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A Taste of Christmas Spirut by Susan Buchanan #Review #ChristmasSpiritSeriesBook4 #PublicationDay

Happy Publication Day to Susan Buchanan for Book 4 in her Christmas Spirit series, A Taste of Christmas Spirit which is published today!     CAN LARA ADD A DASH OF MAGIC THIS CHRISTMAS? The Sugar and Spice bakery sparkles with holiday spirit as Jacob serves up more mouthwatering festive treats, and Christmas spirit Lara tries to sprinkle her magic over those finding the time of year difficult. Ollie is at his wits’ end. A debt from years ago comes back to haunt him just as he and his girlfriend are buying their dream home. Rose is dejected as her college sweetheart has dumped her now they’re in their final year. She’s not looking forward to Christmas alone, nor her twenty-first birthday on Christmas Eve. Sacha has recently moved to Winstanton following the failure of his business. He’s too embarrassed to confide in his family, but can he find the friendship he so desperately needs and begin to trust again? Diana tries to find her new normal after the unexpecte...

The Cardinal by Alison Weir #Review #PublicationDay

Travel back to Tudor times. Alison Weir's historical novel. The Cardinal, centres on Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. It is published today by Headline Review on 22nd May.


 AN EXTRAORDINARY RISE TO POWER. A TRAGIC FALL FROM GRACE.

It begins with young Tom Wolsey, the bright and brilliant son of a Suffolk tradesman, sent to study at Oxford at just eleven years old.

It ends with a disgraced cardinal, cast from the King's side and estranged from the woman he loves.

The years in between tell the story of a scholar and a lover, a father and a priest. From the court of Henry VIII, Tom builds a powerful empire of church and state. At home in London, away from prying eyes, he finds joy in a secret second life.

But when King Henry, his cherished friend, demands the ultimate sacrifice, what will Wolsey choose?


Alison Weir's riveting new Tudor novel reveals the two lives of Cardinal Wolsey, a tale of power, passion and ambition.

My Thoughts

This is a deep dive into Thomas Wolsey's life. Alison Weir blends together actual historical characters and events with some fictionalised elements and, as she explains at the end of the book, imagines certain scenarios. The result is a convincing story, full of historical detail, which gives you a flavour of Thomas Wolsey's life and Tudor England in general. Despite his birth in an ordinary working family, Wolsey rises through education and his intellect, to a position of great power and influence. Along the way he has a few allies but more enemies who conspire to bring him down. He amasses huge wealth and privilege which is symbolised in the building of Hampton Court, a place to rival Henry VIII's own. 

    Wolsey's private life is as complicated as his professional roles. You see his vulnerabilities and desire for a family laid bare and he has to weigh whether to prioritise his desire for a personal life with his ambition. The level of detail in the story is dense, especially towards the latter stages of Wolsey's story. Events are complicated and fast moving and I am sure a reflection of life at court at the time. 

In short: five star reading

About the Author

Alison Weir is a bestselling historical novelist of Tudor fiction, and the leading female historian in the United Kingdom. She has published more than thirty books, including many leading works of non-fiction, and has sold over three million copies worldwide.

Her novels include the Tudor Rose trilogy, which spans three generations of history's most iconic family - the Tudors, and the highly acclaimed Six Tudor Queens series about the wives of Henry VIII, all of which were Sunday Times bestsellers.

Alison is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and an honorary life patron of Historic Royal Palaces. 

You can follow Alison here: X (Twitter)  |  |  Website 

Book link: Amazon UK

Thanks to Alison Weir, Headline Review and Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for a copy of the book and a place on the tour. 

Check out the rest of the tour!





 

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