The Lister Sisters: Anne and Marian by Rebecca Batley

                                                 

Ebook:  240 pages      

Genre:   Non-Fiction, Biography,  Social History,                              

Publisher: 9th February 2026 - Pen and Sword

Source:  NetGalley

Setting:   Halifax, England

My Opinion: 

Although I am interested in Biographies I rarely actually ready any, though I do find them relaxing to listen to as audiobooks. Anyway I was attracted to 'The Lister Sisters' when I was given the opportunity to read and review, predominately due to my enjoyment of the portrayals of these interesting women in the recent television production 'Gentleman Jack'.

In fact for me this made the book, which is drawn mainly from Anne Lister's diaries easier to follow, as parts tend to feel rather like a list of events, times and places.

It is certainly a well written and researched biography. Recommended to those readers in general interested in social history and those with a particular interest in the sisters themselves.

With thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publishers Pen and Sword for the opportunity to read and review.

Précis Courtesy of NetGalley:

When Anne Lister, ‘Gentleman Jack,’ and her infamous diaries hit the headlines a few years ago, their popularity spawned a plethora of Gentleman Jack blogs, research and books which have focused primarily on Anne Lister’s romantic relationships with (a huge) number of women, but whilst they are an integral part of the Lister story, there is another woman lurking in the pages of her diaries: The original Lister Sister, Marian.

Marian Lister was Anne’s younger sister and the two women had a complex and fascinating relationship. The evidence reveals Marian to be a complicated woman who both resented, loved and was fiercely protective of her older sister. Forced to live together for a large part of their lives Anne vehemently disapproved of Marian’s desire to escape in order to marry a “carpet maker” feeling him to be unworthy of the sister she herself derided. Marian, for her part, did not understand her elder sister's relationships with women, but she accepted them, defended her and worried about her excessively even whilst she ranted about Anne’s spending, scheming and selfishness.

When together, the two women bickered constantly with Marian, literally at times screaming in frustration at her headstrong sister. Anne, for her part, complained that Marian was “simple … good for nothing,” yet her approval meant a good deal to her.

Here, for the first time, we look at the complex relationship between the two women, how it developed, its moments of triumph and tragedy, as well as the profound influence it had on each of their lives.

Author Profile:                                                                                                

                                                  

                                                      Courtesy of Amazon

Rebecca Batley is an archaeologist and historian with a particular interest in women's history. Her work can be found in numerous publications, including New Scientist, Aeon, Nautilus, Gay and Lesbian Review, American Naval History, Medieval History, Medieval Warfare, Ancient History, NILE, The Pilgrim, Mental Floss, Reverb, American History, and History Scotland. She regularly gives talks on her research and has worked for, amongst others, MOLA and Wessex Archaeology.

Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

NetGalley   Amazon Profile.   Goodreads Profile

Three Summers by Karen Swan

                                                            

Ebook:   454 pages      

Genre:    Historical Romantic Fiction, Thriller                                     

Publisher: Feb 2026 - Random House UK

Source:  NetGalley

First Sentences: The bolt of satin rolled out along the length of the cutting table, ripples catching the light like the sparkling sea that lay beyond the window.

Review Quote:  'The beloved master storyteller Karen Swan takes readers to sun soaked Puglia in Three Summers. Evocative, romantic and atmospheric' - Adriana Trigiani, bestselling author of The View from Lake Como

Setting:   Puglia, Italy

My Opinion: 

Having last read a novel by Karen Swan back in 2020 during lockdown that was a beguiling love story I was expecting more of the same from ‘Three Summers’.

Set in Puglia, Italy over three summers in the late fifties and early sixties the story follows a love triangle between Rafaella Parisi, Fon Gianelli and Cosimo Franchetti who have been friends since childhood.

As an Italophile this was not really the romantic escapism I was looking for when I decided to read ‘Three Summers’.  The elements are there with wonderful descriptions  of a beautiful region and idyllic summers but the story takes a dramatic turn. Overpowered by the organised crime element and the terrible things that happen rather spoiling the novel for me.  It is well written, but don’t pick it up unless you are prepared for a somewhat disturbing and dark story.  

