A deserving woman from history gets her moment in the spotlight.
Taylor’s historical novel chronicles the adventures of a remarkable noblewoman in the early part of the Hundred Years War between France and England.
In the mid-14th century, Jeanne de Flandre, a Breton aristocrat, is an independent and insightful woman happily married to John Montfort, who respects her intellect and counsel “because she always used her insights to further his position.” When John is named Duke of Brittany in the will of his half-brother Duke John III, the dying duke’s niece, Jeanne de Penthièvre (daughter of John III’s deceased full brother, Guy) is incensed. Against a backdrop of shifting alliances among the towns and villages of Brittany, rumor-mongering among the French royalty, and court machinations that result in the invalidation of Duke John III’s will, King Philip of France imprisons John. John charges Jeanne to “do nothing to jeopardize the possibility of regaining the title and securing our son’s rightful inheritance…for now, our cause is in your hands.” She moves their young son and daughter, along with a small loyal army and the ducal treasury, to safe havens in Rennes and then Hennebort. Her leadership in routing the army that is laying siege to Hennebort is an inspiration to the fiercely independent Bretons, who dub her “Jeanne de la Flamme.” She forges an alliance with King Edward III of England, who needs Brittany’s help for his own designs on the French throne. Edward convinces her to bring her children to England for their safety…then turns the tables on her. Taylor builds on historical events with believable dialogue and action to bring Jeanne de Flandre to life as a fully realized woman. Political intrigue, ship movements, and battle plans mix with details of everyday life in the mid-1300s to propulsively move the story forward. Weaving Jeanne’s analysis into the narrative adds depth. Much like the fiction of Bernard Cornwell and Philipa Gregory, this book will enchant readers interested in well researched historical fiction.
A deserving woman from history gets her moment in the spotlight.Pub Date: Dec. 5, 2024
ISBN: 9781685135201
Page Count: 280
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Review Posted Online: Nov. 26, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.
A lifetime’s worth of letters combine to portray a singular character.
Sybil Van Antwerp, a cantankerous but exceedingly well-mannered septuagenarian, is the titular correspondent in Evans’ debut novel. Sybil has retired from a beloved job as chief clerk to a judge with whom she had previously been in private legal practice. She is the divorced mother of two living adult children and one who died when he was 8. She is a reader of novels, a gardener, and a keen observer of human nature. But the most distinguishing thing about Sybil is her lifelong practice of letter writing. As advancing vision problems threaten Sybil’s carefully constructed way of life—in which letters take the place of personal contact and engagement—she must reckon with unaddressed issues from her past that threaten the house of cards (letters, really) she has built around herself. Sybil’s relationships are gradually revealed in the series of letters sent to and received from, among others, her brother, sister-in-law, children, former work associates, and, intriguingly, literary icons including Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry. Perhaps most affecting is the series of missives Sybil writes but never mails to a shadowy figure from her past. Thoughtful musings on the value and immortal quality of letters and the written word populate one of Sybil’s notes to a young correspondent while other messages are laugh-out-loud funny, tinged with her characteristic blunt tartness. Evans has created a brusque and quirky yet endearing main character with no shortage of opinions and advice for others but who fails to excavate the knotty difficulties of her own life. As Sybil grows into a delayed self-awareness, her letters serve as a chronicle of fitful growth.
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780593798430
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
A dark and twisty look at just how far one woman is willing to go to find inspiration.
A struggling writer finds an unexpected muse when a mysterious man shows up at her cabin.
Petra Rose used to pump out a bestselling book every six months, but then the adaptation happened—that is, the disastrous film adaptation of her most famous book. The movie changed the book’s storyline so egregiously that fans couldn’t forgive her, and the ensuing harassment sent Petra into hiding and gave her a serious case of writer’s block. Petra’s one hope is her solo writing retreat at a remote cabin, where she can escape the distractions of real life and focus on her next book, a story about a woman having an affair with a cop. When officer Nathaniel Saint shows up at her cabin door, inspiration comes flooding back. Much like the character from Petra’s book, Saint is married, and he’s willing to be Petra’s muse, helping her get into her characters’ heads. Petra’s book is practically writing itself, but is the game she’s playing a little too dangerous? Does she know when to stop—and, more importantly, is Saint willing to stop? Hoover is no stranger to controversial movie adaptations and internet backlash, but she clarifies in a note to readers that she’s “just a writer writing about a writer” and that no further connections to her own life are contained in these pages—which is a good thing, because the book takes some horrifying twists and turns. Petra finds herself inexplicably attracted to Saint, even as she describes him as “such an asshole,” and her feelings for him veer between love and hate. The novel serves as a meta commentary on the dark romance genre—as Petra puts it, “Even though, as readers, we wouldn’t want to live out some of the fantasies we read about, it doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy reading those things.”
A dark and twisty look at just how far one woman is willing to go to find inspiration.Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2026
ISBN: 9781662539374
Page Count: -
Publisher: Montlake
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
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