I am always on the look out for new historical fiction novels—it’s my favorite genre to read. I love history and any combo or history, romance, mystery, or standard historical fiction, is usually right up my alley. Like most genres, it’s saturated with new books on a regular basis. All promising to be ‘new and different’ but when you crack open the book it’s often ‘oh this again’. But that is one of the reasons I love the genre so much. I don’t always need ‘hot new different’ reads, sometimes I just need a good solid historical fiction novel (or any combo of historical fiction and it’s sub genres).
How do you break out of traditional historical fiction stereotypes though if you are a new author? What makes your book stand out and different that readers will want to read it though? For me—you write good solid characters! Characters are what make the stories! Sure the bones of the book sound familiar, but it’s the characters that make books! When someone asks you what stood out in Pride and Prejudice—-I bet 99% of you would NOT say the time period or setting—-I am SURE most of you would say Mr Darcy and Elizabeth!
I love reading different takes on classic troupes with standout characters which is one of the reasons this book stood out to me. On the surface it sounds like ‘just another historical fiction book’—-a young widow solves Agatha Christie style mystery in Regency England but what we got was a fund heroine even if the premise of the book sounded traditional and bland, this book was so much fun and I loved getting to know Lady Petra!
Continue reading “Review: Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord by Celeste Connally”
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