The historical aspect of this book were exceptional. I loved the characters. They were well developed.
This book made me feel a range of emotions throughout.
A well written book

The French Wife by Diney Costeloe has Madame Agathe Sauze and Annette relocating in 1876 to Belair, the St. Clair country home. Annette finds herself pregnant courtesy of a violent priest. Agathe and Annette helped Helene St. Clair when she was eleven during the Communard siege. Agathe got Rosalie St. Clair to give them positions and respectability for Annette. Clarice St. Clair is marrying Lucas Barrineau with an elaborate ceremony, reception and ball. Lucas invited Rupert Chalfont, the youngest son of a titled gentleman, who happens to need to leave England for a time. Rupert is immediately taken with Helene and sets out to woo her along with her family. When Rupert must return to England, he promises to return for Helene in the spring. People and circumstances are not in their favor. The French Wife is a dramatic historical novel. It is the sequel to Children of the Siege, but it can be read on its own. I thought The French Wife was well-written and it moved along at a gentle pace. The characters are complex and suit the time period. The villains were well-crafted and easy for a reader to dislike (they deserve it). Annette and Agathe are working class women or servants. Their clothing and behavior suited this era. The other characters like Helene were from a higher-class bracket which was reflected in their language, clothing and attitude. The authors word imagery helps to bring the story alive for readers. I did feel the book was a little long and the pacing could have been livelier. I also would have liked something unexpected to happen in the story instead of playing out in an expected manner. I do want readers to know that there is violence against women in the story that is graphic and difficult to read. I could tell the author did her research for this book. I like a story that has people you will cheer for and villains you boo. I liked that some of the good characters from Children of the Siege were in this story and were available at pivotal points. The French Wife is a dramatic saga with a Casanova charmer, sordid secrets, a pathetic priest, a wooed woman, a kindhearted coachman, and a vile villain.

This is a beautiful, evocative and gripping story that really grabs the readers attention and carries them away on a magical carpet of captivating bliss.

This is the sequel to; The Children of The Siege, which I haven’t read and to be honest I didn’t even realise it was a sequel. Yes, I know, that it says it clearly in the back blurb, but I have said it before and I will say it again; I do walk around with my eyes shut – no wonder I am always bumping into things 😉 – anyhow, to say that this is a sequel I wouldn’t have guessed it, I saw this as a stand-alone, it reads like a stand-alone so if you are like me who does jump in first without properly reading the blurb then I can guarantee you don’t have to read the first book.

What really struck me about this is that it isn’t just your run-of-the-mill historical, there is a lot of depth. There is a lot of feelings, a lot of emotion. There are some pretty taboo subjects such as mental health illness, rape and abuse. For those who know me, will most likely know that Mental Health awareness is very close to my heart and I am always seeking out a book that has it apart of the story in some way, especially when it is written with such care and beautiful sensitivity as it is here. Some may not like hose aspects included in what is essentially a very simplistic and elegant story, but I beg to differ. These subjects no matter how unsettling and as sad and hard it is to read, need to be apart of our stories now.

I completely got behind the characters, each of the women brought something different to the story. The shining star of the book isn’t the characters are the beautiful engaging plot, it is the attention to detail. Every single scene is sprinkled with perfect historical detail and great depth which makes you feel as though you are living and breathing the era. The clothes, the rooms, gardens even the characters personalities are so perfectly written.

This is the first I have read by Dinah Costeloe, how many times have I said that over the last few weeks? And I can say without a doubt, that it certainly will not be the last. I thoroughly enjoyed her elegant and timeless graceful writing, the attention to historical detail is rich and vivid you can almost smell the French air and envisage every scene. Anyone who follows the blog will know that I am one of those readers who like a lot of historical facts and history, I love to be bombarded with the small details that really create a picture in my mind and this is right up there with some of the best.

I just want to make a brief apology to Dinah and the team over at for not posting this review on my day of this amazing blog tour. I think many will agree with me when I say the last few weeks/months have been a bit on the weird side and I’m afraid I have let things slide a little and now I am drastically playing catch up.

So, for all those who missed out on the blog tour, why not check out each of these amazing blogs which participated in this tour and show them some love?

After Miss Mary's Daughter which was the first Diney Costeloe novel I reviewed, I received this. It is great to have a Diney Costeloe book again.

****Trigger warning-contains sexual violence****

France, 1800's. Agathe Sauze, works as a housekeeper for a priest who is dying. Agathe is hard working and is unaware her life is about to change with the arrival of the cruel Father Thomas. Annette is given a job as the new housekeeper.

Agathe escapes and goes searching for her estranged sister.

