** Blog Tour ** Shadows in the Ashes- Christina Courtenay

I’m thrilled to be one of today’s stops on the final day of the blog tour for ‘Shadows in the Ashes.’

Brimming with romance, adventure and vivid historical detail, Christina Courtenay’s gripping dual- time novel travels from the present day to the fires of ancient Pompeii.

The sunlight caught her gold bracelet, sending a flash that almost blinded her. She closed her eyes, but jumped when the earth started shaking and there was an almighty boom behind her.

Present Day

Finally escaping an abusive marriage, Caterina Rossi takes her three-year-old daughter and flees to Italy. There she’s drawn to research scientist Connor, who needs her translation help for his work on
volcanology. Together they visit the ruins of Pompeii and, standing where Mount Vesuvius unleashed its fire on the city centuries before, Cat begins to see startling visions. Visions that appear to come from the antique bracelet handed down through her family’s generations…

AD 79

Sold by his half-brother and enslaved as a gladiator in Roman Pompeii, Raedwald dreams only of surviving each fight, making the coin needed to return to his homeland and taking his revenge. That is, until he is hired to guard beautiful Aemilia. As their forbidden love grows, Raedwald’s dreams shift like the ever more violent tremors of the earth beneath his feet.

The present starts eerily to mirror the past as Cat must fight to protect her safety, and to forge a new path from the ashes of her old life…

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shadows-Ashes-breathtaking-dual-time-author-ebook/dp/B0C42YW7W9/

https://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Ashes-breathtaking-dual-time-author-ebook/dp/B0C42YW7W9/

Author Bio –

Christina Courtenay writes historical romance, time slip and time travel stories, and lives in Herefordshire (near the Welsh border) in the UK. Although born in England, she has a Swedish mother and was brought up in Sweden – hence her abiding interest in the Vikings.

Christina is a former chairman of the UK’s Romantic Novelists’ Association, now a Vice President, and has won several awards, including the RoNA for Best Historical Romantic Novel twice with Highland Storms (2012) and The Gilded Fan (2014) and the RNA Fantasy Romantic Novel of the year 2021 with Echoes of the Runes.

SHADOWS IN THE ASHES (dual time/timeslip romance published by Headline Review 18th January 2024) is her latest novel.

Christina is a keen amateur genealogist and loves history and
archaeology (the armchair variety).

Social Media Links –

http://www.christinacourtenay.com

https://www.facebook.com/christinacourtenayauthor?fref=ts

https://twitter.com/PiaCCourtenay

https://www.instagram.com/ChristinaCourtenayAuthor/

Review-

Utterly captivating from the outset!

I confess that this is the first novel I’ve read by Christina Courtenay but I’m partial to an historical fiction novel, particularly if it’s set in Italy, or more specifically in this case, Pompeii.

The history and story of Pompeii and the eruption of Vesuvius has always fascinated me since early childhood and, having been fortunate enough to visit in 2012, I loved the opportunity to transport myself back there through the pages of this book.

The author writes with real historical authority, with meticulous attention to detail about the customs of the era. I also loved the inclusion of the Roman names for various items, rooms and buildings and often found myself highlighting words to discover their meaning.

It’s worth noting that domestic abuse and violent relationships feature heavily, particularly in the present day which could present a trigger for some readers, although it is referenced in the synopsis.

I found the time slip element and the parallels between past and present within the plot fascinating and extremely well written. The burgeoning romance between the characters was pitched perfectly as all struggled to cope with their overwhelming attraction to each other, despite their reservations due to past experiences.

I loved how the storyline flipped between past and present and from the perspective of one character to another as this definitely lead to a sense of ‘I just need to read one more bit to find out what happens next’.

A wonderful read!

With thanks to the author and Rachel at Random Resources for the opportunity to participate in the tour.

Earlier stops can be found here:

** Blog Tour ** The Perfect Husband- Danielle Ramsay

I’m pleased to be one of today’s stops on the blog tour for ‘The Perfect Husband.’

How do you know if you’ve married the wrong person?

It was a whirlwind romance and we had the perfect relationship. He was my dream partner, loving, caring, attentive… until the day I married him and things became toxic.

I spent my wedding night in A&E with an ‘unexplained’ broken wrist – but I knew what happened….

My romantic illusions shattered. My fear of the future heightened. The man I had fallen in love with wasn’t the man I married. And that was just the start of things to come.

Quickly things escalated. He isolated me from family and friends, and with no one to turn to, he began to control every part of my life. I tried to escape, but he watched my every move.

Until one day he went too far, and I found my strength to fight back.
I no longer wanted to be a victim.
I wanted to live.
I wanted my life back.
But at what cost?
In sickness and in health and till death us do part…

** Perfect for the fans of Louise Candlish and Adele Parks**

Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/PerfectHusbandsocial

Author Bio –

Danielle Ramsay is a Scot living in a small seaside town in the North-East of England. Always a storyteller, it was only after completing a First Class (Hons) Degree in Media Production that she then went on to follow an academic career in literature. She was shortlisted for the CWA Debut Dagger in 2009 and 2010, and appointed a New Writing North Read Regional author in 2011.

She is the author of five DI Jack Brady crime novels and The Last Cut, a dark thriller with DS Harri (Harriet) Jacobs.

Danielle fills her days with horse-riding, running and murder by proxy.  She is also the proud Patron of the charity SomeOne Cares, which counsels survivors of domestic violence, rape and child abuse.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/danielle.ramsay.author/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/danielleramsay2

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danielle.ramsay.author/?hl=en-gb

Review-

It’s certainly worth looking at the trigger warnings before reading this one as it’s hard hitting from the outset with a strong theme of domestic abuse and coercive control throughout.

It’s very well written; tense and nail biting with a vile central character in Jay. Much of the narrative is told through Sophie’s perspective and her inner dialogue as she questions Jay’s behaviours and begins to doubt her own recollections due to his manipulative actions.

What makes this even more chilling is the fact it is based on a true story and it’s easy to see how events could spiral. The author has dedicated the book to all survivors of domestic violence.

A gripping read.

With thanks to the author, Rachel at Random Resources and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to participate in the tour.

Further stops can be found here: