ABOUT THE BOOK:
A shocking betrayal…
Riches. Power. An ancient heritage of pride. The Earl of Druridge wanted only for an heir. So when he learned that his wife was carrying another man’s child, he was filled with a thirst for vengeance.
But he wasn’t the one who caused Katherine’s death. Or was he? To his horror, he remembers nothing of that dreadful night, when their last confrontation ended in scorching flame and cold blood.
A forbidden love…
Rachel McTavish, the beautiful daughter of a coal miner, knows something about the fire that took Lady Katherine’s life. In secret, the strong-willed girl strikes a bargain with the desperate earl: he must send his physician to help her dying mother or he may go to the devil—and the scaffold. He agrees, but she is still unsure that her revelation will be enough to save him when so many wish him dead.
Passionately drawn to the nobleman, despite all the doubt and mystery that shrouds him, Rachel wonders if he can really be a murderer. Or if he is the only man who will ever own her heart…
READ AN EXCERPT:
MY REVIEW:
Through the Smoke by Brenda Novak was my November library book from the Kindle lending library. This is a 2013 release.
Rachel's life has been hard. She lost a brother in the coal mine and then her father dies of a lung disease as a result of working in the mines. But, rumors have been swirling over the past two years that her father may have somehow been involved in a fire that killed the wife of the Earl of Druridge and her unborn child. The Earl himself was burned in an attempt to save her.
He also happened to notice a few priceless paintings had been stolen before the fire had started.
In order to remove the suspicion that he was responsible for setting the fire, since he may have had a good reason to be angry with his wife, he needs to find those paintings. That leads him to Rachel. She must know if her father was involved or not.
Rachel's mother is sick. With her young brother to look after, Rachel makes a deal with the devil and agrees to tell the Earl what he wants to hear if he will send a doctor to help her mother. Sadly, they are too late to save her.
Now things really are bleak for Rachel. The Earl's cousin, Wythe decides to make her life even harder. Soon Rachel's virtue and reputation are ruined and she finds her bookstore and her previous life over as the secrets both of her parents harbored come back to haunt her.
The miners really dislike the Earl due to the work conditions in the mine. They are plotting the formation of a union among other things that are also linked to Rachel and her father and the suspicion he was paid to start the fire.
Will the paintings be found in time to keep the earl from the gallows? Will Rachel and her brother be forced to stay in service or will the murderer be revealed?
I love Gothic romances and mysteries. I am so glad to see this genre coming back into view again. This book stuck to the "rules" of Gothic romance.
There was the imposing Blackmoor Hall, the innocent girl that finds herself in great peril, and the dark brooding hero that we don't know if we can fully trust in the beginning. The mystery of who started the fire and the motive behind it, the romance between Rachel and the Earl, all combined to make this a real page turner.
The author was true to the genre and also gave it a little facelift without compromise.
This book will appeal to those that enjoy historical romances, Gothic mysteries or historical fiction.
Over all a good solid A.
Through the Smoke by Brenda NovakMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Through the Smoke by Brenda Novak was my November library book from the Kindle lending library. This is a 2013 release.
Rachel's life has been hard. She lost a brother to the coal mine, and then her father dies of a lung disease as a result of working in the mines. But, rumors have been swirling over the past two years that her father may have somehow been involved in a fire that killed the wife of the Earl of Druridge, and her unborn child. The Earl himself was burned in an attempt to save her.
The Earl also happened to notice a few priceless paintings had been stolen before the fire had started.
In order to remove the suspicion that he was responsible for setting the fire, since he may have had a good reason to be angry with his wife, he needs to find those paintings, which leads him to Rachel, who wonders if her father may have been involved in the theft.
With her mother in ill heath, Rachel is responsible for her younger brother, which prompts her make a deal with the devil. She will tell the Earl what he wants to hear if he will send a doctor to take care of her mother. However, the doctor doesn't make in it time.
With life already looking bleak for Rachel, the Earl's cousin, Wythe, decides to make her life even harder. Rachel's virtue and reputation are is ruined, her previous life all but over, as her parents' secrets come back to haunt her.
Brenda Novak has written many novels across several genres. I've my fair share of her books over the years, but this one stands out as a historical and one with a decidedly Gothic tone. I am, as most people know, a huge fan of Gothic novels, so this one struck a chord with me.
Set against the imposing Blackmoor Hall, Rachel is an innocent girl in great peril, and a dark and brooding hero we aren't sure we can fully trust, the scene is set for a traditional style Gothic story. The story has a real whodunit type mystery plot as well as a searing romance, which made this one a real page turner.
Fans of historical romance and mysteries can enjoy this one!
4 stars
GET YOUR COPY HERE:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1477808760/
ALSO AVAILABLE WITH KINDLE UNLIMITED
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
It was a shocking experience that jump-started Brenda Novak's career as a bestselling author--she caught her day-care provider drugging her children with cough syrup to get them to sleep all day. That was when Brenda decided she needed to quit her job as a loan officer and help make a living from home.
"When I first got the idea to become a novelist, it took me five years to teach myself the craft and finish my first book," Brenda says. But she sold that book, and the rest is history. Her novels have made the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists and won many awards, including five Rita nominations, the Book Buyer's Best, the Book Seller's Best and the National Reader's Choice Award.
Brenda and her husband, Ted, live in Sacramento and are proud parents of five children--three girls and two boys. When she's not spending time with her family or writing, Brenda is usually raising funds for diabetes research (her youngest son has this disease). So far, Brenda has raised $2.6 million. Please visit http://www.brendanovakforthecure.org to see how you can help.
