Title: Netherford Hall

Author: Natania Barron

Rating: ★★★★

If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to mix the elegance of Regency romance with a dash of witchcraft, look no further than "Netherford Hall" by Natania Barron. What a combo!This enchanting tale weaves magic and romance into a delightful story that will captivate your heart.

After a mysterious fire forces Gentlewitch Edith Rookwood and her family to relocate from Regency London to their ancestral home, Netherford Hall, in Kent, Edith is thrust into a whirlwind of challenges. The hall needs costly repairs, her family’s standing is precarious, and her inheritance is under threat from a forgotten American branch. Marriage seems like the only solution, but then she meets the chaotic and charming Poppy Brightwell, her new tenant.

Poppy is everything Edith isn’t—lively, unpredictable, and utterly fascinating. As the two women navigate their growing attraction amidst a backdrop of societal expectations and personal secrets, they must also deal with an array of tenants, rivals, suitors, and enemies who converge on Netherford Hall.

Barron masterfully blends the sophistication of Austen-esque romance with a twist of the supernatural. Edith and Poppy's journey is filled with delightful banter, heartwarming moments, and thrilling discoveries. The chemistry between the two leads is electric, and their relationship develops with a perfect balance of tension and tenderness.

"Netherford Hall" is a spellbinding tale of love, family, and self-discovery. With dark secrets, magical elements, and an enchanting romance, it’s a book that keeps you hooked from the first page to the last.

Highly recommend this enchanting read for fans of historical romance, magical adventures, and anyone who loves a good twist on a classic tale!

Thank you to The Publisher Rebellion | Solaris Nova , the author Natania Barron & Netgalley for an advanced reader copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review.

Netherford Hall sounded interesting in its premise: a relatively untalented gentlewitch who never expected to become head of her family must relocate to her family’s country seat when the remainder of the family dies in a fire. The nearby neighbors to this house, the Brightwells, are an impoverished family, the eldest of which has been secretly exploring (trespassing in) Netherford Hall for years. I struggled with this book because the style is clearly an attempt at mimicking the writing style of Jane Austen that didn’t really pay off. Additionally, Barron attempted to add and take away different social classes in order to tell the story, but it ended up being difficult to parse despite ample exposition.

A witchy sapphic pride and prejudice mish mash. I have never actually read P&P so I can’t say how much inspiration has been taken in the writing of Netherford Hall. The book itself is quite slow up until the last 30% but we get lots of exploration of the surroundings and people involved. Poppy is a magnificent main character. I would love for her to be my best friend. She’s charming and fun and interesting. Unfortunately she’s quite the contrast to Edith who seems quite miserable and moody. The romance between the two of them didn’t entirely hit for me. The side characters are also all good additions and add to the story.

A sapphic regency romance based on Pride and Prejudice, with added fantasy elements like magic, witches, and vampires? Sign me up!
Thank you to NetGalley and Rebellion, Solaris Nova for this eARC.

Firstly, I love when queerness is integrated into the worldbuilding in an almost nonchalant way, just an everyday normality, and this was a fantastic example of that. The magic of this world was also very interesting and I was itching to know more about the origins of it.

While Poppy's characteristics and personality grew on me over time (she’s the definition of a chaotic bisexual and I love her for it), Edith's went in the opposite direction, sadly. The more I read, the more I disliked her, and it had an impact on the overall enjoyability of both the plot and the romance. Around the middle of the book, the romance starts sparking up and getting saucier, but it just left a weird taste in my mouth by the end. Edith had grown so distant that I just couldn’t feel the honesty in her at all.

As for the plot, it was easy enough to follow, but some pathways were taken and choices were made that just didn’t feel right. I would have preferred different angles or perspectives in certain parts, but there were a few mysterious storylines that loomed in the background from quite early on that made me intrigued and kept me looking out for anything suspicious. The resolutions and revelations with these mysterious bits were so well done, too. I was actually very surprised by some of the plot twists and thought they felt very different and fresh (Poppy's entire storyline, for instance!) and were very well planned and executed.
In large chunks throughout the book, the pacing was achingly slow and only sped up into the peak of the action right at the end, and I will admit that I struggled to push myself through the slower parts.

It is quite a solid book overall, and I think it sets up really well for the rest of the series!

This is a beautiful, engaging and fresh fantasy romance that delivers what I was searching for in Bridgerton and more. I absolutely adored Netherford Hall as it serves up a delicious pairing of regency-era romance and fantasy world-building filled with witches, magic and vampires.

This interpretation of Pride and Prejudice is extremely well done. Barron has taken just enough inspiration from the source material to make Netherford Hall reminiscent of Pride and Prejudice but adds her own special twist to it, making it feel fresh and as a unique story in its own right. I appreciated the exploration here of themes also found in Pride and Prejudice, such as marriage, reputation, misjudgements and the dichotomy between the town and country. That said, readers can definitely enjoy this book without having read (or watched) Pride and Prejudice which speaks to how strongly it stands as its own story.

The writing itself is wonderful - the prose is beautifully written, especially the descriptions of clothing. The characters are distinct and convincing. The chapters occasionally switch between different perspectives, and there is always a clear change in style to reflect the personality and quirks of each character which made this a joy to read.

As a whole, I found myself thoroughly entertained throughout this story. This is the perfect book to pick up for readers looking for a cosy fantasy read with a romance plotline, and/or who are looking for a regency queer love story.

The dedication reads "for every queer heart who wished for their Darcy." Readers who resonate with or are intrigued by that (as I did) are sure to enjoy this read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Solaris Books for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I did not realize this was in a genre I don't review. My profound apologies. I won't be doing a review elsewhere but wish the author great success!

This book was a lot more intriguing than I initially expected. Multiple different plots take place throughout the course of the book, and sometimes intertwine. At times, it was confusing to read because there was just so many things going on. A lot of the book is enjoyable, the mysteries, characters, and magic keep things interesting. However, one aspect of the book that was lacking for me was the romance. I did enjoy a lot of the interactions between Poppy and Edith, but something about their pairing just didn't work for me. Maybe it was a lack of chemistry, or not enough believable build-up for their attraction, but I just couldn't get invested in them as a couple. Other than that, it was a fairly good read and there's plenty of questions still left to be solved in the next book. 3.8/5 stars rounded up.

Oh, I loved this so much, this is such a wonderful subtle Pride & Prejudice retelling with a great fantasy twist.

The characters and plot were shaped around the source material enough that it does speak to the P&P lover in me but is also so original that it doesn't feel like a cheap cop-out in the way some retellings can.

Poppy is the strong-headed daughter of a family who has somewhat fallen from grace due to poverty but continues to live on the fringe of society in their small town, but things begin to change when tragedy forces the town's new Gentlewitch Edith returns to for the first time in years and takes up residence in her dilapidated family home. Throw in some curses, vampires, a house that appears to be alive and a well-executed slow-burn sapphic romance and Netherford Hall is a perfect storm.

Seriously the romance was soooo good, and that last chapter was woahhhh.

This is definitely one I will be grabbing a physical copy of, and I can't wait for the next instalment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Rebellion, Solaris Nova for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

First of all thank you to NetGalley, Rebellion and Natania Barron for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to love this one more than I did. I love Pride and Prejudice and I love how Natania draws on that story and enhances the world with witches and vampires. It's very creative and a good way to introduce more people to the Jane Austen fan club.
However, I just was not gripped by this novel. I didn't feel compelled to keep reading and I wasn't really thinking about it throughout the day.
Furthermore, the pacing is a little bit slow for my liking. I understand there's a lot of world building and contextualizing to do so I do say I would still recommend this book.
However, be aware that most of the action happens in the last 30% of the book.

I do still recommend. It's a good 3 star read for me.

This is a mix of a classic regency story twist with fantasy and sapphic romance. It was just what the description described. If you like witches in love you will enjoy this read.

Es una buena idea, pero el desarrollo quedó a deber.

¿Saben esa sensación cuándo compran un libro, lo leen, no entienden que está pasado y nada tiene sentido, pero siguen leyendo creyendo que en algún momento habrán explicaciones y al final se dan cuenta que es el 3er libro de una saga? Pues así me sentí todo el libro.

Además de lo anterior también hay muchos temas y son tantos que al final ninguno se trata al 100%.


Honestamente dudo leer el siguiente libro.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

If you really loved that Bridgerton is getting more gay, or if you think that regency books would be more fun if there was witches, vampires, and magic in them, this book is for you.

This book follows the story of Netherford Hall, as Gentlewitch Edith Rookwood returns to claim the ancestral seat following a devastating fire at their family's London home. The arrival of a gentlewitch to Netherford stirs up the town, as the town has not had a gentlewitch in generations. Yet there are bigger issues afoot than the unmarried status of the gentlewitch, not least of which is the as-of-yet unknown Rookwoods arrival from America.

