What do you think?
Rate this book
A Perfect Hand
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.
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.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 19, 2026
About the author
Ayelet Waldman
28 books40.3k followersAyelet 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.
You can follow Ayelet on Facebook and Twitter.
Love and Treasure is available for purchase here.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 263 reviews
May 22, 2026
I enjoyed the premise of this book immensely. It felt very different from Waldman's other books.I liked that the narrator broke the 4th wall and addressed us as Dear Readers. I was not expecting a suffragette story when I began, but all of a sudden Mr. Pankhurst appeared and I thought, wait a minute, this is a real person.
Alice, our heroine, always knew she was going to succeed in life. Though a daughter of a tenant farmer, she learned to read. She worked her way up as a lady's maid and availed herself of the library.
Charlie Wells also bettered himself, going from the workhouse to being a valet to an Earl ( who I must say was my favorite character. He is a hypochondriac par excellence. Plus, he studied physiognomy to a ridiculous extent.)
Alice and Charlie contrive to bring their people together, so they can live in the same house and get married.
However, life sometimes contrives to bring other ideas forth.
What I loved about this book is it emphasized the agency of women, and the bravery of the Victorian suffragettes. Educating through humor and romance, Waldman reminds us how women fought for the vote, and in today's world we must use that privilege to build the world we need.
Although I am a day late as the book came out today, I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for offering me this book as an EARC so that I could share it today. This is my honest opinion.
The ending was quite lovely and unexpected.
Alice, our heroine, always knew she was going to succeed in life. Though a daughter of a tenant farmer, she learned to read. She worked her way up as a lady's maid and availed herself of the library.
Charlie Wells also bettered himself, going from the workhouse to being a valet to an Earl ( who I must say was my favorite character. He is a hypochondriac par excellence. Plus, he studied physiognomy to a ridiculous extent.)
Alice and Charlie contrive to bring their people together, so they can live in the same house and get married.
However, life sometimes contrives to bring other ideas forth.
What I loved about this book is it emphasized the agency of women, and the bravery of the Victorian suffragettes. Educating through humor and romance, Waldman reminds us how women fought for the vote, and in today's world we must use that privilege to build the world we need.
Although I am a day late as the book came out today, I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for offering me this book as an EARC so that I could share it today. This is my honest opinion.
The ending was quite lovely and unexpected.
Read
January 7, 2026
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
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
November 6, 2025
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.
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.
June 9, 2026
Ayelet Waldman’s A Perfect Hand is one of those rare historical novels that manages to be immensely entertaining while also quietly reshaping the reader’s expectations about what a love story can be. I absolutely loved this novel. I adored its characters, delighted in its wit, and found myself completely captivated by a narrative voice so perfectly calibrated that it feels as though it has been transported directly from the pages of an eighteenth- or nineteenth-century classic. By the time I reached the ending, I was utterly obsessed.
Set in England in 1879, A Perfect Hand follows Alice Lockey, the intelligent and ambitious daughter of a tenant farmer who has risen through hard work and determination to become lady’s maid to the beautiful but self-absorbed Lady Jemima Alderwick. Alice is exceptionally good at her job. She anticipates her mistress’s every need, manages endless wardrobe crises, and navigates the complicated social hierarchy of a country estate with remarkable skill. Yet beneath her competence lies a restless mind that longs for something more than the life conventionally available to women of her class.
The plot begins when Lord Nigel Wynstowe arrives at the Alderwick estate accompanied by his valet, Charlie Wells. Alice and Charlie are immediately drawn to one another, but their romance faces a practical obstacle. Servants who work in separate households have little opportunity to build a life together. Their solution is delightfully convoluted: if they can engineer a marriage between Lady Jemima and Lord Nigel, then Alice and Charlie might finally be able to marry as well. What follows is a charming comedy of manipulation, matchmaking, misunderstandings, and social maneuvering as the pair attempt to steer their employers toward an advantageous match while avoiding disaster themselves.
At first glance, the novel appears to be an affectionate send-up of the traditional marriage plot. Yet Waldman is doing something much more interesting beneath the surface. As Alice accompanies her employers to London, she becomes exposed to new political ideas, particularly those surrounding women’s rights, education, employment, and suffrage. Introduced to progressive thinkers and activists, she begins to question assumptions she has long accepted about marriage and the limits of her future. The novel gradually transforms from a romantic comedy into a thoughtful exploration of ambition, autonomy, and self-determination.
The characters are one of the book’s greatest strengths. Alice is a wonderful heroine: clever, observant, practical, and deeply sympathetic. Her growth throughout the novel feels completely earned. She is neither a modern woman awkwardly inserted into the Victorian era nor a passive victim of her circumstances. Instead, she exists convincingly within her historical moment while still possessing the curiosity and courage to imagine alternatives.
Charlie Wells is equally appealing. In lesser hands, he might have become little more than a romantic foil, but Waldman gives him depth, warmth, and genuine humanity. His vision of a happy future is sincere and attractive, which makes the tensions that arise between him and Alice all the more emotionally compelling. Their relationship feels grounded in affection and mutual respect rather than mere romantic fantasy.
The supporting cast is equally memorable. Lady Jemima is hilariously vain, spoiled, and often exasperating, yet she never becomes a caricature. Lord Nigel, with his eccentricities and social awkwardness, gradually reveals unexpected layers of charm. Even the novel’s more secondary figures contribute richness and texture to the world Waldman creates. Every character feels as though they belong exactly where they are.
What truly elevates A Perfect Hand, however, is its voice. Waldman achieves something remarkably difficult: she recreates the cadence, wit, and narrative style of a classic nineteenth-century novel without ever feeling derivative. The narration is full of sly observations, playful asides, and social commentary that recall writers such as Jane Austen, Elizabeth Gaskell, and Anthony Trollope. The prose possesses an effortless elegance that makes the novel feel authentically period while remaining accessible and lively for contemporary readers. More than once, I found myself admiring a sentence simply for the pleasure of its construction.
The stylistic structure is equally successful. Waldman embraces the conventions of the classic marriage plot only to interrogate and ultimately complicate them. Readers expecting a straightforward romance will certainly find romance here, but they will also encounter a novel that asks larger questions about class, gender, labor, and personal freedom. The result is both intellectually satisfying and emotionally resonant.
And then there is the ending.
Without revealing spoilers, I can only say that it is one of the most surprising and memorable conclusions I have encountered in recent historical fiction. It recontextualizes much of what comes before it while remaining entirely true to Alice’s character and the novel’s central themes. Rather than delivering the expected resolution, Waldman offers something bolder, more thoughtful, and ultimately more moving. It is the kind of ending that lingers in the mind long after the final page, inviting reflection and discussion.
A Perfect Hand is witty, romantic, intelligent, and deeply humane. It captures the pleasures of classic Victorian fiction while bringing a fresh perspective to familiar themes. I loved every moment spent with these characters, admired the extraordinary control of the narrative voice, and finished the novel feeling both delighted and emotionally shaken. Few books manage to be this entertaining and this insightful at the same time. For readers who adore historical fiction, literary wit, and heroines determined to claim ownership of their own futures, A Perfect Hand is an absolute triumph.
Set in England in 1879, A Perfect Hand follows Alice Lockey, the intelligent and ambitious daughter of a tenant farmer who has risen through hard work and determination to become lady’s maid to the beautiful but self-absorbed Lady Jemima Alderwick. Alice is exceptionally good at her job. She anticipates her mistress’s every need, manages endless wardrobe crises, and navigates the complicated social hierarchy of a country estate with remarkable skill. Yet beneath her competence lies a restless mind that longs for something more than the life conventionally available to women of her class.
The plot begins when Lord Nigel Wynstowe arrives at the Alderwick estate accompanied by his valet, Charlie Wells. Alice and Charlie are immediately drawn to one another, but their romance faces a practical obstacle. Servants who work in separate households have little opportunity to build a life together. Their solution is delightfully convoluted: if they can engineer a marriage between Lady Jemima and Lord Nigel, then Alice and Charlie might finally be able to marry as well. What follows is a charming comedy of manipulation, matchmaking, misunderstandings, and social maneuvering as the pair attempt to steer their employers toward an advantageous match while avoiding disaster themselves.
At first glance, the novel appears to be an affectionate send-up of the traditional marriage plot. Yet Waldman is doing something much more interesting beneath the surface. As Alice accompanies her employers to London, she becomes exposed to new political ideas, particularly those surrounding women’s rights, education, employment, and suffrage. Introduced to progressive thinkers and activists, she begins to question assumptions she has long accepted about marriage and the limits of her future. The novel gradually transforms from a romantic comedy into a thoughtful exploration of ambition, autonomy, and self-determination.
The characters are one of the book’s greatest strengths. Alice is a wonderful heroine: clever, observant, practical, and deeply sympathetic. Her growth throughout the novel feels completely earned. She is neither a modern woman awkwardly inserted into the Victorian era nor a passive victim of her circumstances. Instead, she exists convincingly within her historical moment while still possessing the curiosity and courage to imagine alternatives.
Charlie Wells is equally appealing. In lesser hands, he might have become little more than a romantic foil, but Waldman gives him depth, warmth, and genuine humanity. His vision of a happy future is sincere and attractive, which makes the tensions that arise between him and Alice all the more emotionally compelling. Their relationship feels grounded in affection and mutual respect rather than mere romantic fantasy.
The supporting cast is equally memorable. Lady Jemima is hilariously vain, spoiled, and often exasperating, yet she never becomes a caricature. Lord Nigel, with his eccentricities and social awkwardness, gradually reveals unexpected layers of charm. Even the novel’s more secondary figures contribute richness and texture to the world Waldman creates. Every character feels as though they belong exactly where they are.
What truly elevates A Perfect Hand, however, is its voice. Waldman achieves something remarkably difficult: she recreates the cadence, wit, and narrative style of a classic nineteenth-century novel without ever feeling derivative. The narration is full of sly observations, playful asides, and social commentary that recall writers such as Jane Austen, Elizabeth Gaskell, and Anthony Trollope. The prose possesses an effortless elegance that makes the novel feel authentically period while remaining accessible and lively for contemporary readers. More than once, I found myself admiring a sentence simply for the pleasure of its construction.
The stylistic structure is equally successful. Waldman embraces the conventions of the classic marriage plot only to interrogate and ultimately complicate them. Readers expecting a straightforward romance will certainly find romance here, but they will also encounter a novel that asks larger questions about class, gender, labor, and personal freedom. The result is both intellectually satisfying and emotionally resonant.
And then there is the ending.
Without revealing spoilers, I can only say that it is one of the most surprising and memorable conclusions I have encountered in recent historical fiction. It recontextualizes much of what comes before it while remaining entirely true to Alice’s character and the novel’s central themes. Rather than delivering the expected resolution, Waldman offers something bolder, more thoughtful, and ultimately more moving. It is the kind of ending that lingers in the mind long after the final page, inviting reflection and discussion.
A Perfect Hand is witty, romantic, intelligent, and deeply humane. It captures the pleasures of classic Victorian fiction while bringing a fresh perspective to familiar themes. I loved every moment spent with these characters, admired the extraordinary control of the narrative voice, and finished the novel feeling both delighted and emotionally shaken. Few books manage to be this entertaining and this insightful at the same time. For readers who adore historical fiction, literary wit, and heroines determined to claim ownership of their own futures, A Perfect Hand is an absolute triumph.
May 24, 2026
The book moves at a glacial pace for the first two-thirds. Alice and Charlie spend way too much time overthinking their situations and not enough time actually plotting or interacting.
When the matchmaking plot finally kicks into gear, it relies on incredibly silly, sitcom-level misunderstandings. It felt beneath the characters' supposed high intelligence to use such basic tricks.
The much-hyped pivot to the women's suffrage movement also felt entirely disconnected from the first half. It felt like the author changed her mind about what kind of book she was writing halfway through. The book becomes incredibly preachy about women's suffrage and classism. Instead of letting these themes develop naturally, the author uses the characters as mouthpieces to lecture the reader.
And the third-act subversion of the marriage plot felt entirely contrived and unearned just for the sake of being shocking.
When the matchmaking plot finally kicks into gear, it relies on incredibly silly, sitcom-level misunderstandings. It felt beneath the characters' supposed high intelligence to use such basic tricks.
The much-hyped pivot to the women's suffrage movement also felt entirely disconnected from the first half. It felt like the author changed her mind about what kind of book she was writing halfway through. The book becomes incredibly preachy about women's suffrage and classism. Instead of letting these themes develop naturally, the author uses the characters as mouthpieces to lecture the reader.
And the third-act subversion of the marriage plot felt entirely contrived and unearned just for the sake of being shocking.
September 16, 2025
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.
Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, and Vintage and NetGalley for advanced access to this book in exchange for my unbiased review.
October 19, 2025
I got this as an ARC of NetGalley.
This book was very confusing. I felt like it wasn’t a cohesive story. I understand using various characters and a few different plot lines to tell a story…. But what was the story? We were lead to believe the story was a bit of a parent trap situation where two servants -who fall in love - play matchmaker so they can get married and stay together. I expected a bit of a comedy of errors with some romance and historical tidbits mixed in.
That’s not what I got.
I don’t want to go into spoilers, but I felt like the story was a bait and switch. I didn’t like that.
2 stars. I was disappointed because it had a lot of promise. The writing was pretty good, but the storyline fell apart for me.
This book was very confusing. I felt like it wasn’t a cohesive story. I understand using various characters and a few different plot lines to tell a story…. But what was the story? We were lead to believe the story was a bit of a parent trap situation where two servants -who fall in love - play matchmaker so they can get married and stay together. I expected a bit of a comedy of errors with some romance and historical tidbits mixed in.
That’s not what I got.
I don’t want to go into spoilers, but I felt like the story was a bait and switch. I didn’t like that.
2 stars. I was disappointed because it had a lot of promise. The writing was pretty good, but the storyline fell apart for me.
September 8, 2025
*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*
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*
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
thank you to knopf & netgalley for arc!
despite the cool premise of a maid and her lover playing matchmaker in high society, this book left me wanting. at its worst, a perfect hand was trying too hard. there were moments where the narrator would break the fourth wall and when that would happen, it took me out of the story completely. i also think the story got too busy almost. there were discussions on class, gender, women's suffrage, and on top of that there was a romance going on. i felt like i was being pulled in a million different directions as a reader.
overall, i liked how this was a lot like jane austen in tone & spirit!
despite the cool premise of a maid and her lover playing matchmaker in high society, this book left me wanting. at its worst, a perfect hand was trying too hard. there were moments where the narrator would break the fourth wall and when that would happen, it took me out of the story completely. i also think the story got too busy almost. there were discussions on class, gender, women's suffrage, and on top of that there was a romance going on. i felt like i was being pulled in a million different directions as a reader.
overall, i liked how this was a lot like jane austen in tone & spirit!
May 7, 2026
This book was a complete hoot and so much fun to read. A Perfect Hand tells the story of Alice Lockey, an industrious and bright ladies maid, always striving to improve her station. She meets a young valet, Charlie Wells, and there is an immediate attraction. You might expect that you know how the story will unfold but it truly goes in unexpected directions. I really enjoyed the hilarious narration and the breaking of the fourth wall as well as the surprising ending. This is a great book, a regency comedy I’d call it, and not at all what I was expecting from the author.
Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf for an advanced copy of this book.
Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf for an advanced copy of this book.
September 25, 2025
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.
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.
June 19, 2026
Beware, this may take you to places you weren't expecting.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
In the late 187os in England, Alice Lockey is an abigail (maid) to the ever-demanding young and wealthy, Lady Jemima. Alice prides herself on her work which is often tedious and unstimulating. When she meets Charlie Wells, she and he are both taken with each other. But how can a romance between the two proceed when he is a valet to another “house” of means? Maybe if they can somehow make a match between Lady Jemima and Charlie’s somewhat idiosyncratic Lord, the households would combine! The first part of the book is a wonderful, descriptive romp of the foibles of the rich and difficulties of the class that serve them. But Ayelet Waldman, never tips her hand as to what surprises will come as the story proceeds. Like a good play, the author has the narrator break down the fourth wall for the reader with insights into characters and what may be looming ahead. Vocabulary, setting, dialog and historical references make this a very good title for those wishing to escape into the past (which echoes into today). Recommended. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing this title.
August 2, 2026
I loved this book until the last 30 pages. It's a Victorian update of Jane Austen from the servants' points of view. It was hysterical. I didn't mind the breaking of the fourth wall with "Dear Reader" asides, and wasn't sure how it would end. I didn't think the "happy ending" would be our heroine, Alice, learning how to make bombs and be force fed over 100 times in prison as a suffragist, dying from her injuries. But don't worry, because her true love put flowers on her grave every election day once women won the right to vote.
I didn't mind Alice and Charlie not ending up together, though I would have liked to know something about his eventual wife. Alice didn't want to be under the control of a man, as she would have been at the end of the 19th century. Fine. It could have ended with them meeting later, as she's on a soapbox and he's with his daughter.
From the reviews I may be in the minority of people who thought it was tacked on willy nilly for no benefit. Waldman wanted to add more politics into the story, and that changed my rating from a 5 star review to a 3.25. She couldn't stick the landing.
I didn't mind Alice and Charlie not ending up together, though I would have liked to know something about his eventual wife. Alice didn't want to be under the control of a man, as she would have been at the end of the 19th century. Fine. It could have ended with them meeting later, as she's on a soapbox and he's with his daughter.
From the reviews I may be in the minority of people who thought it was tacked on willy nilly for no benefit. Waldman wanted to add more politics into the story, and that changed my rating from a 5 star review to a 3.25. She couldn't stick the landing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 1, 2025
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.
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.
July 28, 2026
Well drawn characters with depth and complexity!! An interesting story line!! Well timed humor!! Adding this to my top 10.
July 8, 2026
A spectacular novel which looks at the classes differences in midcentury England🏴, that of the upper and working classes. But the novel also focused on the differences in the rights of women verses those given to men.
This was truly a fascinating story to read and highly recommended it.
Happy Reading. ⚖️
This was truly a fascinating story to read and highly recommended it.
Happy Reading. ⚖️
August 2, 2026
Wow! The ending was totally unexpected. I enjoyed the romantic love story between Alice Lockey and Charlie Wells. They are working-class servants who live in the separate homes of their so-called betters, and they meet and quickly fall in love. This is also a story that takes place the women's suffrage movement. I don't want to give away more than that!
August 6, 2026
4.3 - hilarious and endearing throughout its’ entirety!
July 4, 2026
Girlhood ❤️
July 3, 2026
Set in the 19th century, this book starts out as a clever, charming, and funny story about a lady's maid named Alice Lockey who falls for a valet named Charlie Wells. Unfortunately, they do not serve in the same house so they determine to find a way to trick her lady and his lord to fall in love and wed. Of course, as in every comedy of manners there are all sorts of complications, such as the fact that the lady despises the lord and that the lord is so obsessed with proving that the symmetry of a person's head is indicative of their superiority that he is scarcely aware the lady exists. When Alice begins to read about the need for women to have the right to vote, the story takes a surprising turn.
Ayelet Waldman is a smart and gifted writer and she channels both her inner Jane Austen and her inner Gloria Steinem here. It's definitely a fun mash-up and there is even a surprise twist near the end. The only ever-so-slight drawback for me was that the eventual change in tone of the story was just too abrupt.
Ayelet Waldman is a smart and gifted writer and she channels both her inner Jane Austen and her inner Gloria Steinem here. It's definitely a fun mash-up and there is even a surprise twist near the end. The only ever-so-slight drawback for me was that the eventual change in tone of the story was just too abrupt.
May 25, 2026
It would be unfair to give this 4 stars, as I didn't find a single thing I disliked about it, so yes, it does deserve 5 stars.
This, what it seems like just a silly good time following a lady's maid in the Victorian era, is much more than what you'd think at first. Funnily enough, a few months ago I was looking for historical fiction in which we aren't following the well-off ladies and duchesses, but getting a view into the people who keep the grand estates going, and this was exactly what I was looking for. I found it really insightful which tasks a lady's maid had to do. Of course, some things are exaggerated to get the plot moving, but I didn't mind that at all.
But if the story ended where we as the reader would expect it to end, I'd have given it 4 stars. It was still a lovely, fun romp with excellent writing that really fit the historical era.
The length of the book was great too, it didn't spend too long on anything unnecessary.
Warning: I don't consider this a spoiler, but don't read any further if you want to go into the book with any expectations.
So here we go:
And then the final chapter punches you in the face real good. Of course there were hints of important matters sprinkled in here and there throughout the book to really get a good sense of the societal pressures of that era, and then the final chapter takes it to a whole other level.
This is what some other novels set in the 19th century who have strong female characters aim to be (I'm looking at you, Empire of Shadows). Waldman chose a perfect gradual progression of how Alice (the main character) explores her voice as a woman.
I even shed a tear by the end. Every so often, it is important to take a moment to see how far people have had to go to get to the point where we are now, and although Alice is fictional, this is based in fact. And I can't help but feel grateful for the women who have paved the way for so many others.
To have a book that begins so silly, and ends up being food for thought, that is truly a great feat.
This, what it seems like just a silly good time following a lady's maid in the Victorian era, is much more than what you'd think at first. Funnily enough, a few months ago I was looking for historical fiction in which we aren't following the well-off ladies and duchesses, but getting a view into the people who keep the grand estates going, and this was exactly what I was looking for. I found it really insightful which tasks a lady's maid had to do. Of course, some things are exaggerated to get the plot moving, but I didn't mind that at all.
But if the story ended where we as the reader would expect it to end, I'd have given it 4 stars. It was still a lovely, fun romp with excellent writing that really fit the historical era.
The length of the book was great too, it didn't spend too long on anything unnecessary.
Warning: I don't consider this a spoiler, but don't read any further if you want to go into the book with any expectations.
So here we go:
And then the final chapter punches you in the face real good. Of course there were hints of important matters sprinkled in here and there throughout the book to really get a good sense of the societal pressures of that era, and then the final chapter takes it to a whole other level.
This is what some other novels set in the 19th century who have strong female characters aim to be (I'm looking at you, Empire of Shadows). Waldman chose a perfect gradual progression of how Alice (the main character) explores her voice as a woman.
I even shed a tear by the end. Every so often, it is important to take a moment to see how far people have had to go to get to the point where we are now, and although Alice is fictional, this is based in fact. And I can't help but feel grateful for the women who have paved the way for so many others.
To have a book that begins so silly, and ends up being food for thought, that is truly a great feat.
May 9, 2026
{3.5 stars}
Thanks to AA Knopf for the gifted copy. All opinions below are my own.
Bridgerton meets Downton Abbey meets Jane Austen is the best description of this one. Alice is a lady’s maid, for a truly awful woman. She dreams of more especially independence, but that does not seem within reach. When she meets a valet, Charlie, who strikes her fancy, he and she plot together to have their masters marry so they too, can be together. Only trouble is, the lady despises the man. So the planning is quite convoluted.
I like the parts of this book that followed Alice and Charlie. But basically all of the other characters were pretty unlikable. The banter and antics were fun, but there’s definitely a lot going on with gender politics, servitude and classism thrown in. I think I would’ve given this four stars if the ending had been what I expected, but it definitely takes a turn. The last few chapters did not give me what I was looking for.
Thanks to AA Knopf for the gifted copy. All opinions below are my own.
Bridgerton meets Downton Abbey meets Jane Austen is the best description of this one. Alice is a lady’s maid, for a truly awful woman. She dreams of more especially independence, but that does not seem within reach. When she meets a valet, Charlie, who strikes her fancy, he and she plot together to have their masters marry so they too, can be together. Only trouble is, the lady despises the man. So the planning is quite convoluted.
I like the parts of this book that followed Alice and Charlie. But basically all of the other characters were pretty unlikable. The banter and antics were fun, but there’s definitely a lot going on with gender politics, servitude and classism thrown in. I think I would’ve given this four stars if the ending had been what I expected, but it definitely takes a turn. The last few chapters did not give me what I was looking for.
January 17, 2026
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.
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.
July 20, 2026
⭐⭐⭐⭐
A Perfect Hand
Author: Ayelet Waldman
Source: Purchased e-Book
Publication Date: May 19, 2026
VICTORIAN ERA
HISTORICAL FICTION
ROMANCE FICTION
SOCIETAL MORES
WOMEN'S RIGHTS
Dear Readers, for purposes of this review, I will tell you that if you love Bridgerton, then this is the book for you. It’s a look inside two wealthy English families and the delicate balance of finding a man to marry who is worthy and rich. It’s not so easy. But ‘A Perfect Hand’ is different in that we also see the romance that goes on behind the scenes between Alice, a lady’s maid, and Charlie, a visiting valet for Lord Wynstowe.
This story is the kind of thing that I really enjoy reading when I am tired, or when I have read too many books without humor or fun, and along comes a little breeze of fresh air and cozy courtship. I am a sucker for anything revolving around the Victorian era because it was a time of great change in the world.
And that is where our story goes from romance to women’s rights. The author takes us into the changing times of women’s fight to get the vote and a choice in their lives. I won’t give the theme away, but I found it very interesting.
Who knew social reform could be so fascinating?
@penguinrandomhouse
#ayeletwaldman
#APerfectHand
#marriage
@ayeletw
A Perfect Hand
Author: Ayelet Waldman
Source: Purchased e-Book
Publication Date: May 19, 2026
VICTORIAN ERA
HISTORICAL FICTION
ROMANCE FICTION
SOCIETAL MORES
WOMEN'S RIGHTS
Dear Readers, for purposes of this review, I will tell you that if you love Bridgerton, then this is the book for you. It’s a look inside two wealthy English families and the delicate balance of finding a man to marry who is worthy and rich. It’s not so easy. But ‘A Perfect Hand’ is different in that we also see the romance that goes on behind the scenes between Alice, a lady’s maid, and Charlie, a visiting valet for Lord Wynstowe.
This story is the kind of thing that I really enjoy reading when I am tired, or when I have read too many books without humor or fun, and along comes a little breeze of fresh air and cozy courtship. I am a sucker for anything revolving around the Victorian era because it was a time of great change in the world.
And that is where our story goes from romance to women’s rights. The author takes us into the changing times of women’s fight to get the vote and a choice in their lives. I won’t give the theme away, but I found it very interesting.
Who knew social reform could be so fascinating?
@penguinrandomhouse
#ayeletwaldman
#APerfectHand
#marriage
@ayeletw
July 17, 2026
Basically like reading a season of Downton Abbey. The whole time I was like, why am I reading about the boring day-to-day chores of this ladies maid? There was so much detail about clothes and dressing, toileting, stinky feet and undergarments. Gross, LOL!
That said, the writing was funny in that dry snarky British way and I really enjoyed it. Then just when I thought I couldn't hear more about the lives of sad out of touch aristocrats, I got totally sucked into the background stories. The last half of the book was great! All the scheming and gossip paid off.
Even better, to find out the book was loosely based on a real woman! That was fun.
That said, the writing was funny in that dry snarky British way and I really enjoyed it. Then just when I thought I couldn't hear more about the lives of sad out of touch aristocrats, I got totally sucked into the background stories. The last half of the book was great! All the scheming and gossip paid off.
Even better, to find out the book was loosely based on a real woman! That was fun.
February 28, 2026
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” ❤️
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” ❤️
June 2, 2026
4.5 stars rounding down for Goodreads!
This book COMPLETELY surprised me!! What started as an entertaining historical novel quickly became a book I didn’t want to leave. Between the charming upstairs-downstairs dynamics, lovable characters, and a story full of heart, this gave me major ‘Downton Abbey’ vibes! I especially loved following Alice as she navigated a world that wasn’t built for women like her while still daring to dream bigger. Warm, witty, immersive, and unexpectedly emotional, this was a delight from beginning to end.
Follow @annie_lukey on Instagram and TikTok for more book reviews and content!!
This book COMPLETELY surprised me!! What started as an entertaining historical novel quickly became a book I didn’t want to leave. Between the charming upstairs-downstairs dynamics, lovable characters, and a story full of heart, this gave me major ‘Downton Abbey’ vibes! I especially loved following Alice as she navigated a world that wasn’t built for women like her while still daring to dream bigger. Warm, witty, immersive, and unexpectedly emotional, this was a delight from beginning to end.
Follow @annie_lukey on Instagram and TikTok for more book reviews and content!!
June 2, 2026
A delightful upstairs/downstairs romp set in Victorian England. A lady’s maid and a valet from different households conspire to bring about the marriage of their respective bosses so they can also be joined in connubial bliss. The story is lively and the dialogue snappy. There is an unexpected, but satisfying, ending.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 263 reviews