Review: Victoria

Victoria by Daisy Goodwin is not my usual genre of books. It’s the story of Queen Victoria from the time she became Queen to when she married Prince Albert. It’s written by Daisy Goodwin who has a degree in history from Cambridge and has written other New York Times bestselling novels all about historical figures. I have never read a book by Daisy Goodwin and I rarely read nonfiction. I picked this one up for a moment, read a paragraph and was hooked. I tried to put it down, I actually did slide it back on the shelf, then I walked away and I knew that paragraph would be haunting me for the rest of the weekend and I’d have to return to find out what happened.

I bought the book instead.

I’m glad I did because Victoria was just delicious. I’ve gone and done a bit of searching since just to see if it was accurate and the truth is Daisy Goodwin got all the facts straight. On top of that, she wove them into a wonderful story. That certainly takes talent.

One of my favourite parts about this story is the transition of Victoria from the shy, protected girl we meet at the beginning of the book to the Queen we have in the end. It was quite the transformation. Her mother kept Victoria ‘protected’ while she was a child by not allowing her to see or meet anyone. She was carefully schooled by people she chose and saw only those she approved, which meant that, by the time she was eighteen, Victoria was so sheltered she was very ill equipped to reign.

Her mother’s plan had been to make her daughter dependent on her and so reign through her, but Victoria refused to become her mother’s shadow and to bow to her wishes. Instead, she tries to do things on her own. How she manages to not only succeed but to do so well is the meat of the story.

Queen Victoria was the longest reigning monarch in England until Queen Elizabeth II just surpassed her only a few years ago. She also married Prince Albert not out of necessity but out of love, something unheard of in that time period and had 9 children with him though she hated being pregnant. She was an incredible queen, something that was due to her determination, perseverance and talent because she started off with odds severely against her.

This isn’t a romance story, it’s historical fiction. But I was looking for something different. I like women’s lit and, in spite of the time period change, this is certainly the story of a woman coming of age and finding her purpose and role from a very challenging set of circumstances. It’s incredible how fast those pages turned when I read this book. It seemed to end too quickly.

I would absolutely recommend it. It’s got a fantastic story of triumph over adversity, historical facts, a love story and historical kings and queens all in one great book. Plus, it has a ton of intrigue but not a lot of fighting, which I adore. If you’re a fan of fiction or history, this one is a great one to try. If you do, let me know what you think of it.

(credit: goodreads.com)

Need a review?

If you’re an author and are looking for a place to submit your book for an impartial review, check out this site: http://reviewspagebypaige.wordpress.com

Paige is looking for books to review to build up her site. I’m thinking this is a match made in heaven for authors trying to get reviews. This is her review policy page: http://reviewspagebypaige.wordpress.com/review-policycontact-me/ and she’s actively seeking books to review! 😀

Paige is also on Goodreads if you’re interested in seeing what books she has reviewed, you can find her there or go to her site.

A huge thank you to Paige for letting me share her blog with everyone!

Another five star review for Olivia’s Choice!

Olivia’s Choice got another five star review on Goodreads! I’m over the moon! So happy, I couldn’t stop smiling.

Check it out here. Yeey!

As well, I’m almost through the edits. D. Emery Bunn did an incredible job with my book and now it shines like a diamond. It’s unbelievable what good editing can do.

When I’m done…I’ll have a surprise! (a good one, not the one where you’re at the dentist and have a cavity).

Another five star review!

Olivia’s Choice got another 5 star review in Goodreads! I’m just floating right now. Just floating! Here’s the link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/828395247?book_show_action=true

 

Shadow Woman Update

The book was absolutely delicious and will go on my keeper shelf. I highly recommend it. It’s got fast-paced mystery and awesome romance. What a great mix. I ramble on about it on my review for Goodreads. You can access it on the sidebar…as soon as they link it over here.

Or use this link (because they’re taking forever!) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13331181-shadow-woman

Bought a book, found a chair, read the entire thing.

I have to admit I have ‘special’ reading habits. I’m very picky about what I read but, when I find something I like…watch out. I read like a starving woman. I gobble up the book, read the entire thing in one sitting, don’t even look up, don’t take a break, inhale every page…until it’s done.

Case in point, yesterday I got the book Never Kiss a Rake by Anne Stuart. Now, Ms. Stuart is very good (in my humble opinion). She’s on my automatic-buy list for good reason and this latest book didn’t disappoint. I read the thing. All of it. In one sitting.

It got me thinking. Is that normal? Can reading be addictive?

I mean, I can’t read at certain times. I can’t read before bed because I will simply not go to bed until the book is done. I can’t bring a book to work or I won’t get anything done (I’ve actually snuck them into meetings and gotten caught with my nose between the pages.) I also can’t bring it to the doctors office because you get the weirdest looks when you ask for more waiting time so you can finish a chapter.

I also don’t hear when I read. I mean it. My husband has called my name and I have not heard him. It’s not on purpose. I simply didn’t hear him. I was reading.

And I can’t stop halfway through a good book. It’s actually painful. The only other choice is to read the entire thing in one sitting. Apparently, this is why, after reading for four hours straight, my eyesight is blurry (my eye doctor told me I need to look up more often). Stopping is not as easy as it sounds.

So I got Never Kiss a Rake yesterday and I sat and I read the entire thing. And, yes, the book was good. Really good. But, more to the point, is reading like that normal?

I used to think I was a bit of an odd duck until I joined Goodreads. Turns out there are hundreds of others like me who read…ahem, enthusiastically.

Wanna join us? I’ll be honest, reading like this is simply delicious.

(credit: goodreads.com)