The London Séance Society by Sarah Penner is Historical Fiction mixed with Mystery-Suspense and touches of Magical Realism.

I found the alternating chapters between characters too short. Some were only a few pages long! It didn't let you get into a rhythm with each character. And overall, the plot is just flat and takes too long to get going.

I kept reading because I wanted to see how this all ended up but I was disappointed after loving the Lost Apothecary.

Kudos to NetGalley for the chance to read in exchange for a full review!

"The London Séance Society" is a mesmerizing novel that seamlessly blends mystery and adventure with class. With its compelling characters and atmospheric setting, it captures the essence of Victorian London and keeps readers captivated from beginning to end. The storytelling prowess and ability to evoke a sense of wonder make this book a must-read for fans who prefer a little eerie with their creepy

I loved the authors first book, The Lost Apothecary, and so I was really looking forward to this one. Unfortunately the execution of this one was not at all up to snuff. The book had some plot holes, lacked some character development and really dragged in a few places. It was a slog to finish it. Hopefully the next book will be better!

First of all, I think this book had a lot of potential. The subject matter of the Victorian Era, occult, and supernatural are excellent plot points.

But, I was overall just half interested in the story, to be honest. Again. I think the content had such potential but it fell flat for me because I am such a character-driven reader and just did not enjoy these characters overall.

You have Lenna and Vaudeline, who are the FMCs, and their relationship was just odd. The connection/attraction between them was not developed as much as it could have been. What you are left with is a feeling that considering the danger they are in, the thoughts that go through Lenna's head seem misguided and unrealistic.

As far as the plot goes, I just wanted more of the seance stuff. I was disappointed that this actually wasn't really a focal point in the story. I think if the story had gone more in this direction it would have hooked me the same way that The Lost Apothecary did. More mystery and intrigue would have gone a long way.

What I did enjoy was learning some of the actual historical facts about the LSS, I had never heard of it before.

All of this being said I was a superfan of Sarah Penner's first book, this one was just okay, but I will most definitely read whatever she writes next because I do enjoy her writing.

I have to say I was shocked after reading this. It is nothing that I expected. The audiobook does a great job with the characters.

I absolutely freaking LOVED ‘The London Seance Society’ by Sarah Penner and highly, highly recommend it!

I was a fan of The Lost Apothecary so I was happy to receive this e-arc of Sarah Penner's new novel. I enjoyed the mystery, the setting, and the characters. I would recommend this book during readers advisory.

Thank you Netgalley!

Thank you to Netgalley for the free ebook in exchange for a review.

This book left me feeling underwhelmed. The premise sounded exciting, but the execution fell flat for me. Considering the word 'seance' is in the title, I expected more paranormal/witchy vibes, but that was a very minor part of the story. Seances were talked about by the characters in the book often, but the actual act was very little.

Thanks, NetGalley folk, for the opportunity to read and review this book. I enjoyed it and recommend it heartily!

A worthy follow-up to THE LOST APOTHECARY, suffused with a moody Gothic vibe I dig. Penner's lush prose and slow-burn suspense make this one hard to put down.

Sarah Penner has done it again. While not as great as her 1st book, this one is still exciting and intriguing. She keeps you guessing with so many fascinating characters. You never want it to end, yet you must know what happens now. I am now a forever fan, and will read everything she writes.

Set in a time when spiritualism and communicating with the dead was all the rage, Lenna goes to Paris to train under Vaudeline, a renowned spiritualist, in an effort to communicate with and solve the mystery of her sister's murder. When Vaudeline is asked to return to London to solve the murder of the President of the London Seance Society, they become involved in more than the obvious murder investigations.

I love that this book has so many faces. There's mystery and romance and I love the editions at the end with recipes and whatnot.

Ghosts and unsolved murder? Mystery, adventure and romance? Sign me up immediately! The London Seance Society had such dark, gothic vibe and really brought to life the world of seances and the occult during the Victorian era.

Lenna Wickes has come to Paris to study with the famous spiritualist Vaudeline D’Allaire. Though Lenna is a skeptic, she is willing to do anything she can to solve her sister's murder. Meanwhile the founder of the London Seance Society Mr. Wolckman has been murderer. Mr. Morley who is in charge of the Society's Department of Spiritualism recruits Ms. D'Allaire who was friends with the deceased to run a seance in London in order to help solve his murder.

The setting, characters, vibe, pacing - it all worked so well for me. Lenna's journey of grief and self-discovery was engaging but it was Vaudeline who stole the (literary) show for me. To create such authentic existence for a woman in the 1870s took gumption and I just loved her spunk. This story had a little bit of everything - a spooky vibe, historical setting, mystery and suspense and even a dash of romance. I am definitely a fan of Sarah Penner's writing and can't wait to find out what she comes up with next.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for gifting me a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review! I loved it so much I ended up grabbing a copy through Book of the Month because I simply had to own it!

3.5 stars

I loved The Lost Apothecary, so I had high hopes for this book. Unfortunately this one didn’t quite grab my attention as much as I’d hoped it would.

This historical fiction takes place in 1873 and centers around the cities of Paris and London. Vaudeline D’Allaire is known for her ability to conjure the spirits of murder victims in the hopes of uncovering who killed them. When Lenna Wickes’ sister, Evie, is murdered, she travels to Paris in search of answers and spends time training and gaining knowledge from Vaudeline. Then Vaudeline is summoned back to London by the London Seance Society to aid in solving the murder of the society’s president, Mr. Volckman, and Lenna accompanies her as her understudy.

London’s Seance Society is exclusive only to men, yet somehow Evie became entangled in their new approaches to seances, which are rumored to be fraudulent. Lenna is determined to help solve the murder of Evie and Mr. Volckman, but is there a connection between the two or did Evie simply take her obsession with spiritualism too far?

I enjoyed this book for the most part. It was a unique story with an intriguing plot twist, and I think it had a lot of potential, but it just didn’t blow me away like The Lost Apothecary. I didn’t feel as invested in the storyline or the characters and it lacked the emotionally-driven qualities that normally draw me in. Overall, it was good. I was just expecting something more. I do look forward to reading more from Ms. Penner.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Park Row Book for providing a copy of this book to review.*

3.5⭐️

Having previously read and enjoyed the Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner I was very excited to read her next book The London Séance Society.

Set in 1873, we meet Lenna a 23 year old who is searching for the murderer of her younger sister Evie while practicing as an understudy to the best medium and spiritualist, Vaudeline D’Allaire.

The beginning of the story starts off strong and drew me in but then went a bit flat for me as it became a bit repetitive. I didn’t mind the ending but felt it was drawn out and could have wrapped things up much quicker.

I did end up purchasing the Barnes & Noble exclusive edition because under the dust jacket it is gorgeous!

Thank you to NetGalley, Park Row and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the eARC I’m exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed The Lost Apothecary, so I couldn’t wait for the release of The London Séance Society. Sarah does a fantastic job at creating immersive worlds that are easy to get lost in. I find the London backdrops captivating as well.
The unveiling of séance hoaxes were quite interesting and very believable. Her point that the participants’ interpretations - whatever they maybe - were sometimes very therapeutic and therefore worthwhile to help them gain closure. It’s a perspective I hadn’t really considered before.
I loved the strong female characters and how they didn’t abide by societal norms. My favorite kind of characters!
The last third or so of the book was great; I didn’t want to put it down!
Overall, another great read by Sarah Penner! I highly recommend checking it out! I can’t wait for her next one!!

Lenna goes to Paris in search of answers regarding her sister's death. Lenna is cynical of the supernatural world but still becomes an understudy of Valentine. Valentine is a spiritualist who is widely known to solve the unsolvable crimes. Together they travel to England to help in a high-profile crime. They meet with the members of the London Seance Society and try to work together to solve this mystery. A historical fiction story that deals with the occult and has a mysterious plot. Well written characters and a suspenseful story. A beautifully written story.

Disclaimer: Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Park Row for this review copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I was so excited for this book to release! "The Lost Apothecary" was one of my favorite reads of 2022, and I knew this one wouldn't disappoint! The creativity with the storyline was captivating, and there were twists and turns I didn't see coming. Overall, I enjoyed the book, but it did drag on at times, and although I didn't have a problem with it, I felt like the relationship between Vaudeline and Lenna was farfetched for that time period (I'm not saying it wasn't possible, but it wouldn't have been something they would have easily admitted to in those times). If you like historical fiction with a little bit of *magic* then I highly recommend this book!

Lenna Wickes travels to Paris to train as a medium under famed spiritualist Vaudeline D'Allaire after her sister is murdered. But rather than embrace the occult, Lenna sticks to logic and investigation as she tries to unravel her sister's murder. Before her training is complete, D'Allaire is called back to London to solve the mystery of her friend's death, who happened to be the head of the the London Seance Society. Of course, not all is as it seems.

The London Seance Society leaves a lot to be desired. I felt like it was trying too hard to be good. I think it's because I have a problem with historical fiction and the contortions it takes to make a strong female lead - she dresses as a boy, she is daring with her sexuality, she is a better detective than all the others.

This just wasn't my cup of tea.

I just reviewed The London Séance Society by Sarah Penner. #TheLondonSéanceSociety #NetGalley