Royal Reviews

Out of Oz by Gregory Maguire

2012-01-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

Title: Out of Oz
Author: Gregory Maguire
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 568

ISBN: 9780060548940
How I Read It: Hardcover purchased by me.
My Rating: 5 Crowns!

Synopsis: Oncepeaceful and prosperous, the spectacular Land of Oz is knotted with social unrest:The Emerald City is mounting an invasion of Munchkinland, Glinda is under housearrest, and the Cowardly Lion is on the run from the law. And look who’s knocking at the door. It’s none other than Dorothy. Yes. That Dorothy.

Yet amidst all this chaos, Elphaba’s granddaughter, the tiny greenbaby born at the close of Son of a Witch,has come of age. Now it is up to Rain totake up her broom – and her legacy – in an Oz wracked by war.

My Review: Likemany others, I was long awaiting this final installment of Maguire’s Wicked Years series,and it did not disappoint. I think thisis a series that you either love or hate, I know few people who feel neutrally aboutit. I’ve anxiously awaited every newbook to come out, and I have sang the praises of this series from the moment Ipicked it up.

Maguire has truly taken and modified a world we are allat least moderately familiar with, following both the mythology of L. FrankBaum’s original world of Oz, and merging it with his own. The entire idea of the Wicked Witch of theWest having any descendents is of Maguire’s creation, but he’s done hisresearch and created a fabulous new Oz that does a great job of continuing hisown characters as well as combining them with those that Baum created.

I’ve personally read the entire original Oz series, andappreciated the effort Maguire put in to using other lesser known charactersfrom that set, as well as taking the future Baum created after the Wizard leftOz and using that for his own purposes. Somany of the things that take place in Maguire’s series occur in the originalseries – I won’t tell you what these are, for fear of spoiling this book foryou, but I can assure you that it’s a wonderful coming together of both viewsof Oz. With or without the history somefans may have with the original series, I think this is a satisfying conclusionto Maguire’s version of what happened.

I went through a range of emotions as I followed Rainthrough the years of her life, the reunions we all knew were coming and theinevitability of meeting characters we were already familiar with but Rainherself is not. Oz is a small place, andas our characters have come to find out, no one can really hide forever. People on all sides are looking for themysterious Grimmerie and Rain, who has no idea who she is or what hersignificance is to Oz.

I was thrilled to see how things would pan out forRain, her family, and the other citizens of Oz. I absolutely loved this book, and I would say that it’s my secondfavorite in the series, just behind Wicked. The only thing that has me sad is knowingthat this is the end – just as Baum continued to write his series for manyvolumes, I wish Maguire would continue for awhile longer as well. If you haven’t read the series yet, youreally should give it a try!

Visit Crystal @ I Totally Paused

Patricia Rice Guest Blog & Giveaway!

2012-01-24T05:47:00.001-05:00

What was your inspiration for this book?

You may as well ask me what inspired me to write my blog (http://patriciarice.blogspot.com) as to ask me what inspired me to write a book. The answer will differ from one day to the next, although most days, insanity comes closest to the truth. I throw crazy topics at my blog because I have something to say and no one else understands me as well as fellow readers. Books—the explanations are as countless as the leaves on a tree.

In the case of THE LURE OF SONG AND MAGIC, voices (and insanity) might be the original inspiration, way back when I first heard the recordings of The Anonymous Four. If you want a soundtrack for this book, check out their recordings or that of Charlotte Church or the young operatic singer Aria Tesolin. Their voices are ethereal, almost supernatural, and what does one do with a supernatural voice? In my case, you make it into a destructive siren, the hauntingly seductive kind, not the fire alarm.

At the time that idea started whirling in my head, I didn’t have much use for it. I was writing Regency historicals and Regency heroines do not go on stage and sing. A wicked voice was the kind of device that would have worked well in my Georgian MAGIC series (Sourcebooks is reissuing these) but due to contractual obligations, I couldn’t write more historicals. But readers were constantly asking if I would do something with the progeny of my magical Malcolms and logical Ives, and the offspring of those characters often played roles in the back of my mind. See? Didn’t I tell you it was insanity?

But one day, my brain apparently exploded, and I decided I could write contemporary Malcolm and Ives. And so LURE was born. What would a siren do in the 21^st century? Become a teen singing sensation, of course. But with a voice that can destroy as well as seduce, Philippa Syrene Malcolm James flames out before her eighteenth birthday. The book starts nearly ten years later, after Pippa has smothered her magical voice and become a children’s author in an effort to be safe and not kill her friends as she believes she killed her young husband. If you want inspiration, that’s the best I can offer!

Of course, I had to add a logical Ives to the mixture because the battle of the sexes is always a fascinating one. In this book, his name is Dylan Ives Oswin and he’s called Oz because of his magical ability to make things happen—in a very literal, don’t-take-no-for-an-answer sense. He’s a successful Hollywood producer but an utter failure in the family department. His wife has been killed in a car crash, and his son has been kidnapped, and he’s desperate enough to follow any clue to find his son. So when he’s lured to find Syrene in hopes she can lead him to his son, he’s not about to let any reclusive author stand in his way. Irresistible force, meet immovable object. I hope you will find the clash of wills as inspiring as I did!

Do you believe in divine inspiration or just the humdrum idle daydream sort? What inspires you to accomplish great tasks? Commenters are eligible for free books!

You can read an excerpt, sign up for my newsletter, follow me on Twitter and Facebook or connect with my blog by stopping by my website at http://patriciarice.com/ . A list of all my books, including e-book reissues is available there. I love hearing from readers, so please feel free to stop by and say hi. And if you prefer DRM-free books, my backlist is available at http://bookviewcafe.com/ebookstore/ and http://backlistebooks.com/ with new volumes going up regularly.

THE LURE OF SONG AND MAGIC BY PATRICIA RICE – IN STORES JANUARY 2012

Her voice was a curse…
When Dylan “Oz” Oswin’s son is kidnapped, the high-powered producer will do anything to get him back. Desperately following an anonymous tip, he seeks help from a former child singing sensation called Syrene, only to find she’s vowed never to sing again. Immune to her voice but not her charm, Oz is convinced she holds the key to his son’s disappearance—and he’ll stop at nothing to make her break her vow.

Only he can make her sing…
She knows the devastation her talent can bring. There’s more than a child’s life at stake, but Syrene cannot unleash her dangerous siren’s voice upon the world, even for a man who is impossible to deny…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

With five million books in print and New York Times and USA Today’s bestseller lists under her belt, Patricia Rice’s emotionally-charged contemporary and historical romances have won RT Book Reviews Reviewers Choice and Career Achievement Awards and have been honored as Romance Writers of America RITA finalists in the historical, regency and contemporary categories. A former CPA, Patricia Rice currently resides in St. Louis, Missouri. For more information, please visit http://www.patriciarice.com/ or follow her on Twitter, @Patricia_Rice.

I would like to thank Patricia Rice for her lovely guest post!

I have 2 copies of The Lure and Song and Magic to giveaway thanks to Sourcebooks.

Rules:

US and Canada only.

To enter, please leave your name and answer the questions that Patricia Rice Provided:

Do you believe in divine inspiration or just the humdrum idle daydream sort? What inspires you to accomplish great tasks?

Scrumptious by Amanda Usen

2012-01-23T19:21:00.001-05:00

Title: Scrumptious
Author: Amanda Usen
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN: 978-1-4022-5982-1
Release Date: January 2012
Format: Mass-Market Paperback
How I read it: Arc from publisher
Rating: 4 Crowns

Tall, Dark, and Delicious

Joe Rafferty is just as mouthwatering as the food he cooks. But if he thinks he’s going to waltz in and take over her kitchen, he’s denser that a thick slice of chocolate-ripple cheesecake.

Marly has invested too much of her life in Chameleon to hand off the restaurant to someone else-especially a cocky-as-all-get-out superstar chef. But there’s no denying the man knows how to light her fire.

Question is: Can she have the sizzle without feeling the burn?

My Thoughts:

For starters you have:

One severely troubled marriage between the owner of Chameleon, Olivia and her husband Keith who is the cook as well as a certified tosser.

For the main course:

There is the smoking hot self-proclaimed bachelor for life, Joe Rafferty who is happily pleased with his love ‘em and leave ‘em lifestyle. He also possesses mad skills in both the kitchen and the bedroom. He’s likable yet he gets underneath your skin to the point you occasionally get the urge to hit him over the head with a frying pan.

We also have Marly who singlehandedly has been keeping Chameleon afloat. When Joe shows up she is not about to let him take over her kitchen. She’s a very no nonsense kinda girl and I liked that about her.

For Drinks:

There is the volatile cocktail I like to call the ‘don’t try and screw me over’ which contains a healthy dose of attraction and a lethal dose of hostility.

Also on tap is ‘Crime & Chaos’ which is a brilliant concoction of how to sink your business mixed with a bit of mob action courtesy of Keith.

And I must not fail to mention “Resentment”. It’s a bit bitter yet evens out in the end.

For dessert:

There is a sweet and spicy romance with just the perfect blend steam.

***

I have to say I loved this book. It’s a bit different for me because I am not normally into what has become known as ‘foodie’ books, but that maybe because I can and have burnt a pan of water. For me, I found this book very entertaining. The elements were perfectly blended like a well put together recipe and it left me craving more.

The characters were likable although for some reason I wished that Joe would have had a sexier name. He just seemed something other than a Joe. The plot kept me enthralled especially when the mob entered the storyline, I am also a sucker for mob-related things and it seemed to fit really well into the context of the story.

I cannot wait to read more from Amanda Usen.

Visit Angela @ Renee’s Reads

Promise the Night by Michaela MacColl

2012-01-23T08:26:00.001-05:00

Title: Promise the Night
Author: Michaela MacColl
ISBN: 978-1-4022-4145-1
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Release Date: January
Pages: 262
Format: Hardcover
$16.99 US
How I Read It: Hardcover copy from Publisher
Rating: 4 Crowns

For a young girl, Beryl has big dreams- bigger than the vast ranch in British East Africa where she is being raised by her demanding father. Abandoned by her mother, who fled the remote African life to return to “civilized” England, Beryl’s only friend is her mother’s dog, Buller-that is, until one night when Buller is attacked by a leopard and dragged into the jungle. While keeping her promise to rescue him, she makes a new friend, and begins her journey to becoming one of the most famous and admired women of her time.

Based in the true life of Beryl Markham-the first pilot to fly solo from England to North America-Michaela MacColl’s richly imagines story of a feisty girl who hunts with Nandi warriors, becomes the best horse breaker on her father’s ranch, and resists all attempts to make her a proper lady, is a compelling and action-packed read for anyone with a thirst for adventure.
(from the jacket flap)

My Thoughts:

Promise the Night introduces young readers to a young girl growing up in British East Africa in the early nineteen hundreds. This young girl in particular actually happens to be Beryl Clutterbuck Markham, one of the irst women to receive a commercial pilot’s license.

In Promise the Night, we meet an adolescent version of Beryl Clutterbuck Markham who is growing up a bit wild in British East Africa. Abandoned by her mother, raised by her father who was a horse trainer, farmer, and miller, Beryl often pushed the limits which led to her father’s decision to have her schooled by Arap Maina the leader of the Nandi tribe. Beryl didn’t mind as her best friend Kibii happened to be the son of Arap Maina.

Promise the Night chronicles Beryl’s time spent with the Nandi tribe, her desire to be a warrior, her father’s attempts to civilize her, and her friendship with Kiibii. In between each chapter, we are offered glimpses of her life as a pilot.

Although this is a fictionalized account, the events in the book have been pulled from Beryl’s memoirs as well as other biographical sources which means that every page is bursting with spirit and adventure. Marketed for ages 8-12, this would be the perfect book to interest young readers yet, I believe that the young at heart will enjoy what this book has to offer.

Overall, this is a story of one girls adventure, courage and determination to succeed where other said she would fail. An epic adventure that proves that truth is indeed stranger than fiction.

If you would like to know more about Michaela MacColl, Promise the Night, or Prisoners of the Palace you may do so HERE

Thanks to Lara Starr at Chronicle Books I have 1 copy of Promise the Night & 1 copy of Prisoners of the Palace to giveaway to 1 lucky reader.

To enter, please leave your name and a comment.

Winner will be announced on February 10.

US& Canada Only

Visit Angela Renee @ Renee’s Reads

Monarch of the Week

2012-01-22T06:20:00.000-05:00

This week monarch is:

Mary Stuart

Unknown artist after Francois Clouet (c. 1515-1572)

Born:

December 8, 1542

Linlithgow Palace, Linlithgow

Linlithgow Palace burned out in 1746

Died:

February 8, 1587 at the age of 44

Fotheringhay Castle, Northamptonshire

These stone are all that remains of Fotheringhay Castle.

Burial:

Peterborough Cathedral; Westminster Abbey

Father:

James V of Scotland

Mother:

Mary of Guise

Spouses:

Francis II of France married 1558

Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley married 1565

James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell married 1567

Issue:

James IV of Scotland & I of England

House:

House of Stuart

Title:

Queen of Scotland

Queen Consort of France July 10, 1559-December 1560

Reign:

14 December 1542 – 24 July 1567

Coronation:

9 September 1543

Regent:

James Hamilton, 2^nd Earl of Aran 1542-1554

Mary of Guise 1554-1560

Predecessor:

James V

Successor:

James VI

Signature:

The casket in which the “Casket Letters” were found.

The “Casket Letters” consist of 8 letters written by Mary and sent to Bosworth that confirm Mary and Bosworth acted together in the murder of Lord Darnley. During the trial, the documents were found inconclusive. While at the time of the trial the letters were proved to be genuine after a study of the handwriting, although today's historians have questioned the authorship of these letters.

Mary’s last letter written six hours before her execution

Mary’s execution warrant signed by Elizabeth I

Portrait Mary Stuart at the age of 13.

Interesting & Random Facts:

*Mary became Queen of Scotland when she was 6 days old and was crown nine months later.

*Raised in France, many Scots viewed her as unfit for the Scottish throne.

*Mary often went against the judgment of her council and followed her heart in both personal matters as well as matters of state. Many believe that this was her undoing.

*While it is common knowledge that Mary and Elizabeth fought continuously, the two never met.

*Accused of plotting the murder of her second husband, Henry, Lord Darnley who was found strangled in the garden after their house, Kirk-o-field exploded.

*Mary was imprisoned by Queen Elizabeth for the murder of a Peer of the Realm of England.

*After pressure from her council, Queen Elizabeth reluctantly signed Mary’s death warrant.

Mia Marlowe Guest Post & Giveaway

2012-01-17T09:53:00.004-05:00

I would like to welcome Mia Marlowe to Royal Reviews!

First of all, hello to everyone at The Royal Reviews! It’s lovely to be visiting you. My co-author New York Times Bestseller Connie Mason and I are very excited to share the cast of characters from our newest release, Sins of the Highlander. First up, every story needs a drool-worthy hero.

Meet “Mad Rob” MacLaren. If you’ve ever read any of Connie’s books, you know she specializes in alpha heroes. Rob is no exception. He’s bold, strong and just a wee bit bull-headed. He’s also wounded. Two years before the story starts, he lost his wife. His heart hasn’t been the same since. Neither has his head. When he hatches the half-brained plot to abduct his enemy’s bride literally from the altar, he fully deserves his nickname. His friends and his enemies all believe him mad.

But one of the appealing things about Rob is that he already knows how to love deeply. He gave Fiona his whole heart. Now that she’s gone, he’s like an amputee who still feels phantom pain from the missing limb. No one is more surprised than he when Elspeth Stewart awakens that part of him he thought buried with his wife.

When I read a romance, I want a heroine whose life I’d like to try on for a bit. Elspeth Stewart’s shoes are a good fit. She’s one Queen Mary’s Ladies-in-Waiting and a dutiful daughter who’s prepared to wed the laird her father chose for her. Elspeth is blessed with the gift of Sight, but her visions of the future are often so cryptic, she can’t decipher them. She certainly never saw Rob coming. When she woke on the morn of her wedding, she only though to lose her maidenhead that day. She never expected a woad-painted warrior to come galloping into the kirk and carry her off, upending her entire life. But she doesn’t weep and moan. She’s resourceful, courageous and a good match for a mad Highlander, whether he knows it or not.

Lachlan Drummond is Elspeth’s intended and the man Rob holds responsible for his wife’s death. Laird of his clan, Lachlan is fierce, proud and canny. He’s not to be trifled with and, like Rob, will stop at nothing to achieve his ends. It’s said that every villain is the hero of his own story. What Lachlan wants is to unite several clans under his banner and joining his lands through marriage to the Stewart clan, with its connection to the queen, is a good step in that direction.

Sins of the Highlander is peopled with interesting characters who help or hinder Rob and Elspeth on their way. One of my favorites is Angus Fletcher. He’s a mountain of a man whose bushy red beard might easily hide a bird’s nest or two. His wattle-and-daub house is crammed full of oddments he can’t bring himself to throw away, but he keeps his beloved boat clean enough to eat off the hull. I’m also partial to Fingal, his mangy wolfhound, who becomes very attached to Elspeth and would protect her from anything—even Rob!

Thanks again for having me here today, Angela! I’d love to answer questions from your readers or respond to comments. To get the conversation rolling let me start by asking a question:
What draws you into a story more—a loveable hero or a spunky heroine?

SINS OF THE HIGHLANDER BY CONNIE MASON & MIA MARLOWE – IN STORES JANUARY 2012

Abduction
Never had Elspeth Stewart imagined her wedding would be interrupted by a dark-haired stranger charging in on a black stallion, scooping her into his arms, and carrying her off across the wild Scottish highlands. Pressed against his hard chest and nestled between his trong thighs, she ought to have feared for her life. But her captor silenced all protests with a soul-searing kiss, giving Elspeth a glimpse of the pain behind his passion—a pain only she could ease.

Obsession
“Mad Rob” MacLaren thought stealing his rival’s bride-to-be was the prefect revenge. But Rob never reckoned that this beautiful, innocent lass would awaken the part of him he thought dead and buried with his wife. Against all reason, he longed to introduce the luscious Elspeth to the pleasures of the flesh, to make her his, and only his, forever.

With two clans against them burning for battle, they must find a way to join together—body, breath and soul. Or both will be made to pay for the Sins of the Highlander.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Connie Mason is a New York Times bestselling author of more than 50 novels. She was named Storyteller of the Year in 1990 and received a Career Achievement Award from RT Book Reviews in 1994. She currently lives in Florida. Mia Marlowe is a highly acclaimed new voice in romance whose debut novel released in Spring 2011 from Kensington. She lives in Boston, MA. Together, they are working on a new Regency romance series for Sourcebooks Casablanca, the first of which will be in stores in early 2013. For more information, please visit http://www.conniemason.com/, http://miamarlowe.com/ and follow Mia on Twitter @Mia_Marlowe.

Mia Marlowe loves to connect with readers. She invites you to enter her website contest at http://miamarlowe.com/contest.php. The Grand Prize there is a new KINDLE! You can also find her on Twitter http://twitter.com/Mia_Marlowe and Facebook http://facebook.com/MiaMarloweFanPage.

I would like to thank Mia for stopping by and introducing us to her characters and chatting with our readers.

Mia asked the question; what draws you into a story more—a loveable hero or a spunky heroine?
For me, I love a loveable hero that has a bit of a gruff side. What turns me off of a novel is a heroine that is a milquetoast; I simply cannot stand that type of heroine.

I have 2 copies of Sins of the Highlander.
US and Canada only.
To enter please answer Mia’s question:
What draws you into a story more—a loveable hero or a spunky heroine?
Winners will be selected on February 9

Please feel free to ask Mia your questions.

Best Wishes,
Angela

Victoria Connelly Q&A & Giveaway

2012-01-16T10:08:00.001-05:00

I would like to thank Victoria Connelly for this lovely Q&A!

1. When did you have your first encounter with Jane Austen?

When I was a teenager, I saw the 1940s black and white film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice staring Laurence Olivier as Mr. Darcy and Greer Garson as Elizabeth Bennet. I just fell in love! I adore the love/hate relationship of the hero and heroine, the amusing characters and the happy ending, and I read the novel shortly after. I was then lucky enough to then study Sense and Sensibility at university. It’s a life-long long affair, I think!

2. And who is your favorite Austen hero (or anti-hero!)?

I think it has to be Mr. Darcy because he is willing to change for the woman he loves which is irresistible! I adore how he works away quietly in the background, helping Elizabeth’s family and not drawing attention to himself. He does it all because of his love for her. I do have a soft spot for Henry Tilney, though - he always makes me smile - and I’ve always adored Bingley from Pride and Prejudice. I’ve often thought that I’d be far more likely to end up with Tilney of Bingley than Darcy!

3. How did you choose which Austen locations to feature in your trilogy?

I picked the three main ones: Hampshire, Lyme Regis and Bath. I’d visited all three before but made special trips there to research them for my Austen addicts’ trilogy.

Hampshire is where Jane Austen was born. You can visit her final home in the gorgeous village of Chawton and see where her mother and sister are buried in the local church.

Jane Austen also spent time in Lyme Regis and wrote so lovingly about it in Persuasion – I had to set a novel there and write about the famous Cobb.