With thanks to NetGalley, the author and Random House UK for the opportunity to read and review.

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads:

Tricase Porto, Puglia, Italy

1957: The summer of innocence

Amongst the lemon trees, Rafaella Parisi impatiently waits for the summer visitors to arrive in her small fishing village on the coast of Puglia. She may be dating Fon Gianelli, but there is one person she longs to Cosimo - son of the wealthy Franchetti family.

1958: The summer everything changed

After a devastating accident at the lavish Franchetti villa, Rafa makes a vow that changes the course of all their futures…

1961: The summer they met again…

And when Rafa and Cosi’s lives collide, Rafa must decide if she’s willing to risk the life she has built for the future she might have had…

Previous Review:
         The Rome Affair

Author Profile:                                                                                                

                                                

                                                 Courtesy of Goodreads.

Karen Swan is the Sunday Times Top Three and international best-selling author. She has sold over five million books and is published in more than twenty five languages worldwide. She writes two books each year and her stories are known for their evocative locations, with Karen travelling widely for research. Her books feature complex love stories rooted to a central mystery and span both contemporary and historical timespans. 

Her latest book Three Summers is set in Italy's heel, Puglia, in the late '50s, early '60s, and follows the taut love triangle between three childhood friends. Sharing their summers in a tiny fishing port they are caught between class and expectation - until a freak tragedy shatters their lives and resets their futures. Told over the course of three summers, they become bound together in an increasingly-fraught struggle of passion, possession and power. 

She lives in Sussex with her husband, three children and three dogs.

Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

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The Weekend by T.M. Logan

                                                 

Ebook:  410 pages      

Genre:  Contemporary Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Suspense.                                         

Publisher: 26 Feb 2026 - Bonnier Books UK  Zaffre Publishing Group

Source:  NetGalley

First Sentences: We're lost. Jason won't admit it but I can always tell by the way he walks: striding ahead full of confidence as if he absolutely knows where he's going.

Review Quote: A fiendishly gripping 'What would I do?' thriller, which explores what it takes to crack apart a group of lifelong friends. This is T.M. Logan at his finest, delivering a rocketing pace, whiplash twists, and a stylish denouement. ― Lucy Clarke - Author

Setting:   Yorkshire Dales, Northern England

My Opinion: 

I first discovered the writing of T. M. Logan a couple of years ago. He is now definitely on my list of favourite thriller writers and this is the third of his novels I have read and enjoyed.

What would you do if you came across a large amount of cash, previously hidden in what must have been thought to be a safe place! This is the moral dilemma facing six friends when they come across a rucksack full of money, whilst out hiking during a weekend break together in the Yorkshire Dales. The story line is full of secrets and lies as the situation escalates, to what for me were some unexpected twists.

A fast paced gripping read that will keep surprising you. A must read if you are a thriller fan.

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads:

Six friends. Five secrets. One holiday to die for . . .

Welcome to THE WEEKEND.

When a group of friends rent a converted farmhouse in the Yorkshire Dales, they have little idea that this one weekend may change the course of their lives forever.

While out on a walk, a storm descends and the friends take shelter in the mouth of an old lead mine. Inside, they discover a backpack filled with more money than they've ever seen.

Of course, they agree, they will hand the money to the police at the first opportunity. But as the storm continues and time passes, some of the party begin to think again. Because there are secrets festering at the heart of this group. Debt. Obsession. A career on the brink. Problems that could be solved instantly with an unexpected windfall.

And perhaps they don't know each other as well as thought they did.

Before long, six good friends find themselves sliding headlong into a world of deceit, treachery, betrayal and murder . . .

Previous Reviews: The Dream Home.   The Daughter

Author Profile:                                                                                                

                                      

Bestselling author TM Logan was a national newspaper journalist before turning to novel-writing full time. His thrillers have sold more than two million copies in the UK and are published in translation in 22 countries around the world including France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, South Korea, Poland, Hungary, Serbia, Greece, Romania and the Netherlands.

He was born in Berkshire on the 19th of December 1975 and grew up in Reading, the youngest of three boys and a fully-fledged bookworm from a very young age. He read history at Westfield College, part of the University of London, and went on to do a postgrad at Cardiff University.

Wanting to write journalism seemed an obvious choice, and after five years as a reporter and then education correspondent on the Nottingham Evening Post he moved to London to work on the Daily Mail. The next move took him back to the East Midlands, where he worked for the University of Nottingham as a press officer, writing fiction in any spare time he could find. In January 2017 his first thriller was published. a few weeks later his current position as a deputy director in charge of the university’s communications team – was scrapped as part of a restructure. That was when he decided to take the plunge into writing full-time.

He lives in Nottinghamshire with his wife and two children, and writes in a cabin in the corner of his garden.

Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Goodreads Author Profile.    Amazon Author Page   Official Author Website

Twitter Profile.    Instagram Profile.   Facebook Profile

  

Island in the Sun by Katie Fforde

                                                        

Audible-Book:  8hrs 55m listening

Genre:  Romantic Contemporary Fiction

Publisher:  Penguin 2024

Source: Audible Account

First Sentences: Cass had been travelling all day. There had been an early morning flight from Bristol to Glasgow, two long bus journeys, a largish ferry and now this tiny ferry that took a dozen cars at best. She was nearly there.

Setting: Dominica

Review Quote: 'All the elements of a moving love story are blended to perfection.' The Lady

My Opinion:

I have been reading Katie Fforde's novels since she was first published back in 1995. Her characters are always believable and set in places we can imagine, stories that are easy to read but with enough drama to keep you interested.

In 'Island in the Sun' the novel opens with the female protagonist Cass, a young and somewhat naive young woman, visiting her father in his remote Scottish home for the first time. It is here she meets Ranulph and they find themselves travelling to Dominica together to assist in a project for a friend of Cass's father. Cass and Ranulph's relationship is something of a slow burn due to the circumstances they face over the coming months. Will love overcome the difficulties?

In conclusion this was easy, relaxing, listening. It made a pleasant change from reading and I recommend this story to all fans of romantic escapism and Katie Fforde.

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads: 

When Cass is asked by her father to take on an unusual photography project in the Caribbean Island of Dominica, she really can't see a reason to say no.

But the remote island has just been hit be a severe hurricane, leaving destruction in its wake. Cass is travelling with Ranulph who is searching for the rare stone carvings her father wants her to photograph.

Their hunt leads Cass down a path of bravery and self-discovery, and she soon falls for Ranulph, who has been by her side every step of the way.

But does he feel the same way about her?

Previous Reviews:  Summer of Love.  Recipe for Love  The Perfect Match.  

A Wedding in Provence.  One Enchanted Evening.   From London with Love

Author Profile:                                                                                       

                                                

                                       

                                     Courtesy of Goodreads Profile

Catherine Rose Gordon-Cumming was born 27 September 1952 in England, UK and she lives in Stroud, Gloucestershire. She is the daughter of Shirley Barbara Laub and Michael Willoughby Gordon-Cumming. Her grandfather was Sir William Gordon-Cumming. Her sister is fellow writer Jane Gordon-Cumming. Katie married Desmond Fforde, cousin of the also writer Jasper Fforde. She has three children: Guy, Francis and Briony and didn't start writing until after the birth of her third child. She has previously worked both as a cleaning lady and in a health food cafe.

Published since 1995, her romance novels are set in modern-day England. She is the founder of the "Katie Fforde Bursary" for writers who have yet to secure a publishing contract. Katie was elected the twenty-fifteenth Chairman (2009-2011) of the Romantic Novelists' Association. She is delighted to have been chosen as Chair of the Romantic Novelists' Association and says, "Catherine Jones was a wonderful chair and she's a very tough act to follow. However, I've been a member of the RNA for more years than I can actually remember and will have its very best interests at the core of everything I do."           

                                                      

Biographical Information and Photo courtesy of the following sites:

Katie Fforde - Official Website   Facebook Profile    Instagram Profile   Twitter Profile

Amazon Author Profile  Goodreads Author Profile