Book review : The Demon's Parchment by Jeri Westerson

The Demon's Parchment
Crispin Guest Book 3
Medieval noir by Jeri Westerson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another amazing mystery in the Crispin Guest medieval noir series !

5 stars well deserved because the plot is really intricate, but never tangled, which means that the author has been able to create a clever interweaving of topics with different characters, keeping the suspense high throughout the book, but without ever making the reader feel lost in the confusion.. on the contrary, the reader is able to perfectly follow the events and investigations carried out by Crispin, remaining amazed at each truth revealed.

___THE PLOT __ Crispin Guest is a former knight, about thirty years old, who 8 years earlier due to a mistake, was deprived of his knighthood, his noble title, his lands and his manor, spared death, but removed from court , he had to start living his life in the poorest part of the city.
In a constant regret of what his life was before, Crispin still manages to react, earning a living with his intelligence and his experiences as a knight, that is, finding lost things (often emotionally and religiously valuable) and investigating about the murders in which he often find himself involved.
This time, looking for stolen parchments, Crispin finds himself having to investigate a series of brutal murders in which the victims are children, he is in fact a serial killer.

__THEMES ADDRESSED IN THE BOOK AND IMPRESSIVE SCENES___ Although the mystery series is defined as "noir" (and a few words and some sex scenes definitely exclude the book from the cozies), I usually don't find shocking scenes or too strong to digest and that's why I love these thrillers: engaging from start to ending, great suspense and thrills, but nothing that makes one feel bad.

However, the themes addressed in this 3rd installment are strong themes: prostitution, child abuse, psychopathic killers, prejudice, marginalization, homosexuality.
Themes to reflect on since they have been part of society in all eras and also in ours.
Don't be scared, the reading is smooth and the author is very good at inserting these themes in the context of a mystery which still remains entertainment for us readers.
The only point where I had to read quickly, because it nauseated me, was when the murderer, now discovered by Crispin, described in detail the murders, the procedure and his disgusting and perverted sensations... but this was necessary to convey the gravity of the matter and how twisted and wrong the human mind can sometimes be.


___ USUAL CHARACTERS ___ In addition to Crispin, as always we find his faithful friends: twelve-year-old Jack, who, being alone in the world and with a past as a cutpurse, found in Crispin a very important emotional help and point of reference.
The good Abbot Nicholas in Westminster, always ready to welcome the former knight and help him in case of need. The couple who run the tavern, who despite being slightly older than Crispin, care about him like a son.
In all of this, with each episode, the bonds between these people become increasingly stronger and more important, thus creating a new family for our hero, a family that asks for nothing in return except affection and which makes Crispin's new life more tolerable and perhaps of greater value than when he was rich.

I love these characters, they are well described not so much physically, but in their way of being: gestures and emotions... they are truly real in their strengths and weaknesses.
Nobody is perfect, including Crispin, each of them is a good person, but with their own flaws and that makes them really believable, interesting and we would love to have them as friends.

Above all, Crispin is fascinating in his determination and physical prowess, in his cunning and desire to defend the just and the oppressed, but also in his stubbornness, his doubts, his pride, his naivety or his absurd prejudices, on which however he reasons and works ...until he admits (even if reluctantly) his own mistakes and changes his vision of things.

___THE HISTORICAL PART and REAL EXISTED CHARACTERS ___ Usually the historical part concerns missing objects, religious relics that actually existed/exist.
This time the story focuses more on facts and characters.

A historical fact introduced in the book is the exile of the Jews from England in 1290 by Edward I and all the ugly popular legends told about the Jewish community to justify their removal. Added to this is also the popular belief in the creation of monsters (the Golem) and magic.
One of the characters in this mystery is inspired by a Bishop who really existed in Spain during the Inquisition.

Even the serial killer is inspired by someone who, unfortunately, really existed and who claimed hundreds of victims (you will find explanations in the epilogue of the book).

But the historical character that I liked most in this book is a friend of Crispin's disguised as a woman.
Crispin hates his dressing like a woman and his selling her body for money and yet he can't help but be fond of him, because John / Eleonor Rykener (this is his name in the book and in reality) is always cheerful, funny and above all kind-hearted.
The always merry John/Eleonor, together with other friends with the same vocation as him, will even carry out a nice rescue of Crispin (who in this episode is beaten up and injured more times than usual).

IN CONCLUSION: this time too, suspense, intrigue, irony, lively jokes, action, a protagonist I adore and his fantastic friends gave me a wonderful read.

Readable as a standalone, but if you read the books in order from the first to last one (15 in total) you will enjoy each story even more! :-)

( Sorry for any text errors, English is not my mother tongue )

If you are curious to know something more about BOOK#1, BOOK#2 and #BOOK4, you can read my reviews here :

BOOK #1 "Veil of Lies" :

BOOK #2 "Serpent in the Thorns" :

BOOK #4 "Troubled Bones" :



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Giveaway : Free Printable October 2023 Calendar

New freebie to my readers : October 2023 calendar to download and print

Hello my readers and friends ! :-D

As it has become a habit in recent months, I'm here to give you my monthly freebie : the printable calender of October 2023, that you can download, by clicking on the preview here below.

You can print it in its format or in a smaller format such as a postcard and use it as a bookmark in your paper books (if some of you still love paper).

Personally, most of the time I read e-books, because of the lack of space at home and because it is more confortable to carry my readings in my bag with a Kindle or on my phone or tablet, but when I read a book that I think it's amazing and really enjoyable, then I also like to buy the paper edition and have it with me forever ! :-)

More it will be able to be read even in 20 years, when the file types have changed, but the paper edition will always be readable.

What is your favorite format? Paper or e-book? Let me know in the comments :-)

Here you are the printable calendar preview, just click on it and then download it for free.

@TizianaFragnerGraphic
October 2023 Calendar
Size 1634 x 1264

There are still a few days left until the beginning of October, so I wish you a good end of September and a good new start of next month.

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Book review : Lady Tinbough’s Dilemma by Clare Jayne

Lady Tinbough's Dilemma
Campbell and MacPherson Historical Mysteries #1
by Clare Jayne

GENRE: #Historical-mystery #YoungAdultRead

My rating: ★★★☆☆

A nice cozy mystery, suitable for young adults.
I only rate it 3 stars because I expected it to be more engaging and it would have been very interesting if the author had made it just a little longer by going deeper into the themes she had included.

__THE PLOT __ Edinburgh at the end of the 18th century.
Two young people, a boy and a girl who have just met, find themselves investigating the mystery of an emerald necklace stolen from a friend of her aunt's.
Obviously neither of them has experience in this type of thing and what starts out almost like a game turns into something much more serious when they learn of a murder as a result of another reprehensible act.

__ CHARACTERS __ I liked the two characters and it would have been easy to become fond of them if the author had developed in a deeper way their emotions and their inexperienced approach to life and society of the time with all the ensuing difficulties (mentioned here, but not sufficiently developed to make the book impressive).

She is a wealthy orphan who rejects the idea of marriage due to her parents' bad example. Added to this is the fact that at the time, as until the beginning of the 20th century, a man by marrying a woman became her master and could dispose of the woman and her goods as he wanted, also having every right to beat her if deemed it appropriate (interesting thought to reflect on, since today women still suffer a lot of abuse even in the most developed countries).
Ishbel therefore prefers to take refuge in books and at university (where at the time women could only attend lectures) despite this excluding her from being willingly accepted by the rich and aristocratic society.

Ewan lives a type of life opposite to hers, he frequents the social life with his friends and yet his good character can be glimpsed.
He is an affable boy with everyone, who does not feel uncomfortable with the less well-off, whom he treats in a friendly manner, including his valet and the rest of the staff of his house.
Another virtue of Ewan's is that he does not misjudge Ishbel for her interests which are so different from the demands of society at the time, but rather wins her affection by being sincerely interested in what she likes and by attending the lectures together with her, despite the contrary opinion of his best friends (another important point on which young adults can reflect and learn: there is not only physical attraction, but a sincere sharing of interests and the importance of following one's own ideas and desires without being influenced by the judgments of those around us, both society and relatives or friends).

___ THE HISTORICAL PART ___ as I have already said, everything could have been developed in more depth and a nice interesting novel could have come out of it, in any case, as a light read, I also found an interesting idea in the historical part.
---> The story begins with Ishbel and Ewan who for personal reasons participate in the trial of a robber called William Brodie, a character who actually existed and also known as Deacon Brodie, because he was named Deacon in 1781, i.e. leader of the trade, in Edinburgh.
The interesting part is that this character went down in history because of his double personality and double life: a wealthy business leader in Edinburgh by day and a thief by night with 2 lovers and 5 children that no one knew anything about.
---> It was precisely this character, tried and hanged in Edinburgh in 1788, who inspired the well-known writer Robert Louis Stevenson to write the novel "The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde".
--> The writer tells this in a short epilogue, but if like me you love doing some research on the web, in Wikipedia you will find the story of his life and how he was discovered and captured and where his house and the pubs dedicated to him are located.

__ MYSTERY PART __ the mystery could have been compelling, because from a simple theft we move not only to murder but to the theme of abuse of women (unfortunately a problem that is still current). However, the writer is still inexperienced and has not been able to put enough twists and clues to create enough suspense for the reader. I have read cozy mysteries that were certainly more engaging despite being light reads.

__ IN CONCLUSION all in all it was pleasant and if there weren't such a large number of books to read and so little time, I would read some other books in the series, but it won't happen anytime soon because I give priority to books that I think will give me stronger emotions.

( NOTE : since this book available in English edition only, I'm writing my review in English, a second language for me, so please be lenient with my text :-) thanks )

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Book review : Imperial Scandal by Teresa Grant

Imperial Scandal
Malcom and Suzanne Rannoch Mysteries
by Tracy grant

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

It's really difficult to review this book and also the author's style, some things are 4 stars, others 3.5 which I would round to 3.

I partly liked it and partly hated it. It was definitely an intense reading but difficult to read.
I honestly don't know if I will read more books in this series, probably not, but as happened last time too, after I finished the book for a while, I already feel like I miss the company of those characters... it's an odd thing!

Without a doubt this author's way of writing swallows the reader in a whirlwind of confusion, both understanding and emotional.

__ TOO MANY CHARACTERS ___ Well, such as in the first book of the series, here too we find an endless number of characters, that's the reason why the author put a characters list before starting the story.
Yes, I admit it helps a little, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 20 RECURRING CHARACTERS, some invented, some really existed, PLUS ANOTHER 20 or so, historical and non-historical names ONLY MENTIONED throughout the book... I say : too much is too much !

---> But this is not enough to complicate things to the reader, indeed author's novels are so detailed that they seem like scripts for a TV series. Scenes and costumes are described in every shape, light, color and every fold.
The dialogues include both interesting exchanges for the reader and also banal lounge chatter, as happens in real life scenes.
If actors were to interpret the characters, they wouldn't need any guidance, the author describes every type of grimace, thought, emotion, action... the writer is good, but as they say: too much is too much and the book is unnecessarily too long in my opinion.

___ THE ROMANTIC TOUCH __ In the previous book I had grown fond of the 2 protagonists, Malcom and Suzanne and I liked their discovery of falling in love after an arranged marriage, above all I loved the complicity that was born between the two of them.
I wanted to read the second book precisely to find the two of them again, but in this book their couple, despite being in love, is left aside by the writer and in fact there was an element that disturbed me greatly in the behavior of one of the two. 
A petty behavior that I didn't expect from a main character and that I struggled to accept (and while I was reading I promised myself: I'm done with this series! ... But near the end ___WARNING : SPOILER [ this character finally changes for the better. I didn't think it would happen and it was a real sigh of relief, even if in subsequent books all this will have a consequence. ] __SPOILER END
LUCKILY I HAD MY ROMANTIC STORY with another couple (I won't say their names so as not to ruin the reading).

___THE PLOT ____ This time we are in Brussels, after Napoleon's return to France and the imminent danger of war.The story begins with a meeting between spies, an action scene with shootouts and 2 murders, one of which is strange and inexplicable, because it concerns not a spy, but a lady who was at a ball shortly before.
Compared to book #1, the mystery here is more interesting, but except for the opening scene, all the espionage part is resolved in lounge chatter at balls and the opera in Brussels, secret messages and interrogations of people connected to the victim, until about halfway through the book.
Furthermore, as in the first book, we find the theme of betrayals and a thousand lovers, all married people are lovers of someone or more than one: repetitive theme!

...AT THAT POINT, I THOUGHT:
Enough! How boring !!
I was wrong to read the second installment... the first one ended so well and I should have been happy with that...
AS SOON AS I FINISHED THINKING SO, THE TURNING POINT ARRIVED:

---> Having reached the point where the news of the war is communicated, the detailed description of the scenes becomes exciting, the emotions of panic and frenzy, the farewells of mothers, girlfriends, sisters to their men, the coming and going of soldiers ready to leave... it's very nice to read and I felt like I was inside a scene from the film "Gone with the Wind" (from Mitchell's book) or better yet inside a scene from the film and TV series about "Vanity Fair" by Thackeray, that was about the same historical moment. (I talk about films because there is no comparison with those fantastic novels and also because while I read, my mind "use to see" each thing I read like it was a movie).

---> With the beginning of the war, the historic battle of Waterloo, we have other very engaging scenes: suspense, bullets, battles, chases and ambushes, dead and wounded friends and acquaintances... everything described very well (but always with a billion fictional and historical  names, which I no longer took into account, except for the main ones, involved in the story of the murder ).

_ SO, TO SUMMARIZE MY OPINION: overall I liked the book and there was an happy ending , but there are too many characters, the plot is too long and detailed even with insignificant parts and all this creates great confusion for the reader, not allowing one to fully enjoy the story.
--> I think the author is well prepared from a historical point of view, but a myriad of names of characters who actually existed do not help the reader and in the end this is intended to be a light read.
--> The first half of the book was slower and had a repetitive theme (lovers and illicit relationships), while the second half involved me a lot.

ANOTHER PROBLEM (for me) REFERRING TO THE WHOLE SERIES:
the sequence in which books are read is not the same sequence in which they were published.
In fact, the first books of the series were written long after the others and the 2 protagonists have different names (yes, you understood correctly! ).
The writer wrote some books where the 2 main characters were called Charles and Melanie, then she changed publisher and wrote prequels with the names of Malcom and Suzanne (at the request of the new publisher), then in the last books I see that his name is Malcom and her Melanie (so mix the two pairs of names).
More, by reading some other reader's reviews, I saw that even the characters, despite being the same wife and husband, are more likeable in the recent books (which are actually those from the beginning of the series), while before they had slightly different and less pleasant personalities...WHAT ARE YOU SAYING? YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND ? THAT'S EXACTLY...IT'S ALL A GREAT CONFUSION!!

Not available in Italian language.

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Book review : Serpent in the Thorns by Jeri Westerson

Serpent in the Thorns
Crispin Guest Book 2
Medieval mystery by Jeri Westerson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 full stars well deserved, it has been an amazing read!
__ I LOVED IT ! __

__ A GRIPPING MYSTERY AND A LOT OF ACTION __ An engaging adventure from start to finish, which begins immediately with a murder.
A simple-minded tavern girl comes to Crispin Guest ( the main character and our hero ) saying there's a dead body in her room and she was the killer. The dead man was precisely shot by an arrow.
It is clear that it could not have been her, but things are serious, since the dead man is a French courier, who had to deliver an important religious relic to the English king from the king of France.
To protect the girl, Crispin ( a former knight fallen into disgrace and estranged from court) decides to keep some secrets to himself and not reveal them to the sheriff, which will further complicate things and lead to trouble after trouble.

Crispin's investigations begin immediately and continue at a good pace for the first 25% of the book, then while it seems that some knots are starting to untie, actually the pace becomes more and more pressing.
The suspense grows to then lead to a series of daring adventures, interspersed with sudden twists and turns, just 5 minutes to catch a breath (both Crispin and the reader) and then here comes the unexpected again, the action, the suspense, the desperation, the solutions, new shocking revelations ( so really shocking for Crispin and the reader too, especially if one has read book 1 too) and then again a fleeting relief and action again !!! It goes on this way until almost the end of the book, you won't have time to get bored!

In this second episode of Crispin Guest, there was no falling in love or romance, but I didn't miss it... I didn't have the time, because everything was so compelling that I couldn't tear myself away from the book, indeed it was so strong my desire to know the truth about everything, that I wanted know it as much as our protagonist.

_ OUR HERO EMOTIONAL GROWTH __
Despite being only 1 year away from the first book our has still followed a significant growth path, which develops throughout the book.
Crispin is already 30 years old, a man, but now his soul and his way of perceiving the world are also maturing and while before his noble birth made him feel superior to those who were not (and in a certain way he could seem arrogant), now he pauses to consider less fortunate people's feelings.
Now he begins to see the world of the noble and rich people with different eyes, now he manages to see the arrogance and meanness, that power and greed inspire in human beings.
---> More importantly, Crispin begins to consider how important it is for him to have people who love him around, he values their affection and realizes he reciprocates it, especially towards Jack, so much so that in the end, both us and our hero we can even draw a moral from the difficulties that happened to him.

_ YOU CAN READ EACH BOOK AS A STANDALONE, BUT EVERYTHING IS MORE ENJOYABLE STARTING FROM NUMBER #1 __ I have already said in the previous review that all books are readable as standalone, because the author always bends the Crispin Guest's background and things evolution.
Nonetheless I think it is much more satisfying to read this series starting from book 1, after all there are only 15 books and since in addition to the various adventures there is a common thread (the personal life of Crispin and of those related to him), which is equally interesting to follow and is probably what binds the reader to our hero, what really makes us passionate about this so well written series (in my humble opinion of course).

___ THE HISTORICAL PART __ in this book, in addition to the medieval background, the story of another holy historical relic is introduced: the famous crown of thorns that Jesus wore on the day of his crucifixion and the legends of his power to give invincibility to the pure of heart.
Even for those who are not religious, these are interesting notions to learn, notions that are not taught in schools.

In addition to this, in this 2nd installment we find the aforementioned (in book #1) the Duke of Lancaster, who plays an important role in a plot, which is obviously fiction created by the author.
--> However, the character really existed, he was a figure of great importance: uncle of King Richard II, he was the richest man in England after the king and the most influential at court and progenitor of the dynasty of kings of England in starting from Henry IV (his son, who deposed Richard II, the Duke's nephew).
John of Gaunt was also the progenitor of the English royal House of Lancaster, that starting from 1455 was at war with House of York until 1485, a war that we know as THE WAR OF THE 2 ROSES (red for the Lancasters and white for the Yorks).
You can find all that at the end of the book in the epilogue.

__IT'S NOT A COZY MYSTERY__ some harmless swear words, fight scenes, killings in self-defense, nothing exaggerated or that we don't usually see on TV, but obviously this doesn't make it belong to the cozy genre.

( NOTE : English is not my native language, so please be indulgent with my text :-) )

If you want to know more about BOOK#1 - BOOK#3 and BOOK#4, you can read my reviews here :

BOOK #1 "Veil of Lies" :

BOOK #3 "The Demon's Parchment" :

BOOK #4 "Troubled Bones" :



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** ------------- **

LIBRO disponibile anche in EDIZIONE LINGUA ITALIANA, leggi la mia recensione !
Lo trovi sia in versione Kindle sia versione cartacea, clicca sull'immagine sotto.

Crispin Guest LIBRO 2 - Giallo Medievale di Jeri Westerson - IL MERCANTE DI RELIQUIE PERDUTE

Anche questo secondo libro della serie è stato bellissimo !

__ MISTERO COINVOLGENTE __ Un avventura coinvolgente dall'inizio alla fine, che parte immediatamente con un'omicidio,  ( TRAMA ) Una ragazza della taverna, con un chiaro ritardo mentale, va da Crispin Guest (il personaggio principale e il nostro eroe) dicendo che c'è un cadavere nella sua stanza e che lei è l'assassino.
Il morto è stato ucciso in maniera molto precisa da una freccia, è chiaro dunque che non possa essere stata lei, ma la cosa è grave, dal momento che il morto è un corriere francese, il quale doveva consegnare al re inglese un'importante reliquia religiosa da parte del sovrano di Francia.

Per proteggere la ragazza, Crispin, ex cavaliere caduto in disgrazia e allontanato da corte, decide di tenere per sé alcuni segreti e non rivelarli allo sheriffo,fatto che complicherà ulteriormente le cose portando guai su guai.

Le indagini di Crispin cominciano immediatamente e proseguono a buon ritmo per il primo 25% del libro, poi mentre sembra che qualche nodo cominci a sciogliersi, il realtà il ritmo diventa sempre più incalzante. La suspense cresce per sfociare poi in una serie di rocambolesche peripezie, intervallate da colpi di scena improvvisi, appena 5 minuti per riprendere fiato ( il protagonista e noi lettori) e poi ecco di nuovo: l'imprevisto, l'azione, la suspense, la disperazione, le soluzioni, nuove shockanti rivelazioni  ( per il protagonista e di nuovo anche per noi lettori, soprattutto per chi ha letto anche il primo libro ) e poi ancora un fuggente sollievo e di nuovo l'azione!
Va avanti con un bel ritmo fino quasi alla fine del libro e non avrai davvero tempo di annoiarti !

In questo secondo puntata di Crispin Guest, non c'è stato alcun innamoramento o romanticismo, ma non ne ho sentito la mancanza... non ho avuto il tempo, perchè tutto è stato così coinvolgente che non riuscivo a staccarmi dal libro, tanta era la voglia di sapere la verità su tutto. Lo desideravo tanto quanto il nostro protagonista, che pur essendo solo ad 1 anno di distanza dal primo libro ha comunque seguito un significativo percorso di crescita, il quale si sviluppa durante tutto il libro. 

__IL NOSTRO EROE CRESCE EMOTIVAMENTE __ Crispin ha già 30 anni ma sta maturando il suo modo di percepire il mondo. Mentre prima la sua nascita nobile lo faceva sentire superiore a chi non lo era ( e in un certo qual modo lo poteva far sembrare arrogante ), ora egli si ferma a considerare i sentimenti dei meno fortunati, ora egli comincia a vedere con occhi diversi le persone del mondo dei nobili e ricchi, ora riesce a vedere l'arroganza e la meschinità che il potere e l'ingordigia ispirano nell'essere umano.
Ancora più importante, Crispin comincia a prendere in considerazione quanto sia effettivamente importante per lui avere intorno persone che gli vogliono bene, ora egli da valore al loro affetto e si accorge di contraccambiarlo, soprattutto nei confronti di Jack, tanto che alla fine, sia noi che il nostro eroe, riusciamo persino a trovare della positività in quello che sembrava solo sfortuna.

_ PUOI LEGGERE OGNI LIBRO COME STANDALONE, MA è TUTTO PIù GODIBILE PARTENDO DAL NUMERO #1 __ Ho già detto nella precedente recensione che i libri sono leggibili come standalone, perchè l'autrice spiega sempre il background del protagonista e l'evolversi delle situazioni, ma penso che sia molto più appagante leggere questa serie partendo dal libro 1, in fondo sono solo 15 libri.
Poiché prima di approcciarmi alla serie ho letto diverse recensioni dei vari libri, ho potuto vedere che tutto si svolge nell'arco di 20 anni circa e che oltre alle varie avventure relative a omicidi e misteri, c'è un filo conduttore ( la vita personale di Crispin e dei suoi amici ) altrettanto interessante da seguire ed è probabilmente ciò che lega il lettore al nostro eroe, ciò che fa realmente appassionare a questa serie, davvero ben scritta ( in mia opinione ).

___ LA PARTE STORICA __ in questo libro oltre al background medievale, viene introdotto la storia di un'altra santa reliquia storica , la celebre corona di spine che Gesù portava nel giorno della sua crocifissione e delle leggende del suo potere di donare invincibilità ai puri di cuore. Anche per chi non è religioso sono nozioni interessanti da apprendere, nozioni che non vengono raccontate a scuole.
Oltre a questo, troviamo in questa puntata il già citato  (nel libro 1 ) Duca di Lancaster,  che ricopre un importante ruolo in un complotto, che ovviamente è finzione creata dall'autrice.
Il personaggio però è realmente esistito, è stata una figura di grande rilievo : zio del re Riccardo II, egli fu l'uomo più ricco d'Inghilterra dopo il re e il più influente a corte e capostipite della dinastia di re d'Inghilterra  a partire da Enrico IV ( suo figlio, il quale fece deporre Riccardo II nipote del Duca ).
John of Gaunt fu inoltre il capostipite del casato reale inglese di Lancaster a partire dal 1455 sarà in guerra con i York fino al 1485, guerra che noi conosciamo come LA GUERRA DELLE 2 ROSE ( rossa per i Lancaster e bianca per i York ).

NON è UN COZY MYSTERY : qualche parolaccia inoffensiva, scene di lotta, uccisioni in autodifesa , niente di esagerato o che non vediamo normalmente in tv, ma ovviamente questo non lo fa appartenere al genere cozy. 

Book review : Veil of Lies by Jeri Westerson | A Gripping Medieval Noir Masterpiece

Veil of Lies
Crispin Guest Book 1
A Medieval Noir by Jeri Westerson

GENRE: #HistoricalMystery #MedievalNoir
📍 Setting: London ( England) | ⏳ Era: 1383 (14th Century)

My rating: ★★★★☆
(Actually 4.5 but IT COULD BE 5 of 5 stars)

I give it 4.5 stars and indeed I won't round it up as usual, but down to 4 on Goodreads, because there is one specific thing that really disappointed me and I simply cannot forgive the author for it (I will explain further below, right next to the word SPOILER... so you can choose whether to read it or not!).

I will start by saying that the protagonist has already become one of my absolute favorite characters and that I will definitely continue with this series until the 15th and final book (alternating it with other reads, so that this pleasure will last much longer) where I truly hope our tormented hero can finally find the happiness he so rightly deserves.

| 📜 THE PLOT: FROM KNIGHTHOOD TO THE LONDON SLUMS

Crispin Guest is a former knight, deprived of his noble title and all his worldly possessions, and banished from King Richard II's court. He was estranged from his girlfriend and his friends because of a foolish, but for that era, grave mistake of youth—considered high treason—dictated entirely by passion and affection towards the lord who had made him his pupil, none other than the uncle of the King himself.

In 14th-century London, Crispin has now spent 8 years living in the city's slums, surrounded by the very people he used to look down on from the top of his horse and to whom he would occasionally throw a coin for charity.

Today, Crispin makes his living finding missing things, which is why he is called the "Tracker". Being casually entangled in a murder, he finds himself investigating the case, partly by personal choice and partly under duress from the sheriff.

| 🤗MY THOUGHTS

⚔️ AN INTRICATE MIX OF MYSTERY AND REAL HISTORY

I thoroughly appreciated this book from the very first lines, and I think it is remarkably well written. Within its pages, we have:

1) An intricate mystery to solve.
2) A fascinating, credible protagonist paired with equally believable supporting characters.
3) A rich historical background, featuring a meticulously described setting and the theme of actually existing historical relics + the legends developed around them.
4) An unexpected hint of a romantic plot that develops beautifully in parallel.

🔍 THE MYSTERY TO SOLVE: BEYOND THE LOCKED ROOM

The mystery begins with a murder, and at first glance, it might seem like "the usual crime in a locked room"—a theme that has been read and reread. However, the truth behind this heinous act is much more complicated, touching upon multiple aspects of the victim's life, the people related to them, and the complex political life of the English kingdom. The more our main character, Crispin Guest, investigates, the more the mystery expands in an intricate and engaging way.

The plot is tight and believable, never boring—never! The dialogues are sharp and there is an incredible emotional intensity throughout. The feelings of each character are beautifully described or can be easily guessed through the reactions of the characters themselves.
There are surprising twists and turns, and the background of a dark, damp London, with its cobblestone streets and alleyways filled with strong smells, comes to life as if we were actually on the scene.

🃏 MEDIEVAL NOIR: CRISPIN GUEST VS. SAM SPADE

The author defines her book (and the entire series) as a medieval noir, a "hard-boiled mystery set in the Middle Ages," and she clearly states at the end of the book that Crispin Guest is a bit like Sam Spade. Personally, I don't like hard-boiled books or movies, and after reading The Maltese Falcon (which I consider to be complete bullshit), I haven't read any others. But luckily, I didn't find that annoying hard-boiled vibe here, and Crispin Guest is MUCH BETTER than Sam Spade!

The only thing that comes close to a "noir" is the slightly dark setting (which you can also find in gothic fiction) and... ____ WARNING: SPOILER [one of those endings that leaves a bit of a bad taste in your mouth, much like the ending of Casablanca, the famous movie with Bogart and Bergman. And here is precisely why I didn't give it 5 stars: I simply cannot stand a bitter ending!] SPOILER END _____

🎭 OUR TORMENTED HERO: NOBLE IN THE SLUMS

Crispin Guest, as you can easily guess, is a deeply tormented man who is unable to accept his new life condition—so different and difficult compared to what fate had initially offered him by birth. It is easy to go from the worst to the best, but accepting the opposite transition is not easy at all.

It is also difficult for him to change his way of seeing the world. Despite having become poor, he cannot fully conceive the concept of equality between men; he was born a nobleman and still feels noble despite having been stripped of his title. He lives among people who work hard for a single loaf of bread, and he owns even less than them; however, he still feels "different... superior" because that is the education with which he was raised, and it is hard to eradicate an ideology you believed in all your life...

But Crispin is fundamentally a good guy with strong ideals of justice. Without even realizing it, he takes the side of the weak and those he believes to be innocent. He falls in love with a former chambermaid and keeps a young boy with him whom he saved from prison, who was left all alone in the world and to whom he tries (with many difficulties) to teach honesty.
Crispin is fiercely loyal; he even gets beaten up in order not to reveal secrets that would get a woman into trouble—a woman he doesn't even fully trust yet! He makes decisions that do not suit his own interests just to do what he thinks is the right thing.

I almost fell in love with him, and I cannot wait to spend more time with him and his wonderful assistant, Jack (the little boy he saved, smart and intelligent, who by his own choice acts as his servant just to live with him). I can't wait to experience their next adventures between the cobblestones of London and its thick fog, the murmur of the Thames, the crowds of the taverns, Crispin Guest's clashes with the sheriff (who actually existed!), and his melancholy when thinking about the past.

💞 A HINT OF ROMANCE: NO HAPPY ENDINGS HERE

In this first book, in addition to the investigation into the crime (more than one, actually), a little love story develops in the background, which I didn't expect... it's just a hint, actually, but I liked it and it also made me a little emotional.
____ WARNING: SPOILER [ ... Maybe that's where the noir lies: our hero cannot be happy... or doesn't want to be happy... there is no happy ending in this romantic side of the novel.
Browsing through the back covers of all 15 books in the series and among the reviews, it is clear that in the distant future, the paths of the protagonist and the woman he loves will cross again, but many years will have passed and she will still be married.
...and I don't like that either.
The fact remains that Crispin conquered me, and I want to be in his company through all the books until the very end of the story! ] SPOILER END _____

📜 HISTORICAL NOTIONS: THE VEIL OF VERONICA

As regards the historical part, the charm of this book is not only the suggestive description of the scene, but also the introduction of ancient relics and the legends that surround them.
This first adventure talks about the Veil of Veronica, a cloth imprinted with a face believed to be that of Jesus.
In the book, the author tells some versions of the story and explains all the historical and legendary details even better in the epilogue.
I find these historical introductions very interesting; in my opinion, they give a wonderful added value to the book.

🕵️‍♂️ IT'S NOT A COZY MYSTERY

The writing is smooth and engaging, and if you are a lover of historical thrillers, I highly recommend it.
It's more or less suitable for all ages starting from 17/18. It doesn't have gruesome scenes, but I must warn that there are some bad words here and there, and a curse that the author wrote in Italian (because there are Italians involved in the case) and she probably, writing it as a single word, didn't realize that it's a curse against God... that is, a blasphemy, and I didn't like it; it could have been easily avoided or replaced with another bad word.
There are a couple of kisses and a sex scene, but it's not described in detail, so nothing shocking or dirty.

💫 FINAL VERDICT

A fast-paced, action-packed mystery with an interesting historical backdrop.
The right read for those seeking entertainment, suspense, and knowledge as well!

Thank you all for stopping by and reading my opinion! :-)

With love,
Tizi 🐾😽

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📚 DISCOVER THE NEXT ADVENTURES IN THE SERIES:

If you want to know more about BOOK #2, BOOK #3, and BOOK #4, you can read my honest reviews here:
BOOK #2: "Serpent in the Thorns"
BOOK #3: "The Demon's Parchment"
BOOK #4: "Troubled Bones"

Join me on FACEBOOK: Tizi Cozy Corner,

to stay updated on my latest reviews and bookish news! ✨

FOLLOW ME or SEND ME A FRIEND REQUEST ON GOODREADS

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LIBRO disponibile anche in EDIZIONE ITALIANA, leggi la mia recensione !

La misteriosa morte del ladro di pergamene
Crispin Guest LIBRO #1 - Giallo Medievale di Jeri Westerson

GENRE: #GialloStorico #AmbientazioneMedievale
📍 Ambientazione: Londra (Inghilterra) | ⏳ Epoca: 1383 (14° secolo)

Il mio voto: ★★★★☆ (Un solido 4.5 arrotondato a 4 su Goodreads)

🚨 PICCOLA NOTA POLEMICA RIGUARDO AL TITOLO ITALIANO: Probabilmente chi sceglie i titoli delle edizioni italiane non legge i libri! Nel romanzo non c'è nessuna pergamena, bensì si parla di una sacra e preziosa reliquia con il volto di Cristo. Ma tant'è...

⚖️ IL VERDETTO SULLE STELLE: UN ARROTONDAMENTO DI RISPETTO

Ho votato questo libro 4 stelle. In realtà sono 4.5, ma mentre solitamente arrotondo per eccesso, questa volta ho deciso di arrotondare per difetto su Goodreads (dove purtroppo non esistono i mezzi voti). Questo libro avrebbe potuto essere un 5 stelle pieno per me, perché è stupendo, se non fosse per un piccolo ma importante particolare che mi ha lasciato un po' d'amaro in bocca (spiego meglio più sotto, vicino alla parola SPOILER... scegliete voi se leggerlo o no!).

Comincerò col dire che il protagonista è già diventato uno dei miei personaggi preferiti e che proseguirò sicuramente con questa serie fino al 15° e ultimo libro (ovviamente alternando con altre letture) dove spero che il nostro eroe tormentato trovi finalmente la felicità che si merita.

|📜 LA TRAMA: DA CAVALIERE DI CORTE AI BASSIFONDI DI LONDRA

Crispin Guest è infatti un ex cavaliere, privato del suo titolo nobiliare e di tutti i suoi averi, bandito dalla corte di Re Riccardo II. È stato allontanato dalla fidanzata e dagli amici a causa di uno stupido ma, per i tempi di allora, grave errore di gioventù, considerato alto tradimento e dettato interamente dalla passione e dall'affetto verso il signore che ne aveva fatto il suo pupillo, nientemeno che lo zio del Re stesso.

Nella Londra del XIV secolo, Crispin vive ormai da 8 anni nei bassifondi della città, circondato da persone che prima guardava dall'alto del suo cavallo e alle quali gettava una moneta per carità. Oggi si guadagna da vivere trovando cose scomparse, motivo per cui è chiamato il "Tracker" (il Segugio). Trovandosi coinvolto casualmente in un omicidio, si ritroverà a indagare sul caso, in parte per scelta personale e in parte sotto costrizione dello sceriffo.

| 🤗 IL MIO PENSIERO

⚔️ UN INTRECCIO PERFETTO TRA REALTÀ E LEGGENDA

Ho apprezzato il libro sin dalle prime righe e penso che sia davvero scritto bene. All'interno delle pagine troviamo:
1) Un mistero intricato e avvincente da risolvere.
2) Un protagonista affascinante e credibile, affiancato da personaggi di contorno altrettanto azzeccati.
3) Un background storico solido, con un'ambientazione minuziosamente descritta e il tema di reliquie storiche realmente esistenti, circondate da storie e leggende.
4) Un accenno di trama romantica che si sviluppa magnificamente in parallelo.

🔍 IL MISTERO: OLTRE IL DELITTO DELLA STANZA CHIUSA

Il mistero comincia con un omicidio, e all'apparenza può sembrare "il solito delitto nella stanza chiusa", un tema ormai letto e riletto. Tuttavia, la verità che sta dietro questo efferato atto è molto più complicata e tocca molteplici aspetti della vita della vittima, delle persone a essa correlate e dello stesso regno inglese. Più il protagonista indaga, più il mistero si espande in maniera intricata e coinvolgente.

La trama è serrata e credibile; i dialoghi sono nitidi e carichi di intensità emotiva. I sentimenti di ciascun personaggio sono ben descritti o facilmente intuibili attraverso le reazioni dei personaggi stessi. Ci sono colpi di scena sorprendenti e lo sfondo di una Londra scura e umida, con le sue strade e i suoi vicoli dagli odori forti, prende vita come se fossimo realmente sulla scena.

🕵️‍♂️ "NOIR" MEDIEVALE: CRISPIN GUEST VS. SAM SPADE

L'autrice definisce il suo libro (e l'intera serie) come un noir medievale, un "hard-boiled ambientato nel Medioevo", e dice chiaramente nell'epilogo che Crispin Guest è un po' come Sam Spade. Personalmente non mi piacciono gli hard-boiled e dopo aver letto Il Falcone Maltese (que giudico un'emerita stronzata) non ne ho letti altri. Ma per fortuna io non ho trovato quell'atmosfera fastidiosa qui, e Crispin Guest è MOLTO MEGLIO di Sam Spade!

Di noir vedo solo l'ambientazione un po' cupa (che si può trovare anche nel gotico) e... __ ATTENZIONE: SPOILER __ uno di quei finali che ti lascia un po' di amaro in bocca, proprio come il finale di Casablanca, il famoso film con Bogart e Bergman (ecco il vero motivo per cui non do 5 stelle, non sopporto i finali amari!). __ FINE SPOILER __

🎭 IL NOSTRO EROE: L'ORGOGLIO DI UN NOBILE DECADUTO

Crispin Guest, come potrete intuire, è un uomo profondamente tormentato. Non riesce ad accettare la sua nuova condizione di vita, così diversa e difficile rispetto a ciò che per nascita il destino gli aveva inizialmente offerto. È facile passare dal peggio al meglio, ma accettare il contrario non lo è per niente. Per lui è difficile anche cambiare modo di vedere le cose e, nonostante sia diventato povero, non riesce a concepire il concetto di uguaglianza tra gli uomini: è nato nobile e si sente ancora nobile, nonostante sia stato privato del titolo.

Egli ora vive tra la gente che lavora sodo per un tozzo di pane, possiede meno di loro, tuttavia si sente ancora "diverso... superiore" perché quella è l'educazione con cui è stato cresciuto ed è dura sradicare un'ideologia nella quale si è creduto per tutta la vita... Ma Crispin è un bravo ragazzo, ha degli ideali di giustizia e, senza rendersene conto, prende le difese dei deboli e di chi crede innocente. S'innamora di una cameriera e tiene con sé un ragazzino che ha salvato dalla prigione, rimasto solo al mondo, al quale tenta (con non poche difficoltà) di insegnare l'onestà. Crispin è leale, si fa persino pestare pur di non rivelare segreti che metterebbero nei guai una donna della quale ancora non si fida, e prende decisioni che non gli convengono pur di fare quella che lui ritiene la cosa giusta.

Mi sono quasi innamorata di lui e non vedo l'ora di passare altro tempo insieme a lui e al suo simpatico assistente Jack (il ragazzino che ha salvato, solo al mondo, sveglio e intelligente, che per propria scelta gli fa da servitore per poter vivere insieme a lui). Non vedo l'ora di vivere le loro prossime avventure tra i ciottoli di Londra e la sua nebbia, il mormorio del Tamigi, la folla delle taverne, i suoi scontri con lo sceriffo (realmente esistito) e la sua malinconia legata ai ricordi del passato.

💞 UN PIZZICO DI ROMANTICISMO: IL DRAMMA DI UN FINALE AMARO

In questo primo libro, oltre all'investigazione sul delitto (più di uno, in realtà), si sviluppa in secondo piano anche una piccola storia d'amore che non mi aspettavo... È solo un accenno, in realtà, ma mi è piaciuta e mi ha fatta anche un poco emozionare.
___ ATTENZIONE: SPOILER ___ ... Forse è qui che sta il noir: il nostro eroe non può essere felice... o non vuole essere felice... Non c'è il lieto fine in questa parte romantica. E dal momento che non mi piacciono i finali tristi, ho tolto al libro mezza stella, e per forza di cose ho dovuto arrotondare per difetto su Goodreads.

È una cosa che detesto sia nelle serie TV che nei libri, quando lo scrittore delude i lettori inserendo un finale amaro. La scrittrice scrive in modo da imputare la colpa a Crispin; in realtà, per come l'autrice ha sviluppato i fatti, finisce per rendere "sciocchi" entrambi i protagonisti, che rovinano una storia che avrebbe potuto renderli felici: lui non fa la proposta come lei avrebbe voluto... ma lei avrebbe potuto aspettare almeno un poco di tempo, invece di sposare immediatamente un altro solo perché ricco! L'autrice avrebbe potuto far proseguire la storia, magari con alti e bassi per mantenere la suspense nei prossimi volumi, regalarci un matrimonio a metà serie e continuare con le avventure, fino a un figlio nell'ultimo libro.

Curiosando tra le quarte di copertina di tutti i 15 libri della serie e tra le recensioni, si evince che in un lontano futuro le strade del protagonista e della donna che ama si incroceranno nuovamente, ma saranno passati molti anni e lei sarà comunque ancora sposata. So anche che nel quindicesimo libro forse potrò perdonare l'autrice, ma saranno passati 20 anni... trooooppo tempo! E anche questo non mi piace. Resta il fatto che Crispin mi ha conquistata e voglio stare in sua compagnia attraverso tutti i libri, fino alla fine della storia! ___ FINE SPOILER ___

📜 LA PARTE STORICA: IL FASCINO DEL VELO DELLA VERONICA

Per quanto riguarda la parte storica, il fascino di questo libro non risiede solo nella suggestiva descrizione della scena, ma anche nell'introduzione nel mistero di antiche reliquie e delle leggende che le circondano. In questa prima avventura si parla del Velo della Veronica, un panno nel quale è impresso un volto che si ritiene sia quello di Gesù.

Nel libro l'autrice racconta alcune versioni della storia e spiega ancora meglio tutti i particolari storici e leggendari nell'epilogo. Trovo queste introduzioni storiche molto interessanti: secondo me danno un grandissimo valore aggiunto al romanzo.

🕵️‍♂️ UN GIALLO AVVINCENTE MA NON PER TUTTI

È un libro che si legge in maniera davvero scorrevole e, se siete amanti dei gialli storici, ve lo consiglio caldamente. Più o meno è adatto a tutte le età a partire dai 17/18 anni; non ha scene raccapriccianti, però avverto che c'è qua e là qualche parolaccia e un'imprecazione che l'autrice ha scritto in italiano (perché ci sono degli italiani coinvolti nel caso). Probabilmente, scrivendola in un'unica parola, l'autrice non si è resa conto che si tratta di una vera e propria imprecazione contro Dio... Una bestemmia che non mi è piaciuta affatto e che poteva essere tranquillamente evitata o sostituita con un'altra parolaccia.

Io ho letto il libro nella versione originale inglese e, onestamente, non saprei dire se l'edizione italiana abbia eliminato o meno questa imprecazione. A mio avviso non avrebbe dovuto esserci per niente, neanche nell'edizione inglese. Ci sono anche un paio di baci e una scena di sesso, ma non è descritta nei particolari, quindi niente di scioccante o di poco pulito.

💫 VERDETTO FINALE

Un mistero dal ritmo incalzante e ricco di azione, incorniciato da un affascinante background storico.
La lettura perfetta per chi cerca intrattenimento, suspense e, al tempo stesso, anche un pizzico di conoscenza!

Grazie a tutti per essere passati di qui e per aver letto la mia opinione! :-)

Con affetto,
Tizi 🐾😽

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📚 SCOPRI LE PROSSIME AVVENTURE DELLA SERIE:

Se vuoi saperne di più sul LIBRO #2, #3 e #4, puoi leggere le mie recensioni oneste qui:
LIBRO #2: "Serpent in the Thorns"
LIBRO #3: "The Demon's Parchment"
LIBRO #4: "Troubled Bones"

Seguimi su FACEBOOK: Tizi Cozy Corner,

per non perdere neanche un post! ✨

MI TROVI ANCHE SU GOODREADS

Giveaway : Free Printable September 2023 Calendar

Monthly freebie for you: printable September 2023 calendar

Hello my friends ! :-D

Summer is almost over and September has arrived bringing with it some fresh air and many beautiful autumn colours.

As for last months I created a coloful monthly planning that you can download, by simply clicking on the image preview and save as computer desktop or print it and then use it as a bookmark

@TizianaFragnerGraphic
September 2023 Calendar
Size 1634 x 1264

Just click on the image to get the bigger one and then download it.

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Book review : You Belong to Me by Johanna Lindsey

You Belong to Me - Historical romance by Johanna Lindsey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I simply loved it !! I loved it from the very first word to the last one ! It's 5 full stars well deserved :-)
I was looking for light entertainment, fun and romance and I had it !

I'm not used to reading romance novels, yet every now and then I too feel the need to read about courtship and some ardent kisses (which I can't find in cozy mysteries and classic mysteries, my usual kind of reading) and if there are love scenes (but not vulgar or exaggeratedly explicit), I'm even happier.

The story, set in Russia in the early decades of the 1800s , is very funny and full of adventure during a journey that will last for almost the entire book.

As often happens in brilliant comedies, the two protagonists can't stand each other, especially because they suddenly discover, despite being two complete strangers, to be betrothed by a contract stipulated by their fathers about 15 years earlier.

Actually this is just the plot of a desperate father who tries to find a husband for his tomboyish, rebellious and reckless daughter who use to reject every suitor.
The betrothed, cousin and personal guard of Cardinia's King, for his part is a consummate libertine who feels great in the role of a single man and who has never experienced the effect of a rejection from a woman.

Both he and she are bound to the contract by family honor, so he have to collect his bride in Russia and take her with him to Cardinia, but both of them are hoping that by pretending to be an unbearable person, the other one will decide to break the contract.

What emerges is a set of small mutual teasing, provocative jokes in which each of the two will try to win over the other, embarrassing and funny situations, witty and lively dialogues, a couple of kisses that make you dream and the moment in which they make love in a passionate overwhelming way (but there are no vulgar or too explicit descriptions).

Personally I hate libertines, but what I liked about the male character is that in fact, after having made love with her, he never touched another woman again despite claiming that he didn't want that marriage.
In the story, the female protagonist threatens several times all women who throw themselves at her betrothed's feet, but it is true that if he really wanted to sleep with another woman he could have found more than one way.
Another thing I really liked about him is that he falls in love with her by accepting her even with what seem to be her flaws (actually a fiction, but this is important to me).

I really liked her because unlike many women she was able to show so much determination and fortitude, never once did she cry or use her tears to convince someone of her will, the only time she shows tears is in a touching moment with her father.

The pride of each was of course the main obstacle to their love, but in this reverse courtship their quarrels have nevertheless led them to share experiences together and to get to know each other, even if only partially glimpsing the best part of their way of being.

I also loved all side characters.
Both our hero and heroine are accompanied on the journey by an entourage of friends or people in their employ, to whom they are bound by deep affection and who assist with heartfelt participation in the two betrothed skirmish.

If in addition to dreaming of a love story with a happy ending, you are also looking for a good mood, I assure you that with this book you'll get it.

I really like the setting of this romance, however I must warn you that in this novel you will not find historical research by the author, you only need to know where and when the story is set to mind the costumes of the characters, scenes backgrounds and of course the habits and customs of that time and way to think of that era.

Maybe the only little thing I wished was different ___ WARNING : SPOILER [ it is the fact that they will get married knowing that they are now in love with the other, but without having openly declared it to the partner, thus both thinking that they will not be reciprocated.
Only on their wedding night will they say "I love you" and I would have liked them to say it when he finds her after having chased her across half of Europe. ]__ SPOILER END

---> FINAL NOTE ABOUT THE BOOK : This is the second book in a series of 2, but you can read it as a stand alone.
Although in the second book there are some of the same characters of the first one, they are 2 independent stories (the protagonists of the first book are the future King of Cardinia and his future bride, who in this second book are only marginal characters.)

If you read this book, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did and if you found any errors in my review, please forgive me, I'm Italian and therefore English is not my language
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____DISPONIBILE ANCHE IN ITALIANO ( anche se detesto le copertine pacchiane con i due amanti, come spesso hanno i romanzi rosa, preferisco copertine più sobrie)

Titolo: MI APPARTIENI. recensione in italiano:

Mi è piaciuto molto !

L'ho semplicemente adorato!! Mi è piaciuto dalla prima all'ultima parola!
5 stelle piene :-)
Stavo cercando intrattenimento leggero, divertimento e romanticismo e l'ho avuto!

Non sono abituata a leggere romanzi rosa, eppure ogni tanto sento anch'io il bisogno di leggere di corteggiamento e di qualche bacio ardente (che non riesco a trovare nei cozy mysteries e nei gialli classici, il mio genere di letture abituali) e se ci sono scene d'amore (purché non volgari e troppo esplicite), sono ancora più felice.

La storia, ambientata nella Russia dei primi decenni del 1800, è molto divertente e ricca di avventure durante un viaggio che durerà per quasi tutto il libro.

Come spesso accade nelle commedie brillanti, i due protagonisti non si sopportano, soprattutto perché scoprono all'improvviso, pur essendo due perfetti sconosciuti, di essere fidanzati secondo un contratto stipulato dai loro padri circa 15 anni prima.

In realtà questo è il complotto di un padre disperato che cerca di trovare un marito per la figlia maschiaccio, ribelle e spericolata che rifiuta ogni corteggiatore.
Il promesso sposo, cugino e guardia personale del re di Cardinia, dal canto suo è un consumato libertino che si trova benissimo nel ruolo di un uomo scapolo e che non ha mai sperimentato l'effetto di un rifiuto da parte di una donna.

Sia lui che lei sono legati al contratto dall'onore familiare, quindi il promesso sposo deve andare a prendere la sua sposa in Russia e portarla con sé a Cardinia, ma entrambi sperano che, fingendosi una persona insopportabile, l'altro decida per rompere il contratto.

Ciò che ne emerge è una schermaglia di prese in giro reciproche, battute provocatorie in cui ciascuno dei due cercherà di dare il peggio di sé e vincere sull'altro, situazioni imbarazzanti e divertenti, dialoghi spiritosi e vivaci, un paio di baci che fanno sognare e il momento cedono l'uno all'altra in modo travolgente e appassionato (ma è una lettura pulita, non ci sono descrizioni volgari o troppo esplicite).

Personalmente odio i libertini, ma quello che mi è piaciuto del personaggio maschile è che infatti, dopo aver fatto l'amore con lei, non ha mai più toccato un'altra donna nonostante affermasse di non volere quel matrimonio. Lui ha una tentazione, ma più che altro per di mostrare a se stesso che ha ancora pieno potere decisionale sulla sua vita.

Nella storia, la protagonista femminile minaccia più volte tutte le donne che si gettano ai piedi del suo promesso sposo ed esse scappano spaventate, ma è vero che se lui avesse davvero voluto andare a letto con un'altra donna avrebbe potuto trovare più di un modo e qualsiasi altra donna che non avesse ricevuto minacce.
Un'altra cosa che mi è piaciuta molto di lui è che si innamora di lei accettandola anche con quelli che sembrano essere i suoi difetti, quindi prima ancora di scoprire che i modi poco signorili di lei in realtà erano una finzione, anche se era criticata e non accettata dalla madre di lui e dalla società del "bon ton", il che è importante.

Anche la protagonista femminile mi è piaciuta molto perché a differenza di molte donne era capace di mostrare tanta determinazione, forza d'animo e capacità di reazione ad ogni imprevisto o difficoltà.
Mai una volta questa ragazza ha pianto o usato le lacrime per persuadere qualcuno alla sua volontà come soesso fanno le altre ( come detesto le donne frignone ), l'unica volta che mostra le lacrime è in un momento toccante, di riconciliazione con suo padre.

L'orgoglio di ciascuno è stato ovviamente l'ostacolo principale al loro amore, ma in questo corteggiamento al contrario i loro litigi li hanno comunque portati a condividere insieme esperienze e a conoscersi, anche se intravedendo solo in parte il lato migliore del loro modo di essere.

Ho amato anche tutti i personaggi secondari.
Sia il nostro eroe che la nostra eroina sono accompagnati nel viaggio da un seguito di amici o persone alle loro dipendenze, ai quali sono legati da profondo affetto e che assistono con sentita partecipazione allo scontro tra i due promessi sposi.

Se oltre a sognare una storia d'amore a lieto fine, cerchi anche il buon umore, ti assicuro che con questo libro lo otterrai, è una storia davvero divertente!

L'ambientazione di questo romance mi piace molto, però devo avvisarvi che in questo romanzo non troverete ricerche storiche dell'autore, vi basterà sapere dove e quando è ambientata la storia, per immaginare i costumi dei personaggi, gli sfondi delle scene e ovviamente gli usi e costumi di quel tempo e il modo di pensare di quell'epoca.

Forse l'unica piccola cosa che desideravo fosse diversa:
___ ATTENZIONE SPOILER : [ è il fatto che si sposino sapendo che ormai sono innamorati dell'altro, ma senza averlo dichiarato apertamente al partner, pensando quindi entrambi che non saranno ricambiati. Solo la prima notte di nozze diranno "ti amo" e mi sarebbe piaciuto che lo dicessero quando la ritrova dopo averla inseguita per mezza Europa. ] ___FINE SPOILER

NOTA FINALE SUL LIBRO: questo è il secondo libro di una serie di 2, ma puoi leggerlo come stand alone ( non serve leggere il primo per godersi la storia ).
Anche se nel secondo libro sono presenti alcuni degli stessi personaggi del primo, si tratta di 2 storie indipendenti (i protagonisti del primo libro sono il futuro re di Cardinia e la sua futura sposa, che in questo secondo libro sono solo personaggi marginali. )

Se leggete questo libro, spero che vi piaccia tanto quanto è piaciuto a me, ma ovviamente ogni gusto è soggettivo e ricordate che non è un "romanzo storico", ma una storia romantica e divertente di puro intrattenimento.

Book review : Vienna Waltz by Teresa Grant

Vienna Waltz
Malcom and Suzanne Rannoch Historical Mysteries
BOOK 2 by Teresa Grant
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The start of this book was a bit boring to me, but then finally after a while I got into the story and I really liked it.

THE REASONS I WAS BORED IN THE BEGINNING:
1) The prologue was definitely too long and full of unnecessary details that didn't serve the mystery... after the previous reading had been fantastic, reading a boring prologue made me ill disposed towards the book and after the first chapter I already thought I didn't like it and that I would have abandoned the series.

2) Even the first two chapters failed to capture my interest: the murder of a despicable woman I didn't care that it was solved, in the book everyone was attracted to her, but the truth is that from the very beginning a selfish personality devoted to power is evident, she was a dirty blackmailer even towards those who loved her.

3) The two protagonists are married, but apart from the fact that they have a son and get along well in bed, they seem like perfect strangers and there is always an air of embarrassment between them.

... I couldn't find a reason to appreciate this book, but perhaps I was still under the spell of the previous book (which I loved) and therefore I decided to continue reading, all in all, the plot on the back cover sounded interesting:

__THE PLOT__ November 1814, Congress of Vienna. The elite of Europe ( sovereigns, ambassadors, princes and even the tsar) are negotiating the fate of the Continent after Bonaparte's exile on the island of Elba.
Suddenly one night Princess Tatiana, the most beautiful and talked about woman in Vienna, is found murdered during an ill-timed rendezvous with three of her most powerful conquests.
Suzanne Rannoch has tried to ignore rumors that her new husband, Malcolm, is also one of Tatiana's lovers and since both she and her husband are among those summoned to the appointment and find he was the one who found the body, they decide to investigate...

WHY I CHANGED MY MIND and APPRECIATED THE BOOK
...of course, by reading the book, the reader uncovers that there are many other hidden reasons to investigate on the murder, reasons that husband and wife keep hidden to each others.

1) Investigating together, facing dangers, saving each other's lives, the two characters begin to open up to each other and we discover that actually they are deeply in love with each other but they dare not admit it openly because of their past and their fears.
The 2 main characters finally exude warmth, the reader's heart warms up, the secrets are revealed little by little, giving rise to new trust in the partner and the hope of being truly loved by the other one.

2) The characters that revolve around Malcolm and Susanne are several, many of whom really existed in history and who played decisive roles in the society of the time.
At the beginning of the book we find the whole list of characters and those who really existed are marked with an asterisk and this was very useful to me, since as I met the characters in the book, I enjoyed reading their life summary on Wikipedia, it gave me a way to have a broader view of that historical moment and that historical event and of course of those impressive people.

3) Although for a good part of the book I wasn't interested in finding out who killed the libertine princess (I was more interested in discovering the secrets of all the characters, in fact throughout the story EVERY CHARACTER has secrets to hide), in the end the killer wasn't obvious at all !!!
In the last chapters I thought I knew who the killer was, but actually it was all EVEN MORE COMPLICATED, the AUTHOR WAS REALLY INGENIOUS and THE ENDING REALLY SURPRISED ME!

I was going to give this book 3 stars, I liked it, but I wouldn't read it again and I thought maybe I wouldn't continue in the series, but then the complicated web of lies and secrets surprised me a lot, more I got fond to Susanne and Malcolm and I really wish to spend more time with them by reading book #2 in the series (although not right away), so I've rated the novel 3.8 stars and rounding up to 4.

Well, I hope I was able to express my feelings about the book in a right way, since English is not my mother tongue, if not please forgive me.

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Giveaway : Enchanting Autumn Desktop Wallpaper

A freebie for you : a cute desktop wallpaper suitable for next Autumn

Hello dear friends ! :-D

Since I started today creating graphic design to print on demand, I want to share here with you, for free, my first creation, named Enchanting Autumn.

I created this design to be printed on breakfast placemats, but in a smaller size (1920 x 1344) I also find it nice to use as a desktop wallpaper on your computer.

If you prefer, you could print it on postcard format to use it between the pages of your books as a bookmark!

@TizianaFragnerGraphic
Enchanting Autumn Desktop Wallpaper
Size 1920 x 1344

Now you may see the blurry image, but if you click on it, the clear image will open.

Of course the image I made for the placemats is much bigger (otherwise the print wouldn't look good), but here I couldn't upload it with those measurements, but it's good enough to print a postcard or to use it on your computer screen.

I hope you will enjoy it. :-)

Thanks for stopping by and have a nice day !


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Book review : A Splendid Defiance by Stella Riley | The 6-Star Masterpiece You Can't Miss

A Splendid Defiance
by Stella Riley

GENRE : #HistoricalFiction #AdventureRomance

My rating: ★★★★★ + a SPECIAL 6th GOLDEN STAR! 🌟

5 stars well deserved! I absolutely loved it—this is an incredible historical adventure romance! 🌟⚔️

II finished the book this morning and I am already suffering from a major book hangover. I miss the characters so much, and I desperately want to keep being part of their world!
Without exaggeration, this is definitely the best book I have read in recent years (according to my own parameters, of course).
It completely captivated me from the very first page to the absolute last. There wasn't a single moment where I felt bored; I simply couldn't put it down and even neglected many of my other hobbies because I was so deeply engaged by this story!

To give you some context, this is a historical novel featuring two fictional main characters embedded within a rich cast of secondary characters who actually existed during the English Civil War (1642–1651).

It is a tale that masterfully weaves together war and love. However, contrary to what you might expect, it is not your typical romance novel where everything solely revolves around love or explicit scenes. There are no hot sex scenes here—which, to be honest, really isn't my genre anyway (I'm looking at you, Diana Gabaldon, and similar styles!).

___ **** PLOT IN SHORT **** ___

Justin Ambrose is a dashing Royalist cavalier who is quite bored with garrison life—until he crosses paths with Abby, the sister of a local merchant. Justin is famous for his romantic conquests, but he has never truly let a woman touch his heart before.

But Abby is different. She is not only beautiful but incredibly brave. She is also young and living in constant fear of her brother, a religious fanatic who fiercely hates all Royalists.

When the rebel army launches a massive attack on the castle, Justin fights tirelessly to break the siege, hiding a deep, secret torment even from his closest friends. Meanwhile, Abby is forced to sit at her brother's table surrounded by rebel commanders, daydreaming about the one man she knows she must not love...

___ **** MY THOUGHTS **** ___

| ⏳ THE SLOW-BURN ROMANCE & THE CAST

The love story begins with a beautifully slow-burn pace, developing against a rich backdrop of fierce battles, intense sieges, heroic deeds, political compromises, and the rigid limits of the bigoted world of that era.

|⚠️ A WARNING TO DIE-HARD ROMANCE READERS:

Our two main characters meet only a few times in the first half of the book. This might be disappointing if you are looking for a fast-paced, pure romance novel.
Instead, we actually see the gritty historical events unfold. But I promise you, it is never boring!
The war is described in such an enthralling way that I found myself deeply passionate about those historical moments. (And believe me, battles usually bore me to death, but not in this book!).

| 🎭 THE CHARACTERS:

The cast is incredibly vivid. There are highly likable characters with a brilliant sense of humor who completely cheer up the scene, contrasting sharply with narrow-minded, malicious antagonists who will literally make your skin crawl!

| 💞 MAIN COUPLE:

During the first half of the novel, we get a deep look into the separate lives of the two protagonists. We learn to truly care for them, savoring every fleeting moment they share as they gradually get to know one another and develop a strong, deep bond.

Our hero and heroine are Justin and Abby, and they belong to two opposing sides of this brutal war.
Justin is a Royalist officer holding Banbury Castle under siege, while Abby is the sister of a local shopkeeper—a puritanical, fanatical despot who makes her life an absolute living hell.

• Justin is a fascinating young man, not just in his looks, but in his charming behavior.
  His quick winks, his easy smile, and his raised-eyebrow glances are simply irresistible.
  He is brilliant, constantly sharing ironic, lighthearted jokes with his fellow officers—who are also his close friends—and later with Abby, while saving his sharp, sarcastic wit for despicable people.
  
  Justin is brave and independent, accustomed to fending for himself since the age of sixteen. We don’t learn about his past until three-quarters of the way through the book, but we can easily sense that he carries deep, unhealed wounds. Although he is incredibly successful with women, he is no unprincipled libertine; he is a man of honor who deeply respects others and keeps his promises, earning the love and respect of everyone around him.
  
  
• Abby is only eighteen at the start of the novel. She lives subjugated by her tyrant of a brother, knowing nothing of the outside world and denied even the smallest joy. Her only comfort is her younger brother, her close friend and accomplice, who will also become entangled in the war, though in a very different way.
  
  Given her background, it is only natural that Abby starts as an insecure and fearful girl. Yet, she possesses a fierce desire to truly live.
  Justin will open the doors to a beautiful new world for her—a world where she can sing and dance without feeling blasphemous, where admiring a dress or having lovely hair is not a sin, and where kind gestures exist instead of blows and prayers for forgiveness.
  
  As the story unfolds, a caterpillar transforms into a stunning butterfly. Abby develops a resilient character, becoming fully aware of what she wants and ready to fight until the very end to achieve it.
  
  

From mutual esteem and affection, a great love will blossom, though not without immense difficulties and heartbreak.

🚨 WARNING: SPOILER AHEAD! (Skip to the next paragraph if you want to stay completely in the dark)

[ I must admit, every now and then, I was terrified that there wouldn't be a happy ending. But even when I finally realized that things were going to turn out well, the author handed me a beautiful, unexpected final surprise that I genuinely did not see coming! ]
🚨 END OF SPOILER

Despite the tragic nature of the war, the overall atmosphere of the novel remains incredibly pleasant. As I mentioned before, the witty dialogues and sharp humor will make you smile several times throughout the journey!

The character development in this novel is absolutely flawless. Even the secondary characters surrounding the two protagonists are so incredibly well-described that you can easily guess their true nature and perfectly imagine their faces and expressions just from the tone of the dialogues.

| 🖊️ WRITING STYLE:

The author is a true master, both in her meticulous historical research and in her ability to completely immerse the reader in the story. I felt as if I were standing in the very same rooms as those people. I could visualize everything as if I were watching a high-budget movie, entirely losing myself inside it, as if I were living right there alongside them.

| ⚔️ THE HISTORICAL HOOK:

Being Italian, I didn't know much about English history; my knowledge was limited to the fact that there was a Civil War and a brief Republic between the reigns of Charles I and Charles II. However, I never felt confused or lost for a single moment. On the contrary, it was an absolute pleasure to learn about historical facts that were completely new to me, which even inspired me to expand my knowledge with some fun web research afterwards!

| 🏆 MY FINAL VERDICT:

The slowness with which the love story develops doesn't take away anything from the beauty of the book; on the contrary, it makes the slow-burn journey infinitely more sensual. And when we finally get a couple of intimate scenes toward the end, everything is written in such an intuitive, delicate way—not vulgar at all.

Every now and then, I stumble upon a book that I thoroughly enjoy, one that I know I will definitely reread and happily award 5 stars. But no book has ever enraptured me quite like this one.
If my favorite books so far have earned 5 stars, I am officially breaking my own rules and awarding this masterpiece my highest honor: MY 6th GOLDEN STAR! 😀🌟👑✨

I highly recommend this masterpiece to all historical fiction and adventure-romance lovers out there!

This was my very first book by Stella Riley, and while I will certainly try more of her work in the future, I won't do it right away—simply because this kind of reading magic rarely repeats itself twice in a row. 😉 The only real problem now? Any forthcoming reads won't hold a candle to it!

Thank you so much for stopping by and reading my thoughts! I truly hope they will be useful when choosing your next historical adventure-romance escape! ❤️✨

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