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The Servant Girl
She is the downstairs maid; he is the Master’s son...Forced to become a kitchen maid at Fortune Hall, Hetty Pearson strikes up an unlikely friendship with the younger son of the house, Richard.But Hetty is just a poor servant what hope does she have of either winning Richard’s heart or escaping his older brother’s more base attentions? previously published as THE JEWEL STREETS by Una Horne
494 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 18, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 14, 2017
This book is by far my favourite Maggie hope story( apart from the fact it was the first story of hers i read). There's just something about the characters and the story-line that's so engrossing. I just feel that Maggie Hope truly brought these characters to life in this story. Although the story-line was not completely different to her usual story plots, this one was more compelling in the sense of : responsibility, tragedy, hope, love rivals/battles and the heroine finding independence and strength. I would recommend this story to anyone who loves a good romance. I also would recommend Eliza's Child another goodread from Maggie Hope.
May 5, 2017
Really enjoyed it.
May 27, 2018
Good book
I enjoyed this book as its were I live but disappointed with the ends so I give 3 stars but do read it
I enjoyed this book as its were I live but disappointed with the ends so I give 3 stars but do read it
October 25, 2015
A good story by Maggie Hope , I enjoyed reading this book. The main character is Hetty Pearson, who at 14 goes to work in service as a kitchen maid. After an accident she becomes distant from her family, and her life starts to change for the worst. At the big house Hetty becomes friends with the younger son, Richard. But Matthew the elder son who was the reason for other maids leaving, sets his eyes on Hetty and she is dismissed from the house when they are caught together.
I found Hetty infuriating at times, she makes some bad decisions when Matthew is pursuing her and she goes from one mess to another. A story about how brothers can be very different and how very divided the social classes were.
I found Hetty infuriating at times, she makes some bad decisions when Matthew is pursuing her and she goes from one mess to another. A story about how brothers can be very different and how very divided the social classes were.
March 3, 2017
The Servant Girl is a easy read, that faintly reminds me of Jane Eyre, in a few places. The story progresses fine, but continues to depress till there is finally some hope for the heroine.
Honestly, I would have loved to see her stand up for herself a lot more. There is a lot of hint of strength of character, but it is never used to good use.
Read it on vacations, when you don't want to get too much into the story's world.
Honestly, I would have loved to see her stand up for herself a lot more. There is a lot of hint of strength of character, but it is never used to good use.
Read it on vacations, when you don't want to get too much into the story's world.
November 14, 2018
Servant girl
From the first page I was transported to another place. Where hard work was large. Hettie lived a hard life but something changed her future for a whike. Great read. Thank you Maggie Hope xxx
From the first page I was transported to another place. Where hard work was large. Hettie lived a hard life but something changed her future for a whike. Great read. Thank you Maggie Hope xxx
May 21, 2017
Excellent read
Loved this book couldn't stop reading it once I started. Great story with a great happy ending. Can't wait to read another one of her books
Loved this book couldn't stop reading it once I started. Great story with a great happy ending. Can't wait to read another one of her books
March 8, 2019
Enjoyed this book,but found this book was rushed at the end.
March 30, 2024
I started off reading THE SERVANT GIRL and before I knew it, I wanted more and more and more.
I have read...
Servant girl
Workhouse child
A mother's gift
The coal miner's daughter
The miner's daughter
An orphans secret
A daughter's secret
And as I'm slowly coming to the last few books, I don't want it to end. Each story gets you lost and turning pages to find out what is going to happen next. Surprise plot twists, moderate spice, and an ending that leaves you satisfied.
Each book has been worth the late mornings to be able to get lost in the next book.
I have read...
Servant girl
Workhouse child
A mother's gift
The coal miner's daughter
The miner's daughter
An orphans secret
A daughter's secret
And as I'm slowly coming to the last few books, I don't want it to end. Each story gets you lost and turning pages to find out what is going to happen next. Surprise plot twists, moderate spice, and an ending that leaves you satisfied.
Each book has been worth the late mornings to be able to get lost in the next book.
November 27, 2023
A Brilliant Read.
Loved this book , could not put it down. As it is set near to where I live, it was interesting to learn more about the area and it's history. There are many ups and downs and twists and turns throughout the book but in the end, love conquers all. Maggie Hope is a great storyteller and researches her books well. You really connect with the characters very early on. Looking forward to reading more books by Maggie Hope set in the North East of England.
Loved this book , could not put it down. As it is set near to where I live, it was interesting to learn more about the area and it's history. There are many ups and downs and twists and turns throughout the book but in the end, love conquers all. Maggie Hope is a great storyteller and researches her books well. You really connect with the characters very early on. Looking forward to reading more books by Maggie Hope set in the North East of England.
July 15, 2026
OVERALL RATING:
⭐⭐🗿
3. stars Moyai'd to 2.
Spoiler-ful review: PSA: Do NOT judge a book by its cover OR description OR genres! I picked this up from a secondhand book sale expecting a cozy historical romance between a maid and her lord, but it ought to be renamed to The Miserable Life of a Servant Girl instead because wow, the sheer amount of despair poor Hetty goes through is unreal!
Set in the late 1920s to the early 30s, Hetty Pearson's life is one tragedy after another. Her sister's death, estrangement from her family, assault, losing her job, hunger so severe she sells herself for a meal... it honestly feels like every chapter asks, "How much worse can things possibly get?" and then answers, "Much worse."
Hetty is an incredibly frustrating protagonist; she rarely fights back or says no (did I say rarely? I mean NEVER), even when you're screaming at her to do so. She clearly knows how to survive and fend for herself—which is obvious from how quickly she hustles to find a new job every single time she gets fired—but dear god, woman, can't you just learn to say "no" or She is a passive protagonist at her very core, so if you can't stand characters who just let life happen to them, you are going to be incredibly frustrated with this novel.
Then there's Matthew. I have never been so conflicted by a character. He's an awful human being, and the story makes that abundantly clear, yet I kept wondering whether he was about to redeem himself. Every time he showed a sliver of kindness, I caught myself thinking, "Maybe...?" Then he'd immediately remind me why he was irredeemable.
I'll admit I was weirdly intrigued by him in the beginning—mostly because I was desperately waiting for him to have a character development arc since his first appearance as a spoiled child. But honestly, he could've been such a better character if he wasn't just a flat, one-sided bad guy. I kept wanting to understand why he was such an absolute scumbag—what made him this way? (If you're reading this and see my review, spoilers:)
Oh, yeah, Richard exists too, I guess.
The writing style is very simplistic (some extra italics and commas for emphasis would have gone a long way TBH), and the third-person POV shifts constantly (this is also why I had high hopes for Matthew because I had mistakenly thought him having a POV would mean he'd get better). But that doesn't mean it's a middle grade or teen fiction story, exactly, because there are many heavy themes here including sex and assault.
In the end, this was a difficult book to rate. I wouldn't say I enjoyed reading it nor would I recommend it because it's relentlessly bleak, yet I also couldn't put it down because I needed to know what would happen to Hetty next. That's why it settles comfortably at 3.5 stars for me.
P.S. It has come to my attention that this was previously published as The Jewel Streets by Una Horne. Not really related, just thought I should mention it.
NOTE: This review was first published on July 15th, 2026, and later edited.
3. stars Moyai'd to 2.
Spoiler-ful review: PSA: Do NOT judge a book by its cover OR description OR genres! I picked this up from a secondhand book sale expecting a cozy historical romance between a maid and her lord, but it ought to be renamed to The Miserable Life of a Servant Girl instead because wow, the sheer amount of despair poor Hetty goes through is unreal!
Set in the late 1920s to the early 30s, Hetty Pearson's life is one tragedy after another. Her sister's death, estrangement from her family, assault, losing her job, hunger so severe she sells herself for a meal... it honestly feels like every chapter asks, "How much worse can things possibly get?" and then answers, "Much worse."
Hetty is an incredibly frustrating protagonist; she rarely fights back or says no (did I say rarely? I mean NEVER), even when you're screaming at her to do so. She clearly knows how to survive and fend for herself—which is obvious from how quickly she hustles to find a new job every single time she gets fired—but dear god, woman, can't you just learn to say "no" or She is a passive protagonist at her very core, so if you can't stand characters who just let life happen to them, you are going to be incredibly frustrated with this novel.
Then there's Matthew. I have never been so conflicted by a character. He's an awful human being, and the story makes that abundantly clear, yet I kept wondering whether he was about to redeem himself. Every time he showed a sliver of kindness, I caught myself thinking, "Maybe...?" Then he'd immediately remind me why he was irredeemable.
I'll admit I was weirdly intrigued by him in the beginning—mostly because I was desperately waiting for him to have a character development arc since his first appearance as a spoiled child. But honestly, he could've been such a better character if he wasn't just a flat, one-sided bad guy. I kept wanting to understand why he was such an absolute scumbag—what made him this way? (If you're reading this and see my review, spoilers:)
Oh, yeah, Richard exists too, I guess.
The writing style is very simplistic (some extra italics and commas for emphasis would have gone a long way TBH), and the third-person POV shifts constantly (this is also why I had high hopes for Matthew because I had mistakenly thought him having a POV would mean he'd get better). But that doesn't mean it's a middle grade or teen fiction story, exactly, because there are many heavy themes here including sex and assault.
In the end, this was a difficult book to rate. I wouldn't say I enjoyed reading it nor would I recommend it because it's relentlessly bleak, yet I also couldn't put it down because I needed to know what would happen to Hetty next. That's why it settles comfortably at 3.5 stars for me.
P.S. It has come to my attention that this was previously published as The Jewel Streets by Una Horne. Not really related, just thought I should mention it.
NOTE: This review was first published on July 15th, 2026, and later edited.
March 13, 2022
Loved this book - was really a cannot put down one.
February 24, 2020
This is the first book I have read by this author. An soon as I started reading it I couldn't put it down.
I think I would have liked to see a bit more about Hetty, Richard and Penny as a family together near the end and what happens with Mrs Fortune and the hall.
But other than that I think it's a great read and I will definitely be reading some of Maggie hope novels in the future.
I think I would have liked to see a bit more about Hetty, Richard and Penny as a family together near the end and what happens with Mrs Fortune and the hall.
But other than that I think it's a great read and I will definitely be reading some of Maggie hope novels in the future.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews