Claire Lyons reviews The Gybford Affair by Jen Black

Today Claire Lyons reviews The Gybford Affair by Jen Black. The author has very kindly offered an e-book as a giveaway.  To be in with a chance of winning this wonderful prize, simply leave a comment below or on our Facebook page.

Good luck!

The quiet life of Frances, Lady Rathmere, is disrupted forever the day Jack, 4th Marquess of Streatham, arrives from London and almost rides her down. At the same time a stranger arrives in the locality, makes a play for her young cousin and scandalous letters accusing Frances of an illicit liaison appear in the national press. Is Jack their author? Frances is convinced he is, and has no idea the trouble those letters are going to bring in their wake.

How liberating for a young woman to become a widow in the Regency era – no more need to marry, a certain financial independence and still welcome in Society. That is unless you have the sort of fortune that would make you a target for a despicable forced and violent marriage…

The Gybford Affair has a number of storylines, but the situation of a young widow is at its core. I thoroughly enjoyed this fast paced and exciting historical romance.  There was a good balance of drama and everyday life to give a real flavour of the period. There are plenty of characters to add moments of humour and see variety of opinions on issues of the day.

Although I felt quite confident who the main romance would be between, there is great tension as to ‘how’ these two will ever get together, and in an unusual twist marriage in itself is not the end or even the start of their story. I felt a great sense of transformation, especially of the male lead, during the book, there is a darkness that slowly lifts and it’s a very positive and happy tale despite moments of great sadness and grief. It was interesting to see the different ways the difficult topic of maternal care were discussed and experienced. It is still fascinating to me how the situation of women has changed over time, and I’m always intrigued to read about women in history and the lives they led. Although this story is focused on the wealthy in Society, their money does not prevent great some of the toughest of life’s hurdles and these are dealt with sensitively.

Of course there is a rogue who brings deceit, fear and drama to the story, and he has been created with care and subtlety. His character creates some of the more tense situations in the book and you can’t always be sure how they will end. I enjoyed the changes in pace and tension as the different threads of the story weaved together.

This book would suit those who enjoy historical romance, it’s a great romp and would be fun to read while travelling as it’s very engaging.

About the Author: I’m an ex-academic library manager who lives in the Tyne valley, north east England, with my husband and 6 year-old Dalmatian. I came to writing late, and stay fit (sort of) roaming about Northumberland with my dog. It is a wonderful county for history lovers (and dog walkers!). Everyone knows about the Roman Wall, Vindolanda and all their wonderful Roman finds, but it is equally amazing for castles, bastles, fortified farms and the occasional peel tower. I’ve walked and ridden over a good deal of it. The wall is barely five miles away from my home and we have met people of all nationalities walking there. I take lots of pics when I’m out and pop them on my blog. When I write I’m not out to enlighten, but to entertain and I think I’m always going to have a happy ending. I may have a few tragedies and deaths along the way, but the ending will always be upbeat.

I don’t play music as I never notice when it stops, so I can’t be listening, can I?

My blog is at http://jenblackauthor.blogspot.com

Facebook: Friends of Jen Black 

https://www.facebook.com/jen.black.775

and on Twitter: @JENBLACKNCL

About the Reviewer: 

Claire has run Mrs Average Evaluates for five years now, and still writes a regular book review in a local magazine. Her passion is to share great writing and encourage wide reading for learning, pleasure and escapism. She also runs her own business, has four young children and a dog to keep her busy. You are most welcome to join her friendly FB Group, and she’s always on the lookout for Guest Posts on the website.

www.mrsaverageevaluates.co.uk

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www.twitter.com/clairelyonsgrow

www.instagram.com/mrsaverageevaluates

Carina by Alison Morton - A Review by Linda Fetterly Root

The Review Christmas Giveaway!

Today  Linda Fetterly Root reviews Carina by Alison Morton. For our Christmas Giveaway, The author has very kindly offered a winner's choice - an ebook or paperback copy will be sent to a winner.  To be in with a chance of winning this wonderful prize, simply leave a comment below or on our Facebook page.

Good luck!

