Hello, reader friends! I'm Joanna Chambers and this is the blog tour for A Gathering Storm, my new Cornwall-set historical romance. I'll be sharing thoughts on my experience of writing about eccentric Victorian scientists, pragmatic Romany land stewards and unscrupulous mediums - come and comment to win a copy of the book and a $25 Riptide gift card!
About A Gathering Storm
When grief-stricken scientist Sir Edward Fitzwilliam provokes public scorn by defending a sham spiritualist, he’s forced to retreat to Porthkennack to lick his wounds. Ward’s reputation is in tatters, but he’s determined to continue the work he began after the death of his beloved brother.
In Porthkennack, Ward meets Nicholas Hearn, land steward to the Roscarrock family. Ward becomes convinced that Nick, whose Romany mother was reportedly clairvoyant, is the perfect man to assist with his work. But Nick—who has reason to distrust the whims of wealthy men—is loath to agree. Until Fate steps in to lend a hand.
Despite Nick’s misgivings, he discovers that Ward is not the high-handed aristocrat he first thought. And when passion ignites between them, Nick learns there’s much more to love than the rushed, clandestine encounters he’s used to. Nevertheless, Nick’s sure that wealthy, educated Ward will never see him as an equal.
A storm is gathering, but with Nick’s self-doubts and Ward’s growing obsession, the fragile bond between the two men may not be strong enough to withstand it.
About Porthkennack
Welcome to Porthkennack, a charming Cornish seaside town with a long and sometimes sinister history. Legend says King Arthur's Black Knight built the fort on the headland here, and it’s a certainty that the town was founded on the proceeds of smuggling, piracy on the high seas, and the deliberate wrecking of cargo ships on the rocky shore. Nowadays it draws in the tourists with sunshine and surfing, but locals know that the ghosts of its Gothic past are never far below the surface.
This collaborative story world is brought to you by five award-winning, best-selling British LGBTQ romance authors: Alex Beecroft, Joanna Chambers, Charlie Cochrane, Garrett Leigh, and JL Merrow. Follow Porthkennack and its inhabitants through the centuries and through the full rainbow spectrum with historical and contemporary stand-alone titles.
Check out Porthkennack!
By now, you all must know that I love historical books, no matter the genre. So, of course, I was going to jump up and snag this one up and I loved it!
Nick is half-Romany and works as the Roscarrock family's land steward, because of his parentage and the fact that his mother was reported to be a clairvoyant, he's mocked by others in the village and would be just perfect for Ward's trial. Only Nick isn't willing to participate.
When Ward discovers one of Nick's best-kept secrets and implies he could reveal it to others, Nick agrees to help Ward out and from then on, they forge a tentative work relationship, which eventually turns into friendship and more, once they give into their attraction. But, is their fragile relationship stronger than Nick's distrust in wealthy men and Ward's obsession with contacting his brother?
I liked Ward very much, I felt for him, so focused on his work so he wouldn't have to grieve his twin brother. He made mistakes, but he wasn't callous or arrogant, it was just his upbringing and his personality coming into play. And I loved Nick, but that doesn't mean that I didn't think he messed up as well, like with Gabe when they met in Truro. I think he needed that sense of belonging to someone, even more than Ward did. His relationship with Godfrey and Isabella was kind of heartbreaking, too. I felt so bad for him and how Godfrey behaved with him, despite their connection to the land, but I guess that's the way things were done back then.
The chemistry between Ward and Nick was electrifying and I just adore that while they both had experience in certain areas in the bedroom, they could teach new things to each other.
All in all, definitely a must-read! I adored seeing Ward's interest in science growing the older he got through his journal entries, that was a clever way of giving us more background information as to what made him tick. The cover is absolutely delicious and that coupled with the blurb, it being a Joanna Chambers' book and a historical romance, well, that enhanced the experience for me.
Joanna Chambers did a fantastic job with the writing, the language, the descriptions, the way everyone acted and behaved from the MCs to every other single character that appeared in the book, it all combined to transport me back to 1853. Highly recommendable!
*** Copy provided to the reviewer by Riptide Publishing via NetGalley for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
4.5 Stars!!!
By now, you all must know that I love historical books, no matter the genre. So, of course, I was going to jump up and snag this one up and I loved it!
Ward (Sir Edward Fitzwilliam) is a scientist, still grieving his twin brother's death and obsessed with finding a way to communicate with him in the afterlife after a strange incident during a sea storm the day George died. To that effect, he's moved to Porthkennack and built a house there and has been trying to recruit some subjects for his experiments with little success, until he meets Nicholas Hearn.
Nick is half-Romany and works as the Roscarrock family's land steward, because of his parentage and the fact that his mother was reported to be a clairvoyant, he's mocked by others in the village and would be just perfect for Ward's trial. Only Nick isn't willing to participate.
When Ward discovers one of Nick's best-kept secrets and implies he could reveal it to others, Nick agrees to help Ward out and from then on, they forge a tentative work relationship, which eventually turns into friendship and more, once they give into their attraction. But, is their fragile relationship stronger than Nick's distrust in wealthy men and Ward's obsession with contacting his brother?
I liked Ward very much, I felt for him, so focused on his work so he wouldn't have to grieve his twin brother. He made mistakes, but he wasn't callous or arrogant, it was just his upbringing and his personality coming into play. And I loved Nick, but that doesn't mean that I didn't think he messed up as well, like with Gabe when they met in Truro. I think he needed that sense of belonging to someone, even more than Ward did. His relationship with Godfrey and Isabella was kind of heartbreaking, too. I felt so bad for him and how Godfrey behaved with him, despite their connection to the land, but I guess that's the way things were done back then.
The chemistry between Ward and Nick was electrifying and I just adore that while they both had experience in certain areas in the bedroom, they could teach new things to each other.
All in all, definitely a must-read! I adored seeing Ward's interest in science growing the older he got through his journal entries, that was a clever way of giving us more background information as to what made him tick. The cover is absolutely delicious and that coupled with the blurb, it being a Joanna Chambers' book and a historical romance, well, that enhanced the experience for me.
Joanna Chambers did a fantastic job with the writing, the language, the descriptions, the way everyone acted and behaved from the MCs to every other single character that appeared in the book, it all combined to transport me back to 1853. Highly recommendable!
*** Copy provided to the reviewer by Riptide Publishing via NetGalley for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
About Joanna Chambers
Joanna Chambers always wanted to write. In between studying, finding a proper grown up job, getting married and having kids, she spent many hours staring at blank sheets of paper and chewing pens. That changed when she rediscovered her love of romance and found her muse. Joanna's muse likes red wine, coffee and won't let Joanna clean the house or watch television.
Connect with Joanna:
- Website: www.joannachambers.com
- Twitter: @ChambersJoanna
Giveaway
To celebrate the release of A Gathering Storm, one lucky winner will receive a $25 Riptide credit and a copy of A Gathering Storm! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on April 22, 2017. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!
Thank you for the review! It sounds like an amazing read.
ReplyDeletehumhumbum AT yahoo DOT com
I appreciate the review!
ReplyDeletevitajex(At)aol(Dot)com
enjoyed the blog post today
ReplyDeletejmarinich33 at aol dot com
Congrats on the new release. I like the sound of the book.
ReplyDeletetankie44 at gmail dot com
The book sounds really good and congratulations on the release I wish you many sales.
ReplyDeleteshirleyann2400(at)gmail(dot)com
congrats on the new release
ReplyDeleteleetee2007(at)hotmail(dot)com
Thanks for the review, the series sounds great!
ReplyDeletelegacylandlisa(at)gmail(dot)com
This sounds great, can't wait to read it!
ReplyDeletejladuca76(at)gmail(dot)com
Congrats and thanks for the post, and the good review. It sounds like a great story, as does this new collaborative series. I love your historicals and when they take me to a time and place I haven't been, as well as deal with topics I can learn more about, like mesmerism. - Purple Reader,
ReplyDeleteTheWrote [at] aol [dot] com
Congrats and thanks for the review. colby69@verizon.net
ReplyDeleteSounds so, so good! Congratulations to all the collaborators. Let there be much success.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance at this very interesting book!
taina1959 @ yahoo.com