The Queen's Dressmaker

One woman must choose between loyalty to her queen and the man she loves…

Giselle always dreamed of making beautiful dresses, but never thought she would be chosen to attend to the elegant, but troubled, queen of France, Marie Antoinette. Within the glittering, mirrored walls of the palace, Giselle ensures the queen shines brighter than anyone, with not a single feather or ruffle out of place, no matter how she might feel inside.

Being so close to the queen, Giselle is there for her most private and unguarded moments. As whispers spread through the court about the violent protests sweeping across the country and the growing threat to the royal family, Giselle sees the cracks in Marie Antoinette’s perfect image.

On a visit home to her family in Paris, Giselle experiences the troubles first-hand, getting caught up in a dangerous riot. When handsome Léon comes to her aid, she falls in love with this kind, clever young man. But Léon does not share her admiration for the royals, siding with those who believe they should no longer be in power.

Returning to the palace, Giselle is shocked to find the very lives of the royal family now at stake. Marie Antoinette appeals to her to help them escape France and Giselle faces a heart-wrenching choice. Will Giselle risk the guillotine herself to save the life of her beloved queen? And can she do so without betraying the man she loves?

Based on true events, this is an absolutely gripping historical novel of loyalty, betrayal, power and passion. Fans of Les Misérables, Girl with a Pearl Earring and My Dear Hamilton will be totally swept away by this heart-breaking page-turner.

Previously published as The Wardrobe Mistress.

Author Bio:

Meghan Masterson graduated from the University of Calgary with an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Communications Studies, and has worked several unrelated jobs while writing on the side. When not writing, Meghan can often be found reading at all hours (even at breakfast), practicing archery and roaming through the woods with her dog.

https://meghanmastersonauthor.com/blog/

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Buy Links:

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My Review

Set during a fascinating period of French history, this novel explores the time just before the overthrow of the reign of Louis and Marie Antoinette. Both the Monarchist and the Republican viewpoints are explored through Giselle, the Queen's dressmaker and Leon, who thinks there is no place for a Monarchy.

I enjoyed the descriptions of the Court and the clothes of the period. It brought the events very much to life and although the story is that of Giselle, I would have loved to get deeper inside the head of Marie Antoinette. She seems to be a puppet to whom things happen rather than a Queen with any power. To know more of her thoughts and opinions would have enriched the story for me. 

It is a heartbreaking account, no matter which side you support and the ending is perfect.

The village of lost and found

 

The Village of Lost and Found

Brand NEW from the bestselling author of The Village Shop For Lonely Hearts.

Scandal hit party girl Lucy Conway needs to leave London fast, so she packs her bags and escapes to the sleepy village of Cranbridge to take care of her beloved Uncle Frank.

But the country village isn’t quite as idyllic as she remembers. To make matters worse, her Uncle’s pride and joy, The Cranbridge Times, is close to going out of business.

Editor-at-Large Tom Addison is having a crisis of confidence and needs help if the newspaper is going to survive. 

With time on her hands, can Lucy work some magic and together save the family newspaper?
Over a long, hot summer, friendships are made and hearts begin to heal. And, with the help of a stray dog, perhaps Lucy and Tom can find their very own new beginning...

Purchase Link - https://amzn.to/2MC47nP

Author Bio: 

Alison Sherlock is the author of the bestselling Willow Tree Hall books. Alison enjoyed reading and writing stories from an early age and gave up office life to follow her dream. Her new series for Boldwood is set in a fictional Cotswold Village and the first title was published in July 2020.

Social Media Links

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlisonSherlock

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Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/alison-sherlock

My Review

This is such a lovely story and a great follow up to 'The village shop for lonely hearts.' Running a village shop in the Cotswolds myself means I have taken this series to heart and the second book, whilst introducing new characters, takes us back to the village of Cranbridge. As we follow the developing relationship of Lucy and Tom, their mission to save 'The Cranbridge times' seems doomed.Can they overcome the obstacles to save the village newspaper and will they ever get together as a couple? It was nice to catch up with some of the residents from the first book too but the introduction of Lucy's uncle in this book is a gem. Gorgeous gentle read.

The Faraway Girl

 

She dreamed of finding a new life…

Georgetown, Guyana 1970. Seven-year-old Rita is running wild in her ramshackle white wooden house by the sea, under the indulgent eye of her absent-minded father. Surrounded by her army of stray pets, free to play where she likes and climb the oleander trees, she couldn’t feel more alive.

But then her new stepmother Chandra arrives and the house empties of love and laughter. Rita’s pets are removed, her freedom curtailed, and before long, there’s a new baby sister on the way. There’s no room for Rita anymore.

With her father distracted by his new family, Rita spends more time alone in her bedroom. Desperate to fill up the hollow inside her, she begins to talk to the only photo she has of her mother Cassie, a woman she cannot remember.

Rita has never known what happened to Cassie, a poor farmer’s daughter from the remote Guyanese rainforest. Determined to find the truth, Rita travels to find her mother’s family in an unfamiliar land of shimmering creeks and towering vines. She finds comfort in the loving arms of her grandmother among the flowering shrubs and trees groaning with fruit. But when she discovers the terrible bruising secret that her father kept hidden from her, will she ever be able to feel happiness again?

A beautiful and inspiring story that will steal your heart and open your eyes. Fans of The Secret Life of Bees, The Vanishing Half and The Other Half of Augusta Hope will be captivated by The Far Away Girl.

Author Bio:

Sharon Maas was born into a prominent political family in Georgetown, Guyana, in 1951. She was educated in England, Guyana, and, later, Germany. After leaving school, she worked as a trainee reporter with the Guyana Graphic in Georgetown and later wrote feature articles for the Sunday Chronicle as a staff journalist.

Her first novel, Of Marriageable Age, is set in Guyana and India and was published by HarperCollins in 1999. In 2014 she moved to Bookouture, and now has ten novels under her belt. Her books span continents, cultures, and eras. From the sugar plantations of colonial British Guiana in South America, to the French battlefields of World War Two, to the present-day brothels of Mumbai and the rice-fields and villages of South India, Sharon never runs out of stories for the armchair traveller.

https://www.sharonmaas.com/

https://twitter.com/sharon_maas

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://bit.ly/37AT1r1

Apple: http://apple.co/3ogBN8d

Kobo: http://bit.ly/3lxsVt9

Google: http://bit.ly/2JwgEYN

My Review

I enjoyed how this book captured both the time and spirit of a country that seems exotic to the outsider yet is anything but to the local inhabitants. I was grabbed by Rita and wanted to adopt her, yet her mother's story is even sadder. I learnt a lot about the political situation in Guyana at the time even if the tone at times seemed to detract from the story. However, the story itself is both harrowing and wonderful and well worth a read.