I really enjoyed this turn-of-the-century Australian historical fiction.
I recommend for fans of Kate Morton, Beatriz Williams, & Kate Quinn as this author employs a similar format of multiple timelines and POVs that weave together at the end and reveal the answer to a mystery. I was kept guessing about the resolution until the very end.
Some readers may feel that it is slow-moving at times, and the sheer number of details sometimes felt a bit clunky.
But I loved that it was totally clean! No language and no bedroom scenes.
So if you’re looking for an immersive historical story, that has a unique element like Monarch Butterfly study and migration, this could be a great book to try!

I received a complimentary ebook in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Overall rating: 4.5 ⭐

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I have always been fascinated with butterflies as they are a sign of new beginnings and transformation, so I figured this book would be right up my alley. This book is so much more than just collecting butterflies. Tea Cooper has taken from actual history and weaved it together with fiction to create this mesmerizing, yet heartbreaking, tale. Told from two different timelines spanning 50 years, it seems at first that they are not related, but they twist and turn and come together to make this amazing story. If you are a fan of historical fiction, you are going to want to get your hands on this one.

- DNF’d
- Missing Infant/ Kidnapping

This is an unfair review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Muse for an ARC of The Butterfly Collector by Tea Cooper

I deeply apologize however my life circumstances changed after requesting this book (New Mom Here) and the missing infant/kidnapping aspect of the plot was too “triggering” or difficult for me to continue reading at this time. However, I do have every intention of reading this at a later date (once the Hormones aren’t in full swing). That which I did read was remarkably good, I loved the dual timeline aspect of the story. Again I am sorry to the publisher that I was unable to review this book at this time or in the near future.

Both of the timelines in this novel told interesting stories. The earlier history (the Butterfly story) is set in the mid 1800's. It is a story of natural historians, unwed mothers and baby farmers. The later story is set in the aftermath of World War I, and involves a female journalist, newly unemployed to make a job for a returning soldier. I her quest for a freelance story to interest her publisher, she begins to investigate the Treadwell Foundation, a home for unwed mothers. That investigation overlaps with her own family in interesting ways.

Good historical fiction takes you to another place and time, and hopefully engrosses and enlightens you. I really enjoyed learning about these periods in from Australia's past.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Butterfly Collector by Tea Cooper is a gorgeously written, spellbinding and intriguing dual timeline Historical Fiction with bits of mystery and snippets of romance.

In 1868 Australia illustrator Theodora makes the discovery of her lifetime and details her findings to two women in the field of botany. What she learns could change the future of butterfly knowledge. Her companion Clarrie and her husband's son disappears which leaves the household aghast and grief stricken. Theodora does everything in her power to help.

Later, in 1922, Verity is mysteriously sent a costume to wear to a ball. As a journalist at heart (and the daughter of a known journalist) she is very curious. She accepts the commission to write about the history of prominent Treadwell Foundation. But what she finds is far more than she had imagined. Though tragedy is involved, the two stories intertwine in such a lovely way.

My favourite aspect of the story is the butterfly content, very original and fascinating. I also like that as in real life, her characters are flawed and relatable in ways. Class and social differences always pull me in and keep me connected.

If Historical Fiction is your wheelhouse, do not miss this one. Tea Cooper is an auto-read author for me. She somehow manages to capture the spirit of the time(s) she is writing about, clearly writes with thoughtful research and her heart is in it. Mine was, too. Do be sure to read the author's notes about her nonfiction and fictional inspiration.

My sincere thank you to Harper Muse and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this evocative novel.

The Butterfly Collector by Tea Cooper is three different stories all connected and all rolled up into a good novel. First in 1869 we meet Sid and Clarrie. They are a young couple trying to establish a good life for themselves and their unborn son. We also met the Breckenridge sisters, members of a prominent family. Finally, in 1922 we are introduced to Verity Binks a struggling newspaper woman. All these individuals come together to help solve a 70-year mystery involving a baby selling/adoption ring. This novel kept me guessing to the very end trying to figure out who was involved/guilty and who was not. A good read.

Hidden pasts!

Tea Cooper has an uncanny ability to join a story by threads of happenstance across several generations. This time in Morpeth, NSW (Australia). The story is connected by the central idea of a delicate painting of the first discovery of the Wanderer Butterfly, painted and researched by Theodora Breckenridge(unacknowledged of course!)
Add into this the tragedy of baby farms, stolen children and a woman who orchestrated these things, and we have a stunning expose across time delving into just exactly what happened in the Morpeth community between 1868 and 1922.
In 1922 Verity Binks, a struggling reporter and the daughter of the a now deceased war correspondent, is invited to write a piece about a charity, the Treadwell Foundation. The mover behind the organization is David Treadwell, husband to Theodora’s sister Florence . It’s in Treadwell’s home that Verity first sees the stunning painting of the Wanderer Butterfly.
As the circle closes it appears Verity’s grandparents came from Morpeth where the butterfly was painted.
I love the way Cooper’s writing transverses the Australian historical landscape as she weaves her storytelling magic.
Sublime descriptions of gardens lush and heavy with perfumed anticipation contrast against the fractured lives of the women and babies that intrude into a harsh reality. Darkness hides amongst them. Mystery and tragedy beckons!
Another heart stopping treat from Tea Cooper!

A Harper Muse ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

This moves between 1868 and 1922 and twines several stories together, not entirely successfully but nonetheless compulsively readable. Verity in 1922 finds herself researching the mysterious Treadwell Foundation after being sent an outfit and an invitation to a masked ball, where she also meets some dressed as a troubadour. She heads to Morpeth, where in 1868, Sid and Clarrie are in love and pregnant without being married or able to afford their own housing. Theodora is left at home when her sisters head off to Sydney but that's not a problem because she's focused on the butterfly she's found and the drawings she's making. And there's Redmond. As others have noted, this really isn't about collecting butterflies (although they do figure in the romance between Redmond and Theodora) and it's more of a mystery about, well, over to the reader to uncover. I suspect others will also sense how the kindly babysitter keeps her charges quiet. Some of this is a stretch, some of it is melodramatic. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Don't miss the afterword.

"A botanical illustration of a butterfly, a missing baby, and a twisty mystery fifty years in the making.

1868, Morpeth. Theodora Breckenridge, still in mourning after the loss of her parents and brother at sea, is more interested in working quietly on her art at the family's country estate than she is in finding a husband in Sydney society, even if her elder sister Florence has other ideas. Theodora seeks to emulate prestigious nature illustrators, the Scott sisters, who lived nearby. She cannot believe her luck when she discovers a butterfly never before seen in Australia. With the help of her maid Clarrie and her beautiful drawings, Theodora is poised to make a scientific discovery that will put her name on the map. Then Clarrie's newborn son goes missing and everything changes.

1922, Sydney. When would-be journalist Verity Binks is sent an anonymous parcel containing a spectacular butterfly costume along with an invitation to the Sydney Artists Masquerade Ball the same day she loses her job at The Arrow, she is both baffled and determined to attend. Her late grandfather, Sid, an esteemed newspaperman, would expect no less of her. At the ball, she lands a juicy commission to write the history of the Treadwell Foundation, an institution that supports disgraced young women and their babies. As she begins to dig, her research quickly leads her to an increasingly dark and complex mystery - a mystery fifty years in the making. Can she solve it? And will anyone believe her if she does?"

Firstly, I am totally obsessed with Australia at the moment. Add to that a twisty historical mystery and I am all in.

The Butterfly Collector is a historical fiction novel that is set in Australia in the late 1800s and the early 1900s. The timeline goes between 1868 and 1922 with two (2) strong female characters. A botanical illustration of a butterfly leads would-be journalist Verity Banks from Sydney to Morpeth which leads to her uncovering a missing baby and a fifty year old mystery that somehow involves her family.

I felt that the first few chapters were a little slow, but then it built (in a slow burn) to more and more action. I like the dual-timeline aspect to the story. We are introduced to Clarrie, Theodora and Redmond in 1868 and to Verity and Arlo in 1922. I found that after the first few chapters, the stories started to intertwine more and you could tell that there was a connection between the timelines. Tea Cooper created a beautiful story that incorporates history, intrigue and mystery and of course a dash of romance. The character development was excellent and Tea Cooper did a great job of bring to life the past and make you ache to be where the characters were.

Thank you NetGalley, Harper Muse and Tea Cooper for the eARC of The Butterfly Collector in exchange for an honest review.

Publication date for The Butterfly Collector by Tea Cooper is 28 November 2023.

Tea Cooper is a master at combining historical fiction with suspense and this was brilliant. Set in Australia with dual time periods, the character development is divine and the writing beautiful. For fans of Christina Baker Kline and Martha Hall Kelly.

The Butterfly Collector is a dual timeline historical fiction novel that has a lot of promise but ultimately falls short.

In one timeline, 1868, we have Theodora who is the first person in Australia to spot the monarch butterfly. We also have Clarrie who becomes employed by Theodora after being fired for being unwed and pregnant. In the next timeline, 1922, we have Verity who is a reporter who has just been fired but is investigating a story about the prominent Threadwell family.

If it sounds like there is a lot going on, that's because there is. And while a lot is going on, not a whole lot of it is interesting. Here were my frustrations:

The most interesting characters in this book are Theodora, Clarrie, and Sid. I got roped into Theodora's story because here she has discovered this new-to-Australia butterfly and where they are hibernating. We think maybe she will finally get the credit she deserves for her discovery but instead her story drops off. The focus is then on Clarrie and Sid who have just had a baby, Charlie, but have to leave it with a midwife while they both work. In the book description the reader knows that their baby goes missing. But then because of the 1920's timeline we know that even though he went missing he is quickly found as he is Verity's father. The whole time I was reading their story I was nervous that something was about to happen. Baby Charlie does not go missing until 75% into the story! And then their story just drops off.

The majority of the focus in this book goes to Verity in the 1920's timeline. Verity spends an immense amount of time trying to uncover the mystery behind the Treadwell family which is not only predictable for the reader but also completely lacks suspense. Verity herself is a boring and somewhat unintelligent character. It takes A LOT for her to put together this "mystery" and I found myself skimming.

The ending lacked any kind of climax and the "twists" were completely inconsequential.

To summarize, this book was a tedious read. The interesting characters are not given enough time and attention and the interesting plot lines just drop off abruptly. I would not recommend this book.

A dual timeline mystery/romance, the Butterfly Collector, by Tea Cooper, takes the reader to Australia before and after the turn of the twentieth century. Verity loses her job at the newspaper to returning WWI soldiers. When she receives an invitation to a ritzy costume party and butterfly costume to wear, it opens a door for her to write an article for the paper. As she investigates, she uncovers a baby selling ring that may be tied to two influential families.

Based on actual events, the reader will be swept up in the events surrounding these families and how they tie to Verity and her family. I was able to read an ARC on #NetGalley.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the ARC of The Butterfly Collector!

This is a dual timeline, multiple POV story of the discovery of monarch butterflies in Australia and baby-farming. Two highly different topics, I know. In 1868 Theodora Breckenridge is grieving the loss of her parents and brother at sea when her sisters and their housekeeper decide to go to Sydney for the season. Theodora begs to remain in Morpeth, especially after discovering a butterfly she has never seen before, and her sisters eventually acquiesce to her wishes. Also in 1868, Clarrie is the maid of all work to the local minister who sacks her after finding out she is with child. Her beau, Sid Binks, works for the local paper, which is run by a friend of Theodora's, who then puts Sid and Clarrie in connection with Theodora for her to get a position in Theodora's household.

In 1922, Sid and Clarrie's granddaughter, Verity, loses her position writing for the newspaper and then receives a mysterious invitation and costume to the upcoming masquerade ball. At the ball she is put in contact with someone from the Treadwell Foundation, a group that provides lying in services to unwed mothers.

My thoughts:

The title of the story is misleading as the story is really about baby-farming across several generations and the strain on the story to tie it all together with butterflies is obvious. The interactions by the characters two generations later with the original players seems far-fetched. My biggest complaint is that the high point of action in the 1868 storyline is abandoned and solved by the 1922 storyline. Even if this is how the author wanted to tell the story, I really wish she had at least gone back to the 1868 storyline one more time. They just felt abandoned.

All-in-all it was an interesting story but not my favorite.

It is 1865 and in Morpeth, Australia Theodora Breckenridge wants nothing more than to paint in her garden and become a nature illustrator like her friends the Scott sisters. When she discovers a butterfly that had not been recorded in Australia before she wants to paint it but struggles to find it after the first glimpse. With the help of her new maid Clarrie she sets off to find it and add her paintings of the discovery to the world but when Clarrie's baby goes missing the focus of Theodora and Clarrie changes. Who has taken the baby and will they find him before it is too late?

In 1922 Sydney Verity Binks is trying to establish herself as a journalist, like her grandfather Sid, when a mysterious butterfly costume and invitation to a ball is delivered. At the ball Verity is asked to write a piece about the Treadwell Foundation but she wants it to be more than a puff piece. As she digs for information she finds a painting of a butterfly that is just like the costume she was given. This takes her to Morpeth and leads to more questions. What is the connection between the butterfly, Morpeth, and the Treadwell Foundation?

