📖 Blog Tour ~ The Wicked Lady by Elena Collins

Boldwood Books
31 July 2024

My thanks for the copy of the book
and the invitation to the tour

1648 - Hertfordshire

Thirteen-year-old Katherine Ferrers is in despair at being betrothed to arch-Royalist Thomas Fanshawe whose family are hellbent on plundering her family’s fortune to champion the exiled Charles. As her unhappy marriage stretches before her, her only comfort is her beloved childhood home The Cell. But as the years pass and Kate grows restless, a new passion, a new love and a dangerous calling threaten to upend everything she’s ever known.

Present Day - Hertfordshire

Charlie Wolfe jumps at the chance to help his uncle renovate a tumbledown cottage overlooking Nomansland Common. Number One Constable’s Cottages was once the home of the man charged with ridding the common of the highwaymen who terrorised travellers. But it’s the story of The Wicked Lady, the notorious female highway robber, that captures Charlie’s imagination, and some long winters’ nights he’s sure he can the hoof beats of her horse echoing across time.

What drove this mystery woman to risk everything for a life of crime, and why is she still restless, wandering the common in grief? It seems only Charlie can finally uncover the secret Katherine Ferrers has kept for hundreds of years; a secret of a terrible betrayal and a tragic love that was never meant to end this way…

 📖 My review..

Married at fourteen Katherine Ferrers knows that there will never be any love lost between herself and her profligate young husband who is determined to spend her considerable fortune supporting the anti-royalist movement in the years following the English Civil War. With her inheritance dwindling Katherine embarks on a dangerous venture which will see her life, and that of her friends, placed in great danger.

In the present day, Charlie Wolfe is renovating an old cottage in Hertfordshire when he senses the ghostly presence of a woman on horseback and with the help of a friend, Charlie is determined to discover more about the mysterious wicked lady who once roamed the countryside  and whose troubled spirit still remains.

Based on the true story of Katherine Ferrers, an English gentlewoman, who became a highwayman, this beautifully written time-slip novel is an atmospheric and evocative story which blends past and present, myth and legend together, capturing the imagination right from the start. I enjoyed piecing together all the pieces of the puzzle, whilst at the same time wanting to know more about this fearless young woman who was involved in such a dangerous activity. The modern day element is done well, and there's enough jumping at shadows to appreciate the eeriness of the story whilst also enjoying Charlie's transition from being somewhat lost and lonely to finding out so much about himself and the enigmatic wicked lady in the process.

About the Author

Elena Collins is the pen name of Judy Leigh. Judy Leigh is the bestselling author of Five French Hens, A Grand Old Time and The Age of Misadventure and the doyenne of the ‘it’s never too late’ genre of women’s fiction. She has lived all over the UK from Liverpool to Cornwall, but currently resides in Somerset.

Twitter @JudyLeighWriter #TheWickedlady

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📖 Book Review ~ The Secret Life of a Lady by Darcy McGuire

Boldwood Books
June 2024

The Queen's Deadly Damsels #1

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

Never Underestimate a wallflower!

Lady Hannah Simmons is a quintessential wallflower, unassuming, dowdy yet ignored by most. But underneath her plain exterior, Hannah is hiding a thrilling secret! Unbeknownst to the rest of the ton, she is Queen Victoria’s leading femme fatale, slipping unnoticed through the streets of London and listening to scandalous whispers from lords and ladies. But with daggers in her stockings and pistols in her pockets, Hannah's mission is to apprehend a deadly killer.

Private Investigator to the Prime Minister, damaged, yet devastatingly handsome ex-war hero Duke Robert Killian always puts duty first. However, when he finds himself competing with the intriguing Lady Hannah on the same daring task, his blood boils with frustration - and desire! Is it possible to seduce this vexing woman whose not afraid to put herself in danger and achieve the upper hand?

Hannah enjoys Killian's attempts to distract and tempt her, but she has never faced an adversary she couldn’t overthrow. And Killian has never met a challenge he couldn’t conquer...until now. The gauntlet has been thrown, can they finish their jobs and resist the temptation?

 My Review..

Feisty and fierce, Lady Hannah Simmons is more than a match for any man. She can wield a knife like a warrior and yet underneath her stern exterior there beats the heart of a passionate woman. Hannah's unexpected meeting with the devilishly handsome Robert Killian unlocks something and pretty soon sparks fly between them and even though both are caught up in a clandestine investigation this doesn't stop their attraction and desire for each other. 

Bringing the Victorian world alive, we flit from dark and dirty back alleyways, to the sumptuousness of a country house weekend and throughout it all this cat and mouse relationship kept me entertained in a story filled with passion, intrigue and danger. The story reads well, it moves quickly and the mystery at the centre of the plot keeps the momentum ticking over nicely however, it is the relationship between Hannah and the Killian where the passion really heats up and the story gets a bit spicy. There's quite a bit of explicit sexual content so perhaps that's not for everyone but putting that aside, I enjoyed the espionage and mystery. I would hope to be able to read the next book in the series in the near future as there are a couple of characters I would really like to know more about in further adventures.

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.

 

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📖 Book Review ~Ten Poems about Cows from Candlestick Press

Candlestick Press

Summer 2024

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this pamphlet

Black and white, brown, smooth-coated or shaggy (with horns), cows are so familiar in our rural landscapes that we often forget to notice them. These poems redress that, paying close and loving attention to the lives of cows – their private joys and public duties – while celebrating the fact of their undeniable cow-ness.

We find cows grazing, being born, being milked, being drawn by a child – not to mention the eminently recitable cow poem that many of us will remember from school days:

“The friendly cow, all red and white,

I love with all my heart:

She gives me cream with all her might,

To eat with apple-tart.”

from ‘The Cow’ by Robert Louis Stevenson

Even if most of us wouldn’t want to become a cow in the way that Selima Hill does, we can all enjoy being taken by poetry into their contented, munching world.

The selection is edited by poet Hilary Menos who used to run a herd of 40 pedigree Red Ruby Devon cattle.

Poems by Hayden Carruth, Jim Carruth, Gillian Clarke, Edmund Vance Cooke, Ruth Dallas, Tjawangwa Dema, Selima Hill, Hilary Menos, Evan Gill Smith and Robert Louis Stevenson.

Cover illustration by Deirdre Dunne.

Donation to Compassion in World Farming

My Review..

There's something gently reassuring about a field of cows, we should consider more the slow pace of their lives and the consistency of their presence in our fields. Dotted around our countryside we take these gentle creatures for granted, but we are always grateful for their milk on our cereals in the morning! When my children were small we spent summer holidays on a Wiltshire farm which ran a herd of Charolais, they were a little daunting close up so we always respected their space and observed them from a distance. We loved seeing them, especially the calves, which my children called the baby white ones.

The Cow Speaks to the Child by Evan Gill Smith

'There's no me without you

says the cow in the sunlight

being looked at, being drawn,

by the child with crayons..'

The spiritual connection of cows is expressed in this poem:

 Wena, kgomo / You, Cow by Tjawangwa Dema 

-Setswana Riddle

' wet-nosed god

you

whose absence thieves all sleep

first currency

first ruminant

cloven-hoofed thing..'

This interesting collection reminds us of our connection to these gentle creatures who we rely on for milk, meat and manure. Quietly contemplating the ever changing world around them our countryside would look so empty without fields of cows, in shades of browns and russet, dappled in black and white, quietly ruminating, they consider us with their quiet eyes. 

Milking Before Dawn by Ruth Dallas

In the drifting rain the cows in the yard are as black

And wet and shiny as rocks in an ebbing tide..'

Ten poems about Cows is a gentle appreciation of everything bovine and would be perfect, instead of a card, for anyone who loves cows, the countryside, or the natural world.

About the Publisher

Candlestick Press is a small, independent press publishing sumptuously produced poetry pamphlets that serve as a wonderful alternative to a greetings card, with matching envelopes and bookmarks left blank for your message. Their subjects include Mountains, Clouds, Walking, Birds, Wine and Happiness. Candlestick Press pamphlets are stocked by chain and independent bookshops, galleries and garden centres nationwide and available to order online.

