📖 Blog Tour ~ DIVA by Daisy Goodwin

Head of Zeus
Aria Fiction
12 September 2024

Thanks to the publisher and Random Things Tour

 

In the glittering and ruthlessly competitive world of opera, Maria Callas was known simply as la divina: the divine one. With her glorious voice, instinctive flair for the dramatic, and striking beauty, she was the toast of the grandest opera houses in the world. But her fame was hard won: Raised in Nazi-occupied Greece by a mother who mercilessly exploited her golden voice, she learned early in life to protect herself from those who would use her for their own ends.

When she met the fabulously rich Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, for the first time in her life, she believed she’d found someone who saw the woman within the legendary soprano. She fell desperately in love. He introduced her to a life of unbelievable luxury, showering her with jewels and sojourns in the most fashionable international watering holes with celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.

And then suddenly, it was over. The international press announced that Aristotle Onassis would marry the most famous woman in the world, former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, leaving Maria to pick up the pieces.

📖 My Review..

Maria Callas was an American born Greek soprano who was one of the most celebrated opera singers of the twentieth century. Her love affair with Aristotle Onassis is well documented but I knew little of her life with her husband, Giovanni Battista Meneghini or of her childhood in Greece with her domineering mother, and a much preferred younger sister. DIVA explores Maria’s life as she struggles with self doubt, and her petrifying fear that her greatest asset, namely her voice would not last forever.

This is a fascinating fictional account of Maria’s time with her husband and then later with Onassis. It brings to life the post war years, the decadence of the age and the rivalry and the insecurity of a life spent in the public arena and although feted and adored by her thousands of fans, in Maria’s mind she was still the rather plain, overweight girl of her younger years. Maria, like any diva needed adoration and it would be in her great love affair with Onassis where she would, at least for a while, find the happiness she so desperately craved. There’s a richness to the story which comes not just from the glittering jewels which Onassis scatters like pebbles into the hands of his mistresses but also in the sumptuous descriptions of opera performances in which Callas excels, leaving her audiences spellbound and always desperate for more

The glorious beauty of the age, the fragility of life in the spotlight, and the insecurity of an immensely talented performer comes to life in this beautifully detailed story which captivated me from start to finish.

About the Author

Daisy Goodwin’s work as a TV producer and presenter includes Reader I Married Him, Bookworm and The Nation’s Favourite Poems; she is also the creator of Grand Designs and the hit ITV drama Victoria, which has sold to 134 countries. She has edited numerous poetry anthologies, including the bestselling 101 Poems That Could Save Your Life, and is the author of Silver River, a memoir, as well as three bestselling novels: My Last Duchess, The Fortune Hunter and Victoria. Her work has been translated into seventeen languages.

Social Media

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📖 Book Review ~ True Love by Paddy Crewe

 

Doubleday Books
4 July 2024

My thanks to the publisher for the invitation to read this book

KEELY feels alone in the world — grief consumes her, she wants to escape it, to take both her father's and her own pain away. She knows that solace lies in the act of loving and being loved but, struggling in ever-deepening waters, she doesn't know how to find it. FINN has been devastated too. As a young boy, growing up with his grandparents, he feels his fate has already been sealed by the neglect of those meant to care for him most. With no real friends to turn to, he cannot find the vocabulary to deal with the loneliness and heartache that haunt him. As we watch them each grow, connection seems to be the answer – to be seen and heard and received as who they are. Maybe it's this that could release them from their private pains. Is it that simple?

📖 My Review..

Keely is twelve when we first meet her, she lives with her caring, but remote father, and her little brother, William. They eke out a meagre living picking sea coal and the caravan where they live is functional, but basic. When tragedy strikes, Keely must try and hold everything together but she doesn't know how to shoulder the unbearable burden of grief which hangs about her shoulders like a cloud. She searches for a means of escape, desperately seeking comfort in a world which doesn't seem to care very much about her. 

Finn is an introspective child, brought up by his grandparents, he is always on the outside looking in, and although perfectly content with his own company, he remains a lonely child, an easy target for bullies and made fun of by those who see him as some kind of misfit. On the surface these two lost and lonely souls would never have met but as this hauntingly beautiful story unfolds we start to discover that sometimes the stars align and what will be, will inevitably, be.

True Love wrapped itself around me like a blanket and even when I wasn't reading it my thoughts returned to Keely and Finn, two of the most memorable literary characters I have met in a long time. Whilst the story is a complex study into the fragility of relationships it is also desperately sad and deeply moving. It’s the story of two people searching for something only to have life get in the way and though desperate for a happy ever after ending, I knew that life isn’t always kind enough to give us what we want. Strong and beautiful the essence of True Love lingers long after the book is closed and Keely and Finn’s story is finally told.

About the Author

Paddy Crewe was born in Middlesbrough and studied at Goldsmiths. His debut novel, My Name Is Yip, has been shortlisted for the Betty Trask, the Wilbur Smith, a South Bank Sky Arts Award and The Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award, and longlisted for the Walter Scott Prize.

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#PaddyCrewe #TrueLove

 

📖 Publication Day Book Review ~ The Glassmaker by Tracy Chevalier

Harper Collins
Borough Press
12 September 2024

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of the book

 

Venice, 1486. Across the lagoon lies Murano. Time flows differently here – like the glass the island’s maestros spend their lives learning to handle.

Women are not meant to work with glass, but Orsola Rosso flouts convention to save her family from ruin. She works in secret, knowing her creations must be perfect to be accepted by men. But perfection may take a lifetime.

Skipping like a stone through the centuries, we follow Orsola as she hones her craft through war and plague, tragedy and triumph, love and loss.

The beads she creates will adorn the necks of empresses and courtesans from Paris to Vienna – but will she ever earn the respect of those closest to her?

📖 My Review..

Across the Venice lagoon lies Murano, it’s a place where time moves differently and where traditional glass making skills are the life blood of the island. Into this established world we are introduced to the Rosso family, and with time as skilfully manipulated as the glass they produce, we move with eldest daughter Orsola Rosso as she weaves, with her family, from 1486 Renaissance Venice, through to our modern post-Covid world.

The Glassmaker takes us on an intricate journey, beautifully recreating each specific era whilst at the same time following the lives of the Rosso family as they endure so much in both their personal lives and in the way the the complex process of glassmaking fluctuates within each successive timeframe. Wonderfully characterised, each member of this impressive family comes alive, we struggle when they struggle and rejoice when things go well. However, what is most fascinating is the glassmaking process itself and in particular Orsola’s skill in creating exquisite glass beads.

Spanning six centuries this is a hugely ambitious story and one which could so easily have failed, however, in the hands of this skilful writer the story flows beautifully. I loved how with Orsola Rosso as its lynchpin there was always a sense of continuity and as we moved forward in time I was captivated by the way the story unfolded around me, firing my imagination in this beautiful, but complex, world of glass.

About the Author

Tracy Chevalier is the author of eleven novels, including A Single Thread, Remarkable Creatures and Girl with a Pearl Earring, an international bestseller that has sold over five million copies and been made into a film, a play and an opera. Born in Washington DC, she moved to the United Kingdom in 1986. She and her husband divide their time between London and Dorset.

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📖 Book Review ~Love and Other Lost Things by Melissa Wiesner

 

Bookouture
6 August 2024

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

Jane McCaffrey is only back in her hometown of Linden Falls because of her father’s death. She swears she’ll leave again forever—it’s not like her childhood home holds any happy memories. But Jane hadn’t planned on bumping into Nik…

The boy she fell hard for was a skinny teenager with messy hair and his glasses askew. Now he’s broad-shouldered and stands well over six feet tall: but his deep brown eyes are just the same. And when he breathes her name and caresses the fresh bruise on her cheek—like he can’t help but touch her—Jane is thrown right back to the best and worst time of her life.

Jane and Nik once shared everything: kisses, hopes, and teenage dreams. Taking in his blue scrubs and doctor’s ID badge, Jane’s heart lifts that at least one of them got to live their dream. And as they catch up over the beautiful music they once loved, it’s like the years between them fall away.

But Nik doesn’t know the heavy secret Jane carries about the real reason she left town. Or who put that bruise on her cheek… or about her plans to truly disappear, forever.

So when the past comes calling, can Jane and Nik find the strength to fight for each other? Or was Jane dangerously wrong to think she could outrun her secret—and will it destroy them both?

📖 My Review..

Domestic violence is the theme which runs throughout this contemporary story which follows Jane McCaffrey who ran away from her childhood home as a young teenager only go back to Linden Falls some ten years later when her father died. Jane’s return to her childhood home sparks difficult memories especially when she meets again those of her best friends who thought that she had, quite simply, abandoned them. As this complex story unfolds there is a sense of lives coming full circle and with old secrets being revealed now is the time for Jane tell her story to those who were once her closest friends.

This was an intricate look at life in a small American town, a place where everyone knew each other’s business and yet when things were uncomfortable folks tended  to look the other way. The author explores this claustrophobic small town atmosphere really well, and brings the place and the people alive in the imagination. I enjoyed getting to know, Jane and meeting her friends, particularly Nik who is a really special person. Whilst the author does a great job of building up a stark picture of everything in Jane’s life, it is in the promise of the future where the heart of the story lies.

Beautifully written and heart breaking in places, Love and Other Lost Things is a compelling read with a dramatic ending I really didn’t see coming.

About the Author

Melissa Wiesner is a night-owl who began writing novels about five years ago when her early-to-bed family retired for the evening. In 2019, she won the Romance Writers of America Golden Heart® Award in the Mainstream Fiction Category for her first novel. Melissa holds two Master’s Degrees in Public Health and Community Agency Counseling. Her day job is in Social Work where she often encounters people knocked down by hard times but who pick themselves up and keep going, just like the characters of her novels. Melissa lives in Pittsburgh, PA with her charming husband and two adorable children

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📖 Blog Tour ~ Goddess with a Thousand Faces by Jasmine Elmer

 

Renegade Books
12 September 2024

Thanks to the publisher for the invitation to the blog tour

Goddess with a Thousand Faces is the first of its kind, blending multiple genres to create an accessible read for everyone. It offers a fresh and necessary perspective on the ancient world, transcending culture, race and time. 

Steeped in ancient magic, dark divinity and wild ways, Goddess with a Thousand Faces takes you on a historical journey like no other... 

Blending mythological retellings with historical research, and stunning illustrations, Goddess with a Thousand Faces traverses the world and transports through time to bring ten formidable and inspiring ancient goddesses to life. Meet Artemis, the Greek goddess of the wilderness, never without her bow and arrow; Sedna, Inuit goddess of the ocean, guarding the icy waters and all its creatures; Isis, Egyptian goddess of healing, who dwells by the River Nile, just to name a few...

Jasmine Elmer explores these goddesses of our past, uncovering their truths, their rebellion and their freedom. For too long, they have been written out of history; lost to the sands of time and stamped into silence. Goddess with a Thousand Faces restores these women to their deserving glory.

Pour over this treasure trove of myths, legends and mighty goddesses. Hear the messages echoing through the ages and see yourself in the faces of these icons. For while their stories might be ancient, today they are more important – and more powerful – than ever.

📖 My Review...

As an introduction to Goddess mythology this book works extremely well and for someone like me with no prior knowledge at all I found it to be both absorbing and informative on an easy to understand level. Nicely divided into clearly defined chapters, each one explains in more detail the chosen goddesses from around the world. There are those who we may have heard of like Freja, the Icelandic Goddess from Viking mythology, Artemis from the Greek, and Isis, the Egyptian Goddess of Healing, Magic and Wisdom and then lesser known Goddesses such as Sedna, the Inuit Goddess of the Sea and Marine Animals,  and Kali, Hindu Goddess of Time, Death and Destruction. The remaining five Goddesse, Rangda, Inanna, Mawu-Lisa, Hine-nui-pō, Huitaca, are equally as fascinating as the author describes in detail their power and ancient wisdom, and brings each one to life in intricate detail. Each Goddess is beautifully illustrated in simple black and white line drawings which emphasise their power and gives each one a distinct personality. 

This is one of those lovely books which educates as well as entertains and whilst it is perfectly possible to read in sequential order, I found myself dipping into and out of the book at whim, initially choosing the Goddess who appealed the most and then retracing my steps and going back to re-read something I had missed on my first time around. Well written, and well researched, with an informative bibliography, there is much to discover in Goddesses with a Thousand Faces a non-fiction book which brings the ancient myths and legends to life in a meaningful way and which also adapts them for a modern readership.

About the Author

Jasmine Elmer is a straight-talking ancient world expert. Deciding her subject needed a 'glow up', she began her mission in 2020 to make the subject relatable and representative. Outside of writing, she spends her time bringing that energy to television screens, appearing on broadcast channels such as Channel 4, Channel 5 and National Geographic, as well as hosting and featuring on many podcasts. Her podcast Legit Classics has a mission to make everyone love the Classics as much as she does.

Her debut book Goddess with a Thousand Faces is a bold exploration of world goddesses, blending storytelling with historical fact. It follows years of research as a student at universities like UCL, Cambridge and Exeter and a career as a secondary school teacher of Classics. She is of dual heritage, Pakistani and white, and her mother was born in Canada. She grew up in East London but now lives in Exeter, Devon with her husband and son. She has five cats and is absolutely not ashamed of that fact! When she has some downtime, she loves spending time in nature, curling up with a good book and a hot choc, and having a laugh with her friends. She flits between meditation and being frazzled. Such is life.

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📖 Book Review ~ Of Aragon by Caroline Willcocks

Atmosphere Press
3 September 2024

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

Kat Cooke, a young girl captivated by the allure of Henry VIII's magnificent Queen, Katherine of Aragon, embarks on a journey to unravel the mysteries of her own birth. As she navigates the intricate web of Tudor court politics, Kat witnesses both the splendor and deceit that define life within the Queen's inner circle.

Amidst the grandeur of the royal court, Kat discovers love but is confronted with the painful reality of having to choose where her loyalties lie.

Of Aragon offers readers an intimate glimpse into the Queen's private chambers, from the solemnity of the marriage bed to the anticipation of an heir's birth. Caroline Willcocks skillfully transports us to a bygone era where even royal women must contend fiercely for their lives and loves.

📖 My Review

It's difficult to keep Tudor stories refreshing as we are all entirely familiar with Henry VIII's relationship with Queen Katherine of Aragon and the ins and outs of the Tudor court. Of Aragon brings a different slant to the story as we meet Kat Cooke, an impoverished maid who is taken into court and placed under the protection of the Queen herself. 

The reason for Kat being at court is explained with an imaginative description of what life was like for the poor of Tudor England and the immense change in Kat's circumstances is told in a gentle story about life at the Tudor court. There's a conversational tone to the story, the politics of the time are explained well especially the danger which lingered in shadows. There are a few modernisms in the story, which I felt could have been changed. Of Aragon is light historical fiction and even though I had figured out the twist quite early on in the book it didn't spoil my enjoyment of the story.

 About the Author

Caroline Willcocks has worked in the theatre, freelance journalism and charities. Now she combines being a solution focussed therapist with writing about the Tudors and Stuarts. She also has a successful podcast called Tudor and Stuart Fairytales. Her two adult children are happily married, and she hopes she doesn’t embarrass them too much. She loves to travel and has visited many countries, including Syria, Iraq, Kosovo, India and the United States. She lives in the idyllic county of Herefordshire in the UK with her beloved husband, dog and two cats. Recently she discovered she is a direct descendant of Edward III.

📖 Book Review ~ Girl Next Door by Karen King

Bookouture
9 July 2024

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of the book

My darling son is accused of attacking the girl next door. He would never do this… Would he?

I have the perfect family: my loving, devoted partner. Our sons, so thoughtful and affectionate despite their teenage angst. But everything changes when our friendly neighbours move in.

Their daughter Rachel is so pretty and bubbly. Her giggles float over our garden fence. I can see our boys are falling for her, fighting for her affection.

Then Rachel falls from her bedroom window. Her life is hanging in the balance. And to my horror, her parents think my son Jacob pushed her.

Then I find Rachel’s broken sunflower necklace in my home, and my world falls apart. It’s unbearable, but I must face the truth. Someone’s child is fighting for their life. And someone in my family hurt her.

With Rachel at death’s door, is Jacob in terrible danger too? And how far will I have to go to protect him

I know my sensitive son would never do such a thing, but he is hiding something. A mother always knows, doesn’t she? And who is spreading nasty rumours in our neighbourhood about me and my partner, about history repeating itself?

📖My review..

When a lovely family move in next door Vanessa is thrilled to have someone she can be friends with and her two sons, Lucas and Jacob, seem happy to spend time with Rachel who is the girl next door. However when a devastating tragedy occurs the finger of blame is firmly pointed at Vanessa and her family. Tensions run high in this chilling domestic thriller which looks at how quickly things can spiral out of control and with so many people keeping secrets both Vanessa and the investigating police team seem unable to discover the truth  around who was there when Rachel’s accident occurred.

This is such an all consuming story that I read the whole of the book in a couple of sittings eager to discover more about these two families who seem to have been heading on a collision course from the moment they all met. With difficult conversations and heightened emotions the story gallops along at a good pace and to be honest although I thought I had the conclusion worked out I was surprised by the ending which wrapped everything up in a satisfying sort of way. Girl Next Door definitely has enough  domestic drama to keep you guessing until the end.

About the Author

Karen King was born in Birmingham and has always enjoyed reading and writing. She’s been published for over thirty years, in a variety of genres for both children and adults. She loves writing about the complexities of relationships. Her first three books for Bookouture were romances where relationships came right, she has now turned to the darker side of relationships, writing two psychological thrillers about relationships that go badly wrong. Karen now lives in Spain where she loves to spend her non-writing time exploring the quaint local towns with her husband, Dave, when she isn’t sunbathing or swimming in the pool, that is.

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📖 Publication Day Book Review ~ The Royal Rebel by Elizabeth Chadwick

Sphere
5 September 2024

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

1338: England has declared war on France, and Jeanette of Kent, cousin to King Edward III, says goodbye to her family and travels overseas with the royal court for the first time. Once in Antwerp, she is captivated by talented household knight, Thomas Holland, just as he in turn is powerfully drawn to her. Although both know their romance is forbidden, their love for each other grows stronger than the danger they face, and they marry in secret. But before they can make their tryst known, Thomas has to leave for war, and in his absence, Jeanette is forced into a second marriage and locked away from the world. Then Thomas returns, and the real fight begins. As hostile family members battle to keep Jeanette and Thomas apart, the defiant lovers vow to be reunited - whatever the cost...

From the award-winning and bestselling author, Elizabeth Chadwick, comes an epic love story set against the tumultuous backdrop of high chivalry, deadly warfare, devastating plague, and savage rivalry in the fourteenth century - the first of two parts telling the remarkable story of a woman who rose from royal rebel to formidable influence.

 📖 My Review

With the fourteenth century very firmly in place we become part of the English royal household as they travel to Antwerp and there within the court of Edward III, his cousin, Jeanette of Kent becomes powerfully attracted to Thomas Holland, a household knight, with little to his name other than his skill at the joust and tourney. The young lovers marry in secret and therein starts a struggle which results in them having to live separate lives with Jeanette even forced to bigamously marry another man.

Recreating history is what this author does best and in The Royal Rebel it has been a real delight to be taken back in time to witness the struggles and dangers which were very much part of court life. I particularly enjoyed following in Jeanette’s footsteps, witnessing her joy at her marriage to Thomas only for it to start to unravel. The lengths that people around her went to in order keep the couple apart demonstrates just how dangerous it was to live in the shadow of the English throne.

During some of the most momentous years of Edward III’s reign we witness Jeanette’s complicated life at the royal court as she moves between Europe and England and the sheer terror of living with ruthless people who, without any conscience, would do you harm. War, pestilence and danger are never far away and all are described in vivid detail thus making the story such a lively and atmospheric read. Part of a duology of books about the complicated life of Jeanette of Kent, The Royal Rebel is historical fiction at its absolute best.

About the Author

Elizabeth Chadwick is a prize-winning historical novelist and New York Times bestseller, published in 22 languages, with over 1 million copies of her work sold in the UK alone. The Royal Rebel is the forst of three new novels set in the fourteenth century.

Social Media

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📖 Blog Tour ~ The Best is Yet to Come by Jessica Redland

Boldwood Books
3 September 2024
Escape to the Lakes #3

Thanks to the publishers and Rachel’s Random Resources
For the invitation to the tour.

Emma is having a fresh start.

After a successful teaching career, an exciting new chapter awaits Emma – helping her fiancé Grayson run one of Beatrix Potter's farms. While imagining days spent supporting Grayson with his dream, working the land and helping with the animals, Emma harvests a dream of her own – to set up an alpaca-walking business around the farm.

But working together isn’t as easy as Emma expected. Soon her dreams are in tatters and, broken-hearted, she must start over yet again.

When Oliver, Rosie and the team at Willowdale Hall welcome Emma with open arms, she can't believe her luck. But starting a new business in a new place is a daunting prospect, especially when it comes with unexpected obstacles. With a reserved, prickly groundskeeper as a partner, rapidly changing family dynamics to contend with, and time running out to get her new career off the ground, Emma may have bitten off more than she can chew.

But even though things are not going to plan just yet, the best is yet to come for Emma, if she can just take a leap of faith and follow her heart...

📖My Review

After leaving her successful teaching career, Emma is looking forward to starting a new life with her fiancé Grayson on an idyllic Cumbrian farm, however, this move isn’t anything like Emma expected and when things go badly wrong she has to restart her life once again. Willowdale Hall in the Lake District is home to a delightful collection of characters who soon rally round in order to give Emma the new start she so richly deserves.

This is a delightful story which has all the trademarks of this author’s lovely warm style of writing. She makes all the characters so realistic that they immediately work their way into your heart and you can’t help but want everything to work out for them. As this is the third book in the Escape to the Lakes series there is a sense of returning ‘home’ to all the lovely people who we have grown to love with the added joy of meeting new characters who each have their own story to share. I have especially enjoyed reading Emma’s story, it has been so refreshing to have a forty-something character making a new start, her determination and enthusiasm shines throughout but there are also other lovely characters who make their own distinctive impression. I must mention The Magnificent Seven who were a real delight and such an integral part of the story.

Covering some difficult topics in a very readable way is what this talented writer does best and The Best is Yet to Come looks at complicated relationships but does so with a lovely light touch and a reminder to embrace what life has to offer and to make the most of every opportunity. Whilst it works as a standalone story I do think that it makes sense to start this delightful series from the beginning as that way you get to know and love all the characters who make this series so special.

About the Author

Jessica Redland writes emotional but uplifting stories of love, friendship, family and community. Her Whitsborough Bay books transport readers to the stunning North Yorkshire Coast where she lives with her husband, daughter and sprocker spaniel. Her Hedgehog Hollow series, set in a hedgehog rescue centre, takes readers into the beautiful rolling countryside of the Yorkshire Wolds.

Twitter / X @ Jessica Redland #TheBestIsYetToCome

@BoldwoodBooks #boldwoodbloggers

@rararesources

📖 Publication Day Book Review ~ That Night in New York by Laura Wilkinson

 

Serendipity 
Legend
3 September 2024

Thanks to the author for the invitation to read this book

In a crazy Manhattan blackout, two lonely strangers connect – but can a passion forged in darkness survive the cold light of day?

Steph, an advice columnist, is stuck in a stagnant life, while lonely architect Harry dreams of rediscovering his passion. Despite a chance encounter in New York sparking a magical connection between them, fear and past wounds keep them apart. But when Steph's daughter, Lola, enters the picture, their paths intertwine in unexpected ways. As Steph fights to save her community's beloved park and confronts her past, she must choose between safety and taking a leap of faith.

That Night in New York is a heart-warming tale of love, family, and the courage to embrace new beginnings.

📖My Review…

On a trip to New York Steph and a stranger she met on the outward journey find a special connection during a total blackout but once the power is back in Manhattan, Steph and Harry go their separate ways. Once back home in London Steph gets back into her ordinary life as a journalist on a failing newspaper, as a protective mother to teenage Lola and as a stalwart campaigner to save a local park from development. Ordinarily, Steph and Harry shouldn’t cross paths again but then fate has a funny habit of intervening when they least expect it.

It’s beautifully written, both poignant and funny, with characters who leap fully formed onto the page. I loved Lola, she’s a real force to be reckoned with and yet is also quite vulnerable, characteristics which the author brings poignantly to life. Steph has her own battles to face but her connection to the place she calls home cannot be denied. Harry tries his best to forget about Steph but then he finds that he can’t get the exuberant redhead from his mind and even when their worlds collide in an unexpected way there is still a special connection which refuses to go away. 

Moving along at a gentle pace, That Night in New York is a really lovely story about very different worlds coming together which on reflection aren’t so different after all. It’s about friendship and community and most important of all, it’s about love.

About the Author

Laura is a feminist and lover of ginger hair. A resident of Brighton, she loves to write romantic stories which provide food for thought. Alongside writing she tutors on the creative Writing MA at West Dean, for the CWP in Brighton and works as an editor and book coach. She has a passion for fashion and anything which glitters. In another life, she might have been a magpie.

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📖 Featured Book of the Month ~ Scandalous Women by Gill Paul

Avon Books UK
13 August 2024

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book 

1966: In London, Jackie Collins's racy The World is Full of Married Men hits bookshops and launches her career. In New York, Jacqueline Susann's debut novel Valley of the Dolls is published, and she's desperate for it to be a bestseller. But both are about to discover the price they will pay for being women who dare to write about sex.

Meanwhile, college graduate Nancy White is excited to take up her dream job at a Manhattan publishing house. But Nancy could never be prepared for the rampant sexism she is about to encounter.

When Nancy introduces the two Jackies, she fears they will become rivals in their race to top the charts. As she strives to achieve her ambition of becoming an editor, can all three women succeed despite the men determined to hold them back?

📖My Review..

Sadly, I have to admit to never having read any of Jacqueline Susann’s novels, perhaps a little before my time, however, in the nineteen eighties I did devour the later novels of Jackie Collins by which time she was firmly established in the publishing world. To have this novel centred around two of the most groundbreaking female novelists of the twentieth century is a real insight in the perils and pitfalls of the then largely dominated male publishing world. 

This is such an insightful fictional glimpse into the lives of two fascinating women who took on the male establishment and who fought to get their work published even though they were ridiculed and criticised for writing rather risqué stories which women absolutely adored. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the two Jackies, both women had their individual challenges, made all the more complex by their desire to write the stories they wanted to write, whilst at the same time being ostracised for the gritty content of their books, even though women were buying them in their thousands.

The author has captured this time to perfection, the daring fashion, the hedonistic lifestyle, the danger of recreational drugs and the excitement of noisy nightclubs, all combine to bring the swinging sixties to life in a unique way and paring these two feisty women together in a story is a real treat. I devoured the book in a couple of afternoons, beguiled not just by the authors but also by Nancy’s story who holds everything together so beautifully.

Beautifully written and impeccably researched as all this author’s stories undoubtedly are Scandalous Women is a real page turner, highlighting the misogyny they all encountered and their sheer grit and determination in trail blazing their way through the difficult early days of women’s publishing and marketing. It’s such a fascinating read that I have no hesitation in making Scandalous Women my Featured Book of the Month for September. 

About the Author

Gill Paul is an author of historical fiction, specialising in the twentieth century and often writing about the lives of real women. Her novels have topped bestseller lists in the US and Canada as well as the UK and have been translated into twenty languages. The Secret Wife has sold over half a million copies and is a book-club favourite worldwide.

She is also the author of several non-fiction books on historical subjects. She lives in London and swims year-round in a wild pond.

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