My 12 in 12 in 2016...

As the end of my reading year approaches these are

my much anticipated

12 in 12

Twelve authors who were new to me:

1. Eve Chase - Black Rabbit Hall
2. David Hewson - Little Sister
3. Kate Ryder - The Forgotten Promise
4. Carys Bray - The Museum of You
5. Ariella Cohen - Sweet Breath of Memory
6. Tanya Bullock - Homecoming
7. Julie Haeberlin - Black Eyed Susans
8. Ros Rendle - Flowers of Flanders
9. Colette Dartford - Learning to speak American
10. Susie Steiner - Missing Presumed
11. Anna Mazzola - The Unseeing
12. Ada Bright and Cass Grafton - The Particular Charm of Miss Jane Austen

Twelve authors I have read before:

1. Susanna Kearsley - A Dangerous Fortune 
2. Lesley Pearse - Dead to Me 
3. Debbie Johnson - Summer at the Cupcake Cafe 
4. Giselle Green - Dear Dad 
5. Guy Fraser Sampson - Death in Profile 
6. Catherine Law - Map of Stars 
7. Elizabeth Harris -The Quiet Earth 
8. David Churchill - Leopards of Normandy :Duke 
9. Beatriz Williams -A Certain Age 
10. Salley Vickers - Cousins 
11. Tasmina Perry -The House on Sunset Lake 
12. Amy and Sarah Beeson - Our Country Nurse 

Twelve books from authors I know will never let me down:

1. Jan Ruth - Palomino Sky
2. Liza Perrat- Blood Rose Angel
3. Helen Hollick - On the Account
4. Susan Grossey -Worm in the Blossom
5. Kimberly Chambers -Tainted Love
6. Hannah Fielding - Legacy
7. Diana Gabaldon - Virgins
8. Hazel Gaynor - The Girl at the Savoy
9. Nora Roberts - The Obsession
10. Rosanna Ley -The Last Dance in Havana
11. M J Arlidge - Doll's House
12. Anne O'Brien - The Queen's Choice

Twelve books from debut authors:

1. Nicola Pryce - Pengelly's Daughter
2. Katy Hogan - Out of the Darkness 
3. Sara Bailey - Dark Water 
4. Holly Seddon - Try Not to Breathe 
5. Laura Wilkinson - Redemption Song 
6. GD Harper - Love's Long Road 
7. Deborah Bee - The Last Thing I Remember 
8. S E Lynes - Valentina 
9. Jacqueline Ward - Random Acts of Unkindness 
10. Learning to Fly - Jane Lambert 
11. My Sister's Bones - Nuala Ellwood 
12. Holding - Graham Norton

Twelve books that took me by the hand and led me into the past:

1. Cleopatra's Shadow - Emily Holeman 
2. Blood and Roses - Catherine Hokin 
3. The Butcher's Hook - Janet Ellis 
4. Charlatan -Kate Braithwaite 
5. Versailles -Elizabeth Massie 
6. The Constant Queen - Joanna Courtney 
7. The Plague Charmer - Karen Maitland 
8. The Shadow of the Storm - Anna Belfrage 
9. The Tudor Queens: Katherine of Aragon - Alison Weir 
10. The Sun Will Always Shine - John R. McKay 
11. 1066: What Fates Impose - GK Holloway 
12. First of the Tudors -Joanna Hickson

Twelve books that led me into the world of crime and psychological suspense:

1. Night Blind - Ragnar Jonasson 
2. Spare me the Truth- C J Carver 
3. In a Dark Dark Wood - Ruth Ware 
4. Willow Walk - S J I Holliday 
5. The Coffin Road - Peter May 
6. The Widow - Fiona Barton 
7. The Woman in Blue- Elly Griffiths 
8. The Good Mother - A L Bird 
9. Siren - Anne Marie Neary 
10. Fire Damage - Kate Medina 
11. Silent Scream - Angela Marsona 
12. After Anna - Alex Lake 

Twelve Books that surprised me.....in a good way:

1. All Things Cease to Appear - Elizabeth Brundage 
2. What a Way to Go - Julia Forster 
3. Viral - Helen Fitzgerald 
4. Sandands -Rosy Thornton 
5. Paradise Lodge-Nina Stibbe 
6. The Wonder - Emma Donoghue 
7. The Last of Us -Rob Ewing 
8. Hester and Harriet -Hilary Spiers 
9. The Chimes - Anna Smaill 
10. Girl Waits with Gun - Amy Stewart 
11. There is Always More to Say - Lynda Young Spiro 
12. Bertie's Gift - Hannah Coates

