Book Review: Kings of Conflict by MJ Porter
It’s a pleasure to be welcoming MJ Porter back to Novel Kicks and their latest novel, Kings of Conflict, the final, thrilling instalment in the Brunanburh series.
Can King Edmund of the English banish the Norse invaders from England one final time?
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In the wake of the agreement reached at Lincoln between Edmund and Anlaf Sihtricson of the Norse, Edmund returns to Wessex to reflect and rebuild, impatient to reverse his losses at Lincoln.
But this is the winter of discontent. In Jorvik and the kingdom of the Scots, those who’ve waited too long to become kings in their own right grow restless.
As the enemies of the English turn on themselves, Edmund senses the opportunity to reclaim all his brother, the victor of Brunanburh, managed to gain before his untimely death plunged England back into war with her many foes.
With his sights set firmly on York, can he recreate the England his brother built, or will the enemies of England realise the error of their ways and once more unite to drive Edmund back to Wessex, leaving York in the hands of the Norse.
A thrilling conclusion to MJ Porter’s epic retelling of the consequences of the battle of Brunanburh.
*****
Kings of Conflict is the final instalment in the epic Brunanburh series.
The book sees old rivals pitched once again against each other as Edward fights to create a united England. Can the Scots and the Norse hold on to what they have won, or will Edward take York and banish the dependents of Ivar The Boneless?
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Book Review: The House Of The Witch by Clare Marchant
I’m excited to be welcoming Clare Marchant to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest book, The House of the Witch.
Utterly gripping timeslip historical fiction, perfect for fans of The Witch’s Tree, The Essex Serpent and Weyward.
Now: When Adrianna arrives at the small, run-down cottage, near the sea in rural Norfolk, she can’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. Here she can forget her life in the city, and the problems she’s left behind there, at least for a while.
But – like Adrianna herself – the cottage holds secrets. And when Adrianna finds a mysterious bundle of notes hidden under a floorboard, she can’t shake the idea that they’ve been waiting for her. Especially when – in the rambling, overgrown garden – she then finds a strangely-carved stone, drawing her into a centuries-old mystery…
1646: Between her work as the village midwife and the medicines she sells from her cottage, Ursula has no need for a man. But this ideal leaves her unprotected in a world where just one accusation of witchcraft can mean certain death. So when she catches the eye of a powerful new local doctor, she must use every part of her cunning, or risk becoming his prisoner…
Can the two women – their paths bound by place and history – each find the keys to their own destiny?
*****
1646
Ursula lives alone. After witnessing the death of her mother at the hands of her father, she is determined to make her own way in the world. As the local midwife and healer, she is content, owns her cottage and makes her own money. However, the arrival of Dr. Oliver Bruton threatens the life she has built for herself and all it will take is one accusation.
by Book Review: Careful What You Witch For by Emma Jackson
I’m pleased to be welcoming Emma Jackson to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for Careful What You Witch For.
Two complete strangers.
One life-changing spell.
Becca Ashworth’s family is in trouble and with their magical legacy under threat, it puts their small village of Biddicote at risk too. So going against the witching tenets to summon an ancestor for help seems like a small price to pay to fix the problem…at first.
Connor Lynch is the Witches Council’s secret weapon and he’s just been deployed to find out exactly what the Ashworths are up to. But how he ends up posing as Becca’s fake husband at a magical inn in Cornwall as they hunt down a magical artefact is just as perplexing as the cheerful witch herself.
When their attraction for each other grows, Becca and Connor question everything they have been taught – and soon the missing artefact isn’t the only thing they are searching for. As love collides with duty, it’s clear that sometimes you need to be careful what you witch for…
*****
Rebecca Ashworth comes from a family of witches, all who have special magical abilities. When her family, her home and the village of Biddicote is threatened, she sets out to find a stolen family artefact that will help eliminate the threat. Her biggest hurdle is Connor Lynch, an Abrogater representing The Witches Council. Can Becca find what is lost without giving her family secrets away to a stranger?
It’s such a pleasure to be a part of the blog tour for Careful What You Witch For. First, can we talk about this book cover. It’s so pretty.
by Book Review: A Lady’s Fortune by Jane Dunn
I’m so excited to be welcoming Jane Dunn to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, A Lady’s Fortune.
In Regency England, twenty-seven-year-old Leonora Appleby is considered by many – herself included – to be beyond her most eligible marrying years. With her childhood home, Hasterleigh Manor, soon to be taken over by the heir to the land, George Lockwood, Leonora has happily resigned herself to a quiet life as a country Miss.
But life has a way of springing surprises and the return of the brooding war hero Earl Rokeby, presumed dead on the French battlefields, to the magnificent neighbouring Rokeby Abbey has the village atwitter with speculation. Earl Rokeby has returned, scarred in mind and body, with news for Leonora’s best friend Charlotte Blythe – news that will change everything.
Now Charlotte and Leonora must travel to Town for the Season and take their futures and fate into their own hands in the whirl of balls, parties and gossip. But will either of them return to Hasterleigh with a husband and a fortune, and what other secrets does the devastatingly dashing Alistair Rokeby have up his silken sleeves…
*****
Many people, Leonora Appleby included, believe that she is beyond marrying age. Even though she’s in her late twenties, she is absolutely fine with not being tied to a marriage. Anyway, she has more pressing matters – like her home being passed over to heir, George Lockwood. With the arrival of both George and the mysterious Earl Rokeby, what else will life throw at her?
Oh I love a regency era novel and got very excited when I was invited onto the blog tour for Jane Dunn’s latest book, A Lady’s Fortune.
by Book Extract: A Good Man by PJ McIlvaine
I’m pleased to be welcoming PJ McIlvaine to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, A Good Man.
He wants to remember. He’ll wish he could forget . . .
Decades after a brutal childhood trauma, a famous novelist finds his life shattered once again, in this unsettling psychological mystery thriller.
Brooks Anderson should now be enjoying life, but the persistent nightmares and sleepwalking still haunt him.
As hard as he’s tried, he can’t run away from the defining event of his life: the senseless murders of his mother and brother during a vacation in Montauk, which left the eight-year-old Brooks the sole survivor of the carnage and in a catatonic state. He buried his pain and eventually overcame his demons.
But now an unscrupulous journalist is threatening to twist the truth by digging up the past. To prove his innocence and exorcise his demons, Brooks must dig into his own psyche and the events of that fateful summer. His pursuit of the truth soon leads Brooks down a slippery slope that challenges everything—and will bring him face-to-face with the real monster of Montauk . . .
PJ McIlvaine has shared an extract with us today. We hope you enjoy.
Warning: Language.
*****beginning of extract*****
Brooks believes that he’s a good father. He loves his children and they have all the material comforts. He’s fiercely protective of them. After the childhood tragedy that robbed him of his mother and older brother, he won’t even take them to the beach—too many bad memories. But here, after his young daughter is savagely mauled, Brooks feels small and powerless. Once again, he failed.
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