Coming out June 9 is a beautifully written piece of historical fiction from Atmosphere Press: Like Snow Before Sun.
Marianna Rabalais Sulser tells the story of Jeanne LeJeune, a young woman who is part French, part Mi’kmaw, in 1700s Nova Scotia. I did not know much about Nova Scotia and Acadia during the time of the French and Indian War, and it was so interesting to read of how the people tried to not take sides and just live their lives, only to be turned upon by the British and displaced to other areas against their choice. This is a piece of history I did not know about and it was so interesting to read Jeanne’s story against this backdrop.
Beautifully written, with a story that highlights the upheaval at that time for Acadians, Like Snow Before Sun is highly recommended for those who enjoy historical fiction and stories of strong women.
Thank you to my friends at Books Forward for my copy to review!
Here’s the scoop:
INSPIRED BY TRUE STORIES
Which will you sacrifice-the father that raised you, or the nation you adore?
Acadia, 1755. Jeanne LeJeune has always lived between worlds-the fierce daughter of a French merchant and a Mi’kmaw woman, she is torn between the quiet rhythms of village life and the wild heartbeats of her mother’s people. But when her father is seized by English soldiers, her fragile peace shatters.
To win his freedom, Jeanne agrees to guide an English officer through the wilds of Nova Scotia-a choice that entangles her in the coming storm of war. What begins as a wary alliance soon becomes a journey fraught with danger, betrayal, and passion.
As the drums of conflict echo through the untamed heart of the forest, Jeanne must face an impossible choice: betray her heart to save her father or risk everything for the nation who shaped her soul.
Lush, romantic, and unflinching, Like Snow Before Sun captures a love tested by loyalty, loss, and the devastating cost of survival.
I’m excited to be part of the tour for this new novel that is SO suspenseful and thrilling! It’s The People Next Door by Carla Kovach. It kept me guessing the whole book and I also kept thinking how it would make a GREAT limited series for Netflix. I really like stories told from different points of view, too.
Thank you for my copy and for having me as part of the tour.
Here’s the scoop:
Dear Neighbour. I know who you are. I know what you did…
After that summer, I swore I’d never come back to Clover Lane. But when my aunt left us her house, I couldn’t say no. The last in a neat row of houses with white fences and countryside views, it was the life I’d always dreamed of for my family. They deserved it, even if I didn’t.
As the last boxes are unpacked and neighbours drop by to welcome us, I see the sparkle back in my daughter Morgan’s eyes and know we’re safe. I won’t ever let her near the woods where my best friend went missing, but welcome gifts and a coffee date with my neighbours have me feeling like we belong here. But then the first letter arrives, and my perfect new life shatters…
Suddenly, I notice curtains twitch as I unload the car and I find myself looking over my shoulder every time I leave the house. When more letters arrive and rumours poison the street, I start double-locking the doors at night. How much do I really know about the people next door? Are my children safe? Is there anyone I can trust?
Someone in this close-knit community thinks they know what happened that summer. I know they’re wrong, but my worst fear is realised when the last letter drops: Morgan is missing…
If you loved reading The Housemaid, The Perfect Marriage and The Girl on the Train, you will devour this absolutely jaw-dropping psychological thriller from Carla Kovach.
Carla has been writing seriously since her mid-thirties. She started by writing stage plays which led to her producing and directing her own full length piece of theatre. After that, she decided to write films and books where she began by self-publishing. In the past, she has acted in a few indie films and has also co-owned a photography and video production company.
Right now, she is a full time crime and thriller author living in Worcester with her husband, Nigel and Poppy the cat.
Okay – hold the phone a minute here. Carla — we are practically NEIGHBORS! I live near Worcester as well. We could get together and drink coffee and chat about books and writing and theater if you want!
I love Melanie Benjamin’s novels but I truly adored this book! I love anything to do with the royals and it was so interesting to have a book that is largely written from the viewpoint of the Queen Mother. And it involves that crass Wallis Simpson who stole the heart of a king! So fun to read about the characters as they are all real people.
I highly recommend it to those who enjoy historical fiction related to the royals from not too long ago!
Thank you for my copy!
Here’s the scoop:
Description
A scandalous affair. A power struggle for the throne. A sensational rivalry between an English queen and an American social climber. In this electrifying novel, the New York Times bestselling author of The Swans of Fifth Avenue tells the story of the Abdication of Edward VIII—and the two women at the center of it all.
“As deliciously dishy as an English cream tea and the royal gossip whispered over it!”—Kate Quinn, author of The Astral Library
Feuding Windsor brothers and their wives—some things, it seems, never change. The Windsor Affair recreates the cataclysmic events that nearly toppled the monarchy and incited the power struggle between Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon and Wallis Simpson. Told from the perspective of both women, the novel propels readers into the fabulous world of the debonair Prince of Wales, café society of the 1930s, and the glittering private lives of the Windsors. The first novel to be dedicated to this infamous rivalry, The Windsor Affair brings us all the gossip and intrigue between the two very different—yet perhaps more similar than they would admit—wives of royals.
As Queen, Elizabeth would become the symbol of British pluck and courage during World War II and remain a British institution the rest of her long life. Wallis would be forever forced to enact the World’s Greatest Love Story even after it sours, as she goes from being admired to vilified and, ultimately, pitied. Against the backdrop of the Abdication Crisis, World War II, coronations, funerals, births, and deaths, these two women maintain a biting, sharp-tongued feud—until age and the long arm of history bring about a kind of understanding. For the last communication between these bitter rivals was a simple, surprising message: “In friendship, Elizabeth.”
Today I’m posting about a new historical fiction novel, centered on WWII: The Girl with Two Names by Imogen Matthews.
This was an engaging read – I always love reading about the Resistance because it forces me to ask myself if I could ever be that brave. There is some romance/love interest built in, but the story, in my opinion, is driven by the war experience. Stories like this always remind me of how much people were (are) willing to sacrifice to stand up for what they believed in, even if it meant death.
I haven’t read this author before, but I would look for her again!
Thank you to Bookouture for my copy and for having me as part of the tour.
Here’s the scoop:
She smooths her light blue coat with trembling hands as a man approaches. ‘Felix?’ he says, and she nods. ‘We weren’t expecting a girl.’ He smiles, but panic grips her throat at what he says next. ‘Whoever you are, you’ve been betrayed…’
1943, Nazi-occupied Holland. Turning up her collar against the wind, Trix prepares for her rendezvous. Hidden in the bottom of her bag are coded instructions from the British Special Operations Executive and a silk handkerchief, secretly printed with a map of her next meeting point. She knows working for the Dutch resistance is dangerous, but she must put her past behind her and become someone new… someone brave.
Trix’s friends think she’s a secretary – they can never know the truth. Living a double life is desperately lonely, but the longer she goes under her alias, Felix, the more comfortable she becomes with this new version of herself: one who will stand up for what is right, and fight for those who can’t. That is, until the warm brown eyes of a pilot from her past spark hope for a life after the war.
But when she’s ambushed and imprisoned by German soldiers posing as men from the Dutch resistance, Trix must lean on everything she’s learnt if she’s going to survive and grasp her chance at love. These soldiers see her as just a woman. But is that her greatest weapon? In war, often it’s those we underestimate the most who have the power to change everything…
Inspired by a remarkable true story, The Girl with Two Names is a totally heartbreaking and emotional World War Two novel of bravery, sacrifice and the power of hope in dark times. Perfect for fans of Heather Morris, Kristin Hannah and Fiona Valpy.
About the author:
Imogen Matthews is an Oxford-based, award-winning author and journalist with an interest in forgotten stories from WW2 Holland. Imogen was born in Rijswijk, Holland, to a Dutch mother and English father who moved the family to England when Imogen was very young. All her life, she listened to her mother’s stories about her life in Holland, in particular the hardships she faced during the Hunger Winter in 1944-5, which has had a profound impact on her writing.
I’m so happy to take part in the tour for this historical fiction/WWII novel, which is book 3 of the Wartime Boarding House series by Natalie Meg Evans: The Lady at the Boarding House. This installment focuses on Betony, the wealthy socialite who is living with her friends in London and trying to make her way on her own financially, though her past life has left her with very few skills. Even though Betony is the main character, the other major characters, Grace and Jess, play key roles in the story. As I read each book in the series, I like it even more than the one before – I think this is because each one brings a further depth to the main characters and their trials and tribulations. Okay, I’ll say it: this was my favorite in the series so far!
Thank you for my copy and for having me as part of the tour.
London, 1940. In a Mayfair townhouse behind a wide front door, three women must bond together to make it through the war – no matter their differences.
A world away from the wealth and comfort of her family home, lord’s daughter BetonyStyles has come to love her new life at a London lodging house with Grace and Jess. Selling her beautiful gowns to pay for her rent and rations for the other girls, Betony is determined to do her bit.
By day she works in the factory sewing much-needed uniforms for the Women’s Air Force. At night, air raid sirens blaze – but Betony and the other girls do all they can to help in the hardest hit neighbourhoods, rescuing a precious newborn from the rubble. And she’s head over heels with her beau, brave Canadian pilot Winter Macpherson.
But her father believes duty to her family should come before her duty for her country. He demands she give up playing games and come home once and for all.
To stand up to her father and follow her own path, Betony needs Grace and Jess more than ever. But when Winter disappears, her heart shatters. Together, can the lodging house girls give each other hope even in the darkest times?
A completely unputdownable historical novel, perfect for fans of Jean Grainger, Lisa Wingate and Diney Costeloe. Your heart will break at this beautiful story of love, friendship and courage.
About the Author:
Natalie Meg Evans has been an art student, actor, PR copywriter, book-keeper and bar tender but always wanted to write. A USA Today best-seller and RITA nominee, she is author of four published novels which follow the fortunes of strong-minded women during the 1930s and 40s. Fashion, manners and art are the glass through which her characters’ lives are viewed. Each novel is laced with passion, romance and desire. Mystery is never far away.
An avid absorber of history – for her sixth birthday she got a toy Arthurian castle with plastic knights – Natalie views historical fiction as theatre for the imagination. Her novels delve behind the scenes of a prestige industry: high fashion, millinery, theatre, wine making. Rich arenas for love and conflict. Most at home in the English countryside, Natalie lives in rural Suffolk. She has one son.
Harper-Collins sent me a early galley and an audiobook of this new title and I really really enjoyed it! It was an explosive thriller that kept me reading (or listening!) and I couldn’t put it down. At times, I would think “how is this all going to come together??” but the end tied it all together and was very satisfying. Thank you for my copy and for the audio (always good for the 2+ hours I drive a day!!).
Here’s the scoop:
From the two-time Edgar Award–nominated author of ON A QUIET STREET and THE VACANCY IN ROOM 10…
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES meets FINLAY DONOVAN in this darkly humorous thriller about three women’s lives colliding around an explosive murder, a bizarre cover-up, and a riveting search for the truth in a multi-cast audiobook narrated by Brittany Pressley, Rebecca Lowman, and Karissa Vacker!
“Explosive, addictive, and impossible to put down.”—Noelle Ihli, bestselling author of Such Quiet Girls
Those lucky enough to live in the elite lakefront community of Cloverhill Lakes are drawn to it for its safety and top-notch school district. The moms meet for coffee at the park while their kids play, they’re heavily involved in the PTA, and the summers are filled with chardonnay, brunch, sundresses, and backyard bonfires.
But everything changes when Regan Hoffman’s car explodes at the annual Labor Day party. The wrong person is killed, but it was meant for her. As the carefully crafted walls of her community begin to crumble, Regan tries to keep it together—something made infinitely harder when she sees her dead husband…alive.
When a Cloverhill Lakes resident suddenly goes missing, dark secrets begin to surface from underneath the idyllic veneer of their beautiful community—and the truth threatens to destroy them all as Regan finds herself in a fight for her life.
For readers who love:
Small lakeside community vibes
Twists that will leave you breathless
Dark humor and wild antics
Dramatic domestic suspense
Multiple POVs
Desperate Housewives meets Finlay Donovan
Seraphina Nova Glass was a fairly new author for me (I read her “Nothing Ever Happens Here” last year), and I look forward to reading more by her. Here’s some info about her from her website: seraphinanovaglass.com
Seraphina Nova Glass is a two-time EDGAR AWARD nominated author. Her novel, On A Quiet Street, was a New York Times Summer Read, a #1 Amazon Bestseller, and Editor’s Pick. It was also featured in the Boston Globe and Bustle.
Publisher’s Weekly has named her “a writer to watch.” She’s also an award-winning playwright and holds an MFA degree in Dramatic Writing from Smith College.
She is a proud dog mom to Boston Terrier, Spaghetti, and loves to travel the world with her husband, Mark. She resides in Dallas, TX.
Oh, I loved this sweet story of the many people who live in Wisteria House and the older woman who brings all their stories together. It felt like a Maeve Binchy novel – warm and reassuring, and satisfying at the finish!
Thank you for my copy and for making me part of the tour.
Here’s the scoop:
Description
On a peaceful avenue stands the once-grand Wisteria House. Now it’s split into apartments, occupied by strangers who rarely say hello. Could one last dinner party bring it to life again?
Ninety-year-old Alice has one last wish: to fill her new home with light and laughter, just like when her husband was alive. So she sets out her favourite plates, opens an old recipe book, and sends invitations to the neighbours she’s certain need friendship just as much as she does…
Declan hasn’t believed he deserves to follow his dreams since he tragically lost his sister.
Jess has been working herself to the bone to provide for her little daughter and has no time for joy in her own life.
Mark, a widower, has been isolated in his grief for so long.
Over a shared meal, Alice reminds each of them that sharing stories keeps those we love alive, and that time is our most precious gift. As they hug goodbye, everyone feels lighter than they have in years. Little do they know Alice has her own secret reason for gathering them together…
The next morning the tenants receive terrible news. Is their first dinner party destined to be the last? With Wisteria House under threat, can they come together to save the one place that has only just started to feel like home? Or will they lose their little community just when they need it most?
This absolutely gorgeous, emotional and uplifting novel of finding friendship in the most unexpected of places is perfect for fans of The Last List of Mabel Beaumont, Sally Page and Kate Storey.
What readers are saying about Sue Roberts:
‘OMG I loved this!! Gorgeous and glorious. I simply adore this… So absolutely beautiful… Perfect book!’ Loris2littlelibrary, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Absolutely fantastically gorgeous… I was absolutely devastated when I came to the end… I was truly whisked away… An absolutely gorgeous book!!… I absolutely adored.’ Bookworm86, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘I absolutely LOVED, no make that ADORED reading… I was hooked… I was so addicted… I stayed up reading the book until the early hours of the morning… Made me laugh out loud and I got some strange looks on the bus for it.’ Ginger Book Geek, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘I simply loved this book! A ray of sunshine during the two cloudy days that I read it… One of the best books I have ever read… I adored this.’ Bibbidi Bobbidi Book Reviews, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Gorgeous… Fantastic… lots of laugh-out-loud moments… I literally flew through the pages… I loved every minute… I was literally glued to my eReader for 3 consecutive days… Brilliant.’ The Cosiest Corner
‘Nothing is better… Fabulous, light-hearted fun.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
About Sue Roberts:
Sue was born in Liverpool and moved to Lancashire as a teenager where she has lived ever since. Her twelfth book ‘Theres something about Greece.’ was published on June 15, 2023, with another sunshine book published for August!
When not busy writing, Sue spends her time with her husband Derek, and her ever-growing brood of grandchildren! In her spare time, she enjoys walking, watching films, and travelling. Her first book, ‘My Big Greek Summer,’ was inspired by frequent visits to the Island of Rhodes in Greece. All Sue’s books are available from Amazon in kindle and paperback format.
I’m shouting it out today for this interesting historical novel that goes from present day to Ukraine during WWII and two cousins using their skills with the needle to fight back against occupation. This was a lengthy read, but intriguing, and I was captured by the story of Zirka, Perla, and Ana, Zirka’s granddaughter. I don’t read many stories that take place in the Ukraine, and it was interesting to learn about needlework at the same time.
Thank you for my copy and for having me as part of the tour!
Here’s the scoop:
As enemy soldiers march in the streets, the Needles of Freedom embroider by candlelight beneath the faded gold sign of an old dressmaker’s store. Will their secret messages help win the war?
Occupied Ukraine, 1940. Zirka has been sewing ever since she was a little girl. But now, every stitch contains a spark of rebellion. Together with her cousin Perla, as war rages around them they sew vital secret messages for the resistance into embroidered shirts.
Every night, Zirka leaves to meet with her fiancé in secret and Perla pours her heart out into her diary. Nobody else knows that Perla is living under false papers. If the two women are caught, or betrayed, it would mean certain death…
Lviv, 2022. As Ana gazes around at the peeling wallpaper, she hopes this little shop will bring her closer to the memory of her grandmother Zirka. After Ana’s mother suddenly refused to see or speak to Zirka decades ago, Ana has been desperate to find out what terrible secret tore them apart.
A diary hidden in a long-forgotten kitchen drawer tells of a secret sewing society vital to the war effort long ago. Ana knows she must continue her grandmother’s legacy of resistance now another war has come to her beloved country. But she’s no closer to finding the truth about her own family… and when she does, will she learn that some wartime secrets are too dangerous to uncover?
The Secret Sewing Society is a sweeping, heartbreaking tale about a devastating family mystery, a doomed love affair, and generations of women coming together against the odds. Fans of Evie Woods, Fiona Valpy and The Keeper of Happy Endings will be utterly swept away.
What readers are saying about Siobhan Curham:
‘Unforgettable… pulls on the heart strings… had me glued to the pages… left me breathless…dug deep into my heart… absolutely loved… 5 glorious stars… I loved this story so much.’ Cindy L Spear, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Totally gripping… I adored… mesmerizing and I didn’t want it to end… a page-turner that will capture your heart.’ Christian Bookaholic, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘From the very first page of this book, I was stunned, mesmerised… knock the wind out of you! I’m so sad it’s over. I could have read another sixty chapters… fantastic.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Warning: do not begin this book if you have food cooking or housework to do! Your food will burn and your house will stay dirty, because you will not be able to put it down!…The best historical fiction… Brilliant.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Had me on the edge of my seat… Plus wiping tears from my eyes… captured my heart—hook, line and sinker… A must-read.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Hooked… Iwant more… Captivating… A storyline you won’t forget. I would read this book over and over again.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Kept me awake… I just couldn’t stop reading… This book will really stay with you after you finish reading it.’ DianeLikesToRead, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Wow. This book is one I will remember…. gripping… I choked up… Beautiful… I loved every moment.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Siobhan Curham is an award-winning author, ghost writer, editor and writing coach. She has also written for many newspapers, magazines and websites, including The Guardian, Breathe magazine, Cosmopolitan, Writers’ Forum, DatingAdvice.com, and Spirit & Destiny. Siobhan has been a guest on various radio and TV shows, including Woman’s Hour, BBC News, GMTV and BBC Breakfast. And she has spoken at businesses, schools, universities and literary festivals around the world, including the BBC, Hay Festival, Cheltenham Festival, Bath Festival, Ilkley Festival, London Book Fair and Sharjah Reading Festival.
I do love this series and this installment was a fun one to read while we were dealing with frosty weather ourselves, here in New England. Number 24 in the series, and yet the plots never get boring!
Here’s the scoop:
Wrapping presents and singing at midnight mass on a frosty night… Lady Swift is determined to enjoy Christmas at home this year, until another body turns up!
Winter 1925. Eleanor and Hugh are decking the halls for their first married Christmas together when butler Clifford arrives with a mysterious telegram. A lucrative case awaits their new detective agency… but in the most remote county in England. The note insists they must be there by midnight to accept the job.
After a snowy journey, they arrive at the tiny hamlet of Yorelow to find their client, Osmund Unwin, dead in the churchyard as midnight mass ends. They realise they are now in the absurd situation of having to solve the murder of their client – who they never met – to solve a case they know nothing about and officially never accepted!
There is very little festive goodwill to go around, as it seems half the village had a grudge against the rich man. Was it one of the Frisham sisters, owners of the tavern and rumoured to be in a love triangle with Unwin? Or perhaps his maid, who never had a nice thing to say about him?
When another body is found in the ruins of the castle overlooking the town, Eleanor is baffled. Clearly there’s more to this nightmare before Christmas than the gang first thought…
A totally unputdownable historical murder mystery set in an English village at Christmas, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Catherine Coles!
About the Author:
Verity Bright is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing partnership that has spanned a quarter of a century. Starting out writing high-end travel articles and books, they published everything from self-improvement to humour, before embarking on their first historical mystery. They are the authors of the fabulous Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series, set in the 1920s.
Thank you for my copy and for having me as part of the tour!
This was such a fun novel to read – so clever and engaging. Main character Greta wants her life to be different and finds a way to do that by visiting a magical coffee shop that puts her into the coffee commercials that she used to star in long ago. The premise reminded me a bit of the movie Pleasantville (which I also love!). Greta needs to learn that she doesn’t need magic to find happiness, but can make her own magic. I was thinking that this would be a good Hallmark movie and I see that her previous novel was made into a Hallmark movie!
A fun read – thank you for having me as part of the tour and for my copy!
Phaedra Patrick is the bestselling author of several novels, including The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper, which has been translated into twenty-five languages worldwide. Her second novel, Rise and Shine Benedict Stone, was made into a Hallmark movie. An award-winning short story writer, she previously studied art and marketing and has worked as a stained glass artist, film festival organizer and communications manager. Phaedra lives in Saddleworth, UK, with her family.
Book Summary:
Greta Perks was once the shining star of the iconic Maple Gold coffee commercials, everyone’s favorite TV wife and mom. Now fame has faded, that once-glittering career a distant memory. Her marriage is on the rocks, her teenage daughter is distant, and she can’t even book any acting jobs.
When Greta stumbles upon a mysterious coffee shop serving a magical brew, she wishes for the perfect life in those past Maple Gold commercials. Next thing she knows, she’s waking up in the idyllic town of Mapleville, where the sun always shines and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and second chances fill the air. Given the opportunity to live the life she dreamed, Greta is determined to rewrite her own script. But can life ever be like a coffee commercial? And what will happen when Greta has to choose between perfection and real life, with no turning back?
Beth's Book-Nook Blog 