I’m delighted to be taking part in today’s first blog tour stop for this latest novel by Rachel Brimble.
Bath, 1852.
As a girl, Nancy Bloom would go to Bath’s Theatre Royal, sit on the hard wooden benches and stare in awe at the actresses playing men as much as the women dressed in finery. She longed to be a part of it all and when a man promised her parents he could find a role for Nancy in the theatre, they believed him.
His lie and betrayal led to her ruin.
Francis Carlyle is a theatre manager, an ambitious man always looking for the next big thing to take the country by storm. A self-made man, Francis has finally shed the skin of his painful past and is now rich, successful and in need of a new female star. Never in a million years did he think he’d find her standing on a table in one of Bath’s bawdiest pubs.
Nancy vowed never to trust a man again. Francis will do anything to make her his star. As they engage in a battle of wits and wills, can either survive with their hearts intact?
The second in Rachel Brimble’s thrilling new Victorian saga series, Trouble for the Leading Lady will whisk you away to the riotous, thriving underbelly of Victorian Bath.
Author Bio –
In 2019 she signed a new three book contract with Aria Fiction for a Victorian trilogy set in a Bath brothel. The first book, A Widow’s Vow was released in September 2020 followed by book 2 Trouble For The Leading Lady in March 2021 – it is expected that the final instalment will be released in the Autumn 2021.
Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and has thousands of social media followers all over the world.
To sign up for her newsletter (a guaranteed giveaway every month!), click here:
Social Media Links –
Website: https://rachelbrimble.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelbrimbleauthor/?hl=en
Review-
This is the second book in the author’s Victorian Saga series, set in Bath in 1852. While the history of the main characters from the first novel, ‘A Widow’s Vow’ is useful in understanding the dynamics of their relationships with each other, this can equally be read as a standalone story.
What is particularly striking about this tale is the underlying theme of past history, buried memories and society’s perceptions of the different classes within the Victorian era. All of these combine perfectly within the different characters, but none more so than Nancy and Francis who battle with their demons and past experiences throughout as they struggle to reconcile their heads with their hearts.
The backdrop to the narrative is the appalling conditions for children within the workhouse at that time and, while this is a dark theme throughout, the reader becomes compelled to empathise with Francis’ struggle in his efforts to bring about significant change for their benefit. This for me, was the most interesting aspect of the story and I hope that it is revisited in the next novel.
If you are a fan of historical fiction, this is definitely worth adding to your reading list. I’m already looking forward to getting my hands on the final book of the trilogy!
With thanks to the author, Aria Fiction and @rararesources for the opportunity to participate in the tour.
Further stops can be found here:
Pickled Thoughts and Pinot 
Thank you for this wonderful review! 🙂
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