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Innocent Traitor

BONUS: This edition contains an

ISBN 0345494857
(ISBN:13 9780345494856)

excerpt from Alison Weir's Mary Boleyn.

I am now a condemned traitor . . . I am to die when I have hardly begun to live.

Historical expertise marries page-turning fiction in Alison Weir’s enthralling debut novel, breathing new life into one of the most significant and tumultuous periods of the English monarchy. It is the story of Lady Jane Grey–“the Nine Days’ Queen” –a fifteen-year-old girl who unwittingly finds herself at the center of the religious and civil unrest that nearly toppled the fabled House of Tudor during the sixteenth century.

The child of a scheming father and a ruthless mother, for whom she is merely a pawn in a dynastic game with the highest stakes, Jane Grey was born during the harrowingly turbulent period between Anne Boleyn’s beheading and the demise of Jane’s infamous great-uncle, King Henry VIII. With the premature passing of Jane’ s adolescent cousin, and Henry’s successor, King Edward VI, comes a struggle for supremacy fueled by political machinations and lethal religious fervor.

Unabashedly honest and exceptionally intelligent, Jane possesses a sound strength of character beyond her years that equips her to weather the vicious storm. And though she has no ambitions to rule, preferring to immerse herself in books and religious studies, she is forced to accept the crown, and by so doing sets off a firestorm of intrigue, betrayal, and tragedy.

Alison Weir uses her unmatched skills as a historian to enliven the many dynamic characters of this majestic drama. Along with Lady Jane Grey, Weir vividly renders her devious parents; her much-loved nanny; the benevolent Queen Katherine Parr; Jane’s ambitious cousins; the Catholic “Bloody” Mary, who will stop at nothing to seize the throne; and the Protestant and future queen Elizabeth. Readers venture inside royal drawing rooms and bedchambers to witness the power-grabbing that swirls around Lady Jane Grey from the day of her birth to her unbearably poignant death. Innocent Traitor paints a complete and compelling portrait of this captivating young woman, a faithful servant of God whose short reign and brief life would make her a legend.

402 pages

Published, February 27th 2007

(Ballantine Books)

Warning: there are some scenes of child abuse. Please seek professional help if you or someone you know has been in a similar situation.

First Impression

set in 1st person Innocent Traitor begins with a small prologue set on 14th November 1553, after trial of lady Jane Grey as are an in the quote, 'My palace is now My prison '.

From here it leads to Leicestershire 1537, with the viewpoint of Frances Brandon, the Marchioness of Dorset, Jane's mother, who after 2 previous still births gives birth to a daughter "healthy and vigorous". 

Both Frances and Henry are referred to as being ambitious, and greatly disappointed that she is a girl, after wanting a son.

My Rating ⭐

For me Innocent Traitor was a slow paces account based on the viewpoints of different women surrounding Jane Grey instead of giving her a strong voice Jane's character got lost behind other characters. 

I decided to DNF on page 49, after reading the Innocent Traitor seemed to bed together and dragged on. From Jane's births it moved to Jane Seymour give birth which is irrelevant and pointless in a book that is supposed to be about Jane Grey. I was also found reading about how Jane was treated from 3 very distressing.

Quotes

Whispers Beyond the Veil, #1

First in a dazzling new

ISBN 0425281604
(ISBN13: 978042581604)

historical mystery series featuring Ruby Proulx, a psychic with a questionable past who suddenly found her future uncertain...
Canada, 1898. The only life that Ruby Proulx has ever known is that of a nomad, travelling across the country with her snake-oil salesman father. She dreams of taking root somewhere, someday, but, until she can, she makes her way reading tarot cards. Yet she never imagined her own life would take such a turn...

After one of her father's medical "miracles" goes deadly wrong, Ruby evades authorities by hiding in th seaside resort town of Old Orchard, Maine, where her strange Aunt Honoria owns the Hotel Belden, a unique resistance that caters to spiritualists - a place where Ruby can keep her dark secret hidden.

But Ruby's plan begins to crumble after a psychic investigator checks into the hotel and senses Ruby is hiding more than she's letting on. Now Ruby must do what she can to escape both his attention and Aunt Honoria's insistence that should has a true gift, before she loses her precious new home and her family forever...

Pages 340

Published September 6th 2016

(Berkley Books)

First Impression

I feel sorry for Ruby, she has to put up with a overbearing father who seems to be more focused on scamming desperate people out of money and "investing" it on another scheme.

Warren Yancey, known as "Yancey" is a police officer at Old Orchard, he is driven to do the right thing in the line of his work especially when "pickpockets had flown into town like a red tide".

My Rating ⭐⭐⭐

After Ruby's father comes up with a new scam "the Invigorizer" "a wooden box with shiny bits of copper and black rubber tubes." Ruby has no other choice but to flee when the "trial run" ends in a deadly accident.

Yancey and Ruby first meet when Ruby is nearly robbed when she leaves the train station and Yancey takes her to the police station to recover from a the incident that left her unconscious...

There are surprises in store the more you read. I found myself enthralled with Ruby's character and loved finding more about her as I got closer to the end.

Quotes

Knight of Passion, #3

HOW CAN THIS PASSIONATE KNIGHT...

ISBN 0446559865
(ISBN13: 9780446559867)

Renowned beauty Lady Linnet is torn between two desires: revenge on those who destroyed her family or marriage to her childhood sweetheart Sir James Rayburn. One fateful night, she makes a misguided choice: she sacrifices Jamie's love for a chance at vengeance.
TRUST A BEAUTY WITH A PAST?
Jamie Rayburn returns to England in search of a virtuous wife-only to find the lovely Linnet as bewitching as ever. Their reckless affair ignites anew, even hotter than before, although Jamie vows to never again trust her with his heart. Then just as Linnet begins to make amends, she's tempted by one last opportunity to settle old scores. But a final retribution could cost her Jamie's love - this time forever

384 pages

Published June 1st 2010

 (Forever)

First Impression

Set in 3rd person Knight of passion gives the story of Jamie and Linnet from the previous books.

The prologue begins in the louvre, Paris in the year 1420. Jamie, who is love struck, mentions marriage but Linnet doesn't want to be a wife, she couldn't bear having a man telling her what to do also her plans for revenge requires her independence.

Setting her plan into motion wanted to be both her and Jamiea are caught together in a bed-chamber by her father and Sir Guy, the man who her father plans to marry her to. Jaime leaves. Back to england, deverstated.

In the next chapter 5 years has past since the night he left, Jamie is still affected. 

Now in London, Jamie rescues longer on London bridge surrounded by a mob, taking her to safety.

It is here, that we as the audience learn of Linnet's friendship with Queen Katherine the wife of the late King Henry from the Knight of Desire. Also we learn from the persuasion of the Queen that Jamie reveals that he home to search of a wife. 

My Rating ⭐⭐⭐

As final book in the All the King's Men Series, Knight of Passion was filled with romance and action till the very end. I felt that the story was a little repetitive with Jamie's description, but I would read Knight of Passion more than once for the witty dialogue. 

I would recommend that anyone who likes a fast-paced romance involving a strong willed female lead.

Quotes

“Twas a shame a man who looked like that ever had to wear a shirt.”

Part of the Family

WHAT WOULD YOU SACRIFICE TO UNCOVER THE TRUTH?

ISBN 0008327025
(ISBN13: 9780008327026)

On the surface, Anna Witherall personifies everything the aspirational magazine she works for represents. Married to her university boyfriend David, she has a beautiful home and gorgeous three-year-old twin daughters, Stella and Rose. But beneath the veneer of success and happiness, Anna is hiding a dark secret, one that threatens to unravel everything she has worked so hard to create.
As Anna finds herself drawn into the dark and highly controlled world of secret intelligence, she is forced to question her family’s safety, and her own. Only one thing is certain: in order to protect her children, she must leave them, forever. 
And someone is watching. Someone she thought she could trust. Someone who is determined to make them all pay.
Stylish and assured, The Most Difficult Thing is an irresistible combination of contemporary espionage and domestic suspense, and a compulsive, highly charged examination of betrayal.

400 pages

Published April 16 2020

(The Borough Press)

First Impression

Set in 1st person Part of the Family is a slow paced story giving the accounts of Anna and Maria in three parts.

Through a prologue we are given an insight into the afternoon of a woman later found out to be Anna, 2 month after giving birth being out shopping on her own. Maria is described as the Ever-compentant nanny of her twins. 

3 years (chapter one) 05:40 having another night where she has hardly sleep Anna gets up quietly as not to disturb her husband, david. An hour later, she is ready for her to leave to catch up on work before her 12pm flight, having kissed her girls goodbye, all that is left is to walk through the open door.

My Rating ⭐

There are a lot of mixed reviews about Part of the Family so I was starting with an open-mind.

The first thing that comes to mind is how confusing the story is, there were lots of flashbacks leaving  more questions than answers eg. The prologue is 2 months after Anna gave birth, chapter one 3 years into the future then chapter 3 is when she was a teen. 

I found it odd and increasingly difficult to get a clear picture on what is happening some pages made me question why I chose Part of the Family. 

Through the changing plot twists I struggled to from a connection to any characters and any time start to like a character something happened for me to change my mind.

It took long than expected to read, and I left feeling disappointed at a whole the ending for me was flat and felt rushed.

Quotes

The Dutch House

At the end of the Second World War, Cyril Conroy combines luck and a single canny investment to

ISBN 0062963678
(ISBN13: 9780062963673)

begin an enormous real estate empire, propelling his family from poverty to enormous wealth. His first order of business is to buy the Dutch House, a lavish estate in the suburbs outside of Philadelphia. Meant as a surprise for his wife, the house sets in motion the undoing of everyone he loves.
The story is told by Cyril’s son Danny, as he and his older sister, the brilliantly acerbic and self-assured Maeve, are exiled from the house where they grew up by their stepmother. The two wealthy siblings are thrown back into the poverty their parents had escaped from and find that all they have to count on is one another. It is this unshakable bond between them that both saves their lives and thwarts their futures.
Set over the course of five decades, The Dutch House is a dark fairy tale about two smart people who cannot overcome their past. Despite every outward sign of success, Danny and Maeve are only truly comfortable when they’re together. Throughout their lives, they return to the well-worn story of what they’ve lost with humor and rage. But when at last they’re forced to confront the people who left them behind, the relationship between an indulged brother and his ever-protective sister is finally tested.

337 pages

Published September 24th 2919

(Harper)

First Impression

Set in the 1st person The Dutch House is in three parts, giving the life story of a boy called Danny, who is 8 when he is introduced to us...

As an audience we are taken on the journey as Danny explains his experiences and relationships with those around him through his life.

My Rating ⭐⭐

I was looking forward to reading The Dutch House (May 2020 BOTM), but after a while it seemed to fall a bit flat. 

Upon reading the first 5 chapters I felt really sorry for Danny and his sister, Maeve as the have a strained relationship with their father especially after their mother left.

After their father remarries to Angela, who has two daughters herself both Danny and Maeve are pushed even further away and rely on eachother.

Some of the things I found issue with it the fact that it seems more like I was reading a time jump as Danny was 8 then a teenager. Through this I struggled to piece together a idea of what I was reading. 

As soon as I hit chapter 9 I felt I could push through any more as I was underwhelmed and quite frankly I was lost.

Quotes

"But we overlay the present onto the past. We look back through the lens of what we know now, so we're not seeing it as the people we were, we're seeing it as the people we are, and that means the past has been radically altered.”

“Disappointment comes from expectation,”

A Good Marriage

Big Little Lies meets Presumed Innocent in this

ISBN 0062367684
(ISBN13: 9780062367686)

riveting novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Reconstructing Amelia, in which a woman’s brutal murder reveals the perilous compromises some couples make—and the secrets they keep—in order to stay together.
Lizzie Kitsakis is working late when she gets the call. Grueling hours are standard at elite law firms like Young & Crane, but they’d be easier to swallow if Lizzie was there voluntarily. Until recently, she’d been a happily underpaid federal prosecutor. That job and her brilliant, devoted husband Sam—she had everything she’d ever wanted. And then, suddenly, it all fell apart.
No. That’s a lie. It wasn’t sudden, was it? Long ago the cracks in Lizzie’s marriage had started to show. She was just good at averting her eyes.
The last thing Lizzie needs right now is a call from an inmate at Rikers asking for help—even if Zach Grayson is an old friend. But Zach is desperate: his wife, Amanda, has been found dead at the bottom of the stairs in their Brooklyn brownstone. And Zach’s the primary suspect.
As Lizzie is drawn into the dark heart of idyllic Park Slope, she learns that Zach and Amanda weren’t what they seemed—and that their friends, a close-knit group of fellow parents at the exclusive Grace Hall private school, might be protecting troubling secrets of their own. In the end, she’s left wondering not only whether her own marriage can be saved, but what it means to have a good marriage in the first place.

400 pages

Published May 5th 2020

(Harper)

First Impression

Set in the 1st person, A Good Marriage tells the story of Lizze and Amanda with a manuscript of the jury.

One evening whilst working late at the office, Lizzie receives a call from a friend, Zach, who after coming home from a "adult party" finds his wife, Amanda dead and has been arrested on suspicion of her death. 

After agreeing reluctantly to represent him 

My Rating ⭐⭐

A Good Marriage is BOTM for May 2020. 

So I was instantly expecting the book to have the WOW factor even though it was a slow paced book.

However, it failed to grip me in a meaningful way, which is a disappointment when there was a lot of 5 star reviews. 

I was not keen on Amanda's character and felt no connection to any of the characters. The writing was sloppy and all over place, making I it difficult to pick the plot back up after putting down... The court testimony seem pointless and irrelevant leading me to at times having to re-read previous pages.

After reading 100 pages I had to give up as I couldn't stand to read anymore.

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