• The Queen's Necklace by Adrienne Chinn
    What I'm reading

    The Queen’s Necklace by Adrienne Chinn {book review}

    August 1, 2025 - By 

    I love family history and have been researching my own since I started a school project on it years ago. Now I have my own family history blog and regularly share my research. When I heard about The Queen’s Necklace by Adrienne Chinn it sounded like I would enjoy it. Let me tell you more about it. The Queen’s Necklace by Adrienne Chinn The most famous necklace in the world has finally been found… Bryher Finch’s life isn’t just a disaster, it’s a catastrophe, until a chance invitation to chart her family tree changes everything. As Bryher uncovers the ancestry…

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    {What I’m reading} The Seeker of Lost Paintings

    July 4, 2025 - By 

    I seem to be drawn to historical fiction. I loved the sound of The Seeker of Lost Paintings and was delighted to receive a copy to review. Unfortunately the book is not published until March 2026 but read on for my review, I promise it will be worth waiting for! The Seeker of Lost Paintings by Sarah Freethy The Seeker of Lost Paintings is an unforgettable story of love and betrayal across the decades from the author of The Porcelain Maker by Sarah Freethy. Interweaving war-torn Rome with modern-day London, this sophisticated and thrilling historical page-turner about love, betrayal and a quest…

  • The Greek House by Dinah Jefferies
    What I'm reading

    The Greek House by Dinah Jefferies

    April 11, 2025 - By 

    I was happy to have the latest book by Dinah Jefferies to read whilst we were away during the Easter holidays. Titled The Greek House by Dinah Jefferies, this story is set in Corfu in the 1930s. I’ve enjoyed reading her previous books and was excited to read this one. The Greek House by Dinah Jefferies Can one house hold a lifetime of secrets? Corfu, 1930 The moment Thirza Caruthers sets foot on Corfu, memories flood back: the scent of jasmine, the green shutters of her family’s home — and her brother Billy’s tragic disappearance years before. Returning to the Greek…

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    The Queen of Fives by Alex Hay

    February 19, 2025 - By 

    A few years ago I received a copy of The Housekeepers by Alex Hay to review. I really enjoyed the historical heist and the story and characters stuck with me ever since. So I was delighted to be offered Alex’s second book to review, The Queen of Fives. This is the second book I’ve read this year out of my target of 35 books. The Queen of Fives by Alex Hay Nothing is quite as it seems in Victorian high society, in the twisty and original new novel from the author of THE HOUSEKEEPERS… They whisper her name in every…

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    The Story Spinner by Barbara Erskine

    July 10, 2024 - By 

    I feel like I’ve been on a bit of a roll with my reading recently. Every year I challenge myself to read a certain number of books, and this year my Goodreads 2024 Reading Challenge is set at 35 books. Now I no longer read with the kids (sob) I have more time to read my own books. I miss those young adult books but my TBR pile is huge 🙂 I was delighted to receive an ARC of The Story Spinner via NetGalley. The Story Spinner by Barbara Erskine The land of the Silures, 382 AD Elen is a…

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    The Glassmaker by Tracy Chevalier

    June 12, 2024 - By 

    I’ve been working my way through some of my collection of Persephone books recently so was delighted to receive a copy of The Glassmaker by Tracy Chevalier to read and share with you. The Glassmaker by Tracy Chevalier Venice, 1486. Across the lagoon lies Murano. Time flows differently here – like the glass the island’s maestros spend their lives learning to handle. Women are not meant to work with glass, but Orsola Rosso flouts convention to save her family from ruin. She works in secret, knowing her creations must be perfect to be accepted by men. But perfection may take…

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    Mrs Porter Calling by AJ Pearce

    April 27, 2023 - By 

    Mrs Porter Calling by AJ Pearce is the third book in The Emmy Lake Chronicle Series by AJ Pearce. The three books published so far are Dear Mrs Bird, Yours Cheerfully and Mrs Porter Calling. NetGalley kindly offered me an advanced reading copy of Mrs Porter Calling by AJ Pearce, which will be published 23 May 2023. Mrs Porter Calling by AJ Pearce London, April 1943. Emmy Lake, Woman’s Friend magazine’s popular young agony aunt, is doing all she can to help the readers as they face the challenges of life on the Home Front. With the postbags overflowing, Emmy puts her heart…

  • The Housekeepers book cover
    What I'm reading

    What I’m reading: The Housekeepers

    March 18, 2023 - By 

    Big thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I was more than happy to read The Housekeepers by Alex Hay, the description hooked me in and it went to the top of the reading pile. The Housekeepers by Alex Hay UPSTAIRS, MADAM IS PLANNING THE PARTY OF THE SEASON. DOWNSTAIRS, THE SERVANTS ARE PLOTTING THE HEIST OF THE CENTURY. When Mrs King, housekeeper to the most illustrious home in Mayfair, is suddenly dismissed after years of loyal service, she knows just who to recruit to help her take revenge. A black-market queen out to settle her scores. An actress desperate for…

  • Homecoming by Kate Morton {book review}
    What I'm reading

    Homecoming by Kate Morton {book review}

    February 17, 2023 - By 

    I discovered the author Kate Morton a few years ago when I read The Clockmakers Daughter and I’ve never looked back. She is one of my favourite authors and I always look forward to her latest book. Thanks to NetGalley I was able to read an advanced copy of her new book, Homecoming. I finished it in a few days! Homecoming by Kate Morton {book review} Adelaide Hills, Christmas Eve, 1959. At the end of a scorching hot day, beside a creek in the grounds of a grand and mysterious mansion, a local delivery man makes a terrible discovery. A…