Austen also spent many years in Bath and two of her novels are set there: Northanger Abbey and Persuasion so it’s a very important Austen setting and there are so many beautiful buildings from the period there.

I feel very lucky to have spent the last couple of years writing about such beautiful places and following in the footsteps of one of my favourite authors.

Shy, brilliant screenwriter and producer Adam Craig throws himself into work to forget his broken heart. And Jane Austin addict Kay Ashton purchases a B&B in the seaside town of Lyme so she’d have a peaceful place to finish her book, The Illustrated Mr. Darcy. Neither is looking for a romance. Until they meet-and Kay tries to set Adam up with another woman.

All the sparkling drama of Jane Austen’s Persuasion comes to life as old Lyme Regis becomes the site of the new big-screen adaptation of the classic. Kay attracts the attention of handsome actor Oli Wade Owen, Adam struggles to know the secrets of his own heart, and life in quiet Lyme gets very interesting indeed…

I have two copies to giveaway.

International

To enter please leave your name and tell us about your first Jane Austen encounter.

Giveaway End February 8.

If you would like to double your chance you may do so on our Facebook page HERE!

Monarch Of The Week

2012-01-15T06:13:00.000-05:00

This week’s Monarch is:

Lady Jane Grey

The Streatham Portrait

Born:

1536/1537

Died:

12 February 1554 Tower of London

Father:

Henry Grey, 1^st Duke of Suffolk

Mother:

Lady Francis Brandon

Spouse:

Lord Guildford Dudley

Title:

Queen of England and Ireland

Reign:

10 July 1553-19 July 1553 9 Days

Predecessor:

Edward VI

Successor:

Mary 1

Signature:

1533

Draft of Succession:

“My devise for the Succession” by Edward VI. This draft will was the basis for the letters patent which declared Lady Jane Grey successor to the Crown. In the fourth line, Edward changes “L Janes heires masles” to “L Jane and her heires masles”. By creating this ‘devise for the succession’ in 1553, which is written in his own hand, he bypassed the claims to the throne of his half-sisters Mary and Elizabeth in favour of Lady Jane Dudley (nee Grey).

Letter that Jane wrote proclaiming herself Queen:

1553

Interesting & Random Facts:

*Jane was the granddaughter of Mary Tudor and Charles Brandon, as well as the great-granddaughter of Henry VII. Making her the niece of Henry VIII.

*She was a committed Protestant.

*She preferred books to hunting parties, and regarded her strict upbringing as harsh.

*February 1547 Jane was sent to live in the household of Thomas Seymour and remained there until after the death of Catherine Parr in September 1548.

*After a period of mourning, Thomas Seymour showed interest in marrying Jane and readmitted her into his household. Although nothing came of this as Thomas was arrested at the end of 1548.

*May 21, 1553 Jane married Lord Guilford Dudley, a younger son of John Dudley, 1^st Duke of Northumberland, in a triple wedding, in which her sister Catherine and Guilford’s sister Catherine married the Earl of Pembroke, Lord Herbert and Henry Hastings respectively.

*Once she was named Queen, she refused to name her husband king, instead she made him Duke of Clarence.

*Her reign was short lived and she soon found herself a guest of the Tower.

If you would like to know more about Lady Jane Grey: The Nine Day Queen, you may do so at the Lady Jane Society HERE.

I have one copy of Three Maids for a Crown to giveaway.

Contest is worldwide.

To enter please leave your name.

Contest ends: January 31

Our Weekly Royal Round Up!

2012-01-14T15:22:00.001-05:00

Our first week of reviews for 2012 was fantastic! Here is a look at our reviews and giveaways just in case you missed any of them!

The second installment of Victoria Connelly’s Jane Austen Addicts Series, Dreaming of Darcy was simply brilliant and received a 4.5 Crown rating. You can read our review HERE. We will be giving away two copies of Dreaming of Darcy, one to our lucky Facebook fans, which you can enter HERE, and one to a lucky commenter on Victoria Connelly’s guest post which will be posted on Monday, January 16.

Cinder, a futuristic re-telling of Cinderella, by Marissa Meyer earned our first 5 Crown- Royal Read rating of 2012. You may read the review HERE.

Freya North’s new British chick lit novel, Secrets also received 4.5 Crown rating. Because I could not keep my love for this novel a secret I have one copy to giveaway HERE.

To close out the week we had a review of Three Maids for a Crown from our lovely Lady In Waiting, Samita. You will find her review HERE.

***

Sunday will be our first edition of Monarch of the Week. Not only will you get to learn a few fun facts about our mystery monarch, we also have a giveaway!

For those of you who are interested in joining our Postcard Swap, you may sign up HERE. You do not have to have a blog to join, just simply fill out the form!

Lastly, if you would like to become a guest reviewer, or what we call a Lady-in-Waiting, for Royal Reviews, please email us at newroyalreviews at yahoo dot com.

Here are a few things that you should know about becoming a Lady in Waiting.

-Royal Reviews does not provide the books to review. We do however provide weekly themes that you can select from, such as reviewer’s choice, historical fiction, paranormal, romance, Young Adult, and such.

-As a Lady in Waiting you will be ask to submit 3 reviews every three months.

As Always,

Best Wishes & Happy Reading,

Angela Renee

The Queen of the Quill

Three Maids for a Crown by Ella March Chase

2012-01-13T06:09:00.000-05:00

Title: Three Maids for a Crown: A Novel of the Grey Sisters
Author: Ella March Chase
Paperback: 432 pages
Publisher: Broadway

In the second novel from Ella March Chase, we meet sixteen-year-old Jane Grey, a quiet and obedient young lady destined to become the shortest reigning English monarch. Her beautiful middle sister Katherine Grey charms all the right people--until loyalties shift. And finally Lady Mary Grey, a dwarf with a twisted spine whose goal is simply to protect people she loves--but at a terrible cost.

In an age in which begetting sons was all that mattered and queens rose and fell on the sex of their child, these three girls with royal Tudor blood lived under the dangerous whims of parents with a passion for gambling. The stakes they would wager: their daughters' lives against rampant ambition.

Thoughts:

I’m always happy to find historical fiction about the Tudors, that isn’t about Henry or Elizabeth, and I think this book falls in that category. I actually read it as part of a book club, otherwise I probably would have missed it. The book tells the story of the Grey sisters, the granddaughters of Mary Tudor and Charles Brandon. I was only vaguely familiar with Frances Gray, their mother, and out of the three sisters I was only familiar with Jane Grey, for obvious reasons as well as Helena Boham Carter’s movie Lady Jane (which I recommend!). Because the movie romanticized Jane’s life so much, I was very shocked in the beginning of the book. I knew how Jane would end, but knowing how miserable she was even before her death was simply heartbreaking.

When it comes to the book, I can say I found the writer’s attempt too ambicitious. The story is told from Jane’s, Katherine’s and Mary’s point of view, but when putting down the book and picking it up I found myself guessing who’s point of view I was reading. It’s hard to distinguish who is the narrator because the girls voices are not to different from each other. I think a simple third person narration would have been better. In terms of pacing, I found myself very engaged in the last half of the book, particularly with Katherine and Ned Seymour’s story. However, I can’t say the book is ‘unputabledown’, especially for those that are even more familiar with the story than I was. The story did show me a side of Elizabeth I (a very unflattering one, if I may add) that I wasn’t familiar with, as well, I was completely sadden by how all three sisters ended up (what made it worse was how it’s pretty much all true!). That said, I recommend this book (for those Tudor lovers out there) with reservations

Visti Samita @ Book Purring

Secrets by Freya North

2012-01-12T06:23:00.000-05:00

Title: Secrets

Author: Freya North

ISBN: 978-1-4022-6014-8

Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark

Release Date: January 2012

Format: Trade Paperback

$14.99

How I Read It: Trade Paperback ARC from Publishers

Rating: 4.5 Crowns

*****

They drive each other crazy.

And they both have something to hide.

But we all have our secrets.

It’s just that some are bigger than others…

Joe has a beautiful house, a great job, no commitments-and he likes it like that. All he needs is a quiet house sitter for his rambling old place by the sea. When Tess turns up on his doorstep, he’s not sure she’s right for the job. Where has she come from in such a hurry? Her past is a blank, and she’s a bit of an enigma. But there’s something about her-even though sparks fly every time they meet. And it looks like she’s here to stay. (From the back of the arc)

My Thoughts:

Ok, most of you may remember that I rambled on about Freya North’s ‘Pillow Talk’ for what seemed like forever. Well…you better prepare for another full-on gab fest because I absolutely loved, loved, loved ‘Secrets’.

Tess, even with a toddler in tow, has perfected the art of hiding, but her secret is breathing down her neck. When she finds an advert stating: “House-sitter wanted. Sea views. Immediate start.”, it seems like the answer to her prayers. Tess rings up the owner and takes the job without being offered it. Now she has packed up and moved to Saltburn.

When the phone rings, Joe is about to offer the job to someone else and stuns even himself when he finds that Tess has taken the job and he has let her. When she arrives in his driveway he is even more surprised that she has a toddler on her hip. He intends to treat her like the previous house-sitters, although he can tell that Tess has already fallen in love with house and there is just that certain something about her that intrigues him.

Although the two are drawn to each other like a moth to a flame, they have to tendency to get under each others skin, which makes for a grand read.

I loved the way that each character had issues of their own that they needed to work through. It made the story feel balanced. I also loved that by profession Joe was a man who built bridges, yet he had his own bridges (personal/emotional) that he didn’t quite know how to repair. It was also rather fitting that Tess came to live in a home that was named “Resolution” as she had her own issues that needed to be resolved.

Add in the fact that each time they thought they were growing closer it was like a mini-bomb exploded pushing them back a couple step, a toddler, and a rather large dog and you have a brilliant cotemporary novel.

I was hooked on this book from page one. I wanted to see what secrets Tess and Joe held and ended up reading the whole book in one night.

If I loved this book, why didn’t I give it a 5 Crown Royal Read Rating? I truly wanted to give this book a Royal Read rating, and I had planned to until I got to the last few chapters. The book as a whole was well paced, telling the story in a sort of play-by-play way where you get to see how each day goes, normally that can be a bit tedious is some books, but for Secrets it worked. Then you come to the last few chapters and they felt a bit rushed which is why I gave this a 4.5 Crown rating.

I will say that this is one book I would love to see a sequel to!

Because I loved this book, I have 1 Copy to giveaway.

Giveaway ends January 31.

Giveaway is worldwide.

To enter leave your name and your guess at what secrets Tess and Joe are hiding.

Visit Angela Renee @ Renee’s Reads

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

2012-01-11T05:40:00.000-05:00

Title: Cinder (Book One)
Series: The Lunar Chronicles
Author: Marissa Meyer
ISBN: 978-0-312-64189-4
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends, an imprint of Macmillan
Release Date: January 2012 Sale Date: January 2, 2012
Pages: 400
Format: Hardcover
$17.99/19.99
How I Read It: Trade Paperback ARE from Publisher
Rating: 5 Crowns A Royal Read

Even in the future, the story begins with once upon a time…

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl…

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

In this thrilling young adult debut novel, the first of a quartet, Marissa Meyer’s rebooted fairy tale introduces readers to a heroine and a masterfully crafted world that isn’t the Cinderella you remember-but it’s one you won’t forget.
(from the back of the ARE)

My Thoughts:

I am going to be honest; I was a bit skeptical when I first heard that a futuristic/cyborg version of Cinderella was going to be released. I was not sure that a debut author could make a futuristic/cyborg version of Cinderella feel real enough that readers would buy into the concept. Nevertheless, I am addicted to revamped fairytales so I knew that I would have to give Cinder a go.

My Advance Reader’s Edition arrived on the perfect day. The town where I live was at a standstill due to a malfunction with the power plant, which left the whole town with no electricity. With the aid of my reading light, I started Cinder; I had only planned to read a few pages of the first chapter. That plan when out the window and before I realized it I was starting chapter 10.

The fact that I had read 90 some pages shocked me; normally I am not a fan of futuristic novels because the science fiction elements normally bog down the actual plot. Fortunately with Cinder that was not the case, the futuristic elements were composed in such a way that they felt believable which only strengthen the story.

I had said that I was skeptical and worried that a debut author could not create a believable futuristic/cyborg version of Cinderella and I must say that I am exceedingly glad that Marissa Meyer proved those statements wrong.

Cinder is a breath of fresh air. Definitely not your standard Cinderella story, but do not let that stop you from exploring this brilliantly crafted world Marissa Meyer created.

I do have one tiny complaint and that is I have to wait (impatiently) to read the next installment.

Overall, I gave Cinder a 5 Crown Rating, which means Cinder is A Royal Read. To dub a book a Royal Read is the highest rating a book can receive here on Royal Reviews and means that this is a book we are dying to tell other readers, or unsuspecting bookstore browsers, about. Royal Reads are also books that should come with a “buy me now, you wont regret it label”. If you see some lady at your local bookstore singing the praises of Cinder, it’s probably me-no I am not crazy I just loved this book!

Why did I give Cinder 5 Crown Rating? The answer is simple; the novel exceeded my expectations, which surprised me greatly because it does not happen that often. Cinder also left me dying to know more, which means that author succeeded in creating a world in which the reader becomes interested in.

Although marketed as a YA novel, adults will be pleasantly pleased with Cinder as well. So, do not forget to pick up your copy that next time you are out shopping for books.

If you would like to find out more about Cinder, The Lunar Chronicles, or Marissa Meyer you may do so HERE.

Visit Angela Renee @ Renee’s Reads

Dreaming of Mr. Darcy by Victoria Connelly

2012-01-09T13:55:00.001-05:00

Title: Dreaming of Mr. Darcy

Author: Victoria Connelly

ISBN: 978-1-4022-5135-1

Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark

Release Date: January 2012

Pages: 368

Format: Trade Paperback

$14.99

How I Read It: Trade Paperback ARC from Publisher

Rating: 4.5 Crowns

(from the back cover of the arc)

First thoughts after reading the blurb:

The title of the book is, “Dreaming of Darcy”, so why does the blurb mention Persuasion?

My thoughts:

When Kay Ashton purchased Wentworth House, a B&B in Lyme Regis, she never imagined that she would be housing the cast and crew of Persuasion and that the man portraying Captain Wentworth would strike her fancy. Yet, that is exactly what happens and since she is getting cozy with the Captain, Kay decides that it would only be fair if she aided the screenwriter and producer, Adam Craig in his quest for love.

Love is the furthest from Adams mind, but it seems that Kay is determined to set him up with Gemma, although Adam’s heart has other thoughts in mind. And the handsome actor, Oli Wade Owen proves that even though you play a hero on the big screen it doesn’t mean that you are one in real life.

Bringing to mind the matchmaking skills of Emma, Dreaming of Darcy is laced with twists and turns that will delight the reader.

I loved this book! Like Victoria Connelly’s previous Austen Addicts novel, A Weekend With Mr. Darcy, her new novel, Dreaming of Darcy has both a plot and characters that I thoroughly enjoyed. I found that I could not get enough of this book and I must admit that I have read it three times since receiving the arc.

Although the title is “Dreaming of Darcy” it may be a bit misleading for those of you looking for a Pride & Prejudice spin-off. While Mr. Darcy is mentioned, this book is centered around Persuasion.

Want to win a copy of Dreaming of Darcy? Visit our Facebook Page to find out how, HERE

Visit Angela Renee @ Renee’s Reads

Top 10 Books of 2011

2012-01-04T17:17:00.001-05:00

My top 10 books of 2011.
Books are in no particular order.

These are the books that I would want to magically appear if I was stuck on a deserted island. I have read and reread these books several times upon receiving them and still I want to read them again. If you have not read these books, I definitely recommend that you give them a go!

1. Carrie Goes Off the Map by Phillipa Ashley

2. Legacy by Jeanette Baker

3. Catriona by Jeanette Baker

4. The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley

5. Mine is the Night by Liz Curtis Higgs

6. Pillow Talk by Freya North

7. I Am the Chosen King by Helen Hollick

8. The Soldier by Grace Burrowes

9. Three Maids for a Crown by Ella March Chase

10. A Weekend With Mr. Darcy by Victoria Connelly

A new year is upon us, which means new books for us to delve into. It also means that there will be new things to explore here on Royal Reviews. Let me introduce you to some of our new features.

Spotlight Author. Each week Royal Reviews will feature a new author. We will have guest post, Q&A’s, and occasional giveaways.

Monarch of the week: Each Sunday, Royal Reviews will feature a brief bio, a few pictures, and a few fun facts regarding the “Monarch Of The Week”.

Also, we will be hosting a few Facebook giveaways, so don’t forget ‘like’ our page!

Best Wishes & Happy Reading,

Angela “The Queen of the Quill”

Carrie Goes Off the Map by Phillipa Ashley review & Giveaway

2011-12-30T10:33:00.002-05:00

Our last winner for our 12 Days of a Tudor Giveaway is Kimm
Please send your mailing address to:
Newroyalreviews at yahoo dot com

Title: Carrie Goes Off the Map
Author: Phillipa Ashley
ISBN: 978-1-4022-4145-1
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Release Date: December 2011
Pages: 304
Format: Trade Paperback
$9.99
How I Read It: Trade Paperback ARC from Publisher
Rating: 5 Crowns- A Royal Read

Just when she thinks she knows where she’s going…

Carrie lets her best friend talk her into a scenic European road trip as the perfect getaway from a nasty breakup. Unexpectedly along for the ride is the gorgeous Matt Landor, MD, who sorely tests Carrie’s determination to give up men altogether. Careening through the English countryside, these two mismatched but perfectly attuned lonely hearts find themselves in hot pursuit of adventure in uncharted territory of adventure and in uncharted territory altogether.
(from the back of the arc)

My Thoughts:

I love, love, love Phillipa Ashley’s novels!!! When I was offered a review copy of Carrie Goes Off the Map, I jumped at the chance to review it as I have been searching for this novel for what feels like an eternity. When I received the arc, I gobbled up the book in one sitting.

Carrie and Matt have to be two of my favorite characters. They certainly know the right buttons to push to set each other off which makes for a killer plot, especially seeing how the two of them are crammed into a caravan together. Add in a horrid breakup, a stoner surfer, and so much sexual tension it’s practically oozing from the caravan and you have one irresistible novel.

Carrie Goes Off The Map by Phillipa Ashley is the perfect novel to lose yourself in, so don’t forget to buy a copy for you and one for a friend. When the main character is described as a “Dirty Darcy” how can you resist?

Overall, Carries Goes Off The Map is a brilliant novel that I want to tell everyone about which is why it’s a Royal Read. Royal Reads are those books that have that certain something that sets them apart from other books. These are the books that should come with a “buy me now, you wont regret it label”. Carrie Goes Off The Map should also be come with a warning that states, “once you start this book, you wont want to put it down until you have read the last page”.

A few random thoughts that occurred as I was reading this novel:

*The pub The Lamb & Flag shares it name with the pub that is used in the BBC Series Bottom, which had me thinking of the show.

*Carrie Goes Off The Map was originally titled “It Should Have Been Me”, which immediately brought to mind the following clip from “The Vicar Of Dibley” I hope you enjoy it.

DON’T FORGET TO PICK UP YOUR COPY OF CARRIE GOES OFF THE MAP!!!!!!

If you would like find out more about Carrie Goes Off The Map or Phillipa Ashley you may do so HERE

I have 1 copy to giveaway.
Giveaway is worldwide, Please leave your name. Giveaway ends January 5

Best Wishes for a Happy & Bright New Year,

Angela Renee

Last Day of our Tudor Giveaway

2011-12-26T11:43:00.001-05:00

Day 11 winner is Victoria

Please send your mailing address to newroyalreviews at yahoo dot com

Today is the last Tudor giveaway and to close out our 12 Days of a Tudor Christmas it seemed fitting to end our giveaway with a theme pack for the last of the Tudor’s, so I bring to you our Elizabeth I Packet!

Gisele Alv- I know that Elizabeth never got married but is there any information about if she at least once, fell in love?

Although Elizabeth I never married, it is believed that she fell in love with two men. The first was her lifelong friend, Robert Dudley. Many Tudor enthusiasts have heard of the love she held for Robert or “Robin” as Elizabeth called him.

It is the second man that many do not know about. You may be tempted to say that she fell in love with Robert Dudley’s stepson, Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex and while it is widely acknowledged that she did hold Essex is high regard, it is another man who she loved. That man happens to be the charismatic Sir Walter Raleigh.

If you happen to be in Williamsburg, Virginia it would be well worth your time to stop at the College of William & Mary and visit the Wren Building. There you will find a docent, either a history major or professor, who will inform you about the relationship between Raleigh and Elizabeth-just make sure to ask.

Carol L.- I wonder if her and Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester were ever involved or were in love?

This is the question that most definitely divides the historians. While all Tudor historians agree that she did indeed love Robert, the extent of their relationship is often questioned. Although, according to State papers, their contemporaries were all in agreement that they two were indeed a couple.

Cecil had often voiced his fears that Elizabeth would marry Robert. Even Philip of Spain wrote that “Elizabeth was so in love with Robert that she will marry no other”. In fact, Cecil was so fearful that the two would marry he convinced Elizabeth that her cousin the widowed Mary, Queen of Scots was such a threat to the English throne it would be best to send one of her closest and most faithful courtiers to Scotland as a husband for the Queen, so Elizabeth could stay apprised of her actions. There was only one man Elizabeth trusted not to betray her, Cecil knew this as well, thus Elizabeth commanded Robert to marry Mary, Queen of Scots. Robert refused and Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief that she would not be parted from her dear Robin.

At this point in history the two had grown closer than ever before. It was acknowledged throughout London that the two were waiting on Robert’s wife, Amy Robsart to die of the disease that was afflicting her, (It is believed that Amy had a form of breast cancer.), so the two could marry. Amy did in fact die, unfortunately her death was rather mysterious leading many to believe that Robert murdered his wife to marry the Queen. Other’s voiced the theory that the Queen murdered Amy to marry Robert.

Robert was now a free man, a free man who happened to come with the stigma of murder attached to him. Because of this he was no longer an acceptable candidate for a husband to the Queen of England. Even those who thought he was innocent, still believed that Amy’s death had been orchestrated so that the two could marry. Thus Robert Dudley’s name had been permanently removed from the Queen’s list of suitable suitors.

Knowing that marrying Elizabeth was no longer an option, he married the her cousin, Lettice Knollys without Elizabeth’s approval, which earned them both a banishment from court.

Elizabeth could not bear to be parted from her Robin for too long and soon he was welcomed back from court.

While it can be stated that the two were in love, no one will ever know the extent of their relationship. The Queen did order for matching portraits or her and Robert to be made, although they did not get finished beyond the sketches.

Our last giveaway is:

The Elizabeth Pack:

Which includes the following:

1 Copy of Elizabeth & Leicester by Sarah Gristwood
1 Copy of The Life of Elizabeth I by Alison Weir
1 Copy of The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir (fiction)
1 Copy of Death and The Virgin Queen by Chris Skidmore
1 Elizabeth I James Sadler Tea Pot
1 tin of Harney and Sons Tower of London Tea with a tagalong tin.

Today’s Rules:

1. Leave a comment with your name and an answer to the questions:

For our last question,

What is the most random, or oddest Tudor fact that you have heard?

2. Giveaway Worldwide. (Just a heads up if you live in Canada or Australia you will not be receiving the tea as it is against the new shipping restrictions to ship tea to those countries.)

3. You do not need to leave your email address as the winner will be announced the next day. The winner will also be announced on the right side of the blog under the Royal Winners banner. You have until the 23rd to respond with your shipping address. You may want to subscribe to Royal Reviews via feed burner which is located in left side of the blog so that the winners and new giveaways will be sent directly to your inbox.

4. Followers will receive an extra entry so make sure you let us know if you follow us. You will also receive an extra entry if you post about the giveaway.

12 Days of a Tudor Giveaway Day 11

2011-12-23T13:32:00.001-05:00

Day 11

First off, sorry that there is no pictures of the prizes today, I cannot get them to load.

Day 10 Winner is: Beth. Please send your mailing address to:
newroyalreviews at yahoo dot com

Each Tudor had something distinctive to add to this dynasty. Henry VIII believed that he needed a great war so history would remember him for all eternity. He didn’t get his great war, but be did become the King most people remember. Can you imagine what he would think if he could see the Tudor phenomenon that is going on.

On to your Tudor questions:

Liz-Do you think Edward's death was natural?
History records Edward as being a ‘strong and healthy baby’ and he remained so until his fifteenth year.

In January 1553, Edward became ill with a fever and cough that continued to worsen. The Imperial Ambassador, Scheyfve reported that “he suffers a good deal when the fever is upon him, especially from a difficulty in drawing his breath, which is due to the compression of the organs on the right side ...”, although by early April the boy king was feeling well enough to move from Westminster to Greenwich. Yet, April ended with him once again falling ill. May 7th the royal doctors recorded the he was “much amended” and was seen looking out of the window watching ships glide along the Thames.

June 11 Scheyfve reported that his was spitting up phlegm that was stained with blood. The royal doctors now believed he was suffering from “a suppurating tumor” of the lung and admitted that Edward was beyond recovery.

July 1st Edward made his last appearance in public, when he appeared at the window in Greenwich Palace. Those who saw Edward said that he was “thin and wasted”. 5 days later he died.

The cause of Edward’s death is not certain and this left many to remark that he was poisoned, although no evidence has been found to support that theory. The surgeon who examined Edwards’s body found that “the disease whereof his majesty died was the disease of the lungs”. Which led the Venetian ambassador to report that Edward died of consumption, which is the diagnosis accepted by a vast majority of historians. Given that Edward had contracted measles and smallpox the previous year, which had lowered his ability to fight off diseases, tuberculosis would have been a plausible diagnosis.

If we take into account his mother, Jane’s inability to fight off infection, Edward may have inherited a faulty immune system that was unable to fully fight off diseases. His pale colouring, may also hint at anemia which lowers the immune system considerably.

Cheryl Esselman-Do you think Princess Mary was mentally unstable during her reign as queen?

Mary lived a life of never knowing if she was going to survive from one hour to the next. First she was the pearl of her father’s world, then she was cast out, then halfway accepted back into his life. Because her life was on the line so many times, she became overly leery of people and extremely paranoid. But, you must remember that both her father and grandfather suffered from paranoia. Add into the mix a husband who professed his love for her sister and was looking for any reason to get rid of her, a string of failed pregnancies as well as her obsession to reverse the changes her father made all the while trying to keep her mother’s Spanish habits alive, and you have an unstable combination.

While her reign was extensively recorded, those recording were extremely biased depending on the recorders religious persuasion. Catholic recorders portray her as a saintly queen who could do no wrong. Reformers recorded her as a murderous villain who could do no right. What we are lacking is a nonbiased view of Mary, so often historians are left to pick one side or another, and I believe that gives us a skewed portrayal of the woman she actually was.

Theses are the facts that both sides agree upon:

Mary lived a life of never knowing if she was going to survive from one hour to the next. First she was the pearl of her father’s world, then she was cast out, then halfway accepted back into his life. Because her life was on the line so many times, she became overly leery of people and extremely paranoid. But, you must remember that both her father and grandfather suffered from paranoia. Add into the mix a husband who professed his love for her sister and was looking for any reason to get rid of her, a string of failed pregnancies as well as her obsession to reverse the changes her father made all the while trying to keep her mother’s Spanish habits alive, and you have an unstable combination.

Mary had an unlucky reign, and it was said that during her time as queen England had the worst weather ever recorded. She found herself repeating her parents marriage and her desire to please her husband and provide an heir took precedence over matters of State.

Was she mentally unstable? At times I believe so. But, I also believe that she was her father’s daughter without his ability to rule. Her top focus was an heir yet she was too in love with Philip to away with him like Henry had done in his quest for an heir. She was also in love with a man who didn’t love her back.

Mary was the first woman to successfully claim the throne of England and I have to wonder what would have been recorded if it had have been a man making the choices she made.

When Mary died John White, Bishop of Winchester, had this to say at her funeral:

praised Mary: "She was a King's daughter; she was a King's sister; she was a King's wife. “She was a Queen, and by the same title a King also."

I will answer these questions tomorrow as they go along with the last giveaway:

Gisele Alv- I know that Elizabeth never got married but is there any information about if she at least once, fell in love?

Carol L.- I wonder if her and Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester were ever involved or were in love?

Today’s giveaway is:

Philippa Gregory Pack:

The Constant Princess
The Other Boleyn Girl
The Boleyn Inheritance
The Queen’s Fool
The Virgin’s lover
The Other Queen
The White Queen
The Read Queen

The books were kindly donated by a small bookshop called “Write To Read”

Today’s Rules:
1. Leave a comment with your name and an answer to the questions:

Lets have a little fun. If you were casting the Tudors, what actor/actress would play them?

Tudor Trivia: Do you have a Tudor-related question? If so, then this is your time to ask it. Questions will be answered in the last post.

2. Giveaway Worldwide.
3. You do not need to leave your email address as the winner will be announced the next day. The winner will also be announced on the right side of the blog under the Royal Winners banner. You have until the 23rd to respond with your shipping address. You may want to subscribe to Royal Reviews via feed burner which is located in left side of the blog so that the winners and new giveaways will be sent directly to your inbox.
4. Followers will receive an extra entry so make sure you let us know if you follow us. You will also receive an extra entry if you post about the giveaway.

12 Days of A Tudor Christmas Giveaway

2011-12-22T14:24:00.002-05:00

Day 10
The Boleyn Pack:

Day 9 winners are:

Robbie won the Tudor Throne
Shibhon won The Tudor Age

Please email your mailing address to:
newroyalreviews at yahoo dot com

You all have such brilliant and lovely traditions. I grew up in a Scottish and Irish home, so Christmas and New Years is filled with Scottish and Irish traditions yet my favorite has always been Oidche Choinnle.

Oidche Choinnle, is Gaelic for Night of Candles. On Christmas Eve lit candles are placed in the windows to light the way for the Holy Family. On New Years, the candles help light the way for a stranger, “The First Footer”. As a child, I remember my Great-Grandmother lighting actual candles each window, although I still practice the tradition, I err on the side of caution and use battery operated ones.

*****

Moving on to your Tudor Questions, which were all brilliant by the way!

Gisele Alv ask: Was Henry happy at least once in his life?

I believe that Henry was the happiest at the beginning of his reign. He was 18, and the burdens of being a king hadn’t effected his yet. He did as he pleased, and I believe that he was in love with Catherine of Aragon. Without being bogged down by matters of State, he jousted, put on elaborate banquets, performed in masks and disguises, and wrote brilliant songs that showed he was truly happy. At this point of time he was still known as Harry and most importantly he still knew who his true friends were.

Robbie ask: What happened to Katherine Parr after Henry death’s.

Katherine Parr was in danger of losing her head briefly whilst Henry was alive. Henry had a warrant for her arrest drawn up and was making plan to marry Charles Brandon’s widow. Fortunately for Katherine, Henry’s mind changed and when they came to arrest her, Henry pretended to be outraged over the warrant and acted like he had no clue it even existed. I imagine that Katherine was rather relieved by Henry’s death and grateful that she managed to keep her head.

Six months after Henry’s death, Katherine married the man she loved, Thomas Seymour,
who happened to be the uncle of Henry’s only legitimate son. On 30 August, 1548 Katherine gave birth to a daughter, whom she named Mary. Six or seven days later the former queen died from what appears to be complications from childbirth.
Katherine had managed to escape the executioners blade only to perish not even two years after the death of Henry. According to historical records, any mention of Katherine & Thomas’ daughter Mary cease to exist after two years and it is believed the child died.

Shibhon ask: What does a maid of honor tart have to do with Henry 8?

It’s funny that you ask this question as Maid of Honor Tarts are one of my favorite Holiday desserts to make.
For those of you who do not know, Maid of Honor are tarts with a piecrust bottom, a jam center, and a cake like top. The are absolutely scrumptious.

According to tradition, Maid of Honor cakes, or Richmond cakes as they are also called, are responsible for Henry VIII falling madly in love Anne Boleyn. They said that when Anne was Catherine’s Maid of Honor Henry happened to catch Anne eating these cakes from a silver dish.

Tasting a tart for himself, Henry deemed the treat delicious and had both the recipe and the creator of the recipe locked up in Richmond.

While no one actually knows if the story is true, one thing is for certain, Maid of Honors are deliciously sinful.

What to make a dessert fit for Henry VIII? Try my recipe for these tasty treats.

First off and most importantly USE ONLY JAM. If you use any other filling it will run over in your oven leaving a bubbling mess of goo for you to clean up. Trust me, I speak from experience.

1 9 inch pie dough. (I use pre-made pie dough that comes in rolls)
1/4 cup jam
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds.
(Double the recipe for 12 tarts)

Place over rack in the center position and preheat the 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Lightly grease a cupcake or muffin tin.
Cut out 12 3 inch circles and place one in each cup of the cupcake tin. Fit to the bottom, but do not press completely down.
Add one teaspoon of jam to the bottom of each shell.

Batter:
In a medium mixing bowl, cream together softened butter or margarine and white
sugar until light and fluffy.
Mix in egg. Add flour, baking powder, almond extract, and chopped almonds mix
until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.

Top with 2 tablespoons of batter.
Bake for 20 minutes until risen and firm.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for 3 minutes then remove from tin.

*****

Today’s Giveaway is:

The Boleyn Pack:

This Pack includes:

1 Anne Boleyn Scarf kindly donated by The Anne Boleyn Files
1 Copy of The Lady in the Tower by Alison Weir
1 Copy of The Other Boleyn by Philippa Gregory
1 Copy of Mary Boleyn by Alison Weir
1 Copy of Jane Boleyn by Julia Fox

The books were kindly donated by a small bookshop called “Write To Read”

Today’s Rules:

1. Leave a comment with your name and an answer to the questions:

Who is your favorite Tudor?

Tudor Trivia: Do you have a Tudor-related question? If so, then this is your time to ask it. Questions will be answered in the remaining posts.

2. Giveaway Worldwide.

4. Followers will receive an extra entry so make sure you let us know if you follow us. You will also receive an extra entry if you post about the giveaway.

12 Days of a Tudor Christmas Giveaway Day 9

2011-12-21T13:31:00.001-05:00

Day 9

Day 8 winner is: Scott. Please email your mailing address to:
newroyalreviews at yahoo dot com

I loved reading your versions of Henry & his 6 wives Christmas list.

Henry was known for his opulence and Christmas was no exception. In Tudor England, Christmas was a twelve-day festival which reached it’s end on Twelfth Night, January 6, which was the Feast of Epiphany.

Those 12 days consisted of feasts, banquets, pageants, disguises, and all sorts of merry making which was presided over by the Lord of Misrule, or the Master of Merry Disports along with his train of heralds, fools in fancy dress, and magicians all making marry.

Henry VIII also observed the mediaeval custom of appointing a boy bishop to take the place of his senior chaplain: at Windsor, he once rewarded a lad called Nicholas with 10 marks for taking this role.

Court was filled during Christmas and this was the only time when rank was replaced with merriment. Like many homes, the royal palaces were decked out with holly, ivy, and any thing green the season had to offer. The Yule log crackled, carols were sung, dances were performed, wassail was drank, and the public were allowed in to watch.

On Twelfth Night extravagant gifts were exchanged. Here is a record of some of the gifts the King received in 1534.

By the Queen. A goodly gilt bason, having a rail or board of gold in the midst of the brim, garnished with rubies and pearls, wherein standeth a fountain, also having a rail of gold about it garnished with diamonds; out thereof issueth water, at the teats of three naked women standing at the foot of the same fountain.

Dukes and Earls. As in list for 1532. Suffolk's gift is a book garnished with gold, having therein a clock

The abbot of Glastonbury, the prior of Tynnemouth, Dr. Rawson and the princcss's schoolmaster omitted. “By Layland, priest, two books of stories, with the King's grace.”

Among them occur a silver gilt compass, 69¾ oz., a goodly table of Hercules, a table of Our Lord, a tablet of gold with an antike face, a prymer of written hand in vellum, a goodly clock, an “esposier” of gold with a chain, a goodly table of St. Jerome, a tablet of gold with a device of Venus and Cupidoo, two “seviettes” and a marmoset.*

*The above mentioned items were taken directly from the Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, Henry VIII, Volume 7: 1534

1-Bring in a sprig of Holly. (One of the many Druidic practices that was adopted by the Tudor court)
2- Send a card. Although Christmas Cards did not exist in Tudor times, they did send out poems at this time of year.
2-Carol to your hearts content. The first collection of Christmas Carols was published in 1521 and the Tudor era is responsible for several well known Christmas carols, such as ‘We Wish You A Merry Christmas’, ‘The Coventry Carol’, and ’The First Noel’. ’What Child Is This’ borrowed the music of ‘Greensleeves’.
3-Bake gingerbread or gingerbread men. Gingerbread was often requested by Henry VIII, while his was the same standard recipe that is made today, his gingerbread was a bit more grand as it was covered with gold. Elizabeth I was the first monarch to have eaten a gingerbread man.

******
For today’s gift there will be two prizes and two winner. One giveaway is WORLDWIDE & one is US ONLY, please make your comment accordingly.

The First Giveaway is WORLDWIDE and is:

The Tudor Age by Jasper Ridley.

The Second Giveaway is US ONLY and is:

The Tudor Throne by Brandy Purdy.

A brilliant portrait of the rule of "Bloody Mary" and her intricate relationship with Elizabeth I, the adored "Virgin Queen," here is a riveting tale of one family's sordid and extraordinary chapter in the pages of history

I would like to thank Brandy for her donation of the book. If you would like to know more about Brandy, her novels or read her blog you may do so HERE.

Today’s Rules:

1. Leave a comment with your name and an answer to the questions:

What are your Holiday Traditions?

Tudor Trivia: Do you have a Tudor-related question? If so, then this is your time to ask it. Questions will be answered in the remaining posts.

2. Giveaway is US & Worldwide. PLEASE NOTE IF YOUR ARE IN THE US OR INTERNATIONAL AS THERE ARE TWO GIVEAWAYS.

4. Followers will receive an extra entry so make sure you let us know if you follow us. You will also receive an extra entry if you post about the giveaway.

12 Days of a Tudor Christmas Day 8

2011-12-20T14:22:00.001-05:00

Day 8

The Tudor Chronicles 1485-1603

Day 7 Winner is Hilliary. Please send your mailing address to:

newroyalreviews at yahoo sot com

Most of us have our own opinion regarding Henry VIII. Love him or hate him one thing is for certain he was a ruler like no other.

Born the second son of a King, Henry VIII was not groomed to rule England. Henry, or Harry as he was called, was actually groomed to go into the Church, which should not be surprising give his proclivity for theological debate. Unlike his brother Arthur, Henry had a natural ability to debate which led to Erasmus to call Henry ’a deep and acute thinker” he also had inherited his father’s ability to see through peoples intentions.

He was a fairly free to enjoy sports such as hunting and jousting or coming and going as he pleased. But, all that changed with the death of his brother. Henry became the heir to the throne of England he also become more or less a prisoner of his father. After the death his father, Henry was free to be his own man.

His contemporaries described him as cheerful and gameson, quick to laugh, intelligent, the most affable prince in the world. He was full of charm and charisma, a gem of virtue, glory, goodness, and justice.

Henry became king at a time the world was changing. It’s was now a young man’s game and he found himself surrounded by youthful kings. The Renaissance was now in full swing and Henry was not about the be left behind. He entered into the worlds of science, theology, music, art, warfare, and politics and he did so with unbelievable zeal and ability.

He was also quick-tempered, headstrong, immature, vain, and at this point the didn’t quite know the extent of his power. However others did take notice of the man he could become. In 1514 the Spanish Ambassador Henry’s father-in-law, King Ferdinand “that is a bridle was not put on this colt, it will afterwards be hard to control him.”

Seven years later Sir Thomas Moore echoed that statement when he warned the newly appointed Cromwell that he should handle Henry with caution, “For, if the lion knew his own strength, hard were it to rule him.”

Up until the “Great Matter” he was a relatively unaware that he held the keys to the kingdom so to speak. After the “Great Matter” he knew he was the one in charge. Although it was the betrayal of Anne Boleyn then the death of Jane Seymour that sent him over the edge.
So, who was Henry VIII. If you are reading Historical text or even some biographies, the answer often varies based on the Religious persuasion of author. As for my thoughts about Henry, I do not think that he was this horrid tyrant, I think that he was a product of the time in which he lived. Henry was the only ruler in history to have ruled with absolute power, which is something none of us can imagine. When he ascended to the throne, he was a boy of 18, an unprepared boy of 18 who was constantly surrounded with people trying to use him to their own advantage.

Tudor Trivia Question: The Battle of Flodden took place in 1513. It was England against Scotland, what was Henry’s connection to this battle?

Tudor Trivia Answer: Your answers were correct, although I was looking for a closer connection between Henry and the Battle of Flodden. While Henry himself did not have anything to do with the battle, he had more than just a political connection to the battle. Amongst the 10,000 Scots that were slain, Scotland’s king James IV lost his life as well. James was married to Henrys sister Margaret.

Today’s Giveaway:

THE TUDOR CHRONICLES 1485-1603 by Susan Doran

The Tudor Chronicles is a compelling, year-by-year chronology of this tumultuous and critical period in the development of the modern English nation. Each year is covered by a concise, informative and accessible narrative, amplified by extensive quotations from contemporary sources and accompanied by generously captioned and stunning images of the period - including portraits, maps, illuminations, royal seals, tapestries and other artefacts. Authoritative, informative and sumptuous, and compiled by a scholar who is steeped in knowledge of the period, The Tudor Chronicles brings a glorious era of English history dramatically and vividly to life. It is the perfect gift book for anyone with a love of, or fascination for, 16th-century English history.

This is one of my favorite Tudor books. I practically stalked my local Barnes & Noble until I found it.

Today’s Rules:

1. Leave a comment with your name and an answer to the questions:

Let’s have a bit of fun with today’s question. Since it is Christmas time, imagine that the Tudors are making their Christmas lists. What is one thing that Henry and each of his 6 wives would ask for? Get creative! I can’t wait to read your answers.

2. Giveaway is Worldwide.

4. Followers will receive an extra entry so make sure you let us know if you follow us. You will also receive an extra entry if you post about the giveaway.

The 12 Days of a Tudor Christmas Day 7

2011-12-19T13:09:00.001-05:00

Day 7

Catherine of Aragon Giveaway

Day 6 Winner is: Colleen Turner. Please send you mailing address to:
newroyalreviews at yahoo dot com

Once again, great responses. I love seeing your thoughts upon the matter and hope that you are enjoying these questions.

Did Henry love Catherine of Aragon? It’s the question that many Tudor authors and scholars ask find themselves debating about. I personally believe that Henry loved Catherine yet the age difference, Catherine’s inability to provide a male heir, and Henry’s belief that his marriage was unlawful in the eyes of God that caused a rift to develop between them.

Catherine was born 16th of December, 1485. Henry was born six years later on the 28th of June, 1491. Sixteen years later she married Arthur Tudor. A ten year old Henry was Catherine’s escort to her wedding. Dressed all in white Henry was in awe of Catherine and like the Henry most of us have read about, he showed off for Catherine in the form of dance. In fact, he danced so vigorously with his sister that he had to remove his doublet, which left him only in his shirt sleeves.

Catherine’s marriage to Arthur was short-lived, and she soon found herself a window in a foreign land. At the mercy of her father-in-law, Henry VII, Catherine’s future in England was uncertain. After the death of his father and his own ascension to the throne, one of Henry VIII’s first acts was to marry Catherine.

He professed his love for her through poetry, songs, pageants and jousts. No one in England doubted that they were in love. And at this point in time their ages were perfectly suited, Henry was 18 and Catherine 24. They enjoyed the same actives, accompanied each other on pilgrimages, and when Henry was in England shared the hours discussing political and religious matter. Henry often sought her advice on matters of State and when he was on campaign he left Catherine as Regent. Catherine was a worthy Regent and her orchestration of the Battle of Flodden proved to be one of the pivotal battles during Henry’s reign.

The death of their children began to take a toll upon Henry and he began to fear the Lord was punishing him for taking his brother’s wife. And it was the following verse from Levities Chapter 20 Verse 16 that plagued Henry.

“If a man shall take his brother’s wife, it is an impurity; he hath uncovered his brother’s nakedness; they shall be childless.”

By this time, the age difference was starting to become a factor as well. At 35 Henry was in the prime of his life, excelling in sports, dancing till the wee hours of the morning, and campaigning in foreign lands. Catherine now at 41 was becoming weary. The death of the her children, her inability to provide an heir, and her decision at this point in her life to sit back and take in the Court rather than to be a part of it created an unbridgeable chasm.

I believe that it was Henry’s love for Catherine that saved her from the block. If they would have been closer in age, I believe that the outcome would have been differently.

Answer to the Tudor Trivia question: Why was Catherin’s name spelled with a “C”?
Catherine was born Catalina de Aragón. Henry VII deemed the name Catalina too foreign to be accepted by the English, thus she became Catherine of Aragon. She was the only wife of Henry’s to sign her name with a C.

Today’s Giveaway is the:
Catherine of Aragon Pack.

This pack includes the following:

1 copy of Catherine of Aragon: The Spanish Queen of Henry VIII by Giles Tremlett
1 Disappearing Wives Mug (courtesy of Target)
1 tin of Pomegranate Green Tea from The Republic of Tea

I have to say that I own and *love* this mug. When hot water is added the wives disappear.

Today’s Rules:
1. Leave a comment with your name and an answer to the questions:

In your mind, who was Henry VIII?

Tudor Trivia Question:

The Battle of Flodden took place in 1513. It was England against Scotland, what was Henry’s connection to this battle?

2. Giveaway is Worldwide.

4. Followers will receive an extra entry so make sure you let us know if you follow us. You will also receive an extra entry if you post about the giveaway.

12 Days of a Tudor Christmas Giveaway Day 6

2011-12-16T13:39:00.001-05:00

The King’s Rose by Alisa Libby

Day 5 Winner is Sophia. Please send your mailing address to:
Newroyalreviews at yahoo dot com

Katherine Howard is a fascinating subject. Raised in the household of her step-grandmother, the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk where supervision was lax Katherine was raised with loose morals to say the least. The licentious atmosphere of the Duchess’ household allowed Katherine to carry on a sexual relationship with both her music teacher, Henry Mannox and later the Duchess’ secretary, Francis Durham.

Her relationship with Francis Durham mirrored the relationship of a married couple. They referred to each other as ‘husband’ and ‘wife’ and she often performed wifely duties such as looking after Durham’s money when he was away. It was apparent to everyone in the Duchess’ household that the two were headed to the alter and that is when the Dowager Duchess finally put an end to their relationship. Although, her disapproval wasn’t enough to stop the two and it seems that they may have entered into a precontract of marriage before Durham left for Ireland. If they had indeed exchanged vows regarding their intention to marry then consummated it, they would have been considered married in the eyes of the Church.

Katherine’s uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, found her a place at Court in the household of the Anne of Cleves, Henry’s fourth wife. Katherine’s charms soon caught Henry’s eye and Anne found that she had been replaces by a younger English girl. Yet, being a Queen to a man nearing 50 has its downside and she soon found herself becoming bored.

Luckily, a handsome young man and a favorite courtier of Henry’s, Thomas Culpeper, was there to entertain her. With the help of Anne Boleyn’s sister-in-law, Lady Rochford, Thomas and Katherine were able to carryout their affair without notice. Things seem to be going without a hitch until Katherine believed that she was in control of the game. When she appointed Francis Durham as her personal secretary, she more-or-less signed her own death warrant.

Katherine wasn’t a smart girl, her love letters to both Culpepper and Durham are barely legible and her choice of dancing all night rather than trying to sway the King’s mind over political matters shows that she had no knowledge nor desire to be a leading voice in England. She was foolish and naïve to think that she could hide her affairs from the Henry. She was stupid to entrust Lady Rochford with her secrets.

Yet, it is Henry’s choice in selecting Katherine that I must question. It’s one of those moments in history you have to question. Henry wasn’t a stupid man and by this time, he had inherited the paranoia that had plagued his father. Therefore, I must question his decision in marrying the cousin of the woman who had betrayed him. Surely, he would have learned to keep his distance from both the Boleyns and the Howards. Yet, we all know how this marriage ended.

Today’s Giveaway is:

The King’s Rose by Alisa M. Libby

Appointed to the queen’s household at the age of fourteen, Catherine Howard is not long at court before she catches the eye of King Henry VIII. The king is as enchanted with Catherine as he is disappointed with his newest wife — the German princess Anne of Cleves. Less than a year from her arrival at court, Catherine becomes the fifth wife of the overwhelmingly powerful, if aging, King of England.

Caught up in a dazzling whirl of elaborate celebrations, rich gowns and royal jewels, young Catherine is dizzied by the absolute power that the king wields over his subjects. But does becoming the king’s wife make her safe above all others, or put her in more danger? Catherine must navigate the conspiracies, the silent enemies, the king’s unpredictable rages, as well as contend with the ghosts of King Henry’s former wives: the abandoned Catherine of Aragon, the tragic Jane Seymour, and her own cousin, the beheaded Anne Boleyn. The more Catherine learns about court, the more she can see the circles of danger constricting around her, the threats ever more dire.

If you would like to know more about Alisa Libby, The King’s Rose, or to read her blog, please checkout her website HERE.

I would like to thank Alisa Libby for providing a copy of her novel The King’s Rose!

Today’s Rules:

1. Leave a comment with your name and an answer to the questions:

Do you believe that Henry loved his first wife, Catherine of Aragon?

And for a bit of Tudor Trivia, Why was Catherine of Aragon’s name spelled with a “C” rather than a “K” like the other two Katherine’s?

2. Giveaway is US only.

4. Followers will receive an extra entry so make sure you let us know if you follow us. You will also receive an extra entry if you post about the giveaway.

ATTENTION:

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IF YOU WISH TO STAY CONNECTED TO ROYAL REVIEWS, MAKE SURE YOU SUBSCRIBE TO OUR BLOG VIA EMAIL TO CONTINUE TO RECEIVE OUR LATEST REVIEWS AND GIVEAWAYS.

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12 Days of a Tudor Christmas Giveaway Day 5

2011-12-15T09:46:00.005-05:00

Day 5

A Drink Fit For A King.

Day 4 winner is Alex. Please email your shipping address to:
newroyalreviews at yahoo dot com

Once again, your responses were brilliant. Many of you came to the same conclusion that they were good friends who were related by marriage. So, who was Charles Brandon?

Charles Brandon was the son of Sir William Brandon, the standard-bearer of Henry VII, who had died at the hand of Richard III at the Bosworth in 1485. After his father’s death Charles was raised at the court of Henry VIII. Charles was afforded the same education as Arthur and Henry which was a rare occurrence due to the fact Charles had no title. Before Arthur’s death Charles was placed as his companion. After Arthur’s death he was admitted to Prince Henry’s household, once again receiving the same treatment as a Prince of England.

1509 Henry became King of England, his first act was to appoint Charles Esquire of the Body. From there his status rose quickly and soon he found himself being appointed the Duke of Suffolk.

Charles, like Henry excelled in looks, charm and competitive sports. He was the only man who was allowed to beat the King in the sports and often did so especially in the lists. In fact, it was Charles that was jousting against the King when Henry forgot to lower his visor.

Charles was also an accomplished courtier, soldier, and diplomat. Henry often sought his council on most matters both private and State. He had the King’s ear, and he was the only one that was allowed to speak his mind without fear of repercussion. Sure, he may have been banished from court a few times, but nothing lasted longer than a few weeks. Even when he married the King’s sister, Henry wrote that he knew what was going to transpire before he sent Charles to bring Mary home.

Everything the I mentioned shows that Henry and Charles were exceedingly good friends. Although their contemporaries had a different opinion and many of the foreign ambassadors recorded their opinions on this matter. Men in Tudor times were not tall, yet both Henry and Charles were over 6 feet. They were alarmingly alike in looks, build, and demeanor. The Spanish Ambassador recorded that “when viewing the King and Suffolk from the back one was unable to distinguish which was the King and which was Suffolk.” It has also been recorded that Charles was known as ‘Henry’s bastard brother’ because he so resembled the King. Yet, these were not rumors that just started in Henry VIII’s reign, they started long before Henry VII brought Charles into his household.

Charles Brandon was the only person Henry maintained a life-long friendship with. After Charles’ death many believe that the Henry simply gave up. Yes, they were good friends, Charles was related by marriage. But, where they brothers? According to their contemporaries it was possible, yet it remains a mystery we will never know the answer to.

****

Today’s Giveaway is:

A Drink Fit For a King includes:

1 eleven ounce Henry VIII mug.
1 2.25 ounce bag of Henry’s Earl Grey Tea

Fine Black Tea
A favorite of royal subjects for centuries, this Earl Gray is a healthy blend of Indian and Ceylon black tea infused with bergamot. Long live the King!

Description of the mug:
The quote on the back reads, "Order gave each thing view." - From Shakespeare's Henry VIII

Steep Show Teas are carefully selected for quality, flavor and superior health benefits. From the art that celebrates the beauty of the human form to the intoxicating aroma and textures, we give you a tea experience that indulges body, mind and spirit.

My thanks to Diane Decillis from Steep Show Teas and Lido Gallery for donating the mug and the tea.

Today’s Rules:

1. Leave a comment with your name and an answer to the question:

Katherine Howard…Did she really think that she could pull off having an affair or was she just plain crazy?

2. Giveaway is Worldwide.

3. You do not need to leave your email address as the winner will be announced the next day. The winner will also be announced on the right side of the blog under the Royal Winners banner. You have until the 23rd to respond with your shipping address. You may want to subscribe to Royal Reviews via feed burner which is located in left side of the blog so that the winners and new giveaways will be sent directly to your inbox.

4. Followers will receive an extra entry so make sure you let us know if you follow us. You will also receive an extra entry if you post about the giveaway.

The Christmas Cookie Club by Ann Pearlman

2011-12-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

Title: The Christmas Cookie Club
Author: Ann Pearlman
Publisher: Atria
Genre: Holiday Fiction
Pages: 272
How I Read It: ARC received from the publisher – The views expressed in my review are mine alone and I have received no compensation for these opinions.
ISBN: 9781439158845
My Rating: 3 Crowns

Synopsis: On the first Monday of December, every year, twelve friends gather in the evening with batches of homemade cookies wrapped in beautiful packages. They drink wine, they eat, and they take turns telling the story of the cookies they have baked.

Somehow these stories are always emblematic of the year that has just passed. Marnie’s daughter may lose her baby, Jeannie’s father is having an affair with her best friend, Rosie’s husband doesn’t want children, Taylor’s husband has left her. These are stories about sisterly love and conflict, passion and disillusionment, family hardships and pleasures.

My Review: As the title indicates, each year, a group of friends meets before the holiday season to do a cookie exchange. We quickly learn, however, that the cookie’s are really just an excuse for these friends to get together, one of the few times a year that all of them are together to share with each other.

This novel hit a familiar cord with me, as someone who had previously read The Friday Night Knitting Club series. The ideas behind the two books are similar – a great reason for a fabulous group of ladies to get together and share their lives on a regular basis. I wanted to know these ladies, to share in their lives, or at the very least start my own kind of cookie club.

The stories that unfold during the course of this novel are very heartwarming, and I definitely got teary through several parts of it. I loved the friendships that we got to see throughout the book, the history being told from Marnie’s point of view as she is the one who brought the cookie club together. I wanted to just settle in with a nice glass of wine and be a part of their party, even though I know I couldn’t be invited because I’d make number thirteen!

It also does a great job of reminding you of how valuable your friends can be, the people who are with you through many facets of your life and help you through it all as you age together. I was recalling my great friendships as I was reading the book, and thinking of how grateful I am for the people in my life. We’re all so lucky to have found these wonderful people who truly make our lives great.

This was a very fast read, I finished it in less than a day, and it was exactly the light and lovely read I was looking for. Not only were the friendships fantastic to read about, each chapter starts with a cookie recipe and you could easily use them yourself. Sprinkled in between each chapter is an informative section about different ingredients of baking, such as flour, nuts, ginger, butter, and my favorite, cinnamon. I loved reading about that history, it’s like learning about baking while reading about cookies that made me excessively hungry.

I thought this was a nice holiday read, and something book clubs would enjoy this time of the year. You could combine it all into one, have your book/cookie club!

Visit Crystal @ I Totally Paused

12 Days of a Tudor Christmas Giveaway Day 4

2011-12-14T13:32:00.001-05:00

Day 4

Meet the Tudor’s Giveaway

The Winners of To Die For are:
Carol L.
Jennifer causey
Tracy
Please email your shipping address to
newroyalreviews at yahoo dot com

I loved reading your opinions regarding whether Anne was innocent or guilty. One way or another, we must come to the agreement that Anne was a very clever woman. Not only was she able to snag the King, but she was able to hold him captivated throughout the process of the “Great Matter”, (aka his divorce from Catherine), which was 6 long years.

Personally, I believe that she was a victim of her own device. She reveled in being the center of attention, which opened the door for Henry to charge her with adultery. Do I think she loved the King? I am not so sure that she did, she was a pawn in her father and uncles game to elevate their standing. Was she crazy? I believe so, she had a major melt down when she found out that Catherine was still making Henry’s shirts (the series had it right, it actually happened).

Innocent or guilty, sane or insane one thing remains the same, she was and still is fascinating people worldwide.

Meet the Tudor’s Giveaway includes:

Henry VIII: The King and His Court by Alison Weir

The Tudors by G.J. Meyer

The Sisters of Henry VIII by Maria Perry

Today’s Rules:

1. Leave a comment with your name and an answer to the question:

What do you think about the relationship between Henry VIII & Charles Brandon? Were they good friend who were raised together? Or, were they siblings?

2. Giveaway is Worldwide.

4. Followers will receive an extra entry so make sure you let us know if you follow us. You will also receive an extra entry if you post about the giveaway.

12 Days of a Tudor Christmas Giveaway Day 3

2011-12-13T10:50:00.002-05:00

Day Three

A Giveaway To Die For

Yesterdays winner is Nina, please send your shipping address to newroyalreviews at yahoo dot com.

Yesterdays question was: Which wife of Henry is your favorite?

Here are your responses:

Catherine of Aragon: 6
Anne Boleyn: 6
Jane Seymour: 3
Anne of Cleves: 2
Katherine Howard: 0
Katherine Parr: 2

Many of you said that it was Catherine of Aragon’s devotion to both her husband and to her beliefs that endeared her to you. While others selected Anne Boleyn due to the way history has vilified her. Jane Seymour comes in third, which seems fitting as she was Henry’s third wife. Jane Seymour is also the only wife that was able to give Henry his long awaited for Heir, and for that accomplishment she is the only wife buried beside him. Anne of Cleves was not pretty or pleasing enough to be a wife, but she seemed to be able to stay friends with Henry after their divorce which was rather surprising. Young Katherine Howard received no votes and I must say that I am not surprised, I do wonder if the girl was a bit daft. I mean her cousin was sent to the scaffold for having an affair, surely she would have erred on the side of caution, but we all know how it ended. Lastly, we have Katherine Parr, the wife who out lived Henry. Katherine was well-versed in religious matters and her zeal for debating such matters caused Henry alarm to the extent an arrest warrant was drawn up. It was a good thing for her that the King was feeling lenient when they came to arrest Katherine.

****

For today’s giveaway I have 3 copies of Sandra Byrd’s novel, To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn to giveaway.

When Anne Boleyn ascends to the court of Henry VIII, she takes her best friend, Meg Wyatt, along with her. Everything seems thrilling at first, but then their favor rises and falls. Having pledged her loyalty to Anne no matter what, will Meg lose her greatest love---and her own life---in the process?

There are many ways to arrive at the Tower of London though there are few ways out. Kings and Queens ride in before a coronation, retinue trailing like a train of ermine. Prisoners, however, arrive on foot, shoved through one cavernous gate or another by the wardens who live, as all do, at the mercy of a merciless king. Some unfortunate few are delivered to the Tower by water.
Snippet from the prologue

If you would like to know more about Sandra Byrd, To Die For, or any of her other novels, please visit her website Here.

My thanks to Sandra Byrd for donating these copies for the giveaway.

Today’s Rules:

1. Leave a comment with your name and an answer to the question:

Do you think that Anne was innocent or guilty?

2. Giveaway is US only.

4. Followers will receive an extra entry so make sure you let us know if you follow us. You will also receive an extra entry if you post about the giveaway.

And Remember Have Fun!

Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu

2011-12-13T08:13:00.000-05:00

Title: Breadcrumbs
Author: Anne Ursu
ISBN: 978-0-06-201505-1
Publisher: Walden Pond Press
Genre: Juvenile Fiction/Fantasy
Pages: 336
Rating: 4 Crowns

Once upon a time, Hazel and Jack were best friends. They had been best friends since they were six, spending hot Minneapolis summers and cold Minneapolis winters together, dreaming of Hogwarts and Oz, superheroes and baseball. Now that they were eleven, it was weird for a boy and a girl to be best friends. But they couldn't help it - Hazel and Jack fit, in that way you only read about in books. And they didn't fit anywhere else.

And then, one day, it was over. Jack just stopped talking to Hazel. And while her mom tried to tell her that this sometimes happens to boys and girls at this age, Hazel had read enough stories to know that it's never that simple. And it turns out, she was right. Jack's heart had been frozen, and he was taken into the woods by a woman dressed in white to live in a palace made of ice. Now, it's up to Hazel to venture into the woods after him. Hazel finds, however, that these woods are nothing like what she's read about, and the Jack that Hazel went in to save isn't the same Jack that will emerge. Or even the same Hazel.

Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen," Breadcrumbsis a story of the struggle to hold on, and the things we leave behind.

My thoughts:

Breadcrumbs is a novel best described as magical. In telling her story, Anne Ursu pays homage to fairy tales like The Little Match Girl and Hansel and Gretel and novels like The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. I was reminded more than once of Narnia and the White Witch, especially when the Snow Queen arrives in a sleigh and asks Jack if he'd like some Turkish Delight. The world that Hazel finds herself in does not have the charm of Narnia however. There is danger everywhere even with those who seem perfectly harmless and Hazel goes into the woods knowing that she will have to fight evil to get Jack back.

Hazel is a character who is at times wise beyond her years and at other times very young. She has an active imagination and she's entered a time when grownups tend to start encouraging kids to be more serious. This causes difficulties for Hazel in school where she struggles to pay attention. She is intelligent but her curiosity gets her into trouble. Jack is the one bright spot in her life since her dad left. He shares her creativity and they like to make up stories and superpowers together. Lately though Jack has been spending more time with his buddies, Bobby and Tyler. Even before the incident with the Snow Queen, Jack and Hazel start to grow apart. Hazel is at a pivotal moment in her life as she begins to leave childhood behind and her quest to save Jack helps her come to grips with the idea of growing up without losing yourself.

One of the themes of this book seems to be about the importance of creativity and encouraging creativity in young people. Breadcrumbs certainly succeeds with that. The writing style adds to that sense of magic and wonder. The descriptions of cold really pulled me into the story. There were a couple of times that I thought maybe the writing style would not appeal to younger kids but I think tweens in 5th and 6th grade would appreciate it. Anne Ursu has a gift for description and creating a sense of place. Overall I thought this was a fantastic story and one I would suggest to fans of The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobeand Inkheart. Breadcrumbs would make the perfect book to read on a cold winter day when you want nothing more than to curl up with a book and a mug of hot cocoa.

Note: I received a copy of this book for review through the Amazon Vine program

Christina T @ Reading Extensively

The Tudors - What are they to you?

2011-12-12T12:00:00.000-05:00

As readers of historical fiction, most of us have a decent idea of who the Tudors were. Yet surprisingly, I still meet people all the time who have no real idea what that word means - Tudor. Sure, you mention Henry VIII or Elizabeth I and people know who they are, but all they represent are names people were forced to learn in school so long ago.

I feel lucky that I'm much more familiar with this royal family than the average person. Even before I knew their actual family name, these people filled me with such a love of history that I haven't been able to break free from - a passion that has followed me into adulthood and will remain with me forever. Who doesn't hear the story of Anne Boleyn and think it's a tragic one?

The Tudors often represent a somewhat magical period in English history for us, something to speculate on and romanticize about. I love reading a good story of Elizabeth's supposed antics and indiscretions during her youth! And of course, Henry himself provides us with endless liaisons to fantasize about. What most of us forget is the relative stability this family brought to England after the Wars of the Roses, helping to secure the country as one of the powerhouses of Europe during their time.

Whether you like the Tudors just for fun fiction, or for academic reasons, they never fail to give us something interesting to read and learn about. What's your favorite thing about the Tudors?

12 Days of a Tudor Christmas Giveaway Day 2

2011-12-12T09:42:00.001-05:00

Day 2

Wow! The responses to the first giveaway have been amazing! There are so many reasons to love the Tudors both the series and the dynasty.

The Tudor era brought about many changes in England and even throughout the world amazingly some of the changes that Henry VIII brought about are still in place. They were a fascinating family and for many they still are.

Whether you are a Tudor newbie or a serious Tudor addict one fact about the Tudors is well known-Henry VIII married 6 times. While some of you may not know their names you probably know that he divorced 2, beheaded 2, 1 died, and 1 outlived him.

I have named today’s giveaway the:
“Divorced, Beheaded, Died, Divorced, Beheaded, Survived” Giveaway. And this giveaway is centered around the 6 wives of Henry VIII.

The “Divorced, Beheaded, Died, Divorced, Beheaded, Survived” Pack includes the following:

1 Copy of The 6 Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir
1 book of the Six Wives of Henry VIII Paper dolls
1 Pack of Tudor Buttons

This set of eight beautiful and collectible 1" pin back buttons or magnets features collages of Tiffini's of King Henry VIII, Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard, Catherine Parr and the Tudor Rose.

I would like to thank Claire Ridgway @ The Anne Boleyn Files for donating the buttons. Please stop by her site and say thank you. Also, make sure you stop by and checkout their brilliant shop, where you can find all things Tudor.

Today’s Rules:

1. Leave a comment with your name and an answer to the question:

Which wife of Henry is your favorite?

2. Giveaway is International.

4. Followers will receive an extra entry so make sure you let us know if you follow us. You will also receive an extra entry if you post about the giveaway.

And Remember Have Fun!

12 Days of a Tudor Christmas Giveaway Day 1

2011-12-11T09:53:00.001-05:00

Day 1

The Tudors: The Complete Series

Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Henry Cavill, Natalie Dormer brings to life the intrigue of the Tudors in this utterly fascinating series. And now, thanks to a kind and generous donation, from a sponsor who wishes to remain nameless, this Complete Series can be yours.

Here are the rules:

The Tudors: The Complete Series

1. Leave a comment with your name and an answer to the question:

Why Do You Love The Tudors?

2. Due to the formatting of the DVDs being a Region 1, this giveaway is US only.

4. Followers will receive an extra entry so make sure you let us know if you follow us. You will also receive an extra entry if you post about the giveaway.

12 Days of a Tudor Christmas Giveaway

2011-12-10T22:03:00.001-05:00

Here at Royal Reviews we are hosting a 12 Days of a Tudor Christmas Giveaway. Over the next 12 days we will be giveaway a different Tudor-themed item.

Like our Black Friday Giveaway, there will both US & International giveaways.

To enter the rules are simple:

1. Leave a comment with your name, and if there is a prompt question please answer it.

2. Winners will be only eligible for one prize. You may enter as many giveaways as you wish, but if you have won on the 12 gifts your name will be removed from the drawing.

3. You do not need to leave your email address as the winner will be announced the next day. The winner will also be announced on the right side of the blog under the Royal Winners banner. You have until the 23rd to respond with your shipping address. You may want to subscribe via feed burner which is located in left side of the blog.

4. Followers will receive an extra point, so make sure you let us know if you follow us.

Lastly, have fun and remember to spread the word!

Brigid of Kildare by Heather Terrell

2011-12-09T11:22:00.002-05:00

Title: Brigid of Kildare

Author: Heather Terrell

ISBN: 978-0-345-50512-5

Publisher: Ballantine

Release Date: February 9, 2010

Format: Trade Paperback

Pages: 238

How I read it: from my own library

Rating: 3.5 Crowns

SYNOPSIS (from Amazon): Fifth-century Ireland: Brigid is Ireland’s first and only female priest and bishop. Followers flock to her Kildare abbey and scriptorium. Hearing accounts of Brigid’s power, the Church deems her a threat and sends Decius, a Roman priest and scribe, on a secret mission to collect proof of Brigid’s heresy. As Decius records the unorthodox practices of Brigid and her abbey, he becomes intrigued by her. When Brigid assigns Decius a holy task—to create the most important and sacred manuscript ever made—he finds himself at odds with his original mission and faces the most difficult decision of his life.

Modern day: Alexandra Patterson, an appraiser of medieval relics, has been summoned to Kildare to examine a reliquary box believed to belong to Saint Brigid. Hidden within the sacred box is the most beautiful illuminated manuscript Alex has ever seen. But even more extraordinary is the contents of the manuscript’s vellum pages, which may have dire repercussions for the Catholic Church and could very well rewrite the origins of Christianity.

My Thoughts: I am not well versed on my Irish Saints so I really hadn't heard of Brigid before this book. I must say I really enjoyed her story though. Told from the points of view of Brigid and Decius-the monk sent to betray her-we learn of Brigid's near miraculous ability to turn her fellow Gaels from their Pagan beliefs to Christianity. As a young girl Brigid knows she is destined for God although her parents wish her to marry to advance their fortunes. Once they realize Brigid will take no path but the Church, they make her vow to take care of her people and that she does-but the women specifically. I really liked the strong willed Brigid and also the conflicted Monk Decius who is supposed to be spying for Rome but gets to know Brigid when tasked with making a gospel book like no other telling the story of the Abbey of Kildare. It is obvious that he wishes to please his superiors in Rome but also realizes his greater allegiance is to God. Both of these characters have a distinct voice in their respective chapters. Terrell does a wonderful job of melding their two stories together through their differing points of view. I appreciated that she did it in a way that didn't get redundant since it was two different characters relating the same events.

The story also flashes forward to the present day as appraiser Alex is hired by Sister Mary, a Nun in the Abbey of Kildare, to determine the age and authenticity of relics that are reported to have belonged to the Abbey for many centuries. While examining a reliquary (a receptacle used to house relics of Saints) she stumbles across an ancient manuscript and is determined to find out it's value for the Abbey. What she discovers is surprising, unprecedented, and may rock the beliefs set forth by the Catholic Church. I thought this present day aspect was well done too and tied in so nicely with what was going on in the past. I definitely recommend this one to fans of historicals set in Ireland. I wasn't expecting such a good story out of a book that clocks in at barely over 200 pages but I was pleasantly surprised with this one.

Visit Holly at Bippity Boppity Book

The Dragon Queen by Alice Borchardt

2011-12-02T22:04:00.002-05:00

Title: The Dragon Queen
Author: Alice Borchardt
Publisher: Transworld, 2002
ISBN: 0593050622
Genre: Historical Fantasy
472p
Rating: 3.5 Crowns

Synopsis: It is that time known as the Dark Ages. The Romans have abandoned Britain's shores, leaving behind a country riven by terrible strife, warfare, superstition and wild magic. Born into this cruel world, Guinevere, daughter of a mighty pagan queen, is both a threat to her people and a prize to the power-crazed sorcerer Merlin.

Sent into hiding, Guinevere grows up under the protection of a shape-shifting man-wolf and a cantankerous druid, watched over by dragons. Through his dark arts, the malign, all-seeing Merlin will stop at nothing to track her down for he knows her extraordinary destiny. He knows that should Guinevere become queen and Arthur king, they will bring a peace to this ravaged land that will leave him powerless.

My thoughts: Alice Borchardt has taken the legendary tale of Arthur and Guinevere and put her own vividly imaginative spin to it, creating a fantasy grounded by a strong historical background and characters I can relate to even if they are presented in a very different light than usual. An evil Merlin in cohorts with Igraine takes some getting used to!
This Guinevere is no mere mortal. She has inherited powers of her own that will rival Merlin's once she learns to control them and so as she grows up she is faced with a number of trials to test her strength and magical skills. One of the things I liked most in this book was the the portrayal of women as intelligent and resourceful - I find the warrior women of Early Britain more acceptable than those depicted in a medieval Camelot.

I don't read a great deal of fantasy but when I do this is how I like it. The author writes lyrical and beautiful descriptive prose and her fantasy worlds are breathtaking at times. Dragons, shapeshifters and strange monsters contrast with raiding Saxon war parties and Uther Pendragon's court at Tintagel and all woven together with Celtic myth and legend. There was a lot to enjoy but towards the end I began to lose interest. I became confused with the continuous changes in time and place and to tire of Guinevere's endless challenges, many of which added nothing to the storyline. I'd also discovered that this book is the first in a trilogy which I hadn't realised when I started reading. The later stages of Guinevere's life are so well known I can see no incentive to read any further.

I'd recommend The Dragon Queen to fantasy lovers and to those who like to explore the different interpretations of the Arthurian legend.

Visit Cat @ Tell Me a Story

As this is my last review for the year I'd like to take the opportunity to wish all the reviewers and readers at Royal Reviews..

A Very Happy Holiday Season!

The Heartbreaker by Elisabeth McNeill

2011-12-01T09:45:00.099-05:00

Title: The Heartbreaker: A Novel of Bonnie Prince Charlie
Author: Elisabeth McNeill
ISBN: 978-0-7278-6837-4
Publisher: Severn House
Release Date: March 1, 2010
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 192
How I read it: from my own personal library
Rating: 3 Crowns

SYNOPSIS (from dust jacket): "Charles Edward Stewart, known in history as Bonnie Prince Charlie, landed in Scotland in 1746 to raise a rebellion against the English king and try to win back the British throne for his family but his attempt ended in disaster at Culloden. He only evaded capture by the English redcoats because a young woman called Flora Macdonald guided him across Skye to where he was able to board a French ship and escape. They never met again but the twelve days they spent together determined the course of their lives. In this dramatic retelling, Elisabeth McNeill reveals the man behind the myth and wonderfully recreates life in the eighteenth century as she completes their story."

My Thoughts: I must have missed something when I read that synopsis before picking up this book to review it for Scotland week because I thought it would focus on his journey out of Scotland with the aide of Flora MacDonald. Instead this novel focuses on what happened in the lives of Flora Macdonald and Bonnie Prince Charlie after he made his escape from Scotland (or rather abandoned the Highlanders to their gruesome fate on Culloden field). In addition to part of the story taking place in Scotland there were also parts set in England, France, Italy and America which I was totally not expecting. It is clear from the start that Prince Charles is not a good man. He takes everything including the risks his followers take for his cause for granted and he is vain, spoiled, and selfish. He barely acknowledges the debt he owes Flora Macdonald for her courage in helping him escape capture by the English Army. Without her, he would have been imprisoned and possible killed by the English government. Without him, she would never have gained fame as the Prince's savior-which allowed her to gain enough funds and social class to marry her beloved husband Allan.

McNeill tells of Charles' failed relationships and refusal to give up his dreams of regaining the English throne and of Flora's hard life because of the repeated ill-advised choices of her husband. I just found this book very hard to get into and I think it was because it does a lot of telling what is going on instead of showing. There isn't really a whole lot of action to be had with any of the characters. Although it was interesting to find out what happened to these characters after the disastrous turn at Culloden, I think the book would have been much stronger if it had covered Charles' rebellion and his flight with Flora as well. The author only mentions these events briefly in the prologue.

Even though the book was "a novel of Bonnie Prince Charlie" he was such a thoroughly unlikable person that I found myself not caring what happened to him. Strangely, the author relates his full title almost every time he is mentioned which proved to be a bit distracting. To me it felt like the story belonged to the three ill-treated women who surrounded him for the latter half of his life: his mistress Clementine Walkinshaw, his daughter Charlotte, and his wife Louise. The glimpse into 18th century society was nice and this would be good for someone looking for a quick read but it would probably not be my first recommendation for someone looking for a book on what happened to the main players after Culloden though.

Visit Holly @ Bippity Boppity Book

Amanda Forester Guest Post & Giveaway!

2011-11-28T13:07:00.001-05:00

War and Chaos - the Perfect Setting for a Hero
by Amanda Forester
Medieval Scotland holds a certain mystique; it draws me from across the centuries. I'm not exactly sure why, maybe it is the knights and code of chivalry. Maybe it is the colorful clothing and long, elegant gowns. Maybe it is the vicious clan rivalries and political intrigue. Maybe it's just hunky Highlanders in kilts.
Whatever the reason, I am fascinated with this time period, but how to chose an exact date for my novel? This question leads me to do something I enjoy most about writing historical fiction - the research. The history of medieval Europe often reads like a novel itself, rich with battles, conflict and political intrigue. No time period more so than the Hundred Years War.
The Hundred Years War, which true to its name spanned over a hundred years, began in the early 14th century when the kings of both England and France claimed the throne of France. England, whose monarch had strong connections to French nobility (in fact the nobility of many countries spoke French in their respective courts) controlled parts of what is now France and fought to control it all.
Scotland and France were bound by the "auld alliance" so when England invaded France, the French called on the Scots for help. In 1346, French and British forces clashed in Crécy, and Scotland invaded England to force the English to fight on two fronts. Unfortunately for the alliance, the English won both battles. Decisively. Hundreds of French knights were killed, and King David of Scotland was captured. It was a good year for England. Not so good for Scotland.
With their king being held for ransom, the black death slaughtering the populace, and clans struggling to gain power, it was a tumultuous time in Scotland. This chaos and strife is a perfect time for a hero to emerge. In The Highlander's Heart, this hero is Laird David Campbell, who must lead his clan through the dangers surrounding them.
When Laird Campbell comes across Lady Isabelle, a lost English countess, he sees her initially as an interference in his plans. He decides to ransom her back to her kin to get rid of her, but with Isabelle about, nothing ever goes according to plan.
In the end, Isabelle decides she'd rather stay with her hunky Highlander (who wouldn't?) and Campbell realizes the girl is far more valuable than the ransom. Isabelle proves to be not only the healer of Campbell's lonely heart, but also the key to save his clan.
So what is your favorite historical setting? Are there certain time periods or characters that are "must reads" for you?

I would like to thank Amanda Forester for providing this lovely guest post.

THE HIGHLANDER'S HEART
Lady Isabelle escapes her murderous English husband only to be abducted by a Highland warrior and held for ransom. Her determination to break free from captivity is exceeded only by the passion growing between her and the Highland Laird. David Campbell plans to hold Isabelle for ransom as an easy way to line his pockets and return her back where she belongs, but he is unprepared for a feisty English lass with a penchant for finding trouble. Caught between rival clans bent on claiming the throne of Scotland, Campbell must choose a side, and a bride. Standing on the brink of war, Isabelle may be his only hope to save his clan, and his heart.
Visit Amanda: website, facebook, or twitter.

I have two copies to giveaway.
US Residents only.
Copies will be sent from publisher.
Please leave your name, a valid email address, and an answer to Amanda’s question:
So what is your favorite historical setting? Are there certain time periods or characters that are "must reads" for you?

Giveaway ends December 9th.

Visit Angela Renee @ Renee’s Reads

The Black Sun’s Daughter Series by M.L.N. Hanover Giveaway

2011-11-25T14:50:00.000-05:00

The Black Sun’s Daughter Series by M.L.N. Hanover
Book 1- Unclean Spirits
Book 2- Darker Angel’s
Book 3- Vicious Grace
Book 4- Killing Rites

I HAVE ONE SET OF BOOKS TO GIVEAWAY. US & CANADA RESIDENTS ONLY. WINNER WILL BE SELECTED TONIGHT AT 11:30 pm

TO ENTER PLEASE LEAVE YOUR NAME AND A VALID EMAIL ADDRESS.

Book 1- Unclean Spirits
In a world where magic walks and demons ride, you can't always play by the rules.
Jayne Heller thinks of herself as a realist, until she discovers reality isn't quite what she thought it was. When her uncle Eric is murdered, Jayne travels to Denver to settle his estate, only to learn that it's all hers -- and vaster than she ever imagined. And along with properties across the world and an inexhaustible fortune, Eric left her a legacy of a different kind: his unfinished business with a cabal of wizards known as the Invisible College.

Led by the ruthless Randolph Coin, the Invisible College harnesses demon spirits for their own ends of power and domination. Jayne finds it difficult to believe magic and demons can even exist, let alone be responsible for the death of her uncle. But Coin sees Eric's heir as a threat to be eliminated by any means -- magical or mundane -- so Jayne had better start believing in something to save her own life.

Aided in her mission by a group of unlikely companions -- Aubrey, Eric's devastatingly attractive assistant; Ex, a former Jesuit with a lethal agenda; Midian, a two-hundred-year-old man who claims to be under a curse from Randolph Coin himself; and Chogyi Jake, a self-styled Buddhist with mystical abilities -- Jayne finds that her new reality is not only unexpected, but often unexplainable. And if she hopes to survive, she'll have to learn the new rules fast -- or break them completely....

Book 2- Darker Angel’s
In the battle between good and evil, there's no such thing as a fair fight.

When Jayne Heller's uncle Eric died, she inherited a fortune beyond all her expectations -- and a dangerous mission in a world she never knew existed. Reining in demons and supernatural foes is a formidable task, but thankfully Jayne has vast resources and loyal allies to rely on. She'll need both to tackle a body-switching serial killer who's taken up residence in New Orleans, a city rich in voodoo lore and dark magic.

Working alongside Karen Black, a highly confident and enigmatic ex-FBI agent, Jayne races to track down the demon's next intended host. But the closer she gets, the more convinced she becomes that nothing in this beautiful, wounded city is exactly as it seems. When shocking secrets come to light, and jealousy and betrayal turn trusted friends into adversaries, Jayne will soon come face-to-face with an enemy that knows her all too well, and won't rest until it has destroyed everything she loves most....

Book 3- Vicious Grace
When you're staring evil in the eye, don't forget to watch your back . . .

For the first time in forever, Jayne Heller's life is making sense. Even if she routinely risks her life to destroy demonic parasites that prey on mortals, she now has friends, colleagues, a trusted lover, and newfound confidence in the mission she inherited from her wealthy, mysterious uncle. Her next job might just rob her of all of them. At Grace Memorial Hospital in Chicago, something is stirring. Patients are going AWOL and research subjects share the same sinister dreams. Half a century ago, something was buried under Grace in a terrible ritual, and it's straining to be free. Jayne is primed to take on whatever's about to be let loose. Yet the greatest danger now may not be the huge, unseen force lurking below, but the evil that has been hiding in plain sight all along -- taking her ever closer to losing her body, her mind, and her soul. . .

Book 4- Killing Rites
Jayne Heller has discovered the source of her uncanny powers: something else is living inside her body. She's possessed. Of all her companions, she can only bring herself to confide in Ex, the former priest. They seek help from his old teacher and the circle of friends he left behind, hoping to cleanse Jayne before the parasite in her becomes too powerful.
Ex’s history and a new enemy combine to leave Jayne alone and on the run. Her friends, thinking that the rider with her has taken the reins, try to hunt her down, unaware of the danger they’re putting her in. Jayne must defeat the weight of the past and the murderous intent of another rider, and her only allies are a rogue vampire she once helped free and the nameless thing hiding inside her skin.

The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

2011-11-25T11:25:00.007-05:00

Title: The Luxe
Author: Anna Godbersen
Publisher: Harper Collins
Genre: YA
Hardback 433 pages
Source: borrowed from the library
My Rating: 97/100

In the self-contained world of young Gilded Age Manhattan socialites, Elizabeth and Diana Holland reign supreme. Or so it seems. Scratch the surface, though, and you can detect festering jealousies that threaten to topple them. Elizabeth suffers a more literal fall when her carriage overturns and she is carried away by the swift East River current. That's only the beginning of the action and suspense in The Luxe, the launch volume in a teen series by Anna Godbersen. (From Goodreads)

My Thoughts:

Decadent...fun......deliciously sinful. These are the wrods that immediately come to mind after reading The Luxe. The plot is not difficult. It is actually very simple and to me completely predictable. It was however the journey in finishing the book, the delight I had while reading this book, that made it's simpleness palatable. The basic plot is this: rich, young, gorgeous people in 1899 New York, that must marry certain people for family's sake. They gossip, party, and waste their days away thinking how awesome they all. Now although all of the characters sound totally vapid, there are one or two that make the story redeemable. There is Diana Holland who tries to buck convention. She likes to read, dress differently, and speak her mind. There is also Henry Schoonmaker who starts out as quite a despicable character, but when he meets the woman he really loves, he changes his ways. At least the best that he can. His character becomes much more likable. I would be remiss if I didn't mention Penelope the trouble maker. She is quite a piece of work, and every story needs a villain, don't they?

Overall, the book has the feel of soap opera, something I don't normally read. But for whatever reason, I completely lost myself in this book. One could say Godbersen is trying to demonstrate how women had little freedom, and family was everything, but to analyze this book in that way seems false to me. The Luxe is a guilty pleasure, plain and simple. It allowed me to escape life and imagine being a fly on the wall in 1899 New York, and for me that is the sign of a good read. I can't wait to get my hands on the second in the series, Rumors. Incidentally all of these books have now been reviewed her on Royal Reviews.

Visit Jenny R. @ Jenny Loves to Read

The Time In Between by Maria Duenas

2011-11-24T19:20:00.000-05:00

Title: The Time In Between
Author: Maria Duenas
Publisher: Atria books, 2011
Genre: Historical Fiction
ISBN: 9781451616880
624p
Rating: 4 Crowns

The inspiring story of a seemingly ordinary woman who uses her talent and courage to transform herself into a prestigious couturier and then into an undercover agent for the Allies during WWII.

Synopsis: Raised in Madrid, young Sira Quiroga begins her apprenticeship as a seamstress at fourteen and by her early twenties is skilled in her trade and engaged to be married to a nice young man. But everything changes when two charismatic men burst unexpectedly into her neatly mapped-out life: an attractive salesman and the father she has never known.
With the Spanish Civil War brewing in Madrid, Sira leaves her mother and fiance and travels with her lover to Morocco. Very soon she finds herself abandoned, penniless and heartbroken in a foreign land where she knows she has only one skill that will save her: her gift for creating beautiful clothes.
As a couturier for a clientele of Nazi officer's wives, eventually she becomes embroiled in the half-lit world of espionage and political intrigue.

My thoughts: I have mixed feelings about The Time In Between : one of those books you both like and dislike!

I loved the time and places the book is set in - 1930's Madrid and Morocco. Being woefully ignorant of Spain's presence in Morocco and with only a basic understanding of the Spanish Civil War I found the history fascinating especially seeing the events of this era from a Spanish perspective. Nor had I ever given any thought to Spain's role during WWII and the attempts by both the Allies and the Germans to ensure that this small country, devastated by it's own war, joined their side.
That there are many real life people in the story was something else I liked and set my fingers googling to find out more. Rosalinda Fox was one of my favourite characters and it wasn't until after I'd finished reading that I realised she actually existed - what a captivating woman she must have been.

The story is narrated by Sira and this is what didn't work for me. I don't mind not liking the 'heroine' in a story but , good or bad, I want to be able to connect with her. I didn't like Sira and felt about her much as Ignacio , her abandoned fiance who she meets again several years on and he says...

"You don't care about anyone but yourself, Sira. It's all about me, myself..........me, me me."

What I didn't care for was the way she keeps the reader at a distance . Her story becomes an account of her life rather than invitation to share her experiences and her feelings and in such a long book it's inevitable the reader is going to lose interest. I did like many of the secondary fictional characters and would have enjoyed more of their presence particularly as most of them played a significant role in helping Sira to success.

Overall, I enjoyed it but thought it lacked the passion and intensity that would have made it great.

Visit Cat @ Tell Me A Story

Leaving the World by Douglas Kennedy

2011-11-23T06:00:00.001-05:00

Title: Leaving the World
Author: Douglas Kennedy
Publisher: Atria
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 448
How I Read It: ARC received from the publisher – The views expressed in my review are mine alone and I have received no compensation for these opinions.
ISBN: 9781439180785
My Rating: 3 Crowns

Synopsis: On the night of her thirteenth birthday, Jane Howard made a vow to her warring parents: she would never get married, and she would never have children. But life, as Jane comes to discover, is a profoundly random business.

Many years and many lives later, she is a professor in Boston, in love with a brilliant, erratic man named Theo. And then Jane becomes pregnant. Motherhood turns out to be a great welcome surprise -- but when a devastating turn of events tears her existence apart she has no choice but to flee all she knows and leave the world.

Just when she has renounced life itself, the disappearance of a young girl pulls her back from the edge and into an obsessive search for some sort of personal redemption. Convinced that she knows more about the case than the police do, she is forced to make a decision -- stay hidden or bring to light a shattering truth.

Leaving the World is a riveting portrait of a brilliant woman that reflects the way we live now, of the many routes we follow in the course of a single life, and of the arbitrary nature of destiny. A critically acclaimed international bestseller, it is also a compulsive read and one that speaks volumes about the dilemmas we face in trying to navigate our way through all that fate throws in our path.

My Review: Wow, this book. I’m not even sure I know how to review it, to be honest. While I started it with no real expectations, I found myself on multiple occasions thinking, “This is so not what I expected.” Which is a pretty hard thing to say, since I didn’t really expect anything.

I will say that I liked it, and at the same time say that I felt like someone had punched me several times during the course of the novel. Jane’s childhood and relationship with her parents by itself is a sad story, one that had me crying on multiple occasions. On top of that, we get to see just how much that childhood can reach into adulthood and continue to affect someone. Furthermore, there are all kinds of other horrible things that Jane has to encounter – and it was almost too much for this reader.

I’ve said before that I can be a sensitive consumer of all entertainment: you show me a touching show, commercial, play some music for me, I will be crying. I give this as a disclaimer to say that for a reader who is less sensitive than I am, you’ll probably be able to get through this one more easily. This is not to say that I think other sensitive readers should avoid it – on the contrary, I think this is a great novel that we can all benefit in some way from reading. I just want to give a warning to those who may have a more emotional palate.

Through the events of the novel, I kept coming back to the thoughts I had about Jane’s relationship with her mother, and how in many ways I see parallels to my relationship with my own mother in it. This was one of those books that took me inside myself on multiple occasions, which can be good for the soul at times.

I found it to be a reasonably fast read, although there were times that some of the mundane details bogged me down a bit. That being said, I read the whole thing in the matter of a couple of days, and probably would have finished it more quickly if I didn’t have a pesky job to get in the way.

With that in mind, it is heavy reading and I think even the most seasoned, non-emotional reader is going to tear up a few times. There are some hard concepts in this one, something I wouldn’t shy away from but I feel everyone should be prepared for that. I really feel that this author understands loss, and if not, is very good at pretending he does.

Visit Crystal @ I Totally Paused

Lovetorn by Kavita Daswani

2011-11-22T08:00:00.002-05:00

Title: Lovetorn
Author: Kavita Daswani
ISBN: 0061673110
Publisher: HarperTeen
Date of Publication: January 17, 2012
Genre: YA contemporary fiction
Pages: 304
Rating: 4 Crowns

When Shalini’s father gets a new job in L.A., she is torn away from her life in India and the boy to whom she’s been betrothed since she was three. L.A. is so different, and Shalini dresses and talks all wrong. She isn’t sure she’ll survive high school in America without her fiancé, Vikram, and now she has to cope with her mom’s homesickness and depression. A new friend, chill and confident Renuka, helps Shalini find her way and get up the courage to join the Food4Life club at school. But she gets more than just a friend when she meets Toby—she gets a major crush. Shalini thinks she loves Vikram, but he never made her feel like this.
In Lovetorn, Shalini discovers that your heart ultimately makes its own choices, even when it seems as if your destiny has already been chosen.

Author Kavita Daswani has always been fascinated by child marriages and betrothals, and this story of a traditional girl from India, who is exposed to so many more freedoms and experiences after being dropped in a completely alien culture, is a fresh and contemporary look at the subject.

My thoughts:

Lovetorn on the surface sounds like a romance with a love triangle however the novel focuses more on Shalini and her family than on romantic relationships. Toby doesn't even appear until more than halfway through the story. When he does show up, he does not make enough of an impression. Readers who pick up this book solely for the romantic aspect might find themselves disappointed but I am glad that the author chose to spend so much time on other things. The portrayal of the culture shock and the adjustments her family must make are well portrayed. I liked seeing how Shalini grew and changed from the dutiful girl she was in India to someone who makes her own decisions.

Readers may not agree with arranged marriages for children but the author does a good job of making sure it is written with sensitivity. I also liked how Vikram was not painted as a bad option. He genuinely cares for Shalini and loves her. The immigrant experience is central to the novel and I think it was depicted believably with both the exciting opportunities as well as the fears and the struggles to fit in. I was also pleased with the ending which felt realistic. The one weakness of the book is Shalini's relationship with Toby. It might serve as an important catalyst in Shalini's growth as a person but it seemed like instant infatuation and I didn't like seeing Shalini become so boy crazy for Toby after months of pining for Vikram. Thankfully the strengths of the novel outweighed the weaknesses for me. I would suggest this to fans of Neesha Meminger, Anjali Banerjee, and Mitali Perkins.

Visit Christina T @ Reading Extensively

Note: I read an ARC of this book courtesy of Around the World ARC Tours in exchange for an honest review

Black Friday Giveaway!

2011-11-21T11:54:00.001-05:00

For us in the US, Thanksgiving is quickly approaching. As if the stress from all the cooking isn’t bad enough; Thanksgiving is followed by what I call The Day of Lunacy otherwise known as Black Friday.

I for one am not willing to trade in my sanity for a bargain. So I am going to stay nestled warmly and safely inside and host a day of giveaways here at Royal Reviews.

The rules are simple:
-Comment on the appropriate post, leaving your Name and a valid email address.
-Some of the giveaways will be International and some due to publisher shipping restrictions will be for the US & Canada only. Each giveaway will be marked accordingly.
-Winners will be announced throughout the day on the 25th of November and contacted the same day. Winners will have until midnight on the 28th to respond with their shipping address.
-Last but not least, Have fun and don’t forget to share this with your readers.

Please note that these books are either books that I have purchased or books that publishers have provided, they will be noted accordingly.

A Royal Giveaway.
Contest is International.
Please leave your name and a valid email address.
Books have been purchased by me.

One winner will receive the following:

Best Wishes,

Visit Angela Renee @ Renee’s Reads

The Maid by Kimberly Cutter

2011-11-17T07:44:00.003-05:00

Title: The Maid: A Novel of Joan of Arc
Author: Kimberly Cutter
ISBN: 978-0-547-42752-2
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Release Date: 20 October, 2011
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 304
How I read it: from Publisher via NetGalley
Rating: 3.5 Crowns

Synopsis from Amazon: "The girl who led an army, the peasant who crowned a king, the maid who became a legend It is the fifteenth century, and the tumultuous Hundred Years’ War rages on. France is under siege, English soldiers tear through the countryside destroying all who cross their path, and Charles VII, the uncrowned king, has neither the strength nor the will to rally his army. And in the quiet of her parents’ garden in Domrémy, a peasant girl sees a spangle of light and hears a powerful voice speak her name. Jehanne .

The story of Jehanne d’Arc, the visionary and saint who believed she had been chosen by God, who led an army and saved her country, has captivated our imagination for centuries. But the story of Jehanne—the girl—whose sister was murdered by the English, who sought an escape from a violent father and a forced marriage, who taught herself to ride and fight, and who somehow found the courage and tenacity to persuade first one, then two, then thousands to follow her, is at once thrilling, unexpected, and heartbreaking."

My Thoughts: The story of the young peasant girl from Domremy who led an Army and crowned a king has reached mythical proportions over the passage of time. In The Maid, Kimberly Cutter allows the reader to see past the storied exploits of the legendary saint and introduces us to the real girl that was Jehanne. Jehanne knows from a young age that her calling is with God but in her father's eyes, her only use is to make a good marriage that will benefit the family. When her true path-to free France from the English and place Charles VII on the throne- is revealed to her by the Saints Michael, Catherine and Margaret, she places her faith in God and leaves her small village to try and accomplish the seemingly impossible task. Jehanne is by no means perfect in this novel which I really appreciated. At several points she is unsure of her ability to bring people to support her cause but they see something in her and slowly her Army begins to come together. It was interesting to watch the transition from the frightened worried girl to the confident fearless leader. She knows her time is limited and she has much to accomplish in this short span of time. I appreciated the more reasonable explanation for some of the feats Jehanne was able to accomplish- how she was able to recognize Charles from among a crowd and how she knew where to find her famed sword to name a few. I personally prefer a more rational explanation to "it was all God's doing". Of course being about a woman who hears voices and has visions from God, the book does have it's fair amount of religious content and I really liked the way this was handled. Cutter didn't make the vision/voices aspect seem hokey and despite Jehanne's deep rooted faith the book was not preachy.

My biggest problem with the book is with focus on Jehanne being so intense the book lost sight of explaining what was going on with the bigger picture. There wasn't a whole lot of background on the Hundred Years War. I am not as well versed in this part of history as I am with other areas so I wasn't quite sure why certain battles were key and why certain locations were so important to the story-and it wasn't really explained either. Also Jehanne was the only character I really felt I got to "know". Everyone else-Charles, Jehanne's family, her supporters-weren't really fleshed out enough for me to entirely understand their motivations. Charles' less than ideal childhood was briefly explained but not enough so to justify why he was such a spineless coward who decided to listen to his shady advisers than support the woman who brought him to the throne. I found it curious that while some time was devoted to Jehanne's time in prison, virtually no time in the novel was given to her trial. Also interesting is Cutter does not end Jehanne's story where authors typically do. The writing itself flows nicely throughout and while short chapters may be annoying to some people, I thought it worked well here.

Despite getting a little lost with the history aspect of the novel, I really liked this more personal view of Jehanne. I would say if you're looking to learn about this point of time as a whole this might not be the best book for that but if you're looking for a book that attempts to get inside the head of the well known figure, this was a good effort. Bonus points because the author included a note at the end explaining which elements of the novel were based in truth and which parts she fiddled with history a bit. I love when authors offer insight into why they wrote the story the way they did, especially when I don't know the history that well as the case was with this book.

Visit Holly @ Bippity Boppity Book

The Soldier's Wife by Margaret Leroy

2011-11-16T06:00:00.000-05:00

Title: The Soldier’s Wife
Author: Margaret Leroy
Publisher: Hyperion
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 416
How I Read It: ARC received from the publisher
ISBN: 9781401341701
My Rating: 3.5 Crowns

Synopsis: As the war draws closer and closer to Guernsey and her home, Vivienne de la Mare knows that there will be sacrifices to be made. Not just for herself, but for her two young daughters and for her mother-in-law, for whom she cares while her husband is away fighting.

What she does not know nor expect is that she will fall in love with one of the enigmatic German soldiers who take up residence in the house next door to her home. As their relationship intensifies, so do the pressures on Vivienne. Food and resources grow scant, dementia takes hold of her mother-in-law, and the restrictions placed upon the residents of the island grow with each passing week. Though Vivienne knows the perils of her love affair with Gunther, she believes that she can keep their relationship – and her family – safe. But when her young daughter befriends a prisoner from a work camp, she must decide if she is willing to risk her personal happiness for the life of a stranger.

A novel full of grand passion and intensity, The Soldier’s Wife makes readers take pause and wonder “What would you do for your family?” “What should you do for a stranger?” and “What would you do for love?”

My Review: This was my first foray into historical fiction set in World War II, and I wasn’t sure what to expect at first. Having grown up in the US, I think my opinion and views of WWII are rather different than that of the rest of the world. While all wars are devastating, things weren’t nearly so risky living here as it was in Europe.

As a result, this book helped give me a different perspective on the war and how it affected an ordinary family like the de la Mare’s. I can only imagine what it would be like to live in an occupied territory, having a state imposed curfew and worrying about what it might look like if I’m seen talking to certain people. And on top of that, worrying about how to feed not only my family, but other people less fortunate than myself – I’m scared just thinking about it.

But that’s the reality for Vivienne, who makes a last minute decision to stay on Guernsey instead of taking the boat over to England. When the German’s come to occupy their little island, it’s actually not quite as bad at first as you might imagine. There are limitations imposed, but Vivienne does her best to make the lives of her family members as easy possible. After not too long, the island is cut off from the mainland and everyone is forced to find new ways to survive in an increasingly harsh world.

When Vivienne meets Gunther, she feels rather conflicted – something about him is a huge draw to her, but she doesn’t want to let down the side by fraternizing with the enemy. In the end, her love wins out and she embarks on a great journey of love in a dangerous time, full of secrets and double lives.

There are so many different choices Vivienne must make on a daily basis, the biggest one being how to best protect her family from the various risks they confront, most of which her children aren’t even aware of. While her affair with Gunther is dangerous from some aspects, it unintentionally serves the purpose of protecting the family at the same time. Which can sometimes mean the difference between life and death.

This book shows not only a different side of the war, but really illustrates that not everyone involved is necessarily a bad person. Many of the soldiers on the island are forced themselves between choosing life or death – you either follow orders, or you will likewise be disposed of. It’s an ugly truth in the world they are living in, and one I hope I never have to face.

Visit Crystal @ I Totally Paused

The Arrow Chest by Robert Parry

2011-11-15T12:15:00.000-05:00

Title: The Arrow Chest
Author: Robert Parry
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: CreateSpace,2011
ISBN: 1452801142
342p
Rating: 4 Crowns

Synopsis: London, 1876. The painter Amos Roselli is in love with his life-long friend and model, the beautiful Daphne - and she with him - until one day she is discovered by another man, a powerful and wealthy industrialist. What will happen when Daphne realises she has sacrificed her happiness to a loveless marriage? What will happen when the artist realises he has lost his most cherished source of inspiration? And how will they negotiate the ever-increasing frequency of strange and bizarre events that seem to be driving them inexorably towards self-destruction. Here, amid the extravagant Neo-Gothic culture of Victorian England, the iconic poem ‘The Lady of Shalott’ blends with mysterious and ghostly glimpses of Tudor history. Romantic, atmospheric and deeply dark.

My thoughts: The story begins when, during restoration at the Tower of London, an arrow chest containing bones believed to be those of Anne Boleyn is discovered. Amos is asked to sketch the remains and alone in the dark and spooky surroundings has an experience that perfectly sets the dark gothic atmosphere for the story.
The lives of Henry VIII, the ill-fated Anne and her childhood friend and supposed lover, Thomas Wyatt, are reflected in the lives of Amos, Daphne and her husband, Oliver Ramsay, and picking up the references to the Tudor era is great fun. Daphne chose to marry Oliver partly to fulfil the expectations of her parents and partly because she feared marriage to a penniless artist although she still cared for Amos. She persuades her husband to commission Amos to paint his portrait and later invites him to join them on the Isle of Wight for the summer . He's accompanied by his housekeeper, Beth, whose sweet and practical nature brings a the breath of normalcy to lighten the darkness.

The Isle of Wight was a popular holiday resort for fashionable Victorians. Queen Victoria built her beloved Osborne House there and Lord Tennyson also had his summer home there. It attracted many writers and artists - ' the arty-farty crowd' as Oliver Ramsay disparagingly calls them, to relax away from the everyday restrictions of the era.
Robert Parry's descriptive prose is gorgeous and really brought the beauty of the place alive - I could almost feel the summer breeze and hear the sea crashing on rocks below the cliffs.

A lovely, multi-layered novel of romance , suspense, ghostly hauntings and dreams, spiced with wonderful touches of humour and a fascinating glimpse of life in the Victorian era.
Loved it! I recommend!

Visit Cat @ Tell Me A Story

Sharon Lathan Guest Post & Giveaway

2011-11-08T11:32:00.001-05:00

Introducing Georgiana Darcy
By Sharon Lathan

Who is Georgiana Darcy?

It is a valid question whether one has read Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice or not. If you have read the novel you will catch a glimpse of the girl who is Mr. Darcy’s “more than ten years my junior” sister primarily through the eyes of others. Darcy adores his sister, that is very clear, but most brother’s love their sisters so this tells us nothing of her character. Caroline Bingley has this to say: “I really do not think Georgiana Darcy has her equal for beauty, elegance, and accomplishments.” Might be a slight exaggeration, considering the source and circumstances. A more trustworthy source is Lizzy Bennet, whose impression of Georgiana is that she is shy, lacking courage, very civil, easily embarrassed, and soft spoken. (Paraphrasing from Chapter 45

By the end of Austen’s novel we like Georgiana because others like her. The attachment to Lizzy, who is referred to as Georgiana’s “sister” with a shared loved for each other, tells us much. I especially love these words that the end of Pride & Prejudice:

“Georgiana has the highest opinion in the world of Elizabeth; though at first she often listened with an astonishment bordering on alarm at her lively, sportive manner of talking to her brother. He, who has always inspired in herself a respect which almost overcame her affection, she now saw the object of open pleasantry. Her mind received knowledge which had never before fallen in her way.”

As nice as though tidbits are, it barely qualifies as an introduction. There is so little about Georgiana Darcy to go on that the fields of inspiration and interpretation are wide open! The scenes in the 2005 movie where we see Georgiana at the piano, twice, and then with a teasing spirit and deep affection for her brother were burned into my brain. Austen wrote her as reserved and shy at this point, yet I liked that movie gave us a hint of the Georgiana described at the end of the novel. I liked that Georgiana.

I liked her so much that I knew from the beginning of writing my Saga, even when she was yet the shy, easily frightened girl of sixteen, that she would evolve into a woman of strength and character. Of course it was a gradual process, aided by Lizzy’s influence and her brother’s love. Most of the time I did not know how she would mature or what the catalyst would be! She surprised me at times. I honestly sis not think she would adapt to her debut Season and dances at Almack’s so well, but she did. I never imagined her bravely traveling on without her brother and crossing the Alps, but she did that too. And although I always pictured her at a pianoforte, I was stunned when she told me she was a composer!

Who is my Georgiana Darcy?

Well, she is a complex woman, as we all are. She is on a journey, a quest if you will, to answer that question for herself. I feel fortunate that she allowed me to share her quest with others. It has been a marvelous adventure that I can’t sum up in a few paragraphs. What I can promise is that you will like her, very much, and there can be no doubt that “her mind received knowledge which had never before fallen in her way.” I can also promise more than a mere introduction. Georgiana will be your friend.

Synopsis of Miss Darcy Falls in Love-

Noble young ladies were expected to play an instrument, by Georgiana Darcy us an accomplished musician who hungers to pursue her talents. She embarks upon a tour of Europe, ending in Paris where two very different men will ignite her heart in entirely different ways and begin a bitter rivalry to win her. But only one holds the key to her happiness.

Set in post-Napoleonic Empire France, Miss Darcy Falls in Love is a riveting love story that enters a world of passion where her gentlemen know exactly how to please and a young woman learns to direct her destiny and understand her heart.

Sharon Lathan is the best-selling author of The Darcy Saga sequel series to Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice. Her previously published novels are: Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One, Loving Mr. Darcy, My Dearest Mr. Darcy, In the Arms of Mr. Darcy, A Darcy Christmas, and The Trouble with Mr. Darcy. Miss Darcy Falls in Love is Georgiana’s tale of love and adventure while in France. Complete with a happy ending. In addition to her writing, Sharon works as a Registered Nurse in a Neonatal ICU. She resides with her family in Hanford, California in the sunny San Joaquin Valley. Visit Sharon on her website: www.sharonlathan.net and on Austen Authors, her group blog with 25 novelist of Austen literature: www.austenauthors.com.

I would like to thank Sharon Lathan for stopping by Royal Reviews today. It is always a pleasure to hear from you.

I have two copies of Miss Darcy Falls In Love to giveaway.
To enter please leave your name and a valid email address.
Sorry, U.S. and Canada only as the books are shipping from the publisher.
Giveaway ends: November 25

The Virtuoso by Grace Burrowes

2011-11-01T10:14:00.000-04:00

Title: The Virtuoso

Author: Grace Burrowes
ISBN: 978-1-4022-4570-1
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Release Date: November 2011
Pages: 416
Format: Mass Market Paperback,
$6.99
How I Read It: Mass Market Arc from publisher
Rating: 4.5 Crowns

A genius with a terrible loss. . .

Gifted pianist Valentine Windham, youngest son of the Duke of Moreland, has little interest in his father’s obsession to see his sons married, and instead pours passion into his music. But when Val loses his music, he flees to the country, alone and tormented by what has been robbed from him.

A widow with a heartbreaking secret. . .

Grieving Ellen Markham has hidden herself away, looking for safety in solitude. Her curious new neighbor offers a kindred lonely soul whose desperation is matched only by his desire, but Ellen’s devastating secret could be the one thing that destroys them both.

Together they’ll find there’s no rescue from the past, but sometimes losing everything can help you find what you need most.
(from the publishers)

My Review:
From the start of the series, Val is the glue that holds that brothers together. He is their shelter in the storm, so when encounters a storm of his own in the form of an condition that demands he give up his music, Val is lost. He feels that he is defined by the extraordinary music he plays and when that ability is stripped he feels as though he has lost his soul.

Ellen Markham is a widow, who is hiding a secret. When she stumbles upon Val inspecting the estate he won in a card game, the kiss the two shared a years ago is fresh in her mind. While the two become close, the secret Ellen holds may be enough to tear them both a part.

Having the first two books in the Duke’s Obsession Series, The Heir and The Soldier, I knew that Val’s story was going to be a great read. What I didn’t expect was how much I was going to come to care for the character. My favorite of the Windham brothers had, and is, Devlin, although Val is a close second.

My Thoughts:

Having previously read the first two books in The Duke’s Obsession Series (The Heir & The Soldier), I knew that I would enjoy reading, The Virtuoso. What I didn’t expect however was how much I did enjoy it. If you read my previous reviews of this series, you know how much I loved St. Just, although after reading this book Val is catching up to his older brother in my affection.

There is something about the hero’s that Grace Burrowes creates, they captivate you in a way no other romance characters can. I guarantee that you will fall in love with Val & Ellen.

While the titles do indeed fit the description of the heroes, I feel that that there is so much more to Valentine Windham than the label of “Virtuoso” and I hope that you explore his character in Grace Burrowes’ newest edition “The Virtuoso”.

Favorite Bit From The Virtuoso:

“You are safe with me, Ellen.” He punctuated the sentiment with a kiss to her temple then rested his cheek where his lips had been.” I am a gentlemen, if nothing else. I might try to steal a kiss, but you can stop me with a word from even that at any time. The question is, how safe do you want to be?”

“Shame on you.” Ellen whispered, turning her face to his shoulder.

“Shame on me is right, for I do not offer you anything, you see, but kisses, and illicit pleasures. Those I can give you in abundance, if you want them.”

She pulled away, peering at him in the moon light. “Are you insulting me?”

“I am not. I am commenting on my unworthiness as a mate to a decent woman. I can bring you pleasure and take some for myself, if you can offer it, but that is the extent of my utility.”
Page 68 of the Uncorrected Proof, finished copies may differ.

Visit Angela @ Renee’s Reads

Everything I Know About Love I Learned from Romance Novels by Sarah Wendell review/giveaway.

2011-10-31T13:49:00.002-04:00

Title: Everything I Know about Love I Learned from Romance Novels
Author: Sarah Wendell
ISBN: 978-1-4022-5449-9
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Format: Trade Paperback
$14.99 U.S.
Pages: 256
Release Date: October 2011
How I Read it: ARC from publisher
Rating: 4.5 Crowns

Take a dashing hero with a heart of gold and a mullet of awesome. Add a heroine with a bustle and the will to kick major butt. Then include enough contrivances to keep them fighting while getting them alone and possibly without key pieces of clothing, and what do you have? A romance novel. What else? Enough lessons about life, love, and everything in between to help you with your own happily-ever-after.

Lessons like...

Romance means believing you are worthy of a happy ending

Learning to tell the prince from the frog

Real-life romance is still alive and kicking

No matter how bad it is, at least you haven’t been kidnapped by a Scottish duke (probably)

Straight from the heart of influential romance blogger Sarah Wendell, this inventive gift book provides the best wisdom about love that the romance genre has to offer. Laced with signature witty commentary and peppered with thoughts from bestselling romance authors (Nora Roberts, Jennifer Crusie, Debbie Macomber, Eloisa James, Robyn Carr, and lots more) and avid readers, these pages will reveal what every romance reader already knows: while romances are certainly steamy, they have more to offer than just a sexy hero. In fact, they might have more to say about love than we give them credit for. Sarah Wendell is cofounder of one of the top romance blogs, SmartBitchesTrashyBooks.com.
(from the publisher)

My Thoughts:

Witty, funny, and utterly entertaining, Everything I Know about Love I learned from Romance Novels, draws out the lessons learned in the romance novel and applies them to real life. I loved this book. I loved the way it was compiled and the snippets from romance authors and readers give it that extra something.

This book arrived at the perfect time. A friend and fellow book club member is getting married so for our last book club meeting we had a romance novel themed hen night and for the gift bags we added in Everything I Know About Love I Learned From a Romance Novel. I have to say the book was a huge it. Everyone was and still is talking about this book. And, it’s not just the who are loving it, I have noticed the guys are flipping through it too!!

This is one of those books if left sitting on the coffee table, people will definitely pick it up and ask if they can borrow it. So, when you pick up your copy make sure to buy an extra in case someone nicks yours.

I happen to have two “Hen Night” Packs to giveaway.
Giveaway Open TO ALL
To enter leave your name and a valid email address.
Giveaway Ends. November 20.

The Hen Packs Include:

1 Copy of Everything I Know About Love I Learned From a Romance Novel
1 Copy of A Novel Seduction By Gwyn Cready
1 Copy of Pride & Prejudice
1 Copy of Lord & Lady Spy by Shana Galen

(the books were supplied by members my book club)

Mr. Darcy’s Bite by Mary Lydon Simonsen

2011-10-30T11:03:00.001-04:00

Title: Mr. Darcy’s Bite
Author: Mary Lydon Simonsen
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN: 978-1-4022-5077-4
Format: Trade Paperback
$14.99
Pages: 336
Release Date: October 2011
How I Read It: Trade Paperback Arc from Publisher
Rating:4 Crowns

MR. DARCY HAS A SECRET…

Darcy is acting rather oddly. After months of courting Elizabeth Bennet, no offer of marriage is forthcoming and Elizabeth is first impatient, the increasingly frightened. For there is no denying that the full moon seems to be affecting his behavior, and Elizabeth’s love is going to be tested in ways she never dreamed…

Darcy has more than family pride to protect: others of his kind are being hunted all over England and a member of Darcy’s pack is facing a crisis in Scotland. It will take all of Elizabeth’s faith, courage, and ingenuity to over come her prejudice and join Darcy in a Regency world she never knew existed.
(from the back of the arc)

My first thought after reading the blurb:

Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley a werewolf…this could be interesting! Although the blurb on the back of the arc is a bit misleading as I thought that, the novel would be about someone hunting down werewolves.

My Thoughts:

I love adaptations of Pride & Prejudice, although when it comes to paranormal versions of the novel I am a bit hesitant. The storyline needs to be believable, one misstep in the believability and the novel goes down the drain and I am happy to report that Mr. Darcy’s Bite was believable. What I am about to say may sound a bit odd, but I can truly see Mr. Darcy as a werewolf. That would explain his character traits, so I believe that this type of paranormal fits better than the others that I have read.

I had previously read and enjoyed A Wife for Mr. Darcy so when I started reading Mr. Darcy’s Bite, I was happy to see that the characters of Darcy and Elizabeth remained the same, other than the whole I’m-a-werewolf-can-you-still-love-me aspect of it.

I do have one complaint about this book-it could have been longer, although I may just be saying that because I never wanted this novel to end.

Overall, Mr. Darcy’s Bite was an adorable paranormal take on the love story that is Darcy and Elizabeth. If you want an amazing addition to your P&P collection, then you definitely need to give this book a go.

Visit Angela @ Renee’s Reads

The Rose Garden by Susana Kearsley Review/Giveaway

2011-10-29T08:37:00.001-04:00

Title: The Rose Garden
Author: Susana Kearsley
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN: 978-1-4022-5858-9
Release Date: October 2011
Format: Trade Paperback
$16.99
Pages: 448
How I Read It: Trade Paperback Arc from Publisher
Rating: 5 Crowns A ROYAL READ

TIME AND DESTINY AWAIT NO ONE…

When Eva Ward Returns to the old house on the Cornish coast, seeking the happiness of her childhood summers, she hears mysterious voices that sweep her into the intrigue and danger of the eighteenth century.

Award-winning author Susana Kearsley sweeps her modern heroine into a fascinating era of the past, intertwining a compelling love story with a spellbinding tale of a dethroned king awaiting his moment of glory.
(from the back of the arc)

First thoughts after reading the blurb: Cornish coast! Time-travel!! Compelling love story!!! Dethroned king awaiting his moment of glory!!!! Susana Kearsley!!!!! The perfect elements for an intriguing story.

My Thoughts:

I had read/loved/devoured her novel The Winter Sea, so when Sourcebooks offered The Rose Garden for review, I jumped at the chance.

At first, I was a bit worried that I would constantly be comparing The Rose Garden to The Winter Sea, although once I started reading The Rose Garden I fell instantly in love with it.

The characters, both the ones in the past and the ones in the present, were able to pull me into the novel and I loved that they had the ability to do that. I also enjoyed the fact that the secondary characters were as well rounded as the main characters. And the way that Susana Kearsley paints the settings were so vivid they come alive.

The mystical aspect of this novel is well done and rather believable and I hate to label this as a paranormal novel because it is so much more than that. The Rose Garden is part historical, part romance, part historical, and sheer brilliance.

The Tamar

“Crossing the Tamar for some reason made me feel different inside.
It was only a river, yet each time I crossed it I felt I had stepped through some mystical veil that divided the world that I only existed in, from the one where I was meant to be living in. It was as my mother always used to say, a kind of homecoming that only those with Cornish blood could feel, and since my blood was Cornish on both sides for several generations backs, I felt it strongly.”
-page 5 of the arc
( printed version may be different)

I have to say that this novel will forever hold a permanent spot both in my heart and on my shelf.

I have 1 copy of The Rose Garden to giveaway.
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The Goblin King by Shona Husk

2011-10-28T06:18:00.001-04:00

Title: The Goblin King
Author: Shona Husk
ISBN: 978-1-4022-5985-2
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Format: Mass Market Paperback
$6.99
Pages: 320
Release Date: October 2011
How I Read It: Mass Market Arc
Rating: 4 Crowns

ONCE UPON A TIME…

A man who had been cursed to the Shadowlands,
his heart replaced with a cold lump of gold.
In legends, he has become known as

THE GOBLIN KING.

For a favored few he will grant a wish.
Yet, desperately clinging to his waning human soul,
His one own desire remains unfulfilled:

A WILLING QUEEN.

But who would consent to move from
the modern-day world into the realm of nightmares?
No matter how intoxicating his touch, no matter
how deep his valor, loving him is dangerous.
And the one woman who might dare to try
could also destroy forever his chance at a

HAPPILY EVER AFTER.

First thoughts after reading the blurb:

This reminds me of the Legend of Shift Jack. This has potential be to a grand read.

My Review:

A Celtic King cursed for all eternity for a betrayal he did not commit. Cursed to live life as a goblin. A piece of cold gold where his once beating heart had resided. A never-ending desire for gold running through his veins.

In the Shadowlands, he can live as the man he once was. In the Fixed Realm, he is the monster he was cursed to be. For some, he is the harbinger of their worst nightmares. For others, he is their protector.

For Eliza, he was the warning her mother had given her about becoming greedy. Then he was the warrior she had summoned when she was in need of protection. He had taken her to the Summerland, the place where dreams began and leaving her with an amber bead to remember him by and the warning that if she ever wished for him again he would not let her go.

Nine years had passed. Eliza once again found herself in need of him. Answering her summons to “take her away”. Roan did her bidding, this time taking her to his home in the Shadowlands. Now, the teenager he once saved is a woman that he does not want to release.

Will Eliza be able to make Roan realize that he is still the man he once was…or will his lust for gold be his destruction?

My Thoughts:

When I first started reading this book, I was a bit disappointed. I thought that it would have more of a Celtic-vibe to it than it actually did. Although it wasn’t too long before I got over my disappointment and devoured the book.

The Hero and Heroine:

I loved the way that author allowed the reader to connect with Roan by using his back-story as a Celtic king and showing what led to him becoming a goblin. It added a sense of depth to his story, which I loved. I found that I could not get enough of Roan. You could sense his desire to hold on to his humanity for his brother’s sake as well as his own. You could also feel the toll the loss of the other’s who were cursed along with him had taken on him. I found myself wanting him to be free of the curse.

Eliza was enjoyable as well, but to tell the truth, I was more interested in Roan than I was in her. I felt that she was expecting too much. She wanted to be with Roan in the Shadowlands, yet she wanted to live in the Fixed Realm (the real world) as well. It was kind of like she wanted to have her cake and eat it too. I also felt that she was seeking solace in the Shadowlands when life in the real world become too much for her.

The Settings:

I loved the way Shona Husk was able to create three believable worlds. .

1. The Fixed Realm, which is the real world Eliza lives in.
2. The Shadowlands, which is the land of nightmares, the place where the Roan resides.
3. The Summerland, the place where dreams start.

Each of the three worlds was very well crafted and believable which shows strength in the authors writing.

What Would I Change?

I would have added what happened nine years ago when Eliza first summoned the Goblin King. It was mentioned briefly, but I wanted more. I think that some readers may be put off by the fact that they have to download “A Summons, A Goblin King Prequel”.

It can be downloaded free from:

Amazon

ITunes

Barnes & Noble

Did it live up to its potential?

I think it did and that is why I gave it a 4 Crown review. I said that it didn’t have the Celtic-vibe I was expecting. Don’t get me wrong, it has Celtic undertones (the druid turning into a rave, Roan being a Celtic king and such), I just wanted to see more.

Overall?

The concept of the book was interesting. Like I said before, it bares a resemblance to the Irish legend of Shifty Jack and that had me intrigued. While it was not what I was expecting to read, I found that it was surprisingly good.

Would I read it again?

I would read it again. The writing was well paced; the characters were well fleshed out. I liked the fact that Roan was not a brooding mess, like most tragic heroes.

This is the first book in a series, and so far, Shona Husk is off to a good start.

Cover thoughts:

The cover is very appealing; it draws your eye to it. However, does the model match up with the books description of Roan? Possibly, but there was a difference you will notice once you have read the book.

Visit Angela Renee @ Renee’s Reads

The Night Strangers by Chris Bohjalian

2011-10-27T13:11:00.000-04:00

Title: The Night Strangers
Author: Chris Bohjalian
Genre: Supernatural suspense/horror
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2011
ISBN: 9780857206732
400p
Rating: 4 Crowns

Synopsis: It begins with a door in a dusky corner of a basement in a rambling Victorian house in northern New Hampshire. A door that someone has sealed it shut with thirty-nine enormous carriage bolts.
The home's new owners are Chip and Emily Linton and their twin daughters. Chip was an an airline pilot until he was forced to crash land on a remote lake the jet he was flying after double engine failure. Thirty-nine people aboard Flight 1611 died that day - a coincidence not lost on Chip when he discovers the number of bolts in that basement door ...
Meanwhile, his wife is increasingly troubled about the women in this sparsely populated village, self-proclaimed 'herbalists'. Why do they seem excessively interested in her young daughters. Emily is terrified, too, that her husband's grip on sanity seems to have become increasingly tenuous, in the wake of the devastating plane accident.

My thoughts: If you like spooky, creepy , good old fashioned ghost stories complete with haunted house then The Night Strangers is for you. Reminiscent of Stephen King's earlier books there are some genuinely spine chilling moments and not all of them are from a supernatural source The opening chapters describing the plane crash are so horror- filled it's enough to put one off flying forever.

With several interwoven themes it's also the psychological study of a man suffering severe PTS and haunted by the past and the destructive effect his condition has on his life and family. The use of the second person worked very well as a means of being able to identify with Chip and to share the horror of his mind unravelling.

Then there are the numerous little old hippy ladies pottering in their greenhouses, growing 'herbs' and cooking up 'goodies' to feed to unsuspecting townsfolk. I enjoyed reading about the plant lore and the medicinal and healing (or not) uses of the herbs but there was a point when I felt the focus stayed too long in the green house and slowed the story down. I also found it strange that Emily allowed these women to spend so much time with her daughters when she had had initial misgivings about them.

Chris Bohjalian creates an atmosphere that is perfect for the Halloween season. The story builds to a way OTT climax and a slightly unexpected ending and overall was the book made for very satisfactory reading.

I enjoyed it !

Visit Cat @ Tell Me A Story

Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris

2011-10-26T06:00:00.000-04:00

Title: Living Dead in Dallas
Author: Charlaine Harris
Publisher: Ace
Genre: Paranormal – Vampires
Pages: 279
How I Read It: Paperback purchased by me
ISBN: 9781841493008
My Rating: 3.5 Crowns

Synopsis: When a vampire asks cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse for a favor, she complies. And soon she’s in Dallas, using her telepathic skills to search for a missing vampire. She agrees to interview the humans involved as long as the bloodsuckers promise to let them go unharmed. Easier said than done. All it takes is one delicious blonde and one small mistake for things to turn deadly…

My Review: Life with vampires is difficult for Sookie. She used to spend all her time trying to stay out of trouble, being one of the most seemingly boring people you could meet, until a vampire walked into Merlotte’s bar one day. And everything changed. Now Sookie can’t seem to stay out of trouble. I swear, every time you turn around, there’s Sookie in trouble again!

The second book in the series, like on True Blood, takes place mostly in Dallas where Sookie is helping to investigate the disappearance of a vampire. And while the show does operate in parallel with this book, there are enough differences in this one that it kept me much more entertained. There were times during the first book that I thought I was going to fall asleep because the TV show had mirrored it so closely. The second one did not suffer from this problem, and I liked it a lot more because of it.

Some of the same issues that I had with book one, and with the TV series for that matter, remain in this book, mainly that Sookie is rather annoying at times, and Bill is just…ugh. I am so not a fan of Bill Compton. But there was a lot more Eric Northman in this book, and that is much more up my alley. Ladies – we get a good description of Eric wearing a lycra outfit. And since Eric is so yummy, well, it’s a pretty nice picture that I *wish* had translated over to television.

Although we’re dealing with supernatural beings throughout much of this series, the book did raise some interesting questions I hadn’t thought about in awhile in relation to the show – particularly along the lines of persecution and hatred of a type of person for something that is out of their control. The Fellowship of the Sun, an anti-vampire church, is present throughout most of this book, and presents a somewhat sad mirror into what things can still be like in our society. The book is worth reading for the view of these fanatics, if nothing else, at least in my opinion.

One complaint I do have is that from pretty much the start of the book, one of my favorite characters from the TV show, Lafeyette, is killed off. That was a little bit of a slap in the face, I almost thought it was a joke at first, and it did take me some getting used to. Even now, the knowledge that the book version of the series will have no more LaLa – it makes me want to cry a bit. I’ll miss you, love!

This one is a significant improvement over the first book, but I will say that there’s enough back story needed that you shouldn’t just pick this one up. Read the series in order, you’ll thank yourself!

Visit Crystal @ I Totally Paused

Vampire Darcy’s Desire by Regina Jeffers review/giveaway

2011-10-25T13:02:00.002-04:00

Title: Vampire Darcy’s Desire
Author: Regina Jeffers
Publishers: Ulysses Press
ISBN: 978-1-56975-731-4
Format: Paperback
$ 14.95
Rating: 4 Crowns

Tormented by a 200-year-old curse and his fate as a half-human/half-vampire dhampir, Mr. Darcy vows to live forever alone rather than inflict the horrors of life as a vampire on an innocent wife. But when he comes to Netherfield Park, he meets the captivating Elizabeth Bennet.

As a man, Darcy yearns for Elizabeth, but as a vampire, he is also driven to possess her. Uncontrollably drawn to each other, they are forced to confront a "pride and prejudice" never before imagined--while wrestling with the seductive power of forbidden love. Meanwhile, dark forces are at work all around them. Most ominous is the threat from George Wickham, the purveyor of the curse, a demon who vows to destroy each generation of Darcys.

Written in authentic Austen style and faithful to its Regency-era setting,
Vampire Darcy's Desire retells the greatest love story of all time in a hauntingly imaginative fashion.
(from the author’s website)

My thoughts:

This will be either exceedingly good or very bad.

I have often noticed that when Pride & Prejudice turns paranormal it either shines or falls flat, there is no middle with deal with this type of spin-off. The author must construct a storyline that is paranormal yet believable while maintaining the elements Jane Austen infused into the character as well as the novel.

In Vampire Darcy’s Desire, author Regina Jeffers ups the ante even more by basing the core of the plotline on the traditional Scottish ballad “Lord Thomas and Fair Ellender”. I was half expecting to fling this novel against the wall, although I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised at how well this novel was composed.

I rather enjoyed this novel and found that the elements fused together quite nicely without feeling forced or impossible to believe. Although if the novel were to stand with just the paranormal spin-off quality, without the addition of the ballad I am not sure that I would have enjoyed it as much. For me, it was the incorporation of the ballad that sold it.

*I have one copy of Vampire Darcy’s Desire to giveaway!
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Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie

2011-10-20T06:00:00.000-04:00

Title: Bet Me
Author: Jennifer Crusie
ISBN: 0-312-30346-7
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Date of Publication: 2004
Genre: Contemporary Romance/Chick Lit
Pages: 337
Rating: 3 1/2 Crowns

Minerva Dobbs knows that happily-ever-after is a fairy tale, especially with a man who asked her to dinner to win a bet. Even if he is gorgeous and successful Calvin Morrisey. Cal knows commitment is impossible, especially with a woman as cranky as Min Dobbs. Even if she does wear great shoes, and keep him on his toes. When they say good-bye at the end of their evening, they cut their losses and agree never to see each other again.

But Fate has other plans, and it's not long before Min and Cal meet again. Soon, they're dealing with a jealous ex-boyfriend, Krispy Kreme donuts, a determined psychologist, chaos theory, a freakishly intelligent cat, Chicken Marsala, and more risky propositions than either of them ever dreamed of. Including the biggest gamble of all-true love.

My Thoughts:

Bet Me is the first Jennifer Crusie book I've read and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The story is told in multiple viewpoints which I was not expecting and there is quite a cast of supporting characters. Min is a very down to earth character. She does obsess about her weight a lot and she enjoys food and fashionable shoes. I do wish that she hadn't had such a low self image. It would have been nice if she had listened to her friends and realized her true worth and beauty without needing to hear it from Cal. Still, this makes her a believable woman because unfortunately that is something many women struggle with. It is good to see her bloom though and her personality definitely shines.

When I read the description of this book, I wasn't sure that I would like Cal. Like Min's first impression, I thought I'd hate his character and find the romance unbelievable. Thankfully, Cal proved to be a decent guy (there are a lot of misunderstandings surrounding that "bet") or the story wouldn't have worked. I liked that Min and Cal's relationship develops gradually. At first Cal sees Min as an uptight and boring woman who is bitter towards men and Min thinks of Cal as a player who agreed to that horrid bet. It is nice to see their attitudes about each other change. I also liked how protective their friends were.

The supporting characters were entertaining but I do wish that the book was only written from Min and Cal's points of view. At times the book felt a little overcrowded with personality because of this. There is quite a bit of humor and food descriptions that made me crave donuts and chicken marsala. There are some deeper moments too. The issues of family expectations, self esteem issues for both Min and Cal, and the idea of taking risks vs. playing it safe were handled nicely without overwhelming the lighthearted tone. Bet Me is the kind of story that would appeal to both readers of contemporary romance and chick lit. I would suggest it to fans of Jennifer Weiner, Sarah Strohmeyer, and Meg Cabot's chick lit novels. Overall I thought this was a fun romance with a predictable plot but enjoyable just the same.

Visit Christina T @ Reading Extensively

One Day by David Nicholls

2011-10-19T06:00:00.000-04:00

Title: One Day
Author: David Nicholls
Publisher: Hodder Paperbacks
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 435
ISBN: 9780340896983
How I Read It: ARC provided by the publisher
My Rating: 4 Crowns

Synopsis: “I can imagine you at forty,” she said, a hint of malice in her voice.

“I can picture it right now.” He smiled without opening his eyes.

“Go on then.”

July 15, 1988. Emma and Dexter meet for the first time on the night of their graduation. Tomorrow they must go their separate ways. But, after only one day together, even though they are clearly mismatched, they cannot stop thinking about one another.

So where will they be on this one day next year?

And the year after that?

And every year that follows?

Twenty years. Two people. ONE DAY.

My Review: I didn’t know much about this book prior to reading it, just that it was being turned into a movie and people liked it overall. So I came into the book with few expectations, and although it took me awhile to get used to the format of it simply being a snapshot of the lives of Emma and Dexter on their “anniversary” every year, I quickly understood why people enjoy this book so much. Because it’s just a lovely, honest story.

Admittedly, I spent a lot of the book wondering why on earth Emma would put up with Dexter. He is such a stereotypical, slightly famous jerk – alcohol, drugs, women. A very frustrating guy to read about! But I feel like he’s someone we all know a variation of, which ultimately lends credibility to the real-feel of this story.

Emma, on the other hand, can be pretty endearing at times. Like all of us, she makes mistakes and I definitely found myself shaking my head at her, but Emma is the kind of lady I’d like to know. Why she maintains a lingering love for Dexter for so long is honestly beyond me, I don’t think I could do it, yet I think we all know that person we are always there for despite their bad behavior.

The romance between the two of them is largely one-sided for much of the book, but I did find myself coming around to Emma’s way of thinking as we watch Dexter grow throughout the course of their friendship. As a reader, I found myself just wanting them both to be happy, regardless of how they necessarily get there. I guess you could say that not too far in, they felt like friends of mine as well.

I was a bit taken back by the end of the book, but then again, much of this book wasn’t what I expected. To say the least, I adored the journey it took me on, the range of emotions I felt, and the way it seemed like this could maybe even be my own life. I was very impressed with the author, in fact I went straight to my goodreads list and added his other novels to my list. I can see myself becoming a devoted fan of David Nicholls as time goes on, and I hope you will be too.

Oh, and I’m rather disappointed that the movie isn’t in my local theaters anymore, so I’ll have to wait to see it when it’s out on DVD!

Visit Crystal @ I Totally Paused

Scones & Bones by Laura Childs

2011-10-18T13:35:00.001-04:00

Title: Scones & Bones (A Tea Shop Mystery)
Author: Laura Childs
ISBN: 978-0-425-23896-7
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Hardcover, an Imprint of Penguin
Format: Hardcover
$25.95
Pages: 320
Release Date: 3/1/2011
How I Read It: ARC from the Author
Rating: 4.5 Crowns

Indio Tea Shop owner Theodosia Browning is lured into attending the Heritage Society’s Pirates and Plunder party by her master tea blender. Amid the gold earrings and doubloons, an antique skull cup set with a huge diamond steals the show--and gets plundered by someone who murders a history intern in the process.

Even with that on her plate. Theodosia still has to attend the Charleston Food and Wine Festival, where she’s hosting a tea and cheese tasting--the latest culinary trend. But as her thoughts keep drifting to the victim, Theodosia knows she’ll have to whet her investigative skills to find the killer among a raft of suspects…
(from the back of the arc)

First Thoughts After Reading The Blurb:

Theodosia is back at it again…and this time it has Pirates!!!!

Review:

The Jolly Rogers are hung, doubloons polished until they gleam, and an antique skull cup set with a massive diamond are proudly on display at the Heritage Society’s Pirate and Plunder party. Those in attendance are expecting to view a few artifacts and write a few checks, yet when a young history intern is murdered and the skull cup is stolen, Theodosia is once again in the position of amateur sleuth.

With only an orange members ticket in hand, Theodosia (owner of the Indio Tea Shop) and her master tea blender, Drayton, begin to untangle a deadly web consisting of Pirate lore and Blackbeard’s treasure.

My Thoughts:

I absolutely love Laura Child’s Tea Shop Mystery Series. And so far, Scones and Bones has been my favorite.

Review:

My Thoughts:

I absolutely love Laura Child’s Tea Shop Mystery Series. And so far, Scones and Bones has been my favorite.

Each time I open a new book in this series it’s like visiting old friends and I simply cannot get enough. The setting of Charleston comes to life in the dazzling and descriptive writing of Laura Childs. I also loved the fact that this book contained Pirate lore. It was a different take for the basis of a cozy mystery.

Visit Angela @ Renee’s Reads

Review:

Jolly Rogers, gleaming doubloons, and an antique diamond encrusted skull cup are proudly being displayed in the Heritage Society’s first-ever Pirates & Plunder party. Charleston’s elite are there to see, be seen, and hopefully make a lovely donation to the Heritage Society. Yet things don’t go quite according to plan when an intern is murdered, a loved one is injured and the priceless skull cup stolen.

Once again Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indio Tea Shop, and her master tea blender, Drayton finds themselves in the middle of a deadly investigation.

My Thoughts:

I absolutely love Laura Childs’ Tea Shop Mystery Series, and so far, Scones and Bones has been my favorite.

The latest installment in the series, Scones and Bones centers around Pirate lore and I so love pirates. I loved that fact that to solve the murder, they had solve the mystery of the skull cup. According to legend the cup was crafted out of the skull of Edward Teach aka Blackbeard.

Once Theodosia and Drayton discovers the truth about the cup, they know they are in for a heap of danger. Plus Theodosia’s love life gets a tad more trickery with the arrival of Max.

I can never get enough of the Tea Shop Mystery Series. Each time I open a new book, it’s like visiting new friends. A perfect weekend mystery.

Visit Angela @ Renee’s Reads

Mary, Bloody Mary by Carolyn Meyer

2011-10-14T09:12:00.002-04:00

Title: Mary, Bloody Mary
Author: Carolyn Meyer
ISBN: 0152019065
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Pages: 225
Genre: Historical Fiction-Children’s
Rating: 3 Crowns

Synopsis:

The story of Mary Tudors childhood is a classic fairy tale: A princess who is to inherit the throne of England is separated from her mother; abused by an evil stepmother who has enchanted her father; stripped of her title; and forced to care for her baby stepsister, who inherits Mary’s right to the throne. Believe it or not, it’s a true. Told in the voice of the young Mary, this novel explores the history and intrigue of the drastic rule of Henry VIII, his outrageous affair with and marriage to the bewitching Anne Boleyn, and the consequences of that relationship for his firstborn daughter. Carolyn Meyer has written a compassionate historical novel about love and loss, jealousy and fear-and a girls struggle with forces far beyond her control.

My Thoughts:

I had been curious about Meyer’s Young Royals series since I received Cleopatra Confesses this summer through Galley Grab. This will be a mixed review, I would not recommend this for serious historical fictionistas. I don’t believe the material id “deep” enough to hold some adult’s interest. However, if you are looking for a light historical reading (like me) or if you’re looking for historical fiction for children I’d definitely recommend this book. The book does a great job at giving the reader the condensed version of Mary’s childhood, and of drawing a picture of what was happening around her and in England. A personal pet peeve, that I also experienced with Cleopatra Confesses, is that Meyer doesn’t seem to have her characters mature. Meaning her characters, as then year olds have a pretty mature voice and since her books are written in first person the change in their character as they grow up does not come across very well. I believe it’s a great children’s book, I would simply be hesitant to recommend it to an adult. That said, I will continue this Young Royals, can’t wait to get to Marie Antoinette’s book!

Visit Samita @ Book Purring

What Would Jane Austen Do? by Laurie Brown

2011-10-12T14:46:00.002-04:00

Title: What Would Jane Austen Do?
Author: Laurie Brown
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Pages: 352pp
Publish Date: May 2009
Genre: Historical Romance
Rating: 2 Crowns

Synopsis from the publisher:

"When a modern woman goes back to Jane Austen's time, she needs to know...
Everything! Eleanor agrees to travel back in time to prevent a deadly duel, but she doesn't know how to behave, what to say, and most importantly...

How to tell a villain from a rake
The captivating, infuriating, and mysterious Lord Shermont is a renowned rake and womanizer—but is he also a dangerous cutthroat and spy? Eleanor has to get up close and personal to find out...

Otherwise, she could fall into a most shocking scandal...
Thankfully, Miss Jane Austen herself arrives on the scene, with sage guidance and a twinkle in her eye, to help Eleanor navigate countryhouse society and the dangerous terrain of her own heart...

From the author of Hundreds of Years to Reform a Rake, a new time travel romance featuring a modern day career woman swept back in time to Regency England, where she thwarts a Napoleonic spy, chats with Jane Austen, and falls in love with a notorious rake."

My Review:

When Eleanor Pottinger's room reservations are mistakenly given to someone else and she has no alternative but to sleep in the old haunted tower of the hotel, She could not fathom anything worse than encountering the two ghosts that inhabit her rooms... that is until they decide to transport her 200 centuries into the past! Stranded in the 1700's with no clue of what to do, Eleanor must recall what she has learned through the readings of Jane Austen to see her through. But when her charade is questioned by the dashing Lord Shermont, what answer but French spy could possibly make sense? Torn between the empty but safe life she left and the new chaotic yet passionate one, Eleanor must determine what's real and whether her romance is merely a part of her charade.

The first couple chapters of What Would Jane Austen Do? completely captured my attention; with haunted towers, a regency setting and time travel what could possibly go be better?! Unfortunately, the plot could be an answer to that rhetorical question. Even though the first few chapters grabbed your attention right away, the rest of the novel seemed to lag and there was never a higher point than what the beginning offered. In addition to this, the characters could have been more entertaining and three dimensional. While I loved the encounters between Lord Shermont and Eleanor, I found the other characters to be a bit dull. There is also the fact that the title eludes to Jane Austen having a major play in the novel, whether by influence or character, but I was surprised by how little she was referred to throughout the book.Yes she made appearances at the ball and spoke to Eleanor a bit, but nothing to the extent I expected considering the title of the book. Overall What Would Jane Austen Do? is a quick read with some entertaining moments, but one to put further down the TBR pile.

Visit Svea @ The Muse in the Fog Book Review

The Circus of Ghosts by Barbara Ewing

2011-10-09T19:24:00.002-04:00

Title: The Circus of Ghosts

Author: Barbara Ewing

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publisher: Sphere, 2011

ISBN: 32351003129490

520p

Rating: 4.5 Crowns

"Bring her to me, she is mine."

London, late 1840's.......memories fester in the mind of an old and vicious duke of the realm who plots with an unscrupulous lawyer against the mother and daughter: to kill one and abduct the other.

Cordelia and Gwenlliam Preston have fled from his evil intentions to the exciting young city of New York where they have found sanctuary and employment in Silas P. Swift's circus. Here they hide their own painful memories and excite audiences in the Big Top: Cordelia as a mesmerist who can heal people and Gwenlliam as an acrobat and tightrope walker. But very soon their security will be threatened and their lives will become entangled with New York gangs and the Police Department.

New York - " expanding, bustling, prosperous, wild, thrilling, new-world New York".

From elegant mansions on gas lit streets to the seething and sinister underbelly of the Bowery where vicious gangs rule: Barbara Ewing excels at capturing the essence of great cities, and in this book writes in a bold and exuberant style with larger than life characters to match including Cordelia and Gwenlliam's ' family' - a London detective who is Cordelia's husband,the elderly Frenchman who is her mesmerism teacher and mentor, her best friend and two elderly ladies. Real life people are also woven into the story - the Fox sisters, a 19th century phenomenon who began the cult of table-tapping and claimed to talk to the dead. Gallus Mag, a well-known figure in the underworld of New York gangs and the colourful Mrs Ray from the Royal Theatre in New Zealand.

The central narrative moves from New York to the Californian goldfields and the back to New York as mother and daughter attempt to elude their pursuer in a story that is full of adventure, romance and excitement but the historical background provides equally as much interest. In the mid 1800's the world was going through great changes as the old made way for the new and New York is the perfect choice to reflect these changes. A city where new ideas and new inventions were welcomed - the telegraph, anaesthestics, daguerreotypes are a few of the subjects mentioned which make fascinating reading.

There's never a dull moment in The Circus of Ghosts. It's a wonderfully entertaining and interesting book that I recommend to all readers.

I loved it!

Visit Cat @ Tell Me a Story

Utterly Charming by Kristine Grayson

2011-10-09T07:27:00.000-04:00

Title: Utterly Charming
Author: Kristine Grayson
ISBN: 978-1-4022-4851-1
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Format: Mass Market Paperback
$6.99
Pages: 320
Release Date: October 2011
How I Read It: Mass Market Arc
Rating: 4 Crowns

He could be her own personal Prince Charming if only dreams did come true…

Mysterious, handsome wizard Aethelstan Blackstone hires beautiful, hardworking attorney Nora Barr to get a restraining order to protect Sleeping Beauty from her evil stepmother. But if Sleeping Beauty is supposed to be his soul mate, then how come he’s becoming bewitched by Nora?

And when Nora finds herself baby-sitting a clueless maiden from the middle ages, avoiding a very wicked witch, and falling hard for a man whose magic she doesn’t believe in, she begins to think that love itself is only a fairy tale…

Welcome to the fractious fairy tale world of Kristine Grayson, where the bumpy road to happily every after is paved with surprised…
(from the back of the ARC)

First Thought When I Read The Blurb:

Who knew Prince Charming’s name was Aethelstan?

My Review:

Nora Barr is a lawyer whose career is going nowhere. Aethelstan Blackstone is a man with a problem. Ok, that’s a lie. He’s a man with a few problems and is in need of some legal advice yet it takes his sidekick, who claims to be Sancho Panza, to actually get the legal help he needs.

When Nora finds the two arguing in the parking garage, her first thought is to flee. But what’s a struggling attorney to do when they make her an offer she cannot refuse?

Hours after agreeing to take him on as a client, Aethelstan has been arrested for destroying a block of houses and murdering a mysterious woman. According to the radio, the two were spotted throwing balls of fire at each other. Things then from crazy to certifiable, when the dead woman wakes, the houses return to normal, Nora is left with a van housing a mysterious case that they claim is housing Sleeping Beauty, and no one but a handful of people remember what happened.

Ten years pass by and it’s time to wake Sleeping Beauty who apparently is name Emma. Nora awakes Emma, and then the madness ensues as once again her wicked stepmother and Aethelstan fight over who is going to claim her.

However…what if Emma doesn’t want to be claimed? It’s a new era and she has figured out that a woman can be in control. When she rejects her Prince he should be heartbroken, yet it seems that Nora is the woman on his mind.

Will Prince Charming go with heart and choose Nora…or will he choose Emma, believing her to be his soul mate?

My Thoughts:

This is the first Kristine Grayson novel that I have read, so I was sure what to expect. Plus, I have never read a fairytale-based book since I was a child, so I wasn’t sure this would be my cuppa tea. I have to say that I was intrigued once I started reading I became hooked and was unable to put the book down.

This novel had humor and spunk, which added to the delight of reading it. I loved how the characters surprised me, especially Emma, who added delight bits of comedy along the way due to her being unaccustomed to the time in-which had awoke. Prince Charming had a few surprises up his sleeve too, and no I am not talking about his pet snake.

I am definitely going to give Kristine Grayson’s other books a go as I thoroughly enjoyed reading UTTERLY CHARMING!

Overall, this book was a fun read and I believe that it will make the perfect fall read. A light romance that will leave you happy as a lark.

Visit Angela Renee @ Renee’s Reads