Member Reviews
I previously read The Club, which was also written by husband and wife writing duo, Ellery Lloyd, but didn't love it. But once again, I was sucked in by a stunning cover and an intriguing description. Sadly, this was another book that just wasn't for me.
This novel is told in 3 timelines, which I found confusing and ultimately hard to follow. This book got great reviews, and I can understand why. It really is beautifully written. Maybe if I was more of an art enthusiast, I would have gotten more into this one, but I felt a bit bored and had trouble understanding what was going on with the shifting timelines.
If you are an art lover and enjoy historical fiction, this might be the read for you. For me, I think I've determined that maybe Ellery Lloyd just isn't my jam.
Rating: 2.5 / 5
A female painter dies in a house fire in the 1930s after painting her masterpiece. In the 1990s two college students think they have found her painting but someone has been trying to keep it hidden. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was my first time reading Ellery Lloyd, and I received The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby as an ARC from NetGalley. The novel presents an intriguing narrative that blends historical fiction with mystery and suspense. The plot is engaging, with multiple timelines that add depth and complexity to the story. The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby by Ellery Lloyd is a historical mystery that spans three distinct time periods. In 1938, British expatriate Juliette Willoughby exhibits her only painting at the International Surrealist Exhibition in Paris, only to mysteriously withdraw it before perishing in a fire with her artist lover. Fifty years later, two Cambridge art history students uncover evidence suggesting the fire was no accident, threatening to expose dark secrets about Juliette's aristocratic family. In the present day, Caroline Cooper, a renowned expert on Juliette's work, is in Dubai to authenticate the recently resurfaced painting, "Self-Portrait as Sphinx," which was auctioned for a staggering sum. The novel weaves together themes of love, obsession, and the often-overlooked contributions of women in the art world. The character development is solid, particularly with Juliette and Caroline. Juliette's tragic story and Caroline's quest to uncover the truth are compelling and well-executed. However, the constant switching between timelines and narrators can be disorienting at times, making it challenging to stay fully immersed in the story. The twists and turns throughout the novel keep the reader guessing, but some plot developments feel a bit forced and could have been more seamlessly integrated. The ending, while satisfying, leaves a few questions unanswered, which might be frustrating for some readers. Overall, The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby is a decent read with a unique premise and well-drawn characters. Despite its flaws, it shows promise for Ellery Lloyd as a writer. I'm curious to see how their storytelling evolves in future works. #netgalley #thefinalact
A captivating and complicated thriller that weaves mystery, art, history, and suspense. The story is rich and reminiscent, seamlessly shifting between the past and present to create a compelling narrative. There are twists and turns as Caroline uncovers dark family secrets. What was the truth behind Juliette’s death?
Many thanks to Harper and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.
I'm always in for a mystery with multiple timelines. The novel first takes place in the late 1930s in Paris, with our main characters, two surrealist artists, Juliette Willoughby and her married lover Oskar Erlich. There was a fire that took place at her studio, in which Juliette and Oskar both pass away. The other timelines are the early 90s at Cambridge, where students are studying her art, and discover information that may prove this fire was not accidental at all, and present day.
While entertaining, it seemed like the author couldn't decide whether this book was supposed to be a historical fiction novel or more of a thriller/mystery, so both seemed to be a bit lacking. I'm not big into historical fiction or the art world, so I don't think this book was meant for me, but could be for someone else. I was not eager to pick this book up, but but I did enjoy how the different storylines came together in the end.
If you want to curl up with a good mystery, this is the book for you! This is a story told across three timelines and three locations – modern day Dubai, 1990’s Cambridge, and 1930’s Paris. From the very beginning the plot had me hooked. It is a story about 2 art students, a valuable painting and Juliette Willoughby’s legacy. It is well written with clever twists, layers of intrigue and moments that make that reader go “Ah!” 5 stars!
I had no idea what to expect from this book and wow is all I can say. It starts out as a story about art students at Cambridge and turns into something much more, but I do not want to spoil it for anyone so just read it - you will not want to put this book down!
Thank you Netgalley and Harper Publishing for the digital ARC.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper for providing me with an eARC of The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby in exchange for my honest review!
Having previously clicked with Ellery Lloyd's other books, People Like Her and The Club, I'm glad that this latest book from the author duo becomes another winner. It ambitiously pursues a narrative with plenty of moving parts by hopping between different timelines and POVs, and it uses all of this material to flesh out what's happening in the present, what happened in the past, and how those two things are tightly interconnected. It's ultimately a story about the ways in which our society ignores women and the positive contributions they make, about the journeys that artwork goes on throughout their lifetime and around the globe, and about the nuances of dysfunctional families. There's one point in particular where this hits me with a crucial twist, and hooboy, what a satisfying moment that was.
Overall, I'm officially rating The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby four out of five stars. I'll continue to look forward to more of Ellery Lloyd's work.
Thank you Harper and NetGalley for the eARC of The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby. All opinions in this review are my own.
I can see why people like this book, but unfortunately, I just don't think this author is for me. I found the timelines to be very unbalanced. I feel like I needed more of Juliette in the past to better understand why these college students were so focused on her. I do like how everything came together in the end, but after reading two books that I didn't love, I think I have to admit that this is not the author for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review an advanced copy of this novel. I highly enjoyed it and will be recommending it.
Fantastic! I absolutely loved this novel about an artist/painting from two different time periods this is the first novel I’ve read by Ellery Lloyd, but I hope it won’t be the last. Well, written and very well developed characters. Highly recommend.
I enjoyed this book, I liked the mystery aspect as well as the historical fiction mixed with present day intrigue. I was confused at times and did find the book hard to follow once a certain storyline was introduced, but it all came together in the end - with a twist I was not expecting! I would recommend this book.
One of the most uniquely beautiful books I’ve read this year. I can’t recommend this enough it was perfection.
Oh my goodness I’m obsessed with how this book was written! I was absolutely gripped from the very first page through to the last! I couldn’t put it down and devoured it so fast! I loved the alternating pov between characters and how everything flushed out at the end! No loose ends and what a fantastic ending!!! My jaw is still on the floor!!!
In the 1930’s Juliette Willoughby was a well known artist who disappeared, here today gone the.next. Two art history students in the present aim to discover what happened to her famous painting which disappeared in the hope of finding the tale of the artist. What follows is a fascinating story about art history, auctions, and study. A fascinating story of women artists and those that revere and loathe them. It’s a mystery, a murder in the middle there, and a literary masterpiece. Loved it.
It took me a long time to read this book because I thoroughly enjoyed it. I enjoyed learning about the art business, the surrealists, and the current inflation of art prices. It was also interesting on how the authors wrote in their own voices as different characters-something I learned at the book’s conclusion. It was very effective.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.
I just couldn't get into this one. I think I gave up about 25% in. I found the pacing to be slow and the characters weren't interesting. Maybe I'll pick it back up one day.
TL;DR: as someone who absolutely devoured Ellery Lloyd’s last book, the deliciously fun THE CLUB, I had high expectations for their latest, and let me tell you: I was not disappointed. Part murder mystery, part family drama, the book is about two art students who decide to investigate the mysterious death of a female painter who died in a fire, along with her most important painting. As the students begin to fall for one another and pull the thread on what happened to the painter, scandals and schemes and cover-ups begin to come to light. This is a smart, sexy, and very clever read, and one more people should be talking about. If you finish GOD OF THE WOODS, and are looking for something similar, I highly recommend THE FINAL ACT OF JULIETTE WILLOUGHBY!
This book was gripping and hard to put down. It didn't feel like everything else you see out there, it felt very fresh. I really enjoyed this book!
I was sort of expecting to be blown away by this book based on how much hype it’s getting, and it’s a good story to be sure, though I can’t say there was much here that we haven’t seen before.
This is well-paced and the mystery and it’s solve are both intriguing and satisfying, and the book gets a lot of points from me for putting together two central characters where the dynamic between them is as interesting as their role in the greater plot.
There are multiple faked deaths in this, which bugged me a little because it felt like getting hit with the same twist multiple times, though these did add up well with where the story needed to go.
The setting and sense of place here is pretty well rendered (Cambridge more so than Dubai), and the “lost painting” component of this doesn’t feel shopworn at all despite how trendy and common it is to books in this genre.
In all, a good quality mystery/thriller and an enjoyable read.