Thank you to NetGalley, author Rachel Kapelke-Dale, and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

Whew, I struggled to get through this. The Ingenue was perhaps one of the most perplexing books I've read this year; it never quite knew what it was trying to be and didn't do any of it successfully. At its core, this is a book that flips back and forth between past and present to tell a story about a young piano prodigy who was sexually abused in an inappropriate relationship. However, there are also side plots about a historic house, a dying mother who wrote feminist fairy tales, childhood friendships, and a new love interest, so there is a lot going on. I felt like this book was trying to be too much like My Dark Vanessa at times, but nowhere near as well-written or executed. I found the characters to all be extremely flat, and I could never get a read of who exactly Saskia was supposed to be. I thought the rewritten feminist fairy tales by her "mother" before each chapter didn't add anything to the book and felt very much like "girl power yay!" treatment rather than actually making any sort of statement. It was boring to read and confusing for me personally in several spots. Overall, I'm just glad to be finished with this book and cannot recommend.

Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

PUBLICATION DAY: December 6, 2022

Saskia was an ingenue - an incredibly gifted pianist as a child/teenager. Now a grown woman, she stopped playing piano years earlier, and is barely scraping by - both financially and emotionally. How did this change so drastically? The sudden (to her) death of her mother forces Saskia to confront her past, and how it may have contributed to her mother’s last wishes. Was Elf House ever really hers? And what does it really symbolize? What about her past relationships? What will Saskia discover when she really looks at her mother, and herself?

PROS and CONS:
I really enjoyed the feminist twist to fairy tales, an excerpt of which began each chapter. The beginning of this book is a little tough to get into. I didn’t really care about Elf House, or Saskia’s need to have it, and, to me, Saskia began as a very unlikeable character (harsh, entitled - not her Dad though - loved him!). But as you come to see how damaged Saskia is (through past vs present chapters), and why it all happened, it gets much, much more compelling until I couldn’t put it down. It’s dark though - so be ready!

READ IT?
If you’re looking for…a slow burn with a timely message and an explosive ending - then this one’s for you.

4 Stars

As I read this book and I had to find out how the story ended. Saskia's character was intriguing to me and this book had an underlying mystery that I enjoyed. This has a large plot line of the #metoo movement, but this book also has so much more. The fairy tales that were told between characters added to my interest level, I love how they were incorporated. I love the title and the double meaning I feel like it had. Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this book (the narrator is a perfect fit for the tension in the book).
This is the 2nd book I have read by this author and I love the fine art themes that are heaven into the stories!

Saskia returns to Milwaukee, where she grew up, following the death of her mom. There, she learns she didn’t actually inherit her mother’s estate as she expected, and that the enigmatic Elf House is set to go to Patrick Kintner, a man with whom Saskia shares a troubled past. While Saskia embarks on a legal battle to recover what should have been her birthright, she also has to confront a traumatic past she has kept at a distance for more than a decade, as well as reckon with complex familial dynamics both past and present.

I quite enjoyed this book! It is really hard to categorize and integrates many genres, from family drama to legal thriller and a literary fiction-y exploration of a delicate, very contemporary topic. It is most definitely a slow burn, with a very character-driven story. I thought the arc of Saskia finally processing what her past means and seeking justice for what was done to her was very well done; a beautifully painted portrait of female rage. The writing was very atmospheric and painted beautiful pictures of a creaky Elf House full of history and of cold Wisconsin winters that are perfect for this time of year. We’re also treated to a very cathartic ending that perfectly fits the controlled, steady crescendo of the narrative, yet still surprises. Overall a solid read.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and St Martin’s Press in exchange for my honest review. Thank you!

Having never read <i>My Dark Vanessa</i> or <i>The Queen's Gambit</i> which this novel is described as the conjunction of the two, I wasn't sure what to expect.

The premise sounds very promising - Saskia, our main character, returns home to the 'Elf House' following her mother's death where she soon finds out that her family home has been bequeathed to a man whom she shares a complicated past with. Saskia is left to examine her past to find answers that will help her claim her heritage.

Rachel's writing feels gothic, uneasy, possibly even poetic as the novel begins. I was enthralled with the descriptions of the Elf House, curious about its history, its relevance to the story. But I felt a certain level of disconnect as the novel progresses, Rachel's writing seems to lose this sense of poetic unease and begins to drown on as we slowly explore Saskia's complex past and present. It took me a really long time to feel 'hooked' by this novel if I can even say that. It was about the 65% point where I was like 'oh yes, finally something is happening'...which quickly evolved into 'what the f&$k is going on here?!'.

Rachel writes each chapter with a glimpse at Saskia's past that then transitions into Saskia's present day. This was really well done and allowed the reader to see how her past contributed to her current reality.

I really liked the chapter beginnings using contemporary fairy tales and modernizing them in a sense, empowering the girls and women in those stories. I thought this was very unique and intriguing. I also thought it may contribute to the overall sense of empowerment that this novel must come to. And for this, I was left disappointed. I won't give any further details in regards to the story for fear of spoiling the plot, but the ending of this book isn't what I would consider empowering in a post #MeToo landscape and in my opinion, doesn't really do it justice.

The synopsis indicates that THE INGENUE navigates and explores mother-daughter relationships... but I didn't find that it truly did. Saskia's and Evie (her mother)'s relationship is very independent of each other in the grand scheme of things, each party keeping a multitude of secrets from the other and maintaining a degree of separation between themselves.

Each reader should look into trigger/content warnings before engaging with this book as the topics covered can be perceived as dark, disturbing and difficult to read.

<i>I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, St. Martin's Press, of this advanced digital copy for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review! All opinions shared are my own.</i>

After reading and being very impressed with The Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelke-Dale, I knew I would read anything the author wrote next. So I was very happy to land a copy of her upcoming work The Ingenue.

The Ingenue is centered around 20-something Saskia Kreis. Saskia returns to her hometown of Milwaukee after her mother's unexpected passing. Saskia expects to inherit her childhood home the Elf House, which is a mansion that’s been passed down in her family for generations. But Saskia is shocked to discover that her mother left the house to a former colleague Peter. Saskia has had a very complicated history with Peter but ultimately she must face the past to claim what is rightfully hers.

An Ingenue is a character in literature, film, or theater, generally, a girl or a young woman, who is endearingly innocent. This perfectly sums up our main character Saskia. Even though she was unlikeable at times, I still rooted for her. The characters and story were very well developed and I loved the setting of the elf house. It took me a bit to get into The Ingenue but once I did I ended up falling in love with the writing. Just like in The Ballerinas, Rachel Kapelke-Dale always evokes an elegance of yesteryear that’s not so common in modern times.

In the same vein as My Dark Vanessa and Dark Horses, The Ingenue is centered around an adult woman who is reckoning with a past relationship she had as a young teen with a grown man. As with any story dealing with sexual abuse, this is not an easy story and will not be for everyone.

The Ingenue by Rachel Kapelke-Dale will be available on December 6. Many thanks to St Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the gifted copy.

“𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺. To say: 𝘖𝘩, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬—𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘥.
To say: I’m 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳. 𝘔𝘦.
And then, that Wicked Witch voice every woman carries, somewhere inside herself: 𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶?
But people need to know what he did, she thinks.
People need to know who he is.”

When former piano prodigy Saskia Kreis returns home to Milwaukee after her mother's unexpected death, she expects to inherit the family estate, the Elf House. But with the discovery that her mother's will bequeathed the Elf House to a man that Saskia shares a complicated history with, she is forced to reexamine her own past––and the romantic relationship that changed the course of her life––for answers. Can she find a way to claim her heritage while keeping her secrets buried, or will the fallout from digging too deep destroy her?


This is such a multifaceted story. I usually end a book and immediately write my review. If not, at the very least, I jot down my thoughts. This one, though, had me pondering my feelings for some time. There’s a lot to unpack here. The story is good, if a bit disjointed. It almost seemed like the first 1/3-1/2 of the book is a totally different book compared to the second half. In the first portion there is a lot about Saksia’s musical talents and her journey to accept or give up the dreams her parents have for her. And a lot about the house. For me this part was a bit slow and I wasn’t quite sure where it was going. But once you get to the second half the story got going and it really flew! Then I could see the My Dark Vanessa #metoo comparisons.

The audiobook was wonderful. Dare I say it may have been why I kept going with the story in the beginning? I think so! You can really feel the dilemma and angst in Saskia through the narrator. She captured that perfectly.

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This is my second book by this author. And like the first, this one did not disappointment, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It made me think a lot and even had me questioning my own life choices. Would highly recommend

Saskia returns to the family home when her mother dies from a rare disease that Saskia knew nothing about. She expects to inherit the family home but discovers it has been left to someone outside the family, a work colleague of her mother. This was a huge shock to Saskia, bringing up issues and past memories she must deal with.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Saskia Kries is the latest heir to her family’s estate, the Elf House. It’s the one place she’s always called home, which is why she’s blindsided when she discovers that not only did her mother not tell her she was dying, but she also left the house to Saskia’s former teacher. After finding out that her father also had no idea about the change to her mother’s will, Saskia is on a mission to find out why her mother would just give the house away. The deeper she digs, the more secrets become illuminated, including her own.

I read and loved Rachel’s debut novel, so I was extremely excited when I saw they had another book coming out. I can honestly say that this novel does not disappoint! It should be noted that this book deals with the following tough subjects: death, death of a parent, grooming, and sexual abuse. If any of these subjects are triggering for you, this is a book that you should pass on because Saskia is dealing with each of these subjects all book long.

We follow Saskia, a pianist and prodigy, as we bounce back and forth between the past and present. In the present, we’re picking up right after Saskia’s mom died, leaving her raw and hurt, especially when she had no idea her mother was sick. The longer that Saskia is home, the more she’s confronted with the past that she’s been running away from. Much of the book is watching Saskia deal with her past traumas as well as her very fresh present trauma. All the tough subjects that can be triggering are right there, raw and in the open as Saskia grapples with what happened to her and tries to regain control. It’s such a heart wrenching novel that is very well-written and packs a punch. I look forward to seeing what else the author publishes in the future. They’re a very talented writer and really knows how to pull readers in on the very first page.

This was my first book by this author, but it definitely will not be my last. Beautifully written story of a young woman who returns home after her mothers death. When Saskia and her father hear the details of her mothers will they are shocked say the least. The house that has been in her family for generations has not been left to Saskia but instead to a colleague of her mother’s. Not only is this man a colleague of her mother, but he also has a disturbing past with Saskia herself when she was under age. As she works to try to understand the reason behind her mother’s decision many secrets are unveiled as well as some heartbreaking revelations. Do not miss this excellent novel.

That was some achingly emotional storytelling. The relationship dynamics were written so beautifully I wanted to weep for Saskia. What she lost and how she navigated the world was heartbreaking yet hopeful . Everyone she read this book. A masterpiece.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc

Wow. This was so good. I mean, so so good. It made me think, it made me feel things, it made me think about my own life in general. I think this is a fun, yet appropriate book for any time in life to read.

I'm struggling to find words to describe this book. What comes to mind is haunting. We're drawn into the life of a main character who has lost the magic she had as a child prodigy and is struggling with her identity. Saskia is not glamourous. She's not perfect. She's struggling. She's broken. And she is someone that offers a lot to relate to.

The story itself made excellent use of flashbacks to slowly bring the conflict to its climax. I didn't find them overbearing; rather the flashes into younger Saskia helped to understand the present day woman. Rachel Kapelke-Dale writes characters and stories that are so realistic and painful and jarring but she never fails to lead us to a cathartic resolution.

This book drew me in and kept me intrigued from start to finish. It was an excellent tale with a slight thriller element and twists and turns throughout.

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 interesting to me so I requested a copy to read.
Unfortunately, I have tried reading this book on 2 separate occasions and during this 2nd attempt, I have
decided to stop reading this book
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.

Saskia Kreis returns home after her mother's death. She always knew she would return at some point, seeing as the family estate, known as the Elf House, will fall to her once her mother dies. But she discovers that she did not inherit the house, instead it will go to a colleague of her mother's, a man Saskia herself has a complicated history with.

This is a darker story with themes that may not be for everyone. Going between Saskia's early teen years and present day, the story delves into talent, friendship, and looking back to re-evaluate things in your past. I found this to be a slower read but I enjoyed taking the time to really savor the writing and the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Available December 6, 2022.

I was happy to read this book because I had read The Ballerinas by the same author and enjoyed it. I feel like this one is darker and, for me, creepier. This author really knows how to write and the story is sure to be enjoyed by a lot of people which is why I gave it four stars. For me, it would be closer to a three.

I loved this author's previous book "The Ballerinas" and her second novel did not disappoint. Her writing style is fluid and the story weaves seamlessly between past and present. Saski stands to inherit her mother's mansion - or does she? A real page turner and I already thought 5 stars but the ending did not work for me.

OMG such a well written book, I could not get enough! Saskia was a piano prodigy in her early years but as her teen years came, she suffered with her focus. Family life came between her and her passion and her music suffered. Now after her mother has passed, she's forced to go home, to a life she left behind years ago. She's also forced to accept the circumstances that forced her to flee, in order to help her father and her mother's legacy. In the 'me too" movement, this is an excellent story showing one's family journey. Loved the characters, loved the story line, loved the complexity of the plot. Highly recommend!

A new deep, dark and intriguing story by the author of “The Ballerinas”. Rachel Kapelke-Dale has established herself as an intuitive author who dares to stretch the boundaries of what we choose to read. Her new book, “The Ingenue”, introduces us to Saskia Kreis, a childhood piano prodigy. She was beyond amazing, starting at a very young age by giving concerts, and playing until her nose would bleed. Once old enough to decide, she walked away from it all and was never upfront with her parents about why she did.
She’s forced to reckon with her history when her mother passes on, and the will stipulates something Saskia and her father can’t comprehend. She returns home, the prodigal daughter, and we’re slowly given access to her troubled past as she’s forced to face it.
Heartbreaking and at times a dark comedy, Saskia’s story will wrap its fingers around your heart.
A sincere thank you to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is December 6, 2022.