Category: Historical Fiction

Book Spotlight | Featuring notes by Jorie and an extract from “The French Wife” by Diney Costeloe

Posted Saturday, 9 May, 2020 by jorielov , , , 0 Comments

Stories in the Spotlight banner created by Jorie in Canva.

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

I am wicked delighted to be featuring a lovely #newtomeauthor today – as I recently had the chance to select quite a few Head of Zeus and Aria Fiction novelists to be spotlighting throughout the Spring months this year – wherein I was rather delighted finding so many keenly interesting stories to start seeking out to read! These are stories which dance between Romance & Women’s Fiction – from Contemporary to Historical settings. Being an avid reader of these genres I couldn’t miss the chance to bring the JOY of discovering these lovely authors to my readers of Jorie Loves A Story!

It is my intention to start requesting these novels via my local library if they are not available in audio formats via Scribd. At the moment my library is experiencing an unprecedented sabbatical on requests which put me in a bit of a pickle as I’m an active patron whose constantly requesting purchases every month – which is why I’m simply saving my queue lists and will turn them in once the services resume. For now at least – I can champion the discoveries and the joy of finding the stories whilst hosting the blog tours!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Why I wanted to host a spotlight & extract
for “The French Wife”:

As the founder and host of @SatBookChat – I am constantly seeking to find new stories featuring strong women in the centre of Romance & Women’s Fiction. I read an equal amount of Contemporary and Historical stories within these genres of interest whilst encompassing all the lovely sub-niches of their literary styles as well. This New Year 2020 I am also seeking out Feminist Lit which celebrates the kind of stories I am enjoying to discover as well. All of which I try to champion and showcase in the chats I host on Saturdays – wherein writers, readers, book reviewers, book bloggers and the rest of the bookish community on Twitter get to engage with one another. Thereby as a regular reader of these stories I was delighted to find a #newtomeauthor to start seeking out to read!

I personally adore reading as much Historical Fiction & Historical Women’s Fiction as I can get my hands on – there are new authors and voices in these two sections of Literature I am most keen on exploring further and most of them are from the UK. I have been appreciating my chance to spotlight these stories throughout the Spring of 2020 – whilst finding that quite a few of them are now available to be heard via Scribd! This helps me loads as a reader whose leaning on her libraries to help her source either print or audio copies of the stories she wishes to read – however, I hope there are similar streaming audio services aboard for those who don’t have access to Scribd. From what I understand it is available in most regions but perhaps not all of them.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

I happily found this novel is available via audiobook on Scribd! I immediately listened to the audio sampler to gather a sense of how the narrator Georgia McGuire approached her performance.

My thoughts on the story: This part of the story is involving the church and the duties of a priest. I can’t say it was the most exciting part of the story but it is how McGuire approached her delivery and what was happening behind the goings on of the clergy-house is what held me to the earphones. Towards the end of the sampler, things turnt a bit more dramatic – wherein someone is being put out of their job and they must find new accommendations – it seemed rather sudden and unexpected which given the timeline of the story, I was unsure where she would go from here. It was here where I drew closer to listening to the narrator as this was the kind of turning of events that gets rather exciting in a Historical novel!

My impressions of the narrator: McGuire has a strong and sharp voice which lends well for this story and the characters she’s bringing to life. I would consider this spoken narrative vs theatrical – wherein enjoying hearing her voice would be a joy as she had a nice cadence of rhythm in her performance. She has a keen accent as well – the kind of accent you love to find for British stories in narration.

As I listened to this sampler ahead of finding which extract I was given – it was quite champion to realise the two were connected in sequence of order within the story’s arc of disclosure!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Did I grab your eye and attention?

Sound like the kind of bookish read you’ve been needing?

Be sure to brew your favourite cuppa and enjoy this extract from the novel.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Book Spotlight | Featuring notes by Jorie and an extract from “The French Wife” by Diney CosteloeThe French Wife
by Diney Costeloe

Love, secrets and danger abound in the new historical novel from bestselling author Diney Costeloe, set in 19th-century France.

