strange and random happenstance

Mad and Bad: Real Heroines of the Regency by Bea Koch
Published by: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: September 1st, 2020
Format: Paperback, 272 Pages
Rating: ★★
To Buy

Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, urged her niece, Lady Caroline Lamb, to "boldly mould, invent, design." That could be the clarion call for all the women contained in these pages. They formed their own interconnected society of scientists, artists, philanthropists, writers. They gave each other encouragement and support, because they lived in a society where they were viewed as second class citizens. Yet in their spheres they made a mark. What's odd is that all these women, from Anne Lister to Mary Anning, are viewed as exceptions to the rule. They were trailblazers for the female sex. They are the chosen ones remembered by history. To an extent. But with modern historians going back and reevaluating the Regency they are finding more and more woman who lived life on their own terms. Without going back and looking at how these women influenced their time period in their own way we aren't getting a full view of history. We are getting a prejudiced, skewed, masculine view. History is always said to be written by the winners. Well, for thousands of years that was white men. And white men didn't want to think about minorities, or in fact anyone other than themselves. Yet these people existed. There are arguments to be made that Jane Austen herself showed a very white world, but that's because she never got to finish Sanditon. Georgiana Lamb, like the real Dido Belle, was a woman of color. Who knows how she would have fared if the novel had been completed. Thankfully we have the television adaptation showing us a very fierce, independent, and headstrong young lady. And speaking of Austen, have you ever wondered about the women who controlled Almack's? The grand dames who could make or break your season with a single voucher? Well, they weren't at all the elderly dragons you thought they were, they were living breathing women, who made alliances and friendships and decisions based on these aspects of their lives. A few of them were quite notorious for other reasons too. Because what happens when you pull back the curtain is you see so much more than what you ever expected. People in the past almost become ossified by history, especially when told from a certain point of view. It's time to bring them into the light like Mary Anning's findings. It's time for the truth to be told in the hopes that more history will emerge.

To say that this book is just about the Regency is stretching things. As Bea Koch admits in her introduction the women that came before and the women that came after are just as important to an understanding of the time period, and I get that, I do. But a cynic would say, maybe it's just because there really weren't that many badass women in the Regency itself, while an optimist would say that she just wanted to find a way to include Anne Lister in her book. Because who wouldn't want Anne Lister in their book? Though the Anne Lister section is rather slight and Bea directs you more to the television show Gentleman Jack than bothers to spend too much time on Anne. And that is one of the flaws of this book, we have women of society, of royalty, of arts, oddly not of letters, of science, of lovers of women, of minorities, and of religion, and yet each section just feels a little too short, like a blurb in Who's Who. In all seriousness I almost expected to find "Walter Elliot, born March 1, 1760, married, July 15, 1784, Elizabeth,daughter of James Stevenson, Esq. of South Park, in the county of Gloucester, by which lady (who died 1800) he has issue Elizabeth, born June 1, 1785; Anne, born August 9, 1787; a still-born son, November 5, 1789; Mary, born November 20, 1791." There isn't much depth here, but it's a good place to start. It's almost like CliffNotes. If you've read Austen and want a little bit more history, here's as good a place as any to get just that little bit more, especially in regard to Almack's and the female royalty of the time. Personally I found the later chapters about "The Fairer Sex" and "Historical Accuracy and Regency England" the most interesting. Mainly because I find it fascinating when people's prejudices show, in particular with the casting of Bridgerton, that they never realized that queer people and people of color actually existed back then. Just because the world you've allowed yourself to be exposed to is so narrow that doesn't mean otherness doesn't exist. As for those women I found most mad and bad? The sculptor Anne Damer is top of the list, the exquiste way she trolled her detractors with The Three Witches of Macbeth painting is chef's kiss perfection, I also really loved seeing Mary Seacole in these pages and not just on the recent season of Doctor Who. Though I do wonder why Bea Koch didn't mention the Princess Caraboo film...

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Anne Damer, Anne Lister, Bea Koch, Dido Belle, Doctor Who, Gentleman Jack, Georgiana Lamb, History, Jane Austen, Mad and Bad, Mary Anning, Persuasion, Prejudice, Princess Caraboo, Racism, Regency Romp, Sanditon

The Mark of the Midnight Manzanilla by Lauren Willig
Published by: NAL Trade
Publication Date: August 5th, 2014
Format: Paperback, 496 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy

Sally Fitzhugh spent all her time at Miss Climpson's Select Seminary for Young Ladies dreaming of the day when she would leave. Adventure was right outside the walls! Sometimes right inside the walls. Perhaps adventure is overrated. Sally is in her second season and she never thought the time would come when she would be bored with this life she dreamed of. Life was simpler surrounded by the four walls of Miss Climpson's. Life was wonderfully static. And her two best friends Lizzy and Agnes hadn't gone on a grand cross-county caper without her! And where was she? At another boring ball. As if things couldn't get worse the silly people of the ton are enraptured with Lizzy's step-mother's book, The Convent of Orsino, engulfing the little season in October in a vampire craze. The mania might have played itself out if not for the fact there is a member of the ton that perfectly embodies the vampiric ideal. He's moody, he's broody, he's been away for years, perhaps locked in a dungeon! He's an enigma to everyone, he's the Duke of Belliston. The newly returned Duke has been absent from England since the death of his parents years prior and all the rumors of anything supernatural comes to rest on his shoulders. He is the perfect vampire, or so everyone is saying. Everyone but Sally. She thinks it all too silly and is far more interested in the fact that Agnes and Lizzy are now out and perhaps they will enliven this dreary season. Only since their adventures after Sally left Miss Climpson's the trio is more a duo and Sally is feeling distinctly left out. At another interminable party abutting the regal home of the Duke of Belliston Sally dares to walk across the dormant gardens over to his house. Boredom and the assumption that she won't be caught make Sally rash and she strides straight into Lucien, the Duke himself. Events soon transpire to thrust these two together on a more daily basis... But is their relationship something the two of them might secretly hope for? Could Sally fall for a supposed vampire? Is there someone fueling the vampiric rumors? And, most importantly of all, was Lucien the adventure Sally was waiting for all along?

Lauren doesn't take herself too seriously and she is able to have fun with the historical genre while deftly skewering it at the same time with wordplay and modern nudges and winks. Here The Mark of the Midnight Manzanilla vampire literature is lovingly lambasted. Just the idea that Miss Gwen, that bane of all young gentleman with her pointy parasol, would be the Stephenie Meyer of her day is a hoot. Miss Gwen not only has the ton in a virtual vampire frenzy, but she even has sparkly vampires, with Lauren creating parodies on so many levels, from what it is to be an author, to an author's fanbase, all the way to all the different vampire iterations over the centuries, that you can't help but fall for this book. This 19th century Twilight-Mania is far more entertaining than the actual Twilight-Mania was. Add to this the references to Monty Python's Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch and to The Princess Bride, Lauren's willingness to take liberties will make you smile. This series just gets better with each installment. And all these years later I still hope that a miracle will happen and new stories will appear. Because Lauren just keeps developing as a writer and I will always long to know what happens next. She was able to avoid many of the pitfalls of long running series by having each book be some offshoot of the first volume. Main characters will reappear, but never in more than background rolls, while the previous background characters take center stage. I love Sally Fitzhugh taking center stage, and yes, that's because I have a great love for all the Fitzhughs. But beyond that Sally is such an interesting character (but let's not talk about the chickens) with an indomitable will for one so young. And of course Sally's book would have to deviate from the staple of Napoleonic spies and secret leagues, with a murder mystery and a random attack stoat. Vampires and stoats and spies oh my! Give me more Fitzhughs or give me death!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Halloween, Lauren Willig, Lucien, Miss Climpson, Miss Gwen, Regency Romp, Sally Fitzhugh, Stephenie Meyer, Stoats, The Convent of Orsino, The Mark of the Midnight Manzanilla, The Princess Bride, Twilight, Vampires

These Fleeting Shadows by Kate Alice Marshall
Published by: Viking Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: August 9th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Haunting of Hill House meets Knives Out in a bid for an inheritance that will leave Helen Vaughan either rich...or dead.

Helen Vaughan doesn't know why she and her mother left their ancestral home at Harrowstone Hall, called Harrow, or why they haven't spoken to their extended family since. So when her grandfather dies, she's shocked to learn that he has left everything - the house, the grounds, and the money - to her. The inheritance comes with one condition: she must stay on the grounds of Harrow for one full year, or she'll be left with nothing.

There is more at stake than money. For as long as she can remember, Harrow has haunted Helen's dreams - and now those dreams have become a waking nightmare. Helen knows that if she is going to survive the year, she needs to uncover the secrets of Harrow. Why is the house built like a labyrinth? What is digging the holes that appear in the woods each night?And why does the house itself seem to be making her sick?

With each twisted revelation, Helen questions what she knows about Harrow, her family, and even herself. She no longer wonders if she wants to leave...but if she can."

Firstly, in the last year I've really gotten into Kate Alice Marshall. Secondly, yeah to Hill House meets Knives Out!

The Trust by M.H. Eccleston
Published by: Head of Zeus - An Aries Book
Publication Date: August 9th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When London art restorer Laura Kisner's marriage unravels in spectacular fashion, she has no idea what to do. Then she finds out she has inherited a property in Dorset. She doesn’t hesitate in packing in her job and heading west. But when she gets there, she discovers the property isn't a pretty cottage by the sea, but a leaky boat on a muddy estuary.

Her new job at a nearby National Trust stately home brings a few surprises, too. Rather than a genteel charity, the Trust is a hotbed of politics and intrigue. As her new friend Kath from the village says, 'It's like the mafia, but with scones.' So when a local man is found murdered there, there are more than a few suspects. Laura thinks she's perfectly placed to solve the case: it's like restoring a painting, slowly peeling back the layers to reveal the clear, true picture beneath.

But as the suspicious deaths mount up and the threat draws closer, Laura has to use every gadget in her restorer's toolkit to solve the mystery, save her reputation - and maybe even her life."

If there's one thing years of British television and mysteries has ingrained in me, obviously nothing is as it appears, so I totally buy the National Trust as the Scone Mafia!

Dear Little Corpses by Nicola Upson
Published by: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: August 9th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"It takes a village to bury a child...

September 1st, 1939. As the mass evacuation takes place across Britain, thousands of children leave London for the countryside, but when a little girl vanishes without a trace, the reality of separation becomes more urgent and more deadly for those who love her.

In the chaos and uncertainty of war, Josephine struggles with the prospect of change. As a cloud of suspicion falls across the small Suffolk village she has come to love, the conflict becomes personal, and events take a dark and sinister turn.

Blending a Golden Age mystery with the timeless fears of a child's abduction, Dear Little Corpses is an atmospheric snapshot of England in the early days of war."

But but where is the Mick Wiggins cover?

Nameless Acts of Cruelty by Julie Cameron
Published by: Scarlet
Publication Date: August 9th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 312 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Decades after the loss of his younger sister, a man haunted by horrific memories returns to the sleepy English village where she died.

Jeremy Horton is a man denying his past, haunted by a dysfunctional childhood full of dark secrets - including the suspicious death of his younger sister.

Married to lawyer Sarah and with children of his own, Jeremy keeps his eyes firmly focused on the present, never daring to glance in the rear-view mirror for fear of what he might see there. But when a chance encounter awakens the memories he's fought so hard to suppress, and the death of his estranged mother takes Jeremy back to his sleepy hometown and the scene of the family tragedy, he determines to finally uncover the truth behind his sister's death.

Villages hold long memories, and Jeremy's presence quickly becomes an unwelcome reminder of nameless cruelties and shameful secrets. The more he learns, the more the stories from his past take on a sinister significance, leading him to question his own innocence. Meanwhile, someone desperately wants him gone, and their efforts to drive him out escalate as Jeremy's anxiety spirals out of control. Do they fear him for what he knows - or for what he's done? "

Here's the thing, don't go back!

The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: August 9th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jewell comes an intricate and affecting novel about twisted marriages, fractured families, and deadly obsessions in this standalone sequel to the "brilliantly chilling" (Ruth Ware, New York Times bestselling author) The Family Upstairs.

Early one morning on the shore of the Thames, DCI Samuel Owusu is called to the scene of a gruesome discovery. When Owusu sends the evidence for examination, he learns the bones are connected to a cold case that left three people dead on the kitchen floor in a Chelsea mansion thirty years ago.

Rachel Rimmer has also received a shock - news that her husband, Michael, has been found dead in the cellar of his house in France. All signs point to an intruder, and the French police need her to come urgently to answer questions about Michael and his past that she very much doesn’t want to answer.

After fleeing London thirty years ago in the wake of a horrific tragedy, Lucy Lamb is finally coming home. While she settles in with her children and is just about to purchase their first-ever house, her brother takes off to find the boy from their shared past whose memory haunts their present.

As they all race to discover answers to these convoluted mysteries, they will come to find that they’re connected in ways they could have never imagined.

In this masterful standalone sequel to her haunting New York Times bestseller, The Family Upstairs, Lisa Jewell proves she is writing at the height of her powers with another jaw-dropping, intricate, and affecting novel about the lengths we will go to protect the ones we love and uncover the truth."

Tell me more about this cold case in a Chelsea mansion!

Whatever Happened to Cathy Martin by Mim Eichmann
Published by: Living Springs Publishers Llp
Publication Date: August 9th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 348 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A Midwest Gothic journey set in southern Indiana in 1978, unraveling a deadly tangled web of lies surrounding three former high school friends, one of whom has been missing for over a decade...but which one? And why?"

Always drawn to the Gothic, always drawn to 1978.

The Orphans of Mersea House by Marty Wingate
Published by: Alcove Press
Publication Date: August 9th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the tradition of Kristin Harmel and Elise Hooper, USA Today bestseller Marty Wingate transports us to postwar England's Suffolk coast in a rich historical drama about love lost - and promise found.

England, 1957. Olive Kersey’s only love never returned from World War II, and now, she’s alone and penniless. Then, the last person she ever expected to see again returns to Southwold. Olive's childhood friend, Margery Paxton, arrives to claim her inheritance: Mersea House, a stately old home she plans to turn into the town's only lodging. Olive's life takes a sunny turn when Margery hires her to run the establishment. But Mersea House holds its own mysteries - and its own dangers.

First, rumors begin to fly when two enigmatic lodgers move in: Hugh Hodson, manager of the town cinema, and Mrs. Abigail Claypool, a recluse and war widow. And then, the completely unexpected: Margery is informed she has a new ward, eleven-year-old Juniper Wyckes, the orphaned daughter of Margery's first love. Mrs. Lucie Pagett, Children's Officer at the local authority, informs Margery that Juniper was severely stricken with polio as a child, and makes clear that she could be taken away if her welfare is in jeopardy.

But the past is never far behind for the inhabitants of Mersea House, and looming secrets may destroy these friendships they've created."

Oh, secrets at a boarding house that used to be a stately home? When can I visit?

House of a Thousand Lies by Cody Luke Davis
Published by: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: August 9th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Perfect for fans of Julia Heaberlin's We Are All the Same in the Dark and Megan Collins's The Family Plot, Cody Luke Davis' debut psychological thriller brings a sinister serial-killer tale to life with hair-raising twists and chilling turns.

How far will some families go to protect their legacy?

Diana Wolf likes to think she has it all: a rock god husband, an empty nest, a wine cellar, and a dream home in the woods. Life is good. It has to be. But when she hires a cartographer, Kerry Perkins, to survey and map her estate in rural Tennessee, she pulls back a frayed corner of the lie that is her fairytale life. On his first night at Wolf Hollow, Kerry stumbles across a young girl's skeleton buried in the woods. But what really scares Diana is a familiar symbol carved into the girl's skull: two wolves.

A week later, the cops are digging in her backyard. Diana begins to question how good her life really is. How good of a man is her husband and how good a father? She's not the only one with questions. Kerry Perkins can't shake what he saw in the woods that night. He suspects that Diana recognized that symbol, that she lied to the police; that someone is watching him, and that whoever it is, they desperately want him to keep his mouth shut.

His search for answers leads him to Pink, a deeply disturbed man obsessed with the Wolfs' celebrity. Pink knows the family better than they know themselves - and he knows that the more he and Kerry dig, the more bones they will find.

Told through the eyes of multiple narrators, none reliable, this is a story about parents, the lies they tell their children, and the lies they tell themselves."

Unreliable narrators and wolves carved on a skull? YAS!

You're Invited by Amanda Jayatissa
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: August 9th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"What could be worse than your ex-boyfriend marrying your childhood best friend? Getting accused of her murder… From the author of My Sweet Girl comes a dangerously addictive new thriller about a lavish Sri Lankan wedding celebration that not everyone will survive.

When Amaya is invited to Kaavi's over-the-top wedding in Sri Lanka, she is surprised and a little hurt to hear from her former best friend after so many years of radio silence. But when Amaya learns that the groom is her very own ex-boyfriend, she is consumed by a single thought: She must stop the wedding from happening, no matter the cost. But as the week of wedding celebrations begin and rumors about Amaya's past begin to swirl, she can’t help but feel like she also has a target on her back. When Kaavi goes missing and is presumed dead, all evidence points to Amaya. However, nothing is as it seems as Jayatissa expertly unravels that each wedding guest has their own dark secret and agenda, and Amaya may not be the only one with a plan to keep the bride from getting her happily ever after..."

Is it just me or do destination weddings and murder just go together perfectly?

Terminal Peace by Jim C. Hines
Published by: DAW
Publication Date: August 9th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The third and final book of the Janitors of the Post-Apocalypse follows a group of unlikely heroes trying to save the galaxy from a zombie plague.

Marion "Mops" Adamopoulos and her team were trained to clean spaceships. They were absolutely not trained to fight an interplanetary war with the xenocidal Prodryans or to make first contact with the Jynx, a race who might not be as primitive as they seem. But if there's one lesson Mops and her crew have learned, it's that things like "training" and "being remotely qualified" are overrated.

The war is escalating. (This might be Mops' fault.) The survival of humanity - those few who weren't turned to feral, shambling monsters by an alien plague - as well as the fate of all other non-Prodryans, will depend on what Captain Mops and the crew of the EDFS Pufferfish discover on the ringed planet of Tuxatl.

But the Jynx on Tuxatl are fighting a war of their own, and their world's long-buried secrets could be more dangerous than the Prodryans.

To make matters worse, Mops is starting to feel a little feral herself..."

Any chance Mops and her team could come clean up the mess that is Earth? They couldn't make it worse!

Death at the Manor by Katharine Schellman
Published by: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: August 9th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The tortured spirits of the dead haunt a Regency-era English manor - but the true danger lies in the land of the living in the third installment in the Lily Adler mysteries, perfect for fans of Deanna Raybourn.

Regency widow Lily Adler is looking forward to spending the autumn away from the social whirl of London. When she arrives in Hampshire with her friends, the Carroways, she doesn’t expect much more than a quiet country visit and the chance to spend time with her charming new acquaintance, Matthew Spencer.

But something odd is afoot in the small country village. A ghost has taken up residence in the Belleford manor, a lady in grey who wanders the halls at night, weeping and wailing. Half the servants have left in terror, but the family seems delighted with the notoriety that their ghost provides. Intrigued by this spectral guest, Lily and her party immediately make plans to visit Belleford.

They arrive at the manor the next morning ready to be entertained - only to find that tragedy has struck. The matriarch of the family has just been found killed in her bed.

The dead woman’s family is convinced that the ghost is responsible. Lily is determined to learn the truth before another victim turns up - but could she be next in line for the Great Beyond?"

Ghosts and a Deanna Raybourn namecheck? YES!

High Times in Low Parliament by Kelly Robson
Published by: Tordotcom
Publication Date: August 9th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 160 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Award-winning author Kelly Robson returns with High Times in the Low Parliament, a lighthearted romp through an 18th-century London featuring flirtatious scribes, irritable fairies, and the dangers of Parliament.

Lana Baker is Aldgate's finest scribe, with a sharp pen and an even sharper wit. Gregarious, charming, and ever so eager to please, she agrees to deliver a message for another lovely scribe in exchange for kisses and ends up getting sent to Low Parliament by a temperamental fairy as a result.

As Lana transcribes the endless circular arguments of Parliament, the debates grow tenser and more desperate. Due to long-standing tradition, a hung vote will cause Parliament to flood and a return to endless war. Lana must rely on an unlikely pair of comrades - Bugbite, the curmudgeonly fairy, and Eloquentia, the bewitching human deputy - to save humanity (and maybe even woo one or two lucky ladies), come hell or high water."

There's an air of Regency Magic here! 

Fire Touched by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: August 9th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 528 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"L. E. Modesitt, Jr., bestselling author of Saga of Recluce and the Imager Portfolio, continues his brand new, gaslamp, political fantasy series with Councilor the thrilling sequel to Isolate. Welcome to the Grand Illusion.

Continued poor harvests and steam-powered industrialization displace and impoverish thousands. Protests grow and gather followers.

Against this rising tide of social unrest, Steffan Dekkard, newly appointed to the Council of Sixty-Six, is the first Councilor who is an Isolate, a man invulnerable to the emotional manipulations and emotional surveillance of empaths.

This makes him dangerous.

As unknown entities seek to assassinate him, Dekkard struggles to master political intrigue and infighting, while introducing radical reforms that threaten entrenched political and corporate interests."

Yes to all things gaslamp fantasy!

Hellboy: The Silver Lantern Club by Mike Mignola
Published by: Dark Horse Books
Publication Date: August 9th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 136 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Hellboy learns firsthand about the history of the famed Silver Lantern Club!

His uncle and former member Simon Bruttenholm relates tales from his time with the Silver Lantern Club, which included Sir Edward Grey, Sarah Jewell, Lady Bai, and Major Singh, as they investigated the mysterious happenings in London near the end of the 19th century!

Mike Mignola and Chris Roberson expand the Hellboy universe with a new tale of strange spiritual happenings. They're joined by artists Ben Stenbeck and Christopher Mitten, with colors by Dave Stewart.

Collects Hellboy: The Silver Lantern Club #1–#5."

I've been dying to read more about the Silver Lantern Club since I've read about Sarah Jewell and was so sad everything was out of print. It's like someone read my mind...

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Amanda Jayatissa, Cody Luke Davis, Jim C. Hines, Julie Cameron, Kate Alice Marshall, Katharine Schellman, Kelly Robson, L.E. Modesitt Jr., Lisa Jewell, M.H. Eccleston, Mike Mignola, Mim Eichmann, Nicola Upson

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
Published by: Little Books Ltd
Publication Date: 1817
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy (different edition than one reviewed)

Catherine Morland isn't like the Gothic heroines she loves to read about; her name is prosaic, she's a content and happy girl who could never think badly of anyone and is surrounded by a big family who love her. But more importantly, alas, she's never even been to a crumbling castle or monastery let alone to the South of France where she could be held hostage. Her first real adventure is when her kindly and wealthy neighbors, the Allens, invite Catherine to accompany them to Bath. Mrs. Allen views Bath in the first few days of their residence as rather boring as they have no acquaintances, but that is soon about to change. Catherine's first acquaintance is a Mr. Henry Tilney, a lovely young man who dances with her and disappears. Her second acquaintance appears as if she'll be around longer. Isabella Thorpe is the daughter of an old classmate of Mrs. Allen's and they soon become fast friends. It transpires that Isabella's brother John is friends with Catherine's brother James, and soon Isabella is confiding her feelings for James to Catherine all while trying to get Catherine and John together. Wouldn't it be wonderful to be sisters twice over!?! But despite just that one meeting Catherine's heart already belongs to Henry Tilney. Luckily for her he soon returns to Bath, bringing along his sister Eleanor and his rather forbidding father. As is often the case with young girls, battle lines are drawn, Isabella wants Catherine to be hers alone now that she has become engaged to James, yet Catherine is defiant and sticks to the Tilneys. In fact Catherine shortly leaves Bath with the Tilneys for their ancestral home, Northanger Abbey. All the complications of Bath are behind Catherine but will she create her own obstacles in the Gothic surroundings of an old abbey that might thwart her and Henry's happily ever after? Or did the Thorpes already plan for her disappointment?

Northanger Abbey in my mind is unfairly the most maligned of Austen's novels. The reason is because it's not what people expect. It's not like her other books and I think that is precisely the reason it holds such a special place in my heart. Admittedly the first time I read it I was thrown, because being released after her death you think it will adhere more to her later works, whereas in truth because of when it was written it's more a transitional novel bridging the style of her juvenilia and her later work. Therefore it's only on subsequent re-reads that you can fully appreciate Northanger Abbey for what it is. This book is unbalanced, it's not perfect, but it so clearly shows what Austen will be capable of with her wry observational style in the first section of the book. Which is why so many people say the book gives them such hope only to fall apart. While the second half is weaker, it shows that she is capable of seeing her concept through to the end. Because Northanger Abbey was written as a parody of Gothic literature, so therefore she had to take it to it's logical conclusion of Catherine thinking laundry lists are secrets of the dead. The way Austen even parodies the origin stories of heroines is spot on. Plus, it's totally meta! So in other words, to fully appreciate Northanger Abbey you need to read something Gothic then come back and read how Austen tells her version... It's a little snarky, but in my mind nearly perfect. As a parody it is a wonderful send-up of the popular literature of the time, but as proto-Austen the first half is a glimpse into the writer she will become. That this is what she will be known for. For her humor, for what she will become, for the feelings, all the feelings I have each time I re-read this book, it is easily in my top three of Austen's six novels no matter my current rankings.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Bath, Catherine Morland, Gothic, Gothic Heroine, Henry Tilney, Isabella Thorpe, Juvenilia, Laundry Lists, Meta, Northanger Abbey, Observational Style, Parody, Proto-Austen, Ranking, Regency Romp, Wry Humor

A Question of Numbers by Andrea Penrose
Publication Date: April 8th, 2019
Format: Kindle, 378 Pages
Rating: ★★★
To Buy

Saybrook and Arianna are doing his uncle, Lord Mellon, a favor. The alliances needed to defeat Napoleon are tenuous at best and everyone in London is on tenterhooks. Therefore when Lord Mellon is approached by a Prussian saying that he has proof of someone working against the alliance and that he will only speak to Arianna it's the least Arianna can do to hear this man out. After all Arianna still feels bad they weren't able to stop Napoleon from leaving Elba and she'll do what needs to be done to save more lives. But the Prussian, a delightful man who loved Shakespeare, Count Grunwald, is murdered before their rendezvous. Perhaps by a deadly assassin. Arianna doesn't know who the Count suspected but he thankfully left clues knowing that his own life was in danger. One of the clues is quite shocking. Saybrook and Arianna have often been forced to work with Lord Grentham. Lord Grentham's second in command, Pierson, was assumed killed during their previous mission on Elba. But the signet ring that Count Grunwald was clutching would indicate otherwise. This means that if Pierson were to break at the hands of his inquisitors the alliance could be lost as he holds a key piece of information that could turn the tide of war. Saybrook and Arianna though are more worried about rescuing their friend. Because if the French need leverage against Pierson they are sure to find it in Brussels, where Pierson's illegitimate daughter Emma is residing. The French are sure to seek her out so Saybrook, Arianna, and their whole crew, as Aunt Constantina and Sophia also insist on accompanying them, are heading to Brussels, to rescue a girl, and if they're lucky, her father as well. But in the whirl of the beau monde as they try to eek out one more day of pleasure as war comes swiftly on cats paws can Saybrook and Arianna find the truth or will they be distracted by spectacles and riddles that prove enigmatic. And what about the woman from Sandro's past, Paloma Marone-Cinzano? Is she a friend or a foe? And who is the father of her child?

I recently got around to watching the 2018 Vanity Fair miniseries, which aside from the weird musical choices at the end of each episode is probably my favorite version now, and I was once again struck with the weird dichotomy of the Battle of Waterloo happening mere steps away from the ton partying in Brussels like there's no tomorrow. But in fairness there might not have been a tomorrow, as Wellington himself said it was "the nearest-run thing you ever saw in your life." It's so hard to wrap one's head around this luxurious and ostentatious lifestyle happening concurrently with Napoleon cutting a swath through the continent during the Hundred Days. "Heaven forfend that the prospect of death and destruction interfere with the beau monde’s pleasures." Like many people my first introduction to the Regency era was through the works of Jane Austen, so my Napoleonic history was sketchy, at best. Which is one of the reasons I took British History in college, I wanted to know more. But my first introduction to Waterloo was actually via Thackeray's classic Vanity Fair. And I really thought it was fiction and not truth. I mean, seriously, this is an example of truth being stranger than fiction. Which is what I love about A Question of Numbers. Andrea Penrose perfectly captures this weird world that feels fictitious. The sojourns to the park to take a stroll and get the latest gossip on the impending invasion. You know, just a normal day. But Andrea really brings home the dark underbelly that is hidden beneath the balls and the ballgowns. All the nefarious dealings and struggles of spy versus spy. All the little players who played their part and, with a bit of luck, brought home a British victory at the cost of so many lives. In fact I couldn't help but feel that this volume of Arianna and Sandro's adventures was a bit of a Russian epic. That fighting despite the futility of war, though thankfully without any of our leads ending up under a train.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: A Question of Numbers, Adaptation, Andrea Penrose, Arianna Hadley, Battle of Waterloo, Brussels, Elba, Lord Grentham, Napoleon, Prussians, Regency Romp, Sandro, Spies, Thackeray, The Duke of Wellington, Vanity Fair

The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: August 2nd, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Truth is found between the stories we're fed and the stories we hunger for.

Out on the Yorkshire Moors lives a secret line of people for whom books are food, and who retain all of a book's content after eating it. To them, spy novels are a peppery snack; romance novels are sweet and delicious. Eating a map can help them remember destinations, and children, when they misbehave, are forced to eat dry, musty pages from dictionaries.

Devon is part of The Family, an old and reclusive clan of book eaters. Her brothers grow up feasting on stories of valor and adventure, and Devon - like all other book eater women - is raised on a carefully curated diet of fairy tales and cautionary stories.

But real life doesn't always come with happy endings, as Devon learns when her son is born with a rare and darker kind of hunger - not for books, but for human minds."

Oh, I have shivers, and I kind of wish I was a book eater. Kind of.

The Wild Hunt by Emma Seckel
Published by: Tin House Books
Publication Date: August 2nd, 2022
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A transporting, otherworldly debut of a young woman's fated return to a wind-battered island off the coast of Scotland, and the dark forces - old and new - that she finds there.

The islanders have only three rules: don't stick your nose where it's not wanted, don't mention the war, and never let your guard down during October.

Leigh Welles has not set foot on the island in years, but when she finds herself called home from life on the Scottish mainland by her father's unexpected death, she is determined to forget the sorrows of the past - her mother's abandonment, her brother's icy distance, the unspeakable tragedy of World War II - and start fresh. Fellow islander Iain MacTavish, an RAF veteran with his eyes on the sky and his head in the past, is also in desperate need of a new beginning. A young widower, Iain struggles to return to the normal life he knew before the war.

But this October is anything but normal. This October, the sluagh are restless. The ominous, birdlike creatures of Celtic legend - whispered to carry the souls of the dead - have haunted the islanders for decades, but in the war's wake, there are more wandering souls and more sluagh. When a young man disappears, Leigh and Iain are thrown together to investigate the truth at the island's dark heart and reveal hidden secrets of their own. Rich with historical detail, a skillful speculative edge, and a deep imagination, Emma Seckel's propulsive and transporting debut The Wild Hunt unwinds long-held tales of love, loss, and redemption."

Yes, a fresh start, you know, where Celtic legends are real and October is dangerous.

Wild is the Witch by Rachel Griffin
Published by: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication Date: August 2nd, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the New York Times bestselling author of The Nature of Witches comes an immersive, enemies-to-lovers contemporary fantasy standalone.

After a night of magic turns deadly, Iris Gray vows to never let another person learn she's a witch. It doesn't matter that the Witches' Council found her innocent or that her magic was once viewed as a marvel - that night on the lake changed everything. Now settled in Washington, Iris hides who she really is and vents her frustrations by writing curses she never intends to cast. And while she loves working at the wildlife refuge she runs with her mother, she loathes Pike Alder, the witch-hating aspiring ornithologist who interns with them.

When Pike makes a particularly hurtful comment, Iris concocts a cruel curse for him. But just as she's about to dispel it, an owl swoops down and steals the curse before flying far away from the refuge. The owl is a powerful amplifier, and if it dies, Iris's dark spell will be unleashed not only on Pike but on everyone in the region.

Forced to work together, Iris and Pike trek through the wilderness in search of the bird that could cost Pike his life. But Pike doesn't know the truth, and as more dangers arise in the woods, Iris must decide how far she's willing to go to keep her secrets safe."

Be careful who you curse!

My Imaginary Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows
Published by: HarperTeen
Publication Date: August 2nd, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 496 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"It’s aliiiiiiiive! New York Times bestselling authors of My Lady Jane are back with the electric, poetic, and (almost) historical tale of the one and only Mary Shelley.

Mary may have inherited the brilliant mind of her late mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, but she lives a drab life above her father’s bookstore, waiting for an extraordinary idea that’ll inspire a work worthy of her parentage - and impress her rakishly handsome (and super-secret) beau, Percy Shelley.

Ada Lovelace knows a thing or two about superstar parents, what with her dad being Lord Byron, the most famous poet on Earth. But her passions lie far beyond the arts - in mechanical engineering, to be exact. Alas, no matter how precise Ada’s calculations, there’s always a man willing to claim her ingenious ideas as his own.

Pan, a.k.a. Practical Automaton Number One, is Ada's greatest idea yet: a machine that will change the world, if only she can figure out how to make him truly autonomous...or how to make him work at all.

When fate connects our two masterminds, Mary and Ada learn that they are fae - magical people with the ability to make whatever they imagine become real. But when their dream team results in a living, breathing, thinking PAN, Mary and Ada find themselves hunted by a mad scientist who won't stop until he finds out how they made a real boy out of spare parts.

With comic genius and a truly electrifying sense of adventure, Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows continue their campaign to turn the classics on their head in this YA fantasy that’s perfect for fans of Frankenstein and The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue."

Mary Shelley!?! Woo and a hoo!

Every Rogue Has His Charm by Susanna Craig
Published by: Lyrical Press
Publication Date: August 2nd, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Love, intrigue, and a fresh spin on historical romance make a sexy and suspenseful mix in the latest novel in Susanna Craig’s Regency-set series - as the wife one man left behind becomes the woman he can't live without...

Caroline, Marchioness of Chesleigh, has been married for six years - at least in name. In fact, Caro has hardly seen her husband since the early days of their union. Scarred and reclusive, Maxim wasn’t ready to trust his wife with his secrets - or his heart. Instead, he quickly resumed his life of espionage in France, believing Caro was better off alone.

When the spy who left her returns upon inheriting the Dukedom, he finds his wife is not the girl she once was. Her heart is a little harder. She’s learned to stand on her own. Yet the desire that once ignited between them burns as hotly as ever...

Now, the more Caro learns about the past Maxim tried to hide from her, the deeper their bond grows. But danger haunts her husband’s every move, jeopardizing their passionate reunion..."

You know me, I'm ALL about the Regency!

This Deadly Isle: A Golden Age Mystery Map by Martin Edwards and Ryan Bosse
Published by: Herb Lester Associates
Publication Date: August 2nd, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 1 Page
To Buy

The official patter:
"Running the length and breadth of the British Isles, this illustrated map and guide plots 51 real-life locations from books and stories from the Golden Age of Detective Fiction - the period roughly between the end of the first world war and the end of the second. The titans of the genre are represented here - Agatha Christie, Margery Allingham, Dorothy L Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, Anthony Berkeley - along with many less heralded authors.

This Deadly Isle charts corpses countrywide, from the Home Counties to the Hebrides, all painstakingly documented in a map redolent of the era. Written and researched by crime novelist, critic and historian Martin Edwards, This Deadly Isle reveals the variety of settings into which the genre was adapted and the vast number of stories written, many of them still little known."

I am ALL about the Golden Age of Detective Fiction so literally this map was made for me.

Mademoiselle Revolution by Zoe Sivak
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: August 2nd, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A powerful, engrossing story of a biracial heiress who escapes to Paris when the Haitian Revolution burns across her island home. But as she works her way into the inner circle of Robespierre and his mistress, she learns that not even oceans can stop the flames of revolution.

Sylvie de Rosiers, as the daughter of a rich planter and an enslaved woman, enjoys the comforts of a lady in 1791 Saint-Domingue society. But while she was born to privilege, she was never fully accepted by island elites. After a violent rebellion begins the Haitian Revolution, Sylvie and her brother leave their family and old lives behind to flee unwittingly into another uprising - in austere and radical Paris. Sylvie quickly becomes enamored with the aims of the Revolution, as well as with the revolutionaries themselves - most notably Maximilien Robespierre and his mistress, Cornélie Duplay.

As a rising leader and abolitionist, Robespierre sees an opportunity to exploit Sylvie's race and abandonment of her aristocratic roots as an example of his ideals, while the strong-willed Cornélie offers Sylvie safe harbor and guidance in free thought. Sylvie battles with her past complicity in a slave society and her future within this new world order as she finds herself increasingly torn between Robespierre's ideology and Cornélie's love.

When the Reign of Terror descends, Sylvie must decide whether to become an accomplice while a new empire rises on the bones of innocents…or risk losing her head."

Sigh, a really good book about the French Revolution to take away the bad taste left in my mouth by another one I just read.

Bloody Fool for Love by William Ritter
Published by: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: August 2nd, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Bloody Fool for Love from New York Times best-selling author William Ritter marks the beginning of an all-new series that explores prequel stories about fan-favorite Buffy characters.

Spike just wants to enjoy the spoils of his new badass reputation. He's now a legendary slayer-killer, and he's returning to London - the greatest city in the world. Unfortunately, his new abode is far from ideal (mostly a dank basement), and the rest of his strange little "family" is reeling from the fact that their patriarch, Angel, abandoned them. Spike's love, Drusilla, seems especially heartbroken over the loss and spends her time lost in her tarot cards and planning their next gruesome family dinner when they all can be reunited.

Desperate to break Dru out of her melancholy, Spike vows to steal a powerful relic that will help her focus on their dark future together. It's the perfect plan - that is until a monster named Gunnar, leader of the demon underworld of London, steals the relic first. Forced to form his own ragtag group of mercenaries, Spike plans an epic heist against a ruthless gang of undead criminals. Confronted with paranormal plots, royal black ops, and tea (they may be abominations, but they're British abominations, thank you very much), Spike soon realizes that his homecoming is about to get bloody.

This rompy, action-packed novel inspired by one of Buffy's most infamous bad boys is part Bonnie and Clyde, part Sherlock and Watson, with just a bit more bloodsucking."

If there's one thing time has proven it's that I'll by ANYTHING Buffy related...

Doctor Who: The Return of Robin Hood by Paul Magrs
Published by: Penguin Group UK
Publication Date: August 2nd, 2022
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"For the Doctor, this was his first visit to the prince of thieves. For Robin, it's been a long time coming...

Robin Hood is disenchanted. Maid Marion has left, the Merry Men have settled down, and the legend of the Doctor has retreated deep into the shadows of Sherwood Forest.

But the Doctor is back (Although this is his first visit - time travel does strange things to a story.) The poor are fed, and the gang are together again.

That is until a desperate King John calls on the deadliest alien force at the nobilities' disposal: the mysterious, shape-shifting Mother Maudlin .

As dark magic is spun, heroes are captured, and the Doctor must find a way to save the Kingdom.

It's time for the return of the Lionheart..."

A) I'm a Robin Hood Addict. B) I'm a Doctor Who Addict. C) The only Peter Capaldi episode I really liked involved Robin Hood. D) My friend Paul wrote this!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, Emma Seckel, Golden Age of Detection, Jodi Meadows, Mary Shelley, Paul Magrs, Rachel Griffin, Robin Hood, Spike, Sunyi Dean, Susanna Craig, The Book Eaters, William Ritter, Zoe Sivak

On the Way to the Wedding by Julia Quinn
Published by: Avon
Publication Date: June 27th, 2006
Format: Paperback, 048 Pages
Rating: ★★★
To Buy

Anthony is the closest thing to a father that Gregory has ever had. So Anthony is giving him some flack. Not only has Gregory arrived late for his sister-in-law's house party but he has apparently made no decision on what he's going to do with his life, maybe he'll marry, or hem and haw about a career to get Anthony to leave him alone for awhile longer. Sure being a forth son has it's limitations, but Gregory has always assumed that whatever life had planned for him he'd know it when he saw it. Just like he knows that one day he'll see the love of his life and the rest will take care of itself. He just didn't expect it to happen right after talking to Anthony. He sees her back, the curve of her neck, the spun gold of her hair, and he is ruined for anyone else. The problem is the woman he has fallen in love with, Hermione Watson, also believes in love at first sight because she experienced it with her father's secretary whom she is hoping her parents will let her eventually marry if her heart remains true. Gregory and Hermione have eerily similar beliefs on love, which Hermione's best friend, Lady Lucinda Abernathy, is shocked to discover. She's not shocked that yet another man has instantly fallen for Hermione, she's seen it a hundred times. She's shocked that she wants to help Gregory. Gregory is the perfect man and Hermione's parents will never let her marry a secretary, so why shouldn't Lucy help Gregory? If he could just behave differently than any of Hermione's previous suitors, perhaps he'll have a chance. And, despite all of Hermione's objections to open up her mind to the possibility of an advantageous match she actually flutters a little for Gregory. The problem is she flutters for Lucy's brother more. So now Hermione is going to be Lucy's sister and Gregory is left brokenhearted. Or at least he should be but he finds that he isn't. He finds himself thinking of Lucy. Only Lucy is engaged to Lord Haselby. An engagement that went from "practically" to "now" faster than she could have wished. But she's always wished for the match with Lord Haselby, why should she be questioning it now? Could it be because of a Bridgerton?

Now that I have officially read all the Bridgerton books I can safely say there is a distinct pattern to how they are written. The first half of the book is the setup, the meet cute, the initial obstacles, and the second half of the book switches up the narrative to move away from the setup to how are these two crazy kids going to work it out and get into bed. Sometimes the bed comes before they work it out, because Bridgertons seem to be OK with being compromised because they know they'll get their happily ever after. Because they are, despite Lucy's observations, in a romance after all. And yes, I'm sure this division of the narrative is common in romances, but here it's very much a blueprint. The problem is sometimes the back end of the book fits perfectly with the front, but sometimes it just don't. Like here. The house party, Lucy and Gregory scheming, all that was wonderful, and then it went off the rails. I mean, in general, romance has a certain level of suspension of disbelief. Not everyone gets a duke and a happy ending, their just aren't enough dukes to go around. But when you compromise the heroine's best friend, find out her own fiance is secretly gay, that her wedding to him is because her future father-in-law is blackmailing the family, and that that ties into selling secrets to the French during the Napoleonic Wars, oh and then she goes through with the marriage only to have it annulled, but first there's kidnapping and drawn pistols, you're left wondering what the hell are you reading. This was all over the place. Seriously, I'm thinking Hyacinth's obsession with finding jewels and Eloise marrying a man she'd never met weren't that far-fetched anymore. I mean, now that I've read the book I can't see it having a different back half, I just wish I could go back to before, before I knew what happened when I was still totally in love with this book and try to think of what I wanted to happen. Yes, I knew there was going to be the wedding and the big Dustin Hoffman moment from The Graduate, but I just wish it had felt less far-fetched. I think maybe I'm taking this too hard because I just so strongly relate to Lucy. I'm always saying "I'm sorry" and doing what's better for others than myself and I have totally been the ignored best friend, so maybe I'm taking it too personally. Or maybe I just need some blackmail and drawn pistols in my life? Oh dear, I hope not.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Arranged Marriage, Bridgerton, Eloise Bridgerton, Gregory Bridgerton, Hermione Watson, Hyacinth Bridgerton, Julia Quinn, Lady Lucinda Abernathy, On the Way to the Wedding, Regency Romp, Romance, The Graduate

Smoke and Lies by Andrea Penrose
Publication Date: May 15th, 2018
Format: Kindle, 355 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy

If there's one thing that Lord Saybrook and Arianna have learned, it's that if they won't do Lord Grentham's bidding then he will find leverage to force them to do his bidding. And his favorite leverage is family. This time it's Sandro's cousin, Eduardo de la Vega. Eduardo has been stationed on Elba, Napoleon's palatial prison, and has gone missing. Therefore it serves "everyone's" interest for Sandro and Arianna to travel to Elba. A gentleman scientist and his wife will be welcomed by Napoleon with open arms while really they will be listening for any concrete evidence that Napoleon has his eyes on his old throne and of course trying to find Eduardo. Lord Grentham though isn't taking any risks with Napoleon and therefore has saddled Sandro and Arianna with two rather sketchy associates. The Baroness Plessy-Moritz seems ill-equipped for espionage, but her friendship with Napoleon's sister is a boon, whereas Count von Wolfram isn't who he says he is. Wolffy is an old associate of Arianna's. He had been the proprietor of the Wolff and Lamb Theatrical Company, where Arianna learned her disguise skills back when she was fighting to survive in the West Indies. But how do his skills apply to this situation? As they all board the Basilisk none of them really know what they are in for. Their assignments are illusive and no one is what they seem and they have become becalmed in pirate-infested waters. Which is when things go from bad to worse as yet another person from Arianna's past emerges. What's even more humiliating than finding her in this situation is having him be the one to rescue her. But she can deal with that another day, because they must get to Elba at all costs, and so far it has cost the captain of the Basilisk his life in a back alley in Gibraltar. Reaching their destination is a miracle in and of itself, but how are they going to navigate the world Napoleon has built around himself when he is the greatest tactician ever? Perhaps by appealing to his sweet tooth?

This adventure is balls to the wall bonkers in the best possible way. It's Clue meets And Then There Were None meets Horatio Hornblower where you're constantly uncertain of your footing but enjoying every minute of it. But then, I've always been a sucker for big boats. There's something so classic yet powerfully elemental about old fashioned sailing vessels. They were their own little worlds and taking that concept and making it into a bit of a locked room mystery just made me giddy. Yes, I spent an inordinate amount of time when young dreaming of my perfect pirate ship, so taking that which I've always loved and the Regency addict I've become and making this wonderful confection just made me want to do nothing but read this book until I'd reached the very last page. What's more this is the first book in the series in its new iteration. For those who read the paperbacks like me, the recipes are gone. I'm of slightly two minds as to this development. As I have previously mentioned I found the recipes distracting as they interrupted the flow of the narrative. Stick them in the back was my initial response. But then by the third book almost all the recipes involved coffee or espresso so I changed my mind to get ride of them entirely. Now some of these recipes I actually want to try, but here's a clue about me, NONE OF THEM will have coffee. I don't just dislike coffee, I detest it. And I hate more than anything the adulteration of chocolate with coffee. Just don't do it OK? But seeing as the recipes are gone so are my gripes. My gripes about recipes. Now I have a new gripe. My new gripe is that since this series moved from a publishing house to being published independently you can see the lack of polish. There are some repetitions with turns of phrases that a good editor would have caught, but more irksome were the straight up errors. Wolffy changes how he addresses Arianna all the time. She's either Anna or Annie. If there had been an explanation as to this I wouldn't have minded him constantly calling her one or the other diminutive. There isn't. Therefore I am annoyed. But the bigger annoyance I had was that in the previous volume Arianna is lamenting her lack of knowledge of the Greek Mythology, which she hasn't had time to fix yet, but somehow she magically knows all these myths? Yeah, I'm not buying it. But I would say buy this book because the errors don't take away from the narrative, they just make you a little peeved every once in awhile. Is it Anna or Annie!?

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: And Then There Were None, Andrea Penrose, Arianna Hadley, Chocolate, Clue, Coffee, Editor, Elba, Gibraltar, Greek Mythology, Horatio Hornblower, Lord Grentham, Napoleon, Recipes, Regency Romp, Sandro, Smoke and Lies