One Last Kiss
by Ally Broadfield
Series: It’s In His Kiss, #2
Genre: HIstorical Romance
Release Date: May 30, 2016
Thank you, Ally for stopping by! And congrats again on your new release!
My Favorite Destination in London(-ish) by Ally Broadfield
A few years ago, I had a chance to join my husband for a weekend in London. He was already there for a business trip, so I joined him for a much too short three days. At the time, I was writing Regency romances, but hadn’t yet sought publication. With so little time, we hit many of the sites in London, like the British Museum and the British Library (which has two hand-written chapters of Jane Austen’s Persuasion!). However, instead of visiting Buckingham Palace, which is in London proper, we decided to take the train out to Windsor Castle instead, and I’m so glad we did because it ended up being my favorite part of our mini-vacation.
I admit that part of the reason I chose to go to Windsor instead of Buckingham Palace was because Windsor was a royal residence during the Regency (and far before then, of course) and Buckingham was not (Queen Victoria was the first to live there). Being an American, I’m always blown away by the ages of the buildings in Europe compared to the U.S., and how well they’ve survived the test of time.
Our journey started with a relaxing train ride out of London and into the country. It was interesting to watch the city fade as the houses grew further apart and the countryside opened up. Once we were off the train, we walked through a charming village on the way to the castle and stopped at a lovely shop for a cup of tea and some scones. The first thing we noticed as we approached the castle was that the Queen was in residence since the Royal Standard was flying (the Union Jack on the flagpole indicates that the Queen is not in residence). We didn’t see her, of course, but it was fun to imagine that we might.
The inside of the castle was gorgeous. Of course we only saw the public rooms, and even then, it was a very small percentage of the castle. I was surprised to learn how many times there had been fires in the castle, the worst of which, surprisingly, was in 1992. To me, it was a curious blend of castle and palace, old and new.
When we were done inside, we studied the outside of the castle, the fortifications and the arrow loops cut into the stone for the archers. Then we had the pleasure of watching the changing of the guards before exploring the grounds. One of my most favorite features were the extensive gardens in the moats around the castle, which have been there for quite some time. There is also five hundred acre park complete with a herd of deer, but alas, we didn’t have enough time to rent horses and explore.
The last thing we did was visit St. George’s Chapel, where many British monarchs and dignitaries are buried. It was a bit surreal to see the grave of Henry VIII and his third wife, Jane Seymour. Other monarchs buried in the chapel include George III, William IV, Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, George V and Queen Mary, George VI and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.
I wish we’d had more time to explore, but I guess it’s always best to leave a place while you still want more time there. What is your favorite historical place to visit?
London, 1812
Captain Mikhail Abromovich would rather single-handedly face the entire French army than follow orders to deceive Anna, the woman of his heart, by feigning a courtship to hide his covert activities.
Ever since a gossip sheet revealed the details of her extensive dowry, Princess Anna Tarasova has been overrun by fortune-hunting lords. When her childhood sweetheart mysteriously appears in London and asks to court her, it seems too good to be true.
For Mikhail, who is both soldier and spy, being chosen to represent Russia in secret negotiations with Britain should be the assignment of a lifetime. But once his deception is revealed, he’s certain Anna won’t believe his love is real.
“Yes.” Anna nodded, studying Misha as he conversed with Sebastian. So far she had only seen him in his uniform, and she hadn’t quite grown used to how he looked in it, so different from the boy she had known, always seeking adventure, and always returning home from his exploits with torn, dirt-streaked clothing. That boy was long gone, replaced by a man who exuded quiet confidence and authority. She wanted the chance to get to know the man he had become.
Grab the first book in the series!
Book 1: Just a Kiss
Read my review of Just a Kiss here.
Ally likes to curse in Russian because very few people know what she's saying, and spends most of what would be her spare time letting dogs in and out of the house and shuttling kids around. She has many stories in her head looking for an opportunity to escape onto paper. She writes historical romance set in Regency England and Imperial Russia.
No comments:
Post a Comment