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Square of Sevens
Square of Sevens | Laura Shepherd-Robinson
20 posts | 15 read | 31 to read
INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER "A big, satisfying, and clever read." --The Times (London) An orphaned fortune teller in 18th-century England searches for answers about her long-dead mother and uncovers shocking secrets in this immersive and atmospheric saga perfect for fans of Sarah Waters and Sarah Perry. Cornwall, 1730: A young girl known only as Red travels with her father making a living predicting fortunes using the ancient Cornish method of the Square of Sevens. Shortly before he dies, her father entrusts Red's care to a gentleman scholar, along with a document containing the secret of the Square of Sevens technique. Raised as a lady amidst the Georgian splendor of Bath, Red's fortune-telling delights in high society. But she cannot ignore the questions that gnaw at her soul: who was her mother? How did she die? And who are the mysterious enemies her father was always terrified would find him? The pursuit of these mysteries takes her from Cornwall and Bath to London and Devon, from the rough ribaldry of the Bartholomew Fair to the grand houses of two of the most powerful families in England. And while Red's quest brings her the possibility of great reward, it also leads to grave danger. Laura Shepherd-Robinson, "the queen of modern Georgian literature" (Susan Stokes-Chapman, author of Pandora), has written a dazzling and Dickensian story of mystery and intrigue, with audacious twists and turns.
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review
Crazeedi
The Square of Sevens | Laura Shepherd-Robinson
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Pickpick

Just WOW . 5☆ This was an excellent read. I had to keep putting it down because I knew the protagonist was in trouble again! You ever read books like that? Red is an orphan who reads fortunes through the square of Sevens layout. After her father dies when she is 7, she is fostered by a kind man who raises her. She finds out she is the heir to the DeLacy fortune and vows to claim it , though the family doesn't realize she exists. ⬇️

Crazeedi So she undergoes the quest to be recognized in court. Except she has many obstacles she faces, and has to run from trouble at many turns. The plot of the book is complex but totally engrossing. Pay attention to the cards at the beginning of each chapter! If you like magic you will like this book 2mo
julesG Absolutely loved the book last year! 2mo
Crazeedi @julesG me too! 2mo
See All 12 Comments
Crazeedi Oops and this is my #Doublespin!! #17 read a Kindle book! @TheAromaofBooks 2mo
Deblovestoread Great review! Stacked 📚 2mo
Crazeedi @Deblovestoread it's a good one! 2mo
Librarybelle Great review! 2mo
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 2mo
Bluebird Great review! I loved this book too! It was one of my favorite reads last year! 2mo
50 likes1 stack add12 comments
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Bluebird
Square of Sevens | Laura Shepherd-Robinson
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#12booksof2023
@Andrew65

Atmospheric, historical fiction, mystery, fortune telling. I‘m still thinking about this one!

And it‘s a wrap! Looking forward to some more great reading in 2024

Andrew65 Brilliant. Thanks for playing along and I look forward to seeing you on Christmas Day for #12Booksof2024 Happy Reading! 4mo
21 likes1 comment
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julesG
The Square of Sevens | Laura Shepherd-Robinson
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#12Booksof2023 @Andrew65

August - the book that is my book of 2023 - and I keep recommending it until everyone has read it. 😁

RaeLovesToRead Yaaaasssss!!!!!! 4mo
Andrew65 Not aware of it but soon will be. 4mo
julesG @Andrew65 🎉🎉 I hope you'll like it 4mo
Andrew65 @julesG It sounds just my cup of tea. 4mo
48 likes3 stack adds4 comments
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RaeLovesToRead
Square of Sevens | Laura Shepherd-Robinson
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This year I joined these two gorgeous bookclubs from Goldsboro books in London. GSFF stands for Goldsboro science fiction and fantasy. I believe they've changed the name of Prem1er, but both are continuing into 2024.

Highly recommend both 💕

@Branwen introduced me to #gsff so they do international delivery!

Branwen YASSSSSS! Goldsboro does SUCH a fantastic job with their special editions! 🥰 4mo
RaeLovesToRead @Branwen I've actually only read like one book from each club this year... but they are such tasty editions! 🥰🥰 4mo
46 likes2 comments
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Bluebird
Square of Sevens | Laura Shepherd-Robinson
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Pickpick

This was a long book that seemed to drag a bit in the middle. I started to think more editing was needed. As I read further I realized I was wrong. Everything was important, lol. So many twists and turns to the plot that my head was spinning—in a good way! Excellent historical mystery set in Georgian England. The setting and atmosphere of the book were spot on and the fortune telling aspect was unique. Don‘t skip the historical note at the end!

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Caroline2
The Square of Sevens | Laura Shepherd-Robinson
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Pickpick

I loved this! If Dickens and Sarah Waters had a child… it would be this book! It had Bleak House/Fingersmith vibes with a twisty, turning plot and fiendish characters galore! I would recommend binge reading tho as there‘s lots to keep track of. (I‘ve had a busy week so I‘ve only been reading a little bit each night and it was hardwork to remember everyone and their connections etc) Defo one of my top reads of the year. 👍

RaeLovesToRead This is my book of the year for sure!!!! Although I also read The Secret History for the first time too... I need to come up with a top 5... or perhaps 10 5mo
julesG I think it's in my top ten books of the year, too. 5mo
Caroline2 @RaeLovesToRead Yes! This book and The Secret History are in my top five too. 👍 5mo
See All 10 Comments
MicheleinPhilly Sarah Waters??? *gasp* *adds to cart* 5mo
batsy Sounds great! 5mo
Caroline2 @julesG It‘s so good, isn‘t it. 5mo
Caroline2 @MicheleinPhilly yeah ignore what they said on Between the covers! 😂 it‘s a great read. 👍 (there‘s no magic in it at all!!) 5mo
squirrelbrain Great review! (Even if I didn‘t love it as much as you!) 😃 5mo
Ruthiella Sarah Waters and Charles Dickens? Say no more! Stacking! 👍 5mo
AlaMich Your description sounds very intriguing! 5mo
86 likes9 stack adds10 comments
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RaeLovesToRead
Square of Sevens | Laura Shepherd-Robinson
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Pickpick

This was INCREDIBLE and you should all go out and read it immediately! 🥰

Expect:

Georgian vibes
Fortune telling
Mystery galore
Twists and turns
Courtroom drama
Lots of intrigue
Heroes and villains (mainly villains!)

Laura Shepherd-Robinson is a master of storytelling and this was a blast from start to finish.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DaveGreen7777 You had me at “mostly villains”! 😈 5mo
Caroline2 Ah I‘m reading this at the moment! I‘m about halfway and loving but it‘s been a long week with not much reading time so I‘m struggling to keep up with all the family connections which is annoying! I think it‘s one of those books that‘s better off read quick and in big chunks. To keep up with it all. 5mo
RaeLovesToRead @DaveGreen7777 It's such a good book!!! Definitely read it 😊 (along with the others on your Rae-told-me-to-read-this list haha) 5mo
See All 7 Comments
RaeLovesToRead @Caroline2 Honestly, it's one that builds and builds. Usually I find that book peak in the middle, but this one just got better and better 🥰 5mo
RaeLovesToRead @Caroline2 They draw a handy family tree at one point... 5mo
The_Penniless_Author Is this the one with the bewitched towels? 5mo
RaeLovesToRead @The_Penniless_Author Did you even WATCH my YouTube videos? 🤨 5mo
66 likes4 stack adds7 comments
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BooksNBowls
The Square of Sevens | Laura Shepherd-Robinson
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Pickpick

If this book was shorter and more intricately woven, this could easily be a 5 star for me! The beginning was very strong and immediately captured my attention, the middle kinda lost me, and the ending picked back up with a nice little twist I did enjoy. 4/5 stars I hope this UK author brings some of her other books over to the States!

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BooksNBowls
The Square of Sevens | Laura Shepherd-Robinson
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I‘ve been catching up on my shows and still getting over this nasty infection, so I haven‘t gotten to read much this week, but I picked this arc up recently and wow!! I understand why this author is so popular in the UK! She has gotten me hooked from chapter 1! Really excited to finish this one. #NetGalleyArc

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squirrelbrain
The Square of Sevens | Laura Shepherd-Robinson
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Pickpick

This was going to be a so-so as I found most of it quite confusing and a little boring; too many characters who were all related and a complicated legal case. Oh, and not a single character had any redeeming features; they were all awful.

The last few chapters completely changed it though - fabulous! My advice; concentrate from the start and don‘t skim read it like I did!

Henry liked it but prefers his new 🦖 toy!

quietlycuriouskate Henry is clearly a being of discernment and taste! 🦕 6mo
LeahBergen It looks like Henry doesn‘t massacre his toys like my Johnny does. 🙄 6mo
Amiable What a sweet face! 😍 6mo
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TrishB That dinosaur looks fab! 6mo
squirrelbrain @LeahBergen - he used to do, and still does to some extent with smaller toys, so he has those under supervision. We‘ve learned the bigger the better now; soon the toys will be bigger than him! 🤣 6mo
squirrelbrain @TrishB - it‘s just from Pets at Home. 6mo
Leftcoastzen 👏🐶 6mo
MicheleinPhilly Glad this one turned around for you! Hi Henry! Pickles sends kisses! 6mo
Caroline2 Ohh so glad to hear it picks up! I‘ll make sure to concentrate and not skim. 👍 6mo
dabbe Hello there, Sir Henry! 🖤🐾🖤 6mo
LeahBergen @squirrelbrain 😆😆 We only buy this one type of spikey ball for Johnny now. He is obsessed with them and brings one to everyone who comes over (like a grand prize). 😆 6mo
squirrelbrain @LeahBergen - Henry brings prizes too, but with lots of different things, including all of the blankets out of his bed! 🤣 6mo
julesG Hello Henry! 👋 Yeah, no skimming with this book, made that mistake, too and had to go back a bit. 6mo
LeahBergen Johnny does that, too, and sometimes his whole bed. 😆 6mo
BarbaraBB Hi Henry 👋🏽 6mo
squirrelbrain Hi Pickles! Henry sends licks and kisses. @MicheleinPhilly 6mo
batsy Henry is far too handsome! 😁 6mo
Gissy 🐶 🖤🖤🖤🖤 6mo
robinb Henry is such a handsome boy! 💜 6mo
Suet624 That pup is elegant. 6mo
squirrelbrain Thank you @Suet624 -he‘s a good boy! 6mo
79 likes21 comments
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Mpcacher
The Square of Sevens | Laura Shepherd-Robinson
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Pickpick

Wow! This is a cleverly plotted story with wonderful twists and turns, featuring a young female hero known as Red. She has been trained in the fortune telling art that uses “The Square of Sevens“ and that adds a magical feel to this 18th century English historical fiction story. The tale is atmospheric and deals with family, greed, and social disparities. Thanks to Edelweiss+ for the digital ARC. I thoroughly enjoyed this one! 5./5 stars.

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ju.ca.no
The Square of Sevens | Laura Shepherd-Robinson
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My current audio book started off really good! Unfortunately now that I‘m halfway through it is starting to draaaag… I‘m really not invested in the story, I hope it will be a bit more gripping soon…

43 likes1 stack add
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cjk
Square of Sevens | Laura Shepherd-Robinson
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I think September is the month I tackle the long books on the old TBR. Listening to the tagged title along with the 3rd re-read in audio of The Eye of the World.
😅🎧📚

25 likes1 stack add
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Cazxxx
The Square of Sevens | Laura Shepherd-Robinson
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Pickpick

An absolutely wonderful and magical work of historical fiction, totally engrossing from start to finish

5 ⭐️

AllDebooks She is so good 😍 8mo
jenniferw88 Baldrick's daughter 😂 8mo
See All 6 Comments
Cazxxx @AllDebooks Very good! 8mo
julesG My review is similar! 8mo
Cazxxx @julesG Glad you loved it too! 8mo
47 likes3 stack adds6 comments
review
julesG
The Square of Sevens | Laura Shepherd-Robinson
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Pickpick

I'm going to quote from the historical note:
"[...] mythical and magical, a sweeping Dickensian story with a twist. [...] a large family and a disputed inheritance, plus fortune telling in the age of Enlightenment."

