Monday 14 August 2017

Another Woman's Husband
by
Gill Paul
BLOG TOUR



1911 At the age of fifteen, carefree Mary Kirk and indomitable Wallis Warfield meet at summer camp. Their friendship will survive heartbreaks, separation and the demands of the British Crown until it is shattered by one unforgivable betrayal. 

1997 Rachel's romantic break in Paris with her fiancé ends in tragedy when the car ahead crashes. Inside was Princess Diana. Back in Brighton, Rachel is haunted by the accident, and intrigued to learn the princess had visited the last home of Wallis, Duchess of Windsor, only hours before the crash. Soon, the discovery of a long-forgotten link to Wallis Simpson leads Rachel to the truth behind a scandal that shook the world...
Richly imagined and beautifully written, ANOTHER WOMAN'S HUSBAND is a gripping, moving novel about two women thrust into the spotlight, followed by scandal, touched by loss.





Review
It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of Gill Paul’s novels, so when I found out that her latest novel, Another Woman’s Husband was based on the fictional connection between Wallis Simpson and Princess Diana, I just knew I would love this book! I am a passionate royalist and always loved Princess Diana from the very moment she came into the public eye. With the 20th anniversary approaching of Diana’s death, it seems very poignant that memories of her are kept alive. I will remember 31st August 1997 for the rest of my life as a day full of extreme sadness and unbelievable shock that one of the most famous women in the world had died so tragically.

Mary and Wallis meet at Summer camp in America in the early 1900’s when they were teenagers. From the very start, Wallis is the more dominant, confident character, with Mary tagging along in awe of her new found friend. Wallis seems very headstrong and mature for her age, especially in front of the young men!

Meanwhile Rachel and Alex are driving through the Alma tunnel in Paris on 31st August 1997 when just ahead there is an almighty crash and everything is at a standstill. Alex gets out of the car to see what has happened and returns shortly afterwards with a look of total shock on his face when he tells Rachel that the crash involves Princess Diana and she is in a bad way.

The chapters alternate from Wallis and Mary’s early lives to 1997 in the aftermath of the crash and the coming weeks when the press is full of conspiracy theories as to how and why Diana died. How could Wallis & Mary’s lives have anything in common with Diana?

This is a fantastic story which made me want to read “just one more chapter” so that I could find out what the connection was! The author is such a great historian, who researches her books wonderfully and this one is no exception. I have enjoyed all of Gill Paul’s books, but I really think this is my favourite so far!


To order a copy of Another Woman's Husband click here



Friday 11 August 2017

** COVER REVEAL **


The Key
by
Kathryn Hughes



From the author of The Secret I am pleased to reveal the cover of Kathryn Hughes' new novel The Key. You will have to wait until next year for this one to be published, but i'm sure it will be worth waiting for!


Published by Headline in April 2018


Tuesday 8 August 2017

The Wardrobe Mistress
by
Natalie Meg Evans



It's my turn on The Wardrobe Mistress by Natalie Meg Evans Blog Tour and here is my review.


Review

When I saw the cover for this book and the title, I knew straight away I wanted to read it. I haven’t read any of the author’s previous books, but I thought this one would be a great way to start!

One of Vanessa’s earliest memories is her Father taking her to a theatre in London and meeting all the fascinating people who worked there. She vividly remembers a lady called Eva making a huge fuss over her and Eva giving her a key on a chain. At 5 years old, Vanessa has no idea at the time how important the key becomes in revealing the secrets of her identity.

War breaks out and Vanessa finds herself being called up and posted to the other end of the country, which she finds a relief to get away from her difficult mother.

After the war ends, Vanessa feels drawn to the theatre once again and decides to apply for a position at the very theatre her Father used to take her to, as a Wardrobe Mistress. Huge obstacles lie in wait for Vanessa, especially as the post asks for the position to be held by a man with experience and she is neither a man or has any experience!! But with Vanessa’s true grit and determination, she doesn’t let small matters like that get in her way, especially with the new owner who happens to be one of her best friend’s husband!

This is the start of an unravelling amount of secrets and lies which Vanessa has to work out to find her true identity and she also finds out along the way that people aren’t who they really are!

The author must have done a huge amount of thorough research for this book and it clearly shows in the in depth description to detail.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book as I am a true theatre buff and am looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.



To order a copy of The Wardrobe Mistress from Amazon click here

Saturday 5 August 2017

** COVER REVEAL **

Fatal Masquerade
by
Vivian Conroy



I'm delighted to show you the cover for Fatal Masquerade by Vivian Conroy. I love anything Art Deco, so I love this cover!


Blurb

Lady Alkmene Callender has always loved grand parties, but when she receives an invitation to a masked ball thrown by Franklin Hargrove – oil magnate, aviation enthusiast and father of her best friend, Denise – she’s never seen such luxury. The estate is lit up with Chinese lanterns in the gardens, boats operated by footmen float across the pond and the guest list features the distinguished, rich and powerful!
But below the glamour, evil is lurking. When a dead body is discovered, it forces Lady Alkmene to throw off her mask and attempt to find the true killer before Denise’s family are accused. If only her partner, Jake Dubois, weren’t hiding something from her…
This case might just be more dangerous than either of them could have imagined.



Fatal Masquerade is published on 4th October 2017, but you can pre-order it from Amazon here

Friday 4 August 2017

How Not to Fall in Love, Actually
By 
Catherine Bennett

Guest Review
by
Julie Williams




Review by Julie Williams


I must start off this review of How Not to fall in Love, Actually by saying what a fun read this is. 

Emma George’s life is chaotic to say the least and contributing to this is her ‘head in the clouds’ boyfriend Ned. 

When Emma discovers that she is pregnant, she makes a brave decision to leave Ned and start a new life for herself. Joe, a drunken stranger, turns up on her doorstep one night and ends up staying not only as her lodger but also as a reliable dependable friend.

I did find that at times Emma could be a bit ‘woe is me’ but nevertheless I thought this novel entertaining and fun packed with plenty of laugh out loud moments to brighten my day.


Publisher: Simon & Schuster


You can order a copy of this book from Amazon by clicking here