Time in duel timelines - 1860s and 1922 -
Two women struggling in a man’s world - a story about a missing baby connects the two - and a nefarious business selling unwed mother’s babies

I love it when a book starts the chapters out with the date and the location of what is coming up. Listening via voice view it helps me keep track of the timeframe changes. This was a big pro for the story.
Quite a few characters play out the storyline and it took me a bit to catch up with who is who. Sid and Clarrie were my favorites and Theodora was a gem. The author did a lot of research, and she portrayed the life and hardships of the timeframe of 1868 rather well. I can’t imagine the ship voyages they had to go through.
My only con for the book was towards the end there was so much going on between so many characters, I had to re-read and really think about who was related to who in order to understand the finale. But it finally all came together in a satisfying way. I would highly recommend if you enjoy a well-written historical fiction with some twists and turns thrown in. Another good one from Ms. Cooper.
I was provided an uncorrected ARC from NetGalley and Harper Muse for a voluntary review if I so wished, I thank them. This is a 5-star.

Tea Cooper delivers a well researched, dual timeline historical fiction novel that focusing on a unique topic that distinguishes it from other historical fiction I’ve read. That topic, however, is probably not the one you’re expecting based off the book title and cover.

This is first and foremost historical fiction, with a bit of mystery and teeny tiny dash of romance. It is written for fans of the hist. fix. genre over mystery readers. While the mystery aspect is interesting enough, expect some coincidental and serendipitous findings more than seeking out clues and spotting red herrings.

The story is told in multiple POVs in two different years, the majority of the narration coming from Theodora and Clarrie in 1868 and Verity in the 1922. Theodora’s butterfly discovery starts off her story, it quickly becomes more of a vague side plot with the main focus (in both eras) shifting to the practice of baby farming.

What I Liked:

As seen in the historical note, this was a very well researched novel. Her description of the streets and surrounding of Sydney and Morpeth were well written.

I always enjoy having fact mixed with my fiction and it was interesting to learn about topics I wouldn’t normally research. It feels good to actually have learned something new while still enjoying a fictitious novel.

Multiple POVs allow the reader to get into the head of multiple characters, adding dimension to the story.

While the history and truth of baby farming is sad, the author dealt with the topic well and it was discussed in a way that added intrigue and interest to the plot without making it too disturbing.

The book was very clean in sexual content and language (details below)

Then ending was mostly satisfying, though I would’ve liked to have seen more details of the end of the the 1868 time line (more on that below)

The cover is BEAUTIFUL.

What I Didn’t Love:

While things pick up quite a bit with twists and turns towards the end of the book, the beginning was a bit slow to get through. I was intrigued just enough to keep reading, but enough were I was in a great hurry to find out how things end until I got to about the 70% mark.

That being said, there’s potential for confusion to keep the characters and their connections all straight. If you’re a fast reader perhaps you’ll do better than I did, but when I came back to reading after putting the book down for several days to a week, it would take me a moment to get my bearings again in the story.

While the topic discussed was interesting enough, I feel the title and cover (as beautiful as it is) are a bit misleading as the butterfly topic is not the central plot point.

The 1868 time line ends in height if action, and we find out what happen to the characters in the 1922 time line told after the fact. While this is not necessarily bad, I personally think “seeing” the closing events from those characters POV would’ve been much more exciting.

Bottom line: As for the author, I enjoy her writing style and would try her again, even though this particular book was just OK for me. Fans of historical fiction will enjoy Tea Cooper’s well researched writing. Avid mystery readers may want to look elsewhere.

Trigger/Content warnings:
Overall, a very clean book.

Sex: No sex and, now that I think of it, I don’t even remember a kiss (except for maybe a few kisses in the cheek.) However, a big topic in the story is about what happens to women who get pregnant out of wedlock and their babies. One of the important characters in the book is one of these women.

Language: a couple uses of d and h, nothing more that I can recall.

No supernatural of paranormal content.

Violence: There is a physical altercation towards the end of the book, but nothing too disturbing or graphic.

Other: Mention of babies dying and/or being disposed of during baby farming practices. It’s mentioned more than describe, again, nothing too disturbing or graphic, but it’s there.
Also, if you really love butterflies you may actually dislike this book, as some of the specimens are caught and pinned to be displayed and copied in artwork.

This is my second Tea Cooper novel and definitely not my last. With two strong women protagonists and a dual timeline story that twists and turns, as well as a heartbreaking social issue, I could not stop reading.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

A good historical novel featuring two great female characters and a double timeline.
Great storytelling and vivid historical background.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine