What do you think?
Rate this book
Butterflies: the many lives of Lucia Porter
A Haunting Tale of Love, Loss, and the Mystical Unknown. The ideal gift for readers who love stories of strong women facing the odds.
Lucia Porter and Harry Cavanagh seem the unlikeliest of couples. She’s a sheltered innocent from a modest background, he’s the worldly heir to a fortune and a title. Their whirlwind romance at university leads to a fairy-tale marriage—or so Lucia expects.
But beneath Harry’s charm lies a man far different from the one she thought she knew.
When tragedy strikes with the sudden death of their newborn son, Lucia’s world shatters. On the verge of a breakdown, she runs away to a remote retreat on a mystical Scottish island.
At the retreat, Lucia meets four women who have faced similar losses, and embarks on a journey unlike any other. As she delves deeper into the island’s mystical power, reality begins to shift, and she finds a new life.
Butterflies is a masterful blend of suspense, metaphysical intrigue, and emotional depth. Described by The Wishing Shelf as “truly excellent,” this gripping drama carries an unforgettable ghostly and paranormal edge. Perfect for fans of David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas and Andrew Michael Hurley’s Starve Acre, it explores the uncharted territories of the human soul.
What readers are
“Terrific characters, sharp dialogue, a tight plot, and an amazing ending.”
“Brilliantly planned and compelling.”
“One of the most fascinating heroines I’ve met in a long time—simultaneously infuriating and enchanting.”
“An innocent girl lost in a world she’s unprepared for. ”
Step into the haunting world of Butterflies—where love, loss, and destiny intertwine, and nothing is as it seems.
Lucia Porter and Harry Cavanagh seem the unlikeliest of couples. She’s a sheltered innocent from a modest background, he’s the worldly heir to a fortune and a title. Their whirlwind romance at university leads to a fairy-tale marriage—or so Lucia expects.
But beneath Harry’s charm lies a man far different from the one she thought she knew.
When tragedy strikes with the sudden death of their newborn son, Lucia’s world shatters. On the verge of a breakdown, she runs away to a remote retreat on a mystical Scottish island.
At the retreat, Lucia meets four women who have faced similar losses, and embarks on a journey unlike any other. As she delves deeper into the island’s mystical power, reality begins to shift, and she finds a new life.
Butterflies is a masterful blend of suspense, metaphysical intrigue, and emotional depth. Described by The Wishing Shelf as “truly excellent,” this gripping drama carries an unforgettable ghostly and paranormal edge. Perfect for fans of David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas and Andrew Michael Hurley’s Starve Acre, it explores the uncharted territories of the human soul.
What readers are
“Terrific characters, sharp dialogue, a tight plot, and an amazing ending.”
“Brilliantly planned and compelling.”
“One of the most fascinating heroines I’ve met in a long time—simultaneously infuriating and enchanting.”
“An innocent girl lost in a world she’s unprepared for. ”
Step into the haunting world of Butterflies—where love, loss, and destiny intertwine, and nothing is as it seems.
360 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 2, 2024
10 people are currently reading
4 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 17, 2024
Butterflies: the many lives of Lucia Porter takes you through the different stages of Lucia Porter's life - girl, girlfriend, wife, mother, butterfly. We learn why and how she becomes who she is, and we see her character develop along the way.
I enjoyed the ending - it offers the much-needed closure for the main character. The paranormal twist was intriguing, though could have been hinted along the way throughout the story for a more cohesive vibe instead of coming out of nowhere.
Now... a quick warning as I'll be going into some parts I didn't enjoy as much.
Despite having an interesting background, Lucia sometimes came across as bland to me. I understand it's her sheltered upbringing and everything that plays a role, but it's a bit boring that she's just passive and naive most of the time. There is character development, but it happened too late for me.
"She has had a sheltered and protected upbringing" - as mentioned in the book synopsis, but this does not have to take up a whole good 25% of the book, I wish her back story could be shorter and the book could focus on the back portion that the synopsis is basically about - her growth. Or insert her back story as snippets along the way of present day kind of format to give us hints of her character.
If we're truly meant to experience the many lives of Lucia Porter, I wish the synopsis could have been more upfront about this instead of dangling the main interesting part of the story to me like a carrot and had me wondering when we're getting there. I wouldn't have had the expectation and got disappointed. Would prefer if the Butterfly section of the story is longer for us to explore the full psyche of Lucia Porter's transformation.
>> 2.5/5.0 Good of a read rounded down to a 2.0/5.0
Too long of a read on Lucia's back story and I wish her character development could have been stronger and more impactful.
------
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc. This review is my own and completely honest.
I enjoyed the ending - it offers the much-needed closure for the main character. The paranormal twist was intriguing, though could have been hinted along the way throughout the story for a more cohesive vibe instead of coming out of nowhere.
Now... a quick warning as I'll be going into some parts I didn't enjoy as much.
Despite having an interesting background, Lucia sometimes came across as bland to me. I understand it's her sheltered upbringing and everything that plays a role, but it's a bit boring that she's just passive and naive most of the time. There is character development, but it happened too late for me.
"She has had a sheltered and protected upbringing" - as mentioned in the book synopsis, but this does not have to take up a whole good 25% of the book, I wish her back story could be shorter and the book could focus on the back portion that the synopsis is basically about - her growth. Or insert her back story as snippets along the way of present day kind of format to give us hints of her character.
If we're truly meant to experience the many lives of Lucia Porter, I wish the synopsis could have been more upfront about this instead of dangling the main interesting part of the story to me like a carrot and had me wondering when we're getting there. I wouldn't have had the expectation and got disappointed. Would prefer if the Butterfly section of the story is longer for us to explore the full psyche of Lucia Porter's transformation.
>> 2.5/5.0 Good of a read rounded down to a 2.0/5.0
Too long of a read on Lucia's back story and I wish her character development could have been stronger and more impactful.
------
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc. This review is my own and completely honest.
January 26, 2025
I have read a few books by this author now and have enjoyed their writing each time. I dove into this book with a feeling that I would definitely like the layout, detail and style. I was glad to find that this was true. I do also, as per each other book of theirs, really love the beauty and darkness of the front cover.
This book is hard to classify into one genre. We spend a good deal of time, in the first half of the book, focusing on the main character's history and upbringing. This is very important to the rest of the book, but does have an entirely different genre feel to the second half, but I saw this as more of a transition, just as we transition over to the retreat and the new style.
I liked the very interesting move over to the almost fantasy, sci-fi feel of the retreat and how things progress there. It takes all the detail we have learned and created a twist that you will likely not quite see coming. It was definitely interesting. Overall, a unique and interesting read.
This book is hard to classify into one genre. We spend a good deal of time, in the first half of the book, focusing on the main character's history and upbringing. This is very important to the rest of the book, but does have an entirely different genre feel to the second half, but I saw this as more of a transition, just as we transition over to the retreat and the new style.
I liked the very interesting move over to the almost fantasy, sci-fi feel of the retreat and how things progress there. It takes all the detail we have learned and created a twist that you will likely not quite see coming. It was definitely interesting. Overall, a unique and interesting read.
January 22, 2025
Butterflies by Phill Featherstone.
I loved the cover and blurb of this book. I really did enjoy this book. I liked the writing style. It was different and unique. Very suspenseful. I liked Lucia and Lily character. Crowley and Sinclair, I really didn't trust. I didn't like the idea of the island. I read this book in two sittings. I couldn't put it down. I had to find out what happened. I did like the story and plot. It was very cleverly written. The ending did surprise me. I do recommend this book.
I loved the cover and blurb of this book. I really did enjoy this book. I liked the writing style. It was different and unique. Very suspenseful. I liked Lucia and Lily character. Crowley and Sinclair, I really didn't trust. I didn't like the idea of the island. I read this book in two sittings. I couldn't put it down. I had to find out what happened. I did like the story and plot. It was very cleverly written. The ending did surprise me. I do recommend this book.
October 15, 2024
This story is an interesting blend of historical fiction and sci-fi. Both Lucia and Lily are strong FMC with relatable personalities and a deep, familial bond. The beginning reads as a historical romance, but as the story builds it breaks off into more of a sci-fi storyline, with twilight zone, x-files elements that'll keep your mind weaving, and by the end you're spinning, standing still. It's a unique thrill.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews