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:
Pickled Thoughts and Pinot 