Blog Tour: Victoria & Violet by Rachel Brimble

It should be a dream come true to serve the Queen of England…

When Violet Parker is told she will be Queen Victoria’s personal housemaid, she cannot believe her good fortune. She finally has the chance to escape her overbearing mother, a servant to the Duchess of Kent. 

Violet hopes to explore who she is and what the world has to offer without her mother’s schemes overshadowing her every thought and action.

Then she meets James Greene, assistant to the queen’s chief political adviser, Lord Melbourne. From entirely different backgrounds and social class, Violet and James should have neither need nor desire to speak to one another, yet through their service, their paths cross and their lives merge—as do their feelings.

Only Victoria’s court is not always the place for romance, but rather secrets, scandals, and conspiracies…

Purchase Links
UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Victoria-Violet-Royal-Maids-Book-ebook/dp/B0B6T47ZX5
US - https://www.amazon.com/Victoria-Violet-Royal-Maids-Book-ebook/dp/B0B6T47ZX5

Review

This is a fascinating book exploring class differences, family ties, and a legendary love from the outside. While the romance takes centre stage, it's hard to not feel that the young Queen Victoria still stands at its heart. For a reader such as I, who thinks of an aged widow in black, I enjoyed seeing her portrayed as a headstrong and youthful monarch who craves both independence and connection. It's no surprise that the very title of this book highlights the parallels between the Queen and her housemaid. Furthermore, members of her court fill the pages so that some of the background conflict has a forgone conclusion if one only has access to Wikipedia.

In a way, this allows the relationship between Violet and James to blossom. It's improbable from the outset - a housemaid and a rakish Baron-to-be - but they soon find they have more in common than they think. I would warn for verbally (and sometimes physically) abusive parents. Their love story is deftly wound around historical events and is peppered with Cinderella-like wish fulfilment that satisfies even as the court intrigue continues.

For an unlikely love story and fresh take on an old monarch, check out this book!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Rachel's Random Resources; all opinions are my own

Author Bio
Rachel lives in a small town near Bath, England. She is the author of 29 published novels including the Ladies of Carson Street trilogy, the Shop Girl series (Aria Fiction) and the Templeton Cove Stories (Harlequin). Her latest novel, Victoria & Violet is the first book in her new Royal Maids series with the Wild Rose Press.

Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association as well as the Historical Novel Society and has thousands of social media followers all over the world. 

Social Media Links
Website: https://bit.ly/3wH7HQs
Twitter: https://bit.ly/3AQvK0A
Facebook: https://bit.ly/3i49GZ3
Instagram: https://bit.ly/3lTQZbF

Blog Tour: The Love Arrangement by Ruby Basu

Love was never supposed to be part of the deal…

Independent and free-spirted Annika has no plans to settle down anytime soon… if only her parents felt the same way. But when her father unexpectedly falls ill, she’ll do anything to make things better. Even if it means suddenly blurting out she has a boyfriend.

The only issue is, he doesn’t exist.

Then, by chance, she bumps into handsome entrepreneur Rav, and she can’t believe her luck. He’s single, sworn off relationships and looking for a date to attend work events with. He’s the perfect solution to her troubles. Or is he?

Because there’s just one slight catch – he also happens to be her childhood nemesis.

It was only ever supposed to be a simple, temporary arrangement. Nothing more. Certainly love was never part of the terms and conditions. But Annika’s about to discover that some deals are made to be broken…

Purchase Link - https://books2read.com/u/bPgqOz 

Review

This is a delightful, delicious book with a bit of everything! Fake relationship, enemies to lovers, opposites attract, summer romance... Here are some of the things I loved:

1) Annika's character growth. The story is told entirely from Annika's POV as she organises a mutually-beneficial fake relationship with her childhood nemesis Rav. She is convinced her beloved job co-ordinating projects in developing countries is incompatible with a relationship. I loved that this isn't simply resolved by her deciding that she no longer likes her job, but this book celebrates her drive, passion, and competence.

2) Rav. At first glance, Rav is stiff, organised, and the guy her parents (and everyone else's) would compare her to when growing up. As Annika gets to know him, not only does he unbend, but she realises her own perception of Rav might have been tainted by the whole nemesis thing. Poor guy.

3) The supporting characters, especially Annika's family. They have their own set of problems, not the least being her father's poor health, but there's no doubt they love and support each other, even though Annika has chosen a path so dissimilar to her siblings. Even the family issues seem universal, like constantly being compared to that one success story, or surviving family events as a single adult. There's even something very relateable about Annika feeling not desi enough for Raj's family, while still knowing she'll never be seen as fully British either!

I could keep going, but the better option is for you to buy a copy and enjoy it yourself.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book via Rachel's Random Resources; all opinions are my own

Author Bio

Ruby lives in the beautiful Chilterns with her husband, two children, and the cutest dog in the world. She worked for many years as a lawyer and policy lead in the Civil Service.
As the second of four children, Ruby connected strongly with Little Women’s Jo March and was scribbling down stories from a young age. A huge fan of romantic movies, Star Wars, and Marvel, she loves creating new characters and worlds while waiting for her superpowers to develop.

Social Media Links
Twitter - https://twitter.com/writerrb01
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Website - https://rubybasu.com/
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