I absolutely loved The Butterfly Room by Lucinda Riley! Thank you to Get Red PR and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book! Isn’t the cover absolutely lovely?? If you are looking for a family drama, this book is for you!

I love Lucinda Riley and have read all her books(including the Seven Sisters) this is a feel good story about families and relationships taking place over several decades. I love the settings in Cornwall, makes me want to return! Will recommend.

Absolutely LOVED everything about this book! The setting, the characters, the plot, and I’m a sucker for dual timelines. Beautifully written... a perfect book to curl up in a blanket with a cuppa coffee or tea and read for hours! Five BIG stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book is full of secrets.. The book is told from many points of view, but it is easy to follow. I like being able to see the story from the different perspectives. The characters in this book are very well developed and pull you in from the start. Some will make you smile and laugh and others will want to make you want to scream. The author does a good job of making you feel the emotions that the characters are feeling. I was able to guess most of the secrets, but it didn't take away from the book. It was nice to see how the characters would react when the secrets came out. Posy is the main character. She has had to deal with a lot of loss and disappointment in her life. She has two sons that are completely different from each other and have their own problems and secrets. This book shows how families can overcome problems yet still support each other and that love and honesty can leave to healing.

The Butterfly Room was a very enjoyable read. It was a multi-generational story that was told in 2 different timelines. It centered around the main character of Posy Montague and told of her early days back in the 1940’s and then in her later years when she was about to turn 70 years old. The story had many characters to it, but it was never hard to keep them straight and I never got confused while reading. The location took place mainly in Southwold, Suffolk at her home called Admiral House. This was my first time reading a Lucinda Riley book, and at 640 pages, I believe it’s the longest book I’ve ever read! However, the storyline was so interesting and had so much going for it, that I never once got bored. I think this would be considered women’s fiction and it’s one I recommend. I know I’m anxious to check out some of the other books by this author now that I’ve read this. I’d like to thank NetGalley for the arc that I obtained from the Read Now section. I’m going to give this a 4 star rating.

True to Lucinda Riley's usual style of writing, which I absolutely love, this tale of Posy weaves through the span of many years, documenting the details of her love, loss and the many secrets that have taken over her life. I felt that the ending left more to be desired. Overall, a good book, just not my favorite of Lucinda's.

Posy lives in her crumbling family home, and although she knows it's time to move on, she has sentimental attachments to the home in which she grew up. Her two grown sons both have their own issues and an old love resurfaces with secrets. A beautiful, well-crafted novel about being human, having flaws, love, family and the ups and downs of life.

The Butterfly Room is a wonderful story of loves lost and found intertwined with a multitude of family secrets. Posy Anderson is the mother and grandmother women envy, that is until you find out about her family troubles. This is definitely a "must-read" for anyone wanting a genuine blend of history and romance mixed with a little bit of mystery.

Lucinda Riley's "The Butterfly Room" transforms Posy from a chrysalis to emerging as a confident adult. As a child, Posy was cocooned from the truth but her family's secret left a mark on her relationships. Accepted to Cambridge, she spreads her wings to embark on an uncharted future.

Riley penned a colorful tale filled with surprising encounters and unforeseen developments.Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I loved the story, setting and characters. The multi-faceted protagonists will have readers rooting for them and tearing up during their trials.

"So many people walk around blind to the magic and beauty around them. But not you Posy, you already see things better than most. When we draw nature, we begin to understand it---we can see all the various parts and how they are joined together. By drawing what you see and studying it, you can help other people understand the miracle of nature too." Lucinda Riley "The Butterfly Room"

The Butterfly Room by Lucinda Riley is a full length, stand-alone, second-chances story that I fell in love with after reading chapter one. This new to me author delivered an emotional, heart-wrenchingly, and intense story. A complex read that hade me believe I'm a member of this special family.
It's a four for one book. There are 4 stories told. There are Posy, her sons Sam and Nick, Sebastian, Freddie and Evie all wrapped up in an unputdownable, made me read it in one sitting from cover to cover book.
I loved everything about this outstanding and enthralling book; the excellent writing, the beautifully thought out and beautifully told story, the twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. The Butterfly Room is my favorite read in 20 so far. I recommend the book, 5 stars.

I discovered Lucinda Riley through a friend and discovered an author who writes hauntingly beautiful magical books that draw you in and Nestle's within you until the end. She created amazing characters that linger with you long after you have read the last page. If you haven't read any of her books start with this amazing book and prepare to be dazzled. Then run and pick up everything else by her. You won't be disappointed. A definite must read. Happy reading!

From my blog: Always With a Book:

It's no secret that I am a huge Lucinda Riley fan. I've read almost all her books to date, and those that I haven't I plan to soon. I always find myself completely engaged in her stories, falling in love with her characters and swept up in their lives and this one was no different.

I love multi-generational sagas. They are such a great break from all the thrillers I love reading and this one came at the perfect time. I was able to lose myself in Posy's world and what a story it was. Starting when she was young and then jumping to when she is almost 70, I immediately found myself engrossed in this story. Posy has not had the most happy of childhoods and even later in life, she has encountered a few obstacles. Now she is nearing the end of her life and trying to decide whether she should scale down.

I loved Posy. I found her to be such a charming character who really cared about all those in her life. She felt genuine and honest, and I never felt that I had to wonder about her motivations at any time. Her two sons could not be any more different from each other. I took an immediate dislike to the older one, and it turns out, for good reason. The younger one won my heart over time and again.

This book is filled with secrets and interesting twists that are hinted at and keep you wondering how and when they are going to be revealed. I guessed at a few and did not see some coming. Having the story move back and forth in time allows for information to be given at the right time. Most of the story is in the present, but we do go back to the past and when that happens, it seems that it's to give us more of Posy's backstory so that we are able to fill in missing information. This was such a clever way to structuring the story - it's doesn't feel contrived but rather flows just right.

This book will certainly tug at all your emotions. There were a few scenes that had me tearing up and a few that made me quite angry. Riley certainly knows how to evoke an emotional response out of her readers and her characters all are so richly drawn that you can't help but want the best for them. And the descriptions - whether of Admiral House itself or of the lands and garden - this book is perfectly worded so that you can visualize everything.

I very much enjoyed my time with Posy and her family. This was one of those books where I started reading it and didn't want to put it down until I finished. If you like complex family sagas that are brimming with secrets, I highly recommend picking this one up...you won't be disappointed!

I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review and this book had such wonderful people. Posy was almost 70 years old and we meet her two sons, and they aren't anything alike. The book kept me reading because there was so much happening. There are old loves and new loves, secrets, and life isn't always an easy road. There was so much more to this story than I ever imagined. I couldn't put it down until it ended.
I even found myself fixing a cup of tea and enjoying it with my new friends. I thoroughly enjoyed this book

I Love this book. Posy is a character who will stay with me for a long time, I think. Five shiny stars.

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.

I really like this author and every time I think I have found my favourite book she writes another one that I love. I loved all of the characters and the storyline kept me guessing and reading long into the night. Admiral House was so well described I felt like I could see it in my mind’s eye. There were lots of twists and I couldn’t have been surprised more at the secret in the book, so well written. Posey was such a warm and wonderful main character, her story was so interesting; spanning sixty or so years.

This was such a great read! A great way to spend a day. I definitely recommend it.

Every now and again I reserve some me time,put everything else on hold and enjoy getting lost in a what I hope will be an absorbing family saga. I know I’m EXTREMELY late to the party in terms of discovering a Lucinda Riley novel since she has legions of fans worldwide but better late than never eh?

The Butterfly Room is one of those delicious epic family sagas that had me entranced, so that life outside the pages of this book stood still. Set between the past and present, the timeline begins in 1944 when our woman of the hour Posy Montague is just a small child, living in Admiral House Southwold with her French mother whilst her dearly beloved father is flying spitfires as part of the war effort. The author sets the scene with Posy and her father, home on leave, exploring their shared interest in butterfly species, both completely unaware that life is about to take a dramatic turn for all the Montague’s, something that will haunt their family history forevermore.

In the present day,Posy is now a grandmother, still living in Admiral House where she has brought up her two children Sam and Nick singlehandedly following the early death of husband Johnny. The reader is introduced to a wealth of characters from Sam’s wife Amy to Nick’s old flame Evie and Posy’s long lost love Freddie, and the famed author Sebastian Girault to name but a few. Money is tight and the ever pragmatic Posy is considering selling up the family home, perhaps ready to embark on a new chapter in her life. With Nick returning to England having spent the past ten years in Perth, Posy is delighted to have her favoured son back where he belongs but as ever family life is never quite plain sailing and the current day Montague’s provide plenty of drama to keep the reader entertained.

Although it is written in a simple format, going forwards and backwards through time I cannot say I preferred one timeline over the other. I found it fascinating learning of Posy’s childhood with her grandmother in Cornwall, her university days at Cambridge and her early adulthood spent in London, working at Kew Gardens. The present day held as much interest for me, with all the sibling rivalry, marriage and relationship troubles with Posy still at the helm trying valiantly to keep the Montague family ship afloat. Past tragedies, heartache and hardship, love and forgiveness plus a sprinkling of mystery help to make this a show stopper of a saga. Leaving the reader on tenterhooks for the next instalment of each timeline meant I was kept engaged and it’s the characters that are crucial to driving the narrative forward. I lapped up their individual stories and their relevance to past and present.

What I loved most about Posy is her pragmatic nature that she’s developed from childhood through to the present day when she’s on the cusp of her seventieth birthday. It’s the kind of stiff upper lip attitude that she has learnt from her grandmother and had a lifetime to perfect. It’s this no nonsense approach to life synonymous with the wartime era that makes her character so admirable. From the beginning it is clear she’s very much a daddy’s girl, a curious and intelligent child who will follow in her father’s footsteps in terms of his love of botany and despite her many ups and downs over the course of her life she retains a natural warmth to her character that is infectious.

Could I pick a favourite character from such a worthy collection? Of course it has to be Posy but I did retain a soft spot for Sam’s wife Amy, downtrodden and so deserving of a better life which you will understand if you feel compelled to read this book.

I could imagine the grandeur of Admiral House in the past and it’s fading beauty in the present thanks to the author’s atmospheric style of writing. I could picture the Folly in my minds eye, an out of bounds place for the child Posy and a part of the house that remained shrouded in secrecy. Her well tended manicured gardens sounded an idyllic place to restore a person’s equilibrium so I fully understood the wrench it would be to leave such a beloved home that had been part of the family for decades.

With characters that are so richly drawn, I found it impossible to tear myself away from the lives past and present of the Montague family. This is no quick read given that it is over 600 pages in length but I was so immersed in the storyline that I lost track of time. In hindsight I wish I’d rationed myself to a few chapters a day rather than gobbling it all up within 11 hours!! The Butterfly Room is one of those novels that suffused me with a rosy glow, despite the average summer temperature outside. My only criticism is that towards the end events became a little too neatly wrapped up which normally would irritate me but because I’d so thoroughly enjoyed what had come before I was willing to overlook this. As a jokey aside I would say all these characters quaff an awful lot of champagne and wine it’s a miracle they weren’t all raging alcoholics!!
I’m overjoyed to have discovered Lucinda Riley’s writing and look forward to embarking on her Seven Sisters series. This novel definitely suited my mood at the time of reading as it indulged my need for comfort and companionship and I cannot recommend highly enough. In my opinion it is a perfect read for fans of Penny Vincenzi and Fern Britton alike, not forgetting those who already love this author’s writing.
My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read.

Another lovely, engrossing book from my favourite author. I have read almost all of this author’s books and this stands with the best for me. I am unusual in that I am not particularly enjoying the Seven Sisters series and prefer her stand alone books. The Midnight Rose being my favourite. As always the descriptive passages are excellent helping me to picture Admiral House clearly in my mind. The story is gripping enough to make you not want to put the book down whilst also being relaxing enough to help you escape from current global tensions. Posy was an excellent matriarchal character and I loved her story with its twists and turns. I understand some people may find some of the dialogue a tad annoying, and a bit old fashioned but I found it charming and just thoroughly enjoyed the whole book. The story was nicely tidied up at the end so a very satisfying read . Personally I would love more books like this from this author.

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

A new Lucinda Riley release is always exciting for me, and while The Butterfly Room seemed a little different from the other books I’ve read from her, I was still intrigued.

And while I’m used to the slow-burn nature of Riley’s books, I feel like this one in particular was a bit too slow and all over the place, with multiple plot threads and many characters who I struggled to sort out, and the result being I was only invested in what I assumed was the main plot, based on the blurb.

The main plot with Posy and Freddie, and the secret that tore them apart is compelling. I was invested in their relationship, as well as Posy’s look back at her life growing up, and felt for her as her initially idyllic life was turned upside down, and later when Freddie’s revelation as to why he left the first time also impacted her perception of her life back then.

And I did enjoy one of the subplots, with Sam and Amy and the way his poor decisions have impacted their marriage, even though it was rather toxic. However, the other subplot between Nick and Tammy, and aside from being marred by pointless secrets as well, I can’t think of much about it that’s particularly remarkable.

Unfortunately, this book was just ok. However, I already was fairly sure it wouldn’t be as epic or engrossing as, say, Riley’s Seven Sisters books. I do think the central plotline makes it worth giving it a try, as it is the most reminiscent of Riley’s style.

Lucinda Riley is a go-to author for me, who I always enjoy reading. This book is no exception. A family drama, spanning several generations, with great characters, a complicated plot, many secrets and an old crumbling home in England.

The Butterfly Room is a family drama set in Suffolk England that occasionally delves into two timelines (the 1940’s and 2006).

Posey, a widow, is the matriarch of the family at 70 years old and dotes on her two sons, a daughter-in-law and two grandchildren. The story is fairly evenly balanced between being character driven at times and plot driven at others.

While negotiating life’s twists and turns, Posey resides in a 300-year-old grand, although crumbling, country estate called Admiral House. The many descriptions of the house and grounds made it a character of the book itself and I would be interested in reading a follow up were it to concentrate on the completed renovations of this manor house.

While the author raised some serious storylines (alcoholism, physical abuse), they were dealt with in a more light or superficial way in which everything resolved itself quickly and easily; in other words, not very realistically.

I found the writing to be reminiscent of Rosamunde Pilcher and Maeve Binchy – easy and enjoyable to read, entertaining but a bit “old fashioned” and where everything at the end is wrapped up in a nice, neat bow.

The publication date for this book is July 21, 2020. Thank you to Netgalley for providing a copy to me for review. A copy of this review has been posted on Goodreads and will be posted on social media sites, Indigo, Kobo and Amazon on the date of publication.

3 stars out of 5