Cover Image: The Tobacconist's Wife

The Tobacconist's Wife

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Member Reviews

This book is set in Victorian London
The pacing is slow.
The plot is interesting
A well researched book

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Thea is married to a violent man, Ernie running a tobacco store. After her father’s death she agreed to married him thinking that she could move on in her life. But she is forced to endure his insults and outbursts.

When Adam Fitzwilliam their new neighbour, arrives, she struggles to keep hergrowing feelings for him, she is married, but her husband also has is secrets.

Secrets that will throw him into jail, leaving Thea to fend for herself.She didn’t have an easy life but she was not afraid to say what she thinks, to fight for herself and for a better life. After all the pain she went through.

She found love and fought for the relationship till the end. Adam and Thea grew up in two different world. Adam comes from a wealthy family and is not afraid of hard work and long to have a simple life despite his mother’s disapproval.

From the beginning, you can see that they were meant for each other.

It was an interesting story well-written. It was just a little sad sometimes to see all Thea has to endure.

I received a copy of this book and this is an honest review.

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I honestly struggled with this novel quite a bit. I enjoyed the timeline/time period, but maybe I just didn't connect with the characters enough. Its a very slow paced novel with somewhat of a predictable ending. 3 stars.

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What can I say about AnneMarie Brears' books.
Everyone is a worthy 5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 plus, this being no exception. The story flow with ease and loved all the characters. An excellent read from an excellent author. You'll never buy a bad book from AnneMarie Brear. I fully recommend all.

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Wow, this is a definite page turner and such a wonderfully well written book. I loved the characters of Thea and Adam. I was invested in their story throughout the book and really wanted a happy ending for them both. I wouldn't mind a sequel to see how their story develops and see what kind of life they live together. This is definitely a recommended five star read from me.

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I was a disappointed by the poor editing of the book and weak characters. I felt the main character wasn’t very likable,, even though I wanted to like her after reading all the abuses she goes thru by the hands of her husband.

The book is very predictable in the plot and the ending is very sweet, as if the writer wanted to make up for all the horrors the protagonist goes thru.

Book wasn’t bad but also wasn’t very memorable.

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I received a copy of the book from Netgalley to review. Thank you for the opportunity.
Se good parts to the story but mostly it was staid and expected.
An OK read.

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Thank you to the author and Netgalley for gifting me this book. I was excited about reading this book! the pros are that I thought the story plot was interesting. The cons: I just thought the story was repetitive. Every time the different characters come up it was them saying the same thing or doing the same thing. I felt like this book was written by a teenager. It just felt like this was a rushed book and some of the writing was just unrealistic. I know the author has written other novels so maybe I will give them a try.

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Thank you for the chance to read the advance copy of this book.

I had not read any of the other titles by this author but would certainly read more.

The book was well written, though heartbreaking and harrowing in parts. The situation that Thea finds herself in is both sad and, I imagine, not altogether uncommon especially in those times, I suppose it depends on one's experiences how well one could imagine the terrible abuse and how well it was written.

Again as I write this review I am loathe to write a synopsis of the plot in case I provide spoilers for other readers coming along behind me.

I was captivated and often read 'just one page/chapter more' when I really should either have been doing something else r going to sleep.
As with many stories of this genre there was a terrible villain, a heroine and a love interest with faults of his own. But it gave an insight into life in late Victorian York some of which Thea tried unsuccessfully to hide from her neighbours.

Thank you again to the publisher and author for the chance to read this book. I really enjoyed it

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I don't read historical fiction or romance usually but i made an exception and i actually thought it was ok. while i didn't love it it kept me reading & i liked the characters that being said it hasn't converted me to read more historical.

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I think that the plot of this book was very interesting. I really struggled with the writing though. It felt choppy and didn't flow well. there were also so many typos that it was extremely distracting and made it hard to just melt into the story.

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I loved this book. Reading it reminded me of those Southern type movies i watch. It is family oriented, and there's something about the plot that redefines our stereotypes. Bullying, gender violence and inequality are prominent in our societies and that's what our protagonist here deals with. It is quite emotional, seeing how her husband treats her, making her insecure and doubtful of herself.

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Thea Goodson is trapped in a loveless marriage to an abusive, violent man. Her husband, Ernie has secrets and carries out his clandestine activities at night, with Thea becoming increasingly suspicious of his under-the-counter operations. When Adam Fitzwilliam, a furniture craftsman opens a shop next door to the Goodson's Tobacconists, it is love at first sight for Adam and Thea. Thea must decide to either leave her brute of a husband and escape her suffering or follow her heart.

Set in Victorian Yorkshire, the story initially moves at a gentle pace but gathers momentum later as matters become more perilous. Elements of danger and a continuing threat of menace help to make it a compulsive read and I liked AnneMarie Brear's portrayal of Thea. Though The Tobacconist's Wife contains some difficult themes it is ultimately a compelling and engrossing story.

I read The Tobacconist's Wife in staves with other Pigeonholers as part of a group. A special thank you to Lume Books, AnneMarie Brear, NetGalley and The Pigeonhole for a complimentary copy of this novel at my request. This review is my unbiased opinion.

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I was struggling with this one, it just seemed boring and predictable. I did not care all that much for the heroine and found her not to be very believable. One one hand she is arguing with her abuser and on the other she is acting meek. Thank you netgalley and publisher for this arc in exchange of an honest review

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Unlike many historical fiction stories, this one stars a damsel who is a cobblers daughter, who marries a tobacconist. Her husband is as shady as it gets, her dreams of a comfortable life blows up when she learns the truth about her husband. With an even shady villain and a handsome knight for the damsel, this story is heartwarming, endearing and all things good.

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Set in Yorkshire during the Victorian era, cobbler’s daughter, Thea, marries tobacconist Ernie Goodson in the hope of a comfortable life. However, Ernie isn’t the man Thea thought he was as he has some secrets concerning dodgy dealings. Everything changes with the arrival of the new shop owner and cabinet maker next door.

This is an enjoyable, easy read with some likeable characters and quite a dastardly villain! Even though it is a lighthearted romance and also a little predictable at times, there is an underlying thread of menace and not a small amount of violence. I thought it was nicely written, well paced and just a great all round story. If you enjoy a good old fashioned saga, you’ll love this one.

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A very well written and captivating story. This was, at times, upsetting to read when describing the domestic violence but this did not stop me thoroughly enjoying this read. I would highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more from this author.

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Set in Victorian Engkand: Thea is married to Ernie Goodson, a violent man who doesn't mind using his fists.to keep Thea in line. He owns a tobacco shop and Ernie has secrets, secrets even his wife cannot share. But when a handsome stranger sets up shop next door, can Thea escape her violent life?

The story is told from Thea and Adam's perspectives in this slow burner. Ernie Goodson is a violent bully. Adam Fitzwilliam is a gentleman who opens a shop to sell the furniture he makes. Appearances must be kept so Thea has to cover up her bruises. This is a quick book to read. The characters are well rounded and believable. This is an Intriguing romance story.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #LumeBooks and the author #AmnemarieBrear for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Loved this book. The story was contagious, had to keep reading. loved the characters oh except the mother.
It’s the first of AnneMarie’s books that I have read and loved it. This is the thing I like most about Netgalley, it makes you try different authors from your usual ones.

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The Tobacconist's Wife is a standalone novel by AnneMarie Brear.

Thea Goodson married a man whose true colours, that of a violent man, only showed once she was safely his wife. Her father is dead and she has no family to turn to. She is stuck in a terrible marriage and does her best to not let on to anybody what happens behind closed doors. Her husband owns a tobacconist shop which they live above. She helps him out sometimes with it but for the most part, he just expects her to cook and clean and do his bidding.

Adam Fitzwilliam is part of a wealthy family but he wants to make a living of his own doing what he loves the best, making fine wooden furniture. He buys an empty shop which is next door to the tobacconist. From the first moment, there is an attraction between Adam and Thea. They know they can't act on it because she is married. Thea desperately needs the affection and caring that he shows her, and he does his best to spend time with her without questions being asked or eyebrows being raised. Friendship is better than nothing.

I am not going to say any more about the story because I don't want to give spoilers. Suffice to say that the course of true love does not run smoothly.

There are some terrible violent scenes in this story with Thea being beaten by her husband. It was upsetting to read and might be a trigger for some people. Don't worry though because there are some light-hearted moments, some beautifully romantic moments and of course a happy ending. You will finish the book with a smile on your face.

The only thing missing for me is an epilogue. I loved reading how Thea and Adam had their happy ending, but I wanted to have a little insight into their lives even a few months later. I will just have to imagine it instead.

This book was a truly emotional read and it captivated me from the first pages.

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