TLC Book Tour: The Girl in the Castle (Deverill Chronicles #1) by Santa Montefiore

The Girl in the Castle
(Deverill Chronicles #1)
By Santa Montefiore

Format Read: Trade Paperback
Genre: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance
Rating: 3.5/5

I was sent a copy of The Girl in the Castle by Santa Montefiore from the publisher and TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.

About The Girl in the Castle

• Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (September 27, 2016)
 International sensation Santa Montefiore presents the first book in a trilogy that follows three Irish women through the decades of the twentieth century—perfect for fans of Kate Morton and Hazel Gaynor. Born on the ninth day of the ninth month in the year 1900, Kitty Deverill is special as her grandmother has always told her. Built on the stunning green hills of West Cork, Ireland, Castle Deverill is Kitty’s beloved home, where many generations of Deverills have also resided. Although she’s Anglo-Irish, Kitty’s heart completely belongs to the wild countryside of the Emerald Isle, and her devotion to her Irish-Catholic friends Bridie Doyle, the daughter of the castle’s cook, and Jack O’Leary, the vet’s son, is unmatched—even if Jack is always reminding her that she isn’t fully Irish. Still, Jack and Kitty can’t help falling in love although they both know their union faces the greatest obstacles since they are from different worlds. Bridie cherishes her friendship with Kitty, who makes her feel more like her equal than a servant. Yet she can’t help dreaming of someday having all the wealth and glamour Kitty’s station in life affords her. But when she discovers a secret that Kitty has been keeping from her, Bridie finds herself growing resentful toward the girl in the castle who seems to have it all. When the Irish revolt to throw over British rule in Southern Ireland, Jack enlists to fight. Worried for her safety, Jack warns Kitty to keep her distance, but she refuses and throws herself into the cause for Irish liberty, running messages and ammunition between the rebels. But as Kitty soon discovers, her allegiance to her family and her friends will be tested—and when Castle Deverill comes under attack, the only home and life she’s ever known are threatened. A powerful story of love, loyalty, and friendship, The Girl in the Castle is an exquisitely written novel set against the magical, captivating landscape of Ireland.

Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About Santa Montefiore

Santa Montefiore was born in England. She went to Sherborne School for Girls in Dorset and studied Spanish and Italian at Exeter University. She has written sixteen bestselling novels, which have been translated into thirty different languages and have sold more than two million copies worldwide. Find out more about Santa at her website, and follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

I had seen this authors name around the book blogging community and on Goodreads and became intrigued by the fact that she is recommended for fans of Kate Morton. As she is one of my favourite authors, I knew I had to give Santa Montefiore a chance.

The downstairs-upstairs plotline appealed to me and made for an interesting comparison between the two classes. The Girl in the Castle is set during a time period that covered the years of World War I. However I was unaware of the important events that occurred in Ireland, while the fighting in Europe went on. Although this book is a work of fiction, it has piqued my interest to learn more about the suffering of the Irish people during this time.

Aside from the time period in which the characters in The Girl in the Castle lived, my favourite part was most definitely the setting. Santa Montefiore did a wonderful job of describing the beauty of the country. The pride her characters had for their country added so much to the Irish peoples fight for independence from Britain.

While I found the story to be interesting, this wasn’t a fast read for me. In fact it took me a lot longer to complete than I anticipated and this left me quite discouraged. The writing was beautifully done, however by the latter half of the book I began to dislike characters that I initially favoured.

Although I haven’t decided yet if I will continue on with the second book in this trilogy, I would like to give this author a second try. Even though The Girl in the Castle might not have been the perfect fit for me, I would still recommend in to other fans of historical fiction. Those who enjoy Downton Abbey may enjoy this book as well. 

TLC Book Tour: Book Review: The Whiskey Sea by Ann Howard Creel

The Whiskey Sea

By: Ann Howard Creel 

Published: August 2016
Published By: Lake Union Publishing
Format Read: Trade Paperback
Genre: Historical Fiction

Rating: 3/5

I was sent a copy of The Whiskey Sea by Ann Howard Creel by the publisher via the TLC Book Tours, in exchange for an honest review. 

Motherless and destitute, Frieda Hope grows up during Prohibition determined to make a better life for herself and her sister, Bea. The girls are taken in by a kindly fisherman named Silver, and Frieda begins to feel at home whenever she is on the water. When Silver sells his fishing boat to WWI veteran Sam Hicks, thinking Sam would be a fine husband for Frieda, she’s outraged. But Frieda manages to talk Sam into teaching her to repair boat engines instead, so she has a trade of her own and won’t have to marry. 

Frieda quickly discovers that a mechanic’s wages won’t support Bea and Silver, so she joins a team of rumrunners, speeding into dangerous waters to transport illegal liquor. Frieda becomes swept up in the lucrative, risky work—and swept off her feet by a handsome Ivy Leaguer who’s in it just for fun.

As danger mounts and her own feelings threaten to drown her, can Frieda find her way back to solid ground—and to a love that will sustain her?

The Prohibition era is a time I find fascinating and have enjoyed several movies and television shows set during those years. When I saw that this was the setting for The Whiskey Sea, I jumped at the chance to join in on the book tour.

During a time when a woman’s place was said to be in the home, our main character Frieda broke conventions to become a boat mechanic, in order to support her younger sister and adoptive father. This would lead her down the path towards the dangerous job of rum running.

I expected a story with a lot of excitement and danger, however it focused more on Frieda’s moral compass and romantic interest. It moved along a bit too slowly for my liking and I had a hard time connecting with the main character.

Although The Whiskey Sea might not have been the right book for me, I would recommend it to those who enjoy slower paced historical fiction. 

TLC Book Tour: The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan

About The Bookshop on the Corner

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (September 20, 2016)

  “Losing myself in Jenny Colgan’s beautiful pages is the most delicious, comforting, satisfying treat I have had in ages.”—Jane Green, New York Times bestselling author of Summer Secrets

Nina Redmond is a literary matchmaker. Pairing a reader with that perfect book is her passion… and also her job. Or at least it was. Until yesterday, she was a librarian in the hectic city. But now the job she loved is no more. Determined to make a new life for herself, Nina moves to a sleepy village many miles away. There she buys a van and transforms it into a bookmobile—a mobile bookshop that she drives from neighborhood to neighborhood, changing one life after another with the power of storytelling. From helping her grumpy landlord deliver a lamb, to sharing picnics with a charming train conductor who serenades her with poetry, Nina discovers there’s plenty of adventure, magic, and soul in a place that’s beginning to feel like home… a place where she just might be able to write her own happy ending.

Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About Jenny Colgan

Jenny Colgan is the New York Times bestselling author of numerous novels, including Little Beach Street Bakery, Christmas at Rosie Hopkins’ Sweetshop, and Christmas at the Cupcake Café, all international bestsellers. Jenny is married with three children and lives in London and Scotland. Find out more about Jenny at her website, and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

I was sent a copy of The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan, from HarperCollins and TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. 

Jenny Colgan’s The Bookshop on the Corner was a delightful story of a woman who forges a new life for herself after losing her job.

I was able to relate to the main character Nina, in so many ways. Not only am I the same age as her, but her need to create a new life for herself mirrors my own situation. Even though The Bookshop on the corner is fictional, it is inspirational in that starting over is possible.

I enjoyed the authors laid back writing style, which made for a quick and entertaining story. This book was host to a cast of wonderful characters. The rural Scotland setting and the culture was beautifully described.

My one problem was that the title is a bit misleading, as Nina’s business is mobile and ran out of her van. The Bookshop on the Corner implies to me that it is an actual shop in a building. Thankfully this didn’t take away from the story for me.

Nina’s passion and knowledge of books will be very appealing to readers. I would recommend The Bookshop on the Corner to fans of contemporary fiction. I look forward to reading more from Jenny Colgan in the future. 

The Whiskey Sea by Ann Howard Creel Giveaway Winner!

Earlier this week I posted by book spotlight for The Whiskey Sea by Ann Howard Creel and along with TLC Book Tours offered a giveaway for the book.

So without further ado the winner is....

Marjorie! 

Congratulations Marjorie. Please check your email, as I will be sending you a message regarding shipment, shortly. I hope you enjoy The Whiskey Sea! 

TLC Book Tour: Book Spotlight: The Whiskey Sea by Ann Howard Creel + Giveaway!

The Whiskey Sea
By: Ann Howard Creel

Published: August 2016
Published By: Lake Union Publishing
Format Read: Trade Paperback
Genre: Historical Fiction

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

Motherless and destitute, Frieda Hope grows up during Prohibition determined to make a better life for herself and her sister, Bea. The girls are taken in by a kindly fisherman named Silver, and Frieda begins to feel at home whenever she is on the water. When Silver sells his fishing boat to WWI veteran Sam Hicks, thinking Sam would be a fine husband for Frieda, she’s outraged. But Frieda manages to talk Sam into teaching her to repair boat engines instead, so she has a trade of her own and won’t have to marry.

Frieda quickly discovers that a mechanic’s wages won’t support Bea and Silver, so she joins a team of rumrunners, speeding into dangerous waters to transport illegal liquor. Frieda becomes swept up in the lucrative, risky work—and swept off her feet by a handsome Ivy Leaguer who’s in it just for fun.

As danger mounts and her own feelings threaten to drown her, can Frieda find her way back to solid ground—and to a love that will sustain her?

Giveaway!

(Open to Canadian and US residents)

Ann Howard Creel’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS

Monday, August 22nd: Musings of  a Bookish Kitty

Tuesday, August 23rd: You Can Read Me Anything

Wednesday, August 24th: Staircase Wit

Thursday, August 25th: I Wish I Lived in a Library

Friday, August 26th: Thoughts on This ‘n That

Monday, August 29th: BookNAround

Tuesday, August 30th: Black ‘n Gold Girls Book Reviews

Wednesday, August 31st: Caryn, The Book Whisperer

Thursday, September 1st: Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews

Friday, September 2nd: The Warlock’s Gray Book

Monday, September 5th: Patricia’s Wisdom

Tuesday, September 6th: Just Commonly

Wednesday, September 7th: Reading is My Superpower

Thursday, September 8th: Write Read Life

Monday, September 12th: Bibliotica

Tuesday, September 13th: Melissa Lee’s Many Reads

Thursday, September 15th: View from the Birdhouse

Friday, September 16th: FictionZeal

Monday, September 19th: Reading the Past

TLC Blog Tour: The Mapmaker's Children by Sarah McCoy

About The Mapmaker's Children

 • Paperback: 336 pages • Publisher: Broadway Books (February 9, 2016)

Have you ever wondered if your decisions could change the course of history? Questioned whether or not bad things happen for a reason?
 In Sarah McCoy's THE MAPMAKER'S CHILDREN: A Novel (in paperback February 9, 2016), two women's lives are inextricably linked as they struggle through personal conflicts and wade through mysterious secrets. As the chapters alternate between these two commanding female protagonists, the reader must redefine courage, family, and destiny alongside these two remarkable women. Sarah Brown, the fiercely independent daughter of abolitionist John Brown, is a talented artist in 1860s West Virginia. When Sarah discovers that she cannot bear children, she turns her skills toward helping others and becomes one of the foremost mapmakers for the Underground Railroad. Taking cues from Slave Quilt codes, she hides maps within her paintings as the United States moves toward a bloody civil war. Over one hundred and fifty years later, Eden Anderson, a modern-day woman struggling to conceive a child, moves into an old house in West Virginia as a last-ditch effort to save her marriage and start a family. When she stumbles across part of an old porcelain doll in the root cellar, Eden slowly uncovers a dramatic connection to the Underground Railroad.  McCoy, whose novel The Baker's Daughter was a nominee for the 2012 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Historical Fiction, spent three years researching the Brown family history. This research became the basis for her inventive narrative, one in which McCoy honorably portrays the spirit of the real Sarah Brown and imagines her ties to the fictional Eden. Skillfully plotted and magnificently transporting, THE MAPMAKER'S CHILDREN highlights the power of community and legacy, illustrating the ways in which history and destiny are interconnected on one enormous, intricate map.

 

Purchase Links

Amazon | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

My Rating: 4/5

The Mapmaker’s Children is a dual time period story that alternates between 2014, New Charlestown, West Virginia and pre-Civil War America. It wasn’t until I reached the end of the book that I learned that McCoy’s character Sarah Brown was in fact a real woman. Although this is a fictional account of the abolitionist’s life, it shows a great deal of research done by the author.

In the beginning I found Sarah’s storyline to be rushed and skipped ahead, leaving out some background detail. I also admit it took me some time to get into this story and to warm up to Eden. However the beautiful writing and my curiosity of how the two characters would connect, kept me reading. 

In the end I was glad I continued reading, as I would learn a lot about the Underground Railroad and even come to have a better understanding of Eden. A cute puppy named Cricket, next door neighbour Cleo and a town-full of wonderful residents also helped to make The Mapmaker's Children more enjoyable.

An added bonus to this book was the inclusion of a readers guide, an essay by the author and a music playlist to pair with the story. 

I would recommend The Mapmaker’s Children to those who are interested in reading about the abolitionist movements and the Underground Railroad.   

About Sarah McCoy

SARAH McCOY is the New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author of the 2012 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Historical Fiction nominee The Baker's Daughter as well as The Time It Snowed in Puerto Rico and the novella "The Branch of Hazel" in Grand Central. She has taught English writing at Old Dominion University and at the University of Texas at El Paso. She calls Virginia home but presently lives with her husband and their dog, Gilly, in El Paso, Texas. Sarah enjoys connecting with her readers on Twitter at @SarahMMcCoy, on her Facebook Fan Page or via her website, www.sarahmccoy.com.

I received a copy of The Mapmaker's Children by Sarah McCoy from the publisher and TLC Book Tours, in exchange for an honest review.