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No Women Were Harmed: Winner of the Daily Mail Prize 2023
And so, I am mad after all...The shackles gouge my wrists, disturbing the scars of Strangeways Prison's
fetters. But no matter; if I bleed, I will not I am already dead.
Named after the funeral flower, Lily has walked hand-in-hand with death for as long as she can remember.
But the fact that death has chosen to follow her through life can hardly be conceived as her fault.
Certainly she cannot be expected to take the blame for the slew of missing men in her wake.
In fact, Lily is in no doubt that there has been some terrible mistake, and she will be released from this asylum any day now.
Now she just needs to convince you too...
Set against the harsh realities of a Victorian asylum, this compelling historical debut sees one unruly woman take her revenge on the men who would keep her caged, and ultimately asks where we draw the line between villain and victim in a society where the odds are stacked against women from the start. Perfect for fans of MRS ENGLAND by Stacey Halls, THE MAD WOMEN'S BALL by Victoria Mas and LILY by Rose Tremain.
Praise for No Women Were Harmed:
'An intriguing setting, complex characters and evocative writing; [No Women Were Harmed] has all the ingredients of a bestseller' Clare Mackintosh, author of The Last Party
'Sarah Waters meets Promising Young Woman with the most glorious of unreliable narrators. Absolutely loved it - so gripping, so unpredictable, and Lily is a character for the ages, unapologetically devious and sly, but still a(n anti) heroine readers will be rooting for. I'll be recommending this one to many people!' Naomi Kelsey, author of The Burnings
'A delightfully dark Victorian romp, No Women Were Harmed is an absolute treat for anyone who loves an unreliable narrator with a biting voice.' Carmella Lowkis, author of Spitting Gold
'A smart, immersive historical debut that will have you rooting for and questioning Lily in equal measure' My Weekly
'A well-crafted tale, as devious Lily justifies her actions...Mottershead's meticulous research reveals the realities of the asylum and the sad fates of the women housed there - one which Lily is determined to avoid at all costs' Daily Mail
'When the odds are stacked against a woman, what is she capable of?...Blurring the lines between victim and villain, this darkly riveting tale is impossible to put down' Woman's Own
'Set against the backdrop of a crumbling asylum, an unfortunate childhood, and callous characters, this novel is gripping, thrilling, and troubling...' Dan Bassett, Waterstones Bookseller
Named after the funeral flower, Lily has walked hand-in-hand with death for as long as she can remember.
But the fact that death has chosen to follow her through life can hardly be conceived as her fault.
Certainly she cannot be expected to take the blame for the slew of missing men in her wake.
In fact, Lily is in no doubt that there has been some terrible mistake, and she will be released from this asylum any day now.
Now she just needs to convince you too...
Set against the harsh realities of a Victorian asylum, this compelling historical debut sees one unruly woman take her revenge on the men who would keep her caged, and ultimately asks where we draw the line between villain and victim in a society where the odds are stacked against women from the start. Perfect for fans of MRS ENGLAND by Stacey Halls, THE MAD WOMEN'S BALL by Victoria Mas and LILY by Rose Tremain.
Praise for No Women Were Harmed:
'An intriguing setting, complex characters and evocative writing; [No Women Were Harmed] has all the ingredients of a bestseller' Clare Mackintosh, author of The Last Party
'Sarah Waters meets Promising Young Woman with the most glorious of unreliable narrators. Absolutely loved it - so gripping, so unpredictable, and Lily is a character for the ages, unapologetically devious and sly, but still a(n anti) heroine readers will be rooting for. I'll be recommending this one to many people!' Naomi Kelsey, author of The Burnings
'A delightfully dark Victorian romp, No Women Were Harmed is an absolute treat for anyone who loves an unreliable narrator with a biting voice.' Carmella Lowkis, author of Spitting Gold
'A smart, immersive historical debut that will have you rooting for and questioning Lily in equal measure' My Weekly
'A well-crafted tale, as devious Lily justifies her actions...Mottershead's meticulous research reveals the realities of the asylum and the sad fates of the women housed there - one which Lily is determined to avoid at all costs' Daily Mail
'When the odds are stacked against a woman, what is she capable of?...Blurring the lines between victim and villain, this darkly riveting tale is impossible to put down' Woman's Own
'Set against the backdrop of a crumbling asylum, an unfortunate childhood, and callous characters, this novel is gripping, thrilling, and troubling...' Dan Bassett, Waterstones Bookseller
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Published September 18, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
June 25, 2025
An award-winning debut historical fiction novel. I loved the Victorian North of England settings. The first person narration is vivid and unpredictable which makes for an engaging read (e.g. "My previous cellmate, a tiny red-haired girl from Eccles with impeccable sleeping manners, has been carted off to the seclusion cells and shackled for whittling a knife from laundry tongs..."). If I have a minor quibble, it's that I wasn't keen on the epilogue which felt a bit heavy-handed. Overall, a great read & I look forward to more from this author. 4.5 ⭐ rounded up.
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy.
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy.
