England

The Windsor Affair by Melanie Benjamin

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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.”

Bookouture Blog Tour for The Girl with Two Names by Imogen Matthews

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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.

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0GN9G684Xsocial (NOT affiliated with BBNB)

Bookouture Blog Tour for The Book Club Murders by Maggie Allswell

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I’m so happy to be part of the tour for this new cozy series which is a murder mystery but also laugh out loud funny. I love that the characters are diverse and of various ages and abilities, too.

Here’s the scoop:

What Judy’s book club doesn’t know about murder mysteries isn’t worth writing about. Nothing beats cracking a fictional case over some wine and salt and vinegar crisps. But can they put their puzzle-solving skills to the test when the local librarian dies in a real-life murder?

For widower Judy, her murder book club is the highlight of the month: she gets to hear all the local gossip and even discuss a good fictitious poisoning or two. But when local librarian Wendy disappears, Judy follows in the footsteps of her fictional detective heroes only to find her dead in her home, clasping a copy of Romeo and Juliet…

The police rule it a tragic accident, but Judy knows that her friend hated Shakespeare, and suspects foul play. Gathering her fellow book lovers together, soon they discover that several townspeople had motive to want Wendy dead. Was it Nigel from the tavern, who may have been Wendy’s secret boyfriend? Or could it be Bryan, the local bookshop owner, tangled in a bitter rivalry with the library?

The plot thickens at a charity murder mystery night held at Nigel’s tavern. Suddenly more murders come to light, both real and very badly staged. And when Nigel makes an astonishing revelation, the book club agree it’s a plot twist no-one saw coming. Can Judy and her book club solve the mystery before they too fall victim to a killer plot?

An utterly addictive and hilarious new cozy mystery series, perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Robert Thorogood and Faith Martin.

Here’s a bit about the author:

Tracy started writing when her cruel, heartless husband ripped her away from her dream job – shopping for rollercoasters for the UK’s leading theme parks – to live in America with a brand new baby and no mates. In a cunning plan to avoid domestic duties and people who didn’t understand her Derbyshire accent, she wrote NO-ONE EVER HAS SEX ON A TUESDAY.
It went on to become a No 1 bestseller and publishing phenomenon. So now Tracy has a new dream job, making people laugh and sometimes cry through her writing and has had many more novels published successfully around the world. She now lives back in Derbyshire with her now wonderful husband and two children!

Thank you so much for having me on the tour for this new series. I look forward to reading the next installment! Thank you for my review copy.

Bookouture Blog Tour for The Lady at the Lodging House by Natalie Meg Evans

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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.

Here’s the scoop:

The Lady at the Lodging House

The Wartime Lodging House Book 3

Natalie Meg Evans

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.

Bookouture Blog Tour for: The Afternoon Tea Murders by Helena Dixon

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I’m so happy to be part of this tour for Book 4 of the Secret Detective Agency series The Afternoon Tea Murders by Helena Dixon. I just love this series, which is WWII historical mystery. It probably can count as a cozy as it’s not graphic or violent, but it’s more like a Maggie Hope mystery or an Agatha Christie novel, than a true cozy. Always well-plotted, this one focuses on Jane and Arthur in the countryside when a local tea shop owner is found dead. No one is as they seem and Jane needs to get to the bottom of it all. I love that she takes her cranky cat Marmaduke everywhere with her, too!

Thank you for my copy and for having me as part of the tour!

Here’s the scoop:

London, 1942. Miss Jane Treen is at her desk in Whitehall sipping a strong coffee when she receives an urgent message about her colleague, codebreaker Arthur Cilento. He’s in danger in Devon, and Jane needs to get there sharpish. But before her bags are properly unpacked, the local teashop owner in Arthur’s village is found lying amidst the scones and teacakes… and she’s dead.

When Jane arrives, it quickly becomes clear that the murder is a half-baked attempt to curdle Arthur’s current codebreaking mission – but how? There seem to be suspects at every turn. Is Arthur’s boss be going to extremes to cover up his incompetence? Can the teashop customers be trusted? And what about the secretary, who seems to have secret links to the village teashop…

Spurred on by scones and clotted cream, Jane and Arthur start to whip up a theory as to who the killer could be. But just they begin to make progress, someone else is murdered – and it looks like Arthur could be next. It’s clear they need to solve this case quickly, before teatime is over and Arthur meets a sticky end…

If you love twisty crime novels, top-secret intrigue and the very best of Golden Age mysteries, then you will adore Helena Dixon’s utterly gripping cozy novel, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Verity Bright!

About the Author:

Helena Dixon is the author of the internationally bestselling Miss Underhay cozy mystery series. She is a Black Country girl living in Devon. Married to the same man for over thirty-five years she has three daughters, a cactus called Spike, and a crazy cockapoo. She was the winner of the RNA Romance Prize in 2007 and the RNA Love Story of the Year 2010.

Bookouture Tour for Katie Gayle’s A Country Meadow Murder (Julia Bird #9)

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I LOVE the Julia Bird cozy mysteries, featuring Julia, a retired social worker in her early sixties who lives in the Cotswolds and runs into mysteries at every turn. She is rather a modern-day Miss Marple! This one kept me guessing and I did NOT figure out the murderer! I’m always impressed that a series can have multiple installments and never get repetitive or tiresome.

Don’t forget that you don’t need to read these books in order – they can act as stand-alones, too.

Here’s the scoop:

Spring has come to Berrywick, and Julia Bird is determined to enjoy the fine weather. But not all life is in flower when she stumbles across the body of building expert Basil Crow next to a bright yellow digger. And Julia believes this is no accident.

Julia’s suspicions are confirmed when forensics report a brutal blow to the head. Julia soon learns from pie shop owner, and Basil’s first wife Delilah, that he was not widely liked and left behind three failed marriages. Could one of his ex-wives have wanted revenge? Julia’s friend Tabitha was in a neighbourly dispute with him after he blocked her car in her driveway. But is this motive enough to kill?

Then local choir singer Esmeralda is found dead in the woods. The police think the murders are unconnected. Unlike Basil, Esmeralda was a well-loved soul. Who would want her dead?

Digging for clues, Julia realises that both victims had a link to the proposed redevelopment of the meadow Basil was found in. But would someone really kill to save it? Can Julia find the murderer before someone else is pushing up the daisies?

A page-turning and totally charming cozy mystery set in the English countryside. Fans of M.C. Beaton, Faith Martin and Betty Rowlands will love the Julia Bird Mysteries!

Here’s a bit about Katie Gayle (actually two writers!):

Katie Gayle

Katie Gayle

Katie Gayle is the writing partnership of Kate Sidley and Gail Schimmel. Follow us on Twitter @KatieGayleBooks.

Thank you for having me as part of the tour!

Bookouture Blog Tour for: The Lucky Winners by K.L. Slater

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I’m here today to chat about The Lucky Winners, the new novel by K.L. Slater. It’s a psychological thriller that explores that less-than-positive side of being a lottery winner (or in this case a new home and cash winner), especially when you have something in your past to hide. I felt sorry for this couple who hit it big with a new gorgeous home and cash prize, only to find their lives upended into stress, especially Merri, the wife, who has a past that she is trying to keep firmly in the past. This is one of those books that once you start it, you don’t want to put it down!

Thank you for my copy and for having me as part of the tour!

Here’s the scoop:

They won their dream home. It’s about to become a nightmare…

When Merri and Dev buy a ticket on the last day of a national draw to win the house of their dreams, they never, in a million years, expect to win.

Less than a week later, they’re receiving the keys to their new Lake District mansion.

For Dev, it’s a dream come true – no more stressful rent negotiations or waiting for the landlord to finally fix the damp. Of course he’s delighted to be interviewed about their good luck.

But Merri feels a little uneasy. Dev doesn’t realise there’s a reason she’s never wanted to put down roots, always trying to run away from the memories of what happened the day her little sister died.

At first, it’s easy to think she’s imagining the shadowy figures in the lakefront garden. It’s silly to think that someone is watching her through the gorgeous floor-to-ceiling glass windows.

And then a body is found in the lake. And Merri’s new perfect life is about to come crashing down…

A completely addictive and unputdownable thriller from the number 1 ebook bestselling author K.L. Slater. The Lucky Winners will have you hooked! Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell and Freida McFadden.

About the Author:

For many years, Kim sent her work out to literary agents but never made it off the slush pile. At the age of 40 she went back to Nottingham Trent University and now has an MA in Creative Writing.

Before graduating, she received five offers of representation from London literary agents which was, as Kim says, ‘a fairytale … at the end of a very long road!’

Kim is a full-time writer and lives in Nottingham with her husband, Mac.

Find her online:

Murder in a Cornish Tea Shop by Fliss Chester

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I’m excited to dish about a new cozy mystery series by the author who brought us Cressida Faucett – Fliss Chester. This is Murder in a Cornish Teashop and it’s the first in the Maddie Penrose mysteries. I really enjoyed it and enjoyed the characters of Maddie and her spunky Grandmother, Nor.

Here’s the scoop:

A Cornish clifftop, a sunny afternoon, a quaint little teashop… but wait a minute. Is that jam, or blood? Maddie Penrose is determined to find out!

Maddie Penrose is staying with her beloved grandmother, Nor, at her gorgeously idyllic Cornish farm. She’s looking forward to days helping out in Nor’s little teashop and evenings wandering down the cliff path to watch the sunset. But before Maddie has even finished serving up scones on her first morning, a man bursts through the door: Nor’s neighbour Clive has found a body in the field behind the teashop…

Maddie is straight to the scene, fancying herself as a bit of an Agatha Christie. But solving this mystery is far from a piece of cake. Her list of suspects is jam-packed with locals, with some a little too close to home: the newcomer renting out one of Nor’s barns is acting suspiciously, the victim’s boyfriend has disappeared without trace, and Clive isn’t really Maddie’s cup of tea either…

But the proof is in the pudding when there’s another murder – her prime suspect is dead. And when Maddie finds a backpack belonging to the first murder victim, her diligent notetaking and quick thinking leads her to discover that the killer will act again, and soon. Maddie is horrified to discover that it looks like she is their next target…

Can Maddie and Nor work as a team to piece together the puzzle? Or will murdering Maddie be the icing on the cake for the killer?

A totally addictive, witty and warm cozy mystery that will keep you reading late into the night, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Verity Bright.

About the Author:

Fliss Chester lives in Surrey with her husband and writes historical cozy crime. When she is not killing people off in her 1940s whodunnits, she helps her husband, who is a wine merchant, run their business. Never far from a decent glass of something, Fliss also loves cooking (and writing up her favourite recipes on her blog), enjoying the beautiful Surrey and West Sussex countryside and having a good natter.

Thank you for my copy and for having me as part of the tour!

Enola Holmes and the Clanging Coffin (#4) by Nancy Springer

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I’ve been enjoying watching Enola Holmes on Netflix and I saw this title come up on Net Galley. I love Enola! She is so smart and intrepid. I like how these novels have many of the elements of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes stories. I’ve always been a huge fan of Sherlock and his quirky personality and keen acumen.

Here’s the overview:

Description

Enola Holmes—international bestselling and Netflix streaming sensation—returns when the rescue of a young woman sends her into battle with her brother Sherlock against his most deadly, implacable enemy – Professor Moriarty.

In February 1891, London, Enola Holmes—the much younger sister of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes—is attending a burial when she hears the faint sound of a handbell in the graveyard. It is not in Enola’s nature to ignore such oddities, no matter the occasion and when she investigates further, as is the Holmes’ family instinct, she discovers something absolutely chilling. The ringing bell is attached to the tombstone erected over a recent gravesite and someone, buried within, is pulling the string to ring the alarm.

Galvanized into action, Enola and her companions swiftly and successfully unearth the coffin within, freeing a still-living young woman, one Trevina Trairom. Enola, by predilection and by trade a Scientific Perditorian, a finder of lost things, finds herself comforting and protecting this young girl. The girl herself is a mystery – she remembers very little, including her identity, and has no idea who has buried her alive, much less why. While protecting this mysterious girl from an enigmatic enemy, she discovers that Sherlock is engaged in a related mystery. Enola joins Sherlock in his battle against the scourge of London, the Napoleon of Crime himself, Professor Moriarty. Facing her most brutal foe ever, determined to protect and unravel the secrets surrounding the mysterious Trevina, Enola takes her place more fully than ever as a proud member of the Holmes family.

Thank you for my copy!

Bookouture Blog Tour for The Vicar’s Daughter at the Lodging House by Natalie Meg Evans

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London, 1940. When Jess Gresham arrives in the capital, she’s completely out of her depth. With bombs falling and a heartbreaking family lie about her beloved sister to get to the bottom of, can she find the help she needs at a Mayfair lodging house?

When Jess discovers the letter from her older sister Charlotte tucked into an old typewriter, her world is shaken. It’s dated two days after their father, the vicar, said she died. How could he lie about that? Desperate to uncover the truth, Jess must find her sister. The London location in her sister’s letter is her only clue…

Leaving her quiet life in the country as a vicar’s daughter behind, now Jess is in the city in wartime, her gas mask slung around her shoulder. Her one refuge is her room at a Mayfair lodging house with two other girls. Wealthy Betony is all style and charm, but she’s trying to shake her aristocratic airs and graces. Irish nurse Grace with her easy smile is much more down to earth, but Jess is certain she’s keeping a secret…

With war throwing the three girls together, can Jess’s new friends help find her missing sister, despite the secrets between them? Or will they be torn apart for good?

An totally emotional and gripping historical novel, perfect for fans of Jean Grainger, Lisa Wingate and Diney Costeloe.

I’m here today to dish about the second book in a historical fiction by Natalie Meg Evans, The Vicar’s Daughter at the Lodging House, a follow up to last fall’s The Irish Nurse at the Lodging House.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, and I was a little upset at the ending. What was going to happen?? Then I realized it was part of a trilogy and each book has a focus on one of the characters. These books are a blend of WWII historical fiction, women’s friendships, and even romance. It kept me engaged and was not too gritty or disturbing (always hard for me). I’m looking forward to the next book in this series. I really thought Grace was my favorite character, but now I’m thinking Jess is! I do like a good protagonist I can root for while reading.

Thank you for my copy and for making me part of the tour!

Here’s a bit 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.