4.5 stars – I really liked this book, which is historical fiction, time-slip, fantasy, historical and contemporary romance, and even has a bit of murder mystery. There are three different storylines, one in the seventeenth century, the early nineteenth century, and present day. It should be no surprise that my favourite story was the one set in the former and is about Elizabeth Stuart, the Winter Queen, and her relationship with William Craven. I thought the “nineteenth-century” diary entries a wonderful touch, as were the references to the Bayly merchant family in Marlborough.
I recently had the honour of participating in a panel with the author of this book at a conference and found her historical research for this novel and the subsequent storyline very compelling. Whilst we don’t know for sure what kind of relationship the two real historical figures had, I simply loved how Cornick made this into a compelling tale. I genuinely look forward to reading more of her work! Also, beautiful cover!
To see a complete listing of Nicola Cornick’s books, go to her Amazon page. You can also visit her website.
