Court has been married twice (in 1967, to a sea captain, and in 1995, to a dentist) and has two children. [1] As of 2023 [update] she resides in Dorset. [1] Selected works [ edit ] Standalone novels [ edit ] This novel set in the 19th century about two babies born to very different circumstances is compelling. Josie is the spoilt rich kid and Kate is her on again off again friend working as a maid. The tale follows their lives and loves as they come of age.

But sitting at a computer for hours isn’t too good on the figure, however so she typically takes her dog for a walk. One major plot flaw is that it is never really clear why either of the men fall in love with their respective women. There is no relationship development or apparent getting to know each other before they are suddenly smitten. One of the men, despite being smitten, leads another girl on for almost the entire book and although there are suggestions that it's to protect her honour, this is suspect and doesn't quite ring true given the circumstances.Bottom line, the story is nicely resonant of its historical setting, shedding light on the biases and foul behaviors as much as the strength of bonds even when society would frown on them. I especially appreciated the clear presentation of the way different strata of society lived, demonstrated both in description and simple comments about how only the wealthy have the luxury of not knowing how much coin they possess. The Christmas Wedding” is the first novel in the “Village Secrets” series and was released in the year 2019. Daisy’s future, as she held the letter in her trembling hands, crumbled right before her, with the words being engraved onto her heart forever.

Then this one night, she has to transport this mysterious guy from a foreign ship onto the banks of the Thames. He is a man that ends up renting a room inside of Essie’s house, and only identifies himself as ‘Raven’. Court grew up in north east London, leaving school when she was 16 to work as a secretary at broadcaster Associated-Rediffusion. [1] Working in the advertising department, she was able to move into a copywriting position, which allowed her to exercise her love of writing. [1] Literary career [ edit ]The romance was ever so SLOW to play out and it took 10 of the expected 12 hours of listening to get to the long expected pairings. It was so disappointing to hear Essie say that she looked into his eyes and knew she would want to be the mother of his children - when all along in the story she was driven for sea adventure and was sure that was not the life she wanted. I applaud the author for showing awareness of how alcoholism can be so destructive on the person experiencing it and their loved ones. In addition, the author shows the brutality of how women and the poor classes were treated.

My Review: The protagonist (Essie) is a strong, caring and hard working female. Throughout the novel I was hooked on her emotional rollercoaster and her life changing transformation. She is a three dimensional character, likeable and relatable. The other main characters such as Sadie are also brilliant. A range of personalities that will make you smile and shout at the awful behaviour. If you like historical fiction with strong personalities, tangles built out of society’s expectations, a love story, and a touch of mystery, this is one not to miss. Then I liked how in the end all the characters came together though at a point I was skeptical about so many coincidences!Millen, Robbie (26 December 2020). "Dilly Court, the queen of the saga, on making it at 65". The Times . Retrieved 7 May 2023. BTW - It didn't take her too long for our poor river maiden to become a priggish toff snob to the hired help !

Gostei muito de conhecer Essie, uma jovem, que em pleno século XIX, quer ter a sua independência e quer ser mais do que casar, ter filhos e cuidar da casa. I never truly liked Josie, raised as a lady, because she is unthinking, hypercritical, and selfish, but I came to appreciate her flawed but contrite nature. She is often repentant after the fact and occasionally shows flashes of maturity even at her worst though they don’t last. Each day, Dilly begins at 8:30 and writes until lunch time. Some days she’ll get so immersed in her story that she forgets everything and time will pass so fast that, by the time she finally does stop, she can’t believe two to three hours have gone by. She’s been in some other world her characters who make their own story up actually inhabit.Lottie Lane, our main character, works as a chambermaid. Her world is turned upside down after a group of soldiers show up at the inn (where she works). She ends up nursing an injured soldier, Private Ellis, who is, in fact, our male-lead. Dilly’s debut novel, called “Mermaids Singing”, was released in the year 2005. She writes family saga and historical fiction novels and also writes as Lily Baxter. I loved the realism of Dilly Court's multi-faceted, realistic and unforgettable characters like Lottie Lane the clever, capable and kind twenty year old, sent to work at "The Swan" at age twelve only to be browbeaten by the obnoxious Prudence Filby and her husband Shem. The assortment of colourful personalities also includes; Jezebel Pretty the unsociable, gruff but kind-hearted cook; Gideon Ellis the gentle and patient soldier Lottie loves; Codelia Fothergill the controlling, snide troublemaker; and Mary Seacole the motherly, trustworthy and astute nurse. Yet of all the characters that add to the passion, depth and power of the plot it's Lady Aurelia Dashwood who adds a dramatic flair to events as they unfold. Born wealthy, beautiful and restless as well as a self-absorbed, perverse and spirited snob she loves adventure, excitement and the thrill of risk-taking. Yet for all her wild ways Lottie recognizes the underlying good in Aurelia who can also be amiable, good-hearted, generous, and eventually nice.