Blog Tour: The Last Christmas by Liz Fenwick (includes UK Giveaway)

 

Nonagenerian Meredith Russell has returned to her family home in Cornwall for Christmas. She has lived in America for many years, working professionally as a professor and raising her family, but she has always kept hold of Kestle. Now, she must decide what to do with the property.

Accompanying Meredith is her granddaughter Grace, who was forced to travel by her mother given that she only works in a bar which isn't a real job. Grace is the odd one out in her family. Her mother, Marina, sees her as directionless and an underachiever. She certainly has no interest in becoming an academic like her sister, her parents and her grandparents.

What Meredith hasn't told anyone is that she knows that her time on this earth is coming to an end. She is looking forward to being reunited in the afterlife with her beloved husband Jake. This visit is a chance for Meredith to say goodbye to friends, and to visit the places that have been so important in her life and to spread her husband's ashes. The memories are strong at Kestle, including those of her marriage to Jake on Christmas Eve 66 years previously.

Meredith, Jake and her mother lived quite extraordinary lives, particularly during WWII. Meredith worked in the map rooms, and she worked closely with someone who is very well known now, but for different reasons, Ian Fleming. In addition, her mother worked behind enemy lines. Don't be mistaken, whilst Meredith does share her memories and I would love to have heard more, these WWII memories are not the true focus of this book. Rather they help us understand Meredith and Jake were when they met and fell in love.

One of the last things Meredith wants to do is to help Grace map out what her life might look like, but with Marina interfering from the other side of the Atlantic it's not going to be easy. The longer Grace spends at Kestle, the more she begins to bloom. 

Yesterday I reviewed another Christmas book where I used words like silly, fun and festive to describe it. This book is no less Christmas focussed but has a completely different feel. The words that I would use to describe this book would be emotional and poignant

I love that this book references quite a few instantly recognisable things. For example, the property has Frenchman's Creek as one of its boundary, which you may recognise as the name of one of Daphne du Maurier.

I am sharing this review with New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog. Thanks to the publisher and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. Be sure to check out other stops on the blog tour below, and if you are in the UK, enter into the giveaway.

Rating 4/5

The Last Christmas

When a final goodbye in Cornwall is only the beginning…

Meredith Tremayne Russell has spent her life mapping the world, first in intelligence during WWII, and later as a professor. But at ninety-eight with time running out, she faces a journey she cannot chart, a return to her old Cornish home to sell it and to scatter her beloved husband’s ashes.

With her is her twenty-five-year-old granddaughter, Grace, a dyslexic who believes she is a failure in a family of academics. For Grace the trip is a welcome escape from her mother’s demands. But when she unlocks her great-grandmother’s abandoned art studio, she finds a legacy of a passionate artist and a French resistance fighter.

As Meredith relives the frozen December of her 1946 wedding, she understands her final mission isn't to say goodbye to her old home, but to draw one last map—showing Grace how to navigate a life of her own making.

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0HH9QRQYL (ebook)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HH9QRQYL (Amazon US)

https://www.lizfenwick.com/store-1/p/the-last-christmas (paperback)

About the author

Liz Fenwick, dubbed ‘the queen of the Cornish contemporary novel’ by The Guardian, is an award-winning author of emotional, immersive, feel-good fiction. Her books are filled with history, mystery and love. She loves stories that pull her into their world like they did when she was young so that’s what she writes. When she’s not writing, she’s procrastinating on Instagram, plot walking, reading and painting. She lives in Cornwall with her husband and two mad cats.

Social Media Links – 

@liz_fenwick (insta & twitter & threads) 

@lizfenwickauthor (TikTok)

Giveaway to Win 3 x Paperback copies of The Last Christmas (Open to UK Only)

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome. Please enter using the Gleam box below. The winner will be selected at random via Gleam from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

Win 3 x Paperback copies of The Last Christmas (Open to UK Only)

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge: September Statistics

 

Every month I share some of the statistics related to the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge. I try very hard to visit every post which has been linked (time permitting) and I find it interesting to see what are the books that people are reading and reviewing! I often end up adding a couple of books to my never ending TBR list.

September was a very good month. There were 60 reviews linked up for the challenge, shared by 19 participants. There were 51 individual titles reviewed, written by 50 different authors. There were 5 reviewers who reviewed 5 or more books each. Thank you to everyone who shared their links whether it be 13 or just 1.

You may not recall but in May and June this year we had months where there was no book that was reviewed more than once for the challenge! That is NOT the case this month! This is most I have seen for a long time.

There was one book that was reviewed 3 times during the month, which was The Heiress of Northanger Abbey, by challenge favourite Nancy Bilyeau, and it is a sequel of sorts to Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen. This book was reviewed by Helen at She Reads Novels, Laura at Reading Books Again and Laura at Laura's Reviews

In addition, there were 5 other books that were reviewed twice.  They were

Cold Sunset by William Boyd - Third book in the William Dax series, reviewed by Helen at She Reads Novels and Cathy from What Cathy Read Next

The Housekeeper by Rose Tremain - An imagining of Daphne du Maurier's life which was read by Helen at She Reads Novels and Cathy at What Cathy Read Next

The Lost Perfumes of Paris by Australian author Christine Wells - This was read and reviewed by Davida at The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog and Laura from Laura's Reviews

The Newer World by Sebastian Barry - Reviewed by Helen at She Reads Novels and Cathy at What Cathy Read Next

The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon - Reviewed by Shelleyrae at Book'd Out and myself

The Witches of Cambridge by Alice Hoffman - review by Laura at Laura's Reviews and by Kim on Goodreads

In addition, there were two different books reviewed by Elizabeth Goudge. Both were reviewed by Barbara at Stray Thoughts reviewed both The Scent of Water and The Bird in the Tree which you can read here and here respectively.

If you enjoy reading Historical Fiction why not join us? You can find all the details here.

I am sharing this with Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz and A Good Book and a Cup of Tea hosted at Hopewell's Library.

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge: October links

Thank you to everyone who contributed a review in September for the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge. I will be back in the next week or so with all the statistics for September!

I am looking forward to reading your reviews throughout the rest of the year, although there isn't much of the year left yet. How did that happen? I am sure there is going to be a lot of great historical fiction discovered and shared with fellow HF lovers over the course of this year!

If you haven't already signed up, it's not too late! The sign up post is here.

Just to recap what participants need to know. At the beginning of each month I will put up a post which will have a Mr Linky embedded into it for you to add your link.

Please remember...

• add the link(s) of your review(s) including your name and book title to the Mister Linky we’ll be adding to our monthly post (please, do not add your blog link, but the correct address that will guide us directly to your review). 
• it doesn't matter where you review - Bookstagram, Goodreads etc as long as you share a direct link to your review.
• any kind of historical fiction is accepted (fantasy, young adult, graphic novels...)
• if you have time, have a look some of the other links that are present. You never know when you will discover new blogs or books!

You can also join the challenge group on Facebook which you can find here and don't forget to use the #histficreadingchallenge hashtag on the socials.

Let the reading begin!!

Classics Club Spin: The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

 

When the recent Classics Spin landed on number 18 I was pleased to see that it landed on The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith. There's been a recent TV adapation, it's quite short so I expected it to be quite a quick read! What I couldnt remember was why I added to my classics list in the first place. I don't It's not really my kind of read at all.

Tom Ripley is something of a con man living in a shared apartment in New York. He has the distinct feeling that things are closing in on him so when he is offered an all expense paid trip to Italy it seems the answer to all his problems. In return, he needs to convince his acquaintance Dickie Greenleaf to return home to his family. Dickie has been living in a small town in southern Italy, spending his life attempting to paint, drinking, swimming and generally living the good life. It;s not that Tom wants to live Dickie's life, he wants to BE Dickie. 

What follows is a series of actions which are Tom trying to cover his tracks as he travels around Europe, trying to keep both himself and Dickie's profile

I found it in turns offputting, fascinating, compelling and strange.

I can't think of too many crime novels where the story is told from the point of view of the erstwhile bad guy. Of course, Tom doesn't see himself in that way. He is just trying to improve himself and give himself the life that he feels he deserves. Why shouldn't he have a glamourous life. He had a rough start in life after all. And people should not get in his way

One of the things I really enjoyed was the predominantly Italian setting. I could see the small village of Mongibello, I enjoyed the time spent in Rome, and Venice and more. It's clear that Italy was the country of Tom's heart! It's hard to see him ever returning to America!

I did find myself wondering if this book would be published today. I am not sure that the methods he used for identify theft wouldn't stand up bu tmaybe working out a way to bet all the technology would be interesting. There is an undertow of homosexuality insinuated so that would be more overt. I am not sure if there are modern books being written from the view of the killer, especially one like Tom.

I had no idea that this was the first in a five book series which follows Ripley's life.  Do I want to read more about Tom Ripley? Not straight away but maybe in due course.

I did find myself wondering if this book would be published today. I am not sure that the methods he used for identity theft would stand up but maybe working out a way to beat all the modern technological safeguards would be interesting. There is an undercurrent of homosexuality through the story so that would be more overt if the book was written now, but not given the book was written in the 1950s.  

There were times when I had to put the book down as the intensity built, and as we saw Tom unravelling a bit, then pulling himself back together and once again being one step ahead of everyone, whether it be Dickie's family and friends, or the Italian police who are trying to piece together a puzzle where they have two different sets of pieces all jumbled together!

Ultimately this was a pretty different read for me, and it was satisfying. It certainly had my mind racing as I read each step that Tom took. Now that I have finished the book, I am tempted to watch the recent TV adaptation that stars Andrew Scott and Dakota Fanning. Maybe in a couple of week's time!

So far I have enjoyed all three books I have read for the Classics Spin. Bring on the next one!

Blog Tour: The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon

 

Ariel Lawhon is a relatively new author for me. I have only previously read one of her books. However, as soon as I saw that this book was about 16th century pirate queen Gráinne (or the English version of her name Grace) O'Malley. Maybe 20 years ago, there were quite a few books that came out featuring Grace as the main character, but it has been a while. And in the hands of Ariel Lawhon, I had high hopes. Luckily I was not disappointed! Far from it!

Gráinne O'Malley is such an interesting character from history. She defied norms from a very young age when it became clear that she had an affinity with the sea. Her father was a chieftain and he hoped that her half brother Donal would be the one to take over his fleet but unfortunately Donal was prone to sea sickness, so that was never going to work! It wasn't just that she loved it, she also has the Sense - the ability to hear and feel major storms coming. She also had the ability to attract the loyalty of the men who swear to sail her ships and protect her, no matter what.

This book has a really interesting structure. The story is told through three different timelines which are  then told alternatively. The first is the Maiden where we learn about Gráinne's childhood. In Mother we see Gráinne as she navigates through a violent marriage, raising children, finding love and so much more. The final strand of the story is that of the Matriach as she tries to navigate the demands of the English queen, Elizabeth. Elizabeth demands fealty and then meddles in the Irish laws for her own purposes. Her representatives also want far more than the Irish want to give.

There is no doubt that this structure was a little tricky at first, and I have heard that there are suggestions that you could read each section, for example read all The Maiden chapters, then read all the Mother chapters and finally all The Matriach sections so that you actually read the story chronologically. However, once you got used to it and remember to check which viewpoint the next chapter was, then I did not get confused.

Gráinne's life is complex, suffering great losses throughout her life, but surrounding herself with family and men who will do her bidding. She loves intensely, both her country, people and her loves, she is stubborn and at times intractable but she is always formidable, and I am so glad that I had the opportunity to learn about this amazing historical figure through the pages of this exceptional book!

This is a big book at around 580 pages, but I was able to read it very quickly as I was so engrossed in the story! I couldn't wait to get back to the story!

I am not sure I have been able to convey how much I enjoyed this book!

I am sharing this review with New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog and the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host here. Thanks to the publisher and Random Things Tours for the review copy. Be sure to check out other stops on the blog tour below.

Rating 5/5

About the book

'A writer to watch’ J.T. Ellison, author of A writer to watch’ J.T. Ellison, author of What Lies Behind

THE NEW HISTORICAL THRILLER FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE FROZEN RIVER, THE FROZEN RIVER, BASED ON A TRUE STORY BASED ON A TRUE STORY 

Grace O'Malley was born to be at sea. Raised alongside her brother by their father, chief of the name of clan O'Malley, Grace learns early that her dreams of the open water are not compatible with the life she's expected to lead as the daughter of a noble family. And when her father marries her to the wrong man, a neighbouring chief named Donhal, Grace's world shifts for the worse. 

Undaunted, Grace raises a family without abandoning her passion, aiding her hot-tempered husband in his campaigns against rival tribes. Eventually ousted from her husband's land in the wake of his death, Grace returns to her childhood home and begins her career as a pirate in earnest, claiming new territories and finding deeper love, only to see her livelihood threatened by English incursions into Ireland, and her family endangered in an attempt to check her power. 

Tenderly observed and fiercely written, Ariel Lawhon's gripping latest novel channels the natural beauty of sixteenth-century Ireland alongside the brutality of the period as seen through the eyes of an unforgettable heroine and defender of her people, who truly earned the title ʻthe Pirate Queen of Ireland.’ 

A thrilling historical adventure inspired by the life of Grace O'Malley, an infamous Irish sea captain and folk heroine who risked everything to infamous Irish sea captain and folk heroine who risked everything to protect her people against the powerful Elizabethan regime protect her people against the powerful Elizabethan regime 

PRAISE FOR ARIEL LAWHON PRAISE FOR ARIEL LAWHON 

One of our most interesting authors of historical fiction' People 

'Ariel Lawhon is a masterful storyteller'  Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author of bestselling author of Becoming Mrs. Lewis 

'Her skill with characterisation is enviable' 5 Star Reader Review 

'An extremely talented author' 5 Star Reader Review

About the Author

ARIEL LAWHON is a critically acclaimed, New York Times bestselling author of historical fiction. Her books have been translated into numerous languages. She lives in the rolling hills outside Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband and four sons

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge: August statistics!

Every month I share some of the statistics related to the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge. I try very hard to visit every post which has been linked (time permitting) and I find it interesting to see what are the books that people are reading and reviewing! I often end up adding a couple of books to my never ending TBR list.

August was a good month. There were 46 reviews linked up for the challenge, shared by 16 participants. There were 45 individual titles reviewed, written by 45 different authors. There were 3 reviewers who reviewed 5 or more books each. Thank you to everyone who shared their links whether it be 6 or just 1.

So, was there a specific book that was reviewed more than once this month? Yes, there was!

Little Spark by Jess Kidd was reviewed twice. Firstly, Cathy from What Cathy Read Next shared her review, and then Helen from She Reads Novels also reviewed the book. 

In terms of authors who had more than one book reviewed there was just one, but what is interesting is that while it is the same author, her name is slightly different so I had to be careful to make sure that I picked this up!

Barbara from Stray Thoughts has been working her way through Elizabeth Gaskell's books. Early in the month she reviewed Cranford which is credited as being written by Elizabeth Gaskell. Then she read My Lady Ludlow which is credited as being written by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell. Interesting!

If you enjoy reading Historical Fiction why not join us? You can find all the details here.

I am sharing this with Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz and A Good Book and a Cup of Tea hosted at Hopewell's Library.

Blog Tour: The Way We Are Now by Julie Houston

 

When Anna Piasecki's son comes home and tells him about the girl he is now seeing, she is stopped in her tracks. The girl is the daughter of her one true love and suddenly she and Theo Mandeville are once again in each other's orbit.

The book flashes back to when Anna and her friend Fliss first met the gorgeous and aristocratic Theo when they were all students at university in Leeds. Anna is studying politics at uni, and she really wants to get a job in London but as the daughter of a miner from a small town in Yorkshire, she doesn't really have the necessary contacts to make that happen. But this is a tumultuous time in British history with the miner's strikes of the early 1980's ramping up against the government of Margaret Thatcher. Anna finds herself working in the mining union office and doing what she can to support the strikers.

By contrast, Theo Mandeville's future is laid out in front of him. He will inherit the family estate but his true passion is squash and he dreams of competing professionally. His family are firmly part of the aristocracy and therefore have very different views on the world than Anna's working class family. Despite a tragedy that has lasting implications for Anna and very different philosophies, she is drawn to Theo and he to her, and soon they are inseparable. 

Our star-crossed lovers are torn apart following an incident where his family blames Anna for everything, and they go their separate ways, and on to live their lives. Anna becomes a lawyer fighting for women's rights and eventually finds herself in politics whilst Theo goes on to live the life expected. However, every now and again Anna and Theo come into contact with each other, and all those feelings are stirred up again

The meat of this story is in the section that is set in the 1980s and that part was definitely my favourite. I have to give real kudos to the author for bringing a setting that you just don't normally see in fiction. She really captured the social issues of the day, with plenty of cultural and fashion touchpoints along the way too! She captures the turmoil of the strikes, the politics, the fear around the AIDS, the role of women in the workplace and so much more. A couple of the later sections feel a bit dramatic but well and truly worth it.

I guess part of the reason why I connected so well with the story as I spent 4 years living in Sheffield in South Yorkshire in the late 1990s. Leeds is the next major city up the motorway so I went there lots of times.

I hadn't read Julie Houston before. If this is representative of her books I am definitely going to be reading more!

I was also reminded of a movie called Love and Pride which is set in Wales during the miner's strikes and talks about the gay community in London raising money for the miners and them supporting teh community in the face of the epidemic, and vice versa. It must be time to rewatch it!

If you are looking for a really good read with a very unusual setting, then this is the book for you! I am so glad I took a chance on a new author!

I am sharing this review with New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog, British Isles Friday hosted at Joy's Book Blog and the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host here. Thanks to the publisher, Netgally and Rachel's Random Resource for the review copy. Be sure to check out other stops on the blog tour below.

Rating 4.5/5

About the book

The Way We Are Now

BRAND NEW from bestselling author Julie Houston comes a powerful story of first love, long-hidden secrets and second chances. Perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes, Marian Keyes, David Nichols and Ruth Jones.

First love, long-hidden secrets and second chances.

Anna Piasecki thought she had left her university heartbreak behind. After spending decades building a successful life, she arrives at sixty with everything as she wants it – a glittering career, a devoted partner and brightest star of all, her brilliant son Noah, the apple of her eye.

Theo Mandeville is trapped. Bound by aristocratic duty to his sprawling Yorkshire estate, he has spent decades living the life that was expected of him while regretting the star-crossed romance he walked away from.

When their children meet at college, Anna and Theo suddenly find their carefully constructed lives colliding. With a devastating forty-year-old secret hanging over them, can their families survive the truth and do they dare to trust that fate has other plans for them?

Spanning decades, The Way We Are Now is a sweeping, heartwarming and life-affirming tale of first love, friendship and second chances perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes, Marian Keyes, David Nichols and Ruth Jones.

Purchase Link - Mybook.to/TheWayWeAreNow

About the author

Julie Houston is the author of 17 best-selling Women’s contemporary/Romantic Comedy novels. Represented by Anne Williams at KHLA Literary Agency, she was previously published by Aria/Head of Zeus but now writes for Boldwood. She has had UK top 100 selling books and Looking for Lucy hit the number 1 spot in Australia. Sing me a Secret was shortlisted for, and won, the Popular Romantic Fiction Award in 2021.

Julie is Yorkshire born and bred and lives in Huddersfield where her novels are set. After University, where she studied Education and English Literature, she taught for many years as a junior schoolteacher. After teaching for a few years, she decided to go to New Zealand to work and taught in Auckland for a year before coming back to this country. She now teaches when the phone rings to cover absent colleagues and still loves the buzz of teaching junior-aged children.

Julie is married with a son and daughter, both in their twenties and now living in London. She has been a magistrate on the West Yorkshire bench for the last twenty-four years.

Social Media Links 

Instagram -juliehoustonauthor

Twitter/x @juliehouston2

Facebook - JulieHoustonAuthor

Blog Tour: The Secret Diary of Rome by M A McLaughlin

 

What makes you decide to try a new author? Sometimes it will be the blurb, sometimes it might be the cover and other times it might be the title. In the case of this book, it was all three!

Since her mother died, book restorer Emilia Rinaldi has been a bit lost, but she is now getting herself back together, thanks in part to her engagement to dashing Englishman Oliver after a whirlwind romance. While cleaning out her mother's house, she finds an antique music box which includes a page from a diary and an old photo. When she gets a phone call from Rome telling her that she is the sole recipient of her grandmother's estate, which includes a villa, she knows that she must go to Rome immediately, much to her fiancé's annoyance.

Emilia's mother and grandmother had had a falling out years before, and so Emilia never met her. Once in Rome, she is given a diary (the same one that the torn-out page had come from). It turns out that the diary was by Lizzy Siddal, wife and muse to Dante Gabriel Rossetti. In her own right, Lizzy was a model and an artist herself, but her relationship with Rossetti and his family was volatile, so she was often in low spirits.

As we progress through the story, Emilia begins to understand her mother's story and what drove her to move to America, and then as she does some restoration of the diary, she learns about Lizzy's life, her love with Rossetti, her concerns about dubious characters who take advantage and more. She also finds out about the other parts of her inheritance which include some paintings, as well as a priceless collection of antique books.

I do love a book about art history, and I have to admit I didn't really know much about Rossetti's art. I had heard both his and Lizzie's names before but I learnt a lot through this book, and have since found myself going down the rabbit hole of pre-Raphaelite art.

The majority of the book is set in 1960s Rome but there were quite a few references to events that happened during the WWII, given that it was only 15 years previous. Via the diary, we are taken back to the 1860s where we watched Lizzy in her triumphs but also in her despairs

Now I am keen to pick up the author's previous book which also has a connection to the famous Rossetti family.

I am sharing this review with New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog, the Bookish Books challenge hosted at Bloggin'Bout Books and the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host here. Thanks to the publisher and Zooloo's Book Tours for the review copy. Be sure to check out other stops on the blog tour below.

Rating 4/5

About the book

A hidden diary. A story thatʼs waited a hundred years to be told . . . 

1960, New York. 

Emilia Rinaldi restores broken books for a living. She knows how to bring lost stories back to life. 

The one story she cannot repair is her own. 

Then an unexpected gift from her late mother arrives — an antique music box containing a faded photograph and a torn page from the diary of Lizzie Siddal, the tragic Pre-Raphaelite muse and wife of Dante Gabriel Rossetti. 

Emilia follows the clues to Rome. To an abandoned villa left by a grandmother she never knew. To a collection of rare and beautiful books, hidden in a church crypt through the war . . . 

And a secret buried for generations. 

As Emilia pieces together her own past, Lizzieʼs diary reveals another story. Two Rossetti paintings. One genuine. One a flawless forgery. 

Separated by a century, the two mysteries are bound together. 

And when Emilia finally discovers the truth, she must decide whether some stories are meant to be preserved . . . or buried forever.

Purchase link

Goodreads

About the author

Marty Ambrose-McLaughlin is an award-winning, multi-published author of four historical mysteries set mostly in Italy, drawing on her background in nineteenth-century literature. Marty completed her M.Phil. at the University of York, England) and teaches creative writing at Florida Southwestern State College. She has also given numerous workshops in the U.S. and abroad on all aspects of creating/publishing a novel; her new novel, The Secret Diary of Rome will be published by Joffe Books in 2026.

Socials

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Website

Three Juliets by Minnie Darke

I am a big fan of Minnie Darke and so I was super excited when her new book was announced last year. I rushed out and bought it, I added it to my 20 Books of Winter list, I started it, but then other books got in the way and I put it aside. When I was creating my 20 Books of Winter list for this year, I added it back on the list again (along with two others I didn't get to read). The difference this year is that I actually read it! I am so glad that I did.

Claudie Miller is a very successful fashion designer who is a household name in Australia. She encourages people to make their own children's clothes using the patterns that she shares through the women's magazine that she works for. The most famous of these is the Juliet dress. 

For all her professional success, Claudie has faced and is facing big challenges. When she was sixteen, she got pregnant and was forced to give away her baby, leaving her both physically and emotionally scarred. Every year, she designs an outfit that would be suitable for the little girl she never even got to hold. The Juliet is one of the designs that she has made, and it is packed away in a secret box with the label "Now you are sixteen" alongside all the other items for each year.

When she learns that she has cancer, Claudie is determined that she will find her daughter before it is too later. As readers, we meet three young women, who all have a story to tell about their own version of the Juliet dress. Roisin, Mandi and Miranda were all born on the same day, and all three were adopted into their families, and live in different parts of Australia.

Structurally this is a very interesting book. Firstly, there are three timelines. We see what happened to Claudie as a scared young girl, whisked away to the country to hide her pregnancy and the associated shame. Fast forward to the 1980s and we meet all three young women as they navigate their own lives, particularly with questions in relation to who they are, and then we fast forward again to contemporary times where three versions of the Juliet are on display as part of an exhibition of the 25 most influential Australian dresses. In addition, there are multiple narrators (at least seven if I recall correctly), some of whom only have one or two chapters, but others who get a lot of page time. 

What Minnie Darke always does really well is write emotional, poignant stories with multiple viewpoints. There are very emotional themes underpinning the whole story, and yet it doesn't feel heavy. In fact, I closed the book with a very satisfied sigh, and then immediately went to order the one book that I haven't read by this author.

As I mentioned previously, this was one of the books on my 20 Books of Winter list. It also counts for Aussie Author August, the Big Books of Summer and Historical Fiction Reading Challenge. 

Rating 4.5/5

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge - September links

 

Thank you to everyone who contributed a review in August for the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge. I will be back in the next week or so with all the statistics for August and seeing what new reviews are linked up in September.

I am looking forward to reading your reviews throughout the rest of the year! I am sure there is going to be a lot of great historical fiction discovered and shared with fellow HF lovers over the course of this year!

If you haven't already signed up, it's not too late! The sign up post is here.

Just to recap what participants need to know. At the beginning of each month I will put up a post which will have a Mr Linky embedded into it for you to add your link.

Please remember...

• add the link(s) of your review(s) including your name and book title to the Mister Linky we’ll be adding to our monthly post (please, do not add your blog link, but the correct address that will guide us directly to your review). 
• it doesn't matter where you review - Bookstagram, Goodreads etc as long as you share a direct link to your review.
• any kind of historical fiction is accepted (fantasy, young adult, graphic novels...)
• if you have time, have a look some of the other links that are present. You never know when you will discover new blogs or books!

You can also join the challenge group on Facebook which you can find here and don't forget to use the #histficreadingchallenge hashtag on the socials.

Let the reading begin!!

If you have other links to add please add them to the October post which can be found here

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge Participants

1. The Daughters of Shangdong (Laura@RBA) 2. Three Juliets (Marg @ The Intrepid Reader0 3. Murders in Marquee (Mark @ CC) 4. The Snow Witch (Helen @ She Reads Novels) 5. A Secret Diary in Rome (Marg @ The Intrepid Reader) 6. A Time of Witches by Madeline Martin (Laura's Reviews) 7. The Heiress of Northanger Abbey (Helen @ She Reads Novels) 8. Mr. Harrison’s Confessions (Barbara H.) 9. The Heiress of Northanger Abbey (Laura@RBA) 10. These Old Shades (Bev @My Reader's Block) 11. Cold Sunset (Helen @ She Reads Novels) 12. The Scent of Water (Barbara H.) 13. The Butterfly Women (Bree @1girl2manybooks) 14. The Lost Perfumes of Paris (Davida @ The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog) 15. The Hot Country by Robert Olen Butler (Maphead's Book Blog) 16. A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder, by Dianne Freeman (Kim) 17. The Silent Women by Tara Lynn Masih (Laura's Reviews) 18. The Bird in the Tree (Barbara H.) 19. The Way We Are Now (Marg @ The Intrepid Reader) 20. The Lost Perfumes of Paris by Christine Wells (Laura's Reviews)

21. Poison in Piccadilly by Kelly Oliver (Shellie@ShellieLovesBooks) 22. The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton (Staircase Wit) 23. The Witches of Cambridge, by Alice Hoffman (Kim) 24. Another Brookly and Yesteryear (Jinjer) 25. Seething Lane (Cathy@WhatCathyReadNext) 26. Cold Sunset (Cathy@WhatCathyReadNext) 27. A Thought Without Collision (Cathy@WhatCathyReadNext) 28. The Labours of Hercules by Agatha Christie (Laura's Reviews) 29. The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak (Laura's Reviews) 30. The Heiress of Northanger Abbey by Nancy Bilyeau (Laura's Reviews) 31. Apothecary Melchior and the mystery of St Olaf's Church (Alexis Drake) 32. The Pirate Queen (Marg @ The Intrepid Reader 33. The Vicar of Wakefield (Barbara H.) 34. The Midnight Guests (Helen @ She Reads Novels) 35. The Newer World (Helen @ She Reads Novels) 36. The Housekeeper (Helen @ She Reads Novels) 37. The Newer World (Cathy@WhatCathyReadNext) 38. Death From High Places (Shellie@ShellieLovesBooks) 39. One for all (Alexis Drake) 40. A Founding Mother by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie (Laura's Reviews)

41. Holmes Away from Home (Mark @ CC) 42. Her Affections and Wishes by Heather Moll (Laura's Reviews) 43. Mrs. Winchester's Biographer, by Deanna Lynn Sletten (Kim) 44. Oracle Night (Davida @ The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog) 45. The Harlot of St. Cecelia's (Shellie@ShellieLovesBooks) 46. Bird's Eye View by Elinor Florence (Staircase Wit) 47. The Pirate Queen (Shelleyrae @ Book’d Out) 48. The Talented Mr Ripley (Marg @ The Intrepid Reader 49. Il cappuccio del monaco (Alexis Drake) 50. The Secret Book Society, by Madeline Martin (Kim) 51. A Lady's Handbook to Gadgets and Guile by Angela Bell (Laura's Reviews) 52. Daughters of the Sun and Moon by Lisa See (Laura's Reviews) 53. Every Given Day (Barbara H. @ Stray Thoughts) 54. The Housekeeper (Cathy@WhatCathyReadNext) 55. The German Warden (Shelleyrae @ Book’d Out) 56. V2: A Novel of World War II by Robert Harris (Maphead's Book Blog) 57. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (Laura's Reviews) 58. The Things We Leave Unfinished by Rebecca Yarros (Laura's Reviews) 59. The Witches of Cambridge by Alice Hoffman (Laura's Reviews)

Learn more about Historical Fiction Reading Challenge here.

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Weekend Cooking: Kate and Frida: a novel of friendship, food and books by Kim Fay

 

A couple of years ago I read Love and Saffron by Kim Fay for Cook the Books and I really enjoyed it! I was a bit surprised to learn that there was going to be a follow up book because the story felt complete, but I was also excited at the prospect. It has, however, taken me a while to get to it. I finally read it while I was on holidays recently.

One of the things I loved about Love and Saffron is that it was an epistolary novel where the story is told via letters between the two characters and the author uses that same technique in this book. Whilst the structure is the same, and there is a connection between the two books, they are distinct and you can read them separately. 

It is the early 1990s and Frida Rodriquez (daughter of Joan from Love and Saffron) is living in Paris. She has moved there with the hope that she might become a proper journalist, maybe even a war correspondent.

Kate works in a bookstore in Seattle. She used to dream of writing but these days she is content working in the store. One day, Kate receives a letter which contains an order for the book, The Face of War by Martha Gellhorn, which she duly sends off, but only after reading the book first. Little did either correspondent know, this is the beginning of a friendship that will become very important to them both. Both women are looking for their place in the world and this friendship helps them grow into the people they are destined to be.

As the letters go back and forth across the ocean, Kate and Frida share their lives, from the books they are reading, their favourite authors, their love lives, food and so much more. They encourage each other, and at times challenge each other when they feel the need. Kate is inspired by Frida's more adventurous spirit, and Frida relies on Kate's steadiness.

The reason why I read this book now is that it was one of the options for the 90s category on the Goodreads Summer Reading Challenge, and the 90s references were on point! I was in my early 20s in the early 90s and so many of the pop culture references took me right back to that time. I found myself thinking about what I was doing back then. In the mid 1990s I went overseas for the first time and then not long after ended up moving to the UK for 5 years after travelling for a couple of months. 

One of the most interesting and most emotive parts of this book is when Frida finally gets the chance to be a war reporter in the former Yugoslavia, an experience which impacts her very intensely. It also introduces her to some young people who show her their lives. In particular, two young women who should be enemies given that they have different religion and cultures, but are best friends. They are doing all they can to stay safe in war, which is difficult given that snipers don't care if they target innocent civilians, including children. She also witnesses the destruction of the library in Sarajevo, and Frida finds herself involved in the effort to save as many of the rare texts as she can.

I was travelling in Europe by 1994, and I have a very distinct memory of going to visit the concentration camp at Dachau. There I saw the photos of almost skeletal humans being held behind barbed wire fences. Then, shockingly, we went back to our hotels where we could watch the news and see very similar images coming out of the Balkan war. There was around 50 years difference but the similarities were intense. Did we learn nothing from WWII?

You might be wondering where is the food, given that I am posting about this in Weekend Cooking. I promise you that there is food all through this book, and at times, talking about food becomes the vehicle for telling the stories of the characters. At times, food is used as a way of connecting with people, particularly when Frida learns how to cook some of the Balkan dishes and sharing them with her displaced friends 

In addition, whilst some of the inspirations in the story comes from the WJD (War Journalist Dames like Martha Gelhorn), there are also references to prominent food writers such as M F K Fisher and Lawrie Colwin. The author also shares a number of recipes, including one for Bosanski Lonac which is a Balkan lunch box and Laurie Colwin's Tomato Pie. 

I was excited to see that there is going to be a third connected book and I already know that I will be reading that book. 

I am sharing this review with Foodies Read, hosted at Based on a True Story, with the Bookish Books challenge hosted at Bloggin Bout Books and with the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host. 

Rating 4/5

Weekly meals

Saturday - Butter Chicken Pizza
Sunday - Spaghetti Bolognaise
Monday - Tomato and Paneer Curry
Tuesday - Leftovers
Wednesday - Takeaway
Thursday - Pork schnitzel, mash, broccoli, mushroom gravy
Friday - Beef and Broccoli Noodles

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge: July statistics

Every month I share some of the statistics related to the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge. I try very hard to visit every post which has been linked (time permitting) and I find it interesting to see what are the books that people are reading and reviewing! I often end up adding a couple of books to my never ending TBR list.

July was a big month. There were 70 reviews linked up for the challenge, shared by 18 participants. There were 69 individual titles reviewed, written by 62 different authors. There were 5 reviewers who reviewed 5 or more books each. Thank you to everyone who shared their links whether it be 9 or just 1.

In the recap posts for May and June we had no books that were reviewed more than once in May and only one in June. We didn't have any authors who had more than one book reviewed in either month which was quite unusual. This month is unusual because we had a LOT of authors who had more than one book reviewed. 

First though, there was one book that was reviewed twice this month. It is the new one from Lisa See, Daughters of the Sun and Moon which was reviewed by Deb at Readerbuzz (on Goodreads) and Laura from Reading Books Again. 

We had 6 authors who had more than two books reviewed, with two authors having three books reviewed and linked up. The first was Laura Ingalls Wilder. Deb from Readerbuzz had just completed reading all nine books in the Little House on the Prairie series. Coincidentally, the second was the author combo of Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie (yes, another Laura). Laura from Reading Books Again read My Dear Hamilton, America's First Daughter and A Founding Mother.

There were quite a few books read on American history in July, which I guess makes sense when you consider that America was celebrating a big birthday (you know, one ending with a 0!)

The other authors who had more than one book reviewed were Jean Plaidy, Lee Strauss and Manda Collins.

If you enjoy reading Historical Fiction why not join us? You can find all the details here.

I am sharing this with Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz and A Good Book and a Cup of Tea hosted at Hopewell's Library.

Blog Tour: The Secret Dressmaker by Jenny O'Brien

 

When Flora Toussaint was a young woman she found herself in the unhappy predicament of being pregnant to an older man.  After giving birth to twin girls, she reluctantly hands them over to their father and flees to Ireland with no intention of ever returning to France.

Fast forward 18 years, Flora is now working in a parachute factory in WWII when she is approached by British intelligence. They suspect the girl's father, famous couturier Lucien Lumineau, is a collaborator. More alarmingly, one of her daughters has disappeared.

Taking the opportunity to leave her unhappy marriage, Flora finds herself living in a room above a brothel, her nearest neighbour is a singer named Edith (as in Piaf) and she is tasked with finding out whether Lucien is indeed a collaborator. It also gives her the chance to find out what happened to her daughters. She had believed that Lucien was raising both of their daughters with his glamourous wife Sabine, but it turns out the truth was very different.

Whilst working in the wardrobe department at the famous Moulin Rouge, Flora is able to use her skills as a seamstress to not only help maintain the gorgeous costumes but she also helps develop an ingenious way of delivering messages across enemy lines using a simple code. With the help of her Paris contact, a Paris wine merchant, she is able to work out her own complicated history and maybe find a future. It won't be without danger and challenges though! 

There is a lot that happens in this book, and at least two things that I was surprised by.  I was also a bit surprised when I realised that there was a character from the previous book, The Resistance Knitting Club which I reviewed here, that played a key role in this book. Don't let that worry you though. I didn't make the connection until I was looking to see if Tomas had appeared in the earlier book or not. 

I mentioned Edith Piaf but she isn't the only big name cameo to make an appearance. Lucien's work as a designer brings him into contact with the great, the good and the not so good in Paris!

I am already looking forward to the next book in this series. If I was to hazard a guess, I think the next book might feature Marguerette and it might feature crocheting! Of course, I could be wrong!

I am sharing this review with New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog and the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host here.  This is also one of the books I nominated for 20 Books of Winter. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. Be sure to check out other stops on the blog tour below.

Rating 4/5

About the Book

The Secret Dressmaker

Shelves of sequins in a kaleidoscope of colours. Bolts of silk and tulle against the back wall. The sewing room was the last place anyone had seen her daughter alive.

Northern Ireland, 1942. Flora Toussaint packs parachutes for the RAF, haunted by the twin daughters she was forced to give up eighteen years ago. When British intelligence shows her photographs of her girls – now young women in occupied Paris – her world shifts. One is safe. One has vanished. And their father, the celebrated couturier Lucien Lumineau, is suspected of collaborating with the Nazis.

Flora agrees to a dangerous mission: parachute into France, pose as a seamstress at the Moulin Rouge, and uncover the truth. Lodging above a brothel where Edith Piaf sings after hours and where Pablo Picasso still holds court, she mends costumes between shows, searches for any trace of her missing daughter between curfews, and circles closer to Lucien.

But Lucien isn’t the man she remembers. Neither is their history. And what Flora discovers will unravel everything she thought she knew – about Lucien, about her daughters, and about the night she gave them away.

A sweeping tale of wartime Paris, family secrets and impossible choices. Fans of Kate Quinn, Pam Jenoff and Kristin Hannah will be mesmerised by The Secret Dressmaker.

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Dressmaker-Jenny-OBrien-ebook/dp/B0GSVGSK36

https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Dressmaker-Jenny-OBrien-ebook/dp/B0GSVGSK36

About the author

Jenny O’Brien writes complex thrillers and heartbreaking historical fiction, as well as intriguing romances. Silent Cry, initially self published, topped the Amazon kindle chart in both the UK and the USA. Most of her books have followed suit.

Jenny has over 40 years experience as a qualified nurse. She turned to creative writing as a hobby when her children were born. Now, 20 years later, she's retired from the day job to focus on writing. She's currently working on the third book in the Threads Series.

Born in Ireland, she now lives in Guernsey with her husband and children.

Social Media Links – https://www.facebook.com/JennyOBrienWriter/

https://www.instagram.com/scribblerjb/

https://x.com/ScribblerJB