2.07k reviews for:

The Magnolia Palace

Fiona Davis

3.79 AVERAGE


The beginning was very slow and I much preferred the 1919 storyline. I'm not really interested in art or art history, but the mystery and scavenger hunt kept me drawn in to the end.

Oh boy was this a fantastic read. I love historical fiction especially when it has parallel stories and this one delivered. The intrigue and the art and the fact that Lillian/Angelica was based on America's first supermodel Audrey Munson had me looking up every statue mentioned in the book. I loved the characters in this book (although I would have like a little more of Mr. Graham). All in all, a wonderful read that had me looking up the artwork mentioned and imagining the past.

I really enjoyed this book, I was unsure when I started but towards the middle/end I couldn’t read it fast enough. The writing is beautiful as is the story. I can’t recommend this book enough & I always love a happy ending❤️

Sometimes you read a book, and sometimes that book is filled with morally grey people who sometimes do terrible things.

And SOMETIMES there are repercussions for those terrible actions.

In this book there are none.

I’ll say it again… I love a book with multiple timelines woven together. And I love it when both timelines come together at the end to reveal a satisfying plot twist. Just enough details in this book to paint a vivid picture but not so many that the book is filled with fluff. I read this one in just a few short sittings over a weekend. Mystery, love and drama all in one.

This was an interesting historical fiction read. The characters felt second to the setting, but I suppose that’s what you get when it’s the title. I wasn’t blown away by anything, but fine art lovers may find a bit more enjoyment than I did.

Libby audio. The Frick family, museum, and art (and philanthropy) are the real stars of this novel. The ancillary characters and plot… not so much.

Gosh this book was boring. The blurb sounded so interesting. The book was written out of 2 perspectives: 1919 & 1966. 1966 view did not add anything to the story, rather made it so slow. I wish the book explained more about the Fricks and NYC.
emotional inspiring mysterious reflective slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

The first half of the book moved pretty slowly - it took me some time to get into it, but the second half drew me in. I always have trouble with dual perspective books because I find myself wanting to jump chapters to continue the one storyline I’m reading about. The attention to art and museum artifacts was an interesting plot perspective that I haven’t read a lot about and I found myself really interested in it! 
adventurous challenging emotional informative mysterious sad tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes