The story sounded promising because it is about a young woman who has to make her business successful in a male dominated world. I find the main character to be strong and is determined to maintain her independence. However, the writing is very slow and repetitive. There were also many graphic scenes that made me uncomfortable while I was reading. This novel would have been better without those cringey graphic scenes. Still, I recommend this for fans of The Confectioner’s Tale, The Winemakers, and The California Wife!

Brooks brings to life the tale of one young women's quest to make her own way in the world after her family suffered a devastating financial blow. Anneke is the strong, empowered character that I love to read about. Mixed with fantastic historical details, delightfully unique characters, and an engrossing story, this book is simply stunning.

This is a historical novel about a talented woman attempting to control her own destiny while facing constant crises and seemingly impossible odds.

In 1405 England, Anneke Sheldrake is the daughter of a prosperous trader, currently at sea. Her brother Tobias is voyaging as squire to Sir Leander Rainford, and two younger twins (Betke and Karel) are at home with her. As the story opens, a messenger arrives with news that her father's ship is lost at sea. The family is left without assets (including their home).

Anneke starts brewing ale, incurring the enmity of the powerful friary and its Abbott. After her brewery is burnt down, Anneke flees with those closest to her to London and starts all over again - this time in partnership with a spirited and knowledgeable brothel owner.

Overall, the Lady Brewer of London is a gripping rollercoaster of an escapist read!

I started The Lady Brewer of London on an afternoon where I had just a few minutes of free time between errands - a grievous mistake. This is an epic, set in fifteenth-century England, and not easy to put down. Between the romance, intrigue, and historical detail, there's a lot to enjoy in this story.

Anneke Sheldrake is content in her life as a merchant's daughter in the town of Elmham Lenn, and keeps busy running her household and looking after her younger siblings while their father is away. That whole life is put at risk, however, when her father's ship goes down at sea and Anneke is informed that all his possessions - house, warehouse, everything - were rented to him by Lord Hardred Rainford only for the duration of his life. With her father dead, Anneke has changed from a desirable young woman of status to a pauper whose only option is to be taken in by her mean-spirited cousin as a ‘companion’ (i.e. indentured servant).

Or at least, servitude to her cousin is Anneke's only obvious choice. Never one to back down from a fight, Anneke goes over the household books, considers her talents, and then makes Lord Rainford an offer: rent the house and servants to Anneke so that she can become a brewer. She learned the art of making ale from her mother, and is confident she has the skills to turn a good profit. She also knows that her middle brother Tobias, who is currently apprenticed to Lord Rainford's youngest son Leander, is in fact a Rainford - so between blackmail and good business sense, Anneke is able to secure a lease and an opportunity to make a new life for herself and her siblings.

Although normal for married women and widows, brewing is seen by most of Elmham Lenn as unacceptable for an unmarried woman like Anneke. More importantly, the idea of a new commercial brewer is viewed as a threat by the nearby St. Jude Monastery, where the monks have a large operation with a monopoly on the ale market in the  surrounding towns. Between social norms and vicious competition, Anneke has a steep uphill battle into her chosen profession. She faces challenges in finding suppliers, finding employees, and even getting her ale certified. While it is obviously superior, the ale-conners (men who taste and determine what ale is fit to be sold) are very much in the pockets of the monastery, and hesitate to approve Anneke's product.

A big point in Anneke's favor when the ale-conners visit is the support of Leander Rainford. The youngest son of Lord Rainford, his opinion holds weight in the community and convinces the ale-conners to act justly. Leander begins to visit the Sheldrake household with Tobias (who is unaware of his relationship to the Rainfords), and a strong affection builds between him and Anneke. As the monks plot against Anneke's brewery, ultimately forcing her out of Elmham Lenn to Southwark and then London, Leander remains stalwart in his support for Anneke and the pair's romance builds in a sweet way.

Far too much happens in this book to easily capture in a review, so I shall simply say that Anneke must go through many trials before reaching a satisfying ending. Her strength and endurance through situations where all seems lost are impressive traits which only grow over the course of the book. Anneke is unflinching in her assessment of her own faults, acknowledging the times when she acts without heed for the consequences, or when she doubts herself unnecessarily. Her inner strength and good humor make her easy to like and certainly easy to root for.

The one issue I had, however, was the frequent appearance of ‘white knights’ in the story. Both Leander and a family friend, Captain Stoyan, rescue Anneke from more than a few scrapes where she seems unable to rescue herself. As a woman of the twenty-first century, this felt frustrating, because I'm used to seeing women solve their own problems. However, Anneke does prove herself remarkably capable and skilled throughout the book; the situations where she needs a white knight are typically when dealing with corrupt men in various positions of power (such as the ale-conners) who are inclined to impede her simply because she is a woman. While they may detract slightly from the overall image of independence Anneke is trying to achieve, it didn't feel wrong to emphasize the difficulty of running a business as a woman in the fifteenth century.

One important note for potential readers is that there is some violence in this story, which takes place both on and off the page. The level of detail felt appropriate to the story, and while difficult to read, these scenes didn't affect my overall enjoyment of the book. However, I don't think this review would be complete without mentioning their appearance.

In summary, I thoroughly enjoyed The Lady Brewer of London. Ms. Brooks delivers a wonderful tale of despair, triumph, and personal growth here. I learned many things I never knew about ale and beer production, and will definitely be seeking out this author's backlist.

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The Lady Brewer of London is a long, intimately-detailed account of a defiant woman in early fifteenth-century England intent on keeping herself afloat despite the myriad tragedies that come her way.

I ended up skimming a lot of this one. It was way too slow-paced for me, and I couldn’t get into it no matter how hard I tried. I read a ton of historical fiction, and this one shouldn’t have been such a slog, but it was for me. I do suspect some readers will really love the scope of the tale, especially those who savor family sagas with a female lead.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Intriguing!

The struggles of a young woman who must try to forge a new way of life when her wealthy merchant father's ship is lost.
1405 and Anneke Sheldrake finds herself destitute, the house and livelihood she took for granted gone. How to provide for her family and restore their fortunes?
Her mother's people had been Brewers from Flanders. With the help of her recipe book (and the crones who whisper in the brewing commencement) Anneke forges ahead to be come a female brewer. Her successes has her come under siege from rivals, and her father's aristocratic employer, with whom she'd struck a deal in her endeavours to come around. There are deep secrets at play here.
This wonderful medieval story set in the latter days of King Henry IV has everything. Women clawing their way back from tragedy, unlooked for alliances, acceptance and prejudices, and fighting authorities. Compassion and weaknesses are turned into strengths and love.
The Author's Note provides an illuminating explanation of the ale brewing and beer making of the times, and the customs and legalities during Henry Bolingbroke's time.
A fascinating read that incorporates glimpses into medieval life and the struggles of women looking for independence.

A HarperCollins ARC via NetGalley
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

I greatly enjoyed this work of medieval historical fiction. I was completely immersed in this dark and serious world from past centuries, brought to life by Brooks language and details. Anneke Sheldrake is a likeable, strong female character whose story is told in this novel. The main villain is bone-chillingly evil and causes a sense of foreboding and dread through parts of the novel. I don't know much about beer or ale brewing, but found the descriptions of the process fascinating - especially that of her secret songs. At its heart, this book is full of love, unlikely friendships, personal strength and survival. I thoroughly recommend this one!

This book was received as an ARC from HarperCollins Publishers - William Morrow Paperbacks in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

At first I did not know what I was getting myself into when starting this book. I knew it was along the line of historical fiction but the correlation with history really wasn't present for me at first until I kept reading. I was so fascinated at the information Karen Brooks presented and speaking from a person that likes to occasionally visit and drink from a brewery, I appreciated the passion and determination Anneke took to continue her mother's business and learn a lot of her family and her purpose in life. I appreciate books that focus on the importance of finding and continuing your roots because that is the foundation of who you are and everything works out when you keep believing. I know our community will have a deep appreciation for this book and it will circulate very well in our collection.

We will consider adding this title to our Historical Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

Trigger warnings: rape, murder, arson, abuse

Anneke's mother dies before the book begins after giving birth to twins. When her father dies years later, Anneke suddenly finds herself an orphan and has to care for the twins. Her brother Tobias is apprenticed as a squire, so he lives elsewhere and cannot provide help.

Anneke discovers that the house she lives in no longer belongs to her family, and she must quickly decide how to provide a roof and a living for herself, the twins, and their servants. She takes a loan from the dubious Lord Rainford and decides to begin brewing ale in the restored brewhouse on their property.

