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The Swan Maid
The brand new compelling novel from the Sunday Times bestseller, Dilly Court.
Lottie Lane is all alone in the world. As a chambermaid at one of London’s busiest inns, condemned to a life of drudgery and at the mercy of a vicious landlady, Lottie is too worn out to even dream of a better life.
Until one night an injured soldier is brought to The Swan. Lottie nurses him back from the dead and suddenly everything changes. She finds herself following the drum of the soldiers, all the way from the docks of Chatham to the darkness and despair of a far flung battlefield.
When tragedy strikes, Lottie is alone once more and thrown back into the jaws of London’s streets. With the threat of destitution nipping at her heels, Lottie is in dire need of a miracle . . .
Lottie Lane is all alone in the world. As a chambermaid at one of London’s busiest inns, condemned to a life of drudgery and at the mercy of a vicious landlady, Lottie is too worn out to even dream of a better life.
Until one night an injured soldier is brought to The Swan. Lottie nurses him back from the dead and suddenly everything changes. She finds herself following the drum of the soldiers, all the way from the docks of Chatham to the darkness and despair of a far flung battlefield.
When tragedy strikes, Lottie is alone once more and thrown back into the jaws of London’s streets. With the threat of destitution nipping at her heels, Lottie is in dire need of a miracle . . .
496 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2016
About the author
Dilly Court
80 books441 followersDilly Court grew up in North-east London and began her career in television, writing scripts for commercials. She is married with two grown-up children and four grandchildren, and now lives in Dorset on the beautiful Jurassic Coast with her husband. She is the author of eighteen novels and also writes under the name of Lily Baxter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
March 17, 2017
Brilliant, really got into this book love dilly court.lotte is a strong character in this book can't wait to read more of her books.recommend.
June 2, 2016
This latest novel from Dilly Court was actually my first read by her. I warmed to Lottie Lane from the start and loved all the surroundings and the descriptions of misrable London and The Swan with 2 Necks pub. It appealled to me and was a lovely read overall.
November 9, 2016
Set against the backdrop of the Crimean war, "The Swan Maid" a powerful and touching story revolves around Charlotte (Lottie) Lane a hardworking, browbeaten chambermaid at a coaching house in Cheapside, London whose fortune changes after she nurses an injured soldier back to health, and meets the wild and impetuous Lady Aurelia Dashwood the wife of a British Army Colonel. Fated to accept employment as her maid Lottie, who yearns to nurse the injured overseas is swept away to Balaklava, a city on the outskirts of war ravaged Sevastopol where the fighting continues to escalate.
As the story heats up Lottie not only gets caught up in a clash of wills between Lady Aurelia and Major General Fothergill's prying wife, but is drawn into a nasty web of deception, lies and secrets until tragedy strikes and she's abruptly returned to England. Facing the loss of loved ones, threatened with destitution and with a family to support the indomitable Lottie begins to look for a miracle to save them all.
Emotionally -charged in an atmosphere of sorrow and despair Dilly Court brings to life the ravages of the Crimean War on the soldiers and their families overseas as Lottie struggles with food shortages, bitter cold and cramped quarters while taking care of an injured ten year old drummer boy and a rejected baby as well as befriending a broken-hearted army wife and a motherly black nurse. In a period when rules of decorum dictated behaviour in the upper ranks of the army, Lottie is confronted with lies, secrets and a clandestine love affair only to have it tragically exposed by the maliciousness of a meddling snob. And when it seems Lottie's problems couldn't get any worse, she and her menagerie are returned to England after a tragic loss that costs her position with Lady Dashwood only to face destitution in its slums. Yet this is a story of heart as well as hardship, of friendship, unconditional love and courage that's stirring, and keeps you riveted until the end.
I loved the realism of Dilly Court's multi-faceted, realistic and unforgettable characters like Lottie Lane the clever, capable and kind twenty year old, sent to work at "The Swan" at age twelve only to be browbeaten by the obnoxious Prudence Filby and her husband Shem. The assortment of colourful personalities also includes; Jezebel Pretty the unsociable, gruff but kind-hearted cook; Gideon Ellis the gentle and patient soldier Lottie loves; Codelia Fothergill the controlling, snide troublemaker; and Mary Seacole the motherly, trustworthy and astute nurse. Yet of all the characters that add to the passion, depth and power of the plot it's Lady Aurelia Dashwood who adds a dramatic flair to events as they unfold. Born wealthy, beautiful and restless as well as a self-absorbed, perverse and spirited snob she loves adventure, excitement and the thrill of risk-taking. Yet for all her wild ways Lottie recognizes the underlying good in Aurelia who can also be amiable, good-hearted, generous, and eventually nice.
I loved "The Swan Maid" with its historical landscape, compelling plot and fascinating characters and recommend it highly.
As the story heats up Lottie not only gets caught up in a clash of wills between Lady Aurelia and Major General Fothergill's prying wife, but is drawn into a nasty web of deception, lies and secrets until tragedy strikes and she's abruptly returned to England. Facing the loss of loved ones, threatened with destitution and with a family to support the indomitable Lottie begins to look for a miracle to save them all.
Emotionally -charged in an atmosphere of sorrow and despair Dilly Court brings to life the ravages of the Crimean War on the soldiers and their families overseas as Lottie struggles with food shortages, bitter cold and cramped quarters while taking care of an injured ten year old drummer boy and a rejected baby as well as befriending a broken-hearted army wife and a motherly black nurse. In a period when rules of decorum dictated behaviour in the upper ranks of the army, Lottie is confronted with lies, secrets and a clandestine love affair only to have it tragically exposed by the maliciousness of a meddling snob. And when it seems Lottie's problems couldn't get any worse, she and her menagerie are returned to England after a tragic loss that costs her position with Lady Dashwood only to face destitution in its slums. Yet this is a story of heart as well as hardship, of friendship, unconditional love and courage that's stirring, and keeps you riveted until the end.
I loved the realism of Dilly Court's multi-faceted, realistic and unforgettable characters like Lottie Lane the clever, capable and kind twenty year old, sent to work at "The Swan" at age twelve only to be browbeaten by the obnoxious Prudence Filby and her husband Shem. The assortment of colourful personalities also includes; Jezebel Pretty the unsociable, gruff but kind-hearted cook; Gideon Ellis the gentle and patient soldier Lottie loves; Codelia Fothergill the controlling, snide troublemaker; and Mary Seacole the motherly, trustworthy and astute nurse. Yet of all the characters that add to the passion, depth and power of the plot it's Lady Aurelia Dashwood who adds a dramatic flair to events as they unfold. Born wealthy, beautiful and restless as well as a self-absorbed, perverse and spirited snob she loves adventure, excitement and the thrill of risk-taking. Yet for all her wild ways Lottie recognizes the underlying good in Aurelia who can also be amiable, good-hearted, generous, and eventually nice.
I loved "The Swan Maid" with its historical landscape, compelling plot and fascinating characters and recommend it highly.
December 8, 2025
This was okay. It was kind of up and down, times I couldn't put it down and a couple of times I wondered if I could or should finish it, but I'd say 90-95% was good.
Our main character is Charlotte Lane or Lottie. Raised in India until her mother died when she was sent to London to live with an uncle and attend a fancy boarding school, until her uncle married and his new wife basically said get rid of her so she went to work at a carriage inn, The Swan with Two Necks an odd name but also how we got the book title. Here she works as basically a slave, for low pay and getting smacked around and yelled at, but she does form friendships with the others who work there.
Then one day a group of soldiers on their way to the Crimea arrive and one young man, Gideon Ellis is injured. Lottie is assigned to care for him and nurse him back to health. She soon believes she can be a nurse and actually gets a meeting with Florence Nightingale albeit a quick one and is promptly rejected. But all is not lost as she soon meets Lady Aurelia Dashwood wife of a Colonel and she decides to take on Lottie as a maid. From there Lottie leaves the inn and a life of adventure begins.
The story follows Lottie from the Crimea, back to London, to India and once again to London and as I said overall it was a pretty good story.
It becomes comical at times as Lottie begins to pick up random strays from the war. An unwanted baby, a war widow, a child soldier and eventually one of her old coworkers from the inn. But it is a tale about even if you don't have family you can find it anywhere, where there's love there's family.
As for the characters they were a mixed bag. Lottie while smart and strong could get annoying, especially when she went all Rosie Goodwin on Aurelia with all mother's love their babies. I was so glad Aurelia didn't give in. As someone who has no children not all women are maternal. Some of us are content being the fun aunt and others just plain dislike children. I wish the above author would take note of that although she has gotten better.
Lottie could be annoying and frankly stupid at times and she did push Molly thing too far but she meant well.
Lady Aurelia was a selfish bitch, but in a refreshing twist she's well aware of it and at times proud of it and while she got on my nerves at times I did admire her spunk and actually found myself liking her in the end as I did most of the characters.
The real life Mary Seacole made an appearance and I'd love to know more of her story as she sounds like a fascinating woman.
As for the romance. Oof. Not the best. One couple came about as an adulterous affair which I dislike. I mean it could've worked if the husband knew and looked the other way as happens in the more aristocratic circles, but he blindly adored her until a vicious gossip threw a grenade into the works and literally blew everything up.
Lottie's romance wasn't really there and felt like it had no substance. I just didn't see how they fell in love. There wasnt anything that romantic about them. It seemed more like Lottie loved him because he could offer her a way out of her awful life and into one of adventure and Gideon loved her because she nursed him back to health and was pretty. Meanwhile poor Tom Bonney literally kept her and her rag tag family alive in the Crimea and was nothing but kind and sweet to her. Hell I even kinda fell in love with the guy. He seemed a more logical choice and especially given Gideon's actions toward the end of the book I'd say she made the wrong choice but I guess it's supposed to be romantic how she stayed true to him throughout the book.
The ending was a sort of full circle moment for Lottie and despite the lousy love interest I did quite enjoy the majority of the book.
Our main character is Charlotte Lane or Lottie. Raised in India until her mother died when she was sent to London to live with an uncle and attend a fancy boarding school, until her uncle married and his new wife basically said get rid of her so she went to work at a carriage inn, The Swan with Two Necks an odd name but also how we got the book title. Here she works as basically a slave, for low pay and getting smacked around and yelled at, but she does form friendships with the others who work there.
Then one day a group of soldiers on their way to the Crimea arrive and one young man, Gideon Ellis is injured. Lottie is assigned to care for him and nurse him back to health. She soon believes she can be a nurse and actually gets a meeting with Florence Nightingale albeit a quick one and is promptly rejected. But all is not lost as she soon meets Lady Aurelia Dashwood wife of a Colonel and she decides to take on Lottie as a maid. From there Lottie leaves the inn and a life of adventure begins.
The story follows Lottie from the Crimea, back to London, to India and once again to London and as I said overall it was a pretty good story.
It becomes comical at times as Lottie begins to pick up random strays from the war. An unwanted baby, a war widow, a child soldier and eventually one of her old coworkers from the inn. But it is a tale about even if you don't have family you can find it anywhere, where there's love there's family.
As for the characters they were a mixed bag. Lottie while smart and strong could get annoying, especially when she went all Rosie Goodwin on Aurelia with all mother's love their babies. I was so glad Aurelia didn't give in. As someone who has no children not all women are maternal. Some of us are content being the fun aunt and others just plain dislike children. I wish the above author would take note of that although she has gotten better.
Lottie could be annoying and frankly stupid at times and she did push Molly thing too far but she meant well.
Lady Aurelia was a selfish bitch, but in a refreshing twist she's well aware of it and at times proud of it and while she got on my nerves at times I did admire her spunk and actually found myself liking her in the end as I did most of the characters.
The real life Mary Seacole made an appearance and I'd love to know more of her story as she sounds like a fascinating woman.
As for the romance. Oof. Not the best. One couple came about as an adulterous affair which I dislike. I mean it could've worked if the husband knew and looked the other way as happens in the more aristocratic circles, but he blindly adored her until a vicious gossip threw a grenade into the works and literally blew everything up.
Lottie's romance wasn't really there and felt like it had no substance. I just didn't see how they fell in love. There wasnt anything that romantic about them. It seemed more like Lottie loved him because he could offer her a way out of her awful life and into one of adventure and Gideon loved her because she nursed him back to health and was pretty. Meanwhile poor Tom Bonney literally kept her and her rag tag family alive in the Crimea and was nothing but kind and sweet to her. Hell I even kinda fell in love with the guy. He seemed a more logical choice and especially given Gideon's actions toward the end of the book I'd say she made the wrong choice but I guess it's supposed to be romantic how she stayed true to him throughout the book.
The ending was a sort of full circle moment for Lottie and despite the lousy love interest I did quite enjoy the majority of the book.
July 20, 2021
Another brilliant read by Dilly Court.
This story is about Lottie Lane, who works as a maid of all work in a coaching inn in London. The year is 1854, London and indeed the world is a very different place. This book takes you on an adventure along with Lottie and her friends, lots of historical facts are mingled with this story. I loved the inclusion of Mary Seacole, a name I had heard before, but now feel I know more about her.
From London's rough streets, to grand houses, to the war torn Crimea, to dusty India and back to where she started, Lottie has an eventful time.
Loved this book.
This story is about Lottie Lane, who works as a maid of all work in a coaching inn in London. The year is 1854, London and indeed the world is a very different place. This book takes you on an adventure along with Lottie and her friends, lots of historical facts are mingled with this story. I loved the inclusion of Mary Seacole, a name I had heard before, but now feel I know more about her.
From London's rough streets, to grand houses, to the war torn Crimea, to dusty India and back to where she started, Lottie has an eventful time.
Loved this book.
July 7, 2026
This is one of my Nanna's favourite Authors and can see why. The story is amazing and heart felt and enjoyed reading it.
February 16, 2022
This book gets 2.5 stars from me....
I had high expectations, which weren’t met, and I found the plot and the writing style to be rather boring.
Lottie Lane, our main character, works as a chambermaid. Her world is turned upside down after a group of soldiers show up at the inn (where she works). She ends up nursing an injured soldier, Private Ellis, who is, in fact, our male-lead.
This meeting leads to her eventually meeting Lady Aurelia. I won’t go further into detail because I wouldn’t want to spoil the rest of the story for you.
Anyway.....
Lottie was an ordinary character. There wasn’t anything particularly special about her. I wasn’t impressed or intrigued. She was nice, average girl.
Private Ellis/Gideon, on the other hand, was not very likeable, in my opinion. I found him to be annoying and arrogant. That’s just the way I felt about him and I’m sure that many will find him to be charming and sweet and perfect, etc. Etc.
I personally felt that he just wasn’t the right person for Lottie (I had someone else in mind and she rejected him, of course).
In other words, I didn’t enjoy the romance very much.
The plot involved a lot of scandal and marital affairs which really isn’t my cup of tea.
Lady Aurelia--
Okay, never mind, let’s not talk about Lady Aurelia. Too many spoilers there.
Let’s just say that I wasn’t in love with her either.
The dialogue was a bit info-dump-ish. It didn’t sound realistic.
In the end, I guess the plot was alright. The characters were also, alright.
Honestly, the book was alright!
It’s probably just me. It did not fit my preference.
If this type of writing is your thing then sure, you’ll enjoy it.
I, on the other hand, did not.
The cover was nice though. :)
I had high expectations, which weren’t met, and I found the plot and the writing style to be rather boring.
Lottie Lane, our main character, works as a chambermaid. Her world is turned upside down after a group of soldiers show up at the inn (where she works). She ends up nursing an injured soldier, Private Ellis, who is, in fact, our male-lead.
This meeting leads to her eventually meeting Lady Aurelia. I won’t go further into detail because I wouldn’t want to spoil the rest of the story for you.
Anyway.....
Lottie was an ordinary character. There wasn’t anything particularly special about her. I wasn’t impressed or intrigued. She was nice, average girl.
Private Ellis/Gideon, on the other hand, was not very likeable, in my opinion. I found him to be annoying and arrogant. That’s just the way I felt about him and I’m sure that many will find him to be charming and sweet and perfect, etc. Etc.
I personally felt that he just wasn’t the right person for Lottie (I had someone else in mind and she rejected him, of course).
In other words, I didn’t enjoy the romance very much.
The plot involved a lot of scandal and marital affairs which really isn’t my cup of tea.
Lady Aurelia--
Okay, never mind, let’s not talk about Lady Aurelia. Too many spoilers there.
Let’s just say that I wasn’t in love with her either.
The dialogue was a bit info-dump-ish. It didn’t sound realistic.
In the end, I guess the plot was alright. The characters were also, alright.
Honestly, the book was alright!
It’s probably just me. It did not fit my preference.
If this type of writing is your thing then sure, you’ll enjoy it.
I, on the other hand, did not.
The cover was nice though. :)
January 17, 2020
Best quote for me
'Don't look so surprised, I've been practising niceness.'
'Don't look so surprised, I've been practising niceness.'
May 6, 2018
Služebná z hostince je historický román, který je zaměřen především na postavy.
Autorka se věnuje hlavně jejich osudu a vývoji. Což je důvodu, proč vám tak akcí nabitá kniha akční vůbec nepřipadá, avšak v dobrém.
V knize navštívíme dobu, která nebyla ani zdaleka růžová a potkáme hrdiny, které čtenáři chtě nechtě přirostou k srdci (autorka má na pouto postav se čtenářem opravdu talent).
Pokud hledáte poklidný, čtivý historický román, který nepatří mezi červenou knihovnu, Dilly Court je to pravé ořechové :)
Knihu, jako svého žánru, hodnotím jak nadprůměr, ale jelikož vyhledávám jiný styl historických románu, "osobní" hodnocení je nižší.
Autorka se věnuje hlavně jejich osudu a vývoji. Což je důvodu, proč vám tak akcí nabitá kniha akční vůbec nepřipadá, avšak v dobrém.
V knize navštívíme dobu, která nebyla ani zdaleka růžová a potkáme hrdiny, které čtenáři chtě nechtě přirostou k srdci (autorka má na pouto postav se čtenářem opravdu talent).
Pokud hledáte poklidný, čtivý historický román, který nepatří mezi červenou knihovnu, Dilly Court je to pravé ořechové :)
Knihu, jako svého žánru, hodnotím jak nadprůměr, ale jelikož vyhledávám jiný styl historických románu, "osobní" hodnocení je nižší.
December 15, 2017
3.5 stars. I thought I might learn something about the Florence Nightingale era but it wasn't to be. The heroine of the story was strong and endearing although, I thought, improbable. I thought the "upstairs / downstairs" flavour of the story was interesting. The spoilt rich and the hard working, problem solving girl from the lower classes who does all the good stuff was a bit far fetched. There was ample romance in the novel which I don't usually look for.
This novel was not memorable for me but don't let that stop you from enjoying this read as many others obviously have.
This novel was not memorable for me but don't let that stop you from enjoying this read as many others obviously have.
August 7, 2020
I have no idea how this book landed in my shelf because I know I didn't pick it.I very much judged the book by its cover and in fact was planning of giving it away or sell it off. I'm a fan of artistic covers and I rarely chose a book with a human on the cover unless it is a non-fiction. (Pls no judgments, I donno why) But eventually I ended up reading it and it wasn't actually bad. It was just too simple but with a fine storyline.
Lottie Lane, the protagonist was one of my least favourite characters in the book tbh! There were so many characters, and I liked them very much. Ms. Seacole was one of my favs and I liked Aurelia better than Lottie. That's because Lottie's character had no growth, she was a beautiful woman with a beautiful heart nothing more nothing less. I could do with a better protagonist, everytime a new character came up they would end up liking Lottie and her praises her sung every second page.
The story though was good! (spoilers ahead stop if u wish!)
It was impressive that the author stuck to her character sketch instead of letting them melt or have an emotional episode as in case of Aurelia. It would be really weird if Aurelia accepted Molly instead of letting her stay with Lottie (the number of times Lottie tried to convince Aurelia was annoying too) Aurelia was not a sensitive, loving and caring character unless "she" wanted to be it. As much as I love her for prioritising her interest more than others, it also feels a little weird when thinking of her taking care of her child selflessly.
Then I liked how in the end all the characters came together though at a point I was skeptical about so many coincidences!
Overall read it if you don't want to use your brain for a while, because the author patiently explains everything, there are no deep meanings. After the Wuthering Heights this seemed especially plain though.
Lottie Lane, the protagonist was one of my least favourite characters in the book tbh! There were so many characters, and I liked them very much. Ms. Seacole was one of my favs and I liked Aurelia better than Lottie. That's because Lottie's character had no growth, she was a beautiful woman with a beautiful heart nothing more nothing less. I could do with a better protagonist, everytime a new character came up they would end up liking Lottie and her praises her sung every second page.
The story though was good! (spoilers ahead stop if u wish!)
It was impressive that the author stuck to her character sketch instead of letting them melt or have an emotional episode as in case of Aurelia. It would be really weird if Aurelia accepted Molly instead of letting her stay with Lottie (the number of times Lottie tried to convince Aurelia was annoying too) Aurelia was not a sensitive, loving and caring character unless "she" wanted to be it. As much as I love her for prioritising her interest more than others, it also feels a little weird when thinking of her taking care of her child selflessly.
Then I liked how in the end all the characters came together though at a point I was skeptical about so many coincidences!
Overall read it if you don't want to use your brain for a while, because the author patiently explains everything, there are no deep meanings. After the Wuthering Heights this seemed especially plain though.
May 24, 2017
Have I mentioned in my other reviews before that Dilly Court is one of my favorite writers? Well if so with all my heart I'm informing you reader that she is one of my many favorite authors. Her books never fail to keep me pleased. I've read A Mothers Courage before this and that became one of my favorite novels so I knew The Swan Maid wouldn't let me down and, it didn't. The Swan Maid's star character Lottie (Charlotte) Lane was an adult that was smart, positive and reasonable. And not to forget, beautiful. I always agreed with her ideas and felt a connection. If Lottie was a real person I would love to make friends with her. The concept of the book was overwhelming with shocking twists and wild secrets. The sparking romance between Private Ellis and Lottie was mind-wrecking, innocent and heartwarming. The thing I noticed about Dilly Court books (judging from the two I read so far) they always have a traumatic storyline with hardships and death and life problems but the endings are always happy. Who wouldn't enjoy a happy ending? In The Swan Maid Lady Aurelia annoyed the jack out of me but even so, she was the woman you both like and dislike and because Lottie really liked her and Lottie was a great person you kinda had to feel some connection with Lady Aurelia too. Coming on to Gideon, Gideon and Lottie's love felt quite fast-paced but even so it was very pleasing. He seemed like an ideal person for Lottie and the ending nearly got me in tears! Characters like Jezebel made it much more enjoyable and humorous. Did I mention that I hate Prudence Filby and Cordelia?
October 7, 2020
I cant be quite as enthusiastic as some on this book. I thought it was not bad. The descriptions of the east end of London were good and some of the characters well written. I think my main problem is that Lottie is just too good. Never a mean word and the patience of a saint - a little too good to be believed. I would rate it 3 1/2 stars.
August 12, 2024
A bit slow
April 26, 2026
WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD
It was a rather good read, and is always enjoyable reading novels set in Victorian times and following the character's journey as they rise above hardship and adversity.
However I found the part where they were in the Crimea with the war to drag on far too long, having taken up several chapters (with the chapters themselves already having been a tad too long!) and felt it could have easily been condensed. It was also far too predictable and rather anti-climatic the way we were led to believe that THREE characters had died in the war only for it to end up later being revealed that they were all actually alive, which took away a big part of the drama element, not to mention the whole "Oh they're not dead after all!" trope (also known as Disney Death trope) is honestly one of the most annoying tropes ever, as like I say it just makes things very anti-climatic, not to mention far-fetched, and I am so used to it by now that it has honestly just become so damn predictable.
I also agree with what someone else has said here about not being a fan of the romance in this story and that Gideon was an unlikable and poor love interest, as I also found him too arrogant and unlikable, not to mention selfish, and I just couldn't root for him and Lottie at all, having rather have seen her and Tom Bonney (as someone else has said here), who by the way reappears near the end only to be rejected by Lottie, like what on earth was the point of that?! Things got far too repetitive between them too, and I was hoping for it to go down a more unpredictable route of Gideon having actually died or Lottie having realised he's not the one after all and ended up going for Tom instead. I actually originally was hoping something could happen between her and Jem, despite her insistence that their relationship is purely platonic, but of course that was immdiately ruled out when Jem and her new best friend are paired together, which by the way was another predictable "Pair the Spares" trope.
I am glad to see someone else here agree with me about Lottie being too good to be true, being too much of a saintly and perfect Mary Sue, thus being very one-dimensional and not very relatable. I also got so fed up of people praising her all the damn time every few pages. What happened to three-dimensional, flawed heroines that we can actually relate to?! People can be a kind person without being a frigging saint you know.
I found her finding her long-lost father to have been pretty pointless too, having clearly simply been added for the sake of a saccharine, happy ending kind of element, with it not only having been far-fetched but having added nothing to the story other than to serve as that as a happy moment.
As much as I like the idea of family not always having to be blood, and how people come together through shared adversity, I found it ended up getting a bit too contrived with the way they kept having new members added to their "family", with there having been too many people in the group to keep up with, and having become too much of a cliched happy family set-up.
Lady Aurelia was also annoying and I didn't see the need to bring her and Gillingham back, as I really got fed up of their affair storyline having been dragged on the way it did, and didn't feel we had to see any more of their romance, as I just really didn't give a damn about it.
This is the first book by Dilly Court that I've read, but I still hope to read more and give her others a chance, as I am a big fan of Historical Fiction (especially those set in the Victorian era which she seems to do a lot of) and am hoping that I enjoy her other books a lot more. I think the problem with this one for me as well was a subjective thing, with the constant, heavy focus on war (not even WWI or WWII which I am a lot more familiar with but the Crimean war which isn't something I was particularly interested in) and how much this was dragged out and the amount of back and forth travelling made it a bit mundane for me/ Hopefully it will be different though with the next books of hers I am planning to read.
It was a rather good read, and is always enjoyable reading novels set in Victorian times and following the character's journey as they rise above hardship and adversity.
However I found the part where they were in the Crimea with the war to drag on far too long, having taken up several chapters (with the chapters themselves already having been a tad too long!) and felt it could have easily been condensed. It was also far too predictable and rather anti-climatic the way we were led to believe that THREE characters had died in the war only for it to end up later being revealed that they were all actually alive, which took away a big part of the drama element, not to mention the whole "Oh they're not dead after all!" trope (also known as Disney Death trope) is honestly one of the most annoying tropes ever, as like I say it just makes things very anti-climatic, not to mention far-fetched, and I am so used to it by now that it has honestly just become so damn predictable.
I also agree with what someone else has said here about not being a fan of the romance in this story and that Gideon was an unlikable and poor love interest, as I also found him too arrogant and unlikable, not to mention selfish, and I just couldn't root for him and Lottie at all, having rather have seen her and Tom Bonney (as someone else has said here), who by the way reappears near the end only to be rejected by Lottie, like what on earth was the point of that?! Things got far too repetitive between them too, and I was hoping for it to go down a more unpredictable route of Gideon having actually died or Lottie having realised he's not the one after all and ended up going for Tom instead. I actually originally was hoping something could happen between her and Jem, despite her insistence that their relationship is purely platonic, but of course that was immdiately ruled out when Jem and her new best friend are paired together, which by the way was another predictable "Pair the Spares" trope.
I am glad to see someone else here agree with me about Lottie being too good to be true, being too much of a saintly and perfect Mary Sue, thus being very one-dimensional and not very relatable. I also got so fed up of people praising her all the damn time every few pages. What happened to three-dimensional, flawed heroines that we can actually relate to?! People can be a kind person without being a frigging saint you know.
I found her finding her long-lost father to have been pretty pointless too, having clearly simply been added for the sake of a saccharine, happy ending kind of element, with it not only having been far-fetched but having added nothing to the story other than to serve as that as a happy moment.
As much as I like the idea of family not always having to be blood, and how people come together through shared adversity, I found it ended up getting a bit too contrived with the way they kept having new members added to their "family", with there having been too many people in the group to keep up with, and having become too much of a cliched happy family set-up.
Lady Aurelia was also annoying and I didn't see the need to bring her and Gillingham back, as I really got fed up of their affair storyline having been dragged on the way it did, and didn't feel we had to see any more of their romance, as I just really didn't give a damn about it.
This is the first book by Dilly Court that I've read, but I still hope to read more and give her others a chance, as I am a big fan of Historical Fiction (especially those set in the Victorian era which she seems to do a lot of) and am hoping that I enjoy her other books a lot more. I think the problem with this one for me as well was a subjective thing, with the constant, heavy focus on war (not even WWI or WWII which I am a lot more familiar with but the Crimean war which isn't something I was particularly interested in) and how much this was dragged out and the amount of back and forth travelling made it a bit mundane for me/ Hopefully it will be different though with the next books of hers I am planning to read.
August 28, 2019
Není to cajdák, není to romanťárna, jak by se mohlo na první dojem zdát. Jde o příběh, který celkem dobře dokumentuje příběh jedné chudé dívky. Jde o dobu okolo roku 1850. Jde o Krymskou válku, o níž toho moc není. Ano, Nightangalová je asi nejznámější, ale jinak se to opomíjí.
Krymská válka se přitom dotýkala velké části Evropy. Nejen tedy Ruska a Osmánců, ale i Francouzů aBritů, kteří se do ní aktivně zapojili a přiklonili se na stranu Turecka. Nutno říct, Turecko tehdy sahalo až k Rusku, tedy žádné Rumunsko nebo Bulharsko. Válku tehdy Rusko prohrálo. Byl to ale ohromný masakr. A zdravotní péče byla celkem v plenkách. Celkem se tu ale rozvinula. A objevily se první sestřičky. A o tom všem to je. O lidském příběhu, který touží po štěstí a lásce, který nechce být chudý a který je zanesen do té vřavy a najde naplnění v něčem, co nečekal. A také je to milých šlechtičnách, manželkách důstojníků, s dost pokrouceným pohledem.
Krymská válka se přitom dotýkala velké části Evropy. Nejen tedy Ruska a Osmánců, ale i Francouzů aBritů, kteří se do ní aktivně zapojili a přiklonili se na stranu Turecka. Nutno říct, Turecko tehdy sahalo až k Rusku, tedy žádné Rumunsko nebo Bulharsko. Válku tehdy Rusko prohrálo. Byl to ale ohromný masakr. A zdravotní péče byla celkem v plenkách. Celkem se tu ale rozvinula. A objevily se první sestřičky. A o tom všem to je. O lidském příběhu, který touží po štěstí a lásce, který nechce být chudý a který je zanesen do té vřavy a najde naplnění v něčem, co nečekal. A také je to milých šlechtičnách, manželkách důstojníků, s dost pokrouceným pohledem.
April 14, 2018
First time of reading a novel by Dilly Court and I found that it had very similar vibes to other historical-fiction writers. Despite this, I did quite like the book. I thought that it did have very strong female characters yet sometimes foolish male characters. About the plot, it really does express that to succeed, you must work hard. Some of the times it did seem generic, but it was good, anyways. The only problem I do have with this book was that as the reader it is easy to get confused about the time the novel is supposed to be set in. Sometimes it felt very Victorian, others it felt more World War time.
Overall, I gave this book 4/5 stars. It was an easy break from fantasy yet it was easy to get confused about the era.
Overall, I gave this book 4/5 stars. It was an easy break from fantasy yet it was easy to get confused about the era.
March 16, 2017
Lottie Lane is a young woman working a life of drudgery as a chambermaid in London. The innkeepers are cruel and the pay is minimal. When an injured soldier arrives at the inn, Lottie agrees to look after him. She finds she wants to learn to be a nurse and sets off to talk to Florence Nightingale. But that is not to be. She catches the attention of a wealthy woman, the wife of a high ranking soldier and agrees to be her maid. Their travels take them to Crimea where she once again meets the soldier she helped nurse back to health. Even though Lottie faces numerous difficulties she is able to think quickly on her feet and persevere. An easy read and quite enjoyable.
August 29, 2017
Good acccount of what it was like to work in a coaching house when the railroads were not quite ready. Also what it was like as a military follower when their man was fighting abroad. The story kept to the main characters well, which meant you became quite fond of them.
April 14, 2018
This was a very easy read and quite enjoyable. I can't say it changed my life or anything like that, but it wasn't bad.
I usually like underdogs stories and cheer for their rise in the world and Lottie was no exception.
Not having a family doesn't mean you can't choose one of your own. People you meet along the way, that you help and love can become your family (that's even better than real, blood family).
I usually like underdogs stories and cheer for their rise in the world and Lottie was no exception.
Not having a family doesn't mean you can't choose one of your own. People you meet along the way, that you help and love can become your family (that's even better than real, blood family).
July 22, 2020
Very well written couldn't put it down.
Loved the story not too much bitterness in it either which is nice!
Fav character I think Is Gideon always got excited when Lottie and him got together.
Loved the story not too much bitterness in it either which is nice!
Fav character I think Is Gideon always got excited when Lottie and him got together.
June 27, 2018
The book is okay......but it didn't interest me.I wanted Ferral to know that Molly belonged to him.
February 6, 2019
Slow to get interesting I was half way through the book before I was absorbed and unable to put it down 8 out of10
February 7, 2019
A great read couldn’t put this book down.
January 13, 2020
Another great read
True to life and well worth the read and I love to read any of Dilly court books anytime enjoyed
True to life and well worth the read and I love to read any of Dilly court books anytime enjoyed
September 13, 2020
Another good read from Dilly Court.
October 16, 2021
Loved it x
July 16, 2022
Really enjoyed this story ,enjoying my dilly court books so far ,don’t know what took me so long to find these out 😆
December 3, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I loved Lotte from the start, there’s none of Dilly courts books I’ve not enjoyed so far, fantastic author
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