The Gilded Lily - Couverture souple

"There is no greater compliment than 'Give me more!' A delight." --Susanna Gregory

"Ms Swift's prose is compelling, her characters convincing" --Westmorland Gazette

"The Gilded Lily is impeccably written historical fiction. The detail is superb and life in London is so vividly depicted that the city seems to take on its own persona and become a lurking character in the story." --Let Them Read Books

"Where the author excels is in making the reader care for the two girls... I thoroughly enjoyed this tale that explored the darker side of Restoration London." --Historical Tapestry

"The intense evocation of the period never falters" --Gabrielle Kimm

"A heart-rending story of two sisters on the run, searching for a better life. Beautifully written and meticulously researched, the novel drew me straight into the teeming streets of Restoration London. An addictive, page-turning read." --Mary Sharratt

"The Gilded Lily had me hooked from the first chapter even the first page... I loved it." --Peeking Between the Pages

"The plot is gripping with plenty of twists and turns to keep readers interested. The characters are beautifully developed and three-dimensional. Each character has their own struggles to overcome as circumstances force them to do things and change in ways they would never have dreamed of...I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading Deborah Swift's next."
--History and Women

"Superb dialogue, steeped in contemporary language, adds credibility and atmosphere to this compelling tale which examines the ties that bind together siblings, the consequences of greed and ambition, the fickleness of fate and women's constant battle to survive in a man's world. The Gilded Lily is also a fast-paced adventure peopled with ruthless villains and feisty heroines whose exploits grab the imagination and add suspense and excitement to a historical gem." --Lancashire Evening Post

"Deborah Swift's captivating writing makes you feel as if you're in Restoration London alongside the two lead characters of this excellent historical novel. Highly recommended." --The Bookbag

Beauty is skin deep. Blood runs deeper. Winter, 1661. In her short life Sadie Appleby has never left rural Westmorland. But one night she is rudely awoken by her older and bolder sister, Ella. She has robbed her employer and is on the run. Together the girls flee their home and head for London, hoping to lose themselves in the teeming city. But the dead man's relatives are in pursuit, and soon a game of cat and mouse ensues amongst the freezing warren that is London in winter. Ella is soon seduced by the glitter and glamour of city life and sets her sights on the flamboyant man-about-town, Jay Whitgift, owner of a beauty parlour for the wives of the London gentry. But nothing in the capital is what it seems, least of all Jay Whitgift. Soon a rift has formed between Ella and Sadie, and the sisters are threatened by a menace more sinister than even the law. Set in a brilliantly realised Restoration London, The Gilded Lily is a novel about beauty and desire, about the stories we tell ourselves, and about how beng a sister can be both a burden and a saving grace. "It's hard to say why you find a novel unputdownable, but I've just spent about 4 hours curled up with the second half, and there was no way I was not going to finish it today!" "The story line, like a meandering river, was full of unexpected twists and turns which enchanted me and made it very hard to put down." "Brilliant. a cracking good read couldn't put it down, exciting from beginning to end the author really brought the characters to life." "I enjoyed this one particularly as it has a different and engaging storyline. It was another book I couldn't put down...read in a day and enjoyed the characters and storline immensely."