Twitter/X @poetrycandle

Website

🎧 Audio Book Review ~ Tansy Bloom : Monster Hunter by L. J. Weller

Audible Original
27 June 2024

My thanks to Audible and Midas for my audio copy of this book

 

Audible, a leading provider of spoken word entertainment, has announced Sex Education star Tanya Reynolds will narrate a new and exciting Audible Original title from debut novelist L.J. Weller.

Three months ago, twenty-eight-year-old Tansy Bloom quit monster hunting. Since then, she’s been trying to live a normal life (whatever that means), but ending up single, unemployed, and living on a boat outside her godfather’s pub definitely wasn’t part of the plan. So, when Tansy’s ex-husband – fellow monster hunter Rex Barclay – turns up like a bad penny and asks for her help with his latest investigation, Tansy reluctantly agrees.

At first, the job appears to be a straightforward monster hunt – following a spate of large creature sightings, Rex believes a werewolf is on the loose in Norfolk, and he intends to capture it. But Tansy’s not convinced. For one thing, the mysterious black dog Rex is hunting is able to vanish into thin air. For another, everyone who’s encountered the black dog is dying in a series of freak accidents.

Bad news for Tansy, who’s just come face-to-face with the creature herself.

🎧 My Review..

Tansy Bloom is a monster hunter who has been told to take a break from hunting but when she goes to stay on a houseboat near to the pub where her godfather is landlord, she soon discovers that there is some mysterious stuff going on around Norfolk. With her interest well and truly piqued, Tansy is determined discover the significance of the mysterious black dog who seems to be appearing  as a warning. There's more to the novel than just creepy monster hunting and as we get drawn deeper into the story so we begin to learn more about Tansy and of the events which have brought her to Norfolk.

This is a really fun listen and the ten hours of the story whizzed by in a flash. Tansy comes alive in this quirky story of monsters and mayhem which is all beautifully brought to life by an expert narrator. Tanya Reynolds does an excellent job of keeping the pace of the story relevant and interesting.

Tansy Bloom : Monster Hunter kept my attention from beginning to end and is another great production from Audible Originals.

About the Author

L.J. Weller, author of Tansy Bloom, Monster Hunter, said: “I’m thrilled to be working with Audible to bring my debut novel to life. From day one, Audible has championed this book with enthusiasm and excitement, and collaborating with the team has been a wonderful experience. I hope everyone enjoys listening to Tansy Bloom, Monster Hunter as much as I enjoyed writing it!”

About the Narrator

Tanya Reynolds, narrator and actor, said: “Recording audiobooks can be quite challenging, but when you can totally lose yourself in the world that you're reading, it is such a joy, and this was indeed a joy. All the characters were so vibrant on the page and so fun to read, and the story itself is a joyful journey into mythical folklore with a wicked sense of humour. I had so much fun recording this.”

Tanya Reynolds landed her first major role as a series regular on the Sky 1 comedy-drama Delicious. She is also well known for playing Lily Iglehart in the Netflix comedy-drama Sex Education where she was a part of the main cast in the first three seasons. Other credits include Outlander, Death in Paradise, Emma, Dodger, The Baby, I Hate You and The Decameron.

Tansy Bloom, Monster Hunter will be available exclusively on Audible from 27th June and out now from Audible at http://www.audible.co.uk.

X @ljwellerwrites #TansyBloomMonsterHunter

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📖 Blog Tour ~ A Found Family at the Cornish Country Hospital by Jo Bartlett

Boldwood Books

22 July 2024

Thanks to the publisher and Rachel's Random Resources for a copy of this book
and the invitation to the blog tour.

A tragic loss...

Since the death of her beloved father, Isla Marlowe has felt the need to do something to honour his memory; something meaningful that will bring joy to others and repay the kindness of a stranger who changed their lives. She’s got the perfect solution, but she’s worried not everyone will understand.

A precious gift...

Aidan Kennedy and his husband, Jase, are desperate to start a family of their own, but finding the right woman to help them is difficult and some people don’t think they should even try. So when Isla offers them the chance to fulfil their dream, they can’t believe their wish is about to come true.

📖 My Review..

Isla Marlowe wants to remember her late father's memory in a meaningful way and can think of no better people to help than her friends, Aidan and Jase, who are desperate to start a family. When Isla offers to help them achieve their dream it opens up a whole set of circumstances which Isla could never have imagined.

This is now the third book in the Cornish Country Hospital series and each story delivers a perfectly balanced plot combining both happy and serious moments alongside a story-line which also tugs away at the heartstrings. Never afraid to consider some difficult topics the story covers the emotional journey of IVF treatment alongside that of some serious health problems which require specialist treatment. All are covered with an authenticity for medical detail, along with the author's skilful knack of bringing place and people to life. 

I like how the story flowed so beautifully, the author really does have such skill in making all her characters feel like friends so that even though this story focuses mainly on Isla and her journey with Aidan and Jase, it's also lovely to meet up with all those characters, at the hospital, who we have grown to love over the course of this lovely series. Beautifully, and emotionally written, A Found Family at the Cornish Country Hospital reminds us, quite forcibly, that sometimes the concept of family is not always the one we are born into and that sometimes friends are the family we choose to gather around ourselves.  

About the author

Jo Bartlett is the bestselling author of over nineteen women’s fiction titles. She fits her writing in between her two day jobs as an educational consultant and university lecturer and lives with her family and three dogs on the Kent coast.

Twitter /  X  @J_B_Writer #AFoundFamilyAtTheCornishCountryHospital

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📖 Blog Tour ~ Love at First Sight by Jessica Gilmore

 

Orion
4 July 2024

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

She's in love. Just with the wrong man...

Nora is done with dating, but still dreams of finding the one. So when a handsome stranger comes to her rescue one night and vanishes leaving only a business card, it's like a scene out of a movie...

It doesn't take long for the two to 'bump' into each other again, and Nora falls for the perfect-on-paper Gabe. Only a few weeks later, he invites her to Sicily, and she cannot believe her luck!

Until Gabe is forced away for work, leaving her alone with his big and warm family in gorgeous Sicily who welcome her with open arms. Everyone but Luca, his older and distrustful brother, who is always around.

Soon Nora finds herself on a dreamy, romantic getaway-just with the wrong brother..

📖 My Review..

Nora is unlucky in love but never loses sight of finding the perfect partner, so when a handsome stranger comes to her rescue she feels an immediate connection and is determined to give fate a bit of a helping hand.  Gabe is everything Nora wants in a boyfriend and when he whisks her away to Sicily to meet his family she feels like her life is going in the right direction. However, Nora soon discovers that there are flaws in her relationship and has some difficult decisions to make before she can truly be happy. 

I enjoyed the way the story developed, particularly the snippets from a series of letters written by Nora's mother when she too was young and in love for the first time. It's the perfect summer escapism as not only do we get an unashamedly romantic story but we also get to spend time on the beautiful island of Sicily, meeting and making friends with Gabe's wonderful family and spending time in the hot Sicilian sunshine in a gorgeous wine-growing region. Love at First Sight is about finding what is important in life, of learning how to take a chance on what is being offered and of opening your heart to love when the right person comes along. It's a perfect read on the beach sort of story, rich in detail, high on romance,  and a heartwarming ending, what's not to like? 

About the Author

A charity-working, dog-walking, child-wrangling, dust-ignoring bookworm, Jessica lives in the beautiful and historic city of York with one patient husband, one daughter, one very fluffy dog, two dog-loathing cats and a goldfish called Bob.

As day dreaming is her very favourite hobby and she loves a good happy-ever-after Jessica can't believe she's lucky enough to write romance for a living. 

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sprigmuslin.blogspot.com

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@orionbooks

📖 Book Review ~ We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker

 

Zaffre
2020

Right. Wrong. Life is lived somewhere in between.

Duchess Day Radley is a thirteen-year-old self-proclaimed outlaw. Rules are for other people. She is the fierce protector of her five-year-old brother, Robin, and the parent to her mother, Star, a single mom incapable of taking care of herself, let alone her two kids.

Walk has never left the coastal California town where he and Star grew up. He may have become the chief of police, but he’s still trying to heal the old wound of having given the testimony that sent his best friend, Vincent King, to prison decades before. And he's in overdrive protecting Duchess and her brother.

Now, thirty years later, Vincent is being released. And Duchess and Walk must face the trouble that comes with his return. We Begin at the End is an extraordinary novel about two kinds of families—the ones we are born into and the ones we create.

📖 My Review

Sometimes I finish a story and think, wow, I wish I’d written this one and even though I’m really late to the party, I can’t recommend We Begin at the End highly enough. By the end of the first chapter I was hooked on a story which had such a visceral pull that I couldn’t let go of the plot or get the characters out of my head.

Duchess Day Radley is thirteen years old, and considers herself an outlaw, she is also the protector of both her younger brother, Robin, and Star, her troubled and misguided mother. With little money and no parental guidance Duchess is fiercely independent and doesn’t take any nonsense from people with the exception of Walk, who is a family friend and also the chief of police. After serving a thirty year prison sentence, local man, Vincent Hall is released back into the Cape Haven community, tensions are running high, particularly for Star Radley and her children.

Duchess is now one of my all time favourite characters and We Begin at the End is up there with the best of any thriller I’ve read in a long time. It’s quite an extraordinary story, effortless and pieced together so carefully, with characters who are so flawed that you can’t help but connect with them on an emotional level. There is a constant sense of doom running throughout the story and whilst I anticipated that things were never going to work out neatly,  I was constantly surprised by the cleverness of the twists and turns, with some genuine surprises I really didn’t see coming. The writing is sharp and concise. beautifully controlled with no words wasted, or emotion unexpressed. It both broke my heart and angered me at the same time. 

Flipping between the enclosed small town atmosphere of Cape Haven, California and the wide open skies of Montana, this complex drama is really difficult to sum up without giving away huge spoilers and I won’t do that as it would be a terrible disservice to a story which wraps itself around you, biting deep into your heart and leaving you bereft when it finishes.

The author has a new book, All the Colours of the Dark which was published in June. It’s already on my radar of books to read as I’ve heard that it’s another masterclass in thriller writing. Watch this space…

About the Author

Chris Whitaker is the award-winning author of Tall Oaks, All the Wicked Girls, We Begin at the End, and The Forevers (YA). His debut Tall Oaks won the CWA John Creasey New Blood Dagger Award.

An instant New York Times and international bestseller, We Begin at the End was a Waterstones Thriller of the Month, a Barnes & Noble Book Club Pick and a Good Morning America Buzz Pick. The novel won the CWA Gold Dagger Award, the Theakston Crime Novel of the Year, the Ned Kelly International Award, and numerous awards around the world.

We Begin At The End has been translated into twenty-nine languages, with screen rights going to Disney, where ‘Hamilton’ director Thomas Kail and producing partner Jennifer Todd will develop the book for television.

Chris lives in the UK.

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@ZaffreBooks

📖 Blog Tour ~ The Irish Child by Daisy O'Shea

Bookouture
16 July 2024

Thanks to the publisher for the book and invitation to the blog tour

A salty breeze whips the tears from my eyes as I stare out at the emerald Irish Sea. Everything I’ve lost, the child my great grandmother Nellie lost, all feels so present here, in the land my family left years ago. How will I ever move on? Will I ever uncover the truth about the little girl who went missing all those years ago?

When Boston-born Erin arrives in wind-tossed Roone Bay, she’s heart-sore, tired and lonely. Her marriage is over: she’s come to build a new life for herself on Ireland’s rugged southern coast. And to unravel the story behind the mysterious note in her family’s ancient Bible that has haunted her since childhood. But hazel-eyed former lifeboat volunteer Finn, the only local historian around, quietly refuses her pleas to help.

So Erin settles in to the town, with its whitewashed cottages and ruddy-cheeked fishermen, and begins her quest alone. Who was her ancestor, Nellie, and why did she leave Ireland for America? What happened to her missing child, Annie, and did Nellie ever see her again?

Just as Erin despairs ever uncovering the truth, one rain-soaked night she is rescued by Finn, who finally agrees to help. And by firelight and candlelight each evening, just as it would have been in her great-grandmother’s time, Finn and Erin grow closer as they share their stories.

But just as Erin wonders if Roone Bay could be her forever home, she makes a devastating discovery. Will she be able to face the truth, which changes everything she thought she knew about herself, her past, and her family’s Irish legacy? Or will she run, just as Nellie did all those years ago, and lose the best chance at happiness she’s ever had…?

📖  My Review..

Boston-born Erin arrives in Roone Bay ostensibly to search for her Irish roots and to discover why her ancestors left Ireland in the mid-nineteenth century to make a new life in America. However, there are complex personal reasons as to why Erin has left America and we learn that she too has secrets and has suffered her own fair share of heartache.

As always the author draws you into this lovely Irish coastal town which we first came across in The Irish Key, and whilst this is definitely a stand alone story and can be enjoyed as such, it was  lovely to meet up with some of the well loved characters we have met before. The gentle pace of the story moves between two time frames so that we can picture life during the troubles of the past whilst at the same time enjoy Erin's journey of discovery in the present day.

There's a gentleness to the story which I rather enjoyed, and with neither time frame seeking to steal the limelight, I felt an affinity with Erin's story as she tentatively made changes to her life and her burgeoning relationship with the handsome Finn brought an interesting romantic element. Bringing the past to life in a special way Nellie's rather sad story explained her reasons for leaving Ireland during the time of the Great Hunger and as my own ancestors also left Ireland during this tragic time I felt an immediate connection to her story.

The Irish Child looks at the heartbreaking secrets of the past, weaving together the bonds of motherhood, and of the family ties which, even though broken, can be pieced together in time.

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 #TheIrishChild

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📖 Blog Tour ~ Daughters of Tuscany by Siobahn Daiko

Boldwood Books
10 July 2024

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

Two women, one community, everyone’s war…

With the arrival of English prisoners of war on Marchese Ginori’s farmhouse estate, Rosa is immediately wary. Her husband was killed by the Allies and she will not trust any inglesi around her daughter.

The marchese’s daughter, Emma, is thankful for the extra help. Especially when Italian soldiers are forced into hiding, fleeing the Nazis. Emma vows to protect her childhood best friend, Marco, at any cost.

It’s a dangerous time to be harbouring fugitives, and as the POWs prove their allegiance in helping the Italian men, Rosa begins to become close to one in particular – an alluring Scotsman named Tom.

Both women will do what it takes to protect their loved ones, but daring to hope for a better future in wartime is a dangerous dream. And what starts as a quest to keep their men safe soon turns into a mission to save their whole community…

📖 My Review..

This descriptive historical novel, set during the latter years of WW2, takes us deep into the heart of Italy during the German occupation. We meet two young women, from different backgrounds, who, together with their families, try to keep hope alive. However, protecting their families from German hostility is really challenging but is their strength of spirit which sees them cope during the worst of times. Well researched, the story recounts this dark period in history especially in the descriptions of the harsh treatment given out to the fugitives and prisoners of war whilst at the same time championing the bravery of those who fought against oppression.

The author writes well, bringing both the beauty of place and the strength of the people alive in a very realistic way so that I soon became immersed in Tuscan life, watching as the olive harvest is brought in, the fields are tended and also enjoying the detailed descriptions of food, even though mostly peasant food it is described in a delicious way. The history feels authentic, the struggles of the people and the danger placed upon those who were part of the resistance is done well and with danger never far away there is always the anticipation of what will happen those characters who have such an emotional appeal. There are some nice romantic interludes which gives the story a lighter edge and I enjoyed seeing how these special relationships would play out especially when everything looked so hopeless. 

The author has a great way of bringing history alive and whilst I have to admit that I didn’t know very much about the WW2 German occupation of Italy, it has been fascinating to learn a little more in Daughters of Tuscany which shows the strength and resilience of those who were fighting for freedom during a very harsh time in our history.

About the Author

Siobhan Daiko is a British historical fiction author. A lover of all things Italian, she lives in the Veneto region of northern Italy with her husband, a Havanese dog and a rescued cat. Siobhan was born of English parents in Hong Kong, attended boarding school in Australia, and then moved to the UK—where she taught modern foreign languages in a Welsh comprehensive school. She now spends her time writing page-turners and enjoying her life near Venice. Her novels are compelling, poignant, and deeply moving, with strong characters and evocative settings, but always with romance at their heart.

