This trilogy gets better with each book. The House with the Golden Door by Elodie Harper returns to Pompeii in 75 AD, four years before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, and follows one woman’s journey from enslaved to freedwoman.
Synopsis
Amara’s life has vastly changed since the events of the first book. She is now a freedwoman but must still cater to the whims of her patron Rufus or risk losing his support, on which she is entirely dependent. At the same time, she longs to free the friends she had no choice but to leave behind at the brothel.
As much as she’d like to forget Felix, her previous owner, their paths continue to cross, and Amara can’t help but notice the same qualities they both share.
Amara must carefully balance appearing to be the woman Rufus desires while also preparing herself for life after he tires of her.
Review of The House with the Golden Door
This second instalment solely follows Amara’s perspective. I said it in my review of The Wolf Den, but I’ll say it again: Elodie Harper excels at bringing Pompeii back to life. From the Forum, the shops, and the houses, Harper makes it easy to visualize this bustling time.
It has themes on the currency of beauty and what happens when it runs out.
I enjoyed seeing more of Brittanica and learning more about her background. And I can’t wait to see what she does next.
Although nearly 500 pages, I never once felt bored reading this tome. It is fast becoming one of my favourite series, and I cannot wait for the third and final book.
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
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