👻 Halloween Read ~ The Fortunes of Olivia Richmond by Louise Davidson

Moonflower Books
Paperback 12 October 2024

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

1891 Norfolk.

After a terrible tragedy, governess Julia Pearlie finds herself with no job, home, or references. When she's offered a position as companion to Miss Olivia Richmond, her luck appears to be turning. But Mistcoate House is full of secrets.

Olivia has a sinister reputation. The locals call her the Mistcoate Witch, thanks to her tarot readings, and her insistence that she can speak to the dead. Her father, Dr Richmond, believes this to be girlish fantasy and is looking to Julia to put a stop to it.

Determined to prove herself and shake off her own murky history, Julia sets to work trying to help Olivia become a proper young lady. However, as she becomes a fixture at Mistcoate, it is soon clear that there may be more to Olivia's stories than Dr Richmond would have Julia believe – not least because somehow, Olivia seems to know something of the darkness that Julia desperately hoped she had left behind.

As the danger grows, and the winter chill wraps around the dark woods surrounding Mistcoate, Julia will have to fight to uncover the truth, escape her past – and save herself.

👻 My Spooky Review..

When Julia Pearlie takes the position as companion to Miss Olivia Richmond she is unprepared for what awaits her at Mistcoate House as not only is Olivia a pale, wraith-like young woman but the house itself, so shrouded in darkness and shadows, is equally as haunting. With no prospects Julia must make a success of her employment at Mistcoate but with a mercurial employer and a dangerous housekeeper who is hellbent on making Julia’s life a misery and you have all the ingredients needed for a creepy gothic mystery.

With lots of things that go bump in the night, this atmospheric novel takes the Victorian fascination for mediums and seances and turns it into a dark and shadowy Gothic tale of dangerous obsession and manipulative control. Taking advantage of the darkness which surrounds Mistcoate and with a thrilling pace this beautifully layered story really grips the imagination. I especially enjoyed the tarot card references and the way in which each chapter wraps itself around what the cards are foretelling. Julia Pearlie is an interesting lead character but it is Olivia Richmond whose heartbreaking story dominates and which really captures the imagination. There’s a definite twist in the tale and an ending which, I think, could easily lend itself to a continuation as I don’t feel we have heard enough, going forward, about either Julia Pearlie or Olivia Richmond.

The Fortunes of Olivia Richmond is a creepy and atmospheric story which makes it a perfect read for Halloween night👻

About the Author

Louise Davidson was born in Belfast and has always worked in the creative arts in some capacity – from assistant to theatre directors to teaching scriptwriting classes in prisons to teaching English and drama to A-Level students. Growing up in Northern Ireland backgrounded by the Troubles led to a fascination with history, and this combined with her love of all things gothic inspired her to write her first book, a dark Victorian thriller set in a neglected and isolated mansion. Louise lives in London with her husband and step-son, and in her spare time is working on fulfilling her ambition to visit every museum in the city. The Fortunes of Olivia Richmond is her debut novel.

X @LouiseDWriter

X @moonflowerbooks

📖 Book review ~ The King’s Witches by Kate Foster

Mantle
 June 2024

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

Women whisper secrets to each other; it is how we survive.

1589. Princess Anne of Denmark is betrothed to King James VI of Scotland – a royal union designed to forever unite the two countries. But first, she must pass the trial period: one year of marriage in which she must prove herself worthy of being Scotland's new Queen. If the King and the Scottish royal court in Edinburgh find her wanting, she faces permanent exile to a convent. Determined to fulfil her duties to King and country, Anne resolves to be the perfect royal bride. Until she meets Lord Henry.

By her side is Kirsten Sorenson, her loyal and pious lady's maid. But whilst tending to Anne's every need, she has her own secret motives for the royal marriage to be a success . . .

Meanwhile, in North Berwick, a young housemaid by the name of Jura is dreaming of a new life. She practices the healing charms taught to her by her mother, and when she realises she is no longer safe under her master’s roof, she escapes to Edinburgh. But it isn't long before she finds herself caught up in the witchcraft mania that has gripped not just the capital but the new queen.

📖 My review..

It is well documented that King James VI of Scotland had a dangerous obsession for witchcraft which led, in part, to the persecution of witches throughout Scotland. Later when he became King James I of England this determination to be rid of witches continued. This fascinating story looks at the very beginnings of this obsession with the arrival of Princess Anne of Denmark who is betrothed to James and whose journey to Scotland from Stockholm was delayed due to a great storm which is attributed to the work of witchcraft. With emotions running high in Edinburgh a young housemaid called Jura, who has inherited her mother's skill at healing, becomes caught up in in this deadly hysteria and so we start to feel the full force of witchcraft mania and how it affected those women who had little chance of escaping it.

The King's Witches is an interesting look at Scottish court intrigue and the demands placed upon the young Danish Princess who arrived in a strange country already betrothed to a man she had never met and with the added stipulation that Anne was to be on a years trial to determine her suitability to be Queen of Scotland. James I's suitability to be her husband was, of course, never questioned but he doesn't come across well and history continues to judge him harshly for his persecution of innocent women. There is a definite emotional pull to the story which focuses on the fear and superstition of living through a volatile and dangerous time.

Imaginatively written, filled with an authentic historical feel, the story moves along well and I was soon caught up in the fear and politics of sixteenth century Scotland.

About the Author

Kate Foster has been a national newspaper journalist for over twenty years. Growing up in Edinburgh, she became fascinated by its history and often uses it as inspiration for her stories. The Maiden won the Bloody Scotland Pitch Perfect 2020 prize for new writers. She lives in Edinburgh with her two children.

📖 Book Review ~ A Winter Dictionary: A Collection of Words for the Festive Season by Paul Anthony Jones

Elliot & Thompson
24 October 2024

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

As the nights draw in and the cold descends, the winter world emerges – and with it an incredible array of words that superbly capture the season.

From frost-dogs (tiny frozen particles of falling snow) and Stepmother’s breath (a sudden cold snap) to hibernaculum (a winter refuge during the winter months) and crapulent (feeling the aftereffects of overindulgence), Paul Anthony Jones delves into the origins of these rare, fascinating and forgotten words, opening up a whole new way of describing the winter months.

Whether you’re keeping cosy in front of the fire, warding off the winter blues or throwing yourself into the party season, A Winter Dictionary is the perfect way to while away the snow-laden days.

📖 My Review..

I love words, their solid beauty and the way in which language has evolved over time. To have a winter dictionary seems like the perfect idea especially when it’s written and presented in such a lovely way. These books, by this talented wordsmith, are always beautifully presented, from the tactile nature of the beautiful book cover to the immersive, educational and downright fascinating information found within its pages. 

The contents are nicely divided into eleven clear chapters which take us from the changing seasons, through winter storms, ice and snow and further towards Christmas Day and into the snow melts of a new year. The words are well explained and placed in context, all evoke a strong sense of time and place whilst at the same time explaining the meaning of words, all perfectly appropriate, many of which I had never heard before. Some made me smile, some words, no longer in common usage, just seemed really perfect and made me wonder why we had stopped using them and then, of course, there’s the local variations, specific dialect and the gradual evolution of words and phrases which are very much part of our ancestry.

This is definitely the most perfect wintery read, it’s one of those gently fascinating sorts of books which you can just dip into and out of it at whim and by merely opening a page at random you will discover something fascinating you never knew you needed to know. 

About the Author

Paul has a Masters in Linguistics and is a language blogger from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. His obsession with words began with a child’s dictionary he received as a Christmas present when he was eight years old. As @HaggardHawks he has tweeted obscure words since 2013 and now has a social media following of over 75k, including the likes of JK Rowling, Robert Macfarlane, Susie Dent, Richard Osman, Greg Jenner, Ian McMillan, Rufus Sewell, Simon Mayo, Michael Rosen and Cerys Matthews.

HaggardHawks.com brings together the entire HH network including a blog, books, quizzes & games, the 500 Words YouTube series, Instagram gallery and newsletter. He regularly contributes to the media.

