Lil

Today on the blog I'm featuring The Last Campaign of Marianne Tambour. This book sounds really interesting, with a strong and independent female lead character. I can't wait to read it! Read on to find out more, and don't forget to enter the giveaway to win a copy! Synopsis 1815 - On the bloody fields of Waterloo, a battle-weary canteen mistress of Bonaparte’s Imperial Guard battalions must fight to free her daughter from all the perils that war will hurl against them – before this last campaign can kill them both. “Superb! David Ebsworth has really brought these dramatic events to life. His description of the fighting is particularly vivid and compelling.”  (Andrew W. Field, author of Waterloo: The French Perspective and its companion volume, Prelude to Waterloo: Quatre Bras) A novel of action and intrigue based on the real-life exploits of two women who fought, in their own right, within Napoleon’s army. Includes a Battlefield Tour Guide for those wanting to follow the r...

I have no words to describe how much I love Wicked. Well, I have words, otherwise this would be a very short review, but words cannot do justice to the emotion I feel just listening to the songs or even seeing a poster of the show, let alone actually watching it in a theatre. Fangirling gibberish would I suppose be the best way to sum up my reaction! Obligatory map photo from our seats in Sunderland! The first time I saw the show was in Edinburgh, just before Christmas. I knew a few of the songs, but knew nothing of the story or the cast. For once, doing no research beforehand proved to be a positive thing and I was completely blown away, so much so that I went to Sunderland to see it again last week! We managed to get tickets three rows from the front of the stalls this time too which was just amazing! The first thing I noticed, and LOVED, was that the cast do the show in British accents! This might not seem like a big thing, but for one thing fake American accents grate on me, and fo...

Anna was a good wife, mostly... Anna Benz lives in comfort and affluence with her husband and three young children in Dietlikion, a picture-perfect suburb of Zurich. Anna, an American expat, has chosen this life far from home; but, despite its tranquility and order, inside she is falling apart.  Feeling adrift and unable to connect with her husband or his family; with the fellow expatriates who try to befriend her; or even, increasingly, her own thoughts and emotions, Anna attempts to assert her agency in the only way that makes sense to her: by engaging in short-lived but intense sexual affairs. But adultery, too, has its own morality, and when Anna finds herself crossing a line, she will set off a terrible chain of events ending in unspeakable tragedy. As her life crashes down around her, Anna must then discover where one must go when there is no going back... Review I have to admit that this is something I would never have picked up had I not been offered a review copy, but it's...

Loving her would be his downfall… To society, the Earl of Blackstone cuts a mysterious figure. He is eligible, withdrawn, and endlessly fascinating. Yet as an integral part of London’s underground spy ring intent on defeating Napoleon, Blackstone has no mistress but the cause. Miss Emily Mirren is considered “unbiddable” by the ton. She wields a fierce intellect, which she channels into her own secret cause—writing an abolitionist newspaper column under a male pseudonym. When Emily’s aims clash with Blackstone’s, they stray into a dangerous game of attraction and subterfuge, and secrets are the going currency. And in order to complete the most important mission of his career, Blackstone must thwart Emily, even if it breaks both their hearts. Review Eric is a man haunted by the ghosts of his past, He has thrown himself into his spy work to distract himself. His only focus is the mission which he must complete at any cost. Emily Mirren has a mission of her own, and when her path cros...

So yesterday I finally got around to going to see Cinderella at the cinema. I'm actually not all that fond of the cartoon version, shocking I know. I think it's because the stepmother terrified me as a child - though I did love Gus Gus! My favourite ever adaptation of the Cinderella story is actually The Slipper and the Rose , so I was interested to see how this one would measure up. We all know the story by now, but just in case you don't, there are spoilers ahead. First thing I have to comment on, of course, is the casting. Lily James is the perfect Cinderella - I've been racking my brains and genuinely can't think of anyone else who could possibly have played her. Richard Madden I initially thought an odd choice to play the Prince, but I was pleasantly surprised and found that he and Lily made an adorable couple with palpable chemistry. Helena Bonham Carter was an obvious choice for the Fairy Godmother, but this is no criticism as she was fabulous as always. Cat...