Historical

Mrs England

Mrs England

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  • Create Date：2021-06-03 00:51:02
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Stacey Halls
  • ISBN：1838772863
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Summary

West Yorkshire， 1904。

When newly graduated nurse Ruby May takes a position looking after the children of Charles and Lilian England， a wealthy couple from a powerful dynasty of mill owners， she hopes it will be the fresh start she needs。 But as she adapts to life at the isolated Hardcastle House， it becomes clear there's something not quite right about the beautiful， mysterious Mrs England。 Ostracised by the servants and feeling increasingly uneasy， Ruby is forced to confront her own demons in order to prevent history from repeating itself。 After all， there's no such thing as the perfect family - and she should know。

Simmering with slow-burning menace， Mrs England is a portrait of an Edwardian marriage， weaving an enthralling story of men and women， power and control， courage， truth and the very darkest deception。 Set against the atmospheric landscape of West Yorkshire， Stacey Halls' third novel proves her one of the most exciting and compelling new storytellers of our times。

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Reviews

Chantelle Hazelden ，

Ok I'll admit it， I have Stacey's other books on my shelves at home which I am still yet to read （apologies profusely） however I have finally kicked myself up the bum and read Mrs England。I wish I'd read it sooner。What I'd describe as a historical psychological thriller （if that genre even exists）， there is an eerie atmosphere throughout this historical tale。Ruby， or as she's better known as Nurse May is employed by Mrs England to care for her four children。I immediately felt immersed in the sto Ok I'll admit it， I have Stacey's other books on my shelves at home which I am still yet to read （apologies profusely） however I have finally kicked myself up the bum and read Mrs England。I wish I'd read it sooner。What I'd describe as a historical psychological thriller （if that genre even exists）， there is an eerie atmosphere throughout this historical tale。Ruby， or as she's better known as Nurse May is employed by Mrs England to care for her four children。I immediately felt immersed in the story， the scenery， the language used， as the reader it felt as though I was transported back in time。The author has managed to describe everything from the houses， to the clothing， the jobs and the roles of each person。 I'd say it was well researched， the details fitting for the story。Both Mr and Mrs England were fantastic characters。Strange， perhaps guilty of something - of what we don't know - their movements and mannerisms questionable。 I believed that they were both caring parents but as Ruby also discovered， everyone seems to have their secrets （including her）。 Although I wouldn't describe this book as a page turner， I certainly didn't want to stop reading。With a slow pace， Mrs England is a novel that offers some wonderful characters， who are for the most part likeable， all wrapped up in a story that is full of suspense and mystery。It's one of those tales that I'd really enjoy sitting and discussing various elements of it with others。A big thank you to Netgalley and Bonnier Zaffree for the ARC。 。。。more

Becky ，

I was very pleased to be approved for this ARC on NetGalley as I loved The Foundling by Stacey Halls。 I thought this book was even better and it is now one of my favourite books of 2021。 I found the story completely compelling from the first few pages！ The story starts when Ruby has to find new employment as a nurse and finds herself moving suddenly to Hardcastle house in an isolated part of Yorkshire caring for 4 young children。 There is a sense of foreboding right from the start when Mr Englan I was very pleased to be approved for this ARC on NetGalley as I loved The Foundling by Stacey Halls。 I thought this book was even better and it is now one of my favourite books of 2021。 I found the story completely compelling from the first few pages！ The story starts when Ruby has to find new employment as a nurse and finds herself moving suddenly to Hardcastle house in an isolated part of Yorkshire caring for 4 young children。 There is a sense of foreboding right from the start when Mr England， the master of the house tells Ruby to direct any queries to him about the children instead of to the mistress， Mrs England。 Slowly the tension builds as you are left to wonder why Mrs England hardly ever leaves her room or shows any interest in her children。 At the same time I wondered what had happened in Ruby's past and why she wouldn't read any of the letters from her father。Ruby slowly begins to uncover the secrets within the house and very gradually you also learn snippets about her previous life with her own family。I found it very hard to predict what was going to happen in this story and I was desperate to find out why the main characters were acting so strangely and what was going on！ I loved the mysterious nature of the book and the slow reveal。 It all came together so brilliantly at the end。 Stacey Halls creates such great characters that you feel you have met them and the brilliantly atmospheric， slightly eerie setting in the Yorkshire moors was fantastically created！Definitely a 5 star read for me and one I will be recommending to anyone who loves a compelling mystery set in the past。 Thank you to NetGalley and Manilla Press for this ARC。 。。。more

Rachael Mills ，

Another fantastic novel from Stacey Halls。 This one was deliciously gothic and atmospheric， gripping the reader from the very first page。 Full review to come。

T ，

When I found out I’d secured an ARC for @staceyhallsauthor’s new book Mrs England I was super， super excited。 I loved her previous two novels The Familiars and The Foundling and couldn’t wait to get stuck into Mrs England。We follow Ruby， a Norland Nurse sent to a family in Yorkshire。 She connects beautifully with the children - but there’s something a bit。。。 off with Mr and Mrs England。 Alongside this， Ruby is battling her own demons， which somewhat cloud her judgement of the current situation。T When I found out I’d secured an ARC for @staceyhallsauthor’s new book Mrs England I was super， super excited。 I loved her previous two novels The Familiars and The Foundling and couldn’t wait to get stuck into Mrs England。We follow Ruby， a Norland Nurse sent to a family in Yorkshire。 She connects beautifully with the children - but there’s something a bit。。。 off with Mr and Mrs England。 Alongside this， Ruby is battling her own demons， which somewhat cloud her judgement of the current situation。The first 75% of the book builds the suspension and it’s not until the final 20% where the real action happens。 I would say that this storyline is subtle， unlike Halls’ previous books which are pretty action packed - so this book felt very different， but it was still great。 It isn’t pacy， so if you like a bit of a slow burn and the building of suspense - this one is for you！ Congrats @staceyhallsauthor on another wonderful novel！ARC provided via @netgalley in exchange for my honest review。。Find my on insta @thecerealboxreader 。。。more

Bookworm Blogger ，

I'd like to thank NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK for approving me for an ARC of this book。 I have both of Stacey Halls' previous books sat n my shelf waiting to be read so I was very excited when this one popped up！ Luckily my good friends Meg Readz and Clare got approved too so I did this as a buddy read with them， I really enjoyed discussing the book as we went。 I honestly do not know where to begin with this one。 One word seemed to spring to mind a lot during my buddy conversations and that w I'd like to thank NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK for approving me for an ARC of this book。 I have both of Stacey Halls' previous books sat n my shelf waiting to be read so I was very excited when this one popped up！ Luckily my good friends Meg Readz and Clare got approved too so I did this as a buddy read with them， I really enjoyed discussing the book as we went。 I honestly do not know where to begin with this one。 One word seemed to spring to mind a lot during my buddy conversations and that was QUESTIONS！ I felt that I had so many questions and every time I carried on through the read I would find some of the answers but more questions would pop up。 This compelled me to read on as I desperately wanted to know certain things such as Ruby's family story， what would happen to her and why was everyone so strange at Hardcastle House？The setting of West Yorkshire in the 1900's was beautifully described and provided the perfect chilling setting to Hardcastle House。 It was fascinating to learn about the Norland Nurses Institute and other timely features from that period。 This is why historical fiction is one of my favourite genres as I feel that I learn so many interesting facts about history。Ruby was a brilliant main character。 It was clear from the start that she had a way with children and whilst the prospect of looking after 4 children was quite daunting， she handled it with true professionalism。 She was firm but fair and showed a lot of affection to all four children， she was also very creative with their projects。 Ruby's attitude and how she carried herself was admirable。 She wasn't a pushover and felt able to voice her opinion， which she demonstrated with Saul's asthma attack （the treatment the doctor administered still shocks me now！）Mr and Mrs England were very interesting characters。 Their stories were cleverly written and to begin with I couldn't work out which one of them was the more damaging。 It quickly became clear to me and I loved how that part of the story unravelled， as well as Ruby's part in it。 This stories climatic ending had me frantically turning the pages， desperate to know the character's fates and finally learn the answers to all my questions。 Families' secrets and lies are all intricately woven into this story to deliver a spooky and captivating tale。 。。。more

Theresa Smith ，

Stacey Halls is a marvellous author of historical fiction。 I’ve read each of her novels and loved them fiercely: The Familiars， The Foundling， and now， Mrs England。 I found this to be quite an empowering read， to be honest， and I admired both Ruby， the main character， and Mrs England herself， who we get to know through Ruby’s perspective。‘There were so many things I wanted to ask her – what Mr Sheldrake put in his letter; why her husband locked her in her room。 Why she had such disdain for her e Stacey Halls is a marvellous author of historical fiction。 I’ve read each of her novels and loved them fiercely: The Familiars， The Foundling， and now， Mrs England。 I found this to be quite an empowering read， to be honest， and I admired both Ruby， the main character， and Mrs England herself， who we get to know through Ruby’s perspective。‘There were so many things I wanted to ask her – what Mr Sheldrake put in his letter; why her husband locked her in her room。 Why she had such disdain for her entire family; why she was， as her mother put it， like lint swept into a corner， brittle and lonely。 Why nobody came to the house; why she never left it。’Ruby was a complex character with a complex history that was revealed in pieces。 Mrs England was perhaps more straightforward， at the mercy of her family to marry well， as high-born women were， and then passed on as property to the husband of their choosing。 At first， a wall existed between these two vastly different women， but slowly， as events within the England’s home became odder， and more sinister， that wall began to crumble。‘For a long time I’d struggled with people’s sympathy。 They would always insist on giving it to me， but it was so heavy， and I had no wish to be burdened with it。’This novel is a brilliantly crafted story of that most insidious and vile form of domestic violence: gas lighting。 Within this story， the author has demonstrated the wide reaching and cataclysmic effects it can have on an entire household。 Mrs England is my highlight novel of the year， completely living up to my high expectations of Stacey Halls and topping even her previous two as favourites。 I absolutely loved the way this novel ends for both of these women， particularly that very last exchange between Ruby and Mrs England。 It doesn’t get better than this for historical fiction fans。‘For the first time in my life， I was in charge， and I would savour every moment。’Thanks is extended to Allen & Unwin for providing me with a copy of Mrs England for review。 。。。more

Heidi ，

I received an early copy from the publisher via NetGalley。 Released 10th June

Jen ，

Being a big fan of Stacey Halls’ previous two books （The Familiars and The Foundling） I was very excited to get started on Mrs England。 Like its predecessors， this is historical fiction （set in 1904） and centres around a strong female character trying to work out her place in the world。Yes， so Ruby May is our narrator。 A student of the prestigious Norland Institute， she has trained to be one of the very best children’s nurses in the country。When she finds herself placed with affluent mill owners Being a big fan of Stacey Halls’ previous two books （The Familiars and The Foundling） I was very excited to get started on Mrs England。 Like its predecessors， this is historical fiction （set in 1904） and centres around a strong female character trying to work out her place in the world。Yes， so Ruby May is our narrator。 A student of the prestigious Norland Institute， she has trained to be one of the very best children’s nurses in the country。When she finds herself placed with affluent mill owners， Mr Charles and Mrs Lilian England of Hardcastle House， Yorkshire to look after and nurture their four children （ranging from teenage Decca to baby Charley） she enjoys it at first， but soon realises there is more than meets the eye bubbling away under the surface。Speaking of， Ruby has her own family traumas that she is concealing。 An incident with her father when she was younger has shaped her whole life since and she is torn between letting people know about it and hiding her past。I love a Gothic story and there was definitely a nod to the genre here。 The isolated Yorkshire moors setting， sense of unrest and secrets to be uncovered had Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre vibes and that only made me fall for Mrs England even more。A slow burner overall， I was completely engrossed in the rural setting and Edwardian time-frame – Stacey Halls is so good at transporting you into an era – and Ruby May is a character that you really care for。 She is earnest and pure and it’s her sense of right and wrong that makes her so strong。I would say I found Mrs England to be a comfort read: I anticipated the tone thanks to Stacey Halls’ previous novels and I love a good slice of historical fiction with a strong conclusion and sense of putting the world to rights。 Although a slight story curve ball was thrown in at the end （I think！） that definitely left me pondering。 That and why the novel was named for Mrs England， rather than Ruby May。 Intrigued？ You’ll have to give Mrs England a read to find out… 。。。more

Angela Groves ，

Another stunning novel by Stacey Halls。 A gripping and creeping， atmospheric novel， that had me hooked。 It left me with a growing sense of unease that made me loathed to put it down。 There are few authors of historical fiction that can have me so immersed， Stacey Halls is one of them。

Anna ，

Another wonderful novel by Stacey Halls！ If you loved The Familiars or the Foundling， you will like this。 Stacey's books are always so well written and researched。 Mrs England is set in Edwardian London and Yorkshire and follows Ruby， a Norland nanny， who starts her new placement with the England family。 It's a very gripping read with several twists and reveals。 A must-read for fans of historical fiction。 Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for an advanced review copy in exchange for a rev Another wonderful novel by Stacey Halls！ If you loved The Familiars or the Foundling， you will like this。 Stacey's books are always so well written and researched。 Mrs England is set in Edwardian London and Yorkshire and follows Ruby， a Norland nanny， who starts her new placement with the England family。 It's a very gripping read with several twists and reveals。 A must-read for fans of historical fiction。 Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for an advanced review copy in exchange for a review！ 。。。more

Amber ，

Amazing， a must read！

L'aspirante libraia che è stata scartata ，

West Yorkshire， 1904。 Nurse May is eager to start afresh。 The position offered to her by Charles and Lilian England， a wealthy couple from a powerful dynasty of mill owners， seems to be exactly what she needs。 But as she adapts to life at the isolated Hardcastle House， it becomes clear there's something not quite right。 After all， there's no such thing as the perfect family and she， above everyone else， should know。Mysterious， unsettling， twisted。 In other words: Mrs England。 I have to admit tha West Yorkshire， 1904。 Nurse May is eager to start afresh。 The position offered to her by Charles and Lilian England， a wealthy couple from a powerful dynasty of mill owners， seems to be exactly what she needs。 But as she adapts to life at the isolated Hardcastle House， it becomes clear there's something not quite right。 After all， there's no such thing as the perfect family and she， above everyone else， should know。Mysterious， unsettling， twisted。 In other words: Mrs England。 I have to admit that it was a bit slow at the beginning， but as the Englands' were introduced and the pace quickened， my engagement grew stronger。 There is undoubtedly a duplicity that unites the characters。 Nurse May has something to hide: what's her secret？ Is she running away？ Why is she so elusive about her past？  The reader's hunger for details is constantly solicitated by the crumbs Stacey Hall leaves around。 Mr and Mrs England are ambiguous as well and it is hard to shake the feeling of being manipulated by one of them。 It's like walking on eggshells all the time， not knowing who's lying and who's being sincere。 The uneasiness I felt all along， the curiosity that kept me read line after line， the doubts I had about every single sentence spoken from the characters are profs of a gorgeous and captivating storytelling。My thanks to the publisher for giving me the chance to read Mrs England before its publication in exchange for my honest opinion。 。。。more

Andrea Hicks ，

My thanks to Stacey Halls， Bonnier Books and Net Galley for the ARC of MRS ENGLAND。Another wonderful book by Stacey Halls who has become one of my go to authors for a stonking good story。 I absolutely loved Ruby who was so honest about her position in life in the Edwardian era。 After a terrible incident when she was a girl， she seems to be constantly running from the shame she feels it has brought down on her。 She knows she is a good carer so takes an exam with the Norland Institute and is hired My thanks to Stacey Halls， Bonnier Books and Net Galley for the ARC of MRS ENGLAND。Another wonderful book by Stacey Halls who has become one of my go to authors for a stonking good story。 I absolutely loved Ruby who was so honest about her position in life in the Edwardian era。 After a terrible incident when she was a girl， she seems to be constantly running from the shame she feels it has brought down on her。 She knows she is a good carer so takes an exam with the Norland Institute and is hired as one of their nannies。 Her position with the Englands comes after she refuses to go to America with her current employers whom she loves because she doesn't want to leave her young sister who was also damaged in the incident。The Englands reside in Yorkshire， a place that Ruby is not familiar with。 Her past informs her observations on life， but the dynamic between the Englands is hard for her to read。 On one hand she feels Mr England is the easy-going employer who more or less runs the household， and Mrs England takes a back seat in the running of her family， through choice， but then things happen as they do in all the best stories and she feels pulled to change her perspective。 Of course， nothing is as it seems。 Brilliant。 。。。more

Rachel ，

What a book！ I really enjoyed Stacey Halls two others， but this is top of the three。 Stacey is so clever at conjuring settings; a few paragraphs and you see， hear and smell where the story is taking place。 Two hours have lapsed while I finished the last part。 I feel I’ve been in Yorkshire， in a damp valley， climbing hills， walking between crags。 This is a fantastic twisty turny story with enormous atmosphere。 Read it！ Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an ARC。

Zoe M ，

The story is set in England during the early 1900s。 Ruby works as a nanny and when her current family move abroad she starts work for a new family where not everything is what it appears。 Mrs England is hiding something。 But so is Ruby。 I started reading this book and I was hooked！ So much I had to go buy two more books by the same author as I just loved everything about it。 It's written so beautifully that I couldn't put it down。 I do love historical fiction and this one is another firm favouri The story is set in England during the early 1900s。 Ruby works as a nanny and when her current family move abroad she starts work for a new family where not everything is what it appears。 Mrs England is hiding something。 But so is Ruby。 I started reading this book and I was hooked！ So much I had to go buy two more books by the same author as I just loved everything about it。 It's written so beautifully that I couldn't put it down。 I do love historical fiction and this one is another firm favourite of mine。 This book has an haunted feel to it which gave me goosebumps reading it。 I was fascinated by the house it gave me a feeling of Downton Abbey。 I absolutey loved this book。 。。。more

Amanda Sayer ，

Another new author for me！ A lovely story which flowed really well。 The only part that was a bit odd for me was the mystery part， I think I missed part of it somewhere as it was only a very small part of the book。 It took me a long time to finish reading this book which tells me that is was just ok ， but not exciting enough for me to keep wanting to pick it up and read more of the story。 Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review。

Martin Paul ，

Another wonderful gothic tale of families， secrets and lies。I was delighted when a NetGally ARC of Stacey Hall’s new book became available。 I loved “The Familiars”， although “The Foundling” didn’t click quite so well with me， so I was keen to see how “Mrs England” sat。I shouldn’t have worried。 What we have here is another glorious journey into early 20th century England， with all the requisite strange families， young heroine and dark secrets。It’s London， in 1904， and Nurse Ruby May， a nanny from Another wonderful gothic tale of families， secrets and lies。I was delighted when a NetGally ARC of Stacey Hall’s new book became available。 I loved “The Familiars”， although “The Foundling” didn’t click quite so well with me， so I was keen to see how “Mrs England” sat。I shouldn’t have worried。 What we have here is another glorious journey into early 20th century England， with all the requisite strange families， young heroine and dark secrets。It’s London， in 1904， and Nurse Ruby May， a nanny from the prestigious Norland College， finds her life changed forever when the family she works for move to America。 Unwilling to leave England， she travels to West Yorkshire to become nanny to the four children of Mr and Mrs England， wealthy mill owners who live in a remote house situated in Hardcastle Crags。 She soon discovers that Mrs England， mistress of her new household and who is oddly distant， is troubled， and in fear of something。As the story unfolds， we learn that although Ruby is a proficient nanny， and who comes to love the four children， she is an innocent and troubled young woman with a hidden past。 We also discover that Mrs England has secrets， while her charming and oddly unorthodox husband Charles welcomes Ruby into the family。 Ostracised by the servants and feeling increasingly uneasy， Ruby must face her own demons in order to stop what happened to her， happening to the children。The story moves along nicely， and we slowly learn more about Ruby’s past， and the secrets of the England family emerge。 The book paints a vivid picture of Edwardian Britain， and is and beautifully written。 It explores families， relationships and the events that take place behind closed doors。 It has all the classic gothic elements of haunted heroine， spooky house， family secrets and windy moors。 The prose is delightful， and the story compelling。 The book will appeal to fans of Bridget Collins， Sarah Burton and Diane Setterfield， and is thoroughly recommended。 。。。more

Mary ，

Review to follow

Jan ，

Wonderful， loved it。I'm delighted to report that the writing inside this beautiful book is just as beautiful as the cover。 Stacey Halls has written a deliciously page turning historical drama， centred around a young woman Ruby， who works as a Norland nurse and has to leave her position when the family she works for move abroad， although we are not given the exact reasons she is so reluctant to leave England。 She accepts a job as Nurse to 4 children and this is when we are introduced to Mrs Engla Wonderful， loved it。I'm delighted to report that the writing inside this beautiful book is just as beautiful as the cover。 Stacey Halls has written a deliciously page turning historical drama， centred around a young woman Ruby， who works as a Norland nurse and has to leave her position when the family she works for move abroad， although we are not given the exact reasons she is so reluctant to leave England。 She accepts a job as Nurse to 4 children and this is when we are introduced to Mrs England， who is the Mistress of her new household。There is so much bubbling and simmering beneath the surface in this book。 At first it seems pretty standard upstairs downstairs fodder。 We watch Ruby begin to find her feet in the new household， gradually it becomes apparent Ruby has a hidden past。 This young woman is rather innocent about life and relationships， although it's not until later we discover why。 Simultaneously we discover that Mrs England also has secrets， but what they are， also has to be peeled shred by shred like an under ripe orange。I will say no more as I don't want to be guilty of any spoilers， its quite a gentle tale which lulls you into a false sense of security， but it has the most delectable twists and relatable characters to ensure that reading it is sheer pleasure from start to end。 I wholeheartedly recommend this book to all fans of womens quality historical fiction。 。。。more

Jane Meredith ，

I absolutely adore Stacey Halls' previojs two books so was over the moon to receive an ARC of Mrs England。 The novel is set in London and Yorkshire in the early 1900s and Halls can really set a scene。 I felt like I was seeing Harrods for for first time with it's mesmerising 'rising staircase' and I also equally felt like I was roaming the Yorkshire crags。 I loved the complex character of Ruby and how her past impacts on her vocation as a children's nurse。 There are perfectly gothic undertones wi I absolutely adore Stacey Halls' previojs two books so was over the moon to receive an ARC of Mrs England。 The novel is set in London and Yorkshire in the early 1900s and Halls can really set a scene。 I felt like I was seeing Harrods for for first time with it's mesmerising 'rising staircase' and I also equally felt like I was roaming the Yorkshire crags。 I loved the complex character of Ruby and how her past impacts on her vocation as a children's nurse。 There are perfectly gothic undertones with wandering wives， brooding husbands and a spooky stately home。 I did roughly guess the way the story was going but this didn't detract anything from my enjoyment of it。 This was an enjoyable read。 Thank you @netgalley for the ARC。 。。。more

Charlotte Holden ，

Mrs England is about a nurse who gets sent to work in a family for the children of Mr and Mrs England。 Mr England is eccentric and a powerful member of society whereas Mrs England doesn’t seem to be fully involved in her family life。 The more time that Ruby spends at Hardcastle house， the more she realises that there is some secret at the heart of the England family， specifically concerning the marriage of Charles and Lillian。 What follows is a story around power， class and societal expectations Mrs England is about a nurse who gets sent to work in a family for the children of Mr and Mrs England。 Mr England is eccentric and a powerful member of society whereas Mrs England doesn’t seem to be fully involved in her family life。 The more time that Ruby spends at Hardcastle house， the more she realises that there is some secret at the heart of the England family， specifically concerning the marriage of Charles and Lillian。 What follows is a story around power， class and societal expectations。 This was the easiest 5 stars EVER！ What an absolutely beautiful and engrossing read。 Stacey Halls writes historical fiction in a way that is so engaging and her Third novel was no let down。 I loved how Ruby was such a strong character and used her position as the family nurse to constantly challenge the restraints around her。 I really can’t wait to read more from Stacey Halls， and I definitely will be re-reading this as soon as it releases！ 。。。more

Alice Hawthorne （whatalicereads） ，

Rebecca meets Jane Eyre in this evocative historical fiction。 Stacey Halls transports us to West Yorkshire in 1904 as Ruby May， a young nurse， goes to work for the Englands， a wealthy couple living in the grand estate of Hardcastle House。 As she battles her own past and tries to navigate life with the mysterious Mrs England， Nurse May realises that all is not what it seems at Hardcastle House， and there’s no such thing as a perfect family。 A gripping read with a perfect， Gothic setting， MRS ENGL Rebecca meets Jane Eyre in this evocative historical fiction。 Stacey Halls transports us to West Yorkshire in 1904 as Ruby May， a young nurse， goes to work for the Englands， a wealthy couple living in the grand estate of Hardcastle House。 As she battles her own past and tries to navigate life with the mysterious Mrs England， Nurse May realises that all is not what it seems at Hardcastle House， and there’s no such thing as a perfect family。 A gripping read with a perfect， Gothic setting， MRS ENGLAND is a portrait of family dynamics， secrets， desire and power in Edwardian England。 Though it is not exciting as such， it is utterly immersive and I was enamoured with the mysteries found within， finding myself racing through it till my heart was satisfied with answers。 This is my first Stacey Halls book but it will not be my last - her characterisation is so vivid and her plotting so rewarding that it is a true delight to read her words。 I adored the time period and if you love Downton Abbey， you will too！ The vast Yorkshire landscape of the moors and the mills was haunting， paralleling Mrs England’s isolation from her family and expertly lulling the reader in。 This was a firm 4/5 for me & a huge thanks to the publisher for my ARC！ 。。。more

Emma ，

Set in 1904， Nurse Ruby May， a nanny from the prestigious Norland College embarks on her new role with the England household up in West Yorkshire。 She is to become the nanny to four charges， the children of Mr and Mrs England， wealthy mill owners， who live in a remote house situated in Hardcastle Crags in West Yorkshire。 This is a daunting opportunity for Nurse May having only lived in cities， but she has her reasons to accept this post and she hopes it will be a great new start for her， but not Set in 1904， Nurse Ruby May， a nanny from the prestigious Norland College embarks on her new role with the England household up in West Yorkshire。 She is to become the nanny to four charges， the children of Mr and Mrs England， wealthy mill owners， who live in a remote house situated in Hardcastle Crags in West Yorkshire。 This is a daunting opportunity for Nurse May having only lived in cities， but she has her reasons to accept this post and she hopes it will be a great new start for her， but not only does she have her secrets kept close to her heart， she soon learns that something isn’t quite right within the England household， as Mrs England’s behaviour towards her home and her children are rather peculiar as she has little interest in her family。 For me， this was a very quick read as I could not put it down。 I had no idea where the story was taking me， although I did have some suspicions， I could not settle on one， and besides， none were quite right and the ending was one which I did not predict at all。 Each character's individual personalities drew me in and had me constantly changing my mind about their intentions。 With so many twists and turns， the mystery was kept alive right the way through till the end。 Once again， another brilliant book from Stacey Halls！ 。。。more

Olivia （_whatlivreads） ，

Thank you to netgalley， manilla press and Stacey Halls for allowing me to read this eARC in return for my thoughts。 Publication date 10 June 2021 Stacey Halls has a way of writing captivating historical fiction and I absolutely adore her books。 I was lucky enough to obtain an audiobook ARC of her second book， The Foundling， and I have very kindly been accepted to also read an e-ARC of Mrs England。 Mrs England was a quick easy read and left me wanting more。 I hope this won't be the last time we h Thank you to netgalley， manilla press and Stacey Halls for allowing me to read this eARC in return for my thoughts。 Publication date 10 June 2021 Stacey Halls has a way of writing captivating historical fiction and I absolutely adore her books。 I was lucky enough to obtain an audiobook ARC of her second book， The Foundling， and I have very kindly been accepted to also read an e-ARC of Mrs England。 Mrs England was a quick easy read and left me wanting more。 I hope this won't be the last time we hear from nurse Ruby May， but the story did finish off in a way that the reader was satisfied with the ending。 The depth that went into the characters was phenomenal; you can tell Stacey Halls researches into the time period she is writing about and really thinks about her characters and their story。 After reading the author's note， I also found out that the character Ruby May was based off of Ruby Browne， which adds to the touching story line we see。 Mrs England is clearly distant from nurse May; the reasoning for this isn't obvious to the reader until we are given the missing pieces， but I found her story blended well with that of Ruby and her time at Hardcastle House。 The writing style was descriptive so really set the scene and I really felt connected to the characters。 I like that the writing was clear and easy to follow for the readers， with only occasional idioms and phrases which are central to Yorkshire。 I'm not surprised that this received 5 stars， which now marks the third book of hers which I've rated high。 I can't wait to see what Hall's brings out in her future releases。 She is a firm favourite author of mine。 I hope you will all enjoy this story as much as I did！ Release date is 10 June 2021， I've had my copy preordered since January and can't wait to get my hands on this stunning book！ 。。。more

Janet ，

Set in 1904， Ruby May is a professionally trained nanny who finds herself employed in a remote mill town in Yorkshire。 Slowly it becomes apparent that all is not as it seems with the family who employ her。 The mother， Mrs England， is remote and timid and the father is taking on roles that the mother would have been expected to perform。 As the story progresses， Ruby's own history is gradually revealed。 Nothing is as it seems。This is a very atmospheric story with strong characters。 At times you fe Set in 1904， Ruby May is a professionally trained nanny who finds herself employed in a remote mill town in Yorkshire。 Slowly it becomes apparent that all is not as it seems with the family who employ her。 The mother， Mrs England， is remote and timid and the father is taking on roles that the mother would have been expected to perform。 As the story progresses， Ruby's own history is gradually revealed。 Nothing is as it seems。This is a very atmospheric story with strong characters。 At times you feel that you know how events will turn out but there is always a surprise around the corner to shake you out of your complacency。 Very enjoyable and at times quite moving。I received a free review copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for my honest and unedited review。 。。。more

Nikki Robinson ，

🏞️ Set against the backdrop of the moody moors of Edwardian Yorkshire， Mrs England follows the appointment of a children's nurse to a new family， in a household where everything is not what it seems。 👥Harbouring a mysterious past herself， Nurse May begins to notice something afoot between her master and mistress which will ultimately have devastating consequences for the family。 🕯️A slow burner， Stacey Halls steadily builds tension and feeling of unease。 For me the plot felt a little thin at tim 🏞️ Set against the backdrop of the moody moors of Edwardian Yorkshire， Mrs England follows the appointment of a children's nurse to a new family， in a household where everything is not what it seems。 👥Harbouring a mysterious past herself， Nurse May begins to notice something afoot between her master and mistress which will ultimately have devastating consequences for the family。 🕯️A slow burner， Stacey Halls steadily builds tension and feeling of unease。 For me the plot felt a little thin at times but the quality of writing was enough to keep me interested throughout。📚 This is not the type of book I would normally go for， I'm not one period dramas， but I enjoyed Halls' beautiful writing in The Familiars so much I was willing to give it a go and I am glad I did！ Also， anyone who has seen her books in print will know how gorgeous they are！ 。。。more

Kerrie-Ann ，

。Thank you @netgalley for sending me this ARC ebook。 I was so pleased as I absolutely loved Stacey Halls previous two books and couldn’t wait for Mrs England。 So here’s my spoiler-free review。。。。。I adore the authors quality of writing for historical fiction and with her attention to detail we are transported to 1904， West Yorkshire where Ruby May travels from London to take a job with the England Family。 While Ruby settles into the isolated life being nurse to the Mr & Mrs England’s four childre 。Thank you @netgalley for sending me this ARC ebook。 I was so pleased as I absolutely loved Stacey Halls previous two books and couldn’t wait for Mrs England。 So here’s my spoiler-free review。。。。。I adore the authors quality of writing for historical fiction and with her attention to detail we are transported to 1904， West Yorkshire where Ruby May travels from London to take a job with the England Family。 While Ruby settles into the isolated life being nurse to the Mr & Mrs England’s four children， she senses things aren’t as they appear and starts to cotton on to what goes on behind closed doors。 During this we see Nurse May struggling with her own mysterious past and all comes to light at the end。 。I found this book to be a satisfying read。 It has a hint of mystery/thriller， not on the edge of your seat kind of feeling but you can feel there’s a darkness looming throughout the book。 I did find some of the chapters were like dead ends， flat？ I don’t know how else to explain it， but apart from that I liked it， even felt myself start to well up at the end。 It’s a 4 star rating for me。 。This is the authors third Novel of bringing to life a historical female。 Ruby May is based on Ruby Browne from Birmingham in 1896。 Her fictional character in the book is about her rebuilding her life after a traumatic life event that happened when she was 12 years old。 I always Google the people Stacey Halls base her characters on。 And I enjoyed reading her authors note and acknowledgements。 。 。。。more

