Shining a bright New Release Book Spotlight on Lake of Widows by Liza Perrat #HistoricalFiction #DualTimeline #WomensFiction #RecommendedReading

Lake of Widows

The Women of the Lake, Book #2

by Liza Perrat

Three women. One shared struggle. Can they survive?

1970. When Adrienne Chevalier’s perfect life in a chic quartier of Lyon unravels, she flees to rural Sainte-Marie-du-Lac to escape her controlling husband, Emile.

Taking refuge at the idyllic L’Auberge de Léa, Adrienne befriends Blanche Larue, who is herself trapped by her husband’s infidelity. Adrienne begins to understand the subtle strictures that keep women chained across generations.

But to what diabolical lengths will Emile go to reclaim his wife?

And can Blanche find the courage to choose truth over appearances?

1914. Suzanne Rossignol bids farewell to her beloved husband as he marches off to war. Through Suzanne’s journal entries, Adrienne discovers that the damaged soldier who returns from the trenches is a stranger, leaving Suzanne to navigate a home-front battlefield.

Join Adrienne, Blanche and Suzanne on their emotional journeys amidst the tranquil French countryside as they fight to escape the shackles of tradition and abuse. Their stories, bridging half a century, are bound by a timeless struggle.

A heart-wrenching blend of historical and women’s fiction, Lake of Widows explores the complexities of marriage, family secrets and self-discovery in 20th-century France.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Hannah and Kelly Rimmer.

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Liza Perrat

Liza grew up in Wollongong, Australia, where she worked as a general nurse and midwife.

After meeting her French husband on a bus in Bangkok in 1988 and, three children and many pets later, she has now been living in a rural village in France for thirty years.

She works part-time as a medical translator, and editor, and as a novelist.

For newsletter signups, Liza offers her award-winning short story collection for free: Friends and Other Strangers: https://books2read.com/u/mleND9

Connect with Liza:
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Book of the Week: A Mystery of Murder by Helen Hollick #MurderMystery #CosyCrime #Whodunit #RecommendedReading

A Mystery of Murder

Jan Christopher Mysteries, Book #2

by Helen Hollick

Will the discovery of a murder spoil Christmas for Jan Christopher and her boyfriend DS Laurie Walker – or will it bring them closer together?

Library Assistant Jan Christopher is to spend Christmas in Devon with her boyfriend, DS Laurie Walker and his family, but when a murder is discovered, followed by a not very accidental accident, the traditional Christmas spirit is somewhat marred...What happened to Laurie’s ex-girlfriend? Where is the vicar’s wife? Who took those old photographs? And will the farmer up the lane ever mend those broken fences?

Set in 1971, this is the second Jan Christopher Cosy Mystery. Join her (and an owl and a teddy bear) in Devon for a Christmas to remember.

Praise for A Mystery of Murder:

"Oh, if ever there was a book written just for me! There are some books that you read, and you smile with glee as you do so. There is something about reading a book where it is so obviously clear that the author lives in England that makes it magical... I have been to Devon and it is so incredibly easy to imagine the house that Alf and Elsie live in, as well as the village – I almost felt like I was in this book, and I absolutely fell in love with the characters…"

~ Oh look, another book!, book blogger

"When something is so well written that you think you really are back in the 1970s, you know you’re in the hands of a skilful practitioner."

~ Alison Morton, bestselling author of the Roma Nova series

"A laid back sort of novel, the kind that you can relax while reading, and simply let the story happen. This author has a particularly unique style of writing... this book wasn’t simply a story, but an experience. You almost have the feeling that the author is reading the book to you, and is adding in her own little quips every now and again. I loved every second... The whole mystery is well thought out... utterly amazing!"

~ I got lost in a Book, book blogger

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Shining a bright Book Spotlight on Madeline's Boy by Sara Powter #HistoricalFiction #ChristianHistoricalRomance #RecommendedReading

Madeline’s Boy

Convict Birthstain Collection

by Sara Powter

England 1830s to New South Wales 1840

The race to protect an orphaned Boy

All is not straightforward when money and titles are involved.

Orphaned, afraid and on the run, Chip must Flee.

Madeline was his mother’s best friend. Maddie now needs to keep her charge safe and alive. She must give up her life to protect the boy she has loved since birth.

Months after Chip’s parents’ demise, Maddie sets out to deliver Chip to his Uncle Humphrey, who lives in Sydney. Through him, she meets Chip's friend Tim, who falls for Maddie— but will they find happiness?

The menacing presence soon finds Chip, and Maddie needs to hide him again. They are moved from hidden farms to secret valleys, ending up in an aboriginal encampment.

Can Tim find a way to be with Maddie? And if so… Will Chip ever be safe?

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Sara Powter

Sara Powter lives on the NSW Central Coast. Her childhood was spent with her parents, mainly travelling up and down the East Coast of Australia, fishing, shell collecting, and doing some of her education through correspondence schooling. With a passion for science, she worked as a Scientific Assistant in the Entomology Department of the Department of Agriculture. She married Stephen soon after leaving there, and they spent 30 years in Ministry in the Newcastle Anglican Diocese in NSW, only retiring at the end of 2020.

When ‘Covid 19’ hit, time was available to pen some of the stories she’d wanted to write for some time. Within twelve months, eight stories were finished, and ideas for more were coming (after four years, she had recently completed her twenty-eighth book). These stem from her passion for Colonial Australia, her convict ancestors, and the fantastic country’s remarkable history!

Sara wrote these as she wished to complete one of her mother’s unfinished manuscripts. The series prequel, “Dancing to Her Own Tune,” is now completed and ties in Sheila Hunter’s Australian Trilogy with Sara’s Lockley series and many others. All are Clean Australian Historical Fiction.

But… Watch for more in The Hunter to Macquarie Collection and The Convict Birthstain Collection.

Connect with Sara:
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Book of the Month: An Adventurer's Contract by Penny Hampson #HistoricalRomance #RegencyRomance #RomanticAdventure #RecommendedReading

An Adventurer’s Contract

Gentlemen Series, Book #4

by Penny Hampson

A man on the hunt for a traitor. A woman in search of the truth.

Gabrielle Mercer is in trouble. Her cousin is missing, her father’s death looks like murder, and now there are rumours she is spying for the French. With no one to turn to, dare she accept help from a man she doesn’t like? 

Jack Ashdown is on a mission to unmask a ruthless spy. Could it be the reclusive young Frenchwoman who has made no secret of her contempt for Englishmen like himself? Perhaps Gabrielle’s predicament will be the perfect opportunity to win her trust and do some spying of his own.

Getting close to one’s enemy is a dangerous option, but the stakes for Jack and Gabrielle are too high to ignore. Will their gamble to trust one another lead to disaster, or will they discover that neither of them is what they seem? 

Praise for An Adventurer's Contract:

"From start to finish, An Adventurer’s Contract by Penny Hampson is an electrifying tale that holds the reader’s attention throughout. This book is so captivating that once readers start, they won’t be able to stop until they have turned the last page. It is in all ways a complete success and one I highly recommend."

~ Mary Anne Yarde, Yarde Reviews & Book Promotion

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Penny Hampson

Penny Hampson loves mysteries; that’s why there is always a mystery at the core of each of her Regency novels. She aims to give readers an enjoyable slice of romantic escapism, but one that is firmly anchored in the realities of the Regency period.

Research rabbit holes are an occupational hazard for Penny because she can’t resist checking every historical detail destined for her stories. Much of this research finds its way onto her blog.

You’re likely to find her strolling around Bath’s Regency crescents, the quaysides of Falmouth in Cornwall, or the historic cobbled alleyways of Oxford and London; these are Penny’s favourite places and the settings for her stories. 

Penny lives with her family in Oxfordshire, and when she is not writing, she enjoys reading, walking, swimming, and the odd gin and tonic (not all at the same time).

Connect with Penny:

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