[Release Day Review]* Sweet Pursuits (Saffron Sweeting #3) by Pauline Wiles

What’s the recipe for a second chance at love?

After six blissful years with scientist boyfriend Owen, Bella Beecham was convinced he was about to pop the question she’d been longing to hear. Instead, he accepted a prestigious job in California and left England without a backwards glance. Now, Owen’s back in the village of Saffron Sweeting, and appears to be more eligible than ever. Bella’s determined that the man of her dreams won’t slip through her fingers again.
But her plans to tone up, trim down, and tempt Owen back into her life prove bittersweet. Although Bella’s talent for baking wins her new friends, her tasty treats have a disconcerting tendency to sabotage her own intentions. And as her increasingly bold attempts to recapture Owen’s heart stumble, Bella must question whether she’s chasing a guy who wants to be caught.

A British romantic comedy featuring both familiar characters and fresh faces, Sweet Pursuits explores how a young woman seeking her soulmate must first learn to love herself.
Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 303 pages (Paperback)
Source: Review Copy
Genre: British Chick Lit
Available Formats: Print/E-book
Publication Date:  January 26th 2017
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This was such a good read. I don't read a lot of chick lit or romance these days (I'm a mood reader) but it was nice to delve into some good old (new actually!) British Chick Lit and I am not, I repeat not exaggerating when I say that I love Pauline Wiles little village of Saffron Sweeting.

Bella was one of those characters that I had to learn to love. I liked her just fine in the beginning of the book but it wasn't until nearer the end that I really grew to love her and I think that's because the story started going the way I wanted to. Now, when I say that I don't mean it in a bad way. I just thought that being the experienced reader I am that I could use The Force™ to force her to do give Owen up (I wanted to kick him in the "shins").  

I get where Bella is coming from though, when a relationship especially a long term one ends it is hard to get over and I know she wanted him back because she loved him but I'm very glad to report that in the end Bella ended up choosing herself and what truly made her happy. I enjoyed seeing her character grow and I really do think she's one of my favourite characters to come across in the last little while. She's basically someone I wouldn't mind being friends with and despite some of her weaker moments she was great. 

While this isn't the first book in the Saffron Sweeting series it's actually, it was the first one in the series that I've read and I'll let you know that it's one that I'm going to continue reading. The characters, setting and atmosphere was quaint, adorable and delicious. If you love baking/eating check out this charming bit of chick lit! It's perfect for rainy days or to battle the winter blues. If you want a book that will brighten your day I highly suggest giving this one a try especially if you have a sweet tooth! 

Rating:  ★★★★★

Author Bio:



British by birth, Pauline is now a contented resident of California, although she admits to occasional yearnings for afternoon tea and historic homes.
Her debut novel, Saving Saffron Sweeting, reached the quarter final of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award and was a number one Kindle Best Seller. The stand-alone prequel, Secrets in the Sky, is now available, with the third book in the series coming in early 2017. Her work has been published by House of Fifty, Smitten by Britain and Alfie Dog Fiction.
When not writing, Pauline can be found getting the steps wrong in a Zumba class or calculating how many miles she has to run to justify an extra piece of cake. Her ambition is to sell enough books to cover the cost of flying herself and a reader to London for tea.


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*[Blog Tour Review] The Bitter Trade by Piers Alexander

 

Summary:

 

The Bitter Trade is a historical adventure set during the Glorious Revolution: Rebellious silk trader Calumny Spinks must become a coffee racketeer and join the conspiracy against the King to save his father’s life.

In 1688, torn by rebellions, England lives under the threat of a Dutch invasion. Redheaded Calumny Spinks is the lowliest man in an Essex backwater: half-French and still unapprenticed at seventeen, yet he dreams of wealth and title.

When his father’s violent past resurfaces, Cal’s desperation leads him to become a coffee racketeer. He has just three months to pay off a blackmailer and save his father’s life - but his ambition and talent for mimicry pull him into a conspiracy against the King himself.

