review: For the King by Catherine Delors
For the King by Catherine Delors After the French Revolution, when families were picking up the pieces of their scattered lives—loved ones dead, fled abroad or hiding from the new regime—two factions against Napoleon Bonaparte…
review: Caroline Bingley: A Continuation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice
Caroline Bingley: A Continuation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice by Jennifer Becton This continuation concentrates on the character of Caroline Bingley, who is sent by her brother back to their mother’s home in the…
review: Mr. Darcy’s Obsession
Mr. Darcy’s Obsession by Abigail Reynolds This Pride & Prejudice variation explores what could have happened if Darcy had not proposed at Rosings and, with much personal turmoil on his mind that did not stem…
Fact and Fiction: Emma, Lady Hamilton
Emma Hamilton, celebrated mistress of British Naval hero, Horatio Nelson, is only a minor character in A Royal Likeness by Christine Trent, but made a positive impression on this reader. I could tell there were…
Edouard Manet and Impressionism
“Concision in art is a necessity and an elegance. The verbose painter bores: who will get rid of all these trimmings?” – Edouard Manet Edouard Manet is sometimes grouped in with the Impressionists of the…
new eBook: The Kingsley House
Arliss Ryan, author of one of my favorite novels, The Secret Confessions of Anne Shakespeare (read my review), just released her first novel in eBook format. The Kingsley House Amazon Link ArlissRyan.com BOOK DESCRIPTION: In…
review: The Emperor’s Conspiracy
The Emperor’s Conspiracy by Michelle Diener A smuggling operation during the Napoleonic era threatens to bring down the British government by depleting its gold and causing an economic catastrophe. In the middle of the conspiracy…
review: Mr. Darcy and the Secret of Becoming a Gentleman
Mr. Darcy and the Secret of Becoming a Gentleman by Maria Hamilton Imagine Pride & Prejudice from the point in the book where Elizabeth Bennet declines Mr. Darcy’s marriage proposal at Hunsford, as he takes…
review: A Royal Likeness by Christine Trent
A Royal Likeness by Christine Trent England, 1803. The French Revolution has ended, but Napoleon Bonaparte is on the move and snapping up pieces of the continent for his empire. England feels threatened and, with…
From Historical Fiction to Suspense: Victoria Holt’s Mistress of Mellyn
Today is the 20th anniversary of Eleanor Hibbert’s passing on January 18, 1993 and in honor of her memory I have taken on her first suspense novel, published in 1960 under the pseudonym Victoria Holt—Mistress…
Interview with Robert Parry
Many reviewers have called The Arrow Chest hauntingly beautiful–which is true–but the supernatural elements are so subtle that only those well-versed in Tudor history see the glaring similarities between Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, and…
review: The Arrow Chest
The Arrow Chest by Robert Parry Blending the life of a 19th century Pre-Raphaelite painter with famous Tudor personages, The Arrow Chest is the story of a Victorian couple in an eerily similar situation to…
review: Shame the Devil by Debra Brenegan
Shame the Devil by Debra Brenegan Fanny Fern, 19th Century American literary wit and prolific author, spoke out against inequality through her novels, weekly columns and collections. Though not quite a household name, she was…
review: Fallen from Grace: A Bonus Dark Mirror Short Story
Fallen from Grace: A Bonus Dark Mirror Short Story by M. J. Putney This short story is a companion to the author’s full-length young adult novel Dark Mirror, which I previously read and reviewed. While…
review: Dracula in Love by Karen Essex
Dracula in Love by Karen Essex Mina Murray, a graduate and teacher at Miss Hadley’s School for Young Ladies of Accomplishment and fiancé to a promising young businessman, begins hearing voices, hallucinating and sleepwalking. Even…
review: Dark Mirror by M. J. Putney
Dark Mirror by M. J. Putney Victoria ‘Tory’ Mansfield is a gentleman’s daughter in the year 1803. Through an act of bravery she exposes the fact that she has magical powers to the genteel society…
review: Claude & Camille by Stephanie Cowell
Claude & Camille by Stephanie Cowell You don’t need to be an art history lover to enjoy this reimagining of Claude Monet and the life he shared with his muse and love Camille Doncieux. In…
review: The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin
The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin During the Gilded Age, an American heiress named Cora Cash leaves Newport behind and travels to England with her title-hunting mother. A chance encounter with a Duke leads to…
Recent Comments