Thank you to Avon Books UK for granting my wish to read this book - my thoughts are my own and not influenced by the gift.

I enjoy reading time slip novels and thoroughly enjoyed this one. The two time periods were both interesting but I enjoyed the Tudor time period the most. A very impressive debut novel and I'm looking forward to reading more by Clare Marchant in the future.

Two women 500 years apart but joined in the grief of a lost baby. I loved this book. Historical fiction is my favourite genre and this linked the story of 16th century Eleanor with present day Amber. I read this book in 2 sittings as I found it hard to put down (I would have read it in 1 if I'd started earlier in the day). The historical detail, clearly well researched, intertwining real people with fictional characters is clever and Eleanor's story alone kept me interested and engaged. I hope there's a sequel. I can't wait to read it.

I really enjoyed this book. It was well written with strong characters that takes you back in time and gives you some insight into English history. I often find that time slip novels can be somewhat confusing with the jumping back and forth, however the past and present mesh well in this story, and the pages kept turning as I was so intrigued with story.
I would definitely recommend this book to fans of historical novels.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary advance reader copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

This was a wonderful book. I was hooked right from the beginning. This story takes place in two time periods, the 1540s and 2019. In the present, Amber is staying with her grandfather at his home, Saffron Hall, trying to heal from the loss of her baby daughter, Saffron. She just cannot bear to be at her home and although she loves her husband, she just needs to heal on her own. Her grandfather, gives her the task of cataloging his many books as he is a retired book seller, thinking this will give her time to heal her heart. Lightening strikes the tower of Saffron hall and unearths an ancient book of prayers. Amber gets caught up in this book and the inscription in the front which makes her think she was meant to find this book and to figure out what the author wants her to help with. The past, is about 17 year old Eleanor, who is married off to an older man when her father dies and moves to his home, Milfleet. It follows her life during trying times in the age of Henry VIII as her husband strives to get in the kings favour and improve his station in life.

It was a great book which easily moves between the past and the present. I very much enjoyed the book but found myself more intrigued with the past story. The description of how saffron is grown and extracted was wonderful, I could almost smell it.

This is the first book I have read by this author but it will not be the last.

The story was historical and mysterious at the same time. I like reading both Eleanor and Amber's lives. Just like Amber, I was very interested in Eleanor's life. As she read her passages in her book of hours, I was able to get a grasp of how she lived. Eleanor was more interesting since she grew Saffron and her life was different from the modern age. I also like that with her strength she was able to get the respect of her household. She made medicine and gave it freely. As for her faith, she was a devoted Catholic. It never changed and this has saved her and her family in the end. This story deserves a 4 star rating. I liked it and the concept. It started as a sad one which dampened my mood. However, by the end, it was good to see Amber moving forward. The journey of Amber realizing that it was selfish of her to own pain was eventful. It was nice to read that something from the past could heal the present. I also liked the Lutton's family motto which is "While I breathe, I hope". It could be used as a positive reminder for everyone who is feeling lost and sad.

The story is gorgeous and addictive.
It's told from two points of view, one starting in 1538 and the other in 2019; both by women who are trying to escape grief. Both are beautiful, strong and absorbing stories with fearless but fragile leading ladies.
1538- Elinor is married off to a man nearly twice her age just days after her fathers death and her amazing stories tells of how with determination and ambition she makes a full life for herself.
2019- Amber is consumed with grief and has hidden herself away at her family home with her Grandfather. As she discovers Elinor's story and solves the mysteries, she herself begins to heal.

Both stories are a testament to love, loss, patience and perseverance.
If you're lucky you'll reap the rewards but sometimes, however hard you try or as much as you deserve it, circumstance (and Henry VIII) have other ideas!

The Secrets of Saffron Hall was full of strong characters, my favourites being Elinor and Greville.

A fantastic debut, I'll be watching for more by Clare Marchant.

This book is absolutely incredible and moving. Every time I picked up "The Secrets of Saffron Hall" I was whisked away, and went on an amazing and emotional journey. ⁣
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This is the first book I have read by Clare Marchant, and I hope there will be many more! Her writing is beautiful and vivid, and she truly knows how to bring the worlds to life. She seamlessly blends history and fiction. The way she unfolds and connects the layers of these stories is brilliant. As the reader, I was drawn in from the first page to the last, and I felt like I was a part of these characters lives. ⁣
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The two main characters, Amber and Eleanor, are both strong, courageous, and kind women. Eleanor lives in the Tudor Era, and at 17 is married to a man she barely knows. Amber lives in 2019, and she and her husband have just suffered a devastating tragedy. Without spoiling anything, though born almost 500 years apart, they have much in common. Their lives and stories are connected in more ways than one, and you will just have to read to find out how. ⁣
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Every single character in this book, whether seen or discussed helped to move the plot forward. Each characters’ personality was so well written and thought out. Their fears, desires, and griefs were beautifully communicated to me as the reader, and my heart broke with them at times, yet certainly smiled with them at others. Each part of “Saffron Hall” became a character in its own way to me too. ⁣
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This book has so much in it: it is intriguing, heartbreaking at times, extremely hopefully in others, and much more. Many moments had me on the edge of my seat holding my breath to see what would happen next, and I absolutely could not put this book down. ⁣
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If you enjoy historical fiction and / or dual-timeline novels, I highly recommend this book. ⁣Watching the various puzzle pieces of connection fit together was such a moving experience. And as a history lover, I enjoyed those aspects as well!
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Thank you so much to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the ARC of this novel, I so enjoyed reading it. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. ⁣
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Please Note: This book does explore some heavy topics, and I believe the author handles them with great respect.

This is a dual timeline story, following the lives of two women living a quincentenary apart, but with a thread of shared experience that somehow binds them across the centuries. In the early sixteenth century, Eleanor is a young girl, reluctantly married but making a go of her new life at her husband’s grand house in Norfolk, growing saffron to increase his fortunes. It is a time of great upheaval in the country, as Henry VIII enacts the Act of Supremacy and begins to dissolve the monasteries. In current times, Amber has suffered an earth-shattering upheaval of her own, and goes off to hide at her family’s long-time home, Saffron Hall, where her future becomes inextricably linked with Eleanor’s past.

The author handles the dual timeline brilliantly, expertly weaving the two stories together, so it is easy to follow whose story we are in, and how the one is feeding in to the other. She gives both women a strong, defined character and an equally important and well-developed storyline, so the novel feels well balanced and satisfying in both timelines. I was equally invested in the fates of both women, and completely sold on the idea that Amber’s future happiness, in her head at least, depended on her resolving the puzzle of Eleanor’s past.

This novel deals with a very difficult subject matter and, as someone who has been through this experience herself, I found the author dealt with it sensitively and with great understanding and tenderness and honesty. Whilst it did bring back some difficult memories, it left me moved and comforted, rather than distraught, and I would not have wanted to be put off reading it, although I suppose some who have been through the experience more recently and for whom the issue is more raw, may want to proceed with caution.

The author brings the life of the sixteenth century vividly to life in this book, and I became completely lost in the daily existence of Eleanor’s household and her duties and cares. It is a historical period that is rich in happenings and excitement and Clare mines them expertly and cleverly to provide the tension in the book. If you know any of the history of this period, the introduction of one character to the narrative will set alarm bells ringing, and you will be waiting for the fallout to ripple through the narrative. Clare has been very clever with the way she has woven real historical figures with fiction in the text, and I was almost reading the last part of the book from behind a metaphorical cushion, waiting for the inevitable. It is hard to get someone on tenterhooks when they almost feel like they know what is coming, so I take my hat off to this author that she managed it.

This is a vivid, moving, evocative story with a hint of the supernatural, and I absolutely loved it. It is a must-read for fans of the time period, and for a great, dual timeline story. Excellent work.

I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I was drawn to the premise of The Secrets of Saffron Hall, due to my love of all things Tudor. And in that regard, my expectations were satisfied. The Tudor portion of the book is engaging and feels true to the period, with its great rewards for those in favor, but the lingering fear of the fates of those who fall out of it.

I was engrossed in Eleanor’s day-to-day life as she runs the home and grows saffron while her husband is away, and while the Saffron element did sometimes feel a bit repetitive, I more or less enjoyed her perspective of the tense times, especially given the events going on in the background: the religious persecutions, executions, and Henry’s shifting interest between wives (mourning Jane Seymour, the reluctant marriage to Anne of Cleves and annulment, and his ill-fated marriage to Catherine Howard).

I found Amber’s chapters less interesting, aside from the supplemental information about the book. There were some good elements there for her, like dealing with grief following a stillbirth, but I still found it harder to become invested in her storyline as much as I did Eleanor’s.

This is still a fairly good book, and one I would recommend to fans of dual timeline historical novels.

Thank you NetGalley, Clare Marchant, and Avon books for the opportunity to read this book!

I love Tudor history. Who doesn’t? It is such an intriguing time period to study. The Secrets of Saffron Hall by Clare Marchant is a dual timeline that takes place during the reign of Henry VIII and also the year 2019. In 2019, Amber is staying with her Grandfather at his old home called Saffron Hall. She is archiving his massive book collection, even though the real reason she is there is to try to deal with her grief. While there she discovers an old prayer book that belonged to a woman named Eleanor from 500 years before. This book links their lives together in more ways than one. In 1538, Eleanor’s father dies and she is married off to a merchant by her cousin. She takes with her saffron crocus bulbs gifted to her from the local monks. While her husband rises is favor at the court of King Henry VIII, Eleanor makes a successful saffron crop that increases their favor. But if anyone knows anything about Henry VIII, his favor never lasts forever.

Yes. Yes. Yes. When I think of a Tudor historical fiction…this is what I want. We have enough books where the sole focus is on Henry VIII. His infamous wives have been done to death. (No pun intended.) I do love Tudor history, but a few years ago, the publishing industry was absolutely saturated with Tudor historical fiction and quite honestly, I got a little burnt out. This is coming from someone who studied Tudor history in London. But this book renewed my love for the period genre. The dual timeline is very well-done. The stories flow together and are intricately entwined. Then there is the added mystery. In 1538, readers are learning about Eleanor’s life. In 2019, we are working with Amber to solve Eleanor’s mystery. I love it when the timelines play off of each other perfectly.

Then there are the characters. Both deal with grief, and even though 500 years separates them, they can still relate to one another. TRIGGER WARNING. This book does go into detail about miscarriage and stillbirth and the grief process. Having gone through that process myself, I thought the author did a great job of capturing the despair and depression.

If I had one complaint…I would have liked an epilogue. BUT I did enjoy the whole novel. The book releases TOMORROW, August 6th! So go check it out! This book gets 5 out of 5 stars from me!

Two women. Five centuries apart. 1538: New bride Eleanor impresses her husband by growing saffron, a spice more valuable than gold. His reputation in Henry VIII's court soars- but fame and fortune come at a price, for the Kings favour will not last forever.

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, she unravels a forgotten tragic story.

Amber is grieving the stillbirth of her daughter and leaves her husband and moves in with her grandfather to catalogue his book collection. That's when she finds Eleanors book. This is a well researched book. The characters are endearing. It could be a little repetitive at times. I would have liked to have known more of what had happened to Eleanor and her family. I liked the mystery surrounding this this story. This is an intriguing, heart breaking but also heart warming book to read. It kept my interest throughout.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Avon Books UK and the author Clare Marchant for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a magnificent story.

The author has written this book with a truly fascinating amount of depth to the settings, the characters and the historical facts. Every time I picked it up I was immediately transported into the worlds of Eleanor and Amber. My heart is still thumping at the race to finish it this morning! It is going to stay with me for a long time.

The story is written along two timelines, in the 1500’s with Henry XIII on the throne we enter the life of Eleanor who at 17 has lost her father, and then her male cousin moves in to take over her home with his family, marrying off Eleanor to an older man who’s wife has died in childbirth. She has to move to his home which is a very long journey on horseback. She takes with her some crocus bulbs and a huge amount of knowledge given to her by her friends at the monastery she visited frequently. Her intention is to grow the crocus bulbs and produce saffron. She is terrified of this new life which has been decided for her but is strong willed and intends to make it work.

The second storyline is set in 2019 where Amber has recently lost her baby and come to stay with her grandfather in Saffron Hall to catalogues his hundreds of books, many of which have been untouched in the hall for hundreds of years.

She finds what she thinks is a diary, sitting on a shelf in a room which is never used and wrapped in some very old fabric. It appears to have been untouched for years. She begins to read it and becomes obsessed with translating the Latin and uncovering the secrets it holds. As she translates the entries we are taken back to Eleanor and the circumstances surrounding the entry. Amber believes Eleanor is asking her to do something before she can finally be at rest, often feeling Eleanor’s presence.

This is a must read for fans of historical fiction based around known facts.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for an advance copy of the book in return for an honest review.