Cal’s journey takes him from the tough life of Huguenot silk weavers to the vicious intrigues at Court. As the illicit trader Benjamin de Corvis and his controlling daughter Emilia pull him into their plots, and his lover Violet Fintry is threatened by impending war, Cal is forced to choose between his conscience and his dream of becoming Mister Calumny Spinks.  

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 448 pages (Paperback)

Source: Review Copy

Available Sources: Print/E-book

Publication Date: June 26th 2014 by Tenderfoot (first published April 3rd 2014)

 

I'm kind of ashamed to say that the majority of historical fiction novels I have read have women as the main characters, I think this is because I've always been interested in how women lived and love seeing how they're represented in historical context. Every once in awhile though I get the urge to read a good old fashioned adventure story about a male character trying to make his way in the world and that is exactly what Calumny Spinks represents to me.

 

I enjoyed reading The Bitter Trade so much because I enjoyed reading a novel about a regular guy. He wasn't a lord, or anything really noble, just a poor man's son who wants to be apprenticed into a trade and eventually earn the title of "Mister" and secure his place in society. These are big dreams for our 17 year old protagonist but he's got a cunning mind and he's actually one of those characters who reveals his true self, in terms of strengths and weaknesses in layers. I liked that Calumny was a character I saw evolve in the story.  I have to say though, that I wasn't the biggest fan of Calumny for a good chunk of the book. His feeling sorry for himself and whiney was starting to get to me, but like I said I saw him change and grow so I applaud the author for giving the character some realistic qualities by not making him an easy guy to like.

 

The story was a thrilling one. There was mystery, political intrigue, betrayal and treason a foot with young Calumny Spinks in the center of it all due to some long kept family secrets held by his father Peter (who was a curmudgeon, but an interesting character). As well as a very wide variety of other criminals both high and lowborn alike. I never knew where the story was headed and I enjoyed the thrill of trying to figure it out even though I would often be surprised where it actually went. London in the 1600s on the brink of a revolution was a dangerous place to be and the way Piers Alexander depicted it was brilliant. The sights, sounds and smells (lets face it London didn't smell great then) all came alive for me in the reading of this extremely well written debut. I wait to see how the story continues.

 

I'd recommend this novel for all those who enjoy historical fiction but want to really delve into the London underbelly of the 1600s with a great cast of characters, and a fascinating story that is both easy to follow and enthralling.

 

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my free and honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.

 

Really Liked It!
★★★★

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Author Bio:

Piers Alexander is an author and serial entrepreneur. After a successful career as CEO of media and events companies he became a Co-Founder and Chairman of three start-up businesses. In 2013 he was awarded the PEN Factor Prize for The Bitter Trade. He is currently working on the sequel, Scatterwood, set in Jamaica in 1692.



 

 

*[Blog Tour Review] Casting the Net (The Dunbridge Chronicles #2) by Pam Rhodes

Summary:

 

Heart-warming English comedy of manners, featuring the trials and tribulations of newly ordained minister, Neil FisherIn part two of the Dunbridge Chronicles, Neil Fisher returns from ordination inspired by his sense of ministry, but determined to distance himself from the two ladies in his life. This is not altogether well received, and a wide segment of the congregation of St Stephen's, Dunbridge--including the music group--points Neil to the error of his ways.

Meanwhile Neil's close friend Colin and his wife Jeannie are delighted by the birth of a daughter, but is all well with the baby? Neil's mother Iris continues to meddle, to his irritation. Churchwarden Peter has said a relieved farewell to his flighty wife Glenda--or has he? Dunbridge is not as peaceful as it seems.

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 265 pages (Paperback)

Source: Review Copy

Available Formats: Print/E-book

Publication Date: March 17th 2014 by Lion Fiction

 

When I signed up for this tour I did so thinking that this was a cozy mystery, so when I started reading it I was surprised to find that it was a contemporary Christian fiction novel instead, which worried me because I'm not religious and I wasn't sure how preachy this one would be, so it came as a huge surprised to find out that it wasn't preachy in the least but I that I also really enjoyed it.

 

I had read some pretty heavy books before I picked Casting the Net Up and this one acted as a bit of a palate cleanser for me because it was just such an easy, feel good funny read that didn't in anyway force religion on me as a reader and focused more on the characters and the story (with a little religion thrown in) but mostly on the relationships of everyone in the small village town of Dunbridge in rural England.

 

I really liked Neil, he's such a sweet guy and he's still so young and nervous about his role in the vicarage that he comes across as really endearing. He's just one of those guys that you want to stop and have a chat with and be friends with because he's so kind, caring and approachable plus he's actually quite funny. I was surprised by how much I liked him but there I was at the end of the book feeling quite sad that my time in his company had come to an end, but feeling as though I left him in a much better place than he was after about halfway through the book when tragedy struck twice in the tiny town involving people close to his heart.

 

I thought it was very refreshing that the author decided to write a novel from the male perspective, often times I see women writers (not all of course but a majority) that use women in their novels as their main characters especially in small town settings. I thought the way she wrote Neil was fantastic, right down to his exasperation when it came to dealing with his over bearing mother.

 

Neil wasn't the only well written character in the book though, I thought the whole cast was lovely even the characters that I didn't care for, such as Neil's horrible ex-girlfriend Wendy. She was a witch and was only thinking of how wonderful it would be to be a Vicar's wife. I didn't like her personality and I really hope she get's her comeuppance in the next book in the series.

 

Overall, I thought that this was a really well written book. As light hearted as it was, there was also tragedy and sadness and death in the novel as well which gave the characters a more human slant because I was able to see them in happy times and sad times but also saw the strength that they took not only from the Church but took the majority of strength from their friends in family in the community. The book just left me feeling good, because I could see things were finally on the mend.

 

I would recommend Casting the Net to everyone. As a non-religious person I can tell you that this one isn't in your face about religion at all and I think it offers a cute little glimpse of life in rural England to the reader that will have you laughing often and wishing you could move to a small town.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my free and honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.

Loved It!
★★★★★

 

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After Rome: A Novel of Celtic Britain by Morgan Llywelyn

 

Summary:

 

Anarchy rules in Britannia as the Roman Empire collapses,
and two men fight to build stable lives among the chaos

After more than four hundred years of Roman rule, the island its conquerors called Britannia was abandoned—left to its own devices as the Roman empire contracted in a futile effort to defend itself from the barbarian hordes encroaching upon its heart. As Britannia falls into anarchy and the city of Viroconium is left undefended, two cousins who remained behind when the imperial forces withdrew pursue very different courses in the ensuing struggle to unite the disparate tribes and factions throughout the land.

Passionate, adventurous Dinas recruits followers and dreams of kingship. Thoughtful Cadogan saves a group of citizens when Saxons invade and burn Viroconium, then becomes the reluctant founder and leader of a new community that rises in the wilderness. The two cousins could not be more different, but their parallel stories encapsulate the era of a new civilization struggling to be born.

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 336 pages (Hardcover)

Source: Toronto Public Library

Available Formats: Print/E-book

Publication Date: February 19th 2013 by Forge Books      

 

Finally, after years of meaning to try Morgan Llywelyn's writing and luckily for me she published After Rome in February and I figured it would be a great place to start with and it was.

 

While the book turned out to be different from what I thought it would be I still enjoyed it for what it was. Books set in Britain during the tumultuous time when the Romans vacated the island aren't all that plentiful so I'm glad to have found this one.

 

The novel follows two cousins over a period of five years when the Romans abandoned their outposts in Britania and is told in alternating points of view. One cousin Cadogan is the thoughtful, quiet and responsible one burdened with to many responsibilities but he thrives on that in a way. The other cousin Dinas, is rather close minded, rash, impulsive and very self absorbed. The cousins are as different as different can be and they aren't close so their stories intersect only twice during the telling of After Rome and on very different terms.

 

While the book was a slower read and didn't have that sense of action, adventure and drama that I had been hoping for I thought it was a unique read because I was able to see two very different ways of life in Celtic Britain being laid out before me in the pages of After Rome and I learned quite a bit about Rome, Britain, the Celts the politics of the time and how ordinary men and women lived during the time of such great political upheaval.

 

The fact that I was drawn into the story as though the book was playing out in film before my eyes is probably the best thing about the book. I felt like I had been transported to the time and place the novel took place in and it was as though I could see the city of Viroconium being pillaged and the horror on the citizens faces when they realized that their homes were gone and they had to look to a reluctant Cadogan. It was nice to see a book written about ordinary citizens who had to deal with the hands they were dealt and parts of it especially the story of Dinas towards the end of the book.

 

There were some things that I didn't like about the book such as how unexciting it was and the arrogance of several of the characters like Dinas for example drove me crazy but at least the majority of the book seemed to be told through Cadogan's eyes. I also would of liked to have seen more written about the Celts in the book.

 

Other than that I thought the book was enjoyable if you want a slower historical fiction read and I've found that the switch up from a fast paced historical fiction novel was nice and I thought this was a nice introduction to Llywelyn's writing style and I look forward to reading more of her books soon.

 

I would recommend this to people who like slower paced historical fiction where they can learn more about the background behind the story because Llywelyn presented the novel in a way that she teaches the read a lot about the life and times of the people who once lived in Britain.

 

 

Liked it!
★★★

 

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The Wild Princess: A Novel of Queen Victoria's Daughters by Mary Hart Perry

Summary:

The astronomical success of the historical novels of Phillipa Gregory and Christine Trent prove that readers simply can't get enough of the British royals--and now Mary Hart Perry enters the fray with an exciting, deliciously sensual novel of Queen Victoria's "wild child" daughter, the Princess Louise. The Wild Princess transports us back to Victorian England and plunges us into the intrigues of the royal court, where the impetuous Louise brazenly followed no one's rules but her own--even marrying a commoner, which no one of royal blood had done in the previous three centuries. Filled with rich period deal, The Wild Princess is an exciting, enthralling read. The Tudors have gotten the lion's share of attention in historical fiction; it's high time Queen Victoria and her family got their due.

Summary and Photo taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 384 pages

Source: Blog tour copy

Expected Publication Date: July 31st 2012 by William Morrow & Company

I was so excited when I got the e-mail from Vickie at Innovative Online Book Tours that I could hardly wait to start reading it. What struck me right off the bat was that I could just tell that this book was a real labour of love for the author, her passion for the story really came through the writing and for me that was probably one of the most enjoyable thing about the book.

As someone who loves historical fiction this novel was right up my alley. This was my first time reading about Princess Louise because I tend to stay away from historical fiction that deals with the royals, not sure why I do it but I do. However, after reading this novel I think I may have to reconsider that and look for other novels like this.

I really enjoyed the way the author wove her story as it really seemed to come alive on the pages or in my case on my kindle. There was a lot going on in the novel as it dealt with the Fenians (an organization fighting for the establishment of an independent Irish Republic) as well as the happenings in Louise's life including her love life as she gets involved with Stephen Byrne, and American who is working for her mother.

I really became quite intrigued with Princess Louise because unlike most royals she was a bit of a bohemian in her time. She often mingled well with the common folk and thanks to an indiscretion as a young girl she was married to a man who later turned out to be gay. This dashed any plans she had for children and the fact that she was the first royal in 300 years to marry out of the royal families of Europe made her an interesting person to me.

All in all the novel was an enjoyable read. As a lot of other bloggers have said it was a mix of thriller, historical fiction and romance. An interesting combination in my opinion and one that worked out so successfully that the author Mary Hart Perry just got herself a fan for life. I think I'll read anything this woman writes because somewhere along the way I fell in love with her writing style. Since this novel is set to be the first in the series I'm eagerly anticipating the next, until then though I think I may have to re-read this one since I enjoyed it so much.

I would recommend this book to everyone, it's a great read because it's so dynamic, the writing, characters, plot and setting were superb. I think I may just have to buy myself a hardcover version of it I loved so much.

* I recieved a copy of this book in exchange for my FREE and HONEST review as part of a blog tour.

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Awesome, I loved it!
★ ★ ★ ★ ★