Author: MJ Porter, author

I'm a writer of historical fiction (Early England/Viking and the British Isles as a whole before 1066, as well as two 20th century mysteries).

I’m delighted to welcome Ann Bennett and her new book, A Rose In The Blitz, to the blog #HistoricalFiction #HistoricalRomance #WorldWarII #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

I’m delighted to welcome Ann Bennett and her new book, A Rose In The Blitz of the Sisters of War series, to the blog.

Here’s the blurb

Escape into the dramatic world of London during the Blitz in this sweeping family saga of love, war and betrayal.

Northamptonshire: 1980: Wealthy landowner, Hadan Rose, is dying. His daughter, May, rushes to his country estate, Rose Park, with her daughter, Rachel, to nurse him through his final days.

In the afternoons, while Hadan sleeps, May tells Rachel about her wartime experiences.

In 1940, Three of the four Rose sisters leave Rose Park to serve the war effort. May, the youngest is left behind. But she soon runs away from home to join an ambulance crew in London. She experiences the horrors of the Blitz first-hand but what happens to her there has remained secret her whole life.

In 1980, at Rose Park, Rachel wanders through the old house, looking at old photographs and papers, uncovering explosive family secrets from ninety years before. Secrets that her grandfather wanted to take to his grave. At the local pub, Rachel meets Daniel Walters, a local journalist and musician who takes an interest in her. But can she trust him, or does he have an ulterior motive for seeking her company?

As the secrets of the past gradually reveal themselves, both Rachel and May realise that their worlds are forever changed.

Fans of Lucinda Riley, Dinah Jeffries and Victoria Hislop will love this escapist wartime saga, Book 1 in the Rose Park Chronicles.

Buy Link

Universal Link:

This title is available to read on #KinldeUnlimited

Meet the Author

Ann Bennett is a British author of historical fiction. Her first book, Bamboo Heart: A Daughter’s Quest, was inspired by researching her father’s experience as a prisoner of war on the Thai-Burma Railway and by her own travels in South-East Asia. Since then, that initial inspiration has led her to write more books about the second world war in SE Asia. Bamboo Island: The Planter’s Wife, A Daughter’s Promise, Bamboo Road: The Homecoming, The Tea Planter’s Club, The Amulet and her latest release The Fortune Teller of Kathmandu are also about WWII in South East Asia. All seven make up the Echoes of Empire Collection.

Ann is also the author of The Lake Pavilion, The Lake Palace, both set in British India during the 1930s and WWII, and The Lake Pagoda and The Lake Villa, both set in French Indochina. The Runaway Sisters, bestselling The Orphan House, The Child Without a Home and The Forgotten Children are set in Europe during the same era and are published by Bookouture.

Ann is married with three grown up sons and a granddaughter and lives in Surrey, UK. For more details please visit www.annbennettauthor.com.

Connect with the Author

Website: BookBub:

Follow A Rose In The Blitz blog tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club

Today, I’m reviewing Maggie In The Middle by Debbie Viggiano #blogtour #newrelease #bookreview

Here’s the blurb

WHEN LIFE FEELS LIKE…
A TEST YOU DIDN’T STUDY FOR

When Maggie King turned sixty, she thought her life complete.

Now she’s sixty-one, and everything has gone horribly wrong.

Husband Greg has abruptly upped and left leaving Maggie bewildered. But there’s no time to question his departure because her ancient parents are all-consuming.

Once fondly referred to as the Golden Oldies, they’re now the BOBs – Bad-Tempered Old Buggers.

Sister Freya is never available to help, and Maggie is rapidly reaching the end of her tether.

She wants her life – and husband – back.

Instead, she’s trapped in what has been coined the Sandwich Generation – supporting both children and parents – except this particular sarnie is in danger of falling apart.

Maggie needs to learn that when life is like a club sandwich, it needs the best ingredients – and that includes lashings of love and some knee-trembling romance!

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Maggie-Middle-poignant-moving-romantic-ebook/dp/B0CXQ4WQK4

https://www.amazon.com/Maggie-Middle-poignant-moving-romantic-ebook/dp/B0CXQ4WQK4

My Review

Wow. What a simply charming and delightful tale, not without some harrowing scenes. I’ve read a few of these sorts of novels recently, and this one is by far my favourite to date. Told with genuine warmth, just the right touch of ‘reality’ and real laugh-out-loud moments, I loved Maggie in the Middle.

Our main character, Maggie, is at an unexpected crossroads. No matter what she does, she can’t seem to win the help of her sister or even the respect of her ageing parents. Her adult children are much more understanding. What Maggie needs is a companion of the four-legged variety, and what comes with it is very unexpected.

I don’t want to spoil this delightful story. Instead, I will say that this takes quite a brutal look at the problems of caring for ageing parents, one with dementia and one who is also starting to struggle, leaving Maggie feeling helpless and worried. It very much addresses the guilt of caring for parents and not being able to do more for them, mostly because they won’t accept that assistance. As the author says, she’s embroiled in such a situation and the scenes feel vivid and real – there is, alas, no magic solution. However, interspersed with these difficult scenes are much warmer ones, offering readers hope that not all is as hopeless as we might think.

This is such a genuinely uplifting story. It doesn’t shy away from the realities it describes, but it will still fill you with hope and joy, and the humour will make you giggle out loud. Go and read it.

Meet the author

Prior to turning her attention to writing, Debbie Viggiano was, for more years than she cares to remember, a legal secretary. She lives with her Italian husband, a rescued pooch from Crete, and a very disgruntled cat. Occasionally her adult children return home bringing her much joy… apart from when they want to raid the fridge or eat her secret stash of chocolate. Tweet @DebbieViggiano or follow her on Facebook!

Connect with Debbie

TWITTER:   @DebbieViggiano

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/debbie.viggiano.5/

INSTAGRAM: debbieviggiano

Today, it’s time for something a little different, I’m reviewing The French Cookery School by Caroline James #fiction #newrelease #blogtour

Here’s the blurb

Mix together a group of mature students:

A culinary Sloane, a take-away cook and a food journalist.

Add in:

A handsome host

Season with:

A celebrity chef

Bring to the boil:

At a luxurious cookery school in France!

Waltho Williams has no idea what he’s letting himself in for when he opens the doors of La Maison du Paradis, his beautiful French home. But with dwindling funds, a cookery school seems like the ideal business plan. 

Running away from an impending divorce, super-snob Caroline Carrington hopes a luxurious cookery holiday will put her back on her feet. Blackpool fish and chip café owner Fran Cartwright thinks she’s won the lottery when her husband Sid books her on a week working alongside a celebrity chef. Meanwhile, feeling she is fading at fifty, journalist Sally Parker-Brown hopes her press week covering the cookery course will enable her to boost her career.

But will the eclectic group be a recipe for success, or will the mismatched relationships sink like a souffle? 

Whip out an apron, grab a wooden spoon and take a culinary trip to La Maison du Paradis, then sit back and enjoy The French Cookery School!

Purchase Link   

https://mybook.to/TFCS

My Review

The French Cookery School is a life-affirming story of second chances for our cast of 50+ characters set in the heat of Franch in the mid-summer, as well as the heat of the kitchen. Our main characters, and there are really four of them (Fran, Sally, Caroline and Waltho), all have their own struggles to overcome or ambitions to achieve, which sets the scene for a story of facing grief and loss and moving beyond the comfort of how lives have been led for so many years.

It is an engaging, quick read that is sure to appeal to fans of cookery, France, and second-chance stories who are looking for a more ‘serious’ take on the genre.

Meet the author

Caroline James always wanted to write, but instead of taking a literary route, followed a career in the hospitality industry, which included owning a pub and a beautiful country house hotel. She was also a media agent representing celebrity chefs. When she finally glued her rear to a chair and began to write, the words flowed, and several novels later, she has gained many bestseller badges for her books.

The French Cookery School is Caroline’s tenth novel. Previously, The Cruise, described as: ‘Girl power for the over sixties!’ was an Amazon Top Ten Best Seller. Caroline’s hilarious novels include The Spa Break and The Best Boomerville Hotel, depicted as ‘Britain’s answer to the Best Marigold Hotel’.

She likes to write in Venus, her holiday home on wheels and in her spare time, walks with Fred, her Westie, or swims in a local lake. Caroline is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association, the SOA, ARRA and the Society of Women’s Writers & Journalists. She is also a speaker with many amusing talks heard by a variety of audiences, including cruise ship guests.

Books by Caroline James:

The French Cookery School

The Cruise

The Spa Break

Hattie Goes to Hollywood

Boomerville at Ballymegille

The Best Boomerville Hotel

Coffee Tea the Gypsy & Me

Coffee Tea the Chef & Me

Coffee Tea the Caribbean & Me

Jungle Rock

Connect with the author

www.carolinejamesauthor.co.uk

Twitter: @CarolineJames12

Facebook: Caroline James Author

Insta: Caroline James Author

I’m delighted to welcome back David Fitz-Gerald and his new book, Snarling Wolf, to the blog #WesternAdventure #AmericanWest #WildWest #HistoricalWestern #NewRelease #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

I’m delighted to welcome back David Fitz-Gerald and his new book, Snarling Wolf, book 4 in the Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail series, to the blog with a series trailer.

Series Trailer

Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail series trailer

Here’s the blurb

Dive back into the gripping, frontier chaos. Snarling Wolf is the fourth adventurous installment in the Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail series.

The famed Snake River marks the point the wagon master claims that all the greenhorns turn loco. After twelve hundred grueling miles and four relentless months on the trail, the expedition teeters on the brink. Frayed nerves, exhausted patience, and the specter of doom cast a dark cloud over the travelers.

At every turn, new dangers emerge. A young man who is like a brother to Dorcas Moon is ravaged in a mountain lion attack. A heat wave grips the dusty, barren plains and spreads sickness. The wolves that lurk in the shadows edge closer. Even the rattlesnakes seem emboldened.

Dorcas’ daughter, Rose’s descent into madness can no longer be ignored. What began as an eerie preoccupation with death takes a shocking turn when Rose reveals her truths. Dorcas is thrust into a realm of disbelief, and her worst fears about Rose’s mysterious suitor become a stark reality.

As weary emigrants yearn for respite, tales of murderous outlaws spread like wildfire across the prairie. Passing strangers share the latest terrifying news. It’s only a matter of when, not if, the notorious highwaymen will strike. Which bend of the mighty snake shelters the feared outlaws?

Grab your copy of Snarling Wolf now and unveil the next chapter in Dorcas Moon’s relentless saga. Sink your teeth into this tale of survival, madness, and the unyielding spirit of those who brave the treacherous migration.

Buy Link

Universal Link:

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited

Meet the Author

David Fitz-Gerald writes westerns and historical fiction. He is the author of twelve books, including the brand-new series, Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail set in 1850. Dave is a multiple Laramie Award, first place, best in category winner; a Blue Ribbon Chanticleerian; a member of Western Writers of America; and a member of the Historical Novel Society.

Alpine landscapes and flashy horses always catch Dave’s eye and turn his head. He is also an Adirondack 46-er, which means that he has hiked to the summit of the range’s highest peaks. As a mountaineer, he’s happiest at an elevation of over four thousand feet above sea level.

Dave is a lifelong fan of western fiction, landscapes, movies, and music. It should be no surprise that Dave delights in placing memorable characters on treacherous trails, mountain tops, and on the backs of wild horses.

Connect with the Author

Website: BookBub: Linktree:

Follow the Snarling Wolf blog tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club

#TheLastKing is 4 years old.

If you’ve been with Coelwulf, Rudolf, Icel, Edmund and Pybba since the beginning, then you’re probably with me in trying to work out how 4 years have gone by since the release of the first book. There are now eight (well really nine and a half, as book 9 is written but not yet released, and book 10 is well underway) books in all, as well as a short story collection, Coelwulf’s Company.

If you’ve not yet discovered The Mercian Kingdom: The Ninth Century series, then you’ve in for a treat, as long as you’re not easily offended by foul language and violence – although if you are, there are Cleaner versions available without quite so much swearing. Follow this link, as they can be a bit tricky to find on Amazon.

Don’t forget to check out the short story collection, Coelwulf’s Company.

If you follow the link, here (to Bookfunnel) you can also download a copy of The New Recruit, a short story I wrote while working on The Last Seven.

The Last King books are available in ebook, paperback and hardback, and The Last King (book 1 ) is also available in audio.

The Last Viking (the most recent release) is currently 99p/99c on Amazon UK/Canada/Australia and reduced in all territories for a limited time only.

The Last King is also available to read with Prime Reading on Amazon UK.

Check out all the details for The Mercian Kingdom: The Ninth Century.

Today, I’m spotlighting the new release, The Family Home by Lorraine Mace #blogtour #thriller

Here’s the blurb

IS BLOOD ALWAYS THICKER THAN WATER?

Sally has lived in fear of her husband long enough. But after twenty years of suffering, she has been left with nothing of her own and no one to turn to – except her estranged sister, Alison.

When Alison agrees to help Sally escape, she knows she must return to the one place she was told never to show her face again – the family home – and confront her father once more.

But soon, Sally begins to suspect that all is not as it seems, and as she is forced to face the ghosts of the past, she discovers there may be secrets hidden in her own memory that are best left buried . . .

A twisting and compulsive page-turner, with a shocking twist. If you love Keri Beevis, L H Stacey and K. L. Slater, you’ll love The Family Home.

Purchase Links

UK Paperback 

UK Ebook: 

US Ebook 

US Paperback

Meet the author

Born and raised in South East London, Lorraine lived and worked in South Africa, on the Island of Gozo and in France before settling on the Costa del Sol in Spain. She lives with her partner in a traditional Spanish village inland from the coast and enjoys sampling the regional dishes and ever-changing tapas in the local bars. Her knowledge of Spanish is expanding. To stop her waistline from doing the same, she runs five times a week.

Lorraine is the author of the D.I. Sterling series and two psychological thrillers, The Guest and The Family Home.

Connect with the author

Website: www.lorrainemace.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lomace

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mace_lorraine/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LorraineMaceAuthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1336955.Lorraine_Mace

It’s publication day for The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlov by Eleni Kiriacou #blogtour #NewRelease #histfic

Here’s the blurb

THEY HAVE TOLD SO MANY LIES ABOUT ME.

London, 1954. Zina Pavlou, a Cypriot grandmother, waits quietly in the custody of the Metropolitan police. She can’t speak their language, but she understands what their wary looks mean: she has been accused of the brutal murder of her daughter-in-law.

Eva Georgiou, Greek interpreter for the Met, knows how it feels to be voiceless as an immigrant woman. While she works as Zina’s translator, her obsession with the case deepens, and so too does her bond with the accused murderer.

Zina can’t speak for herself. She can’t clear her own name. All she can do is wait for the world to decide…

IS SHE A VICTIM? OR IS SHE A KILLER?

A compelling historical crime novel set in the Greek diaspora of 1950s London – that’s inspired by a true story – The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou is perfect for fans of Erin Kelly, Sara Collins, and Jessie Burton.

Purchase Link

 https://geni.us/TUAOZPRRR

Meet the author


Eleni Kyriacou is an award-winning editor and journalist. Her writing has appeared in the Guardian, the Observer, Grazia, and Red, among others. She’s the daughter of Greek Cypriot immigrant parents, and her debut novel, She Came To Stay, was published in 2020. Her latest novel, The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou, is inspired by the true-crime story of the penultimate woman to be executed in Britain. Follow her on and http://www.elenikwriter.com.

Connect with the author

Twitter: @EleniKWriter

Facebook: Elenikwriter

Website: www.elenikwriter.com

Aries/Head of Zeus Social Handles

Twitter: @AriesFiction

Facebook: Aries Fiction

Instagram: @headofzeus

TikTok: @headofzeus

Website: http://www.headofzeus.com

I’m delighted to welcome Stella Riley and her new book, A Splendid Defiance, to the blog #HistoricalFiction #HistoricalRomance #EnglishCivilWar #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

I’m delighted to welcome Stella Riley and her new book, A Splendid Defiance, a Roundheads & Cavaliers book, to the blog with an excerpt from Chapter 2: Bargaining with the enemy.

Chapter 2: Bargaining with the enemy

Jonas did not know if he was irritated or relieved to hear that Captain Ambrose awaited him in the shop.  He loathed the garrison but a review of the last quarter’s figures had revealed a far from satisfactory state of affairs which meant he needed the Captain’s business.  This, however, did not make him any less uncivil than usual and he said, ‘I begin to find your persistence annoying.’

‘I’m sure,’ agreed Justin.  ‘But the remedy is in your own hands.  And you won’t be the first to sacrifice your principles in exchange for hard cash.’

Jonas’s gaze sharpened.

‘Is that how you would pay?  No promissory notes?’

‘No.  We have the money.  What we don’t have is endless time to discuss the matter.  If the men are to have decent coats this winter, we need the cloth – and sooner rather than later. If you won’t supply it, I’ll apply to Oxford.  Your choice … but if you can’t make it, then I must.  Well?’

Jonas stared at the worldly elegance before him and longed for the satisfaction of refusing.  Bitter rage burned in his breast and his frustration channelled itself into hatred for the man in front of him.

‘Very well.  Broadcloth or worsted?’

The Captain expressed a preference for broadcloth.  Jonas named his price and the Captain laughed.

‘Oh no, Mr. Radford.  I realise that the damage done to your finer feelings will require compensation – but I’m not willing to be robbed.  Try again.’

‘Robbed?’ echoed Jonas.  ‘Do you think I can’t guess where you get the ‘hard cash’ you boast of?’

‘On the contrary, I’m very sure that you can.  But I am equally sure that you will find our transaction less painful if you avoid thinking of it.’

Jonas’s answer was a diatribe against Cavalier lawlessness and vice.  Captain Ambrose waited until he paused for breath and then said, ‘This is war, Mr. Radford.  The  Parliament attacks our convoys and we theirs.  It is unfortunate but necessary.  I doubt any of us takes any pleasure in it.’

‘Pleasure is all your kind ever think about!’ spat Jonas.  ‘But God sees all and is not deceived.  And you might remember that, if war makes thieves –’

‘Peace hangs them.  Quite.’  Bored grey eyes met smouldering black ones. ‘But I’m not here to justify either myself or my cause – and I don’t have all day to waste while you preach. Fifteen shillings the yard and not a farthing more.’

Here’s the blurb

For two years England has been in the grip of Civil War.  In Banbury, Oxfordshire, the Cavaliers hold the Castle, the Roundheads want it back and the town is full of zealous Puritans.

Consequently, the gulf between Captain Justin Ambrose and Abigail Radford, the sister of a fanatically religious shopkeeper, ought to be unbridgeable.

The key to both the fate of the Castle and that of Justin and Abigail lies in defiance.  But will it be enough?

A Splendid Defiance is a dramatic and enchanting story of forbidden love, set against the turmoil and anguish of the English Civil War.

Buy Link

Universal Link:

Special Tour Price: Ebook £1.95/ US $1.95 (and equivalent) for the duration of the tour

Meet the Author

Winner of four gold medals for historical romance and sixteen Book Readers’ Appreciation Medallions, Stella Riley lives in the beautiful medieval town of Sandwich in Kent.

She is fascinated by the English Civil Wars and has written six books set in that period. These, like the 7 book Rockliffe series, the Brandon Brothers trilogy and, most recently The Shadow Earl, are all available in audio, performed by Alex Wyndham.

Stella enjoys travel, reading, theatre, Baroque music and playing the harpsichord.  She also has a fondness for men with long hair – hence her 17th and 18th century heroes.

Connect with the Author

Website: BookBub:

Follow the A Splendid Defiance blog tour with The Coffee Pot Book Cub

I’m delighted to welcome Malve von Hassel and her new book, The Falconer’s Apprentice, to the blog #HistoricalFiction #HolyRomanEmpire #FrederickII #CasteldelMonte #falconry #MedievalMedicine #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

I’m delighted to welcome Malve von Hassel and her new book, The Falconer’s Apprentice, to the blog.

Here’s the blurb

THE FALCONER’S APPRENTICE is a story of adventure and intrigue set in the intense social and political unrest of the Holy Roman Empire in the thirteenth century.

“That bird should be destroyed!”

Andreas stared at Ethelbert in shock. Blood from an angry-looking gash on the young lord’s cheek dripped onto his embroidered tunic. Andreas clutched the handles of the basket containing the young peregrine. Perhaps this was a dream—

Andreas, an apprentice falconer at Castle Kragenberg, cannot bear the thought of killing the young female falcon and smuggles her out of the castle. Soon he realizes that his own time there has come to an end, and he stows away, with the bird, in the cart of an itinerant trader, Richard of Brugge.

So begins a series of adventures that lead him from an obscure castle in northern Germany to the farthest reaches of Frederick von Hohenstaufen’s Holy Roman Empire, following a path dictated by the wily trader’s mysterious mission. Andreas continues to improve his falconry skills, but he also learns to pay attention to what is happening around him as he travels through areas fraught with political unrest.

Eventually, Richard confides in Andreas, and they conspire to free Enzio, the eldest of the emperor’s illegitimate sons, from imprisonment in Bologna.

Buy Link

Universal Link:

This title is also available to read on #KindleUnlimited

Barnes & Noble:

Meet the Author

Malve von Hassell is a freelance writer, researcher, and translator. She holds a Ph.D. in anthropology from the New School for Social Research. Working as an independent scholar, she published The Struggle for Eden: Community Gardens in New York City (Bergin & Garvey 2002) and Homesteading in New York City 1978-1993: The Divided Heart of Loisaida (Bergin & Garvey 1996). She has also edited her grandfather Ulrich von Hassell’s memoirs written in prison in 1944, Der Kreis schließt sich – Aufzeichnungen aus der Haft 1944 (Propylaen Verlag 1994).

She has taught at Queens College, Baruch College, Pace University, and Suffolk County Community College, while continuing her work as a translator and writer.

Malve has published two children’s picture books, Tooth Fairy (Amazon KDP 2012/2020), and Turtle Crossing (Amazon KDP 2023), and her translation and annotation of a German children’s classic by Tamara Ramsay, Rennefarre: Dott’s Wonderful Travels and Adventures (Two Harbors Press, 2012).

The Falconer’s Apprentice (2015/KDP 2024) was her first historical fiction novel for young adults. She has published Alina: A Song for the Telling (BHC Press, 2020), set in Jerusalem in the time of the crusades, and The Amber Crane (Odyssey Books, 2021), set in Germany in 1645 and 1945, as well as a biographical work about a woman coming of age in Nazi Germany, Tapestry of My Mother’s Life: Stories, Fragments, and Silences (Next Chapter Publishing, 2021), also available in German, Bildteppich Eines Lebens: Erzählungen Meiner Mutter, Fragmente Und Schweigen (Next Chapter Publishing, 2022), and is working on a historical fiction trilogy featuring Adela of Blois.

Connect with the Author

Website: BlueSky: BookBub:

Follow The Falconer’s Apprentice blog tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club

Today, I’m sharing my review for The Maiden of Florence by Katherine Mezzacappa #blogtour #histfic #newrelease And there’s a competition too

Here’s the blurb

‘My defloration was talked about in all the courts of Europe. The Prince boasted of his prowess, even as preparations were being made for his wedding, as boldly as if he had ridden across that causeway with bloodstained sheet tied to his lance.’
1584, Italy: Twenty-year-old Giulia expects she will live and die incarcerated as a silk weaver within the walls of her Florentine orphanage, where she has never so much as glimpsed her own face. This all changes with the visit of the Medici family’s most trusted advisor, promising her a generous dowry and a husband if she agrees to a small sacrifice that will bring honour and glory to her native city. 
Vincenzo Gonzaga, libertine heir to the dukedom of Mantua, wants to marry the Grand-Duke of Tuscany’s eldest daughter, but the rumours around his unconsummated first marriage must be silenced first. Eager for a dynastic alliance that will be a bulwark against the threat of Protestant heresy beyond the Alps, the Pope and his cardinals turn a blind eye to a mortal sin. 
A powerful #MeToo story of the Renaissance, based on true events.

Purchase Links 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Maiden-Florence-Katherine-Mezzacappa/dp/1914148509

https://www.amazon.com/Maiden-Florence-Katherine-Mezzacappa/dp/1914148509

My Review

Told with the benefit of hindsight by our maiden of Florence, Giulia, The Maiden of Florence is the story of this astounding event and the consequences of it for our fair maiden. The first third of the book is a retelling of what might have befallen Giulia, and events then move on to tell the story of what occurred afterwards, including her eventual marriage. However, the reach of the man behind her involvement is never very far away, despite her resentment of it.

The narrative allows Giulia to have her happily ever after ‘for now’, but events quickly move on, and she finds herself caught up in the battle to protect her oldest son, seeking aid where she would never have thought to do so until desperate.

The story is told with compassion and some insight from her husband. The recreation of Florence and Venice in the late 1500s/early 1600s is intriguing while also reflecting her restricted world view—we see only a small area of Florence and Venice. Giulia is rarely, if ever, not subject to some external force, whether it is the benign influence of her husband or other malevolent forces.

An engaging read, somewhat slower in pace, and sure to delight readers of this era and also narratives featuring strong women who are constrained by the society they live in.

Meet the author

Katherine Mezzacappa is an Irish writer of mainly historical fiction, currently living in Italy. She has published several novels under pen names with publishers Bonnier Zaffre and eXtasy. She works as a manuscript assessor for The Literary Consultancy. Katherine reviews for Historical Novel Society’s quarterly journal and is one of the organisers of the Society’s 2022 UK conference. In her spare time she volunteers with a used book charity of which she is a founder member.

Connect with the author

Twitter: https://twitter.com/katmezzacappa

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katherinemezzacappafiction/

https://katherinemezzacappa.ie

Giveaway to Win a vintage postcard, early 1900s, of the babies from the façade of the Innocenti orphanage. (Open INT)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494586/?