-
Review: The Counterfeit Heiress (Lady Emily #9) by Tasha Alexander
Lady Emily and her husband, the dashing Colin, are enjoying their evening out at an exclusive costume ball. A strange encounter with a masked man leaves Emily scratching her head. She was certain that she was the only Artemis at the ball but clearly the masked man was expecting a different sort of Artemis. Well the only other Artemis at the ball is the eccentric Estella Lamar. Estella hasn’t been seen in society for years. She is known for her world travels and is rarely….if ever…..seen in society. Emily’s long time friend Cecile knows Estella well from a childhood spent together. When Cecile sees Estella at the ball, she knows she’s a fraud. Someone is impersonating…
-
Review: Sweet Damage by Rebecca James
This is a modern Gothic thriller to put on your radar! Tim Ellison has been in a rut lately. He has spent his time sleeping on his ex-girlfriend’s couch, working in a restaurant, and surfing. Life isn’t quite what he expected. But he does know one thing….it’s time to move out of his ex’s house. Tim finds a cheap room rental at Fairview, when he shows up he is expecting to see a heap but instead he finds a mansion. Built in 1890, Fairview is a beautiful mansion boasting some of the best views in Sydney. It’s owned by Anna London who inherited the house after her parents’ deaths. In exchange for…
-
Review: The Witch of Painted Sorrows by M.J. Rose
Sandrine Salome is running away to France. Her father has just died and her husband most likely had a hand in it. She cannot continue to be in his house so she flees to Paris where her grandmother lives. Sandrine used to live with her grandmother when she was younger but then she was whisked away when she was caught in a compromising situation with a boy. Since then she has only seen her grandmother a handful of times but it’s almost like Paris is calling her home from America. When she arrives, her grandmother’s home is empty. Her grandmother claims its due to renovations but Sandrine feels like she…
-
Review: The Secret Woman by Victoria Holt
Anna Brett was born abroad in India but was sent to live in England with her spinster aunt, Charlotte, where she would be educated. Anna’s parents promise that it will be a short stay only but when tragic circumstances occur, Anna finds herself stuck in England indefinitely. Anna’s Aunt Charlotte is we well known antiques dealer in the busy port town of Langmouth. There the wealthy Crediton family runs the town. They live in a ‘fake castle’ on the hill and the family is the talk of the town. When Anna and her aunt visit the castle to purchase some antiques, Anna meets the dashing Captain Redvers “Red” Stretton. Though she…
-
Review: Mistress of Mellyn by Victoria Holt
On the storm coastline of Cornwall lies Mount Mellyn, a magnificent old family home. The Mount is home to the TreMellyn family, Connan and his daughter Alvean. Connan is recently widowed and looking for a governess for Alvean, who seems to go through governess’ at an alarming rate. Martha Leigh has agreed to take the governess post at the house, and she is dreading it. Having had her season she has not obtained what every Victorian woman dreams of–a husband. So after a couple of unsuccessful seasons her only option is to find a position. When she arrives at Mount Mellyn the house is imposing, dark, and basically all around creepy! When…
-
Review: Bhalla Strand by Sarah Maine
On the scarcely populated islands of Scotland’s Outer Hebrides islands, lies the deserted remains of a once great house–Bhalla House. Hetty is grieving the loss of her parents as well as her grandmother and is toying with taking Bhalla House, which she just inherited, and turning it into a hotel. But before she can make any decisions, she travels to the remote island looking for something, though she doesn’t quite know what. Something right perhaps? When she arrives things are worse than she imagined. Hetty thought she would find an Edwardian era mansion that needed little more than some updating. What she found was a crumbling ruin that would cost millions to…
-
Review: The Property of a Gentleman by Catherine Gaskin
In the Lake District of northern England, the estranged Earl of Askew has returned to his crumbling country estate after years abroad. He has run out of money and needs to start selling off some of his belongings to pay for his eccentric life style and habits. He places a call to a well respected auction house in London, Hardy’s, and Gerald Stanton and his apprentice Joanna (Jo) Roswell, are dispatched to the estate to evaluate some of the finer pieces. Jo’s mother has just died in a terrible plane crash and she welcomes the opportunity to throw herself back into her work. When Jo and Gerald arrive at the…
-
Announcement: Winner The Secret Rooms: A True Story of a Haunted Castle, a Plotting Duchess, and a Family Secret by Catherine Bailey
And the winner of The Secret Rooms by Catherine Bailey is….. Christine K (Re-Tweeted about the giveaway) The winner will be notified via email. Thank you to everyone who entered and a huge thank you to the publisher for making this giveaway possible!
-
Giveaway: The Secret Rooms: A True Story of a Haunted Castle, a Plotting Duchess, and a Family Secret by Catherine Bailey
Are you going through Downton Abbey withdrawals? I don’t know about you but I know I am! If you are longing for more history and mystery from this exciting era in English history this book is going to be exactly what you are looking for! Thanks to the publisher, I am ecstatic to be able to offer a copy of The Secret Rooms by Catherine Bailey for your enjoyment! Giveaway runs 1/23/13 to 1/29/14 Winners will be announced 1/30/14. (how to enter) On this blog you must leave a comment to be entered in the giveaway. Your comment MUST include your email so I can contact you….if you do not enter an…
-
Review: The Secret Rooms: A True Story of a Haunted Castle, a Plotting Duchess, and a Family Secret by Catherine Bailey
Non-fiction books are often a double edged sword for me. I love that I get the historical information and facts about a period in history or a specific person etc, however often the material is presented in a very scholarly manor and can at times be on the dry side. However ever once in a while I get a non-fiction book for review that really catches my eye and that was the case with The Secret Rooms but Catherine Bailey. This book promised a Downton Abbey-esque, real life mystery in the upper echelons of WWI English society…how could I pass it up? This story roped me in almost immediately.