📖 Paperback Publication Day Review ~ The Lost Diary of Samuel Pepys by Jack Jewers

 

Moonflower Publishing
11 May 2023

My thanks to the publisher and Midas for my copy of this book

Samuel Pepys Diary has enthralled readers for centuries with its audacious wit, gripping detail, and indecent assignations. Pepys stopped writing at the age of 36. Or did he? This action-packed historical thriller imagines what might have happened next.

The Lost Diary of Samuel Pepys by Jack Jewers picks up a week after Pepys’ last diary entry, and follows Pepys on a mission to investigate the death of a Crown agent in Portsmouth – the home of the Royal Navy. Events spiral out of control, embroiling Pepys in a deadly plot that reaches higher than he ever could have imagined. And along the way he is forced to confront some uncomfortable truths about who he is and what he really believes…

Jack Jewers re-imagines one of Britain’s greatest historical figures through a 21st century lens. Readers will love how Pepys not only turns detective but must confront his own prejudices along the way. What better allies for one of history’s most infamous womanizers than a secret society of dangerous outlaws, made up entirely of women?

📖 My Review..

We have just witnessed Coronation of King Charles III and as we enter this new Carolean age this clever historical mystery takes us back to the time of King Charles II and to the secretive world of the diarist, Samuel Pepys. I have read tiny snippets of his famous diary so it has been fascinating to imagine, along with the author, just could have happened to Pepys after he wrote his last diary entry in 1669. 

The Restoration period was a time of great change for England with the King newly restored to his throne it should have been a time of stability and growth however, a series of catastrophic disasters which started with the Great Fire in 1665, followed by the devastation wrought by the plague in 1666, decimated the country. We enter into the novel during the Anglo-Dutch conflict and it is this world which the author captures in such interesting detail as Samuel Pepys is sent undercover to Portsmouth to discover what trouble lurks within the confines of the Royal Navy.

Pepys is a great raconteur, witty and sardonic and yet has a meticulous eye for the minutiae of detail which lends itself perfectly to this shadowy tale of danger and deadly intrigue. The mystery at the heart of this historical novel brings an interesting, and rather unconventional, perspective which opens up a world of crime and leads Pepys and his trusted companion, Will Hewer, into a very different world to the one they have left behind in London. 

Nicely recreating the Restoration age, The Lost Diary of Samuel Pepys is a well written debut and the start, should the author so choose, of what could be an interesting series with Pepys and Will at the center of the adventure. 

About the Author

Jack Jewers is a filmmaker and writer, passionate about history. His career has been spent telling stories across every form of media, and his body of work includes film, TV, and digital media. His films have been shown at dozens of international film festivals, including Cannes, New York, Marseille, Dublin, and London’s FrightFest, garnering multiple accolades, including an award from the Royal Television Society and a nomination from BAFTA Wales for Best Short Film. The Lost Diary of Samuel Pepys is his first novel.

Twitter @JackJewers

@moonflowerbooks

📖 Publication Day Review ~ Henry VIII : The Heart and the Crown by Alison Weir

 

Headline
11 May 2023

Tudor Rose #2

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

Having completed her Six Tudor Queens series of novels on the wives of Henry VIII, extensively researched and written from each queen’s point of view, Alison Weir now gives Henry himself a voice, telling the story of his remarkable thirty-six-year reign and his six marriages.

A young boy grows up dreaming of knights and chivalry. Henry is the second son. He is never meant to rule.

But the death of his brother changes everything, and  a great destiny awaits this young prince. One day he will be the infamous King in English history.

📖 My Review..

We all know the story of Henry VIII and his Six Wives but most often the story is told from the perspective of the wronged wives. In this account, historian, Alison Weir brings us Henry's point of view, from his early days as a charismatic young king, to the irascible, and malevolent, old man who struck terror into the hearts of his people. Blending historical fact, with fiction, this book continues the Tudor Rose trilogy which  began with The Last White Rose: A Novel of Elizabeth of York.

In Henry VIII : The Heart and the Crown, Alison Weir uses her considerable knowledge of the Tudor period to bring us this very personal look at Henry's life and his relationships, not just with his wives but also with those courtiers, and noblemen, who made up his coterie of advisors. And as you would expect from a historian who has written extensively about the Tudor age, the writing feels beautifully authentic, from the detailed descriptions of the clothes worn, the sumptuous foods eaten, and the lively entertainment which provided light relief in a court which was so often fraught with scandalous danger and political intrigue.

Coming in at over 700 pages, it takes quite an investment in time, however, the story is so well told that the pages almost turned themselves and I was soon back in time to the court of this infamous King who was never destined to be King of England however, the untimely death of his older brother, Arthur, meant that this spare went on to become one of the most notorious Kings in English history.

