I know this novel will be popular. The characters are well developed, there is enough romance to appeal to those seeking a light read, and there is a lot of history told throughout the novel. I will be recommending this often.

I wish I had known it was a sequel, while the author did cover some of the previous material I was a bit lost at times. I also think it just had too much going on. It was an excellent story with great characters but it felt like a mini series that just isn't over yet.

A story of strong women making their way in the male world of medicine at a time when women doctors are very rare. Together they support each other through family tragedy and help the police solve a mystery.

Continuing the story which began with *The Gilded Hour*, Anna and Jack are still searching for the abortionist who intentionally butchers women who then die slow and painful deaths. Anthony Comstock and his Society for the Suppression of Vice is still active. The Russo orphans have gone to live with Jack's aunt. Sophie is busy setting up a foundation to help Negro girls further their education. And throughout it all, there is laughter and there are tears, there is expectancy and there is finality, and there is life.

I read this EARC courtesy of Berkley Publications and Net Galley. pub date 09/10/19

3.5 Stars -rounded

I have to start this off with a warning of sorts. This is a massive book. Easily 3 to 4 times the size of a normal fiction story.

With that said, the author did an amazing job developing infinite and minute detail in every piece of the story. In my opinion, this book is actually two books in one. Let me explain.

First of all, it would be helpful to read the first book in the series, The Gilded Hour, which I did not do. There are multiple details the author assumes you know that are coming in from the other book.

Secondly, the list of characters is quite large and it does take a bit to keep track of everyone. Even the housekeepers and other attendants have ample say in this story.

Now back to why this is two books in one. On one hand you have the murder mystery and all of that which surrounds the detail.

Then in the next chapter you’re learning about the women and their medical stories and their daily work. The murder mystery pieces are forgotten for many, many, many chapters. We get intricate conversation about daily happenings, the hopes and dreams of one character, even hiring people are detailed conversations. There’s also a side story of orphaned children tied into this whole humongous family unit.

I’m not saying this is a bad thing. But I was looking for a story about the murder mystery which to me was intensely interesting. The time, the history, the fact that the female doctors (including a black female) and midwives were involved greatly interested me.

But it seemed that portion was diminished amongst everything else surrounding it until the very end when it became key. The second part of the story and all of the supreme detail about the family unit was not what I was expecting. But some details did cross over into the murder mystery.

Overall, the story is beautifully laid out, very interesting to read, and perfect for someone that loves family sagas, with a twist of love, murder, and history. Just be prepared to dedicate quite a while to read this book.

I have to admit it was difficult for me but looking back, it was a pleasurable read with some nice twists that keep you engaged, especially the last half.

This is immersive historical fiction that draws you in and doesn't let go. I hadn't even read the first book in the series, The Gilded Hour and I was able to jump right into the story. The breadth of of historical detail and rich characters is astounding. This is an author who is master of what she does. She not only brings the characters to life with their full histories but the rich history of New York City. As I work at a branch that is in a neighborhood that discussed in this book, I will be getting plenty of copies for display and ordering more copies of the Gilded Hour.

Sara Donati is one of my favorite authors and I hope more people learn about her and her books! If you are a fan of investment reads (books and series that are lengthy and rich in story and detail) then you should read Donati's backlist starting with Into the Wilderness. You will be glad you did,

Where the Light Enters in the companion book to The Gilded Hour and readers are reunited with Anna and Sophie, cousins and doctors in nineteenth century New York. This book has all the things that I like: intrigue, plot twists, well-developed characters, and the chance to reunite with beloved characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC of this book.

I love the fact that the book speaks to the lives of women who are pioneer doctors, but there is just too much here to digest.

There are too many characters, too many situations, too many names that are just confusing. Perhaps dividing it into several volumes would have helped. Just too much of a saga packed into these pages.

Thank you Netgalley.

As I did the first book, The Gilded Hour, i could not put this book down. Part medical thriller, part romance, all historical novel, i thoroughly enjoyed it. Sara Donati is a beautiful Writer, drawing the reader inexorably into this well-researched world.
Recommend. Highly.

I enjoyed this book, however with so many characters to keep track of I found myself having to pause and think about the backstory of the character I was reading about to keep them all straight.
It was a very interesting story, learning about what the women doctors had to deal with at a time in history when women were only supposed to take care of the home and children.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for granting me this book.

I love historical fiction and this book definitely fits the bill for me, but I wish Ms. Donati would have written 2 books instead of one. Or maybe even 3 books. There are way too many characters and way too many plot lines to follow. The writing is good and I want to finish it, but I just can’t slog through everything that’s going on.

It would be better if it was a two or three book set.
Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me the chance to read this book.

Although I hadn't read the first book about this family, I had trouble at first keeping the many characters straight. That didn't matter, however, as I got caught up into the story of these two brave female doctors. Their dedication to their profession, despite so many societal setbacks, did not deter them. Also, their dedication to help the disadvantaged women was heartbreakingly rendered.

Being a woman in the late 19th century was no cake walk. Dr. Sara Savard and her friend and cousin Anna, also a doctor, use their medical prowess to work with the women that are part of society’s underbelly; the prostitutes, the runaways and unwed mothers. Then Anna’s husband, a detective calls in the doctors for their medical expertise. A woman has been murdered in a most gruesome way, and another has disappeared. It would seem that some of the men in New York are more than little put out that women are gaining more and more freedom, and at least one of them is inclined to show his displeasure by killing them. I loved this book and all the characters, the women are strong, smart and savvy, but I can’t help but feel saddened, it doesn’t seem that equality for women has come very far in the last 150 years