Twitter @HaggardHawks #AWinterDictionary

@eandtbooks

 

📖 Book Review ~ Captive Queen by Jade Scott

 Michael O’Mara
24 October 2024

Thanks to the publisher and Alison Menzies for my copy of this book

A fascinating and revealing new biography of Mary Queen of Scots in captivity.

For almost two decades before her or execution at Fotheringhay Castle in 1587, Mary, Queen of Scots was a prisoner. From her chambers, she wrote countless letters, many encrypted using complex ciphers to prevent her communications from being intercepted. In this way, she used language to exert her will and her influence, even while incarcerated.

More than 400 years after Mary’s death, the discovery of further encoded letters has led to renewed interest in the breadth of her encrypted correspondence in captivity. 

In Captive Queen: The Decrypted History of Mary, Queen of Scots, historian and expert on Mary’s correspondence Dr Jade Scott draws on hundreds of Mary’s letters and those sent to her, to paint a vivid portrait of one of history’s most compelling figures. She interrogates Mary’s complex relationships with friends and enemies throughout her imprisonment, illuminating her strategic expertise and bringing Mary’s captivity to life as never before.

📖 My Review..

I’ve long held a fascination for the beleaguered Queen of Scots whose return to Scotland in 1561 heralded a new beginning only to have everything fall to pieces in just a few short years. Whilst the story of Mary Stuart’s fall from grace is widely documented this fresh look at the decrypted evidence from Mary’s letters, whilst imprisoned, certainly help to reshape her story. Covering the twenty years of Mary’s imprisonment, her constant struggle to gain support for her cause and her unjust incarceration, we begin to learn just how frantic were Mary’s efforts to gain her freedom. 

Mary scribed thousands of letters, most were cleverly encrypted, with devious codes, in order to make their contents inaccessible to prying eyes. Comprehensively researched and imaginatively written, this showcases the author’s skill in bringing Mary’s troubled captivity to life, as well as documenting the surreptitious duplicity of Elizabeth I’s spymasters, this fascinating read gives a realistic insight into Mary state of mind whilst incarcerated in various strongholds in England. I especially enjoyed the small vignettes at the start of each chapter which give an intimate account of Mary’s thoughts and feelings which read like historical fiction. The detailed Dramatis Personae at the start of the book gives a who’s who of all the key players who played a role in Mary’s imprisonment, be they friends or enemies, and the colour illustrations help to place the biography within it’s specific timeframe.

The legacy of this troubled Queen of Scotland will never grow old as we continue to be fascinated with her life story and her relationship not just with, Elizabeth, her ‘sister quene’ but also with her supporters who wanted her restored to her throne and equally, those who were just as determined to keep Mary, Queen of Scots strictly under the control of her English gaolers.

About the Author

Dr Jade Scott is a historian specialising in Mary, Queen of Scots and an expert on her letters. She is an affiliate in History at the University of Glasgow, an associate fellow of the Royal Historical Society and secretary of the Scottish History Society, researching early modern Scottish women and their correspondence. She lives in Stirling with her husband and two St Bernard’s.

X@OMaraBooks 

#JadeScott #Captive Queen

📖 Blog Tour ~ Disturbing the Bones by Andrew Davis and Jeff Biggers

Melville House

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of the book
and the invitation to the blog tour

Chicago detective Randall Jenkins has not been back home to the historic Civil Rights hotspot of Cairo, Illinois since the disappearance of his mother, a well-known journalist, several decades ago.

That all changes the day Dr. Molly Moore, an ambitious young archaeologist in the national spotlight for her groundbreaking high-tech discoveries, uncovers a set of strange bones at a huge 12,000-year-old site at a highway construction project. With retired military general and contractor William Alexander breathing down her neck to cover up the dig, Molly and Randall soon find themselves in the middle of a wild military conspiracy.

The detective and archaeologist’s entwined family mysteries suddenly thrust them into the central position as the only people who can ensure the safety of the ongoing Chicago global peace summit. They must take on the rogue general who views any disarmament agreement as a clear and present danger to the United States. The fate of global peace and the lives of Molly and Randall hang in the balance.

My Review…

When archaeologist, Molly Moore discovers a set of human bones on a construction site in Cairo, Illinois it sets in motion a chain of events she could never have anticipated. Mollie is an ambitious archaeologist and her previous investigations have placed her in the media spotlight however, with outside forces putting pressure on her to conclude the dig, Molly has more than enough to deal with without the arrival of Chicago Detective Randall Jenkins who has been informed that the bones could belong to his mother, a Civil Rights activist who disappeared, from Cairo, several decades ago. This in itself is the premise for a fascinating story but then the whole plot hitches up a high octave notch, or two, with a complex global nuclear weapons incident which places everything on high alert and suddenly this becomes a very different sort of story.

As a political thriller this ticks all the right boxes, there is more than enough political shenanigans going on and with global tensions reaching high levels and with a US presidential election fast approaching the story moves along at a quick pace. Placing an archaeologist and a flawed police detective together seemed at first like a strange combination but the deeper the story goes and the way the plot thickens, it all starts to make perfect sense. The characterisation is believable and with a compelling set of circumstances, the story hooks you into a world of political mayhem.

There is a cinematic quality to the narrative, it’s fast and furious nature would lend itself to a more visual interpretation as it’s a real edge of your seat kind of thriller. I don’t want to give away any of the plot as that would do the authors’ a disservice but I was completely hooked on the mystery and invested in the realistic nature of global politics and by putting all this together in a slick plot and you have all the elements necessary for a really great page turner.

About the Authors

Jeff Biggers is an American Book Award-winning historian, journalist and playwright. Based part-time in Italy since 1989, he is the recipient of the David Brower Award for Environmental Reporting, the Foreword Magazine Book of the Year for Travel Writing, a Lowell Thomas Award for Travel Journalism, and other honors. Author of ten books of cultural history and investigative reporting, his work has appeared in the New York Times, The Atlantic Monthly, Salon.com, and on National Public Radio and Public Radio International.

Andrew Davis, raised on the southside of Chicago, is the acclaimed director and screenwriter of numerous films, including Holes, Under Siege, Code of Silence, A Perfect Murder, and The Guardian, and whose landmark film, The Fugitive, chosen in 2020 by Los Angeles Times readers as the ultimate summer film, was nominated for seven Academy awards including Best Picture.

X @melvillehouse #disturbingthebones

📖 Blog Tour ~ The Irish Family Secret by Daisy O'Shea

Bookouture
22 October 2024
Emerald Isles #3

My thanks to the publisher for the book
and the invitation to the blog tour

The sweeping hills and emerald hedgerows seem to dance in the pale Irish sun. Home after far too long, Ginny takes a deep breath and tries to shake off the past. She’s hidden the truth for years. And when Ruari looks at her, his long lashes shading his green eyes, she knows she can’t reveal it now. Her secret would destroy him, as much as it would her…

When Ginny Kingston returns to Ireland’s windswept Roone Bay after ten years of self-imposed exile, the last person she wants to run into is black-haired Ruari Savage. But there he is, glowering at her from the back of the tiny church hall, as she holds the townsfolk spell-bound throughout her lecture on Irish history.

The Kingstons and the Savages have been neighbours, farmers and bitter rivals for as long as anyone can remember. But, finally drawn home by work, Ginny is determined to discover the truth behind their family feud. And what happened to the first young lovers who tried to mend the rift over fifty years ago. For some strange reason, mechanic Ruari with his practical mind and strong hands, has offered to help…

Ruari’s aid, however, comes at a the truth about why Ginny herself left so suddenly. What he doesn’t know is that Ginny’s devastating secret might destroy their families’ new-found peace – and any chance of happiness they have with each other – forever…

Can Ginny and Ruari work together to heal old wounds? And will the secrets that have divided their families for generations ever come to light – or tear them all apart?

📖 My Review..

This dual time story takes us back to Ireland where we follow Ginny Kingston’s return to Roone Bay after an absence of ten tears.  We get to know early on in the novel that there are hidden family secrets which if exposed will further strengthen the animosity between two neighbouring families. The Kingstons and the Savages have had some dark moments between them but with Ginny’s return to Roone Bay there may be hope for the future. This heart-warming family saga takes an emotional look at the family history between these two warring families and does so with an evocative look at how things were handled in the past whilst also bringing to life Ginny’s story and her abiding love for Ireland’s archeological past.

The author writes writes well, bringing both place and people alive in the imagination and her descriptions of rural Ireland reflects both the beauty and the history of the country. The Irish Family Secret is now the third book in this Emerald Isle series and whilst there is a mention of one character we have come across in previous novels this story works well as a standalone although as with any overlapping series it is nicer to start at the beginning with book number one.

The Irish Family Secret is an emotional story reflecting how the tragedy and heartbreak of the past can still influence the future but with love, hope and forgiveness future generations can go forward with peace in their hearts.

About the Author

Sue Lewando was a teacher for several years before migrating to the office environment, where she was PA to the Treasurer of Clarks Shoes, a multi-national company, then, briefly, PA to Susan George, the actress best known for Straw Dogs. Sue had many genre books published (M&B and Virgin), under pseudonyms, and self-publishes her crime thrillers. She was on the committee of the Romantic Novelists’ Association in England, for whom she assessed typescripts. She has been a fiction tutor for the London School of Journalism for twenty years. She has two grown-up children, a happy second marriage, and a bundle of cats and dogs. She moved to West Cork with her husband to undertake a farmhouse refurbishment project, foster their joint passion for playing Irish traditional music, and to invest time in their individual academic projects. She recently completed a Masters in Creative Writing at UCC, taking the opportunity to explore diverse writing genres. She works with the Jeremy Murphy Literary Consultancy in the capacity of typescript analyst, ghostwriter, editor, and online publishing advisor. She loves good commercial fiction, and is a devotee of the Oxford comma.

Twitter / X @westcorkwriter #TheIrishFamilySecret

@bookouture #BooksOnTour

📖 Book Review ~ Edith Holler by Edward Carey

 

Gallic Books
3 October 2024

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

Norwich, 1901. Edith Holler spends her days among the eccentric denizens of the Holler Theatre, warned by her domineering father that the playhouse will literally tumble down if she should ever leave.

Fascinated by tales of the city she knows only from afar, young Edith decides to write a play of her own about Mawther Meg, a monstrous figure said to have used the blood of countless children to make the local delicacy, Beetle Spread. But when her father suddenly announces his engagement to a peculiar woman named Margaret Unthank, Edith scrambles to protect her father, the theatre, and her play – the one thing that’s truly hers – from the newcomer’s sinister designs.

Teeming with unforgettable characters and illuminated by Carey’s trademark illustrations, Edith Holler is a surprisingly modern fable of one young woman’s struggle to escape her family’s control and craft her own creative destiny.

📖 My Review..

Entering a novel by this talented writer is like descending into a parallel world where all rules are changed and where macabre meets superstition and however fanciful these ideas may be, what is guaranteed is a world quite unlike anything you have witnessed before.

Edith Holler is born and brought up in the family theatre in Norwich. Fated never to leave in case of dire consequences, Edith is a strange solitary figure caught up in her own imagination. When she chooses to write her own play about a grotesque figure known locally as Mawther Meg, it lets loose this author’s vivid imagination in a quirky story.

I can’t find the necessary words to adequately describe the contents of this book which would do it anything like justice, so I won’t spoil what is either a magnificent world of horror fiction or a rather bizarre fall into a dark fairy tale. Imaginative, descriptive and with Carey’s trademark gift for bizarre storytelling, Edith Holler captured my imagination especially with the added joy of Carey’s trademark sharp line drawings which do so much to enhance the narrative. There is no doubt that Edith Holler is every bit as good as this author’s previous novels which are always presented with such a unique perspective. 

About the Author

Edward Carey is a novelist, visual artist and playwright. He is the author of three acclaimed novels, Observatory Mansions, Alva & Irva and Little. Born in England, he teaches at the University of Texas at Austin. 

X @EdwardCarey70 #EdithHoller

X @GallicBooks

📖 Blog Tour ~ The Island Girls by Rachel Sweasey

 

Boldwood Books

22 October 2024

Thanks to the publisher and Rachel’s Random Resources

for the invitation to the blog tour

1941: For the townspeople of Poole on the Dorset coast, the war in Europe feels to be right on their doorstep. And with more and more men leaving to fight, one fisherman’s daughter is determined to do whatever she can to help. Peggy volunteers to use her skills on the water to work with the flying boats alongside the RAF based in the harbour. But when she is asked to undertake a special mission, she will have to make a terrible choice – between her duty to her country and her only chance of happiness.

1998: Rebekah has travelled halfway around the world to take up a role on Brownsea Island. This tiny island off the coast of England is a treasure trove of natural wonder, but it still carries the scars of fighting. And when Rebekah discovers a lost letter from the war, hidden all this time, she becomes determined to deliver it, fifty years later.

But the idyllic Dorset harbour hides many more secrets, and Rebekah’s search for the truth will change her life in ways she never imagined possible..

📖 My Review..

This lovely dual time story takes us into the heart of Dorset as we get to know Rebekah in the present time who works as a conservationist on the beautiful Brownsea Island. There, Rebekah enjoys her time meeting the tourists who visit this tiny island and yet she also guards her privacy well, that is, until a stranger arrives unexpectedly on her doorstep. Back in 1941, Peggy Symonds works as a BOAC boat operator, skilfully manoeuvring her small craft as she collects freight and passengers from the flying boats who come frequently into Poole harbour. Determined to do her duty for the war effort Peggy has some tough decisions to make.

Seamlessly moving between both time frames, a rather special story emerges and as one section finishes we return either to the past, or the present, following the story of two strong and determined young women. This picturesque part of Dorset comes to life as we explore Brownsea Island with Rebekah or travel the choppy coastal waters in Peggy’s boat. The author writes well, carefully blending the dark moments of history together with a gentle love story and with beautifully imagined characters the whole story becomes a delight to read and one which held my attention from start to finish.

About the Author

Rachel Sweasey is a historical fiction novelist. She lives in Australia, where she was born to English parents, but bases her fiction in Poole where she grew up, which provides inspiration for her WWII stories. her first book for Boldwood was The Last Boat Home.

Facebook: @RachelSweaseyAuthor / @highspotlit

Instagram: @highspotlit

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/RachelSweaseyNews 

Bookbub profile: @rachelsweaseyauthor

📖 Book Review ~ The Last BookShop in Prague by Helen Parusel

 

Boldwood 
25 September 2024

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

The banned books club was only the beginning; a place for the women of Prague to come together and share the tales the Germans wanted to silence.

For bookshop owner, Jana, doing the right thing was never a question. So when opportunity comes to help the resistance, she offers herself – and her bookshop. Using her window displays as covert signals and hiding secret codes in book marks, she’ll do all in her power to help.

But the arrival of two people in her bookshop will change everything: a young Jewish boy with nowhere else to turn, and a fascist police captain Jana can’t read at all. In a time where secrets are currency and stories can be fatal, will she know who to trust?

📖 My Review..

Jana lives with her widowed father above their bookshop in the city of Prague which is, at the start of the story, under German occupation. With certain books banned, Jana is determined to maintain interest in her bookshop and so organises a book club where local women have a safe place to get together but with her shop being watched, Jana is placing herself in great danger especially when she sees what is happening within the Jewish community.

This is such a beautifully described story which brings this dangerous period in European history alive in a really special way. I enjoyed getting to know more about a period in WWII history which I didn’t know very much about and which is brought to life so vividly. Desperately sad in places, this story reiterates the stoicism and bravery of those European communities who suffered so much during this dangerous time in world history.

