📖 Blog Tour ~ Shadows in the Ashes by Christina Courtenay

 

Headline Review
18 January 2024

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

Present Day

Finally escaping an abusive marriage, Caterina Rossi takes her three-year-old daughter and flees to Italy. There she’s drawn to research scientist Connor, who needs her translation help for his work on volcanology. Together they visit the ruins of Pompeii and, standing where Mount Vesuvius unleashed its fire on the city centuries before, Cat begins to see startling visions. Visions that appear to come from the antique bracelet handed down through her family’s generations…

​

AD 79

Sold by his half-brother and enslaved as a gladiator in Roman Pompeii, Raedwald dreams only of surviving each fight, making the coin needed to return to his homeland and taking his revenge. That is, until he is hired to guard beautiful Aemilia. As their forbidden love grows, Raedwald’s dreams shift like the ever more violent tremors of the earth beneath his feet.

The present starts eerily to mirror the past as Cat must fight to protect her safety, and to forge a new path from the ashes of her old life…

📖 My Review…

Living in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius, the residents of Pompeii are, in AD79, unaware of the disaster which is about to befall them. Raedwald is a gladiator who has been taken against his will to fight in the arenas. When he is assigned to look after the wife of a prominent Roman, Raedwald can't help but be attracted to the beautiful young woman however, a clandestine relationship between the wife of such a prominent Roman and a captive gladiator is strictly forbidden.  

In the present day, Caterina Rossi has escaped an abusive relationship and has settled in her native Italy where she meets Connor, a scientist, who is visiting the area to write a report about volcanoes and hires Caterina to do some translation for him. Hurt by the events of the past, Caterina is reluctant to trust a man again and yet she is strangely drawn towards Connor.

As the story starts to overlap and coalesce we soon get to know much more about what is happening with Raedwald and Aemilia in AD79 whilst at the same time appreciate the burgeoning relationship between Caterina and Conor in the bustling city of Sorrento.

There are very few authors around who can really bring a dual time narrative to life but this author is up there with the best of them as she can, with a magic flick of words, take you from past to present and back again in an imaginative story which is as seamless as it is compelling. I found the setting of the story in Italy, and Pompeii in particular, to be really descriptive and could very easily imagine life in the ancient world as Raedwald and Aemilia cross paths in the city they call home and yet I also followed Caterina's drama filled life with equal anticipation of a peaceful conclusion,

Beautifully written, and authentically researched there is much to enjoy in escaping into the past whilst following a strong connections with the future and with a particular talisman to link the two time-frames the echoes of the past are allowed to sing strong and true. There is anguish in both time frames, harsh events which overshadow happiness but with romance, love and hope at its core Shadows in the Ashes is a definitely story which resonates long after the last page is turned. 

About the Author

Christina Courtenay writes historical romance, time slip and time travel stories, and lives in Herefordshire (near the Welsh border) in the UK. Although born in England, she has a Swedish mother and was brought up in Sweden – hence her abiding interest in the Vikings. Christina is a former chairman of the UK’s Romantic Novelists’ Association, now a Vice President, and has won several awards, including the RoNA for Best Historical Romantic Novel twice with Highland Storms (2012) and The Gilded Fan (2014) and the RNA Fantasy Romantic Novel of the year 2021 with Echoes of the Runes. SHADOWS IN THE ASHES (dual time/timeslip romance published by Headline Review 18th January 2024) is her latest novel. Christina is a keen amateur genealogist and loves history and archaeology (the armchair variety).

Twitter @PiaCCourtenay #ShadowsInTheAshes

Website Facebook Instagram

@headlinepg @rararesources

Amazon UK

📖Book Review ~ The Housekeepers by Alex Hay

Headline Review
4 July 2023

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

Mrs. King is no ordinary housekeeper. Born into a world of con artists and thieves, she’s made herself respectable, running the grandest home in Mayfair. The place is packed with treasures, a glittering symbol of wealth and power, but dark secrets lurk in the shadows.

When Mrs. King is suddenly dismissed from her position, she recruits an eclectic group of women to join her in revenge: A black market queen out to settle her scores. An actress desperate for a magnificent part. A seamstress dreaming of a better life. And Mrs. King’s predecessor, with her own desire for vengeance.

Their plan? On the night of the house’s highly anticipated costume ball—set to be the most illustrious of the year—they will rob it of its every possession, right under the noses of the distinguished guests and their elusive heiress host. But there’s one thing Mrs. King wants even more than money: the truth. And she’ll run any risk to get it.

📖 My Review

The impressive House of deVries is about to hold a costumed ball which is in itself something of an scandalous oddity especially as the house is in deep mourning. With only weeks to go before the most unusual ball of the season, Mrs King, the housekeeper, is summarily dismissed for a misdemeanor which gives her the perfect opportunity to wreak her own very special brand of revenge on this dark house of secrets. With one foot firmly placed in the underbelly of society Mrs King gathers together an eclectic band of followers who, with meticulous planning, will pull off the most audacious heist of 1905. 

With a wonderful cast of eccentric characters The Housekeepers leads us on an impressive chase through the vagaries of Edwardian society. Some of the characters are truly delicious, far too many to mention individually, however, they all bring something totally unique and leave their own distinct mark on the story. From the minute I stepped inside the grand salon of this deliciously, dark Mayfair mansion, to the creeping darkness of Mrs Bone's pawn shop, there was never a moment when I lost my way as the description of life above and below stairs is done with a wonderful flair for Edwardian detail. 

The Housekeepers moves along at a cracking pace and all credit to the author for controlling such an intricate story-line which never fails to entertain in this glorious story of family secrets, retribution and the ultimate revenge. I loved it 😉

About the Author

Alex Hay grew up in Cambridge and Cardiff and has been writing as long as he can remember. He studied History at the University of York, and wrote his dissertation on female power at royal courts, combing the archives for every scrap of drama and skulduggery he could find. He has worked in magazine publishing and the charity sector, and is a graduate of the Curtis Brown Write Your Novel course. The Housekeepers is his debut novel and won the Caledonia Novel Award 2022. 

Twitter @AlexHayBooks #TheHousekeepers

@Headlinepg

📖 Blog Tour ~ Promises of the Runes by Christina Courtenay

 

Headline Review
13 April 2023

Runes #5

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

He travelled through time to capture her heart.

The amulet was still in the palm of his hand. Was it some sort of conduit to the past? The image of the anguished woman in his vision was seared into his mind. Perhaps it could help him find her?

Ivar Thoresson is desperate for adventure. As an archaeologist specialising in Viking times, he wants nothing more than to travel back to the ninth century as his loved ones have done, to learn everything he can about the era which fascinates him. And whilst his adopted family have always made him feel loved, the chance to meet a true ancestor, the warrior Thorald, is a temptation he cannot resist.

But while Ivar is preparing to go, he uncovers an amulet which shows him a vision of an arresting woman with red-gold hair. Clearly in distress, she is pleading for help. Convinced of the power of the charm and its message, Ivar’s journey takes on a new purpose. He steps back in time determined to follow his destiny – and find the woman who has called to his heart.

📖 My Review..

It's always a real pleasure to go back in time with this talented writer and this Viking series has been a particular favourite of mine especially as each story brings a new and exciting character whilst taking us back to what has become a quite familiar world. This fifth book in the series is deliciously different as it gives us the story from a male point of view.

Ivar Thoresson is an archaeologist who specialises in the ninth century world of the Vikings and he would dearly love to travel back in time in order to discover, at first hand, what it was like to live amongst his ancestors. When Ivar discovers a rather unusual silver amulet he is irresistibly drawn towards the plight of a young woman who appears to pleading for help. Armed with with only a vague notion of what time travel is really like, Ivar sets out to discover more about this ancient world with fascinating and rather unexpected consequences. 

Ivar is irresistibly drawn to Viking life and although he has some reservations about life in the ninth century, he soon begins to feel at home there, especially as he gets to know the people, their customs and their way of life. The story soon draws you in and the author's flair for detail and her impeccable research makes this time slip novel feel beautifully authentic, each chapter flows seamlessly bringing the Viking world to life in glorious detail.Nicely descriptive and with a wonderful romantic element, Promises of the Runes is another wonderful Viking adventure from this talented writer of historical fiction.

Whilst Promises of the Runes is the fifth book in this Runes series of historical time slip novels, each can be read as a standalone however, as with any series it does make sense to start at the beginning, and if you are new to this author's skilful writing you won't be disappointed.

About the Author

Christina Courtenay writes historical romance, time slip and time travel stories, and lives in Herefordshire (near the Welsh border) in the UK. Although born in England, she has a Swedish mother and was brought up in Sweden – hence her abiding interest in the Vikings. Christina is a former chairman of the UK’s Romantic Novelists’ Association and has won several awards, including the RoNA for Best Historical Romantic Novel twice with Highland Storms (2012) and The Gilded Fan (2014) and the RNA Fantasy Romantic Novel of the year 2021 with Echoes of the Runes. Promises of the Runes (time travel romance published by Headline Review 13th April 2023) is her latest novel. Christina is a keen amateur genealogist and loves history and archaeology (the armchair variety).

Twitter @PiaCCourtenay

Website Facebook Instagram

@rararesources

Amazon UK

📖 Feature Friday on Jaffareadstoo ~ The Letter Home by Rachael English

Welcome to Feature Friday

it's a warm space to a highlight a book coming soon which is on my book radar

and one I am looking forward to reading

Published on the 3rd February

Headline 

She had left behind everything she loved to forge a future for the one she treasured most...

Inspired by heartbreaking true events, a rich, powerful novel of a mother's love, a baby girl, a dangerous journey from Ireland to America and a forgotten story that binds two families separated by an ocean. From the Number One bestselling and beloved author of THE AMERICAN GIRL and THE PAPER BRACELET.

A faded letter. A mother lost. A daughter found...

When journalist Jessie Daly loses everything she holds dear, she travels home to Ireland's west coast, and helps an old friend researching life during the famine. Jessie becomes drawn into the heartbreaking story of a brave young mother, Bridget Moloney, and her daughter, Norah.

On the other side of the ocean, in Boston, Kaitlin Wilson is researching her family tree. She unearths a fascinating story, but her research forces her to confront uncomfortable truths about the past, as she uncovers an unexpected connection to Ireland in famine times.

Generations before, in the small town of Boherbreen, a young mother faced a heart-wrenching choice: to watch her baby girl perish with hunger, or to start out for a new life in America, alone, in order to protect the one she loves most...

📖

I've long been a fan of Rachael English's writing and have been involved in several of her blog tours. I was asked, at the start of December, to be involved in revealing the lovely cover of The Letter Home on social media. I'm really looking forward to sharing my thoughts about this lovely story on the 3rd February, its e-Book publication day. 

So as they say....watch this space.. 

@jaffareadstoo # FeatureFriday #amreading

The e-Book available to pre-order now, paperback is due to be published in July

About the Author

Rachael English is a bestselling novelist and presenter on Ireland’s most popular radio show, Morning Ireland. During more than twenty years as a journalist, she has worked on most of RTE Radio’s leading current affairs programmes, covering a huge range of national and international stories. The American Girl, The Night of the Party and The Paper Bracelet were all top 5 Irish bestsellers.

@EnglishRachael #TheLetterHome

@headlinepg

@HeadlineFiction

📖 Publication Day Book Review ~ The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher

Headline Review
11 January 2022

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

PARIS, 1919.

Young, bookish Sylvia Beach knows there is no greater city in the world than Paris. But when she opens an English-language bookshop on the bohemian Left Bank, Sylvia can't yet know she is making history.

Many leading writers of the day, from Ernest Hemingway to Gertrude Stein, consider Shakespeare and Company a second home. Here some of the most profound literary friendships blossom - and none more so than between James Joyce and Sylvia herself.

When Joyce's controversial novel Ulysses is banned, Sylvia determines to publish it through Shakespeare and Company. But the success and notoriety of publishing the most infamous book of the century comes at deep personal cost as Sylvia risks ruin, reputation and her heart in the name of the life-changing power of books...

📖 My review..

Founded by Sylvia Beach in 1919, Shakespeare and Company was a Paris book shop made all the more influential for being the first to publish James Joyce's controversial novel, Ulysses in its entirety. The Paris Bookseller is the story of how the bookshop, and lending library, was formed and how Sylvia Beach rubbed shoulders with the great, and the good, of the literary world in the early part of the twentieth century,

Both interesting and absorbing this fictionalised account of Paris in the early 1920s and 30s brings to life a city which is as vibrant as it is complicated and to become an observer as Sylvia goes about setting up the book store is to sit and listen as the writers of the day linger to exchange views. The way the book shop brings each of the writers, with all their foibles and eccentricities, to life, is done with fine attention to detail.

Whilst the shop was a meeting place for the likes of Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ezra Pound and Gertrude Stein, it was Sylvia Beach's championing of James Joyce's epic novel Ulysses which brought the store into the epicentre of Anglo-American culture. Previously banned, the first edition of Ulysses was published by Shakespeare and Company on Joyce's 40th birthday in 1922.

The Paris Bookseller is an interesting historical novel in its own right but as a bird's eye view into the way the great writers of the day shared their angst and anxieties it soon becomes a fascinating glimpse into a forgotten but vitally important era in classic twentieth century literature.

Best read with...a cup of English tea and sweet macarons..

About the Author

Kerr Maher holds an MFA from Columbia University and was a writing professor for many years. She now writes full-time and lives with her daughter and dog in a leafy suburb in Boston, Massachusetts.

Twitter @kerrimaherbooks #TheParisBookseller

@HeadlineFiction @headlinepg

📖 Blog Tour ~ Tempted by the Runes by Christina Courtenay ( and Giveaway)

 

  Delighted to host one of the stops on this blog tour

Headline Review
9 December 2021

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

Born centuries apart. Bound by a love that defied time.

She couldn’t believe her eyes. The runes were normally so reliable and she had never doubted them before.

Madison Berger is visiting Dublin with her family for a Viking re-enactment festival, when she chances upon a small knife embedded in the banks of the Liffey. Maddie recognises what the runes on the knife’s handle signify: the chance to have her own adventures in the past.

Maddie only intends to travel back in time briefly, but a skirmish in 9th century Dublin results in her waking up on a ship bound for Iceland, with the man who saved her from attack.

Geir Eskilsson has left his family in Sweden to boldly carve out a life of his own. He is immediately drawn to Maddie, but when he learns of her connection to his sisters-in-law, he begins to believe that Fate has played a part in bringing them together. Amidst the perils that await on their journey to a new land, the truest battle will be to win Maddie’s heart and convince her that the runes never lie.

📖 My thoughts..

I often think that if I were able to time travel I would make sure that I had all the skills necessary to survive and that's just what happens when Maddie Berger, no stranger to Viking re-enactments, finds herself transported back to 9th Century Dublin, where her skill in martial arts comes in useful when she threatened by a group of rough individuals. The story takes on an interesting twist when Maddie awakens on board a Viking ship bound for Iceland and a new life as settler.

Set against a harsh landscape this exciting Viking adventure takes us right into the heart of a new world. A place where cold and ice exist and where, after a day of work, the prospect of a warm soak in a sulfur infused geyser is the height of luxury. It must be said that that Maddie adjusts to this life of hardship really well, all of which is heightened by her growing friendship with the handsome Viking leader, Geir Eskilsson, whose  tender strength is particularly attractive to this modern day Valkyrie.

Tempted by the Runes is such a pleasure to read. I have thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Maddie, Geir and the rest of the settlers as they learn to live in their new surroundings and start to gel as a community. Maddie's burgeoning attraction to the handsome, and charismatic leader, is beautifully imagined, and even though there's an instant chemistry between her and Geir, their relationship, as we discover, is far from guaranteed. And that's where the joy of the story lies, in getting to know these wonderful characters, and experiencing all the joy and heartbreak of living in 9th Century Iceland.

This is now the third book in the series of time travel novels which take us back to the time of the Vikings and whilst they can each be read as standalone stories there is some overlap of characters which helps to keep a lovely sense of continuity amongst these fascinating time travellers. All the stories are beautifully written and meticulously researched and Tempted by the Runes certainly keeps the spirit of these lovely stories alive with this deliciously, romantic tale. 

About the Author

Christina Courtenay writes historical romance, time slip and time travel stories, and lives in Herefordshire (near the Welsh border) in the UK. Although born in England, she has a Swedish mother and was brought up in Sweden – hence her abiding interest in the Vikings. Christina is a former chairman of the UK’s Romantic Novelists’ Association and has won several awards, including the RoNA for Best Historical Romantic Novel twice with Highland Storms (2012) and The Gilded Fan (2014), and the RNA Fantasy Romantic Novel of the year 2021 with Echoes of the Runes. Tempted by the Runes (time travel published by Headline 9th December 2021) is her latest novel. Christina is a keen amateur genealogist and loves history and archaeology (the armchair variety).

Website

Facebook

Twitter @PiaCourtenay #TemptedByTheRunes

Instagram

@headlinepg

@Rararesources

**GIVEAWAY**

Giveaway to Win a signed paperback copy of Tempted By The Runes, a pair of silver Thor's hammer earrings and a Thor's hammer Christmas tree bauble (Open INT)

Terms and Conditions–UK entries welcome.Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used for fulfillment of this prize, after which Rachel's Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for dispatch of delivery of this prize.

RAFFLECOPTER ENTRY

🎄Festive Read ~ Always, in December by Emily Stone

I'm starting off my month of festive themed reads

 with an absolute stunner of a story

🎄

Headline Review 
October 2021

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

It started with a letter. It ended with a love story.

Every December, Josie posts a letter to the parents she lost one Christmas night, many years ago. She always writes the same three words: Missing you, always.

When Josie accidentally collides with a stranger at the postbox, she is unaware that Max has his own reasons for trying to avoid the season…or that their chance encounter is set to alter both their lives – and their hearts – in the most unexpected and beautiful of ways..

🎄My thoughts..

Just before Christmas, Josie, quite literally, bumps into a perfect stranger when she is posting a letter to her parents. This chance encounter between Josie and Max is one which will change the course of their lives forever. And that really is all I'm going to say in terms of plot because to say more would be to spoil this absolutely beautiful novel which had me laughing and crying in equal measure.

As a debut novel goes it's pretty accomplished, there are no clunky moments, no rough edges, no single minute when the story, and the people, don't climb into your heart and stay there for the rest of the time it takes to become immersed in Josie and Max's relationship. Even now, days after finished the story, I keep going back to what happened, and the effect the story had on me.

Always, in December is one of those books which makes you appreciate just how much skill is involved in creating the right story, with the right people, at the right time of year and with so much heart and soul that turning the pages is an absolute joy.

If you only read one 'festive' themed book this year make it this one. There is no doubt that it will break your heart into a million pieces, just like it broke mine 💔

About the Author

Emily Stone lives and works in the UK and wrote her first novel, Always, in December, in an old Victorian manor house with an impressive literary heritage.

Twitter @EmStoneWrites #AlwaysInDecember

@headlinepg

📖 Blog Tour ~ The Memory Box by Kathryn Hughes

 

I'm delighted to open this blog tour today

Headline Review
Paperback 11 November 2021

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of the book
and to Rosie Margesson for the invitation to the blog tour

Some love stories can't be forgotten...

Jenny Tanner opens the box she has cherished for decades. Contained within are her most precious mementoes, amongst them a pebble, a carving and a newspaper cutting she can hardly bear to read. But Jenny knows the time is finally here. After the war, in a mountainside village in Italy, she left behind a piece of her heart. However painful, she must return to Cinque Alberi. And lay the past to rest.

After a troubled upbringing, Candice Barnes dreams of a future with the love of her life - but is he the man she believes him to be? When Candice is given the opportunity to travel to Italy with Jenny, she is unaware the trip will open her eyes to the truth she's been too afraid to face. Could a place of goodbyes help her make a brave new beginning?

📖 My thoughts...

Jenny is celebrating her one hundredth birthday with a party in the care home where she has been resident for some time. Her young carer, Candice, fusses over her comfort and is determined that Jenny will have a celebration to remember. However, with great age comes long buried memories and Jenny, over her long life, has had more than her share of heartache and by confronting her past Jenny hopes to lay away the ghosts which have followed her for such a long time.

The story moves seamlessly between Jenny and Candice's story in 2019, whilst, at the same time, allowing us to go deeper into Jenny's past and to the time she spent, with her brother, Louis, as an evacuee to Wales during the Second World War. Jenny keeps the reminders of her treasured memories in a beautifully made wooden box which has great significance, particularly a pebble, a carving and a newspaper cutting and as the story behind each one is revealed so a story emerges of heartbreak and pain. 

The story flows beautifully and I was just as enthralled by Jenny's complicated past as I was in the sadness of her present, and particularly enjoyed the warmth of the relationship between Jenny and Candice where old and young come together with tenderness and compassion. Moving effortlessly between northern England, Wales and Italy, The Memory Box is a wonderfully imagined story about both the joy and heartbreak of love which is made all the more poignant by both its wartime setting and the intricacies of maintaining a difficult relationship in the present day.

Beautifully written with a fine eye for even the smallest detail, The Memory Box is an emotional read which is both heartbreaking and heartwarming in equal measure and is a perfect read for a cosy afternoon by the fire.

About the Author

Kathryn Hughes is the internationally best selling author of The Letter,The Secret, The Key, Her Last Promise and The Memory Box, Her novels have been translated into 28 languages. Kathryn lives with her husband near Manchester and has a son and a daughter.

Twitter @KHughesAuthor #TheMemoryBox

@headlinepg

Purchase link

📖 Book Review ~ The Midwife's Secret by Emily Gunnis

Headline Review
28 October 2021

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

When six-year-old Alice Hilton goes missing in the snow on New Year's Eve 1969 from Yew Tree Manor, suspicion immediately falls on local man Bobby James. James had a grievance against Alice's father, wealthy Richard Hilton, and he is arrested, tried and found guilty for Alice's death. Tragically the child is never found.

Decades later, Willow James, an architect working on a development at Yew Tree Manor, discovers that the land surrounding the house is holding a secret. And when another little girl goes missing from Yew Tree, Willow realizes the key to her disappearance lies in the history of the house, and the two families attached to it. A terrible wrong needs to be made right...and to uncover it, Willow must unravel events from long ago, when in 1919 a court sentenced a midwife to death, for a shocking crime that happened at Yew Tree Manor.

📖 My thoughts..

This multi-generational story sweeps us through decades of secrets and even when the story comes right up to date, the complicated mystery of Yew Tree Manor still reaches out to future generations.

Alice Hilton is just six years old when she goes missing on the night of her parents New Year's Eve party and despite a frantic search, little Alice is never found. This disturbing thread which runs like a river throughout the story will have tragic repercussions for all those who remember that snowy night in 1969. Whilst the story is very much caught up in past events, especially that of midwife, Tessa James, who was involved in her own tragic events linking her to Yew Tree Manor in 1945, there is also a modern day element to the story as architect Willow James attempts to clear the way for a redevelopment of Yew Tree Manor.

The author writes well and very cleverly weaves all the twists and turns of this complex story into a compelling read. I particularly enjoyed the midwifery elements and was eager to discover just what secret the eponymous midwife was hiding. Overall, I thought the story flowed with just enough tension, and even though I had pretty much thought out the final twist, the denouement when it arrived was handled well with a fine sense of drama. I liked how everything was finished to a satisfactory conclusion.

The Midwife's Secret is a multi-generational drama filled with secrets, sorrow and the need for restitution.

About the Author

Emily Gunnis previously worked in TV drama and lives in Brighton with her young family. She is one of the four daughters of Sunday Times bestselling author Penny Vincenzi.

Twitter @emilygunnis #TheMidwifesSecret

@headlinepg

 

📖 Publication Day, Book Review ~ In the Shadow of Queens by Alison Weir

Headline Review
30 September 2021

My thanks to Caitlin at Headline Review for my copy of this book

Behind every great king stands a queen. And behind every queen, the whole court watches on...

Over the years of his reign, six different women took their place beside King Henry VIII of England as his wife and queen.

But the real stories of the six Tudor queens belong to those who lived among them. Played out in glittering palaces and whispering courts, these are tales of the people who loved and served these women, and those who lied and betrayed them.

Collected together for the first time, In the Shadow of Queens reveals thirteen startling stories from the Tudor court, told by those at the very heart of that world.

📖 My Thoughts...

Behind every ill-fated Tudor Queen is a plethora of fascinating stories about the shadowy people who lingered on the periphery of court life but whose connection, with the women who had the misfortune to be married to Henry VIII, is as fascinating as the lives of the Tudor Queens themselves.

Beautifully presented with its colourful Tudoresque endpapers we are treated to a potted history of the six wives of Henry VIII before starting on a series of fascinating short stories which take us from the golden possibility of the short life of Arthur, Prince of the Roses, right through to the sad, and rather tragic, end to the life of Henry's last Queen, Katharine Parr.

For any lovers of Tudor fiction In the Shadow of Queens is an absolute gem and if you have followed the author's comprehensive series of novels about the Six Tudor Queens then I am sure you will find much to enjoy in this addition to the Tudor series. This compilation of short stories, and novellas, enhance the series and bring the Tudor court alive in fascinating detail, adding little extra snippets of information you never knew you needed to know about  those who hovered on the edge of Tudor court life.

In the Shadow of Queens now completes the mammoth task the author set of completing six Tudor Queen novels in six years. There is no doubt that Alison Weir's passion, determination and undeniable expertise has given a new voice to the six women whose lives were dominated by a King, whose irascible moods swung, from peevish belligerence, to violent malevolence, and whose lives, little they knew it, were in danger from the moment they accepted the title of Tudor Queen.

In the Shadow of Queens is published by Headline in both hardback and ebook on the 30 September 2021 and is available from all good book stores.

About the Author

Alison Weir is the best selling female historian ( and the fifth-bestselling historian overall) in the United Kingdom and has sold over 3 million books worldwide.

She has published twenty history books including her most recent non-fiction book, Queens of the Crusades, the second in her England's Medieval Queen's quartet. Alison is also the author of twelve historical novels including the highly acclaimed Six Tudor Queens series about the wives of Henry VIII, all of which were Sunday Times bestsellers.

Alison is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and an honorary life patron of Historic Royal Palaces.

Twitter @AlisonWeirBooks #InTheShadowOfQueens

@headlinepg

My thanks to the publishers, and Caitlin Raynor, Publicity Director, for allowing me the privilege of reading this stunning series from the very beginning.

📖 Blog Tour ~ The Beloved Girls by Harriet Evans

Delighted to be part of this blog tour

Headline Review
19 August 2021

My thanks to the publishers and to Random Things Tours for my copy of this book
and the invitation to the blog tour

Catherine, a successful barrister, vanishes from a train station on the eve of her anniversary. Is it because she saw a figure - someone she believed long dead? Or was it a shadow cast by her troubled, fractured mind? 

The answer lies buried in the past. It lies in the events of the hot, seismic summer of 1989, at Vanes - a mysterious West Country manor house - where a young girl, Jane Lestrange, arrives to stay with the gilded, grand Hunter family, and where a devastating tragedy will unfold.

Over the summer, as an ancient family ritual looms closer, Janey falls for each member of the family in turn. She and Kitty, the eldest daughter of the house, will forge a bond that decades later, is still shaping the present..

📖 My thoughts..

When we first meet Catherine Christophe it is 2018 and she is a successful barrister working in London, where she lives with her husband, Davide and her two teenage children. On the surface life is good, but there are undercurrents in Catherine's life which seem to be affecting her state of mind. Bothered by the events of a troubled past Catherine, not the most reliable of narrators, leads us slowly towards what happened at the family home in the late summer of 1989.

With hints of menace, the gradual air of suspicion gradually reveals a story which is buried in the events at Vanes, a West Country manor house, where the eccentric Hunter family live, and the house where Catherine spent her childhood. The arrival into their lives of Janey Lestrange, a young teenager, with more than her own share of mental health problems, only adds to the sense of intrigue which surrounds this unusual family.

The story flits effortlessly between three time frames and it pays to keep focused as there is much to learn about the Hunter family, and many secrets need to come to light before the whole of this rather sad, and decidedly, creepy story is revealed. I found the many complexities intriguing, especially the weaving of the story around an old English folk song which highlights the danger of keeping some ancient traditions alive. The author, with her trademark skill for storytelling, fires the imagination right from the start with an intriguing prologue which gives a fascinating insight into Catherine's troubled state of mind. 

Beautifully written, The Beloved Girls is a multi-layered, and intriguing, family drama which looks at the unreliability of memory, the dangerous association of keeping hidden secrets and of a past which would rather remain locked away forever.

About the Author

Harriet Evans is the author of several top ten bestsellers including the Sunday Times bestselling The Garden of Lost and Found and Richard and Judy book club selection The Wildflowers. She used to work in publishing and now writes full time, when she is not being distracted by her children, other books, sewing projects, puzzles, gardening, and her much-loved collection of jumpsuits. Last year, she and her family moved from London to Bath.

Twitter @HarrietEvans #TheBelovedGirls

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📖 Blog Tour and Giveaway ~ Whispers of the Runes by Christina Courtenay

 

Thrilled to host a stop on this blog tour today

Headline Review
24 June 2021

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

Time is no barrier for a love that is destined to be.

She couldn’t be sure that she had travelled through time ... but deep down she just knew.And her only way back had just disappeared.When jewellery designer Sara Mattsson is propelled back to the ninth century, after cutting herself on a Viking knife she uncovers at an archaeological dig, she is quick to accept what has happened to her. 

For this is not the first Sara has heard of time travel.Although acutely aware of the danger she faces when she loses the knife – and with it her way to return to her own time – this is also the opportunity of a lifetime. What better way to add authenticity to the Viking and Anglo-Saxon motifs used in her designs?

As luck has it, the first person Sara encounters is Rurik Eskilsson, a fellow silversmith, who is also no stranger to the concept of time travel. Agreeing that Sara can accompany him to Jorvik, they embark on a journey even more perilous than one through time. But Fate has brought these two kindred spirits together across the ages for a reason.

📖 My thoughts..

Sara Mattsson is attending an archeological dig in the north of England when she inadvertently cuts her finger on a Viking knife. Instantly transported back to the 9th Century Sara encounters Rurik Eskilsson, an enigmatic Viking, who is safeguarding his own secrets. 

Already aware of the time travel phenomenon Sara takes being whisked back in time with remarkable good grace and her burgeoning friendship with Rurik ensures a lively adventure especially when they get drawn into the long standing feuds which exist in this time. I enjoyed being with Sara and Erik as they make a perilous journey towards Jorvik, encountering an array of fascinating characters, some good and some bad, but none are more special than Beowulf, who captured my heart from the start.

Time slip stories are notoriously difficult to get right but when they are done with a realistic look at the past then the whole thing comes alive and in Whispers of the Runes the past feels very real indeed as the author clearly does an impressive amount of research in order to create an authentic atmosphere. Filled with excitement, danger, adventure and passion, Whispers of the Runes is an absolute joy to read and is every bit as good as I knew it would be from this talented author.

This is such a lovely series of time slip stories and whilst each book can be read comfortably as a stand alone, there are occasional references to previous stories, so it sort of makes sense to start at the beginning and escape to the time of the Vikings.

About the Author

Christina Courtenay writes historical romance, time slip and time travel stories, and lives in Herefordshire (near the Welsh border) in the UK. Although born in England, she has a Swedish mother and was brought up in Sweden – hence her abiding interest in the Vikings. Christina is a former chairman of the UK’s Romantic Novelists’ Association and has won several awards, including the RoNA for Best Historical Romantic Novel twice with Highland Storms (2012) and The Gilded Fan(2014).Whispers of the Runes (time travel published by Headline 24th June 2021) is her latest novel.Christina is a keen amateur genealogist and loves history and archaeology (the armchair variety)

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Website

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Twitter @PiaCCourtenay #WhispersoftheRunes

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**Giveaway**

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📖 Blog Tour ~ And Now You're Back by JiIl Mansell

 Delighted to be part of this Blog Tour today

Headline Review
10 June 2021

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book
 and to Random Things Tours for the opportunity to be a part of this blog tour

One magical winter's night in Venice, Didi fell in love. But it ended - and he left without even saying goodbye.

Now, thirteen years on, Shay Mason is back.

The old spark is still there, but Didi's determined to ignore it. As manager of a stunning Cotswolds hotel, she's happy at last, and soon to be married. Anyway, Shay isn't staying. He's made a promise to his father. He's going to keep it. And then he'll be gone.

But Shay's return stirs up long-forgotten emotions, and the scandal that led him to leave raises its head once again. It's time for buried secrets to come to light. And it seems that this was someone's intention all along.

📖 My Thoughts..

Didi and Shay meet on a trip to Venice when they were teenagers, but then life and circumstances got in the way and Didi and Shay went their separate ways. Now, thirteen years later, Didi is managing the family hotel in the Cotswolds, engaged to her lovely fiancé, content with her life, that is until Shay Mason comes back to Elliscombe and reawakens all those hidden feeling which Didi thought were gone forever.

I loved both Didi and Shay from the beginning, they are such wholesome characters and whilst they each have their own independent lives, memories of their shared past bonds them together. However, nothing ever runs smoothly and throughout the course of the story there are lessons to be learned, old wrongs to be righted and hidden secrets to be brought to the surface. 

As with all Jill Mansell's stories there are a whole cast of supporting characters who each have their wonderful moment in the spotlight. I especially enjoyed Rosa and Benny's story, along with Layla, Harry and Will, and of course, not forgetting Shay's dad, Red, whose lively adventures, in the past, could fill a book all on their own.

Beautifully written and totally unputdownable as all this author's stories are, And Now You're Back is a lovely light, escapist read which is just perfect summer reading, and if you can't get away on holiday, simply chill in the garden, or in the local park, and let this lovely story take you right into the heart of  Elliscombe, and meet all the wonderful characters who this talented author so cleverly, and thoughtfully, brings to life.

About the Author

Jill Mansell is the author of over twenty Sunday Times bestsellers including The One You Really Want and Meet Me at Beachcomber Bay. Take a Chance on Me won the RNA’s Romantic Comedy Prize, and in 2015 the RNA presented Jill with an outstanding achievement award.

Jill’s personal favourite amongst her novels is Three Amazing Things About You, which is about cystic fibrosis and organ donation; to her great delight, many people have joined the organ donor register as a direct result of reading this novel.

Jill started writing fiction while working in the field of Clinical Neurophysiology in the NHS, but now writes full time. She lives in Bristol with her family.

Twitter @JillMansell #AndNowYoureBack

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