Twitter @siobahndaiko #DaughtersOfTuscany

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📖 Book Tour ~ Before She Fell by Natalie Sammons

 

Bloodhound Books
10 June 2024

Thanks to the publishers and Rachel's Random Resources for the invitation to the blog tour

An ostentatious party descends into violence—and a disgraced cop sets out to redeem herself by solving the case . . .

Susan Grey’s fiftieth birthday party promised to be a talked-about event—an over-the-top extravagant gathering of a hundred guests at her sprawling Georgian home. But it would be talked about for all the wrong reasons . . .

From an escalated argument to the disappearance of an expensive piece of jewelry, the party was quickly spiraling out of control. But the worst was yet to come, when Susan suffered a horrific fall down the grand staircase. Was it an accident or was she pushed?

For DI Grace Roth, relegated to desk duty due to an internal investigation, this could be a high-profile case and a chance to redeem herself. But every lead seems to send her in circles. As the badly injured Susan lies in her hospital bed, DI Roth must try to gather the scattered pieces of the puzzle and make them fit—before anyone else gets hurt.

📖 My Review..

Susan Grey wants her fiftieth birthday party to be something really special and has pulled out all the stops to make the evening memorable. However, it becomes unforgettable for a rather different reason as Susan suffers a devastating accident. With no-one around to see Susan fall it is assumed it is a tragic accident but DI Grace Roth, newly returned to the investigative team, thinks that there is more to this accident and sets out to discover just what happened on the night of Susan's party.

Filled with twists, turns, and red herrings we are given the story from Susan's perspective, as it starts months before the actual party, whilst at the same time we witness the way in which DI Roth goes about piecing together all the clues. Fastidious and meticulous the young detective has much to prove and so she is determined to discover just went on that night and why Susan Grey went spiralling down her grand staircase. Accident, or attempted murder, all is revealed in this cleverly put together 'whodunnit'. 

I enjoyed the pace of the story as it evolves with just the right amount of mystery, the characters are well drawn, some I liked more than others but that's what makes the book appealing. There was a satisfying conclusion to the mystery and, I think, that there's definitely a door left open for DI Roth to return in the future.

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📖 Blog Tour ~ The Future of The Self by Joanna Nadin

Melville House
4 July 2024

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

Exploring the changing nature of ‘self’ through the lens of popular culture and how changes in science, philosophy, technology, and society might impact our sense of self in the future.Look in the mirror – what do you see?We all feel, instinctively, that self exists. That somewhere inside us, under the clothes, the make-up, and self-tan, lurks a hard ‘pearl’, a kernel of truth called ‘me’. And it’s big business uncovering that ‘authentic’ kernel. It’s also a fool’s errand, because that ‘true self’? It doesn’t exist.

Self is no more than a story we tell ourselves. It’s mutable, pliable as Plasticine. Worse, it’s not even strictly autobiographical, but co-authored with those around us. And as such, there is no one version, but myriad, and the number is growing as we are exposed to ever more connections.We are already seeing the effects travel, television, and celebrity culture can have on the formation of self, but as digital and social media exposure grows, and in the advent of AI, what will happen to our sense of self? 

Can we become ever more multiple and adapt better to our globalised world? Or will we dissolve into narcissitic, detached ‘nobodies’?The Future of the Self will explore our current understanding of self in both philosophical and neuroscientific terms and through the lens of popular culture. It will ask what might happen to it in the coming years, and what a ‘useful self’ might look like in the future.

📖 My Review

Coming in at just over a hundred pages this is a quick read however, it's not light on content. In exploring the concept of 'self' the author examines just what it is which makes us who we are and poses the question that as we get swept further and further into the maelstrom of social media and popular culture, are we are in danger of losing ourselves forever as we seek to be the perfect self?

I enjoyed the informal way in which the author presents her findings which makes it a very thought provoking little book, posing questions which made me stop to consider whilst at the same time the author shares her own personal reflections. What struck a chord right at the start of the book was the author being told that 'There are pretty girls, and there are clever girls' . I recall at my all-girls grammar school, in the seventies, being made aware that clever was preferable over pretty but like the author, I wanted to be both. I like to think that  I have succeeded at both...

This well written little book has given me a different perspective and one I had not really thought before especially in the way in which popular culture can alter our perspective. I have learned that we all have very different versions of self, some are entirely independent, some are obsessive or narcissistic, whilst others converge into whatever role in life we are playing, but I think what's comes across is that, in the end, we can be whoever we want to be.

The Future of the Self is one of those absorbing little books which will remain on my book shelf, to pick up whenever the mood takes me..

About the Author

Joanna Nadin is an English author of juvenile fiction best known for the Rachel Riley series of teenage novels Based on Nadin's own childhood, the series follows the comedic narration of a 13-year-old girl. Nadin has also written several books of juvenile fiction. These include two books for the Oxford University Press "Project X" series designed to encourage boys to read. Nadin previously worked as a policy writer for the Labour Party (UK).In 2001, she became a special adviser to Tony Blair.

Social Media

X @joannanadin #TheFutureoftheSelf #Futures

X @melvillehouse

The new FUTURES series from Melville House presents imaginative future visions on a wide range of subjects, written by experts, academics, journalists and leading pop-culture figures. Seeking to publish a rich array of opinions, covering as wide-ranging a view as possible on our potential futures, we ask our authors to experiment with the kinds of daring ideas that can help change public conversation. As a series we hope the FUTURES books will inspire readers to imagine what might lie ahead, to figure out how they might like the future to look, and think about how, collectively, we might get there.

Melville House

📖 Publication Day Review ~ The King's Mother by Annie Garthwaite

Penguin
11 July 2024
Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

1461. Through blood and battle Edward has gained England’s throne – king by right and conquest – eighteen years old and unstoppable. Cecily has piloted his rise to power and stands at his shoulder now, first to claim the title King’s Mother.

But to win a throne is not to keep it and war is come again. As brother betrays brother, and trusted cousins turn treacherous, other mothers rise up to fight for other sons. Cecily must focus her will to defeat every challenge. Wherever they come from. Whatever the cost.

For there can be only one King, and only one King’s Mother.

📖 My Review

The King's Mother takes us into the turbulent world of the War of the Roses when cousins were fighting against each other. Cecily Neville has grieved the loss of her husband and eldest son but has never lost sight of the crown. When her son Edward takes the throne from the beleaguered Henry VI, Cecily, at last, takes her place at the new King's side and proudly stands with him as the King's Mother. 

However, fate is fickle and the crown of England never sits easily especially when Edward's controversial marriage to Elizabeth Woodville only makes more divisions within the House of York. The York brothers are a fascinating bunch. Edward IV by the Grace of God, and the skill of his sword, is King of England, whilst it is his brother, George, Duke of Clarence who is the proverbial thorn in his side. Younger brother Richard, Duke of Gloucester, is depicted in a more sympathetic light which I rather enjoyed and with a new slant on a old story it gave me much to ponder over.

In this dangerous Game of Kings we soon become immersed in Cecily's life as she fights for the security of her son and once Edward is recognised as King she does all she can to ensure the stability of her family, often remorseless in her regard for those she considers her enemies. That Cecily was a strong matriarch is never doubted but it is her absolute strength of spirit and stoic determination which keeps this tentative house of York from floundering but even the King's Mother is no match against deadly conspiracy and political unrest which seems to thwart all her attempts to keep the peace. The author captures the unease of the time perfectly and jumping at shadows we become privy to a world of deadly conspiracies and hidden secrets which, if discovered, will blow the House of York wide open. 

The King's Mother follows on from this author's first book Cecily which explained much about Cecily's determined personality and her earlier life as a young wife and mother. This continuation is just as expertly written, beautifully researched and historically accurate it can be read as a standalone however, Cecily Neville is such a fascinating woman that her life, and that of her family, deserves to be discovered from the very beginning of the York story.

About the Author

Annie Garthwaite grew up in a working-class community in the north-east of England. She studied English at the University of Wales before embarking on a thirty-year international business career. In 2017 she returned to her first love, books, and set out to write the story of a woman she had always felt drawn to: Cecily Neville. This became her debut novel, Cecily.

@anniegarthwaite #TheKingsMother

@PenguinBooksUK