Eilidh ，

When children’s nurse Ruby May finds herself in need of serving a new family， she strikes gold with the England Family of four children in Yorkshire。 When she arrives， she’s quickly smitten with the children and enthralled with the master of the house。 However， the mistress of the house， Mrs England， is another matter altogether。 With Mr England’s strict rules regarding his wife， and Mrs England’s apparent absent mindedness， Ruby is captivated by the ongoings of this dysfunctional marriage。 As R When children’s nurse Ruby May finds herself in need of serving a new family， she strikes gold with the England Family of four children in Yorkshire。 When she arrives， she’s quickly smitten with the children and enthralled with the master of the house。 However， the mistress of the house， Mrs England， is another matter altogether。 With Mr England’s strict rules regarding his wife， and Mrs England’s apparent absent mindedness， Ruby is captivated by the ongoings of this dysfunctional marriage。 As Ruby’s curiosity and caring responsibilities clash， and her own past traumas resurface， the tale of Mrs England promises to make us think twice about what we think we know about families and what goes on behind closed， locked doors。Stacey Halls returns with her third novel， and in true Halls style， the story enveloped me with every chapter， and caused my mind to blaze with rife suspicion and dread。 Just like The Familiars and The Foundling， Halls writing is cosily ensnaring and tugged back and forth at my heart。 One minute it lulled me forward and pushed away， then pulled me in once more and pushed away again。 It’s a story about devotion， power， family， harmony and survival。 The England’s family home and the time period was so well drawn I felt it vividly as if I’d travelled in time and was in the midst of it all。 I felt the hollowness and coldness of the house， then on the other hand， I felt the love and care of Ruby attending to the children by indulging their childhood fancies of stories and hide and seek。 The characters were likeable and compelling， evoking warmth and sympathy or mistrust and anxiety throughout。 My thoughts kept shifting on all of them - even our narrator Ruby - as Halls cast doubt at every door。 I felt the building undercurrent of suspense throughout， as it becomes increasingly clear both Ruby and the England family has secrets that will upturn everything as the story builds toward a menacing end。My only quibble is I wish the story went farther and delved deeper。 I wish Ruby’s background had ran adjacent to the England family’s， or wasn’t left so close to the novel’s end， for it felt underserved and I ultimately desired more。 However， it was enjoyable and tied in and contrasted well with the family’s story to provide such dimensions of adversity it made the climax devilishly ominous。Mrs England feels enigmatic and oppressive yet utterly beguiling。 It captures the serene landscape of wealth and family that is something idyllic， probably even enviable， but behind and underneath it all， there’s more than meets the eye and all is not as it seems。 A thoroughly enjoyable piece of historical fiction I’m sure other Halls fans will adore too。 Thank you kindly to the publishers for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for this honest review。 。。。more

Aisha ，

Mrs England By Stacey Halls ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌸 It’s 1904 and Norland Institute children’s nurse， Ruby May has been forced to say goodbye to the beloved family she works for in London。 After leaving her previous placement abruptly she has been left no other option than to hastily accept an offer to work for the England’s in West Yorkshire。 The England’s are a wealthy family， from a powerful dynasty of mill owners - their home， Hardcastle House is located amongst the darkly isolated and wild wooded landsca Mrs England By Stacey Halls ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌸 It’s 1904 and Norland Institute children’s nurse， Ruby May has been forced to say goodbye to the beloved family she works for in London。 After leaving her previous placement abruptly she has been left no other option than to hastily accept an offer to work for the England’s in West Yorkshire。 The England’s are a wealthy family， from a powerful dynasty of mill owners - their home， Hardcastle House is located amongst the darkly isolated and wild wooded landscape of West Yorkshire。 Once at Hardcastle Ruby finds herself smitten with the children， captivated by the Master and his friendly nature but strict rules， ostracised by the other staff and almost completely ignored by her Mistress。 There seems to be secrets and strange goings on in the England household。 Secrets that perhaps are mirrored in Ruby May’s own traumatic past。 🌸 “Pacy， highly atmospheric and tantalisingly gripping from the very first page。”Stacey Halls has a clear talent for storytelling - I don’t think I have ever read a historical fiction novel so instantly engaging and beautifully drawn。 Ruby May’s narration was fascinating and really allowed me to easily visualise the era and setting。 This book explores themes of childhood， marriage， education， motherhood and power expertly。 I enjoyed the development of the characters and found them to be likeable and beguiling。 As a reader you are held in suspense， always feeling that you are just on the edge of discovering a twist in the tale。 This was my first book by Stacey Halls and I’m happy to say I loved it！ I will be sure to read her other books soon。 I was kindly gifted this advanced reader e-copy by Net Galley and Bonnier Books。 Mrs England is released in the UK on June 10th and is available to pre order now。 。。。more

Zandra ，

https://www。netgalley。co。uk/book/2198。。。 https://www。netgalley。co。uk/book/2198。。。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Mrs England

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Mrs England&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Mrs England&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0