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The Protégée
A working-class French girl would kill to become assistant to Paris's top modiste, but she must first seek vengeance against those responsible for the death of her family, in this thrilling historical horror from New York Times bestselling author Erica Ridley!
Eighteen-year-old Angélique dreams of designing extravagant gowns like the ladies in the bourgeoise wear to balls and soirées. Because she’s working-class, Angélique knows that her life will, instead, be spent dyeing silk for a living. That is, until her parents and younger sibling are killed in the sweatshop where they’ve toiled. Now orphaned, and with another sister to protect, Angélique vows vengeance against the factory owner growing richer by treating his employees as disposable.
To improve her station, Angélique takes a position as a junior seamstress for Paris's top modiste. Though she's bullied for being poor and her meager salary isn't enough to pay rent, she refuses to give in. Her sister and crush, a handsome, immigrant shoemaker, won’t allow it. Then the modiste proposes a contest to win the well-paid, coveted assistant position. Angélique would do anything to earn the career of her dreams. What’s a little arsenic between girls after all?
As Angélique outshines--and outlives--the competition, she also wields her newfound privilege and power to exact revenge on those who ruined her family and blossoms into a new Paris’s greatest protégée.
Eighteen-year-old Angélique dreams of designing extravagant gowns like the ladies in the bourgeoise wear to balls and soirées. Because she’s working-class, Angélique knows that her life will, instead, be spent dyeing silk for a living. That is, until her parents and younger sibling are killed in the sweatshop where they’ve toiled. Now orphaned, and with another sister to protect, Angélique vows vengeance against the factory owner growing richer by treating his employees as disposable.
To improve her station, Angélique takes a position as a junior seamstress for Paris's top modiste. Though she's bullied for being poor and her meager salary isn't enough to pay rent, she refuses to give in. Her sister and crush, a handsome, immigrant shoemaker, won’t allow it. Then the modiste proposes a contest to win the well-paid, coveted assistant position. Angélique would do anything to earn the career of her dreams. What’s a little arsenic between girls after all?
As Angélique outshines--and outlives--the competition, she also wields her newfound privilege and power to exact revenge on those who ruined her family and blossoms into a new Paris’s greatest protégée.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published June 10, 2025
16 people are currently reading
4755 people want to read
About the author
Erica Ridley
133 books2,213 followersGet freebies and 99¢ deals at: https://ridley.vip
Erica Ridley is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of historical romance novels, including THE DUKE HEIST, featuring the Wild Wynchesters. Why seduce a duke the normal way, when you can accidentally kidnap one in an elaborately planned heist?
In the 12 Dukes of Christmas series, enjoy witty, heartwarming Regency romps nestled in a picturesque snow-covered village. After all, nothing heats up a winter night quite like finding oneself in the arms of a duke!
Two popular series, the Dukes of War and Rogues to Riches, feature roguish peers and dashing war heroes who find love amongst the splendor and madness of Regency England.
When not reading or writing romances, Erica can be found eating couscous in Morocco, zip-lining through rainforests in Costa Rica, or getting hopelessly lost in the middle of Budapest.
Erica Ridley is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of historical romance novels, including THE DUKE HEIST, featuring the Wild Wynchesters. Why seduce a duke the normal way, when you can accidentally kidnap one in an elaborately planned heist?
In the 12 Dukes of Christmas series, enjoy witty, heartwarming Regency romps nestled in a picturesque snow-covered village. After all, nothing heats up a winter night quite like finding oneself in the arms of a duke!
Two popular series, the Dukes of War and Rogues to Riches, feature roguish peers and dashing war heroes who find love amongst the splendor and madness of Regency England.
When not reading or writing romances, Erica can be found eating couscous in Morocco, zip-lining through rainforests in Costa Rica, or getting hopelessly lost in the middle of Budapest.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
August 19, 2025
My girl Angie
Me
Me
June 22, 2025
Fueled by grief over her family’s tragic loss, Angélique's journey into the heart of 1850s Parisian couture is as captivating as it is unsettling. Ridley masterfully captures the era’s class divides and the cutthroat nature of ambition.
The novel’s strengths lie in its richly atmospheric setting and its unflinching exploration of societal inequities. Angélique’s determination to rise above her circumstances is compelling, and her complexity as a character kept me engaged. However, I found myself conflicted about her choices. While her pain and rage are palpable, the way she evades consequences for some of her darker actions left me questioning my sympathy for her. Ridley’s ability to evoke such moral uncertainty is a testament to her skill, though it tempered my connection to the protagonist.
The romance is a subplot, woven into the darker narrative of Angélique’s vengeance and ambition.
Tropes in The Protégée
- Morally gray protagonist
- Revenge quest
- Class conflict
- Rags to riches
- Gothic atmosphere
- Betrayal and deception
- Ambition at a cost
- Low heat, high stakes
- Historical social critique
This book is perfect for readers who love dark YA historical fiction. It suits fans of morally gray characters, horror/thriller, and subtle, tense romance.
The novel’s strengths lie in its richly atmospheric setting and its unflinching exploration of societal inequities. Angélique’s determination to rise above her circumstances is compelling, and her complexity as a character kept me engaged. However, I found myself conflicted about her choices. While her pain and rage are palpable, the way she evades consequences for some of her darker actions left me questioning my sympathy for her. Ridley’s ability to evoke such moral uncertainty is a testament to her skill, though it tempered my connection to the protagonist.
The romance is a subplot, woven into the darker narrative of Angélique’s vengeance and ambition.
Tropes in The Protégée
- Morally gray protagonist
- Revenge quest
- Class conflict
- Rags to riches
- Gothic atmosphere
- Betrayal and deception
- Ambition at a cost
- Low heat, high stakes
- Historical social critique
This book is perfect for readers who love dark YA historical fiction. It suits fans of morally gray characters, horror/thriller, and subtle, tense romance.
April 3, 2025
The Protégée follows Angelique, a young woman working as a seamstress and dreaming of becoming a protegee for Paris’s top modiste and help design beautiful gowns. When her parents and younger sister are killed working in sweatshop, Angelique is hellbent on getting revenge on the factory’s greedy, heartless employer. Which may be easier than she thought when the modiste proposes a contest to win the coveted assistant position. Angelique would do anything to win so she can get revenge and help her little sister—including disposing of the competition.
This was a wild book. I absolutely loved the premise and setting. It felt so full of life and the descriptions were so vivid. The plot was so engaging from the beginning and has so many twists that keep you on your toes. My jaw dropped a few times I was so surprised at the lengths Angelique would go to. The ending was so good and the epilogue was also jaw-dropping.
Angelique was a fascinating main character. I love reading about women with questionable morals and had such a fun time in her head. The slippery slope she goes on with her actions was so gripping to read about. This really reminded me why I love characters like Angelique—they’re just so dark and morally gray and are as scary as they are determined. Her relationship with her sister was sweet and her romance with Domingo was so cute. There was such a good balance of dark, intense moments with lovely ones.
Overall, if you like morally gray main characters with questionable actions, I’d definitely recommend going and checking this one out!
Thank you to Penguin Teen CA and Netgalley for the arc.
This was a wild book. I absolutely loved the premise and setting. It felt so full of life and the descriptions were so vivid. The plot was so engaging from the beginning and has so many twists that keep you on your toes. My jaw dropped a few times I was so surprised at the lengths Angelique would go to. The ending was so good and the epilogue was also jaw-dropping.
Angelique was a fascinating main character. I love reading about women with questionable morals and had such a fun time in her head. The slippery slope she goes on with her actions was so gripping to read about. This really reminded me why I love characters like Angelique—they’re just so dark and morally gray and are as scary as they are determined. Her relationship with her sister was sweet and her romance with Domingo was so cute. There was such a good balance of dark, intense moments with lovely ones.
Overall, if you like morally gray main characters with questionable actions, I’d definitely recommend going and checking this one out!
Thank you to Penguin Teen CA and Netgalley for the arc.
Want to read
November 19, 2024"A working-class French girl would kill to become assistant to Paris's top modiste, but she must first seek vengeance against those responsible for the death of her family, in this thrilling historical horror"
February 4, 2026
Oh I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would. I love me a rage filled woman with a vendetta. Also, what a time (19th century France). I just want to see all the dresses Angelique designed. Maybe not wear them...
June 29, 2025
Dark, twisted, and with some serious Sweeney Todd vibes. The Protegee is a gritty industrial revolution historical horror with a main character getting violent revenge on the rich and powerful. I loved Angélique's slow decent into murder (I can't call it madness since her reasons seem very justified), from an accidental passion killing to more and more intended consequences, until she is on the verge of losing sight of what really matters most. Domingo makes for a sweet and uncomplicated love interest.
I really enjoyed Erica Ridley's foray into thrillers as this book brought all of her wonderful historical accuracy into a new genre. Even more so than the Wyld Winchesters, which take a twist on history to the comedic, this darker take really drives home the stark realities of the time, and highlights the consequences of income inequality today.
Big thank you to Hear Our Voices tours and Random House Children's for the gifted copy! Thoughts are my own.
I really enjoyed Erica Ridley's foray into thrillers as this book brought all of her wonderful historical accuracy into a new genre. Even more so than the Wyld Winchesters, which take a twist on history to the comedic, this darker take really drives home the stark realities of the time, and highlights the consequences of income inequality today.
Big thank you to Hear Our Voices tours and Random House Children's for the gifted copy! Thoughts are my own.
November 26, 2025
TLDR: For anyone who dreams of toppling the capitalist machine and rages against today’s widening wealth gap
3.5 stars In capitalist controlled France of the mid-19th century, impoverished and newly orphaned Angelique will do whatever it takes to become a renowned dressmaker’s protegé, even if that means killing off the competition. Driven by the need to
keep her younger sister out of the sweatshop that killed the rest of her family she might just burn herself on the raging fire of her vengeance.
What works:
•The revenge scenarios are all different and creative
•The last minute twist
What does not work for me:
•Lacks nuance
•No significant struggle once the plan is enacted, Angelique briefly alienates her love interest and sister but she never encounters real hurdles
•The seeming ease at which she is able to kill people whose crimes are petty slights
Immediate after reaction: Sincerely unhinged, to borrow a Ao3 tag “Dead dove, do not eat”
3.5 stars In capitalist controlled France of the mid-19th century, impoverished and newly orphaned Angelique will do whatever it takes to become a renowned dressmaker’s protegé, even if that means killing off the competition. Driven by the need to
keep her younger sister out of the sweatshop that killed the rest of her family she might just burn herself on the raging fire of her vengeance.
What works:
•The revenge scenarios are all different and creative
•The last minute twist
What does not work for me:
•Lacks nuance
•No significant struggle once the plan is enacted, Angelique briefly alienates her love interest and sister but she never encounters real hurdles
•The seeming ease at which she is able to kill people whose crimes are petty slights
Immediate after reaction: Sincerely unhinged, to borrow a Ao3 tag “Dead dove, do not eat”
June 19, 2025
This was both too much and not enough 😩
September 17, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children's, Delacorte Press, and Erica Ridley for the opportunity to read The Protégée in exchange for an honest review.
The novel takes place somewhere in the mid 1800's in Paris, France. This is only inferenced through some contextual clues that I noticed as the reader, such as President Napoleon (not king), which would likely refer to Napoleon the Third (1808-1873; presidency from 1848-1852, setting a more specific year for the novel). Trains currently exist as a means of transportation, the first of which was usable in 1837, demonstrating some technological advancement of the time and place.
The Protégée follows eighteen-year-old impoverished seamstress, Angélique, and her endeavors to become the protégée of Paris' most renown modiste. The other girls working there look down on her. She is from a poor family and has a messed up finger from working in the fabric factories prior, where currently her mother and middle sister work, risking their lives every day. If only they, and the modiste, Madame Violet, could look past her poor upbringing to the amazing skill she has as a dress designer. One day, Angélique's mother and middle sister are harmed in the factory, and the rich family that owns the factory does nothing to save either of them, leading to their untimely deaths. This leaves Angélique to care for her youngest sister, age twelve, all on her own. She must get that protégée position to earn enough money to pay for simple necessities, such as food and clothing. Tired of being bullied by her co-workers, who also aim for the position, as well as the rich who only care about being richer.
The highlight of her day is seeing Domingo, the young Spaniard who works at the shoe store across the street. Because of her own ambitions and artistic eye, she sees what Domingo is capable of and encourages her to push his identity as the designer. Of course there is a small semblance of romance here, but is there room for romance or even family with what Angélique has cooking on her plate?
When Angélique plans to make the current protégée sick with some mildly arsenic-laced macaroons, just to show how helpful she can be at the modiste, her plan goes a little too far, ensuing in death. But hey, that means the position is open, and there is a competition with all the seamstresses in Madame Violet's shop. One scheme leads to another as Angélique sews her own fate by manipulating the environment to sabotage the other girls...and even the rest of high society itself.
Wow, what a great novel. Well-written and deceitful in ways I was not expecting. This novel is devious. It seems like a simple young adult historical fiction on the surface, but the main character and her drive, along with the underhanded plots and unexpected outcomes (at least for the character, but somewhat predictable for us), make for a fun and unique ride.
This novel is perfect for a young adult audience of a bit more mature standing, just because the character is eighteen and killing people, but also for lovers of French history, good writing, and sabotage in the name of self-interest. An intriguing must-read.
The novel takes place somewhere in the mid 1800's in Paris, France. This is only inferenced through some contextual clues that I noticed as the reader, such as President Napoleon (not king), which would likely refer to Napoleon the Third (1808-1873; presidency from 1848-1852, setting a more specific year for the novel). Trains currently exist as a means of transportation, the first of which was usable in 1837, demonstrating some technological advancement of the time and place.
The Protégée follows eighteen-year-old impoverished seamstress, Angélique, and her endeavors to become the protégée of Paris' most renown modiste. The other girls working there look down on her. She is from a poor family and has a messed up finger from working in the fabric factories prior, where currently her mother and middle sister work, risking their lives every day. If only they, and the modiste, Madame Violet, could look past her poor upbringing to the amazing skill she has as a dress designer. One day, Angélique's mother and middle sister are harmed in the factory, and the rich family that owns the factory does nothing to save either of them, leading to their untimely deaths. This leaves Angélique to care for her youngest sister, age twelve, all on her own. She must get that protégée position to earn enough money to pay for simple necessities, such as food and clothing. Tired of being bullied by her co-workers, who also aim for the position, as well as the rich who only care about being richer.
The highlight of her day is seeing Domingo, the young Spaniard who works at the shoe store across the street. Because of her own ambitions and artistic eye, she sees what Domingo is capable of and encourages her to push his identity as the designer. Of course there is a small semblance of romance here, but is there room for romance or even family with what Angélique has cooking on her plate?
When Angélique plans to make the current protégée sick with some mildly arsenic-laced macaroons, just to show how helpful she can be at the modiste, her plan goes a little too far, ensuing in death. But hey, that means the position is open, and there is a competition with all the seamstresses in Madame Violet's shop. One scheme leads to another as Angélique sews her own fate by manipulating the environment to sabotage the other girls...and even the rest of high society itself.
Wow, what a great novel. Well-written and deceitful in ways I was not expecting. This novel is devious. It seems like a simple young adult historical fiction on the surface, but the main character and her drive, along with the underhanded plots and unexpected outcomes (at least for the character, but somewhat predictable for us), make for a fun and unique ride.
This novel is perfect for a young adult audience of a bit more mature standing, just because the character is eighteen and killing people, but also for lovers of French history, good writing, and sabotage in the name of self-interest. An intriguing must-read.
February 27, 2025
Thank you Netgalley and Random House Children's for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Erica Ridley’s “The Protégée” is a gripping historical thriller set in 19th-century Paris, combining ambition and revenge, all within the dark underbelly of the fashion industry and the class system during this time. With rich historical detail and a morally complex protagonist, this book offers a chilling yet engaging look at what one woman is willing to do to claim her place in a world that has cast her aside.
The story follows eighteen-year-old Angélique, a working-class girl with dreams of designing lavish gowns for Parisian elites. However, after her family is tragically killed in a factory fire, her ambitions shift—she still craves success, but now, she also seeks vengeance. Taking a position as a junior seamstress under Paris’s most renowned modiste, Angélique faces class discrimination, cutthroat competition, and the grueling realities of survival. But she refuses to be held back, and when a contest is announced for the coveted assistant position, she’s willing to do whatever it takes to win. Even if that means using arsenic-laced fabric to poison those who stand in her way.
Angélique is a fascinating protagonist—morally gray, fiercely determined, and at times, frighteningly single-minded. Her obsession with revenge consumes her, costing her relationships with her sister and her devoted love interest, Domingo, a kindhearted immigrant shoemaker. The romance is present but takes a backseat to Angélique’s burning desire for retribution. Watching her navigate the high-stakes world of Parisian fashion while methodically enacting her revenge is both thrilling and unsettling.
Ridley’s writing is fast-paced and immersive, with vivid descriptions that bring 1800s Paris to life. French phrases are woven into the prose, adding authenticity, though at times without explanation. The book also offers sharp commentary on wealth disparity, exploitation, and privilege—issues that feel just as relevant today as they did then. While the book has been labeled as horror, it leans more toward thriller, with its suspenseful atmosphere and tense, psychological stakes.
The story builds toward a satisfying conclusion, with an unexpected final twist that redefines the true meaning of *protégée*. While some aspects of the plot can feel repetitive, particularly in Angélique’s internal monologue, the book remains engaging throughout. The ending provides a sense of closure, showing Angélique’s gradual shift in priorities once her revenge is complete.
Overall, “The Protégée” is a dark, compelling read, perfect for fans of historical thrillers with a touch of gothic intrigue. It’s Cruella meets The Count of Monte Cristo. Those who enjoy ruthless, ambitious heroines and revenge-driven narratives will find much to love in Ridley’s YA debut.
Erica Ridley’s “The Protégée” is a gripping historical thriller set in 19th-century Paris, combining ambition and revenge, all within the dark underbelly of the fashion industry and the class system during this time. With rich historical detail and a morally complex protagonist, this book offers a chilling yet engaging look at what one woman is willing to do to claim her place in a world that has cast her aside.
The story follows eighteen-year-old Angélique, a working-class girl with dreams of designing lavish gowns for Parisian elites. However, after her family is tragically killed in a factory fire, her ambitions shift—she still craves success, but now, she also seeks vengeance. Taking a position as a junior seamstress under Paris’s most renowned modiste, Angélique faces class discrimination, cutthroat competition, and the grueling realities of survival. But she refuses to be held back, and when a contest is announced for the coveted assistant position, she’s willing to do whatever it takes to win. Even if that means using arsenic-laced fabric to poison those who stand in her way.
Angélique is a fascinating protagonist—morally gray, fiercely determined, and at times, frighteningly single-minded. Her obsession with revenge consumes her, costing her relationships with her sister and her devoted love interest, Domingo, a kindhearted immigrant shoemaker. The romance is present but takes a backseat to Angélique’s burning desire for retribution. Watching her navigate the high-stakes world of Parisian fashion while methodically enacting her revenge is both thrilling and unsettling.
Ridley’s writing is fast-paced and immersive, with vivid descriptions that bring 1800s Paris to life. French phrases are woven into the prose, adding authenticity, though at times without explanation. The book also offers sharp commentary on wealth disparity, exploitation, and privilege—issues that feel just as relevant today as they did then. While the book has been labeled as horror, it leans more toward thriller, with its suspenseful atmosphere and tense, psychological stakes.
The story builds toward a satisfying conclusion, with an unexpected final twist that redefines the true meaning of *protégée*. While some aspects of the plot can feel repetitive, particularly in Angélique’s internal monologue, the book remains engaging throughout. The ending provides a sense of closure, showing Angélique’s gradual shift in priorities once her revenge is complete.
Overall, “The Protégée” is a dark, compelling read, perfect for fans of historical thrillers with a touch of gothic intrigue. It’s Cruella meets The Count of Monte Cristo. Those who enjoy ruthless, ambitious heroines and revenge-driven narratives will find much to love in Ridley’s YA debut.
May 26, 2025
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy
The Protégée by Erica Ridley is a first person-POV ahistorical YA horror set in France after a version of the Revolution that led to racial equality. Angélique and her sister Elodie have lost both their parents and their sister. With nobody but each other and a young man named Domingo who is sweet on Angélique, the two don’t have a ton of options. So when the chance for Angélique to become the protégée of a respected owner of a modiste, she will literally kill for it.
Angélique and Elodie are half-Black half-white which puts them at the bottom rung in this post-Revolution society with those who have two white or two Black parents being above them. Domingo is from Spain and is also close to the bottom due to being an immigrant. I thought this was a really interesting way to worldbuilding because it does help to highlight that biracial people are constantly dealing with being on the outside because they don’t fit neatly into a box while immigrants are always viewed as outsiders. Angélique never resents her parents for having her or being biracial and instead her ire at how she is treated is directed at the people who treat her poorly and the elite in society.
A major theme here is ‘eat the rich through what they love’ as Angélique is dying fabric a gorgeous green that is dyed with arsenic, making it poisonous, and then charging a very high price to the higher-ranking members of society, taking as much of their money as she can while slowly killing them. Angélique’s original goal is to slowly kill the people who own the dye factory that killed her family members but when she sees a chance to take even more people down, she takes it. I don’t think she’s the sort of character who would go to this sort of extreme without being pushed to the brink and the threat of losing her and her sister’s home and the grief caused by her mother’s death was that breaking point. Once she’s committed to her plan, she’s going to follow through.
Domingo and Angélique have a bit of a complicated romance. Domingo is obviously in love with her while she holds her feelings back in part because she doesn’t know how serious he is but she’s also unsure of herself. Domingo respects her boundaries and understands when she needs space, but he’s also not afraid to protect himself. His love for Elodie also helps sell Angélique on them having a future if she can fulfill her plans and not go to prison for them.
Content warning for discrimination
I would recommend this to fans of YA horror with ahistorical settings and readers looking for books centering morally complex biracial leads
The Protégée by Erica Ridley is a first person-POV ahistorical YA horror set in France after a version of the Revolution that led to racial equality. Angélique and her sister Elodie have lost both their parents and their sister. With nobody but each other and a young man named Domingo who is sweet on Angélique, the two don’t have a ton of options. So when the chance for Angélique to become the protégée of a respected owner of a modiste, she will literally kill for it.
Angélique and Elodie are half-Black half-white which puts them at the bottom rung in this post-Revolution society with those who have two white or two Black parents being above them. Domingo is from Spain and is also close to the bottom due to being an immigrant. I thought this was a really interesting way to worldbuilding because it does help to highlight that biracial people are constantly dealing with being on the outside because they don’t fit neatly into a box while immigrants are always viewed as outsiders. Angélique never resents her parents for having her or being biracial and instead her ire at how she is treated is directed at the people who treat her poorly and the elite in society.
A major theme here is ‘eat the rich through what they love’ as Angélique is dying fabric a gorgeous green that is dyed with arsenic, making it poisonous, and then charging a very high price to the higher-ranking members of society, taking as much of their money as she can while slowly killing them. Angélique’s original goal is to slowly kill the people who own the dye factory that killed her family members but when she sees a chance to take even more people down, she takes it. I don’t think she’s the sort of character who would go to this sort of extreme without being pushed to the brink and the threat of losing her and her sister’s home and the grief caused by her mother’s death was that breaking point. Once she’s committed to her plan, she’s going to follow through.
Domingo and Angélique have a bit of a complicated romance. Domingo is obviously in love with her while she holds her feelings back in part because she doesn’t know how serious he is but she’s also unsure of herself. Domingo respects her boundaries and understands when she needs space, but he’s also not afraid to protect himself. His love for Elodie also helps sell Angélique on them having a future if she can fulfill her plans and not go to prison for them.
Content warning for discrimination
I would recommend this to fans of YA horror with ahistorical settings and readers looking for books centering morally complex biracial leads
June 20, 2025
ARC provided by Toppling Stacks Tours and Get Underlined. All thoughts are my own.
There’s something deeply compelling about a story that plunges headfirst into the soot and silk of historical class divides, and The Protégée does just that. Erica Ridley delivers a gritty, immersive tale of revenge and ambition set against a Paris pulsing with opulence and desperation.
From the beginning, it’s clear that Ridley’s command of the time period is confident and detailed. The social commentary, particularly around labor exploitation and class inequity, never feels shoehorned in. Instead, it bleeds naturally through the setting and Angélique’s journey. The early pacing is a bit slow, but once the competition to become the modiste’s assistant takes center stage, the plot tightens and the tension rises.
Angélique herself is a fascinating figure, coming off icy and driven, but layered with moments of tenderness when it comes to her sister. That dynamic was one of the most compelling parts of the novel for me. It provided a striking contrast to the choices Angélique makes as she ascends the ranks, leaving a trail of poisoned threads behind her. She’s not always likable, and I never felt fully connected to her emotionally, but she is undoubtedly magnetic in the way only truly morally grey protagonists can be.
Despite the horror label, this reads far more like a revenge thriller than traditional horror. There are flashes of the macabre but the tone leans more toward psychological tension than outright fear. Still, the darkness is effective and sharp, especially as Angélique starts to realize just how thin the line between survival and ambition can be.
The romance subplot didn’t quite land for me. Domingo is a kind and steady presence, and while I appreciated what he represented, their relationship lacked the spark to make it memorable. Fortunately, that thread is minor enough not to detract too much from the central plot.
What did work, and work well, was the final act. A twist I didn’t see coming landed with satisfying weight, and the resolution was both brutal and fitting. I closed the book with a strange mix of discomfort and admiration, which is exactly what I hope for in a story like this.
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July 21, 2025
In this novel set in a slightly skewed 1850s Paris, Angélique (an 18-year-old girl of mixed race) quickly loses three family members to gory accidents in the city’s newly mechanized fabric mills. In a nod to The Count of Monte Cristo (Angélique is a huge fan of Dumas), she swears revenge on the factory’s owner. A talented designer, she’s already quite busy with her job at a Black and female-owned modiste (a fashionable dress shop), although the other young seamstresses look down on her working class background. When Madame Violette announces an in-house contest to choose a new protégée, readers will see the emergence of an even darker side to their main character. Angélique recklessly begins murdering her competition, all the while brewing arsenic in vats and producing a toxic but irresistible green dye that she plans to use to poison the fashionable clothes that the city’s wealthy elite have ordered for a lavish Christmas ball. So determined is Angélique to provide for her younger sister Elodie (who dreams of becoming a great Parisian perfumer) that she puts the brakes on her romance with a gorgeous and sweet Latine shoemaker named Domingo. Filled with lots of period details, a Bridgerton-inspired multi-racial cast, and truly purple prose, this lush and horrifying portrait of a class warrior cum sociopath was certainly unique and readable. Although Ridley is a very successful author of adult Regency romance, I think this may be her first young adult novel and she keeps the action hot but above the waist: “My heart explodes from sudden palpitations at the unfamiliar feel of Domingo’s thick muscular biceps flexing beneath the black fabric. I am nearly driven to a swoon at his proximity, his comforting heat, his earthly, manly scent.” The body pile-up is truly extraordinary, especially the final coup de grâce and an unsettling epilogue that promises future mayhem from an unsuspected corner. The back of the book includes a short author’s note about the ways in which the book departs from reality (the multiracial cast especially) and a list of thoughtful discussion questions. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...
June 1, 2025
The Protégée is Erica Ridley’s first historical horror, and I was excited to try something new from her, as I’d enjoyed quite a few of her historical romances. However, while the historical elements were well-done, I found myself very underwhelmed otherwise.
Ridley is very knowledgeable about 19th century history, and while this is set in France and a bit later than most of her prior books, she still clearly knows her stuff. She captures post-Revolutionary/Industrial Revolution France in all its gritty glory, exploring the struggles of the working class now reckoning with wealthy industrialists lording over them in the place of aristocrats. The parallels between then and today really highlight that social change is not linear, and toppling one Big Bad often just paves the way for another. I also really liked the way Ridley attempted to create a more diverse society, building on the historical records of Black people who existed at the time to build a fiction of racial unity. It’s not dissimilar to Bridgerton in its idealism, but I appreciate the acknowledgment that history was more diverse than people think.
And plot-wise, there were some pretty intense moments. The revenge plot is compelling, and the stakes of the contest at the center of the book present a fair bit of intrigue.
But something about the characters felt rather lacking for me. While I understood Angelique in theory, I found myself much less engaged with her as a character, for reasons I still don’t fully grasp. The stakes of her situation were decently conveyed in theory, but lacked real gravitas to be fully emotionally invested.
While I was underwhelmed by this book, it’s clearly a “me” problem. Between struggling a bit to maintain my investment to begin with, plus purposely staggering my reading to be able to count it for The Amazing Readathon in June, there was a lot going on. So, while I’m not the ideal reader for this book, other reviewers seem to be enjoying it, and I’d recommend checking out their reviews when making a decision about whether you want to read this or not.
Ridley is very knowledgeable about 19th century history, and while this is set in France and a bit later than most of her prior books, she still clearly knows her stuff. She captures post-Revolutionary/Industrial Revolution France in all its gritty glory, exploring the struggles of the working class now reckoning with wealthy industrialists lording over them in the place of aristocrats. The parallels between then and today really highlight that social change is not linear, and toppling one Big Bad often just paves the way for another. I also really liked the way Ridley attempted to create a more diverse society, building on the historical records of Black people who existed at the time to build a fiction of racial unity. It’s not dissimilar to Bridgerton in its idealism, but I appreciate the acknowledgment that history was more diverse than people think.
