While I Was Waiting 
by 
Georgia Hill 
Blog Tour
&
Giveaway

Genre: Historical/time-slip romance

Release Date: 2/7/15 (e-pub) 10/9/15 (print)

Publisher:  Harper Impulse

Tired of her life in London, freelance illustrator Rachel buys the beautiful but dilapidated Clematis Cottage and sets about creating the home of her dreams. But tucked away behind the water tank in the attic and left to gather dust for decades, is an old biscuit tin containing letters, postcards and a diary. So much more than old scraps of paper, these are precious memories that tell the story of Henrietta Trenchard-Lewis, a love lost in the Great War and the girl who was left behind.

Review

When I saw the cover of this book, I knew instantly that it was going to be my kind of read! I love reading about stories that flip back to days gone by.

Although technically this isn't a wartime story, it does flit back to the past.

Rachel Makepeace is sick of living in a one bedroom flat in Camberwell, South East London (coincidentally I had a one bed flat in Camberwell!!) and decides to buy a lovely cottage in the country (i'm jealous already!). When builders find an old tin, they hand it to Rachel and finding it legally belongs to her, she starts reading the contents of the tin and so starts a journey that changes Rachel's life.

Hetty is the previous owner of Clematis Cottage and is the writer of letters in the tin. She tells of her childhood at having to go and live in Delemere House with two sisters Hester and Leonora and also two brothers Richard and Edward and the years of growing older and falling in love with one brother, but marrying another.

Meanwhile, Gabe is one of her builders, who happens to be as fit as a Butcher's dog and you don't need me to tell you what is likely to happen there!!

This book had a great mixture of characters and I loved them all, especially Rachel's gay best friend Tim!!

This was a lovely read and I really felt that Rachel had a connection with Hetty, especially whilst reading the letters. She even felt Hetty's presence in the cottage now and again!

I would thoroughly recommend this book and although I read it on kindle, I love the cover so much that I would love to have read the actual paperback.

Thank you to Georgia Hill and JB Johnston at Brook Cottage Books for letting me review this book.

BUY LINKS

AMAZON UK

AMAZON US

ABOUT GEORGIA HILL

I used to live in London, where I worked in the theatre. Then I got the bizarre job of teaching road safety to the U.S. navy – in Marble Arch!

A few years ago, I did an ‘Escape to the Country’. I now live in a tiny Herefordshire village, where I scandalise the neighbours by not keeping ‘country hours’ and being unable to make a decent pot of plum jam. Home is a converted Oast house (Old agricultural building used for drying hops), which I share with my two beloved spaniels, husband (also beloved) and a ghost called Zoe.

I’ve been lucky enough to travel widely, though prefer to set my novels closer to home. Perhaps more research is needed? I’ve always wanted to base a book in the Caribbean!

I am addicted to Belgian chocolate, Jane Austen and, most of all, Strictly Come Dancing.

AUTHOR LINKS

https://www.facebook.com/georgiahillauthor/

https://twitter.com/georgiawrites

http://www.georgiahill.co.uk/

https://www.pinterest.com/georgiawrites/

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A Kiss from France by Susan Hughes Blog Tour

Dangerous munitions work links two very different women in WWI Britain. Ambitious Lizzie Fenwick puts a note in a box of ammunition shells which triggers an exciting wartime romance. In the face of increasing casualty figures, patriotic Eunice Wilson is overcome with regret for shunning her conscripted husband. Events soon mean Lizzie must make hard choices and accept that a less romantic future beckons. Meanwhile, Eunice attempts to cope with personal tragedy. Peace returns, but with it comes the discovery of a betrayal which sets the two women on a potential collision course where they must confront everything they thought they knew about love and loyalty. And let go of what they want to hold on to most.

Review

I do love a wartime saga and as I come from London I love to read anything about my hometown and what life was like during World War I and II, so when I was asked if I would like to review this book I jumped at the chance!

The story is set during and after WWI and focuses on three women's lives during the war and how they copied with life while the men were away fighting for their country and then when the soldiers returned home and how they coped with "normal life".

Lizzie Fenwick works in a munitions factory along with Peggy. When Lizzie puts a note in a box full of ammunition to wish a soldier good luck she doesn't realise the consequences her actions will cause when the note is found by Harry Slater.

Meanwhile Eunice is married to Jack who is sent to the trenches in France after initially not enlisting quick enough for Eunice. She feels he is a bit of a coward at first and the story of their lives is just heart breaking and tragic and the author tells this beautifully.

The events in this book were obviously researched thoroughly and were very well described. How the different characters lives turned out and intertwined throughout their lives was just great.

The only negative thing I would say about this book was that I personally didn't want the ending to turn out as it did, but that is just a personal thing. 

I would love to read more from this author and would like to thank JB Johnson at Brook Cottage Books for sending me a copy for review. 

No Place For A Lady by Gill Paul Blog Tour

IN WARTIME, THE RULES OF LOVE CHANGE …

1854. Britain is fighting a gruesome war.

There has been no news of Lucy Gray since she eloped with handsome and impetuous Captain Charlie Harvington and embarked with him to the Crimea.

Dorothea Gray will risk anything to heal the rift with her little sister and bring her home safe. She determines to join Florence Nightingale and the other courageous women travelling to the battlefield hospitals as nurses.

She will not rest until she finds her sister.

Lucy, however, is on a very different journey, a journey through tragedy, trauma and true love.

But neither sister is prepared for the challenges they will face, the passion they will each taste and the simple fact that they might never see one another again …

A spellbinding and exquisite tale of courage, adventure and love. Prepare to be swept of your feet!

Review

I do love a bit of history and promised myself I would read more historical novels this year, so when I was asked to review this book I jumped at the chance!

It is about two sisters Dorothea and Lucy and how their lives change with the outbreak of war. It is set in 1800's during the Crimea war and Lucy marries a soldier at only 18 and travels with him to Turkey (which would be unthinkable nowadays!). Lucy has a falling out with her Sister Dorothea over her marrying young and they part on bad terms. 

Lucy marries Charlie and you just know that he isn't all he seems. She is very immature and naive and I felt really sorry for her at first, but as the book goes on her personality seems to change in her surroundings, which the author does brilliantly.

Dorothea is a typical "old maid" and mothers Lucy so much to the point that Lucy rebels and marries in spite of Dorothea's worries. I wasn't sure of Dorothea at first but she is one character that I really changed my opinion of by the end of the book and she was my favourite by the end! 

I would really like to read more about these characters and I must admit the ending wasn't what I was expecting, which makes me think there could be more?? 

Thank you to Avon Books UK for letting me be a part of this blog tour. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and love reading war time sagas and this one was brilliantly written, with great descriptions about places and events, which really did make me realise how awful the conditions must have been back then. 

I really need to read more of Gill Paul's books as I have not read any of her previous novels. Amazon here I come!!!

*****

'Pack up Your Troubles' by Pam Weaver ****

I was really looking forward to reading this book as I do love a wartime saga, but it was more about what happened after the war than during it. I enjoyed reading about Connie and Eva and how they overcame a feuding family to become friends, but it was a bit hard going sometimes as there was a subject that I wasn't expecting brought up and I found it quite disturbing at times. Also a very, very sad bit towards the end had me in floods of tears (don't want to spoil it for anyone!!). On the whole a good read (if a bit too long) but it wouldn't put me off reading a Pam Weaver novel again.

'The Poppy Factory' by Liz Trenow *****

This is the first book I have read by Liz Trenow but will definitely be buying her others! I absolutely loved this book from beginning to end. I was lucky enough to get a draft copy as it is not out until August and from the first page I was hooked! I was a bit confused as I didn't have any blurb to read and thought it was supposed to be a wartime saga, but it started off with a character coming back from Afghanistan but it soon turned into a wartime story and they joined up beautifully. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the cover is gorgeous!