Christmas at Pennington's by Rachel Brimble #Review #Giveaway

We return to Pennington's Department store for this Edwardian Romance / Family Saga . It is for the seasonal Christmas at Pennington's . You can read my reviews of its predecessors here:  The Mistress of Pennington's  |  A Rebel at Pennington's. 

You can also enter a great giveaway to win an Amazon giftcard (UK only). Details on how to enter are at the foot of this post. 

Gripping drama as Pennington's department store prepares for a glittering Christmas in 1911, but a killer stalks the women of Bath.

Christmas sees Pennington's at its most glorious, thronged with shoppers, its grand staircase and balcony adorned with holly, mistletoe, tinsel and lights. It should be the happiest time, but dramas are seething beneath the surface.

For Cornelia Culford, in charge of jewellery, a divorce hearing looms, where she could lose custody of her young sons to her overbearing and unfaithful husband.

For Stephen Gower, being head of security at Pennington's is the perfect refuge from a tragic past at Scotland Yard. But soon the past will call him back, as Joseph Carter and Elizabeth Pennington beg him to help solve the murder of Joseph's first wife, now that it seems as if the killer has struck again.

For Joseph and Elizabeth, their marriage depends on exorcising the past. But can it ever be laid to rest?

 My Thoughts

I am so happy to return to life in Edwardian England in 1911 and to see what is afoot in Pennington's Department Store.  Characters from the first two novels are featured but the central focus this time is on Cornelia who is on the brink of divorce. One of the strengths of this series is the way that issues from the era are entwined in the story. Social attitudes to divorce are shown as is the attitude of the courts. Violence within marriage is touched on and always in the background is the Suffragettes' cause. You have to admire Cornelia's determination to stand on her own feet and to take control of her life.

    You can read this as a standalone historical mystery but I must recommend the first two in the series if you are to get the most out of the characters' backgrounds and relationships. It is well researched and gives you a flavour of life in Bath at that time which seems such a contrast to the bustle of London. As Christmas looms, you can visualise the excitement within the store as it falls naturally within the book. I am hoping as ever, for another instalment. 

In short: A third welcome visit to Edwardian Bath.    

 

About the Author

 Rachel lives with her husband and their two daughters in a small town near Bath, England. 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 new Edwardian series set in Bath’s finest department store. The Mistress of Pennington’s released July 2018, A Rebel At Pennington’s February 2019 and Christmas At Pennington’s September 2019.

Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and Romance Writers of America and has thousands of social media followers all over the world. To sign up for her quarterly and new release newsletter, click here to go to her website: https://rachelbrimble.com/

You can follow Rachel here:|   Website  |  Blog   |  Twitter 

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Book links:  Amazon Author Page   |  Goodreads Author Page

Amazon UK   |  Amazon US    

Thanks to Rachel Brimble and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.

                                      Be sure to check out the rest of the tour!

Giveaway (UK only)

To win a £15 Amazon Gift Card (UK Only) 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 Rachel’s Random Resources reserves 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 Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.