And plot-wise, there were some pretty intense moments. The revenge plot is compelling, and the stakes of the contest at the center of the book present a fair bit of intrigue.
But something about the characters felt rather lacking for me. While I understood Angelique in theory, I found myself much less engaged with her as a character, for reasons I still don’t fully grasp. The stakes of her situation were decently conveyed in theory, but lacked real gravitas to be fully emotionally invested.
While I was underwhelmed by this book, it’s clearly a “me” problem. Between struggling a bit to maintain my investment to begin with, plus purposely staggering my reading to be able to count it for The Amazing Readathon in June, there was a lot going on. So, while I’m not the ideal reader for this book, other reviewers seem to be enjoying it, and I’d recommend checking out their reviews when making a decision about whether you want to read this or not.
June 5, 2025
Erica Ridley did an amazing job of bringing 19th-century Paris to life. Although I knew she would, since I've been reading her historical romances for years. After the deaths of her parents and older sister, Angelique is doing everything she can to take care of her little sister. She is a talented seamstress and fashion designer. She wants nothing more than to be her boss's new protégée, and maybe in the process use her new position to take her revenge on the people who have treated her and her family horribly.
This takes her down a wicked path of revenge, taking out her competition in becoming the next protegee one by one. Then, moving on to the high society ladies and gentlemen who caused the death of the rest of her family.
I would say this is more revenge thriller than a horror, which I think is what it's tagged as on Goodreads.
I loved the relationship between Angelique and her sister, along with her budding romance with Domingo. Angelique is smart, protective, and fierce in her determination to get revenge. I loved the setting and the plot, but while I fully understood why she was doing what she did, I had a hard time connecting with her fully as a main character. I'm not totally sure why, but it made it hard for me to be fully immersed in the story.
I love the way Erica Ridley tells a story and I can't wait to see what shes going to come out with next.
This takes her down a wicked path of revenge, taking out her competition in becoming the next protegee one by one. Then, moving on to the high society ladies and gentlemen who caused the death of the rest of her family.
I would say this is more revenge thriller than a horror, which I think is what it's tagged as on Goodreads.
I loved the relationship between Angelique and her sister, along with her budding romance with Domingo. Angelique is smart, protective, and fierce in her determination to get revenge. I loved the setting and the plot, but while I fully understood why she was doing what she did, I had a hard time connecting with her fully as a main character. I'm not totally sure why, but it made it hard for me to be fully immersed in the story.
I love the way Erica Ridley tells a story and I can't wait to see what shes going to come out with next.
December 30, 2025
This book is so underrated!!
It addresses themes such as if revenge can go too far and more.
The main character, Angélique is morally gray and brilliant. I love how multilayered her character was. Super brilliant and hardworking. The fact that she went through a character growth after forgetting Elodie’s birthday and seeing Domingo and Elodie celebrating without her was so sweet to witness.
As a lover of fashion, the descriptions of the designs were everything. The entrepreneurial elements were amazing as well.
Not only that, the plot twists were insane. There was a lot of foreshadowing too.
For example, Odin being a morally decent guy was a pretty big plot twist. And Elodie following after Angélique’s footsteps came out of nowhere…or maybe I’m just naïve since Elodie was known to be good at chemistry (because of perfume)
However, Domingo was adorable. So sweet. Loved him so much. We all need a Domingo in our lives. He made the holiday chapter so sweet.
It addresses themes such as if revenge can go too far and more.
The main character, Angélique is morally gray and brilliant. I love how multilayered her character was. Super brilliant and hardworking. The fact that she went through a character growth after forgetting Elodie’s birthday and seeing Domingo and Elodie celebrating without her was so sweet to witness.
As a lover of fashion, the descriptions of the designs were everything. The entrepreneurial elements were amazing as well.
Not only that, the plot twists were insane. There was a lot of foreshadowing too.
For example, Odin being a morally decent guy was a pretty big plot twist. And Elodie following after Angélique’s footsteps came out of nowhere…or maybe I’m just naïve since Elodie was known to be good at chemistry (because of perfume)
However, Domingo was adorable. So sweet. Loved him so much. We all need a Domingo in our lives. He made the holiday chapter so sweet.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 6, 2025
Angelique has secured a coveted position working for a prominent modiste in Paris. Her mother and sister are not so lucky and stuck working to the bone at a sweatshop. When they both die in a tragic accident at the factory, Angelique is left to support herself and her younger sister. But she also wants revenge on the owner of the factory and the wealthy industrialists families who spend their money at the modiste. Not to mention to spoiled girls she works with. As workers at the modiste mysteriously get taken down one by one, Angelique and her textile and sewing skills move their way to the top. But is there a limit to Angelique’s revenge?
