There was so much more to this story than a secretive circus. I went into this book expecting a story of simple family magic with a little bit of sacrifice to keep a circus running. I knew it would be a responsibility of the women in a strong family. I was not ready for how deep their secrets would run. So deep, much of their history was kept secret even from each other.

In a small town with zero crime, a man’s disappearance is definitely suspicious.
Lara Barnes is in love and ready to be married to a man that her mom doesn’t like very much. Despite her mother’s doubts about Todd, Lara’s ready to take that leap, despite having to keep her magical abilities secret from him. When he disappears on their wedding day, Lara is of course devastated. Did he leave town? Why is her mom acting so strange? What does she know that she’s not revealing to Lara?

The women of the Barnes family hold dark secrets…
While following Lara’s story, we learn of her family’s circus through the lens of a performer’s journal. The circus was shrouded in so much mystery that patrons couldn’t buy a ticket. If you want it badly enough, it would arrive. If you weren’t holding a ticket, you couldn’t even see the circus tent. Through the journal, Lara will learn the root of her magic, its purpose, and how the circus could be responsible for the fate of her lost fiancé.

Constance Sayers painted a vivid picture of the circus in Paris. She alludes to the fact that there’s more to the circus than meets the eye, and yet even a seasoned reader doesn’t pick up on the secret of its magic. I’m impressed with Sayers’ ability to keep readers guessing at each clue throughout the story. The Ladies of the Circus is one of those books that you’ll want to finish in one sitting!

I had the opportunity to read Sayers's A Witch in Time arc in Jan 2020, and it continued to be a favorite read for the whole year. I was so stoked to see she was already working on another book, and I was even more excited to be approved to read an arc through NetGalley, from Redhook Books, thank you!

Where A Witch in Time was more of a deep, dark, time-traveling fantasy more than a paranormal novel like the title suggests, Ladies of the Secret Circus is totally, completely witch-y. Sayers has written a fascinating Underworldly tale set in a quiet Virginia town and historical Paris. Just like Witch in Time, it's rich with descriptions of wine, food, and settings. Her descriptions are so vibrant, well paced, and intuitive that it's easy to sink fully into her world.

The Secret Circus is a wonderful novel! It's a warm, dark night sitting under cafe lights with a cozy red wine buzz. It's sinking into the wall to people watch in a crowded cafe with a live band playing nearby. It's finding pictures in the clouds passing overhead. It's connecting to a painting you spot while strolling through a museum you've visited before without noticing it. I love Constance Sayers's stories. I loved this one just a bit less than Witch in Time, but I'm so anxious for my hardcover to arrive when this publishes. The past matters, consequences trickle down generation after generation, magic comes at a cost. Both have realistic, complicated romances that took a backseat to the main character's personal development (in a good way). And I'm actually quite familiar with the general area of Virginia where this is partially set, which was really neat!

To those who like lush descriptions, historical fiction, paintings and artists, complex and intelligent female protagonists, villains you kind of like but shouldn't...I definitely recommend both of Sayers's books!!!!! With no hesitation, she's a new favorite author of mine.

Beautifully written story! I love the uniqueness of how the circus ties into different times and places. As well, the emotional variability was spot on!

Oh how I loved this book!!! Magic, Paris (both current day and the 20's), a secret circus, romance - it literally contained so many of my favorite things! This was so beautifully written and scenic. I was so immersed in every scene and could just picture myself everywhere. I really loved Lara's character and how she came into herself by the end of the story. This book was truly a gem. Thank you to Netgalley and Redhook Books for the ARC.

This book started off in a totally different direction than what I expected and that worried me. It turns out that I worried for no reason because once I settled into the story, I was hooked.

I am a huge fan of Circus novels... doubly so when they are paranormal or occult in nature. This book was both and more. Not only did it have a magical, demonic circus from Hell... it also had anxiety inducing life or death events, a perilous romp through the streets (and ages) of Paris, familial drama and maybe the most imaginative and tempting depiction of Hell (as seen through the windows of the circus and by the Ferris Wheel trip slowly descending down... down... down). We get all of this plus fierce, bad ass female characters and the men who love them.

Then there were disappearances, intrigue, a treasure hunt (of sorts), personal quests, devious machinations and MUUUUURDER... dum dum dum... Watching it all unfurl and then coalesce was both gratifying and exciting. How each factor (and tidbit) was teasingly doled out led to an addictive need to know more as well as setting a well honed pace.

Sounds awesome right?? There's more...

There's MAGIC. The Magic System was not (and need not be) explained to us in detail... it was pretty straightforward, standard fare. High ranking demon passes on special powers to his daughters... his magically mischievous progeny perform in & are irrevocably linked to this scintillating circus for time immemorial. There was a (super) tame love making scene as well as (numerous) intimated
risqué trysts. There was betrayal, a slight love triangle (if pining over a missing or possibly dead fiancé could be considered one leg of a triangle) and then a cool magical showdown at the end.


The premise sounds both unique and intriguing right?? Yes and Yes!! It was also raw, tangible, rife with possibility... oddities... and filled with varying types of Love. There was the love between Parent & Child, sibling love, love of the Arts, carnal love and (of course) the most important kind of love... love for oneself.

Onto the Trifecta of Awesomeness:

Writing + Character Development + World Building:


The Writing was not too flowery nor bland or curt... it was in that ever elusive Goldilocks zone. It was just right.

There were a few interesting M.Knight Shyamalan bits that blindsided me. Better sleuths than I will most likely be able to suss out some of the twisty turns early on but I think there might be at least one in there that will have them caught off guard and reeling.


The characters: primary, secondary and even tertiary, were compelling and expressive.

The entire magical lineage was a conga line of gifted, kick ass females starting with twins Cecile (the favorite, sweet and slightly naive) and Esme (super strong and a tad touched in the head). They were never supposed to have survived their birth but SURPRISE... out popped the super close, twin female Hellians. Every woman, through the generations, found that their destiny/Fates were entwined with tangled roots, securely fastening their futures to their demonic progenitor and his super mysterious and exclusive playground of misfits. The imprisioned and tormented souls that performed were just trying to serve out their macabre scentences and then BAM!! They became babysitters for their boss's audaciously unrepentant offspring.


The World Building's grunt work was seemingly precise and exhaustively researched. The depiction of Paris's two very different eras was both rich and lush. I swore I could see it all play out, in glorious 4K High Definition, in my mind. Since I have never had the pleasure of seeing Paris firsthand, I was incredibly impressed by Mrs. Sayer's ability to paint an eloquent and vivid mental image.

It was grand yet subtle as to avoid clubbing you over the head and force feeding you info dumppy fodder. WHICH is never fun to swallow nor appreciated (yet is usually tolerated) by this ever evolving bibliophile's taste buds.


Overall:

I was wholeheartedly addicted to this story... it was unputdownable. I just needed to know more and more and more and... oops, it's dawn and I'm only 80 pages from the end... might as well stay up and finish the rest. As a result I ended up being bleary-eyed, hangry and (until the coffee kicked in) a bit of a snippy Grump BUT it was worth it because things felt complete... all was right in the world (sans pandemic) knowing where everyone ended up.

I could easily picture myself giving up (almost) anything just to be allowed to visit, play and/or perform within its wickedly delicious, seductive sanctum. It was so attractive a read that I am admittedly looking forward to reading book #2.

~ Enjoy

*** I was given a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ***

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book. I'll be posting my review on Goodreads and Amazon

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This will be available on March twenty third.

The Ladies of the Secret Circus is told from a few points of view: there’s Lara, a woman whose fiancé has gone missing; and Ben, the officer who is leading the search for him. There is another character whose story is told through journal entries, but I’m not going to say much about that for fear of spoiling things. The book starts with a simple premise and the beginning of many a mystery novel- until you realize that Lara and her family have magical abilities, and that there may or may not be a curse involved. Thus begins a story that is both delightful and a wee bit creepy. The Ladies of the Secret Circus is part mystery, part supernatural showdown, and wholly entertaining.

Author Constance Sayers did some things very, very well. Both Lara and Ben are likeable characters, who are easy to root for. I didn’t give a lick about Lara’s fiancé since he goes missing before being developed at all, but she was such a nice person that I was truly hoping for a happy ending. Ben is a no-nonsense detective who is in way over his head, but keeps plugging along anyway. I liked that stick-to-itness. I did find some of their reactions a little odd: for example, they accepted some revelations a lot more easily than I would have expected. Ben accepted the supernatural aspect relatively quickly and Lara seemed a lot more chill about having a killer after her than most people would be (I’m assuming; I’m happy to say that I have no experience in that situation).

The switch-off from mystery to a more supernatural book was a teensy bit abrupt, but the sheer creativity of the supernatural aspect was gripping. The Secret Circus turned out to be rather macabre, with an eerie bent to it that I loved. The history of the circus was enthralling and unlike anything I’ve read before. As much as I enjoyed Lara and Ben, the story of the circus itself was by far my favorite part of the entire book.

I did have a minor gripe: the order of the story seemed a little off from time to time, and some things were sort of left dangling. For example, Lara found out that someone was after her, but not much attention was paid to that until much later in the book, with her being more interested in the provenance of a family painting. There were other occurrences that were a big deal for about half a chapter, but then were left largely alone. It could be a little confusing at times. That’s a small complaint, though, and it’s really the only one I have.

The Ladies of the Secret Circus is fast-paced and a ton of fun. I recommend it to anyone who likes a little bit of a mysterious flair to their urban fantasy.

Lara Barnes knows her missing fiancé, Todd, is never coming back, but she won’t rest until she finds out why. When Lara is given her great grandmother’s journal, she discovers her family was part of the highly sought out Secret Circus. While left with more questions than answers, Lara knows the circus is somehow connected to Todd’s disappearance, and it just may have to do with the curse that she learned has a hold on her family. Will she be strong enough to break it?

“To enter The Secret Circus is to enter a world of wonder- a world where women tame magnificent beasts, carousel’s take you back in time, and trapeze artists fly across the sky. But each daring feat has a coat.”

The circus and magic...these things should always go together!!

This books starts out like a thriller, with the disappearance of Lara’s fiancé. I’ll admit I was skeptical on how the circus was going to come into play. Until Lara finds the journals. I thought this was a great way to take the reader back in time and learn about The Secret Circus. To me, this was the strongest aspect of the book. Rich with the feel of Paris in the 1920’s, the story turns dark and macabre. This was no ordinary circus!

The author’s eloquent writing and strong world building paints a vivid picture of the story for the reader. I felt like I was right there experiencing everything the characters were going through. The reading journey had a number of twists and turns, with one final one I never saw coming.

The story did drag a bit at times, with a little too much detail about inconsequential things. Instead of taking the time to discuss guitars and musicians, I would have loved more information on other characters important to the plot line like Althacazur, his human wife Juno, and even Lara! She felt like she was just the vessel through which to tell the story (since she was reading the journals).

Dark, atmospheric and captivating, this is a fascinating and unique story that I would recommend to anyone that likes magical realism, the unusual, and of course, the circus!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

Lara's always known that the women in her family were a little different. The last in a matriarchal line of circus owner started by her great grandmother Cecile Cabot, Lara is brought up to hide the magic that courses through her veins. All of that changes, however, when her fiance goes missing on their wedding day. The mystery behind his disappearance harkens back to another disappearance 30 years before. Are they connected? Where is Todd? And who is the mysterious man that keeps showing up to see Lara?

The descriptions in this book were great. There was also a good build in the story to reveal all the twists and turns. While some I saw immediately, some were a little slower to unfurl, and I liked that. I like how focused the story was, and the different perspectives shown. All in all, a very engaging read!

summary from goodreads;

Paris, 1925: To enter the Secret Circus is to enter a world of wonder-a world where women tame magnificent beasts, carousels take you back in time, and trapeze artists float across the sky. But each daring feat has a cost. Bound to her family's strange and magical circus, it's the only world Cecile Cabot knows-until she meets a charismatic young painter and embarks on a passionate love affair that could cost her everything.

Virginia, 2005: Lara Barnes is on top of the world-until her fiancé disappears on their wedding day. Desperate, her search for answers unexpectedly leads to her great-grandmother's journals and sweeps her into the story of a dark circus and a generational curse that has been claiming payment from the women in her family for generations.

This was a magical and thrilling novel. In a lot of ways, it reminded me of “The Night Circus” by Erin Morgenstern, which is one of my ALL TIME favorite books! The fantasy aspects of this book were spectacular. The circus was described in beautifully vivid detail, but I would’ve liked to read more about it and all of its interesting acts. The author’s use of the diary to describe the Cabot family history and the history of the secret circus and how they are both intertwined was extremely interesting and compelling. You can really feel the characters' emotions and the surroundings were described in such detail that you are drawn into the novel as if you’re a character. This is an enthralling story of love both romantic and familial, and lengths that someone will go to save those who are important to them. I didn’t realize that this was the author’s 2nd book and I’m excited to go and read her first novel. I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to others.

This was a wonderful book that reminded me of “The Night Circus”. It was magical and thrilling with a lot of twists and turns and great writing by the author. Highly recommend!

I really enjoyed reading A Witch In Time so I was very excited to get a ARC of this novel.

I loved this unique dark storyline and I have not read anything like this before. Interesting plot that grabs your attention from the very beginning.

Very fascinating read! Loved the concept around this story!!

This story follows the Cabot family, from Cecile Cabot, down to her Great Granddaughter Lara. After Lara's fiance dissapears on their wedding day, she throws herself into staying busy, including purchasing a fixer upper house and a radio station. One day her mom brings over their family heirloom portrait of her Great Grandmother Cecile Cabot on a Silver steed in the circus. She loves the painting, but the frame is too ridiculous for her taste and she is going to reframe it before hanging it in her house.

The most interesting thing about the Cabot family is not the deep circus history, but the women in the family all seem to posess magic abilities. Lara's mother Audrey always called it 'corrections', the ability to alter things. While Lara loves her magic and practices things when she can, her mother has a different view altogether.

When Lara gets the painting reframed, they find out that this family painting, that has been in their home for generations, might be a secret lost painting, part of a collection called 'The Ladies of the Secret Circus'. Lara wants to know more and is encouraged to go to Paris, however she knows the painting is not the only answer she will get, after being visited by a mysterious man on more than one occasion.

My only complaint is that I wish we had more time to read about the circus! The story was pretty well balanced that we got a nice understand of how it worked and everything, but I enjoyed reading those alot and would have liked more!

The Ladies of the Secret Circus by Constance Sayers was a beautiful, atmospheric, enrapturing novel that was one of my favorite reads of the year. I loved the story of Lara and her journey to understanding her family, their secrets, and the bewitching secrets of the secret circus. While the story revolves around Lara following the disappearance of her fiancé on their wedding day, it is the inclusion of the other characters that truly makes this book stand out. The secondary characters are extremely well developed and as a reader I could tell that the author had taken extra care in fully realizing each character. I loved the story of the family's history and the secret circus being told through the diary of Lara's great grandmother, the imagery was amazing and enthralling. This was such a fantastic read that I am going to look into the authors other works immediately in hopes of getting lost in another world of her making.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy!

I actually had already preordered a copy of this and was very excited when the publisher allowed me an early copy!
I read the author’s other novel, “A Witch in Time” a few weeks ago and loved it!
Like her other novel, it contains magic, curses, and time hops.
I love fantasies that are rooted in the “real” world, so this was right up my alley.
This is another beautifully and whimsical written book.
I love how it was such a layered mystery. It went back for generations.
I do wish we got to see more of Cecile and the secret circus. When we do get to see it, it was described so beautifully. I almost want a book just about the circus in the 1920’s.
It was a dark tale, but I throughly enjoyed it. I was also unable to guess the ending, which was fun!

I really loved the dark whimsy of this book. The historical elements of the book were fascinating and kept me wanting to read more. I found myself wanting to piece together the threads of mystery that the author wove into the narrative. The use of magic was perfectly blended into the world and the circus was vivid and really came to life on the page. I LOVED this one!

I’m a big fan of the author’s first novel, A Witch in Time, so I was excited to read an arc of this.

Once again, Sayers’s prose is beautiful, clear, and easy to digest. I read the novel in two days. I’m a fan of witches and multiple lives/generations/time periods, so the storyline appealed to me. In addition to the prose and plot structure, I think the novel’s biggest strength was its characters. Cecile, Audrey, Lara, and Esme were well rounded and great. Audrey especially had compelling depth by the novel’s end, and Sayers did a great job of making Esme sympathetic despite what she had done. The book shined when it focused on these women’s dynamics with one another and their emotions as individuals.

The weak spots:

Whereas Helen’s (and her prior incarnations) relationships were central to o A Witch in Time (there would’ve been no story without either), Ben and Lara’s relationship seemed pointless and didn’t really add to The Ladies of the Secret Circus. Cecile and Giroux’s relationship was a little more developed and mattered to the main plot, but it felt rushed. Maybe it’s because neither relationship had enough page time, but I didn’t care about either couple.

There were too many old pop culture and celebrity name drops. Gilligan’s Island, Jim Morrison, Zelda Fitzgerald, Doris Day, Nancy Drew…and tons of musicians from the 1960s/1970s. I get Lara’s father is a musician so she would have some knowledge of them, but it felt like the author listed and listed names throughout the novel for no reason, or to perhaps make Lara seem “cool” when it really made her and the novel feel dated. This brings me to my other issue.

The circa 2004-2005 era for the modern part of the novel felt off. The 2000s feel too soon to be a historical setting like a novel in the 1980s or 1990s is, but it’s too far away to feel recent. It was already odd that A Witch in Time was 2012, but I figured that’s when the book might have initially been written? The Ladies of the Secret Circle could have been set in 2015 if Sayers wanted to stick with a 2—5 date. It was also weird that no one brought up 9/11 in the novel when that was still fresh in people’s minds.

I thought it odd that Lara didn’t seem concerned about Ben and Gaston’s reactions to the supernatural content in Cecile’s journals. The two men expressed skepticism at first about the occult, but then they suddenly believed it all? It felt like the reader never saw their transition into full believers. Ben had a little more skepticism shown on the page, but even his beliefs were all over the place.

Personal pet peeve: I dislike women who keep paternity secrets.

Overall, I debated between 4 and 5 stars, but since I felt A Witch in Time (which was a five-star read for me) was a stronger novel than this, it didn’t seem right to give The Ladies of the Secret Circus the same score. However, I would still really recommend this book and give it a 4.5. The descriptions of the circus are gorgeous, and any book I read this quickly is worthwhile.

Thank you to NetGalley and Red Hook books for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. I have had an affinity for circus books (go figure.) This one though had a dark twist, magical touches and intrigue. It's not a typical book, and that's a good thing. Highly recommend.

Gorgeous, dark, and atmospheric, this is a magical book to fall into. I was hooked from the prologue and the story just kept getting better and stranger (in the best way possible) the further I read. Reading this book is like falling into a dark fairy tale, complete with trapped princesses, doomed loved, heroes, magic, monsters, and a horrifying villain. The characters were so wonderfully complex and flawed, trapped in the ringmaster's web. Excellent read!

Thank you NetGalley and Redhook Books for access to this arc!

This is a book to sink into, like curling up on a cozy couch. It is a tale both modern and very old with rich and interesting characters and with such vivid imagery that the world portrayed comes alive around the reader. It kept me up late on a Friday night and kept me lying in bed on Saturday morning, devouring the story when I should have been doing other things. Esme, Cecile and Sylvie are fascinating and the secret circus is magical, frightening and beguiling. And you will cheer for Lara, even as you mourn with her. Just lovely!