liddie!), who I found far more interesting than Mary and Charlotte. But overall, I'm happy that this queer story exists!

This ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book was fantastic. All of the requisite elements for inclusion on my keeper shelf were present. The primary and secondary characters were so fully developed they leapt off the page. The historical setting was accurate, engaging, and intriguing. The plot was full of completely plausible intricacies, and the ending was both unexpected and apropos.
The relationship between Maire and Seanin is one of fierce sibling rivalry and singleminded devotion. The insidious love triangle that wrenches them apart is a profound exploration of the complexity of human emotion. The additional bonus of the Irish gangster setting makes it all the more compelling. I was enthralled by a world like that of the Gangs of New York, and read in horrified fascination as the tragedy unfolded.

Thia noon was even better than I had expected! It literally sucked me in from the first page, and I couldn’t put it down!
The writing was superb! The storyline was unique, and exciting! Definitely one of my top read this year!!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

If whoever wrote the synopsis could write the story, that'd be great. I wasn't sure what was going on for most of the first half of the story and it didn't start to get good until about 75% of the way into it.

I don't feel like the author spent enough time setting the scene or the severity of situations the characters were in. If it wasn't for the synopsis I would have been lost.

I received a free copy of the book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Not quite the story I was expecting, but it was entertaining and well written even though the premise was a little far fetched for the setting/time.

The Parting Glass is an entertaining and touching historical mystery. The author takes great care to fully develop and explore the characters in this fascinating novel. Marie and Sainen are Irish siblings who have immigrated to New York. Fortunately, she finds employment as a maid and he as a stable boy. Marie unexpectedly falls in love with Charlotte, her employee. This illicit love sparks additional problems that endanger Marie’s life as well as the life of her brother. I enjoyed this period piece and welcome it as a well-timed change of pace in the mystery field.

Thank you Atria Books for sending me an E-ARC, in exchange of an honest review. All opinions are my own. This review was supposed to post a while ago, however, something in must have glitched, and it never posted, so I am having to re-write my initial review.

I give this book a 4 out of 5 Stars.

This is another one of those books, that serves of a reminder of how much I love Historical Fiction Books. And it made me question why I do not read more. T.P.G. was a beautiful story. Well written, and totally grabs your attention, quickly. It was written with such a rich detail to History, and has one of the best love triangles I’ve read recently. The relationship between Brother and Sister was so eloquent, and touching. That was hands down my favorite part of this book.

I do not have a lot of history reading Historical Fiction, based on Irish Immigration, nor their politics, that didn’t stop me from devouring this book though. It was really in a class of its own. Not to mention, the cover is outstanding. I am so appreciative that I was invited to review this book.

Oh my goodness, this novel is just so, SO good! The author brilliantly sets a scene, landing her readers directly into the middle of the fray. The characters are absolutely exquisite, with their own complexities, beautifully flawed and completely memorable. I loved every last word of this book, and can't recommend it enough!

My goodness, what a ride! Equal parts sensual, smart, and violent, The Parting Glass is a lavishly written, expertly detailed, historical drama. The cover blurb describes it as Downton Abbey meets Gangs of New York, which sums it up pretty perfectly. It’s also SO GAY. I’ve been on the hunt for stories that feature f/f relationships that do not somehow center around a man and this one fits the bill! Guadagnino has packed so much into her debut, seamlessly weaving several love stories together with the realties of immigrant life in 1830s Manhattan. She also masterfully juxtaposes upstairs/downstairs culture with the harsh and gritty portrayal of Tammany Hall.

After an unexpected and painful departure from Ireland, Marie O’Farren and her devoted twin brother, Seanin find themselves on the shores of Manhattan with only the clothes on their backs. They make their way to the pub of a family friend who is able to help them secure work together at the Walden household–Seanin as a groom and Marie as a lady’s maid to Charlotte Walden. In order to survive in America they must hide their Irish identities, and so become Mary Ballard and Johnny Prior of no relation. Each Thursday they’re able to shed these new personas as they secretly make their way back to their friend Dermot’s pub for the night.

From the moment she laid eyes on Charlotte Walden, Mary was hopelessly and desperately in love. Despite the intimacy formed during their time together, Mary’s love remains unrequited as Charlotte’s heart belongs to Johnny, who she has been seeing in secret. Each week Mary leaves her window open at Charlotte’s request, so Johnny can sneak in and be with her. Each night after, Mary must push all of her pain and jealousy aside as she and Johnny carefully walk across the city and back to the Hibernian, where they live on their nights off. After several months, all of Mary’s pent up frustration finally finds a grateful release in the arms (and bed) of Liddie, a local prostitute.

Despite their mutual love, Johnny knows that Charlotte will not be with him. As one of the central figure’s of Manhattan’s high society, it would be an impossibility for Charlotte to marry her groom. It is with this knowledge that he begins to look for a means change his status, and he eventually finds a high ranking place within Tammany Hall. Mary and Charlotte know nothing of Johnny’s second life until it all comes to a head one fateful night. What follows is a desperate unraveling of the carefully tied up secrets of Marie, Seanin, Charlotte, and so many others.

I read The Parting Glass in a single sitting. Guadagnino’s detailed writing, dynamic characters, lush setting, intricate plot, and steamy sex all combined together to form a perfect historical fiction. Her depictions of everything from the Walden house to the streets of Manhattan were crafted with so much care that I felt like I was there. She took that same care breathing life into each one of her characters, making them all memorable and distinct. This book is so so good and I truly cannot wait to read more of her work!

A huge thanks to Edelweiss and Atria Books for this advanced review copy in exchange for my honest review!!

Will post a review to Amazon as well on pub day!

Thank you, Netgalley, for this arc. The writing is beautiful, and the story is kind of a cross between Downton Abbey and Sarah Waters' Fingersmith. The ending was a surprise to me, as the book didn't conclude the way I would have imagined.

A gritty, yet breathtaking dip into the world of 19th century New York. Meticulously researched, with great care given to depicting the racism of the time against the Irish, and to the love that bloomed between women who were often not well treated by the men of that world. It's a beautiful and heartbreaking book with passion woven into its very seams. I devoured this debut and can't wait to see what Guadagnino will write next!

This is being billed as being tailored for those of us who love [book:Fingersmith|8913370], so I had to pick it up; and I am not disappointed that I did.

Much like Fingersmith there are some twists and turns and an upstairs/downstairs romance, but I think that the setting here plaid a greater role. I quite enjoyed the descriptions of 19th century New York, especially after reading the author's afterword detailing her love affair with the city and its history.

I thought it a bit unlikely that no one would notice that Seanin and Maire were twins, and how quite a few people were presented as having a relatively open mind about two women in a relationship together.

I also got a bit annoyed when one character referred to herself as a 'gay girl', when the first documented use of the word 'gay' to signify 'homosexuality' was recorded in 1953, like a 100+ years after this book. But this seems to me like the only element that was really out of place. Everything else, pacing, characterization and descriptions were wonderful.

I'd recommend this to lovers of historical fiction, and those trying to read more diversely.