Historical Tapestry: Night of a Thousand Stars Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway

Publication Date: October 1, 2014
Harlequin MIRA
Formats: eBook, Paperback

Genre: Historical Fiction

Synopsis

On the verge of a stilted life as an aristocrat’s wife, Poppy Hammond does the only sensible thing—she flees the chapel in her wedding gown. Assisted by the handsome curate who calls himself Sebastian Cantrip, she spirits away to her estranged father’s quiet country village, pursued by the family she left in uproar. But when the dust of her broken engagement settles and Sebastian disappears under mysterious circumstances, Poppy discovers there is more to her hero than it seems.

With only her feisty lady’s maid for company, Poppy secures employment and travels incognita—east across the seas, chasing a hunch and the whisper of clues. Danger abounds beneath the canopies of the silken city, and Poppy finds herself in the perilous sights of those who will stop at nothing to recover a fabled ancient treasure. Torn between allegiance to her kindly employer and a dashing, shadowy figure, Poppy will risk it all as she attempts to unravel a much larger plan—one that stretches to the very heart of the British government, and one that could endanger everything, and everyone, that she holds dear.

So What Did I Think About The Story?

While I have a few of Deanna Raybourn's novels on my shelves, Night of a Thousand Stars is the first of her books I have read. My first thought after finishing it is....what have I been waiting for?! Starting out with our heroine Poppy leaping out a window to escape a marriage she does not want, the action does not stop as Poppy follows her gut in search of Sebastian, a man she barely knows but who she believes must be in trouble, all the way from London to the Middle East. Hijinks of course ensue with Poppy diving head first into trouble and learning that no one she encounters is who they seem.

While the romance that develops between Poppy and Sebastian is somewhat predictable and typical (they are attracted to each other while simultaneously infuriating each other, neither want to give up ground and always want to be right, etc.) it was enjoyable watching them spar against each other until they have to work together to survive. The secrets Sebastian is hiding aren't overly hard to determine either but I was pleasantly surprised to see the more comic elements of the novel shot through with some more serious and graphic elements that drive home the serious danger Poppy comes to find herself in.

The ending of the novel came as a complete surprise to me, which I always find delightful! For those who have read Ms. Raybourn's Lady Julia series this might not be as big a surprise as apparently characters from that series make an appearance in Night of a Thousand Stars but for me I was excited to see the mysteries all wrap up nicely and to see it left open for Poppy to continue her adventures in future books now that she has found a purpose for her life in a field that we learn is apparently a family tradition of sorts. I am also now really excited to read the Lady Julia series to connect all the pieces I missed!

With well drawn characters, excitement and adventure abounding and just the right touch of romance thrown in for good measure, Night of a Thousand Stars is a thoroughly enjoyable way to while away the hours and draw yourself out of your own world into the world of 1920s London and the Middle East. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and a plucky, determined heroine.

So What Did I Think About The Cover?

It's very pretty! I love the colors and the fact that Poppy is standing out on a balcony with that spectacular view behind her (as happens a number of times in the novel). My only complaint is that I would have preferred either seeing Poppy looking out at the view or facing us looking up into the eyes of the reader with all the determination and spunkiness that her character exudes within the pages.

My Rating: 4.0/5.0

Thank you to Amy at Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for providing me with a free copy of Night of a Thousand Stars in exchange for an honest review! Make sure to continue below for more information on the book, the tour and your chance to win a copy of your very own!

Buy the Book

Amazon (Kindle)
Amazon (Paperback)
Barnes & Noble (Nook)
Barnes & Noble (Paperback)
Books-a-Million
iTunes
Kobo

About the Author

A sixth-generation native Texan, Deanna Raybourn grew up in San Antonio, where she met her
college sweetheart. She married him on her graduation day and went on to teach high school English and history. During summer vacation at the age of twenty-three, she wrote her first novel. After three years as a teacher, Deanna left education to have a baby and pursue writing full-time.

Deanna Raybourn is the author of the bestselling and award-winning Lady Julia series, as well as, The Dead Travel Fast, A Spear of Summer Grass, and City of Jasmine.

For more information please visit Deanna Raybourn’s website and blog. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Giveaway

For a chance to win a paperback copy of Night of a Thousand Stars leave a comment below telling me if you have read any of Deanna Raybourn's books and, if you have, which is your favorite (I'm trying to decide which one to start next!). Be sure to leave your email address in your comment (no email address, no entry!). For extra entries share this review/giveaway online and leave a separate comment with a link to where you shared. That's it! I'll pick a winner on November 6th and email the winner for their address. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email before I pick a new winner. Good luck everyone!

22 comments:

rhondaOctober 30, 2014 at 3:02 AM
This would be my first but sounds like a perfect book to start with.lomazowr@gmail.com will tweet a@rhondareads
LindaOctober 30, 2014 at 11:49 AM
I've read all the Lady Julia series and loved the stories and the characters, esp. Brisbane. I also really enjoyed Spear of Summer Grass.
lcbrower40@gmail.com
UnknownOctober 30, 2014 at 11:55 AM
I love her last release City of Jasmine, great setting, powerful heroine and the cover is to die for! :-)
amandabarrett81@gmail.com
JJTOctober 30, 2014 at 12:12 PM
Sounds great. Will be my first book by Deanna Raybourn. jtretin at aol dot com
NancyOctober 30, 2014 at 3:38 PM
The Lady Julia series is my favorite, starting with Silent in the Grave.
UnknownOctober 30, 2014 at 4:36 PM
All of Deanna Raybourn's books are great. If you are in the mood for Victorian London, try the Lady Julia series or Africa in the 1920s, try A Spear of Summer Grass.
UnknownOctober 30, 2014 at 4:36 PM
my email address: raquel36m(at)gmail(dot)com
AngiegirlOctober 30, 2014 at 4:37 PM
I am a huge Deanna Raybourn fan and I started with Silent in the Grave. It's my favorite for sure. The whole Lady Julia series is a treat.
Sophia RoseOctober 30, 2014 at 10:18 PM
I have read all of her Lady Julia books and all of these set in the '20s. It's a toss up b/c her Spears of Grass is good, but I guess I'll suggest the first Lady Julia b/c that came first.

Thanks for the giveaway opportunity. sophiarose1816 at gmail dot com
Sophia RoseOctober 30, 2014 at 10:19 PM
Bonus: shared on FB and here is link: https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fhistoricaltapestry.blogspot.com%2F2014%2F10%2Fnight-of-thousand-stars-blog-tour.html%3Fspref%3Dfb&t=Historical+Tapestry%3A+Night+of+a+Thousand+Stars+Blog+Tour%3A+Review+and+Gi...

sophiarose1816 at gmail dot com
DeniseOctober 30, 2014 at 11:48 PM
II haven't read any books by this author yet, but this one sure has a beginning to grab anyone's attention!
denannduvall(at)gmail(dot)com
Kim@Time2ReadOctober 31, 2014 at 5:22 PM
I haven't read anything by this author, but this one sounds very good!
Colleen TurnerNovember 6, 2014 at 3:34 PM
Hello all! Thank you so much for entering to win a copy of Night of a Thousand Stars on Historical Tapestry! Using a random number generator the winner is....Kim@Time2Read!!! Kim, I will send you an email now and you will have 48 hours to respond with your mailing address before I have to pick another winner.