Top Ten Tuesday: Shhh....don't tell anyone!

  Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week is a cover freebie!  (Pick any topic related to book covers. You can make up your own topic or pick one from the list of previous ones!)

I am choosing to go with books that have that word Secret or Secrets on the cover. The reason why I have chosen this is because Secrets was the theme for my read on a theme book club and I was able to read a lot of books that met this theme, and several of them even had the word secret in the title.

So here are the last ten books I have read with either of these words in the title!

The Secret Dressmaker by Jenny O'Brien - A WWII story set in Paris. My review for this book will be up in the next couple of days.

The Secret Society of Librarians by Kate Thompson - This is another WWII story, this time set in London, and it was a 5/5 read 

Secrets of the Italian Guesthouse by Sue Moorcroft - The secrets in this book are the family type! (my review)

Everyone this Christmas has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson - The first of a couple of Christmas secrets! (mini review)

The Secret Christmas Library by Jenny Colgan - This one involves searching for a secret in a Scottish castle at Christmas

The Secrets of the Huon Wren by Claire van Ryn - This is another book about family secrets, including a hidden identity. It is predominantly set in Tasmania. (my review)

A Secret Garden in Paris by Sophie Beaumont - This book had a map to guide you around some hidden gardens in Paris (my review)

Secrets Beneath a Riviera Sky by Jennifer Bohnet - I do enjoy a book about family secrets, but even moreso when it is set on the French Riviera (my review)

The Secrets of the Rose by Nicola Cornick - A dual timeline where the secrets that are being revealed are from the past (my review)

An Italian Island Secret by Victoria Springfield - Set on a small island off the coast of Italy, this book has a touch of Hollywood glamour!  (my review)

Six Degrees of Separation: The Correspondent to Letters from Skye

Welcome to this month's edition of Six Degrees of Separation, which is a monthly meme hosted by Kate from Books Are My Favourite and Best. The idea is to start with a specific book and make a series of links from one book to the next using whatever link you can find and see where you end up after six links. I am also linking this post up with The Sunday Salon, hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz and A Good Book and a Cup of Tea hosted at Boondock Ramblings.

This month the starting point is The Correspondent by Virginia Evans, which by coincidence I had already requested from the library and so I was able to read before doing this post. In some ways that should make it easier, but the reality is, with the type of book it is, I found multiple possible starting points. 

In the book, our main character Sybil writes letters to anyone and everyone. She writes to her family, to people she has known over the years, to college deans and to authors who sometimes write back. At one point I had a different option but as soon as I saw that Sybil had written to Diana Gabaldon, author of Outlander (or Cross Stitch as it was known here) I knew I had my starting point!

The Outlander books hold a very special place in my reading heart. They were almost like gateway books back to reading and also led me down the path to discovering many other great authors including one of my absolute favourite authors. I never miss an opportunity to include Susanna Kearsley in a Six Degrees post. The question is which book? I am going with The King's Messenger which I reviewed here.

Through Diana Gabaldon and then Susanna Kearsley I learned about the Jacobites. Another book I read which included a Jacobite story was The Secrets of the Rose by Nicola Cornick! (my review)

When I visited the Kelvingrove museum in Glasgow a couple of years ago I was very interested in the Jacobite artifacts but there was one display that really stopped me in tracks and that was about the removal of all the inhabitants of the island of St Kilda back in the 1930s. I had read about it in Karen Swan's trilogy which started with The Last Summer.

If I think about islands of Scotland then I can't go past the Isle of Skye which leads to the only non historical fiction books on my list this week. Sue Moorcroft has a trilogy set on the Isle of Skye which starts with the book A Skye Full of Stars (my review)

Also featuring the Isle of Skye is Letters from Skye by Jessica Brockmole which I reviewed here. This also happens to be an epistolary novel so that brings me full circle this month!

Next month's starting point is a book I would like to read, Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy

Will you be joining us?

Top Ten Tuesday: Arches and Windows

 Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Cozy/Atmospheric Reads

I am going a bit rogue this week and I am choosing covers which features archways or windows. It's an idea that has been calling to me for a couple of months now, and today is the day that I make it happen! These are all books that I have read this year!

The Lost Garden by Angela Petch - This is the book that made me think about doing this as a topic. (my review)

Winter Nights at the Bay Bookshop by Jessica Redland - This arch kind of reminded me of the arch window on Play School, which is the window I hoped they would choose every time. Australians will get this, or at least Australians of a certain age! (my review)

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett - This is the first book in the Emily Wilde series. It probably almost doesn't count but the frame forms an arch like shape. At least that's my story and I am sticking to it. (my review)

The Magic of Provence by Alison Roberts - love the view extending out through the arch here. (my review)

The Santorini Writing Retreat by Eva Glyn - It looks like this might be a picture from a balcony but the flowers form an arch to look out across that iconic Santorini view. (my review)

The House at River's Edge by Rachel Burton - The windows are flung wide open on this cover (my review)

A Greek Island Gift by Mandy Baggot - Love the colours on this cover! (my review)

Under a Riviera Moon by Helen McGinn - How nice would it be to sit outside on a beautiful warm Riviera evening and look at this view. (My review)

Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki - I am really looking forward to reading the follow up to the book soon! (My review)

The Secrets of the Rose by Nicola Cornick - I do love it when you see an series of arches covered in flowers like this! (My review)

Sunday Salon: Historical Fiction Reading Challenge Statistics - February

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.

In terms of the books read in February, there were 57 reviews linked up for the challenge, shared by 25 participants. There were 56 individual titles reviewed, written by 54 different authors. There were 6 reviewers who reviewed more than 4 books each, including me, which is very unusual! I am never at the top of the leaderboard. Thank you to everyone who shared their links whether it be 9 or just 1.

So which book was reviewed more than once in February?

It was The Secrets of the Rose by Nicola Cornick, which is a dual timeline story featuring English Jacobites. It was reviewed by Helen from She Reads Novels and I also reviewed it here.

The only author who had multiple titles reviewed this month was Agatha Christie with reviews shared by both Laura's Reviews and Shellie Loves Books. The three books reviewed were Five Little Pigs, Mrs McGinty's Dead and The Thirteen Problems.

I wonder what books will be featured next month!

If you love historical fiction and reading challenges, it isn't too late to join us! All the details can be found in the sign up post.

I am sharing this with Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz

Blog Tour: The Secrets of the Rose by Nicola Cornick

 

Writer Hannah Armstrong has been commissioned to write the story of Grace Darling, a Victorian heroine who became famous after performing an amazing history following a shipwreck off the coast of the town of Bamburgh in north eastern England. For Hannah, this is a chance to come home for a while to spend time in the town she grew up and with her stepmother Diana. However, Hannah has never really been that enthralled with the tale of Grace Darling. She is much more interested in the story of Dorothy Forster, sister to a rebel Jacobite general, but she has a job to do, and she will do it. When she sees a portrait of Dorothy on the wall in her family home she is enthralled by the picture, and by all the Jacobite symbolism.

What she doesn't expect when she arrives at Bamburgh is to find that Diana has been keeping big secrets from her, and it means that she will need to spend more time in town than she first planned. It turns out though that there are many secrets, and as Hannah researches both stories, she begins to find more and more threads that link directly to her, and somewhat disturbingly that lead to some uncomfortable truths about her brother, Brandon.

Whilst this is a dual timeline, in effect we are getting three stories for the price of two. We find out more details about Grace's story as Hannah researches and writes. We get to see Dorothy Forster's story as it unfolds in the past. Dorothy is the person who keeps their household running. Her father is mentally absent most of the time and is very unwell, her older brother is mixed up in all sorts of trouble, including the Jacobite rebellion which aims to return Prince James Stuart to the British throne at the expense of King George I. Her younger brother Nicholas is away at Oxford studying, so Dorothy is most shocked when she finds out that he too is involved in the Jacobite conspiracy. Her uncle, Lord Crewe, is determined that the family name will not be tainted in any conspiracy as he knows that there is a risk that they will all be implicated, and he is prepared to use Dorothy as a marriage pawn if he needs to, much to her dismay.

As both stories progress, there is an echo through the generations, both in terms of the difficult familial dynamics, the feelings that Dorothy and Hannah have for men that they don't believe that they could or should have.  Dorothy was also the keeper of a talisman, known as The Rose. The talisman has been lost to history, but as Hannah researches it becomes clear that someone believes in the power of The Rose and will do anything to have it. 

I first became interested in Jacobite history after reading Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, but it really caught me once i read a number of Susanna Kearsley's books, starting with The Winter Sea. There were parts of this book that really reminded me of Kearsley's stories in terms of there being an almost mystical connection between some of the characters. Reading this book made me wish I had time to reread some of my favourites from her, or maybe I should just read her latest book! Either way would work for me I think!

I liked this book because it told the story of English Jacobites rather than just focussing on the Scottish history. We were in Scotland last year and we heard a lot about the Jacobites. We even visited the famous Glenfinnan monument to them, which is handily located right near the famous viaduct that the Harry Potter train crosses over!

Very early on in the book there is a passage about some glassware. Many years ago now, the National Gallery of Victoria had an exhibition of Jacobite glassware which I spent ages looking at. Some of these were meant to be used to communicate hidden political sympathies, and others were more overt. I couldn't help but think of that display when I read this passage. 

"I can't tell you how lovely it is to have you staying for more than just a few days," Diana said later, over dinner of shepherd's pie accompanied by some of the expensive red wine Hannah had brought with her. Diana had served the meal on the 'good' china with some antique crystal glasses she had bought in an antique shop in Alnwick.

"As soon as I saw them, I knew I had to have them," Diana had told her when Hannah had commented on them. "They came from a house clearance over at Adderstone. You remember the old manor house there? It's been derelict for years, but apparently its being turned into holiday flats now. The antiques dealer said these were quite a find."

"They're beautiful," Hannah had said truthfully, but in fact they were so fragile that she felt nervous to touch them. Hers was engraved with a circle of entwined oak leaves and Diana's had a rose on it. In the cupboard on the wall, Hannah could see the rest of the set sparkling in the light, each with a different motif - a butterfly, sunflower, crown and rosebuds. The symbols were the same as the ones in the portrait of Dorothy Forster in the hall. 

You can some of the symbolism in the image below from the exhibit. It wasn't the easiest to take photos of, but it does give you an idea. 

I had not previously read Nicola Cornick before. Looking at her backlist there are a number of her older books that I would like to read at some point!

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews, the Bookish Books challenge hosted at Bloggin' Bout Books and the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge when I host here. I have also shared this with British Isles Friday hosted at Joy's Book Blog.  Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. 

Rating 4/5

About the book

The Secrets of the Rose

Bestselling author Nicola Cornick’s brand-new heart-breaking historical tale of unforgettable courage, hidden secrets and lasting love, perfect for fans of Barbara Erskine, Philippa Gregory and Christina Courtenay.

1715: With the country on the brink of rebellion, Dorothy Forster’s life at Bamburgh Hall is ruled by the men in her life – her feckless brothers stirring up trouble at court, her elderly father with his dangerous secrets and the man she loves who the world seems determined to keep her apart from. As tensions grow, Dorothy finds herself caught between the warring factions, danger everywhere. Then Dorothy discovers her family are the keepers of the legendary Rose, the talisman both sides believe will guarantee them victory in this deadly conflict. Now Dorothy will have to risk everything to keep the Rose safe; the fate of the country and the men she loves rests in her hands.

Present Day: Hannah Armstrong has returned home to Bamburgh Hall for work but when she discovers that her stepmother Diana has been keeping worrying secrets, her focus shifts to getting to the truth. Their family home once belonged to heroic Dorothy Forster, whose portrait graces the walls and whose spirit lingers in her home, but soon Hannah learns that there was much more to this formidable woman. Because Dorothy left behind a mysterious legacy and it’s not long before Hannah realises it’s one people are willing to kill for. Now Hannah is in a race against time to unravel the secrets of the past before danger arrives at their door.

Two women divided by time but bound by a centuries’ old mystery. Bestseller Nicola Cornick is back with a brand-new thrilling adventure, a heartbreaking love story and the unforgettable story of how the courage of one woman can save a family and even save a nation.

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/SecretsOfTheRose

About the Author

Nicola Cornick is the international bestselling and award – winning historian and author of over 40 novels featuring women from the footnotes of history. Translated into 25 languages and previously published by HQ, her first book for Boldwood, set in the time of Charles II, will be released in March 2024.



Social Media Links –

Facebook: @Nicola.Cornick
Twitter: @NicolaCornick
Instagram: @NicolaCornick
Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/NicolaCornickNews
Bookbub profile: @NicolaCornick

This week...

 I'm reading

I seem to be getting into a pretty steady reading pattern over the last few weeks of finishing three books and starting another couple!

This week I finished reading The Many Futures of Maddy Hart by Laura Pearson. Her last book was one of my favourites of last year. I liked this one too, but maybe not quite as much. You can read my review here!

I then allowed myself to choose to read a non review read. The Wedding People by Alison Espach had really been calling to me over the last couple of months, so I decided to read it, and I loved it! Last year I only had three 5/5 reviews for the whole year. This was my third one for this year! So good!

I then read The Secrets of the Rose by Nicola Cornick which is a dual timeline telling the story of English Jacobite supporters, and a Victorian heroine, and then the modern storyline. My review will be up later this week. I did enjoy the book.

I picked up The Fall Risk by Abby Jimenez from Amazon First Reads this month. I hadn't read this author before, so this feels like it was a good intro to her style. I liked it! I smiled, but I was also a bit confronted by the mentions of guns but I guess that is my Australian sensibilities shining through. Overall I gave it a 4/5 rating.

Now I am reading The Paris Dancer by Nicola Rayner. After all, I haven't read a book set in Paris for at least two weeks! This one is due for review next week.

I mentioned last week that I have chosen to listen to Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, narrated by British actress Rosamund Pike, as my selection for the theme of classics for my face to face bookclub. So far it is really good!

In other bookish news, I went to an author event for Aussie author Karina May where she was talking about her new book That Island Feeling. It was a lot of fun. I've posted a review of the book and talked a little about the event here. There were even these gorgeous oyster Gingerbread biscuits! Delicious!

I am going to another author event tomorrow night which I will tell you about next week!



I'm watching

We binge watched the new series of Muster Dogs last week. In the first series, they had a litter of kelpie puppies and trained them to see which was the best working dog. In the second series, they did the same with a litter of collie puppies. This time, they took three of each, and they then trained them up to see which breed was the best working dog for working with stock like cattle and sheep. It is the most wholesome TV Show in so many ways, including showing what it can be like to be a farmer these days in Australia. Here's the trailer, which I hope you can see, otherwise try googling the show to see some puppy goodness 

We watched a couple of movies this weekend. One was called Summerland which is a story about a woman who is forced to take in a young boy who has been evacuated from London during WWII. I liked this one.

We also watched The Fall Guy starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt. This was entertaining, although I am glad we didn't go and pay to see it at the movies!


Life

Last Monday night we went to see British comedian Jack Whitehall, along with his parents Michael and Hilary! We love their show Travels with my Father, and so we were excited to go and see their live show. We weren't disappointed! The first half of the show was Jack Whitehall doing his comedy routine, and then the second half was the three of them doing what was portrayed as a Q and A Session. Of course, it was carefully scripted but it was a lot of fun!

Posts from the last week

Top Ten Tuesday: 2024 Releases I was Excited to Read But Still Haven't Gotten To

Review: That Island Feeling by Karina May

Blog Tour: Paris Bookshop for the Broken Hearted by Rebecca Raisin

Blog Tour: The Many Futures of Maddy Hart by Laura Pearson

Weekend Cooking: Baked Tuscan Chicken

Sunday Salon: Historical Fiction Reading Challenge - January Statistics

I've linked this post to It's Monday, what are you reading? as hosted by Book Date and Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz