[Victoria Mas's]... portrait of women who were unfairly banished to asylums often because they did not fit into the straightjacket of 19th-century society is moving... beautifully drawn.

THE MAD WOMEN'S BALL is a darkly sumptuous tale of wicked spectacle, wild injustice and the insuppressible strength of women. Mas brings the world of La Salpêtrière to life with passion and fury, unveiling a hypnotic theatre that is as moving as it is macabre.

[An] essential story of women resisting the unjust exertion of male power.

In this darkly delightful Gothic treasure, Mas explores grief, trauma and sisterhood behind the walls of Paris' infamous Salpetriere hospital.

Elegantly written, Victoria Mas's slender, potent debut celebrates sisterhood, while also exposing the corrupt powers of the patriarchy at home and in the wider world.

Enthralling and wonderfully imagined... written with terrific verve and sympathy.

A deftly woven tale of hope and pain, judgement and redemption, cruelty and kindness. Utterly captivating and profoundly affecting, the story of The Salpêtrière lingers long in the mind after the stunning conclusion. I loved it.

A beautifully written debut set in Paris in 1885, Victoria Mas' characters come to life within a sentence while her storytelling compels you to turn the page. I loved The Mad Women's Ball and have absolutely no doubt it will be one of my favourite novels of 2021.

'Beautifully written and captures the world so well. A delight to read.'

A gothic, feminist book ...so cinematic it is already being turned into a film...it evokes the Brontës, with its dormitories, its phials and its ghosts. But thematically, it is bang up to date.

The Mad Women's Ball is as lush on the inside as it is on the outside! It's richly immersive, taking us right into the heart of nineteenth-century Paris. From Genevieve, Eugenie and the women of Salpêtrière we learn what it is that keeps women locked up - and the extraordinary ways in which they might escape.

'Enter the dance of this little masterpiece and let yourself be dazzled. Assured of hitting the bestseller lists'

A well-written historical novel... book groups will thoroughly engage with the plot and characters.

Morrison's stunning trilogy is an evocation of black life over the past four centuries. It defies summary. Completed almost 25 years ago, these novels top anything produced by any American writer including Hemingway, Updike and DeLillo

[A] beautiful, haunting novel

More than one of Morrison's books could be classed as masterpieces, but this one is famous for a reason: everyone should read it

Brilliant

You'll devour this unputdownable tale

Beautifully moving and funny

Wise and witty, this is destined to be as successful as its forerunner

A welcome return for Keyes' messy heroine. In Rachel, Keyes has created a character that takes her readers through the rough and the smooth - and we are more than happy to go along for the ride

Warm-hearted, witty and fearless in the face of life's sorrows, Again, Rachel is a celebration of the enduring power of love

Brilliant. Truly wonderful. Like sinking into a deep, luxurious, bubble bath. Sharply observed, this big-hearted book has plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and is a treat of a novel

Keyes has always been an excellent storyteller but here she is at the peak of her powers, her writing even more honest and vulnerable than usual. A profound and smart book that will be enjoyed by die-hard fans and new readers alike. And Luke Costello is sexier than ever.

Assured, wise and witty with superb observational detail, reading Marian Keyes is like being cradled in safe arms. This book is destined to be as successful as its forerunner

Bereavement, grief, addiction, family, fun, humour, love, romance. It's all there

Warm, witty and wise - a joy to read

There's a wisdom to Marian Keyes' iconic Rachel

Keyes is an exceptional storyteller and her ability to blend comedy, high drama and emotional depth is second to none. Empathetic, insightful, romantic and witty, Again, Rachel is again a delight from start to finish.

Again, Rachel is a tour de force. A fearless novel about loving and losing and hoping. It's perfection

A brilliant reminder of just how comforting it can be to return to characters that once captured our hearts.

Set to be one of the biggest books of the year

Joyful, wise, empathetic, funny, sexy, and so thoughtful on addiction, too

Darkly comic . . . Just as tender, heartbreaking and laugh-out-loud funny as her first outing

Again, Rachel is like a six hundred page hug and is Marian Keyes at her hilarious yet heartbreaking best

I loved Again, Rachel. Such a beautiful, wise, powerful book

Rachel somehow helps us all to find our better, truer selves. I've still got 100 pages to go, but part of me wishes it was 1,000

Keyes is a giant of Irish writing who has not so much defined a genre, as she has created it

Perceptive, hilarious and deeply moving, this is a wise and insightful look at modern life

Switch the phone to silent, banish all distractions: it's time for a book binge

Fabulous. I loved becoming reacquainted with the Walsh family

A masterclass in creating the perfect follow-up story . . . This sequel shone

Included in 'Best Paperbacks of April 2023'

There aren't many books that come along . . . where on one page you can be laughing hysterically, and then you turn the page and you're nearly in tears for the opposite reason. This is that book. Beautifully told. Loads of warmth, loads of humour.

She is a genius stylist. Her characters are so vivid, her situations feel so real and authentic. This is my favourite book of hers.

Amazing

Enticing

There's light and dark in all Keyes' novels, equal measures of hilarity and heartbreak

Hard to put down

Lovable, funny. Doesn't disappoint

Keyes at the peak of her powers

Praise for Marian Keyes

Messy, tangled complex humans who reminded me that few of us ever really sort out our lives at all

A novel that is warm and witty but never afraid to tackle the big stuff

Magnificently messy lives, brilliantly untangled. Funny, tender and completely absorbing!

Keyes knows how to make serious issues relatable - and get a few grownup laughs, too

There should be a word to describe the sadness and satisfaction you feel when you read the last page of a Marian Keyes novel: the ending is perfect but you still want more, more, more

Charming, funny and poignant. But also profound, heartbreaking

Keyes at her best: capturing everyday voices with humour and empathy with writing that you'll devour in a weekend. Just pure and simple joy

Funny, thought-provoking and will get you right in the feels

Sensitive, funny, wonderful, immensely touching

Marian Keyes's gift for storytelling is utterly magnificent

Rachel Walsh is back with a bang. Wickedly shrewd and fun