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Special Feature: The First Actress by C.W. Gortner
C. W. Gortner is such a wonderful writer when it comes to reimagining the lives of famous women. I have read many of his books and enjoyed every one! It’s so rare that a male writer can capture the essence and stories of women to such an exacting degree but he does it every single time! If you haven’t read any of his books you definitely need to. If you have been reading historical fiction for a while, Gortner will no doubt be on your radar. His latest book, The First Actress, is out now in paperback and since its hardback release last year, it’s been getting a lot of…
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Review: A Betting Woman: A Novel of Madame Moustache by Jenni L. Walsh
Over the years I have started to work with more exclusively with larger publishing houses but I still have a special spot in my heart for smaller publishers and their great authors who maybe don’t get the same recognition that some of the larger houses do. When I can, I do try to read books from smaller publishers especially when they look really good! When I was approached to review A Betting Woman, I liked the premise of the book. I love that it was based on a real person and that it focused on the life of a women who was making her own way in the gambling world…
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Special Feature: Tears of Amber by Sofía Segovia
For all the people who read The Murmur of Bees, here it is—your next Sofia Segovia book, Tears of Amber. The Murmur of Bees came out in 2015 and was widely praised by readers and many have been eager to read the next Segovia book. Tears of Amber has already gathered a ton of positive reviews and I cannot wait to read this one! I also have a copy up for giveaway over on my Instagram page so if this book sounds like something you might like, pop on over to my IG page and enter my giveaway! This is going to be a great historical fiction read, I can…
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Re-Share Review: Before the Crown by Flora Harding
Last year I read this book and thought it was a great fictionalized account of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip’s romance. I read it quickly and thought it had charm, historical detail, and was perfect for fans of The Crown. Now it’s officially out in the US and I am so excited to share my original review with you guys today! Now that Prince Phillip has passed away, I think it’s also a special time to read this book and appreciate the man that he once was and enjoy the love story between himself and Elizabeth. This book promised to shed some light on the romance between Phillip and Elizabeth…
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Review: The Midnight Rose by Lucinda Riley (Audible Edition)
I am a big big big Lucinda Riley fan. I have read almost all of her books and have loved many of them. This book is probably one of her most popular books and the reviews have consistently been strong, but it’s one of the few books I haven’t read by her. So I thought it was time to rectify that and start reading it—well listening to it. Sadly, this one felt like a chore for me. I kept listening and listening and listening hoping that it would get better but for me it just fell flat. I had very high hopes for this one but it just wasn’t up…
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Review: Isabelle and Alexander by Rebecca Anderson
I have really enjoyed the ‘proper romance’ books from Shadow Mountain publishing over the years and their covers are so great. Every time I see one of them I know that I am instantly going to enjoy the book. Some more than others of course, but generally their proper romances are all great reads and for me, they read very quick. When this one came up for review, I knew it was an easy yes. It sounded so great, an arranged marriage and two characters that ultimately fall in love against all odds. I had read a couple of other reviews before picking this one up and saw that many…
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Review: Mrs Boots Goes to War by Deborah Carr
Last year I read the first book in the ‘Mrs Boots’ books, titled Mrs Boots. I loved it and couldn’t wait to read the next book but then somewhere along the way I must have missed the second book. This one then came up for review (this third book) and I instantly realized that I must have missed book two (I thought this one was book two). I should have probably set this one down and gone back to read the second book so that I could fully understand the scope of the story and all that had happened from book one until now, but I didn’t. It took me…
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Special Feature: China: The Novel by Edward Rutherfurd
When I think of truly epic reads, Edward Rutherfurd is at the top of my list. I picked up London more times than I care to admit and before I can even cracked it open, I found myself wondering if I am ready for something this epic? I finally did read it and it was so wonderful but the thing tat stood out above everything was the intense research! Rutherfurd’s books cover hundreds and in some cases thousands of years of history! It’s a lot to wrap the mind around! The amount of research that he must do for just one novel is INSANE! Not to mention that he does…
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Special Feature and Excerpt: The Woman with the Blue Star by Pam Jenoff
Pam Jenoff has written a number of historical fiction novels—-all of which I have absolutely adored! They are always so well researched and moving, not to mention I adore the WWII time period of many of her novels. I am so excited to check out her latest book, The Woman with the Blue Star! Not only is the cover to die for but the summary of the book sounds wonderfully moving! This book is based on a true story which I think will make it all the more compelling. If you love WWII books as much as I do then you are going to want to get this one on…
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Review: The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba by Chanel Cleeton
I have been a big fan of Chanel Cleeton for a while now. I have loved all her books and whenever I see that she has a new book coming out, I fan-girl pretty hard! But this book in particular made me really fan-girl. Most of Cleeton’s have a strong historical fiction component but it’s mostly 1930s or 1950s/60s time period, which is fine but its truthfully not my favorite time in history. Don’t get me wrong, I love Cleeton’s books but historically, the modern era isn’t my fav, but when I saw this book was coming out and it was set at the end of the 19th century, I…