Blog Tour Review: The Peacock Bottle by Angela Rigley

The Peacock Bottle by Anglea Rigley

Published 1st July 2017

Pages: 220

Available on Kindle

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Rating: 4/5

Blurb

In this Victorian dual timeline novel, Amelia Wise feels a jolt when she finds a blue perfume bottle in the overgrown garden of the house she has inherited. Several events in her life mirrors those from the past and, with the help of her newfound cousin, Violet, the bottle's secret is uncovered.

Review

The Peacock Bottle by Angela Rigby is a dual-timeline historical novel set is the house Alice Howe in Cumberland. The first setting of the story takes place in 1893 when Amelia Wise has just inherited Alice Howe and moved there with her step-mother after the recent death of her father. While cleaning and clearing the garden, Amelia discovers a secret overgrown garden which has being locked up. She plans to restore the garden to its former glory to cheer up her step-mother but a series of unfortunate incidents keep preventing her from doing so.

The second part of the narrative turns the clock back to 1840 when Daisy and Mary-Jane Richardson live at Alice Howe with their parents. Daisy has recently taken an interest in perfume making and with the help of her Aunt longs to make her own from the beautiful roses in their garden. Before Daisy can complete her perfume and use it to gain a husband a tragic accident changes the course of her life forever.

I really enjoyed reading The Perfume Bottle, Angela Rigley has written an intriguing mystery surrounding the perfume bottle which slowly unfolds to show how the two families are linked. I had a real sense of what Alice Howe was like while reading this book and what it would have been like living their for the girls in both eras.

My favourite character was Amelia by far. Despite her age of just fourteen she’s very worldly wise, empathetic towards others and has a strong will which shows throughout the book. She’s much more grown up than Daisy and Mary-Jane who while being a similar age only seem to be interested in making themselves pretty and finding a good husband.

My one small issue with this book is I would have loved another chapter about Daisy to explain how she ended up with a family of her own. Apart from this I loved this book and can highly recommend this to those who love a good historical mystery.

Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to be part of the blog tour and giving me a copy of this book to review honestly. 

About the Author

Married to Don, I have 5 children and 9 grandchildren, I live in Derbyshire, England, and enjoy researching my family tree (having found ancestors as far back as 1465), reading, gardening, playing Scrabble, meals out and family gatherings. I am the treasurer of my writing club, Eastwood Writers’ Group, and I also write and record Thoughts for the Day for Radio Nottingham. At church I sing in the choir and am an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, a reader, a flower arranger and a member of the fundraising team for Cafod, my favourite charity. I have written hymns, although I cannot read music.

Social Media Links –

https://www.instagram.com/angelarigleyauthor/

https://www.facebook.com/angierigley/

https://twitter.com/angierigley

www.nunkynoo.yolasite.com

https://wordpress.com/view/authoryantics.wordpress.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/angela-rigley-b0322741/

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/angelarigley/pins/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14367596.Angela_Rigley

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Peacock-Bottle-Angela-Rigley-ebook/dp/B073NT79W2

US - https://www.amazon.com/Peacock-Bottle-Angela-Rigley-ebook/dp/B073NT79W2

Blog Tour Review: Miss Mary's Daughter by Diney Costeloe

Miss Mary's Daughter by Diney Costeloe

Published: 15th February 2018

Publisher: Head of Zeus

Pages: 416

Available on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

Rating: 5/5

Blurb

After her mother's death, twenty-year-old Sophie Ross is left orphaned in London. With no money and little chance of an income, she tries to get work as a governess to avoid destitution. Now alone in the world, she only has the company of her erstwhile nursemaid and faithful friend, Hannah.

But unbeknown to Sophie, her mother instructed Hannah to post a letter to Trescadinnick House in Cornwall upon her death. The letter will be the catalyst that changes Sophie's life forever as she learns of her mother's romance, marriage and then ultimate rejection by her own father and the estranged family she left behind in Cornwall.

The Penvarrow family welcome Sophie and Hannah into their fold, but tensions rise and family secrets are revealed as Sophie attempts to rebuild her life and find happiness.

Review

Diney Costello’s latest historical saga Miss Mary’s daughter is set in the 1880s predominantly on the rugged Cornish coast and features the Sophie Ross who has been reunited with her estranged family the Penvarrow’s of Trescadinnick.

Twenty-year-old Sophie Ross has just lost her mother and apart from her housekeeper Hannah is totally alone in the world. Until the unexpected arrival of her Aunt Matty, her late mother’s twin sister. Sophie’s mother Mary had been cast from the family years ago when she went against her father’s wishes and ran off to marry John Ross. On her deathbed Mary writes to her estranged family begging them to help Sophie and bring her into the family she’s never known. Summoned by her grandfather Thomas Penvarrow who has been left with no legitimate heir to the Trescadinnick estate, Sophie makes her way to Cornwall to meet her new family.

Sophie’s arrival is met with mixed reactions. Her Aunt Louisa is distant as she was hoping her step-son Charles would be the heir to Trescadinnick, but his daughter AliceAnne is happy to have somebody take a little more notice of her. It’s not just family members that are impacted by Sophie’s arrival, local Doctor Nicholas Bryan is instantly taken with the newcomer to the village. As Sophie settles in she begins to uncover a family secret which could change everything.

I loved this book and was instantly drawn into the story of Sophie and her new family and it got even better when there was the added mystery of the locked room.  It did slow down in pace during the middle of the story but I think that’s needed in a story when there are so many characters and their histories to discover. It did pick up pace towards the last third of the book and ended with quite a dramatic twist. I found it a joy to read all the way though and like other novels I’ve read by Diney Costello I was sad when it finally came to an end.

Sophie as a character changed quite a lot throughout this novel and it was great to go on that journey with her. At the start she’s petulant and its obvious she’s been the adored only child of her parents. Learning to take charge of her own life comes as a shock to her but by the end of the novel she’s grown enough to stand up to the men around her and not be pushed into things.

One of my other favourite characters was little AliceAnne, she doesn’t say much throughout the book but its obvious she’s a smart kid and a very good judge of character and her enthausiam for life and learning never failed to make me smile. All the other characters are well written and give a good mix of personalities to the story making it feel more real.

I loved everything about this novel it’s an intriguing plot with a well-rounded group of characters and a beautifully written setting which really did feel like 1880s Cornwall would have been. This is the perfect novel for anyone who likes Lyndsey Hutchinson, Rosie Clarke or Nadine Dorries.

Thank you so much to Head of Zeus for sending me a copy to review and inviting me to be part of the blog tour.

Blog Tour Review: Villa of Secrets by Patricia Wilson

Villa of Secrets by Patricia Wilson

Published: 22nd February 2018

Publisher: Zaffre

Pages: 377

Available on Kindle

Pre-Order now from Amazon

Rating: 5/5

Blurb

Rebecca Neumanner's marriage is on the brink of collapse, as her desire to be a mother becomes an obsession. Then she receives news from her estranged family in Rhodes.

Called back to the beautiful Greek island of her birth, she realises how little she knows of the grandmother she has eluded for over a decade. Bubba has never spoken of the Nazi occupation during her youth, but there have always been whispers. What desperate measures did she take that terrible day in 1944 when her family was ripped apart? Can the rumour she had blood on her own hands really be true? But Bubba intends to take her secrets to the grave.

However, as Rebecca arrives on Rhodes, bringing the promise of new life, this broken family must come together. The time has come to tell the truth about the darkest of days . . .   

Review

Villa of Secrets is the second novel by Patricia Wilson and was a book which had a lot to live up to as her first novel Island of Secrets was one of my favourite novels of last year. Not to worry though I think Villa of Secrets is even better.

Sisters Naomi and Rebecca have been estranged for ten years after Rebecca chose her husband over her family.  Both sisters are feeling lonely in their own ways, Rebecca is starting her forth round of IVF and is feeling further and further away from husband Fritz as the longing for a baby overtakes her. Naomi is suffering empty nest syndrome with both her grown boys away at university and husband Costa working on a cruise ship, the strain od Bubba’s stroke is also taking its toll on her. Now the sisters must come together once more as their grandmother has decided its time to share her. Can this family put the horrors of the past behind them and finally come together for the future?

The narrative of this story is split between the present day reuniting of Naomi and Rebecca and through Bubba’s diaries of the past. For me its though these diaries that the story really comes alive and where Patricia Wilson’s writing is at its best. The diaries are from when Bubba or Pandora as she was named, and her family were made to leave the island of Rhodes during WWII being that they were a Jewish family. The tell of how Pandora being small managed to escape being taken away by the Nazi’s on the evacuation ship to the concentration camps. They gradually unravel how Pandora showed great courage at just sixteen and joined the resistance and helped to try and sabotage the war for the Germans.

I found these diaries incredibly powerful in their storytelling, every emotion and every detail has been written about so precisely it’s as if you are there reliving the whole events. It’s through these diaries that we learn just how courageous Pandora was, risking her life to try and bring freedom to the island and they kind of left me in awe of how inspiring and determined she was. I’m ashamed to say that when I’ve thought about WWII, the Greek isles and Rhodes particularly have never really crossed my mind. Rhodes has always just been that happy relaxed holiday destination that we all think of. Villa of Secrets has altered that view dramatically and shown that the effects of the War affected all of Europe and not just the bigger countries like Poland, Germany and France.

The present-day side of the story shows us both Rebecca and Naomi have also inherited the Cohen determination and ability to fight for what they believe in. This comes across more with Rebecca as she left her family to be with the man she loves and has been determined to be a mother despite having many setbacks getting pregnant.  I also think Naomi shows courage and determination, in a smaller dose granted but she’s single-handedly nursed Bubba back to health after her stroke and has had to help to raise Rebecca also after losing her parents at ten years old.

I think Villa of Secrets is a great novel which has been thoroughly researched and very well written. Patricia Wilson has written about this sensitive time in history with great empathy and has developed a strong and courageous heroine in Pandora Cohen. This novel is about family loyalty, love, religion and fighting for what you a believe in. It’s a novel full of emotions which will make your heartache in places but its also a novel which shows there’s nothing stronger than love.

Thank you so much Bonnier Zaffre for sending me a copy to review which I have done honestly and for inviting me to be part of the blog tour.

Blog Tour Review: A Wedding at Mulberry Lane by Rosie Clarke

A Wedding at Mulberry Lane by Rosie Clarke

Published: 1st December 2017

Publisher: Aria

Pages: 274

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

Rating: 5/5

Blurb 

Love, marriage, birth, death and betrayal in the East End of London make up life in Mulberry Lane. Perfect for fans of Nadine Dorries, Cathy Sharp and Donna Douglas.

Maureen Jackson knew life as a trainee nurse wouldn't be easy, but she didn't expect her hospital to be badly bombed on her first shift. Plus Maureen still has her family and friends in Mulberry Lane to keep her busy – she's needed as much there as she is by her patients.

Running the pub on the corner of Mulberry Lane, Peggy Ashley is used to taking in all sorts of waifs and strays. But the arrival of a dashing American captain has got tongues wagging about Mulberry Lane's favourite landlady...

Janet Ashley's husband is back from the frontline. Which is more than so many of the wives of Mulberry Lane. But her beloved Mike is a completely different man from the one she fell in love with – and what's more he doesn't remember her, or their young daughter. How do you cope when your darling husband is a virtual stranger?

As WW2 continues around them, the women of Mulberry Lane know that community spirit and friendship is the key to surviving the Blitz.

Review

A Wedding at Mulberry Lane by Rosie Clarke is the second book in her popular Mulberry Lane series and I think it was just as absorbing and heartfelt as the first. If you haven’t read the first book then don’t worry you’ll soon be totally immersed in Ms. Clarke’s amazing storytelling and the lives of Maureen, Peggy and Janet.

Maureen has left Mulberry Lane to train as a nurse despite her injured sweetheart Rory begging her to stay by his side in London. For the first time in her life Maureen is doing exactly as she wants following her dream of helping others through her nursing, but with Rory begging her to marry him every time she visits her heart begins to be torn in two.

Peggy is still running the Pig and Whistle pub at the end of Mulberry Lane and is providing comfort for all those around her. Things with husband Laurence are particularly cold and all Peggy wants is someone to give her some comfort.

Janet has been reunited with missing husband Mike but their reunion has been bittersweet as Mike has no memory of his wife or young daughter Maggie.

Each of these women faces moments of heartbreak and joy throughout this book and the way Ms. Clarke writes it’s as though I was right there with them feeling every emotion with them.  I was a glad that one of them manages to find happy ending but for how long nobody knows.

I won’t say anymore as I don’t want to spoil this wonderful read, just that I highly recommend it to anyone who is fans of Lynsey Hutchinson, Nadine Dorries or Diney Costello. I adored every page and am so looking for the next instalment with these wonderful characters.

Thank you so much to Aria for sending me a copy to review and inviting me to be part of the blog tour.

About the Author

Rosie Clarke was born in Swindon, but moved to Ely in Cambridgeshire at the age of nine. She started writing in 1976, combining this with helping her husband run his antiques shop. In 2004, Rosie was the well-deserved winner of the RNA Romance Award and the Betty Neels Trophy. Rosie also writes as Anne Herries and Cathy Sharp. Find out more at her website: www.rosieclarke.co.uk

Blog Tour Review: Christmas Angels by Nadine Dorries

Christmas Angels by Nadine Dorries

Published: 16th November 2017

Publisher: Head of Zeus

Pages: 336

Available in Paperback and in Kindle

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Rating: 5/5 

Blurb

Christmas is the most harrowing time of year for the nurses of St Angelus Hospital.
A brilliant nurse secretly battling a fatal illness over Christmas... A starving baby boy abandoned in the freezing cold... A cruel, controlling mother, determined to block her daughter's nursing career at all costs...
In the run up to Christmas, nurses Pammy and Beth are aiming to win the coveted national decorating competition for the St Angelus children's ward, but drama after drama threatens to upset their plans.
Amid the hardship and poverty of 1950s Liverpool, only the humour and community spirit of nurses and patients will get the Angels through their toughest Christmas yet.

Review

Christmas Angels by Nadine Dorries is the forth book in the Lovely Lane series.  It features characters working in the St. Angelus hospital in Liverpool and living on Lovely Lane.  This could easily be read as a standalone but I think you will find more enjoyment if you have read the previous novels as some characters do carry over. I was a little sad that Dana and Victoria from the previous story do not feature in this novel but there are plenty of characters in this novel to love, Sister Paige being a favourite of mine.

The story starts with Maura and Tom Doherty, residents of Lovely Lane who are caring for their little girl Angela who is suffering from a chest infection. She is admitted to the hospital which leaves Maura sick with worry as this was at the very beginnings at the NHS and hospitals were still seen as scary places for most people. 

On the wards Sister Tapp is battling a hidden illness while determined to still give her patients on the children’s ward their best Christmas ever and newly appointed Sister Paige is trying to balance her working life with the demands of her manipulative mother.

Beth and Pammy are enjoying the Christmas festivities and determined that their ward will win the best decorated ward competition, but things are thrown into turmoil when little baby Louis is found neglected and abandoned in a locked up garage. Little Louis wins the hearts of all those around him and the whole hospital are praying he pulls through and gets better.

This is a beautifully written novel which had me totally absorbed from the start, it’s a novel which I struggled to put down as it pulled on the heartstrings bigtime with how emotional it is. I can pretty much guarantee if you read this you will shed a tear or two, especially with the storyline of baby Louis.

It is a novel which makes you feel as if you are there alongside the nurses and staff of St. Angelus as daily life is described in such a way that makes reading about housework captivating. This attention to detail brings to life the joys and heartache of Lovely Lane, especially in this novel where Christmas features heavily. You can picture how magical the children’s ward must have looked once the nurses had decorated and can imagine how enchanting it would be to hear the nurses singing on Christmas Eve. This is a novel which for me brings alive the true magic of Christmas of sharing, rejoicing and letting those we love know just how special they really are.

Despite featuring many storylines Nadine Dorries has managed to seamlessly work them all together to make a truly stunning read with an ending which works perfectly. I’m hoping there is another novel featuring the characters of Lovely Lane as I don’t think I could tire of reading about them ever, but I have a feeling this book could be the last one.

Thank you so much to Head of Zeus for sending me a copy to review and for inviting me to be part of the blog tour, I adored this book so much.

Island of Secrets by Patricia Wilson

Island of Secrets by Patricia Wilson

Published: 9th March 2017 (ebook)

Publisher: Bonnier Zaffre

Pages: 400

Available on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

Rating: 4/5

Blurb

Can you escape your past in paradise?

'The story started at dawn on the fourteenth of September, 1943 . . .'

All her life, London-born Angelika has been intrigued by her mother's secret past. Now planning her wedding, she feels she must visit the remote Crete village her mother grew up in.

Angie's estranged elderly grandmother, Maria, is dying. She welcomes Angie with open arms - it's time to unburden herself, and tell the story she'll otherwise take to her grave.

It's the story of the Nazi occupation of Crete during the Second World War, of horror, of courage and of the lengths to which a mother will go to protect her children. And it's the story of bitter secrets that broke a family apart, and of three enchanting women who come together to heal wounds that have damaged two generations.

Review
Island of Secrets is the debut novel by Patricia Wilson which is set mostly in the Crete village of Amiras, where Patricia once lived. The novel is based on real stories from real women who lived through the unease of the Nazi occupation of the island in1943.

The story tells the history of three generations of women from one family. Angelika is planning her wedding and longs for her mother Poppy to be reunited with her Creteian relatives whom she fled from many years ago. With Poppy unwilling to reveal the secrets of her past to her daughter, Angelika sets out on a pilgrimage to Crete to meet her relatives and to try and heals the wounds in the family. When Angie meets her maternal grandmother Maria she begins to find out the family history as Maria begins to divulge the secrets she would have otherwise taken to the grave.

I found this an incredibly moving story to read, in parts I was in tears as Maria retold her story, the horror and fear which she felt was portrayed in such detail, I was hooked. Patricia Wilson has done a brilliant job in creating vivid and sometimes horrific scenes which have truly brought this story to life for me and are sure to pull at your heart strings as they did mine.

Books with a duel narrative are a particular favourite of mine when the past mixes with the present and Island of Secrets has done this wonderfully. The narrative takes two forms as Maria tells her story of the past and Angelika makes her own discoveries in the present, both strands intertwine perfectly to create a cohesive and compelling story. I loved how the towards the end there were many surprising twists, the last third of the book I couldn’t put down as I was desperate to work out all the mysteries which had come to light.

The three main characters in this book are Angelika, Poppy and Maria, all are strong resourceful women. Poppy and Maria have had had periods of great difficulty in their lives but have not given up because of the amount of love they have for their children. Angelika first appears to be a little bit more selfish as she determined to have her Greek relatives at her wedding despite her mother begging her to leave the past alone and she also seems very quick to judge the actions of fiancé Nick in a negative light a little too often. As she hears Maria’s story she begins to realise her faults and begins to be a more thoughtful and empathetic individual. When this change occurs it’s easy to see she has the same love and resourcefulness as Maria and Poppy.

As with most stories featuring Greek families there are many more family members and these all add to the depth of the story. My two favourites were the bubbly and slightly aloof Voula and her grumpy husband Matthia, dialogue between these two often made me smile and brought some lighter moments to this book.

Island of Secrets is a book full of raw emotions, family vendettas, hidden secrets and three very strong women. It’s a book I enjoyed very much and one which fans of Victoria Hislop and Debbie Rix are sure to enjoy.

I’d like to thank the publishers Bonnier Zaffre for recommending this book to me and sending me a copy to review. I look forward to read Patricia Wilson’s next novel sometime in the future.

The Silvered Heart by Katherine Clements

The Silvered Heart by Katherine Clements

Published: 11th February 2016

Publisher: Headline Review

Pages: 464

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

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Blurb

1648: Civil war is devastating England. The privileged world of Katherine Ferrers is crumbling under Cromwell's army and, as an orphaned heiress, she has no choice but to marry for the sake of family.
But as her marriage turns into a prison and her fortune is forfeit, Katherine becomes increasingly desperate. So when she meets a man who shows her a way out, she seizes the chance. It is dangerous and brutal, and she knows if they're caught, there's only one way it can end...

Review

The Silvered Heart by Katherine Clements is a historical novel loosely following the life of Lady Katherine Ferrers. Katherine was born a rich heiress who was orphaned at a young age and to save her fortune forced into a loveless marriage with Thomas Fanshaw. As the civil war forces the Fanshaws out of favour the family fortune soon dwindles and Katherine is forced to take drastic measures to find some money. Embarking on life of danger as highway robber Katherine eventually finds someone who she can truly love.

I loved Katherine’s character, her determination to not just sit back and let her husband ruin them but to put herself in danger to find some money to keep her household together was inspiring ass many woman in history seem to only do what their husbands tell them. She doesn’t seem to be a very happy character as she believes she’s in touch with the devil. So I was glad when she found some happiness with Rafe.

I loved all the uncertainties that were portrayed in this book, how fortunes changed overnight and how allies were made and lost just as frequently. It was a time when England’s future was uncertain and the author has captured this feeling brilliantly.

The authors writing style is very detailed which totally engrosses you in the time and place of this novel and it felt very real to read. The bleak gruesomeness of the time have been captured very well, a little too well in places as there were some moments which made me a little squeamish.

I think this was a very interesting portrayal of the legend of the “Wicked Lady” from a lady who has a talent for historical fiction. I’m intrigued to read what she writes next.

I’d like to thank the publishers and bookbridgr for this review copy and I would like to rate The Silvered Heart by Katherine Clements 4/5.

Book Review - Secrets of the Tower by Debbie Rix

 

Secrets of the Tower by Debbie Rix

Published: 20th March 2015

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 400

Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

 

Blurb

Two women, centuries apart, bound together by the secrets of one of the most iconic buildings ever created.

Pisa, 1999
Sam Campbell sits by her husband’s hospital bed. Far from home and her children, she must care for Michael who is recovering from a stroke. A man she loves deeply. A man who has been unfaithful to her.

Alone and in need of distraction, Sam decides to pick up Michael’s research into the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Immersing herself in the ancient city, she begins to piece together the mystery behind the creation of the tower, and discovers the woman who history forgot…

Pisa, 1171
Berta di Bernardo, the wife of a rich merchant, sits in her chamber, dressing for a dinner party. A gathering that will change the course of her life and a young master mason, Gerardo, forever.

A strong, intelligent woman, Berta’s passion for architecture also draws her closer to Gerardo. As she embarks on a love affair, her maid Aurelia also becomes spellbound by the same man. Yet for Berta, her heart’s desire is to see the Tower built, and her determination knows no bounds…

Review

Secrets of the Tower by Debbie Rix is the story of how the Tower of Pisa came to be designed and the mystery surrounding who designed it. It is told from two viewpoints, one in 1999 and one when the tower was being designed around 1172. It is the perfect mix of old and new perspectives which although separate stories, together uncover some of the mystery of the tower and the passionate people behind it.

The story begins in 1999 with Sam, who has just learnt her husband has been unfaithful. She then gets a call to say he has had a stroke while in Italy researching the history of the tower. In turmoil she heads off to Italy to nurse her nurse her husband but soon finds herself caught in the mystery of the tower. When she meets Dario Visalberghi a man with local connections they begin to find some clues to the mysteries surrounding the tower.

The second viewpoint is mostly told from the perspective of Berta di Bernardo, the wife of wealthy merchant Lorenzo Calvo, who being the daughter of an architect has an interest in the buildings being designed in Pisa. She meets and falls in love with Gerado di Gerado a young carpenter and with her wealth and influence helps to further his career within Pisa. We also hear some of the story from Gerado and also Aurelia, Berta’s young maid.

I really enjoyed reading this book, the writing style made it easy to follow and it flowed well between the two viewpoints. I did prefer the historical aspect of the book more than the modern day setting. I think this was because there was more background story to the characters and their love triangle kept the story from purely being about the buildings.

The thing I loved most about this book was the love of Pisa that came through from all the characters, it seems to capture all their hearts, Berta’s most particularly. The passion for the city was in all the Pisans, wanting to it be seen as the most beautiful city in Italy was very inspiring and has made me want to visit this city even more.

Even though the backdrop to this book is the mystery of the tower this is essentially a tale of love in its many forms. Gerado is intoxicated by Berta and her beauty and wealth but also has a simpler, deeper long lasting love for Aurelia, but which woman will he choose to be with? Sam has to deal with infidelity in love and decide if she can forgive her husband or whether she should be swayed by the handsome Dario.

I’m surprised to learn that this is Debbie Rix’s first novel as I found it well written, very absorbing with realistic characters and the research which she must has done to have such detail in the book is outstanding. I cannot wait to see what she writes next as I’m sure it will be as brilliant as Secrets of the Tower. I give this book 5/5.

I would like to thank Bookouture for the advanced copy of this book.

Blog Tour Review - Winter Siege by Araina Franklin and Samantha Norman

 

Winter Siege by Ariana Franklin and Samantha Norman

Published: 12th February 2015 (paperback)

Publisher: Bantam Press (Transworld)

Pages: 448

Available in Paperback

Order a copy from Amazon now

Blurb
It’s 1141 and freezing cold.

Gwil, a battle-hardened mercenary, is horrified to stumble across a little girl close to death. She has been attacked, just one more victim in a winter of atrocities. Clutching a sliver of parchment, she is terrified – but Gwil knows what he must do. He will bring her back to life. He will train her to fight. And together, they will hunt down the man who did this to her.

But danger looms wherever they turn. As castle after castle falls victim to siege, the icy Fens ring with rumours of a madman, of murder – and of a small piece of parchment with a terrible secret to tell, the cost of which none of them could have imagined . . .

Review

Winter Siege is a historical novel set in 1141 at the time of the Anarchy between King Stephen and his cousin Empress Matilda, daughter of Henry I. The tale is based on Gwil, a mercenary with a kind heart, Penda the young girl who Gwil takes under his wing after she is brutally attacked and Lady Maud of Kenniford, whose castle comes under siege from the feuding royals.

I have to confess that before being asked to be part of this blog tour I had never read any of Ariana Franklin’s novels, or even heard her name before. Having read one I can understand why she has such a following, Winter Siege is a tale which draws you into the lives of the three main characters and makes you emotionally attached to them. I would love to have been able to spot the point where Samantha Norman took over writing, however I found it flowed seamlessly from beginning to end.

I felt this book did have a slow start and it wasn’t until Gwil, Penda and Maud were altogether that I really began to enjoy the story as that was when we got to know more about the feelings of both Penda and Maud which was far more enjoyable to me the battle for who was going to be England’s ruler. My favourite character was Penda, I thought she made a brilliant male and female character and would love there to be a follow up book to find out what happened next to her. I loved the way she changed from being shy and frightened to being quite cheeky, especially with Gwil and also that she stood and shot her bow with the men which must have been pretty daunting for anyone.  

One thing that did bother me about this book was the over use of expletive words which were used in the dialogue throughout the book, so if this bothers you be warned.

Overall I found Winter Siege to be an enjoyable and will in the future seek out Ariana Franklin’s previous novels and look out for anything else which Samantha Norman writes. I would rate this book 4/5.

Thank you to Transworld for my review copy and asking me to join with this tour, please visit other blogs on the tour for more insight into this book.

Book Review - The King's Sister by Anne O'Brien

 

The King's Sister by Anne O'Brien

Published: 1st November 2014

Publisher: Mira

Pages: 560

Available in Hardback and on Kindle

Order now from Amazon

 

Blurb

1382. Daughter of John of Gaunt, sister to the future King Henry IV, Elizabeth of Lancaster has learned the shrewd tricks of the court from England’s most powerful men. In a time of political turmoil, allegiance to family is everything. A Plantagenet princess should never defy her father’s wishes. Yet headstrong Elizabeth refuses to bow to the fate of a strategic marriage. Rejecting her duty, Elizabeth weds the charming and ruthlessly ambitious Sir John Holland: Duke of Exeter, half-brother to King Richard II and the one man she has always wanted. But defiance can come at a price. 1399. Elizabeth’s brother Henry has seized the throne. Her husband, confident to the usurped Richard, masterminds a secret plot against the new King. Trapped in a dangerous web, Elizabeth must make a choice. Defy the King and betray her family. Or condemn her husband and send him to his death. Sister. Wife. Traitor. She holds the fate of England in her hands.  

 

Review

The King’s Sister tells the story of Elizabeth of Lancaster, sister to Henry IV. The story begins in 1380 in Elizabeth’s childhood home Kenilworth Castle on the day her marriage to the eight year old Duke of Pembroke is announced. Elizabeth is distraught with this news as he’s so much younger than her even though the match is politically a very strong one for her family. Elizabeth surrenders to her arranged marriage, until the day she meets John Holland, half-brother to King Richard and a man Elizabeth is instantly attracted to. They begin a love-hate relationship for a number of years until Elizabeth begs her father for an annulment to her marriage so she can marry her lover. Although she loves him deeply life with John Holland is not always an easy and happy one for Elizabeth, her husband has ambitions for himself alongside King Richard, which don’t always put his family first. As Elizabeth’s brother Henry gains favour for the crown Elizabeth has a difficult choice to make, betray her husband or her brother.

I have been a fan of historical fiction for a while but have tended to stick reading about the Tudors, mainly through the work of Philippa Gregory. The King’s Sister seemed the perfect book to discover a new historical fiction author and in Anne O’Brien I have found a wonderful writer. Her ability to create a realistic historically accurate and gripping read shows she has a real skill for storytelling in a period which has been well researched.

I really enjoyed reading The King’s Sister, I loved the romance that brewed between Elizabeth and John Holland over the years, starting so innocently and gradually became more passionate which I felt made the characters very real. Elizabeth was a really great character, she is determined and appears to have more guts than some men at the time. So has no problem barging in on political meetings if it means she’ll get her own way, which a lot of the time she does. She does come across as a little selfish, she decides she wants to end her marriage to the Duke of Pembroke, but she gives no consideration to how this will affect him, or indeed her father’s situation at court. When she decided to step in and make her betrayal, the choice she made must have been heart-breaking, knowing she was probably going to lose one of the men she loved, her husband or her brother.

The King’s Sister is a big book and not the easiest story to follow that I’ve ever read. I do think it is worth the time and effort though as it was an enjoyable read and one which gave me a real taste of life in England at that time. It’s a book I can see myself enjoying again in the future as I found Anne’s writing absorbing and I cannot wait to pick up her next book.

 

Thank to Mira for sending me a copy to review.

Rating 5/5