BOOKSTAGRAM TOUR: A Fatal Choice - Alison Baxter

In Victorian England, propriety was everything. But truth was often the price.

Three women bound by duty, class and expectation find their lives intertwined within the confines of a seemingly respectable household.

Julia Pennefather has spent her life longing for the security of a home and family. Ellen Fugill knows the price of loyalty in a world where servants are expected to see everything and say nothing. And talented Ada Ashley arrives concealing a secret past that makes her painfully vulnerable.

When disaster strikes, the women do not confront the truth but deny it. Stifling the voice of conscience, they each make choices shaped by fear, love and the limits placed on them by Victorian convention. Choices that cannot be undone.

As the consequences ripple through their lives, the cost of silence becomes impossible to ignore. In a society that offers women few options, and even fewer protections, survival depends on endurance. But sometimes that is not enough.

A richly atmospheric historical novel, A Fatal Choice explores the ways that women both support and betray each other, perfect for readers of Jessie Burton and Sarah Waters.

What did I think?

Wow!  A Fatal Choice is one of the best historical fiction novels I have ever read and it is even more stunning when you read the author's note at the end and discover that it is inspired by real people and actual events.

It starts with a haunting excerpt from a newspaper about the death of a young lady and her baby and then Alison Baxter takes the reader on a compelling journey as we discover the story behind this tragic event.  Told from the points of view of three women: Julia, Ada and Ellen, this is an unforgettable and poignant tale.

Julia Pennefather was left penniless after her father died but through the charity of her uncle she still leads a privileged life.  Sharrock Dupen must see pound signs in his eyes when he meets Julia and as he is younger than her, Julia doesn't see the harm in knocking a few years off her age.  Sharrock isn't exactly being honest with Julia either.

As Julia's story unfolds, two women enter her life: Ellen, her loyal servant, and Ada, the mysterious and aloof governess who is employed to school Julia's children.  The excerpt from the beginning of the book was never far from my mind and I both wanted to read fast to discover what happened and slowly to prolong the life of one of the characters.

The stigma of being labelled a spinster in Victorian England must have been awful and it's no wonder that women chose to be a little creative with their age.  It's also quite shocking how easily women were sent to asylums, not necessarily to get any help they might need but more as an excuse to get rid of them so their husband could remarry.  I have to share a quote from one of Ada's chapters that really resonated with me:

"Hysteria is a convenient label with which to control women."

Immersive, evocative and completely breathtaking, A Fatal Choice is a book I will be recommending for a very long time.  An easy five stars and a very highly recommended read.

I received a gifted paperback to read and review for the bookstagram tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: Strangers - C.L. Taylor

Ursula, Gareth and Alice have never met before.

Ursula thinks she killed the love of her life.

Gareth’s been receiving strange postcards.

And Alice is being stalked.

None of them are used to relying on others – but when the three strangers’ lives unexpectedly collide, there’s only one thing for it: they have to stick together. Otherwise, one of them will die.

Three strangers, two secrets, one terrifying evening.

The million-copy bestseller returns with a gripping new novel that will keep you guessing until the end.

What did I think?

You're always guaranteed a good read with a C.L. Taylor book and her new novel Strangers does not disappoint.  With a massive hook in Chapter 1 that drew me in immediately, I absolutely raced through the book and read it cover to cover over a 24 hour period, begrudgingly putting it down so I could go to sleep.

Strangers is well named as it is a bit strange; reading the backstories of three unrelated characters and wondering how they all end up being in the position where we are introduced to them in Chapter 1.  The three characters are all very different but hover around the periphery of Alice's life: Alice manages a clothes shop in Bristol Meads Shopping Centre, Gareth keeps a watchful eye over the centre as a security guard and Ursula is a shoplifter.

With three separate stories there's a lot going on, but not so much that it ever gets confusing.  Alice ends up with a stalker when she starts online dating, Gareth has his hands full looking after his elderly mum and Ursula is so desperate for somewhere to live that she moves in with creepy Ed.  Ed really made my skin crawl and if I was Ursula I'd rather sleep in my car than spend another night under his roof.  As well as what's happening in the characters' lives there is also a story of young men going missing in Bristol and I loved how C.L. Taylor adds social media posts of people chatting about this to bring the story to life and to keep it in our mind.  

Rather surprisingly, I don't think I had a preferred character; I loved reading about all of them and how they each cope with their own loneliness.  I felt for Alice suddenly finding herself single, Gareth putting his life on hold to look after his mum and Ursula who is punishing herself for something that happened in her past. While I was reading, I was wondering how these three separate stories could ever intertwine but of course C.L. Taylor does this magnificently.

Fast-paced, gripping, intriguing and completely addictive Strangers is another outstanding novel from C.L. Taylor, the queen of psychological thrillers.  Strangers is a top of the charts guaranteed bestseller and a recommended read.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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