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The Dressmaker's Secret by Susanne Dunlap #Review

We are diving into the past to the nineteenth century with the Regency romance, The Dressmaker's Secret Earl by Susan Dunlap . It was published by Comfortable Prose Publishing on 25 Mar. 2025 .   A marriage of convenience to a scoundrel? Not if Augusta can help it. The impoverished daughter of a baronet, Augusta has no intention of being bartered away like a prize horse. Instead, she flees to London, determined to forge her own path as a modiste. But fate has other plans. On her very first day in the city, she crosses paths with a brooding earl—one burdened with a clubfoot and a reputation nearly as scandalous as the proposal she ran from. His captivating sister, Mariana, is not only Augusta’s employer’s best client but harbors a secret ambition of her own: to marry the one man society deems wholly unsuitable. Drawn into Mariana’s reckless schemes of masquerades, cross-dressing, and Whig intrigue, Augusta soon finds herself entangled in more than just scandal—she’s lo...
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The Women Who Wouldn't Leave by Victoria Scott #Review

 

Victoria Scott's latest novel, The Women Who Wouldn't Leave is an uplifting read with some serious underlying issues. It was published by Aria on August 3rd. 

 

'A lovely book about two feisty and at times funny women, who stole my heart and had me rooting for them from the very beginning. A heartwarming, uplifting read that would be perfect for book clubs or just curling up with in the garden on a sunny afternoon. Utterly, utterly fabulous!' Faith Hogan

A gripping and uplifting new novel by the author of BA Book of the Month and LoveReading Debut of the Month Patience.

Connie Darke is trying to run away from the traumas in her past, and it's led her home, to the small rural council estate she left almost 20 years earlier.
Matilda Reynolds has spent most of her long life in the Worcestershire village of Stonecastle, and she's content there, with her animals and her solitude. Until a fall lands her in hospital, and Matilda has to turn to her strange young neighbour Connie for help looking after her home.
Out of their tentative arrangement, each woman gains a new sense of community. But before long, that community comes under threat when the council decides to sell the estate, to make way for expensive developments.
Connie and Matilda are determined to fight for their home, whatever it takes...


 My Thoughts

This is a novel which sweeps you along and you find yourself caring about the characters and what is going to happen to them. At first, you see different generations who are living around the cul de sac through Connie's eyes. It takes some time to work out what is the matter with Connie and why she is keeping herself hidden away. She has tried to make herself  invisible and unnoticed. In truth, she is noticed. As Connie comes to realise, her impression of her neighbours was not accurate. They have their own challenges. 

    Matilda, Connie's elderly next door neighbour has also tried to live her life away from people. They have quite a lot in common. Her accident is the catalyst for Connie beginning to look outwards. The mystery of why Matilda is living as she does runs throughout the story. There are some emotional moments and a slow burn romance. I enjoyed this novel a great deal and found myself hoping that Victoria Scott revisits Stonecastle. 

In short: an uplifting tale despite some dark issues


 

About the Author

Victoria Scott has been a journalist for longer than she wants to acknowledge, working for outlets including the BBC, Al Jazeera, Time Out and the Telegraph.

She lives on a Thames island with her husband and two children and a cat called Alice, and when she's not writing she's a university lecturer, freelance journalist and copywriter.

Victoria Scott's first novel, Patience, was the Booksellers Association Book of the Month and LoveReading Debut of the Month.

You can follow Victoria here: www.toryscott.com/ 

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Purchase links: UK Amazon  |  Amazon US 

Thanks to Victoria Scott, Aria and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.

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