Tag: historical fiction

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An Unexpected Grace: A Christian Historical Romance Series set in Montana with Mystery and Intrigue (The Jewels of Kalispell) 

336 pages Bethany House Publishers Publication date May 20, 2025

ABOUT THE BOOK

Can unexpected grace lay the foundation for a second chance at love?

After a decade away, Parker Bennett returns home with a traveling troupe to perform a play based on Uncle Tom’s Cabin at the Kalispell Opera House. Parker has relished his life on the road, but being home awakens long-buried emotions when he encounters his first love, Johanna St. John. He can’t help but wonder if there might still be a place for him in her heart.

Widowed for three years, Johanna devotes all her time to a demanding toddler, an injured father, and a successful millinery business. After the loss of her husband, she desires to move on, but reconnecting with her past love leaves her unsure of what lies ahead. Both committed to God’s distinct calling on their lives, Johanna and Parker struggle to see how their futures can unite, and when strange things start happening around town, their second chance at a life together seems more unlikely than ever.

MY THOUGHTS

It’s wonderful to be back in Kalispell, Montana again. Most of the characters we know and have met in the previous books as this is the third one in the Jewels of Kalispell series, but you always run into a few surprises as well.
As it should be the villain was an all-around unlikeable trouble causer.
I enjoyed reading about the travelling trope of which included Parker Bennett who has returned after a decade away.
Widowed Johanna is raising a toddler, taking care of an ailing father and running a successful millenary shop. She couldn’t possibly have time for a relationship with Parker, her past love.
A novel of second chances, redemption, renewal, faith forgiveness and allowing God his perfect timing. I love the author’s novels and how well researched they are.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

About the Author

Tracie Peterson is the bestselling author of more than 100 novels, both historical and contemporary, with more than 6 million copies sold. She has won the ACFW Lifetime Achievement Award and the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award. Her avid research resonates in her many bestselling series. Tracie and her family make their home in Montana. Learn more at TraciePeterson.com.

Kimberley Woodhouse is an award-winning, bestselling author of more than forty fiction and nonfiction books. Kim and her incredible husband of thirty-plus years live in Colorado, where they play golf together, spend time with their kids and grandkids, and research all the history around them. You can connect with Kimberley on her website, KimberleyWoodhouse.com.

Thank you for stopping in today.

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historical fiction

His Unforgettable Bride (Bride Ships: New Voyages Book 4) 

315 pages Publication date March 25, 2025

ABOUT THE BOOK

A pickpocket turned lady and a prince with a forgotten past find love in the most unexpected place…

Juliet Dash, orphan and former pickpocket, yearns to leave her troubled past behind. So when she arrives in British Columbia and takes a respectable job working for a pair of society sisters who offer to give her etiquette lessons, she’s one step closer to that dream. But when an unexpected encounter with an unconscious man turns her world upside down, Juliet must choose between her heart and her aspirations.

Weary of the pressure of royal life, Prince Henry Graighton longs for solace and anonymity. But when tragedy strikes and his brother winds up dead, Henry finds himself thrust into the role of heir apparent, leaving him to struggle with the weight of his grief and unwanted responsibility. And when Henry is kidnapped, he narrowly escapes with his life…but loses his memories in the process. In his darkest hour, a beacon of hope emerges in the form of Juliet, his savior and the key to unlocking his forgotten past.

With danger lurking at every turn and the weight of Henry’s royal duties looming over them, can their budding romance withstand the trials that lie ahead, or will Juliet be forced to sacrifice her own happiness for the sake of Henry’s kingdom?

MY THOUGHTS

I loved the Bride Ships: New Voyages series. This is the fourth and final book in it. Each book features a different woman who has sailed on a journey to a new start leaving bad memories behind.


It’s always fun to meet up with characters from previous books in a current read and see how things have progressed for them.
Full of surprising twists and turns this is a faith filled Christian fiction series that kept me reading late into the night.


I was so happy to see our young couple get their magical fairytale like ending. I enjoyed seeing our characters grow and mature as life lessons were learned and accepted.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Jody Hedlund is the best-selling author of over fifty books and is the winner of numerous awards. She writes sweet, clean romances with plenty of sizzle (but without the spice).

Have a lovely weekend. Thank you for stopping in.

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Land of Dreams (Home to Green Creek Book #1): (A Frontier Historical Fiction with Drama, Love and Faith) 

343 pages Bethany House Publishers April 1, 2025 publication date

ABOUT THE BOOK

During her voyage on a ship to America, Norwegian immigrant Amalia Gunderson makes a solemn promise to a dying mother to watch over her five-year-old daughter, Ruth. Together, Amalia and Ruth trek to Iowa to claim the farm and former boardinghouse that Ruth has inherited, despite opposition from a difficult cousin. Struggling with an empty house and scarce resources, Amalia resolves to return the boardinghouse to its former purpose, aided by the kindness of strangers and the resilient spirit of her young charge.

As Amalia and Ruth endeavor to make ends meet, tensions rise due to a trail of orphans showing up on their doorstep. Meanwhile, Absalom Karlsson–the magistrate’s son–offers legal assistance and helps them advocate for justice. With each challenge they face, Amalia and Ruth find hope in believing that with faith and determination they can overcome even the most daunting of trials.

In this heartwarming series starter, bestselling author Lauraine Snelling weaves together a delightful story of new beginnings.

MY THOUGHTS

I am always so excited to read a book by one of my favorite Christian fiction authors. I know some years ago I read a series by the author with Norwegian characters and the Norwegian culture and enjoyed it very much this has the same in it.

I read it awhile ago so I can’t remember if any of the characters from that series are in this book or not.
Making a new start is not easy but when the unexpected happens it’s doubly hard.


On a ship bound for America Norwegian immigrant, Amalia Gunderson becomes the guardian of a young girl who lost her mother on the voyage.
She and five year old, Ruth find themselves in a strange and new land with a house, Ruth will inherit when she is of age but it is not empty.

Despite being pushed and pulled in a lot of directions with opposition to what she is doing and some bad advice Amalia show her strength and perseverance. Doing what is right in this new land by taking care of the child and honoring God is her mission and though struggles are ever present she will not give up on herself or God.

With a boarding house being run there are other orphans that show up and through hard work and sacrifices all work towards a common good.
The author has a way of writing realistic fiction that I feel as though I am there experiencing it as well.


I was given a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House through Interviews & Reviews and NetGalley for my honest opinion.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Award-winning and best selling author Lauraine Snelling began living her dream to be a writer with her first published book for young adult readers, Tragedy on the Toutle, in 1982. She has since continued writing more horse books for young girls, adding historical and contemporary fiction and nonfiction for adults and young readers to her repertoire. All told, she has over eighty books published with more than 4 million copies in print.

Shown in her contemporary romances and women’s fiction, a hallmark of Lauraine’s style is writing about real issues of forgiveness, loss, domestic violence, and cancer within a compelling story. Her work has been translated into Norwegian, Danish, and German, and she has won the Romantic Times Career Achievement award for Inspirational Fiction, the Silver Angel Award for An Untamed Land and a Romance Writers of America Golden Heart for Song of Laughter.

As a sought after speaker, Lauraine encourages others to find their gifts and live their lives with humor and joy. Her readers clamor for more books more often, and Lauraine would like to comply … if only her paintbrushes and easel didn’t call quite so loudly.

Lauraine and her husband, Wayne, have two grown sons, and live in the Tehachapi Mountains with a watchdog Basset named Winston. They love to travel, most especially in their forty-foot motor coach, which they affectionately deem “a work in progress”.

Thank you for stopping in.

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historical fiction

Freedom’s Song

344 pages WaterBrook publisher Publication date October 19, 2021

ABOUT THE BOOK

Her voice made her a riverboat’s darling—and its prisoner. Now she’s singing her way to freedom in this powerful novel from the bestselling author of The Librarian of Boone’s Hollow.

“[An] enjoyable faith-filled adventure . . . Sawyer’s episodic narrative and rich assortment of characters fighting for freedom provide the story with many twists and unexpected side-plots.”—Publishers Weekly

Indentured servant Fanny Beck has been forced to sing for riverboat passengers since she was a girl. All she wants is to live a quiet, humble life with her family as soon as her seven-year contract is over. So when she discovers that the captain has no intention of releasing her, she seizes a sudden opportunity to escape—an impulse that leads Fanny to a group of enslaved people who are on their own dangerous quest for liberty. . . .

Widower Walter Kuhn is overwhelmed by his responsibilities to his farm and young daughter, and now his mail-order bride hasn’t arrived. Could a beautiful stranger seeking work be the answer to his prayers? . . .
 
After the star performer of the River Peacock is presumed drowned, Sloan Kirkpatrick, the riverboat’s captain, sets off to find her replacement. However, his journey will bring him face to face with his own past—and a deeper understanding of what it truly means to be free. . . . 

Uplifting, inspiring, and grounded in biblical truth, Freedom’s Song is a story for every reader who has longed for physical, emotional, or spiritual delivery.



MY THOUGHTS

The book was slow to start but once it got rolling it became a great story. Forced to sing on a riverboat as a young girl because of her melodious voice by her father he unknowingly signs her over for many years. She wants a simple life, one far away from the riverboat and its customers.


An accident one night on the boat grants her freedom as she’s washed ashore. The people she finds are also seeking freedom of another kind.
The book was full of excitement and adventure of many kinds from being prisoner on a riverboat to being on the run, the unknown and the uncertainty that goes with this.

I loved seeing the enthusiasm and fortitude Fanny has despite all the hardships she has faced and continues to face. great reading with an exciting plot.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

THE AUTHOR

Award-winning, bestselling author Kim Vogel Sawyer is a wife, mother, gramma, chocolate-lover, cat-petter, and–most importantly–a daughter of the King! With more than 1.5 million books in print in seven different languages, Kim enjoys a full-time writing and speaking ministry. Her “gentle stories of hope” are loved by readers and reviewers alike. Kim and her retired military husband, Don, reside on the plains of Kansas, the setting for many of her novels.

Believe in yourself!

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Blog Tour

Blog Tour for The Dressmaker’s Secret by Michelle Vernal

The Dressmaker’s Secret by Michelle Vernal

Buy link: https://geni.us/B0DWT4469Vsocial

1962. Even as she gazes at the silk bridal dresses in the window, the little girl’s eyes fill with tears. She has dreamed about gowns just like that. But now, lost and alone, she only wants to be held. Just a moment ago, she was in the arms of her mother. Now her only hope lies in Brides of Bold Street, where past and present blur…

Sabrina Flooks was lost as a little girl, then raised and trained by talented dressmaker Evelyn. The historic bridal shop on Bold Street is all Sabrina has ever known.

Since the kind shop owner took her in, Sabrina has followed in Evelyn’s footsteps, stitching and bejewelling gorgeous wedding dresses. She’s buried herself in the rich fabrics, closing off her heart rather than face the pain of what happened all those years ago…

Until the sparks that fly between her and handsome Adam Taylor take her completely by surprise. His quiet charm and kind smile encourage her to let her guard down. Just a little.

As love truly begins to bloom, the only way she can overcome the fear of being abandoned again and learn to feel safe in Adam’s warm embrace, is if she finally finds the truth about her identity and her past.And the way to unravelling it all may be closer than she ever thought possible…

Because the rails full of petticoats, veils and skirts hide a secret. One that could have her walking a path through the past.

Could the journey through history give her everything she ever dreamt of? And even if she uncovers the truth, will she make it back to Adam in the present day or will it take Sabrina away from everything she holds dear?

You will be totally swept away by Michelle Vernal’s beautiful tale of love, loss and family secrets spanning decades. This enchanting read is perfect for fans of Sandy Taylor, Barbara Davis and Jean Grainger.

MY THOUGHTS

The Dressmaker’s Secret is the first book in the Brides of Bold Street. This is also my first read of a historical time slip book by the author. The others I read were contemporary fiction.

I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed this type of book by the author just as much as I had the others.
The book was gripping and so hard to put down.

I enjoyed the historical section as much as I did the modern time period. The book is full of nostalgia and so heartwarming. I could fully picture the long-ago time I was reading about with a bit of intriguing suspense thrown in. I enjoyed this read very much!

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

About the author:

Michelle Vernal is a New Zealand author who writes stories that will take you onto the page with her characters and make you feel part of their lives. She writes with humour and warmth, and her readers describe her books as unputdownable, feel good and funny. Her writing has been likened to Maeve Binchy but with a modern-day vernacular. In 2015 she was shortlisted for the Love Stories Award. In 2020 she won the Reader’s Favorite Gold Medal Award for Chick lit, and in 2021 was shortlisted for the Page Turner Book Awards.

Author social media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MichelleVernal

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michellevernalnovelist/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michellevernalnovelist

Website: https://www.michellevernalbooks.com/

Newsletter sign up: https://www.bookouture.com/michelle-vernal

Thank you for stopping in.

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Blog Tour

Blog Tour for The Spanish Daughter by Soraya Lane

The Spanish Daughter by Soraya Lane

https://geni.us/B0DGXXS8KXsocial

Argentina, 1939: “My darling Valentina, I beg you to not go through with this marriage. I know your duty to your family means the world to you, but I pray our love means more. Let us run away together, and never be parted again…”

London, Present day. Rose once thought she was alone in the world, having just lost her beloved mother a few months ago. So, when she is presented with a mysterious box containing a small figure of a horse, a scrap of glittering silk and the hope of a lost family being found, Rose will stop at nothing to find them.

When her search takes her to a sprawling and luxurious estate in Argentina, where the best polo horses in the world were once raised, Rose wonders if she’s mistaken. But when she meets a charming local, Benjamin, he takes her by the hand and encourages her to rediscover her roots.

As they spend long sunlit days riding horses, and cosy evenings eating dinner with his family, Rose wonders how she will ever return to the grey skies back home. But then she discovers a heart-wrenching story of two forbidden lovers: a wilful Spanish heiress and a hardworking stable hand, ripped apart by an arranged marriage and one of the largest inheritances in the country, which intertwines Rose and Benjamin’s families in ways she could never have imagined.

As Benjamin’s family grow wary of the stranger in their home dredging up the pain of the past, Rose finds herself at a crossroads. Will her great-grandmother’s story give her the courage to fly in the face of convention and follow her heart? Or will she too have to give up the one she loves most to heal family ties…

A heartbreaking and page-turning novel about following your heart and never giving up on love. Perfect for fans of Santa Montefiore, Lucinda Riley and Victoria Hislop.

MY THOUGHTS

This is the sixth book in the Lost Daughters series, and I’ve read them all. The series is absolutely amazing and not to be missed. A time slip, multi-generational book they all revolve around adoption, family secrets starting several generations and a different time in life.

Life was slower then, more proper then and people cared what others thought so secrets were kept so as not to bring shame to families. As the secrets now come to life sometime later heartbreak is once again upon us.

If only we could go back in time and make a change with things. Such an excellent read, I simply couldn’t put this down and read it in a day. I fully recommend the author’s books.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

About the author

Soraya Lane graduated with a law degree before realising that law wasn’t the career for her and that her future was in writing. She is the author of historical and contemporary women’s fiction, including the #1 Kindle bestselling novels The Last Correspondent and The Secrets We Left Behind. 

Soraya lives on a small farm in her native New Zealand with her husband, their two young sons and a collection of four legged friends. When she’s not writing, she loves to be outside playing make-believe with her children or snuggled up inside reading.

Author social media

Facebook: www.facebook.com/SorayaLaneAuthor

Twitter:

Instagram @SorayaLaneAuthor

Website: www.sorayalane.com

Newsletter sign up:

https://www.bookouture.com/soraya-lane-email-sign-up/

Categories
historical fiction

Beneath a Starless Sky: A gripping and utterly heartbreaking WW2 historical fiction novel 

423 pages HQ Digital publisher Pub Date Oct 05 2021 

ABOUT THE BOOK

Munich: Smoke filled the air.

Lilli Sternberg’s quickening heart sounded an alarm as she rounded the street corner. Lifting her gaze to the rooftops, a roaring blaze of thick flames engulfed the side of the building and joined the stars to fill the black sky. Her father’s shop was no more.

Lilli Sternberg longs to be a ballet dancer. But outside the sanctuary of the theatre, Munich is no longer a place for dreams.

The Nazi party are gaining power and the threats to Jewish families increasing. Even Lilli’s family shop was torched because of their faith.

When Lilli meets Captain Marco Zeiller during a chance encounter, her heart soars. He is the perfect gentleman and her love for him feels like a bright hope under a bleak sky.

But battle lines are being drawn, and Marco has been spotted by the Reich as an officer with potential. Lilli means more to him than anything and he knows he must find a way out.

With their lives on the line, will Marco and Lilli survive the growing Nazi threat, or do they risk losing everything in the fight to be free?

An absolutely gripping and emotional historical fiction novel about love, courage and betrayal for fans of My Name is Eva and A Woman of War

MY THOUGHTS

Incredible fiction detailing decades of time covering war, love, surprises resilience and sacrifices like no others. Loosely based on real events and actual people I learned a lot and was very impressed with what I read. Highly recommended.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

MEET THE AUTHOR

When I was five years old, I visited the dungeons of an old castle with my parents. The guide was telling us about the oubliette, the place where they threw prisoners and literally forgot about them. Without warning he turned the light off, plunging the space into darkness. We were blind for a few moments. But instead of terrifying me, the experience had the opposite effect. I wanted to know more about people, lives, events from the past. So,from a very early age, I loved history: buildings, books, stories.

I went on to read History at Oxford University and qualified as a journalist and editor, contributing to several national publications such as The Times and The Telegraph. I also acted as a literary publicist for the English TV presenter and novelist Pam Rhodes.

Winning a European-wide screenplay writing competition led to the optioning of a screenplay. (Here’s where the history comes in.) Set in 18th century England, it highlighted what has to be one of the most fascinating periods of England’s past. The screenplay languished in what’s known as development hell, but I was determined to tell some of the stories I’d discovered during my researches into the period. The result is “The Anatomist’s Apprentice,” the first of a series of Dr Thomas Silkstone Mysteries – stories from late 18th century England that are based on true events.

Until December 2010 I was editor of a regional glossy magazine and was regularly heard on BBC local radio. As well interviewing dozens of celebrities, I interviewed writers at literary events in front of audiences. My most recent interviews were with Oscar winner Julian Fellowes (who wrote the screenplay for Downton Abbey), Barbara Taylor Bradford and Hollywood legend Leslie Caron.

“Every setback is a setup for a comeback.”

Categories
historical fiction

A Constant Love: (A Western Christian Historical Romance Series Set in Frontier Cheyenne, Wyoming) (The Hope of Cheyenne)

304 pages Bethany House Publishers March 04,2025 publication date

ABOUT THE BOOK

Heartache has left them emotionally desolate, but traces of love and healing could forge a future.

In the wake of a harsh winter, Micah Hamilton and Charlotte Aldrich are grappling with loss and guilt after the disaster that took the lives of their loved ones. Struggling to cope with his grief, Micah abandons his father’s dreams of a prosperous ranch and cuts himself off from the rest of the world.

Charlotte has loved Micah her entire life and is determined not to lose him as well. With her mother’s help, she begins coaxing Micah to live again. Despite their enduring heartache, the affection between them deepens, but just as Charlotte thinks her dreams may come true, a scorned suitor threatens everything she holds dear. Micah and Charlotte must embark on a journey of healing and renewal to build a life founded on faith, hope, and love.

MY THOUGHTS

I am always excited to see a new book by the author and this is the first in The Hope of Cheyenne series.


Micah Hamilton and Charlotte Aldrich have known each other since childhood, and she has loved him just as long. Even as a child she said she was going to marry him someday, but her father has other plans and makes plans for her to marry a man who she doesn’t love. He thinks he is doing the right thing as this man has money and will take her away from the ranch and give her a life of luxury. All she wants is to run a ranch along with her husband and be a rancher’s wife, just like her mother who has happily lived this lifestyle.


The winter of 1887 outside of Cheyenne, Wyoming was particularly rough, not fit for man or beast. Devastatingly a significant number of open range cattle died due to record breaking temperatures and heavy snow in the Great Plains region. The author described this very well, the tragedy and many ranchers and their hands died as well trying to save the cattle. This time period is referred to as “The Great Die-Up.”


After the death of Max’s father during this time period he becomes a shell of himself. Dealing with grief, second chances, and sweet romance and is a Christian fiction historical romance.


The restorative power of faith in a well-developed story line with characters I’ll look forward to reading more about in the next book in the series.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Tracie Peterson is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than one hundred books. Tracie also teaches writing workshops at a variety of conferences on subjects such as inspirational romance and historical research. She and her family live in Montana.

Visit Tracie’s web site at: http://www.traciepeterson.com

Categories
historical fiction

The Italian Girl’s Secret: An absolutely gripping and emotional WW2 historical fiction novel

382 pages Bookouture publisher September 10, 2021 publication date

ABOUT THE BOOK

Italy, 1943. In the hills outside Naples, the silver moon shines brightly on a whitewashed farmhouse. An urgent knock on the door breaks the silence: and in that moment, one young woman’s act of incredible bravery changes the course of the war.

For Carmela del Bosco, a farm girl in a remote Italian village, sheltering an English spy is the most dangerous thing she could do. If she’s caught by the fascists it would be the end, especially for her beloved grandmother sleeping soundly upstairs. But taking in the pleading brown eyes of the man calling himself Sebastiano slumped at her door, and his terrible injuries inflicted by the Nazi occupiers, Carmela remembers how Nonna always taught her right from wrong. Risking everything, she hides him in a ruined tower on the edge of the farm.

Each day Carmela tends his wounds, and the passion that kindles between them is a light in the darkest time. Sebastiano has information that could end the war, and needs her help to send it. But tracking down fellow members of the resistenza in the mountains meansrisking her life and bringing danger to everyone she knows.

Carmela knows she must find the courage to do what’s right for her country. But if she leaves the farm, will she ever see her beloved nonna again? And will her sacrifice tear her away from the only man she’s ever loved, forever?

An absolutely stunning and heartbreaking historical novel about the impossible choices people are forced to make in wartime. Fans of The Nightingale, All the Light We Cannot See and Rhys Bowen will be captivated.

MY THOUGHTS

Italy, 1943. In the hills outside Naples.
Carmela del Bosco must forget, what has happened seems a lifetime ago but that’s easier said than done.


Her slumber disturbed in the early morning at her Nonna’s farm where she lives, a man, badly beaten, an English spy on the run from Nazi occupiers. Calling himself Sebastiano, Carmela hides him in a ruined tower on the farm property. His discovery could put not only her but her Nonna and all residents of the farmhouse in grave danger.


As time goes on, they admit to having feeling for each other.
He begs her to leave the farm and get a message out that could end the war. She’ll need to track down fellow members of the resistenza leaving her family members alone and vulnerable especially her Nonna. Will she ever see her again or her new love?


Danger abounds, found around every corner. The tension doesn’t let up over the whole book. Utterly heartbreaking. The author grabs your attention and doesn’t let go.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Natalie is a RITA nominated, USA Today best-selling author of ten historical novels: The Dress Thief, The Milliner’s Secret, The Wardrobe Mistress, A Gown of Thorns, The Secret Vow and The Paris Girl (featuring sisters, Katya and Tatiana.) Two further novels are set in southern Italy: Into the Burning Dawn and The Italian Girl’s Secret, both featuring young women facing tough choices.

The Girl with the Yellow Star takes the reader to wartime Cornwall and introduces Gwenna and little Lotti, the motherless child who comes unexpectedly into her life. The Locket is a split timeline novel featuring Irene, a country girl living next door to a new American airbase and her grandaughter Ruby who uncovers Irene’s lost past. The Paris Inheritance is her latest novel, a split timeline between an English painter caught in Paris by enemy occupation and Hope, an Englishwoman who comes to France looking for a new life. Both women are on the knife edge of life-changing events. Natalie writes page turning stories of wartime, love and challenging choices.

From February 2025, look out for Natalie’s country house crime novels under the name Kay Blythe. One and the same, Natalie/Kay aims to delight the reader with immersive, twisty historical adventure. Happy reading!

“Encourage one another and build each other up”

Categories
historical fiction

Those I Have Lost : A heart-wrenching and unforgettable World War 2 historical novel

449 pages Bookouture publisher July 9, 2021 publication date

ABOUT THE BOOK

As a terrible war creeps ever closer, one young woman desperately tries to protect those she loves…

1940. When Rosie loses her mother and is sent to Sri Lanka to live with her mother’s friend Silvia and her three sons, her world changes in a heartbeat. As she is absorbed into the bosom of a noisy family, with boys she loves like brothers, she begins to feel at home.

But the war in Europe is heading for Asia. Searching for comfort from the bleak news and the bombings, Rosie meets a heroic soldier on leave, and falls in love for the first time. Yet the war will not stop for passion; he must move on, and she must say goodbye, knowing she might never see him again.

Meanwhile, one by one, the men she considers brothers leave to fight for their island paradise. As she waits in anguish for letters that never come, tortured by stories of torpedoed ships and massacres of innocent families, she realises that she, too, must do her bit.

Rosie volunteers to work in military intelligence, keeping secrets that will help those she loves and protect her island home. But then two telegrams arrive with the chilling words ‘missing believed captured’ and ‘missing believed dead’. Who of those that she loves will survive the devastating war, and who will she lose?

An emotional and heartbreaking read with rich historical detail set against the backdrop of Sri Lanka during World War Two. Fans of Hazel Gaynor, Fiona Valpy, Kristin Hannah and Clare Flynn will be swept away by Those I Have Lost.

MY THOUGHTS

Taking place in India and what we now know as Sri Lanka. 1940 India. This is Rosie’s story. She has suddenly lost her mother as a young girl. This coming-of-age story is a heartbreaker. Her father cannot properly care for her, and she is sent to live with a woman, her mother’s best friend “Aunty” and her three sons in Sri Lanka.

Told in time periods before and during the war. The men, some gladly leave the island to do their part as Europe is being torn apart by the maddening bombs flying.


Devastated, her first love is mia and she feels as though life for her will never be the same. When all she has known winds up in chaos and devastation can she possibly go on? Secrets are sometimes more hurtful when found out. Tragic but beyond the darkness is another day, another day full of hope and the possibility of light shining again.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

MEET THE AUTHOR

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.

You only fail when you stop trying.