The East End Girl in Blue by Fenella J. Miller

 The East End Girl in Blue

Book Summary

The East End Girl in Blue by Fenella J. Miller has Nancy Evans looking forward to marrying her fiancé, Tommy Smith in September.  Nancy is in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force stationed at Hornchurch while Tommy works ground crew.  When Tommy ends up dead just before their wedding, Nancy is devastated.  Her friend, Jane takes her to recover at her in-laws in the country.  It is not long before Nancy discovers she is pregnant.  She leaves the WAAF and becomes the housekeeper to the local doctor, David Denny.  As time passes, David and Nancy find themselves falling in love.  Nancy, though, does not feel she is acceptable for someone like David considering her East End roots.  David tells Nancy that he could care less what others think, but Nancy is sure he would regret his decision.  Can they overcome the class divide? 

My Thoughts

The East End Girl in Blue by Fenella J. Miller is the 2^nd book in The Girls in Blue series.  I believe it is best to read the series in order.  I thought this historical novel captured the time period and the feelings as well as the attitudes of the people.  Women were strong during World War II.  I am amazed at their can-do attitude and their ability to create meals from limited resources.  Nancy Evans is a resilient woman whose whole life is changed in an instant.  She had planned to work her way up in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force.  Instead, Nancy finds her fiancé dead just before their wedding and she finds herself in the family way.  She has no choice but to make a new plan.  We experience what life is like in England during World War II.  There are frequent bombings, evacuees, and rationing (food, petrol, clothing).  Your home could be bombed at any minute which is a frightening thought.  Doctors and other essential personal worked long hours.  They would get little rest or time off.  The author captured the experiences of the people in Great Britain during World War II.  The East End Girl in Blue also talks about the struggles of evacuating families, the toll the war can take on a single mother, narrow minded people, and rampant gossip.  I thought this book was well-written with realistic characters.  I stayed up quite late to finish this historical tale.  I like that we get to catch up with Charlotte and Jane.  Jane’s story is told in The Girls in Blue and we will get Charlotte’s story later in 2021 in The Officer in Blue.  I wish the author had provided a better introduction of our characters in the beginning.  While I had read The Girls in Blue, I was confused in the beginning (it had been several months, and I have read over a hundred books since then).  The story does contain British slang (most of the words can be discerned from the context) and some foul language.  The East End Girl in Blue is an absorbing historical novel with an abundance of bombs, foodstuff scarcities, evacuated children, war rationing, a dashing doctor, fine friends, and an enrapturing romance.  

The East End Girl in Blue can be purchased from Amazon*.  The Girls in Blue is the first book in the series (can be borrowed through Kindle Unlimited along with The East End Girls in Blue).  The 3rd book in The Girls in Blue is The Officer in Blue which publishes October 14 (it is Charlotte's story).  You can find Fenella J. Miller's other creations here.  Thank you for stopping by today.  I will be back tomorrow with Deadly Ever After by Eva Gates.  It is the 8th A Lighthouse Library Mystery.  I hope that you have a jolly good day.  Take care, be kind, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Dublin's Girl by Eimear Lawlor: Review & Excerpt

About the Book

Falling in love with the enemy is the ultimate act of betrayal...

1917. A farm girl from Cavan, Veronica McDermott is desperate to find more to life than peeling potatoes. Persuading her family to let her stay with her aunt and uncle in Dublin so she can attend secretarial college, she has no idea what she is getting into. Recruited by Fr Michael O'Flanagan to type for Eamon De Valera, Veronica is soon caught up in the danger and intrigue of those fighing for Ireland's independence from Britain.

The attentions of a handsome British soldier, Major Harry Fairfax, do not go unnoticed by Veronica's superiors. But when Veronica is tasked with earning his affections to gather intelligence for Sinn Féin, it isn't long before her loyalty to her countrymen and her feelings for Harry are in conflict. To choose one is to betray the other...

Inspired by real life events and marking the centenary of the end of the War of Independence, Dublin's Girl is a thrilling historical debut from an exciting new Irish voice.

About the Author

Dublin’s Girl is Eimear Lawlor's first novel and inspired by the true story of her great aunt who typed for Eamon De Valera. She lives with her family in Kilkenny. 

My Thoughts

Dublin’s Girl by Eimear Lawlor has Veronica McDermott bored with life on the family farm.  She wants to go secretarial school in Dublin and gets her chance in 1917.  Veronica boards with her Uncle Tom and Aunt Betty where she soon becomes involved in helping in uncle deliver packages for the Sinn Fein.  Veronica does well in her classes and gets a position helping a man involved in the cause for Irish independence.  This part-time position leads to one within the Sinn Fein where she types important letters for the leaders.  One day Veronica bumps into Major Harry Fairfax with the English army who would like to step out with her.  Veronica gets tasked with getting close to Harry and learning army secrets that could help the Irish.  Dublin’s Girl is a gently paced story gives us a look at a pivotal time in English/Irish history when the Irish are fighting for independence.  They wanted an Irish Free State with their own parliament.  It was interesting learning about key time in Ireland’s history.  I could tell the author did her research.  The romance between Veronica and Harry progressed at a leisurely pace.  I could feel the spark of attraction between them, but I wanted the pair to spend more time together so we could see the connection build.  I am glad that the author gave us an epilogue.  I liked the suspense and danger in the story.  I also enjoyed seeing Veronica grow up as time passed.  Dublin’s Girl is Eimear Lawlor’s debut novel.  I am curious to see what this author creates next. Dublin’s Girl is an intriguing historical novel with touch typing, a bothersome brother, a covert container, a sympathetic soldier, and a fierce fight.  

Excerpt

June 1917 Virginia, Co. Cavan

‘Veronica will you hurry with those potatoes?’ Her mother sighed. ‘I’ve to make the bread yet, and the men will be here early today. The soldiers shot poor Tommy Brady, and his wake is tonight. I’ve so much to do,’ her mother said as she took the brown bread out of the black Aga stove. She bent to sniff it, which always amused Veronica. She thought, How can you tell if something is cooked by smelling it?

A potato slipped from Veronica’s hand into the bucket and water splashed everywhere.

‘Veronica,’ her mother screeched, ‘for God’s sake, will you watch what you’re doing? All you’re doing is creating more work for yourself.’

Veronica rolled her eyes and gritted her teeth as she peeled the last potato and dropped it to the mound beside her. Thirty potatoes, three each, enough for the family and the farmhands. The sunshine filled the yard outside the kitchen, weeks of rain had retreated, and the countryside had erupted into an assortment of green hues. The arrival of summer sunshine was no guarantee it would last, and Veronica itched to get outside to go to the lake to fish or swim. As children, she and her brother Eddie had spent many summer days by the lake fishing and exploring the forest, but in their teenage years they spent less and less time together, their time demanded elsewhere. Now Veronica’s days in the house involved helping her mother and their cook Mrs Slaney in the kitchen and Eddie helped his father in their grocery shop in the village.

In the yard, there was a squawk and a spray of feathers. Veronica’s mother let out an exasperated cry behind her.

‘That damn dog is at the chickens again!’ Her mother ran to the yard, flapping her maroon apron while screaming at the dog. Veronica held her ribs with laughter. Her mother’s nostrils flared like a cow ready to charge to protect her calf from danger. Picking up a broom, she swept the black and white collie dog out of the yard into the field.

Veronica stopped laughing as she glimpsed movement on the other side of the yard – a flash of tweed, a muddied shoe. It was Eddie. Veronica watched him, narrowing her eyes as Eddie stealthily crept along the side of the shed. What was he up to now? He had left earlier to help their father at the shop in the village. There was a time Eddie never kept secrets from her, but lately, he disappeared for hours, and when she asked where he had been, he’d mutter, ‘Nowhere,’ and dismiss her with a scowl.

Are you ready to read Dublin's Girl?  Dublin's Girl is available from Amazon*, Kobo, Google Play, and iBooks.  Aria has Women at War by Jan Casey publishing February 4.  Thank you for visiting today.  I will be back tomorrow with A Dance in Donegal by Jennifer Deibel.  I hope that you have a relaxing day.  Take care of yourself, be kind, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The Girls in Blue by Fenella J. Miller: Excerpt & Review!

About the Book

They’ll come together to do their bit for the war.  Jane Hadley has nothing to lose when she runs away to join the Women's Auxiliary Air Force. Whatever faces her in war-torn London can't be any worse than staying at home with her abusive father...

The city is nothing like she could have imagined, but she's soon on the move, travelling from base to base for her top-secret training. Making plenty of new friends along the way, it doesn't take long for Jane to embrace her growing confidence – especially under the attentive eye of dashing Officer Oscar Stanton.

Life as an independent woman is as rewarding as it is exciting, until Jane's father tracks her down and it crashes to a halt. Jane will need all her new-found strength to find her way back to the frontline – and to the man she's fallen for...

About the Author

Fenella J Miller was born in the Isle of Man. Her father was a Yorkshire man and her mother the daughter of a Rajah. She has worked as a nanny, cleaner, field worker, hotelier, chef, secondary and primary teacher and is now a full time writer.

She has over thirty eight Regency romantic adventures published plus four Jane Austen variations, three Victorian sagas and seven WW2 family sagas. She lives in a pretty, riverside village in Essex with her husband and British Shorthair cat. She has two adult children and three grandchildren.    

Author Links

 Facebook: @FenellaJMiller

Twitter: @fenellawriter

My Thoughts

The Girls in Blue by Fenella J. Miller transports readers back to 1939 when war is declared in England.  Jane Hadley has been waiting for this day.  Jane has been beaten by her father regularly for years.  With war declared and her eighteenth birthday the next day, Jane can finally escape.  With help from the vicar and his wife, Jane departs the next day for London where she volunteers for the Women’s Air Auxiliary Force (WAAF).  She trains with Charlotte and Nancy who become her close friends.  Unfortunately, Jane is given a different assignment after training. On the first day at her new location, she has an accident and meets a handsome RAF pilot.  Oscar Stanton would like to be more than friends, but Jane will not allow herself to get close to any man.  Jane trains for a top-secret position and enjoys life in the WAAf.  Her biggest worry is that her father will find her.  One day Jane’s biggest nightmare comes to true.  The Girls in Blue is an appealing and poignant historical novel.  The author has an engaging writing style.  I began reading and I was surprised by how quickly the book flew by.  I could tell the author did her research for this book.  I enjoyed an inside look at the WAAF.  Also included are details on RAF pilots, their assignments, and war events.  It is terrible what Jane endured at the hands of her father (it will have you in tears).   I liked the developed and charming characters.  The Girls in Blue focuses on Jane with chapters from Oscar’s point-of-view as well.  Oscar is a delightful character.  He is a cute RAF pilot with a big heart.  This is an emotional story that will touch your heart.  While I would have liked an epilogue, I understand why we did not get one (part of a series).  I hope we get updates on Jane, Oscar, and Charlotte in the next book.  I look forward to Nancy’s tale in The East End Girl in Blue.  The Girls in Blue is a gratifying historical novel with a toast threat, dog drama, trust troubles, a vicious father, and horrendous hikes.  

Excerpt

Mrs. and Mrs. Jackson accompanied her to the station.  She’s avoided the early morning train man caught it to his bank in the nearby market town.

‘Good luck, my dear girl, you deserve it. I don’t know when we’ll see you again, but you have our good wishes to take with you.’ The vicar patted her on the shoulder but his wife embraced her.

‘I’ll keep an eye on your mother – don’t worry about her. You have our telephone number and can always ring and tell us your news and I can guarantee it will be passed on to her.’

‘I’ll do that. Thank you for your help. I couldn’t have done this without you. I expect you’ll be busy with evacuees any day now. Your house will be overflowing with children by the end of the week.’

‘Poor little mites, I expect there’ll be a lot of wet sheets to wash until they settle. Take care of yourself, Jane, and keep in touch if you can.’

The train steamed in and Jane clambered into a ladies’ only carriage. Everything seemed absolutely normal – one wouldn’t have known the country was at war from the way people were going about their business.

