📖Book Review ~ HEROICA by Alison Morton

 

Even the strongest state is vulnerable to its past

2020, Roma Nova. Carina Mitela investigates a potential rebellion but discovers the long-buried secret that ignited the attempted uprising links directly to her own powerful family. 

1683, Vienna. As Europe struggles against the Ottoman onslaught, Honoria Mitela leads her troops into the desperate battle to save besieged Vienna. The fate of Europe – and of Roma Nova itself – hangs in the balance.

1849, Central Italy. Statia Mitela’s impulsive act saves one life but jeopardises Roma Nova’s very existence and threatens her descendants with public disgrace, financial ruin and permanent exile.

Three stories of the women of the Mitela family, descendants of the founders of Roma Nova, bound by blood and courage.

📖My Review ..

It’s always fascinating to return to Roma Nova and the alternate world which this talented writer has brought to life in a series of well written novels. This collection of three novellas allows us a glimpse into  three very different time frames which all have one thing in common, they all feature strong and decisive women of the Mitela family. The challenges faced in each of the three stories reaches out to both present and past but with a definite common denominator, that of strong women doing their best to survive and thrive in a complicated world.

The first story, Revolution introduces us, in 2020 to Carina Mitela, an officer in the Praetorian Guard Special Forces, who in the guise of a market researcher is looking into the threat of seditious rebellion however, in the course of the investigation Carina discovers an unexpectedly shocking link to her own family. 

The second story, Honoria’s Battle takes us into seventeenth century Vienna and introduces us to Honoria Mitela, who, in her role as chief intelligencer, interrogates a potential spy working for the Ottoman Empire. With the Siege of Vienna in 1683 as its focus the story cleverly integrates Roma Novan activity within a real period in history which has personal consequences for the Mitela family.

The third and final story, The Idealist, opens in the present with Carina Mitela being given a piece of secret family information which leads her to an ancestor, Statia Mitela in revolutionary Italy in 1849. As head of the family Statia is drawn into a difficult situation which will have far reaching consequences  for the a Mitela family well into the future.

HEROICA gives us three strong and decisive women in three fascinating novellas which feature the best of Roma Nova’s involvement in history and politics, all told with the authors fine eye for detail and a comprehensive understanding of how the Roma Nova world fits into this alternate narrative.Those who are familiar with this series will recognise Carina Mitela however, this fascinating trilogy of stories adds a little more flesh into how the Mitela family has been involved in political and familial strife throughout the whole of Roma Novan history.

About the Author

Author of the Roma Nova alternate history thriller series, historical fiction JULIA PRIMA (HNS Editor's Choice) and EXSILIUM and the Mélisende Doubles contemporary thrillers. Audiobooks available for the four of the Roma Nova series 

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📖 Blog Tour ~ What The Ocean Keeps by Laura Wilkinson

11 August 2026

My thanks to the author for my copy of the book
and also to Random Things Tours for the invitation to the blog tour

 

The war's over but for Alma and Jack the fight for love and freedom has only just begun…

North Wales, 1918 

The guns in Europe have fallen silent but for Alma peace brings only hardship. After welcome independence as a munitions’ worker, she is trapped by a painful arrangement with Bron, the man who saved her family from destitution. And for Jack, a Canadian soldier who fought for Britain, it means degradation in the overcrowded, feverish repatriation camp where thousands wait for the chance to sail home. 

When Alma and Jack meet in the shanty town which serves the camp, their love becomes the one chance of escape. But dreams are fragile. Ships across the Atlantic are delayed time and again, Spanish ‘flu spreads and the men – their bravery ignored – are mutinous. 

Inspired by the true and largely forgotten events of the Kinmel Park mutiny, What The Ocean Keeps weaves together a woman's search for freedom and a soldier's struggle to return home against the turbulent backdrop of a world reeling in the wake of war and pandemic.

📖My Review…

Following the end of WW1 a large group of Canadian soldiers who fought for king and country are hoping to be repatriated and are waiting out their time in North Wales at Kinmel Park Camp where conditions are cramped, overcrowded, disease ridden and volatile. The only bright spot for Jack Moore is the girl in the red hat who runs the local store in Tin Town, a rough sort of area, which provides extras like cigarettes and chocolate for the soldiers. Alma Parry runs the store on behalf of Bron Roberts, a local business man, who has a passionate, but unrequited obsession, for Alma. With tensions running high both Jack and Alma have their share of troubles however, their attraction is inevitable and runs through the story like a beautifully woven tapestry.

The author has captured the essence of this post war period really well, times were uncertain and nothing felt like it was ever going to be the same again. The local people in the little Welsh villages around Kinmel Park Camp were naturally suspicious of the soldiers who seemed to be attracting the attention of local unmarried women and with tempers running high plus the uncertainty of the future, the area soon becomes a boiling pot of emotion. 

I was very much involved in the tender love story between Jack and Alma, both characters are brought to life so beautifully that I could well image the struggles of life in the camp with Jack, whilst the sheer uncertainty of Alma’s life, as she tries her best to maintain her independence, broke my heart into a million pieces. Beautifully layered, with a strong storyline and unforgettable characters, What The Ocean Keeps is a poignant and immersive historical romance which lingers in the imagination long after the story is finished.

It’s a time in history I hadn’t heard much about although by coincidence I have passed St Margaret’s Church in Bodelwyddan many times en route into North Wales and a couple of years ago I finally stopped to take a closer look at the marble church, which is quite stunning, and to visit the Commonwealth War Graves of the Canadian soldiers who are buried there following an outbreak, in 1919, of the Spanish Influenza. 

Below are a couple of photos I took at the time.

©️Jaffareadstoo 

©️Jaffareadstoo 

About the Author

Laura Wilkinson is a novelist, creative writing tutor and structural editor with a career spanning fifteen years. She is the author of seven contemporary novels for adults (two published under a pseudonym) including That Night in New York, Crossing the Line, The Family Line, Redemption Song and Skin Deep, published by Headline Accent and Legend Times. Her short fiction has appeared in magazines and anthologies throughout her career.

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📖 Publication Day Book Review ~ The Hiding Season by A C Glass

Penguin
Paperback Publication
13 August 2026

My thanks to Amanda at Moonflower for my copy of this book

Exploring the damage that spies can do to those who get tangled up in their lives, The Hiding Season follows an ordinary woman running for her life after she witnesses the murder of one of America’s most powerful senators. 

Escaping from a broken marriage, Maya Landry moves to Bozeman, Montana, the gateway to the Rocky Mountains. Working at an exclusive private ski-resort in the off season, Maya’s new life of quiet reflection in the mountains is going exactly as she’d hoped . . . until she stumbles across a dead body.

With no phone signal, she races down the mountain to get help. But when she returns with the police, the body is gone and no-one believes her. Later that night Maya is told by FBI agent Riley Maguire that if she doesn’t leave the state tonight, she’ll be dead by morning. 

Forced to change her identity, leave everything behind and move across the country, Maya trusts Riley to keep her safe. But, when her hiding place is compromised, should she trust him? And are the feelings she’s having towards him too good to be true? 

From a ski lodge in the Rocky Mountains to the Dirty Sixth in Austin, and from an anonymous safehouse in Texas to the headquarters of the FBI in Chicago, this is a page-turning, pulse-pounding thriller that explores the collateral damage of an FBI operation gone wrong.

📖My Review…

Hoping for a fresh start after the disastrous end to her marriage Maya Landry finds what she hopes is a new beginning working as a caretaker in an exclusive ski-resort on the edge of the Rocky Mountains in Montana. Looking after exclusive properties in this remote location should have offered her a safe haven but instead Maya gets drawn into a murder mystery which will see her running for her life.

Teeming with atmosphere and brimful of intrigue, we go on the run with Maya and Riley Maguire, the enigmatic FBI agent who sets out to keep Maya alive. Hurtling from one set of bizarre circumstances to another we follow Maya as she attempts to bring some semblance of order to her new life which is quickly spiralling out of control. I must admit to being on the edge of my seat as Maya struggles to determine just who the bad guys are, never trusting anyone but Riley, Maya must negotiate a world where no-one ever seems to tells the truth.

Fast and furious and with never a moment when the narrative slows down, this is a thrilling rollercoaster of a ride through the undercurrents of a criminal investigation at the highest level. Tense and emotionally exciting and with an unexpected plot twist at the end this is definitely one of those addictive stories which kept me turning the pages long into the night. Another fabulous read from this talented psychological thriller writer. 

About the Author

Dubbed ‘The new queen of spy fiction’ by The Guardian, ‘The real thing’ by the Washington Post and ‘A worthy heir to the James Bond mantle’ by James Patterson and shortlisted for the CWA Steel Dagger, Ava Glass is the UK’s leading female spy fiction writer and has sold over 2 million copies worldwide. 

The Hiding Season follows Ava Glass’ successful Emma Makepeace series, which included The Chase, The Trap, and her critically acclaimed 2023 thriller The Traitor, which was a Grazia Book of the Month, a Washington Post Book of the Year, a Cosmopolitan Book of the Year and a Richard and Judy Book Club pick. Film rights to The Chase and The Traitor series have been acquired.

Ava Glass’ spy novels are based on first-hand experience working with spies for the British government alongside several years working as an investigative journalist and crime reporter in America. One of vanishingly few female authors writing spy fiction, Ava Glass is breaking down the door to the most male-dominated genre in fiction. 

Ava Glass is an experienced broadcaster and a go-to talking head when something’s going on in the world of spies, and frequently appears on Sky News, BBC News and BBC Radio 4. She has also co-presented a true crime documentary TV series for Channel 4 and is a regular guest expert on current affairs podcasts.

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☀️ Summer Reads ~ Blue Skies Ahead by Jessica Redland

It’s that time of year again when I choose books which would make the perfect holiday reading. The stories which are easy enough to pick up and put down and which lend themselves, both by plot and characters, to lazy afternoons in the sunshine.

I’ll be sharing a few of the books which I think are perfect escapism summer reading. 

Look for #SummerReads

Leaving behind everything she thought she knew, Grace arrives at Hazelwick Farm with her teenage daughter, Maddie, and her mother, Frances, ready to build a new life together.

Grace has dreamt of fresh air, open skies and days filled with taking care of the animals while building a family business together. But starting over isn’t as simple as she hoped.

Maddie has barely spoken to her since the divorce from her father and Grace doesn’t know how to fix what she doesn’t fully understand. Between strained silences at home, and the demands of getting the farm ready to open for business, Grace begins to wonder if she’s made a mistake.

Yet life at Hazelwick Farm has its surprises. Grace keeps crossing paths with handsome tenant, Caleb, whether she means to or not. Could this unexpected connection be the start of something she never saw coming?

☀️My Review..

What a pleasure it’s been to spend time at Hazelwick Farm, getting to know Grace, her daughter Maddie and her mother Frances, three generations of women who take a chance on finding a new way of life in the beautiful Northumberland countryside. Life hasn’t been easy for either Grace or Maddie and there are challenges along the way for both of them but gradually the peace of the countryside and their shared venture of creating an Animal Encounter experience at the once neglected Hazelwick Farm begins to heal their pain.

I found much to enjoy in this gentle story which doesn’t shy away from important issues but does so with a lovely light touch and this author’s unique trademark of making the ordinary into the extraordinary. I know that lots of research goes into bringing a book to fruition and this really pays off as I feel like I have spent the last two days on the farm. I’ve enjoyed learning alongside Grace, Francis and Maddie, delighting in their shared happiness whilst at the same time becoming invested in their problems especially the initial difficult relationship between Maddie and Grace which is explored in a sympathetic and realistic way.

Beautifully written, with an abundance of gorgeous animals and some really special characters this lovely opening book brings this new series to life. Reading Blue Skies Ahead is like being wrapped in a warm hug and I’m especially delighted that this is just the start of the adventure. 

About the Author

Jessica Redland is the million-copy bestselling author of novels, including the Hedgehog Hollow and Escape to the Lakes series. Inspired by her hometown of Scarborough and the Lake District, she writes uplifting women’s fiction of love, friendship and community. Blue Skies Ahead is her thirtieth novel.

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📖 Blog Tour ~ The Nile Cruise by Caroline James

Avon for Harper Collins
30 July 2026
Cruise Escapes #2

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of the book
and to Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation to the blog tour

Hattie Mulberry is exhausted. Worn out from the demands of everyone around her, she’s long overdue a break. So, she decides to take a holiday – the adventure of a lifetime, following in the footsteps of her literary hero, Agatha Christie.

Before Hattie knows it, she’s embarking on a glamorous Nile cruise. Not only a voyage steeped in history and world-famous sights, but one where the passengers are almost as fascinating as the views from her luxurious cabin…

As the eclectic band of travellers journey between ancient temples and legendary tombs, guided by handsome Egyptologist Sam, secrets surface, desires awaken, and tensions simmer beneath the Egyptian sun.

Will the magic of moonlit nights on the Nile bring romance and renewal? Or will the infamous curse of Tutankhamun cast a shadow when least expected?

📖 My Review…

Following in the footsteps of her literary hero, and inspired by Agatha Christie’s famous novel Death on the Nile, Hattie Mulberry decides, on an impulse, to book herself onto a Nile cruise where she joins a disparate group of people who are all intent on exploring the delights of a cultural tour along this esteemed river. Hattie’s indomitable spirit naturally draws people to her and she soon starts to make friends, especially with Sylvie and her son, Ezra but it is with the lovely Gerald where Hattie experiences the most connection as he too enjoys the stories of Agatha Christie. This is such a lovely joyous story that I found that I was constantly looking forward to spending time with them, from the glorious descriptions of the excursions Hattie and her fellow passengers embarked upon, to the quiet observation of each character’s special personality, there is always something interesting to enjoy. 

Beautifully crafted and with a fine eye for even the smallest of detail, I can only assume that the author has enjoyed a similar cruising holiday along River Nile as her observations appear to be spot on and ensure that you become quickly drawn into the experience of cruising down the Nile. There were some genuinely funny moments which made me laugh out loud especially Hattie’s interactions with some of the less than likeable characters, Hattie’s gentle humour is interspersed with candid observations of the vagaries of human nature.

There’s a glorious sense of escapism aboard the SS Nefertari which, combined with Hattie’s delightful personality, her strength of spirit and her natural ability to see the good in everyone, helps to make The Nile Cruise into a really special story. I loved it and look forward to the next one .

About the Author

Caroline James is the celebrated author of later-life fiction, including THE CRUISE, the #1 best-seller that has captivated cruise ship passengers worldwide, earning its reputation as Girl Power for the Over-Sixties! Her eagerly anticipated follow-up cruise novels, include THE CRUISE CLUB, and THE ARCTIC CRUISE both hitting the Amazon Top 100 Kindle charts.

Caroline’s vibrant storytelling stems from her colourful career. Before becoming a full-time writer, she carved out a fascinating path in the hospitality industry, owning a charming country house hotel and a lively pub. As a media agent, she worked closely with celebrity chefs, giving her an insider’s perspective on the glitz, glamour, and grit of the culinary world. When she finally turned her focus to writing, she discovered her true calling, penning best-selling novels that have garnered her legions of fans.

When she’s not writing, Caroline enjoys tranquil walks with Fred, her Westie, and writing and plotting her next novels in her Scottish retreat. As a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, the SoA, ARRA, and the Society of Women’s Writers & Journalists, Caroline is a passionate advocate for the written word and a champion of life-long creativity.

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📖 Book Review~ Gentle Things by Danielle Giles

Pan MacMillan
23 July 2026

My thanks to the publisher for the invitation to read this book

 

The plague has passed, the fire has cooled, and Lucy North is in desperate need of a husband . . . From the acclaimed author of Mere comes a thrilling new tale of medicine, marriage and madness set in seventeenth-century London.

London, 1668. Though the streets hum with promise following the restoration of the crown, Lucy North is trapped. Her father’s recent death has left her mother saddled with debts she cannot pay. Lucy must marry the first man willing to take her without a dowry.

So when she meets Thomas Ashwell, a young and charming apothecary, Lucy quickly identifies an attractive route out. She falls in love easily, and when Thomas proposes she believes her future is finally secured.

But when Lucy falls and injures her head during their wedding party, things start to warp. Confined to her bedroom her dreams refuse to leave her at daybreak, and the voice in her head no longer sounds like her own. As Thomas plies her with tinctures and cures, a creeping fear takes root: Has this marriage saved her? Or will it bring about her end?

📖 My Review..

Set in London during the momentous years following the Plague and the Great Fire we meet Lucy North who lives with her mother in the Dolphin Inn, a bustling tavern which provides hospitality and entertainment for a teeming city. Inclined towards a profitable marriage for her daughter Lucy’s mother attempts to make a match with a man who is definitely not to her daughter’s liking. Thus taking matrimonial matters into her own hands Lucy sets about securing her own husband and quickly forms an attachment to the handsome young apothecary, Thomas Ashwell. Their betrothal has all the hallmarks of success that is until Lucy suffers a serious accident on her wedding day, resulting in a severe head injury. Left to the ministrations of her apothecary husband, Lucy is confined to her bedroom where she experiences vivid and possibly hallucinogenic dreams which may, or may not, have any basis in reality.

This is a really atmospheric historical novel which places us very firmly in seventeenth century London, a place filled with scurrilous gossip, fascinating superstitions and medical practises that were very much experimental, particularly medicinal cannibalism, which I have to admit to never having heard of before. It all points towards a distinctly disturbing element and a fascinating glimpse into seventeenth century cure-alls. The abundant richness of characters particularly the apothecary’s assistants, Brigit and Kate, add a subtle nuance and more than a sense of shock to the gothic outcome of the story.

Slow and considered, Gentle Things doesn’t rush towards its conclusion but rather leads us gently by the hand into the shadowy world of seventeenth century medical practices and of toxic relationships made worse by difficult circumstances.

About the Author

Danielle Giles is a writer and researcher based in Bristol. She has been published (writing as Danielle Vrublevskis) in Extra Teeth and Dear Damsels, shortlisted for the Bristol Short Story Prize and the Brick Lane Bookshop Short Story Prize, and longlisted for the Galley Beggar Press Short Story Prize. She won the Local Prize in the 2023 Bath Short Story Award. Mere, her first novel, was published by Mantle in 2025; Gentle Things is her second novel.

📖 Favourite Read of the Month ~ Venus, Vanishing by Rebecca Birrell

 

Pan MacMillan
Picador
16 July 2026

Thanks to the publisher for the invitation to read this book

Berlin, 1928. Hannah is new to the pleasures and freedoms of the city. She is a fledgling artist, a runaway, building a new life for herself in its galleries and clubs, and, at last, loving without boundaries.

But soon the party will be coming to an end. A consuming affair with her patron, Elke – the imperious wife of a powerful man – is reckless, yet life-changing, and it threatens to do more than ruin both of their reputations. Around them, people are disappearing. The shadows of something unspeakable are growing darker in the city. Hannah’s art could be the thing that secures her survival – or denies her any chance of escape.

📖 My Review…

Fledgling artist, Hannah Sherman wants more from life and has no interest in being shackled to an ordinary existence. Marriage and motherhood is not what she wants for herself. Dreary days spent working as a seamstress in her parent’s workshop Hannah longs for a way out and decides to take a huge leap of faith into a different life which is more suited to her exceptional artistic talent. 

Leaving behind her family is challenging and Hannah struggles to find her place in an ever-changing society but the help of new found friends and with the benefit of securing the patronage of a wealthy woman there comes the opportunity for Hannah to paint however, it comes with a tortured sense of artistic freedom. I followed Hannah’s progression with great interest, filled with excitement when she is given an art commission to paint a series of female nudes only to realise with a sinking inevitability that Hannah is about to travel along a much darker pathway. Life, art, politics and sexuality all converge in a story which is deep in historical meaning and alive with a creeping sort of cultural menace, which can only end in tragedy.  

Beautifully written, 1930s Berlin is brought to life, its initial vibrancy juxtaposed against the stark reality of Jewish persecution as the city enters into a dark chapter in its history. There is a realistic sense of unease which permeates throughout the entirety of the story and I couldn’t help but be fascinated as Hannah negotiates her way through the difficulties of living in a time of horrifying political and social changes, her interaction with people, both good and evil, would greatly influence her life going forward. 

Slow and considered, Venus, Vanishing, is a commendable debut, it is a book which does not rush to get its message across but rather reveals its secrets in moments of flawed beauty and inevitable sadness. It lingers long after the last page is turned and so for that reason I am delighted to make it my Favourite Read of the Month for July.

About the Author

Rebecca Birrell is an art historian and a Bye-Fellow in the History of Art at Murray Edwards College, University of Cambridge. She was formerly the curator of nineteenth and twentieth century paintings and drawings at the Fitzwilliam Museum and has occupied curatorial positions at the Jewish Museum London, the Department of Prints and Drawing at the British Museum, and at the Charleston Trust. She studied English literature at University College London, followed by a master's in women’s studies at the University of Oxford and a PhD from the Edinburgh College of Art. Venus, Vanishing is her debut novel.