Sunday, September 20, 2026

The Midnight Carousel (A Forest Falls Frolic) by Hanna Park



A new Hanna Park novel is always something I look forward to, so of course I couldn't resist The Midnight Carousel.

This time, we're heading to Forest Falls for Christmas, where romance comes with a generous helping of magic and even the carousel horses don't necessarily stay where they're put!


Belle Stanhope had plans. Good plans. Practical plans.

None of them involved Hudson Carver.

The florist with the crooked smile had become a distraction she neither wanted nor could avoid. Which was inconvenient, considering the Pretty River Inn and the upcoming bachelor auction left little room for distractions.

For years, Hudson had been content with the life he'd built beneath Christmas Mountain. His flower shop, his workshop, and the friends who had become family were more than he'd ever expected. Then he met Belle Stanhope.

As Christmas approaches, the carousel's calliope sings off-key, and the old magic he'd left behind stirs once more. The life he'd built and the life he wants are no longer the same.

In Forest Falls, wishes have a way of finding the people who need them most.


A Five Star Read


As someone who loves Hanna Park's novels, I was very excited to read The Midnight Carousel. This is a little different from the books I have previously read by her, being a clean Christmas romance, but the magic and imagination I love about her writing are still very much there.

Belle and Hudson's romance is sweet and slow to develop. The chemistry between them comes from all those glances, awkward moments and things left unsaid, and I enjoyed watching their feelings gradually become impossible to ignore.

Of course, this being Hanna Park, nothing is quite as straightforward as it first seems. There is some wonderfully unexpected magic, a mystery surrounding Hudson and even a carousel horse that seems to take itself off for the occasional nightly jaunt. The story keeps delivering little surprises, and I loved seeing where Hanna Park's imagination would take me next.

I think this would be a lovely choice for readers who enjoy a little magic with their Christmas romance. It certainly felt different from the Hanna Park novels I have read before, but I enjoyed seeing this lighter, more playful side to her writing.

Another five-star read from Hanna Park. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐



Universal Buy Link

Hanna Park


I began my writing career in the pre-dawn of a winter morning while my husband snored like a train. We could call my husband the catalyst. If it weren’t for him, I would never have gone to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee, feed the cat, and sit on the loveseat in front of the fire. It was there, in those moments of wondrous quiet, that I did something I had never thought possible. I opened my laptop, and while the coffee went cold, I wrote a story. My husband had no idea that these sojourns to the loveseat in front of the fire would become a daily occurrence, that writing would become an obsession, but the cat knew. She knows everything.

I write stories that make you laugh, make you cry, and make you love. Thank you, friends, for reading!

In the beginning, there was an empty page.

I am a writer who lives in Muskoka, Canada, with a husband who snores, a hungry cat, and an almost perfect canine––he’s an adorable little shit.

Social Media Links:


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Thursday, August 13, 2026

Queen Anna (Stuart Queens Trilogy) by Tony Riches


Please join me in giving a warm welcome to today's featured author - Tony Riches. I'm delighted to have Tony here at Books & Tea with Grace, where we're celebrating his latest book over a lovely cup of tea.



Publication Date: July 9th, 2026
Publisher: Preseli Press
Pages: 366
Genre: Historical Fiction

A crown won in the eye of a storm. A queen who refuses to be broken...

Princess Anna of Denmark sails for Scotland to marry King James VI, but storms ravage her fleet, igniting a deadly obsession with witchcraft in her new home. Arriving in a strange and paranoid court, Anna finds her new husband’s bed is a treacherous place.

Surrounded by whispering courtiers and shifting alliances, Anna refuses to remain a passive pawn. When the court takes her children to raise them away from her, the young queen draws her line in the sand. 

From the windswept castles of Scotland to the glittering, dangerous English court, Anna is restored to her rightful place in history.


Buy Link:
This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.

Tony Riches


Tony Riches is a full-time UK author of historical fiction. He lives with his wife in Pembrokeshire, West Wales and is a specialist in the lives of the early Tudors. As well as his Elizabethan series, Tony’s historical fiction novels include the best-selling Tudor trilogy and his Elizabethan series. For more information about Tony’s books please visit his website tonyriches.com and his blog, The Writing Desk and find him on  Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky and Twitter @tonyriches.
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Wednesday, August 12, 2026

The Duty of Daughters (Falling Pomegranate Seeds, Book #1) by Wendy J. Dunn

  Please give a warm welcome to Wendy j. Dunn who is an award-winning author of Tudor fiction. Today, Wendy is talking about her novel - The Duty of Daughters.



Publication Date: November 17th, 2019
Publisher: Poesy Quill
Pages: 310
Genre: Historical Fiction / Tudor Fiction



Spanish Version:
Publication Date: June 1st, 2026
Publisher: Libros de Seda S.L.
Pages: 320


Castile, 1490.


Doña Beatriz Galindo is an uneasy witness to the Holy War of Queen Isabel of Castile and her husband, Ferdinand, King of Aragon. A holy war pushing the Moors out of territories ruled by them for centuries.


Beatriz does not want a life like other women. She desires power over her own destiny. Even if this means walking a far harder road.


A passionate and respected scholar, Beatriz serves her friend Queen Isabel of Castile as her advisor. She also tutors the queen’s youngest child, Catalina of Aragon.


Dedicated to Queen Isabel and her children, Beatriz guides the young Catalina of Aragon to walk her own hard life road.


But can she prepare Catalina to be England’s queen?


Finalist in the 2020 CHAUCER Book Awards for pre-1750s Historical Fiction.



Praise for The Duty of Daughters:

"This is a captivating read, written with heart, significance and sensibility. Dunn is a careful writer. She doesn't exploit her characters; rather, she explores them and brings us along for the journey. This is a novel researched with integrity, and Dunn reaches out and lands beautifully in the winner's circle."
~ Historical Novel Reviews

"This profoundly moving story helps us appreciate today's more enlightened world. The Duty of Daughters is historical fiction at its best!"
~ Readers’ Favorite ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


Buy Links:
Wendy J. Dunn


Award-winning Australian author of Tudor historical fiction, specialising in Anne Boleyn and Katherine of Aragon novels.

Wendy J. Dunn is an award-winning Australian author, playwright and poet fascinated by Tudor history – so much so she was not surprised to discover a family connection to the Tudors, not long after the publication of her first Anne Boleyn novel narrating the Anne Boleyn story through the eyes of Sir Thomas Wyatt, the elder. Her family tree reveals the intriguing fact that one of her ancestral families – possibly over three generations – had purchased land from both the Boleyn and Wyatt families to build up their own holdings. It seems likely Wendy’s ancestors knew the Wyatts and Boleyns personally.

Her second novel, The Light in the Labyrinth, set during final days of Anne Boleyn's life, revisits the Anne Boleyn story through the eyes of her niece Catherine Carey. The Duty of Daughters and All Manner of Things tells the story of Katherine of Aragon. Shades of Yellow tells the story of a woman writing a novel about Amy Robsart.

All Dunn's award-winning works weave together the lyricism of poetry with the pulse of history, creating stories of love, loss, and the endurance of the human spirit.

 

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Tuesday, August 11, 2026

Via Malorum II by G.G MacLeod



Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Publisher: independently published
Pages: 218
Genre: Historical Fiction / Psychological Thriller / Giallo


VIA MALORUM II: INITIUM ENIM EST FINIS

In the frozen shadows of Rome’s Appian Way, December 25th, 19 CE, a four-year-old prodigy walks among the mourners, her heart untouched by grief. Julia Agrippina, born with a mind sharper than any gladius and a soul devoid of fear, sees her father’s funeral not as an end, but a beginning. In a world of snarling mobs and scheming kin, she learns the first lessons of power: to deceive, to kill, to outmaneuver.

Guided by the cunning Sejanus and shadowed by the wild-eyed Messalina, Agrippinilla navigates a labyrinth of betrayal where every ally hides a dagger. As winter’s chill cloaks The Eternal City, whispers of poison and treachery swirl around her family’s throne. The Prophet’s warnings echo faintly, but for a child who embraces, fate is merely a game to be won.

Via Malorum II plunges deeper into Rome’s heart of vice, where ambition is a blade that cuts both ways. A chilling prequel to the visceral saga, this tale of a psychopath’s genesis blends Stoic wisdom with blood-soaked intrigue. In the war of all against all, who will rise when the snow falls red?





Buy Link:


G.G. MacLeod


G.G. MacLeod is a 59-year-old Canadian male based in Calgary.

The author has always had a tendency of combining genres like horror and action along with drama, psychological thrillers, giallo, and sometimes even comedy.

It really depends on how the author feels from moment to moment as they write because the author likes to entertain themselves first and then hope that a smattering of other people out there in the world will like it as well.



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Sunday, August 9, 2026

The Duke and the Spirits of the Past (The Duke of Hertford) by Michael Stolle

 

Please give a warm welcome to historical fiction author, Michael Stolle.




Publication Date: June 1st, 2026
Publisher: independently published
Pages: 427
Genre: Historical Fiction


A gripping historical novel full of intrigue, dark secrets, and deadly struggles for power!

France in the 17th century – an age of conflict, love, and honour, where any means are justified in the pursuit of power. Henri de Beauvoir is a man who will stop at nothing — even making a pact with the devil — to achieve his sinister ambitions. As the ruthless cousin of the Marquis de Beauvoir and Duke of Hertford, he spins a perilous web of deception, intrigue, and betrayal to bring about his cousin’s downfall.

A secret enemy from the past threatens to destroy the Marquis.
Danger lurks in the shadows — always ready to strike.
An unexpected love may change everything.

When the fate of the Marquis hangs in the balance, a deadly game of cat and mouse unfolds — one where every move is could prove fatal. Can Henri carry out his dark plans, or will the secrets buried in his past become his downfall?

Perfect for fans of Ken Follett, Rebecca Gablé, and Philippa Gregory!



Buy Link:
This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.


Michael Stolle


Michael Stolle, award-winning and best-selling author, was born and educated in Europe. His enduring passion for history has deeply enriched his understanding of the human experience. Through his exploration, he has arrived at a powerful insight: the core essence of humanity is timeless, remaining as relevant today as it was in the 17th century.

Stolle started his writing journey in 2012, and since then, he has enthralled readers worldwide, selling over 250,000 copies of his books. His compelling narratives offer an immersive experience that breathes life into the richness of history, inviting readers to engage with the past in an intimate and vivid way.

Connect with Michael:



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Monday, July 20, 2026

Fearless Hearts Forbidden Love (Hearts of Sparta Trilogy, Book #1) by Anthea Laurelton



Publication Date: September 8th, 2025
Publisher: Independently published
Pages: 336
Genre: Historical Romance / Historical Fantasy


To save her city, she must risk her life.

To fulfil his oath, he must harden his heart.

Together, they stand to lose everything.

Spartan warrior, Diokles, has waited years for the opportunity to right a failure that torments his heart and integrity. Sent to hunt down a threat to Sparta, this campaign may be his final chance to restore his honour and uncover the traitor whose actions blighted his life. Success is at his fingertips, but when duty forces him to take an unwilling accomplice, his plans are challenged in ways he never foresaw.

Leandra, high priestess of Apollysis, stands at the edge of revelation and ruin. Haunted by fragments of a forgotten past, she alone can uncover the truth that will save her city. To do so, she must wear the fabled Coronet of Apollo, a sacred act that could cost her life.

Bound together by necessity and desire, captor and captive race into danger the closer they draw to the shrine of Apollo. With a relentless enemy closing in, one who seeks Diokles dead and Leandra for himself, their growing passion becomes both their greatest strength and their most perilous weakness.

In a time where prophecy, honour, and blood rule, love was never part of the plan.

An epic historical adventure romance of bravery, betrayal, and forbidden desire.

Fully edited, revised version of 'Spartan Quest - Salvation' with extra scenes.




Praise for Fearless Hearts Forbidden Love:

"If you enjoy historical romance with strong characters, intriguing mythology, and a touch of adventure, this book is definitely worth reading. I'm looking forward to reading more in the series!"
~ Vanda Vadas, Scottish Historical Romance author


Buy Links:

Anthea Laurelton


Anthea Laurelton writes sweeping romances inspired by Ancient Sparta and Greek mythology. Her stories combine historical elements, forbidden love, dangerous quests and emotionally complex heroines for readers of mythological and historical fantasy.

A fan of sword and sandal movies, her plots blend slow-burn romance, dangerous quests, warrior culture and family intrigue for readers who crave epic adventures. Falling in love with Greek mythology at the age of thirteen, her love of the Spartans especially, came after reading Roger Lancelyn Green's THE TALE OF TROY where she cheered on Menelaus to take his queen back!

She left a career in IT to pursue her passion for storytelling and pander to an extremely spoilt German Shepherd whom she refers to as 'The Muse'.

A former equestrian, Anthea enjoys keeping active and has a bucket list of travel destinations waiting to be fulfilled.

Connect with Anthea:
Website • Twitter / X • Facebook • Instagram
Amazon Author Page • Goodreads




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The Midnight Carousel (A Forest Falls Frolic) by Hanna Park

A new Hanna Park novel is always something I look forward to, so of course I couldn't resist The Midnight Carousel . This time, we'r...