Special Feature: A Duke in Time (The Widow Rules #1) by Janna MacGregor

A Duke in Time by Janna MacGregor

Katherine Vareck is in for the shock of her life when she learns upon her husband Meri’s accidental death that he had married two other women. Her entire business, along with a once-in-a-lifetime chance to be a royal supplier, is everything she’s been working for and now could be destroyed if word leaks about the three wives.

Meri’s far more upstanding brother, Christian, Duke of Randford has no earthly clue how to be of assistance. He spent the better part of his adult years avoiding Meri and the rest of his good-for-nothing family, so to be dragged back into the fold is…problematic. Even more so is the intrepid and beautiful Katherine, whom he cannot be falling for because she’s Meri’s widow. Or can he?

With a textile business to run and a strong friendship forming with Meri’s two other wives, Katherine doesn’t have time for much else. But there’s something about the warm, but compellingly taciturn Christian that draws her to him. When an opportunity to partner in a business venture brings them even closer, they’ll have to face their pasts if they want to share each other’s hearts and futures.

Continue reading “Special Feature: A Duke in Time (The Widow Rules #1) by Janna MacGregor”

Review: The Girls from the Beach by Andie Newton

I have read all of Andie Newton’s books so far and not once have I been disappointed! She is an amazingly talented writer and her historical research and detail is always spot on. Plus she has a wonderful prose and creates interesting characters. So when this one came up for review there was zero question if I would read it or not!

Not only is the cover to DIE for but I loved the sound of this plot…..American nurses tasked with a secret mission go missing and infiltrate the Nazi regime. It couldn’t sound more compelling if it tried! Spies and Nazis are a hot ticket right now. There are so many books about women spies infiltrating or working against the Nazis during WWII right now but Andie Newton is at the tip of that sword for me.

I sat down to read this one and expected to read it in a couple of days—wrong, I read it in like a day. It was so great and I loved the larger narrative and characters so much but it’s the uniqueness of the story that really shines. This book isn’t due out in the US until October so my review is really early, but when it becomes available in the US you will want to snag yourself a copy because it’s a wonderful novel!

Continue reading “Review: The Girls from the Beach by Andie Newton”

Review: The Ice Swan by J’nell Ciesielski

I have read three of J’nell Ciesielski’s novels and each one has been absolutely fantastic! I love how well she writes romance as well as historical fiction and I always seem to breeze through her books because I am so captivated. When I saw this one was coming out, I knew it was going to be an easy ‘yes’ for me. I mean—take one look at that cover and tell me you would pass? No. The author as well as this cover are truly sunning!

This one is set in Russia which I thought brought some variance to the historical fiction genre. The last novel I read by Ciesielski was set in Scotland, and I was eager to see how she would describe the opulence of the Russian court as well as the streets of Paris. And you all know how much I love WWI so having this book set during a very uncertain and tumultuous time in Russian history.

So yes, I was chomping at the bit to read this one and with good reason—-this one was excellent! Ciesielski writing just keeps getting better and better. This book has been seen on a number of ‘most anticipated books’ this summer and with good reason! While it might have a cold setting, it’s the perfect book to cool off with this summer!

Continue reading “Review: The Ice Swan by J’nell Ciesielski”

Review: The Hollywood Spy (Maggie Hope #10) by Susan Elia MacNeal

I fell in love with Maggie Hope long ago and watching her journey through these last 10 books has been so fun as a reader. We have seen her go from nervous secretary, to spy, through PTSD, and heartache. As we enter the 10th book in the series ,she is in many ways unrecognizable from the first book.

As a reader you really get a sense of how the war changed her character and I think that’s what really makes this series shine. I haven’t always loved the direction that Maggie’s character has taken or choices that she has made but for me that’s what makes her so real and relatable. You don’t have to love her choices or agree with them but you learn to live with them in the same way that her character must.

I was a little nervous going into this book though because we see the reappearance of one time beau, John Sterling. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. In the previous books I felt like John was charming and wonderful—-up until he wasn’t. Then I was like ‘Maggie girl kick his ass to the curb!’ and now suddenly he’s making a reappearance in her life and I hoped that he had undergone some changes between the books.

Continue reading “Review: The Hollywood Spy (Maggie Hope #10) by Susan Elia MacNeal”

Special Feature: The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline

New York Times best selling author, Christina Baker Kline is back with a hot new novel called The Exiles! After her success with The Orphan Train as well as a number of other historical fiction novels, this one promises the same well researched and moving plot that she is known for. As an Australian author, many of her books feature her beloved country as their setting and The Exiles is no different.

That is one of the reasons this book appeals to me! There are so many historical fiction books that are set in England or Europe, but having this book be set in Australia and describe how the characters all end up there, makes it rather compelling. I don’t really know too much about Australian history or how and why many English people ended up there so books like this help fill in those untold stories in history.

Kline is a well known author and with her practiced hand, this book no doubt will be instantly loved by fans of historical fiction. It was published last year in other countries but only now in the US. Many fans have been raving about this book with many five star reviews. I am so excited to share a bit about this one with you guys today! If you love historical fiction and are eager to hear some untold stories in history, this is going to be a great option for you!

Continue reading “Special Feature: The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline”