Review + GIVEAWAY The Arrow Chest by Robert Parry

The Arrow Chest by Robert Parry
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
 

Genre: Historical Fiction
Book Source: Review copy sent to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Setting: London, England 1876. It was said that Anne’s body was placed in an Arrow Chest, a large box used to store bow staves as well as arrows. The chest was buried under the Tower of London and she along with Lady Jane Grey and Catherine Howard were forgotten.

Synopsis: Three female bodies were discovered under the Chapel in the Tower of London. The mysterious bodies were believed to be the remains of Lady Jane Grey and the two wives of Henry VII: Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard. Amos Roselli, a painter, was commissioned to sketch the remains of the three women. He was a little afraid of being left alone eerie chapel so he asked if someone could be sent in to keep him company and within a couple of minutes a yeoman warder came in  who turned out to be very friendly and talkative man. Once Amos was through with the sketch he noticed the warder was gone and nowhere to be found. He inquired about the warder and was disturbed by the fact that the warder had been dead for many years.

Amos is a struggling artist who has eccentric taste and style. He is still in love with his life-long companion and muse, Daphne, who has married a powerful industrialist. Daphne’s husband, Oliver Ramsey, has hired Amos to come to his home and paint a portrait of him. Amos is a little weary because this will be the first time he has seen Daphne in a year. Upon arrival, the two life-long friends act as if they have not been separated for over a year. Amos soon learns that Daphne is trapped in a loveless marriage and is terrified that her husband is going to somehow be rid of her since she has yet to provide him with an heir. 

While visiting Daphne and finishing up her husband’s portrait many bizarre and strange things have been occurring. Amos keeps seeing a mysterious lady that is the spitting image of Daphne. He soon discovers that he is not the only one who has seen this mysterious woman. His loyal maid, Beth, claims she saw this woman leaving a bouquet of flowers for Mr. Roselli. She believed the woman to be Lady Daphne, which was impossible because Daphne was with him when the flowers arrived. This sends Amos into a frenzy because he now believes that he is haunted and there is nothing he can do about it.

Review: The Arrow Chest is full of haunting mysteries. Who is the mysterious woman who keeps appearing and as quickly as she appears she’s suddenly gone. I had many ideas as to who the woman was, but was later proven wrong as I kept reading. One of the things I loved about this book was how it paralleled with Anne Boleyn’s story during the 16^th century. In order to understand what I mean by that you will just have to read the book for yourself.

The characterization in this book is incredible.  Amos is the passionate painter who has lost his muse to a tyrant of a man. He realizes his love for her too late and is ensnared by the drama of Daphne and Oliver’s marriage. Amos struggles with his increasing desire for Daphne, but knows it would be wrong to succumb to it.  I could not help but to feel for Daphne. I could not imagine being trapped in a home with a man who wishes to be rid of me by any means necessary and always living in fear with no one to turn to.

Beth was the one who I connected with most in the story. She is Amos’s maid who would do anything for him. She is an orphan who nobody wanted and was never treated right until she came to work for him. They had an unconventional friendship that would have been frowned upon by London society because she was his maid and he was her master, but they did not care.

I absolutely loved this book. There were a few slow points in the book, but as I began to doze off the book would take off with astounding speed. This story is full of mystery, passion, and artistry. There is a little bit of everything in this novel and I would suggest this book to any book lover not just historical fiction readers because I feel it caters to a vast audience. 

If you would like a chance to read this book Robert is graciously giving away 1 copy of The Arrow Chest to a lucky winner! This giveaway is open to the US & Canada only and is open until February 10th!

Here’s how to enter the giveaway:

    To enter, please leave a comment below and include your name and email address.

     For +1 additional entry each, please help spread the word by blogging, posting on sidebar, or tweeting.  You can use the SHARE buttons below and please include the link in the comment section below

     You can also get +1 additional entry by being a new follower of my blog. 

Good Luck! 

Review: The Princess of Nowhere by Prince Lorenzo Borghese

The Princess of Nowhere by Prince Lorenzo Borghese
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ (Enjoyable read)
 
Book Source: Given to me by Amy of Passages to The Past
Genre: Historical Fiction

Setting: Early 1800’s. Pauline’s husband, Emmanuel, has just passed away and now her ambitious brother, Napoleon Bonaparte, wants her to marry Prince Camillo Borghese for his own political reasons.

Synopsis: Recently widowed, Pauline is asked by her brother to take in her young cousin, Sophie, in order to provide her with a better life than what her father can give her. At first Sophie is shy and reserved around her vivacious cousin. However, it doesn’t take long for Sophie to see Pauline as a goddess who she begins to idolize.

Prince Camillo Borghese knew since childhood that his bride required the approval of the pope and would be chosen for him not by him. This was true until he laid eyes on the flirtatious Pauline. Within their first meeting they both were in awe of each other, although, Camillo had his reservations in marrying her due to her scandalous reputation. Pauline was still supposed to be in mourning for her first husband, but they couldn’t wait to be with one another. So they were soon married in secret, despite Napoleon’s relentless objection.

Even though they were both passionately in love with one another, their marriage was no fairytale. Pauline was wild and eccentric and did not like being told what and what not to do by anyone, especially by her husband. Camillo was very conventional and adamant in staying true to tradition. It was no shock when Paulina started to rebel by having affairs with other men and spending outrageous sums of money. Camillo only put up with her unseemly behavior for so long out of love. They later went their separate ways and lived separate lives for many years until something brought them back together one last time.

Review: I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed Lorenzo Borghese’s book. With him being a distant heir to the Borghese family and this being his first novel I thought this book would be full of bias and that I would be let down. Let me just say that that was not the case. I found this story to be charming, erotic, and amusing.

The characterization was perfection. It was apparent that Lorenzo did his research and really built the characters from the inside out. Paulina was so eccentric and wild that I just couldn’t help but envying her at times. Don’t get me wrong I don’t envy her being able to go out and have affairs with other men but what I do envy is her confidence and poise. Prince Camillo is the dark and handsome prince that every girl dreams about. Yes he was a little prude in the beginning but he did come out of his shell bit by bit. Now Sophie was a bit odd. At first she sort of gave me the creeps by always sneaking around and practically worshiping Pauline, however, I began to understand her better as the story progressed.

As witnessed through the eyes of Pauline’s young cousin and surrogate daughter, this book is full of scandal, passion, and humor. I loved the historical aspect of this book and getting to know Pauline and Camillo Borghese. I would recommend this book to any historical fiction enthusiast.

Review: A Royal Likeness by Christine Trent

A Royal Likeness by Christine Trent

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Release date: December 28, 2010

Setting: It’s 1803 and England is in the mitts of fending off a war with Napoleon Bonaparte and English citizens are beginning to get anxious; therefore, causing riots to break out.

Synopsis: A Royal Likeness is the sequel to The Queen’s Dollmaker. Years have passed and Marguerite is now the sole heir of Claudette’s Fashion Doll business. She couldn’t be happier living the life of a tradeswoman with her devoted husband, Nicholas Ashby, constantly at her side. It would seem nothing could bring Marguerite’s spirits down until a raging band of rioters end up on her doorstep harassing and accusing her of conspiring with the enemy as a result of being a French émigré. Suddenly, the riot breaks loose and descends upon her shop breaking everything in their path. While defending his wife’s work, Nicholas is brutally murdered right before Marguerites eyes and her life ceases to matter.

Marguerite decides to escape everything that reminds her of Nicholas and goes to stay with her Aunt Claudette and Uncle William in the country. She soon finds herself immersed in the depths of depression, until one day her aunt gets the idea to send Marguerite to work as an apprentice for Madame Marie Tussaud, who has a wax exhibition residing in London.

Just when Marguerite becomes settled in her new life working for Madame Tussaud, England’s Prime Minister William Pitt, sees Tussaud’s wax work as a useful war strategy and decides to commission a wax figure of Admiral Horratio Nelson. Madame Tussuad decides Marguerite has developed enough skills to go to London herself. Upon arrival, Marguerite captures the attention of two completely opposite men who desperately try to compete for her affection. It doesn’t take long for disaster to strike again and Marguerite finds herself entangled in a dangerous adventure that no woman should ever be subjected to.

Review: A Royal Likeness is such an amazing adventure that greatly surpasses The Queen’s Dollmaker, which was a surprise because The Queen’s Dollmaker was such a refreshing read. What made me love A Royal Likeness even more was how the wax figures were intertwined with England’s fate in the Battle of Trafalgar and how the battle was described in such great detail.

I was quite fond of Marguerites character because she was so prone to accidents, which I can relate to in my own life. I loved how she could pick herself right back up and move on to the next big thing. She really did have a way with ensnaring men without meaning to. Madame Tussaud was a woman to be commended. She was a true business woman who really knew her craft and would never let anything or anyone get in her way. Officer Darden Hastings was a true man of duty and definitely didn’t wear his emotions on his sleeve, which made him come off a little harsh sometimes. I guess you could say he reminded me a lot of Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice.

Christine Trent really out did herself with this one! It really takes a hold of you from the beginning and doesn’t let you go until it’s over. The detail in this story is so mesmerizing both with the wax figures and the battles. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a thrill-seeking adventure with a damsel in distress sort of feel. I can’t wait to see what Christine has in store for us next!

I want to say thank you to Christine Trent for sending me a copy of A Royal Likeness to read & review. It was such a pleasure.

On January 17th Christine Trent will be here to discuss this enchanting tale and will also be giving away a free copy of A Royal Likeness that will be open internationally!

Review: A Foreign Affair by Caro Peacock

A Foreign Affair by Caro Peacock

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

A Foreign Affair, by Caro Peacock, takes place in both England and France during 1837. It dates back to the death of King William IV and the accession of Queen Victoria. I found this book in a little used book store in my home town and immediately grabbed it because it looked to be a historical fiction novel due to the fact that the cover stated it took place in Victorian England and the look of the cover itself. Once I finally got around to reading A Foreing Affair, I soon realized it's not really historical fiction but more of a mystery/thriller that takes place in Victorian England. Since I'm an avid Historical Fiction reader I must admit I was a little disappointed by the lack of historical facts. However, once I got passed the fact that this novel was a mystery and not historical fiction, I thoroughly began to enjoy it.

A Foreign Affair is the first novel of three in the Liberty Lane series. Liberty Lane is a young lady who runs away from one of her aunts to meet her father in Calais. Her father has been away for sometime and is finally returning to her. Liberty soon discovers, upon arriving in Calais that her father has been shot fighting in a dual. Unable to accept the fact that her father died in a dual, Liberty finds her self immersed in a whirl-wind of danger, deception, and corruption. Not knowing who to turn to or even to trust, Liberty decides to take matters into her own hands and see that justice is done.

Caro Peacock did an amazing job in keeping up the suspense. I have to admit the beginning was a bit dry. Although, once I got passed the first 30 pages or so I just couldn't put the book down. I found myself in the library at school finishing the last 20 or so pages because I wanted to know what happens next and how it would end. Once I finally finished, I realized I should have been studying for my exam. Without spoiling the book, if you keep reading you will see that there is a little history behind the plot of the story.

I've already bought A Dangerous Affair, the second novel in the Liberty Lane series and I know I will be rushing out to get the final novel soon. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good thriller with a hint of history behind it, and it keeps you wanting more.