Historical Fiction
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Art is Magic
Art is something that comes alive and seeks to change us forever. Wonder at how, so many years later, the Mona Lisa still has lines after lines of people impatient to see her smile. Think of how certain quotes from certain novels echo down through generations, while most of our own whispers vanish into oblivion.… Continue reading
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Nine Ladies Dancing: Clinging to Youth
It’s frightening to grow up. Taking on responsibilities, leaving old habits behind, speaking of childhood in the past tense—it’s no wonder so many people take their time, whether or not they realize it. The world is a scary place, after all. I believe this message was the strongest theme for Nine Ladies Dancing, the fourth… Continue reading
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Goodwill for the Gentleman: Emma & the Beast
The second novel in the Belles of Christmas collection, Goodwill for the Gentleman by Martha Keyes was a delight. It tugged at my heart in all the right ways; it was a balance of sadness and romance that kept me hooked. I love to read about tormented characters, and this book had just that. Lieutenant… Continue reading
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Review: Unmasking Lady Caroline
Hoping to feel the Christmas spirit early this year while easing into my genre, I’ve been looking for Christmas-themed regency books. Imagine my delight when I found a collection exists of Christmas stories which bring to mind the smell of pinecones and the splendor of Downton Abbey! It’s called Belles of Christmas, and I have to say… Continue reading
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Discovering The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley
This week, I am reading The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley. It is another book I found at the thrift store, and I found to my delight that the writing is bold as the woman’s red hair on the cover. Kearsley paints pictures so perfectly in my imagination that I am disconcerted when I need… Continue reading
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The Captain’s Daughter by Jennifer Delamere + Author Q&A!
I enjoy it when historical fiction books are written in different settings. So many seem to take place during the Season or inside of country houses. Though these books are enjoyable, a different setting ensures that I will remember the story. The Captain’s Daughter by Jennifer Delamere provided a new setting. A good deal of… Continue reading
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Netherwood by Jane Sanderson
Netherwood was a side read to space out my 2019 Classic Novel Challenge. Like The Lady and the Gent, it is historical fiction. Though they share a genre, these novels are delightful in their own ways. Netherwood is more sober than The Lady and the Gent. It’s the story of a widow named Eve and… Continue reading
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The Lady and the Gent by Rebecca Connolly
Last week, I took a break from my strict 2019 Reading Challenge and searched for some historical fiction to provide a quick, happy read. Three books by Rebecca Connolly caught my eye, and in two days I had finished the first, The Lady and the Gent. The book did not disappoint; I was smiling by the time… Continue reading
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Movie Review: Walt Before Mickey
Storytellers learn so much researching those who came before us. From them, we learn there’s never an easy path to getting an audience; tears will be shed, friends lost, and there’ll be moments in which we’re tempted to give up. I have a book about Walt Disney in my towering TBR pile; it will no… Continue reading
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Book Review: The Paris Winter by Imogen Robertson
The Paris Winter leaves a proper chill in your soul after you finish reading it. It is the haunting story of Maud Heighton, an English painter who takes art classes in Paris, all the while struggling to get her daily meal. Her situation doesn’t go unnoticed at the academy, especially when she starts to lose… Continue reading
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Review: The Earl of Brass by Kara Jorgensen
In The Earl of Brass we enter a well-imagined, satisfyingly dark Steampunk London where airships and corsets exist simultaneously. We follow two complex characters as their eyes are opened to the possibility of a different world. Eilian Sorrell doesn’t want to be an Earl. He wants to be an archaeologist, uncovering stories of cultures long… Continue reading
Mariella Hunt & the Tearoom 