We love to read books, and to talk about books. Check out our entire series here! Need more book chatting and suggestions in your life? Listen to our Books and Beverages podcast!

I’m kicking myself over this book.

I bought a copy of this book nearly two years ago, when it was on sale at Audible.com. It sounded good (British historical fiction is one of my genres!), but I had a bunch of books on my To Be Read (TBR) pile, and it got shuffled down the list until I kind of forgot about it.

But then I was going through my Audible library to find a good book, and this was just sitting there – unread. I downloaded it, started it, and was immediately hooked! As soon as I finished it, I went to the site and used a full credit to buy the next one – because I so wanted to know what happened next!

Don’t make my mistake! If smart, independent women who kick ass, and who find equally smart, independent men to work with to solve mysteries in 1887 London is your thing – grab this! (If you are a butterfly collector, or a fan of science – that’s only going to help.)

A Curious Beginning (A Veronica Speedwell Mystery) “London, 1887. As the city prepares to celebrate Queen Victoria’s golden jubilee, Veronica Speedwell is marking a milestone of her own. After burying her spinster aunt, the orphaned Veronica is free to resume her world travels in pursuit of scientific inquiry—and the occasional romantic dalliance. As familiar with hunting butterflies as she is fending off admirers, Veronica wields her butterfly net and a sharpened hatpin with equal aplomb, and with her last connection to England now gone, she intends to embark upon the journey of a lifetime.

But fate has other plans, as Veronica discovers when she thwarts her own abduction with the help of an enigmatic German baron with ties to her mysterious past. Promising to reveal in time what he knows of the plot against her, the baron offers her temporary sanctuary in the care of his friend Stoker—a reclusive natural historian as intriguing as he is bad-tempered. But before the baron can deliver on his tantalizing vow to reveal the secrets he has concealed for decades, he is found murdered. Suddenly Veronica and Stoker are forced to go on the run from an elusive assailant, wary partners in search of the villainous truth. “

We love to read books, and to talk about books. Check out our entire series here! Need more book chatting and suggestions in your life? Listen to our Books and Beverages podcast!

A few weekends ago I was lucky to stay at a very cozy B&B that had an old but interesting book all about Britain and Ireland. I really enjoyed paging through it and learning all about the various regions of the area, including Cornwall. So when I noticed this book pop up on Overdrive, I thought it was perfect timing!

Over Sea, Under Stone takes place in Cornwall where the three Drew children have come for a vacation with their parents and mysterious uncle. One rainy day they are forced to stay inside and decide to do some exploring, which uncovers a very secret and valuable manuscript that leads to a powerful object called the grail. Of course, the kids aren’t the only ones working to solve this puzzle, and the story definitely has some terrifying villains. There’s some links to the King Arthur myth and lots of description of the Cornwall countryside where the kids run around having adventures. I definitely recommend the audio version because it helps bring the creepy “bad guys” to life even more! Plus, if you enjoy reading series, the book is the first in the Dark is Rising Sequence, which includes an additional four books!

If you have been listening to our book group podcast, Books and Beverages Podcast, you have already heard the recommendation for this week’s book: The Secret History of the Pink Carnation, by  Lauren Willig.

This is a fun book for historical fiction fans, as well as for fans of romance stories. This is the first book in a series about a group of English spies working in France after the monarchy has been toppled. Each book looks at a different flower – and in this one spends a lot of time looking at the adventures of the Purple Gentian.

Come for the historical mystery, stay for the romance!

“Nothing goes right for Eloise. The one day she wears her new suede boots, it rains cats and dogs. When the subway stops short, she’s always the one thrown into some stranger’s lap. Plus, she’s had more than her share of misfortune in the way of love. In fact, ever since she realized romantic heroes are a thing of the past, she’s decided it’s time for a fresh start.

Setting off for England, Eloise is determined to finish her dissertation on that dashing pair of spies, the Scarlet Pimpernel and the Purple Gentian. But what she discovers is something the finest historians have missed: the secret history of the Pink Carnation—the most elusive spy of all time. As she works to unmask this obscure spy, Eloise stumbles across answers to all kinds of questions. Like how did the Pink Carnation save England from Napoleon? What became of the Scarlet Pimpernel and the Purple Gentian? And will Eloise Kelly escape her bad luck and find a living, breathing hero all her own?”