A merchant's daughter brewing ale for a living is unheard of, and many people in town and her family think it is beneath Anneke. The friary nearby that brews most of the community's ale has the most to lose, and the abbot is not kind to those who oppose him. Anneke does her best to protect herself, including allying with an old friend of her mother's and Lord Rainford's son Leander.

Anneke experiences a lot of misfortune for one character, and she is determined to keep going despite her losses. She leaves her hometown under cover of night for London, where she meets a businesswoman who will be her new ally and friend. She takes up residence in Goodwife Alyson's bathhouse (brothel) and starts brewing again outside of London.

Anneke's life is not what she expected in any way. She finds her girlhood hopes and dreams shattered and not only has to make her own way but also has to find what happiness she can in a world that mistreats her. Some of her dreams come true in unexpected ways, but the tragedies seem to outnumber the triumphs.

While the book only takes place over a few years, they are very eventful months. Anneke faces the disapproval of so many men simply because she is a woman experiencing success in business, and these men think she must be taken down at all costs. Anneke survives through the faith and generosity of her friends and contacts.

The book is written in the first person, which doesn't seem strange because the action is from Anneke's perspective. The prose puts the reader in Anneke's shoes and her hints about the future make the reader want to know more. The story unfolds as if an older Anneke is telling you about her past.

Recommended for those who like historical fiction about women who face adversity because of their gender. The novel will also appeal to fans of the Lancastrian era, medieval times, and historical British fiction.

Brooks weaves an incredible tale. In Anneke, Brooks provides the reader with an intelligent, headstrong, compassionate, determined, responsible, loving young woman. The book is so much more than the story of a woman brewer. It is also a book about overcoming adversity, taking responsibility, trusting in friendships, and love. Oftentimes a book gets to heavily edited and a great book gets slashed into just being an ok book. The Lady Brewer of London is a prime example of how amazing a book can be when it gets left alone. It easily could have been 2 books but luckily the reader can experience all of the story at once. Once you begin, you will immediately become immersed within the pages. The details about brewing serve as an example as to the depth of Brooks' research. A remarkably well written story and worth 5 full stars!

Wow. This is a book written with heart. Enchanting prose couples with breath taking plot for an absolutely magnificent story.

The Lady Brewer of London
A Novel
by Karen Brooks
HarperCollins Publishers
You Like Them You Are Auto-Approved
William Morrow Paperbacks
Historical Fiction | Women's Fiction
Pub Date 10 Nov 2020 | Archive Date 05 Jan 2021

This is a new author for me. For my tastes, there was too much gory detail. This is a sweeping historical fiction so I did learn a lot about this time period and breweries. It wasn't my favorite book. Maybe for others, it will be better.
4 star

TW: rape

Well, with a title like "Lady Brewer of London", it basically asked to be read by me, ha! Anneke Sheldrake lives in 15th century England and has series upon series of misfortune thrust upon her. She pulls herself up by her 15th-century style bootstraps and decides to make the beer her mother used to make, but of course, a lady brewer is akin to being a prostitute in those days, so trailblazing that way is what is called upon. It felt needlessly violent in some areas (seriously, stop with the rape scenes already), possibly more for shock and awe value for such a terrible time to live in. But Anneke's plucky spirit and devotion to her family and her beer-making made for a mostly enjoyable read.

What a sweeping historical fiction novel! I learned so much about the brewing process of ale and beer, as well as life in fifteenth century England. Anneke Sheldrake is forced to find means of support for herself and her siblings when her father dies and they are left with nothing. She makes a deal with a nobleman that allows her to begin brewing ale using the recipes she inherited from her beloved mother.

Anneke is a brave, young woman who is determined to succeed in a man's trade and in a society that does not value independent women. She encounters an amazing number of obstacles throughout the story and there are several clergymen who are determined to break her, but she is fortunate to have supportive friends and family members who believe in her.

There was a lot of drama in this story and sometimes it seemed like too much. Anneke faces so many struggles that it's hard to believe she would have persevered. I did enjoy the variety of characters and for the most part they were well-developed. Allyson was my favorite character by far.

If you like detailed historical fiction novels with strong female protagonists (for example Chanel Cleeton's books), then you'll enjoy this one. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

This story exhausted me! So many ups, but more downs! The history is fascinating and the horrors of living at that time period are palpable. I was very happy that there was a HEA, those two earned it.