DNF Page 149

I’m so sad about this. I loved The Lost Apothecary.

This just felt so thick and overwritten. I didn’t connect with any characters off the bat so I found it hard to get invested with the story. The queer romance vibes almost sucked me in but overall, this just was not for me. I will try Penner’s next work; maybe I’ll enjoy the subject matter more next time.

This is a book that I didn't devour. It was a slow burn, enjoying in small increments. The latter half of the book was what kept me invested and interested in finishing the book. Thank you netgalley & the publisher for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

The second book by Sarah Penner does not live up to the hype. The novel has a medium pace, but does not hold your attention until halfway through. The writing was similar to her first book; however, the ending left a lot to be desired. I will be purchasing this title for the library, the novel is discussion worthy. This arc was provided my netgalley.

Rounded up from 3.5 stars.

I was hooked from the start of the novel - who doesn’t love a séance performed by women at an old, musty French chateau to try to solve a murder of a young woman? It was atmospheric and set a nice tone for the rest of the novel. And then as to the rest of the novel, who doesn’t love when those women continue to try to solve murders - including the murder of Lenna’s own sister, Evie - through séances and end up in the middle of a mystery that they have to simultaneously unravel and try to survive? That sense of not knowing what awaited for the characters next, combined with the Gothic atmosphere of the times, had me eager to keep reading. Also, I wanted to cheer for Vaudeline and Lenna as they fought against a powerful, wealthy, male-dominated society (both LSS and London in general).

The story is told through the vantage points of three characters: Vaudeline, Lenna, and Mr. Morley. Vaudeline and Lenna’s chapters are in third person, and Mr. Morley’s are in first. Initially, I wasn’t sure if I would like the separate POVs, but I really enjoyed them as the novel progressed and we get to see more of the reality of what is transpiring at the London Séance Society. I think that Penner did a nice job of contrasting the two spiritualist camps in the novel, namely, Vaudeline’s simpler style of spiritualism and LSS’s penchant for more flamboyant displays of the afterlife.

In terms of the characters, I didn’t love Lenna’s rigidity in logic and science, but I think that was developed more as the novel went on. I appreciated that the romance highlighted the difficulty women went through in society to hide their true selves, but I didn’t really feel the chemistry between the two as much as I wanted.

Penner employed some twists and turns that, for the most part, I did not see coming. The last quarter of the book flew, and the ending, in particular, I enjoyed. I would definitely recommend this book if you like atmospheric mysteries with a tinge of historical fiction.

Much thanks to Sarah Penner, NetGalley, and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Park Row for an ARC copy of the novel in exchange for my honest review.

I was so excited when I learned that Sarah Penner was releasing another book. I adored the Lost Apothecary, and could not wait to read another story written by this author.

Sarah Penner’s latest book, the London Séance Society, takes place in 1873 London (and France), and looks at the mysterious world of the occult and supernatural. Lenna Wickes’ younger sister was murdered a few months before the start of the book, and Lenna goes to Paris in hopes of learning from the renowned spiritualist Vaudeline D’Allaire. Lenna hopes that with Vaudeline’s help, she can gather the skills necessary to solve her sister’s murder. Lenna and Vaudeline are soon called back to London to solve the murder of Vaudeline’s friend and founder of the London Séance Society, Mr. Volckman. Once there, Lenna learns that her sister may not have been the person she thought she was and that her death might be connect to that of the late Mr. Volckman. Lenna is determined to find answers to her sister’s life and death, but the risk to her own life increases with each new secret she uncovers. Will Lenna find out who killed her sister or will she fall victim to her killer… I guess you will just have to read to find out!

Sarah Penner did a wonderful job of crafting this story so that it pulls the reader in. All of the details felt so intentional, and it was clear that she put thought and research into so many choices along the way. I did think there was a lot of ground work made for the twists, so it wasn’t all that shocking. Nonetheless, the ending itself was great and full of the tension this type of ending thrives on. I really enjoyed this story and am excited to read what comes from this author next!

Read if you like:
🕯historical fantasy
🕯gothic fiction
🕯LGBTQ romance
🕯murder mystery
🕯ghosts/ spirits
🕯unreliable narrator

I was a fan of the first book this author wrote and even though it was a struggle to get into but readers warned me to push through and it was definitely worth it. This one also started slow and pretty much never recovered. The sentiment is impeccable and the message is important. The author has shining moments in this book that needed more of that. The only reason I finished this was because I was on a long flight. Even in the beginning with similar names between sister and friend was confusing for half the book. I hated the alternate POV and I’m usually a fan an unreliable narrator. I will continue to root for this author but I don’t know that I would pick up the next on. Thanks to NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my v honest review

In a Nutshell: Great concept, average execution. Entertaining if you can keep your logic aside.

Story Synopsis:
Paris, 1873. Renowned spiritualist Vaudeline D’Allaire has been training her new understudy, Lenna Wickes, in the art of conducting séances. Vaudenline’s speciality is that she conjures up spirits of murder victims so that their killers can be identified.
Lenna had come to Paris on her own secret agenda – she wants to conduct a séance back in London for her younger sister Evie, who was recently found dead. Though Lenna is sceptical about the occult, she can think of no other way to find out what happened.
When Vaudeline is summoned to London to solve the murder of the chairman of The London Séance Society, both the women realise too late that the situation is more dangerous than they had assumed.
The story comes to us in the limited third person perspective of Lenna, and the first person perspective of Mr. Morley, the top-ranking member of the Society who had summoned Vaudeline to London.

Where the book worked for me:
👻 In a book that has just 5-6 main characters, it doesn’t take long to guess who the guilty party is. But even as I congratulated myself on being a smart detective, the author kept revealing greater intricacies in the crime, which I simply hadn’t imagined possible. It’s always nice to be surprised.
👻 The atmosphere, especially during the séances, is suitably creepy. I wish there were more scenes related to the seances though!
👻 The Victorian vibe is captured accurately, as is the misogynistic attitude of the “gentlemen” of that era.
👻 Except for Lenna, the women characters are quite interesting, even when they are in minor roles.
👻 I liked the comeuppance provided in the ending.
👻 The author’s note at the end of this novel is one of the most interesting I have read in recent times. It casts light not just on the Victorian beliefs regarding the spiritualists but also has a couple of surprises to offer. Don’t miss it!


Where the book could have worked better for me:
☠ Lenna isn't sketched well, and comes across as neither likeable nor sensible. She acts on her impulses without considering the long-term impact of her decision, which is quite contrary to her portrayal as a logical woman with a scientific bent of mind. (I didn’t see her using her common sense any time except in the climax.) To add to the irritation, Lenna is written as a character who thinks of physical attraction during any situation, even in the face of danger.
☠ The middle section is filled with unbelievably silly plot elements.
☠ Lust-related elements are quite common in the story. While these are justified at times, they are needlessly inserted in many scenes. The romantic track is bland, and even superfluous. The connection between Lenna and Vaudeline never feels convincing.
☠ Many plot points are left unexplained, and some scene transitions aren’t smooth. Plot holes are never welcome, especially not in a mystery.
☠ The book starts off well, but soon becomes too repetitive. It almost drags in between, causing me to feel bored. Thankfully, the final third picks up the pace once again.
☠ Mr. Morley’s pov starts off well, but soon, it follows a predictable pattern – he begins in the present and then reminisces about some event of the past in a flashback. The transition between the past and present is jumpy at times. Moreover, there is a lot of info-dumping in his pov.

All in all, this did have some entertainment value, but with so many plot holes and exaggerations, I simply couldn’t bring myself to like it more, though it should have worked perfectly for me with its theme. The book will work as a one-time read, if you remember not to overanalyse it too much.

3 stars.

My thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC of “The London Séance Society”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

I really liked the lost apothecary so I was looking forward to reading this one. I did not like this one. I just could not connect with the story. This book sounded like it was going to be great but it just was not for me.

I so loved Penner's last book that I could not wait to get my hands on this one! And while I did like it, it moved quite a bit slower than "The Hidden Apothecary" and didn't quite hook me from the beginning. I feel as though the topics of seances and the afterlife and spirits are so mysterious that they would HAVE to create a fascinating read. But alas, I did not love this one.

Lenna Wickes has lost her sister Evie, after she was murdered in London. Lenna travels to France to work with Vaudeline D'Allaire, a renowned spiritualist Evie was training under. Lenna and Vaudeline use seances to solve murders by connecting with the victims. While Lenna is skeptical, she wants to understand the process to help solve her sister's own murder. She sees a chance when Vaudeline is invited back to London by Mr. Morley, the Vice President of the titular London Seance Society. With two murders to solve and the all-male Seance Society making their job more difficult, Lenna and Vaudeline have a large challenge in uncovering the secrets of the Seance Society.

I enjoyed a lot of what Sarah Penner did in this book. As she reveals in the author's note, the Seance Society and her process of conducting a seance are her own creation, but she does a great job of exploring Victorian Society and the role of women within it. Penner does a great job balancing her characters and the broader setting of 1870s London with its secret societies. It is a fun piece of historical fiction with an intriguing central mystery. While the book's middle drags somewhat, it builds to a very exciting climatic seance, with plenty of twists and revealed secrets that prevented me from putting the book down. I also loved the relationship between Lenna and Vaudeline and how it progresses throughout the novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

After the death of her sister, Lenna Wickes decides to learn the art of performing seances in order to get some answers. After traveling to France to find the famed spiritualist, Vaudeline D’Allaire, the two team up to uncover the mystery surrounding the death of The London Seance Society's president. Along the way, Lenna discovers the ways her sister Evie may have been connected to the shady things happening within The London Seance Society.

Overall, this book was enjoyable and made me want to keep reading to figure out what was going to happen next. There were a few reveals that I had been able to figure out early on while other twists took me by surprise. I enjoyed the sapphic representation in the historical setting as well as learning about the seances and how they were performed. The thing that stood out to me the most was Lenna's love and grief for her sister and in my opinion were the best written parts and I wish we could've gotten a little more of that throughout the book.

There were only a few things I didn't love so much. The first being the villain having a huge birthmark on his face. Why was that necessary? It played no role in the plot and I don't like the insinuation that a port-wine stain means someone is evil/untrustworthy. A poor choice for his character in my opinion. I would've enjoyed the birthmark being included in the story (as someone with a family member who has one) if it had been the way Evie could be recognized instead of her blue eyes. Unique physical characteristics should not ever be linked to evil. Period.

Lastly, there was a distinct lack of Seances for the book to be following two women who perform seances. I expected to see at least one or two more but in the end it did make sense why there weren't more.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with the eARC of this book.

3.25 stars

Set mainly in 1873 London, The London Séance Society follows esteemed medium Vaudeline D’Allaire and her understudy Lenna Wickes (one of our POVs) as they are called to London from Paris by Mr Morley (our other POV), the vice-president of the London Séance Society. The president and founder of the Society was murdered, and Vaudeline's expertise is required to find out who killed him. Lenna's sister was killed in London as well, and she's hoping Vaudeline will be able to help perform a séance to solve that crime while in town. As the story unfolds we find things are not as they seem within the Society - and things really take a turn.

Penner does a great job of showing how a woman could excel and rise above her station (and the patriarchy) in 1800s London. Women really are the heroes of this story, and I loved the spooky, gothic atmosphere this book held on to. I think the mystery throughout the book wasn't enough to keep my focus, and I wish there was more time to really spend time with our main characters. I think Vaudeline and Lenna are both interesting, but as the plot drives forward we aren't given enough time to really get attached to them.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I wanted to love this one, but it took a long time for me to feel invested in the characters. I flew through Penner's first book, The Lost Apothecary, but this one didn't do the same for me. I hid this review due to spoilers, so only read if you are ready for that.

Things I enjoyed:
- Mediumship and ultimately Lenna's realization that she is connected to spirits. I think this is how many people realize they have a gift - it's like a bolt of lightening and then everything clicks into place.
- The exchange of gifts between Lenna and her sister at the end. I thought that was beautiful.

Things I question:
- The relationship between Lenna and Vaudeline. I was literally just having a conversation with my book club yesterday about how so many lesbian relationships seem to be written into books right now. Is that convenient for these authors? Do they actually feel connection to this relationship and believe that it's driving their story forward? Honestly, in this situation, I don't think that this relationship between the two of them made any difference in the plot. It was like a throwaway addition.

Things that could have been better:
- The actual mystery. It was not a surprise when the murderer gets revealed. I would have loved some harder challenges with figuring that part out.
- I had to try so hard to get into this book and it took me almost halfway through to have any drive to pick it up. I hate saying that since I think Penner has some great ideas, and I truly believe she can do better than this.

Thank you to Legend Press and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel in exchange for an unbiased review.

Sarah Penner does it again--a great followup to the uber popular The Lost Apothocary. A spooky, mysterious page turner with some historical fiction vibes and lots of plot twists and turns. I think it will be a great beach read since you cannot put it down and will have you questioning what you really think happens when you die and if ghosts are real.
Lenna decides the only way she can find out who murdered her sister is to study the art of seance from the reknowned Madame Vaudeline as her impromptu understudy. Before long, the ladies realize that in order to get to the very bottom of the tragic death they must team up with the exclusive London based men's group-the London Seance Society and find that they are drawn into more questions with every answer.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought Lost Apothecary was amazing but this was a decent read as well. This novel focuses on the use of seances to solve murders in the 19th century. The characters were well written and the plot certainly kept me guessing. It is def a historical fiction mystery that I will recommend to my historical fiction book lovers.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. Review based on final copy. All opinions are my own.
The London Séance Society is an intriguing book exploring the landscape of Victorian-era spiritualism. I didn’t know much beyond that, except that I was already interested in reading Sarah Penner’s previous book. However, I was pleasantly surprised with the twists and the turns the book took. It also unpacks a common trope, both historically and in Victorian-era fiction, that mediums and spiritualists are charlatans, while also exploring how it’s one of the few ways women of the era could gain autonomy in male-dominated spaces.
I admit to being a tad bit confused at some of the style choices at first, especially as the blurb heavily emphasizes Lenna and Vaudeline as major characters. They are, but only Lenna is a POV character, with her chapters being told in third person. The first person Morley chapters were obviously connected, but it took time to understand the purpose of his POV, being an unreliable narrator. However, once I grasped that, it made the story all the more dark and intriguing.
Lenna herself makes for a compelling protagonist to explore the narrative through. She’s a skeptic who doesn’t fully buy into spiritualism stuff, but she’s also reckoning with grief as her sister was murdered, and Evie had been very interested in spiritualism before her death, and studied with Vaudeline. Lenna takes on an understudy/assistant role for Vaudeline in order to investigate her death. It serves as a great starting point to an unlikely, yet wonderful friendship.
I really enjoyed this book, and I’m definitely excited to read more from her. If you enjoy historical fiction with mystery elements, I recommend checking this out!

A historical fiction murder mystery with two women taking down a powerful men's organization and just a little bit of sapphic romance. Sign me up!

Our female mc Lennas younger sister has recently been murdered and Lenna goes to Paris from London to study under her sister's teacher a spiritualist named Vaudeline. Vaudeline has a reputation for solving murders using seances and bringing the victim foward to discover the truth. Meanwhile in London the London seance society is trying to solve the murder of their president. Mr Marley the society's vice president calls on Vaudeline to come back to London to help solve the murder. Vaudeline and Lenna journey back to London to try to help mr. Morely and possibly solve Lenna's sister's murder. While in London the two women will discover more secrets then they could have ever imagined and solve more murders than they ever planned.

Thanks net galley and Sarah penner for the arc!

3.5 stars rounded up. After having read and enjoyed Sarah Penner’s debut novel, The Lost Apothecary, when it was first published, I was quite excited to read her newest novel, The London Seance Society. What could be more intriguing than reading about a seance set in London during the late 1800’s? Sarah Penner skillfully brought the elements of suspense, murder, deceit, trickery and magical realism to life throughout the pages of The London Seance Society.

During that time period, it was quite common for women mediums or spiritualists to conduct seances. It was one of the few professions of the time where women were considered more adept than men to perform a proper seance. One such medium, Vaudeline D’Allaire, was living in Paris when she was requested to return to London to conduct a seance for Mr. Volckman, the former president of The London Seance Society. There had been talk and suspicion about unorthodox practices that were being carried out at The London Seance Society for some time. That was why Vaudeline had decided to return to Paris. She no longer felt safe in London.

Mr. Volckman had been murdered on All Hallow’s Eve. Vaudeline D’Allaire was known for her talents of conjuring up the spirits of murdered victims for the purpose of having them help divulge who murdered them, how they were murdered and where. She took her profession very seriously. Vaudeline D’Allaire had studied under Mr. Volckman and had known him quite well. She felt obliged to accept the request from Mr. Moray, the vice president in charge of spiritualism at The London Seance Society, and return to London to conduct the seance for Mr. Volckman, as long as her safety was protected.

Lenna Wilkes, a twenty three year old woman, who had persuaded Vaudeline to allow her to study the art of conducting a seance under her as her understudy, accompanied Vaudeline to London. Her younger sister, Evie, had been murdered on the same night as Mr. Volckman. Evie had been very interested in the study of spirits. Even though Lenna possessed more of a scientific mind, she was determined to find out what really happened to her sister that fateful night. Lenna hoped that Vaudeline would be able to conduct a seance for Evie.

The London Seance Society was told from the alternating point of views of Lenna and Mr. Moray. I was drawn into the storyline immediately and enjoyed the atmospheric effects and developing relationship between Vaudeline and Lenna. Somewhere around halfway through the story I began to loose some interest. It did pick up, though, near the end. I enjoyed Sarah Penner’s writing and choice of characters. Overall, I enjoyed reading The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner and would recommend it. I look forward to reading her next book.

Thank you to Park Row Publishers for allowing me to read The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner through Netgalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Lenna is distraught over the murder of her sister and seeks support from the famed medium, Vaudeline, to help her discover what happen to her sister.

I enjoyed Penner’s second novel more and really enjoyed the historical time period. While I do not know much about the spiritualism movement, it was an interesting backdrop to the story and I found myself wanting to learn more. I appreciated Penner’s list of references at the end! I enjoyed all of the characters and while some parts had a little too much detail, I liked the story over all and felt that it was well-paced.

More like 3.5 I had very high hopes for this book as I had enjoyed the previous book, The Lost Apothecary, so much. And maybe that's the problem. Sadly, I didn't find this book grabbed me in the same way. I didn't find the characters to be very well developed, which makes it hard to care what happens to any of them. The author did a good job with the historical research of the subject and the era, and handled them both very well within the story itself. Atmospherically it worked very well. But overall it was kind of flat and I found myself skimming a lot. Thanks Net Galley for this opportunity!