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The Fascination by Essie Fox #Review #Giveaway

   Today be prepared for a dark, Victorian gothic novel! The Fascination by Essie Fox is published on June 22nd by Orenda . For the chance to win a print copy of The Fascination see the foot of this post for details. Victorian England. A world of rural fairgrounds and glamorous London theatres. A world of dark secrets and deadly obsessions… Twin sisters Keziah and Tilly Lovell are identical in every way, except that Tilly hasn't grown a single inch since she was five. Coerced into promoting their father's quack elixir as they tour the country fairgrounds, at the age of fifteen the girls are sold to a mysterious Italian known as ‘Captain’. Theo is an orphan, raised by his grandfather, Lord Seabrook, a man who has a dark interest in anatomical freaks and other curiosities … particularly the human kind. Resenting his grandson for his mother’s death in childbirth, when Seabrook remarries and a new heir is produced, Theo is forced to leave home without a penny to his

Five Wakes and a Wrdding by Karen Ross #Review

Welcome to today's post which features Karen Ross' novel, Five Wakes and a Wedding. 


Undertaker Nina Sherwood is full of good advice. For example, never wear lip gloss when you’re scattering ashes.


Nina is your average 30-year-old with a steady job, a nice home – and dead bodies in her basement. As an undertaker, she often prefers the company of the dead to the living – they’re obliging, good listeners and take secrets to the grave.



Nina is on a one-woman mission to persuade her peers that passing on is just another part of life. But the residents of Primrose Hill are adamant that a funeral parlour is the last thing they need… and they will stop at nothing to close down her dearly beloved shop.



When Nina’s ‘big break’ funeral turns out to be a prank, it seems like it’s the final nail in the coffin for her new business. That is, until a (tall, dark and) mysterious investor shows up out of the blue, and she decides to take a leap of faith.

Because, after all, it’s her funeral…

The perfect antidote to all those books about weddings, this book will make you laugh until you cry, perfect for fans of Zara Stoneley’s Bridesmaids, Four Weddings and a Funeral and The Good Place.



                                                                                     My Thoughts

There is quite a different feel about this romcom- probably because it is set around an Undertakers! There are plenty of light moments and amusing characters who appear and Nina's characters is so down to earth. She is genuinely funny and I enjoyed her attitude to life and death, seeing her business as a form of social work. She is empathetic towards her clients and you can see how approachable she is. In this 'RomCom Noir', you get to see the effect that the funeral business can have on a community. Not everybody welcomes it.

    Despite its subject matter, this has an uplifting mood with a quick pace and amusing moments. It is an enjoyable read which is upbeat and does make you think a little.  There is also a good portion of romance to add to the mix and a little jeopardy thrown in.

In short: Light and shade.


                                                                              About the Author


As a former journalist, broadcaster and advertising copywriter, Karen Ross has followed a fairly traditional path into writing fiction.   Five Wakes and a Wedding is her fourth book, and like its predecessors, the novel has two common threads:  the setting is London’s Primrose Hill – Karen’s own neighbourhood – and one of the characters is a dog . . . this time he’s called Chopper and he’s almost the same size as a Shetland Pony.


Karen has been self-employed for many years, and continues to work as a marketing consultant, in the absence of an offer to manage Tottenham Hotspur.  By way of credentials, her other ‘job’ is trading profitably on the world’s first football stockmarket, a platform called Football Index, where you buy and sell players with real money.

You can follow Karen here: Twitter   |  Website

Boook link: Amazon UK    |  Amazon US

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



 

 


 
 

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