This sweeping historical is a world of danger, mystery, romance, and vivid detail. I enjoyed learning more about this time period and aspects of society and science that aren't often touched upon.

Im sorry but this book is just not for me and I dnf this book 45% in. I did like how this was researched and was well written. But sadly, not for me.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for a chance to read this ebook for an honest review

I loved this sequel! I believe I have read all of the literary offerings of Nancy Bilieau. I find her books very accessible as well as evoking the times skilfully of which she writes. Here we are back in the Huguenot weavers district with Genevieve, now as an established silk designer. She becomes the catalyst for a disastrous chain of events, launching her back into a world of intrigue. By the end of this book I was really bowled over with respect with how Genevieve handled events and admired her very much as a woman fighting to be acknowledged as a professional in her own right. Very well done!

Unfortunately I haven't been able to read and review this review book by Nancy Bilyeau, The Fugitive Colours, that released on May 12, 2022.

This book was really interesting! I was intrigued by the storyline and that's what initially drew me to this title. I also really love the cover artwork.

Sequel to The Blue, this story explores the heroine's foray into the world of botanical pattern making. As her husband grows more distant, she struggles to keep her business and her heart from falling into shambles. Intrigues abound in the world of art, and deadlines loom as well as threats. Although not as satisfying as the book that came before, this book held my attention and immersed me in the world it painted.

Genevieve Planché has carved out a hard-won successful life as the owner-director of a workshop for designing innovative and exotic silk patterns. She is a believable and engaging heroine, who combats intersectional prejudice, as a woman coming from an ethnic, living in a man’s world. Can she keep the business afloat – and care for her young child and loyal workforce – against all the odds, including an absent husband?

After a startling opening, the author deep dives into the world of the protestant Huguenot weavers in Spitalfields, refugees for whom the word was coined.

There are not many novels set in this era, compared, say, with the Tudors, and the author’s passion for historical accuracy is impressive. I learnt a great deal about the history of Spitalfields and the Huguenots who found sanctuary there from persecution in France, as well as the artistic community of painters such as Reynolds, Gainsborough and Romney, who together are kick-starting the fledgling exhibition industry in Georgian England. The gossipy milieu of the demi-monde and the aristocracy and the shady world of government spies are convincingly drawn. The treatment of artistic issues, such as the ‘fugitive colours’ themselves, is enlightening, without slowing the pace of this fast-moving story.

The novel also charts the emergence of the scientist in the mid-18th century, at a time when men (always men) of an enquiring bent had to choose between pursuing alchemy or studying the new field of Natural Philosophy.

I didn’t release until I started reading that this was a sequel to ‘The Blue’, which I also enjoyed. But it’s no problem for any reader who hasn’t read the prequel; any key points are seamlessly woven in.

*Many thanks to Nany Bilyeau, Lume Books, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
I was thrilled to receive a copy of this book although I haven't read Blue yet. This book takes place several years later and there throughout the book readers are offered enough background information which is useful if you start with this Book 2.
London in 1760s, famous artists who compete with each other, spies and the Sturbridges who have to face new challenges. The author focuses a lot on the struggle of women who want to enter the world of art. At times the plot seems implausible and Genevieve too naive in her actions but on the whole I enjoyed this historical fiction.

I have waited many years for the sequel to The Blue. I have to say that this was worth the wait. Genevieve grows as a character from the first novel. While the story starts at a slow pace, it’s pick up in the middle. The ending was very thrilling. Therefore, the Fugitive will be sure to please many fans of the first novel!

A successful artist in 1760s London exhibited talent, was accepted by society, had connections and patrons, and most importantly had secrets. While Genevieve had a moderately successful silk designing business she struggled to be recognized as a true artist. Not only was she a woman but her past and her lack of connections made it nearly impossible to compete in the male dominated art scene. In her attempts to take advantage of every opportunity to further her business and career she realizes that rivalries spur deceit and blackmail. Genevieve soon began to question her husband's actions in addition to those in her household. Bilyeau weaves a story that includes an intricate look at the London art scene and a deftly created mystery that will keep the reader thoroughly engaged. Although this is the second book in the series it can be read as a standalone. A very enriching and insightful look into life in 1760s London.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley.

My thanks to Lume Books for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Fugitive Colours’ by Nancy Bilyeau in exchange for an honest review.

This is the sequel to her 2018 novel, ‘The Blue’, that presented the story of Genevieve Planché, an English born descendant of Huguenot refugees. Her aspiration is to become an artist though in the male dominated art world of the 18th Century no one takes her seriously.

However, I don’t want to give spoilers for ‘The Blue’ and although some backstory is provided in ‘The Fugitive Colours’, I would recommend reading the books in order.

‘The Fugitive Colours’ opens in 1764 as Genevieve struggles to keep her silk design business afloat all to aware that men control the arts and sciences, politics and the law. And they definitely control women! When Genevieve receives a surprise invitation from an important artist, she hopes that her luck is about to change and she will be admitted into the world of serious art. No further details to avoid spoilers for a novel that has a fair degree of intrigues and political machinations alongside the elegant gowns and wigs.

I loved following Genevieve’s story in ‘The Blue’ and ‘The Fugitive Colours’ as she was a spirited lead character. In addition as a former student of art history I always appreciate novels that delve into the subject of art and artists.

I felt that Nancy Bilyeau was meticulous in her recreation of the dazzling society of Georgian London placing her fictional characters alongside historical figures as various events are played out.

When I read historical fiction it is very important to me that the author remains faithful to the historical and social context, even if that leads to uncomfortable scenes. Nancy Bilyeau definitely demonstrates this kind of commitment to her craft immersing her readers in the period. I will be looking forward to her future projects as well as reading her earlier works.

Highly recommended.

It was only after I had read this book that I realised it was a sequel. The first half of the story keeps hinting at the past which at times was irritating. Obviously had I read the first book I would not have needed hints but there seems to be no reason not to explain the full background fully. Despite these criticisms I enjoyed the book.
This is an honest review of a complementary ARC.

This is probably a 3.5 star read for me -- but I'm rounding down to a 3.

I think the issues I have with this book stem more from my own tastes than the book itself. Whilst well written and clearly very thoroughly researched, the characters are mostly unlikable (and not in a compelling way) and I struggled with some of the pacing.
I found that quite literally nothing happened in the first half of this book -- and it took until the half-way point for any real intrigue to set in (quite unlike the first book which felt like it had no end of twisting plot). The protagonist remains highly annoying but in the opposite way to The Blue. Whilst there she is hopelessly naive, here she is dependent and miserable in a way that I just couldn't find sympathetic. It was interesting to see how she had changed following the events of The Blue, but I just couldn't like her. However, I do think this is mostly down to my own taste.
Seeing how well both The Fugitive Colours and The Blue are reviewed, they are clearly the books for someone -- that person is just not me! And I did truly enjoy Bilyeau's writing style and her attention to detail of the artistic worlds of the eighteenth century.

Thank you to Lume Books and NetGalley for the free e-book in exchange for my honest review :)

I wish I had got to the first book in the series but this was good as a stand alone too.

The world of silk weavers, and finding a woman who had her own workshop and did designs in silk
particularly the ones that Genevieve did was surprising and stunning. Flowers not just from Europe
but the exotic ones from the Caribbean and India were her repertoire but she was held hostage by the
fact that she was totally dependent on the house which ordered her designs. They had no hesitation
in bargaining with her to the maximum

Genevieve's husband a brilliant chemist and spy is now under a restraint from using his skills and is
now a mere tutor to an Earl's son. Genevieve has to support and earn for herself and also for her young
son as best as she could. When her past history of being a spy is being used against her in the form of
blackmail, Genevieve has to use all her skills to keep afloat. Who is the enemy here and why is she being
targeted is something she has to figure out and this takes quite a long time.

An intense emotional read about a strong woman who is trying to protect her husband, protect her business
and just survive in the cut throat world of design and politics doing a hard balancing act.

A very good read.

I love Genevieve and loved this well written book since I saw the gorgeous cover. Compelling, well written, and gripping.
The historical background is well researched and vivid, the characters are well developed, and I love the storytelling.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This book highlights that plight of the Huguenots living in England through the main character, Genevieve Sturbridge, Genevieve owns a silk design business which also gives the reader insight into the weaving industry during the late 1700s. This is the 2nd book in a series and it seems that Genevieve's desire for a career as an artist is much stronger than many other desires in her life - possibly even that of wife, mother, friend, and business owner. And despite trying to overcome her poor decisions in the past, she seems to be dragged into the dark world of political espionage.

I enjoyed this fascinating glimpse into Georgian England and while the first half of the book was a bit slow moving, the second half was exciting and intriguing as the mystery unfolds.

Thank you to Lume Books and NetGalley for providing an ARC copy of this novel. I have left my review honestly and voluntarily.

A Nancy Bilyeau book is always something to get excited about. I have read and thoroughly enjoyed so many of her books - from Tudor England to Dreamland on Coney Island. I recently read The Blue, a historical thriller involving spies, art and the race to create a new shade of blue. The Fugitive Colours is its sequel and is another great read by Nancy. This time the focus remains in eighteenth century London still involving art, spies and the central character Genevieve.

“What is it that you want, Mrs. Sturbridge?” Jean’s question from this morning torments me. In the most private part of my soul, I want what I’ve always wanted. I thought I’d stamped out this ambition, but … here, on this cold and dreary Spitalfields street, I must face the truth that my dream of success as a true artist still lives.’

I found The Blue so very interesting and I enjoyed learning about the world of painting fine porcelain and how important the color blue came to be. The Fugitive Colours centres around Covent Garden, the world of art looking for new colours and the cutthroat world of harlots with the backstabbing ton.

“… my aim is to try to paint moments of everyday life in London. By doing that, I want to show the truth of their existence in difficult times.”

Whilst this book started out a bit slow, the pace increased and Nancy brought the story together well. Although touted as a standalone, I would definitely recommend reading The Blue first. With a focus this time around on the silk industry and the world of art in London during the late 1700s both place and people are brought very much to life. If you have not read a Nancy Bilyeau book I highly recommend you choose one from her wide range of time periods.





This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Although I have a feeling that this could be read as a stand-alone novel, it is actually the sequel to Bilyeau’s novel “The Blue,” which I enjoyed very much. Obviously, that was my main reason for wanting to read this sequel. If you haven’t read the previous novel, you should know that the concept of the previous book was a good deal of intrigue and espionage in the art world, regarding the secret formula for a new shade of blue. This book, however, finds our protagonist returned to London, married and with a young son, working on hand-painted designs for silks for the fashion trade. While Genevieve still can’t be recognized as a formal artist, this brings her closer than she was when (in the first book) she was painting on pieces of porcelain tableware.

While the mystery in the first novel was very straight-forward, this book is far more complex, with many twists and turns, with some of the intrigue coming from the art world, and some from the world of politics. The latter is mostly due to the end of the war between France and England, about which I know very little (even though when I google it, I know I studied it in school). In any case, I know even less about the silk trade or anything about hand painted silks, so I’ll have to take what Bilyeau puts here at face value. I also don’t know much about the art world from that period (sorry, but I much prefer the paintings from the impressionist school), except that they’ve always looked dark and dingy, and not particularly attractive.

I must say that I’m having a hard time writing this review because much of the mystery here only comes together into a cohesive plot when we get closer to the end of this book. As you know, I refuse to include spoilers in my reviews, so you can see my dilemma. However, what I can say is that, much like in the first book, Bilyeau makes Genevieve into a very plucky and progressive woman, with whom we can easily sympathize, and we continue to care about her and her welfare. With her husband unable to work in his preferred profession of chemistry (as a condition to allowing him to return to England), he’s reduced to being a private tutor to the son of the Earl of Sandwich (although I’m not sure if this one is the same guy who was the first person to put stuff between two pieces of bread for a meal), it is Genevieve’s silk design business which is sustaining the family, which in itself was pretty revolutionary (by that I mean a woman running a business). Obviously, if she was portrayed as a weaker person, that wouldn’t have worked for the story, and Bilyeau puts Genevieve through the ringer with this book.

So, we get to enjoy and get to know more about Genevieve here, as well as some really evocative descriptions of London (well, some of which don’t evoke much beauty). In addition, the accounts of the exotic flowers and plants that Genevieve and her staff are trying to paint for the silk designs are just stunning, and I could picture all of them in my mind. The thing is, I’m wondering if the many plot twists included here, and the complexity of the story was a bit hard for me to follow. In the end, I did get what was going on, but it wasn’t an easy road, but thankfully, Bilyeau’s lovely writing style kept me going. All told, I did enjoy this novel, and I continue to like Genevieve as one of the spunkier characters I’ve read, and this is a great book for those who like women’s fiction novels. I’m also certain that historical fiction lovers will enjoy this book (especially those who are looking for novels NOT set during one of the world wars), and I can warmly recommend it with a solid four out of five stars.

A sequel to The Blue, this novel once again follows Genevieve Sturbridge, this time, as she struggles to keep her silk design business afloat. Thanks to the events in The Blue, Genevieve's husband Thomas can no longer work as a chemist so is now a tutor, bringing in less money and often away for long periods of time. Despite these financial strains, Genevieve and Thomas still dream of moving out of polluted London and into the countryside for the sake of their little boy.

As with The Blue, this is not simply a story of Genevieve’s domestic struggles. Whilst we observe Genevieve's day to day life, we also follow her as she once again becomes embroiled with the dark underbelly of Georgian London where spying, subterfuge and murder are everyday occurrences. With her husband working away and a young child to consider, Genevieve has a lot more to lose this time but also, a lot more to gain.

I enjoyed following Genevieve as she navigated this dark underworld and we see how her relationship with Thomas was affected by the events of The Blue. Their relationship is far from perfect in this book; they keep secrets from each other and tell white lies to each other, sometimes with the aim of protecting each other and sometimes not. This portrayal of a relationship under strain due to past trauma, resentments and current financial strain made for some interesting reading. It was refreshing to see a "real" depiction of marriage as opposed to the idealised versions of marriage we often see and it helped to bring depth and realism to the characters.

All in all an enjoyable read and you don't need to have read The Blue in order to enjoy this one; it can be read as a standalone. Thank you to Netgalley, Nancy Bilyeau and Lume Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The Fugitive Colours is a gripping and immersive novel set in 1764 London, and features a young and artistic heroine, Genevieve. Genevieve runs her own silk design business, an anomaly for that time, when men still control businesses, government, the arts, and yes, women. Struggling to keep her business afloat, with her husband away, she receives an offer she can’t refuse, a way to fulfill her artistic dreams—but at what cost? We enter a world of spies and treachery, intrigue and danger, and in Genevieve we have a heroine who is not only a brilliant artist, she is also smart and cunning and headstrong and ambitious. There is a vividness to this story that is rare—readers are thrust right in the middle of this multi-layered story, and 18th century London comes to life in all of its brilliance and its seediness, engaging all of our senses as we are captivated by this story and its characters.