Carina

During the hectic holiday season, even the most avid reader rarely finds the time to cuddle up in a comfortable spot with the work of a favorite author without being interrupted by a postal carrier at the door or the smell of cookies being toasted in the oven.  But there is a solution, and it is called a novella. The problem, however, is how few of our favorite authors write them.  I never appreciated why that was so universally true until I read Alison Morton’s seventh book in her Nova Roma series, Carina, and realized the crafting of the novella requires a special skill set which even the best of authors often lack.

A good novella taps the ancient talents of a storyteller, without the need of a cumbersome backstory or a cast of thousands. It flows easiest when it draws from the reader’s world as well as the alternative one created by the author and works well when its creator has a series with a following.  Alison Morton’s offering Carina satisfies on all counts.  Her genius provides the action and the setting, but the underlying tensions come right out of network news. Murder, treason and corruption know no boundaries in time or geography.  Thus, the product of Morton’s ingenuity is a robust action story guaranteed to satisfy committed Roma Nova fans, yet capable of standing alone.  It is also a stylish teaser for the reader who is not yet addicted to Morton’s alternative to contemporary Western Europe and North American society, but willing to take the tour. Visit Ms. Morton’s website for a broader view, complete with maps and photographs of what Nova Roma might look like, should  we choose to visit ( https://alison-morton.com/books-2/inceptio).

For the uninitiated, the premises of the Roma Nova series follows:  A remnant of Ancient Roman Civilization has survived and established an enclave in the area of modern Europe we associated with the small principalities whose names are only known to coin collectors and people whose parents came from Luxembourg or Liechtenstein.  Its society is structured loosely on Roman principles. While it is a titular matriarchy, it form is similar to a classic oligarchy, governed by aristocratic  families who often compete with one another for control.  And for those tempted to put Morton’s works aside as another collection of militant feminist chic books, think again. The men of Novo Roma are just as formidable and provocative as its women. Alison Morton has avoided retelling Roma Nova’s complex history in her novels, but admits it inhabits her head in great detail. She has created a society as multi-dimensional as Frank Herbert's Dune, complete with its architecture and belief structure.  Although Morton's modern protagonist Carina Mitela’s adventure enfolds in a deceptively contemporary New World setting, the hint of the Roma Nova counterculture seduces us from the shadows, We are not the least disappointed to discover Carina must return to Roma Nova to resolve the puzzling aspects of her mission.

The novella Carina is a compliment to the three books of the Carina trilogy.  The character Carina is the perfect protagonist for the stories.  Until shortly before the events in the novella, she was living in the Eastern United States in autonomous New York City as Karen Brown, but her ties to her dead mother’s family makes her a target of intrigue. Her grandmother Aurelia is the most powerful woman in the Roma Nova ruling class, and her American granddaughter is her natural heir. But how Karen Brown becomes Carina Mitela, a member of the Praetorium Guard and the wife of the powerful special forces commander Conrad Tellus is the topic of Morton's  novel Inceptio, but one need not have read it to enjoy the novella. 

The cityscape of Toronto - the 'New World" in general.

The fast-paced novella traces its namesake on her first covert mission as a member of the Praetoriam Guard, an  adventure to which she is assigned with the knowledge by her husband. While Conrad Tellus is an indulgent and loving spouse, he is a strict and unyielding disciplinarian when dealing with his troops, and Carina is not spared his wrath when she circumvents his orders. She had just been released from solitary confinement for disobedience when she is dispatched on what was presented as a routine mission to detain and return a traitor.

From the mission's onset, Carina has her doubts. There is one possible source of danger known to both Conrad and Carina. The former Karen Brown’s departure from the New World was not without repercussions. There is still a warrant for her arrest on the books of  the Eastern United States. But as long as she follows Conrad’s instructions and stays away from the EUS, her superiors assure her that she and her partner Flavius should be home in a snap, with quarry in tow. Although only twenty-four-years-old and newest of the Guard, Carina is no one’s fool.  This is not her first brush with the dangers inherent in being a Mitelus.  From the beginning, the circumstances of the mission to capture and return a woman who has fled Roma Nova for Quebec, is too secretive for her taste. Not even Conrad will tell her what the fugitive has done. ‘Need to know,’ he scolds.  She wonders if the so-called routine assignment might be a means of sidelining her, as further punishment for her past insubordination, but her  familiarity with the area in the Republic of Quebec which she had visited as a child makes her the ideal person for the mission.  She knows how to blend in, what food to order and where to shop.  She remembers crossing into Canada at Niagara Falls, because her father thought it offered the better view, which is exactly what my father told me when we visited the Falls when I was ten years old.

