9/11/2021 The Matchmaker’s Lonely Heart: Proper Romance Victorian Author: Nancy Campbell Allen

 

The Matchmaker’s Lonely Heart: Proper Romance Victorian

· Author: Nancy Campbell Allen

· Genre: Historical Romance, Historical Mystery/Suspense, Inspirational Fiction

· Publisher: Shadow Mountain Publishing (September 7, 2021)

· Length: (336) pages

· Format: Trade paperback, eBook, & audiobook

BOOK DESCRIPTION

London, 1885

 

Amelie Hampton is a hopeless romantic, which makes her the perfect columnist to answer lonely heart letters in The Marriage Gazette. When Amelie plays matchmaker with two anonymous lonely hearts, she also decides to secretly observe the couple's blind date. To her surprise, the man who appears for the rendezvous is Harold Radcliffe―a grieving widower and a member of Amelie's book club.

 

Police detective Michael Baker has been struggling ever since his best friend and brother-in-law died in the line of fire. Because he knows the dangers of his job, he has vowed never to marry and subject a wife and family to the uncertainty of his profession. But when he meets Miss Hampton, he is captured by her innocence, beauty, and her quick mind.

 

When a woman's body is pulled from the river, Michael suspects the woman's husband―Harold Radcliffe―of foul play. Amelie refuses to believe that Harold is capable of such violence but agrees to help, imagining it will be like one of her favorite mystery novels. Her social connections and clever observations prove an asset to the case, and Amelie is determined to prove Mr. Radcliffe's innocence. But the more time Amelie and Michael spend together, the more they trust each other, and the more they realize they are a good team, maybe the perfect match.

 

They also realize that Mr. Radcliffe is hiding more than one secret, and when his attention turns toward Amelie, Michael knows he must put an end to this case before the woman he loves comes to harm.

ADVANCE PRAISE

 

"Allen pairs a matchmaker and a detective in this charming Victorian romance. Allen expertly combines mystery and romance into a fast-paced tale complete with plenty of surprises and a central relationship founded on mutual admiration and respect. Readers are sure to appreciate the strong, well-shaded heroine and twisty plot." —Publishers Weekly

 

"Allen's chaste tale of Victorian romantic suspense will also appeal to historical mystery readers, and it would be great for mother-and-daughter reads. This has great appeal for teens who like historical fiction laced with mystery and romance." —Booklist

 

“I was immediately drawn into the characters’ lives and enjoyed the unraveling of the mystery and the development of the romance.” —Mystery and Suspense Magazine

 

REVIEW:

This Victorian Era read is everything I loved - it had romance, mystery and adventure. I was gripped from the very first page. I love the grit and the characters in this story. The historical mystery was a fun read for me as well as the police procedural and the romance was a bonus. 

The writing really transported me to the Victorian time period, with rich detail that gave this mystery a wonderful atmospheric read.

I enjoyed Amelie as a character and all the other secondary characters as well. I enjoyed how we slowly uncovered the mystery and the well plotted story line. 

I found this book to be engaging and entertaining tor read. Fun historical mystery with a splash of romance. 

AUTHOR BIO

Nancy Campbell Allen is the author of fifteen published novels and numerous novellas, which span genres from contemporary romantic suspense to historical fiction.  In 2005, her work won the Utah Best of State award, and she received a Whitney Award for My Fair Gentleman. She has presented at numerous writing conferences and events since her first book was released in 1999. Nancy received a BS in Elementary Education from Weber State University. She loves to read, write, travel, and research and enjoys spending time laughing with family and friends. She is married and the mother of three children.

TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS | BOOKBUB

 

 

 

 

TOUR SCHEDULE

 

                 

Sept 06         Timeless Novels (Review)

Sept 07         The Book Diva Reads (Excerpt)

Sept 07         Wishful Endings (Review)

Sept 08         Robin Loves Reading (Review)

Sept 08         A Darn Good Read (Review)

Sept 08         Storeybook Reviews (Spotlight)

Sept 08         Austenesque Reviews (Review)

Sept 09         Bookfoolery (Review)

Sept 09         The Lit Bitch (Excerpt)

Sept 10         The Bluestocking (Review)

Sept 10         Bookworm Lisa (Review)

Sept 10         The Silver Petticoat Review (Review)

Sept 11         Book Confessions of an Ex-Ballerina (Review)

Sept 11         My Bookish Bliss (Review)

Sept 11         Nurse Bookie (Review)

Sept 12         The Bibliophile Files (Review)

Sept 12         My Jane Austen Book Club (Spotlight)

Sept 13         Heidi Reads (Excerpt)

Sept 13         Reading with Emily (Review)

Sept 13         Our Book Confessions (Review)

Sept 14         Rosanne E. Lortz (Review)

Sept 14         Laura's Reviews (Review)

Sept 14         Beauty in the Binding (Spotlight)

Sept 15         All-of-a-Kind Mom (Review)

Sept 15         Gwendalyn's Books (Review)

Sept 15         Life of Literature (Review)

Sept 16         From Pemberley to Milton (Review)

Sept 16         Probably at the Library (Spotlight)

Sept 17         Greenish Bookshelf (Review)

Sept 17         Relz Reviewz (Review)

Sept 18         Novel Kicks (Review)

Sept 19         Historical Fiction with Spirit (Excerpt)

                    

                    

 

PURCHASE LINKS

 

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY | BOOKSHOP

| GOODREADS

 

 

 

 

 

09.01.2021 BLOOMSBURY GIRLS COVER REVEAL @NatalieMJenner, @StMartinsPress @MacmillanAudio

 

I am so excited to be a part of this cover reveal..... I am in love. This cover is perfect and I cannot wait to read this amazing book by one of my favorite authors.

·         Title: Bloomsbury Girls: A Novel

·         Author: Natalie Jenner 

·         Genre: Historical Fiction

·         Publisher: St Martin’s Press (May 17, 2022)

·         Length: (304) pages

·         Hardcover ISBN: 978-1250276698

·         Audiobook ISBN: 978-1250852311

·         eBook ASIN: B09CNDV5GJ

“One bookshop. Fifty-one rules. Three women who break them all.”

The Internationally Bestselling author of The Jane Austen Society returns with a compelling and heartwarming story of post-war London, a century-old bookstore, and three women determined to find their way in a fast-changing world.

Bloomsbury Books is an old-fashioned new and rare bookstore that has persisted and resisted change for a hundred years, run by men and guided by the general manager's unbreakable fifty-one rules.  But in 1950, the world is changing, especially the world of books and publishing, and at Bloomsbury Books, the girls in the shop have plans:

Vivien Lowry:  Single since her aristocratic fiancé was killed in action during World War II, the brilliant and stylish Vivien has a long list of grievances - most of them well justified and the biggest of which is Alec McDonough, the Head of Fiction.

Grace Perkins: Married with two sons, she's been working to support the family following her husband's breakdown in the aftermath of the war. Torn between duty to her family and dreams of her own.

Evie Stone:  In the first class of female students from Cambridge permitted to earn a degree, Evie was denied an academic position in favor of her less accomplished male rival. Now she's working at Bloomsbury Books while she plans to remake her own future.

As they interact with various literary figures of the time - Daphne Du Maurier, Ellen Doubleday, Sonia Blair (widow of George Orwell), Samuel Beckett, Peggy Guggenheim, and others - these three women with their complex web of relationships, goals and dreams are all working to plot out a future that is richer and more rewarding than anything society will allow.

 

QUOTES FROM AUTHOR NATALIE JENNER

“I never intended for Evie Stone to be a major character in my debut novel, let alone inspire my second one, Bloomsbury Girls. But as time went on, I found I could not leave her behind in Chawton with the other society members. And then one day I rewatched a favourite movie, 84 Charing Cross Road, and I remember thinking, there's a whole other story in here still to be told, of an upstairs-downstairs motley crew of booksellers, and right away the figures came to life.”

“As with The Jane Austen Society, Bloomsbury Girls features multiple characters and storylines revolving around one very charming location: this time, the quintessential Dickensian-type bookshop.”

“If The Jane Austen Society was the book I wrote when I was coming out of sadness, Bloomsbury Girls was written when I was very happy, and I hope it provides a little cheer to readers during this difficult time.

 

AUTHOR BIO

Natalie Jenner is the author of two books, the instant international bestseller THE JANE AUSTEN SOCIETY and BLOOMSBURY GIRLS. A Goodreads Choice Award finalist for best debut novel and historical fiction, THE JANE AUSTEN SOCIETY was a USA Today and #1 national bestseller and has been sold for translation in twenty countries. Born in England and raised in Canada, Natalie has been a corporate lawyer, a career coach and, most recently, an independent bookstore owner in Oakville, Ontario, where she lives with her family and two rescue dogs.

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS

PURCHASE LINKS

 

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | INDIEBOUND | KOBO | GOOGLE PLAY | GOODREADS

 

 

 

08.26.2021 The Merchant and the Rogue @SarahMEden, @ShadowMountn

The Merchant and the Rogue: Proper Romance Victorian

Sarah M. Eden

·         Series: Book 3 in The Dread Penny Society

·         Genre: Historical Romance, Historical Mystery/Suspense, Inspirational Fiction

·         Publisher: Shadow Mountain Publishing (August 17, 2021)

·         Length: (368) pages

·         Trade paperback ISBN: 978-1629728513

·         Audiobook ASIN: B0921TS4TF

·         eBook ASIN:  B098TVLLM7

·         Previous Books in the Series: The Lady and the Highwayman (2019) & The Gentleman and the Thief (2020)

·         Tour Dates: August 16 – 29, 2021

 

BOOK DESCRIPTION

London, 1865

 

Vera Sorokina loves reading the Penny Dreadfuls and immersing herself in tales of adventure, mystery, and romance. Her own days are filled with the often-mundane work of running the book and print shop she owns with her father. The shop offers her the freedom and income to employ and protect the poverty-stricken Londoners she's come to care about, and it gives her father something to do other than long for their hometown of St. Petersburg. She is grateful for the stability in their lives, but she often feels lonely.

 

Brogan Donnelly was born and raised in Ireland, but has lived in London for several years, where he's built a career as a Penny Dreadful writer. He has dedicated himself to the plight of the poor with the help of his sister. His membership in the secretive Dread Penny Society allows him to feel he isn't entirely wasting his life, yet he feels dissatisfied. With no one to share his life with but his sister, he fears London will never truly feel like home.

 

Brogan and Vera's paths cross, and the attraction is both immediate and ill-advised. Vera knows from experience that writers are never to be trusted, and Brogan has reason to suspect not everything at her print shop is aboveboard. When the growing criminal enterprise run by the elusive and violent Mastiff begins targeting their area of London, Brogan and Vera must work together to protect the community they've both grown to love. But that means they'll need to learn to trust each other with dangerous secrets that have followed both of them from their home countries.

 

MY REVIEW:

The Merchant and the Rogue is book three of The Dread Penny Society series by Sarah M Eden.

Though this is my first book by Eden and the only book I have read in the series, I still enjoyed this book as a stand-alone.

The main story revolves around Vera Sorokina who works in a book and print shop with her father, and Brogan Donnelly who is an Irish immigrant, a penny dreadful writer, and a vigilante fighting for the children in the streets of London. These characters are a delight to read with their banter, and a mini romance brewing. The addition of the mystery element of figuring out the terror affecting the merchants was a wonderful addition to the story.

I really enjoyed the writing and the main characters with depth and history - I especially enjoyed reading about a strong female character, who was an immigrant from Russia that is set during a time when the class system viewed foreigners as inferiors.

Overall I was so pleased to finally read a wonderful historical fiction in the Penny dreadful series.

AUTHOR BIO

Sarah M. Eden is the author of critically acclaimed and award-winning Proper Romance series novels including The Lady and the Highwayman and Ashes on the Moor. Combining her passion for history and an affinity for love stories, Sarah crafts smart, witty characters and heartfelt romances. She happily spends hours perusing the reference shelves of her local library and dreams of one day traveling to all the places she reads about.

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS

SPECIAL OFFER

 

Please help Sarah M. Eden get her latest novel, THE MERCHANT AND THE ROGUE, to hit the New York Times best-seller list by purchasing a copy between August 15-22, 2021.

Everyone who submits a copy of their receipt and fills out the form during the week of August 15-22 will receive The Merchant and the Rogue - Swag Bundle. Supplies are limited, so act today. Please visit the Swag Bundle webpage for details. 

 

THE JANE AUSTEN SOCIETY

Title: The Jane Austen Society: A Novel

Author: Natalie Jenner

Genre: Historical Fiction, Austenesque Fiction

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press (May 26, 2020)

Length (320) pages

Hardcover ISBN: 978-1250248732

eBook ASIN: B07WQPPXFW

Audiobook ASIN: B082VL7VRR

Tour Dates: May 25 – June 30, 2020

ACCOLADES:

·         An Amazon Best Book of May 2020 

·         One of Goodreads Big Books of Spring & Hot Books of Summer

·         One of Audible’s Top 50 Most Anticipated Spring Audiobooks

·         June 2020 Indie Next Pick

·         May 2020 Library Reads Pick

·         Starred Review - Library Journal

·         Starred Review - Booklist 

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Just after the Second World War, in the small English village of Chawton, an unusual but like-minded group of people band together to attempt something remarkable.

One hundred and fifty years ago, Chawton was the final home of Jane Austen, one of England's finest novelists. Now it's home to a few distant relatives and their diminishing estate. With the last bit of Austen's legacy threatened, a group of disparate individuals come together to preserve both Jane Austen's home and her legacy. These people—a laborer, a young widow, the local doctor, and a movie star, among others—could not be more different and yet they are united in their love for the works and words of Austen. As each of them endures their own quiet struggle with loss and trauma, some from the recent war, others from more distant tragedies, they rally together to create the Jane Austen Society.

AUDIOBOOK NARRATED BY ACTOR RICHARD ARMITAGE:

The full unabridged text of THE JANE AUSTEN SOCIETY was read by the distinguished English film, television, theatre and voice actor Richard Armitage for the audiobook recording. Best known by many period drama fans for his outstanding performance as John Thornton in the BBC television adaptation of North and South (2004), Armitage also portrayed Thorin Oakenshield in Peter Jackson's film trilogy adaptation of The Hobbit (2012 – 2014).

Link to YouTube audiobook excerpt: https://youtu.be/OJ1ACJluRi8

PURCHASE LINKS:

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY | INDIEBOUND | AUDIBLE | GOODREADS | BOOKBUB

ADVANCE PRAISE:

“Just like a story written by Austen herself, Jenner’s first novel is brimming with charming moments, endearing characters, and nuanced relationships…Readers won’t need previous knowledge of Austen and her novels to enjoy this tale’s slow revealing of secrets that build to a satisfying and dramatic ending.” ―Booklist (starred review)

“Few things draw disparate people together so quickly as discovering they love the same writers. Few writers cement such friendships as deeply as Austen does. I believe that the readers of Jenner’s book will fall in love with the readers inside Jenner’s book, all of us thinking and dreaming of Austen the whole while. What could be better? Nothing, that’s what! A wonderful book, a wonderful read.” ―Karen Joy Fowler, New York Times bestselling author of The Jane Austen Book Club

“Fans of The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society will adore The Jane Austen Society… A charming and memorable debut, which reminds us of the universal language of literature and the power of books to unite and heal.” —Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Girls of Paris

Thoughts/Review:

I loved this book!

I cannot believe that this novel is a debut. It was brilliant! I simply am addicted to this book and Natalie Jenner's phenomenal writing. 

Is it the name of the book where anything Jane Austen I must love and gravitate too? Is it the amazing book cover that just brings me back to simpler times? Is it the motley crew of characters that are so different they make up the perfect society? Well, it is everything! I love every bit of this from the historical background, and the characters' solidarity in rallying together as they endure their own difficulties and creating something absolutely remarkable.

I also did read this and listen to the @librofm narration by Richard Armitage which was absolutely phenomenal. It really did give so much more to the story hearing Armitage read to me. It added so much more to my reading experience. 

I am a huge fan of Austen's work and loved the quotes and the incorporation of Pride and Prejudice, Emma and Sense and Sensibility throughout the story. This was a great escape read, that was also charming and beautiful. It is a story about people with hurt, suffering from loss and are real people with real struggles. I loved that I was able to relate with the characters. 

The writing was beautifully researched and was rich in detail that I really enjoyed. I am a fan of Jenner's writing and look forward to her future novels. I cannot stop talking about this fantastic historical fiction novel. 

SPOTIFY PLAYLIST:

Spotify users can access a playlist for THE JANE AUSTEN SOCIETY at the following link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5Q1Vl17qyQQIvvPGeIPCkr?si=-iMhVz8uRk2v2mTdolrPdg. The playlist includes music from various film adaptions of Jane Austen’s books, as well as film scores by such incomparable artists as Hans Zimmer, Ennio Morricone, Rachel Portman, and Michael Nyman.

AUTHOR BIO:

Natalie Jenner is the debut author of THE JANE AUSTEN SOCIETY, a fictional telling of the start of the society in the 1940s in the village of Chawton, where Austen wrote or revised her major works. Born in England and raised in Canada, Natalie graduated from the University of Toronto with degrees in English Literature and Law and has worked for decades in the legal industry. She recently founded the independent bookstore Archetype Books in Oakville, Ontario, where she lives with her family and two rescue dogs.

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS

BLOG TOUR BLURB:

Join the virtual online book tour of THE JANE AUSTEN SOCIETY, Natalie Jenner’s highly acclaimed debut novel May 25 through June 30, 2020. Seventy-five popular blogs and websites specializing in historical fiction, historical romance, women’s fiction, and Austenesque fiction will feature interviews and reviews of this post-WWII novel set in Chawton, England.

BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE:

May 25           Jane Austen's World

May 25           Austenprose—A Jane Austen Blog

May 26           Frolic Media

May 26           A Bookish Affair

May 26           Courtney Reads Romance

May 26           Margie's Must Reads

May 26           The Reading Frenzy

May 27           Book Confessions of an Ex-Ballerina

May 27           Gwendalyn's Books

May 27           Romantically Inclined Reviews

May 28           Getting Your Read On

May 28           Living Read Girl

May 28           The Lit Bitch

May 29           History Lizzie

May 29           Silver Petticoat Reviews

May 30           Cup of Tea with that Book, Please

May 30           Historical Fiction Reader

May 31           Jane Austen in Vermont

June 01          From Pemberley to Milton

June 01          My Jane Austen Book Club

June 01          AustenBlog

June 02          Lu's Reviews

June 02          The Green Mockingbird

June 03          The Interests of a Jane Austen Girl

June 03          Relz Reviews

June 03          Impressions in Ink

June 04          The Caffeinated Bibliophile

June 04          Life of Literature

June 04          Laura's Reviews

June 05          Reading Ladies Book Club

June 05          Bookish Rantings

June 06          From the TBR Pile

June 07          Rachel Dodge

June 07          An Historian About Town

June 08          Bringing up Books

June 08          Austenesque Reviews

June 09          Captivated Reading

June 09          Savvy Verse and Witt

June 10          Lady with a Quill

June 10          Drunk Austen

June 11          Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell

June 11          Inkwell Inspirations

June 12          Nurse Bookie

June 12          A Bookish Way of Life

June 13          Calico Critic

June 14          Jane Austen's World

June 15          Stuck in a Book

June 15          Storybook Reviews

June 15          Confessions of a Book Addict

June 16          Literary Quicksand

June 16          Becky on Books

June 17          The Reading Frenzy

June 17          Anita Loves Books

June 18          Chicks, Rogues, & Scandals

June 18          The Write Review

June 19          Diary of Eccentric

June 20          Cracking the Cover

June 21          Short Books & Scribes

June 22          Reading the Past

June 22          Babblings of a Bookworm

June 23          My Vices and Weaknesses

June 23          The Book Diva Reads

June 24          Books, Teacups & Reviews

June 24          Wishful Endings

June 25          Robin Loves Reading

June 25          Bookfoolery

June 26          Lit and Life

June 26          Vesper's Place

June 27          Foxes and Fairy Tales

June 28          Probably at the Library

June 28          Scuffed Slippers Wormy Books

June 29          The Anglophile Channel

June 29          So Little Time…

June 30          BookNAround