📖 Book Review ~ Remember Love by Mary Balogh

Piatkus

12 July 2022

Ravenswood #1

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

The handsome and charismatic Earl of Stratton, Caleb Ware, has been exposed to the ton for his clandestine affairs—by his own son.

As a child, Devlin Ware thought his family stood for all that was right and good in the world. They were kind, gracious, and shared the beauty of Ravenwood, their grand country estate, by hosting lavish parties for the entire countryside. But at twenty-two, he discovered his whole world was an elaborate illusion, and when Devlin publicly called his family to account for it, he was exiled as a traitor.

So be it. He enlisted in the fight against Napoleon and didn’t look back for six years. But now his father is dead, the Ware family is broken, and as the heir he is being called home. It’s only when Gwyneth Rhys—the woman he loved and then lost after his family banished him—holds out her hand to help him that he is able make the difficult journey and try to piece together his fractured family.

It is Gwyneth’s loyalty, patience, and love that he needs. But is Devlin’s war-hardened heart even capable of offering her love in return?

📖 My review..

I love a good Regency romance and Mary Balogh is certainly the expert in bringing this era to life. Remember Love is the first in a new series of historical romance/ family saga which certainly has all the trademarks of this author's fine attention to detail and a lovely regency atmosphere.

Rather gentler in style than some Regency romances Remember Love is no less interesting and once I had all the characters in place, and there are lots to get to know, I felt quite at home learning about life for the family who call Ravenswood home and especially the hero of this first story, Devlin Ware, Viscount Mountford. Devlin is a valiant young man with his future before him however, when scandal strikes at the heart of the family Devlin must make some tough decisions about his life going forward.

Beautifully reminiscent of a distant way of life, Remember Love is filled with an old fashioned charm and is an good introduction to this author's gentle style of writing, especially as this is a new series to enjoy.

Best read with...a nice cup of tea

About the Author

Mary Balogh grew up in Wales and now lives with her husband in Saskatchewan, Canada. She has written more than 100 historical novels and novellas, more than 30 of which have been New York Times bestsellers. They include the Slightly sestet (the Bewyn Saga), the Simply quartet, the Huxtable quintet, the Westcott series and the Survivors' Club series.

Website

@PiatkusBooks

📖 Publication Day Review ~ Letting in the Light by Charlotte Betts

Piatkus
7 July 2022

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

1914 Spindrift House, Cornwall

Edith Fairchild's good-for-nothing husband, Benedict, deserted her when their children were babies. Now the children are almost adult, Edith and Pascal, her faithful lover of two decades, are planning to leave their beloved Spindrift artists' community and finally be together.

But an explosive encounter between Benedict and Pascal forces old secrets into the light, causing rifts in the happiness and security of the community. Then an assassin's bullet fired in faraway Sarajevo sets in motion a chain of events that changes everything.

Under the shadow of war, the community struggles to eke out a living. The younger generation enlist or volunteer to support the war effort, facing dangers that seemed unimaginable in the golden summer of 1914.

When it's all over, will the Spindrift community survive an unexpected threat? And will Edith and Pascal ever be able to fulfil their dream?

📖 My Review..

I've thoroughly enjoyed reading this trilogy which follows the fortunes of those who live and work at Spindrift House in Cornwall. In this last book in the series we pick up the community in 1914 when the country is on the cusp of war and great events are about to take place, some of which will change the occupants of Spindrift House forever.

In Letting in the Light we meet the familiar characters who make this lovely corner of Cornwall their home and once again Edith is continuing to support the community at Spindrift however, with rumblings of war, her children feel it is their patriotic duty to protect King and country,  something which will bring its share of heartbreak for all of them. Throughout the story there is a great sense of the Spindrift women keeping everything afloat, especially when their wartime experiences start to reveal their personal strengths. Edith's resilience is sorely tested but as always she finds great comfort in her relationship with Pascal especially when old secrets, once again, threaten the stability of all those who love Spindrift House.

As this is the last book in the trilogy there is a sense of the righting of wrongs and there may well be a worthy comeuppance for some, however, with the loose threads woven together so beautifully the whole of the Spindrift canvas finally comes together in a wonderfully depicted snapshot of a bygone era.

🍷Best Read with… a perfectly presented Cornish cream tea

About the Author

Charlotte Betts began her working life as a fashion designer in London. A career followed in interior design, property management and lettings. Always a bookworm, Charlotte discovered her passion for writing after her three children and two stepchildren had grown up. The Apothecary’s Daughter was her debut novel and won the YouWriteOn Book of the Year in 2010, the Romantic Novelists’ Association Joan Hessayon Award for New Writers in 2011 and the RoNA’s Historical Category award for 2013. The sequel, The Painter’s Apprentice was published in 2012 and shortlisted for the Festival of Romance’s Best Historical Read Award in 2012.

Twitter @CharlotteBetts1 #LettingInTheLight

@PiatkusBooks

Website

Amazon

Book Review ~ The Ladies of the Secret Circus by Constance Sayers

 

Piatkus
11 November 2021

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

The surest way to get a ticket to Le Cirque Secret is to wish for it...

Paris, 1925: To enter the Secret Circus is to enter a world of wonder – a world where women weave illusions, carousels take you back in time, and trapeze artists float across the sky. Bound to her family’s circus, it’s the only world Cecile Cabot knows until she meets a charismatic young painter and embarks on a passionate affair that could cost her everything.

Virginia, 2004: Lara Barnes is on top of the world, but when her fiancé disappears on their wedding day every plan she has for the future comes crashing down. Desperate, Lara’s search for answers unexpectedly leads to her great-grandmother’s journals.

Swept into a story of a dark circus and ill-fated love, secrets about Lara’s family history come to light and reveal a curse that has been claiming payment from the women in her family for generations. A curse that might be tied to her fiance's mysterious fate.

My Thoughts...

Family secrets, with a hint of fantasy, takes us on a journey into the hidden world of the ladies of the secret circus which begins with the intriguing mystery of a groom disappearing on his wedding day, that the same thing happens every thirty or so years is what makes the premise of the book so intriguing.

The Ladies of the Secret Circus is a story of guarded secrets which span decades taking us into the alternating world of 1920s Paris and back to America in the 2000s and with two very different narrators who gradually reveal a shadowy and secret world which you enter only if you dare. Once I became involved with the story, and I must admit that it took a while, I started to enjoy watching how the story unfolded. The magical realism part of the tale is handled imaginatively, with good attention to detail, although my guess is that the story could have been more succinct in places. 

Part historical fiction, part magical realism/fantasy, The Ladies of the Secret Circus is an interesting family drama which shows how hidden secrets from so long ago can have a devastating effect on future generations. 

Best read with...a glass of champagne and a red delicious apple.

About the Author

Constance Sayers received her MA in English from George Mason University and her BA in writing from the University of Pittsburgh. She is a media executive at Atlantic Media. She has been twice named to Folio’s list of “Top 100 Media People in America” and was included in their list of “Top Women in Media.” She is the co-founder of the Thoughtful Dog literary magazine and lives in Kensington, Maryland.

Twitter @constancesayers #TheLadiesoftheSecretCircus

@LittleBrownUK @PiatkusBooks

Website

📖 Book Review ~ Love Letters from Paris by Nicolas Barreau

Piatkus
February 2021
My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

Julien Azoulay is famous around the world for his beautiful romance novels. But last year he stopped believing in love. When his beloved wife died, leaving him alone to raise his young sun, Julien lost his faith in the happier side of life - and with his ability to write. But his wife was clever, before she did she made Julien promise to write her one letter for each year of her life, and now, in this moment, in the most famous cemetery in Paris, he stands with his painful first letter in his had. Here, even though he wouldn't believe it, something wonderful is about to happen...

This is an ode to love, Paris and friendship. A love letter to readers and to anyone who believes in the healing power of the written word.

📖 My thoughts..

Author, Julien Azoulay is finding life difficult after the loss of his beautiful wife, Hélène and the thought of continuing to write his romance novels is something of an anathema to him. However, he promised Hélène that, after her death, he would write her a letter for each year of her life but even the very first letter is proving to be a difficult place to start.

With a gentleness which belies its strength this is a love letter not just to the wonderful city of Paris which Julien takes us around with startling precision but it's also a love letter to a woman who was everything to him and whose loss is heartfelt. Beautifully written, and tenderly described, the story is filled with a lyrical quality not just from sharing snippets of poignant poetry but also about the sights and sounds of living in a world where a profound sense of grief overshadows everything.

Love Letters from Paris is a sweetly, affectionate story about the effects of grief and loss and the utter belief that great love remains with us forever.

About the Author

Nicholas Barreau was born in Paris, the son of a French father and German mother. He studied romance languages and literature at the Sorbonne and worked in a bookshop on the Rive Gauche in Paris but is far from an inexperienced bookworm. He has sold over four million copies of his books across Europe

 Twitter #LoveLettersFromParis

@PiatkusBooks

@LittleBrownUK

📖 Blog Tour ~ The Fading of the Light by Charlotte Betts

Delighted to be part of this blog tour

Piatkus
2 July 2021

Spindrift Trilogy #2

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

From the multi-award-winning author of The Apothecary’s Daughter, The Fading of the Light is the next book in the Spindrift Trilogy, a beautifully evocative, multi-generational family drama set at the turn of the century and perfect for fans of Elizabeth Jane Howard, Santa Montifore and Lucinda Riley.

1902. Spindrift House, Cornwall.

Edith Fairchild, deserted by her feckless husband Benedict eight years before, has established the thriving Spindrift artists’ community by the sea and found deep and lasting love with Pascal. They have accepted that they cannot marry, but when Benedict returns unexpectedly to Spindrift House, all Edith and Pascal’s secret hopes and dreams of a joyous life together are overturned.

Benedict’s arrival shatters the peaceful and creative atmosphere of the close-knit community. When Edith will not allow him back into her bed, the conflict escalates and he sets in motion a chain of tragic events that reverberate down the years and threatens the happiness of the community forever.

My thoughts..

Having thoroughly enjoyed the first book in the Spindrift trilogy, I was excited to meet again with Edith Fairchild and her community of artists, and artisans, who have made their home at Spindrift House on the beautiful Cornish coast. Together with her fellow artists, Edith and her children live a quiet life, creating beautiful paintings and learning to be self sufficient. It's a peaceful life, that is, until the unexpected return of Edith's nefarious husband, Benedict, whose very presence at Spindrift house upsets the equilibrium of this close community in more ways than one.

It's been delightful to be back at Spindrift House with Edith and her friends and though Benedict's return to the community upsets everyone even the villains make the story such a joy to read.  The author recreates the Edwardian era to perfection, with its ambiguous moral codes and  discrimination against women, bringing vividly to life a time when a morally degenerate husband could do as he wished regardless of the hurt he caused to his wife and family.

The Fading of the Light is a beautifully written, and thoughtful, story with a delightful cast of characters who are now as familiar as old friends. I have so enjoyed following the progression of life at Spindrift House sharing in the triumphs and successes of the artists and watching Edith's children running along the coastal paths making their own memories of this special life at Spindrift. Edith has her share of heartache in this story but this is written with compassion and the author's usual fine eye for even the smallest detail.

Whilst The Fading of the Light can be comfortably read as a standalone story it does make sense to start at the beginning of this lovely trilogy and allow this talented author to take you on a wonderful escapist journey to Cornwall.

About the Author

Charlotte Betts began her working life as a fashion designer in London. A career followed in interior design, property management and lettings. Always a bookworm, Charlotte discovered her passion for writing after her three children and two stepchildren had grown up. The Apothecary’s Daughter was her debut novel and won the YouWriteOn Book of the Year in 2010, the Romantic Novelists’ Association Joan Hessayon Award for New Writers in 2011 and the RoNA’s Historical Category award for 2013. The sequel, The Painter’s Apprentice was published in 2012 and shortlisted for the Festival of Romance’s Best Historical Read Award in 2012.

Twitter @CharlotteBetts1 #TheFadingoftheLight

@PiatkusBooks

Website

Amazon

💘 Valentine's Book Review ~ Much Ado About You by Samantha Young

Piatkus
2 February 2021

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

Welcome to Much Ado About Books, a bookshop where dust and dreams sparkle in the air...

At thirty-three-years old, Evie’s life in Chicago is missing that special something. When she’s passed over for promotion at work, Evie realizes she needs to make a change. Impulsively, she plans a holiday in a quaint English village. The holiday package comes with a temporary position at Much Ado About Books, the bookshop underneath her new flat. There’s no better getaway for the bookish Evie, a life-long Shakespeare lover.

Not only is Evie swept up in running the delightful store as soon as she arrives, she’s drawn into the lives, loves and drama of the friendly villagers. Including Roane Robson, a ridiculously sexy farmer. In spite of their undeniable chemistry, Evie’s determined to keep him at bay: she’s got to go back to her real life, after all, and a holiday romance can only end in heartbreak . . . right?

💘My Thoughts..

Evie's life in Chicago has reached crisis point and with both her personal and professional life in turmoil she decides to take back control. Impulsively she decides to have a vacation in England to take up the offer of running a quaint book shop in the beautiful fishing village of Alnster in Northumberland. From the moment Evie steps into the book shop, aptly named, Much Ado About Books, she is entranced by the slow pace of life, the friendliness of the small community and the deliciously tempting presence of the sexy local farmer who makes Evie's pulse beat just that little bit faster.

What then follows is a lovely, gentle romance which is perfect for reading when the weather outside is so cold you don't want to venture too far away from the fireside. I enjoyed watching Evie settle into local life and the gentle pleasure she gets from running the book shop, but the main attraction comes from her burgeoning relationship between her and Roane Robson, a bluff northern farmer, with a heart of gold. Much Ado About You is unashamedly romantic, and it's not just the relationship between Evie and Roane which captures your heart,  but also the villagers of Alnster, who welcome Evie like true friends and who make her stay in this beautiful corner of the North East so memorable.

💘 On this Valentine's weekend what's not to like about a wonderful story about love and books, a perfect combination and guaranteed to bring a warm smile.

About the Author

Samantha Young is a New York times and USA bestselling author of Hart's Boardwalk series and the On Dublin street series including Moonlight on Nightingale Way, Echoes of Scotland Street, Fall from India place, Before Jamaica Lane, Down london road and On Dublin Road. She lives in Scotland.

Website

Facebook

Instagram

@PiatkusBooks #MuchAdoAboutYou

 

Blog Tour ~ The Light Within Us by Charlotte Betts ☼

 ☼ Delighted to be part of this Blog Tour☼

Piatkus
2020
My thanks to the publishers for my ecopy of this book
and the invitation to be part of the blog our today

1891. Spindrift House, Cornwall.

Talented painter Edith Fairchild is poised to begin a life of newlywed bliss and artistic creation in the inspiring setting of Spindrift House, freshly inherited by her charming husband, Benedict, and overlooking the stunning harbour of Port Isaac. But when her honeymoon turns sour, her dreams are all but dashed after a moment of madness and desire she finds herself pregnant with another man’s child.

Edith swears never to tell her secret and devotes herself to her art. Joined at Spindrift House by her friends – Clarissa, Dora and the secret father of her child, Pascal – together they turn the house into a budding artists’ community. But despite their dreams of an idyllic way of life creating beauty by the sea, it becomes clear that all is not perfect within their tight-knit community, and that the weight of their secrets could threaten to tear apart their paradise forever.

What did I think about it..

Newly weds, Edith Fairchild, and her handsome husband, Benedict, have everything in life ahead of them, both are talented artists, and they plan to start their married life together at Spindrift House in Port Isaac in Cornwall. However, on their honeymoon in France, cracks start to appear in their relationship which doesn't bode well for a happy life together.

What then follows is a delightful historical saga which is so beautifully woven together that from the very start I was enchanted, not just with the idyllic Cornish setting, but also with the way the author so cleverly weaves a story which spans several years in the intriguing life of those characters who get to call Spindrift House their home.

The Light Within Us is an intriguing story as it focuses not just on Edith and Benedict's complicated life together but it also allows a glimpse into what limitations were placed on women in the latter part of the nineteenth century. Many times I found that I was gritting my teeth at the injustice of life for Edith and her friends, Clarissa and Dora, as they all have their share of burdens. In many ways it's a story about marriage and motherhood and the complications of each, but its also about the glory of art and the tensions and insecurities faced by artists, who never think that their work is up to standard,

I raced through The Light Within Us very quickly as it's one of those stories which, very easily, takes you into itself and wraps around you so comfortably that you eat and breathe with the characters as they go about their lives. It must be said that some characters I liked more than others and there's one in particular who I could have easily seen the back of very quickly!

Beautifully written from first page to last, The Light Within Us, captured both my heart and my imagination as it was a really lovely story to read. It is also the first book in a proposed Spindrift trilogy and I feel that there is so much more to come as the saga progresses. I'm really looking forward to discovering what happens next for Edith, and her friends, at Spindrift House.

About the Author

Charlotte Betts began her working life as a fashion designer in London. A career followed in interior design, property management and lettings. Always a bookworm, Charlotte discovered her passion for writing after her three children and two step-children had grown up. The Apothecary’s Daughter was her debut novel and won the YouWriteOn Book of the Year in 2010, the Romantic Novelists’ Association Joan Hessayon Award for New Writers in 2011 and the RoNA’s Historical Category award for 2013. The sequel, The Painter’s Apprentice was published in 2012 and shortlisted for the Festival of Romance’s Best Historical Read Award in 2012.

Twitter @CharlotteBetts1 #The LightWithinUs

@PiatkusBooks

Website

Amazon UK

Blog Tour ~ A Cornish Inheritance by Terri Nixon

✩✩ Happy Publication Day ✩✩

✩✩ Delighted to be hosting today's Blog Tour stop  ✩✩

Piatkuk
5 December 2019

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

1920, Bristol. Helen Fox is happily married to the love of her life: charming, former playboy Harry. With their three children, glamorous lifestyle and extravagant parties, they have the perfect life. But after a tragic motorcycle accident, nothing will ever be the same...

Helen is forced to leave their home and move to the Fox family's hotel on the Cornish coast - where she discovers her perfect life has been based on a lie.

Now Helen must find a way to build a new life for herself and her children with the help of a vivacious new friend, Leah Marshall.

But when the future of the hotel is threatened, Helen discovers that she hasn't left her past behind after all, and unless she takes drastic action, she's going to lose everything all over again...

What did I think about it..

The story starts in Bristol in 1920 as Helen Fox faces a devastating tragedy which will have repercussions on her family for many years to come. Her return to Fox Bay and to the family hotel on the beautiful Cornish coast has poignant memories of the time she spent there with her glamorous husband however, times are now very different and Helen has to do all that she can to keep her family together in very difficult circumstances.

What then follows is a complex family saga which looks in detail at the problems of, not just running a busy and popular hotel, but also of the impact that the guests themselves have on the place, and one guest in particular, whose own complex set of secrets, adds a nice blend of light and shade to the story. There's a lovely warm feel to the narrative and the author does a great job of building a rapport with all the characters, and very soon the individual members of the Fox family become firmly fixed in your imagination. Expertly moving forward over a period of nine or so years we really get to know what's going on with this family, we share their problems, rejoice in their triumphs, and even sob a little over their personal disasters. I especially liked Helen, she's a strong and determined woman and I really wanted everything to work out for her, and her lovely family, whether it does, or not, is for you to discover for yourself 😊

A Cornish Inheritance is the first book in the Fox Bay series of Cornish novels and this story certainly gets the series off to a really good start. The author captures time and place perfectly well and brings Fox Bay Hotel alive in the imagination with a set of memorable characters who I am already looking forward to catching up with again in book #2 of the series, A Cornish Promise, which is also published by Piatkus, and is coming out soon.

About the Author

Terri was born in Plymouth. At the age of 9 she moved with her family to Cornwall, to the village featured in Jamaica Inn -- North Hill -- where she discovered a love of writing that has stayed with her ever since. She also discovered apple-scrumping, and how to jump out of a hayloft without breaking any bones, but no-one's ever offered to pay her for doing those. Since publishing in paperback for the first time in 2002, Terri has appeared in both print and online fiction collections, and is proud to have contributed to the Shirley Jackson award-nominated hardback collection: Bound for Evil, by Dead Letter Press. As a Hybrid author, her first commercially published novel was Maid of Oaklands Manor, published by Piatkus Entice. Terri's self-published Mythic Fiction series set in Cornwall, The Lynher Mill Chronicles, is now complete and available in paperback and e-book. Terri also writes under the name T Nixon, and has contributed to anthologies under the names Terri Pine and Teresa Nixon. She is represented by the Kate Nash Literary Agency. She now lives in Plymouth with her youngest son, and works in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Plymouth University, where she is constantly baffled by the number of students who don't possess pens.

Website

Twitter @TerriNixon #ACornishInheritance

@PiatkusBooks

#RandomThingsTours

Amazon UK

Review ~ The Other Miss Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

Piatkus
20 November 2018

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

Number One New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn returns to the world of the Bridgertons with the third novel in her latest series

My thoughts about it..

When Poppy Bridgerton is abducted by pirates, she does not expect to find herself held against her will on a ship heading for the high seas and bound for Lisbon. The dashing Captain Andrew James Rokesby, is equally horrified when he finds Poppy is holed up in his quarters and although the gradual realisation of who she is takes him by surprise, he cannot allow any sentiment to get in the way of his mission. That the enigmatic captain has his own secrets is obvious from the start and yet, his instant rapport with the intrepid Poppy fills the story with a delicious sense of  dangerous adventure and illicit passion.

The author does this type of Regency romance/adventure really well and those who have followed the Rokesby series from the beginning will find much to enjoy in this third book. There is a nice sense of continuity, with references to some of the characters we have met before in books one and two of the series and yet,  for readers who are new to this author's work, this continuation can be read easily as a stand-alone as the plot is very easy to follow and the reference to previous characters are well explained within the context of the story.

I read The Other Miss Bridgerton over the space a couple of afternoons. The story has a nice blend of historical adventure, passion and excitement, everything, in fact, that I have come to expect from this talented author’s writing.

About the Author

by permission of the author

Julia Quinn started writing her first book one month after finishing college and has been tapping away at her keyboard ever since. She is a graduate of Harvard and Radcliffe colleges and lives with her family in Colorado.

Website

Facebook

Twitter @PiatkusBooks

Amazon UK

Christmas Read ~ A Winter's Tale by Carrie Elks

Piatkus
30 November 2018

My thanks to the publishers for my review copy of this book

Book Blurb from the cover...

Struggling film student Kitty Shakespeare is determined to make the most of her new job as nanny to major producer Everett Klein's son, Jonas. It might not be exactly the career she'd hoped for when she moved from London to LA, but thanks to her habit of freezing up in interviews, this is her last chance to impress a key player in Hollywood – if she can get this right, then surely he'll take a moment to look at her work. However, what Kitty hasn't allowed for is Everett's sexy-as-hell brother, Adam – but love at first sight this is not.

Adam Klein may be sexy, but he's also gruff and rude and in no way ready to make a fool of himself over the nanny – not after the year he's had. All he wants to do hole up in his cabin and hide from the brother who destroyed his life. If only he could find it easier to ignore the way Kitty makes his heart race . . .

As Christmas approaches, Kitty and Adam come to realise that the course of true love never does run smooth – and just maybe, it's more interesting that way...

A heartwarming Shakespeare Sisters Christmas romance from the bestselling author of Fix You.

My thoughts...

When Kitty Shakespeare is employed as a nanny to the delightful, seven year old, Jonas Klein she doesn't bargain on making the acquaintance of Jonas's taciturn and decidedly, cheerless Uncle Adam, who seems hellbent on making Kitty's life as difficult as possible.

This delightful seasonal story really took me by surprise, not just from the beauty of its cover, which, it must be said is stunning, but also, in the strength of the story which really grabbed my attention from the beginning. Kitty is a feisty and determined heroine and from the very onset of the story is determined to make the most of a difficult situation. Her ongoing relationship with the adult Kleins is fun to observe, but it is in her burgeoning relation with the ruggedly sexy, Adam, where the story really starts to take flight.

I loved the snowy setting of West Virginia, a place I am never likely to visit but thanks to the author I feel as if I experienced life there through Kitty's eyes. The place is so beautifully described that I could feel the icy blast of snow and the flutter of flakes, and the wonderful romantic edge to the story is done with a strong sense of passion and more than a hint of intimacy.

I loved the references to Shakespeare at the start of each chapter which compliment perfectly what is to come. This is definitely one of those feel good seasonal reads which will really brighten up a cold, dark wintery afternoon , a perfect antidote to too much seasonal stress.

A Winter's Tale is the second book in The Shakespeare Sisters series of books by this author.

About the author

Carrie Elks lives near London, England and writes contemporary romance with a dash of intrigue. She loves to travel and meet new people, and has lived in the USA and Switzerland as well as the UK. An avid social networker, she tries to limit her Facebook and Twitter time to stolen moments between writing chapters. When she isn’t reading or writing, she can usually be found baking, drinking wine or working out how to combine the two.

Website

Twitter @CarrieElks



A Winter's Tale is out tomorrow 30th November and is published by Piatkus

~****~

Blog Tour ~ Wilde in Love by Eloisa James

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to be hosting today's stop on the Wilde in Love Blog Tour

Piatkus
October 2017
My thanks to the publishers for my copy of the book and the opportunity to be part of this blog tour

The first book in Eloisa James’s dazzling new series set in the Georgian period glows with her trademark wit and sexy charm-and introduces a large, eccentric family. Things are about to get Wilde... 

Lord Alaric Wilde, son of the Duke of Lindow, is the most celebrated man in England, revered for his dangerous adventures and rakish good looks.

Arriving home from years abroad, he has no idea of his own celebrity until his boat is met by mobs of screaming ladies. Alaric escapes to his father's castle, but just as he grasps that he's not only famous but notorious, he encounters the very private, very witty, Miss Willa Ffynche.

Willa presents the façade of a serene young lady to the world. Her love of books and bawdy jokes is purely for the delight of her intimate friends. She wants nothing to do with a man whose private life is splashed over every newspaper.

Alaric has never met a woman he wanted for his own . . . until he meets Willa. He’s never lost a battle. But a spirited woman like Willa isn’t going to make it easy ...

My thoughts about it...

As with any first book in a proposed new series there is always a certain amount of getting to know the characters and I think this is certainly the case with Wilde in Love. Our introduction to Lord Alaric Wilde begins as he returns to England and, thanks to his exploits as an intrepid adventurer, ladies are queuing up to meet him. That he is handsome and debonair goes a  long way to making him absolutely irresistible to the opposite sex.

Used to getting his own way with any lady he chooses, Alaric definitely meets his match, when attending a house part at his family home, Lindow Castle in Cheshire,  he is introduced to Miss Willa Ffynche, a young woman who is determinedly curious about the world around her but who, at first, seems decidedly unmoved by Alaric's obvious romantic interest in her.

What then follows is a delightfully romantic 'will they, won't they' story. Alaric's pursuit of Willa is met with difficulties along the way but their eventual mutual attraction is written with a light and easy touch and with charming attention to romantic detail. The author writes to entertain her reading audience and Wilde in Love bears all the trademarks of her successful romantic fiction. Light and frothy in place, wildly passionate in others , this latest offering has a sweet sort of charm. At times, I had to suspend belief, but then, this is romantic fiction, and the author does this genre with practiced ease.

I enjoyed this first book in the Wildes of Lindow Castle series and I am sure that fans of this author's writing will also enjoy starting on a new series of romantic adventures.

About the Author

A New York Times bestseller many times over, Eloisa James lives in New York City, where she is a Shakespeare professor (with an M.Phil. from Oxford). She is also the mother of two children and, in a particularly delicious irony for a romance writer, is married to a genuine Italian knight.

Amazon UK

~****~

Summer Read 2017 ~ The Girl With the Make Believe Husband by Julia Quinn

Rokesby #2
Piatkus
2017

What's it all about...

With her brother Thomas injured on the battlefront in the Colonies, orphaned Cecilia Harcourt has two unbearable choices: move in with a maiden aunt or marry a scheming cousin. Instead, she chooses option three and travels across the Atlantic, determined to nurse her brother back to health. But after a week of searching, she finds not her brother but his best friend, the handsome officer Edward Rokesby. He's unconscious and in desperate need of her care, and Cecilia vows that she will save this soldier's life, even if staying by his side means telling one little lie...

I told everyone I was your wife..

What did I think about it..

Cecilia Harcourt pretends she is married to the handsome officer who she carefully looks after, not because of any romantic feeling she has for him, you understand, but out of necessity in order to help find her brother, Thomas who is missing. What then follows is a light and easy to read romantic adventure which continues in the same style as Julia Quinn's other historical novels.

There were times when I had to suspend belief, especially when the subterfuge on Cecilia's part got a little too far fetched especially when she continued with the charade for far longer than was really necessary, but hey ho, after all, this is romantic fiction. Edward Rokesby makes a fine romantic hero, dashing, chivalrous and with bags of charisma, that he struggles with his overwhelming attraction to Cecilia is in keeping with the way the author portrays his character. All of which makes the inevitable "can't keep his hands off her " scenario all the more enjoyable to read 😉

Overall, I thought that the story was entertaining. I particularly enjoyed the deliciously romantic frisson of excitement in the "will they, won't they" aspect of Cecilia's and Edward's burgeoning romance, which adds a smidgen of passion.  As escapist romantic historical fiction this story ticks all the boxes and I am sure that fans of Julia Quinn's writing will it snap up along with all the other books in her romantic historical series.

This book is the second in the Rokesby series which started with Because of Miss Bridgerton. It can, of course, be read a standalone novel.

You can find out more about the author on her website by clicking here 

My thanks to Clara at Little Brown Books for my review copy of The Make Believe Husband

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