I love to discover new things when I read historical fiction, and with this one I have had a lot of data with which to spend it interesting.

A story told in two tenses, a trope often used in this genre, but both tenses are in the past, one in 1808 and the other in 1908, we are transported to Australia and with them the discovery of the Platypus. I'll be completely honest, in my head only the song of Perry the Platypus was playing (very millenial and Disney girl of me, I know).

The touch of mentioning what the world of science and many of its different branches was like in those years, has delighted me (I've always loved science, even though I didn't have the opportunity to pursue a career in any of its fields), so I greatly enjoy it when I read historical fiction that touches on such topics.

We have two independent women with strong characters who seek to excel in their respective fields.

I loved all the research that went into the story, so I felt like I was part of the moment, a reading experience that I love to live.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this amazing ARC.

#TheNaturalistsDaughter #NetGalley

Well, this friends, was an unexpected delight of a read. I really enjoy a good historical fiction to break up some of the heavier fantasy worlds I like to dive into and man, this one was just what I was looking for. If you enjoy dual timeline stories and loveable characters, put this one on your list.

In these pages we have two different timelines, both with strong female characters that are fighting to learn the truth in a world that isn't ready to handle opinionated women who speak up for themselves. I LOVED all of it.

I can’t talk about this one without mentioning how much I loved that this story featured the history of the platypus. Don’t let that throw you off. It is such an interesting and loveable addition, keeping me intrigued even more. This was a little bit of history I knew nothing about prior to reading this, adding to my love of this book. It still makes me smile just thinking about it.

Tea Cooper’s writing is something special. The way the plot moves along at the perfect pace mixed with characters you want to know more about from the very beginning makes for such an enjoyable read. This was my first Tea Copper book, and I can honestly say it will not be my last. If you enjoy this genre, she is one to watch.

I love when one of my fascinations ends up in a book and a complete story is wrapped up in it. Who has not been curious about the platypus. A mammal that nurses its young, hatches from an egg, and has a duck bill. It is a creature that brings out the curiosity in anyone. Such is the case with this book. Told in dual timelines, one hundred years apart. Told through two amazingly strong women, who are way ahead of their times. Willing to risk everything to get the truth out to the world.

Rose Winton helps her father observe the platypus, take detailed notes, sketches, and creates incredibly detailed watercolors in their natural environment. Her father's goal is to give his paper in front of the Royal Society in England. He is over the moon about his invitation and when he is unable to go, Rose steps in to make the 150-day journey aboard a ship from Australia to England. What Rose was not prepared for was the deeply hidden family secrets that are ripped from the earth. Making her mind spin and makes her question her entire world.

One hundred years later, Tasmin Alleyn is working in the Public Library. She is being sent to authenticate a sketchbook that is being donated to the library. Tasmin has been trying to uncover anything she can about the naturalist, Charles Winton. She knows his discoveries on the platypus need to be celebrated in the way they should have been 100 years ago. What she finds when she reaches Wollombi is a disaster. The woman who was making the donation has passed and her daughter wants to sell everything. Her mother's estate and everything inside the mansion. Including the sketchbook. As Tasmin sets her determination to find out the truth about the book, she uncovers so much more about the Winton family and her own.

This book is phenomenal, as with all of Tea Coopers reads. The characters are meticulously crafted. The setting is detailed and described in such a way that you find yourself sitting beside the stream watching a platypus swim around, scratching his belly. There is way more to this book than what meets the eye. The mysteries tare hip deep and will send you on a wild goose ride. The ending of the book will leave you in shock. Thank you to Tea Cooper and Harper Muse for my gifted copy of this fantastic read.

I voluntarily received a complimentary e-copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts below are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.
I actually really enjoyed this book! It was definitely scientific at times because it is based around the discovery of the platypus (even uses Latin familial names in the book). While it had its slow times throughout the book, there were several times that a plot twist or mystery came up and I was excited to see what would happen. Definitely a mature teen/adult read, but I thought it was a good mix of history, science and discovery.

In 1808, Rose embarks on a journey to share her father’s groundbreaking research into the platypus. A century later, Tamsin uncovers hidden truths within the sketchbook’s pages. Together, their stories reveal a captivating tale of scientific discovery, family secrets, and the enduring power of knowledge.

This book is highly entertaining, yet also provides insights into the unique history of the platypus. I loved the characters—they’re likable. relatable, and deeply committed to sharing knowledge with the world. The author did a great job of bringing to life the dual time periods and the varied settings, while interweaving the romance and mystery plots.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

With stories set a century apart, Tea Cooper delivers a great dual-timeline novel with “The Naturalist’s Daughter,” a story that is filled with mystery while taking on an interesting topic — the platypus.

In 1808, Rose Winton helps her father, naturalist Charles Winton, research the platypus, discovering facts and features about the elusive animal not yet known to the scientific world. When Charles is injured, he asks Rose to travel from Australia to England to present their knowledge to the scientific community.

Relying on unknown relatives, Rose is sucked into a warped and twisted world that shows no respect for her or her father’s findings. With only the help of Finneas Methenwyck, a connection to the family, can she save their reputation?

In 1908, Tamsin Alleyn has stumbled upon a very important scientific journal that could make major waves in the world of science. But as she tries to acquire it for the Public Library of New South Wales, she faces challenges from the owner’s daughter. However, when one of the daughter’s solicitors, Shaw Everdene, gets involved, can Tamsin trust his help, or is he there to hinder?

As the stories of Rose and Tamsin intertwine, Cooper goes a great job of blending two stories into one, all while leaving the reader guessing as to its resolution. She creates deeply intriguing characters, while reminding us of the power of family, loyalty and love.

Fans of historical novels, scientific discovery stories, dual-timeline novels, and authors like Kate Morton and Amanda D*kes will love “The Naturalist’s Daughter,” which is due out Aug. 20.

One disclaimer: the book does contain some mild occasional cursing.

Five stars out of five.

Harper Muse provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

historical-novel, historical-places-events, historical-research, historical-romance, history-and-culture, Australia, Australian-author, 1808, 1908, family-drama, family-dynamics, family-history, not-TTS-enabled, rural, saga*****

This is a fantastic saga of specific women in a scientific episode of Australian history as imagined by the author. All I can say is that it was wonderful and kept drawing me back into it whenever I had a chance to sit down and read.
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from HarperCollins Focus | Harper Muse via NetGalley. Thank you

First, Thank you to NetGalley for the eArc in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

I seem to have been pulled lately to family histories, and this was a wonderful one! I've not read many books that centered around Australia, especially the early years. We begin in 1809, in a very small town, but our family is definitely rural. Pa is a naturalist, a studier of all things in nature, a man of science. And as a man of science, he knows to document every little thing. Currently, that thing is the mallangong. He takes his daughter of his heart, Rose, out with him, teaching her the ways of science along the way, which is unheard of.

Fast forward 100 years, a young woman named Tasmin is researching the naturalist, Charles Winston (Pa). She too is on a rebellious path as a research librarian, a job mainly reserved for men. Tasmin is trying to protect the name of Charles Winston, proving that he had made discoveries decades before other more prominent scientists had.

The character development was phenomenal! I could picture both of our young ladies and the important men in in their lives. Descriptions were also fantastic, as I saw and was transported to the time of the stories, as if looking through a secret window. Traveling back and forth in time was done seamlessly.

All in all, I so enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading more by Tea Cooper. I'm honestly surprised that with her acclaim, I had not heard of her before!

Tamsin is a librarian in the early 1900s in Sydney, Australia. She is tasked to fetch a donated sketchbook of a naturalist from almost 100 years previous, Charles Winton. But when she arrives, the woman who is planning to donate the book has died and her daughter wants to sell the book, not donate it. In addition, the book has some sketches that don’t quite “fit”, though… ones that he may not have drawn, so where did they come from? Tamsin is able to take the book back to the library to try to figure out the provenance.

Almost 100 years earlier, Rose lives with her mother and father, Charles Winton, a naturalist studying platypus. When Winton gets sick just before leaving for England to share his information on the platypus, he sends his daughter Rose, instead. But it’s not easy to get a group of scientific men to listen to a woman, no matter how credible she is.

I really enjoyed this. I liked both timelines and both women, who fought for what they were trying to do. It got a bit confusing toward the end, but that didn’t diminish my enjoyment of the book.

In this new book by Australian writer, Tea Cooper, we meet two strong women separated by 100 years. In the past, Rose the daughter of a naturalist, goes to London to present her father's findings. In the later years, Tasmin, a librarian, is traveling to Australia to obtain a scrapbook of drawings that has been promised to her employer's library collection. The intersection of these two stories makes for an absolute fantastic read. Highly recommended, I plan to go back and read this author's other books.

I would like to preface by stating that Tea Cooper is a talented author and writes beautifully. The story is easy to follow, the plot well-outlined. I would definitely be interested in reading other books that Tea Cooper has written, as I found her writing style enjoyable.

With that said, I am afraid that I had to DNF this book. The subject itself was fairly interesting, and the plot played out well. The story, unfortunately, was painfully slow. I continued to read, thinking that perhaps the pace would pick up. However, it continued to drag. The characters were not fleshed out well, and blended into each other, as none were exceptionally unique. I would hesitate to recommend this book.

A delightful dual timeline story, The Naturalist’s Daughter by Tia Cooper, is a fictional story surrounding the discovery of the duckbill platypus in Australia. Convicts were sent to colonize New South Whales followed by military men and naturalists. This is so much more than a scientific novel. It is a story of families, love, and unraveling mysteries separated by a hundred. Greed loses and right wins. Love finds a way and happily ever after occurs. Along the way, there are unexpected twists and turns making this an “I couldn’t put it down” read.. I don’t give many 5 star ratings, but this book deserves it. I was able to read an ARC on #NetGalley.

This book had everything I look for in a historical fiction novel. The setting and storyline were well crafted. I found the characters engaging and the overall pace perfect, even though it was a bit slow initially. I could forgive that because it helped set the tone for the rest of the book. I will be excited to own a physical copy when it is released.

Well, the previous 5 of her books just went on my TBR pile. How have I missed her books before now?Well crafted, great characters, good pacing. A little formulaic, but if the formula works why not?!

This is wonderful historical fiction: a blending of Australian science, family secrets, a bibliophile attorney and mystery after mystery. Who knew that watching a platypus play could be so interesting and entertaining. What a wonder nature is. Highly recommended.

I believe I've read the best Tea Cooper book ever....until I read another! Her Australian based historical fiction journeys so enthrall me, drawing me in completely, so my mind buzzes with scenarios for the finale. I'm never correct though, as the complexity is always so creative.

You would think the scientific classification of the platypus (mallangong) is pretty yawny stuff but when it brings 2 women, from a century apart together to solve the mystery of a sketchbook and of their personal history, it is enthralling.

1808 Agnes Banks in NSW, finds Rose Winton who loves her father...with all her heart...joining him in a mutual love of platypus that live in the river nearby. They sketch together and discover together but ultimately it will be Rose who will carry the batten of knowledge to the other side of the world, meeting her extended family, and turning her whole personal life as she knows it, upsidedown. Ritualistic ways, secrets and wrongdoings have gone before and drastically changed the life of her mother in such an unfair way. Rose is now on hand to unravel the injustice, with the help of Finneas.

1908 Sydney, NSW finds Tamsin, who works for the library service, given the task of retrieving a sketch book...which may be of national interest. Authenticating the books original owner becomes a passion....ultimately of a personal connection.

Both women are courageous beyond their eras, pushing back against traditional male dominance In fields of work and the English minor aristocracy.

The people in this book are fictional but the main character species, the platypus is not and I've learnt so much about these furry mammals....I didn't know they had spurs!!! I was intrigued as Rose was with their natural life.

I'm truely drawn into this intriguing book with so many twists and turns but totally loveable characters and equally vial villains.

Tea Cooper is the top of my list for compelling reading...not overly scientific, but always with an element of well researched background, which is easy to digest. Female heroines who challenge history and bring Australian heritage to life. I can't wait for the next book!!

Thanks to NetGalley, Tea Cooper and Harper Muse for my copy.

In this complex, fearless historical fiction novel, readers travel between Agnes Bank in New South Wales, Australia, in 1808 and Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, in 1908 as they uncover the secret life of Rose Winton, daughter of naturalist Charles Winton and his assistant in studying the platypus, an librarian Tamsin Allyn who seeks to retrieve a mysterious sketchbook donated to the Public Library. As Tamsin uncovers the secrets of the sketchbook while attempting to stay ahead of another interested party Shaw Everdene, readers follow Rose’s journey as her father’s representative, accidentally uncovering another family secret along the way. As the two stories progress and cross time and distance, readers uncover the intersections between Rose and Tamsin’s lives as naturalist and librarian in colonial Australia. With such complex and strong heroines, Cooper’s characters are strong, brave, intelligent, and unique women who step out of the mold for their time and push back against society. Set in rural isolated Australia in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Cooper creates a sense of isolation which resonates with the book and the two seemingly separate narratives in this novel. Cooper’s heroines are the heart of the story, and readers will enjoy following Tamsin and Rose’s lives as they grow beyond the constraints of Australian society.

Stuffed with period-perfect details and twisting family secrets, The Naturalist's Daughter was highly interesting and kept me tapping through each page on my phone eagerly. I loved the unique setting--both in terms of time and place--and Cooper's focus on the dual timelines. Both of the timeline plots were fascinating in their own right and the author brings them both neatly together at the end. The writing itself is smart and snappy, but it did lack some sparkle; I also felt like the end got a tad hand-wavey and rushed with things being revealed with no prior clues and there were some large plot holes because of that ending with so much crammed in. It didn't impede my reading all that much, so I am still pleased to recommend this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and HaperCollins Focus for the ebook ARC. All. opinions are mine alone.

The Naturalists daughter is a really interesting dual timeline book. I really enjoyed both of the stories! In the end they tie together beautifully. The characters created are fascinating, each are unique and integral to the story. Highly recommend this book.

This was an interesting dual timeline book. I really enjoyed both of the stories! The author brought it all together at the end masterfully!

The characters are fascinating! Each one's personalities were unique and pertinent to the story.

The most important thing that I took from the book is that family can be blood related or heart related. Heart related is a choice!

I was provided a complimentary copy of the book via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.