The Haunting of Alma Fielding: A True Ghost Story
Book
LONGLISTED FOR THE 2020 BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE 'A page-turner with the authority of history'...
Non-fiction True Crime paranormal history Ghosts Britain
A Net for Small Fishes
Book
Based on the true scandal that rocked the court of James I, A Net for Small Fishes is the most...
Historical Fiction Literary Fiction
Last Stop in Brooklyn
Book
It's the summer of 1894, and an infidelity case has brought PI Mary Handley to a far corner of...
Mystery Historical Fiction Fiction
The Lost History of Stars
Book
In turn-of-the-century South Africa, fourteen-year-old Lettie, her younger brother, and her mother...
history historical fiction fiction Africa South Africa War
A Fire Sparkling
Book
After a crushing betrayal by the man she loves, Gillian Gibbons flees to her family home for a...
historical fiction women's fiction
Merissa (13696 KP) rated A Reckless Soul (Secrets of the Zodiac, #2) in Books
Apr 6, 2023 (Updated Apr 10, 2023)
The story is very well-written with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing throughout. I got the mole wrong but I'm so very glad that I did. I loved how it was written and all fell into place. This book swept me away to the Regency era where life for a woman, let alone a lady, was so very different, with different rules and regulations that she was supposed to follow. Put an independent woman in the mix who knows how to look after herself, along with a male who thinks that she isn't capable, and you're in for an explosive combination which makes for a terrific read.
I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the lookout for more in this series. Definitely recommended to all History Fiction fans out there.
September 11, 2016
The Silence of Scheherazade
Book
Set in the ancient city of Smyrna, this powerful novel follows the intertwining fates of four...
Historical fiction Turkish Literary fiction War Cultural Colonialisation
The Low Road
Book
In 1828, two young women were torn apart as they were sentenced to transportation to Botany Bay....
Women's Fiction Historical Fiction LGBT+
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated A Courtesan's Scandal (The Scandalous Series, #3) in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Rating: 3/5
Genre: Historical Fiction
My Summary: Kate is a courtesan who only lives the way she does to keep herself from being tossed into the streets. She is “sold” to the Prince of Whales, but as the price is married, he cannot afford a scandal. While the prince divorces his wife, he instructs the Duke of Darlington to be seen in public with Kate so that nobody suspects him. But Kate and Grayson, the Duke, aren’t expecting to fall in love.
Thoughts: I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, it was pretty entertaining at times, but on the other it was hard to sit down and read more than a few chapters at a time. I found the story rather trivial, really it was all silly politics and unfaithfulness in marriage.
I couldn’t finish this book. I got to the part where they fall in love (a little more than halfway) and just didn’t have the patience to finish it. There wasn’t much of a story line besides, again, politics and reputation and sex.
Characters: The characters were the strong point in this book. They were very real and well developed immediately, and I enjoyed their dialogue.
Writing: The writing was also very good. It’s very refreshing to read a novel that uses good sentence structure and a wide range of vocabulary. The prose flowed nicely.
Content: There was no language, but some sex in the book. The scenes were pretty outlined and there were a few pages I skipped. Occasionally a man is drunk and says something a bit odd, but other than that there are no major alcohol references.
Recommendation: Ages 16+ (18+ if you’re picky about content) to lovers of historical fiction and romance, and quick easy reads.
BeRad89 (48 KP) rated The War Nurses in Books
Apr 5, 2018
I started this book without much hope. To me, the cover is cheap-looking, and I admit this colored my judgement. How wrong I was!!! The War Nurses ended up being a very good read. Mairi is shown in such a real light. I was amazed at what both women did during the war. To see the human side of such a brave woman was interesting. I didn't personally like Elsie, but her character was amusing and kept surprising me.
While it didn't particularly bother me, some people will not like the amount of gore and yucky stuff in this book. While I know you can't judge a book by its cover, the cover to this book is very cheap looking.
The War Nurses by Lizzie Page is a work of historical fiction. It will be published April 17, 2018 by Bookouture.
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. It ending up being a very pleasant surprise, as I judged this book by the cover and wasn't expecting much from it. It is an inspiring and eye-opening book. I recommend to anyone who loves powerful women, coming of age stories, WWI, medical stories, and/or historical fiction.
I was given a free copy from Net Galley and Bookouture in exchange for my honest review.


