*[[Review]] The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well by Meik Wiking

Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable, audiobook edition of The Little Book of Hygge, written and read by Meik Wiking. Denmark is often said to be the happiest country in the world. That's down to one thing: hygge. 'Hygge has been translated as everything from the art of creating intimacy to cosiness of the soul to taking pleasure from the presence of soothing things. My personal favourite is cocoa by candlelight...' You know hygge when you feel it. It is when you are cuddled up on a sofa with a loved one, or sharing comfort food with your closest friends. It is those crisp blue mornings when the light through your window is just right. Who better than Meik Wiking to be your guide to all things hygge? Meik is CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen and has spent years studying the magic of Danish life. In this beautiful, inspiring book he will help you be more hygge: from picking the right lighting and planning a dinner party through to creating an emergency hygge kit and even how to dress. Meik Wiking is the CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen. He is committed to finding out what makes people happy and has concluded that hygge is the magic ingredient that makes Danes the happiest nation in the world.
Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 3h 13 minutes (Audiobook)
Source: Toronto Public Library 
Available Formats: Print/E-book/Audiobook
Genre: Non-fiction
Rating: 
Add to Goodreads: Goodreads

I'll admit I'm a little late to the Hygge (pronounced Hoo-Gah) bandwagon but, hot damn am I on bored.  For those who do not know what Hygge is it's basically the danish way of being, kind of like the North American word cozy but with more feeling. During this past holiday season I was doing so much running around, cleaning up and stressing out because we brought my Dad home from the nursing home for a couple of days that I didn't  have anytime to sit down and just read, so I downloaded The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well by Meik Wiking and away I went.

Firstly, can I just say how refreshing it was to have an author narrate their own book? While I was listening to the Little Book of Hygge I just could not get over how perfect Meik Wiking was at reading it aloud. I couldn't imagine anyone else reading it and I found his diction to be perfect. He was warm, and friendly and was just want this little book needed and made this a fun, easy and addictive listen.

While I am new to the term Hygge I would like to say that I'm not new to the concept. I love the idea of cozy living. I don't believe in spending vast amounts of money in the pursuit of happiness mostly because I don't have a lot of money and because money doesn't buy happiness. I was raised in a low income family and I suppose I still am in a low income family situation but to me that is a benefit. I've got to give it to my parents who put family togetherness before everything. We grew up thrifty and to me that is comfort, and comfort is hygge.

Food is a main focus of Meik Wiking's guide to hygge and I couldn't agree with him more. Food is where I find a lot of my hygge. Is it because food uses so many senses? The human sense of smell has the strongest memory retention. When we smell something it is what helps us remember more than any other sense. Though it is not alone, taste, sight and the action of doing all make food hygge. For example, I lost my mum a little three years ago and when I want to shut the family in, have everyone all snug in the house after a rough week I make her spaghetti. We all bundle up and either eat together or go to our own corners of the house, and remember how she used to cook and keep her memory with us. It sounds silly to put an element of hygge so simply, however to me that is what hygge is it's simplicity. It is coziness, it is contentment, it is being in a large group of friends or it is being alone. It is spending a weekend away, or a weekend in. It is as different in what in means to different people as there are different people in the world.

Besides giving some tips on how to find hygge in our ever more hectic, high speed, ultra connected, impersonal world, Wiking spreads a message of happiness, gives an interesting look into the Danish way of life, and  lays out some ways one might try to capture hygge.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about his tips on creating hygge, little factoids about happiness and how it is measured in his job at the Happiness Institute, and sharing some personal stories about himself and some of his particularly hygge memories.

The audiobook of The Little Book of Hygge was only 3 hours 13 minutes long but it felt longer, and I don't mean that in a bad way. While it did seem like time flew by while I was listening to this, it certainly made an impact on me and now I find myself on a quest to be more hyggelig in the future and made me think about how I can be more hygge in my life. I feel as though there was a lot of personal reflection that happened after I finished this book, that I will be reading more books about hygge soon which is why I can't recommend this audiobook enough. Get some tips, add a few new recipes to you're recipes, and remember how to laugh and be happy without spending an arm and a leg.

[Blog Tour Review]* The Munich Girl by Phyllis Edgerly Ring

Anna Dahlberg grew up eating dinner under her father’s war-trophy portrait of Eva Braun. Fifty years after the war, she discovers what he never did—that her mother and Hitler’s mistress were friends. The secret surfaces with a mysterious monogrammed handkerchief, and a man, Hannes Ritter, whose Third Reich family history is entwined with Anna’s. Plunged into the world of the “ordinary” Munich girl who was her mother’s confidante—and a tyrant’s lover—Anna finds her every belief about right and wrong challenged. With Hannes’s help, she retraces the path of two women who met as teenagers, shared a friendship that spanned the years that Eva Braun was Hitler’s mistress, yet never knew that the men they loved had opposing ambitions. Eva’s story reveals that she never joined the Nazi party, had Jewish friends, and was credited at the Nuremberg Trials with saving 35,000 Allied lives. As Anna's journey leads back through the treacherous years in wartime Germany, it uncovers long-buried secrets and unknown reaches of her heart to reveal the enduring power of love in the legacies that always outlast war. 

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 336 pages (Paperback)

Source: Review Copy

Available Formats: Print/E-book

Genre: Historical Fiction

Series: N/A

Publication Date: November 14th 2015 by Whole Sky Books

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Many of you know how much of a historical fiction fan I am. I love the genre, I love how authors are able to capture history and bring it to life....and I generally like all historical periods though there is one subset that I don't venture into very often and that is WWII historical fiction. Then there are books that come a long and make me question why? 

The Munich Girl was rich with historical details. Chronicling three different women Anna, Peggy, and Eva Braun and told in different timelines as Anna is in 1995 and she's set to solve the family mystery that began 50 years before during the Second World War.

I'm a sucker for books that are told in alternating timelines, and from multiple points of view. It's one of my favourite ways to read a historical fiction novel and the way that the author was able to bring all of her characters, the setting, and the emotions to life was amazing. I found Munich Girl to be an emotional read, I was torn between loving and hating certain characters but I do applaud the author for being able to really evoke those feelings in me.

The Munich Girl was fast paced, well written and heartwrenching. I appreciated the amount of research that obviously must have gone into constucting the backdrop of the story. I felt as though I'd been transported back in time, it was almost as if I was in the story myself. I found the lives of the three women in the book to have come together so wonderfully. There were many different threads to follow in the story and everything came together very well. The side characters were also very well fleshed out. They were not used as mere props but had quirks, and there were some I loved and some I hated for various reasons.

Overall, I know I've been slightly vague in my review but fear not dear reader, this was intentional! With how interwoven the stories of the three women are I'd rather not give away any plot twists and believe me The Munich Girl has its fair share of twists. Is it a book that I would recommend? Absolutely. It was a unique story, and I think historical fiction enthusiasts should give it a try, and if you're new to the genre or are just curious about delving into this particular era in history I'd say this is a lovely place to begin and I can't wait to read more by the author. 

[Review]* Justice By Another Name by E.C. Hanes

Set against the backdrop of North Carolina’s powerful hog-producing industry, Justice by Another Name tells the story of Paul Reavis’s suspicious workplace death followed a year later by a senseless death of his young son Paulie. Lana Reavis, who believes her husband was murdered and her son the victim of deliberate negligence, enlists the aid of her long-ago boyfriend, Will Moser, who is currently chief deputy of Hogg County and the heir apparent to the local sheriff. As Will’s investigation unfolds, suspicious activities and cover-ups begin to emerge. All evidence points to Oris Martin, the powerful owner of Martin Farms, a huge hog-production enterprise and Hogg County’s largest employer, as the mastermind. Despite political pressure and physical threats to look the other way, Will continues his search for what really happened. Meanwhile, Lana, convinced that Oris will be beyond the reach of justice, devises a plan to avenge her family and destroy everything precious to Oris Martin.

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 245 pages (Hardcover)

Series: N/A

Genre: Thriller

Publication Date: March 1st 2017 by RaneCoat Press

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Think a life in the country is quite? Seemingly safe? Have you thought about moving to a backwoods county? Dreamt of sipping sweet tea while sitting on the porch swing breathing in the North Carolinian air? Me too. Except probably not where Will Moser chief deputy is.

There's just something about the politics of a small county that make everything seem so much more dangerous than anything that's happening in the big city. 

While only 245 pages long E.C. Hanes thriller packed a whale of a punch. Hogg County is a little and just like any small town things aren't at all like they seem in a postcards. There's a lot of secrets buried in the dry sunbaked dirt and Will Moser is right smack dab in the middle of a murder investigation involving a conspiracy theory centered around the county's biggest hog farmers and there is nothing he isn't willing to do to get to the bottom of the death he's investigating.  I  found Will Moser to be gruff but tenacious in his pursuit of justice. His uncanny ability to snuff out the clues that the bad guys had left, figuring no one in their podunk little county could be smart enough to put all the pieces. 

Justice By Another Name was one of those thrillers that really does depend on the smallest detail being given at just the right time to piece together the larger picture. While something may see insignificant, or irrelevant to the story a chapter later I'd find out that the author pulled a fast one on me and I'd be left trying to figure out how I'd missed it. 

Even though it was a shorter read it had an immense amount of detail, extremely well written characters and an amazing, creeping, slow building conclusion that came out of no where for me at least. I thought it was just the right amount of country without being overly so and would definitely recommend it to other fans of the small town thriller type reads. If slow building, character driven stories are what does it for you, I suggest giving Justice by Another Name a try and I am really looking forward to seeing if the author is going to stay the course and continue writing similar thrillers. 

[Blog Tour Review]* Color Me Dead (Henry Park #1) by Teresa Trent

Summary:

Artist Gabby Wolfe has the ability to see not only the beauty of the living, but the despair of the dead. When she returns to her childhood home in Henry Park Colorado, she is forced to bring along her younger brother Mitch. He is on a “break” from college where he was majoring in wine, women and song. If that isn’t enough they also have Mitch’s rambunctious beagle Luigi along who prefers to spend his days wallowing in junk food. When Gabby draws the death of a young woman before it happens, she knows she must tell someone and risk a new job and her professional credibility. Will she reveal her secret in time to save the woman in the water or will it be too late? Teresa Trent's latest cozy mystery captures the world of the paranormal along with a little humor and a feeling of coming home again.

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 207 pages (E-book)

Source: Review Copy

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: Henry Park

Available Formats: E-book

Publication Date: January 5th 2017

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NOTE: THE E-BOOK IS FREE FOR THE DURATION OF THE BOOK TOUR ON THESE AMAZON WEBSITES! GRAB YOUR COPY NOW!

Color Me Dead is the first book in the Henry Park series by Theresa Trent and while it isn't Trent's first series it is the first series by her that I have read. I thought that the book was a great start to a delightfully cozy american mystery with just a hint, smidgen if you will of the paranormal because the story revolves around her using her psychic gift to solve the mystery.

I really enjoyed the way that the mystery and the book over all was presented. It was cute and cozy but not so much so that I was left with a sickly sweet feeling after reading it. Gabby had a bit of an edge and I found that her being closer to my own age to be quite refreshing. I also really liked that she was an artist who wanted to illustrate children's books and that she returned to her old home town in order to do so. I felt that she did a lot of growing as a character in this first book in the Henry Park series and I can't wait to see where she goes from here. 

I thought the other characters in the book were also very well written and I do have to say that I really liked Gigi, a young woman who shares Gabby's gift of visions. She's just as spunky as Gabby is and even wittier and she's pretty awesome because she's in a wheelchair and doesn't let that stop her at all. I liked that Trent added her in and added some good character diversity with her and was relieved that too me it didn't come off gimicky plus she was a hoot!

Overall, I thought this was a nice start to a quick new cozy series. The setting in a small mountain town in America was charming and relaxing to read about and was filled with a good mystery (the killer might really surprise you like it did me) and enjoyable characters. This is a series that I'd recommend to all who love the cozy genre and I think it's the perfect read for those looking for a quick read or for those cold winter days.

Rating:  ★★★★

Author Bio:

Teresa Trent writes hilarious cozy mysteries that take place in the small town of Pecan Bayou, Texas. She was first inspired to create Pecan Bayou after visiting the Texas Hill Country to view the millions of springtime flowers alongside the roads and highways. The town of Pecan Bayou does not exist in Texas, but there is a body of water in the state with the name. Pecan Bayou does exist in Teresa's imagination and heart. 

Teresa is excited to be introducing a new series in January 2017. We are leaving Texas and heading to the mountains of Colorado where Gabby Wolfe, part artist/part psychic moves back to Henry Park, her childhood home. She sees a murder and it translates to her sketchpad. Now if she can figure out what to do about it., Color Me Dead is on preorder at Amazon until it comes out January 5, 2017. Stay tuned for days the book will be free in January and Teresa's blog tour. 

If you would like to know more about upcoming books, free days on Kindle, Goodreads Giveaways and coupons--Click here to sign up for her mailing list and get a free Pecan Bayou novella! 

Author Links:

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[Review & Giveaway]* Occult Paris: The Lost Magic of the Belle Époque by Tobias Churton

Summary:

How fin-de-siècle Paris became the locus for the most intense revival of magical practices and doctrines since the Renaissance 

• Examines the remarkable lives of occult practitioners Joséphin Peladan, Papus, Stanislas de Guaïta, Saint-Yves d’Alveydre, Jules Doinel, and others 

• Reveals how occult activity deeply influenced many well-known cultural movements, such as Symbolism, the Decadents, modern music, and the “psychedelic 60s” 

During Paris’s Belle Époque (1871-1914), many cultural movements and artistic styles flourished--Symbolism, Impressionism, Art Nouveau, the Decadents--all of which profoundly shaped modern culture. Inseparable from this cultural advancement was the explosion of occult activity taking place in the City of Light at the same time. 

Exploring the magical, artistic, and intellectual world of the Belle Époque, Tobias Churton shows how a wide variety of Theosophists, Rosicrucians, Martinists, Freemasons, Gnostics, and neo-Cathars called fin-de-siècle Paris home. He examines the precise interplay of occultists Joséphin Peladan, Papus, Stanislas de Guaïta, and founder of the modern Gnostic Church Jules Doinel, along with lesser known figures such as Saint-Yves d’Alveydre, Paul Sédir, Charles Barlet, Edmond Bailly, Albert Jounet, Abbé Lacuria, and Lady Caithness. He reveals how the work of many masters of modern culture such as composers Claude Debussy and Erik Satie, writers Arthur Rimbaud and Charles Baudelaire, and painters Georges Seurat and Alphonse Osbert bear signs of immersion in the esoteric circles that were thriving in Paris at the time. The author demonstrates how the creative hermetic ferment that animated the City of Light in the decades leading up to World War I remains an enduring presence and powerful influence today. Where, he asks, would Aleister Crowley and all the magicians of today be without the Parisian source of so much creativity in this field? 

Conveying the living energy of Paris in this richly artistic period of history, Churton brings into full perspective the characters, personalities, and forces that made Paris a global magnet and which allowed later cultural movements, such as the “psychedelic 60s,” to rise from the ashes of post-war Europe.

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 528 pages (Hardccover)

Source: Review Copy

Genre: Non-Fiction

Available Formats: Print/E-book

Publication Date: October 30th 2016 by Inner Traditions

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I've always had an interest in the occult and I does have a penchant for books about France especially the history of France. I've read a few novels set in the time of the Belle Époque so it was nice to get a bit more of a historical context especially since many of the novels I have read deal with some of the people mentioned in the novels a background for me. 

I was a wee bit surprised by just how dense this tome was but in the end I found it very informative. Occult Paris was full of interesting tid-bits about the A-List people of the scene and I enjoyed reading how everyone seemed to know everyone else and learn a bit about how they got on with one another, have glimpses into some scandals and the motivations of the people who history has seem to have if not forgotten...require a little extra research.

I found myself really appreciating the lengths that the author went through to present this book dealing with side of history that isn't really at the forefront for whatever reason. It deals with the underground community of artists, free thinkers and the odd revolutionary and I definitely learned a lot from reading The Occult Paris, and I am not afraid to say that I am going to have to re-read the book because there was so much to take in in terms of all the details that I'm going to need another pass at it. I found the parts covering the topics of symbolism and mysticism particularly interesting and enjoyed how they were presented.

I thought it was presented very well and my only critiques would be to perhaps transition more smoothly. I sometimes found the seques into different topics or lines of thought to be jumpy and/or rushed in some spots but it wasn't a deal breaker.

I'd recommend this title to all those with an interest in France in particular during the early 1900s with an interest in the fringe factor of society at the time. If you want to know about the who's who of the Parisienne art and music scenes  and other visionaries who were not afraid to test societal norms by asking the blasphemous questions and delving into religion. It's one the I recommend reading in parts else running the risk of being overwhelming but enjoyable and interesting nonetheless.

**I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tobias Churton

is Britain’s leading scholar

of Western Esotericism,

a world authority on Gnosticism,

Hermeticism, and Rosicrucianism.

An Honorary Fellow of Exeter University,

where he is a faculty lecturer,

he holds a master’s degree in Theology

from Brasenose College, Oxford,

and is the author of many books,

including Gnostic Philosophy and

Aleister Crowley: The Beast in Berlin.

He lives in England.

Visit his website.

Follow Inner Traditions/Bear & Company on Facebook | Twitter

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Buy the book on Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Giveaway:

You can enter the global giveaway here

or on any other book blogs participating in this tour.

Be sure to follow each participant on Twitter/Facebook,

they are listed in the entry form.

Visit each blogger on the tour:

tweeting about the giveaway everyday

of the Tour will give you 5 extra entries each time!

[just follow the directions on the entry-form]

Global giveaway open to all:

3 winners will receive a print copy of the book

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[Blog Tour Review] You're the Cream in My Coffee by Jennifer Lamont Leo

Summary:

In 1928, Chicago rocks to the rhythm of the Jazz Age, and Prohibition is in full swing. Small-town girl Marjorie Corrigan, visiting the city for the first time, has sworn that coffee's the strongest drink that will pass her lips. But her quiet, orderly life turns topsy-turvy when she spots her high school sweetheart--presumed killed in the Great War--alive and well in a train station. Suddenly everything is up for grabs.

Although the stranger insists he's not who she thinks he is, Marjorie becomes obsessed with finding out the truth. To the dismay of her fiancé and family, she moves to the city and takes a job at a department store so she can spy on him. Meanwhile, the glittering world of her roommate, Dot, begins to look awfully enticing--especially when the object of her obsession seems to be part of that world. Is it really so terrible to bob her hair and shorten her skirt? To visit a speakeasy? Just for a cup of coffee, of course.

But what about her scruples? What about the successful young doctor to whom she's engaged, who keeps begging her to come back home where she belongs? And what, exactly, is going on at the store's loading dock so late at night?

Amid a whirlwind of trials and temptations, Marjorie must make a choice. Will the mystery man prove to be the cream in her coffee--the missing ingredient to the life she yearns for? Or will he leave only bitterness in her heart?

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 292 pages (Paperback)

Source: Review Copy

Available Formats: Print/E-book

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

Publication Date: September 15th 2016 by Smitten Historical Romance/Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas

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There's something about the holiday season that makes me want to read feel good stories. They don't have to be really cheerful a but they do have to have a good story with a character I really like and a good ending. 

You're the Cream in My Coffee was just what I needed to read this past weekend. I enjoyed reading this historical fiction novel set in the roaring 20s during the height of prohibition in Chicago. I'm not sure whether I've read anything set in this time period before so I was quite excited to give it a try and Jennifer Lamont Leo did a lovely job imparting the feel of the era into her book in terms of how people talked and in her descriptions of the characters, and surroundings and she definitely has me interested in reading more books set in the time period so thanks to the author for getting me hooked on a new era. 

I really enjoyed Marjorie's story. It was an interesting one about a small town Idahoan girl who left home for the big city and ended up getting a lot more than she bargained for in her quest for answers about her long lost love and what she is and isn't willing to do to get those answers. Her story was told in a fun way and flowed very well, and I found myself really liking Marjorie. She seems like a character that while a bit naive for my tastes sometimes, was someone I could see being friends with. She may have been a bit lost in the big city but I did enjoy her slips and stumbles along the way, she seemed like a real person to me and I really enjoyed seeing her change not just outwardly but mentally as she grew throughout the book. 

I found the rest of the cast of characters to be well rounded as well. They played their roles in Marjorie's tale in finding love and her true self very well. There were lots of laughs in this book and I found myself really getting invested in how everything was going to turn out in the end and the ending (which you'll have tot read about on your own) was just what I wanted. 

I found this to be just what the doctor ordered and I'm glad to have given this book a try. The inside of the book more than matches the delightful cover of this book and I can't wait to read more of Jennifer Lamont Leo's books in the future. If you're interested in a good clean read that will leave you feeling uplifted and like you've just gotten back from a trip 90 years in the past than I highly suggest you giving this romantic read a try.

Really Liked It

★★★★

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

Buy The Book:

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About the Author:

With a passion for all things historical, Jennifer Lamont Leo captures readers’ hearts through stories set in times gone by. She is also a copywriter, editor, and journalist. An Illinois native, she holds a deep affection for Chicago and its rich history. Today she writes from the mountains of northern Idaho, where she shares her home with her husband, two cats, and abundant wildlife.

For more information, please visit Jennifer’s website and blog. You can also follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads.

*[Review] Hidden Summit (Virgin River #15) by Robyn Carr

Summary:

Return to Virgin River with the books that started it all… 

When Connor Danson becomes an unwitting witness to a violent crime, he is forced to leave Sacramento and keep a low profile until the trial is over. He arrives in the tiny mountain town of Virgin River with a chip on his shoulder and an ache in his heart. 

Leslie Petruso didn't want to leave her hometown, either. But she can't stand another minute of listening to her ex-husband tell everyone that his new wife and impending fatherhood are the best things that ever happened to him. Virgin River may not be home, but it's a place where she can be anonymous. 

Neither Connor nor Leslie is remotely interested in starting a new relationship…until they meet one another. Even they can't deny they have a lot in common—broken hearts notwithstanding. And in Virgin River, no one can stay hidden away from life and love for very long…

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 320 pages (Paperback)

Available Formats: Print/E-Book/E-Audiobook/Audiobook (CD)

Source: Toronto Public Library

Publication Date: February 23rd 2016 by Mira (first published December 16th 2011)

This is one Virgin River book I was ever so slightly hesitant in reading, unlike the previous books in the series the characters in this installment were both completely 100% new to the series and Virgin River. I love that we usually have an idea of at least one of the characters in the books are like before we get into them so things were a little different. Not in a bad way though, it was nice seeing some new blood in Virgin River.

As always Robyn Carr did a really great job in creating both Connor and Leslie. Both are new arrivals with no long term plans for staying in the quaint little mountain town and both are trying to escape some pretty rough situations and neither counted on falling in love with each other or the town. There's Leslie, office manager extraordinaire, trying to get away from her weirdo ex-husband and Connor, who is in Witness Protection after witnessing a crime and coming forward. Strange circumstances brought them to Virgin River, and while they didn't seem like they'd work at first I really did come to like them as a couple. 

Connor was very sweet. He would literally give the shirt off his back to help someone and he has the biggest heart. However, he's no pushover and gives Leslie just enough resistance so that she can't always have her way (though she gets it pretty often where he's concerned). He's funny and charming and while I thought at first that he was a bit too much of a goody goody I'm pleased to say you don't want to cross him.

Leslie, was a great character as well. After the muck up of her marriage to a complete idiot I can see why she wanted to pick up and move on. I just wish that she stood up for herself to her ex-husband (whom we meet) much sooner than she did and as much as I liked her I felt that sometimes she over thought things and got in her own way too much and that kind of detracted from the story.

I enjoyed seeing the usual cast of merry characters and hanging out at Jack's Bar again felt like I was coming home and having a nice catch up with some old friends. I enjoyed seeing everyone again and I loved how they extended the classic Virgin River welcome to both Connor and Leslie who needed some good folks to have their backs. 

This Virgin River installment had more twists and turns in it than the usual ones what with Connor being a witness to a murder and Leslie being harassed by her ex but it was a refreshing one nonetheless. My only complaint with this one is that I wish Leslie wasn't the forefront of the story and that Connor was. Leslie as much as I liked her character was a bit too woe is me at times and that detracted from the story a bit.

I would recommend this one to fans of the Virgin River series who haven't read it yet and to new fans. Each story is self contained and a little bit of backstory into the town and its inhabitants are always worked into the books so if you want this can be read without reading the previous books. If contemporary romance with a great setting and wonderful characters and lots of laughs are your thing pick this one up as soon as you can!

Really Liked It!

★★★★

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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.