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dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Slow going, especially at the beginning. Lots of twists and turns. Overall, sad. Just made me sad.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Sexual content, Murder, Lesbophobia
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a fine introduction to Sarah Waters! The Paying Guests is tense and incredibly atmospheric. The historical attention to detail is astounding - even in the mundanity of daily life, this book paints such a vivid picture. I also love the way that Waters writes women; it's clear she writes sapphic romance from a place of tenderness and care, and it's refreshing (even if some of the particulars of this story are painful). The nuances and peculiarities of Frances and Lilian's relationship were so varied and multi-dimensional; it swung from fraught to fanciful and everywhere in between, and I really enjoyed seeing its evolution.
My only issue was really with the pacing. With the sheer amount of detail this book has, it moves incredibly slowly at times. It's not necessarily all bad! It built some fantastic suspense, but it also made the ending drag out a bit longer than may have been warranted. All in all, this was a great read, especially if you like historical sapphics <3
My only issue was really with the pacing. With the sheer amount of detail this book has, it moves incredibly slowly at times. It's not necessarily all bad! It built some fantastic suspense, but it also made the ending drag out a bit longer than may have been warranted. All in all, this was a great read, especially if you like historical sapphics <3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Blood, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy
Moderate: Child death, Homophobia, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Vomit, Alcohol, War, Classism
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Pros: Gorgeous writing. I highlighted so many passages. This was my first time reading Sarah Waters, and she really has a gift for describing social and psychological nuances. I particularly liked the first third of the book, getting to know Frances and the house and its little world, wondering at Leonard's behaviour and anticipating the relationship between Frances and Lillian . I liked that the book stayed with a single perspective. Lillian was a very sympathetic character, and I enjoyed the time with her family. Frances was at times less sympathetic, since there was a real hardness to her, but at other times she was very relatable. There were some wonderful scenes, like the roller rink, the heart and stake, the dance party, the parasols in the park.
Cons: There are some truly nauseating scenes. I had to take breaks reading and start to skim because it was making me feel so queasy. After the big incident that happens about 1/3 of the way through the novel, I felt compelled to keep reading, but at the same time, found myself enjoying it less and less.The stuff with the agony and angst over what to do about Spencer Ward went on and on and on and was just so uninteresting. There were a few bright spots, like the pathos of Spencer being revealed to still read picture books, but overall I found the trial third of the book a trial to read. And then, we got so little resolution at the ending - after all that, we still got no indication of what Lillian and Frances were going to do with their future. A letdown of an ending, after all that!
Overall, I enjoyed the first of the three parts the most. The book was rich with period details and painted an engrossing image of Frances' inner life. I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in sapphic historical novels.
Cons: There are some truly nauseating scenes. I had to take breaks reading and start to skim because it was making me feel so queasy. After the big incident that happens about 1/3 of the way through the novel, I felt compelled to keep reading, but at the same time, found myself enjoying it less and less.
Overall, I enjoyed the first of the three parts the most. The book was rich with period details and painted an engrossing image of Frances' inner life. I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in sapphic historical novels.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Outing, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Animal death, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Medical content, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, War
Minor: Body shaming, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Most of the tension falls in the last couple of chapters. I honestly had no idea how it would turn out! I was surprised even til the last scene!
I really liked that Frances was already established as being gay/liking women, rather than this being a new experience for both of them. The detail of her previous relationship (and the fact she still hangs out with her ex lol) felt very realistic. I'm still not really sure how I feel about Lillian.
I really liked that Frances was already established as being gay/liking women, rather than this being a new experience for both of them. The detail of her previous relationship (and the fact she still hangs out with her ex lol) felt very realistic. I'm still not really sure how I feel about Lillian.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Blood, Abortion, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm not sure what I think of this book.
I don't dislike it, but I don't love it, but I couldn't put it down.
I think my main issue was none of the characters were remotely likeable. The first half was a bit wishy washy and took ages, and I wasn't a fan of how the romance/'connection'/obsession was written. It just felt a bit off for me. At the end of act two, I got more hooked, and wanted to see how it ended. The will they won'y they confess got a bit tiresome, and I kinda wish they didn't end up together at the end. I feel like it's what they both deserved.
I think I would read another one of Sarah Waters' books, mainly to see if it's the writing I didn't vibe with, or just the particular characters in this story.
I don't dislike it, but I don't love it, but I couldn't put it down.
I think I would read another one of Sarah Waters' books, mainly to see if it's the writing I didn't vibe with, or just the particular characters in this story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Abortion, Murder
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Wow wow wow. This book enraptured me. I cannot recommend it enough!
The only reason it didn't reach 5 stars is because Part 3 does slow down the pace significantly, despite the fact that is the tensest part of the book.
The only reason it didn't reach 5 stars is because Part 3 does slow down the pace significantly, despite the fact that is the tensest part of the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Abortion, Murder, Alcohol
Moderate: Lesbophobia, Classism
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, War
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Miscarriage, Abortion, Murder
Moderate: Homophobia
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book took such insane turns that I never expected from the start of it. I thoroughly enjoyed how real the characters felt throughout all that they were faced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Grief, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, War
Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexism, Police brutality, Death of parent, Sexual harassment
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I read this book based on how much I remembered loving the same author’s Tipping the Velvet fifteen years ago. I only read a short blurb and didn’t know what the meat of the plot was actually about. I was very surprised.
If you want to know more of the plot, but not major twists or ending:An older woman and her spinster daughter, living alone after the sons were killed in WWI and the husband died of a heart attack, are financially ruined and have to take in a young married couple as lodgers. The daughter is a lesbian and starts having an affair with the woman lodger. Then the man lodger dies unexpectedly and that’s where the majority of the tension in the book comes from. So it’s a sapphic love story? But also mostly a murder… not mystery? A crime drama, perhaps.
If you want to know whether it has a happy ending:Yes? It leaves you hanging a bit but it’s not the tragic ending I feared. Further ending spoilers: The male lodge is the only person in the book who dies. No LGBTQ+ deaths.
If you want to know more of the plot, but not major twists or ending:
If you want to know whether it has a happy ending:
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Outing, Gaslighting, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail