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Why read it?

2 authors picked The House With the Golden Door as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This book put my emotions through the wringer! Having got very fond of several characters when I read The Wolf Den, the first book in this trilogy, I worried about them all the way through this one. Ex-slave Amara (the main character) walks such a perilous tightrope trying to keep the people she loves safe. Don’t worry - no spoilers here, but you’ll be an emotionally drained bag of nerves by the time you finish…

Despite being the second book in a series, it stands beautifully on its own. Amara, the main character, is a freedwoman living in Pompeii.

She has seen her freedom bought from the brothel and has been set up in the titular house. However, she also wants her best friend to be free, so she purchases Victoria from the pimp. The twist, however, is that Amara discovers she can run a lucrative business by renting out her slaves and immediately returns on her word to free Victoria.

This book is rich in historical detail. Again, it deals with politics and women’s…

If you love The House With the Golden Door...

Book cover of From the Ashes

From the Ashes by Melissa Addey,

In the shadows of the Roman Colosseum, a young slave woman discovers friendship, belonging, and the fragile beginnings of love.

Rome, 80 AD. Althea has spent her life unseen, recording the words of powerful men while silencing her own. But when she is sent to serve Marcus, the grieving manager…

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