Today I am featuring The Mistress of Pennington's on Books, Life and Everything. It is an Edwardian Romance / Family Saga which takes us back to Bath in 1910. There is also the chance to win an Amazon Voucher in a great International Giveaway. Details on how to enter are at the foot of this post.
1910 – A compelling tale of female empowerment in Bath's
leading department store. Perfect for the fans of the TV series Mr Selfridge
and The Paradise.
Elizabeth Pennington should be the rightful heir of Bath's
premier department store through her enterprising schemes and dogged hard work.
Her father, Edward Pennington believes his daughter lacks the business acumen
to run his empire and is resolute a man will succeed him.
Determined to break from her father's iron-clad hold and
prove she is worthy of inheriting the store, Elizabeth forms an unlikely
alliance with ambitious and charismatic master glove-maker Joseph Carter.
United they forge forward to bring Pennington's into a new decade, embracing
woman's equality and progression whilst trying not to mix business and
pleasure.
Can this dream team thwart Edward Pennington's plans for the
store? Or will Edward prove himself an unshakeable force who will ultimately
ruin both Elizabeth and Joseph?
My Thoughts
Edwardian England is a fascinating period of history. Set before the onset of the First World War, you are given an insight into an unequal world where class distinctions are so obvious. I particularly like the issues touched on in this saga with regards to women and their place in society. 'The Cause' as they refer to it is gaining force as women protest for equality and the vote. The Department Store reflects society with the well-heeled owners, the Penningtons, and the shop workers who are themselves arranged according to a class hierarchy depending on their job. Changes in society are hinted at as Elizabeth tries to modernise the store and encourage middle class women to come into the shop themselves, rather than sending in their servants.
At the heart of the story is a romance as Elizabeth tries to square her desires as a woman with her ambitions as a working adult. She is creative and empathetic, seeing the workers in the store as individuals to be nurtured. Striving to be taken seriously by her father, she shows independence of spirit and determination to succeed. The Department Store is described in detail and becomes very familiar to the reader by the end. I am sure that having established the saga, future books will be just as enjoyable.
In short: An atmospheric glimpse into Edwardian England.
About the Author
Rachel lives with her husband and two teenage daughters in a
small town near Bath in the UK. Since 2007, she has had several novels
published by small US presses, eight books published by Harlequin Superromance
(Templeton Cove Stories) and four Victorian romances with eKensington/Lyrical.
In January 2018, she signed a four-book deal with Aria
Fiction for a brand new Edwardian series set in Bath’s finest department store.
The first book, The Mistress of Pennington’s released July 2018.
Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and
Romance Writers of America, and was selected to mentor the Superromance
finalist of So You Think You Can Write 2014 contest. When she isn’t writing,
you’ll find Rachel with her head in a book or walking the beautiful English
countryside with her family. Her dream place to live is Bourton-on-the-Water in
South West England.
Be sure to check out the rest of the tour!
Giveaway (International)
To win £20 / $20 Amazon Gift Card (Open
Internationally) just follow the link below and good luck!
*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 I reserve 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 I will delete the data. I am not
responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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