August 18, 2025
Named after the dreaded funeral flower that is feared by so many a superstitious soul, Lily has walked hand-in-hand with death for many a year, more than she sometimes cares to remember as it always seems death seeks her out. Not the other way around, and surely it cannot be conceived that she must be the one at fault…
Certainly Lily cannot be expected to take the blame for the many men who may have touched her life in some manner or other, seemingly going missing after an encounter, and in fact Lily is in no doubt whatsoever that a mistake has been made, a gross error of judgement and she just knows deep in her jaded soul that soon enough the shackles that bind her to this wicked and godless asylum shall finally be undone and she will be free…
However this task will be far from simple or even easy, or even plausible as the very person who may indeed hold the key to Lily’s freedom won’t be a pushover. Oh no, for first she must perform an act of benediction, cleansing herself of her apparent sins to someone who becomes increasingly curious about her life before the padded cells and raving lunatics. Yet there is so much more she is hiding. It cannot stay this way forever…
Will Lily succeed or suffer when her darkest secrets come spilling out like the deepest shade of black, and will she ever be free?
Set against the backdrop of a crumbling asylum, an unfortunate childhood, and callous characters, this novel is gripping, thrilling, and troubling…
Certainly Lily cannot be expected to take the blame for the many men who may have touched her life in some manner or other, seemingly going missing after an encounter, and in fact Lily is in no doubt whatsoever that a mistake has been made, a gross error of judgement and she just knows deep in her jaded soul that soon enough the shackles that bind her to this wicked and godless asylum shall finally be undone and she will be free…
However this task will be far from simple or even easy, or even plausible as the very person who may indeed hold the key to Lily’s freedom won’t be a pushover. Oh no, for first she must perform an act of benediction, cleansing herself of her apparent sins to someone who becomes increasingly curious about her life before the padded cells and raving lunatics. Yet there is so much more she is hiding. It cannot stay this way forever…
Will Lily succeed or suffer when her darkest secrets come spilling out like the deepest shade of black, and will she ever be free?
Set against the backdrop of a crumbling asylum, an unfortunate childhood, and callous characters, this novel is gripping, thrilling, and troubling…
October 10, 2025
5 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2025/10/10/re...
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Well, No Women Were Harmed
I mean, as titles go this certainly grabs the attention – and that cover, I just love it, and I know that you can’t judge a book by it’s cover and you shouldn’t be so fickle (beauty being skin – or cover – deep) but I really must say I do love a good cover. Anyway, this book was really good. I was hooked from the very start and even now writing this review (which is very overdue because of circumstances that I won’t bore you all with) I could literally read this again just to try and pick up on all the things I may have missed the first time round in my haste to reach the conclusion.
This is really my kind of story. I like the style of narration. The Victorian period really lends itself to anything gothic and make the setting an asylum and you really have my attention. We have dual timelines that flit back and forth and the most unreliable narrator ever – although she doesn’t flinch away from telling quite a few shocking truths.
Lily is our MC. Named for the funeral flower Lily has a very engaging way of telling a story. We visit her in the asylum that she has been incarcerated in (following a hysteric murder) and as she relates her story to a visiting psychiatrist who wants to use Lily as a focus for her studies, it becomes clear that Lily is simply weaving a pretty narrative in the hopes of release.
I loved the writing and can’t believe that this is a debut. I will definitely be watching out for what this author comes up with next. The settings are so well described – no purple prose here – just the right amount of detail to drop you into a scene and bring it to life. Every element of the story shines from the page and it’s absolutely absorbing to read. From farm setting to dance hall to asylum, it’s all equally gripping.
I do love a historic setting and the Victorian era is a firm favourite. We start off with a glimpse of Lily’s upbringing on a farm, life was harsh but being a quick study and believing herself to be her father’s favourite Lily thinks her prospects will be different, she can help with the business. Imagine her disappointment then when she overhears her father discussing his plans to marry her off as soon as can be. This little nugget is followed by many other reveals in which male acquaintances disappoint or fail to meet Lily’s expectations. Set in the ‘grim’ north the story gives you a good idea of a woman’s lot in life – and it wasn’t all a bed of roses for sure.
Now, on top of this, during the conversations with Lily’s psychiatrist, we start to uncover a few truths as Lily relates her story and then, on occasions shares with readers a slightly different version. I loved this. I mean, I’m not saying that Lily is an upstanding character but it’s easy to see her expectations and motivations even if you don’t always agree with her actions.
Overall, this read is more compelling and entertaining than I expected, completely outdoing any notions I had going into the read. I was gripped and I can’t wait to read more from this author.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
https://lynns-books.com/2025/10/10/re...
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Well, No Women Were Harmed
I mean, as titles go this certainly grabs the attention – and that cover, I just love it, and I know that you can’t judge a book by it’s cover and you shouldn’t be so fickle (beauty being skin – or cover – deep) but I really must say I do love a good cover. Anyway, this book was really good. I was hooked from the very start and even now writing this review (which is very overdue because of circumstances that I won’t bore you all with) I could literally read this again just to try and pick up on all the things I may have missed the first time round in my haste to reach the conclusion.
