Format: eBook

#BookReview The Bachelor Auction by Rachel Van Dyken @RachVD @ForeverRomance

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#BookReview The Bachelor Auction by Rachel Van Dyken @RachVD @ForeverRomance Title: The Bachelor Auction

Author: Rachel Van Dyken

Series: The Bachelors of Arizona #1

Published by: Forever on Jan. 31, 2017

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 352

Format: eBook

Source: Purchased

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Cinderella never had to deal with this crap.

Jane isn’t entirely sure that Cinderella got such a raw deal. Sure, she had a rough start, but didn’t she eventually land a prince and a happily-ever-after? Meanwhile, Jane is busy waiting on her demanding, entitled sisters, running her cleaning business, and . . . yep, not a prince in sight. Until a party and a broken shoe incident leave Jane wondering if princes—or at least, a certain deliciously hunky billionaire—maybe do exist.

Except Brock Wellington isn’t anyone’s dream guy. Hell, a prince would never agree to be auctioned off in marriage to the highest bidder. Or act like an arrogant jerk—even if it was just a façade. Now, as Brock is waiting for the auction chopping block, he figures it’s karmic retribution that he’s tempted by a sexy, sassy woman he can’t have. But while they can’t have a fairy-tale ending, maybe they can indulge in a little bit of fantasy . . .

Review:

Lighthearted, charming and so much fun!

This is a modern-day Cinderella story that combines the sweet, hardworking Jane and the brooding, sexy, serious Brock in a provocative plot filled with steamy chemistry, sexual tension, playful banter, familial drama, and true love.

The writing is smooth and seamless and the characters are exaggerated, humorous and amusing.

This truly is an enjoyable, easy read. And if you love rom-coms that make you laugh out loud, have great supporting characters and witty dialogue then you should definitely give this one a try.

This is the first book in the “Bachelors of Arizona” series and I can’t wait to read Bentley’s story in the next novel in the series, The Playboy Bachelor, next.

 

This novel is available now.

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

                                            

 

About Rachel Van Dyken

Rachel Van Dyken is the #1 New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Todaybestselling author of over 90 books ranging from contemporary romance to paranormal. With over four million copies sold, she's been featured in Forbes, US Weekly, and USA Today. Her books have been translated in more than 15 countries. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, adorable sons, naked cat, and two dogs.

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#BookReview & #BlogTour Dreaming of Venice by T.A. Williams @TAWilliamsBooks @canelo_co

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#BookReview & #BlogTour Dreaming of Venice by T.A. Williams @TAWilliamsBooks @canelo_co Title: Dreaming of Venice

Author: T.A. Williams

Published by: Canelo on Apr. 24, 2017

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Pages: 238

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Canelo, NetGalley

Book Rating: 8/10

Find love, friendship and prosecco – in the magical city of Venice

Life is tough for Penny. A dead end job in a London café, a boyfriend in Australia (what could go wrong?) and an art career going nowhere. But then Penny is approached with an extraordinary proposition.

It isn’t going to be easy but, if she can pull it off, she will turn her life around and at long last see the fulfilment of her dream – to visit Venice. And, just maybe, find true happiness with the handsome man of her dreams.

But can dreams come true?

Review:

Lighthearted, humorous and magically romantic!

This is a charming story that highlights that no matter how challenging life might seem at times things always seem to work out and reminds us that sometimes dreams do come true.

The characters are sweet, supportive, dependable and quirky. The prose is expressive and polished. And the plot is an enchanting mix of drama, emotion, entertaining mishaps, loss, love; as well as an insightful view into the City of Venice, including the food, the culture, the architecture, the history and the art.

Whenever you pick up a novel by Williams you always know it’s going to be a warm, passionate, fascinating novel about an idyllic place in the world that you can’t help but want to see, visit and experience once you’ve finished it and this book is no exception.

 

This book is available now.

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

        

 

 

Thank you to T.A. Williams and Canelo for providing me with a copy in an exchange for an honest review.

 

About T.A. Williams

T.A. Williams lives in Devon with his Italian wife. He was born in England of a Scottish mother and Welsh father. After a degree in modern languages at Nottingham University, he lived and worked in Switzerland, France and Italy, before returning to run one of the best-known language schools in the UK. He’s taught Arab princes, Brazilian beauty queens and Italian billionaires. He speaks a number of languages and has travelled extensively. He has eaten snake, still-alive fish, and alligator. A Spanish dog, a Russian bug and a Korean parasite have done their best to eat him in return. His hobby is long-distance cycling, but his passion is writing.

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#BookReview Meet Me at Beachcomber Bay by Jill Mansell @JillMansell @Sourcebooks

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#BookReview Meet Me at Beachcomber Bay by Jill Mansell @JillMansell @Sourcebooks Title: Meet Me at Beachcomber Bay

Author: Jill Mansell

Published by: Sourcebooks Landmark on May 2, 2017

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Pages: 448

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Sourcebooks Casablanca, NetGalley

Book Rating: 9/10

Love is in the air in St Carys, but you’d never know it – the people of this seaside town are very good at keeping secrets…

The man Clemency loves belongs to someone else. She has to hide her true feelings – but when she ropes in an unsuspecting friend to help, wires start to get crossed.

For the first time in Ronan’s life his charm has failed him in winning over the woman he wants. Loving her from afar appears to be his only option.

Belle seems to have the perfect boyfriend, but something isn’t quite right. And now a long-buried secret is slowly rising to the surface.

The truth has a funny way of revealing itself, and when it does St Carys will be a very different place indeed…

Review:

Captivating, warm, lighthearted and funny!

This is an engaging, romantic story that reminds us that sometimes things happen for a reason and happy ever afters really do exist.

The prose is polished and beautifully descriptive. The setting is charming and quaint. The characters are sweet, lovable and real. And the plot is a wonderful mix of humour, heart, emotion and courage.

This is, ultimately, a story about life, love, loss, heartbreak, family, acceptance, happiness and discovering one’s true self, and once again Mansell has proven when in comes to writing moving, heartfelt stories with characters you can’t help but fall in love with she’s one of the best!

This novel is available now.

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

                                          

 

 

Thank you to NetGalley, especially Sourcebooks, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Jill Mansell

Jill Mansell lives with her partner and children in Bristol, and writes full time. Actually that’s not true; she watches TV, eats fruit gums, admires the rugby players training in the sports field behind her house, and spends hours on the internet marvelling at how many other writers have blogs. Only when she’s completely run out of displacement activities does she write.

Jill Mansell's books have sold over ten million copies and her titles include: Making your Mind up, Fast Friends, Good at Games, Sheer Mischief and Solo, among many others.

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#BookReview After the Fall by Julie Cohen @julie_cohen @StMartinsPress

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#BookReview After the Fall by Julie Cohen @julie_cohen @StMartinsPress Title: After the Fall

Author: Julie Cohen

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin on May 2, 2017

Genres: General Fiction, Women's Fiction

Pages: 400

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: St. Martin's Press, NetGalley

Book Rating: 8.5/10

From the author who brought you Dear Thing, Julie Cohen, comes After the Fall — a poignant, beautifully heartbreaking novel about what it means to be family, the ties that bind us, and the secrets that threaten to tear us apart.

When an unfortunate accident forces Honor back into the lives of her widowed daughter-in-law, Jo, and her only granddaughter, Lydia, she cannot wait to be well enough to get back to her own home. However, the longer she stays with Jo and Lydia, the more they start to feel like a real family. But each of the three women is keeping secrets from the others that threaten to destroy the lives they’ve come to know.

Honor’s secret threatens to rob her of the independence she’s guarded ferociously for eighty years.

Jo’s secret could destroy the “normal” family life she’s fought so hard to build and maintain.

Lydia’s secret could bring her love―or the loss of everything that matters most to her.

One summer’s day, grandmother, mother and daughter’s secrets will be forced out in the open in a single dramatic moment that leaves them all asking: is there such a thing as second chances?

Review:

Thought-provoking, reflective and deeply moving!

This is an intriguing novel that emphasizes the enduring mental and emotional anguish that can be caused by underlying grief, secrets, guilt, family dynamics, sexuality struggles, friendship and loneliness and emphasizes the importance of acceptance, closure, forgiveness and love.

The prose is expressive and clear. The characters are consumed, troubled, wounded and real. And the character-driven plot interweaves the lives of these three generations of women as they learn to cope, survive, support and love each other unconditionally.

This truly is an absorbing, emotional novel that is incredibly captivating and will tug at your heartstrings from start to finish.

This is the first novel I have ever read from Julie Cohen but I can tell you it definitely won’t be my last.

 

This novel is due to be published on May 2, 2017. 

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

                                            

 

 

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Julie Cohen

Julie Cohen grew up in Maine, USA, and studied English at Brown University, Rhode Island and Cambridge University in England. She moved to the UK permanently to research fairies in Victorian children’s literature at the University of Reading, and then taught English at secondary level. She now writes full time and is a popular speaker and teacher of creative writing. She lives with her husband and their son in Berkshire. She is also the author of Dear Thing and Where Love Lies.

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#BookReview All The Lies We Tell by Megan Hart @Megan_Hart

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#BookReview All The Lies We Tell by Megan Hart @Megan_Hart Title: All the Lies We Tell

Author: Megan Hart

Series: Quarry Road #1

Published by: Montlake Romance on May 1, 2017

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense

Pages: 303

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Montlake Romance, NetGalley

Book Rating: 6.5/10

Everyone knew Alicia Harrison’s marriage to Ilya Stern wouldn’t last. They’d grown up on a remote stretch of Quarry Street, where there were two houses, two sets of siblings, and eventually, a tangled mess of betrayal, longing, and loss. Tragedy catapulted Allie and Ilya together, but divorce—even as neighbors—has been relatively uncomplicated.

Then Ilya’s brother, Nikolai, comes home for their grandmother’s last days. He’s the guy who teased and fought with Allie, infuriated her, then fled town without a good-bye. Now Niko makes her feel something else entirely—a rush of connection and pure desire that she’s been trying to quench since one secret kiss years ago. Niko’s not sticking around. She’s not going to leave. And after all that’s happened between their families, this can’t be anything more than brief pleasure and a bad idea.

But the lies we tell ourselves can’t compete with the truths our hearts refuse to let go…

Review:

Intense, poignant and full of angst!

This is a dark, married-the-wrong-brother romance that highlights how tragedy affects us all differently; sometimes we cling to each other and sometimes we runaway.

The prose is fluid and smooth. The characters are troubled, complex but not entirely endearing. And the plot, which is ultimately about guilt, love, life, loss, heartbreak, yearning, sexual tension, friendship and family does have some of the sexy and steamy we’ve come to expect in Hart’s novels but at the same time seemed to have just a little too much going on for me.

I have to admit that this wasn’t one of my favourite novels by Hart but her exceptional ability to write stories about unconventional relationships and to push people to understand and accept that there is no one norm will always make me a huge fan.

If you haven’t already had a chance to read my review for one of her previous novels “Beg For It” be sure to check it out HERE!

 

This book is due to be published on May 1, 2017.

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

             

 

 

Thank you to NetGalley, especially Montlake Romance, for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Megan Hart

Megan Hart has written in almost every genre of romantic fiction, including historical, contemporary, romantic suspense, romantic comedy, futuristic, fantasy and perhaps most notably, erotic. She also writes non-erotic fantasy and science fiction, as well as continuing to occasionally dabble in horror.

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#BookReview The Hangman by Mary Burton @MaryBurtonBooks @JoanSchulhafer

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#BookReview The Hangman by Mary Burton @MaryBurtonBooks @JoanSchulhafer Title: The Hangman

Author: Mary Burton

Series: The Forgotten Files #3

Published by: Montlake Romance on Apr. 25, 2017

Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Romantic Suspense

Pages: 350

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Mary Burton, NetGalley

Book Rating: 10/10

Julia Vargas is a cop with a mission. When she’s not chasing down bad guys, Julia dedicates her time to investigating the Hangman serial killer…the same unsolved case that her father, Jim Vargas, was working on when he supposedly shot and killed himself three decades before. While rumors continue to swirl around her father’s death, Julia attempts to hunt down the truth.

The case once again hits dangerously close, however, when a woman’s bones are discovered in a historic downtown home, together with a photograph of Jim and Julia as a young girl. As horrifying as this discovery is, it may just be the break Julia has waited for. Working alongside Tobias Novak, a homicide detective with whom she shares a complicated—and steamy—history, she’s forced to confront her own past even as the Hangman looms in the shadows. But as the mysterious killer circles closer, Julia can feel her own noose begin to tighten…

Review:

Action-packed, riveting and impeccably executed!

