Alison Stuart (1)

"The Postmistress" is written by Aussie author, Alison Stuart, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Set in the 1870s, the story follows Adelaide Grieves who, after the death of the man she loves, flees England with her maid and friend, Nettie and, young son, Danny, to become Postmistress of Maiden Creek, a Victorian gold-mining town.

I was drawn to the storyline from the start and Adelaide was an intelligent, strong, forward-thinking female lead. I admired her for the way she made a home for her son show more despite adversity and daily hardships. She was supported by a wonderful cast of secondary characters who were all unique and brought the novel alive, including Caleb, the novel's hero, and various colourful town characters.

Mine accidents, fires, economic challenges, kidnapping, snakes, poisonous spiders and other challenges made "The Postmistress" a novel I didn't want to put down. It was also well-researched but the author didn't bombard the reader with unnecessary detail. Instead, she gave the story a strong sense of time and place.

This was my first novel by Ms Stuart but it definitely won't be my last. With romance, secrets, danger, action and drama, "The Postmistress" was an entertaining historical read. show less

"The Goldminer's Sister" was the sequel to The Postmistress which I read recently, although I think it could just as easily be read as a stand-alone. Set two years later than the first novel, the story once more takes place in the fictional gold mining town, Maiden's Creek, with many of the locals making a reappearance. Eliza Penrose has just arrived from England to visit her brother, only to discover that he recently died in a tragic accident. Determined to understand her brother's final show more days, Eliza realises that something is very wrong and wants answers, putting her life at risk.

Like "The Postmistress", this novel was led by a strong female protagonist who slowly discovers the lies, betrayals and secrets that surround her. The sense of time and place was once again excellent and I enjoyed the daily life of colonial Australia, especially when Eliza was working at the local school.

Filled with action, romance, history and mystery, "The Goldminer's Sister "was a very enjoyable read. show less

I keep enjoying Stuart’s works, one after the other. I really need to get to the one I have on hold as from the trend she’s been following, I think I’ll enjoy it. She excels in this addition as well. Her emotional resonance and ability to take her readers on an amazing, romantic journey always pleases.

I haven’t had a historical romance take me on as powerful an emotional journey as this one did in a while. All the trials that Kit and Thamsine go through, from kidnapping to jail time show more in the Tower of London to near-death experiences, all build up to a truly jaw-dropping amount of crying and soaring on the wings of happiness. To me, high-emotional content is key to a historical romance succeeding, and Stuart pleases on that front.

She also, again, takes care with her historical details for setting her scene and background for her story. She details the lives of the regular Joe Blows in London, bringing that human-filled, stinky, and vibrant world to life. She also draws on little known plots against Cromwell and the Parliamentary government to give action and suspense to her romantic tale.

As I mentioned before, I love Kit’s and Thamsine’s romantic relationship. They play off each other well, sparking with tension and depth not present in every relationship. However, they’re also strong as individuals.

I loved Thamsin’s strength of character and courage, willing to brave living on the streets and degradation rather than marry the abusive man her father betrothed her to. Kit is a man caught in truly trying circumstances, forced into actions he’d rather not take due to the side of the conflict he was on and forced to do truly horrible things to those he loves as a result. They even lead to some deaths which are truly heavy burdens to bear for Kit. Yet, he meets this with strength of character and firm sense of honor that I enjoyed.

This is another work I’d highly recommend to historical romance lovers from Stuart’s talented pen/computer keyboard. Her characters are strong in their own right and play off each other to create at moving romance. She also backs that all up with great historical details. Don’t hesitate to pick this title up! It’s a great find. show less

Another winner from Stuart!!! This woman stands almost without equal in being able to blend romance, historical detail, and three-dimensional characters into one cohesive whole. Her books are written as historical romances; however, they stand as so much more in my humble eyes.

First off, I love how careful she is to set her timeframe right, get the details correct, and bring her history to life. Not many historical romances are set during the English Civil War to begin with. But Stuart goes show more further by incorporating actual events, real details about daily life in the timeframe, and showing the devastating effects that a civil war would have on her characters. Her books could read almost as straight historical fiction and that’s not something that can be said for every romance novel.

Her leads and other characters are such scarred individuals, having experienced the horror of civil war, battle, and gore. They’ve seen death and loss up close, changing them fundamentally. I think this adds depth to them in the current age and in the relationships that develop. Both Kate and Jonathan are strong personalities that carry the story with ease. The reader can’t help but root for them as war variously tears them apart and brings them back together.

Jonathan and Kate create such a strong blend of courage, vulnerability, and love. Their romance is emotionally resonant and vibrant. Even though they come from opposite ends of the conflict, they find enough middle ground in family and common principles to create a strong foundation for their relationship, enough that it’s able to withstand disagreements and personality conflicts. By the time the end of the novel rolls around and we’ve reached our emotional apex, the reader has gone on a unique and incredible romantic journey.

This is just another example of why I love Ms. Alison’s romances. She creates strong characters and relationships, giving all a concrete strong basing in historical fact and detail. I experience every breathe and exchange, becoming invested in the romantic journey all the more. Highly, highly recommended for historical romance lovers everywhere!! show less