Fairytale Nerd

My Review - Death and the Harlot by Georgina Clarke I was completely absorbed into this book which I received through Netgalley, with its extremely likeable heroine Lizzie Hardwicke, Harlot of the title. A high-class London prostitute working out of a mid 18th century Soho pleasure house. When one of her "customers" is found murdered she faces inevitable suspicion, so, keen to clear her name she joins forces with an investigator and becomes amateur sleuth. Set in the back streets of London, among the seediest pubs, the coffee houses and bathhouses where no respectable girl would be seen, as a lady of the night Lizzie can pass through, if not completely unnoticed, at least accepted. She uses her keen skills of observation and an understanding of peoples motives gained from her questionable trade, to great advantage. What emerges is a complicated tale of blackmail, and revenge, where everyone has either a hidden past or leads a double life, nobody can be taken at face value and...

Blog Tour The Den Abi Maxwell Hello, readers, I have a treat for lovers of dual time/ contemporary/ Historical fiction, Women's fiction and coming of age stories as this versatile books fits all of those briefs. My Review of The Den – Abi Maxwell The Den is probably best described as a dual-time coming of age story, as it tells the stories of 2 pairs of sisters living about 150 years apart in the same farming area of New Hampshire. It gently bestows on the reader a sense of long hot summer days and the thrill of self-discovery and growing passions, it explores the need to be needed and what it’s like to grow apart from a much-loved sibling and touches on the different rules and restrictions placed on women. The main portion of the story is that of 12-year-old Jane and her older sister teenage Henrietta. Often left to their own devices the two girls are very close as children, until Henrietta begins to develop an interest in boys and sex, as she begins to go off the rails somewhat i...

The Daughters of Ironbridge - Mollie Walton - My Review My thoughts: The Daughters of Ironbridge is an already well-known authors diversification into historical saga's under a new pseudonym and as expected she adapts to this style of writing extremely well.  This is women's fiction which will appeal to fans of authors such as Diney Costelloe and Katie Flynn, which explores aspects of friendship and life on both sides of the class division of the early 19th century The story begins when an uncommon friendship springs up between two young women from very different backgrounds. Working class Anny, daughter of an ironworker is thrown in the path of wealthy Margaret and surprisingly, against all odds the girls soon become staunch allies.  Despite their huge lifestyle differences the girls find a lot in common and soon decide to band together as a force to be reckoned with. Strong feisty women, a great historical setting in an inimitable location in Shropshire combine to make this ...

The Catherine Howard Conspiracy by Alexandra Walsh Blog Tour & extract Please join me today on the Blog Tour for The Catherine Howard Conspiracy by Alexandra Walsh. Published by Sapere Books it is an exciting historical novel which is inspired by the Women of the Tudor Court and is part one of The Marquess House trilogy which sounds amazing and fab for anyone enthralled by Tudor history. I have a free extract for you to read and enjoy before you rush out and buy the book. I'm not kidding it makes me want to read on and I just long to lounge around on a sunny beach reading this. Extract Chapter One Catherine shivered as she waited. The corridor in Whitehall Palace was a thoroughfare bustling with people, but it was draughty and the icy wind cut across it like a shining blade. She hugged her new shawl more tightly around her, glad of its warmth. As she did, she admired the soft leather gloves her uncle had given her as a gift before she left home. “Soft gloves to protect your sof...

Blog Tour Son of The Moon by Jennifer MacAire Today I am welcoming author Jennifer MacAire to Beadyjans Books for the BlogBlitz Tour of her latest historical novel Son of the Moon. I have an  Excerpt from Son of the Moon by Jennifer Macaire Can you face the consequences of cheating the Fates? Alexander the Great journeys to India, where he and Ashley are welcomed with feasts and treachery. With their son, Paul, being worshipped as the Son of the Moon, and Alexander’s looming death, Ashley considers the unthinkable: how to save them and whether she dares to cheat Fate? Excerpt:  Alexander found many men willing to marry and stay in Taxila with the king. The city would become the biggest center of Hellenic culture in India. Greek would be spoken there for centuries. It would become one of the greatest exchanges between east and west. Taxile didn’t know this, of course, but he seemed thrilled to meet Alexander. He wouldn’t stop rubbing his hands together and beaming.  He w...