The house in Montreal where Carina was based

However, the forces at work against Carina both in the New World and at home have other plans. Carina's own nature and the machinations of her enemies on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean make the clandestine mission a high risk operation for Carina and her allies. And, in addition to the factions determined to defeat her, in her Karen Brown persona, she has left behind an  embittered female law enforcement agent obsessed with bringing her down.  Alison Morton has a special way of creating especially hateful bad guys, a talent which makes the reader more of a participant than a bystander.

Morton’s characters are artfully drawn, many of them driven by the same motives we see in the daily headlines of the Guardian and the Washington Post.   I love the way Carina can utter an authentic  ancient Roman oath, and follow it with an exuberant,' F--- off.'  Treachery abounds, and not always coming from the predicted camp.  Even the mission itself is not what it seems. 

When Carina finally returns to Roma Nova, a whole new set of intrigues surface.  In this stage of the story, we are treated to a new glimpse of Aurelia, the head of the Mitelus Family, and we realize why she is so formidable.  For the new visitor Roma Nova, the few scenes hosted by Aurelia should send them searching for Ms. Morton's second box set. While Carina is a very modern story, set in modern times, after she returns to Roma Nova at the conclusion of her mission, old family rivalries,long-held grudges,  political maneuverings and betrayals surface, and we find ourselves checking our calendars for the Ides of March. 

The plot of the novella is a gem, the action is believable, the dialog is crisp, and the conclusion of the story does not leave the reader dangling on the edge of a cliff.  It does, however, promise more adventures to come.   Morton includes a sample of the novel Inceptio to make certain new members of her audience can visit Carina in her role of Karen Brown.  I have read Carina twice now and enjoyed it on both excursions.  I  am ordering paperback copies for stocking-stuffers and one for my special book shelf.  Reviewing Carina has been a pleasure.

 Linda Fetterly Root

About the reviewer: Linda Root is the author of The First Marie and the Queen of Scots, The Last Knight and the Queen of Scots, and four books in The Legacy of the Queen of Scots series. The fifth, Deliverance of the Lamb, is coming in early 2016. She lives in the Southern California high desert community of Yucca Valley with her husband Chris and two giant woolly Alaskan Malamutes, Maxx and Maya. She is a retired major crimes prosecutor, a member of the Marie Stuart Society, and of the California State Bar and the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States.  

Linda Root's books can be found on Amazon.

About the author: Alison Morton writes the acclaimed Roma Nova thriller series featuring modern Praetorian heroines. She blends her deep love of Roman history with six years’ military service and a life of reading crime, adventure and thriller fiction.

All six Roma Nova full-length novels have been awarded the BRAG Medallion. SUCCESSIO, AURELIA and INSURRECTIO were selected as Historical Novel Society’s Indie Editor’s Choices.  AURELIA was a finalist in the 2016 HNS Indie Award. SUCCESSIO was selected as an Editor’s Choice in The Bookseller. CARINA is a novella set between INCEPTIO and PERFIDITAS.

A ‘Roman nut’ since age 11, Alison has misspent decades clambering over Roman sites throughout Europe. She holds an MA History, blogs about Romans and writing.

Now she continues to write, cultivates a Roman herb garden and drinks wine in France with her husband.

Social media links

Connect with Alison on her Roma Nova site: http://alison-morton.com

Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AlisonMortonAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/alison_morton @alison_morton

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5783095.Alison_Morton
Alison’s Amazon page: http://Author.to/AlisonMortonAmazon

Buying links for CARINA

Amazon: http://myBook.to/CARINA

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/fr/en/ebook/carina-7

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/book/carina/id1308402176

Barnes & Noble NOOK:  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/carina-alison-morton/1127527969?ean=2940158978593

What’s CARINA about?

Carina Mitela is still a young inexperienced officer in the Praetorian Guard Special Forces. Disgraced and smarting from a period in the cells for a disciplinary offence, she is sent out of everybody's way on a seemingly straightforward mission overseas.

All she and her comrade-in-arms, Flavius, have to do is bring back a traitor from the Republic of Quebec. Under no circumstances will she risk entering the Eastern United States where she is still wanted under her old name Karen Brown.  But when she and Flavius discover a conspiracy that reaches to the highest levels of Roma Nova, what price is personal danger against fulfilling the mission?

---------

Set in the time after INCEPTIO but before PERFIDITAS in the Roma Nova series, this thriller novella reveals hidden parts of Carina's early life in Roma Nova. And North America isn't quite the continent we know in our timeline...

Today Mercedes Rochelle reviews Queen of Martyrs: The Story of Mary I by Samantha Wilcoxson. The author has very kindly offered a signed paperback copy as a giveaway.  To be in with a chance of winning this wonderful prize, simply leave a comment below or on our Facebook page.

Good luck!

'God save the Queen! God save our good Queen Mary!'
When these words rang out over England, Mary Tudor thought her troubles were over. She could put her painful past - the loss of her mother and mistreatment at the hands of her father - behind her.
With her accession to the throne, Mary set out to restore Catholicism in England and find the love of a husband that she had long desired. But the tragedies in Mary's life were far from over. How did a gentle, pious woman become known as 'Bloody Mary'?

Forever condemned by her appellation “Bloody Mary”, Henry VIII’s eldest daughter always seems to get short shrift when talking about the Tudor world. Samantha Wilcoxson has tried to make up for this in her novel with the curious title “Queen of Martyrs”. Is she a martyr herself, or is she lording it over other martyrs, so to speak? It’s hard to say. Mary certainly seemed to feel like she was never quite loved enough, never quite strong enough or healthy enough or wise enough. 

She was constantly on the verge of a migrane which would condemn her to bed for a number of days. After her glorious entry into London, Mary was stunned that her popularity diminished so quickly—though even she seemed to understand that her unfortunate choice of husbands had something to do with it. But, true to her Tudor heritage, she was determined to have her way regardless of the consequences. That went for religion as well, though it was difficult for me to determine just what percentage of the population welcomed a return to the old faith. Never mind; it didn't matter. She knew best.

I was expecting more details about Mary's antipathy for her sister. In this novel, although the subject was broached, Elizabeth's dire situation didn't get all that much attention. Her release from the Tower was almost an afterthought. How much danger was Elizabeth in? Did she meet Philip while she was incarcerated? Since this book wasn't about Elizabeth, we'll have to go elsewhere to get an answer. The main concern here was Mary's unhappy marriage, her poor health, and her dependence on her cousin Reginald Pole—a bad influence, as far as I can see! 

I almost felt sorry for Mary’s misfortunes until she decided to overcompensate by burning more and more heretics when her policy fell short. It’s hard to justify those actions to a modern reader, and I would assume it wasn’t any easier to justify it to her contemporaries. No matter how hard she tried, she just didn't seem able to redeem herself. It was a sad story about a sad princess who didn't seem to learn from her mistakes. Maybe she was a martyr after all.

*

About the Author: Samantha Wilcoxson is an American writer with British roots. When she is not reading or travelling, she enjoys spending time at the lake with her husband and three teenagers. The Plantagenet Embers series debuted with 'Plantagenet Princess, Tudor Queen: The Story of Elizabeth of York'. It has been selected as an Editors' Choice by the Historical Novel Society and long-listed for the 2016 HNS Indie Award. 'Faithful Traitor: The Story of Margaret Pole' is the second novel in the trilogy, continuing the story of the Plantagenet remnant in Tudor times. This novel has received 5-stars from Readers' Favorite and a Discovering Diamond award. The final installment in Plantagenet Embers, 'Queen of Martyrs', features Queen Mary I and her story of the counter-reformation in England. Some of the secondary characters of the Plantagenet Embers series are explored in novellas, including 'The Last Lancastrian' featuring Margaret Beaufort and 'Once a Queen' which focuses on the final decade of Elizabeth Woodville's life.
Links: Amazon; Facebook; Twitter; Blog

About the Reviewer: Born and raised in St. Louis MO, Mercedes Rochelle graduated with a BA in Literature from University of Missouri. She learned about living history as a re-enactor and has been enamored with historical fiction ever since. A move to New York to do research and two careers ensued, but writing fiction remains her primary vocation. She lives in Sergeantsville, NJ with her husband in a log home they had built themselves.She is the author of The Last Great Saxon Earls trilogy.
Links: Website; Blog; Facebook page; Amazon page.

By the Gate by Jeanette Taylor Ford

Today Kate Braithwaite reviews the second book in the River View series, By the Gate by Jeanette Taylor Ford. The author has very kindly offered a paperback as a giveaway to a winner in the UK or an ebook to a winner elsewhere in the world To be in with a chance of winning this wonderful prize, simply leave a comment below or on our Facebook page.
Good luck!

When farmer Elwyn Price discovers a long-buried skeleton in the field he hires from Lucy Baxter, it sends DI Cooke and DS Grant on a seventy year old murder investigation. The two detectives follow leads in various parts of the country, gradually unravelling a dark mystery. But how will their discoveries affect Lucy Baxter’s family and other residents of the village of Sutton-on-Wye?

In By the Gate by Jeanette Taylor Ford, the idyllic English village of Sutton-on-Wye are shocked at the discovery of a skeleton in a local farmer’s field. When crime scene investigators confirm that it is the body of a young woman,  strangled seventy years ago, a search for missing persons from the time period turns up a series of unsolved murders.

Thanks to some elderly people with remarkable memories, DI Cooke and DS Grant are gradually able to find the truth about a wartime serial killer and secrets that have been kept by two friends for seventy decades.

By the Gate is the second in the River View series of mystery novels based in and around Sutton-on-Wye. Characters from the first book, Aunt Bea’s Legacy, make a welcome return, and although By the Gate works perfectly well as a stand alone read, the appealing characters will have readers who missed the first book keen to pick it up and find out more about Lucy Baxter’s arrival in Sutton-on-Wye.

The characters and locations are great strengths here. The book certainly has a cosy mystery feel, particularly as the likeable detective duo Cooke and Grant travel around the country, interviewing witnesses and enjoying a great deal of tea, cake and hearty pub food. A hint of romance for Grant is a welcome addition to the story. Ford also does an impressive job of bringing older characters to life in her fiction. Sam Williams, for example, has just lost his wife of fifty years, but was also, long ago, the boyfriend of the girl whose body is found in the field. He’s a very strong and sympathetic character. Anyone looking for a murder mystery with a good plot and an escapist read in a gentle, bucolic English setting, would be well-served to pick up a copy of By the Gate.

About the Author: Jeanette Taylor Ford is a retired Teaching Assistant. She grew up in Cromer, Norfolk and moved to Hereford with her parents when she was seventeen. An undiagnosed Coeliac, Jeanette was a delicate child and missed a great deal of schooling, but she had a natural ability to write good stories, even at the tender age of nine or ten. When young her ambition was to be a journalist but life took her in another direction and her life’s work has been with children – firstly as a nursery assistant in a children’s home, and later in education. In between she raised her own six children and she now has seven grandchildren (soon to be eight!), a beautiful great-granddaughter and a mischievous great grandson.

Jeanette took up writing again in 2010; egged on by a Facebook friend. To date, she has published eight novels for adults, a fantasy for children and a little book of short stories and poems. Aunt Bea’s Legacy is the seventh book and the first of a series.

 Music has always played a big part in Jeanette’s life; she plays the piano and has conducted church choirs over many years and taught choir at her local school for a couple of years. Currently, she is a member of a local ladies’ choir. She also embroiders, teaches people how to do Family History and does card crafting.

She lives with her husband Tony, a retired headmaster, and two cats, in Derbyshire with a Nottinghamshire postcode, England. (I never know whether to tell folks I live in Derbyshire or Nottinghamshire!)

You can find Jeanette on Facebook, her books are available from Amazon in the UK and US.

About the Reviewer: Kate Braithwaite was born and grew up in Edinburgh, Scotland. Her first novel, Charlatan, was longlisted for the Mslexia New Novel Award and the Historical Novel Society Award. The Road to Newgate was released by Crooked Cat in 2018. Kate lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and three children. 

To buy the book.
Social Media Links: Facebook; Twitter; Website.

The Dangerous Friends Trilogy by Jennifer Young

Today Claire Lyons reviews The Dangerous Friends Series by Jennifer Young. The author has very kindly offered ebooks of all 3 books of the trilogy as a giveaway to one very lucky winner. To be in with a chance of winning this wonderful prize, simply leave a comment below or on our Facebook page.

Good luck!

 When Bronte O'Hara finds an injured man in her kitchen in the run-up to an international political summit in Edinburgh, a world she thought she'd left behind catches up with her. But once the man has made his escape, the police seem less interested in finding out where he went and how he came to be there than they are in Bronte's past - more specifically, her ex-boyfriend, Eden Mayhew. Eden's an anarchist, up to his neck in any trouble around - and he's missing. The police are keen to find him, certain that he'll come back. Who can she trust - and what has Eden's disappearance got to do with the handsome stranger?

There are currently three books set in modern day Edinburgh, following the lives of Bronte O’Hara and Marcus Fleming… and it’s complicated!

Bronte is a wonderful character, and I immediately liked her – I suspect she’s a bit like my younger self. Working in a large bank doesn’t sit very well with her values or her private life – to add to her woes she comes home to find a man unconscious on her kitchen floor… and so begins a rip roaring tale of deceit, passion, environmental activism, spies and even romance! It’s a very compelling and fast paced story with twists and turns at every corner. I was a little daunted at reading all three, but once I started I just had to know what happened next and read them all back to back.

Each book would stand alone, but I recommend reading them together if possible as the love story needs the slow build of understanding and affection, of two people learning to accept their differences and making sense of their inexplicable need to save each other. To get the deeper emotions and to see more clearly why they behave the way they do in the later books, it would help to have started at the beginning. It also makes finally meeting some of the family members a real treat as you will have heard about them in snippets in the earlier books.

The supporting cast of characters are just as well defined and polished as Bronte and Marcus – they each play an important role in the first and subsequent books (even the dead have an influence). I enjoyed the intensity of the story and the modern topics that Jennifer tackles with sensitivity and care. Despite being challenging subject matter the books aren’t overly graphic or gratuitous and I liked being allowed to imagine my own scenes in addition to what we are told, rather than being spoon fed every word. Jennifer manages to contain issues within the stories without making sweeping judgements or giving ‘lectures’ to the reader, there is a healthy dialogue throughout all the books highlighting different ideas and opinions which allows the reader to come to their own conclusions.

One aspect I particularly enjoyed was having an independent and flawed female lead, there is a good mix of both men and women being ‘saved’ in various ways and there are several strong female characters which made a refreshing change.  Although not a coming of age book, I did recognise the changes that Bronte goes through as an undercurrent to the stories, as she battles with a complicated series of events in her life and has to decide what she wants, and then fight for that. Getting to know her is a pleasant thread throughout the stories and I really hope there are more to come!

This series would suit people who like a crime novel, and edgy romance rather than sex scenes. The writing is crisp and fresh, and the Scottish setting is very evocative. They tackle modern policing methods, activism, international politics, the slave trade, environmental issues and the aftermath of violence.

About the Author: Jennifer Young is an Edinburgh-based author of contemporary romance and romantic suspense. Her books are rich in a sense of place -- visit Majorca for a romantic adventure, Italy for some new adult romance, or Edinburgh for dark deeds and romance in Scotland's capital. 

Her Dangerous Friends series focuses on the adventures of former political activist Bronte and her policeman boyfriend, their romance at odds with their very different outlooks on life.

You can follow Jennifer on Facebook  or Twitter, or via her website and blog. 

Blank Space, After Eden and Storm Child are all available from Amazon and on Kindle Unlimited.

About the Reviewer:

Claire has run Mrs Average Evaluates for five years now, and still writes a regular book review in a local magazine. Her passion is to share great writing and encourage wide reading for learning, pleasure and escapism. She also runs her own business, has four young children and a dog to keep her busy. You are most welcome to join her friendly FB Group, and she’s always on the lookout for Guest Posts on the website.

www.mrsaverageevaluates.co.uk

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Aunt Bea's Legacy by Jeanette Taylor Ford

Today Claire Lyons reviews Aunt Bea's Legacy by Jeanette Taylor Ford. The author has very kindly offered a paperback giveaway to a winner in the UK or an ebook to winner elsewhere in the world.  To be in with a chance of winning this wonderful prize, simply leave a comment below or on our Facebook page.

Good luck!

Lucy’s Aunt Bea leaves her lovely old house to her niece under the condition she lives in it for a year. A suggestion that her aunt died in suspicious circumstances leads Lucy to move in to try to find out what happened, despite her fiancé Jim, who doesn’t want to live in the country. Lucy soon falls in love with the house and the village and enjoys taking over her aunt’s business, ‘Aunt Bea’s Pantry’. Into the mix comes Kenny Baxter, Lucy’s neighbour, who she is increasingly drawn to. But is the house haunted, or is someone trying to frighten her? Lucy becomes unsettled and unsure and begins to doubt even the man she is falling in love with – could Kenny be behind the mysterious happenings, and why?

So Aunt Bea has died unexpectedly and left her niece an old house and business, but they are not where Lucy currently lives – and there are some unusual terms to her Will… Set in modern day Britain, Aunt Bea’s Legacy is a wonderful, rich story about family, relationships and following your hunches.

I so enjoyed this book, it really has a bit of everything, there is more than one romance a lot of drama and it gets pretty spooky too. I enjoyed the slow and deliberate building of tension, as on the surface it feels like an ordinary romance… and then the spooky bits start and the characters develop and it becomes something much more unexpected. Did Aunt Bea die of natural causes? Or are Lucy and the local police right to be suspicious… It all seems so out of character, and then Lucy starts to read some disturbing notes left by Aunt Bea, was she being followed or spied on?

At the same time as grieving and reminiscing over a loved relative, Lucy has to manage a long distance relationship and the crystallising idea that he may not be the man for her, but who can she trust to talk to in this new village where someone may have hurt a lovely old lady?

There are quite a few characters in the book, and this is the first in a series (Jeanette is on Book 3 already!) so I’m hoping to meet some of those on the ‘edges’ as I suspect they all have stories to tell. The main characters are carefully created and more of their past and idiosyncrasies are revealed throughout the book. As each one is introduced they all bring something to the story, and are well described and believable, you could draw a map of the village from the clear imagery.  Of course the house is the central character of the book, and although I still don’t understand why they slept in separate bedrooms, it has a real presence and influence on Lucy and how she feels about her life and her future. As someone who has strong reactions to buildings, I could understand that feeling – that you’re where you should be.

There is a good mix of humour and a few more eccentric people that add colour, preventing the book becoming scary or too serious. Even the periphery characters are well described enough that you can easily imagine them, I particularly liked the policeman.  Throughout the whole book you are rooting for Lucy, she is easily likeable and empathetic. The story has many threads that are well woven together and it reaches a satisfying conclusion.

This book would suit people who like romance with a bit more going on and fans of a cosy mystery, and there is no gore or too much sex.  It’s also good if you like to get to know a fictional area and its people - I do now feel connected to the village, and there is something going on with that field I want to know more about…

About the Author: Jeanette Taylor Ford is a retired Teaching Assistant. She grew up in Cromer, Norfolk and moved to Hereford with her parents when she was seventeen. An undiagnosed Coeliac, Jeanette was a delicate child and missed a great deal of schooling, but she had a natural ability to write good stories, even at the tender age of nine or ten. When young her ambition was to be a journalist but life took her in another direction and her life’s work has been with children – firstly as a nursery assistant in a children’s home, and later in education. In between she raised her own six children and she now has seven grandchildren (soon to be eight!), a beautiful great-granddaughter and a mischievous great grandson.

Jeanette took up writing again in 2010; egged on by a Facebook friend. To date, she has published eight novels for adults, a fantasy for children and a little book of short stories and poems. Aunt Bea’s Legacy is the seventh book and the first of a series.

 Music has always played a big part in Jeanette’s life; she plays the piano and has conducted church choirs over many years and taught choir at her local school for a couple of years. Currently, she is a member of a local ladies’ choir. She also embroiders, teaches people how to do Family History and does card crafting.

She lives with her husband Tony, a retired headmaster, and two cats, in Derbyshire with a Nottinghamshire postcode, England. (I never know whether to tell folks I live in Derbyshire or Nottinghamshire!)

You can find Jeanette on Facebook, her books are available from Amazon in the UK and US.

About the Reviewer: 

Claire has run Mrs Average Evaluates for five years now, and still writes a regular book review in a local magazine. Her passion is to share great writing and encourage wide reading for learning, pleasure and escapism. She also runs her own business, has four young children and a dog to keep her busy. You are most welcome to join her friendly FB Group, and she’s always on the lookout for Guest Posts on the website.

www.mrsaverageevaluates.co.uk

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Triumph of a Tsar by Tamar Anolic

Today Renny de Groot reviews the alternative history novel, Triumph of a Tsar by Tamar Anolic.

We have a wonderful giveaway of paperback copy of the book as prize. 
To enter, simply leave a comment below or on our facebook page. Good luck!

Triumph of a Tsar is a work of alternate historical fiction in which the Russian Revolution of 1917 is averted, and the hemophiliac Alexei, son of Tsar Nicholas II, comes to the throne. In August, 1920, sixteen-year-old Alexei is enjoying his birthday celebrations when Nicholas dies suddenly. Overnight, Alexei becomes tsar of an empire that covers one-sixth of the world’s landmass.

Thank you to the author Tamar Anolic for a complimentary copy of this novel.

It’s been a while since I read a story of Russia, although those I have read stay with me in a way so many books don’t. The detailed psychological and philosophical explorations one can expect tend to set Russian novels in a category of their own.

With this novel, Triumph of a Tsar, the author takes us on a journey in the traditional style of the great Russian novelists. The sweeping portrayal of Russian aristocracy woven with true historic events evokes a strong sense of place and time to the point where we forget that this is alternative historical fiction. Anolic has created a world peopled by characters that are believable in their behaviours and actions. The protagonist, Alexei is thrust into a role before he is ready, and yet he steps up to assume the mantle of responsibility in a way that we can see and feel. Despite those who would see him fail, he learns and grows. We, the reader, find ourselves concerned about his concerns; his health, his enemies, his family and most of all the survival of his country.

As in any good book, we need to feel connected to the story and characters, and Tamar Anolic has successfully given us that connection as we consider Alexei taking great risks while he attempts to do what he feels is right amid contradictory priorities and advice. Who amongst us has not gone against the guidance of others to forge our own path?

The author uses dialogue to great effect in moving the story forward. We hear from the characters themselves how they are coping with the unfolding dramatic events. As WWII threatens Russia, Alexei calls his family together:

“During a pause in the food service, after the borscht and pickled fish had been cleared, Alexei called the table to order. “Thank you for coming,” he said. “I know you’re all busy with the war effort, and I want to thank you all for everything you’ve done. Having the imperial family visibly involved has made a large difference, both in morale, and in our fighting strength.”
He took a deep breath. “I’ve asked you all here on something of a more personal note. The Germans have already invaded Russia’s frontiers, and they’ve set their eyes upon both of our capitals- first Moscow, and now St. Petersburg. I fear that as members of the Imperial family, we will become the Germans’ targets- not only our persons but our palaces as well.”
 “You think the Germans would bomb our palaces?” Ioann asked. “They’re our homes!”
 “That’s precisely the point,” Alexei said. “Besides, our palaces are huge buildings that make for easy targets for the Luftwaffe.”

This is a well researched piece of writing. The story flows and while it offers an alternative to what really happened, it still provides enough history to leave the reader satisfied.

Congratulations to Tamar Anolic on creating a fascinating book. I give it four stars and recommend it to anyone who is interested in something a little bit different.

Triumph of a Tsar by Tamar Anolic is available from Amazon in the UK

About the Author

“Triumph of a Tsar” is Tamar’s second novel. She has a history of writing about the Romanovs. Her first book, the nonfiction biography entitled “The Russian Riddle,” was the first biography of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich. In addition, one of her short stories focuses on Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich and his sons: “Rumors of War,” published in The Copperfield Review in May, 2017. Tamar’s first novel, “The Last Battle,” was published in 2017.
Links: website; Amazon US

About the reviewer:

Renny deGroot is a first generation Canadian of Dutch parents. Her debut novel, Family Business, was shortlisted for the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize.  Her second novel, After Paris, has also been well received, with the current interest in all things WW1.  Renny has a BA in English Literature from Trent University.

Renny lives in rural Ontario with her elderly Chocolate lab, Great Pyrenees and young Golden Retriever.

You can find Renny's books on Amazon in Canada and the US.