5/5 Stars

Thank you, @Oryx for meeting at House of Books and Friends in Manchester otherwise I might have missed this gem.

#RushAThon @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES @Andrew65

DieAReader 🥳🥳🥳 8mo
jenniferw88 You know the author is Tony Robinson's (aka Baldrick) daughter, don't you?! 8mo
julesG @jenniferw88 No, didn't know that. Not important to enjoy the book. 😁 But good to know should I need it for a pub quiz. 8mo
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julesG @jenniferw88 I find it much more interesting that I know who Baldrick is. 8mo
jenniferw88 @julesG 😂 I didn't know until Dad read the tagged and told me. 8mo
julesG @jenniferw88 That's the one I haven't read yet. Recently read her debut novel (from #MountTBR) and really liked it. She puts a lot of effort into historical accuracy, which I truly appreciate. 8mo
jenniferw88 @julesG I've read Blood and Sugar, need to read Daughters (and Square)! https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/books/1231923/Laura-Shepherd-Robinson-be... 8mo
Oryx That amazing feeling of finding a five star book by accident almost. That's great 😃 8mo
Andrew65 Sounds interesting. 8mo
69 likes10 comments
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julesG
The Square of Sevens | Laura Shepherd-Robinson
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This is definitely going better than the other books I'm trying to read.

#RushAThon @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES @Andrew65

Andrew65 That‘s good to hear 😁 8mo
DieAReader ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥 8mo
DivineDiana 👏🏻📚👏🏻 8mo
62 likes3 comments
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julesG
The Square of Sevens | Laura Shepherd-Robinson
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Not having a lot of luck with my reads today.

ARC #1 - murder mystery that's a bit bland
ARC #2 - Romance set in Victorian times and my inner history-Monk is having a fit at the anachronistic dialogues/mannerisms, and the places/houses that are clearly not north England but much more North Carolina
🎧 #3 - Sci-fi that is a teensy bit dense, have to find a written copy to make sense of it

So, I'm hoping the tagged/pictured book is the one

Andrew65 Love a book with a map. Hope this one helps improve your reading. 8mo
See All 11 Comments
robinb #2 😂 😂 😂 I hope things improve for you. 8mo
rockpools It‘s got a map and sprayed edges… A lot going for it already! 8mo
julesG @rockpools I mainly bought the physical copy because it's a signed independent bookshops special edition. My reasoning for any purchase made on the trip in late June - I can get any book in Germany too, but I can't get signed/special editions. 😁 8mo
julesG @robinb I'm determined to continue the book. And I'll then write a loooooooong email to the author. Which will probably lead to me being banned from her ARC team after just one book. 🤣🤣 8mo
julesG @Andrew65 Flew through the first 5 chapters. 😁 8mo
DieAReader ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥 8mo
Andrew65 @julesG That;s good to hear 😁 8mo
Aimeesue "Inner History Monk" made me laugh. Very Sir Terry. ❤️ 8mo
78 likes11 comments
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KristiAhlers
Square of Sevens | Laura Shepherd-Robinson
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Pickpick

Once again my # Goldsboro book is a winner. I loved the gothic/Dicken's vibe this story had. Truly grabs you from the start. The characters and storyline are unique. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

50 likes1 stack add
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Lizpixie
The Square of Sevens | Laura Shepherd-Robinson
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Bk22 of my recent #BookMail is this beautiful signed edition from the author of Blood & Sugar. Set in Georgian Bath, Red is the daughter of a Cornish fortune teller, traveling with her father predicting fortunes using the ancient method of the square of sevens. When her father dies, she becomes the ward of a gentleman scholar. Now raised as a lady, she starts a journey to find who her mother was, how she died & who her father was afraid of.

42 likes2 stack adds
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RaeLovesToRead
Square of Sevens | Laura Shepherd-Robinson
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#goldsborobooks

Wow to this month's Prem1er choice. What a beauty 😍 And those #endpapers too...

julesG Oh, wow! This is beautiful 10mo
53 likes1 comment