This book has an amazing cast of characters, from the brooding gentlewitch Edith, her majordomo Auden and their young family member Henry, to the lively Poppy Brightwell and her extended family, to the mysterious Vampires and more. Barron juggles a vast cast of characters pretty well, though at times it is hard to keep track of whose POV we are following at a given time. I think this book could have been helped by splitting up the chapters a bit more (since they are all quite long chapters with a lot of POV swaps).

I really enjoyed this book, even with the slower pace, and I am looking forward to seeing where this series goes!

First of all, thank you NetGalley, Rebellion and Natalie Barron for gifting me an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

As a hardcore lover of Pride and Prejudice (both book and the 2005 film) I didn't know I needed this book until I actually started reading it.

Characters were fresh and the plot felt fresh, even if people still have to remember this is a queer retelling of Pride and Prejudice. The pen of Barron was very much appreciated to me, especially her details in the characters wardrobe, that was simply phenomenal.

The problems I found while reading the book is that the plot line at times is not linear, and that most of the chapters where excessively long (as in 45 minute long on kindle), the last thing that was a bit confusing was the unsigned change of Povs through the whole book. At that point it would have maybe been better start a new chapter every change of POV to facilitate the reading experience, that for me because of that was unfortunately a bit of a hindering thing.

But still, Netherford Hall is for all those that didn't want to leave Mr and Mrs Darcy after their happily ever-after, but add it a bit of magic and secrets, and make it between a common girl and a cold gentlewitch.

Loved this book so much. I rated this book 4 stars because I loved the characters and the storyline but I couldn't give it 5 stars because I was expecting more about it.

Witches, vampires, and other magical beings converge on Netherford for this layered romp set in the regency period. The set up of the story is interesting and kept me reading for the first half. Poppy, the free-spirited daughter of an impoverished gentry family, is a compelling main character. As the story opens, she learns that the owners of nearby Netherford Hall are going to take up residence there. She liked to spend her free time wandering around the old home (though we don't see this on page) and she realizes she can no longer take refuge there.

Edith is the head of the coven/family that owns Netherford Hall. After almost every member of her family died in a fire at the family's London residence, she arrives at Netherford with her uncle and nephew. Edith wasn't a talented witch and didn't expect to move into a leadership role in the coven for many decades, so she is trying to find her way without much guidance or training. Distant relatives arrive more America and claim to be the rightful owners of Netherford and Edith must defend her position.

Another plot line has Poppy working at Edith's lady's maid and an attraction that was already building grows stronger. Their scenes together are wonderful and sweet. I wanted more!

So much happens in this book that it's hard to summarize it. Perhaps it was too ambitious to include all of the different storylines in this first book? Focusing on Poppy and Edith's relationship and perhaps the magical aspect of Netherford Hall might have then set up the story of Poppy's "illness" and the American relatives for a second book. This would also push the introduction of the vampires to a second or third book. Their presence was a little confusing in this story.

In really enjoyed the set up, the setting, and overall premise of this story. Poppy and Edith were delightful, but I wish their relationship had more time to grow and we has more sweet moments between them.

'Netherford Hall' is a cute, entertaining story, following various POVs and diverse cast. The plot takes a bit of time to settle, as does the romance, once the initial attraction is passed. Nonetheless, the overall story is a nice read, with a good saphic romance, found family all around, and interesting world building choices, the story taking place in an alternate england, where Witches hold quite a big part of power, and where werewoves and vampires coexist with human.
The magic side of the plot had an interesting turn, with the house and what it's been hiding, helping the reader to discover the magical world bit by bit.

There were a few times where I thought it lacked transition between scenes, or lacked a bit of smoothness, and I can't say I was really involved with the characters, but I think it has partly to do with my mood as I read it, and me having just read another story in which I was deeply invested. Still, I wanted to finish and read the whole book here, so it's a win!

This book will appeal to fans of Pride and Prejudice, lovers of Freya Marske"s series 'The last binding", and maybe to KJ Charles lovers! We can't get enough queer historical fantasy!

4.5⭐️ Have you ever read or watched pride and prejudice and thought to yourself this would be so much better if it was set in a fantasy world with witches, vampire and fae? If you have then you will love this book!! Yes this book gives off major pride and prejudice vibes but it’s definitely its own story. Netherford Hall is a story about finding your way when you don’t know where you fit, and features diverse characters, a sapphic romance, and found family. I absolutely adored this book and the reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is because the POV would change in the middle of a chapter (which is a pet peeve of mine) and also the chapters were kinda long. But I highly recommend Netherford Hall to anyone who loves pride and prejudice or just loves queer fantasy books. 😊🥰

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read a ARC copy of this book.