The Orange Grove written by Kate Murdoch, publisher Regal House Publishing, is available NOW in ebook and paperback format.
To buy link: https://amzn.to/2ICwtJK
Book Blurb
Blois, 1705. The château of Duc Hugo d’Amboise simmers with rivalry and intrigue. Henriette d’Augustin, one of five mistresses of the duc, lives at the chateau with her daughter. When the duc’s wife, Duchesse Charlotte, maliciously undermines a new mistress, Letitia, Henriette is forced to choose between position and morality. She fights to maintain her status whilst targeted by the duchesse who will do anything to harm her enemies. The arrival of charismatic tarot reader, Romain de Villiers, further escalates tensions as rivals in love and domestic politics strive for supremacy. In a society where status is a matter of life and death, Henriette must stay true to herself, her daughter, and her heart, all the while hiding a painful secret of her own.
I voluntarily reviewed an arc of this book. All opinions are my own and no content may be copied. However, authors and publishers may use elements of my reviews for quotes.
Firstly, I’d like to wish the author Kate Murdoch a Happy Publication Day for The Orange Grove which is her second published novel.
The Orange Grove is a seductive tale; a story of love and lust in the early 18th century, at a time when ladies of court would vie for the attentions of the wealthiest suitor for survival. It was a seductive game of chess with sly devious moves all in the intention for their own gain. A game of love that requires you to tread carefully in order to cling on to the life you feel you deserve.
Kate Murdoch’s words took the reader to opulent surroundings to beautiful chateaus in France and also to the magnificent palace of Versailles. Life was very luxurious for the aristocratic French people and their self-indulgences with cravings for more and better were commonplace and it wasn’t unheard of for men to accommodate a mistress or two within the walls of their family home.
This is the story of one such family whose marriage had become entangled with a handful of mistresses and when the Duc took on a new younger mistress he soon became besotted with her. The Duchesse, Charlotte, struggled constantly with her emotions of this latest addition to their lives and she almost felt consumed with jealousy, loathing, longing and anger and her life’s intention from hereon was to rid the existence of this young woman.
The Orange Grove is captivating with it’s game of one-upmanship, the callous actions of others and the lengths to what someone would go to fulfil their own needs. When the story takes on a darker turn there’s no way back for the souls of those involved and they pay the ultimate price with devastating consequences.
About the Author
Kate Murdoch exhibited widely as a painter both in Australia and internationally before turning her hand to writing.
Her short-form fiction has been published in various literary journals in Australia, UK, US and Canada.
Stone Circle, a historical fantasy novel set in Renaissance Italy, was released by Fireship Press in December 2017. Stone Circle was a First in Category winner in the Chaucer Awards 2018 for pre-1750’s historical fiction.
Kate was awarded a KSP Fellowship at the KSP Writers’ Centre in 2019 to develop her third novel, The Glasshouse.
Her novel, The Orange Grove, about the passions and intrigues of court mistresses in 18th century France, will be published by Regal House Publishing in October 2019.
Website: https://katemurdochauthor.com/
Twitter: @KateMurdoch3
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katemurdoch2/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katemurdochauthor/
When Elizabeth Ducie had been working in the international pharmaceutical industry for nearly thirty years, she decided she’d like to take a break from technical writing—text books, articles and training modules—and write for fun instead. She started by writing travel pieces, but soon discovered she was happier, and more successful, writing fiction. In 2012, she gave up the day job, and started writing full-time. She has published four novels, three collections of short stories and a series of manuals on business skills for writers.
EITHNE SHORTALL studied jouralism at Dublin City University and has lived in London, France and America. Now based in Dublin, she is chief arts writer for the Sunday Times Ireland. She enjoys sea swimming, cycling and eating scones.
Jean Fullerton is the author of twelve novels all set in East London where she was born. She is also a retired district nurse and university lecturer. She won the Harry Bowling prise in 2006 and after initially signing for two East London historical series with Orion she moved to Corvus, part of Atlantic Publishing and is half way through her WW2 East London series featuring the Brogan family.
Samantha Tonge lives in Manchester UK with her husband and children. She studied German and French at university and has worked abroad, including a stint at Disneyland Paris. She has travelled widely.
Victoria Walters writes up-lifting and inspiring stories. Her moving debut novel THE SECOND LOVE OF MY LIFE was chosen for WHSmith Fresh Talent and shortlisted for an RNA award. Victoria was also picked as an Amazon Rising Star. Her heart-warming new novel SUMMER AT THE KINDNESS CAFE is available to download now.