Twelve books from my Non-Fiction Shelf:

1. The Ultimate Hall of Fame - Classic Fm
2. The Ludicrous Laws of Old London -Nigel Cawthorne
3. Margaret Beaufort -Elizabeth Norton
4. Mozart - John Suchet
5. Foxes Unearthed - Lucy Jones
6. The Witches - Staci Schiff
7. The English Daughter - Maggie Wadey
8. Winter -edited Melissa Harrison
9. The Dark Side of East London - David Charnick
10. The Accidental Dictionary -Paul Anthony Jones
11. 1342 Facts to leave you flabbergasted - The QI Team
12. Oranges and Lemons - Karen Dolby

Twelve Books I borrowed from a library:

1. The Primrose Path -Rebecca Griffiths 
2. You and Me, Always - Jill Mansell 
3. The House on Belleview Gardens - Rachel Hore 
4. The Finding of Martha Lost - Caroline Wallace 
5. River of Souls -Kate Rhodes 
6. Forget Me Not - Luana Lewis 
7. The Anchoress- Robyn Cadwallader 
8. The Swimming Pool- Louise Candlish 
9. The Lie - CL Taylor 
10. Pretty Girls - Karin Slaughter 
11. Three Sisters, Three Queens -Philippa Gregory 
12. Ashes of London - Andrew Taylor

Twelve Books for Children and Young Adults:

1. The Fox and the Star - Coralie Bickford-Smith
2. Spirit of the Highway - Deborah Swift 
3. Children of the Chieftain : Banished - Michael Wills
4. The Bears Famous Invasion of Sicily - Dino Buzzati
5. The Story of the Seagull and the Cat who taught her to fly -Luis Sepúlveda
6. The Jungle Books - Rudyard Kipling
7. Belle and Sebastien - Cecile Aubrey
8. The Horror Handbook - Paul Van Loon and Axel Scheffler
9. Able SeaCat Simon - Lynne Barrett-Lee
10. The Tale of Kitty in Boots - Beatrix Potter
11. The Girl Who Saved Christmas - Matt Haig
12. What Katy Did - Susan Coolidge

Twelve books I would like to see made into a movie:

1. My Husband's Wife - Jane Corry
2. Carrying Albert Home - Homer Hickam
3. The Midnight Watch - David Dyer
4. Watching Edie - Camilla Way
5. Hope Farm - Peggy Frew
6. The Protector - Jodie Ellen Malpass
7. A Life Without You - Katie Marsh
8. Despite the Falling Snow -Shamim Sarif
9. The Missing -C L Taylor
10. Beneath the Surface -Heidi Perks
11. The Fire Child - S K Tremayne
12. The Last Continent -Midge Raymond

Twelve books already on the tbr which are to be published in 2017:

1. The House of New Beginnings - Lucy Diamond ( Macmillan)
2. The Great and The Good-Michel Deon (Gallic Books)
3. Corpus -Rory Clements (Zaffre)
4. Songs from the Violet Cafe - Fiona Kidman (Aardvark Bureau)
5. Relativity - Antonia Hayes (Corsair)
6. The Bone Field -Simon Kernick (Century)
7. The Watcher -Ross Armstrong (Harlequin Mira)
8. Deep Down Dead -Steph Broadhurst (Orenda)
9. Behind her Eyes- Sarah Pinborough (Harper)
10. The Keeper of Lost Things - Ruth Hogan (Two Roads)
11. The Witchfinder's Sister -Beth Underwood (Penguin Viking)
12. The Tudor Queens : Anne Boleyn - Alison Weir (Headline)

    

    

  

  

A MASSIVE BIG THANK YOU



 to all these talented authors for sharing the gift of their imagination with me. 


Your books have taken me on the most wonderful adventures in 2016


Come back tomorrow for my 12 favourite reads of the year ....and my 12 honourable mentions.

Review ~ The Unseeing by Anna Mazzola

Tinder Press
2016

...A Good Lie always comes back to haunt you...

The Blurb..

Set in London in 1837, this is the story of Sarah Gale, a seamstress and mother, sentenced to hang for her role in the murder of Hannah Brown on the eve of her wedding. 

After Sarah petitions for mercy, Edmund Fleetwood is appointed to investigate and consider whether justice has been done. Idealistic, but struggling with his own demons, Edmund is determined to seek out the truth.

