Yay! Not only is Julia Brannan’s Mask of Duplicity an excellent novel but it’s also the first book in a six book series, The Jacobite Chronicles. I love authors that make the first book free rather than making us wade into the middle of a series and then work out from there. This novel has won a bunch of awards including an IndieBRAG Gold Medallion, so I am not the only one that loves it. Beth and Richard are feeling the pinch after their father dies leaving them very little to start well in …
Historical
The Beast of Clan Kincaid
Well, this is the first romance novel that I have ever read that was set in the Scottish Highlands and features a bunch of historical clan warriors. This means that I cannot speak to the historical accuracy of the book, though the men are wearing skirts (sorry kilts) and that I do know is accurate. It’s important to note that this didn’t interfere with my enjoyment of The Beast of Clan Kincaid by Lily Blackwood. The hero is suitably hunky and interesting to gain your attention from the off …
The Mystery At Underwood House: An Angela Marchmont Mystery
Every single book nowadays, apart from non-fiction, appears to be part of a larger series and Clara Benson’s The Mystery at Underwood House is no exception. It is the second part of a ten part series but happily, it stands alone very well and you won’t feel like you’ve missed out if you decide to take the free taste of Clara’s imaginings. There’s a clear “Agatha Christie” inspiration running through this 1920s whodunnit? A warring family gathers to the reading of a wealthy relative’s will and …
Beyond The Cliffs Of Kerry: Bold Women Of The 18th Century
This is first and foremost, historical fiction, but it has a healthy dose of love story poured on the top to sweeten the broth. Beyond The Cliffs Of Kerry: Bold Women Of The 18th Century (Book 1) by Amanda Hughes set during the famines of Ireland and the brutal British occupation. The heroine, Darcy, teams up with a French group to evade the English but is captured and transported to the colonies. What awaits her there? Love, adventure and the American frontier! What more could you ask for? …
Victoria: A Novel Of The Young Queen
Daisy Goodwin is the “creator/writer of the Masterpiece Presentation on PBS” and also the author of Victoria: A Novel Of The Young Queen. It is an exploration of the fictional early life of the British monarch. However, it draws liberally on history when it feels like it. I found it to be a compelling novel which offers an insight into how lonely it would have been to be a powerful woman in an age of men. And how hard it might have been for that woman to have been short in stature when …
Behind The Scenes At The Museum
Kate Atkinson’s Behind the Scenes at the Museum has won a ton of awards and is a National Bestseller. Publisher’s Weekly enthuses, “The narrator's insistent voice and breezy delivery animates this enchanting first novel by a British writer who won one of the 1993 Ian St. James Awards for short stories. Ruby Lennox is a quirky, complex character who relates the events of her life and those of her dysfunctional family with equal parts humor, fervor and candor-starting with her moment of conception …
The Gilded Lily
Deborah Swift’s The Gilded Lily is rather wonderful. It’s the story of two sisters bound together in adversity, one-step ahead of the hangman’s noose. They flee to the dark streets of London where they seek their escape and, perhaps, their fortune. This is a sheer delight. It’s a rollercoaster ride of thrills and romance. I absolutely loved it. I think you will too. Of course, there comes a moment in every life when you have to decide between the needs of family and the needs of yourself. How …
Pilfered Promises
I realize this week that the holidays are soon upon us with both Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner. So, what better way to get into the mood for things than a holiday whodunit written by a bestselling author (USA Today)? Pilfered Promises by M Louisa Locke is a super charming tale of a department store thief and the San Francisco of the 1880s. This is the fifth novel in a series of historical vignettes and I highly recommend that you give it a try. You can pick up …
Miss Armistead Makes Her Choice
It’s time for a love story! I’ve picked Miss Armistead Makes Her Choice by Heidi Ashworth this week for an awesome Regency period love story. As you might expect this is one of those “billionaire romances” in disguise but without any 50 Shades of Gray connotations. It’s a love story and definitely not an erotica piece. Elizabeth Armistead is convinced that the only reason men are attracted to her is her looks. Now, this may or may not be true but she meets Colin Lloyd-Jones (the wealthy …