TEA & BOOKS: Duke of Earl Grey - Leafy Bean Company

You can tell from my blog that I'm a book lover, but did you know that I am also a tea lover?  There's nothing better than a lovely cup of tea on a morning and I refuse to leave the house until I've had at least two cups.  I enjoy a range of tea and I've always been partial to an afternoon Earl Grey so I was delighted to receive a box from Leafy Bean Company to try.

I chose to read The Vanished Bride by Bella Ellis whilst drinking my cup of Duke of Earl Grey.  This is the first book in the Brontë Mysteries series and you can click HERE to read my review of this fabulous book.

There are 15 silky pyramid tea bags in the box filled with Sri Lankan black tea, exquisite blue cornflowers and natural bergamot flavouring.  Just look at how beautiful they are, it seems a shame to drown them in a cup but needs must.

After brewing for 4-5 minutes, my cup was filled with a stunning dark honey coloured tea with the unmistakeable aroma of bergamot.  I've had some blends that are quite floral and perfumed but this one has a more fruity undertone so it smells absolutely amazing.  I wish we had smell-o-vision so you could experience it too.

The taste is completely out of this world; it's Earl Grey but not as we know it.  It's a smoother version of a regular Earl Grey and it's made so much more palatable with a hint of citrus and a sprinkling of blue cornflowers.  I could drink this anytime of day, although nothing will ever replace my morning cup of builder's tea.

If you've always wanted to try Earl Grey tea, then choose Leafy Bean Company's blend.  It's the best Earl Grey tea I have ever had and I'm delighted to award the full 5 cuppa rating.

My rating:

Click HERE to buy

About Leafy Bean Company:

Caffeine crazy and born to brew, at Leafy Bean Co we to-tea-lly love all things tea and coffee.

Founded in 2016 by a tea aficionado who wanted more fun with her cuppa, Leafy Bean Co, creates quality blends bursting with wholesome joy.

We don't take life too seriously - but we ARE serious about what you drink! To discover more about our products, cafe venues and events, and for our online shop, visit www.leafybeancompany.com

Did you know?

Grey's Monument, Newcastle
(photo taken by me)

Earl Grey tea is named after Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey who was born in Northumberland in 1764.  

Legend has it that Earl Grey was given a gift of tea from a Chinese mandarin and he loved the blend so much that he asked a London teamaker to replicate it.  I've also heard that it was invented to disguise the bad taste of the water at Howick Hall, Northumberland.

Earl Grey was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom between 1830 and 1834 and his government passed The Reform Act of 1832, which set electoral change in motion,  and The Slavery Abolition Act of 1833, which abolished slavery throughout the British Empire.  

A 41m high monument to Earl Grey stands at the top of Grey Street in the centre of Newcastle upon Tyne.

The Vanished Bride (The Brontë Mysteries) - Bella Ellis

 

Yorkshire, 1845. Dark rumours are spreading across the moors. Everything indicates that Mrs Elizabeth Chester of Chester Grange has been brutally murdered in her home - but nobody can find her body.

As the dark murmurs reach Emily, Anne and Charlotte Brontë, the sisters are horrified, yet intrigued. Before they know it, the siblings become embroiled in the quest to find the vanished bride, sparking their imaginations but placing their lives at great peril . . .

What did I think?

This is one book where you can be forgiven for judging a book by its cover; it's just so perfect and I have to say that with the gold foiling and the Brontë silhouettes, this has to be one of the most beautiful book jackets I have ever seen.  I bought the hardback that even looks beautiful without the jacket, with gold foiling on a rich purple cloth cover.  The appearance fits the content of the book perfectly and I loved every single thing about The Vanished Bride.

Like many readers, I have read a novel written by each of the Brontë sisters: Charlotte's Jane Eyre, Emily's Wuthering Heights and Anne's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.  Other than knowing that they lived in Haworth, Yorkshire and their father was the local vicar, I know very little about the Brontës but thanks to Bella Ellis I fell like I know them a lot better now.  Using well researched facts, I love the way that Bella Ellis has brought the sisters to life and created characters that are entirely believable.  It's also rather poignant to read Charlotte's prologue set in 1851 when she is the last remaining Brontë sibling, but Bella Ellis rolls back the clock to 1845 to make The Vanished Bride an absolutely wonderful tribute to the Brontës.