Yet Sarah, despite protesting her innocence, refuses to add anything to the evidence given in court: the evidence which convicted her.

My thoughts..

At this time in the year I had thought that I had compiled my list of favourite books only to have another come at me right out of the blue. It must be said that this book conjures up the dark and rather dismal world of the Victorian penal system like no other book I've read in  a long, long time.

The opening to The Unseeing is quite vivid and you immediately feel immense sorrow for a woman who you suspect is a victim, as yet unknown who, it must be said, starts the book off in a particularly macabre sort of way. The story, as it then develops, has a distinct Dickensian feel to it as both the plot and the content of the story are suitably dark. However, there is a thoughtfulness to the narrative which lulls you into a sense of security, only to have that safeness ripped away as snippets of clues are revealed tantalisingly slowly. From the start of the story I found that my allegiances slipped sideways and as I was taken further and further into a deep web of lies I became engrossed in trying to determine just who, if anyone, was telling me the truth.

The sights and sounds of Victorian London come alive in glorious detail and I think what makes the story so fascinating is that it is based on a true story and the author has obviously done considerable research in order to bring Sarah Gale's story alive, The snippets of information revealed at the start of each chapter come from actual journalistic writings of the time and there are authentic details of Sarah trial and subsequent punishment, which I won't reveal as that would spoil things !

This really is a commendable debut novel from an author who I am sure will only continue to go from strength to strength. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

Best Read with ...A meat pudding and  a pint of London ale...

About the Author

Anna Mazzola is a criminal justice solicitor, based in London. Whilst THE UNSEEING is her debut, it has won awards including the Brixton Bookjam Debut Novel competition and she came runner up in the 2014 Grazia First Chapter competition judged by Sarah Waters.

For more information visit the author's website by clicking here 

My thanks to Tinder Press for my review copy of The Unseeing.

~***~

Sunday WW1 Remembered...

I featured this poem in December 2014 and I feel that it deserves another viewing.

A Christmas Prayer

(From the Trenches)

by 

Cyril Winterbotham

1887- 1916

Not yet for us may Christmas bring

Good-will to men, and peace;

In our dark sky no angels sing,

Not yet the great release

For men, when war shall cease.

So must the guns our carols make,

Our gifts must bullets be,

For us no Christmas bells shall wake;

These ruined homes shall see

No Christmas revelry.

In hardened hearts we fain would greet

The Babe at Christmas born,

But lo, He comes with pierced feet,

Wearing a crown of thorn,-

His side a spear has torn.

For tired eyes are all too dim,

Our hearts too full of pain,

Our ears too deaf to hear the hymn

Which angels sing in vain,

"The Christ is born again."

O Jesus, pitiful, draw near,

That even we may see

The Little Child who knew not fear;

Thus would we picture Thee

Unmarred by agony.

O'er death and pain triumphant yet

Bid Thou Thy harpers play,

That we may hear them, and forget

Sorrow and all dismay,

And welcome Thee to stay

With us on Christmas Day.

Cyril Winterbotham was a Lieutenant in the 1/5th Battalion Gloucester Regiment.

He was killed in  August 1916 and is listed on the Thiepval memorial.

Close To Home ....About Naomi Jacob by Ian Skillicorn

As a book reviewer I have made contact with authors from all across the globe and feel immensely privileged to be able to share some amazing work. However, there is always something rather special when a book comes to my attention which has been written by an author in my part of the North of England. So with this in mind I have great pleasure in featuring some of those authors who are literally close to my home. Over the next few Saturdays, and hopefully beyond, I will be sharing the work of a very talented bunch of Northern authors and discovering just what being a Northerner means to them both in terms of inspiration and also in their writing.

Today I'm delighted to welcome Ian Skillicorn - publisher of Corazon Books to talk about

Northern Writer, Naomi Jacob

Naomi Jacob

These days, anyone under forty-something may not have heard the name Naomi Jacob. But for most of the twentieth century it adorned the spines of books on countless shelves in libraries and homes around the country. Readers loved her tales of romance and village life, as well as her family sagas and moving historical novels.

Naomi Jacob was as fascinating as any of her fictional characters. During her long life, she was a teacher, an actor, a political activist, and a broadcaster (often appearing on BBC’s Woman’s Hour). She entertained the troops during the Second World War, and helped Jewish refugees in Italy after the conflict.

But it was as an author that Jacob was best known. Her first novel, published in 1925, became a bestseller, and over the next five decades she wrote over forty novels, as well as plays and a series of autobiographies.

