The Other Gwyn Girl by Nicola Cornick~Blog Tour

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 7th March 2024

Genre:Historical Fiction

Summary:

1671 – London

The Civil War is over and Charles II, the ‘Merry Monarch’, is revelling in the throne of his murdered father and all the privileges and power that comes with it. Sharing the spoils is his favourite companion, the celebrated beauty, actress Nell Gwyn. Beloved of the English people, Nell has come a long way from selling oranges and a childhood in a brothel, but as her fortunes have turned, her sister Rose has taken a different path. Marriage to a feckless highwayman has left Rose in the grim Marshalsea prison and now she needs her sister’s mercy to help get her out. But Nell needs Rose too. A plot to steal the Crown Jewels has gone tragically wrong, and Nell’s future with her protector King is at risk. If Rose can’t solve the riddle of the jewels both Gwyn sisters will head straight to the Tower.

Present Day

Librarian and history enthusiast Jess Yates has hit rock bottom. With her ex behind bars for fraud, Jess needs to lay low – easier said than done with a celebrity sister. But Tavy has her uses. Her latest TV project involves renovating Fortune Hall, and she needs a house sitter while she’s jetting around the world. The opportunity is too good to miss, especially when Jess discovers that Fortune Hall has links to the infamous Nell Gwyn.

Slowly the house begins to reveal its mysteries, and secrets that have laid buried for centuries can no longer be ignored. Jess hears echoes from a tragic past and as she struggles to understand her sister, Jess feels ever closer to Rose Gwyn, the sister forgotten by history but who had the fate of her family in her hands.

Review:
Firstly thank you to Rachels Random Resources, Boldwood Books and Nicola Cornick for having me on this tour and sending me a copy of the book.

I loved this book from the first page, it drew me into Rose's story and I just had to know more about her! I'll be honest I didn't realise Nell Gwyn had a sister so this was a brilliant book for bringing a little know about woman from history into the light. I really loved skipping back and forth between the 17th century and the modern period, I loved Jess and Rose equally and seeing the parallels between their relationships with their more famous younger siblings was an interesting way to forge that connection between them. I really liked that they had that romance element for both of them and seeing them have their happy ever after of sorts brought a smile to my face, I think they both really deserved to have it. Oh, and the theft of the crow jewels element was brilliant! I so wished the book hadn't ended where it did i wanted to know if Jess finds them!
 It was my first book by Nicola Cornick and it definitely won't be my last because I now realise that bringing little-known women from history to our knowledge is what she does, I want to read the rest of her back catalogue.

Krystina xx