The Snow Angel

by Lulu Taylor

A forbidden passion. A lifetime of consequences.


Cressida Felbridge is living the high life as a debutante in 1960s London society when she is courted by a friend of her brother's and set to marry. Wishing only the best for his daughter, her father decrees that she must have her portrait painted to mark the occasion. But as soon as she meets the painter Ralph Few, Cressie knows her life will never be the same again. Soon, she is deeply in love with Ralph, but there is one problem: Ralph is still married to Catherine. As Cressie is drawn into a strange, triangular relationship, Catherine's behaviour becomes increasingly erratic and Ralph and Cressie escape to Cressie's family home in Cumbria. But Catherine will not give up Ralph that easily . . .

In the present day, Emily Conway has everything she could wish for: a huge house in West London, two beautiful children and a successful husband, Will. But as Emily and Will drive to a party, Will reveals that he has been betrayed by his business partner. Steering the car off the road at high speed, their perfect life is abruptly ended. When she wakes from her injuries, Emily is told of a mysterious legacy: a house in Cumbria on the edge of an estate, left to her by a woman she has never met. Could this house provide the chance to start anew, or does it hold secrets that she must uncover before it can be at peace?

The Snow Angel is a deliciously dark family saga from Lulu Taylor, the bestselling author of The Winter Folly.

Genres: Mystery, Christmas, Fiction, Romance, Thriller, Historical, Womens Fiction

497 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2014

About the author

Lulu was brought up in the Oxfordshire countryside, attended a girls’ school and then went to Oxford University, where she read English Literature. After university, she worked in publishing for several years, before becoming a novelist.

Lulu says of her books: ‘I’ve always adored stories of the rich and reckless at play, everything from The Great Gatsby to the brilliant blockbuster novels of the 80s. It’s fantastic escapism, and I’ve always loved creating my own stories of adventure, romance and luxury. My heroines are often very privileged and blessed with great looks and good health – but that doesn’t mean their lives are simple – far from it. They go through plenty of drama and suffering before everything is finally resolved.

‘Sex, love, beauty and money have always entranced us, and one way or another are the basis for just about every story ever written. There’s plenty of all of that in my novels, along with high fashion, which I love. What’s more, writing about fashion means I can go virtual shopping, dressing my heroines in all the wonderful clothes I adore – the racks of Marchesa ball gowns, the shelves of Louboutins, mountains of Chanel bags and acres of Dior dresses... it’s lots of fun. The stories can also get quite racy at times. It’s all about entertaining and amusing the reader, and enjoying being inside my characters’ glamorous, rarefied existence. ‘I’m always thrilled when someone enjoys reading my book as much I enjoyed writing it.’

Lulu now lives in West Dorset near the Somerset border, with her husband and two children.

Reviews

[Nels · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Snow Angel
5 out of 5 golden stars. 🙌
I loved everything about this book.💜💜 The amazing characters who were very well described. Emily and Cressida, (two very strong and intelligent women) were my favorite ones as well as Cameron a really nice and kind guy who prefers the warm weather in Australia than the one in Cumbria. The mystery element was well balanced with the romantic aspect of the book. I really liked the two alternated story lines (one set in the sixties and the other in the present day). A very enjoyable read. I enjoyed reading this book even more than the first time.
Cannot wait to read more of Lulu Taylor

[Alayne Emmett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book from Lulu Taylor. Not a recent one but, one I hadn’t read and I really enjoyed it. A dual-time line and it had all the twists in it that I love. I like Lulu’s books and this one was up there with the others.

[Ashley Daviau · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m kind of in the middle with this book, I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it either. The family secrets involved were definitely intriguing and I wanted to unravel all the secrets. But then at one point it all became so convoluted that I couldn’t keep it all straight anymore and was totally confused and wasn’t enjoying the story anymore because of it!

[Bowerbird · Rating 1 out of 5]

Although this book would make a quick holiday read, for me there are far too many coincidences to make the story credible. The modern day story has great potential. Emily's life is torn apart as her husband reveals his financial position. She has to make life-changing decisions for herself and her family. Cressida the character from the sixties also makes life-changing decisions when she falls in love with Ralph who is, for her father an unacceptable match. Initially we switch between each time-frame, the link between them being a house in Cumbria.
So far, OK, I was now prepared for interesting developments but once Ms Taylor's imagination goes into overdrive she has taken the story too far for me.

[Clarabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quelle agréable surprise ! Roman lu en perspective du Mois Anglais organisé par @lou_myloubook @plaisirsacultiver et @_lamousme_ : j'ai pleinement savouré l'atmosphère de cette lecture qui propose deux histoires sur deux époques qui seront appelées à se rejoindre.

Après son accident de voiture, Emily se relève doucement de ses blessures alors que son mari est plongé dans le coma. Mais la jeune femme est en colère car elle vient d'apprendre qu'ils ont perdu toutes leurs économies. Contrainte de vendre leur belle propriété, elle reçoit un héritage providentiel et part s'installer en Cumbria avec ses jeunes enfants. Elle ignore pourquoi sa tante a couché son nom sur le papier et entame quelques recherches pour retracer son parcours.

Direction les années 60. Cressida Fellbridge n'en peut plus du joug paternel et veut prouver qu'elle peut gagner sa croûte en décrochant un poste d'enseignante. Mais c'est surtout sa rencontre avec le couple Few qui fait basculer son destin : Ralph est artiste peintre, recruté pour faire son portrait ; sitôt qu'elle croise son regard, elle se sent immédiatement attirée par lui mais Cressie s'empêche de succomber à la tentation par respect pour son épouse Catherine. Un lien très fort semble encore les unir, ce qui trouble davantage notre héroïne. En fait, la trame romanesque n'est pas nouvelle mais qu'importe : c'est si joliment raconté ! Certes il y a des petits défauts, notamment dans le dénouement (hâtif) de l'histoire mais l'essentiel est prenant et plaisant à lire. Pour moi, l'évasion était de mise donc très bon point !

suivi instagram pour @lemoisanglais #lemoisanglais

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intriguing novel with two narrators, Emily Conway and Cressida Fellbridge, Emily is left badly injured in a road traffic accident. This accident has left her husband in a coma and Emily badly injured. Emily has been left with her 2 children, devastated to discover her husband has left her virtually destitute. Then she discovers she has been left a house in Cumbria, by a mystery woman.

Cressida Fellbridge, a 1960's debutante, is to have her portrait painted by Ralph Few, she falls in love with Ralph, but he is married.

There are secrets to be uncovered, mysteries to be unravelled. Passion abounds, there is heartbreak and sadness. A very engaging tale, with two well rounded heroines. Its a page turner, and it gets more interesting as it progresses. I found it hard to put down, as the novel unfolded.

An excellent book, very enjoyable to read, romance, mystery, intrigue, all put into context, life in the 1960's for Cressida, and the present day life for Cressida. Comes highly recommended.

[Jade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book, and from an author I had never heard of! There were a couple of chapters towards the end focusing on the brother which could easily have been left out. It had no impact on the main story and I was a bit annoyed having to get through it in order to get back to the story. However apart from this, the book was enjoyable and an easy page turner.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

good escape however it was predictable

[Mandy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not my sort of book - too quaint with a predictable story line, a central romance which had no appeal and an anti climatic ending.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It would have been worth 4 stars if not for the ridiculous plot twist with Tom near the end. Leaving that out would have made the book so much better.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book on the whole with a mystery storyline which flowed well. A little predictable in places and parts of it seemed to be added for effect, but it was enjoyable.

[Jo Hagström · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the beginning of this book, it was very intriguing and it caught my attention. However, as I continued to read I found the book to be predictable, I didn't really see the point with Tom's illness and found it quite weird. Also the romance portions, both Cressida and Emily's felt very odd and either came out of nowhere of was just to unreal.

[Debra K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just could not resist picking up another book by this author! Having just read The Winter Folly and loved it, I knew I had to pick up another one!

Similar to her first novel, this story is split into two time lines. In the past you have Cressida who is set to marry but meets a painter who she discovers is the love of her life. The only problem is that she is due to be married and he is already married. In the present day we follow Emily who is happily married with children until the day comes when she discovers a secret that her husband has been keeping from her and her life changes for good. She then learns that she has been left an estate in a Will. We follow her as discovers more of her family's history.

Just when I thought it could not get better than The Winter Folly. You have this big romance in the past and in the present you have someone who is trying to discover what happened in the past. I just had to know what had gone on! There is a great twist in this story that I really did not see coming!

A thoroughly enjoyable historical romance/drama/suspense. I would highly recommend.



For more reviews, please check out the link below:
Debra's Book Cafe

Debs :-)

[Catherine Pinkett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have really enjoyed this family drama across past and present time lines. The plot wasn't ad good as her other fiction I've read hence 4* not 5*

[Justine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Een heerlijk verhaal, over verboden liefde, uitzichtloze liefde en dat overgoten met een vleugje spanning. Drie vrouwen, heden en verleden weer prachtig bij elkaar gebracht.

[Jenny Langley · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 🌟

[Vina · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourite authors and this novel did not disappoint either, lovely story. Have a few more Lulu Taylors in my to read pile 😍

[Ali Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Lulu Taylors books. always a winter setting. This was a bit dark too but a perfect read for this time of year. Working my way through her others.

[Tracey Cain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book by Lulu Taylor, although I sussed the ending 😊

[Gea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Een erg goed boek. Van elke bladzijde genoten.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love made everything all right, it excused anything. When two people had to be together, they were powerless in the face of it. And yet....

Cressida Fellbridge is living the high life as a debutante in 1960s London society when she is courted by a friend of her brothers and set to marry. Wishing only the best for his daughter, her father decrees that she must have her portrait painted to mark the occasion. But as soon as she meets the painter, Ralph Few, Cressie knows her life will never be the same again. In the present day, Emily Conway has everything she could wish for: a huge house, two beautiful children and a successful husband, Will. But as they drive to a party one night Will reveals that he has been betrayed by his business partner. And then, in one shocking move, their perfect life together ends. When Emily wakes from her injuries, she is told of a mysterious legacy: a house in Cumbria, left to her by a woman she has never met. Could this be the chance to start anew? Or does this house have more secrets than answers?

I think I may have found a new author to add to my ever growing list of favourites. Told across two time lines this is a gripping tale of secrets, lies and long buried emotions, this little gem of a book is the perfect excuse to switch off your phone, curl up under a blanket and lose yourselves during these long, cold winter evenings. A cleverly constructed psychological thriller full of mystery, this had me guessing right until the very end. It is a slow burner so do not expect something fast paced and full of dramatic cliffhangers, instead, this is a brilliantly drawn out, compelling, all consuming and indulgent read. I loved it and highly recommend 📖📖📖📖

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second Lulu Taylor book I read and it was as enjoyable as Winter Folly. Told again over two story lines and the mystery of what happened to Cressida Fellbridge. In present day Emily inherits December House from a woman she did not know Catherine Few. Emily still reeling from the trauma in her own life becomes embroiled in unravelling the mystery of her Aunt. I really enjoyed this novel. it entirely held my interest and moved at a fast pace.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd never read any of Lulu Taylor's books before and when I found it in the garden centre, it sounded a good story so I bought it as the back info had caught my attention. All I can say it was a very good all round story full of intrigue with a happy ending.

[Juliaoak · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a new author for me and I loved the dual time line story with a great plot that had me guessing for quite a while as to what exactly happened! Looking forward to reading Her frozen heart now.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved this book but especially the mystery element and learning how the 2 main characters are linked.

[Amber Grenville-Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

An evocative enticing read.

[Erica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actually 1.5

Hmm. A horribly clichéd, morally ambiguous tale with a lack of atmosphere.

Emily (MC1) was stuck somewhere between a damsel in distress and a Strong Independent Woman, who when escaping from the spectre of her now comatose husband conveniently falls in love with the first man she meets in her hidey-hole. Luckily her two children are too young to understand just how quickly she replaced their father, despite how atrocious a husband he had been.

Her mother in law was a cardboard MIL in that she had one job to do - being awful and insensitive and only caring about her son. She did this well, and frustratingly so. I think it would have been better played if she was a lovely person, because it would have played more into the 'How can I possibly tell her about her son?' angle and complicated Emily's position more.

MC2, Cressida, was much better and the mystery of her story was paced well. I empathised with her, despite my own misgivings because of her 'other woman' status, which I'll never understand, but that's just me. Ah, yes, and that brings me onto the morality side of the story...

I was struck by how patchily moral the story became; whether implied or by accident, everything's BAD or seemingly brushed under the carpet if morally ambiguous:

50s gender roles are BAD
Financiers are BAD
Mother in Laws are BAD
Poor kids in the East End in the 50s were BAD.
CrAzY people are BAD (urgh I could write an essay on how terribly this was written)
Tom's drug story - Drugs are Bad, m'kay??

Whereas
Falling in love with a married man... isn't bad???????? Well don't worry, she fixed this plot issue bit.
Not telling the police your husband tried to murder you both and orphan your kids is the correct course of action.
But when your brother tries to do the same thing, well he needs help so it's straight to the police. Couldn't Will have been psychotically depressed. Didn't he need help as well? Well of course not, because he was a BAD person who obviously got what was coming to him...

Not telling the police about a body in your garden (both Cressida and Emily) is just fine.

Having an affair is fine - Emily is technically still married and although she is separated from her husband in her mind, her husband still has no idea that she has left him. Or if he's even aware of what has happened to him. Of course, if he does remember, then yes, he tried to kill her, he's got to expect the consequences. But Emily never told the MIL the whole story. So if he doesn't remember, he's going to believe that she has abandoned him and run off with the children to the other end of the country, breaking those pesky marriage vows they both took.

Letting your family think you ran off to Australia and were dead for all they knew - totally fine! I know the author said they weren't close but come on! Really? She didn't actually hate her brothers, but disappearing out of their lives completely, without an explanation, is the 'right thing to do?'

Oh there was so much to pick apart in this book. It's a mainstream beach book. It tries to be a psychological thriller, but it has no 'thrills' and it's understanding of psychology was... not good.
The writing was so-so; it was easy to read but lacked any of the finesse found in some of Joanne Harris's works, for example. These are also mainstream beach books, but with a thoroughly clearer command of language subtleties that weave their enchantment on you. Claire Fuller, another author in this vein.

So many plot threads could have been so much better. I wish there had been more of a showdown between Cressida and her father. More of a resolution between Will and Emily. Less bumping-off of inconvenient parents (Cressida's more than Emily's here, as I understand the need for this in Emily and Tom's relationship). I also thought that the constant attempts at paralleling (but not quite identically) the two timelines spoke more of laziness than plot or character development. I believe both stories would have been stronger if the MCs had done more to address the problems in their lives rather than run away to Cumbria. Taylor was trying to make them Strong Independent Women after all and they hardly achieve that by running away.

All in all, I was very turned off by this book, which was a shame, because I did like another one that she has written: "The Snow Rose". (Also with faults but far more enjoyable.)

[Sven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lulu Taylor is een Engelse schrijfster. Op de achterkant van het boek staat vermeld dat ze opgroeide in het buitenland maar terugkeerde naar Engeland om haar studies af te werken. Na enkele romans gooide ze het op psychologische spanning.
Ik las het boek De Sneeuwengel.
Verhaal
Cressida Felbridge is een graag gezien gaste bij de Londense high society in de jaren zestig. Haar invloedrijke vader heeft haar beloofd aan een rijke man. Om het komende huwelijk te vieren wil hij een schilderij van Cressida laten maken. Ralph Few is de schilder van dienst. Van het moment dat ze elkaar ontmoeten weten ze dat hun leven op zijn kop zal staan. Ze worden verliefd maar Ralph is getrouwd. Zijn vrouw is niet van plan om hem te laten gaan.
Tientallen jaren later raakt Emily Conway alles kwijt wat ze heeft. Zo raakt ze betrokken bij een ongeval, verliest ze bijna al haar geld. Tot er iemand haar vermeld dat een onbekende vrouw haar een mysterieuze erfenis nalaat. Ze krijgt een groot landgoed, dat mogelijks een nieuwe start betekend voor Emily en haar kinderen.
Het landgoed bevat veel mysterie en dat wil Emily uitzoeken samen met haar broer en de buurman.
Mijn gedacht
Mijn eerste boek van deze auteur maar de schrijfstijl wordt je vlot gewend. Het verhaal springt continu van heden naar verleden en terug. Maar het blijft allemaal goed te volgen. Lulu stopt genoeg spanning en mysterie in het verhaal om de lezer bij de les te houden. Her en der een vleug romantiek die op de perfecte momenten opduikt in het gebeuren. Alle gebeurtenissen hebben ergens wel een doel in het vorderen van het verhaal. Meestal als aanzet of reden om de personages iets te laten doen.
Een andere schrijfstijl duidt aan wanneer de tekst zich afspeelt enkel en alleen in de gedachten van het personage.
Het is lang wachten vooraleer je de titel kan koppelen aan het verhaal. Pas een stuk over de helft van het verhaal krijg je pas die info meegedeeld.
De personages dragen allemaal wel bij aan het verhaal. De interacties zitten goed maar sommige acties die ze ondernemen roepen vragen op.
Het einde
Op het einde van het verhaal heb je als lezer meer antwoorden gekregen dan de personages zelf. Grote verrassingen zijn er niet echt meer te vinden, geen grote plot twisten meer. Maar het stoort niet want het einde bevat de zo nodige afsluiting die de personage zochten.
Conclusie
Een vlot lezend verhaal dat genoeg spanning en mysterie bevat om de lezer wakker te houden. Een dosis romantiek zonder al te klef over te komen. Het is een soort liefdesverhaal uit het verleden dat boven water komt in het heden en mysterie brengt die mensen bind over de tijd heen.

[Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Snow Angel by Lulu Taylor is for readers who love dual timelines that are woven around old country houses, offering scope for family secrets to remain hidden for years. The novel opens in London in the early sixties, when Cressida Felbridge is cocooned by polite society, courting a family friend. However, when she attends a sitting for the artist Ralph Few their initial friendship deepens, and they are forced to escape to December House.
In the present day, Emily Conway is left bruised, both physically and mentally, after an awful accident that leaves the life of her husband in the balance. She grabs the opportunity to relocate with her children to December House, in the hope of rebuilding her life again.
I love Lulu Taylor’s writing style and its sweeping family drama feel, and so wanted to give The Snow Angel 5 stars, but there were a couple of issues that jarred for me. The historical thread didn’t feel as if it were set in the 1960s. The narrow attitudes of Cressida’s father, her initial acceptance of her lot, the claustrophobic nature of the household, all felt as though it belonged at the turn of the last century. (Although I’m sure Taylor did her homework.) The second was the introduction of Emily’s brother Tom, and the issues he brought with him. I didn’t feel he was necessary to the story and was almost a distraction from the main plot. All that said, fans of Taylor’s won’t be disappointed, it is still a wonderfully immersive read. Also, please don’t be put off by the title or the snowy cover, the snow angel only plays a very small part in the story and I could just as happily read it in summer.

[Mae · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of a young woman in 1962 London, England, trying to find herself. I was having a hard time with this part of the book because it sounded more like she was in Victorian England. Anyway, a love story begins here between Cressida and the artist Ralph Few who was hired to paint her portrait. It is really a love triangle because Ralph Few is married to Catherine. Ralph and Cressida run away to Cumbria to her family home called December House.
We move through time to the current day and meet Emily Conway who is involved in a horrible car accident and survives. She has learned that her husband has bankrupted them. What is she going to do? Well, she inherits December House and so the mystery begins.
There is also a side story about Emily's brother Tom but really what was the point?
I liked the story because it was simple and everything tied together neatly except for one part which I thought was dumb. I liked Emily but was not too crazy about Cressida. For a young woman in 1962 she was kind of dependent on daddy and at some point they even tried to say she was a feminist. Don't you believe it.
Also, I am not sure why the title is Snow Angel as the said Snow Angel really played no role in the story.