Overall, I enjoyed this. I was particularly gripped by Eleanor's story. I felt Amber's story only served as a means to discover Eleanor's story. I didn't feel like I connected with Amber. I can't believe she left her husband the way she did - for a year! I don't think her character was as developed as Eleanor's. I wouldn't have minded if the whole book had been about Eleanor. Although the ending was okay, I would have liked to have found out what happened to Eleanor in the end, but perhaps there's another book on the way. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love this cover! This book has dual time lines and I thought each one was interesting. The story was heartbreakingly sad at times. It’s also a story of hope too.
I really enjoyed the story and think historical fiction fans will like it too.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy

It was an interesting read, moving between Tudor times and recent times. The Tudor narrative was good but felt a a little too formal at times. The story is good and captivating however the end left me wanting more. We go through this journey with Eleanor and there isn’t much closure at the end. It felt it could do with explaining some link between Eleanor and Amber.

Editors: chapter 17, surely it should say “Amber wakes up” and not Eleanor since we are in present times?
Also is “Deo gratias” and not gratis which is not even Latin

The cover first caught my attention and I was intrigued. When I read it had a dual timelines I had to read it. The Secrets of Saffron hall is about two women living centuries apart and struggling with there own life battles. There are many struggles for the two women and mysteries that unfold that bring the two stories together. I really enjoyed both timelines and didn't favour one over the other. Clare did a great job in keeping both stories interesting. I absolutely loved this book and will look out for the next one.

I was initially drawn to this book because dual timeframe stories are my absolute favourite and I am pleased to say The Secrets of Saffron Hall did disappoint.

Two strong storylines, set 500 years apart, featuring likeable female characters both living with their own challenges. I was envious of Amber’s discovery - I couldn’t wait to see what might unfold as the detail from the prayer book was revealed and I thoroughly enjoyed Eleanor’s character development, which saw her growing from a vulnerable nervous young girl to a strong confident woman, not afraid to take charge and take risks when it was needed.

A great read, with historical elements well-researched. All I need now is a sequel please! I think there’s definitely more to Amber and Eleanor - were they actually related, how did the rest of Eleanor’s life play out? We got a sneak peek of Amber’s future and it looked rosy but does she get her happy ending? I’ve made my own theories!

Brilliant summer read
Just love these books with a mystery set centuries before present day and resolved in present time.
Well researched and loved the way the two heroines are linked
Has a whole gamete of emotions
Can’t recommend it enough

Before anything else, I want to wish our author @Clare Marchant good luck for her upcoming book.

Now about the book:
Well, this book is about two beautiful women, Elenor and Amber. But both of them belong from two different centuries! 1538 and 2019. Elenor’s story starts in 1538 at a village in england, when she was 17 years old. After her beloved father’s death, her cousin fixed her marriage to a rich older and widowed man Greville who works for the king(merchant) without asking her state of mind. Then her life’s major ups and downs begin!
Whereas, Amber lost her daughter during(or before) birth in 2019 , her story also starts with grieving. She decided to take a break from her usual life and her husband Jonathan, then she moved to her grandpa’s house, which is an old hall or you can say mansion with loads of history, named “Saffron Hall”. This place is really close to her heart that's why she named her daughter Saffron! Now one day she found a prayer book(like a diary), which was centuries old! Amber, who is an archivist finally got something to forget about her loss but the story is not that simple. The prayer book actually belongs to Elenor! TADAAAAAA!
NOW THE MYSTERY BEGINS!!! What is the connection between them?? Is there any?
(Well yeah!!) To find out what, you have to read the book my dear! Because I don't give spoilers! I AM A GOOD GIRL!!

My thoughts:
Well I felt AMAZING!!! I also once lived in an old palace with loads of mystery and always wished “one day I will “ find something like this, a diary or anything but sadly that never happened! While reading this, those memories got alive again! God! It was awesome…
This book has pain, love, history, mystery, questions, all together! I was stuck with this book for a few days! People seriously need to read this. Definitely !!

Thank you @Clare Marchant for this amazing book and thank you @Avonbooks for giving me the opportunity to read it.
The book is releasing on Aug 6th, 2020. Do read it!

A beautifully written dual story of the lives of Eleanor and Amber , and their connection to Saffron Hall. I was quickly drawn into the emotional stories of both women; Eleanor's story of grief then finding love, and Amber struggling out of the haze of grief to try and re-find love again. The history element was fascinating and links to the court of Henry VIII very realistic. A must for all historical fiction fans.