Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More


housemaid's daughter-pbkmech.inddBook Description:

When Cathleen Harrington leaves her home in Ireland in 1919 to travel to South Africa, she is uncertain about her feelings for the man she is to marry there—her fiancé Edward, whom she has not seen for five years.  Feeling isolated and estranged at Cradock House, her new home is in a small town in the harsh Karoo desert; her only real companions are her diary, her housemaid, Miriam, and later the housemaid’s daughter, Ada.

Although she finds herself in a passionless marriage, Cathleen perseveres and gives birth to two children, her cheerful son, Philip, and her ill-tempered daughter, Rosemary.  However, over the years, it is Ada with whom Cathleen forms a unique, powerful bond.  While Cathleen’s own daughter complains that she hates to play her mother’s beloved piano, Ada thrives on Cathleen’s tutelage and becomes an accomplished pianist.  Besides sharing a love of music, Cathleen teaches Ada to read, despite the objections of Edward.  Ada often peeks into Cathleen’s diary, and learns the secrets of her heart.

Encouraged by Cathleen, Ada sees new possibilities for her own life.  But one night, while Cathleen is away on a trip, Edward takes advantage of teenaged Ada with devastating results. When Cathleen arrives home, she finds that Ada has disappeared.  No longer living in the security of Cradock House, Ada is now forced to survive amidst the harsh realities of apartheid.  She struggles to make a life for herself.  In time, she must also fight to keep her biracial baby daughter safe.  As time passes, Cathleen’s attempts to find Ada fail time and again.  She remains confused and heartbroken by Ada’s mysterious departure until one day when a piano’s music brings Cathleen to a starting discovery.

Narrated in the compelling voice of Ada, as well as Cathleen through her diary passages, THE HOUSEMAID’S DAUGHTER is a breathtaking and thought-provoking novel about the parallel lives of these two women whose poignant relationship rises above the turbulence of the period.  It is a stunning story that is certain to resonate with readers everywhere.

My Thoughts:

Cathleen Harrington is a burndon on her big family in Ireland.  There are just some many mouths to feed.  She leaves home to meet up with her fiancé Edward.  Once there, she has no friends, just Edward and their maid, Miriam.  She becomes friends with Miriam, even though she is not only black, but also pregnant, out of wedlock.

When Ada is born, she dotes on her, perhaps even more than her own children.  She wants Ada to attend school but Edward thinks it will “cause problems later”.  So, she teaches Ada herself.  Ada turns out to be a good student, unlike Kathleen’s daughter, Rosemary.  One day when Rosemary is practicing piano, Kathleen hears that her playing much better and can’t believe her ears.  However, when she goes to look, it is Ada playing.  So, she decides right away to teach her how to play.

Piano becomes the most important thing in Ada’s life, except for perhaps Philip, Kathleen’s son.  However, he has to go off and fight in WWII.

A bit later in the book, Ada disappears and Kathleen looks for her.  Meanwhile, apartheid is getting harsher and harsher by the day.

I can’t say anymore with the risk of big spoilers.

Set against the backdrop of Karoo, a small town in South Africa, The Housemaid’s Daughter is a beautifully written story of a white Madam and her close relationship with her housemaid’s daughter, Ada.  Barbara Mutch has well developed characters and she captures the harsh setting of both the land and realities of the time.  Her poetic prose is spot on.  I give this 5+ stars!

5/5

I received a ebook copy of this book for my honest opinion!

(c)Dawson Strange Photography

(c)Dawson Strange Photography

About Barbara Mutch:

BARBARA MUTCH was born and raised in South Africa, the granddaughter of Irish immigrants. She is married with two sons and divides her time between Cape Town and London.

Thanks to Brittani Hilles of St. Martin Press, I am giving away one print copy.  This giveaway is open to Canada and the U.S. only and ends on February 10, 2015.  Please use Rafflecopter to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Please join Janet Lane as she tours the blogosphere for Tabor’s Trinket, the first book in the Coin Forest Series, from January 26-February 20. Thanks to Amy Bruno of HFVBT, I’m giving away one ebookof Tabor’s Trinket by Janet Lane.

01_Tabor's Trinket_CoverPublication Date: September 1, 2014
Dreaming Tree Publishing, LLC
eBook; 335p
ASIN: B00N9JVRD8

Series: The Coin Forest Series, Book One
Genre: Historical Romance/Medieval

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Love proves perilous in this “Pretty Woman/Pride and Prejudice” historical romance tale set in 15th century England.

Sold as a slave in Romania for seven pounds and three solidi, the Gypsy girl, Sharai, escapes a slave ship infected with the plague. As an adult, she performs her silky, exotic dances to earn enough to sustain herself and the toddling orphan girl she adopted. She yearns for relief from the grinding poverty, and a secure home. Having been violated by a nobleman posing as her hero, she wants naught of any other man of title, and also scorns the dubious Gypsy king who pursues her. In a tent at the bustling autumn fair in Winchester, she meets the dashing Lord Tabor, and her resolve to avoid all noblemen softens.

Though possessed of a stately castle with prosperous lands, the English knight,Tabor, teeters on the brink of losing all his holdings. A powerful noble has attacked Tabor’s castle, determined to seize his lands. Tabor seeks revenge for his older brother’s murder, but England’s throne is held by an infant king and his feuding uncles. The realm is paralyzed with uncertainty and lawlessness, and the crown has abandoned him.

Then a stroke of good fortune helps Tabor, a sizeable dowry that can save his holdings. He need only wed an earl’s daughter, the regal Lady Emilyne. But he has already fallen in love with Sharai, and they are locked in a powerful dance of desire. His refusal to abandon Sharai plunges them into life-and-death struggles–and a painful choice between duty and love.

Praise for Tabor’s Trinket

“This adventurous and chivalrous story succeeds on many levels. An emotionally satisfying tale.” –Romantic Times

“Tabor’s Trinket” has made Janet Lane one of my favorite authors. I loved the book! If you’re looking for wonderful story-telling, unforgettable characters, and a marvelous sense of time and place, you must read Janet Lane.” –Maggie Osborne, RITA-award-winning author

“Fans of medieval romance will be thrilled with the tightly written plot. It is a story of love in the face of prejudice and misunderstanding, set in a time wrought with intrigue and political machinations. Ms. Lane’s debut novel grips the reader from the first page to the last, and Lord Tabor is a wonderful hero. A knight who reads books of romance is sure to steal any heart. This is a thoroughly enjoyable story in which to lose one’s cares. Go ye forth and seek out Tabor’s Trinket, it far surpasses being a bauble. Indeed, ‘twould more likely be called a small treasure. –loveromance.com

“Debut novelist Janet Lane pens a descriptive story set in a period of great political unrest when a man of honor is hard to find. This is a romance, so we know there will be a great conclusion. It’s the fun of finding out how that makes Tabor’s Trinket intriguing. Pick up this title and enjoy the read.” –Romance Reviews Today

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About the Author02_Janet Lane_ Author

Janet Lane writes best-selling historical romance novels set in fifteenth century England during the so-called “Gypsy Honeymoon” decades. She graduated with honors from the University of Colorado, completing their Creative Writing program.

Her debut novel, Tabor’s Trinket, is an Amazon Bestselling novel and has received several awards. Emerald Silk, part two in the Coin Forest series, was reviewed by the Historical Novels Review, which noted that it “goes beyond simple romantic suspense by including serious issues such as racism, homophobia, and clerical greed. However, the love story and the quest for the stolen chalice take center stage throughout.” A Rocky Mountain News review stated, “This fast-moving, smoothly constructed historical novel (features) well-drawn characters and … strong sense of time and place.” #1 New York Times Best-Selling Author Lara Adrian called it “..an enchanting medieval romance filled with passion, intrigue and vividly drawn characters that leap off the page. I loved this novel!”

The Amazon Kindle release of her third novel in the Coin Forest series, Traitor’s Moon, is scheduled for November 25, 2014.

Janet was a featured author in RMFW Press’s Tales from Mistwillow anthology, and co-chaired the editorial board for that press’s anthology, Broken Links, Mended Lives, which was nominated for the Colorado Book Award.

Janet lives with her husband in Colorado, surrounded by a forest of conifers, herds of deer, an occasional black bear and a snorting Chihuahua. She welcomes your comments and feedback via her blog at http://janetlane.wordpress.com or on Twitter at @janetlaneauthor.

For more information please visit Janet Lane’s Website.

This giveaway is open internationally and ends on February 9th, 2015.  Please use Rafflecopter to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tabor’s Trinket Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, January 26
Spotlight at Romantic Chanteuse
Spotlight & Giveaway at Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More

Monday, February 2
Review at A Chick Who Reads

Thursday, February 5
Spotlight at With Her Nose Stuck in a Book

Saturday, February 7
Spotlight at Romantic Historical Fiction Lovers

Monday, February 9
Interview at Boom Baby Reviews

Tuesday, February 10
Review at The Mad Reviewer

Wednesday, February 11
Spotlight at A Literary Vacation

Thursday, February 12
Interview at Sizzling Hot Books
Spotlight at The Lit Bitch

Tuesday, February 17
Review at Book Nerd
Spotlight at I Heart Reading

Thursday, February 19
Review at Book Drunkard

Friday, February 20
Interview & Excerpt at Historical Fiction Obsession
Spotlight at CelticLady’s Reviews

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Giveaway Winners Galore

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on January 25, 2015
Posted in Giveaway Winners Galore  | Tagged With: | 3 Comments

Thanks so much to all the authors, publishers, and publicists for all of the awesome giveaways! They are so much fun to host and I know my readers appreciate them!!
Thanks to everyone who entered the following giveaways! Winners, please reply to the email I sent you today within 48 hours to claim your books. After 2 days you will be disqualified and a new winner will be picked. Rafflecopter picks all winners at random.

The Winter Sea by Di Morrissey

The winner is Marjorie T.

The Long Hello by Cathie Borrie

The winner is Carl S.

Russian Tattoo by Elena Gorokhova

The winner is Marjorie R.

Fonseca’s Fury by Abby Green

The winner is: Joanne B.

Never Trust A Cowboy by Kathleen Eagle

The winner is Anita Y.

Snowed In With Her Ex by Andrea Laurence

The winner is Joanne B.

THE LIKE SWITCH by Jack Schafer, with Marvin Karlins

The winner is Marjorie R.

 CONGRATULATIONS!