Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!
I had already made my selections to read during #AustenInAugust for this year as I’ve been trying to make good on my promise to myself to re-engage with the stories I’ve attempted to read in the past but fell a bit short of finishing; hence why I have a book blogger’s backlogue.
For this particular event – I was looking forward to Adam @ Roof Beam Reader hosting this as it was an event he hosted for quite awhile before he had to take a hiatus from it. This year, as I was contemplating hosting a homage to his event, I learnt there was another event a month before August in July – simply called ‘#JaneAustenJuly’ which originates via booktube. I’ve decided to move my Austen reads into July to walk alongside my INSPY reads for a readathon I love participating in for INSPY Lit.
You might be curious why I am broaching this whilst hosting Ms James? The reason is because I originally crossed paths with the author when she first contacted me about “Suddenly Mrs Darcy” – this is one of the stories I desire to finally enjoy start to finish during #JaneAustenJuly as it was one story which was left unfinished in [2016]. I’ve been attempting to get back into reading Jane Austen ever since however, the past several years haven’t quite been kind to me as most of my regular readers know as [2017] was the year my father recovered from his stroke whilst [2018/19] were the years where my own health afflictions took over my life.
In [2019] I had the pleasure of listening to “Rational Creatures” – a collection of Jane Austen inspired after canon short stories – an anthology which also features Jenetta James. Shortly thereafter I had the chance to receive the anthology “Yuletide”. It is this second anthology I didn’t get the chance to feature on Jorie Loves A Story due to health afflictions and other issues which arose after I received the collection. I’ll be showcasing both “Yuletide” and “Suddenly Mrs Darcy” this July as I walk back into my readings of Jane Austen as I also slated to read “Mansfield Park” and “Northanger Abbey”.
This Summer whilst re-organising my readerly life, I saw the announcement for this lovely story and knew I wanted to help promote it. I still stand behind what initially drew me into wanting to read Ms James’ stories – there is something quite marvelous about the kinds of stories she’s writing and I dearly cannot wait to reconnect with one from her past next month!
Today I am celebrating her latest release and look forward to hearing from my readers if this is an author whose on your own radar to be read and/or if this is the first time you’ve heard of Jenetta James and the collective works she has currently published? Grab a cuppa of your favourite brew and get to know a bit more about this lovely new release!
The Memory House
Subtitle: A Love Story in Two Acts
by Jenetta James
A house in one of London’s most exclusive neighbourhoods is home to secrets, mysteries, and two love stories spanning two centuries.
In 1859, independent-minded Kitty Cathcart dreams of escaping Veronica Gardens but her father’s determination to marry her off to a rich man of his choosing forces her to seek happiness and find her own voice by other means. And then the handsome but poor Alex Faraday walks through the front doors.
In 2019, Oxford-educated Josie Minton never dreamt of living in a house as grand as Veronica Gardens, but the nanny’s quarters are a perfect fit for a young woman in need of a job. Wealthy financier James Cavendish and his twin girls quickly find her indispensable to their happiness, but Josie is still searching for her future.
Then the great house reveals the first of its secrets, and the tragedy and romance of one era are brought into sharp relief with another.
Places to find the book:
ASIN: B08BFG6LJ4
Published by Quills and Quartos Publishing
on 10th August, 2020
Published by: Quills and Quartos Publishing (@QuillsQuartos)
The following stories by Jenetta James are being re-released:
Suddenly Mrs Darcy
The Elizabeth Papers
Lover’s Knot
Available Formats: This is a Digital First release.
Converse via: #HistFic or #HistNov
+ #TheMemoryHouse, #JenettaJames and #HFVBTBlogTours
About Jenetta James
Jenetta James is a lawyer, writer, mother and taker-on of too much. She grew up in Cambridge and read history at Oxford University where she was a scholar and president of the Oxford University History Society. After graduating, she took to the law and now practises full time as a barrister. Over the years she has lived in France, Hungary and Trinidad as well as her native England. Jenetta currently lives in London with her husband and children where she enjoys reading, laughing and playing with Lego.
She is the author of “Suddenly Mrs Darcy”, “The Elizabeth Papers” and “Lover’s Knot” as well as a contributor to The Quill Ink series of anthologies, “The Darcy Monologues”, “Dangerous to know”, “Rational Creatures” and “Elizabeth: Obstinate Headstrong Girl”.
