My Imaginary Mary – Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows
My Imaginary Mary brings us the authors’ unique take on the life of Mary Shelley. The daughter of the brilliant Mary Wollstonecraft, Mary, a writer herself, is just waiting for the right story so that she can live up to her mother’s work, not to mention, impress the handsome poet, Percy Shelley. Ada Lovelace, the daughter of the famous poet Lord Byron, is a mechanical genius, but no matter how amazing her work, there seem to be men who will take over and claim it as their own. When Mary and Ada meet, they learn that they are fae, and possess the magical ability to create anything with the power of imagination. Excited to try their new abilities, the duo set out to make an machine that can function autonomously, improving upon Ada’s PAN, or Practical Automaton Number One. But things go awry, and instead of an independently thinking machine, the girls now have a living, breathing and entirely alive PAN on their hands – and an unscrupulous scientist who will stop at nothing to figure out their secret. They must now work together to keep PAN safe as they figure out the magical world they’ve been introduced to and their fae abilities.…
The Last White Rose: A Novel of Elizabeth of York – Alison Weir
The eldest daughter of King Edward IV, Princess Elizabeth is adored by all, but her world is thrown into chaos upon the death of her father. Her uncle Richard III usurps the throne and imprisons her two younger brothers, the rightful heirs, in the Tower of London and they are never seen again. For a time, it seems as though she might be obliged to marry King Richard to solidify his claim to the throne though common belief is that he is responsible for the murders of her brothers. But Henry Tudor invades, saving her from this fate, and following the battle of Bosworth, is proclaimed King. He asks Elizabeth to become his queen and with their marriage, the rival claims of Lancaster and York are united, beginning the Tudor line.…
The Last Daughter of York – Nicola Cornick
The year is 1483 and Richard III’s armies are at war with Henry Tudor’s rebels. Francis Lovell, Richard III’s trusted friend and confidant is entrusted with the safekeeping of his nephew, the young Prince Richard of York, and he takes him to his family home to be placed in the care of his wife Anne. Two years later, the war is lost and Anne knows she cannot hide either Richard or Francis from Tudor forces much longer, and uses a family relic to send both of them to safety. In present day, Serena Warren’s twin sister Caitlin, mysteriously disappeared many years ago while on a visit to their family home as teenagers and Serena has always been haunted by it and her memories of that day are hazy. When Caitlin’s bones are discovered in a grave from the eighteenth century, and an undisturbed one at that, Serena returns to the house, hoping that she might remember something. As she begins to explore, she comes across local folklore that describes a magical artifact that may be linked to the whole thing and her search for answers leads her to a centuries old secret connecting her to the lost Plantagenet Prince.…
The Last of the Seven – Steven Hartov – HTP Books Summer 2022 Historical Fiction Blog Tour
A man in German uniform stumbles into a British military camp in North Africa after travelling through the desert, claiming to be a British soldier who has escaped from Nazi captivity. Lieutenant Bernard Froelich, a German Jew, is the last survivor of a covert operation to infiltrate a Nazi base. Brought to Sicily to recover from his terrible injuries, Froelich’s journey is not quite done. A British major recruits him to join the new X Troop, a group of commandos who are all German or Austrian Jews, for a secret mission that will rely on their fluency and ability to pass as Germans, this dangerous task is an opportunity for many of them to gain vengeance.…
The Codebreaker’s Secret – Sara Ackerman – HTP Books Summer 2022 Historical Fiction Blog Tour
In 1943, codebreaker Isabel Cooper is assigned to Pearl Harbor to join the team of cryptanalysts there. But she also has another reason for wanting to be in Hawaii – it is where her brother’s plane was shot down and she is hoping to find his best friend in order to learn more about his last days. Meanwhile in 1965, journalist Lu Freitas, comes home to Hawaii on an assignment to cover the opening of a luxury hotel. When a famous guest goes missing, Lu teams up with a renowned photographer to get to the bottom of things. Their search leads them in an unexpected direction following a shocking discovery though, and the key to the mystery may lie in a long held secret from the war days.…
The Librarian Spy – Madeline Martin – HTP Books Summer 2022 Historical Fiction Blog Tour
Ava, a librarian at the Library of Congress, is sent to Portugal to assist in a covert operation gathering intelligence to send back to the US. In occupied France, Helaine’s husband disappears and when she finds out he has been arrested for helping the Resistance, she decides to join them under the name Elaine and starts working at a printing press that prints underground newspapers. When Elaine seeks a way to help those fleeing France, she and Ava begin to connect through a series of coded messages in the newspapers, developing a friendship in the middle of the war.…
The German Wife – Kelly Rimmer – HTP Books Summer 2022 Historical Fiction Blog Tour
When Sofie von Meyer Rhodes’ husband Jurgen, a scientist, is offered a senior position in a rocket program run by the Nazi party, it initially seems to be the answer to their financial troubles. They soon realize the true motives behind the program, and though they strongly oppose the Nazi ideology, it is made very clear that Jurgen has no choice but to continue with his work or the entire family will be at risk. Fast forward towards the end of the war, when Jurgen and many other German scientists are taken to America and granted a pardon in exchange for working for their fledgeling space program. Sofie arrives with her children to join him in Alabama, hoping to leave the horrors of recent years behind for a fresh start, but the local community is less than welcoming of the German families. When rumors of what the Rhodes family was involved in during the war begin to spread, they are placed under intense scrutiny and the hostility turns into outright hatred.…
The Diamond Eye – Kate Quinn
Lyudmila Pavlichenko is a history student in Kiev, but Hitler’s invasion motivates her to join the war effort and she goes to the front as a sniper. As her tally continues to increase, she gains the moniker of Lady Death and her 300th kill makes her famous across Russia. Sent on a goodwill tour as an ambassador to America in order to persuade them to enter the war, Mila is still reeling from the losses she has experienced. It is a more difficult task than she expected as she meets with skeptics who are certain she is a PR gimmick by the Russians and don’t believe a woman could be a sniper, not to mention the rude and intrusive press. However, she finds an unexpected ally in First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and forges a close friendship. Meanwhile, another sniper lurks in the shadows, following the tour and waiting for an opportunity to take down their mark, President Roosevelt, and frame Mila for it, and as an old enemy joins forces with them, Mila must figure out how to foil the plot before it’s too late.…
Daughters of a Dead Empire – Carolyn Tara O’Neil
The year is 1918 and in the midst of the Russian Revolution, Anna’s family has been massacred by the Bolsheviks. The sole survivor, she flees, knowing that she will be hunted as soon as it is discovered that she is still alive, and meets Evgenia, a peasant girl, whom she pays with one of the jewels she has hidden away to take her south where she hopes to find safety with the White Army. Evgenia is a communist herself, and suspicious of Anna, but is in desperate need of money for a doctor and accepts the offer. But Anna’s pursuers are not far behind, and no matter where Evgenia’s loyalties lie, she too is being hunted now and they will have to learn to trust each other to survive.…
This Rebel Heart – Katherine Locke – ARC Review
Set during the Hungarian revolution of 1956, This Rebel Heart tells the story of Csilla, a young Jewish woman who survived the Holocaust only for her parents to be murdered by the government. She and her aunt, her last surviving family member, plan to flee the country but her escape plans grind to a halt when her parents are unexpectedly cleared of the crimes they were executed for. As stirrings of a revolution begin in Budapest, Csilla must decide if she will stay and fight for what is right, even if it is for a country that she has never felt was truly hers.…
A Coin for the Ferryman – Megan Edwards – ARC Review
Nobel Laureate Andrew Danicek gathers a group of elite researchers and scholars to work on a top secret project at the IDES lab in California – a time travel experiment to bring Julius Caesar from moments before his assassination into the present for four days. They plan to use this time to learn as much as they can from him, but despite the tight security and detailed planning, someone has learned the details of the goings on at the lab and attempts to kidnap Caesar. It falls into the hands of Cassandra Fleury, the youngest of the team, chosen for her ability to speak fluent Latin, to keep Caesar safe from their pursuers and bring him to the lab in time so that he can be returned back to the Ides of March. Missing their deadline to send him back could have grave consequences for the future of the world.…
The Last Grand Duchess – Bryn Turnbull – HTP Books Winter 2022 Historical Fiction Blog Tour
The eldest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, Grand Duchess Olga Romanov lives with her parents and siblings in the Alexander palace far from the glitter and intrigue of St Petersburg’s court. They have all led a very sheltered and secluded life, owing to their mother’s dislike of high society, but also to hide the secret of their brother Alexei’s hemophilia. The only one who can check his illness is the mystic Rasputin, whom the Tsarina has come to increasingly rely on, turning a deaf ear to the unsavoury rumours and rising controversy surrounding him, which also contributes to the unrest stirring in the capital. As war breaks out, Olga and her sisters devote themselves to nursing the wounded Russian soldiers returning from the front, but the people are dissatisfied and no longer happy with the Imperial rule, especially not with the severe shortages due to the war. When the unrest explodes in violence, it brings revolution to their doorstep, threatening to topple generations of Romanov rule.…
I Must Betray You – Ruta Sepetys – ARC Review
Romania under the Communist regime is a dangerous place and people live in fear of the secret police. When seventeen year old Cristian Florescu is blackmailed into becoming an informant, he has no choice and must live with the guilt of betraying everyone around him. But when the task given to him unexpectedly provides an opportunity to expose the atrocities taking place in Romania to the rest of the world, he risks everything to reveal the truth behind the regime through his writing. Communist regimes around Eastern Europe are falling by the day, and when the revolution comes to Romania, Cristian seizes the chance to fight for change.…
The Nobleman’s Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks – Mackenzi Lee
Nearly two decades after the events of The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy, Adrian Montague, now 19, is his father’s sole heir and a budding political writer. But in the wake of his mother’s recent death under somewhat mysterious circumstances, he has been struggling more and more with his mental illness, the same his mother had, and fears that people will find out about it. When he receives a keepsake of his mother, a broken piece of a spyglass, Adrian sets out to find more about it, only to happen upon an older brother he never knew he had – Henry Montague, aka Monty. Adrian’s mission to find answers soon turns into a quest across the sea to find their sister Felicity and a jaunt through various countries, in search of something only spoken of in legend.…
A Most Clever Girl – Stephanie Marie Thornton
In the wake of her mother’s death, Catherine Gray finds out a secret about her past that leaves her reeling. Determined to get vengeance, she seeks out Elizabeth Bentley, intending to kill her. But instead, Elizabeth convinces her to listen to her story first and what unfolds is a story of espionage. In 1933, a young and lonely Elizabeth is recruited by the American Communist Party, ostensibly to fight against fascism, but by the time World War II comes around, things have changed and she finds herself deeply involved in a spy network for the Russians. When the war ends however, the U.S. and Russia are at odds once more and Elizabeth’s life is at risk – and the only way out might be to go against the dangerous Soviet spy agency.…
The London House – Katherine Reay – ARC Review
Caroline Payne has always been told that her great-aunt Caro, whom she is named after, died in childhood of polio. But when Mat Hammond, an old college friend contacts her about some information he has found when researching an article, scandalous family secrets are uncovered. Mat has found letters that claim that Caro was a traitor to her country and defected during World War II with a Nazi. Caroline is convinced there is more to the story and she travels to her family’s ancestral London home where she finds, among her grandmother’s possessions, diaries and letters from her twin sister Caro. As each letter reveals another piece of a long buried past, more and more questions arise too and Caroline and Mat hasten to put together the pieces and discover the truth – but will the truth be better or worse than what they suspect?…
The Secrets of Latimer House – Jules Wake – ARC Review
Latimer House, a country estate in Buckinghamshire, becomes a base to hold high ranking Nazi POWs during WWII while they are interrogated. Three women are brought together by the top secret work undertaken here. Heiress Evelyn Brooke-Edwards, with her fluency in German, is a skilled interrogator. Local girl Betty Connors is initially brought in as a typist, but her analytical skills soon have her working on much more important things. Judith Stern, a German Jew who escaped Nazi Germany after Kristallnacht, listens in on the conversations between the POWs for any useful information. The three women soon become fast friends despite their different personalities and backgrounds as they each work through their own trials.…
Radar Girls – Sara Ackerman – Harlequin Trade Publishing Summer 2021 Blog Tour
Following the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Daisy Wilder is recruited to join a top secret program for the U.S. Military, the Women’s Air Raid Defense, to replace male soldiers who are increasingly being sent into war zones. The WARDs are responsible for guiding pilots and tracking unidentified planes in the Pacific, and many think that women will not be capable of such an important job, but Daisy is determined to prove herself.…
The Clockmaker’s Wife – Daisy Wood – ARC Review
Eleanor Spelman flees London with her young daughter Alice for the countryside to escape the Blitz in 1940. Her husband, Arthur, who is one of the clockmakers who keep Big Ben working, remains behind. When Nell receives a panicked phone call from Arthur saying that he has been arrested, she rushes back to London, desperate to find out what is going on, but finds herself uncovering some dark secrets. In present day New York, Ellie finds a watch that belonged to her grandmother Nell who died during WWII and curious to find out exactly what happened, travels to London to meet her Aunt Gillian in hopes of learning more about her family history.…
Luck of the Titanic – Stacey Lee
Valora Luck dreams of being a circus performer in New York, and she has a ticket to travel aboard the Titanic that will take her there. However she is turned away at the gangway due to the Chinese Exclusion Act that restricts the entry of Chinese people into America. But not only is Titanic Val’s way to America, but also her chance to reunite with her twin brother Jamie who is somewhere aboard. Determined to find a way on to the ship, Val stows away and tries to keep her head down as she searches for Jamie and figures out a way to audition for a famous circus owner who can get her the papers to enter America. Things certainly don’t go as planned though and as the Titanic goes down, all of Val’s aspirations change to simply surviving the ordeal.…
My Contrary Mary – Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows – ARC Review
Mary is the Queen of Scotland and has been betrothed to Francis, the Dauphin of France since childhood. It’s finally time for their wedding, which isn’t so bad since they’ve become very good friends over the years. Mary has gone so far as to even confide her greatest secret to him – she is an Eðian who can turn into a mouse, a secret that could mean her death if revealed, since France is a kingdom of Verities. When the king meets a suspicious end just days later, Mary and Francis are brought to the throne far sooner than either of them expected and they find themselves at the center of a conspiracy. The situation back home in Scotland isn’t much better either with the people protesting against the rule of a Verity queen. With even her own family and close confidants scheming against her, Mary must figure out the truth of the situation before it is too late.…
Katharine Parr: The Sixth Wife – Alison Weir
Katharine Parr has lost two husbands, and for the first time, is in love. But no sooner than she and Sir Thomas Seymour make plans to wed, it becomes clear that King Henry is determined to win her hand. One does not refuse a King, and so Katharine has no choice but to become his sixth Queen. She is already in a precarious position, as illustrated by the five women before her, but her views on religious reform make it even more dangerous. The Tudor court is much the same as ever though, and her enemies are waiting for her to make a misstep.…
The Warsaw Orphan – Kelly Rimmer – Harlequin Trade Publishing Summer 2021 Blog Tour
The year is 1942 and Elzbieta leads a relatively comfortable life in her family’s Warsaw apartment. While she is aware of the rising tension on the streets, she has never thought much about what the conditions are like for the people in the Jewish ghetto just a short distance away. When she accidentally finds out that her neighbour Sara, a nurse, is part of an underground movement that rescues children from inside the ghetto and finds them new homes, she insists on helping, seeing this as a way she can help. For the Gorka family behind the walls, despite the horrific conditions they have to endure, their sole consolation is that their family is still together. With food and resources running out quickly though, they face the impossible decision of giving away their newborn daughter Eleonora or watch her starve to death. With disturbing rumours of mass deportations in the air, time is quickly running out for them to decide. Roman Gorka’s anger mounts by the day, seeking to fight back against the many injustices perpetrated upon them, and this is the final straw that pushes him to join the rebellion that is building. But Elzbieta and her family have secrets of their own and if Roman’s recklessness draws attention to them and Sara’s operation, everyone will be at risk.…
Sixteen Scandals – Sophie Jordan – ARC Review
Primrose Ainsworth is excited to finally turn sixteen and make her debut in London society. But when her family not only pretty much ignore her special day but also inform her that they will be delaying her introduction until her older sisters are married, Prim decides she has had enough. Determined to make her sixteenth birthday a memorable one, she dons a mask and sneaks out with her best friend Olympia to the notorious Vauxhall Gardens for one fun night before returning to the same boring life as before. The attractions of Vauxhall also hold unexpected dangers however, and the girls are separated soon after they arrive. When things get out of hand, Prim is rescued by a mysterious stranger, Jacob, who takes it upon himself to be her guide around the gardens. But will this one evening of adventure be the only time Prim has or will she get a chance at the life she desires?…
The Woman With The Blue Star – Pam Jenoff – ARC Review
Sadie Gault and her family are forced to flee the Krakow Ghetto when the Nazis arrive to liquidate it and they seek refuge in the sewers. Ella Stepanek, a Polish girl leads a comfortable life as her stepmother has made sure to ally with the Germans. When passing through the market on an errand, Ella notices something moving under one of the grates and is startled to find that someone is actually living in the tunnels beneath the city. An unlikely and immediate friendship forms between the two as Ella becomes determined to help Sadie. But Nazi occupied Krakow is a city that is becoming increasingly dangerous for both of them.…
The Lost Apothecary – Sarah Penner
In 18th century London, Nella has turned her once respectable apothecary business into a secret shop that dispenses poisons to help women who are being harmed by men in any way. When her latest customer turns out to be an inquisitive twelve year old girl on an errand for her mistress, the two form an unexpected friendship, but the series of events that follow place not only Nella but every woman who has ever sought her aid at risk of discovery. Caroline Parcewell arrives in present day London for what should have been a celebration of her tenth wedding anniversary and finds an old apothecary vial near the Thames River. Her curiosity drives her to dig deeper and she soon realizes that she may be holding a link to a 200 year old mystery.…
The Rose Code – Kate Quinn – ARC Review
The year is 1940, and three women answer a mysterious summons to the country estate of Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire, learning upon arrival that they are to join teams that work to break codes in intercepted German military communications. Wealthy Canadian born debutante Osla has everything, but longs to prove herself as more than just another society girl, and gains the opportunity when her proficiency in German lands her a position translating decoded enemy messages. Mab has worked hard to give herself an education and a brighter future than the poverty she grew up in. She works the codebreaking machines, even as she looks for the security a husband will bring, all the while concealing a dark secret. Then there is meek Beth, the village spinster, who has been cowed by her domineering mother all her life and made to believe she is worthless. But Osla and Mab see potential in her talent for puzzles and when she becomes one of the few female cryptanalysts at Bletchley, her true genius begins to shine through. With the extreme secrecy that the job requires, the three of them soon become close friends. Fast forward to 1947, the three women, once close friends are now enemies, torn apart by secrets and betrayal, but they meet again reluctantly when Beth, who has been confined to an asylum under false pretences, manages to reach out at last with critical information she was shut away for knowing. There was and still is a traitor among the group at Bletchley Park, and they must get back together to break one last code to find the evidence.…
Mini Reviews #13 | Blogmas Day 1
Hello readers! It’s time for another round of Mini Reviews, where I talk about some of the books I don’t write full length reviews for. It’s been a while since I did one of these posts! With the hectic posting schedule I’ve had these past months, I haven’t really had the chance to share my thoughts on some of the other books I’ve been reading, so I figured it would be a great post to kick off Blogmas! This installment, let’s chat about: Hench, Rebel Spy, Heartstopper: Volume Two and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.…
And They Called It Camelot – Stephanie Marie Thornton
Stephanie Thornton’s latest novel brings us the story of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis from her first meeting with Jack, all the way to the dedication of the JFK Library. And They Called It Camelot is narrated in first person, by Jackie herself, and it was the perfect way to get to know this famous figure in American history. …
Code Name Verity – Elizabeth Wein
Best friends Maddie and Queenie set off on a mission that will take them into Occupied France in 1943. But when their plane crashes in enemy territory, Queenie is captured by the Gestapo and tortured and interrogated as a spy. Code Name Verity is the tale of these two girls and their friendship as told by Queenie in the form of a written confession to her captors, as she weaves a story that she hopes will save her from the enemy.…
The Enigma Game – Elizabeth Wein – ARC Review
When a German pilot drops off an Enigma Machine in a small Scottish town, it brings together four very unlikely people: the local pub owner’s elderly German aunt Jane Warner, the half-Jamaican teen Louisa Adair who has been hired to take care of her, Ellen McEwen, a volunteer and driver for the local airfield, and Flight Lieutenant James Beaufort-Stuart. Louisa, who discovers it, doesn’t report it, instead putting it to use translating the coded messages that Jamie Stuart’s squadron is picking up on their flights. Jamie and his fliers soon have a huge advantage, the intercepted messages not only keeping them out of harm’s way, but also providing intelligence of upcoming attacks that they can foil. But how long can they keep the machine a secret? When the German bombers turn their attention to their small town, the group is still reluctant to give up this machine that provides them with such a large advantage, even when it appears that the Germans may suspect what they may have in their possession.…
The Night Portrait – Laura Morelli – ARC Review
The year is 1492, and Leonardo Da Vinci makes his way to Milan in hope of seeking the patronage of the Duke Ludovico Sforza and pursue his passion of building great machines and inventions. Yet, in the Milanese court, it is his skill at painting that will help him survive as he is commissioned to paint the Duke’s young mistress, Cecilia Gallerani. Cecilia and Leonardo strike up a friendship, and as Cecilia struggles to maintain her position in the palace, the portrait begins to take shape. Hundreds of years later, that very portrait, better known as the Lady with an Ermine, is now a priceless artifact, and during the mass appropriations of artworks and treasures from across Europe, lands in the possession of a high-ranking Nazi officer. Edith Becker, an art conservator from Munich, is horrified at what she has unwittingly enabled, resolves to save it, along with countless other treasures she assesses and catalogs daily, risking her life to do so by working with Dominic, an American soldier of the Monuments Men.…
Code Name Hélène – Ariel Lawhon
The day is February 29th, 1994, and Héléne is parachuted from an RAF plane into France in 1944 on a mission to aid the Maquis – the French Revolutionaries – ahead of the Allied landing, armed with vital information to aid the resistance and of course, her red lipstick. Flashback to eight years in the past when the first stirrings of war are in the air and Héléne is the Australian journalist Nancy Wake, witnessing a horrifying example of Nazi cruelty in Vienna. This one experience has a profound effect on her and she vows that if she can ever do anything to subvert the Nazis she will – and eventually, a few years later when she is settled down into a socialite’s life in Marseille, an opportunity appears. The two storylines run in parallel, tracing the many transformations she goes through – Nancy, Mrs. Fiocca, the smuggler Lucienne Carlier, the infamous White Mouse hunted by the Nazis, the spy Héléne, and finally Madame Andrée – painting a portrait of a remarkable woman who became one of the most powerful leaders in the French Resistance.…
My Calamity Jane – Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows
The third installment in this unique series brings us the story of Calamity Jane. Wild Bill’s Wild West is a show that travels around putting on exhibitions of sharpshooting. This is however a cover for the group of garou (that is, werewolf) hunters tracking down the leader of the Pack, only known as the Alpha who has been running wild biting and turning humans. Jane, along with Wild Bill Hickok and his son Frank arrive in Mississippi following a lead and after a hunt goes awry, Jane finds out that she has been bitten. When she hears rumours of a cure for garou, she takes off immediately for Deadwood, but things aren’t what they seem and the rest of the crew are in hot pursuit as she is running straight into even bigger trouble.…
The Black Swan of Paris – Karen Robards – ARC Review
In wartime Paris, Genevieve Dumont is a celebrated singer favoured by the Nazis who uses her fame and the privileges she is afforded as an artist to help the resistance undetected – passing messages to allies, smuggling refugees across borders disguised as part of her troupe and more. The allied invasion is drawing closer when Lillian de Rocheford, Genevieve’s estranged mother, is captured. To prevent her from giving away any information, the resistance is prepared to go to any length to silence her. But Genevieve is determined to save her, and she and her long-lost sister Emmie must put aside their differences and find a way to cross the dangerous territory of Occupied France to save their mother’s life.…
Katheryn Howard: The Scandalous Queen – Alison Weir
Henry VIII has tired of his latest queen, Anna, and even as he seeks to be rid of her, nineteen year old Katheryn Howard catches his eye. A poorer relation of the Howard family and the niece of the powerful Duke of Norfolk, Katheryn has been raised by an assortment of relatives while her father endlessly sought royal favour, finally ending up in the household of her step-grandmother, the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk. When she is summoned to court many years later to serve Queen Anna, the family intentionally pushes her forward, hoping to gain the influence they once had when Anne Boleyn was on the throne. But Katheryn’s past holds far too many dangerous secrets and they all threaten to come back to haunt her even as she delights in the pleasures of being Queen of England.…
The Arbella Stuart Conspiracy – Alexandra Walsh – ARC Review
Now safely back at Marquess House with the two Tudor rings, all that remains for this age old conspiracy to unfold is the missing silver locket. With the discovery of a previously sealed off grotto under the mansion, several chests of old journals and documents along with a few portraits are found, which may just hold the key to discovering what was hidden away at Marquess House all those centuries ago. As the sisters begin to unravel the last piece of this mystery, the story in the past timeline now sets its focus on Arbella Stuart towards the end of Elizabeth’s reign. As a potential successor to the throne, Arbella has always played a precarious game at court, but she was also deeply involved in the elaborate plot concocted by the Ladies of Melusine to protect the Tudor twins. Marquess House holds secrets yet to be found, and the answer is within reach, yet the sisters are in more danger than ever before as their enemies seem to be drawing ever closer.…
The Paper Girl of Paris – Jordyn Taylor – ARC Review
Sixteen year old Alice Prewitt has just inherited an apartment in Paris from her grandmother that no one in the family has ever heard about before. She finds an apartment perfectly preserved in time, untouched since the years of World War II, but more interesting are some old photos and the diary of her great-aunt Adalyn, whom no one knew existed, which set her off on a quest to uncover long buried family secrets.…
Daughter of the Reich – Louise Fein – ARC Review
Hetty Heinrich is the perfect German daughter. With her father working his way up the ranks of the SS and her brother set to join the Luftwaffe, Hetty has been raised to be faithful to the Nazi ideology, and never thinks to question it until the day she runs into someone from her past – Walter Keller, a childhood friend estranged due to his being Jewish, who once saved her life. As they begin to spend more time together, fully aware of how risky it is, Hetty begins to realize that whatever she has been taught are all lies and she becomes determined to do something to fight it. But anti-Semitism is on the rise across Germany, and when it becomes so bad as to threaten Walter’s life and any plans the two of them had for the future, Hetty is faced with some overwhelming decisions to make, conscious that one mistake could mean the end of everything for both of them.…
Anna of Kleve: The Princess in the Portrait – Alison Weir
When news arrives that Henry VIII is looking to strengthen ties with the German duchy of Kleve, twenty-four year old Anna is considered a likely candidate to wed him. Henry commissions Anna’s portrait, which he is well pleased with. Many months of negotiations later, the treaty is signed, and though Anna is wary due to Henry’s reputation, she is willing to do her duty by Kleve. But as she sets off for England, she carries with her a dark secret from her past that would spell the end of everything if it was found out.…
Jane Seymour: The Haunted Queen – Alison Weir
This third installment in the Six Tudor Queens series takes a look into the life of Henry VIII’s third queen, Jane Seymour. Starting during Jane’s childhood at Wulfhall, when she wanted more than anything else to be a nun. But realizing that the hardships of this life are not for her, she returns home, and following a terrible family scandal, it is arranged for her to go to court and serve Queen Katherine, whom she quickly becomes very devoted to. Jane soon discovers that the vicious rivalry, gossip and intrigue of court life is far from her peaceful life at Wulfhall, and she has arrived at a particularly tumultuous time as the King is actively pursuing an annulment. When the Queen’s household is dismantled, upon her family’s insistence she reluctantly takes a role in Anne Boleyn’s household and Jane watches as Henry goes so far as to break from Rome to secure his new marriage. But it is not long before the King’s attention strays from his new queen, and this time it is to Jane.…
The Light in Hidden Places – Sharon Cameron
Sixteen year old Stefania Podgorska’s life changes when bombs fall on the Polish city of Przemsyl and the Germans invade. The kind Jewish family she worked for, the Diamants, are forced into the ghetto, and she and her younger sister Helena are left alone in a German occupied city that grows more dangerous by the day. Then Max Diamant appears at her door one night, having jumped from the train taking him to a death camp and begs her to hide him and his remaining family and friends. Fusia agrees, though she is risking both her life and her sister’s, and sets out to find a larger house and a job to support and feed them all. She soon finds herself hiding thirteen Jews in her attic, when the Nazis show up to requisition her house for the army.…
The Queen of Paris: A Novel of Coco Chanel – Pamela Binnings Ewen – ARC Review
The Queen of Paris is a glimpse into the life of Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel better known as Coco Chanel during the years of World War II. On one hand, the Nazi occupy Paris, and on the other, Coco’s business partner has escaped to America taking with him the confidential formula of the world famous Chanel No. 5 perfume. Fearing a double cross that might see her cut out of her business and the loss of her life’s work, she begins a legal battle for the ownership of the House of Chanel and is determined to win at any cost, using the fact that her business partner is Jewish to her favour, and even collaborating with the Nazis.…
Sacred Bride – David Hair and Cath Mayo
Six months after the Theban War, Odysseus and Bria find themselves infiltrating the oracular site of Dodona which has been taken over by priests of Zeus who have imprisoned the priestesses of Hera in the mountain. Their goal – to get a last few answers from the oracle before silencing it permanently so that the Trojans can’t use it. The prophecies Odysseus receives are no less ominous than previous ones, but seem to show a ray of hope for Achaea, if a faint one. Adding to that the crucial knowledge he has gained, that prophecies are not cast in stone, finds Odysseus setting off on another quest – unite the Achaean kings under the High King’s banner and secure the marriages of the daughters of King Tyndareus of Sparta, Helen and Clytemnestra, in Achaea’s favour – something easier said than done, especially in the case of Helen, who, due to being a theia and the daughter of Zeus is a coveted prize on both sides of the Aegean.…
Katherine of Aragón: The True Queen – Alison Weir
The first book of Alison Weir’s Six Tudor Queens series is dedicated to the story of Katherine of Aragón. Betrothed to Arthur, Prince of Wales, at a very early age, Catalina has always been told that she would one day go to England to marry the prince and so become the Princess of Wales and one day, Queen. Following Prince Arthur’s untimely death however, she finds herself betrothed to his younger brother Henry.…
The Fountains of Silence – Ruta Sepetys
The year is 1957, and Daniel Matheson arrives in Madrid with his parents. His father, an oil tycoon, is negotiating a deal with Franco. Daniel, however, hopes to get to know his mother’s home country through his passion of photography, to understand what the real Spain is like and not just what is advertised to tourists. Ana Moreno is the daughter of Republican parents who were executed when she was a child, and she and her family live in fear, staying under the radar as much as possible. When Daniel meets Ana at the hotel where she works as a maid, he gets a glimpse of the lingering effects of the Civil War and how many people are still affected by it to this day.…
Dangerous Alliance: An Austentacious Romance – Jennieke Cohen – ARC Review
Lady Victoria Aston leads a comfortable and idyllic life on her family’s country estate, and with her older sister well married, she enjoys a considerable amount of freedom. But when her sister unexpectedly arrives home, fleeing her abusive husband, Vicky must marry quickly before the matter becomes public and the family is ruined. However, her beloved Austen novels are little help against the London season and worse, she finds herself the victim of several mysterious accidents as the days go by, making her question everyone and everything around her.…
And I Darken – Kiersten White
What if the infamous Vlad the Impaler had been a girl? Lada Dragwyla is dismissed at birth by her warlord father for her gender, but grows up unexpectedly fierce and strong, the complete opposite of her younger brother Radu. Abandoned by their father as hostages in the Ottoman court, Lada and Radu find themselves in the enemy’s den with only each other to rely on, knowing that their every move is being watched. But a chance run-in with the Sultan’s youngest son Mehmed changes everything, and the siblings unexpectedly find themselves accompanying the Prince to distant Amasya as his companions, where, far from the watchful eyes of the court, the trio grow to be firm friends. Yet, Lada has not forgotten her home and still longs for vengeance on the Ottomans, but Radu is content in this new world, feeling safe for the first time in his life.…
The First Lady and the Rebel – Susan Higginbotham – ARC Review
The First Lady and the Rebel is narrated from the perspectives of two sisters on opposing sides of the unfolding American Civil War as their family is divided by politics – First Lady Mary Lincoln and her sister Emily Helm, who was married to the confederate general Hardin Helm.…
The Elizabeth Tudor Conspiracy – Alexandra Walsh – ARC Review
In this what-if story of Tudor England, it has been more than four decades since the birth of the twin children of Catherine Howard – two unknown, legitimate heirs to the Tudor throne. And Queen Elizabeth I has kept this secret close ever since the Lady Anne of Cleves entrusted it to her on her deathbed. But the unforeseen has happened – Philip II of Spain has found out about this and sees in it his opportunity to oust Elizabeth from the English throne.…
Mini Reviews #3
Hello readers, and welcome back to Mini Reviews! This installment, let’s chat about four books: American Princess: A Novel of First Daughter Alice Roosevelt, Aru Shah and the Song of Death & One Dark Throne.…
My Lady Jane – Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows
Lady Jane Grey’s story is one I’ve read many times over, the queen who ruled England for nine days and then had her head chopped off. But as our narrators say: “Sometimes, history gets it all wrong”, and I must say, I rather prefer this version of the tale!…
Oracle’s War – David Hair and Cath Mayo – ARC Review
Odysseus has returned home to Ithaca after his adventures and fallen back into routine, albeit an uneasy one, now that his entire family is aware of his heritage. Not for long though, as chaos descends upon his sister Ctimene’s wedding, Odysseus sets out once more to avenge his family honour…
The Catherine Howard Conspiracy – Alexandra Walsh – ARC Review
A historical thriller with some Da Vinci Code style mystery, The Catherine Howard Conspiracy is a what if novel, positing that the tale of Henry VIII’s fifth queen is not quite what it seems. Alexandra Walsh’s take on Catherine Howard melds historical facts with some pretty realistic sounding fiction in a thoroughly engrossing read.…
Mini Reviews #1
Hello readers, and welcome to Mini Reviews! This installment, let’s chat about four books: The Iliad, The Fire Queen, The Dead Queens Club and A Curse So Dark and Lonely.…
The Triumphant – Lesley Livingston
The gladiatrices of the Ludus Achillea are once more the darlings of Rome, but Cai has not been so lucky and is dismissed from the legions. When history takes its course, and Caesar is assassinated, Fallon knows that Rome is no longer safe for her or her sisters.…
Enchantée – Gita Trelease
Gita Trelease has perfectly captured the magnificence of Versailles and portrayed it in breathtaking detail. Enchantée is a work of art, carefully crafted from beginning to end.…
The Defiant – Lesley Livingston
Fallon has become Victrix, favoured by Caesar and the darling of Rome’s masses, but her triumph has also earned her many enemies – starting with Nyx, the gladiatrix she defeated and subsequently freed. Set on revenge, a rival school threatens the home Fallon has found in the Ludus Achillea and the new family in her fellow gladiatrices.…
Circe – Madeline Miller
Circe is a character little spoken of. I knew of her from The Odyssey as the witch who turned Odysseus’ men, as yet another who delayed his return to Ithaca. But through this book, Circe has a voice of her own. Though an immortal, her emotions, her dreams, fears, guilt, hope are all very much human – genuine and relatable.…
The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy – Mackenzi Lee
In this fast paced sequel to The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, it is Felicity’s turn to chase her dreams. One year after the Grand Tour gone wrong, none of the trio have bothered returning home. We find Felicity in Edinburgh, applying to hospitals and universities, hoping to find some place that will let a woman pursue medicine – something unheard of at the time.…
Anne Boleyn: A King’s Obsession – Alison Weir
The second book in Alison Weir’s Six Tudor Queens series tells the story of Anne Boleyn. Anne leaves her family at the age of eleven for the court of the Netherlands. The glimpse into her years with Regent Margaret and then at the French Court are interesting and show very well how her experiences and lessons in childhood shaped her decisions in later years on the path to becoming Queen and beyond.…
Athena’s Champion – David Hair and Cath Mayo – ARC Review
Prince Odysseus of Ithaca travels to the Oracle at Pytho to be affirmed as his father’s heir. But what should have been merely a routine ritual takes a shocking turn as a closely guarded secret is revealed, resulting in Odysseus being cast out into the world alone – a world where monsters and worse are bent upon killing him merely for who he is.…
Bright We Burn – Kiersten White
Historical fiction has sometimes been said to be boring, but books like The Conqueror’s Saga prove otherwise. Kiersten White has done a wonderful job of making the story her own unique take while still staying as close to history as possible, telling the tale in such a way that even if you are knowledgeable about this time period, each twist is still just as surprising.…
Now I Rise – Kiersten White
Lada has returned to Wallachia with a small group of loyal men in hope of retaking her birthright. After several unsuccessful attempts to gain allies among men who see her as merely a girl playing soldier, she reaches out to her brother Radu, still with Mehmed in Edirne, recognizing that it is his skill in diplomacy that she requires.…
The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue – Mackenzi Lee
Set in the early 1700s, The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue is narrated from the POV of Henry “Monty” Montague, the wayward son of an English earl. Along with his best friend Percy, and (much to his annoyance) sister Felicity, Monty is off on the traditional Grand Tour with full expectations of drinking and gambling his way through Europe.…
Worlds Unlike Our Own 