A Perfect Hand

by Ayelet Waldman

A richly drawn, captivating, and endlessly amusing novel of love and subterfuge between a lady’s maid and her clandestine lover, set in the country estates of nineteenth-century England.

Miss Alice Lockey, daughter of a tenant farmer, has by dint of hard work, innate intelligence, and a cunning ability to predict the moods of her betters, raised herself to the lofty status of lady’s maid at Alderwick Park. Though her mother has advised Alice to work only until marriage, Alice has thus far resisted the temptations of matrimony among the neighboring widowers and pig farmers, more content to enjoy the fruits of her labor—or at least the portion of it her father will share after it is paid to him. Alice spends her days arranging Lady Jemima Alderwick’s blond hair into the latest French styles, chignons and plaits, laundering her lady’s surprisingly malodorous petticoats and drawers, and carefully sewing all manner of fripperies, ribbons, lace, and silk flowers, to her lady’s bonnets and gowns.

But when a visiting servant, a valet named Charlie Wells, catches her eye, Alice begins to understand the constraints of her position. In a ploy to spend time with the object of her affection, Alice attempts to arrange a romance between Lady Jemima Alderwick and Charlie’s employer, one Baronet Sir Nigel Wynstowe. If only they would fall in love—then Alice and Charlie might live together as man and wife! Challenged by Lady Jemima’s love for another and Sir Wynstowe’s eccentric personality, Alice must use all of her cunning to bring about this unlikely romantic union. Will this low-born servant successfully manipulate the hearts of these lords and ladies? Will Charlie and Alice ever improve their stations? Or, as the beginning of women’s suffrage begins to percolate in the drawing rooms and salons of London, will Alice discover a different sort of path for herself?

A deliciously funny, gorgeously detailed, utter enthralling novel, A Perfect Hand is a glorious novel of class, gender, and England on the cusp of enormous change.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Adult Fiction, Historical, Adult, Literary Fiction

304 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication May 19, 2026

About the author

Ayelet Waldman is the author of A Really Good Day: How Microdosing Made a Mega Difference in My Mood, My Marriage, and My Life, Love and Treasure, Red Hook Road and The New York Times bestseller Bad Mother: A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities and Occasional Moments of Grace. Her novel Love and Other Impossible Pursuits was made into a film starring Natalie Portman. Her personal essays and profiles of such public figures as Hillary Clinton have been published in a wide variety of newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, Vogue, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal. Her radio commentaries have appeared on "All Things Considered" and "The California Report."

You can follow Ayelet on Facebook and Twitter.

Love and Treasure is available for purchase here.

Reviews

[Book Riot Community]

Book Riot’s Most Anticipated Books of 2026:

As a 19th century-set romance, this novel hits all the beats that you’d expect and the language is pitch-perfect. However, the main characters are a lady’s maid named Alice and a young valet she falls for, Charlie. Alice and Charlie’s employers, Lady Jemima Alderwick and Baronet Sir Nigel Wynstowe, are both highly specific in what they want and how they want their servants to act. In order to be together, Alice and Charlie have to trick the finicky aristocrats into a marriage. It’s a very fun upstairs-downstairs novel, perfect to read while traveling around the English countryside. —Julia Rittenberg

[Emily Poche · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Penguin Random House/ KNOPF for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

A Perfect Hand by Ayelet Waldman is a historical romantic but not “romance” novel. Following Alice, a lady’s maid to Lady Jemima has fallen in love with Charlie, a valet. Unfortunately, due to the systems in place for servants in love, it’ll take a fair bit of scheming and influencing to find themselves able to be together. Combine this with Alice’s burgeoning interest in Universal Suffrage, and the story seems to spiral into (controlled, Victorian) chaos.

What I liked most about this book was that for once it seemed was that the story’s center was on the servant class. At no point does a duke, viscount, or queen fall in love with Alice or Charlie. While there are upper class people, this story is solidly not about them. They’re the set dressing and the bit parts. We instead find ourself in the world wedged between the demimonde and the upper crust. These people go to the music hall, but also know that they’ll be working for their livelihood. There may be some upward mobility, but it’s through their own efforts or their own means.

I also liked that Alice and Charlie have a realistic romance. I personally avoid “romance” books because of the unrealistic way I feel that they write dynamics. Charlie and Alice are much more realistic; pleasant and good natured attraction growing through the story through repeated meetings, letters, and mutual feelings of being cared for. This is a relationship free from drama and will-they-won’t-they. It felt refreshing to root for a couple because they felt relatable and normal.

What I didn’t like quite so much was the Lady Whistledown style narration that’s revealed in the final chapter. As someone who really enjoyed the pithy narration, it really felt better when it was an unrelated omniscient narrator. Trying to tack the narrative structure and narration onto someone after the fact felt like a desperate grab to use the well-liked Bridgerton style without actually improving the plot or understanding of the characters.

In a book review is there such a thing as half credit? On one hand, I appreciated the plot line of Alice’s interest in suffrage growing from a reading of some cast off literature to a fever pitch at the end of the book. It was nice to have a heroine with interests like politics and women’s liberation. On the other hand, it did feel a little bit clumsy and heavy handed. It’s nice to have the inclusion, but I’m not sure it’s so well executed.

Are you looking for a historical fiction option that gets away from the ballroom? Are you interested in cute but realistic romances? Do you like suffragettes? This is one has a lot of qualities to recommend it. I’m giving it a 3.75/5 rounded up to a 4/5.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this, kind of a romance set in 19th century England with Alice, a lady’s maid as the main character. It is interesting to see what the job entailed- which was everything, constant vigilance at anticipating her spoiled young lady’s every whim. She gets a half day off every two weeks, and her young lady makes her feel guilty even about having that brief time to herself. She’s a good character, curious and bright and increasingly bored of being a servant, even though it’s a pretty high position she’s worked her way up to and she’s very good at it.

A gentleman visiting the family brings his valet, Charlie, and a romance begins. The two servants realize that the only way they can be together is if they can manipulate their two employers into falling in love, a difficult task, because the gentleman is uninterested and the lady actively dislikes him and has a crush on someone else.

It’s fun to watch their machinations and to watch an interesting new world open up to Alice, a character I really liked. Plus, I just enjoy fiction that bashes terrible rich people.

Alice is very good at being a lady's maid, but she might be too bright and curious for this job? When she falls in love with Charlie, a handsome valet, the two of them conspire to make their lord and lady fall in love and marry so that they can actually get to see each other. I enjoyed this window into the world of 19th century servants, and I enjoyed Alice and Charlie's machinations. This novel will be released in spring of 2026.

[Jennifer Cintron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

What an odd little book. It was pleasant enough, but seemed as if nothing would happen for several chapters. The setting was impeccable, the quietly growing love story was endearing, and I enjoyed the unconventional manipulations of the household staff. The unexpected drama near the end seemingly came out of nowhere, but I dissolved in tears at the ending, which was truly unexpected and so lovely. I think some edits to the pacing and/or foreshadowing would make a big impact.

[Stella · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 rounded down -- This book felt like it was trying to do a crossover of Bridgerton and Downton Abbey (great concept!) but wasn't executed very well. I really appreciated the vocabulary and style, which felt very true to a 19th century novel. However, I felt like the narrator breaking the fourth wall made the book feel quite silly, which gave me whiplash when it was also trying to address labor issue, women's rights, and the abolitionist movement at the same time. I liked the ending quite a bit and I feel this was a fun silly read, it was just a bit all over the place and could have been better structured.

Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, and Vintage and NetGalley for advanced access to this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

[Olivia Allbritton · Rating 2 out of 5]

*2.5

There were some really good moments here, but everything felt very surface level. The romance plots, the class and gender equality element, the scheming all fell a bit flat and distant. Most of all, the choice in narration really took me out of the story; the somewhat omniscient narrator didn’t really work in this context and the constant fourth wall breaking became distracting.

*thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the eARC in exchange for my honest review*

[Seawitch · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a somewhat light story (for the most part) told in a Jane Austen tone.

The setting is the late 1800s in England amongst the gentry. A lady’s maid is the protagonist. There is a rather long love story between the maid and a gentleman’s valet that develops “downstairs” but then a twist that involves the women’s suffrage movement.

I enjoyed this book as lighter fare. There are some humorous asides from the narrator and the writing is engaging.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Serena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Penguin Random House & Knopf for the digital ARC!

A PERFECT HAND is a witty, funny, and feminist regency-style novel based on the love life of a lady’s maid. The story starts off slow-paced and tedious, but I quickly became enthralled in the lives and shenanigans of Alice and Charlie. I loved the mishaps and the feminist quotes equally! The book’s ending is on brand for Ayelet Waldman and I expected nothing less (complimentary, of course).

“So, too, can you and your daughters become anything you desire. May you go forth, your aspirations limited only by your imagination” ❤️

[emma]

i fear i was sold at the premise of a maid and her lover. and it's kinda giving jane austen (i hope lol)

[Kayleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Ayelet Waldman, Knopf, Pantheon, and Vintage for providing this ARC in exchange for a review!


"A Perfect Hand" by Ayelet Waldman is a fun and entertaining approach to a historical romance that leads the reader on a journey through the struggles and experiences of working class women, during an era where they had to fight to be heard.


I loved the real-life references to people and events of the sufferage era, and how Waldman was able to involve them in the story with her own original characters

[Danielle McClellan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an extremely enjoyable refashioning of the 19th century historical fiction novel that comes at the story from the perspective of a ladies maid. It feels a bit Bridgerton-ish in its clever narration, and the read is fresh and fun as the novel opens up all the hidden doors to show how the class and gender assumptions of the time set up massive obstacles to women's independence and opportunity; it takes a very talented character indeed to find a way around such impediments, and Alice Lockey is that character. This author is a smart, interesting writer in whatever genre she touches (I remember enjoying her very funny "mommy-track mysteries" back in the day), and although this particular genre is not my usual fare, I read it with great amusement.

My thanks to NetGalley and the author for an early view of this novel.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

They bonded over books.
Alice Locky, abigail to Lady Jemima, had just settled down to finally start Middlemarch. She was unusual in that she was brought up from the downstairs servants to the position of personal ladies' maid due to her initiative and winning personality. But it was a labor intensive job-she attended to all of her lady's needs and whims, rose before her and tucked her into bed at night. She felt that she earned her rest and reading time. But there was a problem in the servant's quarters. The resident bully and blowhard went after a visiting maid and a visiting manservant stuck up for her. Then that man, Charlie Wells, asked Alice if she enjoyed books by Charles Dickens. And he was cute...heart flutter. Turned out he was the personal servant to Lord Wynstone who was visiting Lord and Lady Alderwick, Jemima's parents.. Wynstone was very handsome and very wealthy but also very eccentric, not exactly Lady Jemima's cup of tea. She was glad he was leaving tomorrow.
Charlie and Alice met again in London when their master and mistress returned from their country estates. By this time, they knew that sparks were flying. The problem was that they would only get to see each other every so often and that does not a romance make-what to do? And so was hatched the perfect plan-all they had to do was marry off her lady and his gentleman, even though she despised him and he was at best, indifferent to her. To complicate matters, Lady Jemima had fallen for a cad and a bounder, but wouldn't believe anyone that told her that he was evil
Meanwhile, Alice was starting to read some interesting, yet radical, pamphlets on the rights of women, which made her reevaluate all of her life decisions, especially those of love and romance. Can this love story be saved?
Waldman turns the Regency romance novel on its head-instead of a tale of the gentry, she writes about a romance between their underlings, she brings in the budding ideas of women's rights and human equality, and she gives her main character choices. The narrative is written in the second person, with several asides to the reader, so you know she is addressing you but you don't know who the narrator is-you will be surprised to find out. A Perfect Hand was a refreshing take on the many Jane Austen read-alikes that channel her writing but don't add anything of their own. Tea and crumpets for all!

[Laura Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take a cup of the Bridgerton series, then stir in a half pound of Downton Abbey and sprinkle with a heavy hand of the Women's Suffragette movement as it began in the United Kingdom and you will have a nice recipe for a charming book written by Ayelet Waldman, titled A Perfect Hand.

The novel begins with our Heroine, Miss Alice Lockey, the daughter of a tenant farmer who has taken employment as an abigail, a fine lady's personal maid for Lady Jemima Alderwick. We, as the readers, follow Miss Alice as she cunningly tends her lady's many needs, often with pluck and ingenuity. Some tasks being more malodorous than others. In her employ she meets a man servant from another noble's household who is visiting her lady's family estate. She finds she has an interest in this gentleman. Intrigue and many exploits are hatched to help the two servants matchmake their employers so that the two of them might find a way to build a life together.

While in London with their employers, Miss Alice is introduced to new thinking and various individuals within the Women's Suffrage Movement. She catches a desire to become involved, but must find a way to do so while dealing with her employer's marriage prospects and her own love.

I thoroughly enjoyed the way Waldman created her characters, wove an interesting plotline and used various asides of a narrator to cue the reader into the lives of the characters. The asides reminded me of the Bridgerton series which I also have enjoyed. This tactic along with the victorian time period and the upstairs, downstairs relationships of lords and ladies being served by their staff created a fun, enjoyable read.

The twist at the end I did not see coming, but thoroughly enjoyed the emotions it evoked in me. Waldman is skilled at using humor as well as serious drama to keep her readers involved in the story as it develops throughout the book. A Perfect Hand is set to be published May 19, 2026. If you are a fan of the worlds of lords and ladies of the late 1800's, early 1900's, I would recommend this story to you. It definitely should be included in next spring's reading lists!

I received a uncorrected proof copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[April Francis · Rating 4 out of 5]

"My word, Alice Lockey, you are a cynic. I hope you marry for love. I know I intend to."

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for this ARC!

The very definition of an upstairs-downstairs novel turned on its head. A wonderful look into the power imbalances within nineteenth century estates, the power of women with plans, and the ability of people with a goal to see that goal happen. I will say--that Waldman is a fan of Austen is clear. This is not a modern novel with modern phrasing conveniently set within the world of the nineteenth century. It's more authentically set--lack of modern plumbing and hygiene included--and as a result it might be a challenging read for someone exclusively used to contemporary literature or historical fiction that focuses only on setting for the historical aspects.

Alice and Charlie's attempts to manipulate their respective nobles to provide them an opportunity to marry was clever and funny, and I legitimately laughed out loud fairly often while reading. These wild, self-absorbed, and frankly ridiculous nobles deserved every bit of meddling and shenanigans that befell them.

I loved that Alice was good at her job and not-necessarily dissatisfied, despite how clearly intelligent, well-read, and curious she is as a character. She wasn't perfectly content with her lot in life until someone illuminated her circumstances. If Alice is anything, she's aware. Like the rest of us, she's complicated, and the way that her needs and wants change the more she sees, learns, and experiences was commendable. It took me a few hours to fall all the way in, but it was a quick read and smooth sailing once I was caught--much like Alice in many things she does within these pages.

[Christine Sturman · Rating 3 out of 5]

We all want to determine our own destiny. In Ayelet Waldman’s book, “A Perfect Hand”, we follow the life of Miss Alice Lockey. She is a daughter of a tenant farmer who finds work in a manor house on an English estate in the late 1800’s. Alice works her way from an under-housemaid to a senior position as a lady’s maid to the daughter of the family. In this time period in England women basically have no rights. Their fathers and then husbands make all the decisions for them with little to no input from the women. At least this is the case until the women’s suffrage movement begins to spread It’s philosophies.

I was disappointed with this book. The storyline was rough and the style of writing made it awkward to read. I assume this style was used to put the reader in the mood of Victorian England. I’ve read many Regency and Victorian based stories, but most were much easier to read than this book. The attitude and conditions that the author depicted seem accurate. The English Suffragette movement was much more militant than the U.S. movement. The conclusion of this book was true to the English movement. I just wish the book ending could have been a bit more positive. Readers who like historical fiction that isn’t glorified should read this book.

I want to thank Alfred A. Knopf of Penguin Random House for the complementary eARC of this book and for selecting me to review it on NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

#APerfectHand
#AlfredAKnopf/PenguinRandomHouse
#NetGalley
#EnglishSuffragette
#BritishSociety
#HistoricalFiction

[Mindee Bacon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a light hearted whimsical 18th Century story about a lady’s maid who has always worked hard in her limited schooling and now in her job working for a spoiled English Lady. Jemima Alderwick. Alice has a love of books and for the new movement of women’s suffrage. When she falls madly in love with Charlie Wells, a fellow servant from a different manor house, the two ban together to find a way to be together. The only choice the two servants have is to be matchmakers to their employers. If their employers marry, Alice and Charlie, can also be together. The only problem is, their employers hate each other.

This was an enjoyable story with protagonists that I found myself cheering for as they try to unite their spoiled mistress and wealthy, hypochondriac baronet.. I was surprised when the narrator would break the fourth wall and speak directly to the reader, but it became clear later the significance of these interruptions. Being such a fun, whimsical story, I was shocked when the end took a serious turn, but I feel it really added importance to the story.

Thank you Net Galley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review. #NetGalley #APerfectHand
https://www.instagram.com/aaknopf/.
https://www.instagram.com/knopfcooks/
https://www.instagram.com/pantheonbooks/
https://www.instagram.com/ireadvintage/

[Anne Wolfe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kudos to Ayelet Waldman for writing a most delightful and unexpected historical (Regency Romance?) novel that despite its unusual style will bring a smile to your face and keep your finger turning pages. I used to enjoy her Mommy Track mysteries and have also read several of her non-fiction. She hasn't lost her talent for fiction, but his one is different. Prepare yourself for surprises if you liked Downton Abbey.

Alice Lockey is an abigail, a lady's maid, to Lady Jemima, the spoiled pretty daughter in the last quarter of the 19th century. Alice has it better than the scullery or kitchen maids, but her work is hard and requires tact and multiple talents. Unusual for the time, Alice is a reader and an independent thinker. At a house party she meets the valet of one of the guests and, as you'd expect, they fall in love. The "plot" is indeed a plot to interest Jemima in a match with Charlie's Lord", a phsyiogamist. (someone who studies proportion of faces and hands to determine high birth -don't' ask.)

The other plot line is the women's suffrage movement in England and America. Both plots are immersive and interesting. Expect to be addressed directly by the author and insights into cleaning, sewing, styles, odors and toileting. (I know, but you won't object.) Different, but Waldman hasn't lost it.

Thanks to Net Galley and Knopf publishing for the Arc of this upcoming novel.

[Hope Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alice Lockey was lucky enough to rise above her station to the position of lady's maid to the spoiled yet surprisingly at times compassionate and gentle Lady Jemima. Her tenant farmer family expects her to marry and become mistress and mother in her own home, but Alice is not convinced that is the life for her even though she does not yet know what else is available. During one house party for the elite, Charlie Wells, valet, shows up and Alice begins thinking perhaps marriage and a family life aren't so bad. When it became apparent that a marriage between the two is completely out of the question, they begin to conspire to matchmake their employers in order to also be together. With Alice's plans underway, she follows her Lady to the City where she encounters women who have chosen other, more independent life paths.

I loved this book - it reminded me of a book I devoured over and over as a teen: "Mayfair" by Nancy Fitzgerald. I love the Regency time period, the voice of the author narrating and conversing directly with the reader at different times in this book, and the characters. I love the ending that wasn't perfect, but right. Finally, I love that Alice Lockey was a real person!

[Jenny K (on partial break) · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love a Jane Austen book, and let's be real, who doesn't? You'll enjoy this look at the servants' view of things.

It's smart and sophisticated, well-plotted, flows easily, and has strong character development. It's easy to get lost in this well-paced story about Alice, abigail to Lady Jemima Alderwick, and Charlie, valet to Lord Winstowe. The two meet when Lord Winstowe visits the Alderwick home as a potential suitor to Lady Jemima, and they scheme fast for a way to be together.

I have often thought it would be interesting to get a servant class romance, and this delivers. The details are sharp, with a well-defined period, and the writing is excellent.

As others have noted, this breaks the fourth wall, and it was slightly overdone.

I was also underwhelmed by the ending. While the author definitely sets it up to happen that way, I still felt it was abrupt and jarring, like the author was waiting the whole time to say, "gotcha!" Like it didn't quite fit. It was interesting to see Alice reading Middlemarch and, without spoiling, wondering how the message of that book is at odds with this one's.

Thank you to NetGalley, Knopf, and Ayelet Waldman for the opportunity to review an advanced copy.

[Alli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by how imaginative and utterly unique this book was. Despite possessing Jane Austen and Romanticism esque, this book established it was not just a cheap recreation of books in the romantic movement. Despite the classical prose, I found this book easy to read and impossible to put down, finishing it within a few days.

The characters were all extremely enjoyable and just as distinctive as the writing is. The sharp wit of the posh 19th century characters will always be a favorite of mine. Especially Charlie and Alice, who truly are a match made in heaven with their charming personalities.

I also found applaudable that the usage of women's suffrage and class consciousness was used not as a tool for characterization, or as a small side plot, but the factor driving the conclusion. AND THE PLOT TWIST. Never have I read something that took me by surprise quite like the ending of this book. Though some may find it disappointing, I found it was beautiful that the author did not disregard the character development for a cheaper, more digestible ending.

I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC!

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

**3 stars**

I went into A Perfect Hand by Ayelet Waldman expecting something along the lines of a Bridgerton/Downton Abbey hybrid, and while it didn’t fully land in that space for me, it was still an enjoyable read. Waldman’s writing style is engaging and polished, and I found myself invested in both the characters and their world. The pacing was steady throughout, and I especially appreciated that the story didn’t follow the predictable beats of a typical Regency romance.

One of the highlights for me was the twist toward the end, which added depth and reframed parts of the story in an interesting way. It elevated the book beyond a straightforward period romance and made it feel more layered.

That said, I personally would have loved a bit more romance and emotional payoff between the characters. The foundation was there, but I wanted just a little more to fully satisfy that aspect of the story. Overall, this was a solid and well-written novel that will appeal to readers who enjoy historical fiction with a twist, even if it didn’t quite reach four-star territory for me.

Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced copy to review. This is set to publish May 19.

[Lea Columbus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Net Galley for the opportunity to read this as an ARC. This is an enchanting novel about England, social classes and the fight for women suffrage It starts in 1879 and continues for several years. It is the story of Alice, maid to Lady Jemima , and Charlie, valet to Lord Wynstowe. Alice and Charlie meet below stairs at the home of Lady Jemima's family and are attracted to each other. Both being in service, they contrive a way to be together- they only have to have Lady Jemima and Lord Wynstowe fall in love , get married and then they can be together. While this sounds like it is the setting for a madcap version of Upstairs Downstairs, it has a deeper subtext and storyline. Narrated by an unnamed person( until the very end), we soon realize that Alice is bright and inquisitive and interested in topics her employer dismisses out of hand( women's rights for example).As Alice and Charlie continue to get their respective employers together, Alice falls in with a group of ladies who very much want more for women than just marriage and children. It is a fun story and one with many levels. I really enjoyed it.

[MOmo · Rating 4 out of 5]

as someone who loves historical fiction, especially ones set in the victorian period or before, i ate this up like hot steamy and spicy noodles!
A Perfect Hand is a thoroughly charming and clever novel that feels like a delightful mashup of a Jane Austen comedy of manners and a Victorian feminist manifesto.
The story is told from the perspective of Alice, a determined lady's maid in 19th-century England who concocts an elaborate scheme to manipulate her mistress and a baronet into a marriage, all so she can marry the baronet's handsome valet, Charlie. It's a fun, engaging "marriage plot" but flipped to focus entirely on the servants' ambition and desire to improve their station.
I loved the sharp wit and the historical detail, especially how Waldman weaves in the real-life context of burgeoning women's suffrage and class struggles. The main character, Alice, is wonderfully cunning and spirited. It’s a smart, big-hearted story about class, gender, and finding one's own path. It manages to be both lighthearted and surprisingly deep.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of Ayelet Waldman's A Perfect Hand for my free, fair, and unbiased review.

Based on the synopsis for this book, I was expecting something like Sarah Waters's brilliant novel Fingersmith. What I got instead was more like Bridgerton from below stairs: a tale of two servants scheming to marry their lord and lady so that they themselves can marry and live under the same room. That's it. That's the whole plot. It's longer than it needs to be. I was, frankly, bored for most of the narrative. I neither hated this book, nor did I love it. Instead, I kind of felt nothing about it as I read. In that way, if one is looking for a book to just not engage with in any deep way, I'm sure it's fine. Maybe as a beach read? Really a disappointment for me, though, when I was hoping for something like Waters exquisitely clever plotting.

[Kim McGee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars
Let it be known. gentle reader that life is not easy for a lady's maid and a valet to fall in love. Every waking moment is spent taking care that not a hair or care is out of place for your charge which leaves very little time or energy spent caring for yourself. And it is ever so difficult should you fall for someone in another house's employ which was just the case of Alice and Charlie's attempt at romance. Soon they find the only possible solution is if they are give a little nudge at fate and pair their Lady and Lord together joining households. A tale told in the style of Jane Austen with a bit more humor and attention given to the plight of female hired help in the late 1800's. Fans of Bridgerton, Downton Abbey and Jane Austen novels will find much to love. This would also be a great choice for readers of a certain age looking for a quiet historical romance without the spice. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

[Isobel · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars, rounded up. A clever, well written novel featuring a woman who is doing well in her world, acting as servant to a lady, and learning about life, love, and herself. What I loved most about this novel is that it felt realistic. The women feel constraints of their time, but it is through exposure to other radicals, other people willing to speak up, that they truly begin to question the status quo they exist in. While primarily focusing on Alice, the novel is really about the suffrage movement, and there are various different female characters who respond to the movement in various different ways. This novel is very well written, features characters who are primarily likeable but not perfect, and is historical fiction done right. My review cannot do it full justice; you should read it.

[kearstin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this book as a crying mess at 11:59 PM.

A stunning novel from start to finish. Ayelet Waldman did a fantastic job creating a world that was so immersive, characters who were so loveable, and a compelling storyline that was so hard to put down.

Alice and Charlie were such beautiful characters to follow. And their chemistry? Their love? Loved it. All of it.

The only thing keeping this from being a 5 star read for me was the authors use of breaking the fourth wall. I think had it only been something in the beginning it would’ve been fine, but to do it continuously throughout the story would really pull me out of the world.

I really loved my time with these characters and reading the book. Highly recommend!

Thank you Netgalley and Knopf, Pantheon, and Vintage for ARC in exchange for my honest review!

[Bri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I did enjoy this! It has a charming nature to it with the setting, characters, and overall humor. There is the aspect of the omniscient narrator, whose opinions I didn’t always appreciate, but come the end, I thought that the truth was quite heartwarming. I do feel like overall though, this felt very shallow. The characters were charming, but at times they felt like caricatures. The pacing also was slightly off for me, it just felt somewhat random, and there wasn’t really any build up prior to the self-proclaimed climax. I did enjoy the feminist/suffragist aspects, but wish it were better sprinkled throughout the book to really get more impact, especially with the ending. Overall, I do think that this is cute and charming for what it is!

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the advanced digital copy!

[Catie Monks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Ayelet Waldman’s not quite yet published book, A Perfect Hand. This to me was an entirely entertaining read; one that I looked forward to get back to each day. This cheeky historical novel gives insight into Victorian England’s social mores and class struggles and interweaves this with the Woman’s Sufferage Movement. I found myself googling the cameo appearances of great female orators of that time such as Emmeline Pankhurst. Who doesn’t love a story where you can root for the protagonists and imagine what you would do in their place. I especially loved the breaks in dialog with the acknowledgment of myself as “dear reader” throughout the tale. This was a story told with humor and a bit of irreverence and one I looked forward forward to following in the future.

[Shirley Freeman]

This was a fun twist on a story with a Downton Abbey-like setting - a country estate in 19th century England. Alice Lockey, daughter of a tenant farmer, has worked her way up to the position of lady's maid to Lady Jemima Alderwick. Alice is intelligent and clever and perhaps more ambitious than she realized. As Alice develops a hidden relationship with a visiting valet, Charlie, they go to great, sometimes amusing, lengths to get their 'bosses' to fall in love and get married so that Charlie and Alice will be able to live near each other and marry as well. At the same time, Alice's ambition and passion are noted by a famous suffragist who gives Alice reading material and invites her to some rallies and meetings. Alice needs to decide whether to be devoted to a person, Charlie, or a cause, rights for women. Can one do both? Does she want to?