Another character in the book is Helene who lives in the small village of St Etienne. She is part of a wealthy family and her concern is being accepted into high society. Soon, the characters' lives will become intertwined with each other as well as with other characters'.

Parts of the novel take place in France and others in England, in rural parts of Sussex. I liked this as my family lived in Sussex for some years when I was very young and I remember many a holiday in northern France and a later trip to Paris when I was in my twenties.

The description in this book is outstanding. I felt like I was in rural France one minute, Sussex the next. The landscapes and cultures of both countries are well-represented. I have always felt a sense of magic and mystery surrounding chateaux, and some are truly majestic.

I loved the upper class clothing and dresses yet was also interested to see the poorer areas and people represented.

It's clear Diney Costeloe researched incredibly well and this made for an enthralling atmosphere.

The very beginning had almost a thriller feel to it, which I wasn't expecting with this being a historical novel, but that had me eager for more, and got me immersed in the novel.

The French Wife is a blend of suspense, intrigue and romance within a very well paced historical novel which sped up and slowed down according to what was gong on.

I found myself concerned for Agathe and Annette then rooting for them at various points in the story. I liked Helene and was disgusted by Father Thomas.

Diney deftly explores the hard-to-tackle issues of rape, pregnancy sexual assault and mental health.

The French Wife is the sequel to Children of the Seige, which I have not reviewed. I am interested in getting a copy so I have the full backstory of some characters and can fill in some gaps to understand the whole picture of the story told within the two novels.

Overall, I enjoyed the novel as it showed the challenges for the rich and poor living in French, and English, society at the time as well as the role of the church and the help people did (or did not) get in life and how trustworthy and reliable (or not) people were.

4 stars.


Thanks to Diney Costeloe and Head of Zeus for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The French Wife is an emotional and poignant historical story about women's lives in nineteenth-century France. It explores the fortunes of two women with a multigenerational relationship who are servants and a wealthy French family. This story is the second in a series but reads as a standalone. Agathe, Annette and the St Clair family's connection are provided as required in this novel.

There's a lovely sense of place and time from the rich historical detail. The story highlights the disparity in opportunity and treatment of women of all classes. Agathe and Annette and Helene and Annette have a life-affirming friendship, which makes them stronger emotionally.

This a poignant and rewarding historical read with an authentic historical setting and believable characters.

I received a copy of this book from Head of Zeus via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

It's been a while since I read a 19th century romance; I have to say I really enjoyed this one!

In Paris, the siege of 1871 affected the St. Clair family more than most but as time has gone on it has mostly been forgotten. With the upcoming wedding of their eldest daughter, middle daughter Helene is moving up in the pecking order and will soon 'come out' into society. Then she meets an English nobleman invited to the wedding and she is very taken with him, much to the discomfort of her parents. Meanwhile, Mme St. Clair finds herself called upon to return a favour - but will it bring back forgotten memories?

Such a truly wonderful story! With tales from upstairs, downstairs, and both sides of the Channel there is plenty going on to keep the reader glued to the pages. Details develop at a pleasant pace and with lots of ups, downs and doubtful outcomes, I was really invested in everything which was going on. The characters are fascinating and the writing quite lovely ~ flowing smoothly all the way through. An enchanting historical romance which I'm happy to recommend to lovers of this genre. Well worth four shining stars.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley and to Vicky Joss for my spot in this tour; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for asking me to read and review.
This story was a wonderful read.
It is well written with some characters that are well rounded and as a reader you feel you are right there with them and feel the emotions that they are going through. The plot draws you in, keeping you wanting more and turning those pages.
A brilliant, addictive read.

A fascinating and well written historical fiction that kept me hooked till the end.
It's well researched and the historical background is vivid and realistic.
I liked the well thought characters and the plot that flows.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I always look forward to any new novels by this wonderful author and this does not disappoint..
It is set in the 1870's in London and focuses on the forthcoming wedding of Clarice. The elder daughter of the St Clair family. Trouble is on it way though.
Helene the younger daughter holds a terrible secret of an Orphan girls she befriended and who now works for her parents.
Throw in a love affair with a French man and it creates a tense and compelling novel.

You can always guarantee a good drama with Diney Costelo. This one flits between France and London but is mostly set in London during the 1870s. A fascinating time in history and this novel captures the time, the worries, the challenges and social layers of society very well.

The story of love across borders, social strata and more is always compelling and this is a great edition to the number of books Iv'e read from her.

The drama of having to abide to social rules, expectations of family and adhere to life 's 'rules' is compelling and I felt so sorry for Clarice and Helene in equal measure. You would think falling in love and moving with your husband would be good news, but no. There was no freedom of choice for women here and it was fascinating to get an insight into cross cultural issues during a turbulent time in French and British history