Category: blog tour

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The King’s Messenger – Susanna Kearsley

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For fans of Diana Gabaldon and Philippa Gregory, courtly rivalry and intrigue…

He is tasked with the most dangerous of missions. She is only there from duty. But in the face of treachery and injustice, might they need each other more than they could know…?

1613: Scotland and England, unified under one crown, are reeling from the sudden death of King James’ popular eldest son, Henry, as rumours swirl that the prince was poisoned. Andrew Logan, one of the King’s Messengers, is sent north with secret orders to find and arrest the man the king suspects.

Phoebe Westaway cannot abide Andrew Logan. But when her ageing father is tasked with helping Logan, Phoebe finds herself with no choice but to join them in their quest to capture Sir David Moray, once Prince Henry’s trusted courtier, and carry him to London to stand trial for the prince’s murder. It’s a journey rife with complications.

Sir David has no intention of allowing himself to be delivered to London, and as he draws them deeper into the dark web of court alliances and rivalries, Phoebe realises she might have more need of Logan than she believes. A story of justice, honour, truth and love – and survival against impossible odds…

New York Times bestselling author Susanna Kearsley is a former museum curator who loves restoring the lost voices of real people to the page, interweaving romance and historical intrigue with modern adventure. Over 1.5 million copies of her books have been sold and have been translated into over 25 languages.

Her writing career began in 1993 when her then-unpublished novel Mariana won the Catherine Cookson Fiction Prize. Since then she has writen twelve novels and won various awards, and has twice made the final of Romantic Novel of the Year awards. She lives near Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

My thoughts: This was so good, Susanna Kearsley brings the past vibrantly and vividly to life, the characters are well written and their lives are recognisable even though they lived so long ago and in a situation so unlike anything most of us would live.

Andrew Logan is a King’s Messenger at the court of King James I & VI and his Queen, Anna. He has been charged with travelling to Scotland and collecting Sir David Moray – who the King suspects had something to do with his son and heir’s death. Prince Henry has been somewhat relegated to a footnote in history – the drama of his younger brother’s reign (Charles I) overshadows his very existence in history books.

But the terrible period after his death, suspicion and mourning, the Royal couple estranged and the fact theirs may well have been a rather unhappy marriage, is brought to life here.

The story of the long journey back from Scotland, which now takes hours, took days on horseback, stopping at inns and houses along the way to spend the night, bring the travellers together. There’s not just Andrew and David, but also Phoebe and her father, a scribe, and a young boy who was definitely my favourite character, Hector. They survive being chased by David’s cousin and his men, the risk of robbery, the threat from other members of the King’s court, and tragedy.

There’s also a sweet love story, as Phoebe gets to know Andrew better, and realises he isn’t the person she thought he was. Andrew’s kindness, bravery and sense of justice shine through as he leads the small group from Scotland down through the body of England to the court in London, balancing his duty to the king with his growing admiration of Sir David Moray.

This was a truly fascinating, interesting book and I was totally drawn into the world of Andrew and Phoebe.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: The House of the Witch – Clare Marchant

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Utterly gripping timeslip historical fiction, perfect for fans of The Witch’s Tree, The Essex Serpent and Weyward.

Now: When Adrianna arrives at the small, run-down cottage, near the sea in rural Norfolk, she can’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. Here she can forget her life in the city, and the problems she’s left behind there, at least for a while.
But – like Adrianna herself – the cottage holds secrets. And when Adrianna finds a mysterious bundle of notes hidden under a floorboard, she can’t shake the idea that they’ve been waiting for her. Especially when – in the rambling, overgrown garden – she then finds a strangely-carved stone,
drawing her into a centuries-old mystery…

1646: Between her work as the village midwife and the medicines she sells from her cottage, Ursula has no need for a man. But this ideal leaves her unprotected in a world where just one accusation of witchcraft can mean certain death. So when she catches the eye of a powerful
new local doctor, she must use every part of her cunning, or risk becoming his prisoner…

Can the two women – their paths bound by place and history – each find the keys to their own destiny?

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Clare Marchant is the author of dual timeline historical fiction. Her books have been translated into seven languages, and she is a USA Today bestseller. Clare spends her time writing and exploring local castles, or visiting the nearby coast.

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My thoughts: Having a break from her stressful career, Adrianna rents a quiet Norfolk cottage for six months, leaving her boyfriend (who I disliked immediately) in her Canary Wharf flat, with promises to see each other every weekend.

The cottage has been unoccupied for a while and the current owner lives abroad, so she has free run of the place and starts with a deep clean. In doing so she discovers some of its secrets, secrets relating to the first occupant some four hundred years ago.

Ursula Bain lives quietly in the shadow of the village church, she sells herbal remedies and helps tend the sick, delivers babies and nurses the dying. She’s lived in the village all her life and is known in her community as a kind and gentle person. But when a new doctor arrives and makes unpleasant demands of her (while dressed as a Puritan – creep and hypocrite) things turn sour.

As Adrianna deciphers the handwriting in the book she’s found, and makes a macabre discovery in the garden, we are drawn into the lives of these two women, centuries apart.

This isn’t a light hearted book, it explores themes of domestic abuse modern and ancient, coercive control, accusations of witchcraft during the dark period of the Witchfinder General, and handles these well, with a deftness of touch that mean it’s not too upsetting to the reader. I enjoyed this book, with the two very different women’s lives reflecting across time, things haven’t changed for us enough yet, that the treatment of a woman in the 1600s feels relevant in 2024. It’s a clever thing to do and the unravelling mystery across the centuries has more twists than you might expect.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: Flowers from the Black Sea – A.B. Decker

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Tasked by Ben, an old friend, to locate a man in Turkey, private investigator Matt Quillan soon finds himself out of his depth when he has a flash drive thrust on him by a stranger who is arrested by armed officers shortly afterwards.

When Ben reveals that his mission is to avenge the murder of his sister, the conjunction of this assignment along with the flash drive burning a hole in Matt’s pocket puts them both – along with holidaymaker Amber – in mortal danger.

As the case lands Matt in the crosshairs of a local mobster, it is not only Ben’s search for vengeance which is left hanging in the balance.

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A native of Exeter, A.B. Decker studied at Newcastle, London and Bristol. He worked briefly as a teacher of English in Germany and a translator in the UK. On receiving an offer that he couldn’t refuse, he moved with his young family to work for a multinational company in Switzerland, where he eventually set up his own business. Flowers from the Black Sea is his second novel, having published his first, The Dark Frontier, in 2021.

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My thoughts: agreeing to go to Türkiye for a friend to look for someone as a favour might just be the worst idea Matt Quillan ever had. From the moment he arrives in the country he’s dealing with the police, accidentally getting caught up in something political when a stranger asks him to deliver a USB to someone in the resort town he’s heading to.

Then he starts looking for the man he’s seeking – and uncovering a whole lot of skeletons in the cupboard. It’s a lot more complicated than he’s been lead to believe – there’s a probable murder, a connection to a gangster, corruption and some old spies playing games too.

Then there’s the woman he meets, on holiday, staying with her sister, who gets herself far too involved for her own good and once his furious, vengeful friend Ben arrives, all hell breaks loose. 

There’s a Wild West feel to the story – the police can’t be trusted as the local mob boss has them in his pocket and Ahmet (Matt’s quarry) seems to be in bed with him. The various residents of the town are all a bit odd, and all of them have their opinions of Susie’s death, and each other. 

Somehow Matt has to make sense of all of this and keep himself, Amber and Ben from ending up dead or arrested by the local jendarmerie. A lot happens very quickly and there’s lots of racing around, trying to stay one step ahead of those looking for them. 

The ending is a shock twist and I really hope there’s a sequel so we can find out what happens next – and what becomes of Matt and his friends. 

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: The Friend Zone Experiment – Zen Cho

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From the renowned, award-winning author Zen Cho comes a delightfully funny romance about family, class, and love in modern London.

From the outside, Renee Goh’s life looks perfect. She’s thirty and beautiful, runs a glamorous—and profitable—women’s clothing company in London, and is dating a hot Taiwanese pop star. But Renee is lonely. Estranged from her family in Singapore, she practically lives at the office, and now she’s just been dumped by her supposed boyfriend. Who she never saw anyway, so why is she ruining her Instagram-ready makeup by crying?

Before she can curl up on the couch with a pint of Ben & Jerry’s, Renee’s father calls. He’s retiring, and, thanks to the screw-ups of her wastrel brothers, he is considering her as the next CEO of the family business: Chahaya Group, one of the largest conglomerates in Southeast Asia. That stamp of her father’s approval would mean everything to Renee, but can she cooperate with the brothers who drove her out of Singapore?

But fate isn’t done with her. That same night, Renee bumps into her first love, Yap Ket Siong, who broke her heart during university. They spend a wonderful night together, but Ket Siong is pursuing a dangerous vengeance for his family. In the light of day is there any hope for the two of them?

Zen Cho was born and raised in Malaysia and now lives in Birmingham. She was a finalist for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer for her short fiction and won the Crawford Award. Her debut novel, Sorcerer to the Crown, won the 2016 British Fantasy Society Award for Best Newcomer. She is also the author of The True Queen, Black Water Sister and Spirits Abroad.

My thoughts: I was really excited to read this, Zen Cho is an excellent writer and this is her first rom com and first non-fantasy book.

It’s a really fun read, Renee is a fantastic protagonist, for all her material comforts, the luxury apartment, the wealthy background, the fashion brand she owns, she’s just like every other thirty-something trying to have it all – and love is the elusive thing.

She’s also got a very strained relationship with her family, back in Singapore. And despite her father’s new scheme to pit his children against each other to see who he should put in charge of his company, that isn’t going to change – and it’s a pretty crappy thing to do anyway.

Renee is juggling her business, Virtu, and now she’s trying to get along with her older brother (who’s a bit of a prat), her ex-boyfriend (a total piece of work) is back in her life because of the business deal she’s attempting to put together for her dad, her best friend’s busy with her own life so she doesn’t have a consistent shoulder to lean on.

Then she runs into the one that got away. And everything gets turned upside down.

Ket Siong pretty much vanished on Renee when they were students, and now they’re both in London, and maybe it’s time to see where this might go. Unless they choose to be just friends….

Funny, smart and with some sharp edges in amongst the rom com froth, this is a lot of fun to read. I recommend getting snacks  as they go out to eat a lot, and Renee never seems to actually manage to eat any of the delicious dishes she orders.

I need a sequel, I need more of this witty, intelligent writing. Loved it!

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: Deceiving the Cursed Beast – Jen Lynning

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Who doesn’t love a good fairy tale retelling?!

We are touring Deceiving the Cursed Beast by Jen Lynning this week and highly recommend it for fans of Beauty and the Beast, magic, and romance!

Deceiving the Cursed Beast: A Beauty and the Beast Retelling (Once Upon an Enchantment #1)

Publication Date: June 27, 2024

Genre: Romantic Fantasy/Fairy Tales

  • Beauty and the Beast retelling
  • Banter
  • He falls first
  • Enchanted castle
  • Magically binding contract
  • Magical mystery
  • Slow burn

In this enchanted castle, only the truth can break his curse.

Felix is the Duke of Truthhold, tied to the most powerful magical node on the continent. But when he is transformed into a beast, he needs help to break the curse. He will do whatever it takes to regain his true form, even if it means using magic to trap a woman in his castle.

Isabel understands exactly why someone would resort to cursing the duke. He is selfish, contrary, and deceitful. She can’t afford to spend her days attempting to reverse his curse, not with her chance to become a full-fledged constable on the line. But the mysteries of Rose Castle are more compelling than she expected. As is the duke.

The duke’s enemies won’t stop with just a curse, though, and time is running short. But how can Felix and Isabel triumph if victory requires them to admit their growing feelings for each other?

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About the Author

Jen Lynning never outgrew her love of fairy tales. (She may have studied German just so she could read the Brothers Grimm in the original.) When she wasn’t reading about life in a magical world, she was imagining it. Eventually she decided to start writing her own stories where magic and romance meet.

Jen lives in Northern Virginia with her two cats, who make their own contributions to her writing by walking across the keyboard, and her bird, who offers commentary on the whole process.

JEN LYNNING

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Blog Tour: Costanza – Rachel Blackmore

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History calls her a Muse. Temptress. Fallen woman.
This is her story.

It’s 1636 and Rome hums with gossip and sin. Costanza Piccolomini is a respectable young wife – until she meets world-famous sculptor Gianlorenzo Bernini, whose jet-black gaze matches his dark temper. From the second they set eyes upon each other, a fatal attraction is born.

Their secret love burns with a passion that consumes them. But with every stolen kiss and illicit tryst, Costanza’s reputation is at stake. And Bernini has a more dangerous desire: he wants to immortalise Costanza in marble. When Bernini unveils his sculpture of Costanza it marks the beginning of a scandal which will rock Roman society. For Bernini would rather destroy Costanza than let her go.

Betrayed. Abandoned. Banished. This was meant to be the end of Costanza’s story. But Costanza is no ordinary woman: from the ashes, she will rise …

Costanza is a dizzying and sensual historical novel that brings to life a feminist icon who has been written out of history.

Based on real-life events, Costanza’s love affair, and subsequent downfall at the hands of one of the world’s best-known artists, foreshadows modern-day violence against women. Examining themes of male rage and female transgression, the plotline is based on the ‘Intimate Partner Homicide Timeline’ used by police today –  the eight identifiable stages of escalation to violence all of us should be able to recognise. 

Born in Birmingham, Rachel spent her childhood in the Northeast, then the Midlands. She studied history at King’s College London, where her fascination for women’s history took root. After a brief stint in politics, Rachel built a career in corporate communications. In 2021, she was runner-up in the Harper’s Bazaar Short Story Competition and won the Irish Writers Centre 2022 Novel Fair. Rachel lives in London with her three teenagers, two cats and one dog.

My thoughts: Lorenzo Bernini is widely regarded as an artistic genius, one of incredible creative minds that Renaissance  Italy produced. However, in this version of events, he was also a nasty, jealous piece of shit. As was his brother.

Costanza Piccolomini is married to one of the artisans who works for the Berninis, and she catches the eye of Lorenzo. They begin an intense affair and Lorenzo’s envious, violent younger brother takes a keen interest.

Costanza is intelligent, fiery and a bit of a social climber, but she and her husband could do OK even without the patronage of the Berninis. But instead she becomes drawn into their orbit and the bitter rivalry between the brothers.

The author has used the pattern of escalation used by the police to track intimate partner homicides, where events escalate from controlling behaviour to, sadly, often murder. Costanza’s life is a matter of public record, scant though it is, a chapter in Lorenzo Berlini’s biography. But here she is brought vividly back to life, a real woman at risk from violent and cruel men in a society that saw sin and not harm.

I found the concept fascinating and clever. So many women’s lives historically would probably be understood completely differently if viewed through this lens, or any of our more recent understanding of humanity.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: Null and Void – R. Moody

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We’re celebrating the upcoming release of Null and Void by R. Moody! Make sure to follow along for reviews and posts featuring this stunner!

Null & Void (Patrons of the Divine Book 1)

Expected Publication Date: August 15, 2024

Genre: Dark Fantasy/LGBTQ+

✨️ Forced proximity
💜 Hate to love
✨️ Feminine rage
💜 Found family
✨️ LGBTQ+ cast & diverse rep
💜 Morally grey FMC
✨️ Cinnamon roll MMC
💜 Hidden identity
✨️ Reluctant hero/heroine
💜 Court politics/political intrigue

After enduring a life of servitude, Mika, retired assassin and Null, thought she would live out her days alone…

But, once an assassin, always an assassin.

When Mika is sold as a slave—a fate she was promised would never be hers—hope for a solitary life is lost. Now destined for an impossible rescue in a foreign land, her only chance for survival is to fight the destructive rage simmering beneath her skin and learn to trust those around her.
As trust deepens on the journey and a charming new companion fights for her heart, Mika is forced to face the truth of who she is. In the end, she must choose to embrace it or let the rage win, and risk losing it all.
Null & Void is the first book in a new series featuring a harsh fantasy world, political intrigue, and a morally grey heroine caught in the middle.

Perfect for fans of Gild (by Raven Kennedy),Daughter of No Worlds (by Carissa Broadbent), and Graceling (by Kristin Cashore).

Note: please check the trigger warnings on the authors website

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Blog Tour: Full Speed to a Crash Landing – Beth Revis

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We’re celebrating the release of Full Speed to a Crash Landing this week! Read on for more details!

Full Speed to a Crash Landing (Chaotic Orbits #1)

Publication Date: August 6, 2024

Genre: Sci-Fi/Romance

A high octane sexy space heist from New York Times-bestselling author Beth Revis, the first in a novella trilogy

Ada Lamarr may have gotten to the spaceship wreck first, but looter’s rights won’t get her far when she’s got a hole in the side of her ship and her spacesuit is almost out of air. Fortunately for her, help arrives in the form of a government salvage crew—and while they reluctantly rescue her from certain death, they are not pleased to have an unexpected passenger along on their classified mission.