This is really my kind of story. I like the style of narration. The Victorian period really lends itself to anything gothic and make the setting an asylum and you really have my attention. We have dual timelines that flit back and forth and the most unreliable narrator ever – although she doesn’t flinch away from telling quite a few shocking truths.
Lily is our MC. Named for the funeral flower Lily has a very engaging way of telling a story. We visit her in the asylum that she has been incarcerated in (following a hysteric murder) and as she relates her story to a visiting psychiatrist who wants to use Lily as a focus for her studies, it becomes clear that Lily is simply weaving a pretty narrative in the hopes of release.
I loved the writing and can’t believe that this is a debut. I will definitely be watching out for what this author comes up with next. The settings are so well described – no purple prose here – just the right amount of detail to drop you into a scene and bring it to life. Every element of the story shines from the page and it’s absolutely absorbing to read. From farm setting to dance hall to asylum, it’s all equally gripping.
I do love a historic setting and the Victorian era is a firm favourite. We start off with a glimpse of Lily’s upbringing on a farm, life was harsh but being a quick study and believing herself to be her father’s favourite Lily thinks her prospects will be different, she can help with the business. Imagine her disappointment then when she overhears her father discussing his plans to marry her off as soon as can be. This little nugget is followed by many other reveals in which male acquaintances disappoint or fail to meet Lily’s expectations. Set in the ‘grim’ north the story gives you a good idea of a woman’s lot in life – and it wasn’t all a bed of roses for sure.
Now, on top of this, during the conversations with Lily’s psychiatrist, we start to uncover a few truths as Lily relates her story and then, on occasions shares with readers a slightly different version. I loved this. I mean, I’m not saying that Lily is an upstanding character but it’s easy to see her expectations and motivations even if you don’t always agree with her actions.
Overall, this read is more compelling and entertaining than I expected, completely outdoing any notions I had going into the read. I was gripped and I can’t wait to read more from this author.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
October 31, 2025
3.5 stars
Thanks to NetGalley and the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
This book is perfect for spooky season, even if it is not a horror. I think that we can call it gothic, but it will be stretching things a bit. But even so, this book is chilling. And it is built like a thriller of sorts, because we meet our MC, Lily, while she is in an asylum. We learn pretty soon that she is accused of murder, but we don’t know anything else. We start to piece together what happened in reverse, piecing together what is happening now and what happened in the past.
And the story takes its sweet time to tell us more, because we get to see the life inside the asylum, and we get to learn Lily’s story while she is telling it to her new psychologist (I don’t know if the term is correct for the historical period, but you get what I am saying). Her diagnosis is of hysteria (unbelievable, right?), and if she had stayed in jail instead of the hospital, her punishment would be nearing the end, but since she is now a patient in the mental facility, nobody can say when she will be released.
So she starts therapy with a new doctor. I think she is the first in the whole asylum to try that, but don’t quote me on that. But this is the era where the first women start to go to university and start to work too. And on these notes, the author does an amazing job with all the women we meet in the book. They are all different, they have different backgrounds and jobs and stories and dreams, but they all have problems, since society is not really so good with women, and we get to see them all. And the author’s touch here is pretty light. And I don’t mean that she doesn’t give them importance, but that she manages to give them the right weight even when they are in the background.
This book has some deeper themes, all linked to the women and their condition at the time (but some things are not really era-dependent. It is quite easy to see some of our “modern” problems reflected in these pages, too), and it has a compelling story. Lily is not really the most reliable narrator, but even if she is not always honest when she is talking to other people, she is more honest when she talks with us.
Usually dual timelines aren’t my favourite, but sometimes they are the only way to tell a story, and in this case I quite enjoyed it, especially because the past timeline is encased in the present one, because we see the past when Lily recounts it.
I compared this one to a thriller but the comparison is not complete, because we have some twists here but… they are not really so unexpected, you may not know the details, but it’s pretty clear what will happen from time to time, there aren’t big revelations or surprises, the story is… predictable. I am a bit unsure about using “predictable” as the right word here, because I don’t want to imply anything negative with it, because I think that the point here is not the surprise or the novelty or the shocking value of the story. The point is Lily’s story, and like her, the story of so many other women, so… I just wanted to make sure to not create wrong expectations.
Anyway, as I said before, I think this is the perfect read for spooky season, even if we don’t really have horror elements (we have horrifical elements, but they are there because humans can be the worst creatures around, simple as that) and I am quite happy to have read it. Also… the cover is captivating!
Thanks to NetGalley and the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
This book is perfect for spooky season, even if it is not a horror. I think that we can call it gothic, but it will be stretching things a bit. But even so, this book is chilling. And it is built like a thriller of sorts, because we meet our MC, Lily, while she is in an asylum. We learn pretty soon that she is accused of murder, but we don’t know anything else. We start to piece together what happened in reverse, piecing together what is happening now and what happened in the past.
And the story takes its sweet time to tell us more, because we get to see the life inside the asylum, and we get to learn Lily’s story while she is telling it to her new psychologist (I don’t know if the term is correct for the historical period, but you get what I am saying). Her diagnosis is of hysteria (unbelievable, right?), and if she had stayed in jail instead of the hospital, her punishment would be nearing the end, but since she is now a patient in the mental facility, nobody can say when she will be released.
So she starts therapy with a new doctor. I think she is the first in the whole asylum to try that, but don’t quote me on that. But this is the era where the first women start to go to university and start to work too. And on these notes, the author does an amazing job with all the women we meet in the book. They are all different, they have different backgrounds and jobs and stories and dreams, but they all have problems, since society is not really so good with women, and we get to see them all. And the author’s touch here is pretty light. And I don’t mean that she doesn’t give them importance, but that she manages to give them the right weight even when they are in the background.
This book has some deeper themes, all linked to the women and their condition at the time (but some things are not really era-dependent. It is quite easy to see some of our “modern” problems reflected in these pages, too), and it has a compelling story. Lily is not really the most reliable narrator, but even if she is not always honest when she is talking to other people, she is more honest when she talks with us.
Usually dual timelines aren’t my favourite, but sometimes they are the only way to tell a story, and in this case I quite enjoyed it, especially because the past timeline is encased in the present one, because we see the past when Lily recounts it.
I compared this one to a thriller but the comparison is not complete, because we have some twists here but… they are not really so unexpected, you may not know the details, but it’s pretty clear what will happen from time to time, there aren’t big revelations or surprises, the story is… predictable. I am a bit unsure about using “predictable” as the right word here, because I don’t want to imply anything negative with it, because I think that the point here is not the surprise or the novelty or the shocking value of the story. The point is Lily’s story, and like her, the story of so many other women, so… I just wanted to make sure to not create wrong expectations.
Anyway, as I said before, I think this is the perfect read for spooky season, even if we don’t really have horror elements (we have horrifical elements, but they are there because humans can be the worst creatures around, simple as that) and I am quite happy to have read it. Also… the cover is captivating!
September 14, 2025
This was a book that again, had so much potential, and I can see what the author was aiming at, but it just felt a little flat for me. I found the pacing all over the place - I really didn't care about her early life, and I was nearly 30% through before anything seemed to actually happen.
The concept was really cool, and in theory I like the idea of the female 'villain' winning. I just want to care about said character and Lily was such a cold, bland character that I couldn't bring myself to really care about her. She didn't seem to care, she barely reacted to anything.
I did like the duo narrative elements. At first I worried that they would be too over used and bog down the story, but they were sparingly used and that made them all the more dramatic when they were used and we got to hear the version she told in the asylum and then the 'true' version of what happened. It was very effective.
The whole atmosphere was top tier, the world crafted in these pages is great. The asylum, the music hall, the boarding houses, they were all clearly the product of good research and the author's passion for the period shines out.
The story started to drag a little again in the middle, when again a lot of pages passed but nothing seemed to happen, before swiftly coming to a conclusion that wasn't much of any at all. The last couple of chapters felt a little like a slap in the face, and made me wonder why this book had been written at all. I didn't really get why she had done what she had done, and why drop all those hints about the psychiatrist's life outside the walls if nothing is ever done with it?
~Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review~
The concept was really cool, and in theory I like the idea of the female 'villain' winning. I just want to care about said character and Lily was such a cold, bland character that I couldn't bring myself to really care about her. She didn't seem to care, she barely reacted to anything.
I did like the duo narrative elements. At first I worried that they would be too over used and bog down the story, but they were sparingly used and that made them all the more dramatic when they were used and we got to hear the version she told in the asylum and then the 'true' version of what happened. It was very effective.
The whole atmosphere was top tier, the world crafted in these pages is great. The asylum, the music hall, the boarding houses, they were all clearly the product of good research and the author's passion for the period shines out.
The story started to drag a little again in the middle, when again a lot of pages passed but nothing seemed to happen, before swiftly coming to a conclusion that wasn't much of any at all. The last couple of chapters felt a little like a slap in the face, and made me wonder why this book had been written at all. I didn't really get why she had done what she had done, and why drop all those hints about the psychiatrist's life outside the walls if nothing is ever done with it?
~Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review~
November 8, 2025
Atmospheric yet unfulfilling
—
In this atmospheric debut, Mottershead brings us right inside the mind of Lily, currently an inmate of a Victorian asylum, where she is the model denizen (apart from some lapses when she sees an injustice against a fellow inmate). Lily doesn’t appear to be as murderous as her prison record shows, but there is that one man she appears to have harmed. Will Lily turn out to be a mere victim of the times and her circumstances, or is there more to her story? Will Lily be able to convince her psychiatrist, Dr Pomona Fairchild, that she is cured and ready to rejoin the world?
Having read some superlative Victorian thrillers this year, I was led to believe from the first page that this would be another, a cat-and-mouse game between a seemingly virtuous victim of injustice and an early Clarice Starling, the real numbers of bodies hidden from the law and the cold light of day, and the reader unable to decide which of the two female protagonists to root for. But no, that wasn’t what this book gives us: instead, it’s the tale of a rural girl who makes the best of her life before falling for the wrong man, and, as is the way of women in Victorian novels, cast aside once he has had his way with her. Whether Lily is mad or not isn’t really the point of this novel, and indeed, what was the point of the novel? Lily knows her sins, and she reveals them to the reader, if not her doctor, and she doesn’t appear generally murderous. Her deeds are perfectly justifiable, and she is generally a sympathetic (if clearly unreliable) narrator; she’s even able to make friends and recognise them as friends, so she’s not a psychopath. Generally, I liked the atmosphere but the story arc was the weakness.
—
In this atmospheric debut, Mottershead brings us right inside the mind of Lily, currently an inmate of a Victorian asylum, where she is the model denizen (apart from some lapses when she sees an injustice against a fellow inmate). Lily doesn’t appear to be as murderous as her prison record shows, but there is that one man she appears to have harmed. Will Lily turn out to be a mere victim of the times and her circumstances, or is there more to her story? Will Lily be able to convince her psychiatrist, Dr Pomona Fairchild, that she is cured and ready to rejoin the world?
Having read some superlative Victorian thrillers this year, I was led to believe from the first page that this would be another, a cat-and-mouse game between a seemingly virtuous victim of injustice and an early Clarice Starling, the real numbers of bodies hidden from the law and the cold light of day, and the reader unable to decide which of the two female protagonists to root for. But no, that wasn’t what this book gives us: instead, it’s the tale of a rural girl who makes the best of her life before falling for the wrong man, and, as is the way of women in Victorian novels, cast aside once he has had his way with her. Whether Lily is mad or not isn’t really the point of this novel, and indeed, what was the point of the novel? Lily knows her sins, and she reveals them to the reader, if not her doctor, and she doesn’t appear generally murderous. Her deeds are perfectly justifiable, and she is generally a sympathetic (if clearly unreliable) narrator; she’s even able to make friends and recognise them as friends, so she’s not a psychopath. Generally, I liked the atmosphere but the story arc was the weakness.
May 31, 2025
Thank you to the author and publisher for this e-ARC via NetGalley! That has not influenced this review and all opinions are my own
The blurb for this book sounded so incredibly interesting and it drew me in straight away!
This is a book about revenge, adult relationships, hardships, and one woman’s journey through life which ultimately ends with her in an ‘asylum’.
We have an unreliable narrator which I really loved and found interesting. There are time jumps which seem to fit in perfectly with the current timeline, and a lot of important context was given. I just love how incredibly intelligent the FMC was, and how manipulative and shady she was. And to be fair, every decision she made was very much justified!
The Victorian gothic setting was incredible - there’s a lot of language reminiscent of the time, and you can tell the author did a lot of background reading to provide that atmosphere. There are some triggering topics, but I feel they’re managed in a very respectful way, and they are there to provide specific purposes (which is hard to explain in a spoiler free review).
The pacing of this book was great and I was drawn to it, hence why I finished it pretty quickly. There are no ‘mundane’ parts, and there is no part of the book which is just ‘fillers’ for scenes. Every single scene is carefully chosen with the plot in mind.
If you’re looking for a gothic tale of a Victorian woman in rebellion, this is the one for you!
Rating: 5/5 stars (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
The blurb for this book sounded so incredibly interesting and it drew me in straight away!
This is a book about revenge, adult relationships, hardships, and one woman’s journey through life which ultimately ends with her in an ‘asylum’.
We have an unreliable narrator which I really loved and found interesting. There are time jumps which seem to fit in perfectly with the current timeline, and a lot of important context was given. I just love how incredibly intelligent the FMC was, and how manipulative and shady she was. And to be fair, every decision she made was very much justified!
The Victorian gothic setting was incredible - there’s a lot of language reminiscent of the time, and you can tell the author did a lot of background reading to provide that atmosphere. There are some triggering topics, but I feel they’re managed in a very respectful way, and they are there to provide specific purposes (which is hard to explain in a spoiler free review).
The pacing of this book was great and I was drawn to it, hence why I finished it pretty quickly. There are no ‘mundane’ parts, and there is no part of the book which is just ‘fillers’ for scenes. Every single scene is carefully chosen with the plot in mind.
If you’re looking for a gothic tale of a Victorian woman in rebellion, this is the one for you!
Rating: 5/5 stars (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
September 23, 2025
Lily is transferred to the asylum partway through her prison sentence & is chosen as the first prisoner to speak to the new female psychiatrist as she seems to have shown little of the 'hysteria' she was sent there for. The psychiatrist believes that if Lily tells her her life story, then she can make up her mind about whether to recommend Lily for release. As Lily starts to tell her story from the very beginning it seems that she has been dogged by bad luck, but we should remember that there are 3 sides to every story: Lily's, the victims', & the truth!
It seems counterintuitive to describe a book set in a Victorian mental asylum as an entertaining read, but Lily really is a fascinating main character as you're never quite sure at first if she is telling the reader the whole story. I did find the character of the psychiatrist rather underused though, it seemed as if she was going to play a major role,but her exit at the end was rather mundane. Overall it was entertaining, the author really brought the asylum environment to life, & the final chapter was a cracker, but there was just something missing to make it a stand out read. 3.75 stars (rounded up)
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Little, Brown Book Group UK/Sphere, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
TWs:
It seems counterintuitive to describe a book set in a Victorian mental asylum as an entertaining read, but Lily really is a fascinating main character as you're never quite sure at first if she is telling the reader the whole story. I did find the character of the psychiatrist rather underused though, it seemed as if she was going to play a major role,but her exit at the end was rather mundane. Overall it was entertaining, the author really brought the asylum environment to life, & the final chapter was a cracker, but there was just something missing to make it a stand out read. 3.75 stars (rounded up)
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Little, Brown Book Group UK/Sphere, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
TWs:
August 21, 2025
This really rates as 3.5 stars, but Goodreads doesn't have a 3.5 rating for single reviews which is frustrating .
Anyway, why 3.5?
Well, the story is very interesting, somewhat Thomas Hardy like in parts even, but, once you introduce a character as being a decidedly unreliable narrator, as Lily, the main protagonist undoubtedly is, a reader is likely to doubt everything that follows.
That was this reader's experience in any case.
Is Lily a young put upon innocent, heroically rising above the traumas of her past,or a cold and calculating psychopathic
killer? That depends on how much you can believe her story as she unfolds it.
As the title states, "no women were harmed" by Lily, but they were certainly led by the nose to Lily's advantage.
It js quite an intriguing novel but with some flaws..
The young psychiatrist who engages Lily with the "talking cure" is an unsatisfactory character...much is hinted at about her life outside the asylum but nothing is explained, simply noted, leaving this reader wondering why the hints were included at all.
Overall, the story was absorbing, but with quite a few plot holes. I am sure Book Clubs would have an interesting evening discussing it, and I suspect opinion regarding Lily and her character would be very much split!
I would recommend the book, I think, but with reservations.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an earc and this is my honest review.
Anyway, why 3.5?
Well, the story is very interesting, somewhat Thomas Hardy like in parts even, but, once you introduce a character as being a decidedly unreliable narrator, as Lily, the main protagonist undoubtedly is, a reader is likely to doubt everything that follows.
That was this reader's experience in any case.
Is Lily a young put upon innocent, heroically rising above the traumas of her past,or a cold and calculating psychopathic
killer? That depends on how much you can believe her story as she unfolds it.
As the title states, "no women were harmed" by Lily, but they were certainly led by the nose to Lily's advantage.
It js quite an intriguing novel but with some flaws..
The young psychiatrist who engages Lily with the "talking cure" is an unsatisfactory character...much is hinted at about her life outside the asylum but nothing is explained, simply noted, leaving this reader wondering why the hints were included at all.
Overall, the story was absorbing, but with quite a few plot holes. I am sure Book Clubs would have an interesting evening discussing it, and I suspect opinion regarding Lily and her character would be very much split!
I would recommend the book, I think, but with reservations.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an earc and this is my honest review.
September 23, 2025
No Women Were Harmed opens as we meet Lily, currently incarcerated in a Victorian Ayslum. Death has followed her from her birth, she's even named after the funeral flower. But there's been a mistake. However, who is she trying to convince - the reader or herself?
Richly described, the atmosphere of gritty, grim northern towns and the horror of asylums in the Victorian age is perfectly captured and I was transported back in time. The writing is vivid and sets the ambience - gothic, brutal, unrelenting, full of female rage.
An unreliable narrator, calculating, clever and manilipulative or a victim of circumstance just fighting to survive - Lily comes alive from the pages and is an utterly fascinating character. I lurched from empathy and anger on her behalf, to thinking she is a villain after all - icy cold, through and through.
An unsettling slow burn, I found myself totally engrossed in Lily's story, imagined or real, looking up only to find I was way past my bedtime! No Women Were Harmed is the perfect book to completely immerse yourself in as the nights draw in. I absolutely loved it.
Highly recommended - if you enjoyed books such as Lily by Rose Tremain or Triflers Need Not Apply by Camilla Bruce you will love No Women Were Harmed.
Richly described, the atmosphere of gritty, grim northern towns and the horror of asylums in the Victorian age is perfectly captured and I was transported back in time. The writing is vivid and sets the ambience - gothic, brutal, unrelenting, full of female rage.
An unreliable narrator, calculating, clever and manilipulative or a victim of circumstance just fighting to survive - Lily comes alive from the pages and is an utterly fascinating character. I lurched from empathy and anger on her behalf, to thinking she is a villain after all - icy cold, through and through.
An unsettling slow burn, I found myself totally engrossed in Lily's story, imagined or real, looking up only to find I was way past my bedtime! No Women Were Harmed is the perfect book to completely immerse yourself in as the nights draw in. I absolutely loved it.
Highly recommended - if you enjoyed books such as Lily by Rose Tremain or Triflers Need Not Apply by Camilla Bruce you will love No Women Were Harmed.
August 22, 2025
|| Thank you to NetGalley and Sphere for providing me this arc in exchange for an honest review ! ||
It's honestly a bit difficult to rate, as I found this book both interesting, yet boring?
Lily is a hard to decipher character but mostly she's a schemer - maybe with a bit of a psychopathic side. But I actually really enjoyed that side, I liked seeing how she built her personal story for the doctor while lightly diverting from the truth to lie and show she's not hysteric, and then getting what truly happened. And I enjoyed her story as well, even if it's predictable when we know the kind of men a women of her age and rank can encounter during that era... And we also kind of understand her. I enjoyed the ending and epilogue, and that little plot twist!
However, it was very slow and most of the time boring by the pace and its tone? Also for over 30% of the book we mostly get her farm girl daily life and while it's good to have a little background, it could have been reduced to focus more on Percy when her "only men were harmed" story starts.
It's honestly a bit difficult to rate, as I found this book both interesting, yet boring?
Lily is a hard to decipher character but mostly she's a schemer - maybe with a bit of a psychopathic side. But I actually really enjoyed that side, I liked seeing how she built her personal story for the doctor while lightly diverting from the truth to lie and show she's not hysteric, and then getting what truly happened. And I enjoyed her story as well, even if it's predictable when we know the kind of men a women of her age and rank can encounter during that era... And we also kind of understand her. I enjoyed the ending and epilogue, and that little plot twist!
However, it was very slow and most of the time boring by the pace and its tone? Also for over 30% of the book we mostly get her farm girl daily life and while it's good to have a little background, it could have been reduced to focus more on Percy when her "only men were harmed" story starts.
November 12, 2025
Thank you to NetGallery and Little Book Brown Group UK for giving me this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I really liked this book for the spooky season it follows Lily a young women transferred from prison to a Victorian asylum where she is chosen to speak to the new female psychiatrist at the asylum who will determine whether or not Lily has ‘hysteria’ and should remain in the asylum or be released.
So the psychiatrist makes Lily tell the story of her life and how she got to this point, the book has a dual timeline situation, one going into Lily’s past and the other the present with her time at the asylum.
I would say my favourite part of the book is probably the description of the asylum, the author clearly put work into researching the aspects of Victorian asylum’s.
Some parts just felt slower than others and I feel like there was supposed to be a build up to one of the characters but it’s not payed off and seems pointless in even exploring that character in the first place.
It’s a solid debut, maybe there’s a sequel in the works, who knows!
3/5
I really liked this book for the spooky season it follows Lily a young women transferred from prison to a Victorian asylum where she is chosen to speak to the new female psychiatrist at the asylum who will determine whether or not Lily has ‘hysteria’ and should remain in the asylum or be released.
So the psychiatrist makes Lily tell the story of her life and how she got to this point, the book has a dual timeline situation, one going into Lily’s past and the other the present with her time at the asylum.
I would say my favourite part of the book is probably the description of the asylum, the author clearly put work into researching the aspects of Victorian asylum’s.
Some parts just felt slower than others and I feel like there was supposed to be a build up to one of the characters but it’s not payed off and seems pointless in even exploring that character in the first place.
It’s a solid debut, maybe there’s a sequel in the works, who knows!
3/5
October 12, 2025
A very strong debut novel! Lily is a young woman locked away in a Victorian asylum for "hysteria" following a violent attack. A young female psychiatrist, influenced by Freud, is hired to interview Lily over the course of two years to determine if she is cured and safe to be released back into society. The story is told through Lily's perspective and alternates between the daily goings-on in the asylum, the stories she relays to the psychiatrist about her life prior to incarceration, and the more truthful accounts of those stories that Lily keeps to herself.
I really enjoyed this and read it straight through in one day. The writing was excellent, Lily was an interesting character, and the side characters were well developed. I do feel like it took too long for the story to crank up (about the 30% mark or around page 100), but I never lost interest in the story. I will definitely look for this author's future books.
I really enjoyed this and read it straight through in one day. The writing was excellent, Lily was an interesting character, and the side characters were well developed. I do feel like it took too long for the story to crank up (about the 30% mark or around page 100), but I never lost interest in the story. I will definitely look for this author's future books.
Read
August 19, 2025The Victorian, gothic vibe I got front the cover and the feminine rage/power from the blurb is what drew me to this book. And I absolutely love a flawed, unreliable narrator.
I felt the time jumps flowed well, and the pacing was what I expected. The author does a great job of being descriptive enough to paint a picture but not so much that it feels like a slow, drawn out read. This is not a book full of action, it's definitely more a thought provoking read.
The subjects such as mental health conditions and a corrupt justice system were touched upon respectfully and with grace.
I really loved this book, but I'm an absolute sucker for a Victorian setting. Definitely give this a try!
I felt the time jumps flowed well, and the pacing was what I expected. The author does a great job of being descriptive enough to paint a picture but not so much that it feels like a slow, drawn out read. This is not a book full of action, it's definitely more a thought provoking read.
The subjects such as mental health conditions and a corrupt justice system were touched upon respectfully and with grace.
I really loved this book, but I'm an absolute sucker for a Victorian setting. Definitely give this a try!
June 6, 2025
Rounding up to three ✨
I liked lily, I liked that she was not always telling the truth. I liked her ability to get up and get on with things no matter what the circumstances.
The dual timeline worked well too, giving up present day, and life in an asylum, and looking back on what brought us there.
My main issue was how slow some parts could be. I'm afraid some felt a little dull (to me. Could just be me)
But there was always something happening to pick up the story and keep me interested.
I liked lily, I liked that she was not always telling the truth. I liked her ability to get up and get on with things no matter what the circumstances.
The dual timeline worked well too, giving up present day, and life in an asylum, and looking back on what brought us there.
My main issue was how slow some parts could be. I'm afraid some felt a little dull (to me. Could just be me)
But there was always something happening to pick up the story and keep me interested.
September 1, 2025
Discover the locations in the novel here
A great debut!
Set in an asylum at a time where men could just send their wives into one if they so wished. I was intrigued to be in the asylum alongside the reader as it was so well evoked and described. An intriguing story and premise!
January 4, 2026
Not at all the book that I was expecting, this novel narrates the life story of Lily from her first childhood experiences to the present day in the pretence of asylum therapy from a female psychiatrist. The story is descriptive and set in the lower classes of the late Victorian era. I found the narrative well written, but not particularly inspiring or captivating. I wanted to discover whether Lily was released, which was largely the only reason I finished the book. Not the Victorian story I had expected, but nonetheless not terrible, I’m just more inclined to more exciting stories.
November 6, 2025
This book was fantastic. Lily has to be one of the cleverest and most vivid characters I have read in a while, and she makes for an extremely engrossing narrator. The contrast between the darkness of the story, the backdrop of the asylum and her level of dry humour all blended seamlessly to create a story that kept me wanting to learn all about her true sequence of events. Highly recommend, and I will pick up anything else Heather writes!
October 30, 2025
Great listen thanks. Unlike other reviews, I loved the epilogue. Please write more Heather!
December 31, 2025
By the end of this book, I was confused about what the author was trying to achieve - was it a suspense novel, or a historical novel dealing with what it was like to live in an asylum during the late-Victorian period? Sadly, I feel that she was caught between two stools and ended up achieving neither.
What the book did serve to do was to highlight how women at that time ( and no doubt in the present) are punished as a result of the shortcomings of men. However, I was not convinced that any inmate at that time, short of being a member of the elite, would receive the amount of talking therapy that Lily did, or the friendship of the Unit manager.
This was a very ambitious project for a first novel, but one that I found bewildering.
What the book did serve to do was to highlight how women at that time ( and no doubt in the present) are punished as a result of the shortcomings of men. However, I was not convinced that any inmate at that time, short of being a member of the elite, would receive the amount of talking therapy that Lily did, or the friendship of the Unit manager.
This was a very ambitious project for a first novel, but one that I found bewildering.
August 26, 2025
This was brilliant. Really loved the asylum setting and the story. Just my kind of book and excellent first novel. I hope author writes more.
August 18, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book was a bit more of a slow burn than I was expecting, and I really don't think it was for me. I'm a big fan of books showcasing both female rage and women's wrongs (which we support) but it felt like Lily had zero emotions for anything she did and little emotion for anything she endured so it didn't really grab me.
That being said, you couldn't help but like Lily and the supporting characters were interesting and often quite sweet (not the men), but the plot just didn't work for me. I just wanted a bit more of a connection with Lily.
This book was a bit more of a slow burn than I was expecting, and I really don't think it was for me. I'm a big fan of books showcasing both female rage and women's wrongs (which we support) but it felt like Lily had zero emotions for anything she did and little emotion for anything she endured so it didn't really grab me.
That being said, you couldn't help but like Lily and the supporting characters were interesting and often quite sweet (not the men), but the plot just didn't work for me. I just wanted a bit more of a connection with Lily.
October 21, 2025
A truly fascinating read with twists at every turn.
This is set in an asylum following the story of Lily Day who was sent to prison for assault of a man and moved to Sunnyside Asylum a year into her sentence.
We meet Dr Fairchild who has sessions with Lily to establish her chances of rehabilitation. This had me hooked right from the start, I especially liked that we're privy to the Dr's notes from the sessions.
Lily tells us she lies to Dr Fairchild but you wonder which truths and lies she's telling herself as her story unfolds.
The other patients in the asylum are introduced without great detail as Lily is quite aloof and you can tell through the writing which staff she liked and didn't like.
This delves into the state of the justice system, corruption, betrayal and methods of the mental health wards aswell as mental health conditions themselves.
This is perfect for anyone who liked the films The Magdalene Sisters and Girl, Interrupted.
Thank you to Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group for the e-arc. Thoughts are my own.
This is set in an asylum following the story of Lily Day who was sent to prison for assault of a man and moved to Sunnyside Asylum a year into her sentence.
We meet Dr Fairchild who has sessions with Lily to establish her chances of rehabilitation. This had me hooked right from the start, I especially liked that we're privy to the Dr's notes from the sessions.
Lily tells us she lies to Dr Fairchild but you wonder which truths and lies she's telling herself as her story unfolds.
The other patients in the asylum are introduced without great detail as Lily is quite aloof and you can tell through the writing which staff she liked and didn't like.
This delves into the state of the justice system, corruption, betrayal and methods of the mental health wards aswell as mental health conditions themselves.
This is perfect for anyone who liked the films The Magdalene Sisters and Girl, Interrupted.
Thank you to Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group for the e-arc. Thoughts are my own.
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