Having the Brontë sisters as main characters takes the book from brilliant to out of this world.  The sisters turn into amateur detectives when a young bride disappears from Chester Grange and Charlotte sees a way to wangle her way into the house via an old friend of hers who is the children's nanny.  It's a fine line between inquisitiveness and nosiness and it wouldn't be the first time that the sisters were referred to as 'nosy spinsters' which I found quite amusing.

I was so charmed and consumed by the Brontë sisters that the mystery of 'The Vanished Bride' herself seemed almost secondary to me.  It's a jolly good mystery and hugely entertaining in its own right and I loved the way that the sisters used their imaginative brains to carry out their detecting.  It's set in mid-19th century so it's very much a man's world but that doesn't stop the Brontës.  

I absolutely loved The Vanished Bride and Bella Ellis's admiration of the Brontë sisters shines through from start to finish.  It's such a delightful, clever, charming and compelling novel filled with Brontë intellect and finesse.  Highly recommended.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

A lovely cup of Earl Grey tea is the perfect accompaniment to The Vanished Bride and Leafy Bean Company have created an amazing blend with their Duke of Earl Grey tea.  I received a box of teabags to review and I have to say that it is the best Earl Grey blend I have ever tasted.  You can read my full review of the tea HERE but do visit Leafy Bean Company by clicking HERE to see their fabulous range of black, green, rooibos and herbal teas.

The Bookshop of Second Chances - Jackie Fraser

Set in a charming little Scottish town, The Bookshop of Second Chances is the most uplifting story you'll read this Winter, by a hugely talented debut author.

 

Thea’s having a bad month. Not only has she been made redundant, she’s also discovered her husband of nearly twenty years is sleeping with one of her friends. And he’s not sorry – he’s leaving.

 

Bewildered and lost, Thea doesn’t know what to do. But, when she learns the great-uncle she barely knew has died and left her his huge collection of second-hand books and a house in the Scottish Lowlands, she seems to have been offered a second chance.

 

Running away to a little town where no one knows her seems like exactly what Thea needs. But when she meets the aristocratic Maltravers brothers – grumpy bookshop owner Edward and his estranged brother Charles, Lord Hollinshaw – her new life quickly becomes just as complicated as the life she was running from...

 

An enchanting story of Scottish lords, second-hand books, new beginnings and second chances perfect for fans of Cressida McLaughlin, Veronica Henry, Rachel Lucas and Jenny Colgan.

What did I think?

Novels set in bookshops are like catnip to booklovers so I just had to read Jackie Fraser's debut: The Bookshop of Second Chances.  I think it's very hard to place The Bookshop of Second Chances into just one genre as it is something so different that it feels like romance for realists and chicklit for older chicks.  

Thea is 44 years old, so she's just a wee bit younger than me, and it's so refreshing to read a novel with a middle aged lead character.  Although we still have our insecurities, I think the older you get, the less you care about what people think of you and I love that Thea is often very forthright.  Thea has nothing left to lose after losing her job, her husband and her home in close succession, so when her Great Uncle dies and she inherits his cottage in Scotland she doesn't think twice about upping sticks to live north of the border.

The little town of Baldochrie is just what Thea needs to lick her wounds and find herself again.  Her neighbour is Lord Charles Mactravers and Charles' brother Edward owns the local bookshop.  I wished I could have visited Edward's bookshop and Jackie Fraser granted that wish by transporting me there through her beautifully descriptive words.  A true booklover, Edward keeps his shop quite dark to protect the books and it reminded me a little of Black Books (from the TV show of the same name), only a lot neater.

As potential suitors for Thea were laid out before the reader, I was reminded of Pride and Prejudice.  As she's not looking for a man, Thea is very Lizzie Bennet when fending off unwelcome advances with her forthrightness and Edward is SO Mr Darcy: brooding, grumpy and unfriendly.  I don't know whether or not it was intended, but I think Jackie Fraser's debut novel is a wonderful retelling of Pride and Prejudice for the 21st century.  I've probably made Jackie Fraser's day by comparing her to Jane Austen!

Wonderfully uplifting, The Bookshop of Second Chances is a booklover's dream and a fabulous debut from Jackie Fraser.  It is so beautifully written with a sprinkling of humour throughout and it will appeal to so many readers, leaving a smile on the face of everyone who reads it.  

Thank you to TeamBATC for sending me an early copy to read and review; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

BLOG TOUR: Whispers in the Dark (DI Erika Piper #2) - Chris McDonald

 

Who will heed the call when Death comes whispering? 

Small time drug dealer, Marcus Stone and DCI Clive Burston had never met until one night in August. By the end of that night, both had been shot dead in a small bedroom in the heart of gang territory. DI Erika Piper is called to the scene but is at a loss to explain what's happened. How did these two even meet, let alone end up dead in what appears to be a strange murder-suicide? 

As Erika leads the investigation, another two bodies are found, killed in a similar fashion. One murder, one suicide. But who is controlling this macabre puppet show? As Erika delves deeper into the lives of the dead, the pieces begin to fit together and a number of nefarious characters crawl out of the woodwork - one of whom is almost certainly pulling the strings. 

A catastrophic event and a personal miracle threaten to derail the investigation. Erika must find the strength to continue, before the whispers catch up with her too...

What did I think?

Whispers in the Dark is the second book in the DI Erika Piper series and what an absolutely cracking follow up to A Wash of Black, Chris McDonald's outstanding debut.  Chris McDonald has such an extraordinary, albeit dark, imagination to be able to create such exceptional plots for his intensely gripping novels.  Be warned: once you pick up Whispers in the Dark, you will not be able to put it down.

You can of course read Whispers in the Dark as a standalone novel and find it completely brilliant, but it's even better when you already know the characters.  I loved reconnecting with Erika and her team as they investigate a series of murder-suicides.  As the body count rises the team face a race against time to find the link between the deaths and to find the person responsible for orchestrating this macabre theatre.  Chris McDonald sent my amateur sleuthing skills on the roundabout with this one: thinking a particular person was responsible, then thinking they weren't, then they were, then they weren't...

Although suicide is a very difficult subject Chris McDonald handles it sensitively, showing how hard it is for people to find the courage to reach out for help yet they can find the courage to end their life.  Tackling such a huge subject shows the confidence that Chris is gaining in his writing, which is going from strength to strength; I didn't think A Wash of Black could be bettered but he only went and did it with Whispers in the Dark.

I felt quite emotional when reading Whispers in the Dark as several things happen to the characters that had me close to tears; tears of both sadness and joy.  It just shows how well developed the characters are to evoke such emotions in the reader.  I gasped with shock at the 'catastrophic event' mentioned in the blurb and it takes a confident author to do what Chris McDonald did.  It's devastating but brilliant.

With a completely gripping, razor sharp plot, Whispers in the Dark is simply outstanding.  It's impossible to put down once you pick it up and is well-deserving of a full five star rating.  Just brilliant, Whispers in the Dark shows that Chris McDonald is one to watch and I'm eagerly awaiting his new series that will be published next year.

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

Red Dog Press

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

About the author:

Originally hailing from the north coast of Northern Ireland and now residing in South Manchester, Chris McDonald has always been a reader. At primary school, The Hardy Boys inspired his love of adventure before his reading world was opened up by Chuck Palahniuk and the gritty world of crime. A Wash of Black is his first attempt at writing a book. He came up with the initial idea whilst feeding his baby in the middle of the night, which may not be the best thing to admit, considering the content. He is a fan of 5-a-side football, heavy metal and dogs. Whispers in the Dark is the second installment in the DI Erika Piper series, and Chris is currently working on his latest series, The Stonebridge Mysteries, to be published by Red Dog Press in 2021.

Social Media:

Twitter: @cmacwritescrime

Instagram: @cmacwritescrime

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BLOG TOUR: A Little Christmas Hope - Kathryn Freeman

I am delighted to be taking part in the Rachel's Random Resources blog tour for A Little Christmas Hope by Kathryn Freeman.  I love Kathryn Freeman's books so I wouldn't miss this for the world.  I am releasing my review for my stop on the tour and you can scroll down to find out more about the book.

 

Newly promoted head teacher Anna Dalton needs a Christmas miracle – and fast! After years of sitting through excruciatingly dull Christmas productions, complete with crying children and sleeping parents, she’s determined Riddlescomb Primary School will put on a Nativity to remember. 

Enter bad boy actor Dan Ramsey, recently axed from the lead role in a TV drama and in desperate need of cleaning up his image or he’ll never work again. 

Dan can flash those heart-stopping dimples all he likes, Anna tells herself she isn’t going to fall for them. She knows why he’s decided to volunteer at the school, and it’s for the good of his career…not his soul. 

But as Anna and Dan are forced to work together for the sake of a truly magical Christmas for the children, sparks fly and they can’t help but wonder what will happen once the festive season is over…

What did I think?

What can I say about Kathryn Freeman that I haven't said before?  Her books are like your favourite pair of slippers: so warm, cozy and you never want to part with them.  A Little Christmas Hope is no different, it may be a winter story but it surrounds you in a warm glow and leaves you with a smile on your face.  Job done, Kathryn!

Dan needs to spruce up his image pretty sharpish if he wants another acting job.  After being killed off on a TV soap he went a bit wild and the press had a field day, so he decides to go back to his roots for some positive PR and see if he can help in his old primary school.  Headteacher Anna has just the job for Dan so she enlists him to help with the school nativity play, much to the chagrin of Sid who is usually solely in charge of the school play.  Can Dan turn on the charm and save his career?  

Kathryn Freeman creates such wonderful characters that you really get to know them throughout the story and you can't help but care for them.  I loved every single character in A Little Christmas Hope and as this is part of the Christmas Wishes series, I am hoping we'll catch a brief glimpse of Anna and Dan in next year's Christmas story.

A Little Christmas Hope is a beautiful story of second chances as romance blossoms and bridges are built.  I was a little disappointed that I didn't get much of a festive vibe, although maybe that was just me being a bit of a grinch.  It's so beautifully written that I was completely swept along with Anna and Dan's story and loved every second of it.

Many thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for sending me a digital copy of the book to read and review for the blog tour; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the author:

A former pharmacist, I’m now a medical writer who also writes romance. Some days a racing heart is a medical condition, others it’s the reaction to a hunky hero. 

I’ve two sons and a husband who asks every Valentine’s Day whether he has to buy a card (yes, he does), so any romance is all in my head. Then again, his unstinting support of my career change proves love isn't always about hearts and flowers - and heroes come in many disguises.

Social Media Links – 

Website:  http://kathrynfreeman.co.uk

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/kathrynfreeman

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/KathrynFreeman1

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BLOG TOUR: The Hidden Hours - Sara Foster

Arabella Lane is found dead in the Thames on a frosty winter's morning after the office Christmas party. No one is sure whether she jumped or was pushed. The one person who may know the truth is the office temp, Eleanor.

Having travelled to London to escape the repercussions of her traumatic childhood in Australia, tragedy seems to follow Eleanor wherever she goes. To her horror, she has no memory of the crucial hours leading up to Arabella's death - memory that will either incriminate or absolve her.

Caught in a crossfire of accusations, Eleanor fears she can't even trust herself, let alone the people around her. And soon, she'll find herself in a race against time to find out just what happened that night - and discover just how deadly some secrets can be.

 

What did I think?

Once I picked up The Hidden Hours I couldn't put it down; it is filled to the brim with suspense and intrigue.  With a dual timeline that gives the reader a glimpse into a past tragedy in Eleanor's life, I positively raced through the pages to uncover all of its secrets.

Eleanor has to be the most unreliable narrator I have ever come across.  Not only is she burying her memories from her past in Australia, but Eleanor may be the key to finding out what happened to Arabella Lane, if only she could remember.  It's an interesting thought: to be unable to remember something you desperately want to remember compared with being unable to forget something painful that you don't want to remember.  

Having recently travelled from her home in Australia, Eleanor is new to London so she doesn't know who she can trust and Sara Foster has surrounded Eleanor with a right bunch of characters to make the reader question everybody's motives.  Uncle Ian who is completely under the thumb of his frosty wife Susan and Eleanor's colleague Will who seems to be a bit too friendly.  I had everyone under suspicion at one time or another, including Eleanor, so I wasn't terribly surprised when I found out what had happened to Arabella as any one of them could have done something, if anything was done to Arabella at all.  Sara Foster has woven so much intrigue and mystery into her story that anyone could have done something and anything could have happened.

The format of the book is excellent and adds to the suspense, not just the dual timeline but a little paragraph at the start of many of the chapters that give a wider view of what is going on after Arabella's death.  I really liked this touch as it kept Arabella at the forefront of my mind as unravelling her life would be the key to solving the mystery of her death.

Rather strangely for a page-turner, I found the pacing quite slow but at the same time it really did help to build up the tension.  Eleanor's lack of memory added an extra dimension to the story as she really had no idea what had happened and she even doubts herself.  I couldn't help but feel sorry for her as it seems like death follows her around so I'm surprised she wasn't a gibbering wreck.

The Hidden Hours is such an addictive read, filled with tension, suspense and intrigue.  It so very well written and I will definitely be looking out for more books by Sara Foster.

Thank you to Legend Press for my review copy; all opinions are my own. 

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

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BLOG TOUR: The Running Wolf - Helen Steadman

When a Prussian smuggler is imprisoned in Morpeth Gaol in the winter of 1703, why does Queen Anne's powerful right-hand man, The Earl of Nottingham, take such a keen interest?

At the end of the turbulent 17th century, the ties that bind men are fraying, turning neighbour against neighbour, friend against friend and brother against brother. Beneath a seething layer of religious intolerance, community suspicion and political intrigue, The Running Wolf takes us deep into the heart of rebel country in the run-up to the 1715 Jacobite uprising.

Hermann Mohll is a master sword maker from Solingen in Prussia who risks his life by breaking his guild oaths and settling in England. While trying to save his family and neighbours from poverty, he is caught smuggling swords and finds himself in Morpeth Gaol facing charges of High Treason.

Determined to hold his tongue and his nerve, Mohll finds himself at the mercy of the corrupt keeper, Robert Tipstaff. The keeper fancies he can persuade the truth out of Mohll and make him face the ultimate justice: hanging, drawing and quartering. But in this tangled web of secrets and lies, just who is telling the truth?

What did I think?

After her amazing novels inspired by the Newcastle witch trials, Helen Steadman looks at the 17th century through a new pair of eyes in her latest novel, The Running Wolf.  Helen is not only an outstanding author, she is a meticulous researcher and she even forged her own sword as part of her research for The Running Wolf.   I mean, how awesome is that?!

I have to say, I was slightly nervous that a novel about a master sword maker wouldn't spark my imagination (sorry, I couldn't resist) and hold my attention, but I needn't have worried as Helen Steadman has proven yet again that she is a master wordsmith.  The very first sentence gave me goosebumps; it is just so perfect and, coupled with the sentences that followed, I felt like I should have stood up to give Helen Steadman a round of applause.  So cover me in Velcro and call me gripped.

The story spans 19 years as we follow Hermann Mohll's journey from his home in Solingen, Prussia to Shotley Bridge, North East England via a brief stay in Morpeth Gaol.  Hermann uproots his whole family as he and a team of sword makers set sail for England to make swords for the English, who do indeed like fighting each other.  I absolutely adored Hermann's family; his wife Katrin who misses her old life terribly, his spirited daughter Liesl, his mother whose tongue is as sharp as Hermann's swords and Griselda their one-eared dog.  It must have been so hard for these families to build a new life in England, only to be treated with suspicion and contempt.  The family unit is so strong and Helen Steadman's writing is so warm and descriptive that the characters are very three dimensional, virtually leaping from the page.  

The story itself is compelling and intriguing as time flicks back and forth from Hermann in Gaol to his new home in Shotley Bridge.  You can't help but wonder why he has been imprisoned and the more I got to know him the more furious I felt that he was suffering such indignity.  I find it remarkable that Helen Steadman can write so much history into her novels so that you learn something new whilst reading a fictional story.  Aside from the real sword makers of Shotley Bridge being the inspiration for the story, I was delighted to see the salt pans of South Shields getting a mention as I actually only found out about them recently when reading an information board in the town.  Helen Steadman really does bring history to life through her wonderful fact-based storytelling.

The Running Wolf is simply stunning; it's so beautifully written, with a riveting plot and enthralling characters that could have leapt out from the page along with the sparks from the forge.  This is one not to be missed and I can't recommend it highly enough.

Thank you to Love Books Tours for sending me a digital copy to read and review for the tour; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

About the author:

Helen Steadman lives in the foothills of the North Pennines, and she particularly enjoys researching and writing about the history of the north east of England. Following her MA in creative writing at Manchester Met, Helen is now completing a PhD in English at the University of Aberdeen to determine whether a writer can use psycho-physical techniques to create authentic fictional characters.   

Find Helen on Social Media:

Website: helensteadman.com

Twitter: @hsteadman1650

Instagram: @helensteadman1650

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