 Thank you to Rachel from Rachel's Random Resources for inviting me to participate in the blog tour for Victoria & Violet, a delightful historical romance by Rachel Brimble.  Victoria & Violet It should be a dream come true to serve the Queen of England… When Violet Parker is told she will be Queen Victoria’s personal housemaid, she cannot believe her good fortune. She finally has the chance to escape her overbearing mother, a servant to the Duchess of Kent. Violet hopes to explore who she is and what the world has to offer without her mother’s schemes overshadowing her every thought and action. Then she meets James Greene, assistant to the queen’s chief political adviser, Lord Melbourne. From entirely different backgrounds and social class, Violet and James should have neither need nor desire to speak to one another, yet through their service, their paths cross and their lives merge—as do their feelings. Only Victoria’s court is not always the place for romance, but rather secrets, scandals, and conspiracies… Purchase Links UK / US  My thoughts: Victoria & Violet is a sweet and delightful historical romance set in the early stages of Queen Victoria's reign. Even though I mostly read contemporary romance, this was such a wonderfully immersive and entertaining read that I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who would like to learn more about the period and family relationships at the time. Violet Parker, a servant to the Duchess of Kent, Queen Victoria's estranged mother, is overjoyed to find out about her new position of the royal housemaid. The only thing that is marring her happiness is the fact that Violet's overbearing and I daresay abusive mother expects her to spy on Her Majesty and use her presence to make Victoria consider seeing the Duchess more often. If you are familiar with Queen Victoria's controversial upringing (the Kensington system), you won't be surprised that Violet, a victim of her own mother's belittling remarks and constant manipulation, would like nothing to do with her mother's schemes. Violet cares deeply about Victoria's happiness and her well-deserved freedom to make her own choices in life. This is also the time when the Parliament and royal advisors insist on Victoria marrying and producing an heir to secure the future of the country. Violet's own romance with a charming courtier James Greene is intertwines with the story of Queen Victoria's engagement and subsequent marriage to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg. Rachel Brimble has a very easy, engaging writing style. In no time at all I was transported to Queen Victoria's court. The author clearly captured the atmosphere and uniqueness of the period and included just the right amount of detail to make us understand and care deeply about the protagonists' and their dilemmas. There's a special kind of dignity and strength in Violet who goes through considerable growth from a miserable, trapped girl to someone who truly knows her mind and is able to stand up to her mother and refute her emotional blackmail. James is also learning to trust his own feelings and experience to allow himself believe he can have a happy marriage, free of anger and domestic abuse his father heaped on his children. This topic of familial ties, duty and obedience versus freedom of choice and real independence (esp. in thinking and making decisions) is something which goes through the whole book. I really enjoyed the story and would love to read more from the author.  Author Bio – Rachel lives in a small town near Bath, England. She is the author of 29 published novels including the Ladies of Carson Street trilogy, the Shop Girl series (Aria Fiction) and the Templeton Cove Stories (Harlequin). Her latest novel, Victoria & Violet is the first book in her new Royal Maids series with the Wild Rose Press. Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association as well as the Historical Novel Society and has thousands of social media followers all over the world. Social Media Links – Website: https://bit.ly/3wH7HQs Twitter: https://bit.ly/3AQvK0A Facebook: https://bit.ly/3i49GZ3 Instagram: https://bit.ly/3lTQZbF  Comments are closed.
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