There were two other ladies in the compartment who turned to look at her with disapproval. Was her hat not on straight? Were her stocking seams crooked? She straightened her shoulders and ignored them. Whatever they didn’t like about her appearance it was nothing to do with them. Then she shrunk into her seat regretting her behaviour. If she offended these women they might remember her and tell that man.

It would have been more interesting to have had a window seat but they were both taken. From what she’d seen on her brief glance in their direction they were about mum’s age, but there the resemblance ended. Whereas Mum was tall, almost as thin as she was herself, with faded blonde hair and watery blue eyes, both of these matrons were stout, wearing tweed suits despite the weather, and sat as if they had an unpleasant smell under their noses.

They must think they were somehow superior to her – if that was so then surely they’d be travelling in first class? The vicar had kindly given her the book she’d started and she revelled in the opportunity to read without interruption.

An hour and a half later she was standing outside the station not entirely sure in what direction she should go to find Victory House in Westminster. A helpful policeman told her she could walk along the embankment or take an underground line called the District and Hammersmith.

It would be better to travel on the underground as her lack of an essential piece of equipment was less likely to be noticed. She joined a long queue to purchase a ticket and then got hopelessly lost looking for the correct platform. Eventually she arrived where she should be just as a train was due. The whoosh of air as it approached, the ominous rumbling noise, was almost too much. If she hadn’t been pressed forward by those eager to get on, she would have reversed and walked along the embankment instead.

There were no seats and people were packed in like sardines in a can. She’d never liked crowds and being crushed against complete strangers in this intimate fashion made her stomach roil. By the time she arrived her pulse was racing, her palms wet and her head was about to explode.

She threw herself out of the doors and pushed her way through the exiting crowd in a desperate rush to reach the surface and fresh air. Did her panic mean that she was claustrophobic? Most air raid shelters were underground. She would just have to pull herself together if she was going to fit into her new life.

When she arrived at the WAAF recruiting office she was horrified to see there was already a queue almost to Whitehall. Seeing so many eager to join was good for the country but not for her. They couldn’t possibly see everybody today.

The Girls in Blue is available from Amazon*, Kobo, Google Play, Bookshop, and iBooks.  The Girls in Blue is on Kindle Unlimited (click to get more information on program).  The East End Girl in Blue releases May 6 and it gives us the story of Jane's WAAF friend, Nancy Evans.   You can find Fenella J. Miller's other novels here.  I hope you enjoy The Girls in Blue as much as I did.  I will return tomorrow with Hidden Treasure by Jane K. Cleland.  It is the 13th A Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery.  I was unable to feature this cozy mystery when it came out in December.  I hope that you have a delightful day.  Take care, be kind, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The Orphan Twins by Lesley Eames: Review & Excerpt

About the Book

London, 1910. Lily is ten years old when she realizes her grandmother, a washerwoman in the backstreets of London's Bermondsey, is seriously ill. She's determined to do what can she can to help and keep her grandmother's illness a secret – even from her beloved twin, Artie. But Gran isn't getting any better, and there's only so much Lily can do...

When tragedy strikes and the twins are faced with the prospect of a workhouse or an orphanage, a benefactor offers to take Artie in and educate him. All Artie's needs will be taken care of – but the gentleman has no use for a girl. The twins have lost everything they knew and loved, but they never thought they'd lose each other.

As the orphan twins grow up and take different paths, their new lives are beyond anything they could have imagined. Will they ever find a way to be together again?

Southwark Park Road, Bermondsey 1910

About the Author

Lesley Eames was born in Manchester but currently living in Hertfordshire, Lesley’s career has included law and charity fundraising. She is now devoting her time to her own writing and to teaching creative writing to others. In addition to selling almost 90 short stories to the women’s magazine market, Lesley has won the Festival of Romance’s New Talent Award and the Romantic Novelists’ Associations Elizabeth Goudge Cup.

Workhouse Dining Hall

Author Links

Twitter: @LesleyEames

Facebook: @LesleyEamesWriter

Bakery & Confectionery 1908

My Thoughts

The Orphan Twins by Lesley Eames is an engaging historical novel.   Lily Tomkins and her twin brother, Artie live with their Gran on Jessey Street in Bermondsey in 1910.  Lily is just ten years old when she notices that Gran is unwell.  Gran passes within a year leaving the twins with just each other.  Artie is fortunate to have found a benefactor in Mr. Crispin Alderton.  He agrees to take in Artie and provide him with an excellent education which will allow him to obtain a good position later.  Lily is sent to Booth’s Cottage Schools in Sevenoaks where she will train for life as a domestic.  The twins will need to work hard to get ahead and fight to keep in touch with each other.  I thought The Orphan Twins was well-written and it moved along at a good pace.  The characters are developed, and I enjoyed following the twins’ journey.  We get to see how differently boys and girls were treated.  The Orphan Twins is told from Lily’s point-of-view.  Lily Tomkins is smart, and she knows that she wants more out of her life.  Artie is given a great opportunity (one Lily would have loved) and Lily encourages Artie to accept it.  The education of a boy was considered a higher priority than that of a female.  We get to see the differences in the twins’ lifestyle.  I thought the author captured the time-period with the clothing, books, attitudes, and historical events.  There are great descriptions of London and the scenic places the characters visited.  Lesley Eames brought the setting to life with her vivid word imagery.  The Orphan Twins is an emotional novel about love, family, trust, friends, and hope.  We get to see good times and the bad (make sure to have tissues handy).  The ending was just lovely.  My favorite phrases from The Orphan Twins is, “It isn’t how much money a person has that matters.  It’s what’s in their hearts.”  The Orphan Twins is a captivating historical novel with a raging war, fine friends, tons of tea, romantic despairs, ingenious ideas, and steadfast siblings.

Excerpt

‘How much would this errand cost?’ Mr Higgins asked, when Lily took his washing round and announced that she was running errands for people.

‘Just a halfpenny,’ Lily told him. None of their neighbours were rich so she knew she was unlikely to get any business if she asked for more. ‘I can fetch things like cigarettes and milk or shoes from the cobbler. Or I can post letters. You know you can trust me. I’m Maggie Tomkins’s granddaughter, after all.’

‘Hmm.’ He gave her a long look as she stood before his chair, hands clasped behind her back. ‘All right. You can fetch me ten Woodbines from Welby’s. Be quick about it or I might think you’ve gone off with my money.’

He gave her two shillings. Lily raced to the corner shop, bought the cigarettes and raced back to hand them to Mr Higgins along with his change which he counted carefully. ‘You haven’t taken your halfpenny,’ he pointed out.

‘I thought I should wait for you to give it to me.’  He pushed a halfpenny across the table and Lily picked it up. ‘Thanks. Maybe I’ll call tomorrow and see if you have any more errands for me.’

A half penny coin

‘I’m not promising I’ll have any.’

‘I can ask, though, can’t I?’

‘I suppose you can. Knock on the window and I’ll beckon you in if I need you.’

Lily took the halfpenny home and wrapped it in an old sock. By the end of the first week she had seven halfpennies in there – three from Mr Higgins, two from his neighbour, Mrs Platt, and two from Mr Wright across the road.

Gran seemed no worse but neither did she seem any better. She was eating little and looked terribly tired in unguarded moments. She also looked deeply relieved for all the help Lily was giving but she fired up one afternoon when she and Lily were alone and Lily asked, ‘Feeling all right, Gran?’ ‘’Course I am!’ Gran insisted.

Lily regretted asking the question because Gran got up and busied herself instead of resting for a moment over a cup of tea. Lily was sure Gran still wasn’t back to her old self, but some illnesses took a while to pass and Lily hoped Gran’s was one of them.

Even so, she made it known to her customers that she was available for errand-running in the mornings too. It meant getting up very early to fill the copper and set it to boil, put washing in the dolly tub or the old tin bath to soak, mix starch, scrub grubby collars and cuffs, and eat breakfast too, moving quickly while trying to look as though she wasn’t rushing at all.

She encouraged Artie to leave for school sooner than was really needed by suggesting he’d like to play with his pals then, as soon as he’d joined them, she’d say, ‘Don’t be late,’ and hasten away as though going to see her own friends, Gertie and Ruth. In reality she’d race off to get her errands done before running back to school in time for the starting bell.

By the end of the second week the money in the sock totalled eightpence. By the end of the third week there was a shilling and thruppence.

Gran still wasn’t better. No matter how hard she was trying to hide it, the signs were there. Less washing was coming in and yet Gran was behind with it. There were occasional creases in ironing that used to be perfect, little food in the house and Gran herself seemed… smaller somehow. Not the vigorous Maggie Tomkins of old.

 

For all that she was trying to leave Gran her pride, Lily couldn’t help speaking out again when she caught Gran’s worn hands rubbing her middle as though trying to soothe pain. ‘I wish you’d tell me if you have a belly ache.’  ‘Only a bit of wind, Lil.’

It was more serious than wind. Lily was certain now. She wished she knew how much it would cost for Gran to see a doctor, but asking any of their neighbours would arouse their suspicions about why she wanted to know and word might get back to Gran. Perhaps when Lily had three shillings in the sock she’d speak to Gran about seeing someone.

Armistice Day in London 1918

The Orphan Twins is available from Amazon, Kobo, iBooks, and Google Play.   The Orphan Twins is available through Kindle Unlimited (can learn more about the program here).  If you like The Orphan Twins, check out Lesley Ames' other novels here.  Thank you for joining me today.  I will be back tomorrow Ghost Ups Her Game by Carolyn Hart.  It is the 9th A Bailey Ruth Ghost Novel.  I do hope that you have a positive day.  Take care, stay safe, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*This post contains affiliate links.

Rainy Days for the Harper Girls by Rosie Clarke

Welcome!  Here are some of the books that will be out on June 9:  Red Sky Over Hawaii by Sara Ackerman, The Bitter and the Sweet of Cherry Season by Molly Fader, and Daddy's Girl by Danielle Steel.   The other books that were coming out June 9 have had their release dates changed. What are you currently reading?  I am reading The Woman in the Green Dress by Tea Cooper.

Jewelry department

Rainy Days for the Harpers Girls by Rosie Clarke has Harpers Emporium celebrating their two-year anniversary in March of 1914.  Ben and Sally Harper are married and expecting their first child in a few months.  Ben has acquired a building next to Harpers and is planning to add a couple of new departments.  Sally is happily buying new stock for the store and has no plans to quit working before the baby is born.  Mick O’Sullivan, a friend of Sally’s, has part interest in three restaurants and will soon be opening a fourth.  Rachel Craven is a now a floor walker at Harpers and is stepping out with a man.  She has not yet told her friends about her beau.  Miss Minnie is working at Harpers doing alterations and adding her beautiful embroidery to garments.  She is shocked when she discovers Jonathan Stockbridge works at Harpers. Becky Stockbridge is enjoying her friendship with Maggie Gibbs and is taking a first aid course in the evenings with her.  Maggie loves her job at Harpers and enjoys her time with Tim Burrows when he is not flying with the Royal Flying Corps.  Marion and Janice are new employees at Harpers and are working in the accessories department with Maggie.  Marion’s wages are needed to help support her family.  Her mother is ill and spends most of her time in bed.  Marion’s father works on ships transporting goods and the family prefers it when he is away because of his abusive behavior when he drinks.  Marion has younger siblings that need her attention.  The sun is shining now in England, but stormy days are ahead as signs of war gets closer. 

Millinery Department

Rainy Days for the Harpers Girls by Rosie Clarke is the 3^rd novel in Welcome to Harpers Emporium series.  This is a series that is best read in order.  Each book builds upon the previous one.  I like the characters in this engaging historical series.  We follow the different characters who work at Harpers Emporium.  I find them to be realistic.  Each person has their own struggles and issues that they are dealing with at the present time.  I like that the ladies are involved in women’s suffrage.  Rachel likes her new job as floor walker at Harpers and has a beau.  He betrayed her with an article he wrote, so she is not sure that she can trust him.  Marion Kaye is a new hire at Harpers.  Her mother is ill and has basically given up on life thanks to her bully of a husband.  Marion is responsible for caring for her mother, her younger siblings, and the house even though she is only seventeen.  Reggie Jackson has shown his interest in Marion, but she is unsure about marriage (who can blame her).  Miss Minnie likes living with Rachel and the other ladies, but she still grieves the loss of her sister.  Miss Minnie gave up the love of her life to stay with her sister.  Imagine her surprise when she runs into the same man at Harpers.  Rainy Days for the Harpers Girls takes place in the spring of 1914 when the situation in Europe is escalating.  I thought the author captured the time-period with the various historical events and how people felt about the looming war.  I enjoyed catching up with the characters in Rainy Days for the Harpers Girls.   I like Rosie Clarke’s conversational writing style which draws the reader right in.  I enjoyed the descriptions of the various products sold at Harpers (the jewelry, hats, scarfs, and handbags).  I liked the reference to Yardley products which makes my favorite soap.  I am looking forward to the next tale in Welcome to Harpers Emporium series.  Rainy Days for the Harpers Girls is an entertaining historical novel with missing merchandise, impending conflict, financial strain, budding romance, upcoming birth, and store expansion.

Rainy Days for the Harpers Girls if available from Amazon*.  Welcome to Harpers Emporium series includes The Shop Girls of Harpers and Love & Marriage at Harpers.  All three books are available through Kindle Unlimited.  Thank you for stopping by today and reading my review.  Tomorrow I am a stop on the tour for Red Sky Over Hawaii by Sara Ackerman which releases June 9.  I hope you have a friendly day.  Take care, stay safe, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*This post contains affiliate links.

The French Wife by Diney Costeloe: Review, Extract, & Giveaway!

Love, secrets and danger abound in the new historical novel from bestselling author Diney Costeloe, set in 19th-century France.

 

As the St Clair family prepare for the grand wedding of their daughter, Clarice, trouble is brewing. An old friendship, a new love and a dangerous secret threaten to destroy the life the St Clairs have built.

Their younger daughter, Hélène, became friends with orphaned Annette during the terrible events of the 1871 siege of Paris. Now they are reunited, with Annette working below stairs for Hélène's parents. But she is hiding a dangerous secret, which Hélène has promised to keep at all costs.

Meanwhile, Hélène has begun to fall in love with a young nobleman from England, whose family has plans which do not include their son choosing a French wife.

About the Author

Diney Costeloe is the author of twenty-three novels including The Throwaway Children, The Runaway Family, The Girl With No Name, The Sisters of St. Croix, The Lost Soldier, The Married Girls, Children of the Siege, and Her Missing Husband.  She has also written short stories, articles and poems.  Diney has three children and seven grandchildren.  As you can see, when she isn't writing, Diney is busy with her family.  She and her husband divide their time between Somerset and West Cork.  

Author Links

Author's website (dineycosteloe.co.uk)

Facebook (@dineycosteloeauthor)

Twitter (@Dineycost)

Amazon (https://amzn.to/3daFqqO)

Bookbub (https://www.bookbub.com/authors/diney-costeloe)

Goodreads (https://bit.ly/GoodreadsDC)

  

My Thoughts

The French Wife by Diney Costeloe has Madame Agathe Sauze and Annette relocating in 1876 to Belair, the St. Clair country home.  Annette finds herself pregnant courtesy of a violent priest.  Agathe and Annette helped Helene St. Clair when she was eleven during the Communard siege.  Agathe got Rosalie St. Clair to give them positions and respectability for Annette.  Clarice St. Clair is marrying Lucas Barrineau with an elaborate ceremony, reception and ball.  Lucas invited Rupert Chalfont, the youngest son of a titled gentleman, who happens to need to leave England for a time.  Rupert is immediately taken with Helene and sets out to woo her along with her family.  When Rupert must return to England, he promises to return for Helene in the spring.  People and circumstances are not in their favor.

The French Wife is a dramatic historical novel.  It is the sequel to Children of the Siege, but it can be read on its own.  I thought The French Wife was well-written and it moved along at a gentle pace.  The characters are complex and suit the time period.  The villains were well-crafted and easy for a reader to dislike (they deserve it).  Annette and Agathe are working class women or servants.  Their clothing and behavior suited this era.  The other characters like Helene were from a higher-class bracket which was reflected in their language, clothing and attitude.  The authors word imagery helps to bring the story alive for readers.  I did feel the book was a little long and the pacing could have been livelier.   I also would have liked something unexpected to happen in the story instead of playing out in an expected manner.  I do want readers to know that there is violence against women in the story that is graphic and difficult to read.  I could tell the author did her research for this book.  I like a story that has people you will cheer for and villains you boo.  I liked that some of the good characters from Children of the Siege were in this story and were available at pivotal points.   The French Wife is a dramatic saga with a Casanova charmer, sordid secrets, a pathetic priest, a wooed woman, a kindhearted coachman, and a vile villain.

An 1876 Fashion Plate

Excerpt

Paris 1876

There was a silence about the house. The curtains were drawn across the windows and the old priest lay in bed in his room attended by his housekeeper, Madame Agathe Sauze, sitting at his bedside, keeping him company in his dying hours. Father Thomas, the curate who also lived in the St Jacques Clergy House, had administered the last rites earlier in the day and now it was simply a matter of time before the old priest slipped away to meet his maker.

Agathe had been Father Lenoir’s housekeeper for nearly thirty years, and over that time their mutual regard had grown into a comfortable friendship. Well aware of her common sense and respecting her judgement, the priest occasionally asked her opinion on parish matters. Agathe always considered her answers carefully, and always spoke to him with the formality due to his cloth. In public Father Lenoir her treated with the same respect, but in private he had used her Christian name and there was a genuine affection between them.

Now he was dying, and as she kept watch at his bedside, she considered her life without him. Father Thomas had been dismayed that Father Lenoir should confide parish affairs to his housekeeper and had long ago decided that when he had his own parish, there would be no such impropriety. Discussion of such business with a mere layperson – and a woman into the bargain – would never happen when he was in charge. He had been shocked that the old priest had allowed her to sit with him in his last hours, but when he, Father Thomas, had tried to dismiss her from the bedroom, the old man had opened his eyes and murmured, ‘Leave us alone! She can stay. She’s my friend.’

His friend indeed! She was his housekeeper, a paid employee! What right had she to be the one to see him into eternity? Father Thomas, now clearly excluded, withdrew from the room, every line of his body rigid with indignation.

Father Thomas will be an exacting man to work for, Agathe thought as she sat at the bedside and listened to the old man’s ragged breathing. Perhaps it was time to leave the Clergy House, but, after so many years, where would she go? She had no home of her own, her only family an estranged sister, and very few friends.

Maybe, she thought suddenly, the bishop will send another priest to take over the church of St Jacques. After all, Father Thomas is still young; perhaps he’ll be considered too inexperienced to take on the responsibility of such a large parish.

The thought raised her spirits a little. She closed her eyes for a moment or two, but jerked awake as there was a slight movement in the bed. She realised that Father Lenoir’s eyes were open again, gazing unseeing into the air. Then his face relaxed in a smile and the rasp of his breath was silent.

Agathe leaned forward and gently closed his eyes. She tried to pray for his departing soul, but somehow the words would not come and she simply sat in the silence of the empty room.

Are you ready to read The French Wife?  The French Wife is available in digital format from from Amazon, Google Play, and Kobo. It is also available in audiobook from Amazon. The hardback version of The French Wife will be available October 1 (delayed due to Covid-19) from Amazon.  It will be available on August 6 from Waterstone's and Hive (for those living in the UK). Now for the fun part!  Would you like to win a digital copy of The French Wife? What is your favorite book?  Leave me a comment with your answer and your email address (so I can contact you if you win).  It is that simple!  The contest ends on May 20 at 11:59 p.m. EST.  Good Luck!  Thank you for joining me today.  Tomorrow I will return to feature Unyielding Hope by Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan.  It is the debut of When Hope Calls series.  I hope you have a jolly day.  Take care, stay safe, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

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