A Manhattan Heiress in Paris

I have been given a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

A Manhattan Heiress in Paris is a romance set in 1920’s New York and Paris. It centers on the relationship between Elizabeth “Eliza” Van Hoeven and Jack Coleman. Eliza is a young white woman from one of New York’s finest families and Jack is a young black man from Harlem. They both bond over their love of music. Eliza plays the piano and Jack plays the trumpet.

The references to jazz music and how it makes the characters feel was a nice addition to a story about love, freedom and how music can unite people.

There are visits throughout the book by Ernest Hemingway, F Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald and Gerald and Sara Murphy. This is a fun nod to how Paris after the First World War was inhabited by influential artists of the time.

As race is a running theme throughout the novel it highlights the struggles that people of colour faced at that time and still face today. The swoon worthy moments of Eliza and Jack’s relationship such as the picnics they have, which is just the two of them enjoying life and being together, doesn’t ignore the proverbial elephant in the room and how they will try and be together at all costs.

A Manhattan Heiress in Paris is a beautiful story on how mutual interests and love can not change who you are or where you are from but it can make the world a happier place.

A Courtesan’s Worth by Felicity George

I received a copy of A Courtesan’s Worth in exchange for an honest review. This is the second book in The Gentleman of London series.

In many historical romances the courtesan/mistress characters are usually pushed to the side and are secondary characters. In A Courtesan’s Worth courtesan Kitty Preece takes center stage.

Kitty is the favoured courtesan of the gentlemen of the ton. One man who has loved Kitty from afar and for years is curate Sidney Wakefield.

Sidney is not wealthy and dreams of being a writer. I really liked how Kitty and Sidney had a great friendship in the years preceding the novel.

As Kitty is on the outside of society she can say and do things that would not be considered proper for the ladies of the ton. This leads to some funny conversations with other characters.

This was a fun book to read and it is great to see the characters develop more with each book in the series. Looking forward to the next one.

His Runaway Marchioness Returns by Marguerite Kaye

I received a copy of His Runaway Marchioness Returns in exchange for an honest review.

Having read and loved a lot of Marguerite Kaye’s books I was ecstatic to receive this.

His Runaway Marchioness Returns is an enjoyable and entertaining read. It involves Oliver, the newly made Marquess of Rashfield who just wants to stay a business man, his estranged wife Lily and the inheritance that brings them back together after so many years apart.

I really loved the descriptions of the scenery and of Lily’s clothes. My favourite description was the silk gown Lily wore when Oliver sees her for the first time after being apart for so long.

I really liked the small sprinkle of French words which really added to Lily’s character.

There were many laugh out loud moments especially during the verbal sparring between Oliver and Lily.

Overall it was a really good book, the characters were fleshed out and it was very enjoyable to read.

A Lady’s Risk by Felicity George

I have been given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lady Margaret Fairchild (Meggy) and her two siblings are forced to leave their home and be under the guardianship of Lord Nicholas Holbrook. Despite Meggy and Nicholas butting heads a lot they need to work together in order for Meggie to find a suitable husband. As the family fortunes have dwindled Meggie must do what she needs to do and quickly. What follows is a lot of humour, sadness and understanding.

 

I have really enjoyed reading this book and I am looking forward to the next book by Felicity George coming out soon. I liked the characters especially Meggie. She has a strong will that could disarm anyone and intelligence which makes her vital when everything seems to be going wrong. The book has some really lovely vivid descriptions of the countryside and the surrounding areas.

 

The story flows very well and it is nice to get the thoughts and feelings of both Meggie and Nicholas instead of trying to guess what one is thinking and feeling. It is an easy calming read and one that makes you want to go back again and again.

Top 5 Horror Books

With October coming to a close it’s time to look at my top 5 horror books.

  1. IT by Stephen King

This was number 1 on my list because it is one of my favourite Stephen King novels. It is a good horror book with the iconic Pennywise.

  1. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

The story drags the reader in, and it’s written brilliantly.

  1. Dracula by Bram Stoker

A good horror classic. The character of Dracula is superb, and the epistolary nature of the book gives the different points of views of all the characters.

  1. The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing

Brilliant and unnerving. Very different from the others on this list. Starts off with the ‘perfect’ family when there is an arrival of a new child.

  1. Carmilla by Sheridan La Fanu

It is a novella with a female vampire. Quite eerie but very good.

‘Why She Wrote’ by Lauren Burke and Hannah K Chapman

Why She Wrote is a graphic history of the lives behind some of the greatest works of literature. It is just over two hundred pages long but it is not long enough. The book is split into six chapters with three female writers per chapter. Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Bronte each have their own chapters. This is refreshing as they are usually grouped together despite being individual women with their own novels which are brilliant in their own right. Why She Wrote covers well-known writers such as Jane Austen and Beatrix Potter but also covers writers that may not be more well-known such as Edith Maudie Eaton, Alice Dunbar Nelson, and Frances E.W. Harper.

The illustrations by Kaley Bales are brilliant. Each writer has their own unique characteristics. It is easy to see who is who as some writers turn up in different chapters. A good example is Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Bronte. As they show up in each other’s chapters it is easy to see who each of them is without having to look back at the previous chapters.

It is very enjoyable to read and a good way to get the reader to research more about all the amazing women in the book. It is very informative and nicely presented.

‘Persuasion’ by Jane Austen

‘Persuasion’ is one of Austen’s later novels and follows the story of 27-year-old Anne Elliot. Anne was engaged when she was younger but was forced to break it off. Years later she runs into Captain Frederick Wentworth, the man she was previously engaged to who is now quite rich and single.

It is a tale of lost love, knowing your own mind and second chances. Like much of her other works Austen can create a story and despite it being written 200 years ago you have such relatable and humorous characters that would fit nicely into a 21st-century setting.

‘Persuasion’ is not as well known as ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and ‘Sense and Sensibility’ but it has a charm that allows it to hold its own among other works of literature. Anne is not as outspoken as Elizabeth Bennet but she has an inner strength that can make her shine all on her own.

‘The Shopgirl’s Forbidden Love’ by Jenni Fletcher

I have been given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

‘The Shopgirl’s Forbidden Love’ is the fourth and final book of the Belles of Bath book series. The previous books in the series are ‘An Unconventional Countess’, ‘Unexpectedly Wed to the Officer’ and ‘The Duke’s Runaway Bride’. I enjoyed reading the other books and I have really liked how far Nancy MacQueen has come from being a background character to the heroine of her own story.

We see Nancy shine as her own person throughout the previous books albeit having a minor role but in this one, she takes center stage. Nancy works in a biscuit shop in Bath and it is great to see a strong businesswoman who does not need a man especially as it is set in the 1800s. Nancy realises that she is in love with a neighbouring shopkeeper called Jem only to find that he is engaged to another woman.

The book has relatable characters and they all have their own charms. Nancy’s drive and ambition to give herself a better life than what is dealt her really puts her ahead of many heroines of the genre. Her strong will and outspoken nature can get her into hot water but she is always able to get herself out of trouble again.

Just like the previous books, this is enjoyable to read. Five stars.

The Crowns of Croswald by D.E. Night

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

‘The Crowns of Croswald’ is a brilliant book. The world-building is fantastic and really makes the reader picture the different places. The main character Ivy Lovely is a funny and relatable character.

The story follows Ivy who works as a scaldrony maid in a castle looking after the dragons that heat/cook the food enjoyed by the rich family living in the castle. Ivy has a few mishaps and ends up being fired. She finds herself being accepted into the Halls of Ivy school for people who can use magic.

Ivy finds that things are not always as they appear when simple classes turn into dangerous and mysterious incidents. Ivy needs to find the scrivener Derwin Edgar Night and unlock the mysteries surrounding him.

‘The Crowns of Croswald’ has a collection of funny and interesting characters and is a great book that keeps you turning the pages.

So This Is Love By Elizabeth Lim

‘So This Is Love’ is one of the twisted Disney book series. Each book takes an aspect from the Disney film, changes it slightly and shows what can happen to the characters when these changes happen.

In this novel, it is looking at Cinderella and what would happen if she didn’t have her trusty mice to help her get out of her locked room and try on the glass slipper to have the happily ever after ending. As there are no mice to help her Cinderella ends up locked in the room and when being sold, she manages to run away and finds work at the palace.

At the palace she has to avoid being found by her stepmother, stop a murderous plot and to avoid being seen by the prince.

Elizabeth Lim shows the inner workings of Cinderella’s character and to show her inner strength to take what life has given her and make the proverbial lemonade.

In recent years Cinderella has been thought of as a weak character as she is saved by her mice and then the prince. The Cinderella of Lim’s story could not be further from that idea. We see what Cinderella would do had she not been saved and had run on her own two feet (minus the glass slippers).

It’s a great story that was very difficult to put down and with relatable and funny characters. It is a treat for lovers of fairy tales.