A delightful historical romance. I loved seeing the world through an artists eyes, with the description of colour being so precise. Some interesting twists.

Fiona McIntosh has a way of telling a story that never leaves you disappointed. I loved this book and found it hard to put down! There are so many wonderful characters and a story that will stay with you after you have finished it .
Jane Saville is a botanical artist but she doesn’t know how good she is. Her family treat her as an after thought and expect and rely on her to do the right thing when there is a problem to be solved. In solving a major problem she not only becomes an outcast from her family but also society and this is where she really begins to shine.
Guy Atwood who is heir to a wealthy estate is spending his time hunting for a rare apple on behalf of the Royal Kew Gardens. His time doing what he loves is coming to an end as his father is demanding he return to the running of the estate.
Guy and Jane’s path cross and there is hope for a better future for Jane but a series of events hamper this.
The book is set in the English country side and you are transported back in time, wandering through Salisbury and hearing the boys choir in the Cathedral.
This is an epic historical fiction story of family secrets, treachery, jealousy, love, trust and loyalty. Another 5/5 read by Ms McIntosh.

Oh my gosh. I do love a good book from Fiona McIntosh and this one didn't disappoint. Set in the English countryside (a beautiful setting for such a book) we find botanical artist Jane Saville is banished from her family and home to save her families name. Then we have our other main character, Guy Atwood, heir to a fortune yet a man who has his own ideas of what he wants from life.

What will happen when these two meet and how will Jane live up to a world of people who may think these two are not meant to be together. This is their stories and is a wonderful read. It has everything you want and need from a story of life, romance, friendship, family and so much more. Fiona McIntosh is a great story-teller and her writing is flawless. I loved this book and would highly recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Jane Saville is a watercolour botanical artist, she has an older sister Charlotte who's her mother’s favourite and she will do anything to protect her and she decides to send Jane to Wiltshire to ensure her sister makes a good match. Jane works as a housekeeper for a kindly older gentleman at Cathedral Close, but other than her employer she doesn’t have any friends and people openly talk about her in public.

Despite being the heir to one of the richest families in England, Guy Attwood is a pomologist or a scientist at the Royal Kew Gardens and he specializes in the study of plants and the cultivation of fruit trees. Guy is the champion of the humble apple, and he’s hunting for a rare one. Guy's a close friend of King George V, and he want's the apple to be a gift to him and rename it after the new sovereign at his upcoming coronation.

Guy and Jane meet, two people who understand each other and could talk for hours and not get bored. Guy is being pressured to get married and produce an heir and Jane has her responsibilities and job, and she questions why he would be interested in her. Their budding new friendship and possible romance is rocked by jealousy and greed, misunderstandings and others selfishness, duty and family, treachery and secrets and lies.

I received a copy of The Fallen Woman from Storm Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. I've been a big fan of Fiona McIntosh’s historical fiction since I read the Nightingale over ten years ago and she has the gift of writing stories that make me feel a connection to the characters and the fascinating subjects she uses as a bases for her novels and their locations.

Set in the London, the Cathedral City of Salisbury and the English countryside, you’re taken on a heart-warming literary journey and the talented Australian author has visited these places herself and it shows. You will cheer on and want the best outcome for Guy, Jane, young Harry and William’s characters and dislike a couple of others and how they treat Jane.

A homage to England and all things British, friendship and found families, righting wrongs and most of all finding love and an elusive apple and five stars from me and a must read.

This was a solid 2.5 🌟.

What I liked

✔️Jane's love for Harry.
✔️Williams love and care for Jane and Harry.
✔️The villians Charlotte and her mom, well written villians.
✔️Some of Jane's characterization, her protectiveness, her sacrifice
✔️Guy finally developing a backbone with Eleanor


What I disliked

✔️the fact that it was insta love
✔️Eleanors come back, did not add to the plotline
✔️Jane's annoying habit of not listening for a moment
✔️And Guy allowing himself to be bulldozed

Overall, this was an okay read. It needs a nice edit. There were grammatical errors and hard to read sentences throughout.

#netgalley #TheFallenWoman