This was a engrossing gothic you can’t help but be sucked into that examines the lengths we will go to for the ones we love.
This was a engrossing gothic you can’t help but be sucked into that examines the lengths we will go to for the ones we love.
October 8, 2025
Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advance copy for my review feature in Summer Thriller Reads for the Toppling Stacks Roundup Tour.
Oh. my. goodness! This was a delectable morsel for YA Thriller fans! I devoured this to bring you the best quotes and convince you to pick up a thriller this summer. Ready to fan-girl some accomplices?
Let travel to Paris, France 1850.
“We (seamstress) are newborn chicks in a giant bird’s nest. Baby egrets, to be exact, known for killing their siblings before they can learn to fly.”
“Sometimes invisibility is the greater power.”
Oh. my. goodness! This was a delectable morsel for YA Thriller fans! I devoured this to bring you the best quotes and convince you to pick up a thriller this summer. Ready to fan-girl some accomplices?
Let travel to Paris, France 1850.
“We (seamstress) are newborn chicks in a giant bird’s nest. Baby egrets, to be exact, known for killing their siblings before they can learn to fly.”
“Sometimes invisibility is the greater power.”
June 10, 2025
Oh I really loved this foray into YA by Erica. Huge fan of this author - great read. Loved the horror - done so so well. Great historical aspect - rich with imagery, brutality of the times, rife with misogyny and cruelty to the poor.
A lovely exploration of what women do for their loved ones. Brutal. Real. Honest.
Angélique has lost all of her family but her younger sister. Determined for her sister to never know the suffering of factory work, Angélique does the hard stuff - including removing competition to become the next Protégée.
Rage. Complex. Angry woman - oh yes!
A lovely exploration of what women do for their loved ones. Brutal. Real. Honest.
Angélique has lost all of her family but her younger sister. Determined for her sister to never know the suffering of factory work, Angélique does the hard stuff - including removing competition to become the next Protégée.
Rage. Complex. Angry woman - oh yes!
October 21, 2025
Oh, my goodness! I couldn’t put THE PROTEGEE down! It began with a heartbreaking commentary on the beginnings of the industrial age, became a quest for what seemed well-deserved vengeance, descended into a murderous madness, and slowly, so slowly, climbed back into daylight. And THEN …. Just read the book if you enjoy extremely well written horror stories.
Personally, I prefer Erica Ridley’s outrageous, hilarious, romantic romps through Victorian England, but this is definitely five star writing.
Personally, I prefer Erica Ridley’s outrageous, hilarious, romantic romps through Victorian England, but this is definitely five star writing.
September 3, 2025
Imagine if Project Runway had an anti-capitalist challenge, with the goal of toppling the industrialists in power using fashion (and poison). That’s this book. A bit heavy handed on the anti-capitalist message (girl, I’m already on board, eat the rich, yeah?) and repetitive, but I could overlook a lot of it because it was an interesting read. I was very anxious about how it ended, but I was pleasantly surprised. What a cute little twist at the end.
April 19, 2025
Loved reading the engaging and amazing story. Angelique. wants revenge against the family where her mother and sister died, a better way of life for her and her younger sister, chosen as the seamstress's protégée, and will do anything and everything to get what she wants. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written, and a must read riveting story by the awesome author, Erica Ridley.
August 1, 2025
This was a solid 4 star book until the very end. That ending brought this up a whole star and its one of the best I've listened to for a while. This was coming off listening to Rory Powers' new book Kill Creatures where the main character is also kinda unhinged but Ridley did it so much better. Its kinda like how you like Dexter as a character even though he's a serial killer.
August 12, 2025
Loved the charming setting of this story, Paris France in 1850. As a revenge plot unfolds the stakes become high for all involved. Loved the high fashion/dress maker elements. Fantastic YA thriller. A real page-turner. Devoured this one.
A big thank you to Penguin Random House + also to Goodreads! I was delighted to win this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
A big thank you to Penguin Random House + also to Goodreads! I was delighted to win this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
August 28, 2025
The story of what a person, daughter, & sister would do to survive and enact revenge all the while forgetting her sibling is watching!
#audiobook #wouldrecommend
Seamstress in Paris, arsenic, green fabric, shoe designer
#audiobook #wouldrecommend
Seamstress in Paris, arsenic, green fabric, shoe designer
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 7, 2025
The morally gray here is a very dark shade of gray and how I loved it. It was a very fun book and easy to fly through. Heavy on the revenge and a little less on the horror but the revenge part of the book was fire.
October 10, 2025
Wow! What a ride!
Although the book is labeled "young adult", I love Erica Ridley's writing style. Wow! I absolutely loved reading and feeling this story. This is a thriller that should definitely continue!
Although the book is labeled "young adult", I love Erica Ridley's writing style. Wow! I absolutely loved reading and feeling this story. This is a thriller that should definitely continue!
March 31, 2025
This is my first time ever having read an advanced copy so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I thought this was a really innovative and eye-opening read! (3.5 stars)
June 10, 2025
3.5⭐️
June 24, 2025
In light of the current times, this book felt educational.
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