Return to Satterthwaite Court

Elizabeth Book Reviews, Historical Fiction, The Nineteenth Century Leave a Comment

Lady Katherine “Kate” Beresford is a scandalous woman who has failed to find a husband during her first London season. She does what she can to get away from her unwanted admirer, Mr. Elias Catmull, a patronizing and unbearable young man. One evening as she is out with her friend, Christine, she is attacked by a dog that starts biting at the hem of her skirt. A young man with dark hair, tanned skin, and a handsome appearance attempts to stop the dog from nipping at ladies’ skirts. He gives the young woman a handkerchief after she has been bitten before he scoops up the little creature. Despite his helpful nature, he comes across as standoffish and rude.

The Year of Jubilee

Elizabeth Book Reviews, Historical Fiction, The Twentieth Century Leave a Comment

Grace Mockingbird is a teenager living in Jubilee, Kentucky, a coal mining town, with her parents and two siblings: Sissy and Isaac. The middle child in the family, she is often at odds with her prim and proper mother, whom she refers to as Virginia. Virginia’s great ambition is to ingratiate herself with the well-to-do ladies in town.

The Counterfeit Wife

Elizabeth Book Reviews, Historical Fiction, The Eighteenth Century Leave a Comment

Rebecca “Becca” Parcell is at it again. In The Counterfeit Wife, the sequel to the Turncoat’s Widow, Becca is under orders to travel with her complex co-conspirator, Daniel Alloway. This time they travel to Philadelphia under the guise of a married couple. The shocking truth is that the marriage is nothing more than a ruse. While in the city, the faux married couple is welcomed by the elite of Philadelphia society. Becca makes some powerful friends in the Ladies Association of Philadelphia, such as Sally Franklin Bache, the daughter of Benjamin Franklin.

Minerva

Elizabeth Book Reviews, Historical Fiction, The Nineteenth Century Leave a Comment

Minerva Armitage is the eldest daughter of the Reverend Charles Armitage, the vicar of St. Charles and St. Jude. She lives in the country with her mother, father, and seven younger siblings (five younger sisters and two younger brothers). In the Armitage household, she rules the roost. Mrs. Armitage, her invalid mother, is far too busy fancying herself unwell to manage the household.

Her Own Legacy

Elizabeth Book Reviews, Historical Fiction, The Eighteenth Century Leave a Comment

Joliette de Verzat, a young woman belonging to a French aristocratic family, is dedicated to upholding her family’s legacy, Château de Verzat Wines. The de Verzat family owns a vineyard in the beautiful Loire Valley, far removed from the intrigues of Versailles. She was trained by her loving paternal grandmother, grandmaman, to care for the business. When that good lady passes away, the business is inherited by her father who could care any less.

Red Blossom in Snow

Elizabeth Book Reviews, Historical Fiction, The Middle Ages Leave a Comment

In Tang Dynasty China, magistrate Li Chen possesses a fondness for Song Yi, a skilled courtesan who is indentured at the House of Heavenly Peaches. Despite the fact that they feel drawn to each other, it’s as if cruel fate is determined to separate them. He has his obligations to the Emperor and his family to think about. Eventually, two shocking things happen.

The Letter from Briarton Park

Elizabeth Book Reviews, Historical Fiction, The Nineteenth Century Leave a Comment

In 1811 England, Cassandra Hale is a strong young woman whose past is shrouded in mystery. As Mrs. Denton, the woman who raised her, lies dying, she gives her a letter written by a Mr. Clark. The cryptic letter, which was written two years before, instructs her to come to Briarton Park if she wants to learn more about her family. Suddenly, it feels as if her entire life has been a lie.

The Castilian Pomegranate

Elizabeth Book Reviews, Historical Fiction, Royal Reviews, The Middle Ages Leave a Comment

When Robert FitzStephan and his wife, Eleanor (“Noor”), incur the wrath of Eleanor, Queen of England, they are placed in a horrible predicament. Robert is a captain in the service of King Edward I, and Noor is Queen Eleanor’s niece. They are exiled from England and sent abroad to Castile and Aragon as emissaries. Before they leave, Eleanor commands them to do two things: find a precious gem called the Castilian Pomegranate and give up their foster son, Lionel.

The Time Traveler’s Guide to Regency Britain

Elizabeth Book Reviews, Historical Nonfiction, Royal Reviews, The Nineteenth Century Leave a Comment

If you love the Regency era like I do, then this is the book for you! Within the pages of The Time Traveler’s Guide to Regency Britain, a bygone, glittering age comes to life. This well-researched and well-written nonfiction work covers everything a time traveler would need to know about late Georgian Britain. Ian Mortimer writes in an engaging and informative manner that hooks the reader.

Along the Rio Grande

Elizabeth Book Reviews, Historical Fiction, The Nineteenth Century Leave a Comment

Susanna Jenkins has a difficult life. First she lost her husband to influenza, and now she has to deal with her selfish family. Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Ragsdale have never known a moment of hardship. When Mr. Ragsdale is tricked out of money by a con man, they lose their standing in society and fall from grace. With nowhere to go, the Ragsdale family reluctantly moves to San Marcial, New Mexico, to manage the Grand Hotel.