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Dragon Lady by Autumn Bardot - Extract and blog Tour Today I'd like to invite you along on the Historical Fiction virtual Blog Tour for the hot and exciting Dragon Lady by Autumn Bardot. As I haven't yet managed to read this book I'm offering a free extract to tempt you to investigate further. I think you'll agree that Dragon Lady offers something sultry and exciting for readers of historical fiction set in exotic locations. Its a story based on a factual character, of a determined young woman and her struggle to succeed in a world where women are only valued for their bodies EXTRACT By the time the lookout sighted Donghai Island I was familiar with both Zheng Yi’s temperament and the ship’s layout. Man and boat were much the same. The iron-like strength of the main mast matched Zheng Yi’s unyielding and strong will. The watertight camphor and pine bulkheads were as impenetrable as Zheng Yi’s command, his leadership sealed by experience as a former Tâyson rebel leader. ...

Review - A Single Thread by Tracy Chevalier What makes this book a wonderfully enjoyable read is the authors' talent at taking subjects I have absolutely no interest in and weaving such a lovely story around them that I am absorbed and entranced throughout.  Her writing is outstanding and the book is a delight to read. It tells the story of a very ordinary young woman, Violet, who has had the misfortune to become one of the thousands of "surplus" women following World War One. In an era when a woman’s worth was measured by the quality of husband she could marry and at a time when men are extremely thin on the ground and eligible ones almost non-existent, there are a plethora of such unattached ladies, the archetypal spinster. Violet lives at home with her overbearing and crotchety Mother who neither appreciates nor values her daughter. Violet has known love, she is one of many women whose fiancé was killed in the war. Approaching early middle age her opportunities are few...

#TheLostDaughter by @SylviaBroady -  #Review and #BlogTour Today I'm part of the Blog Tour for the lovely engaging emotional read that is The Lost Daughter by Sylvia Broady and I'm thrilled to announce that it is available to purchase for the ridiculous sum of just 99p between 22nd and 29th August, now considering its a gorgeous book and you can't buy a cup of coffee for 99p these days, please read my review and let yourself be tempted. Amazon UK   - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Daughter-Sylvia-Broady-ebook/dp/B07F3KPN1J Amazon US - https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Daughter-Sylvia-Broady-ebook/dp/B07F3KPN1J   My Review To say I got swept along with this story is no exaggeration, I found it a completely immersive read, very easy to get involved with and just pure reading delight, pretty emotional throughout, by the end I had a soggy tear-soaked tissue in my hand. We first meet our main character, Alice, as she is running for her life as her big bully of a husband, tries to bea...

The Giver of Stars by JojoMoyes My Review Recently I was asked the question who is your go-to author? Whose books I'd read regardless of the subject and would know, without doubt, they were going to be completely satisfying. Well, my choice is Jojo Moyes - she gets it right EVERY SINGLE TIME. This woman is a genius and I adore her work. So I was doubly thrilled to find her newest book coming out soon (from my go-to publisher, to boot) and delighted to be able to read it before it's even released. It didn't disappoint in any way whatsoever. Jojo Moyes writing is the epitome of top quality women's fiction and like her previous novels which have included the highly acclaimed Me Before You, The Giver of Stars cast me under its spell as soon as I turned the first page. It ticks ALL my boxes. In this historical setting, I discovered some wonderful characters to keep in my heart forever and some loathsome ones which infuriated me. From the stifled mundane existence of middle E...

Today I have a wonderful guest to welcome to Beadyjans books - Chloe Helton author of several exciting historical novels and this post is about her latest book The Red Pearl. The cover is just beautiful and the storyline sounds amazing, just my cup of tea, I'm sad I just haven't been able to fit it in to my reading schedule yet, but after having read this extract which the author has generously shared I'm even more keen to read it. I'll hand over to Chloe Now..... Thank you, Janet, for allowing me to share The Red Pearl with your readers! If you’re hoping to finish off your summer with a crackling, suspenseful read, take a peek at an excerpt of The Red Pearl. You’ll find a marriage on the rocks, a little bit of lost love, the trials of wartime, and the main event -- espionage. During the American Revolution, a meek innkeeper’s wife becomes privy to some explosive secrets. Read more below! And if you want the rest of the book, you can visit my website or find it on Amazo...

The Daughters of Ironbridge - Mollie Walton - My Review My thoughts: The Daughters of Ironbridge is an already well-known authors diversification into historical saga's under a new pseudonym and as expected she adapts to this style of writing extremely well.  This is women's fiction which will appeal to fans of authors such as Diney Costelloe and Katie Flynn, which explores aspects of friendship and life on both sides of the class division of the early 19th century The story begins when an uncommon friendship springs up between two young women from very different backgrounds. Working class Anny, daughter of an ironworker is thrown in the path of wealthy Margaret and surprisingly, against all odds the girls soon become staunch allies.  Despite their huge lifestyle differences the girls find a lot in common and soon decide to band together as a force to be reckoned with. Strong feisty women, a great historical setting in an inimitable location in Shropshire combine to make this ...

The Catherine Howard Conspiracy by Alexandra Walsh Blog Tour & extract Please join me today on the Blog Tour for The Catherine Howard Conspiracy by Alexandra Walsh. Published by Sapere Books it is an exciting historical novel which is inspired by the Women of the Tudor Court and is part one of The Marquess House trilogy which sounds amazing and fab for anyone enthralled by Tudor history. I have a free extract for you to read and enjoy before you rush out and buy the book. I'm not kidding it makes me want to read on and I just long to lounge around on a sunny beach reading this. Extract Chapter One Catherine shivered as she waited. The corridor in Whitehall Palace was a thoroughfare bustling with people, but it was draughty and the icy wind cut across it like a shining blade. She hugged her new shawl more tightly around her, glad of its warmth. As she did, she admired the soft leather gloves her uncle had given her as a gift before she left home. “Soft gloves to protect your sof...

Blog Tour Son of The Moon by Jennifer MacAire Today I am welcoming author Jennifer MacAire to Beadyjans Books for the BlogBlitz Tour of her latest historical novel Son of the Moon. I have an  Excerpt from Son of the Moon by Jennifer Macaire Can you face the consequences of cheating the Fates? Alexander the Great journeys to India, where he and Ashley are welcomed with feasts and treachery. With their son, Paul, being worshipped as the Son of the Moon, and Alexander’s looming death, Ashley considers the unthinkable: how to save them and whether she dares to cheat Fate? Excerpt:  Alexander found many men willing to marry and stay in Taxila with the king. The city would become the biggest center of Hellenic culture in India. Greek would be spoken there for centuries. It would become one of the greatest exchanges between east and west. Taxile didn’t know this, of course, but he seemed thrilled to meet Alexander. He wouldn’t stop rubbing his hands together and beaming.  He w...

A Dangerous Act of Kindness by L P Fergusson My Review A thought provoking and harrowing Wartime Romance which packs quite a punch. Set during the Second World War in the UK I wholeheartedly enjoyed reading it. The lead character Millie is a young widow left alone to manage her husbands farm and battle daily with guilt and shame over the manner of his death. Aided mainly by a helpful landgirl whom she also regards as a friend, her loyal dog Gyp and occasionally by the young farmer Hugh, a friend of her late husband who secretly carries a torch for Millie. Life is hard on this rural farm and her working days are long, but when she hears about a nearby German plane crashing she never imagines she will find an injured German Luftwaffe pilot on her own farm, hiding in a barn which already holds horrific memories for Millie. She is drawn to this enigmatic and strangely gentle fighter pilot and a moments decision to help him will lead to repercussions she could never have forecast. It’s not ...

The Oceans Between Us Blog Tour and my Review Today it's my absolute privilege to be part of the Blog Tour for the lovely new historical fiction title The Oceans Between us by Gill Thompson. My thanks go to Random things Tours and the publisher Headline books for inviting me along. My Review As soon as I received my copy to review I dived in and couldn't put it down. This book has that absorbing quality which lets you immerse yourself into the story quickly and deeply. The Oceans Between us is a heartbreaking drama based on the true and shocking events of the children sent to Australia in the aftermath of world war 2. This book begins at the height of the London Blitz as bombs fall all around, families head for air raid shelters and lives are ripped apart. It tells the story of young Jack who is separated from his beloved mother during the blitz in London and finds himself in an orphanage waiting and hoping for his Ma to come and claim him. But he is offered the “opportunity” ...