Amber and Eleanor are separated by hundreds of years but Saffron Hall unites them. This dual time line novel moves between the Tudor period and 2019-and to be honest, Amber's story is more interesting. Regardless, it's a good read for fans of the genre.

This dual narrative novel kept my attention from the very first page.
It is set in Tudor England which is a time period that greatly interests me
The writing was well done and I enjoyed the premise.
My only negative comment is that at times it was a little repetitive

This book is the best book I have read so far this year and will stay with me for a very very long time.

Set in two timelines but in the same house, Saffron Hall. It follows two women, one in the present and the other in the 1500s when King Henry VIII was king. I loved reading about both their stories and how eventually they connected. I also really enjoyed reading about Henry VIII and the influence he had on the country at the time. This book made me want to read more about this time as I found it so interesting.

I bawled my eyes out reading this book it is simply wonderful and incredibly well written.

Read now! You must!

If I could give it more stars I would!

This sounded so good, but fell flat and boring.
It just wasn`t for me, too much talking...and things happening that i did not care for, not one bit.

I like that this novel is set in the Tudor era that did not involve the Tudor Court. However, I did not really like the modern storyline. The book was slow, repetitive, and full of plotholes! Still, I recommend this for fans of Lady of Hay, The Forgotten Sister, and Secrets of The Tudor Court!

"While I breathe, I hope"...

I thoroughly enjoy dual timeline tales and this one was no different. This mysterious and atmospheric story captured my imagination and my heart from the very beginning till the very end. This one, however, differs from the usual dual timeline missives in that the historical aspect is set five centuries before during the bloody reign of King Henry VIII. I don't know a lot about that period of time and it is not usually one that I read but it had me absorbed from its intriguing prologue, leaving me eager to discover what it meant.

1539: Set in Tudor England, in the wake of her father's sudden demise seventeen year old Eleanor finds herself without a home as a distant cousin William and his sour wife Elizabeth move in and everything she has ever known becomes theirs. To make matters worse, William has taken it upon himself to arrange her marriage to Sir Greville Lutton from Norfolk...a man she has never met nor knows nothing about. But within the space of a few weeks, her wedding is arranged and she and her companion Joan together with Eleanor's new husband make the five day journey to his home of Milfleet in Norfolk.

Despite the quick marriage, Eleanor learns very quickly that her husband is forever absent, his trade as a merchant has him almost permanently in London where he works hard to gain recognition of the King in earning his favour. His letters are few and far between, saying little of what keeps him so entrenched in London. But Eleanor cares little for his absence and taking charge of the household, she sets to work creating gardens for her herbs she uses to create medicinal aids. She also gains the permission to have the fields ploughed to enable her to sow the few crocus bulbs she has which thus creates the saffron that is to become her husband's fortune. But will it also lead to their downfall?

2019: In the present day we meet Amber, who is currently staying with her grandfather at Saffron Hall while she grieves the loss of her baby. Hiding away in the great Norfolk house, she is cataloguing her grandfather's expansive book collection leaving her vicar husband to grieve alone at the rectory where they live. Early in her stay, a resounding thunderstorm whips the winds and the rains around the stately old Hall during which lightning strikes the tower, resulting in it partially crumbling and in need of repairs. As a listed building there are restrictions as to how and who can repair the aging structure. However, it is while the builders are erecting the scaffolding that they come across an old book wrapped in fine linen, passing it on to Amber who immediately becomes intrigued with it.

Turning the pages of the old book, it soon becomes clear to Amber that it is the prayer book of hours and journal that had belonged to a woman called Eleanor 500 years ago. How is it possible that this book has remained in tact upon a window sill for five centuries? And what secrets does it hold? Amber is eager to uncover them but in doing so must translate it from ancient Latin, of which she's a little rusty, to unravel Eleanor's secrets and those of Saffron Hall.

As the story progresses, it becomes obvious that Eleanor and Amber have many things in common beyond Saffron Hall. Both women have loved and lost having experienced a similar tragedy, of which Amber becomes aware soon after discovering the journal with Eleanor's neat script etched at the front of the book with a puzzling missive that Amber feels she must unravel. And yet Amber struggles with her own grief whilst keeping her husband Jonathan at arm's length. The parallels between the two women is made more poignant as Amber feels Eleanor is trying to communicate something to her...thus highlighting her own journey of grief. Can Amber find the closure she needs both for herself and for Eleanor?

The stories are seamlessly woven together with the added mystery of the secrets that the tower, from which Amber is forbidden, has held for 500 years. From 1538 to 1841 we learn about Eleanor's life with, and without, her very much absent husband while in 2019 we work alongside Amber trying to solve the mystery Eleanor left behind. We learn enough about each of them to see them develop from whence they came and journey with them to the bitter end. There is grief, there is love, there is grief, there is loss, there is grief, there is heartbreak...and and did I mention, grief? It is what is at the heart of both stories as the 500 hear old secrets slowly unravel.

As I've said, I have not read anything set in Tudor times and know little of Henry VIII beyond his harem of wives and his penchant for beheading them. That, and his creation of the Church of England to permit divorce so as to rid himself of his unwanted wives when they have outlived their usefulness...or proved to be less than useful. He was a cruel King, that I know, and his reign was bloody. And while Eleanor's husband sought favour with the King, with her saffron crop increasing that favour...but if anyone knows anything about King Henry VIII, his favour never lasts. His eight wives are proof of that. But reading an historical tale set during the reign of King Henry VIII was something different for me and even rather refreshing.

I really quite enjoyed this tangent I took with THE SECRETS OF SAFFRON HALL and am glad I came across it. It combines contemporary fiction with historical with the dual narratives expertly entwined. My only complaint is that I would probably have liked an Epilogue to wrap everything up but that is an aside to what is essentially a wonderfully atmospheric tale transcending five centuries and intricately linking them together.

Beautifully written, expertly told, THE SECRETS OF SAFFRON HALL is a pure delight. I admit to being pleasantly surprised by Greville who was nothing like I imagined him to be who, paralleled with Jonathan in the present day, was a tender loving soul. I loved both men though not always Greville's choices. But then they were different times.

I cannot praise THE SECRETS OF SAFFRON HALL enough. Nor can I recommend it highly enough. A wonderfully absorbing read from beginning to end. I was almost sad to depart Saffron Hall and those of Eleanor and Amber.

I would like to thank #ClareMarchant, #Netgalley and #AvonBooks for an ARC of #TheSecretsOfSaffronHall in exchange for an honest review.

DNF @ 44%

This novel was a bit slow to start out. There are a lot of mentions of Latin and religion throughout the novel which I thought were a bit excessive. The dual timelines are interesting, but the story has not captivated me enough to want to know the relation between the two timelines. While this novel has an interesting concept, I have decided to put this one down.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the gifted e-book in exchange for my honest opinion!

I really loved this book. I loved the mystery element. I loved how it switched between modern day and the past and I loved the setting being local to me. I cannot for for Clare’s next book.

I do love a good dual timeline story and this one didn’t disappoint!
This is the story of two women set five centuries apart. Two strong women who have more in common than just Saffron Hall.
In the England of Henry V111, new bride Eleanor finds fame and fortune for her and her husband by growing saffron, a spice more valuable than gold in Tudor times. Unfortunately, the King’s favour will not last forever and a heavy price may need to be paid.
In 2019, when Amber discovers an ancient book in her grandfather’s home at Saffron Hall, the contents reveal a dark secret from the past. As she investigates, so unravels a forgotten tragic story and a truth that lies much closer to home than she could have imagined.

Tudor times are my favourite part of English history so the setting for the past timeline story made the book even more interesting for me. The parallel stories of the two women fighting against their grief are brought together by the authors beautiful writing. We follow their journeys and see how they both emerge stronger.
The characters are both beautifully drawn and the separation between the timelines is clear. Saffron Hall is the perfect backdrop for the story.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this lovely book in exchange for a review.

