Diva - Daisy Goodwin

In the glittering and ruthlessly competitive world of opera, Maria Callas is known simply as la divina: the divine one. With her glorious voice, instinctive flair for the dramatic and striking beauty, she's the toast of the grandest opera houses in the world. Yet her fame has been hard won: raised in Nazi-occupied Greece by a mother who mercilessly exploited her, Maria learned early in life how to protect herself.

When she meets the fabulously rich shipping magnate, Aristotle Onassis, her isolation melts away. For the first time in her life, she believes she's found a man who sees the woman rather than the legendary soprano. Desperately in love, Onassis introduces her to a life of unbelievable luxury, mixing with celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.

And then, suddenly, it's over. The international press announce that Onassis will marry the most famous woman in the world, former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, leaving Maria to pick up the pieces.

 

What did I think?

Diva by Daisy Goodwin is a fabulous reimagining of the life of Maria Callas, that is based on her true story.  I love books that send me off to Google to find out more information and Diva certainly did that.  I listened to Maria's singing and got goosebumps - she really did have the voice of an angel and is well-named 'la divina'.

I didn't know a lot about Maria Callas before picking up Diva, but I certainly know a lot more now.  I had no idea that she dated Aristotle Onassis before he dropped Maria like a stone to marry Jackie Kennedy.  I felt really sorry for her early years, living in the shadow of her older sister and not getting any affection from her mother, it perhaps explains why she left her husband to be with Onassis who showered her with gifts and attention.

It also made me really appreciate the life of an artist, especially one with a divine voice, as they don't know how long their voice will last after all the strain they put it through.  Maria's singing teacher used a great analogy: imagine your voice is a purse of golden coins but you don't know how many it holds so you need to spend them wisely before there are none left.

Daisy Goodwin really brings the 50s/60s eras to life as Maria rubs shoulders with stars and royalty.  Maria herself is drawn so beautifully that she virtually leaps out from the pages and her life resembles an opera with an abundance of drama, passion and tragedy.

Filled with glitz and glamour, Diva is a wonderful glimpse into the life of Maria Callas, the world's greatest diva.  It's an unforgettable story that is both inspirational and heartbreaking.

I received a gifted paperback for the Tandem Collective readalong and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: Sun Ascendant: 2 (The Tarnished Crown) - C.F. Dunn

In this heart-stopping sequel to Wheel of Fortune, Sun Ascendant is the gripping and immersive second book in a major new historical fiction series The Tarnished Crown. Set during the fifteenth-century Wars of the Roses, award-winning novelist CF Dunn continues the story of strong-willed and resolute Isobel Fenton who, pitched into a turbulent world of love, loyalty and treachery, finds herself at the heart of power.

In Wheel of Fortune, single-minded and determined Isobel Fenton was resolved that nothing would separate her from her beloved manor of Beaumancote; but as unseen witness to a summary execution, she was propelled into a world of personal feud and national politics as the houses of York and Lancaster threaten to tear the country apart.

In Sun Ascendant, now unwilling mistress of the formidable Earl, Isobel despairs of ever being free to follow her own heart. But events take a sinister turn, and as the Earl of Warwick and King Edward IV vie for power, Isobel must face her own battle for survival as the King, Richard of Gloucester, Robert Langton and the Earl must fight for theirs. Trapped and alone, Isobel is at the mercy of malign forces. What is the bitter Countess prepared to do to be rid of her rival, and - divided by love and loyalty - how will Isobel contend with the decaying relationship of the two brothers who seek her love?

 

What did I think?

Having been completely blown away by Wheel of Fortune, I couldn't wait to continue Isobel's story in Sun Ascendant, the next book in The Tarnished Crown series.  C.F. Dunn has created a fusion of romance and historical fiction to bring the story to life in this most unsettled period of English history.

I felt so sorry for Isobel Fenton whose life changed the moment her father died as although she is heiress to her father's lands she doesn't inherit them until she is married.  Now under the protection of the Earl, marriage looks a long way off as the Earl takes Isobel as his mistress.  I was fuming!  It's so distressing to see the way that women were treated in the past.  Isobel should have been able to secure a good marriage but now she is tainted, although there is one man who loves Isobel but cannot act on his feelings.

Running alongside the love/hate story is the tempestuous Wars of the Roses with friends becoming enemies and brother turning on brother.  I know a little bit of the history but it really felt as if C.F. Dunn brought the historical characters to life in front of my eyes.  The battles are bloody and treachery is rife...who will be left standing?

Vivid, engaging and so incredibly captivating, Sun Ascendant is a wonderful piece of historical fiction that entertained and delighted me from start to finish.  This really is an unmissable novel and I can't recommend it highly enough.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: Welcome to Dorley Hall (The Sisters of Dorley Book One) - Alyson Greaves

Mark Vogel is like the older brother Stefan Riley never had, until one day he disappears, and Stefan has to adapt to life without him. But, one year later, when he runs into a girl who looks near-identical to Mark, Stefan becomes obsessed. He discovers that other boys have disappeared, too, dozens over the years, most of them students of the Royal College of Saint Almsworth, many of them troubled or unruly before their disappearance.

What is happening to these boys? Who are the handful of women on campus who bear a striking resemblance to some of those who went missing? And what is the connection to the mysterious Dorley Hall?

Stefan works hard to get into the Royal College for one reason and one reason only: to find out exactly what happened to the women who live at Dorley Hall, and to get it to happen to him, too.

A closeted trans girl attempts to infiltrate a secret underground forced feminisation programme.

Content note: this story engages with some reasonably dark topics, including but not limited to torture, manipulation, dysphoria, nonconsensual surgery, and kidnapping. While it isn't intended to be a dark or dystopian story, the perspective characters are carrying a lot of baggage, and the exploration of the premise might be triggering for trans readers.

 

What did I think?

I just don't know where to begin in my review of the groundbreaking trans novel Welcome to Dorley Hall; I've simply read nothing like it before.  It does have a dystopian feel but it also feels very current and realistic and even though I've turned the final page, the characters are still fluttering around in my head.

I absolutely loved the main character of Stefan; he was devastated when his friend Mark disappeared and his spidey sense went on high alert when he bumped into a girl in the supermarket who reminded him of Mark.  Determined to find out what happened to Mark, Stefan follows in Mark's footsteps to college and uncovers a secret group who are turning men into women.

Stefan finally lets down his guard and looks deep inside himself and sees an opportunity to become the woman he has always wanted to be.  The only problem is, the men in the programme have all wronged women and Stefan is just too nice to do anything like that, so once he gets in, he has to put on an act to stay in.

Well, consider my thoughts well and truly provoked!  I thought it was rather ingenious to punish men by turning them into women but it also made me realise that it's the women who are trapped in men's bodies who are being punished every single day.  I really started to care what happened to Stefan and I was on the edge of my seat every time I thought he was going to be caught out.

Welcome to Dorley Hall is a very intriguing, provocative and powerful novel.  I'm really pleased that I have read it as it gave me a glimpse into the mind of a trans girl and I would be interested to see how Stefan's story progresses.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

About the author:

Alyson lives in a very small flat in a very large city, and writes fiction with trans themes and characters. Her Twitter is twitter.com/badambulist

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BLOG TOUR: The Virtue Season - L.M. Nathan

The world didn't end all at once but drip by drip...

Manon Pawlak has just turned eighteen, a debutant at the start of the Virtue Season: a process that will result in a match with a suitable genetic mate. Her best friend, Agatha, has been decommissioned, forbidden to partake in the season and unite with the boy who has had her heart since they were children.

When Manon's mother wades out into the waters of Penn Vale with stones sewn into the lining of her coat, Manon's genetic purity is called into question and she's forced to rely on the fisherman's son, Wick, to keep her secret. But as they dance, the truth about their world starts to unravel, and Manon finds herself at the centre of it all. And the council is watching.

 

What did I think?

The Virtue Season is an incredibly thought-provoking and highly entertaining YA novel that challenges the concept of perfection.  Only those without flaws will be matched with a mate to ensure the purest bloodlines will prosper.  

Manon and her friend Agatha are coming of age and will partake in the Virtue Season unless any flaws are found.  Agatha takes a fit that sees her decommissioned and Manon has to bury a family secret to ensure she is matched.  I can feel my blood boiling just thinking about these so called flaws and I think that's exactly the point that L.M. Nathan is trying to make.  We are all flawed!

There's a lot going on in the book to keep the reader entertained with plot lines of family secrets, forbidden love and rebellion.  It has hints of The Handmaid's Tale and The Hunger Games to provoke debate and it would be a great book club book.  I'd like to see it made into a film as there are some incredible scenes painted by L.M. Nathan's vivid writing.

Powerful, thought-provoking and entertaining, The Virtue Season is a dystopian YA novel than both teens and adults will enjoy.  It's well worth a read.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

About the author:

L.M. Nathan grew up in the East Midlands, flitting from there to Bristol where she studied English and Drama and then to Malta where she completed an MA in Literature. She also has an MA in Journalism which she studied for in Manchester. She now lives in rural Lancashire in the shadow of Pendle Hill. The Virtue Season is her debut YA.

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The Croaking Raven: 1 (The Shakespeare Murders) - Guy Hale

Stratford-upon-Avon, May 1972

DC Toby Marlowe has just landed his dream posting but the quiet streets of Shakespeare's Stratford are about to suffer a reign of terror. A name from the past has returned, intent on revenge.

A series of murders go unsolved but Toby realises that the killer seems to be following the plot of Hamlet.

Can Toby and his boss, DS Fred Williams, find the killer before all the actors at the RSC are dead? The Croaking Raven doth bellow for revenge.

 

What did I think?

Guy Hale may well have come up with the most ingenious plot for a book!  The Croaking Raven is absolutely brilliant and although I'm not overly familiar with Shakespeare's plays, I loved spotting the clues that our clever killer has left behind.

If DC Toby Marlowe hadn't transferred to Stratford, I think the police (DS Fred Williams in particular) would have been beating up a lot of suspects and getting lots of fake confessions while the body count continued to rise.  Toby very astutely notices that the clues relate to Hamlet so the police just need to read the play to predict where the killer will next strike.  This killer is very clever though and is intent on revenge.

I loved everything about this book: the ingenious plot, the 1970s setting, the engaging and compelling writing and the wonderfully well-developed characters.  I think anyone who has read Shakespeare will pick up lots of references to the Bard's plays but even if you're only vaguely familiar with Shakespeare (like me), it's still a hugely enjoyable novel.

It's also interesting to take a step back into the past and see how different is it to today.  It doesn't seem that long ago (for me, anyway) but it's quite shocking to think how discriminatory people were.  Whilst we may have made leaps and bounds in tolerance, I think we've taken a step back in humanitarianism with our ability to wound others through thoughtless comments on social media.

 

Incredibly clever and surprisingly witty, The Croaking Raven is an exciting start to a new and highly unusual series.  Very highly recommended.

I received an ARC to read and review for the Love Books Tours readalong and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

BLOG TOUR: One Summer - Taylor Cole

Two people. Two pasts. One summer to fall in love.

Caleb is a former professional surfer trying to build his life after a career-ending accident.

Lindy has moved to Loor island to start a new life, combing the shores for sea glass to weave into jewellery.

When the two meet, sparks fly – but not the good kind. Then they discover they’re neighbours, and they’re stuck with each other for one, long summer.

As they slowly learn to trust each other, and find themselves sharing their stories that brought them to Loor, their dislike begins to unravel into friendship, then maybe something more.

But will the weight of their pasts ruin their chance of a future?

 

What did I think?

One Summer is a Cornish novel with a difference: it's set on the fictional island of Loor.  I actually thought this was a real place but I was getting mixed up with Looe.  The characters feel very real too and I loved all of them, both human and animal.

Lindy is really bad at her publishing job in London, she's just so easily distracted and it's made worse when she breaks up with her boyfriend Max.  As if her heart wasn't broken enough, she torments herself by watching Max's mudlarking videos that now feature his new girlfriend.  I mean, we've all done it...a bit of online stalking is harmless but Lindy is OBSESSED!!

So, when a pet sitting job comes up in Cornwall she decides a fresh start is a good idea...but she still watches those blooming videos!  Although Loor island is predominantly made up of old and very old islanders, there are a couple of hot guys to show Lindy that there are plenty more fish in the sea.

I really enjoyed watching Lindy and Caleb's relationship grow but I have to say that it was little dog Ted who captured my heart.  Taylor Cole paints Ted so vividly that it makes me smile just thinking of him now.  I would have liked Nemo, Max's Maine Coon cat, to feature a bit more but I loved how Lindy rescued him when Max cruelly abandoned him.  I did worry that she was doing it to keep a link to Max though as Nemo doesn't seem that fond of her...but that's cats!

Rather like the waves lapping the shore, One Summer has a relaxed, gentle pacing that ebbs and flows like the tide but like any island, the wind can blow in a storm at any moment.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Purchase Link - https://amzn.eu/d/dAYeYgI

About the author:

Taylor Cole grew up on a council estate in Devon and is of Armenian heritage, via her maternal grandmother who survived the Armenian genocide as a child refugee. When she was twenty-one, Taylor left university to run away to Cyprus and live in a men's barrack block with her military boyfriend, but returned the next year to finish her BA in English, which she followed with a master's degree in Creative Writing. She lives in Newquay with the military boyfriend-turned-husband, two daughters and an eighty-year-old tortoise called Shelley who was found wandering the streets of Plymouth in 1958.

Publisher social media handles:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AriaFiction 

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headofzeus/ 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headofzeus 

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BLOG TOUR: Thank You, Next - Kathryn Freeman

I'm delighted to be taking part in the Rachel's Random Resources blog tour for Thank You, Next by Kathryn Freeman.  Scroll down to find out more about the book, read my review and win a paperback copy in the fabulous giveaway.

In this game of hearts, the stakes have never been higher…

Molly Harris is used to being left. Parents, boyfriends – she’s the queen of rejection. Her latest boyfriend, gym-fanatic Duncan, dumps her to go on reality dating show The One which sets up hot singletons to date for four weeks before meeting at the altar to say, ‘I do’.

But Duncan was the one who picked Molly up and put her back together the last time her heart got broken, so, determined not to let ‘The One’ get away, she follows Duncan onto the show. If she can prove that they’re meant to be, she might just get the happily ever after of her dreams…

But on the first day of filming, another reminder of her painful history walks into Happily Ever After Towers: Ben Knight, her it’s-not-you-it’s-me heartbreaker. The one she loved before Duncan.

In four weeks’ time, who will she meet at the altar? Duncan, the first person who ever made her feel loved, or Ben, the first person who made her feel?

 

What did I think?

If you follow my blog, you will know that I love Kathryn Freeman books and her latest novel, Thank You, Next is fun, flirty and a little bit racy.  It certainly had me blushing at times!

Molly loves watching reality dating show The One with her boyfriend Duncan and the romance on TV has Duncan hinting at marriage and children.  So, Molly is shocked when Duncan decides to join the show 'to gain more followers' or so he says.  Well, two can play at that game and Molly joins the show too.  Molly is sure that she will be matched with Duncan anyway and she starts dreaming of her wedding...until she is matched with her ex Ben.

Oooh I loved Ben even though he tries to keep Molly at arms length the attraction virtually sizzles off the page.  Ben doesn't have any desire to get married though and that's something that Molly really wants, due to being abandoned in her past by her parents and Ben himself.  Is Duncan 'the one' for Molly or should she give Ben another shot?

This is a really fun read and I really enjoyed following the couples on the dating show.  I was worried that Molly would get her heart broken again, either by Ben or Duncan, as Ben has a past he has yet to reveal and Duncan loves himself so much that he has no love left to give anybody else.  Who will be standing at the altar and what will happen next?  I couldn't read fast enough to find out!

Hugely entertaining, pulse-racing and very enjoyable, Thank You, Next is classic Kathryn Freeman and I absolutely loved it.

I received a digital ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the author:

A former pharmacist, Kathryn now writes romantic comedies. Feel good books that are sexy and sweet, funny yet heart-warming. Mr Right Across the Street won the RNA Award for Romantic Comedy in 2022. 

With a husband who asks every Valentine’s Day whether he has to buy a card (yes, he does), the romance in her own life is all in her head. Then again, his unstinting support of her 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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathryn.freeman_author/ 

GIVEAWAY!!!

Win a Paperback copy of Thank You, Next (Open Internationally). 

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

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