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MY REVIEW
Omg this was brilliant. I bet you never thought I would say such a thing about this book. I drifted so far from my thrillers that I found myself in an historical fiction during the Restoration period. And I loved it. This was the main character Alethea journey back to her father’s house, the Measham Hall.
A debut by author Anna Abney, it was a fictional story but about her own ancestors. Alethea was quite unlike anyone I knew in my thrillers. She had her own mind and wishes and quite a quick wit in difficult situations.
I loved how the author portrayed her realistically, making mistakes, yet finding a way out. I never believed that I could find my heart bleeding when she was sad, so involved I was in her story that I read the book from midnight to 4am. Alethea was so worth losing my sleep over.
The beginning was slow but once I found the rhythm of the story I walked alongside Alethea as after being set adrift, she walked back to her father’s house, the Measham Hall. I loved the play of words in tbe title.
The entire book was so well written that it was obvious massive amount of research had gone into this. I was quite immersed in the main character’s life as she traversed the difficult pathway of her life. I loved how the author could pull me into the story. I was actually shocked to discover, rather rediscover my love for historical fiction.
I would say a must read for fans of this genre. You wouldn’t help falling in love with Alethea and author Anna Abney.
P. S. The situations in this book was also quite close to what was happening in the world today. But the author kept it to a tangent.
MY RATING
BOOK LINKS
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BOOK BLURB
1665. It is five years since King Charles II returned from exile, the scars of the English Civil Wars are yet to heal and now the Great Plague engulfs the land. Alethea Hawthorne is safe inside the walls of the Calverton household as a companion to their daughter. She waits in anticipation of her brother William’s pardon for killing a man in a duel before they can both return to their ancestral home in Measham Hall.
But when Alethea suddenly finds herself cast out on the streets of London, a long road to Derbyshire lies ahead of her. Militias have closed their boroughs off to outsiders for fear of contamination. Fortune smiles on her when Jack appears, an unlikely travelling companion who helps this determined country girl to navigate a perilous new world of religious dissenters, charlatans and a pestilence that afflicts peasants and lords alike.
BOOK DETAILS
Publication Date: July 2021
I received an ARC from the author, and this is my journey down its pages, straight from the heart. STRICTLY HONEST and UNBIASED.
All my reviews can be found here.
5 Responses
I must have a look at this book. Thanks for the review. Historical fiction seems to be having a day in the sun at the moment.
Yay…glad u enjoyed it Shalini 👍
I am stunned, shocked, and stupified that you even picked this book up as it is not a genre I’ve noticed you read before. Good on you girlie!
Based on your review, I have requested this one. My most recent historical fiction novels have been about a real character. It is hard to flesh those out, keep true to the character, while making the book exciting. I think this book might be more enjoyable.
I enjoyed it quite a lot Linda. Even though it is not a genre I have ventured into in recent years but I liked the journey the main character went on