Mrs England

by

Stacey Halls

West Yorkshire, 1904. When newly-graduated nurse Ruby May takes a position looking after the children of Charles and Lilian England, a wealthy couple form a powerful dynasty of mill owners, she hopes it will be the fresh start she needs. But as she adapts to life at the isolated Hardcastle House, it becomes clear there's something not quite right about the beautiful, mysterious Mrs England.

Ostracised by the other servants and feeling increasingly uneasy, soon a series of strange events will force Ruby to question everything she thought she knew . . .

Review

When Ruby May qualifies from the prestigious Norland Nanny College in London in 1904, no one is more surprised than her and she is soon placed with a family in London, but as they are emigrating to America, she feels she cannot go because of her own family in Birmingham, so when she finds out about a post in Yorkshire to look after 4 children whose parents own a cotton mill and are in need of a nanny, she asks to be placed with them. 

Charles England runs a cotton mill which belongs to his wife Lilian's family and at first Ruby thinks that Lilian behaves very strangely. She is distant to the children and spends most of the day in her bedroom, but as the weeks go on, it is Charles whose behaviour is taking Ruby by surprise. 

Ruby takes to the children immediately and soon builds a bond with them, but when they send their eldest daughter away to school, it sees the start of a turbulent time at Hardcastle House and Ruby feels out of her depth.

I loved this book (as I did all of this author's previous books) and the way the author describes the characters and places is fabulous. All her books are very well researched and this clearly shows in her writing. 

The Romanov Brides

 The Romanov Brides

by

Clare McHugh

BLOG TOUR

From the author of A Most English Princess comes a rich novel about young Princess Alix of Hesse— the future Alexandra, last Empress of Imperial Russia—and her sister, Princess Ella. Their decision to marry into the Romanov royal family changed history. They were granddaughters of Queen Victoria and two of the most beautiful princesses in Europe. Princesses Alix and Ella were destined to wed well and wisely. But while their grandmother wants to join them to the English and German royal families, the sisters fall in love with Russia—and the Romanovs. Defying the Queen’s dire warnings, Ella weds the tsar’s brother, Grand Duke Serge. Cultivated, aloof, and proud, Serge places his young wife on a pedestal for all to admire. Behind palace gates, Ella struggles to secure private happiness. Alix, whisked away to Russia for Ella’s wedding, meets and captivates Nicky—heir apparent to the Russian throne. While loving him deeply, Alix hears a call of conscience, urging her to walk away. Their fateful decisions to marry will lead to tragic consequences for not only themselves and their families, but for millions in Russia and around the globe. The Romanov Brides is a moving and fascinating portrait of two bold and spirited royal sisters, and brings to vivid life imperial Russia—a dazzling, decadent world on the brink of disappearing forever.

REVIEW

In this book we follow the four granddaughters of Queen Victoria. The Queen is desperate for the girls to marry into the English or German royal family, but Ella and Alix have fallen for members of the Russian royal family (Romanovs).

Ella has fallen in love with the Tsar’s brother Serge who woos her and gives her jewels to entice her to St Petersburg. She agrees to marry him, but she soon realises after the wedding that Serge does not want to be intimate with Ella and this crushes her as she loves Serge and will do anything to make her husband happy and she desperately wants children, but this is unlikely to happen if they cannot consummate their marriage.

Alix falls in love with Nicky who is the Tsar’s eldest son, but she has second thoughts and initially turns down his proposal, but eventually agrees to marry him and arrives in St Petersburg for the wedding. They have a much happier marriage until the end of their lives, which was tragic and brutal.

I have read a few books based on the Romanovs and have always been fascinated by them. They all found a tragic end which changed the course of history and this book has been thoroughly researched and is a great read for those who enjoy historical fiction, but based on real people. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Clare McHugh is the author of A Most English Princess, a historical novel about the family of Queen Victoria, and The Romanov Brides. A former newspaper reporter and magazine editor, McHugh graduated from Harvard College with a degree in European history. She currently lives in London and in Amagansett, NY

 Queen of Diamonds

by

Beezy Marsh

London, 1922. Orphan girl Alice dreams there's more to life than toiling long hours in Pink's jam factory. Inspired by stories about the legendary Queen of Thieves, Mary Carr, who terrorised the streets of Victorian London, Alice decides to set up her own gang: The Forty Thieves.

Sly seamstress Kate Felix from Whitechapel has the same plan and will stop at nothing to keep Alice and her pals off her turf in the West End shops. But Alice is determined to win at all costs, hitting the headlines as the Bob-Haired Bandit.

It isn't long before they make some powerful enemies, and Alice must sacrifice more than she ever thought if she is to become Queen of Diamonds.

But the toughest and most beautiful diamonds are formed under pressure.

Review

This is the third in the series about the infamous Alice Diamond and we also learn about Mary Carr and how her life intertwines with Alice. 

Kate Felix is from Whitechapel and also wants to be top dog, so can she and Alice ever become friends?

This is yet another fabulous story about the life of "hoisters" from South East London and how they pray on top notch department stores to steal fur coats, silk clothing etc to order and sell on at a fraction of the cost. This can be a dangerous way of life, especially if you were caught, but Alice and her followers try every trick in the book to escape that!

Another fabulous story from the lovely Beezy Marsh. I really can't get enough of these books and will wait eagerly for the next one!