This is a well crafted, gripping thriller that takes us on a hunt to find a ruthless serial killer and reminds us that when it comes to organized crime, secrecy, trust and loyalty means everything.

The writing is fluid and seamless. The characters are intriguing, determined, scarred, strong and sexy. And the storyline is a roller coaster ride of secrets, lies, danger, red herrings, murder, sizzling chemistry, tension, and romance.

To me this series just keeps getting better and better. This book is incredibly entertaining, extremely suspenseful and I absolutely loved it and can hardly wait for the next one. If you love romantic suspense this is one series you don’t want to miss.

If you haven’t yet read any of the previous novels in the “The Forgotten Files” series be sure to check out my review for “The Shark” (The Forgotten Files #1) HERE and my review for “The Dollmaker” (The Forgotten Files #2) HERE.

This book is due to be published on April 25, 2017.

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

             

 

 

Thank you to Mary Burton and Joan Schulhafer Publishing for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Mary Burton

New York Times and USA Today bestselling novelist Mary Burton is the highly praised author of twenty-six romance and suspense novels and five novellas. She lives in Virginia with her husband and three miniature dachshunds.

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#BookReview Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout @LizStrout @randomhouse

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#BookReview Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout @LizStrout @randomhouse Title: Anything Is Possible

Author: Elizabeth Strout

Published by: Random House on Apr. 25, 2017

Genres: General Fiction

Pages: 254

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Penguin Random House, NetGalley

Book Rating: 8.5/10

From #1 New York Times bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Strout comes a brilliant latticework of fiction that recalls Olive Kitteridge in its richness, structure, and complexity. Written in tandem with My Name Is Lucy Barton and drawing on the small-town characters evoked there, these pages reverberate with the themes of love, loss, and hope that have drawn millions of readers to Strout’s work.

“As I was writing My Name Is Lucy Barton,” Strout says, “it came to me that all the characters Lucy and her mother talked about had their own stories—of course!—and so the unfolding of their lives became tremendously important to me.”

Here, among others, are the “Pretty Nicely Girls,” now adults: One trades self-respect for a wealthy husband, the other finds in the pages of a book a kindred spirit who changes her life. Tommy, the janitor at the local high school, has his faith tested in an encounter with an emotionally isolated man he has come to help; a Vietnam veteran suffering from PTSD discovers unexpected solace in the company of a lonely innkeeper; and Lucy Barton’s sister, Vicky, struggling with feelings of abandonment and jealousy, nonetheless comes to Lucy’s aid, ratifying the deepest bonds of family.

With the stylistic brilliance and subtle power that distinguish the work of this great writer, Elizabeth Strout has created another transcendent work of fiction, with characters who will live in readers’ imaginations long after the final page is turned.

Review:

Powerful, compelling and extremely thought-provoking!

In this latest novel by Strout she delves into the enduring emotional and psychological effects that socioeconomic differences, gossip and war has on some of the people we were introduced to in her previous novel “My Name is Lucy Barton” from the small town of Amgash, and highlights that every family has its struggles and life is never easy.

The characters are raw, troubled and vulnerable. The prose is sophisticated and smooth. And the plot is written in the form of nine linking stories that are full of familial drama, introspection, anger, shame, remorse, disappointment, abandonment, forgiveness, survival, support and love.

This is certainly a deeply moving novel that emphasizes just how much our childhood experiences shape us and reminds us of the importance to always believe that anything is truly possible!

 

This novel is due to be published on April 25, 2017.

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

                                          

 

 

Thank you to NetGalley, especially Random House, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Elizabeth Strout

Elizabeth Strout is the author of several novels, including: Abide with Me, a national bestseller and BookSense pick, and Amy and Isabelle, which won the Los Angeles Times Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction and the Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize, and was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award and the Orange Prize in England. In 2009 she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for her book Olive Kitteridge. Her short stories have been published in a number of magazines, including The New Yorker. She teaches at the Master of Fine Arts program at Queens University of Charlotte.

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#BookReview The Shadow Sister by Lucinda Riley @lucindariley @AtriaBooks

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#BookReview The Shadow Sister by Lucinda Riley @lucindariley @AtriaBooks Title: The Shadow Sister

Author: Lucinda Riley

Series: The Seven Sisters #3

Published by: Atria Books on Nov. 3, 2016

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction

Pages: 513

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Atria Books, NetGalley

Book Rating: 10/10

Synopsis:

Travel through the lush English countryside and explore the magnificent estates of the British aristocracy in this next spellbinding love story in The Seven Sisters series by #1 internationally bestselling author Lucinda Riley.

Star D’Aplièse is at a crossroads in her life after the sudden death of her beloved father—the elusive billionaire, affectionately called Pa Salt by his six daughters, all adopted from across the four corners of the world. He has left each of them a clue to her true heritage, and Star nervously decides to follow hers, which leads her to an antiquarian bookshop in London, and the start of a whole new world.

A hundred years earlier, headstrong and independent Flora MacNichol vows she will never marry. She is happy and secure in her home in England’s picturesque Lake District—just a stone’s throw away from the residence of her childhood idol, Beatrix Potter—when machinations lead her to London, and the home of one of Edwardian society’s most notorious society hostesses, Alice Keppel. Flora is torn between passionate love and her duty to her family, but finds herself a pawn in a larger game. That is, until a meeting with a mysterious gentleman unveils the answers that Flora has been searching for her whole life…

As Star learns more of Flora’s incredible journey, she too goes on a voyage of discovery, finally stepping out of the shadow of her sister and opening herself up to the possibility of love.

The Shadow Sister is the third in the sweeping Seven Sisters series, “soaked in glamour and romance” (Daily Mail) and perfect for fans of Downton Abbey and the novels of Kate Morton.

Review:

Atmospheric, absorbing and incredibly descriptive!

In this third instalment of The Seven Sisters we delve into the life of Star, a young woman who is yearning for a little independence from her sister CeCe and who discovers on her journey to find her parentage that she loves the simple things in life, taking care of others, dusty bookshops and small-town country living.

The story, itself, is exceptionally compelling and is filled with drama, familial dynamics, emotion, self discovery, secrets, love, loss, duty, courage, heartbreak and passion; as well as an intriguing look at the influential, glamorous, and regal figures of the Edwardian period. The characters are unique, flawed, multifaceted, lovable, and eccentric. And the prose is remarkably well-turned and eloquent.

This truly is a beautifully written novel that grabs you from the very start and does a wonderful job of blending historical facts with compelling and believable fiction. It is certainly a book for book lovers and even though I have loved all The Seven Sisters books so far, I think this one might just be my favourite. If you haven’t read this series yet, you really should!

This book is available now.

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

                                          

 

 

Thank you to NetGalley, especially Atria Books, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Lucinda Riley

Lucinda Riley was born in Ireland and, after an early career as an actress in film, theatre and television, wrote her first book aged twenty-four.

Her books have been translated into thirty-seven languages and sold thirty million copies worldwide. She is a New York Times and Sunday Times number one bestseller.Lucinda's Seven Sisters series, which tells the story of adopted sisters and is inspired by the mythology of the famous star cluster, has become a global phenomenon. The series is a number one bestseller across the world and is currently in development with a major TV production company.

Though she brought up her four children mostly in Norfolk in England, in 2015 Lucinda fulfilled her dream of buying a remote farmhouse in West Cork, Ireland, which she always felt was her spiritual home, and indeed this was where her last five books were written. Lucinda was diagnosed with cancer in 2017 and died in June 2021

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#BookReview You’re the One That I Want by Giovanna Fletcher @MrsGiFletcher @StMartinsPress

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#BookReview You’re the One That I Want by Giovanna Fletcher @MrsGiFletcher @StMartinsPress Title: You're the One That I Want: A Novel

Author: Giovanna Fletcher

Published by: St. Martin's Press on May 22, 2014

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 352

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: St. Martin's Press, NetGalley

Book Rating: 8/10

A new novel from the author of Billy and Me about love and the unbreakable bonds of friendship.

Maddy, dressed in white, stands at the back of the church. At the end of the aisle is Rob – the man she’s about to marry. Next to Rob is Ben – best man and the best friend any two people ever had. And that’s the problem. Because if it wasn’t Rob waiting for her at the altar, there’s a strong chance it would be Ben. Loyal and sensitive Ben has always kept his feelings to himself, but if he turned round and told Maddy she was making a mistake, would she listen? And would he be right?

Best friends since childhood, Maddy, Ben and Rob thought their bond was unbreakable. But love changes everything. Maddy has a choice to make but will she choose wisely? Her heart, and the hearts of the two best men she knows, depend on it…

Review:

Heartbreaking, bittersweet and emotionally resonant!

This is an engrossing love triangle that takes you on a rollercoaster ride of young love, tension, heartache, happiness, guilt, regret, romance and enduring friendship.

The writing is eloquent. The characters are loyal, dependable, generous and sympathetic. And the story is narrated from two different perspectives and uses a past/present style to give both depth and understanding to all the relationships, personalities and underlying motivations between the characters. 

This is ultimately a compelling, moving story full of drama, chemistry, unexpected twists, passion and unrequited love. I really enjoyed it and although I never like to give too much away I will say I was kind of rooting for the other guy!

 

This book is due to be published on April 25, 2017.

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

                                            

 

 

Thank you to NetGalley, especially St. Martin’s Press, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Giovanna Fletcher

GIOVANNA FLETCHER is an actress and freelance journalist who blogs for HELLO! online. She is married to Tom Fletcher from the band McFly. She grew up in Essex and now lives outside of London with Tom and their son, Buzz.

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#BookReview The Most Beautiful Woman in Florence by Alyssa Palombo @AlyssInWnderlnd @StMartinsPress

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#BookReview The Most Beautiful Woman in Florence by Alyssa Palombo @AlyssInWnderlnd @StMartinsPress Title: The Most Beautiful Woman in Florence

Author: Alyssa Palombo

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin on Apr. 25, 2017

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 320

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: St. Martin's Press, NetGalley

Book Rating: 8/10

A girl as beautiful as Simonetta Cattaneo never wants for marriage proposals in 15th Century Italy, but she jumps at the chance to marry Marco Vespucci. Marco is young, handsome and well-educated. Not to mention he is one of the powerful Medici family’s favored circle.

Even before her marriage with Marco is set, Simonetta is swept up into Lorenzo and Giuliano de’ Medici’s glittering circle of politicians, poets, artists, and philosophers. The men of Florence―most notably the rakish Giuliano de’ Medici―become enthralled with her beauty. That she is educated and an ardent reader of poetry makes her more desirable and fashionable still. But it is her acquaintance with a young painter, Sandro Botticelli, which strikes her heart most. Botticelli immediately invites Simonetta, newly proclaimed the most beautiful woman in Florence, to pose for him. As Simonetta learns to navigate her marriage, her place in Florentine society, and the politics of beauty and desire, she and Botticelli develop a passionate intimacy, one that leads to her immortalization in his masterpiece, The Birth of Venus.

Book Rating: 8/10

This is an intriguing interpretation about the life of Simonetta Cattaneo, a young, intelligent girl who became known as the “Most Beautiful Woman of Florence” and who developed a close, intimate relationship with the famous Renaissance painter, Sandro Botticelli.

It is a story about familial responsibilities, duty, strength, coming-of-age, friendship, art, passion, desire, loss and love.

Simonetta was a feminist ahead of her time who understood quickly that her beauty was both a gift and a curse, and who ultimately longed and strived in her regrettably short life to be known and loved for her knowledge and mind instead.

The prose is smooth and fluid, and the storyline takes us back to the mid-to-late 1400s to the city of Florence when politics, learning and the liberal arts were revered and who you knew was certainly more important than what you knew.

This certainly is a well written, vivid, rich story, and even though there is not much known about Simonetta’s life and the events that led up to Botticelli’s immortalization of her in his famous painting, Palombo has done a remarkable job of taking those historical facts and surrounding them with fiction that is passionate, alluring and incredibly captivating.

 

This novel is due to be published on April 25, 2017.

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

                                            

 

 

Thank you to NetGalley, especially St. Martin’s Press, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Alyssa Palombo

ALYSSA PALOMBO is the author of The Violinist of Venice, The Most Beautiful Woman in Florence, and The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel. She is a recent graduate of Canisius College with degrees in English and creative writing, respectively. A passionate music lover, she is a classically trained musician as well as a big fan of heavy metal. When not writing, she can be found reading, hanging out with her friends, traveling, or planning for next Halloween. She lives in Buffalo, New York.

Photograph by Jennifer Hark-Hameister.

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