The Hourglass by Tracey Rees

Tracy Rees follows last year’s wonderful historical novel Florence Grace with a more contemporary tale set in London and the lovely coastal town of Tenby in Wales. The dual time tale follows Nora in 2014; a burnt out Londoner approaching forty and in need of a change and teenager Chloe in 1950s Tenby; desperate to dance and experience the glamour and romance of adult life. Nora has impulsively left both her boyfriend and her admin job behind to follow a startling vision of a beach which she knows will bring her peace and help her sort out what she wants to do with life. While in the 1950s Chloe clashes with her older cousin and befriends Leonard a lonely young boy with a passion for photography. Nora has always felt drawn to Wales and so she visits Tenby and tries to understand why her mother left it behind and refuses to return. It’s left to the reader to work out the connection between the two characters and Tracy Rees does a wonderful job of overlapping and interweaving the two stories. The author has a gift for creating powerful and distinct character voices and reading a Tracy Rees novel is very much like sitting down for tea and a chat with an old friend. Well plotted and well written The Hourglass will make a wonderful summer read for

Fans of Lucinda Riley, Rosanna Ley, Rachel Hore or JoJo Moyes.

Published by Quercus on 4th May in paperback

This review originally appeared in Historical novels Review Issue 80 May 2017

View it online here https://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/the-hourglass/ 

Blog Tour for Conquest Book 1 by Tracey Warr

I am delighted to be taking part in the blog tour for the brilliant new book by historical fiction author Tracey Warr. Check out the review below and check out the details of all the other stops on the blog tour in the banner above.

CONQUEST: DAUGHTER OF THE LAST KING

BY TRACEY WARR

This is the first book in the Conquest trilogy by Tracey Warr and it centres around a number of real historical figures most notably Princess Nest ferch Rhys daughter of the last independent Welsh King; Rhys King of Deheubarth. Nest is captured from her home by Normans invading her lands and held hostage at Cardiff Castle. Nest is just 12 years old when her family are killed and she is placed under the protection of  the Montgomerys and  FitzHamons. Her "captor"  Sybil  soon becomes a friend as Nest trains to be a lady, learning French, History and courtly manners in order to become the wife of a Norman Lord. 

Although the book is peopled with a large cast of characters the relationships are well delineated by the author so that readers don’t become confused and joy of joys there are maps, family trees, historical notes and even a floor plan of Cardiff castle.

Nest is an absolutely fascinating character torn between two cultures and eventually between the love of two men. The book also features letters and journal extracts from other characters; Faithful Knight Haith and his sister Benedicta and Gerald FitzWalter a faithful friend to Nest adding further insight and details about court life and the ongoing fighting between the Normans and Welsh and especially amongst the Normans themselves. This book offers fantastic insight into the lives of women of the period; the frustration of being kept in the dark about events, the lack of control, the insistence on bearing a son and heir and the constant reminders that a woman’s greatest currency is in her ability to bear children.

There is a wonderful quality to Tracey's writing, every character and setting really leaps off the page and I can imagine this book making a fantastic film or television series. 

This is a wonderful novel brilliantly researched and told in a fantastic page turning style it will appeal to fans of Carol McGrath, Joanna Courtney and Patricia Bracewell. I thoroughly enjoyed it and cannot wait for the next instalment. 

Thanks so much to Natalie at Impress Books for the chance to read the book and take part in the blog tour. 

Conquest is available from Impress and published on October1st. 

Sleeper's Castle by Barbara Erskine

Barbara Erskine's lastest book returns to the landscape where she set her debut novel Lady of Hay 30 years ago. Miranda, Andy to her friends has lost the man she loves and her home. After nearly ten years together her beloved Graham is dead and with no will his home that he shared with Andy is now the property of his estranged wife Rhona. Andy is left rudderless but she is offered a lifeline by an old friend; Sue is heading to Australia for a year and she needs a house sitter for her beautiful home in the Welsh Borders. Sleeper's Castle is old and full of shadows and secrets so Andy is really not surprised when she begins to dream about the past. In the early 1400s Catrin lived at Sleeper's Castle with her father a poet and a bard. Catrin also writes poetry but she must keep it secret for her father is a controlling man and Wales is in turmoil as shifting allegiances bring war to their door and it is a dangerous time to be a bard and a seer. As Catrin and her father are drawn into the rebellion of Owain Glyndwr and she begins to fall for a handsome English widower, Catrin's story seems determined to be told.
Barbara Erskine once again beautifully blends past and present allowing the tension and darkness to seep from the past into the present. Loyal fans will not be disappointed with this new book and new fans will be equally enchanted. If you have not yet discovered Barbara Erskine you are in for a treat. She cleverly weaves together mystery, history, romance and the gothic and will appeal to fans of Diana Gabaldon and Susanna Kearsley.
This book will be released on June 30th 2016 from Harper Collins who kindly sent me a proof copy to review.

The Chosen Queen by Joanna Courtney Blog Tour

I am delighted to be involved in the Blog Tour for the first book in an exciting new Historical Fiction Trilogy. 

The Queens of the Conquest trilogy1066. Three Queens. One Crown.
As a young woman in England's royal court, Edyth, granddaughter of Lady Godiva, dreams of marrying for love. But political matches are rife while King Edward is still without an heir and the future of England is uncertain.

When Edyth's family are exiled to the wild Welsh court, she falls in love with the charismatic King of Wales - but their romance comes at a price and she is catapulted onto the opposing side of a bitter feud with England. Edyth's only allies are Earl Harold Godwinson and his handfasted wife, Lady Svana.

As the years pass, Edyth finds herself elevated to a position beyond even her greatest expectations. She enjoys both power and wealth but as her star rises the lines of love and duty become more blurred than she could ever have imagined. As 1066 dawns, Edyth is asked to make an impossible choice.

Her decision is one that has the power to change the future of England forever . . .

The Chosen Queen is the perfect blend of history, fast-paced plot and sweeping romance with a cast of strong female characters - an unforgettable read.

Review

Joanna Courtney has blended history and powerful storytelling to create an outstanding opening to this new series set to rival historical fiction heavyweights like Philippa Gregory and Susanna Dunn. The series is set in the lead up to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 and the first book is the tale of Edyth daughter of the Earl of Mercia who through her two marriages was firstly Queen of Wales and then Queen of England.

Edyth is a fantastic protagonist, from the merest hints that survive in historical record Joanna Courtney has fleshed out an outstandingly vivid and human character. Wrapping a story of love, friendship, politics, war and power around the bones of history is no mean feat but Joanna Courtney has really pulled it off. The book opens with Edyth as a young girl just beginning to understand the politics of life at court and between men and women when suddenly her life is transformed; her father is out of favour with the King and the family are banished. They seek refuge at The Welsh Court were everything from the language to the table manners seem wild and strange, nevertheless Edyth feels a freedom in Wales and before long the land and it's King have captured her heart. Marrying the King of Wales makes Edyth a powerful figure but an isolated one and when the Welsh make one raid too many against the English, Edyth finds herself on the opposite side to her own family as the two countries prepare for war. Edyth is an incredibly likeable character and her lifelong friendship with Svana the handfasted wife of Harold Earl of Wessex is wonderfully drawn. I cannot recommend this book highly enough if you are a fan of Anne O'Brien, Philippa Gregory or the late Ariana Franklin then meet your new favourite author. I look forward to reading the rest of the series and immersing myself in Joanna Courtney's wonderful storytelling once more.

Huge thanks to Natasha Harding at Macmillan for sending this book to me and asking me to be part of the blog tour.

Learn more about the author on her gorgeous website http://www.joannacourtney.com/ or connect with her on twitter at @joannacourtney1