This week, we finally managed to install our new (not new ) item of furniture - a mid-18th Century grandfather clock. It's not bright and shiny like more modern ones, but a dark oak with a warm patina which the beeswax polish is drawing out. In order to set it up, we had to do a certain amount of research - how to hang the pendulum, where the weight went on the endless chain - and it got me thinking... where and when did certain divisions of time come from? The time periods which I have written either had household clocks or didn't, I have not written novels from the time of their invention. Clocks have been around for a long time, and the obsession with measuring time in an ordered fashion dates back to at least the ancient Sumerians. It was they who established a circular reading of time and, I imagine, the sixty seconds/minutes came about as much because it was an easy way to divide a circle as anything else. But it wasn't until much later that the precision of seconds ...
One of the best things about the Historical Fiction community is that it is a community. Through it, I've discovered some fantastic authors, who write some amazing works of art. I'm delighted to share a review today from one lady who I met through the online Historical Fiction community, and whose fabulous new book Hiding the Flame launched on Monday. I was fortunate enough to have a sneak peek of the book before it was released, and it's been great to share in some of the excitement about this new novel.
But, before I share my thoughts, let's meet the book...
Florence, 1497. A city ablaze with religious fear. A woman forced to hide her art. And a love so dangerous it could cost her everything.
Francesca Rosini, a gifted but silenced painter, lives under the strict rule of her husband - a man whose devotion to Savonarola’s puritanical revolution leaves no room for beauty, tenderness, or truth. While Bonfires of the Vanities burn paintings, books, and anything deemed sinful, Francesca keeps her talent locked away like a forbidden flame.
Then she meets Vittoria, a merchant’s wife with a bold gaze and a quiet courage that unsettles Francesca’s careful obedience. What begins as admiration becomes a connection too powerful to ignore - a forbidden love that awakens Francesca’s spirit, her artistry, and her longing for a life she has never dared imagine.
But Florence is a city where secrets are dangerous… and desire is deadly.
As the firestorm of religious extremism grows, Francesca must choose between the life she knows and the truth that’s calling her.
Will she continue hiding the flame - or let it burn bright, even if it destroys her?
Hiding the Flame is available here.
My Review
Florence in the 1490s was a dangerous place, with factions often resorting to underhand means to gain points over their opponents. But, for Francesca, it is home. Unfortunately, home falls apart as marriage is forced upon her, and she is forced to re-evaluate her life in light of her new situation.
Despite her mutually loveless marriage, Francesca has the benefit of her forbidden pastime: Art. And, through this pastime, she learns to truly love... but not who she is supposed to.
This book is a fantastic romance in a beautiful and extensively-researched setting. The writing is fast-paced and believable, and Francesca's journey of discovery is a real adventure. History may forget such individuals, but Angela Sims' book reminds us that their tales are worth telling.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
If Historical Romance is your thing, this is the book for you!
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