Review: A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting by Sophie Irwin

I downloaded this book after reading an interview with the author. The cover is absolutely beautiful but (ironically) had originally put me off because I thought the story was a satire. A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting is actually a sweet homage to Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen.

Regency England, 1818, and Kitty Talbot has been left destitute by the deaths of her father (once a member of the ton) and mother (an ex-courtesan). She has several sisters to support, as well as a crumbling house, and the bailiffs are due to collect in 12 weeks. What's a girl to do? Go to London and seek an eligible bachelor with a fortune of course!

A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting is a lot of fun. There are the usual romance tropes (enemies-to-lovers: my favourite!), lots of banter, a refreshingly independent heroine, eccentric relatives and a swoon-worthy hero. Historically accurate, with lush descriptions of gowns and parties, but also a nod to the fact that the Regency period was not such a fun place to live if you had no money or society connections.

This was a five-star read for me because I really enjoyed it - it's the perfect escapism! The only drawback (and this is probably because I've read a lot of Georgette Heyer), is that I'd have liked a more original twist on the characters and plot.

If you enjoyed this, you might also like The Grand Sophy or Faro's Daughter by Georgette Heyer. Or, if you prefer something with more 'heat', perhaps Julia Quinn (Bridgerton) or Lisa Kleypas (The Devil in Winter).

Thank you to Sophie Irwin and Harper Collins UK for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Review: The Thief (The Queen's Thief #1) by Megan Whalen Turner

I downloaded this book because YA fantasy is my new favourite thing and I loved the cover with its hint of Greek myths. I hadn't realised the book was originally published in the 1990s, but was intrigued to learn that the series had inspired several of my favourite authors.

Eugenides (Gen) boasts that he can steal anything without being caught, even the King's seal, but unfortunately it is his boasting that lands him in a prison that apparently even he cannot escape from. So his only chance to win back his freedom is when the King's Magus invites him on a quest to steal a legendary object. But while the Magus is working on an ambitious plan to benefit king and country, Gen has a cunning plan of his own...

At first glance, The Thief appears to be an uncomplicated 'road trip' story of Gen, the Magus, his two apprentices and a soldier, as they travel across three countries, hunting down this mythical object - but there are several large twists!

The characters have lots of adventures along the way and the balance of power switches around as they get to know each other and reluctantly begin to like each other. The characters are brilliantly drawn, particularly the whinging, complaining, failed thief and trickster Gen, but I also loved bookish Sophos, whose father wants him to be a soldier, and the long-suffering Magus, who has to put up with them all. The strength of the story is in the characters and the writing, which is so compelling I read most of the book in one go.

The Thief reminded me a little bit of C.S. Lewis's The Horse and His Boy, but looking ahead at the rest of the series (already published in the USA), I can see it will take a Game of Thrones turn. Although The Thief is a fantasy, the names of the characters, their Gods, and the descriptions of the countryside, have a definite Ancient Greece feel about them - but there is also mention of more modern inventions such as books and guns.

Conclusion? I loved The Thief! Five stars from me, a new favourite author discovered, and I really can't wait for the next book in the series!

Thank you to Megan Whalen Turner and Hodder & Stoughton for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Review: The Haunting of Las Lágrimas by W.M. Cleese

The unusual cover of this book caught my eye - I do love pretty book covers! I was hoping for a spooky gothicky historical, and I was not disappointed!

Argentina, 1913: Ursula Kelp developed her love of gardening because of her eccentric grandfather. When he died and left her his estate, she hoped to continue his work but he left lots of debts and her family refused to help her financially, so his house and garden had to be sold. Ursula's parents assumed she'd meekly return home and accept an arranged marriage, but instead she sets off to Argentina, determined to fulfil her dream of becoming a professional gardener. When she's offered the opportunity to become head gardener at the isolated Las Lágrimas, she jumps at the chance. But her new colleagues are distrustful and sexist, the garden is a hopeless jungle and, when Strange Things Happen, she starts to realise that maybe there was a very good reason that no one else wanted the job!

I really enjoyed this supernatural story and the unusual setting of Argentina. The location is brilliantly realised and I loved the character of Ursula, who knows she has taken on too much, but is determined to prove her detractors wrong. The house is deliciously spooky and the staff who work there are strange, eccentric and sometimes downright nasty. Her sleazy boss has problems of his own, and refuses to admit that he also hears the sound of  someone chopping down trees in the wood when there is no one there.

I did find the story a little bit too slow burn at times. While I'm a keen gardener, and enjoyed the gardening detail, I can see that a reader hoping for jump shocks and gruesome horror might be disappointed. I loved the scenes from the past, that 'replay' every night, the floating lights and the deft weaving of the house's dark past into the story. However, the supernatural occurrences came a bit too thick and fast towards the end, and I found it hard to get my head around the logic of some of them.

The Haunting of Las Lágrimas is a slow burn supernatural horror story that would appeal to readers looking for a story with an unusual setting, traditional hauntings, and for fans of authors such as Laura Purcell (The Silent Companions). 

Warning: Story contains mention of animal cruelty, an off-the-page rape scene and off-the-page BDSM.

Thank you to W.M. Cleese and Titan Books for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Review: Beach House Summer by Sarah Morgan

Sarah Morgan is one of my favourite authors. I love her stories of romance, friendship and family life, and Beach House Summer did not disappoint!

When Joanna switches on the TV one morning the headline news is that her ex-husband Cliff, a famous chef, has been killed in a car accident. She doesn't know whether to feel elated or cheated - there were times when she'd like to have killed him herself! She'd married him on the rebound and he'd cheated on her throughout their marriage. Typically, there had been another young woman with him when his car had crashed and it's not long before the press are camped outside Joanna's door in pursuit of a juicy story.

Ashley was the girl in Cliff's car when it crashed and now she's lying in a hospital bed, worried she's about to lose her baby, and also being stalked by the press. The one person she doesn't expect to come to her rescue is also the one person who knows how she feels - Joanna. Joanna has a proposition - that they head to the sleepy Californian town of Sandy Point and hide out at Joanna's beach house until the fuss goes down. Ashley, who is penniless and terrified, readily agrees. Spend summer at a beach house? What's not to like? But to Joanna it means returning to her home town, to the life she had before she married Cliff, meeting the friends she abandoned, confronting the woman who made her life hell, and facing the man she left behind...

Beach House Summer is a deliciously summery read about facing up to the past - and the future, connecting with old friends and making new ones, learning from mistakes and to forgive - and that maintaining a dignified silence is not always the best option! I loved the setting of Sandy Point and wish I could spend my summer there. Watching Joanna regain her old confidence and discover a new life was lovely and I adored Ashley's no-nonsense feistiness. Joanna's assistant, Nessa, was a fabulous supporting character but I'm not sure I would have forgiven Nate so easily!

One of my favourite reads this year, Beach House Summer would suit fans of feel-good romantic comedy and authors such as Jill Shalvis. The perfect holiday read!

Thank you to Sarah Morgan and HQ for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Related Posts:

The Summer Seekers by Sarah Morgan

One More for Christmas by Sarah Morgan

Family for Beginners by Sarah Morgan

A Wedding in December by Sarah Morgan

The Christmas Escape by Sarah Morgan

Review: The Leviathan by Rosie Andrews

I love historical fiction and The Leviathan has such a beautiful cover, I couldn't resist downloading it!

Norfolk 1643. Civil War is tearing England apart and reluctant soldier Thomas Treadwater is summoned home by his sister Esther, who making what seems like outlandish accusations about their servants. Thomas is fully aware these are strange times, with misogyny and jealousy between neighbours fuelling mass hysteria, resulting in witch trials across the country. He prides himself on being a rational, modern man, but by the time he arrives home, his father is insensible from a stroke and the farm animals are all dead. Is the cause malicious? Or is something more supernatural at work...

I found the book a little hard to get into at first (I've always struggled with the authentic language sometimes found in historical novels), but once I got into the story I was completely gripped. This isn't another 'witch trials' novel, but something darker with some clever twists. I couldn't help smiling at the thought that the 'witch hunter' really didn't know what he was getting into!

The Leviathan leans towards gothic horror, as Thomas tries to sort out the facts around the strange events affecting his family. There's even a touch of romance. I loved the atmospheric setting and the mounting tension as Thomas finally confronts what has wrecked such havoc on his family. I'm not sure I would have made his decisions, but this is a fabulously entertaining story - the perfect read for a dark and stormy night!

Thank you to Rosie Andrews and Raven Books/Bloomsbury Publishing for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.