#reviews 16-21 of the #Goodreads 2018 Reading Challenge

This is a large reviews catch-up since I seem to have been remiss in noting down my Reading Challenge on Goodreads books.

The following occur in reverse order from my reading- purely because it's the easiest way to catch up!

Kindred Spirits Westminster Abbey by Jennifer Wilson 5 stars

I found myself drifting down the aisles of Westminster Abbey in the wake of some of the important ghostly personages who appear in this third book, as though, I too, was listening in - yet not one of the living Abbey visitors. And…I got some virtual exercise since there are plenty of notable characters to follow! The refreshing originality of the series continues where we glean snatches of how the ghosts interact with each other, many of them after centuries of benignly haunting the area. There was one ghostly character new to me, so it was a lovely digression to find out about him, and that’s as much as I will divulge since I always avoid spoilers! 

Jane : A retelling by Lark Watson 4 stars

I’ve read a few retellings lately and most have been fairly engrossing. The varying strands of the original tale are well incorporated into contemporary life in this one. An enjoyable read. 

The Reluctant Duchess by Francine Howarth 4 stars
I enjoyed the author’s portrayal of this Regency hero who is just a little bit different from what we expect of the typical Regency male. Liliana seems a bit slow off the mark at first, but she’s young with plenty of time for her feelings and, indeed, her intentions to mature. An entertaining read.

A Perfect Bride by Ginny Sterling 4 stars
 This was a gently developing romance set in extremely turbulent times. The plight of the native population during their re-settlement (not always the word used) to another state was a harrowing process though I think the author portrayed some of those horrors that must have been a daily, and very deadly, reality. The lines blur between being the enemy and a tentative friend. I’m sure it wasn’t a simple thing to avoid carrying out the harshest of orders for the soldiers involved, and neither was it easy to be accepted by the displaced tribes as being helpful and genuinely sympathetic.

The Silence by Katharine Johnson 5 stars

I enjoyed this story immensely. It was so easy to immerse myself in the Tuscan landscape. The Villa Leonida had many surprises and the author reveals them in a highly dramatic way. Living in the Villa was definitely not boring, though I’m not convinced that I’d be making real friends with many of the excellently portrayed characters. I think that kind of quiet life in the Tuscan countryside isn’t quite to everyone’s taste and wellbeing.

The Roman Conquest of Britannia: The History and Legacy of Roman Britain from Julius Caesar to Hadrian

By Charles River editors 4 stars
This was a fairly concise summary of the early history of the Ancient Romans in Britain. If you know very little of the invasions of the Romans, and only want a broad overview, then you’ll find this a readable and informative book, without too much fine detail. I've now read so many books on Roman invasions of Britannia so for me this was a recap, though there were a couple of instances where I learned something not read before.



Since I've read 23 books in my challenge of reading 50 by the end of 2018, it means I've missed adding a couple on here. 

Happy Reading. 

Slainthe!