Today I am sharing my Feature Post for THE SECRET DETECTIVE AGENCY (The Secret Detective Agency Book #1) by Helena Dixon on this Bookouture Books-On-Tour bog post.
Below you will find a book description and the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!
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Book Description
Meet Miss Jane Treen – the coffee-drinking cat lover dressed head to toe in tweed, who just happens to be a secret super sleuth!
London, 1941: Miss Jane Treenis at her desk, strong black coffee in hand and fluffy ginger cat by her side, when her top-secret government work is interrupted by an urgent call to Devon. A woman has been found dead in a lake in a place where she shouldn’t have been. Jane needs to gather the clues and find the killer before someone else from the agency gets hurt…Shy and handsome code-breaker Arthur Cilento is bewildered by the arrival of the efficient Miss Treen and her cat Marmaduke. She bursts into his life unexpectedly, forcing him out of his comfort zone. The reluctant colleagues huddle near the warmth of a crackling fire in Arthur’s country home, working to piece together the murderous puzzle at hand.
In the sleepy Devon village,someone is hiding something: but is it the busybody vicar and his sister, the dutiful housekeeper and her secretive son, the stern librarian, or someone else altogether? And who were the people with the woman in the lake on the day she died?
No sooner have Arthur and Jane have drawn up a list of suspects, than a parcel reveals a clue that sends them in hot pursuit of a coded diary stashed in a village church. But as the heavy wooden door slams behind them and a key turns in the lock, one thing is sure: they need to unravel the truth and crack this code before the killer decides their number is up…
But if they can catch the culprit in time, might this unusual pair become the finest crime-solving partnership since Holmes and Watson hung up their hats…?
Helena Dixon is the author of the best-selling Miss Underhay murder mystery series and lives in Devon. Married to the same man for over thirty-five years she has three daughters, a cactus called Spike, and a crazy cockapoo. She is allergic to adhesives, apples, tinsel and housework. She was winner of The Romance Prize in 2007 and Love Story of the Year 2010 as Nell Dixon.
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for THE ENGLISH WIFE by Anna Stuart on this Bookouture Books-On-Tour blog post.
Below you will find a book description, my book review, and the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!
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Book Description
Her husband is trying to save the country, but can she save him?
1940, England: Clementine Churchill stands alone on a rooftop in London as bombs rain down on the city. A nearby explosion almost knocks her off her feet, but she gets back up again and shouts into the night: ‘Hitler will not take Britain; not on my watch.’
Rushing back to 10 Downing Street, Clementine is relieved to see the famous building is still standing despite the heavy bombing. It means the Prime Minister – her husband – is alive. Stepping through the door and into Winston’s arms, she is reassured by his steady heartbeat. Every day has been a fight for survival, with people losing loved ones all around her. She prays that this war will not cost her Winston.
Her husband has always dreamed of being Prime Minister; she knew from the moment they married thirty years ago that he wanted to lead the country. Since then, they’ve been a partnership in love and in politics. But, with the war against Hitler, it’s a much bigger responsibility than either of them ever expected. The world needs Winston, and Winston needs her.
While Winston co-ordinates battles across Europe, Clementine finds herself in the spotlight for the first time. Her husband’s name may be on the lips of every soldier and politician but she knows as she visits hospitals and air raid shelters, that the ordinary people speak her name just as much. She realizes she has the potential to make a difference – not as Winston’s shadow in the background but as Clementine Churchill.
One evening, as she looks into Winston’s dear face, Clementine can tell his bravery comes at a cost. Can she help the man she loves finish the fight for freedom – or will this war cost them everything?
This is a fictional novel inspired by the remarkable life of Clementine Churchill. It is a story of the power of love and courage. It is the story of how a husband and wife saved the world. It is a story like no other…
THE ENGLISH WIFE by Anna Stuart is an engrossing and inspiring historical fiction novel with dual narrators, Clementine Churchill, the wife of Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Jenny Miller, a fictional American journalist from the beginning of WWII to V-E Day in England. While featuring the life of Clementine Churchill, the author gives the reader insight into two strong, fascinating women during war.
Clementine Churchill knew what she was getting into when she agreed to marry Winston Churchill. They are a love match and while they have the freedom in their marriage to pursue their personal passions, Clementine always will be by his side to support him, and this is especially evident during England’s darkest hours during WWII.
Jenny and Ned Miller are a young married couple who are journalists sent to England to cover the turmoil in Europe for CBS radio. While Ned’s star is rising, Jenny is only allowed to report on women’s social issues. The two soon become known to the Churchill’s and while Winston is interested in Ned’s ability to aide in war correspondence, Jenny becomes friends with Clementine and the two soon are working together on issues for the English war time population while also dealing with personal issues in their homes.
This is a wonderful look at Clementine’s life, not only as Winston’s wife and soulmate, but as a woman who learns she is stronger and more capable than she believes during these terrible years of war. Jenny and Ned Miller appear to be loosely based on Edward R. Murrow and his wife during their time in England. Clementine and Jenny are friends that emotionally bolster each other through personal difficulties, they demonstrate the differences between American and English sensibilities, and they also discuss and display the differences in their beliefs in the liberation of the women. The historical characters and places throughout the novel are well researched and interesting. In just the short number of years this novel covers, Ms. Stuart takes the reader on an emotional journey that is heart wrenching as well as heartwarming and I found it difficult to put this book down.
I highly recommend this engaging historical fiction novel!
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Author Bio
Anna Stuart lives in Derbyshire with her campervan-mad husband, two hungry teenagers and a slightly loopy dog. She was hooked on books from the moment she first opened one in her cot so is thrilled to now have several of her own to her name. Having studied English literature at Cambridge university, she took an enjoyable temporary trip into the ‘real world’ as a factory planner, before returning to her first love and becoming an author. History has also always fascinated her. Living in an old house with a stone fireplace, she often wonders who sat around it before her and is intrigued by how actively the past is woven into the present, something she likes to explore in her novels. Anna loves the way that writing lets her ‘try on’ so many different lives, but her favourite part of the job is undoubtedly hearing from readers.
When Ruth Handler walks into the boardroom of the toy company she co-founded and pitches her idea for a doll unlike any other, she knows what she’s setting in motion. It might just take the world a moment to catch up.
In 1956, the only dolls on the market for little girls let them pretend to be mothers. Ruth’s vision for a doll shaped like a grown woman and outfitted in an enviable wardrobe will let them dream they can be anything.
As Ruth assembles her team of creative rebels—head engineer Jack Ryan who hides his deepest secrets behind his genius and designers Charlotte Johnson and Stevie Klein, whose hopes and dreams rest on the success of Barbie’s fashion—she knows they’re working against a ticking clock to get this wild idea off the ground.
In the decades to come—through soaring heights and devastating personal lows, public scandals and private tensions— each of them will have to decide how tightly to hold on to their creation. Because Barbie has never been just a doll—she’s a legacy.
LET’S CALL HER BARBIE by Renee Rosen is an engaging historical fiction book that follows the inspiration and creation of an entirely new type of doll called Barbie and the lives of the people involved in bringing her to the world. Barbie was a part of my childhood, even though I was more of a tomboy, my girlfriends would all get together and play with our Barbies. I found this story fascinating and it reminded me of how many and how large the strides in women’s rights made in the short period of time covered by this novel.
Ruth Handler is a brilliant example of “a woman before her time” and while the benefits were many, so were the difficulties and heartaches. The main characters, both historical and fictional, are fully developed and believable. Their personal lives show the cultural shifts throughout the 1950’s, 60’s, and 70’s vividly. Ms. Rosen’s research is evident in her ability to integrate all the new technology involved in getting Barbie made and mass produced without breaking up the flow of the story.
I recommend this historical fiction story that looks into the inception and worldwide phenomenon called, “Barbie”.
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About the Author
Renée Rosen is the USA Today bestselling author of LET’S CALL HER BARBIE, FIFTH AVENUE GLAMOUR GIRL, THE SOCIAL GRACES, PARK AVENUE SUMMER, along with 4 other historical novels and the YA novel, EVERY CROOKED POT.
Renée lives in Chicago where she is at work on a new novel.
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for THE DRESSMAKER’S SECRET by Michelle Vernal on this Bookouture Books-On-Tour blog post.
Below you will find a book description, my book review, an about the author section, and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!
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Book Description
1962. Even as she gazes at the silk bridal dresses in the window, the little girl’s eyes fill with tears. She has dreamed about gowns just like that. But now, lost and alone, she only wants to be held. Just a moment ago, she was in the arms of her mother. Now her only hope lies in Brides of Bold Street, where past and present blur… Sabrina Flooks was lost as a little girl, then raised and trained by talented dressmaker Evelyn. The historic bridal shop on Bold Street is all Sabrina has ever known.
Since the kind shop owner took her in, Sabrina has followed in Evelyn’s footsteps, stitching and bejewelling gorgeous wedding dresses. She’s buried herself in the rich fabrics, closing off her heart rather than face the pain of what happened all those years ago…
Until the sparks that fly between her and handsome Adam Taylor take her completely by surprise. His quiet charm and kind smile encourage her to let her guard down. Just a little.
As love truly begins to bloom, the only way she can overcome the fear of being abandoned again and learn to feel safe in Adam’s warm embrace, is if she finally finds the truth about her identity and her past. And the way to unravelling it all may be closer than she ever thought possible…
Because the rails full of petticoats, veils and skirts hide a secret. One that could have her walking a path through the past.
Could the journey through history give her everything she ever dreamt of? And even if she uncovers the truth, will she make it back to Adam in the present day or will it take Sabrina away from everything she holds dear?
THE DRESSMAKER’S SECRET (Brides of Bold Street Book #1) by Michelle Vernal is a moving historical fiction/time travel romance with a wonderful young female protagonist who discovers her ability to time slip but does not know how to control it or why she has the ability. This is the first book in a new series, and I cannot wait to get into the next.
Sabrina Flooks was lost at the age of three while on a walk with her mother in 1962. She was found, raised and then trained by the talented bridal gown maker who she calls her aunt, Evelyn Flooks. She has a home she loves with her aunt above their bridal shop, but she still has a longing for the truth about her mother and her past.
When Sabrina catches the eye of the handsome Adam Taylor, she wants to let her guard down and open her heart, but not until she knows the truth of her past can she overcome her fear of abandonment.
I loved all the characters and timelines in this story and how they all circled around each other. Ms. Vernal clearly wrote different historical periods folding into each other during the overall story and I never felt lost or confused. The mechanism of Sabrina’s time slipping does not appear to be in her control but does appear to only allow her to return to her time in 1981 with her successfully helping of a couple in 1928 find their HEA. While the historical romance plotline is resolved, Sabrina’s plotline search for her past is not and will continue. Just as in her Little Irish Village series, Ms. Vernal masterfully pulled me into the protagonist’s world and set me on an emotional roller coaster throughout this beautifully written story.
I highly recommend this delightful and heart-warming historical fiction/time travel romance!
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About the Author
Michelle Vernal is a New Zealand author who writes stories that will take you onto the page with her characters and make you feel part of their lives. She writes with humour and warmth, and her readers describe her books as unputdownable, feel good and funny. Her writing has been likened to Maeve Binchy but with a modern-day vernacular. In 2015 she was shortlisted for the Love Stories Award. In 2020 she won the Reader’s Favorite Gold Medal Award for Chick lit, and in 2021 was shortlisted for the Page Turner Book Awards.
FBI special agent Ty Savakis keeps his promises. That’s why he’s asked Wren McKenna to join him in an isolated Alaskan town: he wants her help safeguarding a witness he swore to protect. To find the assailant who tried to kill her, Ty and Wren go undercover as a married couple. These partners have always been a perfect team, but sharing an apartment makes it impossible to resist the attraction they’ve both fought to deny. Will the violent criminal they’re tracking give them a chance to imagine a future together?
ARCTIC PURSUIT (The McKenna Code Book #1) by Anna J. Stewart is an exciting page-turner of an introduction to this new Harlequin Romantic Suspense series featuring the McKenna law enforcement family as they solve crimes and find their HEAs. This book and author delivered everything I look for in a romantic suspense genre book.
FBI special agent Wren McKenna has a special relationship with her partner of seven years, FBI special agent Ty Savakis. Her family members believe they should be together in more than just their working relationship, but she does not want to spoil what they have. Ty is supposed to be on leave right now but comes to Wren for help on an old case in a small Alaskan town. Their cover is as a married couple.
Ty swore to protect a witness in a past case and now the criminal she testified against is getting a new trial. When he hears her be run down over the phone, he asks Wren to help him protect her and her family. Wren and Ty are the perfect partners, but will living together as a married couple make it impossible to resist the chemistry that has always been between them as they fight to bring down a dangerous criminal in winter in small town Alaska?
This is a suspenseful introduction to this new series with just the right amount of romance intertwined throughout. The crime/suspense plotline is fast-paced and continually kept me turning the pages and the romance kept progressing at a realistic pace as the danger makes them realize and admit to how they feel for each other. There are sex scenes, but I never felt they were gratuitous because they fit so well into the friendship and feelings they already had, but did not acknowledge. Like all Harlequin Romantic Suspense books, this story is not overly long and easily read in one sitting. I could not put it down.
I highly recommend this first romantic suspense in The McKenna Code series and I am anxiously awaiting more books in this series!
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About the Author
Award-winning, USA Today and national bestselling author Anna J Stewart writes sweet to sexy romances for Harlequin and ARC Manor’s CAEZIK (Kay-Zehk) Romance. Her sweet Harlequin Heartwarming books include the Butterfly Harbor series as well as the ongoing Blackwell continuity series. She also writes the Honor Bound series for Harlequin Romantic Suspense and has contributed to the bestselling Coltons. Her Circle of the Red Lily romantic suspense series, published by CAEZIK, will launch with EXPOSED in November of 2022.
A Holt Medallion winner (BRIDE ON THE RUN), as well as a Golden Heart, Daphne DuMaurier, and National Reader’s Choice finalist, Anna loves writing big community stories where family found is always the theme. Since her first published novella with Harlequin in 2014, Anna has released more than fifty novels and novellas and hopes to branch out even more (horror romance, anyone?). Anna lives in Northern California where (at the best times) she loves going to the movies, attending fan conventions, and heading to Disneyland, her favorite place on earth. When she’s not writing, she is usually binge-watching her newest TV addiction, re-watching her all-time favorite show, Supernatural, and wrangling two monstrous cats named Rosie and Sherlock.
THE QUEENS OF CRIME by Marie Benedict is a historical fiction/mystery story featuring The Queens of Crime, their founding and friendship, and a locked room mystery they work together to solve in 1930 London and Boulogne-sur-Mer. Told solely from Dorothy Sayer’s perspective this is an entertaining story with an intriguing mystery.
Mystery writers Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, Baroness Emma Orczy, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham band together as The Queens of Crime to be recognized as equals to the male members of the legendary Detection Club. To receive that recognition, they plan to solve an actual murder straight out of the headlines.
A young nurse takes a day trip to Boulogne-sur-Mer, France with a friend and disappears. She went into the ladies room at the ferry terminal and never came out. Her body is discovered several months later in a park with signs of strangulation. Determined to solve the mystery, the ladies use their skills to investigate. As they get closer, Dorothy is threatened with the revelation of a secret from her past and attacked. Will they be able pull all their skills and talents together to solve the mystery before anyone else becomes a victim?
I was really looking forward to getting this book, and while it is an entertaining read, with an excellent locked room mystery intertwined, the Queens are not as fully developed as individual characters as I was hoping for. I felt Dorothy was developed as a good lead character, but the other ladies were lacking. There is a heavy emphasis on their clothes and food, with in my opinion, only minimal emphasis on their personalities. I enjoyed the history surrounding the WWI “surplus girls” and the mystery plot itself, though it started slowly it was filled with interesting twists and red herrings.
Overall, an enjoyable historical fiction/mystery book, just not my favorite by this author.
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About the Author
Marie Benedict is a lawyer with more than ten years’ experience as a litigator at two of the country’s premier law firms, who found her calling unearthing the hidden historical stories of women. Her mission is to excavate from the past the most important, complex and fascinating women of history and bring them into the light of present-day where we can finally perceive the breadth of their contributions as well as the insights they bring to modern day issues. She embarked on a new, thematically connected series of historical novels with THE OTHER EINSTEIN, which tells the tale of Albert Einstein’s first wife, a physicist herself, and the role she might have played in his theories. The next novel in this series is the USA Today bestselling CARNEGIE’S MAID — which released in January of 2018 — and the book that followed is the New York Times bestseller and Barnes & Noble Book Club Pick THE ONLY WOMAN IN THE ROOM, the story of the brilliant inventor Hedy Lamarr, which published in January of 2019. In January of 2020, LADY CLEMENTINE, the story of the incredible Clementine Churchill, was released, and became an international bestseller. Her next novel, the Instant NY Times and USA Today bestselling THE MYSTERY OF MRS. CHRISTIE, was published on December 29, 2020, and her first co-written book, THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN, with the talented Victoria Christopher Murray, will be released on June 29, 2021. Writing as Heather Terrell, Marie also published the historical novels The Chrysalis, The Map Thief, and Brigid of Kildare.
