About the book:
From Victorian London to the vibrant port cities of England and France, from gracious stately homes in Gloucestershire to the decadence of Paris, Master of his Fate launches an unforgettable new historical series.
London 1884: Queen Victoria is Empress of India and Britain is at its peak of worldwide power.
James Falconer works as a barrow boy in a flourishing London market owned by Henry Malvern. But James hungers for more. Turning away from family tradition, he dreams of building an empire of stores like Fortnum and Mason’s and believes that Henry, along with his daughter and heir Alexis, could offer him a way to climb beyond his beginnings.
But tragedy and betrayal threaten the dreams of both James and Alexis – and jeopardise everything they hold dear…
Published: 2018
Genre: Fiction, Women’s fiction
My thoughts: Being a fan of BTB since I read A Woman of Substance several years ago I was excited to start a new series with new characters to learn about and enjoy. I love that BTB’s books allow readers to really get to know the characters and be part of their story.
In this book we meet the Falconer family of which James seems to be the star, or golden child, if you will. He has everything going for him with dashing good looks, intelligence in abundance, and charm for miles. James’s family adores him and it is easy to like him as well.
We also get to meet Alexis Malvern. She is the heir of the Malvern Company and is quite business minded for someone of her time. Alexis is an independent young woman and she was one of my favorite characters in the book.
This book, as the beginning of the series, sets up the stories of James and Alexis. We get to know these two characters and how they meet. I really enjoyed my time with these two characters and the supporting characters in the book.
In typical BTB fashion this book is well written and full of descriptions that make the reader feel as if they are there with the characters. This is why I love her books so much. They are rich in details that make the story interesting.
Fans of the author will love this book. If you’ve never read a book by BTB this would be a great one to start with. Well developed and complex characters and wonderful details made this a quick and easy read.
The Barefoot Bookworm 