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Review: The Determined Heart: The Tale of Mary Shelley and Her Frankenstein by Antoinette May
Mary Shelley was the daughter of the iconic feminist Mary Wollstonecraft and her husband William Godwin. She has not had a normal childhood….she’s been exposed to all kinds of brilliant literary and philosophical figures. But she has also suffered tragedy, Mary never knew her mother. Her mother died shortly after giving birth to Mary, so the only family she has ever known was her half sister Fanny and her father. Well, Mary’s life is about to get more complicated and uncomfortable when her father remarries. William has only ever really loved one woman, Mary Wollstonecraft, so when he remarries his neighbor Mary Jane Clairmont she is pretty jealous of Wollstonecraft’s memory.…
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Review: A Curious Beginning (Veronica Speedwell Mystery #1) by Deanna Raybourn
Veronica Speedwell is finally free from her spinster aunts! Not that she is rejoicing in their deaths or anything but she has longed to be free to travel the world in pursuit of butterflies and a few romantic liaisons. She is not just an amateur butterfly collector, but a scientist, lepidopterist, and lover of natural science in particular. When a mysterious German baron shows up on the day of her aunt’s funeral proclaiming that it is a matter of life and death that she come with him to London, she agrees but not because she is afraid for her life but because he promises a free ticket to London. When they…
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Review: The House of Hawthorne by Erika Robuck
Sophia is a talented artist and writer. Her well known Salem family has discouraged her from pursuing traditional women’s roles such as marriage, in favor of pursuing her creative and educational talents. Plagued by debilitating headaches, Sophia spends a lot of time in bed and her parents even send her to Cuban in hopes of curing her headaches. While she is in Cuba, she begins writing about some of the slavery she has witnessed in her journal, when she returns to Salem, Massachusetts she catches the eye of upcoming writer Nathaniel Hawthorne. From their first meeting, Nathaniel and Sophia begin an intense romantic relationship that despite many setbacks leads to their marriage.…
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Spotlight Feature: DECORUM by Kaaren Christopherson
Decorum: A Novel by Kaaren Christopherson Publication Date: March 31, 2015 Kensington Publishing Corp. Foramts: eBook, Paperback, Audio Pages: 425 Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance Kaaren Christopherson’s brilliantly observed novel captures the glamour and grit of one of the world’s most dazzling cities during one of its most tumultuous eras–as seen through the eyes of a singularly captivating heroine… In 1890s New York, beautiful, wealthy Francesca Lund is an intriguing prospect for worthy suitors and fortune hunters alike. Recently orphaned, she copes by working with the poor in the city’s settlement movement. But a young woman of means can’t shun society for long, and Francesca’s long-standing acquaintance with dashing Edmund Tracey…
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Review: Alaina Claiborne (British Agent #1) by M.K. McClintock
As a young girl, Alaina Claiborne witnesses a the murder of her parents…..an event that she doesn’t fully understand. At ten years old, Alaina remains in her parents estate with her guardians, her aunt Charlotte and her uncle Sebastiaan. As she grows older, she only minutely remembers the murders and she only finds comfort when riding her horses. One afternoon she is out for a ride, she stops at her favorite spot on the lake by her property. There she runs into her new neighbor, Tristan Sheffield. She is frustrated that this man has intruded on her favorite spot but yet she is oddly intrigued by him. He is handsome to be sure,…
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Review: The Last Bookaneer by Matthew Pearl
Matthew Pearl has been on my radar for a while now. His books always look so intriguing since they are historic thrillers books…..about books…..but for some reason I just haven’t made it around to reading any of his books. When this one came around to review I jumped at it since this was an author I have wanted to read. The Last Bookaneer explores the dark side of publishing and the literary pirates who commandeered unpublished works by famous authors. Before 1890, loose copyright laws allowed for author’s works to be publish on the blackmarket so to speak, which ultimately gave rise to the bookaneers whose job it was to track…
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Spotlight: Paperback Release THE MIDNIGHT WITCH by Paula Brackston
Double bubble toil and trouble! THE MIDNIGHT WITCH by Paula Brackston is being release in paperback on March 24th! If you haven’t discovered this fantastic author yet, you need to! I have read two of her books and absolutely love her! I will be hosting a giveaway for both THE MIDNIGHT WITCH and her latest book THE SILVER WITCH, so please be watching for that post! Here is a summary of THE MIDNIGHT WITCH and there is even a little sneak peak
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Announcement: Winner BOOK MARK Inspired by MIST OF MIDNIGHT by Sandra Byrd
And the winner of the MIST OF MIDNIGHT inspired BOOKMARK is….. Lisa M (Tweeted about 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!
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Giveaway: BOOK MARK Inspired by MIST OF MIDNIGHT by Sandra Byrd
Are you longing for a modern Gothic romance complete with mistaken identity and misty moors? Then this is the book for you! In the first of a brand-new series set in Victorian England, a young woman returns home from India after the death of her family to discover her identity and inheritance are challenged by the man who holds her future in his hands. THIS GIVEAWAY IS FOR A LACE BOOKMARK ONLY. The bookmark is inspired by this wonderful novel! Giveaway runs 3/11/15 to 3/17/15 Winners will be announced 3/18/15. (how to enter) On this blog you must leave a comment to be entered in the giveaway. Your comment MUST include your…
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Review: Mist of Midnight: A Novel (Daughters of Hampshire #1) by Sandra Byrd
Rebecca Ravenshaw has survived an unthinkable tragedy in India. During the uprising against the English, both of her parents are killed and her brother died from illness. She is all alone in the world and wants to return to England where her father’s estate is. When she arrived in England after a long journey, she finds that someone else has already come forward claiming to be her. No one knows her, she hasn’t been in England since she was a child. She has no other living relations, no friends in England…..nothing to prove she is who she says she is. Rebecca soon discovers that the women claiming to be her…