#BookReview A Deadly Twist by Jeffrey Siger @PPPress #ADeadlyTwist #JeffreySiger #AndreasKaldis #inkedinpoison

#BookReview A Deadly Twist by Jeffrey Siger @PPPress #ADeadlyTwist #JeffreySiger #AndreasKaldis #inkedinpoison Title: A Deadly Twist

Author: Jeffrey Siger

Series: Andreas Kaldis #11

Published by: Poisoned Pen Press on Apr. 6, 2021

Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Police Procedural

Pages: 320

Format: Paperback

Source: Poisoned Pen Press

Book Rating: 8.5/10

When Athens journalist Nikoletta Elia disappears while on assignment on the island of Naxos, her editor calls on Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis to investigate. The reporter, assigned to report on the effects of rampant tourism on Naxos’ culture and agrarian lifestyle, is approached by a fan who takes credit for several suspicious deaths she had written about in the past and suspected to be murders. The assassin claims to have changed his evil ways, but wants Nikoletta to write a series of articles about him and his myriad hits. Kaldis sends his deputy, Yianni, to investigate; then a body (not the journalist’s) is found at the base of a cliff.

Leads turn into more dead bodies–and finally, threats–before Kaldis finally solves the deadly puzzle.


Review:

Menacing, atmospheric, and engaging!

In this simmering, eleventh instalment in the Andreas Kaldis series, A Deadly Twist, Siger has written a sinister police procedural that will have CI Andreas Kaldis and his team heading to Naxos to investigate the sudden disappearance of a crime reporter with a story to tell, a body found dead with no identification, and a killer with a lack of conscience and a fascination with antiquities.

The prose is crisp and rich. The characters are intelligent, resourceful, and endearing. And the plot, including all the subplots, intertwine and unravel seamlessly into a mysterious tale of mischief, mayhem, corruption, coercion, criminal behaviour, dangerous endeavours, deduction, lies, and murder.

Overall, A Deadly Twist is a solid, absorbing, highly enjoyable tale by Siger that was so much better than I ever expected with a wonderful cast of characters I can’t wait to get to know better and an idyllic setting that left me yearning for my cancelled trip to the Greek islands even more.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Jeffrey Siger

Jeffrey Siger was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, practiced law at a major Wall Street law firm, and later established his own New York City law firm where he continued as one of its name partners until giving it all up to write full-time among the people, life, and politics of his beloved Mykonos. The Mykonos Mob is the tenth novel in his internationally best-selling and award nominated Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis series, following up on An Aegean April, Santorini Caesars, Devil in Delphi, Sons of Sparta, Mykonos After Midnight, Target: Tinos, Prey on Patmos, Assassins of Athens, and Murder in Mykonos.

The New York Times described Jeffrey Siger’s novels as “thoughtful police procedurals set in picturesque but not untroubled Greek locales,” and named him as Greece’s thriller writer of record. The Greek Press called his work “prophetic,” Eurocrime described him as a “very gifted American author…on a par with other American authors such as Joseph Wambaugh or Ed McBain,” and the City of San Francisco awarded him its Certificate of Honor citing that his “acclaimed books have not only explored modern Greek society and its ancient roots but have inspired political change in Greece.” He now lives in Greece.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

#BookReview The Ladies of the Secret Circus by Constance Sayers @redhookbooks @HBGCanada @BookSparks #TheLadiesoftheSecretCircus #ConstanceSayers #SPRC2021 #SpringBookScope

#BookReview The Ladies of the Secret Circus by Constance Sayers @redhookbooks @HBGCanada @BookSparks #TheLadiesoftheSecretCircus #ConstanceSayers #SPRC2021 #SpringBookScope Title: The Ladies of the Secret Circus

Author: Constance Sayers

Published by: Redhook Books on Mar. 17, 2020

Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Historical Fiction, Fantasy

Pages: 448

Format: Hardcover

Source: HBG Canada, BookSparks

Book Rating: 8/10

Paris, 1925: To enter the Secret Circus is to enter a world of wonder-a world where women tame magnificent beasts, carousels take you back in time, and trapeze artists float across the sky. But each daring feat has a cost. Bound to her family’s strange and magical circus, it’s the only world Cecile Cabot knows-until she meets a charismatic young painter and embarks on a passionate love affair that could cost her everything.

Virginia, 2005: Lara Barnes is on top of the world-until her fiancé disappears on their wedding day. Desperate, her search for answers unexpectedly leads to her great-grandmother’s journals and sweeps her into the story of a dark circus and a generational curse that has been claiming payment from the women in her family for generations.


Review:

Rich, compelling, and mystical!

The Ladies of the Secret Circus transports you from present-day Virginia to 1920s Paris as it immerses you into the multi-generational, circus-owning Cabot family and all the powerful emotions, tragic memories, dark magic, fantastical elements, and long-buried secrets that swirl around them.

The prose is dark and mysterious. The characters are multi-layered, vulnerable, cursed, and troubled. And the plot told from alternating timelines is an ominous tale full of familial drama, heartache, tension, obsession, death, revenge, jealousy, sacrifice, sibling rivalry, and violence.

Overall, The Ladies of the Secret Circus is a spellbinding, atmospheric, romantic tale by Sayers that captivated me from the very first page and ultimately left me satisfied and highly entertained.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

Thank you to HBG Canada and BookSparks for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Constance Sayers

Constance Sayers is the author of A Witch in Time and The Ladies of the Secret Circus which will be published on March 23, 2021, from Redhook (Hachette Book Group).

A finalist for Alternating Current’s 2016 Luminaire Award for Best Prose, her short stories have appeared in Souvenir and Amazing Graces: Yet Another Collection of Fiction by Washington Area Women as well as The Sky is a Free Country. Her short fiction has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net.

She received her master of arts in English from George Mason University and graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor of arts in writing from the University of Pittsburgh. She attended The Bread Loaf Writers Conference where she studied with Charles Baxter and Lauren Groff. A media executive, she’s twice been named one of the “Top 100 Media People in America” by Folio and included in their list of “Top Women in Media.”

She lives outside of Washington DC. Like her character in The Ladies of the Secret Circus, she was the host of a radio show from midnight to six.

Photo by Julie Ann Pixler.

#BookReview All My Lies Are True By Dorothy Koomson @DorothyKoomson @Mobius_Books @headlinepg #AllMyLiesAreTrue #DorothyKoomson #MobiusBooksUS

#BookReview All My Lies Are True By Dorothy Koomson @DorothyKoomson @Mobius_Books @headlinepg #AllMyLiesAreTrue #DorothyKoomson #MobiusBooksUS Title: All My Lies Are True

Author: Dorothy Koomson

Series: Poppy & Serena #2

Published by: Headline Books on Mar. 9, 2021

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 400

Format: Paperback

Source: Mobius Books US

Book Rating: 9/10

From the bestselling author of The Ice Cream Girls comes a gripping emotional thriller of love and obsession and the nature of coercive control. ‘The author plays a blinder’ says the Sun.

Verity is telling lies…
And that’s why she’s about to be arrested for attempted murder.

Serena has been lying for years. . .
And that may have driven her daughter, Verity, to do something unthinkable…

Poppy’s lies have come back to haunt her . . .
So will her quest for the truth hurt everyone she loves?

Everyone lies.
But whose lies are going to end in tragedy?


Review:

Twisty, tragic, and unpredictable!

All My Lies Are True is the tortuous, cunning sequel to The Ice Cream Girls that takes you into the life of Poppy Carlisle’s brother, Logan, who is consumed with vindication, revenge, and an all-consuming love affair with Serena Gorringe’s daughter, Verity.

The prose is tight and intense. The characters are secretive, scarred, and troubled. And the plot told from multiple perspectives and using a past/present, back-and-forth style builds and unravels quickly into an ominous tale filled with deep-seated resentments, suspicious motivations, shocking revelations, familial drama, deception, lies, obsession, abuse, and violence.

Overall, All My Lies Are True is an unsettling, clever, riveting tale by Koomson that delves into the long-reaching, enduring emotional and psychological damage caused by traumatic events and highlights just how easily dominance, intimidation, and manipulation can be masked as love.

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

                

 

 

Thank you to Mobius Books US for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Dorothy Koomson

Hello, my name's Dorothy Koomson and I'll try to make this bit that's all about me as interesting as possible.

I wrote my first novel called There's A Thin Line Between Love And Hate when I was 13. I used to write a chapter every night then pass it around to my fellow convent school pupils every morning, and they seemed to love it.

I grew up in London and then grew up again in Leeds when I went to university. I eventually returned to London to study for my master's degree and stayed put for the following years. I took up various temping jobs and eventually got my big break writing, editing and subbing for various women's magazines and national papers.

Fiction and storytelling were still a HUGE passion of mine and I continued to write short stories and novels every spare moment that I got. In 2001 I had the idea for The Cupid Effect and my career as a published novelist began. And it's been fantastic. In 2006, my third novel, My Best Friend's Girl was published. It was incredibly successful - selling nearly 90,000 copies within its first few weeks on sale. Six weeks later, it was selected for the Richard & Judy Summer Reads Book Club and the book went on to sell over 500,000 copies. Oh, there I go again, this is meant to be about me, not my novels.

Okay, back to me. I recently spent two years living in Sydney Australia, and now I'm back in England. But I can't say for how long I'll be in the UK because I've been well and truly bitten by the travel bug.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

#BookReview To Love and to Loathe (The Regency Vows #2) by Martha Waters @AtriaBooks @SimonSchusterCA #ToLoveandtoLoathe #MarthaWaters #TheRegencyVows

#BookReview To Love and to Loathe (The Regency Vows #2) by Martha Waters @AtriaBooks @SimonSchusterCA #ToLoveandtoLoathe #MarthaWaters #TheRegencyVows Title: To Love and to Loathe

Author: Martha Waters

Series: The Regency Vows #2

Published by: Atria Books on Apr. 6, 2021

Genres: Historical Romance

Pages: 384

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: Simon & Schuster Canada

Book Rating: 8.5/10

The widowed Diana, Lady Templeton and Jeremy, Marquess of Willingham are infamous among English high society as much for their sharp-tongued bickering as their flirtation. One evening, an argument at a ball turns into a serious wager: Jeremy will marry within the year or Diana will forfeit one hundred pounds. So shortly after, just before a fortnight-long house party at Elderwild, Jeremy’s country estate, Diana is shocked when Jeremy appears at her home with a very different kind of proposition.

After his latest mistress unfavorably criticized his skills in the bedroom, Jeremy is looking for reassurance, so he has gone to the only woman he trusts to be totally truthful. He suggests that they embark on a brief affair while at the house party—Jeremy can receive an honest critique of his bedroom skills and widowed Diana can use the gossip to signal to other gentlemen that she is interested in taking a lover.

Diana thinks taking him up on his counter-proposal can only help her win her wager. With her in the bedroom and Jeremy’s marriage-minded grandmother, the formidable Dowager Marchioness of Willingham, helping to find suitable matches among the eligible ladies at Elderwild, Diana is confident her victory is assured. But while they’re focused on winning wagers, they stand to lose their own hearts.


Review:

Captivating, light, and entertaining!

To Love and to Loathe is an enemies-to-lovers romance set in England during 1817 that features the flirty Marquess of Willingham, Jeremy Overington and the feisty, widowed Lady Diana Templeton as they navigate a stay in the countryside, a meddling grandmother, an attraction that’s hard to deny, and wagers involving both marriage and the bedroom they’re both confident they’ll win.

The prose is authentic and cheeky. The characters are charismatic, passionate, and endearing. And the plot is an engaging mix of familial responsibility, tender moments, humourous mishaps, witty banter, goals, expectations, friendship, chemistry, and love.

Overall, To Love and to Loathe is an easy, fast-paced, highly amusing read by Waters that is the second novel in The Regency Vows series, that in my opinion, shouldn’t be missed.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from the following link.

                 

 

 

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Martha Waters

Martha Waters was born and raised in sunny South Florida, where she spent her childhood reading lots of British children’s books and scribbling away in notebooks. Wishing for the novelty of seasons, she headed north (relatively speaking) and studied history and international studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she also obtained her master’s degree in library science. She is the author of the historical rom-coms To Have and to Hoax, To Love and to Loathe, and To Marry and to Meddle (scheduled for publication in 2022). By day, she works as a children’s librarian, and loves sundresses, gin cocktails, and traveling.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

#BookReview The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin @MadelineMMartin @HTPBooks @Bookclubbish #HTPBooks #TheLastBookshopinLondon #MadelineMartin #Bookclubbish

#BookReview The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin @MadelineMMartin @HTPBooks @Bookclubbish #HTPBooks #TheLastBookshopinLondon #MadelineMartin #Bookclubbish Title: The Last Bookshop in London

Author: Madeline Martin

Published by: Hanover Square Press on Apr. 6, 2021

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 320

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: Harlequin Trade Publishing

Book Rating: 10/10

Inspired by the true World War II history of the few bookshops to survive the Blitz, The Last Bookshop in London is a timeless story of wartime loss, love and the enduring power of literature.

August 1939: London prepares for war as Hitler’s forces sweep across Europe. Grace Bennett has always dreamed of moving to the city, but the bunkers and blackout curtains that she finds on her arrival were not what she expected. And she certainly never imagined she’d wind up working at Primrose Hill, a dusty old bookshop nestled in the heart of London.

Through blackouts and air raids as the Blitz intensifies, Grace discovers the power of storytelling to unite her community in ways she never dreamed—a force that triumphs over even the darkest nights of the war.


Review:

Poignant, affecting, and beautifully written!

The Last Bookshop in London is an engaging, moving tale set during WWII that follows Grace Bennett, a young woman who heads to London in the fall of 1939 in the hopes of a better life and a glamourous career only to find herself employed in a dusty bookshop and war being declared.

The writing is seamless and smooth. The characters are brave, resilient, and supportive. And the plot is an absorbing tale of life, loss, family, heartbreak, friendship, self-discovery, community, determination, tragedy, survival, and love.

As some of you may already know, I’m originally from Coventry, a city heavily bombed during the war. And as my dad was born in 1937, I grew up hearing how a bomb exploded in his backyard 30 ft from the house, leaving a crater two garden widths wide, and how he would count the number of new houses missing each morning on his way to school. But as that generation ages and memories start to fade, these stories are so important in reminding us how much novels helped and continue to help people cope with devastating circumstances and unimaginable losses, as well as how the strength, courage, selflessness, and sacrifices of that generation enabled us the lives we lead today. I loved The Last Bookshop in London, and I hope everyone who enjoys historical fiction picks this one up.

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

Thank you to Madeline Martin & HTP Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Madeline Martin

Madeline Martin is a USA Today bestselling author of historical romance and historical fiction novels with strong heroines and tons of high-action plot twists! Her books have finaled in the Holt Medallion award and National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award.

She lives in sunny Florida with Mr. Awesome (a man who truly deserves such a great name) and two wonderfully magical girls, known collectively as “the minions.”

She enjoys working out (really to support my love of Nutella and wine), travelling and doing fun kid-like things with the minions.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

#BookReview Life’s Too Short by Abby Jimenez @AuthorAbbyJim @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #ReadForeverPub #ReadForever2021 #LifesTooShort #AbbyJimenez #TheFriendZoneSeries

#BookReview Life’s Too Short by Abby Jimenez @AuthorAbbyJim @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #ReadForeverPub #ReadForever2021 #LifesTooShort #AbbyJimenez #TheFriendZoneSeries Title: Life's Too Short

Author: Abby Jimenez

Series: The Friend Zone #3

Published by: Forever on Apr. 6, 2021

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 384

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Forever

Book Rating: 10/10

A brilliant and touching romantic comedy from the USA Today bestselling author of The Friend Zone and The Happy Ever After Playlist.

Vanessa lives life on her own terms — one day at a time, every day to its fullest. She isn’t willing to waste a moment or miss out on an experience when she has no idea whether she shares the same fatal genetic condition as her mother. Besides, she has way too much to do, traveling the globe and showing her millions of YouTube followers the joy in seizing every moment.

But after her half-sister suddenly leaves Vanessa in custody of her infant daughter, she is housebound, on mommy duty for the foreseeable future, and feeling totally out of her element.

The last person she expects to show up offering help is the unbelievably hot lawyer who lives next door, Adrian Copeland. After all, she barely knows him. But as they get closer, Vanessa realizes that her carefree ways and his need for a structured plan could never be compatible for the long term. Then again, she should know better than anyone that life’s too short to fear taking the biggest risk of all. . .


Review:

Heartwarming, swoon-worthy, and sassy!

Life’s Too Short is an absorbing, heart-tugging tale that takes you into the life of the successful, lifestyle vlogger, Vanessa Price as she juggles her deteriorating health, the full-time care of her sister’s newborn infant, and the sexy, workaholic lawyer who lives next door who’s always willing to lend a hand.

The writing is passionate and heartfelt. The characters are resolute, independent, and troubled. And the plot is a delightfully enchanting mix of family, friendship, tension, attraction, self-discovery, mental illness, substance abuse, special moments, happiness, taking chances, and facing one’s own mortality.

For the past two years, the two previous books in this series have topped my must-read, favourites list, and even though I didn’t think it was possible to love an Abby Jimenez’s book more than I already did, she proved me wrong. Life’s Too Short made my heart smile, shatter, and then put it all back together again in 384 pages and not only did I absolutely adore it, but it might just be, dare I say it, the best one yet!

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

Thank you to Forever & Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Abby Jimenez

Abby Jimenez is a Food Network champion, motivational speaker, and contemporary romance novelist living in Minnesota. Abby founded Nadia Cakes out of her home kitchen in 2007. The bakery has since gone on to open multiple locations in two states, won numerous Food Network competitions and amassed an international cult following. Abby has since turned her talents to penning novels. She loves a good book, coffee, doglets, and not leaving the house.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

#BookReview After Alice Fell by Kim Taylor Blakemore @AmazonPub @LUAuthors #AfterAliceFell #KimTaylorBlakemore

#BookReview After Alice Fell by Kim Taylor Blakemore @AmazonPub @LUAuthors #AfterAliceFell #KimTaylorBlakemore Title: After Alice Fell

Author: Kim Taylor Blakemore

Published by: Lake Union Publishing on Mar. 1, 2021

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 288

Format: Paperback

Source: Amazon Publishing

Book Rating: 8/10

Until she discovers the truth of her sister’s death, no one will rest in peace.

New Hampshire, 1865. Marion Abbott is summoned to Brawders House asylum to collect the body of her sister, Alice. She’d been found dead after falling four stories from a steep-pitched roof. Officially: an accident. Confidentially: suicide. But Marion believes a third option: murder.

Returning to her family home to stay with her brother and his second wife, the recently widowed Marion is expected to quiet her feelings of guilt and grief—to let go of the dead and embrace the living. But that’s not easy in this house full of haunting memories.

Just when the search for the truth seems hopeless, a stranger approaches Marion with chilling words: I saw her fall.

Now Marion is more determined than ever to find out what happened that night at Brawders, and why. With no one she can trust, Marion may risk her own life to uncover the secrets buried with Alice in the family plot.


Review:

Gritty, immersive, and haunting!

After Alice Fell is a sinister, historical thriller set in New Hampshire during 1865 that takes you into the life of Marion Abbott, a young woman determined to discover what really happened to her sister Alice at Brawders House, the local asylum, and prove once and for all that her sister didn’t commit suicide but was actually murdered.

The writing is atmospheric and eerie. The characters are tormented, insistent, and resourceful. And the plot is a taut, twisty, evocative tale rife with desperation, manipulation, abuse, familial dynamics, deviance, greed, jealousy, and murder.

Overall, After Alice Fell is a dark, engrossing, well-written tale by Kim Taylor Blakemore that does a wonderful job of highlighting the struggles and hardships of life at the end of the civil war, and reminds us of some of the unimaginable, horrific practices deemed appropriate treatments at that time for those considered to be mentally defective.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

 

Thank you to Amazon Publishing for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Kim Taylor Blakemore

Kim Taylor Blakemore is the author of the historical mysteries THE COMPANION and AFTER ALICE FELL (March 2021). Publishers Weekly calls The Companion a "captivating tale of psychological suspense."

Other novels include BOWERY GIRL a NYPL Best Reads for Teens; and CISSY FUNK, a Willa Literary Award winner for Best YA Novel.

She is a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers and Historical Novel Society. She and her family reside in the Pacific Northwest, and she loves the rain. Truly.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

  

#BlogTour #BookReview The Rebel by Kendall Ryan @KendallRyan1 #TheRebel #LookingtoScoreSeries #KendallRyan

#BlogTour #BookReview The Rebel by Kendall Ryan @KendallRyan1 #TheRebel #LookingtoScoreSeries #KendallRyan

#BlogTour #BookReview The Rebel by Kendall Ryan @KendallRyan1 #TheRebel #LookingtoScoreSeries #KendallRyan Title: The Rebel

Author: Kendall Ryan

Series: Looking to Score #1

Published by: Kendall Ryan Books on Mar. 30, 2021

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 246

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Kendall Ryan

Book Rating: 8.5/10

I never thought I’d see her again.

We shared one hot night together back in college before our paths took us in different directions.

But now, the most brilliant and beautiful woman I’ve ever met is back in my life. And the chemistry I remember? It’s more combustible than ever.

Except…our fling is forbidden and must exist only in secret. Her rules, not mine.

I can’t be her forever. I’m not that guy, and even she knows it.

But I can’t stay away from her either. I’m determined to claim not just her body but her heart, even if that’s the one thing she’s vowed not to give me.


Review:

Playful, lighthearted, and sassy!

The Rebel is a spirited, sexy, second-chance romance featuring the handsome Holt Rossi whose latest assignment has him providing security for the new owner of the Boston Titans hockey team and the one woman he’s never quite forgotten, Eden Wynn.

The prose is fluid and smooth. The characters are devoted, lonely, and sweet. And the plot is an alluring tale filled with longing, desire, angst, trust, friendship, tension, love, and hockey.

Overall, The Rebel is a tender, charming, steamy start to the new Looking to Score series by Ryan, and as always, I can’t wait to read what happens to this new cast of characters next.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

 

About Kendall Ryan

A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of more than two dozen titles, Kendall Ryan has sold over 1.5 million books and her books have been translated into several languages in countries around the world. She’s a traditionally published author with Simon & Schuster and Harper Collins UK, as well as an independently published author. Since she first began self-publishing in 2012, she’s appeared at #1 on Barnes & Noble and iBooks charts around the world. Her books have also appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists more than three dozen times. Ryan has been featured in such publications as USA Today, Newsweek, and InTouch Magazine.

Thank you to Kendall Ryan for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

#BookReview #Giveaway Elizabeth & Margaret by Andrew Morton @andrewmortonuk @GrandCentralPub #Elizabeth&Margaret #AndrewMorton #GrandCentralPub

#BookReview #Giveaway Elizabeth & Margaret by Andrew Morton @andrewmortonuk @GrandCentralPub #Elizabeth&Margaret #AndrewMorton #GrandCentralPub Title: Elizabeth & Margaret

Author: Andrew Morton

Published by: Grand Central Publishing on Mar. 30, 2021

Pages: 384

Format: Hardcover

Source: Grand Central Publishing

Book Rating: 9/10

Perfect for fans of The Crown, this captivating biography from a New York Times bestselling author follows Queen Elizabeth II and her sister Margaret as they navigate life in the royal spotlight.

They were the closest of sisters and the best of friends. But when, in a quixotic twist of fate, their uncle Edward Vlll decided to abdicate the throne, the dynamic between Elizabeth and Margaret was dramatically altered. Forever more Margaret would have to curtsey to the sister she called ‘Lillibet.’ And bow to her wishes.

Elizabeth would always look upon her younger sister’s antics with a kind of stoical amusement, but Margaret’s struggle to find a place and position inside the royal system—and her fraught relationship with its expectations—was often a source of tension. Famously, the Queen had to inform Margaret that the Church and government would not countenance her marrying a divorcee, Group Captain Peter Townsend, forcing Margaret to choose between keeping her title and royal allowances or her divorcee lover.

From the idyll of their cloistered early life, through their hidden war-time lives, into the divergent paths they took following their father’s death and Elizabeth’s ascension to the throne, this book explores their relationship over the years. Andrew Morton’s latest biography offers unique insight into these two drastically different sisters—one resigned to duty and responsibility, the other resistant to it—and the lasting impact they have had on the Crown, the royal family, and the ways it adapted to the changing mores of the 20th century.


Review:

Sincere, intuitive, and captivating!

Elizabeth & Margaret is the candid, informative biography of Lilibet and Margaret. Two sisters whose lives were drastically changed when their father unexpectedly took the throne in 1936, their home suddenly became Buckingham Palace, and one became the heir apparent and would subsequently go on to become the longest-reigning British monarch of all time.

The writing is descriptive and vivid. The characters are special, unique, duty-bound, and intriguing. And the novel is a fascinating look into how two women with distinctive, individual personalities chose to live lives that were consistently under scrutiny and criticism.

I think in a time when royal fascination seems to be running high, Elizabeth & Margaret is an incredibly insightful look not only into the push-pull relationship between two sisters who seemed to genuinely admire each other but also the pressures, responsibilities, hardships, and luxuries they each individually experienced due to their respective positions and differing roles in the House of Windsor.

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or one of the following links.

                

 

 

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

GIVEAWAY!

I’m giving two people a chance to win a copy of Elizabeth & Margaret. To enter please visit my Instagram page HERE

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for sponsoring the giveaway! All giveaway information can be found in the Instagram Giveaway Post. Good luck!

 

About Andrew Morton

Andrew Morton studied history at the University of Sussex, England, with a focus on aristocracy and the 1930s. Morton has written biographies featuring the British Royal Family as well as celebrities, including Tom Cruise, Angelina Jolie, and Madonna. His bestselling biography of Princess Diana, Diana: Her True Story, met with international acclaim as “the closest we will ever come to her autobiography.”

Photograph courtesy of GCP Website.

#BookReview A Rogue to Remember by Emily Sullivan @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #ReadForeverPub #ReadForever2021 #ARoguetoRemember #EmilySullivan #LeagueofScoundrelsSeries

#BookReview A Rogue to Remember by Emily Sullivan @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #ReadForeverPub #ReadForever2021  #ARoguetoRemember #EmilySullivan #LeagueofScoundrelsSeries Title: A Rogue to Remember

Author: Emily Sullivan

Series: League of Scoundrels #1

Published by: Forever on Mar. 9, 2021

Genres: Historical Romance

Pages: 313

Format: Paperback

Source: Forever

Book Rating: 8/10

In this irresistible historical romance debut, a seasoned spy sets out to rescue the childhood friend he once loved from a reputation-destroying rumor—only to discover that she is actually the source.

After enduring five interminable seasons, Lottie Carlisle has had enough of shallow London society, her boring little life, and her uncle Alfred’s meddling. When he demands she accept a proposal by the end of next season or else he will choose a husband for her, she devises a plan: create a scandal shocking enough to make her unmarriageable and spend her spinsterhood far enough away in the countryside where no one will ever recognize her.

Alec Gresham hasn’t seen Lottie since he left his childhood friend without a word five years ago. So he’s not surprised to find her furious when he appears on her doorstep. Especially bearing the news he brings: her uncle is dying, her blasted reputation is still intact, and Lottie must return home. As they make the journey back to her family estate, it becomes increasingly clear that the last five years hasn’t erased their history, nor their explosive chemistry. Can Lottie look past her old heartache and trust Alec, or will his secrets doom their relationship once again?


Review:

Picturesque, passionate, and mysterious!

A Rogue to Remember is a lighthearted, compelling, second-chance romance that features the independent, strong-willed Lottie Carlisle, who successfully flees London for the Italian countryside in order to ruin her reputation and foil her uncle’s attempts to have her married off by the season’s end, that is until Alec Gresham, a spy for the Crown and her childhood friend and former crush finds her and endeavours to return her home.

The prose is engaging and fun. The characters are secretive, multilayered, and spontaneous. And the plot is a charming mix of friendship, family, drama, emotion, secrets, societal expectations, tender moments, and perilous situations.

Overall,  A Rogue to Remember is a seductive, spicy, highly entertaining debut by Sullivan that has the added bonus of sweeping you away to 1897 Italy instead of the typical UK setting most often found in this genre.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from the following link.

                 

 

 

Thank you to Forever & Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Emily Sullivan

Emily Sullivan is an award-winning author of historical romance set in the late Victorian period. Her love of romance first began when she was an angsty, tortured teenager, but now she prefers stories with a HEA. She has both a BA and MA in English and her writing has been featured in a variety of print and online publications, including The Southampton Review and The Toast. When she isn’t writing or reading, she enjoys planning fantasy trips abroad, watching every costume drama on Netflix, and working her way through Faber and Faber’s Adult Piano Adventures, which is not as racy as it sounds.