The Last Bookshop in Prague combines everything I love in skilful historical fiction, the chance to learn something new about a moment in time and to have a story with one of the main characters being a bookshop. With a strong sense of time and place, The Last Bookshop in Prague, is a story which stays with you long after the last page is turned.

About the Author

Helen Parusel is a historical novelist, having been a teacher and a clothes buyer for M&S. she currently lives in Hamburg.

X@HelenParusel #TheLastBookshopInPrague

X@BoldwoodBooks

📖 Blog Tour ~The Portrait Girl by Nicole Swengley

Breakthrough Books
10 October 2024

My thanks to the publisher and Random Things Tours for the book
and the invitation to the blog tour 

The Portrait Girl thrusts its bereaved and beleaguered heroine, jewellery designer Freya Wetherby, into an astonishing world of re-enacted Victorian art salons and the devious machinations of modern art theft.

Seeking the identity of a miniature portrait found in her late mother’s belongings, Freya becomes enraptured not only by this mysterious young woman but also by the hypnotic personality of art collector Ralph Merrick and his colourful entourage, including the dangerously attractive ‘Jack.’

Thoroughly researched, the milieu in which The Portrait Girl would have moved is beautifully rendered by Swengley, as are the artworks and jewellery designs imagined in the novel. Freya’s own contemporary world and circumstances form a dramatic backdrop to the seductive ‘time slip’ episodes, a mirage created by Merrick that draws her into his web.

📖 My Review..

When jewellery designer Freya Wetherby discovers a beautiful Victorian miniature amongst her late mother’s belongings she is perplexed as she doesn’t know the beautiful young woman in the portrait nor is she aware of her mother’s connection to it. Her quest to discover more about the portrait takes her into the complex world of art history where a chance meeting with art collector, Ralph Merrick, launches Freya on a rather dark and mysterious journey into the past. The lure of the portrait beguiles Freya, so much so, she is prepared go to great lengths to find out more and in doing so risks great danger. 

Beautifully recreating the story of the girl in the portrait, and I won’t give away any clues as to her identity, this is well written historical fiction with a fascinating glimpse into the modern art world. Together with Freya we step into sumptuous art galleries and dusty museums and also take part in grand soirées and dark seances in fashionable London and in doing so we learn more about the portrait girl and the world she inhabited.  The fascination for Victorian art and the lengths that unscrupulous people will go to in order to own a piece of this bygone world is layered beautifully and becomes quite a complex part of the plot. 

With its unique Victorian atmosphere running alongside its distinctively contemporary feel and bringing the art world, both past and present, to life, The Portrait Girl is a fascinating dual time story with an interesting and unexpected twist. I loved it and will look forward to more from this author.

About the Author

Nicole Swengley is a highly regarded and experienced journalist who has written about art and design for titles such as The Times, Financial Times, the Telegraph, London Evening Standard and many others. A past student of the Faber Academy, Nicole has written non-fiction books for Collins and Adlard Coles, and has had several short stories published in magazines and anthologies. The Portrait Girl is her first full length work of fiction.

X #ThePortraitGirl

@BBookCollective

@RandomTTours

 

📖 Blog Tour ~ A Lady's Lesson in Scandal by Darcy McGuire

Boldwood
12 October 2024
The Queen’s Deadly Damsels #2

My thanks to the publisher and Rachel's Random Resources for the book
and the invitation to the blog tour

Wallflower at risk of ruin…

Secret femme-fatale in training Millicent Whittenburg needs to escape her unpleasant betrothal. Taking matters into her own hands, she plans her eventual ruin! Then she can disappear from society to carry out the Queen’s deadly missions. Step 1: seduce the one man who despises marriage more than her!

However, she hugely underestimates her target. Major General Beaufort Drake. Fearsome private investigator, he’s notoriously cold and visibly battle scarred. But Millie’s scandalously public kiss awakens a deeply suppressed desire in Drake. Instead of allowing them both to succumb to shame he does the unthinkable, and offers for her hand in a convenient marriage.