As the St Clair family prepare for the grand wedding of their daughter, Clarice, trouble is brewing. An old friendship, a new love and a dangerous secret threaten to destroy the life the St Clairs have built.

Their younger daughter, Hélène, became friends with orphaned Annette during the terrible events of the 1871 siege of Paris. Now they are reunited, with Annette working below stairs for Hélène's parents. But she is hiding a dangerous secret, which Hélène has promised to keep at all costs.

Meanwhile, Hélène has begun to fall in love with a young nobleman from England, whose family has plans which do not include their son choosing a French wife.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction



Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

Published by Aria Fiction

Published By: Aria Fiction (@Aria_Fiction)
a Digital First imprint of Head of Zeus (@HoZ_Books)

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Available Formats: Hardback, Audiobook & Ebook

The Ebook & Audiobook released on 7th May 2020

Whilst the Hardback releases 6th August 2020!! (which is my 7th Blog’s Birthday!)

Converse via: #TheFrenchWife, #HistoricalFiction or #HistFicFun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com Read More

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Posted Saturday, 9 May, 2020 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Book | Novel Extract, Book Spotlight, Head of Zeus, Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction

Book Spotlight | Featuring notes by Jorie about The Guernsey Novels by Anne Allen

Posted Saturday, 9 May, 2020 by jorielov , 2 Comments

Stories in the Spotlight banner created by Jorie in Canva.

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

As you know, I happen to be a hearty reader of serial fiction – especially when it comes to Historical Fiction – though one interesting subniche of book love I have is for dual-time periods within a series. These can be either Historical or Contemporary – in or out of Women’s Fiction, Historical Fiction, Speculative Fiction or other genres of interest wherein you can deftly slip and move into different time periods of interest.

I have had the pleasure of reading several authors who have mastered the artful styling of this structure within their stories such as the following: Christina Courtenay, MJ Rose, Lucinda Riley, Susan Meissner, Gwendolyn Womack and others who have taken the beauty of being caught happily in the present whilst they endeavour us to exchange those achours of familiarity to dive back into the past! I love the entanglements this naturally provides for us as readers – how we are never quite certain about what we will find in any particular slice of the timeline being shared and how what we learn in both slips of time has a direct impact on the story and/or the series we’ve been reading.

This is why, when I found out about showcasing a spotlight on a series which moves in and out of time – through different generational points of interest and has History itself as its own backdrop to provide more drama and curiosities to explore – as these characters are living their lives whilst major events in History are already in-progress behind them – became a point of interest for me as a book blogger. I love series which are threaded into several different installments – for this one to have reached *seven!* and are currently celebrating a year of being released is quite a remarkable feat!

I’ll be gathering these stories in print – as I want to request the first one either through interlibrary loan as soon as I can now that my local library has reopened OR if I cannot find it in the ILL catalogue, I’d love to add this to my longlist of purchase requests for when the library resumes accepting them.

For those who can read stories on ereaders there is a bit of good news to share with you today: All the seven books in The Guernsey Novel series will only be £1.99 on Kindle for a limited time. Each of the books can be read as a standalone too.

Whilst I know this is told about all series – I’ll be reading this series in order, as it is my personal preference to do so when it comes to serial fiction. There are only certain exceptions to this rule and preference wherein I might read a series out of order – sometimes its lack of time to gather the installments, sometimes it is an availability issue (if using my library or my subscription to Scribd (for audiobooks) – and other times, I might want to sample an author’s style and read an installment out of sequence. For the most instances though – when I find a series this lovely large and intriguing – my instincts tell me to go straight back to where it all began within the pages of “Dangerous Waters”!

I’ll be sharing the synopsis for each of the seven installments and I’ll be relating my thoughts about moving into the series and the book trailer I found on its behalf. I hope this spotlight might give you a chance to see if this series might be a wicked good fit for yourself, too!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

The Guernsey Novels (series):

The Guernsey Novels series graphic provided by Love Book Tours and is used with permission.

Dangerous Waters (book one)

Tragedy seems to follow Jeanne Le Page around . . .

Can she really go through it again and survive?

She is lucky to be alive … at sixteen Jeanne was almost killed in a boating accident which brought heart-breaking family tragedy. Now, fifteen years later, Jeanne returns reluctantly to the island of Guernsey following the death of her beloved grandmother. Struggling for breath as the ferry nears the island; she is overwhelmed by a dark foreboding as hazy memories of that terrible day resurface…

Only returning to sell her inheritance – her grandmother’s old cottage – Jeanne has no intention of picking up her old life. But the cottage holds a secret, dating back to World War II and the German Occupation, and Jeanne becomes drawn into discovering more. Then, soon after her arrival, a chance meeting with an old teenage crush leads her to thoughts of love.

Jeanne is forced to face her demons, reliving the tragedy as her lost memory returns.

When the truth is finally revealed, her life is endangered for the second time…

Finding Mother  (book two)

Three women. Three generations. Sacrifices for love…

Who is she really? Nicole is about to find out as she searches for her real mother; the woman who gave her away at birth. With her marriage in tatters, she sets out from England: travelling to Spain, Jersey and Guernsey before the extraordinary story of her real family is finally revealed.

Nicole becomes an unwitting catalyst for change in that family. Two women are forced to reveal long-buried secrets. One going back as far as the Second World War. Lives are transformed as choices have to be made and the past laid to rest…

Guernsey Retreat (book three)

Two violent deaths. Separated by time, but with a fatal connection…

A man loses his father. A young woman loses her mother. Both in tragic circumstances that lead, when they meet, to surprising revelations from the past.

Louisa needs to find the father she has never known, to warn him of possible danger – for them both. Her search takes her from England to Guernsey. Malcolm’s journey is more complicated: conceived in Guernsey, his bereaved mother emigrates with him to Canada. Many years later he arrives in India, and from here he is led back to Guernsey to open a health centre at La Folie. This was his father’s home and where he was killed at the start of the Second World War.

At the heart of the two deaths lie stolen jewels. Valuable enough to kill for. Twice.

Finding her father brings Louisa more than she bargains for, and her life is transformed, while Malcolm learns that life is, after all, for sharing…

The Family Divided (book four)

The fourth of The Guernsey Novels, covering both contemporary Guernsey and the time of the Occupation. Likely to appeal to fans of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

One family, divided by death – and money

Andy Batiste, at loggerheads with his degenerate cousin, seeks to discover the truth of his family history. Why was his pregnant grandmother forced to flee to France? What really happened to her husband during the German Occupation, sixty years ago? Who accused Edmund, the elder son and Batiste heir, of being an informer? Was he really a traitor – and who murdered him?

With Edmund’s brother Harold now head of the family, enjoying the wealth which ought to have come to Andy’s father, the family is forever divided. Andy yearns to clear Edmund’s name and restore his father to his rightful inheritance.

Andy is introduced to Charlotte Townsend, newly divorced, lonely and struggling with writer’s block and the consuming threat of impending loss. They meet when she returns for healing at Guernsey’s natural health centre, La Folie, and Charlotte becomes involved in Andy’s family history.

Together they embark on a hunt for the truth…

Echoes of Time (book five)

The fifth of The Guernsey Novels, Echoes of Time is a dual-time story set in the German Occupation and present-day Guernsey and is likely to appeal to fans of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

Betrayal, injustice and revenge echo down the years…

1940. Olive marries farmer Bill Falla. The Germans occupy Guernsey.

All too soon Olive realises she has made a mistake. Her life changes when she meets Wolfgang, a German officer-however there’s a price to pay. . .

2010. Natalie Ogier returns to Guernsey to escape an abusive relationship – only to be plagued by odd happenings in her beautiful cottage on the site of a derelict and secluded farm. Disturbing dreams, disembodied voices and uncanny visions from the past. She becomes increasingly ill at ease as someone else’s past catches up with her own…

Her only immediate neighbour, Stuart, is the grandson of the original owners, Bill and Olive.

Thrown together in a bid to find out what happened to Olive, can they each survive the repercussions of the past and move on?

The Betrayal (book six)

Book Six of The Guernsey Novels is another dual-time story set during the German Occupation and present-day Guernsey and is likely to appeal particularly to fans of the book The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

Treachery and theft lead to death – and love

1940. Teresa Bichard and her baby are sent by her beloved husband, Leo, to England as the Germans draw closer to Guernsey. Days later they invade…

1942. Leo, of Jewish descent, is betrayed to the Germans and is sent to a concentration camp, never to return.

1945. Teresa returns to find Leo did not survive and the family’s valuable art collection, including a Renoir, is missing. Heartbroken, she returns to England.

2011. Nigel and his twin Fiona, buy a long-established antique shop in Guernsey and during a refit, find a hidden stash of paintings, including what appears to be a Renoir. Days later, Fiona finds Nigel dead, an apparent suicide. Refusing to accept the verdict, a distraught Fiona employs a detective to help her discover the truth…

Searching for the rightful owner of the painting brings Fiona close to someone who opens a chink in her broken heart. Can she answer some crucial questions before laying her brother’s ghost to rest?

Who betrayed Leo?

Who knew about the stolen Renoir?

And are they prepared to kill – again?

The Inheritance (book seven)

How close were Victor Hugo and his copyist?

1862 Young widow Eugénie faces an uncertain future in Guernsey. A further tragedy brings her to the attention of Monsieur Victor Hugo, living in exile on the island only yards away from Eugénie’s home. Their meeting changes her life and she becomes his copyist, forming a strong friendship with both Hugo and his mistress, Juliette Drouet.

2012 Dr Tess Le Prevost, Guernsey-born but living in England, is shocked to inherit her Great-Aunt’s house on the island. As a child, she was entranced by Doris’s tales of their ancestor, Eugénie, whose house this once was, and her close relationship with Hugo. Was he the real father of her child? Returning to the island gives Tess a fresh start and a chance to unlock family secrets.

Will she discover the truth about Eugénie and Hugo? A surprise find may hold the answer as Tess embraces new challenges which test her strength – and her heart.

Available Formats: Trade Paperback and EbookFun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com Read More

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Posted Saturday, 9 May, 2020 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Historical Fiction, Love Books Tours, Time Shift, Time Slip, Women's Fiction

Book Spotlight | Featuring notes by Jorie and an extract from “A Shop Girl at Sea” by Rachel Brimble

Posted Thursday, 23 April, 2020 by jorielov , , , , 0 Comments

Stories in the Spotlight banner created by Jorie in Canva.

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

I am wicked delighted to be featuring a lovely author I’ve been dearly trying to read for quite a long time today – as I recently had the chance to select quite a few Head of Zeus and Aria Fiction novelists to be spotlighting throughout the Spring months this year – wherein I was rather delighted finding so many keenly interesting stories to start seeking out to read! These are stories which dance between Romance & Women’s Fiction – from Contemporary to Historical settings. Being an avid reader of these genres I couldn’t miss the chance to bring the JOY of discovering these lovely authors to my readers of Jorie Loves A Story!

It is my intention to start requesting these novels via my local library if they are not available in audio formats via Scribd. At the moment my library is experiencing an unprecedented sabbatical on requests which put me in a bit of a pickle as I’m an active patron whose constantly requesting purchases every month – which is why I’m simply saving my queue lists and will turn them in once the services resume. For now at least – I can champion the discoveries and the joy of finding the stories whilst hosting the blog tours!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Why I wanted to host a spotlight & extract
for “Home to the Hills”:

As the founder and host of @SatBookChat – I am constantly seeking to find new stories featuring strong women in the centre of Romance & Women’s Fiction. I read an equal amount of Contemporary and Historical stories within these genres of interest whilst encompassing all the lovely sub-niches of their literary styles as well. This New Year 2020 I am also seeking out Feminist Lit which celebrates the kind of stories I am enjoying to discover as well. All of which I try to champion and showcase in the chats I host on Saturdays – wherein writers, readers, book reviewers, book bloggers and the rest of the bookish community on Twitter get to engage with one another. Thereby as a regular reader of these stories I was delighted to find a #newtomeauthor to start seeking out to read!

This particular series by Ms Brimble has been on my bookish radar for quite a long while now – as I have hosted her a few times in the past on Jorie Loves A Story! In 2018 – I had the pleasure of interviewing her during a Brook Cottage blog tour for “The Mistress of Pennington’s” – wherein this series first began its journey into reader’s hearts. This was also a social tour I followed closely on Twitter – getting to chat with her during #HistFicChat and other places online as the book made its tour route to become a bit more known in social communities who appreciate Historical Fiction and/or Historical Romance. Being a regular chatter of these kinds of meet-ups I was truly grateful for the moments I was able to share with Ms Brimble!

The series itself has been given a bit of a re-branding and re-titling since it was first introduced to me – as I requested the first novel “The Mistress of Pennington’s” through my local library – of which I am happy to say they’ve added to the card catalogue – however, I’ve not yet had the pleasure of reading it in full as it has been readily checked out by other patrons who are just as eager to read it as I have been myself!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Did I grab your eye and attention?

Sound like the kind of bookish read you’ve been needing?

Be sure to brew your favourite cuppa and enjoy this extract from the novel.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Book Spotlight | Featuring notes by Jorie and an extract from “A Shop Girl at Sea” by Rachel BrimbleA Shop Girl at Sea
Subtitle: One journey of the Titanic. Three lives changed forever.
by Ms Rachel Brimble, Rachel Brimble

Bath, 1912.

Amelia Wakefield loves working at Pennington's, Bath's finest department store. An escape from her traumatic past, it saved her life. So when Miss Pennington sets her a task to set sail on the Titanic and study the department stores of New York, she couldn't be more excited – or determined!

Frustrated with his life at home, Samuel Murphy longs for a few weeks of freedom and adventure. Meeting Amelia on board the Titanic, Samuel can't help wonder what painful history has made the beauty so reserved. But he already has too many responsibilities for love.

Ruby Taylor has always kept her Pennington co-workers at a distance. Making sure her little brother is safe has always been her priority. But when that means accepting Victoria Lark's offer of sanctuary, more than one of Ruby's secrets is under threat of being revealed...

A riveting and uplifting saga, perfect for fans of Elaine Everest and Fiona Ford.

Genres: Feminist Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical Women's Fiction, Women's Fiction



Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 978-1788546539

Also by this author: The Mistress of Pennington's, A Stranger in the Cove

Published by Aria Fiction

on 9th April, 2020

Published By: Aria Fiction (@Aria_Fiction)
a Digital First imprint of Head of Zeus (@HoZ_Books)

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Pennington’s Department Store series

The Mistress of Pennington’s | A Shop Girl at Bath (book one)

A Rebel at Pennington’s | A Shop Girl gets the Vote (book two)

Christmas at Pennington’s | A Shop Girl’s Christmas (book three)

A Shop Girl at Sea (book four)

*to curb confusion for those of us familiar with the original titles, I’ve listed them alongside their newer titles in case you were late in gathering the books!

This also marks my 3rd Titanic story I’ve found in 2020!

Available Formats: Trade Paperback and Ebook

Converse via: #AShopGirlAtSea, #HistoricalFiction or #HistFicFun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com Read More

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Posted Thursday, 23 April, 2020 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Book | Novel Extract, Head of Zeus, Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction