Books I was reading during 2023.

January to March

Last year was busy but I still found time to read 50 books. Mostly from NetGalley and a few from Libby and Indy Reads. This year I would like to re-read some of my old books I saved from being damaged in the flood. All last year we were gradually restoring our house after being flooded in March 2022.

  

Some of my old books stacked on my bed.

Secrets of the Sonnets by Samantha Hastings

An E-Book from NetGalley. Published by Covenant Communications on 3.1.2023. XXXXX

A quick easy read started 24 December 2022 and finished 3 January 2023. 272 pages.

Set mostly in Winkfield, England in 1812. Miranda Hatch and her father are trying to find the lost manuscripts of Shakespear, their research leads them to Lord Robert Hamilton who is the 12^th Marquess of Marsworth.

Lord Hamilton has no interest in literature or Shakespear but is desperately in need of finding a way to repay his father’s debts so that he can keep his family home.

A historical mystery with a fun romance. I loved the way Miranda’s family interacted and their use of Shakespear quotes. The pace was fast and there was lots of action.

Miranda has no interest in finding a husband, she only wants to find a document that with Shakespear’s signature.

Lord Hamilton has no interest in finding a wife to help pay his debts so when Miranda tells him he may have a valuable document with William Shakespear’s signature he happily gets involved with Miranda and her parents as they search through his family documents.

This was a regency romance about families, inheritance and the lost Shakespear Manuscripts. I loved it.

Chalice of Darkness by Sarah Rayne

An E-Book from NetGalley. Published 7 February 2023 by Severn House. XXXXX
I loved this historical mystery set mostly over 15 years between 1891 to early 1900’s with historical details on some of the people who owned the Talisman Chalice. Full of twists and turns and evil people. I loved the creepiness of the old Bastle House and Vallow Hall on the Scottish border.
Jack Fitzglen is searching for the Talisman Chalice that once belonged to the Royal family but went missing in 1891. Jack wants to write a play about the Chalice but first needs to prove that it does exist.
Jack finds old photographs of a woman holding the Chalice and a letter telling his father Aiden to stay away from Vallow Hall. The letter is signed by Maude.
Jack sets out to find Maude and the Chalice and how they are connected to his father. Lots of historical information about the Talisman Chalice and its connection to the Royal Family and the way Jack tried to solve the mystery of the missing Chalice. This was about secrets and murder. My favorite type of book full of clues and creepy old houses.

Putting my wine glasses back on shelves after being packed away. When I packed up wine glasses i did not have any newspaper so used old socks to keep glasses safe when packed in boxes for a few months.

Where Ivy Dares to Grow By Marielle Thompson

An E-Book from NetGalley. Published on 27.06.2023 by Kensington Publishing.
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Historical romance set in an old manor house about grief and mental illness.
Saoirse suffers from a mental illness. Her fiancé Jack wants her to give up her studies and concentrate on getting well. Saoirse travels with Jack to his parent’s manor house so Jack can spend time with his dying mother. Saoirse is left on her own to wander aimlessly through the old manor house and gardens, she finds an old journal that she becomes obsessed over.
I loved the way the history of Jack’s family and the old manor house is revealed through the journal.

Repairs to Our House

In February were repairing walls in entry/sewing room. Everything packed away in boxes. Always looking for something and continually moving things around and sorting.

I sorted out some cupboards and found my old school port from primary school inside it were some old school books. My Autograph Book.  An old school atlas, my 5th grade writing book, old school reports and project book for Rural Youth.

It was fun to look back at my autograph book and see what my school friends wrote in it. I love looking through old photos, documents and letters. That is probably why I like reading books where people find lost letters and diaries that lead to family secrets. 

My school port from primary school.

Some pages from my fifth grade writing book. 1967. We were still using plastic pens with nibs and ink wells. Later in the year we started using biros. I always found it hard to do writing exercises because I was left handed.

My sewing basket from my school days.

The Cottage By the Loch by Kennedy Kerr

Published by Bookouture 24.01.2023. XXXXX

An old Scottish Castle, a small cottage by the Loch in a Scottish village and a  bundle of old letters. I loved the way Zelda Hicks made the most of her time while stranded in Scotland after breaking her wrist.
Set in Scotland in 2022. Zelda Hicks finds herself stranded in a small Scottish village. She worked for a small New York newspaper and was sent to Scotland to write an article with a Scottish Castle as the background. She stays in a small village pub where she soon starts to relax and enjoy life and starts making friends.
One day while out walking Zelda finds a small cottage on the Loch and befriends Gretchen Ross the elderly woman living in the cottage. Zelda helps Gretchen prepare to move out of the cottage and while cleaning one of the cupboards Zelda finds a bundle of old letters which leads to researching Gretchen’s family history.
I loved the setting, with descriptions of the Loch, standing stones and the old Castle. I loved the interactions between Zelda and the people she met and the simmering romance. Lots of humorous situations and Scottish phrases. A fun easy read.

The Jane Austen Remedy by Ruth Wilson

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The Secret Letter by Kerry Barrett

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Looking For Emily by Fiona Longmuir

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A young girl finds a secret museum

What Is Left After by Natasha Lester

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Five First Chances by Sarah Jost

An E-Book from NetGalley.
Published by Source Books 18.04.2023. XXXX
Set between 2017 and 2019 in Switzerland and England. In 2019 Louise attends Nick Harper’s funeral with her friend Yuki. Louise starts remembering how she first met Nick and wonders how things could have been different which sends her back in time to make changes in her life.
Each time Louise goes back to 2017 a little more about her life and family relationships is revealed. I loved the way the characters were developed and how Louise interacted with them.
This was  a romance about grief, families and friendships.

Gigi Listening by Chantel Guertin 

An E-Book from NetGalley. Published by Kensington Books to be published on 28 March 2023. XXXX

Gigi is tired of being set up on blind dates, she loves reading and secretly has a crush on a narrator Zane Wilkenson.

Gigi’s friends give her a surprise 30th birthday gift which includes a bus tour in England with Zane as the tour guide.

A fun easy read romance with likeable characters. I loved the way songs, movies and books titles were woven into the story. I also liked the detailed descriptions of the towns and places visited.

 I originally was able to enjoy reading a short extract in October 2022 and was looking forward to reading the remainder which did not become available until early 2023. 

The Man I Met On Holiday by Fiona Gibson

An E-Book from NetGalley published by Avon – A division of HarperCollins Publishers on 2^nd March 2023. XXXX
A fun romance develops between Lauren and James while they are on holiday in Corsica. Their romance is complicated by distance and issues with their children when they return home.
Lauren’s son Charlie is 17 and James’s daughter Esther is 20. Full of twists and turns and complications when James at London tries to find time to visit Lauren who lives in Hertfordshire.
This was a romance about families and family relationships.

The Hidden Letters by Lorna Cook

An E-Book from NetGalley. Published by Avon – A division of HarperCollins Publishers on 2^nd March 2023. XXXXX

Set mostly in Cornwall between 1914 and 1921. Cordelia lives with her family at Pencallick House in Cornwall, the house was built in the 1700’s and bought by her grandfather in 1835.

Early in 1914 a garden Landscaper was employed to modernise the gardens. Isaac and his brother David live in a cottage in the grounds of Pencallick House while working on the gardens.

Cordelia and Isaac are attracted to each other but are soon separated when the First World War commences.

I loved the descriptions of the location and gardens. This was a romance set during war about friendships and family relationships with lots of secrets and heartache. 

A Matter of Time by Margaret Locke

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A Scandalous Matter by Margaret Locke

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A time travel romance