Historical | Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™

ONE MAN’S FLAG by David Downing

November 20, 2015

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Downing has written a series of novels about Jack McColl, a spy working for his Majesty’s Secret Service during World War One. One Man’s Flag is the second in this series and picks up McColl when he is working in India for the British government.

In the first book, McColl meets and falls in love with Caitlin Hanley, an American-Irish journalist looking to make a name for herself during a period of momentous events including the First World War, as well as the planning and initiating of an Irish revolution against Great Britain. That book ends with Miss Hanley’s brother thwarted when involved with Irish separatists by her lover, Jack McColl.

McColl’s supervisor sends him to Ireland to look into the probability of an uprising during a period when England is involved in a major war with Germany. Jack and Caitlin, of course, meet again and find that their love continues, especially when it comes out that McColl made an attempt to help Caitilin’s brother escape.

Their adventures are recreated using an extremely well researched knowledge of events and places that existed during the period. Caitlin uses her American citizenship to visit Germany as a neutral, and actually gains her way very close to the front lines. It is her opinion, (and obviously that of David Downing,) that the people were very much with the military and the soldiers, feeling that their cause was the right one.

Her postings from the war zone assure her of success as a journalist. McColl, on the other hand, takes a trip to visit his brother who is serving on the western front in Europe. Downing, through the avenue of McColl, states the opinion that England had a cadre of incompetent officers leading their army. They tossed away lives by ordering massive charges against artillery and machine guns. And if the first charge failed, they would simply order another one. The comment is made that the loss of life approximated 5000 men a day, resulting in a stalemate of monumental proportions. Both sides worked to entice the United States to enter the war on their side and this second book ends at the end of 1916, with the widening war soon to include America.

Downing’s books are very clearly tailored to bring out the probable thoughts and opinions of an era now a century away from us. I have no doubt that these novels will allow readers to sympathize with people living and acting in those days.

11/15 Paul Lane

ONE MAN’S FLAG by David Downing. Soho Crime; First Edition edition (November 3, 2015). ISBN 978-1616952709. 384p.

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FALLING INTO BED WITH A DUKE by Lorraine Heath

October 30, 2015

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Hellions of Havisham, Book 1

This is the first book of a new series, and I can’t wait for the rest. This author was new to me, although I have heard of her from patrons who love her books, and now I know why.

Minerva Dodger has been on the marriage market for six seasons but the only men interested in her are after her large dowry. She has been holding out for love, but given that her looks are on the plain side she is giving up.

Determined to have some fun, she finagles entrance to the Nightingale club, where women are masked and ready for sexual liaisons with men who are not. Respect for privacy is the rule, and Minerva finds herself with the very eligible Duke of Ashebury. She wants to lose her virginity, and he is happy to oblige…but things don’t go exactly as planned.

They meet up at a ball, but the Duke doesn’t realize who he is so intrigued with. She knows, but has a hard time believing someone as eligible as the Duke would want anything to do with her.

This was a fun albeit predictable read, although really, pretty much all romances are. And that’s what keeps drawing me back for more. Looking forward to the next book in this series.

10/15 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

FALLING INTO BED WITH A DUKE by Lorraine Heath. Avon (October 27, 2015). ISBN 978-0062391018. 384p.

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ALL THE STARS IN THE HEAVENS by Adriana Trigiani

October 13, 2015

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In a bit of a departure from her usual big Italian family sagas, All the Stars in the Heavens takes a look back at the glamorous Hollywood of the 1930s. The story centers around Loretta Young, Spencer Tracey and Clark Gable and the fascinating lifestyles of these rich and famous.

Of course, there is a touch of Italy – Sister Alda Ducci is asked to leave the convent and sent to work as a secretary to Loretta Young. They form a bond that spans decades, and eventually take a trip to Italy.

Much of the story is set around the filming of “The Call of the Wild,” one of the first movies filmed on location. That was where Loretta Young and Clark Gable began a long friendship and more.

Trigiani is just a magnificent story teller and I couldn’t put this book down. The story was mesmerizing and I was so intrigued about it I went and did a little research on my own. While this is fiction, it is a fictionalized account of some true events and real people, which made it all the more interesting. The golden age of Hollywood shines brightly here.

If you haven’t read Trigiani, this is a terrific place to start and if you’re already a fan, you won’t want to miss this one. I loved it.

10/15 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

ALL THE STARS IN THE HEAVENS by Adriana Trigiani. Harper (October 13, 2015). ISBN 978-0062319197. 464 p.

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THE BEST HORROR OF THE YEAR, ed. by Ellen Datlow

September 5, 2015

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Volume 7

Once again Ellen Datlow has culled through the past year’s mass of horror shorts and novellas to put together a collection of some of the best highlights for genre fans.

Datlow not only has great taste, but with these “best of” anthologies she’s essentially offering readers a snapshot of the year’s releases. The chosen tales are narrowed down from multi-author anthologies, single author collections, magazines, online publications, and any other place that might have featured horror shorts for the previous year. What’s more, Datlow also takes the time to list additional readings of note including shorts that didn’t quite make the cut (because there are such a plethora to have to choose from), genre novels, award winners, etc from the calendar year.

This year’s twenty-two tale selection runs the gamut of horror with tales inspired by Lovecraft (Brian Evenson’s “Past Reno” and Livia Llewellyn’s “Allochton” were both originally part of the Letters to Lovecraft anthology edited by Jesse Bullington), a sin eater (Genevieve Valentine’s “A Dweller in Amenty”), vengeance from beyond the grave (Laird Barron’s “The Worms Crawl In”), and of course a couple of tales of the apocalypse as well, just to mention a few.

Some of my own favorites this time around include Garth Nix’s “Shay Corsham Worsted” and Keris McDonald’s “The Coat Off His Back,” both of which center around some quite historic criminals, the abovementioned “Past Reno,” and Angela Slatter’s revenge tale “Winter Children.”

Here’s the full table of contents:

The Atlas of Hell by Nathan Ballingrud

Winter Children by Angela Slatter

A Dweller in Amenty by Genevieve Valentine

Outside Heavenly by Rio Youers

Shay Corsham Worsted by Garth Nix

Allochton by Livia Llewllyn

Chapter Six by Stephen Graham Jones

This is Not for You by Gemma Files

Interstate Love Song (Murder Ballad No. 8) by Caitlin R. Kiernan

The Culvert by Dale Bailey

Past Reno by Brian Evenson

The Coat off His Back by Keris McDonald

The Worms Crawl In by Laird Barron

The Dog’s Home by Alison Littlewood

Tread Upon the Brittle Shell by Rhoads Brazos

Persistence of Vision by Orrin Grey

It Flows From the Mouth by Robert Shearman

Wingless Beasts by Lucy Taylor

Departures by Carole Johnstone

Ymir by John Langan

Plink by Kurt Dinan

Nigredo by Cody Goodfellow

9/15 Becky LeJeune

THE BEST HORROR OF THE YEAR 7, ed. by Ellen Datlow. Night Shade Books (August 18, 2015). ISBN 978-1597808293. 368p.

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THE UNINVITED by Cat Winters

August 29, 2015

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Ivy has only just recovered from the flu, but when she hears that her father and brother have murdered a local German shop owner she knows she can’t stay in their house one moment longer. Ivy has always seen spirits – they’re harbingers of bad things to come – and the last thing she can take is seeing the ghost of the man her father murdered.

When she arrives in town, though, she finds that Buchanan has been hit hard by the war and Spanish flu. The hospital is bursting at the seams and turning away patients with the wrong background or address. Fear is a predominant feeling amongst the locals – fear of being called out for being unpatriotic, fear of getting sick, fear of losing one more loved one… Ivy knows that fear makes men like the one her father murdered prime targets but she still feels a responsibility to the dead man’s brother and is desperate to make amends. At the same time, Ivy is certain something awful is about to come to pass. Why else would she be seeing her dead brother at every turn?

Cat Winters makes her adult debut with The Uninvited. It’s historical fiction set in an imagined town that’s pretty wonderfully representative of the era: the undertone of sadness and dread and the overwhelming anxiety of the town certainly feels true to the time.

Imagine watching your brothers, classmates, and sometimes even fathers going off to fight a war against an enemy overseas. Imagine being told that your neighbors could be collaborating with that enemy. And now imagine that a truly deadly and virulent sickness is making its way through your town as well. This is Ivy’s reality and her only relief comes from music and a love that’s pretty much forbidden.

There’s more than a hint of the supernatural to this tale – Ivy does see ghosts, after all – but The Uninvited is somewhat less of a ghost story than I’d initially expected. It’s more a story about human nature and the terrible effects of war. The combination makes for an eerie and emotional read.

8/15 Becky LeJeune

THE UNINVITED by Cat Winters. William Morrow Paperbacks (August 11, 2015). ISBN 978-0062347336. 368p.

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WHEN A SCOT TIES THE KNOT by Tessa Dare

August 26, 2015

Castles Ever After Series

This was such a fun read! I admit, I have a thing for Scots – at least Scots men in kilts – thank you, Diana Gabaldon. And I love Tessa Dare. So when I heard about this at ALA (the American Library Association annual conference) I knew I had to get my hands on it. And I was so glad I did.

The premise of the book was creative and original. Madeline Gracechurch was supposed to be “coming out” but is so shy and awkward, not to mention smart in the science sort of way not heavily favored by the English gentry, she makes up a suitor, “Captain MacKenzie,” sends him off to war, avoids English society and starts a correspondence with her imaginary lover.

Imagine her shock when years later Captain MacKenzie shows up at her door, ready to claim her for his wife. He’s been at sea, and all of her letters have landed in his lap. His lands have been taken by the British, and here is a convenient way to get something back for him and his men.

He convinces her to marry him or risk exposure and humiliation, and one thing leads to another and the oh so happy ending. But not before lots of angst, sex and a bit of history are thrown into the mix. I haven’t had this much fun reading a romance in a while, and I highly recommend it.

8/15 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

WHEN A SCOT TIES THE KNOT by Tessa Dare. Avon (August 25, 2015). ISBN 978-0062349026. 384p.

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MAD ABOUT THE MAJOR by Elizabeth Boyle

August 15, 2015

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This was the first book I’ve read by this author, and most probably the last.

I generally love Avon romances, but I wasn’t familiar with the “Impulse” line so after reading this I looked it up. It is a “digital first” imprint, meaning they publish books digitally before print. I’m guessing if it does well digitally then it may go to print. They accept manuscripts directly from writers instead of going through the agent process as almost all traditional publishers do. So basically a book that was rejected by HarperCollins or Avon can end up published by the Impulse line. (Bet you didn’t know you were going to get an education in HarperCollins publishing when you started reading this review!)

So, why am I rambling on about all this? I disliked this book so much that now I’ll be hesitant to read anything put out by the Avon Impulse line.

The story is simple; Lady Arabella is approached by a man at a ball, he mistakes her for a courtesan and almost ruins her. Her parents decide then and there to marry her off immediately so the next morning she skips out, determined to have one day of fun before the impending nuptials to someone she is sure is old and joyless.

She immediately runs into trouble, but is rescued by a gentleman passing by. He is the man from the ball and turns out he is in a similar position; he is a Duke and his reputation as a rake has made his parents decide to marry him off. These two obedient children (and they are childish, one of the myriad of reasons for my dislike of the book) end up spending the day together and fall in love.

They both use nicknames, neither admitting to the other who they really are. Eventually they go home to find out they are to be married. I didn’t even bother with a “spoiler alert” here because it couldn’t be more obvious throughout the book what was going to happen. I know every romance has a happy ending, but I want to see the struggle on the way there, and there simply wasn’t one. I found the plot silly and mundane, and the characters were clichés.

The romance genre has fairly specific rules. In its simplest iteration it goes boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy wins girl back again. Happy ending, usually with a wedding, a marriage, a baby or all three. All of that was determined in the first few pages and the rest was just a waste of time.

I really hate writing negative reviews. But I even hated the cover – looking on Amazon, I don’t get it, it doesn’t look like a historical to me. Maybe in person it does, but I read an eGalley on my Kindle so I’m relying on pictures here.

In the interest of fairness, I will point out that this book has 4.5 stars on Amazon based on a lot of reviews, so this is definitely just my opinion. But I found it so off-putting that I didn’t want to read anything for a couple of days after finishing it.

8/15 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

MAD ABOUT THE MAJOR by Elizabeth Boyle. Avon Impulse (July 21, 2015). ISBN 978-0062322913. 224p.

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A GOOD DEBUTANTE’S GUIDE TO RUIN by Sophie Jordan

August 13, 2015

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The Debutante Files, Book 1

For probably the first time ever, I have started a series at the beginning! Of course this book is a year old, and I heard about it because the second book in the series, All the Ways to Ruin a Rogue, just came out. I haven’t seen it yet but after reading book 1, I am anxiously awaiting its arrival.

Rosalie Hughes has been abandoned at school by her mother for more than two years past her graduation, and finally the headmistress drops her off at her stepbrother’s home. He is Declan, the Duke of Banbary and they haven’t seen each other in more than ten years. He is not happy to see her, and calls his aunt and cousin to come stay for propriety’s sake while he figures out the quickest way to get rid of her.

His aunt is quite meddlesome and is delighted with this new project. She suggests the Duke sponsor Rosalie for the Season and marry her off. He agrees, bestows an enormous dowry on her and off they go. The Duke is a rake and has no desire to marry, but something is happening between him and Rosalie. She has had a crush on him since she was a little girl and he would rescue her when she’d climb trees and be afraid to come down. Now that they are living together those feelings have resurfaced, but he has no interest – or so they both think.

The first marriage proposal comes in a week later from an old titled man who gives Rosalie the creeps, but the Duke accepts without even asking her and Rosalie is furious. She tells her suitor thanks but no thanks, but it makes her realize that this will be her lot in life, to be married off to some old man with money and a title.

Meanwhile, the Duke’s cousin, Aurelia, and Rosalie have become friends. Aurelia confides she wants to have an adventure before they are married off, and manages to convince Rosalie to come with her to what is basically a sex club. Needless to say, things really start heating up after that.

This is an entertaining, fast paced historical novel with great characters, a fun plot and lots of hot sex; just the kind of romance I love. I will be looking for more from this author.

8/15 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

A GOOD DEBUTANTE’S GUIDE TO RUIN by Sophie Jordan. Avon (July 29, 2014). ISBN 978-0062222503. 384p.

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DREAMING OF YOU by Lisa Kleypas

August 9, 2015

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I often get romance suggestions from Barbara, one of my co-workers who is a huge romance reader. She was cleaning out the paperbacks at work when she came across this title and told me to try it. She said it is old but it is one of those books that she has read and re-read, so I gave it a try. And I’m glad I did.

Sara Fielding lives with her elderly parents in a small English town out in the country. She has been hoping that a local young man would propose, but after four years she is beginning to give up. Sara is also a novelist, writing under a pen name, and her most famous book is about a prostitute.

Sara has a curious nature and a soft spot for the downtrodden, and she tries to highlight the social issues of the day in her novels. She has decided to write a new book about the popular gambling hells, and takes herself off to London to do some research. The most famous and opulent gaming hell of all is Craven’s, and the owner is reported to be one of the richest men in England.

Derek Craven came from lowly beginnings and created an empire, not an easy thing to do then. He has never married, preferring to have affairs with married women, ending them the minute he feels they are getting too close. His childhood was brutal at best, so his rough and tumble demeanor is no surprise. What is a surprise is how taken he is with Sara and her innocence.

The innocent yet smart woman saving the damaged man is a standard in the romance genre, and this is an excellent example. I loved this book.

Note – this cover is actually an update, the book was reissued this summer and from what I can tell has been in print continuously since 2000. There are probably thousands of paperback romances that have gone out of print in that time so while that may not sound like a big deal, trust me, for a paperback romance to be in print for that long, especially to be reissued with a new cover 15 years later, is a very big deal. But having read it, I completely understand. If you like historical romance, please add this to your reading list, you will be very glad you did.

8/15 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

DREAMING OF YOU by Lisa Kleypas. Avon; Reissue edition (June 30, 2015). ISBN 978-0380773527. 400p.

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THE TOURNAMENT by Matthew Reilly

July 25, 2015

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Matthew Reilly sets up a unique novel with an unusual plot incorporating two different themes. The first subject is the use of Queen Elizabeth I as a young girl of 13 and the third in line for the crown when her father Henry VIII passes away. During this period of her life, possibly due to the small chance of becoming Queen, little was written about her and Reilly freely postulates her presence at the other event the book is concerned with.

The Sultan of Constantinople (now Istanbul) Suleiman, sends an invitation to rulers of several nations inviting them to send contestants to a Chess tournament to be held at his court. King Henry selects an individual to send and invites Roger Ascham, a noted scholar of the period and Elizabeth’s tutor, to accompany England’s contestant. Elizabeth begs for permission to travel with the group and goes along. While historical records seem to indicate that she never traveled very far from London during her lifetime, Reilly takes a long leap with literary license to chronicle her trip. The adventures the party encountered during the trip as well as those experienced during the visit to Constantinople, if really occurring, would have certainly contributed to Elizabeth’s worldly attitude towards her subsequent rule.

Elizabeth’s friend and companion Elyse goes with her and seems to be seeking sexual adventures at every turn. She manages to capture the imagination of the heir to the Russian throne and sleeps with him, imagining that he will select her as his bride. The unfortunate turn of events in Elyse’s adventure is suggested as being the reason for the later designation of Elizabeth as the virgin Queen.

The chess tournament is described in a way indicating the deep feelings adherents had about a game that mirrored battles and required skill and not luck. Murders of leading people occur during the tourney and Suleiman asks Roger Ascham to solve the mystery of who the murderers are. Ascham does so and introduces the probability of unethical and certainly evil conduct on the part of the sultan and members of his court.

Obviously there is a free use of literary license Reilly both in the events postulated as well as the interjection of world famous personages such as Michelangelo attending the tourney, but the novel is an entertaining read. It should be read as “possibly” occurring and providing a picture of events and action in 1546 with a young Elizabeth experiencing a set of circumstances which would have molded her later character and actions.

7/15 Paul Lane

THE TOURNAMENT by Matthew Reilly. Gallery Books (July 21, 2015). ISBN: 978-1476749549. 320p.

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