When Nina Revskaya puts her remarkable jewelry collection up for auction, the former Bolshoi Ballet star finds herself overwhelmed by memories of her homeland, and of the events that changed her life half a century earlier.

It was in Russia that she discovered the magic of dance and fell in love, and where, faced with Stalinist aggression, a terrible discovery incited a deadly act of betrayal—and an ingenious escape to the West.

Nina has kept her secrets for half a lifetime. But now Drew Brooks, an inquisitive associate at a Boston auction house, and Grigori Solodin, a professor who believes Nina’s jewels hold the key to unlocking his past, begin to unravel her story—setting in motion a series of revelations that will have life-altering consequences for them all.

A number of things attracted me to this book before I’d even read a page; firstly, the ballet element – a world which has always seemed mysterious and glamorous to me. Secondly, the historical backdrop of Stalinist Russia which would seem to present a complete contrast to the beauty of ballet and finally, the saga/mystery element because I love stories that follow a character through time.

Daphne Kalotay definitely delivers on all three areas and I found Russian Winter an involving read that I didn’t want to put down once I’d started. The descriptions of Nina’s time at the famed Bolshoi Ballet were fascinating and detailed and Kalotay has certainly done her research; the entire novel is a complex and detailed depiction of life as a ballerina and how it was to live in Russia in the immediate post-war era. The element of mystery is nicely done and kept me guessing almost until the end of the novel with a couple of very good twists.

The story is told through the eyes of three key characters all narrated in the third person. The majority of the tale is Nina’s personal history told in flashback in parallel to the story of the sale of her jewellery collection in present day Boston. In the present, Drew Brooks, who works at the auction house and is responsible for putting together the catalogue for the jewel sale, begins to dig into Nina’s past and the history of the items for sale. The third key character, Grigori Solodin is also working in the present to unravel a personal mystery with a link to Nina and her jewels. Of the three, I found Nina’s story the most interesting and gripping but I liked the movement between the past and the present and the pace provided by Drew and Grigori which kept the mystery element moving, raising a number of questions as the novel progresses.

Although I found Nina’s story most interesting, I found it difficult to warm to her as a character for a large part of the novel. In the present she is suffering from ill health and wishes to forget her past which makes her quite a harsh and distant figure and her ambition and dedication as a ballerina, whilst admirable also give her a ‘separate’ air as her past is recounted. But this isn’t just Nina’s story and as the book progressed, I began to see how and why she became the person she is now and I felt more sympathetic to her. There are a number of complex sub-plots involving Nina’s friends and colleagues at the Bolshoi and her husband, all of which combine with Drew and Grigori’s uncovering of snippets of information in the present to create an historical saga with depth which builds to some shocking revelations at the end.

I did feel that the ending was a little abrupt – it tied up the story nicely but I’m one of those readers who always wants to know what happened next and the ending left me wondering about the characters and what happened following the final revelations. Overall though, I found Russian Winter a very enjoyable read and would recommend it as a sophisticated read for historical fiction fans.

4/5

I’d like to thank the publisher Arrow for sending me a review copy of this book.

You can find out more about Daphne Kalotay and Russian Winter on her website at: http://www.daphnekalotay.com/

This review is part of the Russian Winter blog tour organised by TLC Book Tours. Please check out the other stops on the tour to see other reviews and an interview with Daphne:

Wednesday, February 8th: Reading With Tea
Thursday, February 9th: Fleur Fisher in her world
Tuesday, February 14th: DizzyC’s Little Book Blog
Wednesday, February 15th: Pining for the West
Thursday, February 16th: Chuck’s Miscellany
Tuesday, February 21th: I hug my books
Wednesday, February 22th: The Sweet Bookshelf
Thursday, February 23rd: A Book Sanctuary

At midnight, the dogs, cats, and rats rule Venice. The Ponte di Ghetto Nuovo, the bridge that leads to the ghetto, trembles under the weight of sacks of rotting vegetables, rancid fat, and vermin. Seeping refuse on the streets renders the pavement slick and the walking treacherous.

It was on such a night that the men came for Hannah.

Hannah Levi is famed throughout Venice for her skills as a midwife but, as a Jew, the law forbids her from attending a Christian woman.

However, when the Conte appears at her door in the dead of night,Hannah’s compassion is sorely tested. And with the handsome reward he is offering, she could ransom back her husband, currently imprisoned on the island of Malta.

But if she fails in her endeavours to save mother and child, will she be able to save herself, let alone her husband?

Roberta Rich’s debut is a fast paced and dramatic historical novel with a touching underlying love story and gripping plot. There are two strands to the story which run in parallel; the first and more predominant is Hannah’s story, based largely in Venice; the second is that of Hannah’s husband Isaac who is being held to ransom in Malta. The two stories interrupt each other every two or three chapters, often leaving the other part of the story on a cliffhanger which makes The Midwife of Venice a real page turner!

Rich has clearly done her research and conjures up the sights, sounds and smells of sixteenth century Venice in excellent detail. I was drawn to this book because of its unusual subject matter – I haven’t come across another historical novel which has midwifery as a key theme and as with the detail of the setting, Rich’s descriptions of child birth are very vivid and despite their drama come across as all too believable and realistic (warning to pregnant readers – you might want to save this one for after you’ve given birth!)

Hannah is an interesting and complex character whose strengths and beliefs are tested to their limits during the course of the novel. The story launches straight into the action as Hannah is summoned in the middle of the night to attend the wife of a wealthy Conte who is suffering a difficult labour. Hannah is a Jew; the Conte and his wife are Christians. Hannah is forbidden by law to assist with the birth but to accept the the Conte’s plea would mean that she’d be able to free husband. This is just the first of the challenges thrown at both Hannah and Isaac during the novel and as the story plays out they both have their love and faith tested to the full. I found myself caught up in Hannah’s dilemmas and enjoyed reading as her character developed, admiring the strength she showed throughout. I found Isaac’s part of the story less engaging but interesting as he attempts to win his freedom.

The Midwife of Venice is far more action packed than its title suggests with subplots that involve murder, plague and blackmail leading to some dramatic scenes and a number of creative escapes on Hannah’s behalf. Underneath the drama there is a strong theme of love and faith and I found the story of young Matteo, the child who Hannah helps bring into the world at the start of the novel, very touching.

An entertaining and original debut, I found The Midwife of Venice a quick and enjoyable read. I’m pleased to see that Rich is already working on a sequel and I look forward to reading more of Hannah’s adventures in the future.

4/5

The Midwife of Venice is released today and I’d like to thank Hannah at Ebury Publishing for sending me a review copy.

You can find out more about Roberta Rich and her writing at: http://robertarich.com/

I’ll be interviewing Roberta next week as part of her blog tour so please stop by to find out more about her debut!

Clarissa is almost seventeen when the spell of her childhood is broken. It is 1914, the beginning of a blissful, golden summer – and the end of an era. Deyning Park is in its heyday, the large country house filled with the laughter and excitement of privileged youth preparing for a weekend party. When Clarissa meets Tom Cuthbert, home from university and staying with his mother, the housekeeper, she is dazzled. Tom is handsome and enigmatic; he is also an outsider. Ambitious, clever, his sights set on a career in law, Tom is an acute observer, and a man who knows what he wants. For now, that is Clarissa.

As Tom and Clarissa’s friendship deepens, the wider landscape of political life around them is changing, and another story unfolds: they are not the only people in love. Soon the world – and all that they know – is rocked by a war that changes their lives for ever.

The first thing that struck me about this book was the vivid descriptions; Judith Kinghorn succeeded in immediately transporting me to another time and place with her depiction of Deyning, the Granville family and their friends in the summer of 1914. The story is told from Clarissa’s point of view; The Last Summer is her coming of age story. As readers we follow her as she develops from sixteen year old ingenue to grown woman and as her world changes more than she could ever have imagined.

I loved Clarissa as a character from the start with her enthusiasm, optimism and hope for her future. Despite her cosseted life, she came across as fun and not afraid to take a risk and as the story progressed I admired her strength of character and determination. She tells the story in the past tense from a future point so not only do we hear of events first hand but she is able to give her own perspective on her actions, thoughts and feelings and the reminiscent style suited the story perfectly.

Clarissa meets Tom and the attraction is immediate. I’ll willingly admit to being a little in love with the handsome Tom Cuthbert myself as I was reading. But Tom is not of Clarissa’s class and therefore their relationship cannot be. I found it fascinating to see the impact of the war on the traditional class distinctions and in particular on Tom and Clarissa’s lives. I don’t want to give out any spoilers but to say that the course of their love doesn’t run smoothly would be a major understatement. Kinghorn has created a sweeping story of love and loss which kept me guessing to the very end.

Judith Kinghorn has beautifully captured the thoughts and feelings of a particular group in a lost generation. From an historical perspective, Kinghorn has clearly done her research which is illustrated in the small details that capture the war and post-war periods, making The Last Summer entirely believable and often shocking. This is a very visual novel and I could easily see it translating to television or film. There is also an intriguing element of mystery as the story is punctuated with extracts from letters that hint at another love story.

Told in four parts, I thought the pace of this novel was excellent and I was surprised a number of times by the swiftness of the twists and turns to the plot which covers a period of sixteen years in total. I liked the fact that the story didn’t end with the war and homecoming and goes on to examine the consequences and lives of the survivors.

Despite the themes of loss, grief and change, The Last Summer is above all a wonderful and heartbreaking love story. As you can probably tell, I was completely caught up in Clarissa’s life and thoroughly enjoyed Judith Kinghorn’s debut. Highly recommended!

5/5

The Last Summer is out now in hardback and as an ebook and will be released in paperback on 26th April. I’d like to thank Helena at Headline for sending me a review copy.

You can find out more about Judith and her writing at: http://judithkinghorn.blogspot.com/

Today I’m delighted to welcome Eva Stachniak to One More Page as part of her blog tour to celebrate the release of The Winter Palace. Eva was born in Wrocław, Poland and now lives in Canada. Her career has included time as a radio broadcaster and English and Humanities lecturer. An award-winning author, The Winter Palace is Eva’s third novel and tells of the rise to power of Catherine the Great. Welcome Eva!

You’ve written both historical and contemporary novels previously, what drew you to the historical fiction genre?

My passion for history, and the belief that history illuminates the present. And also the need to tell the forgotten stories from beyond the former Iron Curtain—bring them back to our collective memory.

The Winter Palace tells the story of the rise of Catherine the Great; why did you choose to tell Catherine’s story?

Catherine fascinated and tempted me since my second novel Dancing with Kings, where she appears for a brief moment. Her story is astounding. A petty Prussian princess who became a powerful Russian empress. An immigrant to Russia who made her adopted country one of the most powerful empires of the world.

Also it is important to remember that the 18^th century Russia was a vast and multicultural country. Under Catherine’s rule one-third of Poland became part of the Russian Empire, and remained so until the end of World War I. When I was growing up in Poland, Catherine was considered to be a rather sinister figure, the empress who dashed Polish hopes for independence. My own family, both on my mother’s and my father’s side were subjects of the Russian Tsars. My grandfather was even drafted into the Russian army.

And once I started researching Catherine’s life I found her irresistible.

I love historical fiction that focuses on strong female characters and there are several in this novel; who was your favourite character to write and why?

I have to confess that I was captivated by all three powerful women who make the core of the plot, Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, Catherine who through most of the novel is Grand Duchess of Russia, and of course, my narrator, Varvara/Barbara. Elizabeth absorbed me because she was so unpredictable, so sensuous, so spontaneous and so full of contradictions: A sinner and a devout Christian repenting her sins as soon as she stopped enjoying them. A woman delighting in sex, food, music and dancing. Catherine, on the other hand, impressed me with her sense of purpose, her serious dedication to her goals, and her ability to attract loyalty from all quarters. And Varvara? She was my key to the two empresses. She was my eyes, my ears, and my guide.

There is a wealth of fascinating detail about the 18th century Russian court in the novel; how did you go about your research and what was the most interesting area for you?

I read diaries, letters, memoirs. I visited archives. I travelled to St. Petersburg and looked at every painting I could find that portrayed scenes from the 18^th century life in Russia. One of my all time favourite sources are The Russian Journals of Martha and Catherine Wilmot, compiled from many letters that the Wilmot sisters wrote from Russia to their family in Ireland. For several years, they were cherished house guests of Princess Dashkova herself, the youthful friend of Catherine, and as foreign visitors to Russia they kept their eyes wide open and reported on everything that amused or intrigued them: funeral customs, the abundance of servants in Russian palaces and manor houses, the sights in the streets. They also heard many personal stories about Catherine from their hostess, and I used many of them in the novel.

It was the researching of the everyday details of life in a Russian palace that I found most fascinating.

The story is told through the eyes of Vavara, a young Polish girl serving at the court; why did you decide to tell the story from her point of view?

The Russian imperial court was home to many foreigners, including Catherine herself, who came to Russia from a small German princedom of Zerbst. Foreigners, immigrants are good observers, and I wanted my narrator to have this outsider’s point of view.

Another reason for wanting to tell Catherine’s story from outside was the need to understand the essence of Catherine’s power over people. I wanted the reader to experience Catherine’s power over those around her, show how this Prussian Princess managed to command the hearts of so many.

And then, of course, Varvara is a spy, able to see beyond closed doors, the best narrator an author can imagine.

If you could live during any historical period which would you choose?

Right now, it would be the 18^th century Russia, because I’m still working on the second Catherine book. If I could find myself at the Winter Palace, I’d want to know what people talked about in their most mundane, every day conversations. I would want to know, for instance, what Catherine’s servants made of the kangaroos their empress kept in the Taurida Palace gardens. The animals came as a gift from King George III. Someone had to feed them. Take care of them. Did they seem merely odd? Or frightening, perhaps?

When you’re not writing and researching, what do you like to read?

I’m a voracious reader.  Many writers sustain and inspire me. Lately I’ve been reading Kate Grenville’s marvelous historical novels set in Australia, and the unsurpassable Hilary Mantel. But I don’t particularly look for historical fiction. Any well written book will seduce me.

You are currently working on a second novel about Catherine the Great, can you tell us a little more about what we can expect next?

The Empire of the Night, the second Catherine novel, will be told from Catherine’s point of view. It will cover the pivotal points of her thirty-four years rule. If The Winter Palace is the story of Catherine’s fight for power and her own survival, The Empire of the Night examines the consequences of wielding absolute power for so long. Together, I hope, the two novels will complement each other, and give the reader a fuller picture of this remarkable empress and a captivating woman.

Thank you Eva – I’m already looking forward to The Empire of the Night.

You can find out more about Eva and her novels on her website at: http://www.evastachniak.com/

Eva continues her blog tour tomorrow with a guest post at: www.curiousbookfans.co.uk and please look out for my review of The Winter Palace next week.

The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak is one of my historical fiction hotpicks for 2012 and was released today. The novel tells the story of the early years and rise to power of Catherine the Great and is a wonderfully detailed depiction of life at the Winter Palace.  I’m very excited to be part of Eva’s blog tour to mark the launch of the book and I’ll be publishing an exclusive interview with Eva on Saturday so please stop by for that. The full tour line up can be found below starting with an extract from the book on the gorgeous History Tellers website.

London, 1914. Belle Reilly finally has the life she’s dreamed of thanks to a devoted husband in Jimmy and the hat shop she’s wanted to own since she was a child. But as the storm clouds of World War One begin to gather, Belle’s already turbulent life is to change in ways she never imagined possible.

When Jimmy enlists in the army and leaves for the battlefields of Ypres, her world is shattered and she realises she can no longer stand by and watch, she must volunteer to help the wounded. But her work as a Red Cross ambulance driver in France throws her into the path of Etienne, the enigmatic man who played a significant role in her childhood, and Belle finds herself torn agonisingly between forbidden passion and loyalty to a good man.

But the past returns to haunt her present in other – more unpleasant – ways and Belle’s character is put to the test like never before. Can she survive this most brutal of wars with her spirit intact? And will destiny finally lead her to lasting happiness even while war rages all around?

The Promise is Lesley Pearse’s twentieth novel and sequel to her number one bestseller Belle. Firstly, I’d like to say, don’t worry if you haven’t read Belle – I haven’t and The Promise works perfectly well as a standalone novel. There are plenty of references to the past, but any blanks are filled in as the story is told. I certainly don’t feel I suffered for not having read Belle but because I enjoyed The Promise so much I’ve already downloaded Belle to my Kindle!

The Promise tells the story of Belle Reilly’s life from 1914-1919, set against the backdrop of the First World War and had me gripped from start to finish. This is the first of Lesley’s books that I’ve read and I can’t believe it’s taken me until now to discover her! I love sagas like this and in Belle, Lesley has created a character that I liked and cared about immediately. From the beginning it’s clear that Belle hasn’t had the easiest of starts in life but as the novel opens we find that she’s happily married with her own business and a well thought of member of the community in Blackheath where she lives. Circumstances soon conspire to thwart Belle’s happiness and she displays amazing strength and perseverance as she copes with the hand she’s been dealt and this was one of the traits that I liked most about her as a character.

At over five hundred pages, this is a substantial read that will draw you in to Belle’s world and leave you sad to say goodbye at the end but despite the length, I found it a quick and engrossing read. Pearse is a skilled storyteller and The Promise is an emotional read with some surprising plot twists. I loved the historical aspect to the book and the experiences of Belle, Jimmy and the rest of the cast of characters made the impact of the war and the changes in society because of it feel very real and personal. I’m not a fan of battle scenes in books but there was just the right amount of detail to gain my empathy and understanding and I found Belle’s experiences as a volunteer ambulance driver fascinating.

The Promise is very much a love story and alongside a lot of heartbreak there are plenty of romantic moments in the book and I loved the romantic sub-stories – especially Belle’s friend Miranda’s. As the war ends and the novel draws to a close Belle is still only in her early twenties which leaves plenty of scope for Lesley Pearse to revisit the character in future and I very much hope she does as I’d love to know what happens to Belle next.

4/5

The Promise is released today and I’d like to thank Emma at ed public relations for sending me a review copy.

You can find out more about Lesley Pearse and her books at: http://www.lesleypearse.com/

Last year I wrote a post on my top five most anticipated chick lit books of 2011 and it was the most popular post on the blog for the year. This year I’ve decided to expand on my list with lists for the three genres I read most, starting today with historical fiction. Here are the books that I’m most looking forward to over the next twelve months (there are seven because I just couldn’t narrow the list down any further!)

The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak (Doubleday 19th January)

I love reading about strong historical female figures and discovering new areas of history so this book really caught my attention and it has a beautiful cover too.

When Vavara, a young orphaned Polish girl, is brought to serve at Empress Elizabeth’s glittering, dangerous court in St Petersburg, she is schooled by the Chancellor himself in skills from lock-picking to love-making, learning above all else to stay silent – and listen. Soon, she is Elizabeth’s ‘tongue’ – her secret eyes and ears.

Then Sophie, a vulnerable young princess, arrives from Prussia as a prospective bride for Elizabeth’s heir. Set to spy on her by the Empress, Vavara soon becomes her friend and confidante, and helps her navigate the illicit seductions and the treacherous shifting allegiances of the court. But Sophie’s destiny is to become the notorious Catherine the Great. Are her ambitions more lofty and far-reaching than anyone suspected, and will she stop at nothing to achieve absolute power?

The last summer Judith Kinghorn (Headline 2nd February)

Judith Kinghorn’s debut novel set against the background of the First World War sounds like a great read.

Clarissa is almost seventeen when the spell of her childhood is broken. It is 1914, the beginning of a blissful, golden summer – and the end of an era. Deyning Park is in its heyday, the large country house filled with the laughter and excitement of privileged youth preparing for a weekend party. When Clarissa meets Tom Cuthbert, home from university and staying with his mother, the housekeeper, she is dazzled. Tom is handsome and enigmatic; he is also an outsider. Ambitious, clever, his sights set on a career in law, Tom is an acute observer, and a man who knows what he wants. For now, that is Clarissa.

As Tom and Clarissa’s friendship deepens, the wider landscape of political life around them is changing, and soon the world – and all that they know – is rocked irrevocably by a war that changes their lives for ever.

The Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye ( Headline 15th March)

I first heard of this book at a Headline blogger event way back in May 2011. I love New York and this sounds like a fantastic piece of historical fiction.

August 1845 in New York; enter the dark, unforgiving city underworld of the legendary Five Points…

After a fire decimates a swathe of lower Manhattan, and following years of passionate political dispute, New York City at long last forms an official Police Department. That same summer, the great potato famine hits Ireland. These events will change the city of New York for ever.

Timothy Wilde hadn’t wanted to be a copper star.  On the night of August 21st, on his way home from the Tombs defeated and disgusted, he is plotting his resignation, when a young girl who has escaped from a nearby brothel, crashes into him; she wears only a nightdress and is covered from head to toe in blood. Searching out the truth in the child’s wild stories, Timothy soon finds himself on the trail of a brutal killer, seemingly hell bent on fanning the flames of anti-Irish immigrant sentiment and threatening chaos in a city already in the midst of social upheaval. But his fight for justice could cost him the woman he loves, his brother and ultimately his life…

The Perfume Garden by Kate Lord Brown (Atlantic 1st April)

Kate’s debut The Beauty Chorus made my top books of 2011 so I have high hopes for her second novel!

High in the hills of Valencia, a forgotten house guards its secrets. Untouched since Franco’s forces tore through Spain in 1936, the whitewashed walls have crumbled, the garden, laden with orange blossom, grown wild. Emma Temple is the first to unlock its doors in seventy years. Guided by a series of letters and a key bequeathed in her mother’s will, she has left her job as London’s leading perfumier to restore this dilapidated villa to its former glory. It is the perfect retreat: a wilderness redolent with strange and exotic scents, heavy with the colours and sounds of a foreign time. But for her grandmother, Freya, a British nurse who stayed here during Spain’s devastating civil war, Emma’s new home evokes terrible memories. As the house begins to give up its secrets, Emma is drawn deeper into Freya’s story: a story of crushed idealism, of lost love, and of families ripped apart by war. She soon realises it is one thing letting go of the past, but another when it won’t let go of you.

Tigers in Red Weather by Liza Klaussmann (Picador August)

I only heard about this book recently but it was fought over by eight publishers at auction and sounds brilliant!

The epitome of East Coast glamour, Tiger House is where the beautiful and the damned have always come to play in summer, scene of martinis and moonlit conspiracies, and newly inherited by the sleek, beguiling Nick.

The Second World War is just ending, her cousin Helena has left in search of married bliss in Hollywood, and Nick’s husband is coming home. Everything is about to change.

Their children will suprise them. One summer, on the cusp of adolescence, Nick’s daughter and Helena’s son make a sinister discovery that plunges the island’s bright heat into private shadow.

Magnificently told by each of the five characters in turn, Tigers in Red Weather is a simmering tale of passion, betrayal and secret violence beneath a polished and fragile facade.

Citadel by Kate Mosse (Orion 13th September)

I loved Kate’s previous books Labyrinth and Sepulchre so was very excited to see that she is bringing out a third novel set in the same part of France.

Set during World War II in the far south of France, Citadel is a powerful, action-packed mystery that reveals the secrets of the resistance under Nazi occupation. While war blazed in the trenches at the front, back at home a different battle is waged, full of clandestine bravery, treachery and secrets. And as a cell of Maquis resistance fighters, codenamed CITADEL, fight for everything they hold dear, their struggle will reveal an older, darker combat being fought in the shadows. Citadel is a story of daring and courage, of lives risked for beliefs and of astonishing secrets buried in time.

Ravenscliffe by Jane Sanderson (Sphere 27th September)

Jane Sanderson’s debut, Netherwood was another of my top ten reads of 2011 and I can’t wait for the sequel.

On Netherwood Common, Anna Rabinovich shows Eve Williams a house: a large Victorian Villa, solidly built from Yorkshire stone, with wide bay windows that look out over the rugged landscape. This is Ravenscliffe, and it’s the house Anna wants them to live in. It’s their house, she says. It was meant to be. As Anna transforms Ravenscliffe, an attraction grows between her and mineworker Amos. But when Eve’s long-lost brother Silas returns, a rift begins to open up between the two women. Meanwhile, things at Netherwood Hall are changing. Below stairs, the staff struggle to preserve the dignity of the old order but Tobias Hoyland and his young bride Thea Stirling seem to have different ideas.

Stop by later in the week for my top chick lit and paranormal picks for 2012!

As you probably know by now, A Discovery of Witches was one of my favourite books of 2011 and along with many of you I’m eagerly anticipating the release of the sequel Shadow of the Night in July. I was very excited to see that the cover for Shadow of the Night has been revealed on the official Discovery of Witches website!

So what do you think? I’m loving the blue! There is also a tiny peek at what’s to come with an extract from the new book. Check it out at: http://www.adiscoveryofwitches.co.uk/news.html

Tarquin, the powerful Duke of Sconce, knows perfectly well that the decorous and fashionably slender Georgiana Lytton will make him a proper duchess. So why can’t he stop thinking about her twin sister, the curvy, headstrong, and altogether unconventional Olivia? Not only is Olivia betrothed to another man, but their improper – albeit intoxicating – flirtation makes her unsuitability all the more clear. Determined to make a perfect match, he methodically cuts Olivia from his thoughts, allowing logic and duty to triumph over passion . . . until, in his darkest hour, Tarquin begins to question whether perfection has anything to do with love. To win Olivia’s hand he would have to give up all the beliefs he holds most dear, and surrender heart, body and soul – but it may already be too late.

The Duke is Mine is the third book in Eloisa James’s Happy Ever After Series; a set of Regency romances based on popular fairytales. I read and enjoyed the first book in the series, A Kiss at Midnight last year and The Duke is Mine continues the series in style.

The fairy tale in question this time is The Princess and the Pea which was a childhood favourite of mine so I was intrigued to see how the story would be presented as a 400 page Regency romance novel. In this case, the fairytale is followed more in principal than detail; the story focuses on twin sisters Olivia and Georgiana who have been raised by their parents to be duchesses one day. Both sisters are intelligent and beautiful but that is where the similarity ends. Georgiana has taken her training to heart, moulding herself in to the perfect Duchess in waiting. Olivia on the other hand has learned her lessons as well as Georgiana but takes great pleasure in disregarding them completely to the point of impropriety!

The pair finds themselves invited to the estate of the Duke of Sconce where his mother hopes to choose a suitable wife for him. Olivia, who is already betrothed is sent along as companion for Georgiana but as their carriage is overturned and she meets the Duke soaked from head to foot (just like the princess in the fairytale), it soon becomes clear that the relationships in the novel are not going to be clear cut.

As with A Kiss Midnight there is a lot of humor in the novel and I love Eloisa James’s fun lighthearted writing style. In Olivia she has excelled herself at creating a feisty and funny leading lady, not afraid to throw caution to the wind.  The supporting cast also provide for much amusement although this novel does also have several sad and serious undertones, for example, Olivia is betrothed to Rupert Blakemore, the future Duke of Canterwick who suffered brain damage at a young age. Her jests on his behalf actually made for uncomfortable reading at times but thankfully Olivia does grow up during the book and I was pleased to see that her thoughts, comments and actions changed as the story progressed.

As a character, Olivia tied me in knots as her actions and comments aren’t always agreeable but on the other hand she is such a fun and loving character that I couldn’t help like her. As I finished reading, I did find myself wishing that there was more on the fate of her sister Georgiana as the epilogue at the end of the book gives just a couple of tantalising details and I’m one of those readers who likes to know what happens next to everyone! Overall, I found this an enjoyable escapist read with plenty of witty dialogue, hot romance and a lively story.

4/5

The Duke is Mine is out now and I’d like to thank Madeleine at Little Brown for sending me a review copy.

You can find out more about Eloisa James and her novels at:  http://www.eloisajames.com/

Penniless and 34th in line to the throne, Georgiana Rannoch finds herself in a truly draining state of affairs. To escape her hateful brother, Georgie accepts an invitation from the Queen to represent the royals at a wedding in Transylvania. But at the macabre-looking castle, Georgie finds the bride with blood running down her chin and a wedding guest poisoned. Now it’s up to Georgie to save the festivities before the couple’s vows become ‘to love and to cherish, till undeath do we part’.

One of my many New Year reading resolutions is to try to vary my reading and try some new genres so I was pleased when this book came my way. Royal Blood is the fourth book in the Royal Spyness Mystery Series and combines two of my favourite genres (historical fiction and romance) with something new for me; crime and mystery and I found it a very enjoyable read.

The story is told in the first person from the point of view of Lady Georgiana, cousin to the King of Engand and 34th in line to the throne. I liked Georgiana immediately; she’s lighthearted and fun and I loved her take on both her situation and the people around her. Georgiana is twenty-two; her family are desperate for her to marry and make a good match and she’s a lovely mix of slightly scatty, confidence and occasional bursts of insight.

I loved the 1930′s setting and I was surprised how little of the story actually focussed on the murder which doesn’t actually happen until around half way through the book. Royal Blood is as much about Georgiana and her life as it is about her attendance at a royal wedding in Transylvania. The story starts in depression-era London and moves on to a remote and spooky castle in Romania. Lady Georgiana finds herself faced with a host of strange goings on at the spooky castle and the vampire references added a fun twist to the story.

As this is the fourth book in the series I was a little concerned that I wouldn’t be able to pick up the story but it reads perfectly well as a standalone novel. I would like to go back and read the rest of the series now though as I’d love to get to know Georgiana, her friends and family better, particularly Georgiana’s love interest, the mysterious Darcy O’Mara. I also love the gorgeous illustrated covers for this series and think the whole collection would look lovely on my bookshelf!

I’m not normally one for murder mysteries but there was plenty in this novel to hold my attention and the book is much more than I would have imagined a murder mystey to be! At just over 300 pages, Royal Blood is a quick read and from what I’ve seen, this is the ideal mystery series for chick lit fans as Lady Georgiana makes a fun and amusing heroine as she tries to find the right man and escape her overbearing relatives. I liked the glam 1930′s setting and the humour and I will definitely read more of the series.

3/5

Royal Blood is published on 5th January by Prime Crime and I’d like to thank Ellie at Turnaround for sending me a review copy.