Tag: historical fiction

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Brampton Witch Murders – Ellis Blackwood

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Can Samuel Pepys save his sister from the hangman’s noose?

As the Great Fire devours London in 1666, another firestorm rages in the tranquil village of Brampton, where Pepys’s sister, Paulina, stands accused of witchcraft.

Pepys summons his inquisitors, Abigail Harcourt and Jacob Standish, plunging them into the heart of the witch-hunt. Can Abigail, Pepys’s astute housemaid, and Jacob, his awkward yet eager protégé, unravel a web of secrets, whispers and lies to clear Paulina’s name?

Racing against time, Abigail and Jacob must confront a formidable adversary: Simon Hopkins, son of the infamous Witchfinder General. Possessed by his father’s Puritan zeal, he will stop at nothing to prove Paulina’s sorcery and send her to the gallows.

To the pious folk of Brampton, the options are stark. Witch or not? Life or death?

The Samuel Pepys Mysteries bring 17th century England vividly to life, in the company of the celebrated diarist himself, and his personal inquisitors, Abby and Jacob. 

If you love a murder mystery wrapped in history, this series is for you.

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Ellis Blackwood fell in love with the writings of Samuel Pepys, and the 17th-century England he inhabited, through the great man’s published diaries. The Samuel Pepys Mysteries are the result of that literary love affair.

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My thoughts: Samuel Pepys is one of history’s more interesting figures, his famous diaries cover a truly fascinating period of English history and he was one of life’s survivors, swapping sides after the Restoration and avoiding prison as a traitor by getting on Charles II’s good side. 

In fact, he got some pretty important jobs out of it, and the power and influence that comes with it. Which comes in handy when his inquisitors, Abigail and Jacob, fall foul of local law enforcement in the village of Brampton, where his parents and sister live.

Simon Hopkins, son of the infamous Witchfinder General, Matthew Hopkins, is living in the Puritan past – wearing his late father’s clothes and attempting to imitate the terrible and cruel witch trials, even though society has moved on.

Pepys’ sister Paulina has been accused of cursing a local farmer, and with the disreputable local magistrate on his side, things look bleak. But Abby and Jacob are smart and capable investigators, they’ve got science and plenty of people who will attest that Paulina isn’t even remotely a witch. Everything hangs on proving that Hopkins is a fraud and that the accusations are false.

This was a really fun read, I love the concept of Pepys and his cohorts carrying out investigations and righting wrongs at a time before we had a proper detective force, and crime was prosecuted in a very different way than it is now.

*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: A Corpse in Christmas Close – Michelle Salter

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When a pantomime turns deadly, Iris investigates a cast of killers…

Christmas, 1923.

When reporter Iris Woodmore is sent to cover the Prince of Wales’ visit to historic
Winchester, she discovers more than just royal gossip.
The leading lady in Winchester Cathedral’s charity pantomime is found dead in mysterious circumstances. And the chief suspect is Cinderella’s handsome prince, played by Percy Baverstock’s younger brother, Freddie.
For the sake of the Baverstocks, Iris must investigate the murder, even though it means confronting an old enemy. And as the line between friend and foe blurs dangerously, she’s ensnared by someone
she hoped she’d never see again…

Everyone’s favourite amateur sleuth returns for a Christmas mystery, perfect for fans of Verity Bright, Claire Gradidge and Emily Organ.

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Michelle Salter writes historical cosy crime set in Hampshire, where she lives, and inspired by real-life events in 1920s Britain. Her Iris Woodmore series draws on an interest in the aftermath of the Great War and the suffragette movement.

My thoughts: Iris gets drawn into a murder mystery at a charity pantomime in Winchester, when Cinderella is found dead outside the church hall at rehearsal. Now I’ve done panto and there are always times when you think about offing whoever is the most annoying member of the cast (or the director) but as far as I know, it’s not happened, at least in any show I’ve been involved with.

However the actress, Rachel, is involved with some rather dodgy people through her work as a receptionist at a local car dealership, both her boss and the manager have secrets, and so did Rachel. Could her death be related to her job and not her role as Cinders, or is something else altogether going on?

Iris digs a lot, asking questions the police don’t or haven’t, she’s determined to get to the truth, even if it puts her in danger. She’s pretty certain that Percy’s brother Freddie (Prince Charming) is innocent, despite his war career, he just seems too gentle, but when his boss also meets a sticky end, it points the finger of suspicion at him ever more firmly. Thankfully Iris doesn’t understand the concept of minding her own business!

Christmas is round the corner, and she’s hoping to get to the bottom of this case before the year ends. Unfortunately the horrible Archie is back in town, and Iris doesn’t need the distraction and upset as she investigates.

It’s another cracking case for the intrepid journalist, the twists are totally unexpected and brilliantly done. And who doesn’t love a festive murder?

*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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Book Review: Singapore Worlds – Murray Bailey

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Independent of the government, Carter is looking for work and thinks the unsolved death of a police officer. Sergeant Cox appears to have been murdered by a skilled assassin. The police have few clues and fewer suspects, but the suggestion that there may be a boxing connection intrigues him.

In this novella, set between Singapore Girl and Singapore Boxer, Carter confronts fighters in the ring and the streets to solve who killed Sergeant Cox and why.

My thoughts: Ash Carter is freelance but available to the military police, while working with the local force on the case of the murdered policeman. This will see him entangled in a world of gangs and underworld boxing rings. He’s sure that Sergeant Cox was crooked and his death has something to do with the gangs of young men he was supposed to be investigating.

A quick trip to look into the accidental death of a young soldier gets Carter some new acquaintances in the MP, which come in handy when he goes in search of a young gang member who might just hold the answers to both the murdered cop and a murdered gang leader.

I like Carter and the way he likes to work, just outside the lines, so it was nice to return to his story, as he investigates these cases, willing to go to places the police can’t. This story explains how he ends up boxing for a promoter in his next book too.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.

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Blog Tour: What the Lady Wants – Emma Orchard

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Autumn, 1816…

Lady Ashby is grieving the death of her beloved husband just two years earlier. Although still young and beautiful, Isabella is resolved never to marry again, and plans to leave London, return to her
parents’ Yorkshire house, and resign from society before the year is over. But first, she wants one more taste of life…

Isabella has written a list, the contents of which, if discovered, would create a scandal that neither she nor her family would recover from. A list of things she would like to experience, just once more,
before she surrenders herself to the life of a widow. And she knows just the man to help her: her friend, handsome and honourable Captain Leo Winterton.

But Captain Winterton has a secret of his own. He is in love with Isabella – and when she makes her most improper proposal to him, he is powerless to resist her, even if she is resolved never to love
again. Can he persuade her they are destined to be together? Or will their impropriety be discovered, to the ruin of both?

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Emma was born in Salford and studied English Literature at the universities of Edinburgh and York.
Her first job after graduating was as a Copy-Editor at Mills & Boon, where she met her husband in a classic enemies-to-lovers romance. Emma has worked behind the scenes in television and as a Literary Agent, and in 2020 started writing Georgette Heyer fan-fiction.

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My thoughts: There’s a belief that the Regency period was really buttoned up and unsexy but the king and queen had 15 children, what did people think they were doing? The Prince Regent was infamous for his behaviour (he couldn’t stand his wife, but he did have lots of lovers) so in a way, although people weren’t openly having sexual relationships, there was plenty going on as long as you kept it quiet, especially in the ton.

Lady Ashby has been widowed for two years and after recovering from a breakdown following her husband’s death,  she’s determined to do things on her own terms – she doesn’t want a husband, she would prefer a no strings lover, she’s got a list and wants to get through it.

She’s picked handsome Captain Leo Winterton (who served with her husband in the wars against Napoleon) to be her first option – if he says no, she also has a list for that. Thankfully he agrees to a discreet, private arrangement.

This is a very sexy book, there’s lots of sex scenes, but thankfully they’re not too cringe worthy. And of course keeping the feelings out of it, doesn’t quite work out.

I really enjoyed this, Isabella was a very modern protagonist – she knows what she wants and she goes for it. Which I loved, she’s no shrinking violet. I also liked Leo, he’s the one dealing with feelings for once and it’s a refreshing change to the female lead with the crush.

*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: Legacy of the Runes – Christina Courteney

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A bond that even time cannot break
Storm Berger has never forgiven himself for his younger sister Madison’s disappearance. Suspecting she’s travelled back to the ninth century in the footsteps of other family members, Storm can only
make sure she’s safe by going after her.

Raised unconventionally as her father’s only child, Freydis has never been content to simply accept her fate. So, when she’s promised in marriage to a tyrant, she’s determined to find a way out of the
arrangement. Help comes in the form of a mysterious and attractive stranger stranded on her island’s shores: Storm.
The only way Freydis can truly be free is for Storm to marry her himself. But that would mean entwining lives that, until now, have been separated by centuries. . .

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Christina Courtenay writes historical romance, time slip/dual time and time travel stories, and lives in Herefordshire (near the Welsh border) in the UK. Although born in England, she has a Swedish mother and was brought up in Sweden – hence her abiding interest in the Vikings. Christina is a Vice President and former Chair and of the UK’s Romantic Novelists’ Association and has won several
awards, including the RoNA for Best Historical Romantic Novel twice with Highland Storms (2012) and The Gilded Fan (2014) and the RNA Fantasy Romantic Novel of the year 2021 with Echoes of the
Runes. LEGACY OF THE RUNES (time travel historical romance published by Headline Review 15th August 2024) is her latest novel. Christina is a keen amateur genealogist and loves history and archaeology (the armchair variety).

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My thoughts: This final book in the Runes series has Maddie’s brother Storm head into the 9th Century looking for her (see Tempted by the Runes for Maddie’s story)

Of course things don’t go according to his plan, on the way to Iceland, the ship he’s on is attacked and has to put in to Orkney. There he meets Freydis. She’s trying to find a way to get out of a marriage that’s been arranged for her against her will. Meeting Storm, there’s an instant connection. Might he be the way to escape her life?

I have really enjoyed this series, and it was really nice to have all the members of Mia and Haakon’s family’s (foster son and daughter’s best friend included) stories come full circle, with them happy either in the 9th or 21st centuries. Storm was an interesting protagonist – he’s trying to make up for his mistake, even though in the end Maddie wasn’t in the danger he feared. Falling in love with Freydis certainly wasn’t part of his plan. But I loved Freydis – raised more like a son by her late father, she doesn’t fit in in the 9th Century, and her mother is a miserable cow who doesn’t want her only daughter around. Meeting Storm changes her whole life in a really good way – and the 21st century suits her better.

I’m a bit sad this series has ended (although the author did say in her note at the end of the book that you never know!) but I’m excited to see what Christina writes next.

*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 Brightest Star – Gail Tsukiyama

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Beloved bestselling author Gail Tsukiyama returns with a rich historical novel based on the life of the luminous, groundbreaking actress Anna May Wong—the first and only Asian American woman to gain movie stardom in the early days of Hollywood.

“A writer of astonishing grace, delicacy, and feeling.”—Michael Chabon, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay

“A beautiful, haunting book.”—Karen Joy Fowler, New York Times bestselling author of Booth and We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves

At the dawn of a new century, America is falling in love with silent movies, including young Wong Liu Tsong. The daughter of poor Chinese immigrants, Wong Liu goes to the local nickelodeons to escape the schoolmates her bully her for her Chinese heritage.

By sixteen, Wong Liu has already chosen a stage name, Anna May, and leaves high school to pursue her Hollywood dreams, defying her disapproving father and her traditional Chinese upbringing—a choice that will hold emotional and physical consequences. Anna May gets her big break—and her first taste of Hollywood fame— starring opposite Douglas Fairbanks in The Thief of Bagdad.

Yet her beauty and talent aren’t enough to overcome the racism that relegates her to supporting roles as a helpless, exotic butterfly or a vicious, murderous dragon lady, while Caucasian actresses in “yellowface” are given starring roles portraying Asian women.

Though she suffers professionally and personally, Anna May fights to become a star, financially support her family, and keep her illicit love affairs hidden—even as she finds freedom and glittering success abroad, and receives glowing reviews across the globe.

Gail Tsukiyama was born in San Francisco, California, to a Chinese mother from Hong Kong and a Japanese father from Hawaii. She attended San Francisco State University where she earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree and a Master of Arts Degree in English. She is the bestselling author of several novels, including Women of the Silk and The Samurai’s Garden, as well as the recipient of the Academy of American Poets Prize and the PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award. She divides her time between El Cerrito and Napa Valley, California.

My thoughts: I knew a little about Anna May Wong before I read this book, but not much, as her life and career had basically been forgotten by Hollywood – I think her story would make an incredible biopic.

Born in LA to a Chinese-American couple running a laundry, she wasn’t the son her father wanted, and some part of her knew that growing up – she and her father fought constantly. 

Desperate to be an actress, not an approved of career by her father or community, she started out as an extra, before garnering small parts in several films. Always cast as a stereotype, she desperately wanted to break the mould of what a Chinese-American woman was, but the anti-misceganation laws that banned interracial relationships, even on screen, made it next to impossible.

But she never gave up, sending several years in Europe making films, appearing on stage, and finding herself a community of friends. She also undertook a trip to China, which she recorded on an early video camera, with the aim of showing America the real China and its people. She was pretty amazing.

She was also a silent screen crossover star, featuring in the “talkies” and even giving musical theatre a go. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but never achieved the success she deserved.

The story of her life is bittersweet – she never married and suffered from cirrhosis of the liver, which tragically eventually killed her, just as her career seemed to be on a comeback with the advent of television and new film roles being offered to her.

I thoroughly enjoyed this fictionalised version of the life of Anna May Wong, a passionate and talented woman who deserved so much more and lived an at times, very tragic life.

*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 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: 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: 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.