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The Silver Thread: A heartbreaking dual timeline historical romance for fans of Santa Montefiore and Dinah Jefferies
A sweeping story of a patient and everlasting love – and the moments that tie people together forever.
‘Utterly immersive. Kate Lord Brown is the magician whose silken words have embroidered the most exotic and seductive dual timeline romance’ Essie Catherine, a Retelling of Wuthering Heights
THREE CITIES. TWO WOMEN. A STORY OF ONE HUNDRED YEARS . . .
London, 1875. Bel has secured a design job at the newly opened Liberty store, where Japan is all the rage. When Hiro, a fellow designer, travels with her to Tokyo to source silks and inspiration, little does she know it will be the start of an unforgettable love story.
Paris, 1985. Mira, a recently qualified art curator, is hired to catalogue the contents of an apartment which has been closed for decades. As she works through the treasures it reveals, she longs to discover what happened to famed designer Isobel Bright – and why her apartment has been locked for so many years…
Crossing oceans, cultures and timelines, this is an epic and intimate tale of enduring love.
PRAISE FOR KATE LORD
‘Exquisite’ RUTH HOGAN
'Epic, sweeping and gloriously romantic’ VERONICA HENRY
‘Evocative’ GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
‘Sumptuous and immersive’ PLATINUM
‘Utterly immersive. Kate Lord Brown is the magician whose silken words have embroidered the most exotic and seductive dual timeline romance’ Essie Catherine, a Retelling of Wuthering Heights
THREE CITIES. TWO WOMEN. A STORY OF ONE HUNDRED YEARS . . .
London, 1875. Bel has secured a design job at the newly opened Liberty store, where Japan is all the rage. When Hiro, a fellow designer, travels with her to Tokyo to source silks and inspiration, little does she know it will be the start of an unforgettable love story.
Paris, 1985. Mira, a recently qualified art curator, is hired to catalogue the contents of an apartment which has been closed for decades. As she works through the treasures it reveals, she longs to discover what happened to famed designer Isobel Bright – and why her apartment has been locked for so many years…
Crossing oceans, cultures and timelines, this is an epic and intimate tale of enduring love.
PRAISE FOR KATE LORD
‘Exquisite’ RUTH HOGAN
'Epic, sweeping and gloriously romantic’ VERONICA HENRY
‘Evocative’ GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
‘Sumptuous and immersive’ PLATINUM
- GenresHistorical Fiction
480 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 21, 2026
About the author
Kate Lord Brown
14 books203 followersTHE GOLDEN HOUR - 2025
Welcome to 30s Cairo, an epic and intimate story of friendship, survival and love.
Kate grew up in the wild and beautiful Devon countryside. After studying philosophy at Durham University and art history at the Courtauld Institute of Art, Kate gained a MA in Creative Writing.
Welcome to 30s Cairo, an epic and intimate story of friendship, survival and love.
Kate grew up in the wild and beautiful Devon countryside. After studying philosophy at Durham University and art history at the Courtauld Institute of Art, Kate gained a MA in Creative Writing.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I adored Kate’s last book, The Golden Hour, which transported me to WW2 Egypt and 1970s Beirut. The Silver Thread again features a dual time line and is set between London, Tokyo and Paris.
In Bel Bright, the author has created an engaging heroine whose life I enjoyed following over the years. Bel works at Liberty in London where she discovers a passion for colour and fabric, and a talent for design. A trip to Tokyo with Hiro, who is also a designer with Liberty, changes her life in ways she could never imagine. We follow her as her career blossoms and grows until she becomes one of the most renowned designers in Paris. At the height of her fame in the 1920s, she seems to vanish. Decades later, art curator Mira is tasked with cataloging the contents of her apartment which has been closed up all that time. This is a dream job for Mira who has long been fascinated with Bel and her work.
I really liked the mystery aspect of this story. As Mira, along with Ned who works for auctioneers Bonhams, starts to catalogue all the artefacts, they begin to uncover the story of Bel’s remarkable life. The story switches back and forward between what they discover, to the relevant time of Bel’s life. I enjoyed the way that the author entwined art, fashion and history and included so many significant figures from the era such as Monet, Picasso, Oscar Wilde and Arthur Liberty, who founded the famous store.
There are many emotional threads to the story and several characters endure heart-breaking loss. Nevertheless, what remains is a sense of a constant and unwavering love. As the Japanese proverb often quoted in the book says “Fall down seven times, stand up eight“. So many characters show such courage and resilience in the face of challenges.
The Silver Thread is a beautifully written historical novel, richly detailed and full of colour. It’s also a sweeping story of a love that endures over decades.
In Bel Bright, the author has created an engaging heroine whose life I enjoyed following over the years. Bel works at Liberty in London where she discovers a passion for colour and fabric, and a talent for design. A trip to Tokyo with Hiro, who is also a designer with Liberty, changes her life in ways she could never imagine. We follow her as her career blossoms and grows until she becomes one of the most renowned designers in Paris. At the height of her fame in the 1920s, she seems to vanish. Decades later, art curator Mira is tasked with cataloging the contents of her apartment which has been closed up all that time. This is a dream job for Mira who has long been fascinated with Bel and her work.
I really liked the mystery aspect of this story. As Mira, along with Ned who works for auctioneers Bonhams, starts to catalogue all the artefacts, they begin to uncover the story of Bel’s remarkable life. The story switches back and forward between what they discover, to the relevant time of Bel’s life. I enjoyed the way that the author entwined art, fashion and history and included so many significant figures from the era such as Monet, Picasso, Oscar Wilde and Arthur Liberty, who founded the famous store.
There are many emotional threads to the story and several characters endure heart-breaking loss. Nevertheless, what remains is a sense of a constant and unwavering love. As the Japanese proverb often quoted in the book says “Fall down seven times, stand up eight“. So many characters show such courage and resilience in the face of challenges.
The Silver Thread is a beautifully written historical novel, richly detailed and full of colour. It’s also a sweeping story of a love that endures over decades.
May 24, 2026
I really loved the authors last book and I’m pleased to say that this one didn’t disappoint. A dual timeline, over 100 years apart, 1875 and 1985, and set in three different cities, London, Tokyo and Paris. In the recent timeline we meet art curator Mira who has been given the job of cataloguing the contents of an apartment that belonged to designer Isobel ‘Bel’ Bright.
Briefly, in 1875 Bel works at Liberty in London. Travelling to Tokyo for the store to purchase silk, together with two other designers, her life changes dramatically. Her star is in the ascent and she becomes a highly sought after fashion designer in Paris. However, in the 1920’s she disappeared from public life. In 1985 Mira is in Bel’s Paris apartment working alongside Bonhams specialist Ned and having always been fascinated by Bel she becomes fascinated by Bel and starts trying to find out more about her life and disappearance.
I loved all the historical detail surrounding Liberty’s, art, culture and Bel’s fascinating rise to fame, through her strength, tenacity and hard work, before her quiet withdrawal from the limelight. The mystery, and Mira’s investigation, is well done and very engaging. Beautifully executed throughout this is a very enjoyable romantic historical novel. A wonderful read. 4.5⭐️
Briefly, in 1875 Bel works at Liberty in London. Travelling to Tokyo for the store to purchase silk, together with two other designers, her life changes dramatically. Her star is in the ascent and she becomes a highly sought after fashion designer in Paris. However, in the 1920’s she disappeared from public life. In 1985 Mira is in Bel’s Paris apartment working alongside Bonhams specialist Ned and having always been fascinated by Bel she becomes fascinated by Bel and starts trying to find out more about her life and disappearance.
I loved all the historical detail surrounding Liberty’s, art, culture and Bel’s fascinating rise to fame, through her strength, tenacity and hard work, before her quiet withdrawal from the limelight. The mystery, and Mira’s investigation, is well done and very engaging. Beautifully executed throughout this is a very enjoyable romantic historical novel. A wonderful read. 4.5⭐️
Review of advance copy
🩷 Blurb-
THREE CITIES. TWO WOMEN. A STORY OF ONE HUNDRED YEARS . . .
London, 1875. Bel has secured a design job at the newly opened Liberty store, where Japan is all the rage. When Hiro, a fellow designer, travels with her to Tokyo to source silks and inspiration, little does she know it will be the start of an unforgettable love story.
Paris, 1985. Mira, a recently qualified art curator, is hired to catalogue the contents of an apartment which has been closed for decades. As she works through the treasures it reveals, she longs to discover what happened to famed designer Isobel Bright – and why her apartment has been locked for so many years…
Crossing oceans, cultures and timelines, this is an epic and intimate tale of enduring love.
🩵 Review -
I really enjoyed this novel. This was the first book that I have read by the author and I will definitely be reading more by them. I loved the historical dual time line, which made for an entertaining and interesting read. The story was well written and easy to follow and had a great cast of characters. I highly recommend it and I look forward to reading more by the author.
💝 Thank you to Random Things Tours, the author Kate Lord Brown and the publisher Simon & Schuster for my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
THREE CITIES. TWO WOMEN. A STORY OF ONE HUNDRED YEARS . . .
London, 1875. Bel has secured a design job at the newly opened Liberty store, where Japan is all the rage. When Hiro, a fellow designer, travels with her to Tokyo to source silks and inspiration, little does she know it will be the start of an unforgettable love story.
Paris, 1985. Mira, a recently qualified art curator, is hired to catalogue the contents of an apartment which has been closed for decades. As she works through the treasures it reveals, she longs to discover what happened to famed designer Isobel Bright – and why her apartment has been locked for so many years…
Crossing oceans, cultures and timelines, this is an epic and intimate tale of enduring love.
🩵 Review -
I really enjoyed this novel. This was the first book that I have read by the author and I will definitely be reading more by them. I loved the historical dual time line, which made for an entertaining and interesting read. The story was well written and easy to follow and had a great cast of characters. I highly recommend it and I look forward to reading more by the author.
💝 Thank you to Random Things Tours, the author Kate Lord Brown and the publisher Simon & Schuster for my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
May 23, 2026
Having read her previous book, The Golden Hour, I have been very much looking forward to The Silver Thread - and it's another absorbing story that spans over a century as it transports you from London to Paris and Japan.
Having fallen on unexpected hard times, young Bel Bright gets herself a job at the newly opened Libertys store. She discovers a flair for design that takes her to Paris and her own studio - until she seems to disappear. Decades later Mira is tasked to catalogue the contents of her former apartment - and so Bel's story emerges
I loved the story of Bel who, having been forced to make her own living, is not afraid to shake off the shackles of her generation. It's a story that encompasses art and fashion of the era as it blends fact and fiction - but at its heart is that what endures is love. It makes for a touching and engaging story from an author who delivers everything I love about historical fiction.
Having fallen on unexpected hard times, young Bel Bright gets herself a job at the newly opened Libertys store. She discovers a flair for design that takes her to Paris and her own studio - until she seems to disappear. Decades later Mira is tasked to catalogue the contents of her former apartment - and so Bel's story emerges
I loved the story of Bel who, having been forced to make her own living, is not afraid to shake off the shackles of her generation. It's a story that encompasses art and fashion of the era as it blends fact and fiction - but at its heart is that what endures is love. It makes for a touching and engaging story from an author who delivers everything I love about historical fiction.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I'd give this lovely historical dual-timeline fiction book 3.5*.
It differs from the usual dual-timeline novels in that this didn't follow a war story which I typically think of these books as having war as the focus. We follow Bel in 1875 onwards, and Mira in 1985 - the 1875 era in particular I know very little about so this made it more inviting for me. The focus was very much on Bel's story and I found her to be such a strong character in terms of her work, especially for that era. I also liked that we followed Bel for such a long time (over a number of years) as it gave more depth to her story.
It has been a long time since I read a historical novel (not counting the Tudor series!) and this book certainly made me want to continue with more!
It differs from the usual dual-timeline novels in that this didn't follow a war story which I typically think of these books as having war as the focus. We follow Bel in 1875 onwards, and Mira in 1985 - the 1875 era in particular I know very little about so this made it more inviting for me. The focus was very much on Bel's story and I found her to be such a strong character in terms of her work, especially for that era. I also liked that we followed Bel for such a long time (over a number of years) as it gave more depth to her story.
It has been a long time since I read a historical novel (not counting the Tudor series!) and this book certainly made me want to continue with more!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I always enjoy a dual time book and this one spans 100 years. Set between the late 1800’s to early 1900’s and the 1980’s, covering London, Tokyo and Paris the story of Isobel (Bel) Bright unfolds. I loved the Liberty storyline and the details about the beautiful cloths and silks. Such opulent times for the few who could afford them. I enjoyed the cataloging of Bel’s possessions and her tenacity from commissioned to salaried employment. I also liked all the Japanese cultural references. This is a story of mind, body and spirit love but also of flare, ambition, betrayal and selflessness. A beautiful book and a beautiful story, interwoven in multi layers with a silver thread. A wonderful read.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews