ShortBookandScribes #BookReview – The Forgotten Sister by Nicola Cornick @HQstories #BlogTour

It’s my stop on the blog tour for The Forgotten Sister by Nicola Cornick. I’m delighted to be sharing my thoughts about the book with you today. My thanks to HQ for the place on the tour and for sending a copy of the book for review purposes.

One woman’s secret will shape another’s destiny…

1560: Amy Robsart is trapped in a loveless marriage to Robert Dudley, a member of the court of Queen Elizabeth I. Surrounded by enemies and with nowhere left to turn, Amy hatches a desperate scheme to escape – one with devastating consequences that will echo through the centuries…

Present Day: When Lizzie Kingdom is forced to withdraw from the public eye in a blaze of scandal, it seems her life is over. But she’s about to encounter a young man, Johnny Robsart, whose fate will interlace with hers in the most unexpected of ways. For Johnny is certain that Lizzie is linked to a terrible secret dating back to Tudor times. If Lizzie is brave enough to go in search of the truth, then what she discovers will change the course of their lives forever.

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Moving between the Tudor era and the present day,The Forgotten Sister is a stunning historical novel that draws on one of history’s most compelling and enduring mysteries. Perfect for fans of Lucinda Riley, Barbara Erskine, Victoria Hislop and Kate Morton.

If you like a really engrossing dual timeframe novel then Nicola Cornick is your author. This is the second of hers that I have read and both have the two interlinking stories but they also have a little bit extra, something that adds another dimension to the story.

The Forgotten Sister is set in the present day and in the 1550s. The Tudor story concentrates on Amy Robsart, the wife of Robert Dudley, best known for being the favourite of Queen Elizabeth I. I really enjoyed reading about her, her life, her marriage and her feelings at being cast aside for the woman who would become Queen. The present day storyline is one of parallels and discoveries as Lizzie Kingdom is drawn into the affairs of a current day Robsart family. I liked spotting the similarities between the two separate threads.

Interestingly, when I read The Phantom Tree I said that I usually prefer the contemporary story in a dual timeframe novel but that I thought I had preferred the historical story more. I feel similarly with The Forgotten Sister and in fact when I started reading it I wasn’t at all sure I would gel with the present day story, whereas I was engrossed in Amy’s life. However, I soon found myself drawn into Lizzie’s celebrity lifestyle and her realisation that her life wasn’t quite what she wanted it to be. Nicola Cornick has a very absorbing writing style.

This is a perfect blend of historical fact and fiction, and I thought the author did a great job weaving that into the present day story, adding a sprinkle of the supernatural too. There isn’t a great deal that is known about Amy Robsart but I found Cornick’s interpretation entirely possible. I couldn’t turn the pages of this book quickly enough.

Nicola Cornick is a historian and author who works as a volunteer researcher and guide for the National Trust in one of the most beautiful 17th century houses in England. She writes dual time novels that illustrate her love of history, mystery and the supernatural. Her books have appeared in over twenty five languages, sold over half a million copies worldwide and been described as “perfect for Outlander fans.” Nicola also works as a consultant for TV and radio.

Her new novel, ‘The Forgotten Sister’ is a re-telling of the Tudor love triangle between Queen Elizabeth I, Robert Dudley and Amy Robsart. It is out in April 2020 and is available for pre- order in paperback and e-book.

Nicola loves to chat to readers about history, reading and writing.
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You can find Nicola’s website at www.nicolacornick.com where you can sign up for her newsletter to be first in line for events, news and exclusive chapters.