Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The synopsis of this book sounded intriguing to me so I requested a copy to read.
Unfortunately, I have tried reading this book on 2 separate occasions and during that 2nd attempt, I have only managed to make it halfway through so I'd rather stop here and state that this book just wasn't for me.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

The Ladies of the Secret Circus by Constance Sayers

The Ladies of the Secret Circus was an engaging and fun read. I have always loved the circus and am a fan of the magic circus theme in books. This one did not disappoint! I rushed through the book, wanting to know what happened and find out the answers to the mysterious things that were happening.
The story was my favorite part of this book. I found the writing to be somewhat abrupt at times, and it took me a few chapters to get accustomed to it. The language also felt very modern. With the story taking place in multiple periods, I found myself wanting writing that felt as timeless as the circus.
Overall, I found this to be a quick and enjoyable read! I would recommend it to anyone who loves circuses, occult, magic, and a family story.

The Ladies of the Secret Circus by Constance Sayers will be published on March 23, 2021.

Thank you to NetGalley and RedHook Books for this eARC.

The Ladies of the Secret Circus was another wonderful Constance Sayers book. She has a way of dragging you into her stories only to find there are stories within the story and I absolutely LOVE that. This book follows Lara as she uncovers the truth about her families past at The Secret Circus. It's a love story, a hell story, a revenge story, a tragic story, a magical story and an empowering story. I honestly was not a huge fan of Lara but I did really like Cecile. This story jumps from the 1920's in Paris at the Circus from Cecil's POV to Lara's story in the present. Lara uncovers a lot of family secrets and goes through some trying events. I really enjoyed this book. There were just a lot of different things going on which could be a bit much at times. It certainly kept me on my toes and it had a dark atmosphere to it I really enjoyed. Overall this was a fantastic read that I highly recommend!

This is a book about hell, about lost loves, about family, about honoring a deal, about sacrifice, about revenge, about magic, about hope. It's about a small town outside of Washington D.C. and about Paris in the 1920's. It's about magic and art and the occult and about deals with the devil.

It's fantastic.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

What a ride! The cover and title of this novel drew me in immediately. The story took off right away, and it kept me interested the whole way through. Unfortunately, the overall narrative felt disjointed. I don't believe that books need to fit neatly into a specific genre, but this story was pulled into so many different directions. Domestic drama, magical realism, historical fiction, dark fantasy, mystery...it was all over the place. I would still recommend it to readers who are looking for a unique, magical story.

Great story that had more fantasy elements that I expected. The story is about Lara, a women who has always had special powers, whose fiancé goes missing on the day they were to marry. In time Lara begins to get visited by a mysterious man and women which leads her into a world of the secret circus. I loved the authors way of building both the characters and the world of the circus. Had just the right amount of fantasy mixed with mystery that kept me guessing into the end.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this advanced copy.

A unique, magical, fantastical journey. I simply did not want it to end.

Note" The one thing that bothered me and was not necessary to the story were the few instances of the f*ck word. Why?!

The nitty-gritty: Filled with mysteries, magic and mayhem, The Ladies of the Secret Circus is a dark and layered tale of a family curse and the mysterious circus they can't escape.

I knew that Constance Sayers was going to deliver something unique with her latest release, but I was not expecting such an unusual, magical and complex story. The Ladies of the Secret Circus is many things: a mystery, a coming-of-age story, a love story, a generational family saga and of course, a magical tale of a mysterious circus. Add in a trip to 1920s Paris and you have a mesmerizing, time-hopping story chock full of magic, demons, music, lost paintings and much much more.

The story opens on Lara Barnes’s wedding day. Set in the quaint town of Kerrigan Falls, Virginia, Lara is about to marry the love of her life, Todd Sutton. But when Todd never shows up for the wedding, Lara is thrust into a diabolical mystery involving a circus called Le Cirque Secret. Lara thinks Todd ran out on their wedding day, but when his abandoned car is discovered near the forest, she knows the truth is much more grim. With the help of local police detective Ben Archer, Lara follows a series of clues that lead her from the present to the past and back again, as she discovers her place in her family’s twisted history and a magical circus that might just be her birthright.

That is a very truncated recap of this lush and complex story, but honestly I’d rather spend time talking about all the elements I loved in this book. Sayers does a great job of combining the mundane and magical, a combo I’ve always loved. The story begins with a whiff of magic, as we see Lara standing before a mirror in her wedding gown. But she’s not quite happy with the way the skirt falls, so she magically alters it to be more to her liking. This sets the tone for the rest of the book, as we’re introduced to Lara’s mother Audrey, who has raised Lara to be wary of how she uses this magic. It must never be done in public and must be kept secret. Lara has been able to do simple magic like this since she was a young child, and through flashbacks we learn that she discovered this ability when a man named Althacazur approached her in a field one day and told her that magic was her destiny. From this ominous scene, we encounter Althacazur over and over in the story and gradually piece together who he is and why he’s so dangerous—as well as why the Barnes women can do magic in the first place.

The story is divided into three distinct parts, and I loved this structure. In the first part, we’re confronted with the disappearance of Todd Sutton and how the characters are coping. It is during this section that Audrey gives Lara a small painting that’s been hanging in her house for years, and we find out that it’s one of three “lost” circus paintings that artist Émile Giroux painted back in the 1920s. This begins yet another mystery as Lara shows the painting to a local artist named Gaston Bucher who insists it’s a genuine Giroux. By the end of this section, Lara and Gaston are headed to Paris to consult with a Giroux expert, although Lara has an ulterior motive as well.

The second section takes place in Paris, and this is where many of the mysteries are revealed. Lara has found an old journal belonging to her great-grandmother Cecile Cabot, and the reader gets a glimpse into the past as Cecile describes a fantastical yet heartbreaking tale of a circus called Le Cirque Secret. This was one of my favorite parts of the book, since I absolutely loved Le Cirque Secret and the marvels that are revealed through Cecile’s journal. The descriptions are rich in detail, and many of the circus scenes border on the weird and terrifying. Sayers is so good at immersing the reader in her magical world, I honestly felt like I was right there with the characters. We also learn more about the lost paintings and how they are tied to not only the circus, but to Lara’s family tree.

Finally in the last section, Lara and Gaston have returned from Paris, and Sayers gives her readers a thrilling climax that does a great job of wrapping up all the mysteries, although I did love that the ending is a bit open-ended!

There is quite a bit going on in this story, and I can see that some readers might be overwhelmed by all of it. Not only do we have a fairly large cast of characters, but there are so many elements to keep track of. Sayers gives her characters unique professions as well, which adds another layer to an already interesting story. For example, Lara owns a radio station, and her father James used to be a successful punk rock musician (and he now works at the station with her), so there is also a thread of music running through the story. Lara’s doomed fiance Todd restores vintage cars. Audrey’s boyfriend Gaston is a photographer and an artist and is the one who sets the whole “lost painting” storyline in motion. I found all of the characters to be simply fascinating! And that’s before we even get to Le Cirque Secret. I personally loved every bit of it and can’t imagine this story without all of these elements.

As you can tell, I was completely swept up in this story. If you haven’t read Constance Sayers yet, I urge you to check out her books, and The Ladies of the Secret Circus is the perfect place to start.

Big thanks to the publisher and Sparkpoint Studio for providing a review copy.

Well, this book ended up being a disappointment. The Night Circus is my all-time favorite book, and I'm always looking for more circus reads, especially when those circuses are dark and dramatic and hiding big, magical secrets. The Ladies of the Secret Circus seemed like it would be right up my alley, and for the most part it was--right until it all slipped hastily downhill.

This book is an interesting blend of genres, combining magical realism, an unsolved mystery (in fact, several unsolved mysteries), historical fiction, and romance. Sayers does a nice job of juggling these genres and keeping the plot interesting, but I think that the story may have been a bit better if she had chosen fewer genres on which to focus. In particular, I love the mystery of Todd's disappearance and how that eventually leads Lara to dig into her family's past, but I didn't necessarily care for the secondary romance. Since the story is so focused on Lara's family history and its connection to the Secret Circus, I think Sayers could've chosen to put more emphasis on the relationship between Lara and her mother, Audrey. It's clear the two have a close bond despite the secrets both women are keeping, but the depth feels a bit artificial, which detracts from one of the finale's twists and adds to the rushed feeling of the story's ending.

As far as the Secret Circus itself, I loved seeing all the acts and the behind-the-scenes aspects as well as Cecile's story, despite only getting limited glimpses of this world through Cecile's journals. I think a dual POV between Lara and Cecile would've been a better narration style, especially since it would've provided a more detailed image of the Circus. There are a lot of unanswered questions surrounding the Circus, which isn't necessarily a deal-breaker seeing as how it's meant to be a secret, but I would've enjoyed getting to know the various players better rather than spending so much time having Lara talk about what songs she's playing on her radio station that night. Sayers seems to overly focus on random details instead of providing detail for the more important aspects, and I think I would've rather had a shorter, tighter book without details either way rather than the occasional ramblings about largely irrelevant musical points.

I also would've preferred more villainous villains. For a story with so many devilish elements, the big, bad demon responsible for the Secret Circus and for plotting Lara's fate ends up being over-the-top ridiculous. One minute he's dark and threatening, and the next he's flippant and casual. And not in a psychopathic, scary way, but more of a "I'm trying to be cool and use slang and show I'm a fun guy" casualness that seems entirely out of place. If the version of the demon in Lara's time was as twisted and abusive as he was in Cecile's time, the stakes would've felt much higher. Add to that the fairly quick and easy defeat of the mysterious woman trying to kill Lara, and I just felt like this story built up a lot of suspense but failed to deliver.

The Ladies of the Secret Circus starts off strong but then descends into a overdramatic ending with unexpected twists that don't ring true. Sayers creates a mysterious, magical, and macabre circus and an intriguing cast of characters only to rush and oversimplify the final showdown and have the story fall apart. I'd give the first part of the book 4 stars and the last bit a 2 for an overall average of 3.

All is not what it seems in this magical mystery. This was a great blend of literature and fantasy. If you liked Practical Magic or the Night Circus this is for you!

When I first started to read this story I could not get into it at all. I put it down after the first few chapters, but I didn't want to give up on it so I just set it aside and read a few others.
When I came back to it, it took off! I don't know what bothered me the first time except without giving spoilers some aspects were a bit too "out there ", for me. But upon resuming the story I no longer felt that way, everything began to fit together and it made sense!
Lara is left at the alter when her groom Todd, mysteriously disappears without a trace, his prized Mustang found abandoned along a deserted stretch of road. A road where 30 years to the exact day another man disappeared leaving only his car in the same spot as Todd's.
Naturally Lara is devastated and after almost a year goes by her mother gives her a painting of her grandmother, opening up new questions for Lara when she takes the painting to be reframed and finds out it may be very valuable, it may be one of three missing paintings of a famous Paris artist form the 1920s.
The painting along with a journal written in French, that Lara reads, discovering that it might be her grandmother's and that it tells of a "Secret Circus" in Paris. This, along with mysterious visits from a strange man, lead Lara to fly to Paris with the painting to seek answers not only to Todd's disappearance, but to unanswered questions about her family.
I won't write more because I don't want to spoil it, but Lara embarks on a journey to Paris in search of proof that a Secret Circus did exist back then, and that her grandmother was a part of it.
I bbecame interested then I couldn't put this book down. The story goes from Lara's story in the present day, to back to Paris in the 20s, through the writings in the journal. And what a story it tells! Once you are hooked you will want to read straight on through to the end! I did and it is worth the time.
I give 4 stars only because the start was a bit slow for me. The characters are well developed and fit their roles perfectly. The plot twists and holds you, only revealing bits at a time, keeping you on the edge wanting more! This book publishes March 23, 2021, be sure to get your copy, you won't regret it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook Books for the free advanced reader copy of the e-book version of this novel, I am giving my honest review in return.
#TheLadiesoftheSecretCircus
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This book took the mysterious circus of The Night Circus, the devilish foe of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue & the small-town charm of Practical Magic and combined them into one enjoyable narrative. I also loved the rich cast of supporting characters that were all fleshed out & distinct. My only gripe is that it got bogged down in exposition around the 3/4 mark.

