BLOG TOUR: The House in Quill Court by Charlotte Betts (Review)

1813. Venetia Lovell lives by the sea in Kent with her pretty, frivolous mother and idle younger brother. Venetia's father, Theo, is an interior decorator to the rich and frequently travels away from home, leaving his sensible and artistic daughter to look after the family. Venetia designs paper hangings and she and her father often daydream about having an imaginary shop where they would display the highest quality furniture, fabrics and art to his clients.

When a handsome but antagonistic stranger, Jack Chamberlaine, arrives at the Lovell's cottage just before Christmas bringing terrible news, Venetia's world is turned upside-down and the family have no option but to move to London, to the House in Quill Court and begin a new life. Here, Venetia's courage and creativity are tested to breaking point, and she discovers a love far greater than she could have ever imagined...

Fans of historical romance may already be familiar with Charlotte Betts, author of The Chateau on the Lake, The Spice Merchant's Wife and The Apothecary's Daughter. Her latest novel, The House in Quill Court, is officially released tomorrow. Having enjoyed The Chateau on the Lake, I was delighted to receive a copy of Charlotte's latest offering.

Creative, young Venetia lives with her family in Kent, with her father Theo, an interior decorator for the wealthy who often travels out of town. Life is good for the family - until they are brought some news by a handsome stranger known as Jack Chamberlain. It's revealed that Theo had been leading two lives, with a secret family in London. The family are forced to move out of their seaside home and relocate to London to live in Quill Court, along with Theo's other family.

I don't want to delve too far into the plot as I don't wish to reveal any spoilers, but I will say this - The House in Quill Court is a beautiful novel, wonderfully written and full of intrigue in every chapter. The book doesn't simply focus on Venetia's family and their lives, but also that of Kitty the maid. At first I had envisioned this novel to have more of a romantic tone going by its cover (which I love, in fact), but it is much more; an incredibly written historical tale with a plot that makes it very hard to put down.

Rating: 5/5

BOOK NEWS: The Chateau on the Lake by Charlotte Betts

The beautiful new historical novel by Charlotte Betts, The Chateau on the Lake, will be released in early May, is set in the time of the French Revolution and follows teacher Madeleine who travels to France in search of her family.

1792. As a teacher at her parents' Academy for Young Ladies in the heart of London, Madeleine Moreau has lived her life sheltered from the outside world. But on the night of a dazzling Masquerade, tragedy strikes and she is left alone in the world. Desperate to find the family she never knew, Madeleine impulsively travels to France in search of them. But with war around the corner, and fearing for Madeleine's safety, the enigmatic Comte Etienne d'Aubery offers her protection at his home, Chateau Mirabelle. Chateau Mirabelle enchants Madeleine with its startling beauty, but it is a place of dark and haunting secrets. As the Revolution gathers momentum and the passions of the populace are enflamed, Madeleine must take control of her own destiny and unravel events of the past in order to secure a chance of future happiness. The Chateau on the Lake is an enthralling historical novel set during the time of the French Revolution; rich, evocative and immersive. If you love Philippa Gregory and Joanne Harris, you will adore Charlotte Betts.