The thrilling retelling from the author of PRIZE WOMEN, THE METAL HEART and THE GLASS WOMAN. Perfect for fans of The Essex Serpent and The Manningtree Witches.

‘Hauntingly beautiful, dangerous and magnificent‘ Anya Bergman, author of The Witches of Vardo

‘A deliciously dark reimagining of the birth of literature’s greatest monster‘ Emma Stonex, author of The Lamplighters

‘Richly woven, gorgeously addictive, this is a true Gothic novel about life, death, desire, fury and passion‘ Joanne Burn, author of The Bone Hunters

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Villa Diodati, Lake Geneva, 1816.

The dark summer that birthed a monster . . .

Eighteen-year-old Mary Shelley has fled London with her lover, Percy Shelley, and her sister, Claire.

Tormented by Shelley’s betrayals, haunted by the loss of their baby and suspicious of her sister’s intentions, Mary seeks sanctuary.

But Lord Byron’s villa, lying under ominous, ash-shrouded skies, feels more like a trap.

When Byron suggests each guest write a supernatural tale, Mary is as drawn to the challenge as she is, unexpectedly, to Byron himself.

And so an idea begins to form in her mind . . .

It spills out of her in thick, black ink. A thing given life is before her.

Day and night, she is possessed. Heart and mind. Body and soul.

But is she in control, or is it?

In this hauntingly evocative feminist retelling, Caroline Lea delves into the female rage, creative madness and steamy scandal that bore the world’s most famous work of gothic fiction.
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PRAISE FOR LOVE, SEX & FRANKENSTEIN

‘Fury and passion, obsession and revenge sizzle beneath the surface as out-of-this-world prose spins the book to a powerful, sensual grand finale. What a firecracker of a story – it completely swept me off my feet!‘ Fiza Saeed McLynn, author of The Midnight Carousel

‘You cannot help but fall in love with Mary, whose journey as an artist and as a woman is both absolutely heartbreaking and truly inspiring. This is a deeply moving, magical book from a consummate storyteller‘ Elodie Harper, author of The Wolf Den

‘Beautifully written and wonderfully intense, this is no glamorous story of the rock star poets and their female muses but a rendition of absolute powerlessness turned around through sheer force of will‘ Elizabeth Fremantle, author of Disobedient

‘Gorgeous. Prize Women took my breath away. I haven’t stopped thinking about it’ JENNIFER SAINT
‘Wonderfully evocative and intelligent. Sheds light on a scandalous moment in history I knew nothing about, told with great sensitivity and grace. I was entranced’ EMMA STONEX
‘Fascinating historical fiction with a feminist slant’ GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
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Toronto, 1926.

A childless millionaire leaves behind an astonishing will: the recipient of his fortune will be decided in a contest known as ‘The Great Stork Derby’. His money will go to the winner: the woman who bears the most children in the ten years after his death.

Lily di Marco is young, pregnant, and terrified of her husband. Fleeing to Toronto, she arrives on the doorstep of glamorous free spirit Mae Thebault. At a time when men hold all the power, Lily and Mae look out for each other. But as their friendship grows, Lily wonders if there’s more to Mae – and her past – than she has been told . . .

And as the Great Depression bites, the Stork Derby contest – with its alluring prize – proves too good to ignore for Lily and Mae, each living hand to mouth.

These best friends are now fierce rivals. But if only one woman can win, what will the contest cost the other?
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‘This tale of two women resonates with what is happening in the world today. I was gripped by Lily and Mae’s story, the desperate choices that women still face’ LOUISE HARE

‘Wonderfully researched and full of evocative historical detail’ CULTUREFLY

‘A serious, thoughtful and epic journey into the trials of motherhood . . . With her contrasting female characters, Lea interrogates the fight for female agency across class divides, a struggle that continues to this day. A fascinating snapshot of another time, perhaps not as far removed from our own as we might hope’ JANICE HALLET

‘A profoundly moving and absolutely gripping novel about the choices women face – and the choices they are denied. I cannot recommend it highly enough’ ELODIE HARPER

‘Masterful. Caroline Lea is a superb storyteller, and Prize Women deserves a huge readership. So good, I had to pull myself away’ ELIZABETH MACNEAL

‘A powerful Second World War love story’ THE TIMES

‘Deeply evocative of Orkney and its wild beauty. A stunning tale of sisters, salvation and sacrifice’ EMMA STONEX
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Orkney, 1941.

Five hundred Italian prisoners of war arrive to fortify these wild and desolate islands.

Orphaned sisters Dorothy and Constance volunteer to nurse the wounded. But while beautiful, damaged Constance remains wary of the men, Dot finds herself increasingly drawn to Cesare, a young man fighting on the wrong side and broken by the horrors of battle. Secretly, passionately, they fall in love.

When a tragic mistake from Con’s past returns to haunt them, Dot must make a choice:

Protect her sister no matter the costs, or save the man who has captured her heart?
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Praise for Caroline Lea:

‘Enthralling’ Stacey Halls, author of The Familiars and The Foundling

‘Fantastic’ The Times

‘Memorable and compelling’ Sarah Moss, author of The Times Book of the Year Ghost Wall

‘Intensely written and atmospheric’ Daily Mail

‘Gripped me in a cold fist. Beautiful’ Sara Collins, author of The Confessions of Frannie Langton

‘Brilliant’ Daily Express