What a story! Magic, suspense, thrills, family, romance... this had everything! I might have been confused through a lot of the book, to be honest, but it was worth sticking it out....and I would never have guessed the ending!
This book follows Lara as she learns about her family’s past, her present, and her future and it all ties together with a circus theme.
Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book inspired complicated feelings for me. I loved Constance Sayers' previous novel, A Witch in Time, and I'm a sucker for circus themed books. The drama! The animals! The tricks! The magic! The clowns!......wait, no. No one likes clowns. Anyway, expectations were high here; the whole premise had me basically slavering for a taste of that black magic trickery! The Ladies of the Secret Circus makes you work for it, though. We first meet Lara Barnes, a sheltered young girl with a touch of magical talent, who lives in the quiet, bucolic town of Kerrigan Falls, Virginia. Lara's family has deep roots there. Her great-grandmother's circus, Le Cirque Margot, practically put the place on the map. When we are introduced to Lara, she is enchanting her dress the night before her wedding. Unfortunately, her groom goes missing before the ceremony, vanishing without a trace. She tries to move on with her life, but without closure on her missing fiancee's whereabouts, Lara stagnates in her placid little town. Then, a chance encounter brings her a lost journal, a diary that belonged to Lara's great-grandmother, Cecile. The pages are full of glitter and glamour, and the tale of another circus. A very exclusive, fantastical circus, in Paris, where Cecile grew up, during the roaring 20's! (*squee* I am also obsessed with flappers, and jazz clubs, and alllll things roaring 20's. Um, the 1920's. Thought I should make that absolutely clear. No one will ever celebrate 2020, right?) With the journal and a maybe famous lost painting in tow, Lara jets off to Paris, determined to uncover her family's secrets, and solve the mystery of her missing fiancee as well. What Lara doesn't realize is that some secrets really should remain buried, and there are people willing to kill to maintain them. There is a depth of depravity that Laura never imagined running through her bloodline. But if she is ever to understand what happened to her love, and escape those who would harm her, Lara will have to learn from the past to embrace the future.

So, I really loved all the depictions of the Secret Circus, and 1920's Paris, although I wish it didn't feel as rushed as it does. But, the dark and macabre elements were definitely where this book really shined. Admittedly, I wasn't all that invested in Lara, herself, or the completely unnecessary, secondary romance. I would have actually preferred if the relationship between Lara and her mother Audrey was the showcase. The book is, after all, the *ladies* of the secret circus. Then, maybe a deep dive into the performers and background of the circus would have really rounded out the past parts. We got glimpses and teases of both, but not really enough to sink our teeth into. I was annoyed when things were too oversimplified, and the characters flip flopped on their emotional positions in the blink of an eye. "I hate him." "But, he's the only one for me."
*not actual dialogue, but you get the idea. The book had the central mystery of what happened to Lara's fiancee, but I wasn't dying to know, if that makes sense. Then, the resolution to that question was kind of flat. I think with more focus on the dark and decadent details, this story would have popped. There were parts of this book I plowed through, and some that caused me to meander, but I still enjoyed it more than it annoyed me. There is certainly potential and room to grow in this series, and I'm curious to see where it goes.
Thank you to Redhook Books and Netgalley for the advance copy.

(3.5 stars) A circus is generally known for its mystique. But this circus, Le Cirque Secret, isn’t just magical. It’s dark and sinister. This is a story of love, magic, mystery, and family legacy. But don’t be fooled. This is a very macabre and otherworldly story.

Fantasy or magical realism are not my preferred genres, and this book was also nothing of what I expected based on the synopsis. But Sayers’ writing style made it easy to believe that something fantastical and surreal was once a part of the fabric of Paris. The Secret Circus intermingled art and magic. And Sayers believably painted it into the gay Paris atmosphere right alongside Picasso and Hemmingway sipping champagne and absinthe.

The story pulled me in from the beginning. I love a good mystery, and the idea of Lara’s fiancé disappearing mere hours prior to their wedding lured me in. But that was just the beginning of the mystery, for Lara had many more family secrets, dark ones about the women in her lineage, to uncover, By the time I came to understand the darkness within this novel, I was already hooked and couldn’t turn away…much like the spectators of Le Cirque Secret!

Step right up…be enraptured by this intensely dark yet magical tale of a circus, mysterious murders, a heritage of brave women, and maybe even a dance with the devil.

Many thanks to Constance Sayers, Redhook Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was well written and the story transported you to the Secret Circus. I don't always enjoy when a story has multiple timelines but the way this book was written the timelines were distinct from each-other but still weaved a great story. I felt like I could relate to the characters and the detail around the locations of the book pulled you in. This book stayed with me long past me finishing it and to be honest I didn't want it to end!

This book is about Lara who's family used to own a circus. She's going through some personal problems in the present time and she is given her great grandmother's journal which sends her into a tail spin about what she knew about her family's past. The second timeline in this book is her great grandmother's time while she was a part of a "Secret Circus" in France.

This book is for anyone who enjoyed The Night Circus and enjoys fantasy novels.

Thank you Netgalley and Redhook Books for this ARC but all thoughts are my own.

A good addition to the popular circus themed reads of late but with enough of a unique twist that it was still fresh. While the circus itself isn’t as prominent as in The Night Circus or The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus (both amazing reads too!) it still plays a very central role. I don’t want to give any spoilers so I’ll just say get your hands on the is book, it’s well worth it!!

I have mixed feelings about this book. It didn't quite have my attention at first, then it really sucked me in, and then it lost me again. There were parts that I absolutely loved. I was very intrigued by the mystery up until about 70% - 75% of the book and I adored Cecile's journals. Actually, that was my favorite part by far and I think this novel would've been a total hit for me if its sole focus was on the events from the journals but explored in greater detail. You could also tell that a significant amount of research went into this book which is definitely what I like to see.

However, there were also some things that I didn't enjoy about this book but they were strictly subjective. I didn't care for any of the music related content in this book, it bored me to death. I also wanted more character development. I'm not saying there wasn't any, I just feel like there was potential that wasn't quite realized. Lastly, I was bothered by some of the plot conveniences and the weak "reasoning" behind some of the characters' actions.

Although this book was not a new favorite, it made me interested in Constance Sayer's other work.

Thank you to Redhook for an advanced reading copy!

My review will appear on Goodreads around March 9th, 2021 and on other book selling sites on the week of publication.

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.

Such a delicious, fantastical read. This is much along the lines of The Night Circus by Elin Morgenstern. Secrets and mystery abound within the pages of this book as the young Lara Barnes attempts to move on after her fiancé disappears. This is a book that is best read in long sittings. While initially I attempted to read it in short spurts, I found that I wasn't captivated with the story until I committed myself. Once I dedicated the time, the magic oozed off the pages and grabbed me. The essence of the circus itself is both enchanting and disturbing. Sayers writes layers and layers of intrigue into lives of the Cabot women. Equal parts of mystery, suspense, love, and macabre make this a mesmerizing tale.