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The Rag Princess
Not yet published
Expected 3 Mar 26336 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication March 3, 2026
2 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
About the author
Rosie Goodwin
103 books366 followersBefore becoming a writer, I was a Placement Support Worker and foster carer, and worked in the social services department after completing a teacher training course. Many children have joined my family over the years. I still live in Nuneaton, where many of my books are set, with my husband, Trevor, and our beloved dogs.
I was thrilled to discover that I'd become one of the top 250 most-borrowed library authors in the UK, and would like to thank all of you who have taken out my books over the last few years! I love meeting my readers and am always pleased to hear from you. I hope you will all continue to get in touch and please do sign up for my newsletter!
I was thrilled to discover that I'd become one of the top 250 most-borrowed library authors in the UK, and would like to thank all of you who have taken out my books over the last few years! I love meeting my readers and am always pleased to hear from you. I hope you will all continue to get in touch and please do sign up for my newsletter!
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 12, 2025
3.75 maybe.
Yet another enjoyable read from the queen of Historical Fiction! Rosie Goodwin's latest book is an interesting one, with quite a lot to it and thus quite a lot to say about it.
While this book did have a rather slow beginning, it did end up being pretty enjoyable and as usual, rather absorbing, though perhaps not quite as absorbing as most of her other books I've read, with there not having been quite as much suspense as usual. However, it was really heartwarming and interesting seeing Annie's life as well as her as a person develop throughout the course of the book, having gone from spending a life of drudgery and abuse in the workhouse throughout her childhood to being part of a loving family and tight-knit community, well except for Maggie that is. Nevertheless though, she forms a close bond with the patriarch of the family, Levi, and his sons, particularly Charlie.
I must say that as much as I enjoyed it there was a bit all over the place and higgeldy piggeldy, as we go from reading about life at home for the Lilburns, with Maggie taking a baby (who they call Ellie) and Annie from the workhouse (the latter who she only wants as a servant), Maggie's declining mental health, along with Barney's declining behaviour of going off the rails, Jed's business, Maggie's spiteful sister Flo who really doesn't add much or have much of a role in the story, Maggie's other, much nicer sister Susan who comes to town and who we're shown getting a backstreet abortion (though nothing comes off this), then Susan takes an interest in Annie and wants to take her under her wing in her seedy business, then Barney joins the circus and of course falls in love with the circus owner's daughter there, then Eve the maid next door is revealed to have been raped by the master of the horrible, snobby family next door and Annie suggests Susan helping her, then Annie begins to help Jed with his Rag and Bone business with accounting etc and opens a new shop with their good friend Peggy., then Annie is almost raped by the horrible boy of the snobbish family next door but is saved by his much nicer brother Monty (who of course is the white sheep of the family), who of course is madly in love with Annie as we're constantly reminded of, then Barney's special girl kills the guy she is betrothed to (albeit by accident) and is imprisoned for it, then there is something mysterious going on with Charlie, then Eve returns home and decides against pursuing the path Susan had in mind for her and gives birth to a stillborn but marries the guy she met when she was staying with Susan, then Harry (the youngest brother who has mostly taken a back seat throughout the story) gets married. Basically, there was just far too much going on to the point it was really jumping all over the place and higgeldy-piggeldy as I said, and it just got a bit too much to keep up with, and would have been better if it had just been more straightforward, sticking to one main storyline rather than several different storylines jumping all over the place so incoherently, to the point it became rather disjointed.
Maggie's spiteful sister Flo didn't seem to add much to the story at all, with her role and presence in the story having been pretty pointless, as like I say there was just literally no point of her being there. Maybe she was just introduced and her role will be expanded on in the next book, but even so literally all she does is arrive at the house the odd time to be a b**ch by trying to steal her sister's husband of her and b**ch about her sister to the snobby, horrible next door neighbour. What also annoyed me about Susan as well is that she is shown getting a backstreet abortion yet this all ends up being pretty pointless and anti-climatic, as with how dangerous backstreet abortions were at the time you expect that something serious will come out of it like she will end up in hospital or die, but no, she literally just gets the backstreet abortion, has the usual side effects then she's on her way home. Her having been pregnant and getting a backstreet abortion literally added nothing to the story and just seemed so pointless, not to mention out of place. It isn't even mentioned again either throughout the story, and she could have easily been introduced as being a prostitute without having needed to get a backstreet abortion.
I also got a bit fed of hearing how madly in love Monty was with Annie, who of course is the white sheep of the snobby, horrible, spiteful family next door (much like Lewis Peake in Our Dear Daisy). He only has eyes for Annie, as we are constantly reminded of, and I started to wonder if its obsession or love, even if unlike his brother he was a good guy who was well-intentioned. Having read many of Rosie Goodwin's novels before, once I saw how predatory his horrible brother Reggie was feeling towards Annie, saying the usual "he would make it his mission to get her", I knew straight away what to expect here, with this usually being followed by rape, which then results in an unwanted pregnancy, as per other Rosie Goodwin novels (Our Dear Daisy, Our Sweet Violet, An Orphan's Journey, and that's only when it's been the main protagonist, with others like A Maiden's Voyage having had the same happen with a supporting character). However, fortunately this didn't happen, as Goodwin must have realised how predictable this had become, with Monty coming to save her, being her shining knight in armour. I don't see why the bad guy always has to immediately rape the female protagonist as well, as often they can just sexually assault them without actually full-on raping them. We don't even get to see much of Monty outside of his romantic obsession with Annie, so it might have been a bit more interesting had we seen more of his character and got to know him more in his own right, rather than just being the white sheep of the Taylor-Lloyds and madly in love with Annie, as it just made him seem a bit one-dimensional and pretty much a satellite character/love interest. Oh and Reggie isn't the only one who seems to have a sexual obsession and wants to sexually exploit Annie, with Theo, Susan's sleezy gentleman friend in her seedy profession, also being a bit too interested in her, but of course nothing actually comes of this.
I did really enjoy seeing Annie develop as a person the way she did, and her close bonds with people like Levi, Charlie, Peggy, Eve, Monty (romantic obsession aside) etc which were very heartwarming, as well as her finding her passion and purpose in life, taking on a role in the Rag and Bone business, even coming up with the idea for a second-hand shop. It was very progressive as well, showing a woman taking an interest in accounting and business, and a rag-and-bone shop. While not quite as gripping and suspenseful as most of Goodwin's other novels, it was still really interesting and enjoyable, as I still felt absorbed enough to keep on reading with intrigue, wondering what would happen and seeing how things would unfold.
The mystery surrounding Charlie was indeed quite a surprise, as it was something that would have been extremely taboo at the time and would continue to be for several more decades too sadly! Both him and Monty are shown as potential love interests for Annie, with Annie feeling in love with Charlie and Monty being in love with Annie, but with Charlie it's soon ruled out as we're shown he seemingly isn't interested in Annie that way, and of course like I say due to the mystery surrounding him that is revealed right towards the end. However, there seems to be yet another somewhat curveball thrown our way, as whenever Barney returns home it literally keeps saying how he notices just how beautiful Annie is getting, even though he currently only seems to have eyes for Mercy, the circus owner's daughter, yet why would they keep pointing this out if nothing were to come of it?! There is also the fortune teller who tells Barney him and Mercy are not meant to be, like it might be a sign telling us that there is some truth in this. It also seems like Monty that Annie is going to end up with, as although she initially declines his offer to be 'his girl', she has grown fonder of and more attracted to him, and ends the book wondering if these feelings of fondness may develop into love (after all it wouldn't be the first time this happened in a Goodwin novel). I don't know whether this was just Goodwin messing with us or if these were all actually hints to something happening, but I did find this interesting showing Barney's growing attraction to Annie, as it did leave room for something less predictable, with Annie and Monty and Barney and Mercy obviously being the most predictable routes to go down. There are also still two more books in the series left, so perhaps there's always a chance that Annie does end up getting with Monty, but later realises she is in love with Barney, with the two of them later getting together?! Then again it did seem like Barney was really devoted to Mercy if he was willing to go to prison for her?! Ugh I don't know, so confusing, but then again that was what made it so interesting! Annie and Barney aren't seen interacting as much, so this would be a more interesting, unpredictable route to go down. With Mercy in prison as well he might realise he no longer feels that way about her, who knows. I guess with the next book taking place during World War I one of them will probably be killed off, leaving further room to embark upon a new romance route.
There were quite a few loose ends that are yet to be tied, which is why I felt so confused at the abrupt ending, but then realising that there will be two more books in the series this made perfect sense. For instance, there is also something being hinted at between Levi and Peggy, and this would make sense since they would be far more suited to and compatible with one another then Levi and Maggie as we've already been shown. I felt a bit confused and unsure with the whole Maggie thing, as she becomes so incredibly selfish and uncaring, even when her "best friend's" husband dies she doesn't seem to care, and with Levi saying she's not the woman he married and once fell in love with anymore, we're left to believe that she has gone past redemption or help and that their marriage is doomed to fail. However, Maggie is later shown reflecting on her behaviour, implying that there is room for redemption for her, and this kind of annoyed me after it spent the whole book showing her getting increasingly worse with her selfishness and uncaringness, not to mention the hints of Levi and Peggy. Her time in Hatters Hall is so brief as well that it doesn't really seem to add much, like I thought it would at least show her going back by the end (since she faked being sane again) with an ambigous ending as to what would happen to her to be seen in the next book. Still, I guess there is still plenty more room for that and to see what may happen there in the next book.
I also hope there's going to be some comeuppance for the Taylor-Lloyd family in the next book (except for Monty of course), who were just so hateful and horrible, with the dad being a paedophile and rapist (he had been sexually harassing Eve since she was a child), the brother being an aggressive bully and almost a rapist too, and the mum of course being the most obnoxious, aggressive, unpleasant, hateful snob ever who treats Eve like absolute dirt even when she is a young child, bullying the hell out of her!
It was a really nice book-I just wish I didn't have to wait 4 months to see what happens next, as I'm really curious now!
Yet another enjoyable read from the queen of Historical Fiction! Rosie Goodwin's latest book is an interesting one, with quite a lot to it and thus quite a lot to say about it.
While this book did have a rather slow beginning, it did end up being pretty enjoyable and as usual, rather absorbing, though perhaps not quite as absorbing as most of her other books I've read, with there not having been quite as much suspense as usual. However, it was really heartwarming and interesting seeing Annie's life as well as her as a person develop throughout the course of the book, having gone from spending a life of drudgery and abuse in the workhouse throughout her childhood to being part of a loving family and tight-knit community, well except for Maggie that is. Nevertheless though, she forms a close bond with the patriarch of the family, Levi, and his sons, particularly Charlie.
I must say that as much as I enjoyed it there was a bit all over the place and higgeldy piggeldy, as we go from reading about life at home for the Lilburns, with Maggie taking a baby (who they call Ellie) and Annie from the workhouse (the latter who she only wants as a servant), Maggie's declining mental health, along with Barney's declining behaviour of going off the rails, Jed's business, Maggie's spiteful sister Flo who really doesn't add much or have much of a role in the story, Maggie's other, much nicer sister Susan who comes to town and who we're shown getting a backstreet abortion (though nothing comes off this), then Susan takes an interest in Annie and wants to take her under her wing in her seedy business, then Barney joins the circus and of course falls in love with the circus owner's daughter there, then Eve the maid next door is revealed to have been raped by the master of the horrible, snobby family next door and Annie suggests Susan helping her, then Annie begins to help Jed with his Rag and Bone business with accounting etc and opens a new shop with their good friend Peggy., then Annie is almost raped by the horrible boy of the snobbish family next door but is saved by his much nicer brother Monty (who of course is the white sheep of the family), who of course is madly in love with Annie as we're constantly reminded of, then Barney's special girl kills the guy she is betrothed to (albeit by accident) and is imprisoned for it, then there is something mysterious going on with Charlie, then Eve returns home and decides against pursuing the path Susan had in mind for her and gives birth to a stillborn but marries the guy she met when she was staying with Susan, then Harry (the youngest brother who has mostly taken a back seat throughout the story) gets married. Basically, there was just far too much going on to the point it was really jumping all over the place and higgeldy-piggeldy as I said, and it just got a bit too much to keep up with, and would have been better if it had just been more straightforward, sticking to one main storyline rather than several different storylines jumping all over the place so incoherently, to the point it became rather disjointed.
Maggie's spiteful sister Flo didn't seem to add much to the story at all, with her role and presence in the story having been pretty pointless, as like I say there was just literally no point of her being there. Maybe she was just introduced and her role will be expanded on in the next book, but even so literally all she does is arrive at the house the odd time to be a b**ch by trying to steal her sister's husband of her and b**ch about her sister to the snobby, horrible next door neighbour. What also annoyed me about Susan as well is that she is shown getting a backstreet abortion yet this all ends up being pretty pointless and anti-climatic, as with how dangerous backstreet abortions were at the time you expect that something serious will come out of it like she will end up in hospital or die, but no, she literally just gets the backstreet abortion, has the usual side effects then she's on her way home. Her having been pregnant and getting a backstreet abortion literally added nothing to the story and just seemed so pointless, not to mention out of place. It isn't even mentioned again either throughout the story, and she could have easily been introduced as being a prostitute without having needed to get a backstreet abortion.
I also got a bit fed of hearing how madly in love Monty was with Annie, who of course is the white sheep of the snobby, horrible, spiteful family next door (much like Lewis Peake in Our Dear Daisy). He only has eyes for Annie, as we are constantly reminded of, and I started to wonder if its obsession or love, even if unlike his brother he was a good guy who was well-intentioned. Having read many of Rosie Goodwin's novels before, once I saw how predatory his horrible brother Reggie was feeling towards Annie, saying the usual "he would make it his mission to get her", I knew straight away what to expect here, with this usually being followed by rape, which then results in an unwanted pregnancy, as per other Rosie Goodwin novels (Our Dear Daisy, Our Sweet Violet, An Orphan's Journey, and that's only when it's been the main protagonist, with others like A Maiden's Voyage having had the same happen with a supporting character). However, fortunately this didn't happen, as Goodwin must have realised how predictable this had become, with Monty coming to save her, being her shining knight in armour. I don't see why the bad guy always has to immediately rape the female protagonist as well, as often they can just sexually assault them without actually full-on raping them. We don't even get to see much of Monty outside of his romantic obsession with Annie, so it might have been a bit more interesting had we seen more of his character and got to know him more in his own right, rather than just being the white sheep of the Taylor-Lloyds and madly in love with Annie, as it just made him seem a bit one-dimensional and pretty much a satellite character/love interest. Oh and Reggie isn't the only one who seems to have a sexual obsession and wants to sexually exploit Annie, with Theo, Susan's sleezy gentleman friend in her seedy profession, also being a bit too interested in her, but of course nothing actually comes of this.
I did really enjoy seeing Annie develop as a person the way she did, and her close bonds with people like Levi, Charlie, Peggy, Eve, Monty (romantic obsession aside) etc which were very heartwarming, as well as her finding her passion and purpose in life, taking on a role in the Rag and Bone business, even coming up with the idea for a second-hand shop. It was very progressive as well, showing a woman taking an interest in accounting and business, and a rag-and-bone shop. While not quite as gripping and suspenseful as most of Goodwin's other novels, it was still really interesting and enjoyable, as I still felt absorbed enough to keep on reading with intrigue, wondering what would happen and seeing how things would unfold.
The mystery surrounding Charlie was indeed quite a surprise, as it was something that would have been extremely taboo at the time and would continue to be for several more decades too sadly! Both him and Monty are shown as potential love interests for Annie, with Annie feeling in love with Charlie and Monty being in love with Annie, but with Charlie it's soon ruled out as we're shown he seemingly isn't interested in Annie that way, and of course like I say due to the mystery surrounding him that is revealed right towards the end. However, there seems to be yet another somewhat curveball thrown our way, as whenever Barney returns home it literally keeps saying how he notices just how beautiful Annie is getting, even though he currently only seems to have eyes for Mercy, the circus owner's daughter, yet why would they keep pointing this out if nothing were to come of it?! There is also the fortune teller who tells Barney him and Mercy are not meant to be, like it might be a sign telling us that there is some truth in this. It also seems like Monty that Annie is going to end up with, as although she initially declines his offer to be 'his girl', she has grown fonder of and more attracted to him, and ends the book wondering if these feelings of fondness may develop into love (after all it wouldn't be the first time this happened in a Goodwin novel). I don't know whether this was just Goodwin messing with us or if these were all actually hints to something happening, but I did find this interesting showing Barney's growing attraction to Annie, as it did leave room for something less predictable, with Annie and Monty and Barney and Mercy obviously being the most predictable routes to go down. There are also still two more books in the series left, so perhaps there's always a chance that Annie does end up getting with Monty, but later realises she is in love with Barney, with the two of them later getting together?! Then again it did seem like Barney was really devoted to Mercy if he was willing to go to prison for her?! Ugh I don't know, so confusing, but then again that was what made it so interesting! Annie and Barney aren't seen interacting as much, so this would be a more interesting, unpredictable route to go down. With Mercy in prison as well he might realise he no longer feels that way about her, who knows. I guess with the next book taking place during World War I one of them will probably be killed off, leaving further room to embark upon a new romance route.
There were quite a few loose ends that are yet to be tied, which is why I felt so confused at the abrupt ending, but then realising that there will be two more books in the series this made perfect sense. For instance, there is also something being hinted at between Levi and Peggy, and this would make sense since they would be far more suited to and compatible with one another then Levi and Maggie as we've already been shown. I felt a bit confused and unsure with the whole Maggie thing, as she becomes so incredibly selfish and uncaring, even when her "best friend's" husband dies she doesn't seem to care, and with Levi saying she's not the woman he married and once fell in love with anymore, we're left to believe that she has gone past redemption or help and that their marriage is doomed to fail. However, Maggie is later shown reflecting on her behaviour, implying that there is room for redemption for her, and this kind of annoyed me after it spent the whole book showing her getting increasingly worse with her selfishness and uncaringness, not to mention the hints of Levi and Peggy. Her time in Hatters Hall is so brief as well that it doesn't really seem to add much, like I thought it would at least show her going back by the end (since she faked being sane again) with an ambigous ending as to what would happen to her to be seen in the next book. Still, I guess there is still plenty more room for that and to see what may happen there in the next book.
I also hope there's going to be some comeuppance for the Taylor-Lloyd family in the next book (except for Monty of course), who were just so hateful and horrible, with the dad being a paedophile and rapist (he had been sexually harassing Eve since she was a child), the brother being an aggressive bully and almost a rapist too, and the mum of course being the most obnoxious, aggressive, unpleasant, hateful snob ever who treats Eve like absolute dirt even when she is a young child, bullying the hell out of her!
It was a really nice book-I just wish I didn't have to wait 4 months to see what happens next, as I'm really curious now!
October 22, 2025
Sometimes you need to work out where you came from to find out where you truly belong.
Nuneaton 1904 and levi and Maggie Lulburn bear the loss of their four years old daughter Penny.
With three older sons and a husband to look after Maggie can never get over her daughters tragic death, and dreams of a new home in Swan Lane is a fresh start for all the family.
And another thing on her mind is adopting from the workhouse she takes in baby Ellie and also 8 years old Annie to help her run the house the rag princess.
Charlie Barney and Harry are certainly not taken with the new move and wish they were back in Abbey Street. and Maggie soon
see's her family falling apart.
This story is full of heartbreaking chapters unabled to put down.
Just a full joy to read.
With this family sharing a life of hard work and seeking a happier life of changes, will Annie the rag princess finely get her wishes fulfilled.
A truly inspirational and compassionate girl changing into a very hard working woman.
Bringing your reading to life once again the author never fails for her readers.
Nuneaton 1904 and levi and Maggie Lulburn bear the loss of their four years old daughter Penny.
With three older sons and a husband to look after Maggie can never get over her daughters tragic death, and dreams of a new home in Swan Lane is a fresh start for all the family.
And another thing on her mind is adopting from the workhouse she takes in baby Ellie and also 8 years old Annie to help her run the house the rag princess.
Charlie Barney and Harry are certainly not taken with the new move and wish they were back in Abbey Street. and Maggie soon
see's her family falling apart.
This story is full of heartbreaking chapters unabled to put down.
Just a full joy to read.
With this family sharing a life of hard work and seeking a happier life of changes, will Annie the rag princess finely get her wishes fulfilled.
A truly inspirational and compassionate girl changing into a very hard working woman.
Bringing your reading to life once again the author never fails for her readers.
November 7, 2025
I enjoyed this book yes, though the reason I didn’t give it full stars is the lack of focus on the main character of Annie. There was always drama surrounding her and other people, too many other characters with their own problems and stories. Yes some were interesting, but others seemed pointless to Annie’s story.
I look forward to the next book in the series and the rest of Annie’s life.
I look forward to the next book in the series and the rest of Annie’s life.
November 2, 2025
Brilliant read, really enjoyed this. Rosie Goodwin back on form she is a great story teller. This is the start of a new series so I am really looking forward to the next two books in the series. I really became invested in the main character Annie.
November 15, 2025
As usual, another great book by Rosie Goodwin. The first book of a trilogy, this was a really good book that I just wanted to keep reading. I can't wait for the next book in this trilogy, next spring.
November 3, 2025
Exceptional story, thoroughly enjoyable, once started i couldnt put it down. First in a trilogy, can wait for the next in the series!
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December 20, 2025It is out in hard back ive just read it and its very good
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews