Book Review with Featured Author: The Mozart Code by Rachel McMillan

The Mozart Code by Rachel McMillan

 

 

Publisher & Release: Thomas Nelson, March 15, 2022

Setting:  1946-1947, Vienna, Austria

Genre: Historical Fiction

Length: 367 Pages

Rating: 3.5 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

No matter how you might try to hide in a war to escape your past, it is always close at hand.

Lady Sophia Huntington Villiers is no stranger to intrigue, as her work with Alan Turing’s Bombe Machines at Bletchley Park during the war attests. Now, as part of Simon Barre’s covert team in post-war Vienna, she uses her inimitable charm and code name Starling to infiltrate the world of relics: uncovering vital information that could tilt the stakes of the mounting Cold War. When several influential men charge her with finding the death mask of Mozart, Sophie wonders if there is more than the composer’s legacy at stake and finds herself drawn to potential answers in Prague.

Simon Barrington, the illegitimate heir of one of Sussex’s oldest estates, used the previous war to hide his insecurities about his past. Now, he uses his high breeding to gain access to all four allied quarters of the ruined city in an attempt to slow the fall of the Iron Curtain. He has been in love with Sophie Villiers since the moment he met her, and a marriage of convenience to save Simon’s estate has always kept her close. Until now, when Sophie’s mysterious client in Prague forces him to wonder if her allegiance to him—and their cause—is in question. Torn between his loyalty to his cause and his heart, Simon seeks answers about Sophie only to learn that everything he thought he knew about his involvement in both wars is based on a lie.

 

Buy Links:

 

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Mozart-Code-Rachel-McMillan-ebook/dp/B08BYZ8VNJ

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-mozart-code-rachel-mcmillan/1137257379

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-mozart-code-1

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Rachel_McMillan_The_Mozart_Code?id=tdTtDwAAQBAJ

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Mozart-Code-Audiobook/0785253416?qid=1647308391&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf_rd_r=E2FQTATM34FY6M4VFK8R

 

 

Add to Goodreads & BookBub:

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54350812-the-mozart-code

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-mozart-code-by-rachel-mcmillan

 

Vikki’s Musings

 

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the complimentary digital copy of The Mozart Code by Rachel McMillan. I voluntarily agreed to read and review this book by publication. My opinions are my own, and nothing has influenced my rating.

 

The Mozart Code is a well-researched novel set in the aftermath of WWII. As the British and American fight Russia’s determination to spread communism across eastern Europe. Austria is teetering on the edge and must be saved. The characters are intriguing, and the plot is complicated. 

 

Unfortunately, the tale is so enmeshed in historical details in the first half of the book and told without enough emotion, I almost gave up on it. I’m glad I continued reading. The second half of the book is much better. The pacing picked up and drew me into the story, and I became vested in the characters.

 

Sophie Huntington Villiers is a complex character. Her parents only see her as a pawn in their game, wanting her to marry someone who would raise their social standing. Her grandmother made her vow to never give her heart. That caused her to deny her love for Simon.

 

Simon Barrington is our hero and spymaster of this tale. He’s loved Sophie for years and when they marry, he means every word he pledges, but he realizes he must not let Sophie know. I enjoyed his emotional struggle.

 

The romance between Sophie and Simon is strong, and I wanted them to find their happy ending. However, this novel is not supposed to be a romance, but historical fiction with plenty of espionage and suspense. For me that fell short until the last quarter of the book. I’m a true lover of history and have become entranced with WWII novels, so I’m surprised I didn’t become drawn into that aspect of the book. 

 

If you enjoy well-researched historical fiction set in the aftermath of WWII as the allies race to stop Russia from increasing their stranglehold on Europe, then The Mozart Code may be the book for you. Happy reading!

 

Author Bio:

Rachel McMillan is the author of The Herringford and Watts mysteries, The Van Buren and DeLuca mysteries, The Three Quarter Time series, The London Restoration and The Mozart Code. Her non-fiction works including Dream Plan Go: A Travel Guide for Independent Adventure and A Very Merry Holiday Movie Guide. Rachel lives in Toronto, Canada and is always reading.

 

Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachkmc1

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rachkmc

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/rachel-mcmillan

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14165949.Rachel_McMillan

 

Book Review with Featured Author: A Reckless Match by Kate Bateman

A Reckless Match by Kate Bateman

 

Publisher & Release: St. Martin’s Press, September 28, 2021

Setting:  Regency England

Genre: Historical Romance

Length: 336 Pages

Heat Level: 1 Flame

Rating: 4 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

The first in a new regency romance series about two feuding families and reunited childhood enemies whose hatred turns to love.

Maddie Montgomery's family is in debt, and her hope rests on the rival Davies clan missing their yearly “pledge of goodwill,” ceding the land that separates their estates. With Maddie's teenage nemesis, Gryffud “Gryff” Davies, Earl of Powys, away, hope is in reach.

But then, Gryff shows up and is stunned that the tomboy he once teased is now a woman. When Gryff and Maddie discover contraband on their land, they realize it can benefit both families. But they've also uncovered a dangerous plot, and they need to work together to get out alive. Soon, their hatred for each other starts to feel more like attraction.

Kate Bateman brings crackling banter, steamy romance, and a dash of adventure into the first book in the Ruthless Rivals series.

 

Buy Links:

 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Reckless-Match-Ruthless-Rivals-Book-ebook/dp/B08R2JJ2P4

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-reckless-match-kate-bateman/1138462046

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-reckless-match

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Kate_Bateman_A_Reckless_Match?id=sSYQEAAAQBAJ

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/A-Reckless-Match-Audiobook/1705039758?qid=1632667294&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf_rd_r=DHCT5PC948B32FYWHHHT

 

Add to Goodreads & BookBub:

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56269023-a-reckless-match

BoobBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/a-reckless-match-by-kate-bateman

 

Vikki’s Musings

 

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the complimentary digital copy of A Reckless Match by Kate Bateman. I have voluntarily agreed to read and review this book prior to publication. My opinions are my own, and nothing has influenced my rating.

 

A Reckless Match is a well written Regency novel with endearing characters. The setting put me in the era of the Regency period. The pacing of this tale didn’t keep my attention though, until I was well into the story, which is unfortunate.

 

Maddie Montgomery is the heroine, and her determination to save her family appealed to me. While the last thing she wants to do is wed the disgusting old lecher, she will do it if she can’t find a way to get the funds to meet her father’s debts. I could feel her emotions going from hope that a Davies would not appear, and her despair when the Earl of Powyes shows up.

 

Gryff Davies is the hero, and he’s a bit dashing and debonaire. The evidence he doesn’t detest Maddie is obvious when she sees the scarf she’d lost as a young girl. The feud between the families is not strong enough to keep their attraction from surfacing whenever the pair are together.

 

The romance between Maddie and Gryff is delightful with sexual tension abounding between the pair. I enjoyed watching them fight the forbidden attraction. I wanted the couple to find a way to be together.

 

This is what didn’t work for me. As I mentioned previously, the pacing took me until I reached the middle of the story. If I hadn’t agreed to read the complimentary copy, I would have given up and not finished the book. However, I’m glad I did because the second half picked up dramatically and pulled into the characters and the plot.

 

If you enjoy historical romances set in the Regency period with engaging characters, I encourage you to hang in there, because as the story progresses, you’ll fall in love with the hero and heroine. I look forward to reading the next book in this series. Happy reading!

 

Author Bio:

 

Kate Bateman, (also writing as K. C. Bateman), is the #1 bestselling author of Regency, Victorian, and Renaissance historical romances. All her books feature her favorite feisty, intelligent heroines, (badasses in bodices!) wickedly inappropriate banter, and sexy, snarky heroes you want to both strangle and kiss...

Her Renaissance romp, The Devil To Pay, was a 2019 RITA® Finalist for Historical Romance. 

Kate wrote her first historical romance in response to a $1 bet with her husband who rashly claimed she'd 'never finish the thing.' She gleefully proved him wrong. When not traveling to exotic locations 'for research', she leads a not-so-secret double life as a fine art appraiser and on-screen antiques expert for several TV shows in the UK, each of which has up to 2.5 million viewers. She splits her time between Illinois and her native England, and writes despite three inexhaustible children /monsters and a number-loving husband who still owes her that dollar.

 

Social Media:

Website: https://www.kcbateman.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/katebateman

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

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kcbateman1/_saved/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kate-bateman-d2c2c72e-b329-4ed9-afa8-dbe5b9a2291c

Goodreads: https://smile.amazon.com/Kate-Bateman/e/B07XBTRNBT?ref_=dbs_p_ebk_r00_abau_000000

 

 

Book Review with Featured Author: The Secrets of Latimer House by Jules Wake

The Secrets of Latimer House 

by Jules Wake

 

Publisher & Release: One More Chapter, Harper Collins, August 30, 2021

Setting:  WWII 1943, England

Genre: Historical Fiction

Length:  Full Length

Rating: 3.5 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

In the war against Hitler every secret counts…

 

Society heiress Evelyn Brooke-Edwards is a skilled interrogator – her beauty making her a non-threat in the eyes of the prisoners.

Farm girl Betty Connors may not be able to type as she claimed, but her crack analytical skills soon find her unearthing covert connections.

German ex-pat Judith Stern never expected to find herself listening in to German POW’s whispered conversations, but the Nazis took her father from her so she will do whatever it takes to help the Allies end this war.

Billeted together in the attic of Latimer House – a place where secrets abound – Evelyn, Betty and Judith soon form a bond of friendship that carries them through the war. Because nothing is stronger than women united.

Tucked away in the Buckinghamshire countryside, Latimer House, a grand country estate, stands proudly – a witness to some of greatest secrets of WW2.

Used by the SOE to hold Nazi prisoners of war, this stunning historical novel is inspired by the untold story of the secret listeners of ‘M Room’ who worked day and night to help the Allies win the war. A must-read for fans of Dinah Jefferies, Fiona Valpy, Elaine Everest, Jean Fullerton and Deborah Burrowes.

 

Buy Links:

 

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Secrets-Latimer-House-gripping-historical-ebook/dp/B093D2DCJ7

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-secrets-of-latimer-house-jules-wake/1139348297

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-secrets-of-latimer-house

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Jules_Wake_The_Secrets_of_Latimer_House?id=qAkrEAAAQBAJ

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Secrets-of-Latimer-House-Audiobook/B09DGNX2PW?qid=1630325006&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf_rd_r=GV9V35GFCMG55SX1864Y

 

 

Add to Goodreads & BookBub:

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58181149-the-secrets-of-latimer-house

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-secrets-of-latimer-house-by-jules-wake

 

Vikki’s Musings

 

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the complimentary digital copy of The Secrets of Latimer House by Jules Wake. I voluntarily agreed to read and review this novel prior to publication. My opinions are my own, and nothing has influenced my rating.

 

The Secrets of Latimer House is a well written novel, and the central theme is based in part on a true historical fact regarding the “M Room”, and I enjoyed that. However, the execution of this was a bit superficial. The basis of the story is the friendship between three young women and how the war affected them with a great deal of emphasis on their love life.

 

Whenever multiple characters are primary, the depth of them is less than what is found in most novels, whether they are historical fiction or romance. It becomes a bit convoluted to follow multiple characters. It helped that the three women come from vastly different backgrounds.

 

While I enjoyed the romantic elements involving the three women, there wasn’t as much heart pounding action I’ve come to expect in most of the WWII novels I read, and I’ve read quite a few of them this year.

 

If you enjoy historical fiction set during WWII with engaging characters and an interesting plot, then you will like The Secrets of Latimer House. This is the first book I’ve read by Ms. Wake, and from what I can tell, her other works are romances, which explains why this novel leans heavily on that aspect of the story. I love romance, but the book description is a bit misleading since it focuses on the women and their work at Latimer House. Nonetheless, this was an enjoyable read, and I will check out the author’s other books. Several of the book descriptions sound delightful. Happy reading!

 

Author Bio:

 

Jules Wake's earliest known declaration that she planned to be a writer came at the age of ten. Along the way she was diverted by the glamorous world of PR and worked on many luxury brands, taking journalists on press trips to awful places like Turin, Milan, Geneva, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam and occasionally losing the odd member of the press in an airport. It gave her the opportunity to eat amazing food, drink free alcohol as well as providing opportunities to hone her writing skills on press releases and to research European cities for her books.

Eventually the voices in her head persuaded her it was time to sit down and write the novel she'd always talked about. Her debut novel in 2014, was quickly followed by the bestselling From Italy With Love, published by One More Chapter, HarperCollins, which reached number 1 in the Amazon Kindle charts. 

 

Social Media:

Website: http://juleswake.co.uk/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jules.wake

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Juleswake

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

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/juleswake/_saved/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jules-wake

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7289627.Jules_Wake

 

Book Review with Featured Author: Devil in Disguise by Lisa Leypas

Devil in Disguise by Lisa Kleypas

 

Publisher & Release: Avon, July 27, 2021

Setting:  1880, London

Genre: Historical Romance

Length: 379 Pages

Heat Level: 2 Flames

Rating: 3.5 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

New York Times bestseller Lisa Kleypas returns with an enthralling and steamy romance between a Scot with a mysterious past and strong-willed lady looking for adventure—and love. 

“The devil never tries to make people do the wrong thing by scaring them. He does it by tempting them.”

Lady Merritt Sterling, a strong-willed beauty who runs a shipping company, knows London society is dying to catch her in a scandal. So far, she’s been too smart to provide them with one. But then she meets Keir MacRae, a rough-and-rugged Scottish whisky distiller, and all her sensible plans vanish like smoke. They couldn’t be more different, but their attraction is powerful, raw and irresistible.

From the moment Keir MacRae arrives in London, he has two goals. One: don’t fall in love with the dazzling Lady Merritt Sterling. Two: avoid being killed.

So far, neither of those is going well.

Keir doesn’t know why someone wants him dead until fate reveals the secret of his mysterious past. His world is thrown into upheaval, and the only one he trusts is Merritt.

Their passion blazes with an intensity Merritt has never known before, making her long for the one thing she can’t have from Keir MacRae: forever. As danger draws closer, she’ll do whatever it takes to save the man she loves . . . even knowing he might be the devil in disguise.

 

Buy Links:

 

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Devil-Disguise-Lisa-Kleypas-ebook/dp/B08LQ3PBNS

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/devil-in-disguise-lisa-kleypas/1137971654

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/devil-in-disguise-9

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Lisa_Kleypas_Devil_in_Disguise?id=prcEEAAAQBAJ

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Devil-in-Disguise-Audiobook/0063093162?qid=1628452138&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf_rd_r=3DZPWEVKHFVYD2CKPPV0

 

Add to Goodreads & BookBub:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51178326-devil-in-disguise?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=WUL7QH3muP&rank=2

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/devil-in-disguise-by-lisa-kleypas

 

Vikki’s Musings

 

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the complimentary digital copy of Devil in Disguise. I voluntarily agreed to read and review this book. My opinions are my own, and nothing has influenced my rating.

 

Devil in Disguise is a well written historical romance with engaging characters and a unique plot. The pacing pulled me in from the first page and held my attention to the last. This one is a bit light on the historical aspect, but it didn’t lessen my enjoyment.

 

Lady Merritt is the heroine, and she’s a very determined, strong-minded woman and runs her late husband’s shipping company with a firm hand. I liked her character and enjoyed her interactions with others.

 

Keir MacRae is the hero, and his honor and integrity is impressive. The mystery surrounding who wants him dead pulled me in, but alas it fizzled and didn’t end up nearly as exciting as I had anticipated.

 

Now about the romance. While I believe in love at first sight, this went too fast for me. The instant jump into bed just didn’t work for me. There was no sexual tension build up which is an aspect of historical romance I love. The sexual scenes are too focused on the physical rather than the emotions of the characters.

 

If you enjoy historical romance that have a lot of spice and graphic sexual scenes, then Devil in Disguise may work better for you than it did for me. It may all be on me because my reading preferences have changed over the last eighteen months. Happy reading!

 

Author Bio:

Lisa Kleypas is the author of a number of historical romance novels that have been published in fourteen languages. In 1985, she was named Miss Massachusetts and competed in the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City. After graduating from Wellesley College with a political science degree, she published her first novel at age twenty-one. Her books have appeared on the New York Times bestseller lists. Lisa is married and has two children.

 

Social Media:

Website: https://lisakleypas.com/

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

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

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lisa-kleypas

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/27847.Lisa_Kleypas

 

Book Review with Featured Author: How to Train Your Earl by Amelia Grey

How to Train Your Earl by Amelia Grey

 

Publisher & Release: St. Martin’s Press, April 27, 2021

Setting:  Regency London

Genre: Historical Romance

Length: 350 Pages

Heat Level: 1 Flame

Rating: 3.5 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

A roguish earl must fight using his honor and not his sword to win his lady’s hand in How To Train Your Earl, the third book in the First Comes Love trilogy from bestseller Amelia Grey.

Brina Feld has settled into a life devoted to helping others since the sinking of the Salty Dove left her widowed. She has no need for a man in her contented life. But when the notorious and handsome Lord Blacknight returns and awakens her desires, her peace and serenity vanish. If she agrees to an alliance with him, she knows she will have to battle her heart to keep from being snared under his spell.

Zane, the Earl of Blacknight, was never supposed to inherit the earldom, so he didn’t much care to lead a respectable life before then. Fistfights, card games, and drinking are the order of the day. Now he’s determined to change his rakish ways and he knows the proper lady who can help him. There’s just one problem: He's already bet he’ll win her hand before the Season is over. With her resolve to out-scheme him, how can he show her that his love is true?

 

Buy Links:

 

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Train-Your-Earl-First-Comes-ebook/dp/B08FZ8GV47

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-to-train-your-earl-amelia-grey

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/how-to-train-your-earl

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Amelia_Grey_How_To_Train_Your_Earl?id=tcz3DwAAQBAJ

 

Add to Goodreads & BookBub:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55217151-how-to-train-your-earl

BoobBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/how-to-train-your-earl-by-amelia-grey

 

Vikki’s Musings

 

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the complimentary electronic copy of How to Train Your Earl by Amelia Grey. I voluntarily agreed to read and review this book prior to publication. My opinions are my own and nothing has influenced my rating.

 

How to Train Your Earl is set in Regency London, and it’s an opposite attracts romance. While the characters are likable, I struggled with the pacing of the tale. The opening scene was fantastic, so I had high hopes for this book, and the ending is satisfying, but it has a bit of a sagging middle.

 

Brina Feld is the heroine, and her character is very charitable. She does not want to remarry and for a good bit of the book, it’s kept a secret. When I learned what she was hiding, it was a bit of a disappointment. I have mixed feelings concerning her character. While her desire to help others, especially the young fatherless girls, is admirable, it’s because she holds such guilt. Not because she has a true giving heart.

 

Zane is the hero, and he’s the typical Regency wealthy aristocrat. He never expected to inherit the earldom, so he had lived a carefree existence. I do believe he accepted the responsibilities well, but his uncles were unreasonable.  I liked Zane a great deal which helped me enjoy the story enough to continue to read.

 

Now about the romance. I did not sense any chemistry between Brina and Zane. They really didn’t seem to fit together. One of the aspects I love most in Regency romances is the sexual tension that builds between the couple. That is missing in this tale.

 

If you enjoy historical romances on the mild side with engaging characters and an intriguing plot, then How to Train Your Earl may be an excellent choice for you. While I didn’t fall in love with this novel, I have enjoyed other books by Ms. Grey, including Gone with the Rogue which I adored, so I will certainly look at future books by Ms. Grey. Happy reading!

 

Author Bio:

 

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Amelia Grey read her first romance book when she was thirteen. She's been a devoted reader of love stories ever since.

Amelia has been happily married to her high school sweetheart for over thirty-five years and she lives on the beautiful gulf coast of Northwest Florida.

With more than twenty-five books published, she is a two-time winner of the prestigious Booksellers Best Award. She's also won the Aspen Gold, and the Golden Quill Awards. Writing as Gloria Dale Skinner, she won the coveted Romantic Times Award for Love and Laughter and the Maggie Award. Amelia's books have been published in Europe, Indonesia, Turkey, Russia, and Japan.

 

Social Media:

Website: https://www.ameliagrey.com/

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

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/amelia-grey

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/491465.Amelia_Grey

 

Book Review with Featured Author: Ground Sweet as Sugar by Catherine C. Heywood

Ground Sweet as Sugar 

by Catherine C. Heywood

 

 

Publisher & Release: Marals Media, January 19, 2021

Setting:  Late 18^th century, Ireland and West Indies

Genre: Historical Romance

Length: 390 Pages

Heat Level: 3 Flames

Rating: 3.5 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

The unforgettable coming-of-age saga of one girl’s fight for her freedom, her country, and her heart…

1797: After a century of clarifying oppression, Ireland seethes on the brink of rebellion. It waits on one violent tremor—the execution of a seventeen-year-old girl. All Charlotte Dillon wants is to escape. When she slips her fate, she discovers her future lies in the hands of James Blair, a sugar planter with deep ties to her enemies.

Bound to James for seven years, Charlotte must find a way to conceal her true identity and crime, even as they set sail for the West Indies, even as they confront the limits of their endurance, even as they fall in love.

Meanwhile, an ocean away, a rebellion is unfolding and a mystery unraveling that threaten the tender sweetness growing between them. And when the fight comes to her, Charlotte finds herself torn between her cause and her heart.

Sweeping from Ireland’s bleeding battlefields to St. Croix’s burning sugarcane fields, Ground Sweet as Sugar is Book I in an epic saga of power, punishment, and undying love.

 

Buy Links:

 

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Ground-Sweet-Sugar-Catherine-Heywood-ebook/dp/B08NL9PKV4

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ground-sweet-as-sugar-catherine-c-heywood/1138274827

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/ground-sweet-as-sugar

 

Add to Goodreads & BookBub:

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56124632-ground-sweet-as-sugar

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/ground-sweet-as-sugar-by-catherine-c-heywood

 

Vikki’s Musings

 

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the electronic copy of Ground Sweet as Sugar by Catherine Heywood. I voluntarily agreed to read and review this novel. My opinions are my own, and nothing has influenced my rating of this book.

 

In the opening scene of Ground Sweet as Sugar, a seventeen-year-old girl is living through the night before her death as a traitor. Circumstances gives her the chance to escape her punishment, and she becomes a bond servant to a West Indies planter. The action in this novel kept me engaged throughout the story, and I enjoyed that aspect of this adventurous tale. 

 

There were times I was pulled from the story because the author refers to the characters as the planter, the bond servant, the pirate, and that separated me from them. Once a reader knows who’s POV that is narrating, it would be less intrusive for the author to use a pronoun instead. This kept their POVs from becoming as deep as I prefer, so this influenced my rating. 

 

Charlotte Dillon is the heroine of this tale, and she certainly manages to get into a lot of trouble. Her journey is quite a rollercoaster ride, but she’s gutsy and determined, making her an interesting heroine. While I didn’t like some of Charlotte’s decisions, I did enjoy her character. She has several relationships with other male characters, and since this book ends on a cliff hanger, I’m not sure where those relationships are going.

 

I found the Irish rebellion history in this novel fascination, and Ms. Heywood has certainly done her research. This is an intricate part of the plot, so that that’s an important aspect. I also enjoyed the descriptive writing. At times, I became part of the scenes, which is always a benefit.

 

If you enjoy historical novels with plenty of suspense and adventure, then Ground Sweet as Sugar will be an exciting reading experience for you. While there’s much to enjoy in this tale, I don’t plan to read the sequel. Happy reading!

 

Author Bio:

 

Catherine C. Heywood is an Amazon bestselling author of romantic historical fiction novellas, and a former political communications consultant and speech writer.

Raised in Red Wing, Minnesota, she studied international politics at the University of Edinburgh and has degrees in politics, writing, and communications from the University of St. Thomas and Boston College.

She explored the law and improv before settling on storytelling. Her worst job was scraping year-old tobacco spit off a shoe factory wall. Her best is doing this.

She lives in Western Wisconsin with her husband and sons, and her interests include architecture and design, fashion and food.

 

Social Media:

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