Dora Fitz-Pennington's brother is brutally murdered and with only a handful of clues to his killer, Dora must try to find out why her brother died in such horrific circumstances and of the connection to the notorious Hell Fire Club. With the help of Dr Jacob Sandys, an ex-army officer and a former opium addict they negotiate the tricky clues left behind.

The story gets off to a good start and I enjoyed trying to piece together the many parts of the mystery in order to discover just what was going on in the infamous Hell Fires caves and the significance of the clues which Dora and Jacob must solve in order to discover why the club's warden Antony Pennington met such an untimely death.

The Persephone Code is an exciting romp through the Regency world with an interesting couple of lead characters who very early on the story realise that they are attracted to one another. Dora is a feisty heroine, her acting backgrounds comes in useful and she is no shrinking violet when it comes to getting what she wants. There are more than enough twists and turns in the plot to keep you guessing and it certainly lives up to its description of The Da Vinci Code meets Bridgerton.

This book was just fine. The romance was a bit to insta-love for me and the mystery a bit complicated and unbelievable. I did like Dora as a main character.

This just wasn't the book for me.

I was intrigued by the premise "Bridgerton meets the Da Vinci Code," as those are two of my favorite shows/movies, but I felt like that was just a marketing ploy to get people to pick the book up. It was unnecessary, and I think it actually hurt the book for me.

The book was an interesting Regency era murder mystery at its core with the Illuminati and Hellfire Club mixed in and that element of it was very cool! The dialogue was a bit stiff and I did not connect with the characters as much as I wanted to. The ending was well done, and if I hadn't been so bored in the middle and also expecting some huge Bridgerton-level romance, I would have rated the book higher.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

its a long drawn out affair with hints of Bridgeton and the da vinci code but i would also add a touch of sherlock holmes into that mix.....

if you can get through it all that reading its not a bad.... i was initially drawn into the book by the way the author wrote it but as it went on and on and not much happened it started to lose my interest... but then again i like lots of action this was a romp seen through the eyes of yester years where women were things to be kept and abused with no respect for them and men were men who had all the control....

This was very exciting and engaging. It ran a bit long and some of the inner monologues were repetitive, so I think it could have benefitted from some further editing but that’s just my opinion. The story was both romantic and eww creepy - an odd combination, but it works.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

I really enjoyed this fast moving mystery. Both Dora and Jacob made great leads and the author brought the time period and characters to life. A really great read. I did feel the ending was a bit rushed but overall would highly recommend if you enjoy a light period adventure.

Thank you so much for the arc! Although an entertaining story, I did not find myself particularly attached to any of the characters. Because of this, I wasn’t particularly invested in the story or the outcome. 2.5 stars.

Wow, what an entertaining story! The Persephone Code is the first book I have ever read by Julia Golding (or any of hers under other pen names). When I saw the cover and title I was incredibly intrigued (yes, what’s on the front does matter!) and knew I had to see what story was waiting inside. I was not sure what to expect but the book blurb sounded fascinating. I had a feeling I would enjoy it, though, and I can sincerely say I did! (Thank you One More Chapter for offering me the ARC.)

I found The Persephone Code to be a riveting and intriguing fast paced tale that never let up in its surprises and challenges. I loved the characters Dora and Jacob with their clever witty banter. And their ongoing fascination with and attraction to each other. I rightfully loathed the baddies with their sarcastic and snobbish inference and their ruthless vile acts! Which means the author has done her job well on both counts. This novel with its unusual plot, peculiar settings and significant historical time period (note the war of 1812) kept me pinned with curiosity and furiously turning the pages to see what would happen next.

This story focuses on the Hellfire Caves, a place where a secret society reigned for the rich and where they carried out socially unacceptable or unsavoury acts without conscience or care. When Dora’s brother, Antony Pennington, the club’s warden, is murdered, she must try to decode a strange set of clues to uncover his mystery killer. She does this with the help of Dr. Jacob Sandys, an ex-Army officer.

Jacob is a brilliant likeable character: a real gentleman and son of a Viscount. But as kind and generous as he is, he is not perfect and has had his own demons to battle. Such as: a past opium addiction. He keeps his distance from the drug so as not to become ensnared again. He is almost successful until an incident occurs that requires him to have more confidence and strength than he feels he can muster.

Dora, on the other hand, is not perfect either and has her own secret sins. Yet together they make a marvellous team in trying to solve the mystery. Of course, they run into all kinds of trouble and dangers on their journey that left me holding my breath many times! For they get caught in a conspiracy between the legendary Illuminati and the Hell Fire Club and their lives are on the line numerous times. There is so much happening in the twisty plot with these two in their race for justice, that there never is a dull moment.

I was quite satisfied with the ending but the events just before in the caves left me uncomfortable (as they should) and I was glad to be back out in the fresh air with our hero and heroine! Ms Golding has done an excellent job with the telling of this tale and got me reading further on these secret societies: much of which is quite alarming but certainly provides some great material for a novel. I think The Persephone Code deserves five stars for it achieves what it is meant to do. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to One More Chapter and Netgalley for my review copy.

A compelling read that brings us back in history to the year 1812. It has both the Da Vinci Code vibes and Bridgerton vibes! The cover is also absolutely stunning.

When Dora's half-brother Antony is murdered she sets out to find a secret that he had entrusted to her. She is aided by Jacob, a recovering addict and former army surgeon.
I really enjoyed this book, devouring it in one day. It is set in the Regency period, a time that I enjoy reading about but would not necessarily enjoy living in. It is uncompromising, not shying away from the darker side of the times, but also has the better side of humanity included. There are many twists and turns during her search, with secrets revealed and further surprises revealed, plus a few spicy moments. Recommend for those who enjoy a romantic suspense, with a bit of history thrown in. I really hope that there will be more books with these characters.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

DNF at 28%
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for reaching out about this book. I stopped reading about 28% of the way through after taking a chance with this book. It had some good pacing for the first 15% and I was enjoying it but then I found the book lingering on events as if trying to stretch them out and I became uninterested. The way the MMC began thinking about Dora and wanting to lie in bed with her felt rushed considering they had known each other less than 12 hours and it seemed to come out of nowhere. The book as advertised as Bridgerton meeds The Da Vinci Code but that feels like a stretch to sell the book based on what is popular rather than what accurately reflects the work itself as, besides the time period, I could not find similarities to Bridgerton at all. The book lacks thrill after the first couple of chapters and didn’t stand out from other books I’ve read in that time period.

Murder mystery and The Hellfire Club in the 1880s. The initial scenes of the Hellfire Club in a cavern are horrifying. Dora attempts to find out who killed her brother, with the help of Jacob, an ex-army officer and opium addict. There seems to be a conspiracy against them and they try not to get themselves killed. I found this rather slow, though everything connected at the end.

This book was not for me. I loved the writing style, and the characters but I think the slower style of story isn't for me. This book had a lovely premise, I just didn't get the same enjoyment that another reader would probably get.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for this e-arc.

After the murder of her brother in the infamous Hellfire Caves, Dora, partnered with an ex-army officer named Dr. Jacob Sandy’s, must follow clues to decipher who murdered her brother.

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5 (rounded up to four on NetGalley and Good Reads) ⭐️

This was a fun story to read. The murder mystery element was written nicely as everything was connected and explained well!

I liked both Dora and Jacob, however, there romance felt rushed in my opinion. One minute they don’t exactly have much of a connection and then the next they are kissing.

Some points of the story felt slow and others felt fast so for me the pacing was a bit off. A lot happened and then nothing happened at the same time.

The voice was written well and definitely sounded like the era it was trying to be!

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

In The Persephone Code by Julia Golding Dora is an actress in the 1800s when she is told by Dr. Jacob Sandy’s an ex military man and opium addict that her brother has died this will begin an adventure as they are continuously set a upon by men who seemingly want them dead. At first they have no clue as to who would want their end but when they finally arrive up north and Dora reads the letter left for her by her brother Anthony she knows his death must have something to do with it. First however she’ll have decipher the riddle he left in his letter with the assistance of Mr. Layton the local priest her and Jacob do their best to investigate and soon they learned her brother‘s death is just the latest in a series of unexplained murders. They also learn whoever is out to kill them has arrived up north and tries to stop them at every turn. Jacob has done very well staying away from opium but it seems there are those who are more than happy to help him partake in this addiction right when they learn what they’re up against. They also learn that Dora is their necks intended victim. This conspiracy is way bigger than Dora and Jake up could’ve imagined and despite their attraction to each other it seems they’re too busy trying to stay alive to cultivate the romance. Will they live long enough to explore those feelings or will this be their first and last adventure? This was an awesome book I wish I could read this book or a book just like it 10 more times Dora is so cunning and intelligent she is definitely my favorite character in a very long time I absolutely love her so much and Jacob made for a great companion if you love historical fiction with a dash of romance, secret societies and situations you think they’ll never get out of you’ll definitely love The Persephone Code with the great plot in a writing style that compells you to continue reading you can’t go wrong this is a great book in a book I absolutely am gaga over. I want to thank Harper Collins UK, the author Julia Golding and Net Galley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

SO good. Lived up to - and exceeded - my memories of loving Golding’s Cat Royal books when I was a teenager. From the ending I assume there will be a sequel and I cannot wait. Kept me guessing all the way up until the end and the romance was believable and hot.

Thanks to NetGalley, Julia Golding, and HarperCollins UK, and One More Chapter for allowing me to read an advanced copy of The Persephone Code.

I was initially excited by the description thinking it was a cross between Bridgerton and The Da Vinci Code. That, however, was a way far off comparison. There wasn't anything that really stood out as being exciting. It was overall kind of dull. I did not find the characters interesting either.

As some other people have mentioned, I was drawn in by the Bridgerton comp, but it seemed to be a far cry from that. It was hard to be invested when the stakes for the MC are “I have to go because friendship.” And the whole delivering the message scene was so off-putting, I couldn’t continue.

This book is probably fine for its target audience. But the comparison to Bridgerton is inaccurate and attracts the wrong readers. I think I might have enjoyed the story if I’d finished the book, but the tone and the writing style didn’t appeal to me. Fans of Bridgerton and other historical romance are looking for a high level of emotion, and that’s missing here.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC

I wanted to love this book, it just wasn't for me. I think the description is a bit off. I wouldn't compair this to Bridgerton.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for an arc. All opinions expressed are my own.