Posted Saturday, 9 April, 2016 by jorielov ChocLitUK, Melanie Hudson, The Wedding Cake Tree 0 Comments
Acquired Book By:
I am a ChocLit reviewer who receives books of my choice in exchange for honest reviews! I received a complimentary copy of “The Wedding Cake Tree” from ChocLit in exchange for an honest review! I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
Why I choose this for a holiday weekend:
I wanted to read something light for Easter weekend with a strong focus on life and love (as this is what the holiday is best meant to celebrate!) – when I read the premise of The Wedding Cake Tree I immediately wanted to read it! Of course, being stateside I had to wait my turn as the print releases come after the Digital First editions and even then, there is a slight wait-time for the novels to make it across the Pond. I don’t generally mind the waiting periods, as in-between reading the new releases I get the luxury to read the backlist of titles ChocLit has been producing since it began. To me, this is an incredible blessing as I get to ‘meet’ the authors from whence they began their ChocLit tenure.
I have a particular fondness for Epistolary novels – as I’ve regularly mentioned on my blog, I’m a letter-writer IRL who loves postal mail correspondences, thus whenever I have the pleasure of finding a novel which highlights letters (or written exclusively through them as in Letters from Skye), postcards, petit bleus (as viewed inside Moonlight Over Paris) or other gestures of communication sent in transit from one sender to a receiver is true joy for me! I try to keep my eyes peeled for new stories which include bits of mail inside them, but sometimes, they arrive as if they’ve found me before I found them! (a bit of a nodding towards why I included a self-quote on my Twitter banner!) All the stories I’m reading are threaded through my Postal Mail & Correspondences category in case your keen to view them!
When I first saw “P.S. I Love You” I hadn’t realised it was based on a novel, nor was I thinking I’d one day have the chance to interact with the author via a chat on Twitter or start to collect her novels, as none of us know which doors will start to open as we seek out stories which truly attach themselves into our heart. I personally loved the character journey of the film – it was such a clever one, very non-traditional and highly emotionally charged; it’s not for watching if your under high stress in other words!
I personally love stories where mementos are left behind – such as why I am enjoying interviewing authors from Bookouture as my conversation with Renita D’ Silva in April will reveal. She used a journal to connect her characters whereas Hudson has selected using letters left behind from her heroine’s Mum. You can gather deeper inside the mind of a character by seeing their reactions to letters inasmuch as their approach to writing them; letters give us a raw honesty with ourselves and those we’re writing.
When I watched the unexpected journey Orlando Bloom’s character took inside the film “Elizabethtown” on the larkspur suggested road trip by Kirsten Dunst’s character – you could say I have an attachment to serendipitous story-lines encouraged by people who get you to ‘walk outside your comfort box’ in order to discover a period of new growth and enlightenment.
Imagine then,
my delight to dip inside The Wedding Cake Tree?
The Wedding Cake Tree
Source: Direct from Publisher
Can a mother’s secret past provide the answers for a daughter’s future?
Celebrity photographer Grace Buchanan has always known that one day, she’d swap her manic day job for the peace and quiet of her beloved childhood cottage, St Christopher’s – she just didn’t expect it to be so soon.
At the reading of her mother’s will, she’s shocked to learn that she hardly knew Rosamund at all, and that inheriting St Christopher’s hangs on one big – and very inconvenient – condition: Grace must drop everything for two weeks and travel the country with a mysterious stranger – war-weary Royal Marine, Alasdair Finn.
Caught in a brief but perfect moment in time, Grace and Alasdair walk in Rosamund’s footsteps and read her letters at each breathtaking new place. As Grace slowly uncovers the truth about her mother’s incredible life story, Alasdair and Grace can’t help but question their own futures.
Will Rosamund’s madcap scheme go to plan or will events take an unexpected turn?
An emotional, fun-filled and adventurous journey of a lifetime.
Places to find the book:
Borrow from a Public Library
Add to LibraryThing
ISBN: 9781781892244
Published by ChocLitUK
on 19th August, 2015
Format: Paperback Edition
Pages: 384
Published by: ChocLitUK (@ChocLitUK)
Formats Available: Paperback, Audiobook and E-book
Converse via: #ChocLit
For a smidge of a pinch of Hudson’s humour, read this blog post of hers!
View a description and photo of a ‘Wedding Cake Tree’ (otherwise known as the Giant Dogwood)
About Melanie Hudson
A Yorkshire lass first and foremost, Melanie left her native county in 1994 when she joined the Royal Air Force as an Air Traffic Control Officer.
Melanie enjoyed the nomadic lifestyle awarded by her military career. In addition to working at several air stations throughout the UK, she experienced an operational tour in the Balkans during the Kosovo Crisis in 1999, and served as air liaison officer with the British Army during their insurgence into Iraq in 2003.
In May 2004 she transferred to the Royal Navy Air Traffic Control Specialisation, the highlight of which was an exhilarating stint in HMS Invincible. Melanie had a son in 2007, before retiring from military life in 2010, after which she moved to Dubai temporarily where she finally found the time to pursue her passion for writing. She wrote the majority of her first novel, The Wedding Cake Tree, while sitting in a Japanese tea shop overlooking the Burj Kalifa.
Melanie is happiest when wandering in the wilds of the Scottish Highlands (pretending to be all mysterious and romantic). Melanie lives in Devon.
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
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Posted Saturday, 9 April, 2016 by jorielov in #JorieLovesIndies, 21st Century, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Bookish Discussions, Britian, British Literature, ChocLitSaturdays, ChocLitUK, Contemporary Romance, Death, Sorrow, and Loss, Debut Author, Debut Novel, England, Epistolary Novel | Non-Fiction, Flashbacks & Recollective Memories, Fly in the Ointment, Green Publishing, Indie Author, Life of Thirty-Somethings, Life Shift, Military Fiction, Modern British Author, Modern British Literature, Modern Day, Mother-Daughter Relationships, Postal Mail | Letters & Correspondence, Romance Fiction, Scotland, Vulgarity in Literature, Women's Fiction
Posted Saturday, 26 March, 2016 by jorielov HarperCollins Publishers, Jennifer Robson, Moonlight Over Paris, William Morrow 0 Comments
Acquired Book By: I am a regular tour hostess for blog tours via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours whereupon I am thankful to have been able to host such a diverse breadth of stories, authors and wonderful guest features since I became a hostess! I received a complimentary copy of “Moonlight Over Paris” direct from the publisher William Morrow (an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers) in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
The 1920s and war dramas:
You will denote I love reading war dramas (if you follow this thread) as they are this wicked niche of Historical Fiction I truly champion reading! As I’ve blogged my passion about the genre several times, the three to note were my notes of praise on my review of The Silver Locket, the Guest Post on behalf of ‘By the Stars’ and the bits I shared in-between my booklove and admiration for Scent of Triumph. The main reason I can never tire of reading war dramas is because they are each set in a different portion of living history – some of which we readily know about and others we are just starting to discover come alive in literature.
I still considered this one a war drama even though the story picks up Post-War rather than during war-time, as there is still a left-over effect of the war as life renewed itself and began once more in peacetime. It isn’t oft I get to tuck inside a Post-War story and felt blessed I could see Paris emerging out of the first World War as it re-stablised and re-identified itself to the world.
The 1920s is a particular era of interest of mine – from the Flapper generation to the classic motion pictures, this particular era has an incredible draw to follow and yield more insight out of. I happily dissolved inside the BBC drama “House of Elliott” as it takes you through the entire decade of the 20s whilst giving you a strong impression about entrepreneurship and women in the workforce. Oft-times I find myself impressed by the stories set in France – encompassing not only the 20s but the 1930s and 1940s as well. This started with an intense appreciation for “Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald” and has grown to encompass other authors who are illuminating this genesis of intellectual freedoms of artistry inasmuch as a freedom of spirit and personality. Life in the 1920s was as liberating as the 1960s in many ways, as each generation was trying to ‘live outside the box’ of their lifestyles.
Finding a new release under the P.S. Edition bracket of William Morrow is a true delight as I love how they put these editions together! Always quite lovely to read and the extra bits in the back are happily devoured after I read the stories! It’s one of the best editions for booklovers who want to know a bit more ‘beyond the story’ and get to know the author who pens the narratives we love to read! This particular edition has a lovely iridescent jacket with tuck-folded panels, a Glossary of Words from the novel and an Essay by the author about ‘The Lost Generation’ for which the story is based. I also loved the fact the papers are unevenly cut as next to the old world cut of papers, this is one of my favourite ways to present a novel!
Moonlight Over Paris
by Jennifer Robson
Source: Author via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours
An aristocratic young woman leaves the sheltered world of London to find adventure, passion, and independence in 1920s Paris in this mesmerizing story from the USA Today and internationally bestselling author of Somewhere in France andAfter the War is Over.
Spring, 1924
Recovering from a broken wartime engagement and a serious illness that left her near death, Lady Helena Montagu-Douglas-Parr vows that for once she will live life on her own terms. Breaking free from the stifling social constraints of the aristocratic society in which she was raised, she travels to France to stay with her free spirited aunt. For one year, she will simply be Miss Parr. She will explore the picturesque streets of Paris, meet people who know nothing of her past—and pursue her dream of becoming an artist.
A few years after the Great War’s end, the City of Light is a bohemian paradise teeming with actors, painters, writers, and a lively coterie of American expatriates who welcome Helena into their romantic and exciting circle. Among them is Sam Howard, an irascible and infuriatingly honest correspondent for the Chicago Tribune.
Dangerously attractive and deeply scarred by the horror and carnage of the war, Sam is unlike any man she has ever encountered. He calls her Ellie, sees her as no one has before, and offers her a glimpse of a future that is both irresistible and impossible.
As Paris rises phoenix-like from the ashes of the Great War, so too does Helena. Though she’s shed her old self, she’s still uncertain of what she will become and where she belongs. But is she strong enough to completely let go of the past and follow her heart, no matter where it leads her?
Artfully capturing the Lost Generation and their enchanting city, Moonlight Over Paris is the spellbinding story of one young woman’s journey to find herself, and claim the life—and love—she truly wants.
Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, War Drama Places to find the book:
Borrow from a Public Library
Add to LibraryThing
ISBN: 9780062389824
Also by this author: Cover Reveal: Fall of Poppies: Stories of Love and the Great War
Published by William Morrow
on 19th January, 2016
Format: P.S. Edition Paperback
Pages: 352
Published By: William Morrow (@WmMorrowBks),
an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers (@HarperCollins)
Available Formats: P.S. Edition Paperback, Audiobook and Ebook
Converse via: #MoonlightOverParis, #HistFic and #HistRom
About Jennifer Robson
Jennifer Robson first learned about the Great War from her father, acclaimed historian Stuart Robson, and later served as an official guide at the Canadian National War Memorial at Vimy Ridge, France.
A former copy editor, she holds a doctorate in British economic and social history from the University of Oxford. She lives in Toronto, Canada, with her husband and young children.
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram | Pinterest
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2016 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
Posted Saturday, 26 March, 2016 by jorielov in 20th Century, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Britian, Canadian Literature, Coming-Of Age, Equality In Literature, Family Life, France, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Historical Romance, History, Inheritance & Identity, LGBTTQPlus Fiction | Non-Fiction, Library Love, Life Shift, Local Libraries | Research Libraries, Passionate Researcher, Postal Mail | Letters & Correspondence, the Roaring Twenties, War Drama, Writing Style & Voice
Posted Sunday, 20 March, 2016 by jorielov Bonneville Books, By the Stars, Cedar Fort Inc, Lindsay B. Ferguson 0 Comments
As a regular reader of Jorie Loves A Story you will readily observe, one of my favourite niches of literature is Historical Fiction (view the stories threaded on this tag) and of the wicked lovely diversity of choices inside the gateway of History are ‘war dramas’ which I have a natural inclination towards devouring every sweet chance I have at consuming their scope of heart, depth and strong will to surmount life’s hardships against the tumultuous backdrop of war.
The main draw for me as a reader is the humanistic instinct to rise above circumstances outside our own control and to find a way to thread Hope into a state of chaotic uncertainty. War dramas curate a wide expanse of History – as the four corners of the world have dealt with war and the after effects of how war affects the ordinary stasis of life and the peace which resumes after the battles are concluded. I have the tendency to focus on the World War Eras – moving between America, Great Britain and Europe, however, I am expanding outside of this niche of time this week as I resume where I left off reading The Bridges of Constantine by Ahlem Mosteghanemi as a precursor of concentrating on a variety of war dramas across both mainstream and inspirational markets. The lyrical prose of Mosteghanemi’s classic work of a trilogy rooted in the humanity behind the war and the pursuit of love against the harshness of that reality is what drew me into it’s narrative heart.
The last war dramas which evoked such a heart-centred story-line of full immersion were The Particular Appeal of Gillian Pugsley (read my ruminative thoughts) and The Silver Locket (read my ruminative thoughts) wherein each author took a different approach to telling a guttingly realistic impression on the drama spinning out of the war era they chose to highlight through their character’s journey. Picking up from whence I left off with these stirringly brilliant observations on the human condition and the anguish of living within a reality of hard choices, I turnt my eye towards a story rooted inside an IRL inspiration! This story, By the Stars was one of a handful of selections I personally sought from the catalogues of Cedar Fort via Edelweiss a few moons ago as the conclusion of one year started to shift forward into a New Year.
I was truly inspired by the proposition of how this story was augmented out of a living history of someone’s past and thus, I created a topic for the author to respond too which would knit out the back-story to give us an inside glimpse of how Ms Ferguson approached writing the bones of her war drama.
If you are curious about where my readerly heart has wandered within this branch of #HistFic you’ll be happily ensconced into my archives! (previously read war dramas are collected via this tag)
Deep in the alcoves of 93-year-old Cal Morgan’s mind is an unexpected and intriguing past. Recollections of growing up a farm boy during the Great Depression, learning to foxtrot in the largest ballroom in America, and serving as an infantry soldier in World War II are fragments of his memories. But perhaps above all, a once in a lifetime love story is seared in his soul, reminding us that some things in life are meant to be.
When Cal finally gets a chance with Kate, the girl he’s loved since grade school, their easy friendship quickly blossoms into a meaningful romance. Spirited and independent, Kate keeps a guarded heart due to a painful past, and Cal wants nothing more than to gain her trust. But the WWII draft calls him to the war in the Pacific and with no way of knowing when and if he will return, Cal prepares to part from her for good. After he’s gone, what Kate does next changes everything.
In the suffocating jungles of the Philippines Cal encounters the chilling life of a soldier and deadly battles of war. But with Kate’s memory always near and willing him on he puts his trust in God, ultimately driven to return to her. Inspired by a true story, By the Stars shows that love, faith, and perseverance can overcome insurmountable obstacles.
Proposed Topic for Ms Ferguson:
You’ve crafted an enduring romance set against WWII involving two strong characters whose will to not only survive the war but to believe in the hope of reunion after it concludes is at the heart of the story. It was referenced this is based on a true story – was this one from your family’s ancestral past or a story you discovered whilst you were researching the era? How did your penchant for historical fiction encourage you to write a war drama with such a convicting note of Hope?
First off, I want to say thank you to Jorie for inviting me on to do a guest post on her fabulous blog! I’m excited to have an opportunity to share about some of the backstory of By the Stars with readers and how the novel came to be.
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Posted Sunday, 20 March, 2016 by jorielov in 20th Century, Blog Tour Host, Bookish Discussions, Cedar Fort Publishing & Media, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Indie Author, Reader Submitted Guest Post (Topic) for Author, The World Wars, War Drama
Posted Saturday, 19 March, 2016 by jorielov A Bargain Struck, A Western Heart, ChocLitUK, Evie Undercover, Liz Harris, The Art of Deception, The Lost Girl, The Road Back 0 Comments
Acquired Book By:
I am a ChocLit reviewer who receives books of my choice in exchange for honest reviews! I received a complimentary copy of “Evie Undercover” from ChocLit in exchange for an honest review! I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
On my connection to Ms Harris:
I have been hosting #ChocLitSaturday chats on a regular basis for the past two years. Eleven in the morning of a Saturday, has become a favourite hour for me to exchange conversation and joy with everyone who shows up to participate in a chat centered around ChocLit novels and the Romance branch of literature in general.
Similar to my previous thoughts I shared about Ms. Courtenay, I have come to appreciate chatting with Ms. Harris, either through #ChocLitSaturdays chats or privately. She is most giving of her time and I have appreciated the opportunity to know the writer behind the stories I enjoy reading! She always shares her happy spirit in the chats too, and her insights into why she enjoys writing the books that speak to her the most.
I am disclosing this, to assure you that I can formulate an honest opinion, even though I have interacted with Harris through our respective love & passion of reading inside the twitterverse whilst I host #ChocLitSaturday the chat as well as privately; I treat each book as a ‘new experience’, whether I personally know the author OR whether I am reading a book by them for the first time. Similarly this applies to all future novels I read by an author I appreciate reading due to the compelling story-lines and characters they continuously bring to their novels and/or novellas.
An appreciator for the fiction Ms Harris writes:
Historicals: The Road Back (review) | A Bargain Struck (review)
Contemporaries: Evie Undercover
Novellas: The Art of Deception and A Western Heart
I entered into the worlds of Ms Harris via her historicals A Bargain Struck and The Road Back wherein I travelled through time to two distinctively unique chapters of the historical past. I learnt about A Western Heart when I hosted a special guest feature revealling a bit more about it’s story and of course, I loved the back-story attached to The Road Back (via another Guest Post of hers). As I was mentioning during #ChocLitSaturday the chatty extension of #ChocLitSaturdays, I love soaking inside the collective works of authors I know I want to continue reading – not only if they exchange genres but if they tackle different kinds of stories than the breadth of which you were originally introduced too.
Ms Harris definitely falls into this category for me, as I appreciate the curious pursuit of crafting stories which have something to say that is outside the boxes of their genre designations. By appearances, you think you will know outright how a story of Harris’s might go along but until you’ve read her novels, your in for an unexpected surprise because she crafts them in a way that re-defines the genres they occupy. I appreciate this for several reasons – one it never leaves any genre exploration of hers left to stagnation and secondly, it gives me an edge of constantly moving in and out of my comfort zones. I like writers who challenge me – either by their choices of how they tell their stories or the topics they explore within them.
If a writer can fuse their inspiration across genre divides and still have a way of capturing your curious nature to consume those works of fiction, you’ve been doubly blessed! For me, Harris is a prime example of how writers love to explore different components of their literary wanderings whilst keeping their readers happily refreshed by the choices they are making on behalf of their characters. I’m not only a reader who dances through genre, but like Harris, I too, wander in and out of genres as a writer. It’s keenly wicked to watch another author find her wings and confidence growing between both the Historical and Contemporary worlds whilst inhabiting both novella and novels in length.
Notation on Cover Art: There was a change of cover-art for “Evie Undercover” as the original version can be seen via my ChocLit Next Reads List on Riffle. What is noted between the two, is the second cover is a bit more revealling of Evie’s personality – she’s an independent woman whose trying to make her way in the world as a journalist but she’s still in transition of learning how far she’s willing to go to get the story she’s commissioned to write. In the original cover, you see the faux Evie the one who was willing to hide behind a more conservative persona in order to hook her mark into thinking she was uninteresting and solely focused on her presumed task as his secretary. I think both covers are aptly suited to the novel and each speak to the story’s lead character in different ways.
Evie Undercover
by Liz Harris
Source: Direct from Publisher
When libel lawyer Tom Hadleigh acquires a perfect holiday home, a 14th century house that needs restoring, there’s a slight problem. The house is located in the beautiful Umbria countryside and Tom can’t speak a word of Italian.
Enter Evie Shaw, masquerading as an agency temp but in reality the newest reporter for gossip magazine Pure Dirt. Unbeknown to Tom, Italian speaking Evie has been sent by her manipulative editor to write an exposé on him. And the stakes are high – Evie’s job rests on her success.
Places to find the book:
ISBN: 9781781892404
Also by this author: A Bargain Struck, Guest Post (A Western Heart) by Liz Harris, Guest Post (The Road Back) by Liz Harris, The Road Back, Book Spotlight w/ Notes (The Lost Girl), Guest Post (The Lost Girl) by Liz Harris, The Art of Deception, The Lost Girl
Published by ChocLitUK
on 2nd September, 2015
Format: Paperback Edition
Pages: 244
Published by: ChocLitUK (@ChocLitUK)
Formats Available: Paperback, Audiobook and E-book
Converse via: #ChocLit
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Posted Saturday, 19 March, 2016 by jorielov in #JorieLovesIndies, 21st Century, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Bookish Discussions, Britian, British Literature, ChocLitSaturdays, ChocLitUK, Contemporary Romance, England, Fly in the Ointment, Green Publishing, Indie Author, Investigative Reporter | Journalist, Life Shift, Modern British Author, Modern British Literature, Modern Day, Romance Fiction, Romantic Comedy, Vulgarity in Literature
Posted Saturday, 5 March, 2016 by jorielov Charton Minster series, ChocLitUK, Magic Sometimes Happens, Margaret James, The Golden Chain, The Penny Bangle, The Silver Locket, The Wedding Diary 4 Comments
Acquired Book By:
I am a ChocLit reviewer who receives books of my choice in exchange for honest reviews! I received a complimentary copy of “The Silver Locket” from ChocLit in exchange for an honest review! I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
An Introduction to the Charton Minster series:
Order of Sequence of Charton Minster series:
The Silver Locket Book One | The Golden Chain Book Two | The Penny Bangle Book Three
The Wedding Diary Book Four | Magic Sometimes Happens Book Five
The first story begins in 1914, where we enter the life of Rose Courtenay – the impression of how this story settled inside my mind will play out below this introduction, as I have decided to start at the beginning of this saga, as I make my way through each of the novels. I love reading series in order of how their stories are being told – mostly due to continuity but also, as I like to see how an author grows the arc of the character’s journey inasmuch as how the story evolves per installment of the series as a whole. I love finding the connective threads and the little nuances which knit everything together or leave a plausible line of thought to question certain motives or outcomes.
Serial fiction is one of my favourite mainstays when it comes to what I appreciate reading on a regular basis – so much so, I decided to dedicate this year to seeking the series within the catalogue of ChocLit; to see the beautiful diversity of characters and stories interacting through a myriad of timescapes which truly give my heart a heap of joy to discover! This is part of the beauty of reading ChocLit – if you love relationship-based Rom set in both the historical past or the contemporary modern world – you’ll always find something to cosy up inside as you pick up a ChocLit novel!
Here is the description for the original books which made up the series trilogy:
Starts in 1914 and ends in 1948. A compelling and intensely romantic tale of the lives of a Dorset family throughout the wars. Set in the UK, France, Belgium, Egypt and Italy.
If you love Downton Abbey, you’ll adore Charton Minster!
You can see what drew me to this series – I was a big appreciator Downton before they killed off Matthew and then, a test of wills followed whilst I have put-off seeing the last two series until they are available to borrow through my local library. It’s simply something that can await my attention, as the story-lines and choices Fellowes was making with his creation irked my ire more than once. Having said that, what I appreciated in the description for this series is how it’s similar to Downton by scope – focusing on a singular family and the trials which will befell them as the series proceeds forward in time.
I love sagas – you get to become so intimately familiar with the characters, caught up in their tides and get to have this extended visitation which you hardly ever want to see end. This is what was so fascinating for me when I realised there were two new novels attached to this trilogy: The Wedding Diary and Magic Sometimes Happens as I had a feeling this might prove to be a hard series to put down. The new installments sound as though they are set in the contemporary world, and perhaps, are linked through the descendants of the original characters – I tried to root out a back-story on these whilst reading through the author’s blog, but I did not find exactly what I was searching for to reveal the particulars.
Which makes my entrance into the series even more delightful, as I get to relate to you, dear hearts, what I am finding and how everything ties collectively together as I move through the series!
Notation on Cover Art: Being a mixed media collage artist who loves to focus on Vintage Ephemera supplies including old photographs from the early 20th Century, I must say, I loved the focus on the women of the Charton Minster series! I had hoped they might be spotlighting the lead characters per novel before the series turns contemporary and thereby the focus of the covers would surely shift. This vintage styling for the cover art truly matched my impressions of the stories by reading their synopsises as it’s a story told through it’s women & how their lives shaped the family’s destiny.
The Silver Locket
Source: Direct from Publisher
If life is cheap, how much is love worth?
It’s 1914 and young Rose Courtenay has a decision to make. Please her wealthy parents by marrying the man of their choice – or play her part in the war effort? The chance to escape proves irresistible and Rose becomes a nurse.
Working in France, she meets Lieutenant Alex Denham, a dark figure from her past. He’s the last man in the world she’d get involved with – especially now he’s married
But in wartime nothing is as it seems. Alex’s marriage is a sham and Rose is the only woman he’s ever wanted. As he recovers from his wounds, he sets out to win her trust. His gift of a silver locket is a far cry from the luxuries she’s left behind.
Places to find the book:
Borrow from a Public Library
Add to LibraryThing
ISBN: 9781906931285
Series: Charton Minster
Also in this series: The Golden Chain, The Penny Bangle, Cover Reveal w/ Notes (Girl in Red Velvet), The Wedding Diary, Magic Sometimes Happens
Published by ChocLitUK
on 29th May, 2012
Format: Paperback Edition
Pages: 320
Published by: ChocLitUK (@ChocLitUK)
Formats Available: Paperback, Audiobook and E-book
Converse via: #ChocLit
About Margaret James
Margaret James was born and brought up in Hereford and now lives in Devon. She studied English at London University, and has written many short stories, articles and serials for magazines. She is the author of sixteen published novels.
Her debut novel for Choc Lit, The Silver Locket, received a glowing review from the Daily Mail and reached the Top 20 Small Publishers Fiction List in November 2010 and in the same year a Reviewers’ Choice Award from Single Titles. The Golden Chain also hit the Top 20 Small Publishers Fiction List in May 2011. The Wedding Diary was shortlisted for the 2014 Romantic Novel of the Year Award.
Novels: The Silver Locket, The Golden Chain, The Penny Bangle, The Wedding Diary and Magic Sometimes Happens which are part of the Charton Minster series.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2016 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
Posted Saturday, 5 March, 2016 by jorielov in #JorieLovesIndies, 20th Century, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Bookish Discussions, Britian, British Literature, Castles & Estates, ChocLitSaturdays, ChocLitUK, Coming-Of Age, Debut Author, Debut Novel, During WWI, England, Father-Daughter Relationships, Flashbacks & Recollective Memories, Green Publishing, Historical Fiction, Indie Author, Jorie Loves A Story Cuppa Book Love Awards, Life Shift, Medical Fiction, Military Fiction, Modern British Author, Modern British Literature, Mother-Daughter Relationships, Nurses & Hospital Life, Political Narrative & Modern Topics, Realistic Fiction, Romance Fiction, the Nineteen Hundreds, The World Wars, War Drama, Warfare & Power Realignment, Women's Fiction, Women's Rights, Women's Suffrage
