Synopses & Reviews
In late-nineteenth-century Chicago, visionary retail tycoon Marshall Field made his fortune wooing women customers with his famous motto: Give the lady what she wants.” His legendary charm also won the heart of socialite Delia Spencer and led to an infamous love affair. The night of the Great Fire, as seventeen-year-old Delia watches the flames rise and consume what was the pioneer town of Chicago, she cant imagine how much her life, her city, and her whole world are about to change. Nor can she guess that the agent of that change will not simply be the fire, but more so the man she meets that night.
Leading the way in rebuilding after the fire, Marshall Field reopens his well-known dry goods store and transforms it into something the world has never seen before: a glamorous palace of a department store. He and his powerhouse coterieincluding Potter Palmer and George Pullmanusher in the age of robber barons, the American royalty of their generation.
But behind the opulence, their private lives are riddled with scandal and heartbreak. Delia and Marshall first turn to each other out of loneliness, but as their love deepens, they will stand together despite disgrace and ostracism, through an age of devastation and opportunity, when an adolescent Chicago is transformed into the gleaming White City of the Chicagos Worlds Fair of 1893.
Review
“An enchanting story of love and war, and the years beyond.”—Penny Vincenzi, bestselling author of
Wicked Pleasures
"A sumptuous, absorbing tale of love in time of war."—Rachel Hore, Sunday Times of London bestselling author of A Place of Secrets
"Irresistible...sensuous prose, elegant settings and fascinating characters."—Margaret Wurtele, author of The Golden Hour
“Well drawn characters combined with flawless writing make Kinghorns debut a triumph. This story kept me up for many nights in a row, and I couldnt turn the pages fast enough. Un-put-downable and relentlessly intriguing, this is a tale for the ages. I expect its not the last well hear from this talented story teller; at least, I hope not!”—Dish Magazine
"A dense and luscious read that is emotionally gripping and at times unsettling, but is a powerful tale of love, regret, and both the loss of Clarissa's innocence and that of England's.”—Heroes and Heartbreakers
"A wonderful and heartbreaking love story...Highly recommended!"—One More Page
"An atmospheric and haunting read. It takes the reader from languorous summer days by the lake on a country estate to the horror of the trenches with equal aplomb...Judith Kinghorn skillfully navigates our journey through love and loss...This is the perfect balance of romance and grit by a great new writer. Don't miss it!"—The Riddle of Writing
"Don't miss The Last Summer by Judith Kinghorn. [An] epic and enthralling love story set against the backdrop of the Great War."—F anny Blake, Woman and Home
“An enchanting read of Rachel Hore/Downton Abbey ilk, big storytelling stuff of social and political change spanning the First World War and beyond. It's a glorious read, highly recommended.”—Sarah Broadhurst, The Bookseller
“The year is 1914 and love and war are about to transform privileged 16 year-old Clarissa's charmed existence forever. This sumptuous romance is made for fans of Downton.”—The Lady Magazine
Review
Praise for The Memory of Lost Senses
“Exquisite…a powerful follow-up to last years enthralling debut, The Last Summer…Thoughtful, delicately crafted and imaginative, The Memory of Lost Senses is a page-turning, atmospheric mystery story but with a powerful, all-consuming love affair burning deep at its core...”—Lancaster Evening Post (UK)
"The Memory of Lost Senses is a witty, clever and compelling tale, with a beautiful love story at its heart. I loved it."—Jane Harris, author of The Observations and Gillespie and I
“Fans of the Kinghorns remarkable debut novel, The Last Summer, will surely be pleased with this second effort. For readers yet to discover Kinghorns novels, this book is sure to create a whole new legion of fans.”—The Historical Novel Society
Praise for The Last Summer
“An enchanting story of love and war, and the years beyond.” —Penny Vincenzi, bestselling author of Wicked Pleasures
“A sumptuous, absorbing tale of love in time of war. Judith Kinghorn's novel brilliantly illuminates the experiences of a generation of blighted youth.”
—Rachel Hore, bestselling author of A Place of Secrets
“A glorious read, highly recommended.”—The Bookseller (UK)
Review
Praise for Dollface by RENÉE ROSEN
"Rosen has done her homework and written a flashy story that is more than your average gangster noir. Those interested in novels set in the 1920s and all things Gatsby will not be disappointed."—Library Journal (Starred Review)
"With the rat-a-tat tempo of a Tommy gun, Rosen delivers a smart and snappy shot of Roaring Twenties drama."—Booklist
"There are few local writers who are more determined than Rosen. Her first, the novel "Every Crooked Pot," was published in 2007, and she has spent the intervening years immersing herself in local history and polishing her style. These have been years well spent and excitingly realized in Dollface."—Chicago Tribune
“Rosens Chicago gangsters are vividly rendered, and the gun molls stir up at least as much trouble as their infamous men.”—Sara Gruen, New York Times Bestselling Author of Water for Elephants
“RenÉe Rosen has combined her daring and vivid imagination with the rich history of Prohibition-era Chicago. Dollface is a lively, gutsy romp of a novel that will keep you turning pages.”—Karen Abbott, New York Times Bestselling Author of Sin in the Second City
Review
“Rosen skillfully charms, fascinates, frustrates, and moves her readers in this turn of the century tale. Set on an epic historical stage,
What the Lady Wants contains all of the hedonism, decadence, success, and tragedy of the great American novel."— Erika Robuck, national bestselling author of
Fallen Beauty
“What the Lady Wants is a story that opens with the Great Chicago Fire and keeps on smoldering to the end. Rosen's characters are finely-drawn, and her love triangles are full of subtlety and sincerity. What the lady indeed wants may not be what you assume it to be!”—Suzanne Rindell, author of The Other Typist
"Once again, Renee Rosen brings Chicago history alive in this fascinating story of Delia Spencer, trapped in a sexless marriage while desperately desired by a man she cant have - the arrogant, powerful department store mogul Marshall Field. A tale of tangled relationships and dubious morality, What the Lady Wants is captivating with a surprisingly contemporary twist."—Stephanie Lehmann, author of Astor Place Vintage
"What the Lady Wants is as fun and addictive and Chicago-licious as a box of Marshall Field's Frango Mints. And, sadly, you'll finish it almost as fast. A delight.”—Rebecca Makkai, author of The Hundred Year House
“What the Lady Wants has everything I love in a historical novel: impeccably researched details, a mix of real and imagined characters that are vividly and sensitively drawn, and a heroine who is true to her time yet feels utterly familiar. With Dollface, Renée Rosen crafted an unforgettable portrait of Prohibition-era Chicago; in What the Lady Wants she does the same for the city during its Gilded Age.”—Jennifer Robson, international and USA Today bestselling author of Somewhere in France
“What the Lady Wants is an absolutely brilliant novel. The love story of Marshall and Delia is completely engrossing. You get to experience their first meeting, their friendship, their love story, and their highs and lows full of romance, passion, loss, and sadness. […] Rosen has clearly done her research as Chicago during the Gilded Age comes alive with the various people, places, and things.”—The Examiner
“Set against the backdrop of the great Chicago fire, the rebuilding and resurgence of the city, and the ensuing excesses of the Gilded Age, this historical novel has all the requisite features of an irresistible page-turner.”—Booklist
“This book will definitely be a treat for my fellow historical fiction lovers.”—A Bookish Affair
“Though the novel spans thirty-five years of Delia's life, it never drags on. I felt completely carried away by the story. One of my favorite novels this year.”—A Novel Review
Review
“Rosen skillfully charms, fascinates, frustrates, and moves her readers in this turn of the century tale. Set on an epic historical stage, What the Lady Wants contains all of the hedonism, decadence, success, and tragedy of the great American novel."— Erika Robuck, national bestselling author of
Fallen Beauty “What the Lady Wants is a story that opens with the Great Chicago Fire and keeps on smoldering to the end. Rosen's characters are finely-drawn, and her love triangles are full of subtlety and sincerity. What the lady indeed wants may not be what you assume it to be!”—Suzanne Rindell, author of The Other Typist
“What the Lady Wants is an absolutely brilliant novel. The love story of Marshall and Delia is completely engrossing. You get to experience their first meeting, their friendship, their love story, and their highs and lows full of romance, passion, loss, and sadness. […] Rosen has clearly done her research as Chicago during the Gilded Age comes alive with the various people, places, and things.”—The Examiner
“Set against the backdrop of the great Chicago fire, the rebuilding and resurgence of the city, and the ensuing excesses of the Gilded Age, this historical novel has all the requisite features of an irresistible page-turner.”—Booklist
“What the Lady Wants is superb historical fiction… It has everything within it, fashion, mystery, crime, labor disputes, social refinement and snobbery, family support and opposition, tragedy and stunning success. A MUST read and guaranteed to be a best seller… Exquisitely written!”—The Best Reviews
Synopsis
I was almost seventeen when the spell of my childhood was broken...It was the beginning of summer and, unbeknown to any of us then, the end of a belle epoque...
In July of 1914, innocent, lovely Clarissa Granville lives with her parents and three brothers in the idyllic isolation of Deyning Park, a grand English country house, where she whiles away her days enjoying house parties, country walks and tennis matches. Clarissa is drawn to Tom Cuthbert, the housekeeper's handsome son. Though her parents disapprove of their upstairs-downstairs friendship, the two are determined to see each other, and they meet in secret to share what becomes a deep and tender romance. But soon the winds of war come to Deyning, as they come to all of Europe. As Tom prepares to join the front lines, neither he nor Clarissa can envision what lies ahead of them in the dark days and years to come. Nor can they imagine how their love will be tested, or how they will treasure the memory of this last, perfect summer.
Synopsis
Within weeks letters would be burned, pages torn. Promises would be broken and hearts betrayed. But for now the countryside languished, golden and fading
Cecily Chadwick is idling away the long, hot summer of 1911 when a mysterious countess moves into the large, deserted country house on the edge of her sleepy English village. Rumors abound about the countesss many husbands and lovers, her opulent wealth, and the tragedies that have marked her life. As Cecily gets to know her, she becomes fascinated by the remarkable womanriveted by her tales of life on the Continent, and of the famous people she once knew. But the countess is clearly troubled by her memories, and by ruinous secrets that haunt her
Staying with the countess is a successful novelist and dear friend who has been summoned to write the countesss memoirs. For aspiring writer Cecily, the novelists presence only adds to the intrigue of the house. But it is the countesss grandson, Jack, who draws Cecily further into the tangled web of the countess's past, and sweeps her into an uncertain future
About the Author
Judith Kinghorn was born in Northumberland, educated in the Lake District, and is a graduate in English and History of Art. She lives in England with her husband and two children.