#Blogtour The Hidden Years by Rachel Hore

Sunday Times bestseller Rachel Hore’s captivating new novel of secrets, loss and betrayal - set on the beautiful Cornish coast during World War Two and the heady days of the 1960s. 

It's my turn on the Blogtour The Hidden Years by Rachel Hore.

About the Author

Rachel Hore worked in London publishing for many years before moving with her family to Norwich, where she taught publishing and creative writing at the University of East Anglia before becoming a full-time writer. She is married to the writer D. J. Taylor and they have three sons. Rachel Hore is the author of twelve previous novels, many of them Sunday Times bestsellers. Follow @Rachelhore on X

About the book

When talented musician Gray Robinson persuades Belle to abandon her university studies and follow him to Silverwood, home to an artistic community on the Cornish coast, Belle happily agrees even though they’ve only just met. She knows she is falling in love, and the thought of spending a carefree summer with Gray is all she can think about. 

But being with Gray isn’t the only reason Belle agrees to accompany him to Silverwood. Why does the name Silverwood sound so familiar? What is its connection to a photo of her as a baby, taken on a nearby beach? And who is Imogen Lockhart, a wartime nurse who lived at Silverwood many years ago? As the summer months unfold, Belle begins to learn the truth – about secrets from the past that have been kept hidden, but also about the person she wants to be. 

Review

It's the 60s and Belle is about to embark on a new path, a deviation from her plans from her sensible life. Why? The charm of a persuasive man is so convincing that she is willing to become a butterfly floating on the winds of change. Sounds so convincing, right?

She follows Gray to a place called Silverwood, and eventually it's as if she was meant to follow him to that place, because it appears to hold the answers to some secrets she was never aware of.

The second timeline begins on the cusp of the start of World War II and Imogen, who helps to accompany two evacuees to a house that becomes an important fixture in the story. Somehow the two must be connected right, but perhaps the stories connect in a different way completely.

One of things the author does really well in this book is bring to life the forgotten world of the first line of defence, ergo the coastal communities during the war. The preparation for a possible invasion, the actual invasion of friendly forces - the way the allies changed the fabric of certain areas, and just how many stories remain locked in and forgotten.

Set across two timelines this historical fiction story has the heart of a fighter, the compassion of an open heart and keeps the reader engaged from the get-go.

Buy The Hidden Years at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Simon and Schuster, pub date 15th February 2024 | Paperback | £9.99. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour A Beautiful Spy by Rachel Hore

 

It's a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour A Beautiful Spy by Rachel Hore.

About the Author

Rachel Hore worked in London publishing for many years before moving with her family to Norwich, where she taught publishing and creative writing at the University of East Anglia before becoming a full-time writer. She is married to the writer D. J. Taylor and they have three sons. Her last novel, The Love Child, was a Sunday Times bestseller. 

Follow @RachelHore on Twitter, on Instagram, Visit rachelhore.co.uk, Buy A Beautiful Spy

About the book

Minnie Gray is an ordinary young woman. She is also a spy for the British government. It all began in the summer of 1928... 

Minnie is supposed to find a nice man, get married and have children. The problem is it doesn’t appeal to her at all. She is working as a secretary, but longs to make a difference. Then, one day, she gets her chance. She is recruited by the British government as a spy. Under strict instructions not to tell anyone, not even her family, she moves to London and begins her mission – to infiltrate the Communist movement.

She soon gains the trust of important leaders. But as she grows more and more entangled in the workings of the movement, her job becomes increasingly dangerous. Leading a double life is starting to take its toll on her relationships and, feeling more isolated than ever, she starts to wonder how this is all going to end. The Russians are notorious for ruthlessly disposing of people given the slightest suspicion. What if they find out? Full of suspense, courage and love, A Beautiful Spy is a stunningly written story about resisting the norm and following your dreams, even if they come with sacrifices.

Review

Minnie is young, bored and expected to find a good catch and settle into the Stepford Wives routine. A chance encounter with a kindred spirit leads her on the path to a career she has to keep hidden. Being a spy sounds so exciting. The truth is a life of worry, anxiety and confusion, especially when it comes to her romantic relationships.

This is a fictional story based on or inspired by the true one of Olga Gray. She was recruited by MI5 in the 1930s and instrumental in bringing down Percy Glading, who was a Soviet spy working against Britain. As the truth of Minnie's activities emerge the reader gets a real sense of the fear of repercussions she experiences, as I assume did Olga herself. It's one thing helping to keep your country safe, but quite another to stand up and be counted when the criminals are brought to justice.

What I was most fascinated by was the lack of dangerous James Bondesque escapades and intrigue, which of course is absolutely on par with what the world of real spydom must be like. The truth is more likely to be exactly how Minnie experiences it, low key informing and snooping. The other element that gives the read an air of authenticity is the strain it puts on the person living a complete lie every day.

The strain of pretending to be two people at once and having to lie to loved ones, friends and potential partners. It all takes it's toll on poor Minnie, who is also swept up in the romanticism of her secret life.

This combination of fact and fiction makes for an interesting historical read.

Buy A Beautiful Spy at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Published by Simon & Schuster in hardback, 18 February 2021, £16.99. Buy at Amazon com. Hive. Bookshop org. Waterstones.

#BlogTour The Love Child by Rachel Hore

Today it's my turn on the BlogTour The Love Child by Rachel Hore. It's a contemporary read, a story about love and the way certain bonds are there even if they aren't visible to the naked eye.

About the Author
Rachel Hore worked in London publishing for many years before moving with her family to Norwich, where she teaches publishing and creative writing at the University of East Anglia. She is married to the writer D. J. Taylor and they have three sons. Her latest novel, Last Letter Home, was a Sunday Times bestseller and a Richard and Judy Book Club pick for 2018.

Follow @Rachelhore on Twitter, on Goodreads, on Amazon, Visit rachelhore.co.uk, Buy The Love Child

About the book
One young mother's ultimate sacrifice. One child's desperate search to uncover the truth . . .

London, 1917
When seventeen-year-old Alice falls pregnant, she is forced by her father and stepmother to give up the baby. She simply cannot be allowed to bring shame upon her family. But all Alice can think of is the small, kitten-like child she gave away, and how the father, a young soldier, so beloved, will never have the chance to know his daughter.

Meanwhile, Edith and Philip, a couple unable to have children of their own, secretly adopt a baby girl, Irene, given up by a young unmarried mother. Irene grows up knowing that she is different from other children but no one will tell her the full truth. As two extraordinary stories intertwine across two decades, will secrets long-buried at last come to light?

Review
It's quite normal for an adopted child to feel different, especially if they are unaware of the fact they are adopted. A lot of them feel as if something isn't quite right. That there is something missing. Outsiders often don't understand their need to search for their roots in an attempt to learn more about where they came from. Why rock the boat?

I think in Irene's case the feeling of not belonging is multiplied tenfold by the rejection and lack of love she feels from her adoptive mother. There is no bond and no instinct to protect and cherish. Obviously Irene hopes deep inside that her biological mother will make up for what she lacked as a child.

What becomes clear in the story, due to the time-frame it is set in, is how we all take the information flow of the late 20th and 21st century for granted. Given enough information and access to resources you can find anyone who has left a digital footprint. Whereas the search in this book is hindered by lack of records, finding people who know the truth, and then being able to locate someone with only the bare minimum of information.

The other side of the adoption coin is the woman who was forced to give up her child, and subsequently told to keep it a secret for the rest of her life. Alice turns her heartbreak and all the pain, and uses that internal drive to succeed in a career dominated by men.

Hore shows the invisible bond between the two women, who are meant to connect, despite the circumstances that drive them apart. It's a sensitive subject written with gentle and understanding voice. It's a contemporary read, a story about love and the way certain bonds are there even if they aren't visible to the naked eye.

Buy The Love Child at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK; pub date 5 Sept. 2019. Buy at Amazon com.