Today's historical fiction takes us to Victorian England and Queen Victoria's court. Victoria and Violet by Rachel Brimble was published on October 17th by The Wild Rose Press. It is the first in her Royal Maids series.
It should be a dream come true to serve the Queen of
England…
When Violet Parker is told she will be Queen Victoria’s personal
housemaid, she cannot believe her good fortune. She finally has the
chance to escape her overbearing mother, a servant to the Duchess of
Kent.
Violet hopes to explore who she is and what the world has to offer
without her mother’s schemes overshadowing her every thought and
action.
Then she meets James Greene, assistant to the queen’s chief
political adviser, Lord Melbourne. From entirely different backgrounds
and social class, Violet and James should have neither need nor desire
to speak to one another, yet through their service, their paths cross
and their lives merge—as do their feelings.
Only Victoria’s court is not always the place for romance, but rather secrets, scandals, and conspiracies…
My Thoughts
This is an intriguing visit to Queen Victoria's court at a time when she was a young woman, recently acceded to the throne. The tensions between Victoria and her mother are fierce. When you meet the maid, Violet, you realise just how much she has in common with Victoria. In addition to her young age, she also has been the victim of her mother's ambitious scheming at court. Both women are looking to evade the influence of their parent. This turns out to be quite the theme as you realise that at every level of the royal court, there are families who are looking out to advance their fortunes, even at the expense of their family members. Women are in some ways, a commodity.
Violet has to learn to assert her own sense of self worth. She is befriended by the rather dashing aristocrat, James Greene, who is looking to avoid the expectations of his family. He is expected to find himself a high born wife and to continue his birth right as a future Baron. Through Violet, you see how few choices women have for indelendent living and the effect that marriage can have on their ability to be independent and fulfilled. Violet's love for painting is disregarded by many. This historical novel contains much period detail and the characters stand out from the real life events which pepper it. I enjoyed it very much and am pleased to find out that it is the first in a series.
In short: love and ambition
About the Author
Rachel lives in a small town near Bath, England. She is the
author of 29 published novels including the Ladies of Carson Street trilogy,
the Shop Girl series (Aria Fiction) and the Templeton Cove Stories (Harlequin).
Her latest novel, Victoria & Violet is the first book in her new Royal
Maids series with the Wild Rose Press.
Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association as
well as the Historical Novel Society and has thousands of social media
followers all over the world.
To sign up for her newsletter (a guaranteed giveaway every
month!), click here
Thanks to Rachel Brimble, Wild Rose Press and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.
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Thank you so much for this wonderful review! I am so happy you enjoyed Violet's story :)
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