Nothing prepares them for the fireworks when a fearless damsel collides with a dangerous Major General! And as their secret missions align they face their hardest test on the glittering battlefield – a week long wedding house party where there is nowhere to escape…only new and wicked lessons to be learnt!

My Review..

Millicent Whittenburg is desperate to get out of becoming betrothed so she decides to put into practice the idea of compromising her honour with a gentleman more of her own choosing. Major General Beaufort Drake, is no pushover but Millicent discovers, to her cost, that Drake, when confronted with Millicent’s suggestion rises to the challenge. He doesn’t, however, as yet, know of Millicent’s involvement as one of the Queen’s  investigators. 

Those who have read the first book in this Deadly Damsels series will be aware of the foundations of the story and so to have another femme-fatale and one as deadly as Millicent makes this story into a rollicking good romp. Wickedly spicy and with passion burning up the pages both Drake and Millie have met their match which, between them, keeps the passion, and the spice right up at boiling point.

These stories are great fun to read, not to be taken too seriously but at its core there is a sharp message which reminds us of how little choice women in the Victoria era had not just over their own bodies but also their limited sense of freedom and autonomy. The author writes well, with razor sharp wit and more than one caustic put down and with a real sense of the women in the story calling all the shots. It’s also a passionate love story with some truly steamy moments which helps in making Millie and Drake into characters you won’t forget in a hurry.

It’s perfectly possible to read  A Lady's Lesson in Scandal as a standalone story but it does make sense to get to know some of the recurring characters as that way you understand what makes them tick. I’m already looking forward to book number three in the Deadly Damsels series.

About the Author

Darcy McGuire is a high school counsellor who grew up in the wilds of New Zealand but happily settled in the Pacific Northwest. Darcy loves writing about fierce female protagonists who may dodge daggers and bullets but never seem to escape Cupid's arrow.

 

Social Media

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📖 Blog Tour ~ The Little Provence Bookshop by Gillian Harvey

Boldwood
9 October 2024

My thanks to the publisher and Rachel's Random Resources for the book 
and the invitation to the blog tour

As the sun rises over the little Provence village where single mother Adeline has escaped with her little girl Lili, she breathes deeply. This is their new beginning. Here, she can forget the lies her family told her. Here, she can start her story again.

Later she opens the door to the town’s tiny bookstore, where she is to work, ready to meet the mysterious owner Monique for the first time.

She expected an ordinary bookshop. But this bookstore feels somehow different… magical. Breathing in the smell of books, she feels a jolt of something. It feels like a new chapter beginning.

As she gets to know the villagers – including the handsome Andre and friendly Michel – she starts to believe in the magic of this new start. But can a runaway like Adeline ever find what she’s looking for? Or is a happy-ever-after just another fiction?

📖 My Review..

After learning some devastating news, Adeline, and her daughter Lili, relocate from London to a pretty French village where Adeline takes up a sales assistant position in the tiny village bookshop. In Le Petit Libraire she meets and forms a close friendship with Monique, the enigmatic owner of the book shop, who has her own special way of helping customers find just the right book.

This is such a lovely warm-hearted story that I was quite captivated by the idea of a magical bookshop and a special sort of owner who could match a particular book to the needs of the reader. I’m a great believer in a book coming along at the right time and this story explores this idea with some lovely detail. I especially enjoyed the snippets from a few Emily Dickinson poems which are scattered like gemstones throughout. It’s a gentle story, moving along at its own pace, but it does so with such nice attention to detail and some lovely characterisation. Monique is a fascinating character adding her own special brand of magic to the story. There is a twist to the plot which I did see coming but that was perfectly fine as everything worked out exactly as I hoped it would.

With a smattering of romance, the joy of friendship and a delicious sense of everything coming full circle The Little Provence Bookshop is a light and easy read filled with a cosy sense of warmth and a little bit of magic. 

About the Author

Gillian Harvey is a freelance journalist and the author of two well-reviewed women’s fiction novels published by Orion. She has lived in Limousin, France for the past twelve years, from where she derives the inspiration and settings for her books such as A Year at the French Farmhouse and A Month in Provence. 

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