Love Saves the World: nickie fleming

Born in the aftermath of Civil War to Charles Davenport, a royalist, and to Rebecca Flint, daughter of the vicar of Cherwell St. Mary, Sarah Jennings never felt she fit into her family. Her mother's favorite, she was educated better than her half-siblings were and encouraged to dream grander than they were.

When her mother dies, Sarah is left alone and uncertain of what to do next. Opportunity comes in the form of Walter Carey, current Earl of Linfield -- recently returned from his exile in France. He is impressed with this clever and beautiful girl and invites her to stay at Linfield Grange as the housekeeper.

Her idyllic life and relationship with Walter is tested when Walter's younger brother, Richard, arrives from France. And history threatens to repeat itself as Sarah is seduced by Richard's sophisticated ways.

Richard is clear that he only wants Sarah as a mistress so Sarah runs away to London where she finds work in the tavern. But not long after, she catches the eye of Charles Hart, who happens to work for Sir Thomas Killigrew of the royal theatre.

Reminiscent of Bertrice Small's Blaze Wyndham -- this is a sweeping story that takes the reader from the Civil War to Cromwell's England and finally to the Restoration and tells the story of Sarah Jennings.

It takes Sarah and Richard over a decade to discover a love that overcomes class difference. In that period, Fleming treats us to historical tidbits about the royal court, theatre life and the Great Fire of London.

This book has a lot to recommend it: it was a fascinating read. I loved how Fleming was able to blend the fictitious life of Sarah Jennings into the very historical world of Nell Gwynne and the court of Charles II. But I also have a few complaints about this book. One is that the author could have made the time transitions more clear -- this is an epic story that spans over 2 decades -- and it was a bit difficult to keep track of the year/period.

Second is I wish the writing were tighter and more focused. In some scenes, the storytelling felt like a recitation of events -- while it did its job to connect the story, I wish it were more fluid.

Lastly, while this is a historical romance novel. It focuses more on the historical aspect of the novel and reads more like historical fiction rather than romance. (Not really a complaint because I enjoy reading historical fiction as well.)

Nickie Fleming recently completed a successful virtual book tour to promote The Gold Crucifix. Read the Q&A she did for Love Saves the World here.

To find out more about Nickie Fleming and her books, visit her website. She's also on Facebook.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this e-book from the tour organizer, Goddess Fish. Yes, this is an honest review.

I'm very happy to have Nickie Fleming on my blog today. She's currently on a blog tour for her new book, The Gold Crucifix.

I had the pleasure of asking Nickie about her current book and her future plans:

LStW: What made you decide to start writing romance novels?

Nickie: I’ve always been a romantic at heart, dreaming about the knight on his white horse. In my dreams, he came when needed and so I began to write stories which have a happy ending. My novels are not purely romance novels, as they are set into centuries past and also contain elements of action, adventure and mystery.

My love for history comes from my grandfather. He used to tell me stories about his life as an officer in two world wars, and also stories about his father and grandfather. He had this beautiful Larousse Encyclopedia which he had already inherited from his dad, and he left it to me. It’s a treasure trove of facts as long as they don’t go any further than the Prussian War (1870’s) ...

LStW: You've written books about different historical periods: The Gold Crucifix is set during the Restoration and you've also written about 16th century Spain and 18th century France. Do you have a favorite period in history?

Nickie: I suppose I have a slight preference for the 17th century, be it in England or France. I can say though that I mainly focus on Europe, although my characters sometimes visit other continents. Writing about Europe is familiar, as we learned about European history at school, and I also looked up many facts for myself as a child already. I still have my filing system of little cards, each with a tidbit of history on it.

I sometimes wish I could have lived in 17th century England or France, and have been witness to all the events happening then. I would also liked to have met King Charles II or King Louis XIV.

LStW: Any favorite authors and books?

Nickie: Difficult question, as I have many favourite authors and books. My Kindle is full of them. Some of my favourite authors include Teresa Medeiros, Karen Hawkins and Sabrina Jeffries, but also Harlan Coben, Janet Evanovich or Jeffery Deaver.

Books I love would include ‘Mara, daughter of the Nile’ by Eloise McGraw or ‘Angélique’ by the Golons.

LStW: What's next for Nickie Fleming?

Nickie: Right now I’m working to finish a novel set in Victorian England. It’s a bit darker and more gothic than my previous novels, but I was in the mood for a change. It’s a spin-off from a short story I wrote some years ago, ‘The black coach’ in Face in the Mirror and Other Stories, also published by Rogue Phoenix Press.

Thank you, Nickie!

Nickie started her blog tour last August 6 and will be visiting blogs until August 24. Make sure to drop by her other stops! (For links, click here.)

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A little bit more about Nickie:

Nickie Fleming was born and raised in the historical town of Dendermonde, Belgium – home of the legendary Horse Bayard.

She read English Literature at the University of Ghent, and got her master’s degree in philology. Since then, she has been working as a high school teacher.

Her interests besides reading and writing are travelling, skiing in winter and enjoying fine food.

You can read more about Nickie and her books at her website. She's also on Facebook.

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England, mid seventeenth century. When young Sarah finds out that innkeeper Amos Jennings is not her father, she feels uncertain and scared. Her problems grow bigger when she starts a job as housekeeper and gets involved with two men who both want her love: the earl of Linfield, and his younger brother Richard. To escape these problems, Sarah takes off to London to begin a new life as actress at His Majesty’s Theatre.

Richard cannot forget the young woman her met at his brother’s. He is determined to find Sarah and make her his own -- even his wife, despite what his family thinks of it. But love never comes easy. Richard and Sarah will have to face many a storm--even the Great Fire of London--before they can become one.

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Excerpt:
(this is where Sarah meets Richard, the brother of her employer, for the first time)

It happened in the last bend of the lane, just before the clearing where the lawns and flower-beds of the manor became visible.

All at once Sarah heard the thundering of a horse in full gallop, and before she could even jump to safety, she was pushed off the road into the soft grass of the verge. She was so stunned she did not hear the curse of the horseman and how he pulled his mount to a standstill.

Slowly, she crawled to an upright position and immediately noticed the pain in her right knee. Neglecting the fact that her basket had fallen and its contents were shattered over the path--some of them trodden on--she started to rub her knee fiercely. Only then did she notice the man, who had turned his horse and who was now throwing disdainful looks in her direction.

Suddenly, she realized what danger she had barely escaped. This notion triggered a fit of anger, which became so violent she turned hot and enflamed. Returning his glances with eyes that shot fire, she snarled, "You fool! You could have hurt me!"

The look in his eyes remained cold, but the tone of his voice revealed a show of interest.

"In case you shouldn't know, let me warn you that you find yourself on private property," he said.

She refused to be intimidated and was quick to answer. "So right you are. But I am the housekeeper of the Grange…sir," and she put all her contempt into the word, "and I have every right to be here. I was walking alongside the road and you should have been more careful! The least you can do is offer your apologies to me, and if you're a gentleman, you will help me pick up my belongings."

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Giveaway!

The author will award two (2) personally autographed print copies of her novel, The Haversham Legacy, to randomly drawn commenters during the tour (INT).

Comment for a chance to win!

Make sure to drop by her other stops! (For links, click here.)