Butterfly Palace

Written by Colleen Coble

Narrated by Devon O'Day

Elegance and wealth. Privilege and politics. The extravagance of the Butterfly Palace overwhelmed Lily’s senses and nearly smothered her painful memories. She pushed away her misgivings . . . She was perfectly safe in this huge house.

Austin, Texas—1904: Abandoned by the love of her life and still mourning the loss of her mother, Lily Donaldson has turned her back on the pain and come to Austin for a fresh start, working for the Marshall family as a kitchen maid in their luxurious mansion, the Butterfly Palace. The tasks before her are legion, and her mistress less than pleasant, but at least Lily’s new life will be, if nothing else, distracting. 

But one night, while serving at a dinner party, Lily recognizes the man who abandoned her, Andy, her liaison from the livery stable, the blacksmith’s son . . . sitting among the distinguished guests. Though he recognizes her, Andy does not acknowledge her aloud, and Lily is left reeling, flabbergasted, and irate. 

 

But before she can get an explanation, the path of the Servant Girl Killer swerves very close to the Butterfly Palace, sowing terror among the maids. Having come to Austin to start anew, Lily suddenly feels trapped in a spider web. How can she know who to trust in a house where lies come dressed in fine suits and deceit in silk gowns the colors of butterfly wings?

“This story about the importance of having faith, especially in your darkest hour, is recommended for fans of Amanda Quick and Sandra Brown and for readers who enjoy romantic suspense and historical fiction.” —Library Journal

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Release date: Jan 28, 2014
• ISBN: 9780529116857

Colleen Coble

COLLEEN COBLE is the USA TODAY and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of more than eighty-five books and is best known for her coastal romantic suspense novels. Connect with her online at colleencoble.com; Instagram: @colleencoble; Facebook: @colleencoblebooks; X: @colleencoble

Reviews for Butterfly Palace

[jansenschmidt · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book was very disappointing. I normally love this author but this book was the exception. There were quite a few mistakes that created confusion (i.e. characters suddenly "talking" but they're not in the scene). I also think some of the writing and dialogue were too 21st century for the time period in which the book was set.

[kaylynvh · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I absolutely love the author's style. Butterfly Palace was so well written that I was continually guessing who the bad guy was. Although I am not usually a fan of murder-mysteries, this novel, which is actually a love lost-and-found story set in 1904, involved a serial killer, a possible assassin, and a murderer from the past. All along I thought two of the three were the same person. Boy was I wrong. It is obvious Coble did her research for that era with her descriptions of clothing, transportation and daily life.

[sbenne3 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book just wasn't well written. There were too many characters that were undeveloped and several loose ends. Also, events were way too convenient (people running into each other just too conveniently). Also, I don't like books that have repeated phrases (like "heat rushing to my cheeks") - just a pet peeve and this book had a couple of examples. I do not recommend.

[wrbinpa · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book lured me in early with its excellent plot and exciting Prologue. However, the storyline lost its momentum and became drawn out and my interest waned. The tempo did pick up again towards the middle of the book and developed into a satisfying conclusion.

The author manages to weave many elements into the storyline. They include a story of love and loss, with an engrossing mystery that keeps you guessing. There are various scenes in the book that I found to be deeply touching. The book had very slight religious overtones – in fact, I’m not sure that it qualifies as a Christian read.

A few negative comments – There was a large cast of characters with complex issues. I became confused at times. The dialogue was sometimes hard to follow – it seemed disjointed – going in too many directions. I found the story to be implausible, failing to convince me.

I’ve read some excellent books by this author, but this one fell a bit flat for me. It was just lukewarm and not one I would enthusiastically recommend. 3/5 stars.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions shared are solely my responsibility

[robin661_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Butterfly Palace
Colleen Coble

Book Summary:Elegance and wealth. Privilege and politics. The extravagance of the Butterfly Palace overwhelmed Lily’s senses and nearly smothered her painful memories. She pushed away her misgivings . . . She was perfectly safe in this huge house. Austin, Texas—1904: Abandoned by the love of her life and still mourning the loss of her mother, Lily Donaldson has turned her back on the pain and come to Austin for a fresh start, working for the Marshall family as a kitchen maid in their luxurious mansion, the Butterfly Palace. The tasks before her are legion, and her mistress less than pleasant, but at least Lily’s new life will be, if nothing else, distracting. But one night, while serving at a dinner party, Lily recognizes the man who abandoned her, Andy, her liaison from the livery stable, the blacksmith’s son . . . sitting among the distinguished guests. Though he recognizes her, Andy does not acknowledge her aloud, and Lily is left reeling, flabbergasted, and irate. But before she can get an explanation, the path of the Servant Girl Killer swerves very close to the Butterfly Palace, sowing terror among the maids. Having come to Austin to start anew, Lily suddenly feels trapped in a spider web. How can she know who to trust in a house where lies come dressed in fine suits and deceit in silk gowns the colors of butterfly wings?

Review: This was a thrilling read!! I loved the premise and all the characters. They were well written and enjoyable. Lily was a great hero. She cared about everyone. Belle who had started off with a heart but arrogance due to her class turned into a great woman. Drew exciting and dashing. I loved that the secret passage in the house. It was sad when victims were killed and well written. It was the last 20 pages when the events intensified that I slowed down. So much was happening so fast in 20 pages it made it difficult to keep going. I just loved the entire story. The position of Lily as a maid was the gem in this story. Someone with so little power, yet she was able to be helpful and a sleuth.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Thomas Nelson -ficton for allowing me to read and review this book in return for a free copy and I was never asked to write a favorable review by anyone.

[kaykwilts · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Butterfly Palace kept me in suspense from the first page. I could not put it down. The book starts out with Lily Donaldson and Andy Hawkins in love. Some people reading this book may be bothered by the fact that the two characters are overstepping the bounds of a proper courtship, a decision which they later regret doing. They are in each other's company when a fire in town kills both their fathers. Feeling he is responsible Andy flees town. Lily is hurt and rejected but she and her mother make a living for themselves. Fast forward four years and Lily's mother has died. Lily has to make a living for herself so she takes a job as a maid at the Butterfly Palace. Very quickly she runs into Andy who now goes by the name of Drew Hawes. He still loves her but she is still hurt by his actions in the past. After all he took her purity and then disappeared for four years. I like it that she did not immediately fall back into his arms. Also I like it that this time he was more mature and did not try to compromise her. Anyway he goes by the name of Drew Hawes because he is working as an undercover agent to expose counterfeiting going on. But there are other things going on in that town besides counterfeiting which is a different storyline. There is a serial killer in town killing blond haired servant girls. Lily is blond so her life is in danger. There are so many twists and turns in the story. I like it that I could not figure out who the culprits were until the author revealed it to me.

Another key character was Belle, the niece of the owner of Butterfly Palace. She was rather spoiled and looked down on the help. She was so hungry for a higher social status that she was willing to marry a man she could barely tolerate. I did not like her at all in the beginning but by the end I think she matured and liked her a little better.

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for providing me an ebook to review.

[mbarkman_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I chose this book primarily for the title, this time, something I do not usually do. Butterfly Palace. I love butterflies and use them in as many crafts as I can. Then, I saw that the author was Colleen Coble, and I was hooked! Or pinned.
This novel is so well written, the imagery so vivid that I will not look at a butterfly the same way again! I felt the horror of butterflies flying in my face, saw the multitude of pinned beauties, and marveled at the butterfly paintings. The mansion Lily works in is a far cry from the slummy building just behind the house, where a girl she befriends comes to live.
I hurt with Lily as life seems to hurl its worst at her, and thrilled as she grows and learns to draw closer to God. A beautiful romance with all the twists and turns of Colleens unique suspense throughout. Is Andy, or Drew as she must learn to call the man she thought she knew in Larson Texas, still one she can trust? Or has Austin changed everyone?

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers through their Booksneeze program in exchange for an honest review. A positive critique was not required. The opinions stated are my own.