​Anne of Brittany has known tremendous loss in her young life; orphaned at eleven and left to rule her country, Anne strategically married Charles VIII of France ensuring peace for her country and keeping her role as its ruler.  Her marriage to Charles produced six children, none who lived past the age of three.  However, Anne persisted.  Her ladies that surround her are a source of comfort, Nicole St. Sylvain is one of those ladies; brought to court at 15, Nicole grows to idolize Queen Anne. Nicole is also fond of working with animals and using the knowledge of herbs that her mother passed to her. When a young horse trainer, Philippe de Boise is in need of a helping hand with the Queen's new horse, Nicole provides a healing touch. Meanwhile, Nicole and Philippe discover new love.  Nevertheless, Nicole and Philippe are pulled apart due to duty and birth stature.  Years later, Nicole and Philippe may have another chance when fate brings them together one more time in order to save the life of the Queen's young daughter.

Sense of Touch is a 15th century historical romance that took me back in time to the court of Anne of Brittany.  Though the story focuses on the romance of Nicole and Philippe, I was able to get a taste of the courageous, strong and graceful woman that Anne of Brittany was and how she ruled.  Through Nicole's eyes, the young sovereign was shown at her best.  I could not imagine the strength of character Anne possessed to get through multiple pregnancies that ended in stillbirths or deaths at a young age.  More than anything, Nicole had respect for Queen Anne and took her lessons to heart.  Nicole may be fictional, but she does portray many of the real girls that Queen Anne brought into her life as part of a type of finishing school. Most historical romances feature cunning lovers who go against their ruler's wishes.  Nicole and Philippe were different than most lovers, they fulfilled their duties to family and country first.  Fate took a large role in eventually bringing them back together.  Overall, a historical romance set in 15th century France that features not only forbidden romance, but a true friendship and appreciation for Anne of Brittany. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review

​Susannah North Martin stands accused of witchcraft in 1629.   At 71 years old, Susannah has led a full life raising her many kids and grandkids and spending time with her loving husband, George.  However, Susannah was also known for speaking her mind and not caring what others thought of her which led to tension with some of her neighbors.  Years later, Susannah finds herself imprisoned along with five other women in the Salem jail who have been accused of Witchcraft.

I am an avid reader of historical fiction and nonfiction concerning the Salem Witch Trials. Some stories are deeply rooted in fiction with magic and good witches; though my favorite books are those rooted in history and carefully reconstructed by the ancestors of the accused women themselves.  Heather B. Moore does just this, an ancestor of Susannah North Martin herself, Heather has lovingly created the best and worst parts of Susannah's life so we can see how she lived and how she died.  I loved how the book went back and forth between Susannah's life at 25 years old as she was meeting George Martin and establishing a family and 1629 while she was imprisoned in a jail cell.  Most books written about the trials focus on just that, the trials.  I enjoyed learning about Susannah's life and the political and personal reasons that she may have led to the accusations of Witchcraft.  It was very interesting to see Susannah enjoying and living her life as a normal person and not just an accused witch.  The time spent in the jail cell was also very interesting.  I liked the focus on the camaraderie between the six women and their feelings about being accused and found guilty.  In many books about the Salem witches, there is a touch of magic thrown in, in Susannah's case her touch of magic was just right and just enough.  Overall, a heartfelt and fact-based recreation of the life and death of Susannah North Martin.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.  

Kitty Ives has fallen on hard times; from a respectable family to a whore in London’s Convent Garden in 1769.  Due to Kitty’s breeding and education, she is well sought out and has climbed the ranks within her house.  One particular night, her company is sought by a man who has given the name of Sir William Westman.  In the morning, Kitty wakes up to her client dead beside her.  With no suspect but herself, Kitty begins a detective mission to clear her name and keep her place in the house that will take her from London’s underbelly to its aristocracy to see how it is all connected to the poor man who was unfortunate enough to be murdered in her bed.
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This is a historical murder mystery set in 18th century London with an educated prostitute for a sleuth.  At the beginning I was taken in by the mystery of who could have killed the man in Kitty’s bed while she was there sleeping.  Kitty’s detective skills began in earnest as she tried to keep her place in the house.  The setting was also done well and I enjoyed being taken to different places within Convent Garden and seeing how things worked at the time.  The book is written as Kitty’s memoir in telling the strange tale and its outcome.  However, the writing seemed to be a little too detailed, I think that Kitty’s inner monologue got in the way at points and muddled some of the clues and plot points to the point that I forgot what was really going on. Also, while I was truly interested in the mystery at first, it seemed to devolve for me with a few too many twists and turns and Kitty believing one minute that William Westman himself is the murderer and then having sex with him the next.  Of course, being a book with a prostitute as the main character, there are several sex scenes, which is fine with me, but might bother some.  The conclusion of the whole mess brought a little more excitement back and re-sparked my interest a bit.  Overall, for me this one was just ok.
 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

During World War I, an English Bishop, Anthony Shacklock is buried near the field hospital in France where he helped to comfort soldiers.  The beloved Bishop is soon exhumed to be brought back home to England.  However, when the Bishop is dug up another body is found with him.  The bones of a young woman remain a mystery through present day.  Professor Waller has made finding out the identity of the young women his life’s work; however, he gives most of the actual research work to archivist Jess Morris who must toil away in dark libraries and go chasing leads all over England on weekends.  Doing all of Waller’s work has placed a strain on Jess’ husband and children.  Just when Jess seems to find a significant and exciting lead on her mystery woman, she begins to make some risky decisions with her personal life.
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This was a very intriguing historical mystery.  I was thrown into the story from the very beginning when the unexpected bones were found.  First of all, I love dual-time stories and this story went back and forth between the present and 1899-1918.  I also like giving a story to those who were forgotten and nameless, even though this story is completely fictional it gives a small taste of the work that researchers do in order to solve mysteries of the past.  This story did have a bit of a slow start for me, while I do find research interesting; there was perhaps a bit too much in the beginning.  However, as the clues began to come forward and we got a look back into Shacklock’s time period, the story became better paced.  There was definitely a lot going on with Bishop Shacklock and the story of his time in Greece and in the French Hospital were very involved and intriguing. The conditions of the field hospital were particularly well done and I could imagine it very well. Jess’ story slightly mirrored what the Bishop was going through, however some of her issues paled in comparison to the Bishop and the mystery woman. When the identity of the mystery woman is revealed, I felt relief of her identity and sadness over her story.   Overall, an absorbing historical mystery and a wonderful look into historical research.
 
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.  

Annabelle Fortune, known as Misfortune Annie is one of the fastest gunslingers in the west, despite being 15 years old.  When Annie gets tangled up in a guide job gone wrong, she inadvertently stops the mysterious man known as the Locomotive Reaper from robbing and murdering an entire train full of people.  Since she is the only person to have ever seen the Locomotive Reaper and tell the tale, the Secret Service asks Annie to sign up and help catch him.  Annie is reluctant, but with the promise to find information about her father, she is swayed.  Annie is paired with agent Beau Slokam who brings more trouble to the table than what they are chasing.  Now Annie and Beau, with the help of Annie’s friend Wontoa must fend off the Doom Gang while tracking down the Locomotive Reaper.
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A fast-paced, action filled adventure in the Wild West with a wonderful heroine.  Misfortune Annie’s bravery and determination leap off the page from the first scene.  She uses quick wits, intelligence and a little bit of luck to get out of sticky situations.  I do wish that we got to know a little more of her past and backstory, there is definitely a mystery there that the Secret Service director begins to hint at, but in such a short story, we don’t get into anything like that.  Also, I was definitely interested in the Locomotive Reaper himself, much like Annie was and I wanted to dig a little deeper into his character.  A flying man in a huge suit added a little element of Steampunk to the mix, but it wasn’t out of place at all.   With a fifteen year old heroine, this is an appropriate read for young adults, but has plenty of elements to keep adults interested as well.
 
This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

​Danny Baker leaves his small fishing village of East Jeddore, Nova Scotia in 1916 for war-torn France.  While marching through France, Danny is fortunate enough to meet Audrey Poulin, an artist, free spirit and a woman who brings light and color to the bleak landscape of war.  Through an exchange of letters, Danny and Audrey fall in love and decide to marry.  However, at the battle of the Somme Danny loses more than he can imagine, most of his friends have died and he has lost part of his leg.  Now in a battle with his own emotions, Danny is sent home to Canada.  Audrey soon meets him there and they are married.  Danny struggles with his own shortcomings and the impacts of the war.  He decides that a move to Halifax and a job on the docks with his brother is for the best.  When catastrophe strikes again, this time in Halifax, Danny’s world is completely changed, but his love for Audrey will help him pull through.
A story of war, tragedy, love, family and transformation, Tides of Honour is  touching and powerful.  From the beginning, I knew that Danny was going to be a strong character, his journey, though tumultuous, is one that many veterans dealt with and still face today.  In alternating narratives, Danny's story is filled out and another needed perspective is seen with Audrey's view.  Audrey is a survivor as well and her story is just as  important.  The historical setting  was unique and well researched.  I was very happy to read about Canadian's fighting in the Great War, as they are often overlooked as well as the little known Halifax explosion.  I was very interested in this since my great-grandmother lived nearby at the time.  What impressed me the most was the incorporation of Danny and Audrey's love story into the events surrounding them.  Their love story is not perfect, but it is lasting.  Like the tides rolling in and out, Audrey and Danny's love is for better or for worse.  
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This book was received for free in return for an honest review

The Scholar

Serena is determined to prove that a magical stone exists from the ancient Egyptian time period.  Her only problem is that she can not find any evidence of the stone; it's a good thing she can use her power to travel in time.  After Serena's fall into Egypt in 2361 B.C., Serena is rescued by two cousins in the royal family.  A love triangle develops and Serena must choose carefully while trying to look for her stone.  

This is the second book in The Fall series and I have not yet read the first book, The Dreamer, but I did not feel lost at all.  This was a quick, light read and was a little heavier on the romance than I generally like, but I still found the read enjoyable.  I liked Serena's character and the pace of the book.  I just wish the plot was a little more history driven than romance driven.  Overall, a good read and I will look forward to reading the other books in The Fall series.

I grew up reading Little Women, so when I got the chance to read about its creator through the eyes of her younger sister, May.  May is an aspiring artist who also wants a husband and family.  Louisa sees herself as too old to get married and would rather help where she can and focus on her writing.  The two sisters end up clashing over many things, however they keep their sisterly bond.  Through war, travel, successes and failures a portrait of two sisters is artfully drawn.

I loved learning about the sisters and their real lives.  I really enjoyed learning about May and Louisa’s relationship with each other and how that translated into Louisa’s character of Amy in Little Women.   Even though Amy is portrayed as very self-involved in Little Women, she is drawn in a new light, a struggling artist herself who had the limelight stolen from her by Louisa’s success.   Most of all, I enjoyed the realistic portrait of two influential and forward-thinking women of their time.   It was really interesting to find out all of the other influential people that the Alcott’s knew including Thoreau, Hawthorne and Emerson.  

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

Officer Malcolm Kelsey is aboard the USS Nevada the morning of December 7, 1941 when the Japanese attack.  He makes the difficult decisions to maneuver the ship and save crew members.  During the attack, Kelsey receives a head injury and goes into a coma.  While unconscious, he is taken to the other side and given a choice.  Kelsey can stay in his current timeline with his painful memories of his deceased daughter and wayward wife or be placed into a different timeline with no memories of his current life.  The decision is not difficult for Kelsey, he takes the deal and is transported back to the eve of the Civil War.  Kelsey feels duped, transported from one war to another with all of his memories from his past life in tact.  There must be a purpose to all of this though, and Kelsey might have found it in a name he remembers from his past life, Travers.  There are also new people  that bring hope to Kelsey's new life, like Garrity. 

I was really intrigued by the time travel aspect of the book as well as the historical fiction.  The whole other side was very interesting and I loved the scenes that happened there between Kelsey and his guide, Leavitt.  Kelsey was also an amazing and well developed character: brave and determined, he has pain hidden deep inside, is a self-described ass-hole, but would do anything to help another member of his team.  This made him perfect to go back to the Civil War.  One thing that threw me though was the changing point of view between Kelsey and Garrity, an officer in the Dragoons where Kelsey first awakes in 1861.  I wasn't really expecting so much of the book to focus on someone else, especially so soon.  For much of the book the perspectives are taken back and forth between Kelsey's experience and Garrity's.  This does have a purpose in the end, but at first it was a little disorienting.  Anyhow, the context into the Civil War with a view from each side was very detailed and graphic.  Much of the battles, prison conditions and medical treatment was done with historical accuracy.  The ending was inspiring and surprising, nothing that I saw coming. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

About the Book: 
The Grip of God is the first novel in an epic historical trilogy, The Tiger and the Dove. Set in the thirteenth century, its heroine, Sofia, is a young princess of Kievan Rus. She begins her story by recounting her capture in battle and life of slavery to a young army captain in the Mongol armies that are flooding Europe. Not only is her life shattered, it is threatened by the bitter rivalries in her new master's powerful family, and shadowed by the leader of the Mongol invasion, Batu Khan, Genghis Khan's grandson. How will she learn to survive in a world of total war, much less rediscover the love she once took for granted? Always seeking to escape and menaced by outer enemies and inner turmoil, where can she find safe haven even if she can break free? Clear eyed and intelligent, Sofia could be a character from The Game of Thrones, but she refuses to believe that life is solely about the strong dominating the weak or about taking endless revenge. Her story is based on actual historical events, which haunt her destiny. Like an intelligent Forrest Gump, she reflects her times. But as she matures, she learns to reflect on them as well, and to transcend their fetters. In doing so, she recreates a lost era for us, her readers.


Review: 
In thirteen century Kievan Rus, which is now made up of parts of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, Princess Sofia is being sent away to Constantinople in fear of the upcoming Mongol attacks on her city.  As her party travels away from the only home and family she has ever known, Sofia’s camp is attacked by the very people she was trying to avoid.  Sofia is captured as a Mongol slave by the warrior Argamon, who raped her and kept Sofia as his own as believing she is part of a prophecy that will bring him good fortune.  Sofia is crushed, but her spirit stays strong.  As she navigates her new life in the Mongol camps she comes to terms with her relationship with Argamon, her religion, and the customs of the many different people who now surround her.   As Sofia grows and begins to assimilate to life as a Mongol, she opens herself to friendship, love and acceptance of other people.

This was definitely one epic journey through a treacherous time period and setting.   I went into the story not really knowing much of anything about the Mongol invasions, so everything described was a learning experience for me.  Through Sofia’s point of view, the Mongal people, customs and her part within this very different society was masterfully detailed.  I was very interested to learn about their intake and treatment of people that they had captured, their leadership hierarchy, mix of belief systems and even their food and lack of bathing.  The beginning of the book when Sofia was leaving Kievan Rus actually felt a little slow to me and was difficult to get into, it was not until she was captured by Argamon that the pace livened for me.  Sofia was an intriguing character, she was very young when she was captured, but was fortunate enough to be educated and have a stubborn streak, both which proved useful with the Mongols.  Her and Argamon’s relationship was an absolute rollercoaster, and quite unexpected.  I would never think that Argamon would be a character that I could relate to or respect, but as Sofia grew up, became more knowledgeable and opened herself to understanding, her attitudes about Argamon changed.  Overall, an intense journey with unexpected outcomes.  I will be reading the second book of the trilogy to see what happens to Sofia next. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

About the Author: 
About the Author

Rebecca Hazell is a an award winning artist, author and educator. She has written, illustrated and published four non-fiction children’s books, created best selling educational filmstrips, designed educational craft kits for children and even created award winning needlepoint canvases. She is a senior teacher in the Shambhala Buddhist lineage, and she holds an honours BA from the University of California at Santa Cruz in Russian and Chinese history.

Rebecca lived for many years in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1988 she and her family moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and in 2006 she and her husband moved to Vancouver Island. They live near their two adult children in the beautiful Cowichan Valley.

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