Book Review and Giveaway - The Tobacconist's Wife by AnneMarie Brear

My Review

The Tobacconist's Wife is a historical novel set in 1855 Yorkshire. Thea Goodson marries in haste after her father's passing. She thought that Ernie Goodson was a kind man but after their marriage she discovers that he is an abusive brute who is also involved in thievery.  She struggles to keep their tobacco shop running when Ernie suddenly goes away.  During this time she also discovers an unexpected connection with Adam Fitzwilliam, who sets up a custom furniture shop next door.  Thea longs to find peace and happiness in her life and a way forward.

I wanted to read The Tobacconist's Wife because I was intrigued by the Victorian setting and was particularly interested in the lives of shop owners during this time.

The period details in this book are fascinating! I especially found the tobacco shop and small Victorian town details interesting.  The author does a wonderful job at setting the scene with descriptions like:

"A large window looked out onto Coney Street, one of the busiest shopping streets in York, but it was the interior that easily drew her attention. On both sides of the shop were floor to ceiling shelves of glass and timber, showcasing boxes of imported cigars, snuff boxes and pipes. Leather chairs were placed in the corners of the shop, for customers to sit and ponder the selections. A highly polished timber floor and matching countertop gave a warm welcome to the discerning customer. Shelving ran the length of the back wall, behind Thea, and beneath the counter was a large glass display area full of everything a man might need to enjoy his tobacco: pipe cleaners, pipe stands, engraved silver cigar cutters, matches and flints, cigar cases, leather pipe cases, crystal ashtrays" (Kindle location 137).

The descriptions of Thea's abusive marriage were at times difficult to read. Ernie was a thoroughly horrible person;  I kept reading, pulling for Thea to find a way out to safety.

There were a number of twists and turns in this novel, and they kept me up reading long after my bedtime. I really liked Adam, who was seeking his dream to become a cabinetmaker in the midst of his own family issues. The scenes with Thea and Adam were my favorite in the book.

I would recommend The Tobacconist's Wife for fans of historical fiction, especially anyone who enjoys Victorian settings and stories of women overcoming - with some historical romance as well.

Book Synopsis

Having lost her father, Thea Goodson is alone in the world.

It is true she has a husband, but Ernie is a brutal man, more inclined to use his fists to keep Thea in line than to build on their marriage. And besides, Ernie Goodson has secrets – secrets that even his wife cannot share.

But in Victorian Yorkshire, appearances must be kept up, so Thea goes on powdering her bruises and forcing a smile as she toils in Ernie’s home and tobacco shop. There seems to be no other option.

That is, until a handsome and well-bred stranger arrives to set up shop next door…

Can Thea escape her misery and break from the conventions of society? Or will the clutches of her abusive husband confine her forever?

The Tobacconist’s Wife is the latest book from AnneMarie Brear, the highly acclaimed author of bestselling The Slum Angel. Perfect for fans of Catherine Cookson, Dilly Court and Rosie Goodwin.

Available on Amazon

Author Bio

Amazon UK bestseller and award-winning Australian author, AnneMarie Brear has been a life-long reader and started writing in 1997 when her children were small. She has a love of history, of grand old English houses and a fascination of what might have happened beyond their walls. Her interests include reading, historical research for her novels, watching movies, spending time with family and eating chocolate – not always in that order!

For more information please visit AnneMarie Brear’s website. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Goodreads.

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we are giving away 2 eBooks of The Tobacconist's Wife! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

The giveaway is open to US residents only and ends on November 19th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

The Tobacconist's Wife

Book Spotlight and Giveaway - Murder in the Piazza: A Maggie White Mystery by Jen Collins Moore

Book Synopsis

Maggie White, a downsized American executive stuck in Rome on her husband’s expat assignment, is finding the dolce vita isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. She’s taken a job offering painting instruction to well-heeled travelers and her boss-a rather unpleasant English lord-has turned up dead in his penthouse. Maggie’s left with a palazzo full of suspicious guests, a valuable painting her boss might have stolen, and a policeman who’s decided she’s the prime suspect. Now Maggie must keep the tour up and running while she tracks the killer and works to clear her name.

Author Bio

Jen Collins Moore is the author of the Maggie White Mysteries. Her short fiction has appeared in Mystery Weekly, and she is the editor of the Mystery Writers of America Midwest newsletter. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America, as well an established marketer and entrepreneur. A transplanted New Englander, she lives in Chicago with her husband and two boys.

Author Link:

https://www.jennifercollinsmoore.com/

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo –

Giveaway

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Dear Abby - Videos Abby Likes: A Wiener Dog Cake

Dear Friends,

How are you and how is your week going? I am having a good week. It has been cool here but we are going to get warmer weather for the next week, which means extra walking time outside. Hooray!

I have a really fun video to share with you today. (Thanks, Shari, for sending this link to me.) It is a Wiener Dog cake. Yes, you read that right. It was created by a baker from Sideserf Cake Studio.  She was inspired by a real dachshund named Oskar. She created a cake based on a picture of Oskar lying in bed with a blanket. She molded Oskar's head out of molding chocolate. By the time she was finished the cake really looks JUST LIKE a dachshund! I especially like his little paws sticking out of the edge of the blanket.  He looks so cozy!  Momma says the cake is way too cute to eat.  I am not sure that I agree with her.  (My philosophy:  all food is good!)

Without further ado, here is the dachshund cake video:



What do you think?  Would you eat the cake or just admire it?

Thanks so much for visiting me today. I hope you have a great day!

Love,

Abby xoxoxo

Book Spotlight and Giveaway - Fair Trade (Barks & Beans Cafe Cozy Mystery) by Heather Day Gilbert

Book Synopsis

Welcome to the Barks & Beans Cafe, a quaint place where folks pet shelter dogs while enjoying a cup of java…and where murder sometimes pays a visit.  

With the one-year anniversary of the now-successful Barks & Beans Cafe approaching, siblings Macy and Bo Hatfield set up an iced coffee booth at the state fair. Taking a break from brewing, Macy bumps into Carolina, a long-lost childhood friend who’s now sitting pretty as a country superstar. Macy tries not to fangirl too hard when her old friend extends an invitation to meet the rest of the Carolina Crush band before their opening show.  

But when Carolina falls victim to not one, but two near-death experiences, Macy takes it upon herself to find out who has it in for her old friend. Fortified with plenty of roasted corn, cinnamon rolls, and her brother’s signature iced maple latte, Macy takes to the Ferris wheel to get the lay of the land from the air. She discovers too late that this year’s fair isn’t all fun and games…but she’s already locked in for the ride. Join siblings Macy and Bo Hatfield as they sniff out crimes in their hometown…with plenty of dogs along for the ride! 

The Barks & Beans Cafe cozy mystery series features a small town, an amateur sleuth, and no swearing or graphic scenes.

The Barks & Beans Cafe cozy mystery series in order:
Book 1: No Filter
Book 2: Iced Over
Book 3: Fair Trade

Author Bio

HEATHER DAY GILBERT, an ECPA Christy award finalist and Grace award winner, enjoys writing contemporary mysteries set in her home state of West Virginia. Her novels feature small towns, family relationships, and women who aren’t afraid to protect what they love.

You can find all her books at heatherdaygilbert.com.

Author Links 

Webpage: http://www.heatherdaygilbert.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heatherdaygilbert

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7232683.Heather_Day_Gilbert

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/heather-day-gilbert

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/heatherdgilbert 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heatherdaygilbert/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/heatherdgilbert

Purchase Link – Amazon

Giveaway

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Book Review and Giveaway - Broadcast 4 Murder (Sophie Kimball Mystery) by J.C. Eaton

My Review

Broadcast 4 Murder is a cozy mystery set in Arizona. Phee Kimball works for a detective agency along with her boyfriend.  She becomes involved in solving a crime when her mother stumbles upon a dead body. Phee's mother Harriet has just started a cozy mystery show on a local radio station.  Unfortunately, murders begin happening at the station on her first day of work.

I wanted to read this novel because I have enjoyed the previous Sophie Kimball mysteries that I've read.  I am a dachshund person and love Harriet's dog, Streetman, a Chiweenie (dachshund-chihuahua mix) with lots of personality!

I really enjoy this series. It has a refreshing blend of mystery with some little wry humorous asides. This book has the same lively tone, and it was fun to read!

There is also a bit of a mystery from the past, since the scissors that stabbed the first victim previously belonged to a local teacher who died 20 years ago.  I found that aspect of the mystery particularly intriguing.

This is a well paced mystery with several viable suspects.  I enjoyed Phee's detective work, and already am looking forward to the next book in the series!

I recommend Broadcast 4 Murder - and the Sophie Kimball mystery series - for other fans of cozy mysteries.

Book Synopsis

All of Arizona’s Sun City West heard Sophie “Phee” Kimball’s mom scream bloody murder, but it’s up to the reluctant sleuth to find the killer . . .  

Phee’s mother Harriet is going to be a star! At least, that’s how the Sun City West retiree describes her chance to host a live radio program of her book club’s Booked 4 Murder Mystery Hour on Arizona’s KSCW. But instead of chatting about charming cozies, Harriet ends up screaming bloody murder over the airwaves after discovering the body of Howard Buell, the station’s programming director, in a closet—with a pair of sewing shears shoved into his chest.  

The number one suspect is Howard’s ex-girlfriend Sylvia Strattlemeyer who believed she was going to host a sewing talk show before Harriet was offered the spot. But not only do the fingerprints found on the scissors not match Sylvia’s, they belong to a woman who passed away twenty years ago at the age of ninety-seven. Now, with the whole town on pins and needles, it’s up to Phee to stitch together enough clues from the past to uncover the identity of a killer in the present . . .

Author Bio

J.C. Eaton is the wife and husband team of Ann I. Goldfarb and James E. Clapp, authors of the Sophie Kimball Mystery Series and the Wine Trail Mysteries. A New York native and former middle school principal, Ann has published eight award-winning and highly acclaimed YA time travel mysteries. James is a U.S. Navy veteran and retired tasting room manager for a large upscale New York winery. Visit their Website at JCEatonMysteries.com. –This text refers to the mass_market edition.

Author Links

Website: www.jceatonauthor.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JCEatonauthor/

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Google Play – IndieBound

Giveaway

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