Published By: Envelope Books
Pages: 288
Released On: 09/12/2021
When Gaia Champion’s soufflé fails to rise, Belle Nash – grandson of Beau Nash, Bath’s master of ceremonies – gets involved in a chain of events that challenges corruption on the city magistrate’s bench and sexual inequality in the dispensing of justice.
Thanks to Envelope Books for the gifted copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Once again with Envelope Books, the cover is wonderful, this one in the form of a newspaper front page. It’s exciting and interesting and draws you in.
I didn’t realise this was the second book in the “Gay Street Chronicles” series, and so I can’t say whether it follows on, but I didn’t feel at too much of a disadvantaged going straight into this one.
I wasn’t too sure about this to begin with. I was a bit lost with it and it felt quite involved and I was worried I wouldn’t keep up with it, but overall I found it to be quite entertaining.
It is very well crafted; William has written a witty, funny, smart, but enjoyable piece of writing, and whilst it does have reflections of Dickens work, for example (as a big Dickens fan, that’s a huge compliment), it also feels very unique.
I love a historical novel but I’m not sure if I’ve read books set in the 1830s before, particularly 1830s Bath. I used to live in Bath during University so it was fascinating seeing the comparisons roughly 180 years apart. There are a lot of historical references as you’d expect, and some of them I did find a bit hard to understand and therefore a bit jarring, but overall it wasn’t too bad.
Some of the characters I liked more than others, as I expected, but mostly they are very likeable. Even if they weren’t likeable, I can definitely admit they are very well written and carry the story very well.
There are some controversial subjects included, including corruption and sexual discrimination, inequality and justice, but they’re not sensationalised just for a book, William has written about them in a way that matches the overall storyline, characters, and time period, and they really make you think.
Even though there are difficult topics, it was surprisingly funny – it’s a dark humour at times, a dry wit, but it really helped lighten it up during difficult scenes. Who know an unrisen souffle could cause such mischief?!
This isn’t a hugely long book, nor is it really short, but I did read it quite quickly. It feels very energetic (which I know sounds weird when discussing a novel), but the pages just flew by, and I was quite despondent to have reached the end – is there a follow-on?
Books By Your Bedside 