***Once started impossible to put down***
I am overwhelmed with emotion as I got to the last page. This book is filled with meaning, hope, despair, mystery 500 years in the making and a book of prayers connecting a young woman of the present with a young woman of the past. It is a sad tribute to those who suffered the tyranny of the Tudor times when the king was a supreme being. A tragedy drove Amber away from her husband to her grandfather's home at Saffron Hall. She is to catalogue all the books. As she is an archivist this is her specialty. Eleanor who lived in the past helps Amber in the present through the reading of her prayer book. Amber recognized Eleanor as someone who understood the tragedy, she herself has gone through. However, Eleanor had cryptically laid a message in the book and Amber felt Eleanor's spirit urging her to solve the riddle. This is a book of extreme suspense. I was glued to each page and could not put this down as I was anxious to read what was happening to Amber and what had happened to Eleanor. I became totally invested into this book. The author wrote in such a way I felt I was with the characters as the story segued from scene to scene. This is a must read. You will not be disappointed. I highly recommend it.
Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Informative
Original
Page-turner
Realistic
Tear-jerker
Tragic
Unpredictable
Wonderful characters

This dual timeline story has carefully crafted characters, intricate historical details and a clever plot that connects the two protagonists. Tragic loss is a theme of this story, but it is written with sensitivity and illustrates the characters' motivations believably.

Both stories are engaging, and the connection through solving the mystery is credible.

I received a copy of this book from Avon Books UK via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I usually love dual timeline stories like this one, looking forward to unraveling the mystery of the past via the present. And while this aspect was present in this book, it however failed to capture me and keep me riveted. The parts in the present with Amber felt drawn-out, with not much at stake for her, and it felt like the author kept pushing Amber's reading of Eleanor's book forward as if in a ploy to get more pages down... The mystery with Eleanor was okay, but there were still so many questions left for me at the end, I felt a bit let-down that we didn't get much more closure than that when we finish the book

Actual rating: 4.75/5

The Secret of Saffron Hall is a historical fiction with two points-of-view: one in 2019, Amber, who just lost her daughter in birth and retired from her life in Saffron Hall, the family house as well as one in 1538, Eleanor, a young woman that has just been married to a man she doesn't know. These two women are linked but how?
First, I loved the dynamics of the two main characters and their stories were so thoughtful and powerful.
Second, I enjoyed the plot even though it had some slow parts but it was quite addictive.
Last but not least, I really liked the historical aspects of the story and enjoyed learning more about this area of English history.
Overall, I appreciated a lot this book and I really want to discover a bit more this debut author!

I listened to this on audiobook for the most part whilst up and about, although I did swap to reading it on ebook in the evening whilst curled up on the sofa.

Oh how I do love a historical fiction story with a dual timeline involved, although I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t usually go for stories that are as far back in history as the sixteenth century, but alas sometimes change can be good and it certainly was in this case.

It didn't take me long to be drawn into the stories of that of Eleanor in 1538 and that of Amber in present day 2017, I was captivated right from the first few chapters. I loved how the story went back and forth from past to present day which was done so seamlessly.

I thought the story was brilliantly well written, it's clear from the details within as to just how much research the author Clare must have done, she really has done a magnificent job. As for the characters they were all so very well portrayed and believable, I really did just lose myself within all of their individual stories. I truly felt for Eleanor, everything she had to deal with/go through.

So last words, if you love books that tell a story in the present and in the past then I can highly recommend this beautiful tale which is heartbreaking, emotional, highly captivating, dramatic and will have you wanting to increase the narrator speed or turning the pages faster, so as to find out what happens next and as to how it will all end.

Oh before I go, just a quick mention as to the narrator of the book, Hattie Ledbury, I thought she read the story very well from start to finish, her voice flowed very nicely from one dual timeline story to the next and then back again. I certainly look forward to listening to books in the future that have been read by her.

This mysterious, dual-narrative fiction captured my imagination from the beginning. From the intriguing prologue to the beautiful cover, this book had everything I needed for a five-star read.

Set in Tudor England, I have always been interested in this period of history. As Eleanor is shipped off to an arranged marriage, she learns very quickly that her older husband is forever absent, spending time in London to earn favour with King Henry VIII. Eleanor is like a spoilt child in the early stages of her marriage: grumpy that she cannot join her husband; grumpy that she has been forced into her marriage; grumpy about the flat, Norfolk landscape. However, it is her love for saffron and gardening that turn her and her husband’s fortunes. It is also this that leads to their downfall.

In present day, we meet Amber. She is taking a sabbatical and living with her grandfather. He is presented as a proper bibliophile and Amber has the responsibility to archive his book collection. Some of the things described did make me chuckle; bookish traits that I could recognise in myself! I also liked how her grandfather had hoarded so many versions of the London A-Z street map! How times have changed…

As the novel progresses, it becomes clear that Amber and Eleanor have a lot more in common than Saffron Hall. Both women are tainted by tragedy. It is not until the end of the novel do we really learn Eleanor’s outcome, but the writer makes enough hints from the beginning for readers to make this connection. Amber has arrived at her grandfather’s after miscarrying her baby just before it’s due date. This tragedy haunts her and has driven her and her husband, James, apart. The parallels between the two women made this story more poignant, particularly as we witness Amber’s journey of coping with her grief.

Consequently, the theme of miscarriages is rather prevalent and some readers may find this upsetting. It is the reason why Amber is able to discover Eleanor’s journal and she feels herself haunted: both by Eleanor’s story and her own grief. As such, when a resolution is reached at the end, I found it completely satisfying for both female characters because it represented a closure that they yearned for.

The subtle parallels between Amber and Eleanor are cleverly presented by Marchant. It made the story all the more vivid and engrossing for me as I learned how Eleanor made wealth through growing crocuses and harvesting the flowers for their saffron. However, I think I would have liked to have seen a switch to London for the writer to really enforce the Tudor setting. Readers only learn of it through brief letters and I think I missed seeing the court and royalty that is only hinted at during the narrative.

I really enjoyed this story. The two time-frames did not make it complicated to follow and there was not an abundance of characters. It was sad to read of the tragedies, but I enjoyed the growth of the two women. Although an Epilogue was not included at the end of the story, I could easily picture a satisfying, happy ending for Eleanor and Amber.

With thanks to Avon books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book wasn’t for me unfortunately. When I read the book I wasn’t sure if I was in the right frame of mind for it and I think this may have played a part in the fact I couldn’t find any interest in the storyline or feel anything for the characters. But I’m sure if you are a fan of this genre, you would enjoy it!

The Secrets of Saffron Hall was a beautifully written story of two generations of women - hundreds of years apart - who experience a similar heart breaking loss. I loved the Tudor timeline. The saffron was an interesting and new topic to read about. This story had a lot of sadness but it was such a lovely read! I definitely recommend it for fans of historical fiction.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Avon for the copy of The Secrets of Saffron Hall in exchange for my honest review.

An excellent historical fiction novel set in the Tudor reign. The growing of saffron is a talent that Eleanor has learnt and making her husband's fortune grow is satisfying in a time when women were viewed more as a possession than a person. The dual timeline makes this book more current as Amber finds out about her ancestor. Well written and recommended.

I found this book to be a real page turner. The author, Clare Marchant, does an excellent job of weaving the dual timeline story of present day and the early 1500's. My only problem was the repetition of the growing/ harvesting of saffron part of the story. I would have preferred to learn more of Eleanor's daily life and interaction with those around her.

The Secrets of Saffron Hall by Clare Marchant
Source: NetGalley and Avon
Rating: 3/5 stars

**MINI-REVIEW**

The Bottom Line: In the time between reading this book and writing the review, I forgot nearly everything about this book which tells me everything I need to know. When I looked up the book on Goodreads, the details of the story came back, but so did the feeling of neither loving nor disliking this book. This is a fairly typical past meets present story with Amber being the researcher in 2019 looking into the life and death of Eleanor, a 16th century woman who once roamed the halls of Amber’s beloved family home. Researching Eleanor’s story helps Amber to overcome her own tremendous loss and heal from the pain generated by the loss. Though she never intended to, Amber also brings peace to the spirit of Eleanor who has waited through the generations for just the right woman to come along and uncover her story. Though I am a true fan of past meets present books, there isn’t anything here that really stands out for me, nothing that would allow me to highly recommend this read. With that said, it is a decent read and if you’re looking for something to fill your time, this may be for you.