I had high hopes for this book as its described as Bridgerton meets The Da Vinci Code, but unfortunately it didn't work for me.

The characters are not well developed and come across as quite wooden. I didn't feel the chemistry between them and some of the terminology during the sex scene was cringy and a bit odd from a female author.

Sadly the book isn't saved by the plot, the pace is slow and unexciting. I guess the writing style was just not for me.

Thank you One More Chapter for providing me with an ARC to read and review.

thank you netgalley ,publishers and author for giving me a chance to read and review this. i really wanted to like this book ,so much that i took my time because maybe i was the one who didn’t understand what it stood for. but for a book that starts with a murder this was stiff and not that attention grabbing ,i don’t know if it’s just me but anyway 2.5 rounded up.

Historical fiction, adventure, murder and secret societies. A coded trail of clues to decipher, an indomitable heroine and an unfolding romance make this fun and diverting read one I would recommend to anyone who likes a Regency costume drama with a modern sensibility.

Anthony Pennington is found murdered, seemingly by foodpads, he has some items which need to be passed onto his illegitimate half sister, Dora who is an actress. The man tasked with this duty is Dr Jacob Sandys.

This starts a chain of events which includes the infamous Hellfire Club and an absolutely rip roaring read.

I really enjoyed this book, and look forward to more involving the two main characters

3.25 stars

While this book was slow in the beginning, it really picked up pace and left me wanting to read more. The Persephone code had rich character development with a captivating plot that I was glad that I stuck around for! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

I really enjoyed the shifting perspectives between Dora and Jacob, it enormously helped in building characters, making the story very interesting. The book gives a historical spin to a Da Vinci’s Code style mystery- and you won’t be disappointed. The plot flows well with not too many threads to follow, so you definitely feel hooked! Thanks to Net galley for sending across an advanced copy! If you have 4 hours and a cup of coffee, with a love for historical fiction, then this is your pick!

It feels strange to say a book that starts with a brutal murder and deals with the Hellfire Club and Illuminati was delightful, but there it is. This was delightful. Our flawed main characters are thrown together on a bit of a quest and then must thwart two dangerous secret societies ang bring murderers to justice. Along the way, we get a romance (and a few steamy scenes) and the promise of further developments in a sequel.

Dora is the illegitimate daughter of a wealthy merchant, born in the West Indies. Though her family pretends she's dead, she has stayed in touch with her brother while she's been acting with a traveling company. When her brother is found dead in the caves used by the Hellfire Club, the local pastor asks a friend, Dr. Jacob Sandys, to intercept Dora's theater group and notify her of the death. Jacob arrives at Dora's current theater as masked assailants are attacking Dora. They work together to escape and go on the run.

Dora and Jacob wind up fighting two sets of villains as they follow clues to solve Dora's brother's murder. There's a twist that's somewhat evident about halfway through the story, but I still enjoyed the journey towards the inevitable conclusion.

One interesting aspect of this story was the romantic subplot. The relationship between Dora and Jacob isn't slow burn, as is almost ubiquitous in historical mystery. They are attracted to each other and act on that attraction. There's a notable fade-to-black scene that serves this part of the story.

The pace is fast and the main characters are compelling. I can't wait to see what else is in store for Dora and Jacob.

This was alright. Nothing about the romance or mystery really had me hooked, I just wanted to see how it would end. Even then, it was a pretty disappointing ending for the build up for the reveal of the Hellfire Club and Anthony’s murderer. The characters were flat and uninteresting, and they had zero chemistry. I’ll never understand why characters are infatuated with each other after only knowing one another for a matter of days. I don’t know what the goal of the epilogue was. It tried to set up for another installment, but also gave nothing.

I couldn’t stop imagining that Dora the Explorer was going on this big adventure set in Stranger Things, so I guess thanks modern media for that image. This isn’t going to be the most page turning book I’ll read in 2024, but it was fairly entertaining.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was an entertaining Regency murder mystery, with powerful players with powerful secrets. Calling it Bridgerton meets The DaVinci code is honestly a disservice to the novel, as I think it sets the wrong expectations. There’s a secret club full of debauchery and blackmail, there’s Illuminati, and there’s people in power doing terrible things. I did really like both Dora and Jacob. They had great rapport and I liked how their relationship developed. The roadblocks they faced didn’t last too long to be irritating. Plus they both have shortcomings that made them feel more real. They’re both connected to the Ton while not being truly part of it.
The mystery was the biggest part of the book, and I was not expecting the Jamaica Inn style twist!
While this book ends well with no cliffhanger, it’s definitely left open for more books to follow. So I think we’ll be able to see more of Jacob and Dora in the future!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the preview. All opinions are my own.

An exquisite Regency murder mystery with Bridgerton and Da Vinci Code vibes. Loved the MCs Dora and Dr. Jacob Sandys, who team up to solve the killing of Dora's brother. Add in an infamous Hell Fire Club, the ever secret Illuminati, and one of the most gorgeous covers ever, and you've got a brilliant read!

I liked the premise of this book and couldn't wait to read it. However the writing of this book was very hard to read and the sentences felt unnecessarily long. And I love reading books like Pride and Prejudice but here it wasn't it. The book definitely needs editing or just simply a change of the writing style.

I really like the description of the book, it checks all of the boxes of what I love to read. But sadly it fell flat for me.

It took me forever to get into the book, I didn't particularly like any of the characters. They are undeveloped and the storyline could use more depth. And the writing wasn't my cup of tea.

*3.5

This book offers a captivating blend of Bridgerton charm and Da Vinci Code intrigue, set in the Regency era. While the mystery takes precedence over romance, the slow-burn love story adds depth to the plot. Dora shines as a strong, intelligent lead character. However, the pacing falters at times, with a slow start and rushed ending, along with some unnecessary moments.

I loved this book. I though the twice on the normal old English love story was amazing. This was a fun read with an amazing cast of character and honestly I can't wait to read it again.

The first chapter had my attention immediately: I had really high hopes based on this. However, it did not reach this level again. I found the subsequent early chapters a bit safe and not very enthralling.

The character development sat times felt a bit superficial. I enjoyed the premise throughout, but i didn’t feel very invested in the characters.

It was an easy read, after some intense science fiction it provided a bit of relief, but it wasn’t gripping. After a long day it was easy to read without much cognitive effort.

Beneath the hills of the Buckinghamshire countryside, a secret society meets. A playground for the idle rich to live out their debauchery, the Hellfire Club is infamous for its elite members. But when their warden, Anthony Pennington, is murdered, it becomes clear just how unethical this club really is. With Pennington gone, it’s up to his bastard sister, Dora, and an ex-army doctor, Jacob, to solve his murder and figure out what really is going on with this club and its members. But along the way, they find themselves caught in the middle of a rival between the Hellfire Club and the Illuminati.

The Persephone Code is touted as “Bridgerton meets The DaVinci Code” and while there are aspects of both, don’t expect the same caliber. While it does take place in Victorian England and it’s a mystery novel, that’s where the similarities end. The characters are underdeveloped and lack any personality. It was incredibly difficult to get into the story and find any attachment to the characters. While the plot held some promise, there was very little depth. There was an attempt at a romance aspect but it added nothing to the overall story and seemed forced between the two characters.

Aside from the issues mentioned above, the writing was fairly enjoyable if not shallow. At times it felt as if the author wanted to use an expanded vocabulary when one wasn’t needed to get the point across. If given more time, I feel like the author could have made this into an incredible adventure. But for me, it fell flat as an enjoyable mystery novel.

This is not a book I'd usually pick up. I love bridgerton series, and I enjoyed the davinici code at the time of reading, but never did I think I'd want to read a book with the two combined. I should've. The secret society, hidden romances, murder, estranged families all made it incredibly difficult to put down. The main characters, faults, quirks and all, were likeable and easy to root for, especially Dora, a strong actress, who I feel, could have easily been pushed into a high and mighty, superior and unlikable strong female personality, but had me eager to continue the book. I stayed up super late to finish it, so you best believe I will be going back for a reread to pick up any hidden gems I missed.

Thank you NetGalley for letting me get an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!!

DNF at 61%

I really tried giving the author a chance, especially since this is their first adult book. Unfortunately, the book had too many flaws, resulting in me skimming most of the book.

The book was too extended for the concept while the sentences were confusing. The characters were pretty bland, and I found no connection to either of them. And some things were weirdly objectifying to the female character. However, the concept was intriguing, and if the author put more work into it I think it could’ve managed some of the dead weight of the characters.

To summarise, I think the author needs to get more experience in the adult fiction area and get further feedback on her drafts as this was in a rough shape.

The Persephone Code is a historical romance/whodunit about a string of murders centered around the infamous Hellfire Club. Dora Fitz-Pennington is a merchant’s bastard who has turned to acting to survive without the support of her family. Dr Jacob Sandys has secluded himself in the north and given up his career as a military doctor to overcome his opium addiction. Their lives become irrevocably intertwined as they work to solve the murder of Dora’s half brother Antony, the warden of the Hellfire Club.

When I get in a reading slump, I turn to regency romances as a palate cleanser. This book met that need. I appreciated the author’s dedication to historical accuracy. When I was curious about a place mentioned in the book, I could easily find pictures to help me visualize.

I enjoyed the book until the last third. I was disappointed by the choices the MMC made in the end. I understand they were supposed to show that he is a flawed human being, but they just felt so sudden and unnecessary. His choices undid any character development I had seen in the book. The book ends very abruptly. I went back and forth a few times trying to see if I missed a page. I am rooting for the FMC, so I plan to pick up the next installment.

Thank you one More Chapter and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and to HarperCollins for the ARC of The Persephone Code by Julia Golding in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I think I've made the same mistake twice in the past few weeks or reading books described as "Da Vinci Code" or "National Treasure" esque adventures with female leads.

When I hear "Da Vinci Code" I automatically know not to expect a super strong focus on character - Dan Brown is praised for the action, non-stop pace of his stories and has never been known for having characters any thicker than a cardboard Amazon box. Dora and Jacob suffer from a similar plight, but, unfortunately, the plot then does not make up for it. She and Jacob also fall into insta-love and are completely distracted by thinking about how much they want each other to protect themselves as appropriate. The range of the story only takes about two weeks and there are two sections where they each "break" their trust in the other and will focus on "rebuilding it" -- you haven't known each other long enough to know why either of you are making those actions let alone talk like it has been the greatest disappointment of your life.

Also, please note that there is a sequence of chapters where Dora is in danger of or prevents getting sexually assaulted by multiple different men and at no point is that reflected on or play any factor in her and Jacob wanting to have sex with each other. Every single one of those attempts seemed unnecessary to the larger plot --- rape is not a casual side event and I have a hard time trusting any author that chooses to use that as an unnecessary plot device.

For the story itself...there was both a lot and not a lot happening for large chunks of time and it felt like a lot of the cascading plot points were more stacked "got-ya" moments as opposed to things related to history or the mystery of the book. I think it seemed like Golding wasn't sure if she wanted a romance-centric story, a historic fiction novel or an adventure story, so we got a mash-up of all three that doesn't align with the thin characters well enough to meet any of the genres by half.