ramblingmads

When mill owner’s daughter, Ellen Rastrick, dares to borrow her brother’s bicycle to join the Clarion Cycling Club in secret, she discovers an exciting new world. It is 1896 in the industrial town of Halifax, West Yorkshire. Ellen’s fellow Clarionettes are young men and women from all walks of life, liberated by the movement to mix socially for the first time.

Naïve or worldly, rich or poor, they all seek freedom, happiness and love. But they soon discover that these can mean very different things to one another. Dynamic relationships and a single drastic act create an unstoppable momentum in the lives of those both inside and outside their group.

They meet as rebels, workers and artists, full of their own hopes and dreams. They become conflicted allies, enjoying new times as friends and lovers while braving danger, risk, heartbreak and loss. Together, they find futures they could never have imagined.

Goodreads Buy Links

Ruth Enright is from Halifax, West Yorkshire.  She enjoys holidays in Whitby, Scarborough and the surrounding area; with  Robin Hood’s Bay and Whitby being the inspiration for her debut novel ‘Seahaven.’  Her second book, ‘Button Box’ is for children and young adults. A young girl finds herself living in two worlds – the modern day and a dangerous Victorian past in 1850s London.

Ruth studied English Language and Literature at Reading University and has always had the ambition to write herself. She lives in Manchester with her family and works for local government, where she has held a number of posts. She  is now an Information Governance Officer. Ruth came to Manchester as a graduate trainee in Librarianship with Manchester Polytechnic before changing career paths and training for a certificate in teaching lipreading to adults with acquired deafness in Adult Education. Ruth then had her daughter and later became a local government officer.

Ruth has always kept on writing and started a blog a few years ago for her poems, stories and other items.  Encouraged by readers, she has recently succeeded in having five short stories published by ‘Yours Fiction’ special short story quarterly magazine.

Ruth loves to read and enjoys writing in both historic and modern settings, experimenting with different genres. Ideas for her writing come from many sources, for instance the name of Robin’s uncle Jorfant in ‘Seahaven’ came from researching her partner’s family tree!

Ruth lives with her partner Jack, and a cat called Margot. Ruth is delighted to be a published author and is looking forward very much to writing more novels.

Instagram Facebook Twitter Website

My thoughts: set at a time of great social change, this is an interesting read about class, love and improving the lives of ordinary people. The Clarionettes are a cycling club with a difference – whether from the mill owners side of society or the mill workers, they are united in wanting social change and improved conditions for all. The Clarion is a newspaper promoting these ideas, and the group meet to discuss their plans.

However some take direct action too far and put people’s livelihoods at risk. It’s one thing to push for change, another to force matters with arson.

Amidst the intrigue and exploration of the moors, there is time for romance, as several couples meet and fall in love. Ellen and Peter cross the social divide. Her father owns a factory, he works in one. Can they overcome the mores of the time and stay together?

There are other storyline that intertwine with theirs, that of Jane, the vicar’s daughter, in love with a rake, who doesn’t agree with his free love ideals and loses her heart. Ellen’s brother and sister both find themselves in somewhat unusual marriages, radically different to what they imagined, but somehow make it work.

Each member of the club gets a story, as the new century rolls on and change is coming. Ellen’s sister-in-law is involved in the work of the suffragettes of Manchester, who pushed for the women’s right to vote, and as the book reaches its conclusion, change is not only in the air but taking place within the mills and factories of the Yorkshire moors and in the homes around them too.

An interesting and enjoyable read, full of historical references and lively characters.

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

In this epic and unforgettable love story, set in the wilds of Missouri and the glamour of high society Boston at the dawn of the Gilded Age, one woman’s life changes forever the day that a stranger turns up on her doorstep.
Missouri, February 1874: The last thing struggling homesteader Ginny needs is a scandal on her hands. But when a badly injured drifter arrives at Snow Farm in desperate need of medical attention,
Ginny’s kind nature and good upbringing means she has no choice but to treat his wounds and care for him until he’s back on his feet, no matter the danger he might pose.
Ginny’s been running the farm and looking after her fourteen-year-old sister Mary-Lou since their papa died two years ago, each morning pulling on his old leather coat and pushing her feet into stout boots that come up to her knees, before heading out to tend to the cattle. She’s determined to hold onto the one thing that connects them to memories of their parents – whatever the cost. And when their uninvited guest – Lex – is well enough he offers his help, and she surprises herself by accepting it.
But not long after Lex moves on, Ginny realises that her heart has gone with him. And when the farm’s fortunes take a turn for the worse, she faces her hardest test yet. Can she save the only home she’s ever known, and everything she holds dear? And what if doing so means risking a chance at love and happiness she never expected to come her way?
An utterly spellbinding story perfect for fans of Amy Harmon, Olivia Hawker and Kristin Hannah.
Readers will love this breathtaking and vivid historical novel of passion, destiny and divided family loyalties.
“Captivating…will leave an indelible mark on your heart.” Rachel Wesson

multi retailer choice link

Google Apple Kobo Amazon B&N

Imogen writes sweeping, historical fiction. Her first two novels are set in nineteenth century America.
As a teenager, she took the Greyhound bus from San Francisco to New York. Over those three days of staring out of the window at the majestic mountains and endless flat plains, stories wound themselves into her head: tales of brooding, charismatic men captivated by independent women. Since then, she has worked in a coffee-shop in Piccadilly, a famous bookstore, and a children’s home.
She has run festivals, and turned a derelict housing block on one of the poorest estates in the UK into an award-winning arts centre.
During 2020 Imogen was selected by Kate Nash Literary Agency as one of their BookCamp mentees, a mentorship programme designed to accelerate the careers of promising new writers.
Married with two children, Imogen divides her time between Wales and Sardinia.
She hopes her books will bring you the tingle of a new love affair whilst immersed in a different time and place.

Twitter Facebook Instagram

My thoughts: it has never been easy to be a woman in a man’s world, but what else was Ginny supposed to do when her father died? Taking on the burden of running their family’s farm with only her younger sister to help wasn’t easy. And Ginny doesn’t like asking for help.

When a stranger, Lex, winds up on their doorstep with a broken ankle after being thrown from his horse, the sisters nurse him back to health, and he repays them in ways they’d never imagine. He has secrets, but not ones that aim to hurt. The fiercely proud Ginny might just have to accept help for a change.

Falling hard for this handsome stranger comes with complications – but can love conquer all and will Ginny and Lex return to the farm or wind up in high society?

A moving and sweet story about love and learning to let someone in, set against the vistas of Missouri and the bustling streets of Boston. Ginny is a wonderful protagonist, strong, fierce and brave. Her decision to keep the farm going, against sometimes impossible seeming odds, to fulfil her parents’ dreams is inspiring, and the bond she shares with her sister and cousin is lovely. When she meets Lex, new possibilities appear and she has to decide whether to follow her heart.

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