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Bandy
Book
Isaac’s only friend is a passenger pigeon named Bandy. He deludes himself in believing the bird...
Young Adult Adventure Historical Fiction
The Low Road
8.0
Rate It
Book
In 1828, two young women were torn apart as they were sentenced to transportation to Botany Bay....
Women's Fiction Historical Fiction LGBT+
Merissa (11950 KP) rated The Gentleman's Gentleman (His Lordship's Realm #1) in Books
Mar 13, 2024
THE GENTLEMAN'S GENTLEMAN is the first book in the His Lordship's Realm series which, as you might expect, is in the same world as His Lordship's Mysteries. Alfie and Dom are mentioned in here, but the spotlight is on Jarrett and Gil.
They certainly are a case of opposites attract, and it worked so well! When Jarrett is accused of murder, Gil is the only one who believes him. Unfortunately, the reason he believes him is one neither of them can talk about unless they want to be hung! This leads to a series of events as Gil tries to prove Jarrett's innocence.
The mystery side worked well, as I would expect from a Samantha SoRelle book, but for me, it was the slow-burn romance that worked so well, set in such difficult times. And with the added nuggets of historical information too, it made for an interesting read.
Thoroughly enjoyable with wonderful characters. I am hoping to see snapshots of Alfie and Dom though, but that's just me! 😆 Definitely recommended.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Mar 1, 2024
They certainly are a case of opposites attract, and it worked so well! When Jarrett is accused of murder, Gil is the only one who believes him. Unfortunately, the reason he believes him is one neither of them can talk about unless they want to be hung! This leads to a series of events as Gil tries to prove Jarrett's innocence.
The mystery side worked well, as I would expect from a Samantha SoRelle book, but for me, it was the slow-burn romance that worked so well, set in such difficult times. And with the added nuggets of historical information too, it made for an interesting read.
Thoroughly enjoyable with wonderful characters. I am hoping to see snapshots of Alfie and Dom though, but that's just me! 😆 Definitely recommended.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Mar 1, 2024
The Dartington Bride (Daughters of Devon #2)
Book
1571, and the beautiful, headstrong daughter of a French Count marries the son of the Vice Admiral...
Historical Fiction Devon Elizabethan French Wars of Religion Daughters of Devon Series
The Lost Women of Mill Street
Book
1864: As Sherman’s army marches toward Atlanta, a cotton mill commandeered by the Confederacy lies...
Historical Fiction Women in History American Civil War
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2165 KP) rated Of Hoaxes and Homicide in Books
Jan 31, 2024
Dear Miss Hermion, Will You Join a Cult?
It’s been a few months since we last checked in on half-sisters Violet and Sephora Manville, and they are finding themselves a bit bored after the excitement of solving their first murder. That changes when Violet’s alter ego, advice columnist Miss Hermione, receives a letter from a distraught mother whose daughter has run off and joined a cult. When Violet starts to investigate, she realizes that she knows someone in the group. Violet goes undercover in the cult right before a murder happens. Can she figure out what is going on?
I enjoyed the first, and this was another good entry. We get the story most from Violet’s first-person point of view, but we occasionally transfer to Sephora’s. These breaks are always obvious, and they are also used to good effect to advance the story. The plot could have used a bit more, but there are still some good twists, and I was engaged the entire time. Part of that is because of the characters, who I enjoyed. I also liked seeing both Violet and Sephora not only grow, but grow their relationship as well. If you are looking for a fun historical mystery, you’ll be glad you picked this one up.
I enjoyed the first, and this was another good entry. We get the story most from Violet’s first-person point of view, but we occasionally transfer to Sephora’s. These breaks are always obvious, and they are also used to good effect to advance the story. The plot could have used a bit more, but there are still some good twists, and I was engaged the entire time. Part of that is because of the characters, who I enjoyed. I also liked seeing both Violet and Sephora not only grow, but grow their relationship as well. If you are looking for a fun historical mystery, you’ll be glad you picked this one up.
The Gentleman's Gentleman (His Lordship's Realm #1)
8.0
Rate It
Book
Despite his noble family, a life of idle indulgence has never suited Gil Charleton. Fortunately,...
Regency Historical MM Romance Mystery
ClareR (5674 KP) rated The Household in Books
Jun 25, 2024
Stacey Halls’ latest book The Household, is set in a house for “fallen” women. This house did actually really exist: Urania Cottage was set up by, amongst others, Charles Dickens and Angela Burdett-Coutts.
Charles Dickens doesn’t feature in this book, although he is mentioned. This wonderful novel is all about the women.
Angela has been stalked for many years, her life made a misery by a man that no one takes seriously. He has been released from prison for another crime (as stalking wasn’t a crime until recently), and Angela is dreading the moment when he turns up again. And you just know it’s going to happen.
There is also the matter of a missing girl: one of the inhabitants of Urania Cottage has lost contact with her young sister, and she’s missing from the big house she worked in.
This book was captivating - the attention to historical detail, the development of the characters (particularly Angela and Martha), the way that with a modern eye, it’s supremely frustrating that young women of any class were held in such low regard. But these women do fight to get the life they want, and that must have been a reasonably rare occurrence.
This is well worth a read - another fantastic read from Stacey Halls!
Charles Dickens doesn’t feature in this book, although he is mentioned. This wonderful novel is all about the women.
Angela has been stalked for many years, her life made a misery by a man that no one takes seriously. He has been released from prison for another crime (as stalking wasn’t a crime until recently), and Angela is dreading the moment when he turns up again. And you just know it’s going to happen.
There is also the matter of a missing girl: one of the inhabitants of Urania Cottage has lost contact with her young sister, and she’s missing from the big house she worked in.
This book was captivating - the attention to historical detail, the development of the characters (particularly Angela and Martha), the way that with a modern eye, it’s supremely frustrating that young women of any class were held in such low regard. But these women do fight to get the life they want, and that must have been a reasonably rare occurrence.
This is well worth a read - another fantastic read from Stacey Halls!
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2165 KP) rated A Royal Affair in Books
Sep 4, 2024 (Updated Sep 4, 2024)
Protecting Royal Love
Someone has sent Princess Elizabeth a letter hinting at a scandal in the past of Prince Philip. The letter was intercepted, and Iris Sparks and Gwen Baingridge have been approached to find out if there is any truth to the scandal or not. Since it is believed that the two royals are heading for an engagement by the end of the summer, time is of the essence. When Iris and Gwen begin digging in to see if there is truth behind the insinuation, they hit dead ends and uncertain connections. Can they find out if someone is about to out a royal scandal?
I wish it hadn’t taken me so long to get back to this series. This was a fun second visit. The characters are sharp, and I love how Iris and Gwen complement each other so well. The mystery was good, although it was a little overly convoluted at the end. It all made sense, however. The real world fits well into this historical mystery, and, even though I knew how history actually played out, I was hooked. I’d forgotten just how much humor there was, especially the banter between the leads. Hopefully, it won’t be so long before I am able to visit them again.
I wish it hadn’t taken me so long to get back to this series. This was a fun second visit. The characters are sharp, and I love how Iris and Gwen complement each other so well. The mystery was good, although it was a little overly convoluted at the end. It all made sense, however. The real world fits well into this historical mystery, and, even though I knew how history actually played out, I was hooked. I’d forgotten just how much humor there was, especially the banter between the leads. Hopefully, it won’t be so long before I am able to visit them again.
Breathtaking Historical Fiction; Must Read!
You can also find this review on my blog: bookingwayreads.wordpress.com
TRIGGER WARNINGS: rape, domestic violence, death, affairs, miscarriage
"You can only go so long pretending, acting as if you're someone you're not. Eventually you must return to who you are, who you were born to be. You can stray from it, try on other roles, other personalities, other beliefs, other lives, but eventually it will catch up with you and you have to return to the only person you can be."
Main Characters:
Beatrice Bordeaux - the main character, married to Harry Bordeaux. A bit of a feminist but it doesn't start showing until the middle to end of the novel. She's got a strong, compassionate, sweet personality. Her development was major and not at all what I was expecting.
Thomas - the lighthouse keeper. He's a simple man, compassionate and patient. Also unbelievably kind to all, no matter ethnicity, class, or gender.
Harry Bordeaux - cocky, self-conceded. Honestly, the most horrible person ever.
Dolly - hat maker who befriends Bea. She's sweet, independent, and an all around feminist.
Elizabeth - laundress for the Montauk Manor, befriends Bea. She's down-to-earth and a loving mother and wife.
"I felt rage and a hot determination side by side and that was something. That alone gave me hope. Something was better than numbness. Something was better than not caring, not dreaming, not daring."
Review:
**Possible spoilers ahead**
The story starts off in the year of 1938. The wealthy from New York City always head to the East Coast to an up and coming town called Montauk for the summer. Here, the wives stay in the luxurious Montauk Manor during the weekdays with their children and nannies, planning social events and relaxing, while the men head back to the city to work - only coming back to visit on the weekends.
Beatrice Bordeaux is one of the wives who ends up staying in Montauk for the summer. But she soon learns that her husband, Harry, would actually be leaving with the rest of the men during the week. Beatrice is taken aback, as the main reason why the couple took this vacation was to rekindle their cracking marriage. She was also hoping that the vacation would allow her and Harry to have alone time as she craved being a mother but has been eluded by pregnancy for the past five years.
Beatrice is forced to socialize with the other wives, even though she just wants to relax and read, so that Harry can gain a foothold for his investment interests. He thinks that if Beatrice can become buddy buddy with some of the more known in society women, that he can sizzle his way up to their husbands to get some funds to invest into Montauk. But, Beatrice quickly grows bored of the woman's talk of events that are more self-serving than they are generous. This is where Elizabeth, the Manor's laundress enters.
Elizabeth's down-to-earth nature gives Beatrice nostalgia of her life prior to meeting Harry. The two women befriend each other, even though it would be looked down upon if the other wives of the Manor found out. This doesn't stop Beatrice though.
As the novel progresses, Beatrice becomes disillusioned with her marriage and even finds out that Harry was not being the faithful husband he promised in his vows. The reader can see Harry's regression of interest towards Beatrice throughout the novel, and how he only seems to care about her when she is beside him at social gatherings. This causes Beatrice to start doing the things that she wants. Enter the handsome yet sensitive lighthouse keeper, Thomas.
Thomas is the complete opposite of Harry and as Beatrice's marriage drifts more and more apart, she takes her life into her own hands where she follows what her heart wants. But with the risk she's taking, major consequences that could take lives and ruin social standings follow. This is when Beatrice must decide whether to follow her heart or do what is right according to society.
Montauk is an interesting and beautifully written look back into history when women were expected to do what society told her to do. Questions were not asked, and one must be "happy" that she's being cared for by her husband, because "good wives" waited for orders from their husbands and always did what they wished. The author, Nicola Harrison, does an excellent job with captivating the history and superficial feel of society back in the late 30's. Even the descriptions of the lighthouse, manor, and fishing village created vivid images that circulated within my mind as I read.
Usually, when it comes to Historical Fiction novels, I've found that they can be very predictable. Montauk was not your average Historical Fiction novel, that's for sure. There were twists and turns that I was not expecting and the ending twist threw me for a major loop. The one problem that I do have with the overall story, was the last chapter and epilogue. It lacked the depth and detail that was interwoven throughout the rest of the story. But overall, I was fascinated and enthralled in the story of Montauk.
Character/ Story background and development -
It's there, one hundred percent there. The main character's and the side characters all have the development and background interwoven into the story, waiting to be dug out as you read. All of the development and background that took place within Montauk, actually made this novel great!
Plot -
At first, the plot and story was slow. It could have just been my skewed perspective of not liking Historical Fiction novels, but it eventually picked up; allowing the like/dislike scales to flip. I was really worried that I would DNF Montauk, but once the story started to get more in depth with the characters and background, I was taken on an emotional roller coaster of feels. And I will happily take that ride over and over again.
Spelling/ Grammatical errors -
I did not notice any spelling or grammatical errors that took away from the overall story. There were a slight few littered throughout, but they were so minor and hardly noticeable that it did no harm to count it against the author or publisher.
Enjoyment -
I can for sure say, that I 100% enjoyed every second I spent on Montauk. I don't typically like Historical Fiction novels, but Nicola Harrison does an amazing job not only making sure the information is correct, but the writing is well-thought out.
Overall -
This novel is a sucker punch to the emotions; it's honestly one of those novels that will be cherished forever because the story, the development, the plot, the background, the heartache and pain, it was all there. And it made this a breathtaking novel to read.
Do I recommend? -
159% yes! I highly recommend Montauk by Nicola Harrison.
"With the ocean surrounding me, I feel free and at peace with the world."
TRIGGER WARNINGS: rape, domestic violence, death, affairs, miscarriage
"You can only go so long pretending, acting as if you're someone you're not. Eventually you must return to who you are, who you were born to be. You can stray from it, try on other roles, other personalities, other beliefs, other lives, but eventually it will catch up with you and you have to return to the only person you can be."
Main Characters:
Beatrice Bordeaux - the main character, married to Harry Bordeaux. A bit of a feminist but it doesn't start showing until the middle to end of the novel. She's got a strong, compassionate, sweet personality. Her development was major and not at all what I was expecting.
Thomas - the lighthouse keeper. He's a simple man, compassionate and patient. Also unbelievably kind to all, no matter ethnicity, class, or gender.
Harry Bordeaux - cocky, self-conceded. Honestly, the most horrible person ever.
Dolly - hat maker who befriends Bea. She's sweet, independent, and an all around feminist.
Elizabeth - laundress for the Montauk Manor, befriends Bea. She's down-to-earth and a loving mother and wife.
"I felt rage and a hot determination side by side and that was something. That alone gave me hope. Something was better than numbness. Something was better than not caring, not dreaming, not daring."
Review:
**Possible spoilers ahead**
The story starts off in the year of 1938. The wealthy from New York City always head to the East Coast to an up and coming town called Montauk for the summer. Here, the wives stay in the luxurious Montauk Manor during the weekdays with their children and nannies, planning social events and relaxing, while the men head back to the city to work - only coming back to visit on the weekends.
Beatrice Bordeaux is one of the wives who ends up staying in Montauk for the summer. But she soon learns that her husband, Harry, would actually be leaving with the rest of the men during the week. Beatrice is taken aback, as the main reason why the couple took this vacation was to rekindle their cracking marriage. She was also hoping that the vacation would allow her and Harry to have alone time as she craved being a mother but has been eluded by pregnancy for the past five years.
Beatrice is forced to socialize with the other wives, even though she just wants to relax and read, so that Harry can gain a foothold for his investment interests. He thinks that if Beatrice can become buddy buddy with some of the more known in society women, that he can sizzle his way up to their husbands to get some funds to invest into Montauk. But, Beatrice quickly grows bored of the woman's talk of events that are more self-serving than they are generous. This is where Elizabeth, the Manor's laundress enters.
Elizabeth's down-to-earth nature gives Beatrice nostalgia of her life prior to meeting Harry. The two women befriend each other, even though it would be looked down upon if the other wives of the Manor found out. This doesn't stop Beatrice though.
As the novel progresses, Beatrice becomes disillusioned with her marriage and even finds out that Harry was not being the faithful husband he promised in his vows. The reader can see Harry's regression of interest towards Beatrice throughout the novel, and how he only seems to care about her when she is beside him at social gatherings. This causes Beatrice to start doing the things that she wants. Enter the handsome yet sensitive lighthouse keeper, Thomas.
Thomas is the complete opposite of Harry and as Beatrice's marriage drifts more and more apart, she takes her life into her own hands where she follows what her heart wants. But with the risk she's taking, major consequences that could take lives and ruin social standings follow. This is when Beatrice must decide whether to follow her heart or do what is right according to society.
Montauk is an interesting and beautifully written look back into history when women were expected to do what society told her to do. Questions were not asked, and one must be "happy" that she's being cared for by her husband, because "good wives" waited for orders from their husbands and always did what they wished. The author, Nicola Harrison, does an excellent job with captivating the history and superficial feel of society back in the late 30's. Even the descriptions of the lighthouse, manor, and fishing village created vivid images that circulated within my mind as I read.
Usually, when it comes to Historical Fiction novels, I've found that they can be very predictable. Montauk was not your average Historical Fiction novel, that's for sure. There were twists and turns that I was not expecting and the ending twist threw me for a major loop. The one problem that I do have with the overall story, was the last chapter and epilogue. It lacked the depth and detail that was interwoven throughout the rest of the story. But overall, I was fascinated and enthralled in the story of Montauk.
Character/ Story background and development -
It's there, one hundred percent there. The main character's and the side characters all have the development and background interwoven into the story, waiting to be dug out as you read. All of the development and background that took place within Montauk, actually made this novel great!
Plot -
At first, the plot and story was slow. It could have just been my skewed perspective of not liking Historical Fiction novels, but it eventually picked up; allowing the like/dislike scales to flip. I was really worried that I would DNF Montauk, but once the story started to get more in depth with the characters and background, I was taken on an emotional roller coaster of feels. And I will happily take that ride over and over again.
Spelling/ Grammatical errors -
I did not notice any spelling or grammatical errors that took away from the overall story. There were a slight few littered throughout, but they were so minor and hardly noticeable that it did no harm to count it against the author or publisher.
Enjoyment -
I can for sure say, that I 100% enjoyed every second I spent on Montauk. I don't typically like Historical Fiction novels, but Nicola Harrison does an amazing job not only making sure the information is correct, but the writing is well-thought out.
Overall -
This novel is a sucker punch to the emotions; it's honestly one of those novels that will be cherished forever because the story, the development, the plot, the background, the heartache and pain, it was all there. And it made this a breathtaking novel to read.
Do I recommend? -
159% yes! I highly recommend Montauk by Nicola Harrison.
"With the ocean surrounding me, I feel free and at peace with the world."