But Ada doesn’t care—all that matters to her is enjoying their fine food and sweet, sweet oxygen—until Rian White, the government agent in charge, starts to suspect that there’s more to Ada than meets the eye. He’s not wrong—but he’s so pretty that Ada is perfectly happy to keep him paying attention to her—at least until she can complete the job she was sent to pull off. But as quick as Ada is, Rian might be quicker—and she may not be entirely sure who’s manipulating who until it’s too late…

A phenomenally fun novella that kicks off a trilogy of sexy space heists and romantic tension, Full Speed to a Crash Landing is packed with great characters and full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end.

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Blog Tour: A Lady’s Fortune – Jane Dunn

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In Regency England, twenty-seven-year-old Leonora Appleby is considered by many – herself included – to be beyond her most eligible marrying years. With her childhood home, Hasterleigh Manor, soon to be taken over by the heir to the land, George Lockwood, Leonora has happily resigned herself to a quiet life as a country Miss.

But life has a way of springing surprises and the return of the brooding war hero Earl Rokeby, presumed dead on the French battlefields, to the magnificent neighbouring Rokeby Abbey has the village atwitter with speculation. Earl Rokeby has returned, scarred in mind and body, with news for Leonora’s best friend Charlotte Blythe – news that will change everything.

Now Charlotte and Leonora must travel to Town for the Season and take their futures and fate into their own hands in the whirl of balls, parties and gossip. But will either of them return to Hasterleigh with a husband and a fortune, and what other secrets does the devastatingly dashing Alistair Rokeby have up his silken sleeves…

Sunday Times bestselling author Jane Dunn brings the Regency period irresistibly to life. Perfect for fans of Jane Austen, Janice Hadlow, Gill Hornby, and anyone with a Bridgerton-shaped hole in
their lives.

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Jane Dunn is an historian and biographer and the author of seven acclaimed biographies, including Daphne du Maurier and her Sisters and the Sunday Times and NYT bestseller, Elizabeth & Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens. She lives in Berkshire with her husband, the linguist Nicholas Ostler.

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My thoughts: Jane Dunn is rapidly becoming one of my favourite authors, I love her independent minded, spirited and often very funny heroines, and Leonora is no different. She’s decided that at 27 in Regency England, she’s on the shelf and happily looking forward to spinsterhood. The distant cousin who has inherited her father’s estate is rather nice and she’s not too upset about moving into the smaller home on the family estate.

Then the Earl of Rokeby (her neighbour) returns from the front (fighting Napoleon) and turns everything upside down. Suddenly Nora is off to London for the Season with her friend Charlotte and the delightful Nanny P (I think she and the Countess should get their own spin-off book solving crimes or something).

In the whirl of parties and social functions, the two women find time to ride in Hyde Park, and run into both George Lockwood (Nora’s cousin) and the Earl. Unfortunately there’s also an Army captain with a grudge hanging around looking to cause trouble. But surely Leonora and her friends can sort things out and everyone can find the right person to spend their lives with?

I really enjoyed this book, it was lots of fun and had a great plot, with a wonderful HEA. If you’re missing Bridgerton or just want a bit of love in your reading, Jane Dunn’s books are a great place to start.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: Mr Howard the Rescue Cat – Erin Hayburn

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An abandoned young cat must fend for himself and avoid the nasty bully cats patrolling the streets, until he is rescued by new people, given the name ‘Mr Howard,’ and brought into a home with good food, soft beds, and a very old dog! But to pass the test in the new home, Mr Howard must follow The Rules. After an unexpected escape, he is faced with a choice: Will he choose No Rules and a life on the streets? Or The Rules and a new family? What will Mr Howard choose?

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Mr Howard himself

Author Bio (courtesy of Mr. Howard):

My human, the Author Erin Hayburn, is a bit shy (and not as interesting as me), so I’ll take over from here – My name is Mr. Howard McGregor, thank you. Mr Howard The Rescued Cat is based on my true rescue story as a young, and ever so handsome kitty cat.

I may be black and white on the outside, but I’m most certainly colorful on the inside! 

After a spell of homelessness and trying to survive on my own (not too successfully, I might add), a new family rescued me and welcomed me into their home – which already had an old dog living in it! I won’t bore you with the details of my hilarious antics in said new home (you’ll have to read my book for that!), let’s just say there were a lot of new Rules I wasn’t necessarily keen to follow…

With my dashing good looks, charming personality, and riveting origin story, I always believed someone should write a book about me. Although I look far more dapper in real-life than the illustrations depict, the narrative is indeed accurate of my early escapades.

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