About the Author

Alison Weir is the bestselling female historian in the United Kingdom, and has sold over 3 million books worldwide. She has published twenty history books. Alison is also the author of twelve historical novels, including the highly acclaimed Six Tudor Queens series 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

#TudorRoseTrilogy #HenryVIIIHeartAndCrown

@headlinepg

Website

📖 Ten Poems about Wine from Candlestick Press

 

Candlestick Press
2023

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this poetry pamphlet

John Keats’ “beaker of the warm South” must be the most famous glass of wine in poetry. Who could fail to remember the “beaded bubbles” and the “purple-stained mouth”? We can almost taste the rich berry notes as we read.

This selection features part of that much-loved paean to a luscious red, alongside poems that celebrate delicious wines of other hues. We experience a grape harvest in Spain which is celebrated as a form of alchemy, and a wedding reception at which wine represents all the good things that lie ahead for the new couple.

Elsewhere, one poet’s experience of a glass of Sauvignon Blanc is so intense that she almost becomes the wine as she drinks:

“I can drink

on my own. I am cut grass,

light-bodied, off-dry.”

from ‘Tasting Notes’ by Emma Storr

Poems by Li Bai, Jane Commane, Wendy Cope, Jonathan Davidson, John Keats, Gregory Leadbetter, Miriam Wei Wei Lo, Matthew Stewart, Emma Storr and James Thomson.

Cover illustration by Jane Walker.

The poems are selected and introduced by poet, reviewer and writing mentor Jonathan Davidson. Jonathan favours an enigmatic red of a winter evening, but seeks out a crisp, giddy white when the sun shines – as it often does in the English Midlands.

📖 My Review..

I am sure that there have been many glasses of wine consumed over this bank holiday weekend with perhaps a toast, or two, to the newly crowned King and Queen. From our supermarket shelves, to the selective emporiums of wine merchants, wine has become so much of a staple in our daily lives that we rather take it for granted. 

In this fine collection of poems, dedicated to wine, we realise the value of pretty words which describe our love affair with all things vino.

There are ten lovely poems to enjoy, from the lighthearted view of Loss from Wendy Cope

" His absence wasn't a problem

But the corkscrew had gone as well..."

To poignant reflections in The Long Finish by Jonathan Davidson

" I see the bottle pour its fat few drops.

Our glasses gently touch, and one last time

I taste whatever wine it was we drank... "

And finally my favourite which is from The Vine by James Thomson

"The wine of love is music 

and the feast of love is song.."

Ten Poems about Wine is a lovely collection of poems and is the perfect gift to accompany a bottle of wine. This truthful anthology certainly raises the spirits and leaves a fuzzy warm glow. 

In Vino Veritas...slainté

About the Publisher

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

Connect: www.candlestickpress.co.uk / 

Twitter @PoetryCandle

📖 😸 Blogoversary ~ Jaffareadstoo is Twelve today 📖 😸

 

For personal reasons Jaffareadstoo has been a little bit quieter this year but I am still as enthusiastic about reading and enjoy blogging about books just as much as ever. I am so grateful for your continued support and send huge thanks to the lovely authors, publishers and blog tour organisers who continue to send books my way. 

 

And to all our blog readers, Timmy and I are so grateful for your continuing support

 📖 😸

Follow me on Twitter @jaffareadstoo #jaffareadstoo

📖 Book Birthday Blitz ~ The Illicit Love of a Courtesan by Jane Lark

One More Chapter
2013

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

In the eyes of the ton, Ellen Harding lives a charmed life - she is the beautiful, exquisitely adorned mistress of Lord Gainsborough.

But on the inside, behind her glamorous façade, she is empty - a vessel - deaf to the voice of morality and blind to shame. Unable to escape the gilded cage she has been trapped within.

Kind, gentle Edward Marlow could prove to be her salvation... With one look he gives her hope. With one touch he sets her senses alight.

📖 My Review..

Today sees the tenth anniversary of the publication of this first book in the Marlow Intrigues series of regency romances which can all be read as standalones and yet there is also something of a theme to discover.

Ellen Harding is the rather beautiful mistress of the odious Duke of Gainsborough however, her life as a courtesan leaves her without emotion that is until she catches the eye of the dashingly handsome Edward Marlow and the course of both their lives changes forever. That there is more to discover about Ellen and Edward is obvious from the start and over the course of this intriguing story we get to know just what has brought them to this moment in time and their momentous meeting. 

Beautifully written and gloriously descriptive, we move from the tense atmosphere of a London gaming den, to the quiet interior of a gentleman's club and then to the rural splendour of a country estate, bringing the splendour and intrigue of this Regency world to life in authentic detail. The undeniable sexual attraction between Ellen and Edward absolutely sizzles on the page and whilst the story is unashamedly romantic, with some sensual encounters, there are also elements of danger and that is what makes this regency romance such an intriguing and passionate read.

This regency genre of romantic historical fiction is having something of a resurgence so if you enjoy passionate and sensual romances then The Illicit Love of a Courtesan is a good place to start with the added temptation of having eight books in the series to enjoy.

About the Author

Jane has been shortlisted for several industry awards. She is a Kindle bestselling author and a writer of compelling, passionate, and emotionally charged fiction. She loves writing intense relationships and is thrilled to hear readers say they have loved a book so much they have read it more than once.

Purchase Links

Available on Kindle Unlimited on Amazon

The Illicit Love of a Courtesan Book 1 

The Marlow Family Secret Full Series

Social Media Links 

Email janelarkauthor@gmal.com

Website https://www.janelark.co.uk/

Blog http://janelark.blog/

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/Janelarkauthor

Twitter https://twitter.com/JaneLark

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jane.lark/

📖 Featured Book of the Month ~ Go As A River by Shelley Read

 

Doubleday Books
Transworld
13 April 2023

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

On a cool autumn day in 1948, Victoria Nash delivers late-season peaches from her family's farm set amid the wild beauty of Colorado. As she heads into her village, a dishevelled stranger stops to ask her the way. How she chooses to answer will unknowingly alter the course of both their young lives.

So begins the mesmerising story of split-second choices and courageous acts that propel Victoria away from the only home she has ever known and towards a reckoning with loss, hope and her own untapped strength.

Gathering all the pieces of her small and extraordinary existence, spinning through the eddies of desire, heartbreak and betrayal, she will arrive at a single rocky decision that will change her life for ever.

📖 My Review..

Victoria Nash lives with her somewhat depleted family in the isolated beauty of a peach farm in rural Colorado. That her life is bleak and without meaning is evident from the very start, she toils ceaselessly often without thanks and certainly without love. The beautiful moment when she meets a charismatic stranger opens her heart to a world of possibility but it also heralds catastrophic change in the lives of those around her.

I think Go As a River is one of the saddest books I have read for some time and yet it is as beautiful as it is poignant. The writing so wonderfully lyrical that I had to stop and re-read whole sentences because they were just so descriptive. And as the tangled wilderness of the Colorado hills are laid open so we enter deep in to Victoria's soul as she faces tragedy on such a huge scale that it's impossible to comprehend the effect that this deep sadness has on her life going forward.

The story had such a profound effect on me that even now, days after finishing Go As A River, I am still imagining life with Victoria Nash, her bravery and beauty will live on forever in this lovely story.  I have no hesitation in making Go As A River Featured Book of the Month for May.

About the Author

Shelley Read is a fifth generation Coloradoan who lives with her family in the Elk Mountains of the Western Slope. She was a Senior Lecturer at Western Colorado University for nearly three decades, where she taught writing, literature, environmental studies, and Honors, and was a founder of the Environment & Sustainability major and a support program for first-generation and at-risk students. Shelley holds degrees in writing and literary studies from the University of Denver and Temple University’s Graduate Program in Creative Writing. She is a regular contributor to Crested Butte Magazine and Gunnison Valley Journal, and has written for the Denver Post and a variety of publications.

Twitter #ShelleyRead #GoAsARiver

@DoubledayUK @TransworldBooks

📖 Hist Fic Saturday ~ The Night She Met the Duke by Sarah Mallory

On Hist Fic Saturday

Let's go back to ... Regency England,

Harlequin Historical
27 April 2023

My thanks to the author for my copy of this book

 

Her mysterious midnight visitor?

The duke!

Hearing herself described as "a lady as dull as her name" is the final straw in Prudence Clifford’s disastrous season, so she decides to stay with her aunt in Bath. But Pru’s new life is anything but dull when one night she finds an uninvited, devastatingly handsome duke at her kitchen table! Pru will never forget the emotional connection they shared. But it’s their unexpected reunion three months later that will prove truly unforgettable..

📖 My review..

Prudence Clifford has no pretensions of marriage and lives a very comfortable life in Bath as a companion to her elderly aunt Minerva. Prudence fills her days with charitable works and is entirely comfortable with her own company until, late one night, she discovers a very handsome man sitting at her kitchen table. This unorthodox meeting with the Duke of Hartland leads Prudence into a very different sort of life which, once tasted, is very difficult to give up.

I loved this Regency romance from start to finish, the story is beautifully written and feels wonderfully authentic whether it be taking tea in the grand salons of London's upper classes or dancing an intimate waltz at one of the many evening soirees. There is so much to enjoy and with both Prudence and the Duke being such fascinating characters there is never a dull moment between them. There are enough twists and turns to keep you guessing along with a frisson of delicious romance which runs like a silken thread throughout the whole of the story.

I do love reading a good Regency romance and this author is certainly one of my favourite writers of this increasingly fashionable genre. Pure escapism from start to finish,  I loved it.

About the Author

Sarah Mallory was born in the West Country and grew up with a love of books and history. She has had over 40 historical novels published and won the Rona Rose Award from the Romantic Novelists Association in 2012 and 2013.

Website

Twitter @SarahMRomance

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Amazon UK