Jacob was a proud Yorkshire woman born and bred, and although she spent much of her life in Italy, she never forgot her northern roots. Many of her books are set in Yorkshire, and her love and respect for its people are clear from her writing. These novels feature romances between couples who have to overcome obstacles such as differences in age or class. They are full of wit and kindness, but also describe the poverty and petty prejudices of years gone by. Jacob delights in the Yorkshire people’s dialect, words of wisdom, and their no-nonsense way of looking at the world. And she isn’t afraid to deny her readers a neat, happy ending!

Another aspect of Jacob’s identity that was very important to her, was her Jewish roots. While her mother’s family had a centuries-old connection to Ripon in Yorkshire (her grandfather was the town’s mayor twice), her paternal grandfather was a Jewish refugee from Prussia. Although she was brought up in the Church of England, Jacob was proud of her Jewish heritage. In fact, arguably her most famous novels are the seven-volume Gollantz Saga, which follows several generations of a Jewish family from nineteenth century Vienna to England after the Second World War. This gripping family saga vividly describes the historical period the family lives through, but in essence it is about the universal themes of love, the importance of family and friendship, and the unintended consequences of loyalty and ambition.

Ill-health forced Jacob to move to the gentler climate of Lake Garda in Italy, where she wrote most of her novels. A very disciplined writer, she published one or two books every year of her career. She wrote until lunchtime or early afternoon, and then sat with friends in local cafés, where she would smoke cigarettes and drink grappa, speaking fluent Italian with a Yorkshire accent.

One of the main passions behind my publishing imprint, Corazon Books, is to introduce today’s readers to authors who were once household names, and to make their stories available for a new generation. While much of Naomi Jacob’s work was set in the era in which it was written, the passing of time means these novels now take on an extra layer as, to us, they become historical fiction. Jacob has much to tell us about the human spirit, and we can find the same entertainment, comfort and escape in her novels, that meant so much to her original readers, all those decades ago.

Ian Skillicorn

   

About Corazon Books

Ian Skillicorn

Corazon Books publishes bestselling fiction, specialising in romantic fiction, historical fiction and family sagas, and medical fiction. I am proud to have published new editions of works by acclaimed authors such as Catherine Gaskin, Sophie King and Naomi Jacob.

Many Corazon Books titles have reached the top of the Amazon Kindle charts, including The School Run by Sophie King (Amazon Top 10 – over 100,000 copies sold to date), The Property of a Gentleman by Catherine Gaskin (Amazon Top 25) and bestsellers in a number of genre charts; including medical (The Country Doctor by Jean McConnell), nursing (the Jane Grant series) and romantic comedy (Your Place or Mine? by Sophie King).

Corazon Books also supports new writing, with exclusive publishing competitions such as The Sophie King Prize and The Write Time competition, in association with Mature Times newspaper. In 2015, Corazon Books has published work by debut novelists Sue Shepherd (Doesn’t Everyone Have a Secret?) and Cath Cole (Home from Home).

Find out more about Corazon Books on their website by clicking here 

Follow on Twitter @CorazonBooks or @ian_skillicorn

Huge thanks to Ian for this fascinating post about Naomi Jacob and for all his support of Jaffareadstoo.

Close to Home is taking a break over Christmas and New Year. The feature will return on the 

7th January.

Close to Home Author will be : Paula Martin

~***~

Hear Hear Some Christmas Cheer from Audible...

With Christmas getaways, shoppers and commuter traffic, the festive period is one busiest times of the year. Last year alone over 14 million drove home for Christmas and with journeys on some roads taking almost three times longer than normal, festive entertainment is a travel essential. With this in mind, the editors at Audible have compiled a list of the ultimate Yuletide audiobooks to keep the festive spirit alive in a traffic jam, in flight, or after you’ve shopped till you’ve dropped.

Please see below for Audible’s top picks this Christmas

A Christmas Carol: An Audible Original Drama
Author: Charles Dickens 
Narrated by: Various cast

Jenna Coleman, Miriam Margolyes, Derek Jacobi, Brendan Coyle and Roger Allam are amongst the celebrity voices coming together this Christmas in a brand new multi-cast dramatization of Charles Dickens’ ghostly Christmas tale, A Christmas Carol.

The festive tale has been released as a free gift to members.

A Boy Called Christmas

 Author: Matt Haig

 Narrated by: Stephen Fry

 £9.19 (free for Audible members)

You are about to listen to the true story of Father Christmas. It is a story that proves that nothing is impossible. If you are one of those people who believe that some things are impossible, you should put this book down right away. It is most certainly not for you. Because this audiobook is full of impossible things. Are you still reading? Good. Then let us begin....

The idea for the series came when Matt Haig’s son asked what Father Christmas was like as a boy. A Boy Called Christmas is a tale of adventure, snow, kidnapping, elves, more snow, and an 11-year-old boy called Nikolas, who isn't afraid to believe in magic.

The Girl Who Saved Christmas

Author: Matt Haig

Narrated by: Carey Mulligan

£9.19 (free for Audible members)

If magic has a beginning, can it also have an end? When Amelia wants a wish to come true she knows just the man to ask - Father Christmas. But the magic she wants to believe in is starting to fade, and Father Christmas has more than impossible wishes to worry about. Upset elves, reindeers dropping out of the sky, angry trolls and the chance that Christmas might be cancelled.

Midnight Gang

Author: David Williams

Narrated by: David Walliams, Peter Serafinowicz, Morwenna Banks, Nitin Ganatra, Ellen Thomas

Midnight is the time when all children are fast asleep, except of course for...the Midnight Gang. That is when their adventures are just beginning....

The Midnight Gang tells an extraordinarily heart-warming and, of course, funny story of five children on a hospital ward and on a quest for adventure. It is a story of friendship and magic - and of making dreams come true.

Listeners are set to be utterly spellbound by this heartfelt story that will bring magic to everyone's Christmas.

Christmas Days: 12 Stories and 12 Feasts for 12 Days

 Author: Jeanette Winterson

 Narrated by: Jeanette Winterson, Imogen Church

£14.99 (free for Audible members)

New York Times best-selling author Jeanette Winterson brings together 12 brilliantly imaginative, funny and bold Christmas tales. For the 12 Days of Christmas - a time of celebration, sharing, and giving - she offers these 12 plus one: a personal story of her own Christmas memories.

 From trees with mysterious powers to a tinsel baby that talks, philosophical fairies to flying dogs, a haunted house and a disappearing train, Winterson's innovative stories encompass the childlike and spooky wonder of Christmas. Perfect for listening to by the fire with loved ones or while traveling home for the holidays. Enjoy the season of peace and goodwill, mystery, and a little bit of magic courtesy of one of our most fearless and accomplished writers.

A Christmas Feast and other stories

 Author: Katie Fforde

 Narrated by: Jilly Bond, Rita Sharma

 £19.99 (free for Audible members)

A delicious Christmas feast of short stories from the Sunday Times number one best-selling author of A French Affair and The Perfect Match.

Add some extra sparkle to your Christmas by joining Katie Fforde for a perfect romantic Christmas feast of short stories. Collected together for the first time and including one brand-new story. Make your Christmas wishes come true....

 The Night Before Christmas

 Author: Clement C. Moore

 Narrated by: Jeff Bridges£6.39 (free for Audible members)

Academy Award Winner Jeff Bridges' iconic voice brings the beloved holiday classic story "The Night Before Christmas" to life.

Celebrate the holiday season with the only audiobook of "The Night Before Christmas", read by Jeff Bridges. No other narrator brings Santa and these merry scenes to life quite like Mr. Bridges - it's an instant Christmas classic! Create a new family tradition as you add this audiobook to your holiday activities leading up to December 25th.

Letters from Father Christmas

Author: J.R.R. Tolkien

Narrated by: Derek Jacobi

£5.99 (free for Audible members)

Can you imagine writing to Father Christmas and actually getting a reply?

Every year, the children of J.R.R. Tolkien would write to Father Christmas, and the letters they received told wonderful stories of his adventures at the North Pole.

These humorous tales are brought to life by Derek Jacobi as Father Christmas, John Moffatt as Polar Bear, and Christian Rodska as Ilbereth the Elf, complete with specially composed music.

 Find out more about Audible  by clicking here

My thoughts about listening to

  

I enjoyed listening to Carey Mulligan read The Girl Who Saved Christmas. She has a nicely expressive voice and conveys the story in an entertaining away which should appeal to children and also to adults who listen along with the story. I thought the story was exciting, there seems to be lots of adventure. There is also lots of Christmas magic which is combined with stories of trolls and pixies. And of course, there is also Father Christmas who needs so much help from Amelia who, throughout the story, is a wonderful feisty protagonist .

The narration runs over 5hrs and 20 minutes, so it's a story that could be listened to over several nights or to break up a long journey. I found that I could easily listen to the story in short bursts and still pick up the story when I returned to it.

Nice Christmas elements, exciting content. Overall, the story will appeal to those who like Christmas adventure with a smattering of nostalgia.

My thanks to Audible for the opportunity to listen to this story and also to Midas PR

Review ~ A Fairy Tale for Christmas by Chrissie Manby

Christmas Read

Hodder
2016

The blurb..

What could be more magical at Christmas than a fairy tale come true?

It's the festive season and the members of the Newbay Theatre Society, more commonly known as the NEWTS, are preparing to put on a show. Being cast as Cinderella is the realization of a dream for newcomer Kirsty, not least because she hopes starring in a panto under the direction of her boyfriend Jon will bring them closer together.

But Kirsty soon learns that it's not all glitter and good cheer behind the scenes at the amateur theatre as bitter rivalries nurtured through decades, wardrobe mishaps and suspicious near-fatal accidents threaten to derail the production. And then there's Prince Charming himself. Will working together with Jon bring Kirsty her happy ever after... or reveal their love to be nothing but a 'showmance'?

With Christmas just around the corner, it's going to take more than a Fairy Godmother to get Kirsty and her cast-mates to the ball.

My thoughts..

Set in the fictional seaside town of Newbay, the town looks forward every year to its annual Christmas pantomime and this year local boy Jon returns to produce the event with decidedly interesting consequences. Following Jon to Newbay is Kirtsy his long suffering girlfriend who puts her own life on hold so that Jon can fulfill his dreams. But behind the glamour and the glitz of the festive season, Kirsty finds that playing the lead role of Cinderella doesn't necessarily guarantee that she will find her perfect man....or does it?

What then follow is a delightful story about the trials and pitfalls of producing a pantomime and of all the angst that goes on behind the scenes, which I thought was especially well done. The author writes well and makes sure that all her characters get equal attention, however, some of the supporting cast I liked more than others and from the start I knew who was going to be Kirsty's Mr Right but that didn't detract from my overall enjoyment of a lovely story.  I especially enjoyed seeing how Ben and Thea’s story played out as their father / daughter relationship was such a joy to read. Within the novel as a whole, there are some really nice moments of light and shade, which make the story all the more poignant.

There's something quite lovely about this modern day Christmas fairy tale which stays with you long after the last page is turned.

Best Read with ...one of Judy's mince pies and a cinnamon spiced latte...

About the author

Chrissie Manby is the author of twenty romantic comedies including A Proper Family Holiday, The Matchbreaker and Seven Sunny Days. She has had several Sunday Times bestsellers and her novel about behaving badly after a break-up, Getting Over Mr Right, was nominated for the 2011 Melissa Nathan Award.

Chrissie was raised in Gloucester, in the west of England, and now lives in London.

Follow on Twitter @chrissiemanby

My thanks to Hodder for my review copy of this book

Review ~ The Christmas Court by Joanna Courtney

Christmas Reading

Pan
2015

The blurb..

The Christmas Court by Joanna Courtney is a festive historical short story from the author of The Chosen Queen.

King Edward's royal court has gathered at Westminster to welcome William of Normandy to England. As the ambitious Norman duke takes his place amongst the English lords, rumour and speculation are rife. It appears that William has an ulterior motive for making his timely visit to his childless royal cousin . .

100 pages.

My thoughts..

Sometimes at this time of year with so much preparation in the run up to Christmas it can be difficult to settle down to some reading time which is why this beautifully written novella is the perfect kind of Christmas reading. Short and sweet, with a gloriously authentic feel, this medieval story combines all that is good about this author's writing.

King Edward's royal court in December 1051 comes alive in the imagination. The crispness of yule and the warmth of cracking log fires combine to form the backdrop to a delicious romance which warms the heart and feeds the soul. Lady Freya. and her bubbly companion, Alodie find that life at the royal court is as sumptuous and rich as they hoped it would be and for a few glorious days, before her arranged marriage, Lady Freya can lose herself in gaiety and merrymaking... that is until she catches the eye of a handsome Norman knight who turns her ordered world upside down.

Rich in historical detail and alive with all the curiosities of life at one of the greatest royal courts on earth, this story is a joy to read from start to finish.



Best Read With ...Hot roasted chestnuts and a cup of honey sweet wassail..



About the author





Follow on Twitter @joannacourtney1


Amazon


The Christmas Court is currently 98p on kindle

My thanks to Jess at Macmillan for my e-copy of The Christmas Court