BLOG TOUR: Lady of Lincoln (The Nicola de la Haye series book 1) - Rachel Elwiss Joyce

A true story. A forgotten heroine. In a time when women were told to stay silent, could she become the saviour her people need?

12th-century England. Nicola de la Haye wants to do her duty. But though she’s taught a female cannot lead alone, the young noblewoman bristles at the marriage her father has arranged to secure her inheritance. And when an unexpected death leaves her unguided, the impetuous girl shuns the king’ s blessing and weds a handsome-but-landless knight.

Harshly fined by Henry II for her unsanctioned union, Nicola struggles to salvage her estates while dealing with devastating betrayals from her husband… and his choice to join rebels in a brewing civil war. Yet after averting a tragedy and gaining the castle garrison’s respect, she still must face the might of powerful men determined to crush her under their will.

Can she survive love, threats, and violent ambition to prove she’s worthy of authority?

In this carefully researched and vividly human series debut, Rachel Elwiss Joyce showcases the complex themes of honour, responsibility, and freedom in the story of a remarkable heroine who men tried to erase from history. And as readers dive into a world defined by violence and turmoil, they’ll be stunned by this courageous young woman’s journey toward greatness.

 

Lady of Lincoln is the gritty first book in the Nicola de la Haye Series historical fiction saga. If you like richly textured female heroes, courtly drama, and fast-paced intrigue, then you’ll adore Rachel Elwiss Joyce’s gripping true-life tale. 

What did I think?

I am so pleased that I decided to read Lady of Lincoln as it is an exceptional piece of historical fiction and I absolutely loved it.

I have never heard of Nicola de la Haye and I won't be alone in that but we really should know about this strong and resolute woman from English history.  When her father died without any sons, Nicola inherited the post of constable of Lincoln Castle.  Of course she is only a woman so any husband she acquires will expect to take over the role.  Not if Nicola has any say it in, they won't!

Nicola is such a feisty and strong-willed character and I loved the way that Rachel Elwiss Joyce has not only brought her to life but brought her to the attention of a multitude of readers.  Lady of Lincoln is just the start of Nicola de la Haye's story and I have been inspired to do my own research so I could read more about Nicola while I wait for the next book in the series.

So beautifully written, vivid and immersive, you won't read a finer historical fiction novel than Lady of Lincoln and I really can't recommend it highly enough.  It's one not to be missed by readers of historical fiction and readers of various other genres will love it too.

I received a digital ARC to read and review for the Love Books Tours bookstagram tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

Waterstones

Amazon

Follow the tour:

A Hint of Silver - Mark Hudson

As a former ranger and CIA field operative, Gordan Hudde was used to operating far from friendly support; he never thought that one day that would be the case in Otter, Georgia his adopted new town. Sheriff “Big” John Schmidt convinces Hudde that he may be able to help on a missing children’s case and Gordan is forced to decide between the rules of the law and the rules of what is just. Powerful forces try to derail Gordan, the sheriff’s department, and the FBI agent who has been sent to help. Every minute could mean life or death and when a fourth child disappears, Gordan is put to the test.

What did I think?

I gave the first Gordan Hudde novel, A Deep Purple Hue, a well deserved 5 stars and perhaps I enjoyed it so much that any further instalments would struggle to live up to the bar that was set.  As I previously mentioned in my review of the second book, An Angry Orange Sky, Mark Hudson loves numbers even more than me.  Every detail to the last millimetre is described - does it really matter whether someone is 6ft 7" or 6ft 8"?  Just say he's tall.  I work with numbers every day and my brain naturally seeks them out so it took me a while to get into the story.

Children across America are being abducted to order, to satisfy the sick perversions of some of America's richest and most powerful people.  Gordan Hudde stumbles across this case when looking for a new town to set up home.  He takes a liking to the town of Otter, probably something to do with the mouthwatering barbecue restaurant, and gets involved in the search for missing children being abducted from their homes.  If anyone can find them, Gordan can!

A Hint of Silver is definitely not for the faint-hearted and some people might find parts of it distressing.  There are some disturbing scenes which I would much rather have been left out, but equally I'm sure that real victims of such crimes wish it had been left out of their ordeal too.  I think anyone who has children would struggle to read this book and, although it is fiction, the fact remains that this sort of thing does happen in the real world.

I'd be interested to see where Gordan's story takes him next in the fourth novel, An Emerald Abyss, and I'd like to see the slide in my star ratings picking back up to where I know they have the potential to be.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

Everything You Want Me To Be - Mindy Mejia

Full of twists and turns, Everything You Want Me to Be reconstructs a year in the life of a dangerously mesmerizing young woman, during which a small town's darkest secrets come to the forefront...and she inches closer and closer to her death.

High school senior Hattie Hoffman has spent her whole life playing many parts: the good student, the good daughter, the good citizen. When she is found brutally stabbed to death on the opening night of her high school play, the tragedy rips through the fabric of her small town community. Local sheriff Del Goodman, a family friend of the Hoffmans, vows to find her killer, but trying to solve her murder yields more questions than answers. It seems that Hattie's acting talents ran far beyond the stage. Told from three points of view Del, Hattie, and the new English teacher whose marriage is crumbling Everything You Want Me to Be weaves the story of Hattie s last school year and the events that drew her ever closer to her death. 

Evocative and razor-sharp, Everything You Want Me to Be challenges you to test the lines between innocence and culpability, identity and deception. Does love lead to self-discovery or destruction?

What did I think?

Now renamed The Last Act of Hattie Hoffman, Everything You Want Me to Be was a recommendation from Chelsea, a fellow book blogger, and I can see why she recommended it.  I felt as if Hattie was actually speaking to me through the book, the real Hattie and not one of the personas she adopts to please those around her.

Hattie is dead.  There is no happy ending, but the reader is taken on a journey as Hattie is unmasked and we find out what actually happened on the night she died.  Hattie is a budding actress and dreams of leaving school and moving to New York.  Dreams that will never be fulfilled.

Hattie joins an online forum to share her love of literature and acting and meets someone who shares the same interests as her. Unbeknown to her, this person is her English teacher, unhappily married Peter.  When they finally realise the real identity of each other, the conflicting emotions are palpable, but ultimately the attraction they have for each other cannot be ignored.

Hattie's life unfurls before us like the petals of a delicate flower, but we are constantly brought back to the present day like a herd of elephants stamping over the flowerbed with Del, the local sheriff and close family friend, investigating her murder.

Told from Hattie, Peter and Del's point of view, in such clear and distinct voices, it is a story that had my eyes glued to the page and I pointed my virtual finger at several of the characters before finding out what actually happened on the night that Hattie died.

Everything You Want Me to Be is an absorbing piece of fiction that had me questioning the masks that people wear and scratching the surface to see who the real person is beneath.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon