The ebook bestseller 1665. Susannah Leyton has grown up behind the counter of her father's apothecary shop in bustling Fleet Street. A skilled student - the resinous scents of lavender, rosemary, liquorice and turpentine run in her blood - her father has granted her the freedom to pursue her considerable talents. But Susannah is dealt a shocking blow when her widowed father marries again, and her new step-mother seems determined to remove her from the apothecary shop for good. A proposal of marriage from the charming Henry Savage seems to offer Susannah an escape. But as the plague sweeps through London, tragedy strikes, and dark secrets in her husband's past begin to unfold. It will take all of Susannah's courage and passion to save herself from tragedy ...

* www.piatkusbooks.net * Reviews anticipated in women's magazines and national press.

About the Author
Charlotte Betts began her working life as a fashion designer in London. A career followed in interior design, property management and lettings. Always a bookworm, Charlotte discovered her passion for writing after her three children and two step-children grew up. Her debut novel, The Apothecary's Daughter, won the YouWriteOn Book of the Year Award in 2010 and the Joan Hessayon Award for New Writers, was shortlisted for the Best Historical Read at the Festival of Romance in 2011 and won the coveted Romantic Novelists' Association's Historical Romantic Novel RoNA award in 2013. Her second novel, The Painter's Apprentice, was also shortlisted for the Best Historical Read at the Festival of Romance in 2012 and the RoNA award in 2014. The Spice Merchant's Wife won the Festival of Romance's Best Historical Read award in 2013. Charlotte lives with her husband in a cottage in the woods on the Hampshire/Berkshire border. Visit her website at www.charlottebetts.com and follow her on twitter at www.twitter.com/CharlotteBetts1

Reviews
A vivid tale of love in a time of fire, plague and prejudice -- Katherine Webb Romantic, engaging and hugely satisfying. This is one of those novels that makes you feel like you've travelled back in time -- Katie Fforde A colourful story with a richly-drawn backdrop of London in the grip of plague. A wonderful debut novel -- Carole Matthews This is a worthy debut novel from Charlotte Betts... her reference to the plague... really takes the reader back to the 15th century South Coast Register Fantastic in the way it depicts how much women's lives have changed since then and how lucky we are now. I recommend it for anyone who loves a great historical novel with love, betrayal, fear and the overcoming of great obstacles Toowoomba Chronicle A feast for the senses. With the sensual language of Patrick Suskind's Perfume and the historical flavour of Philippa Gregory, this is a lush, immersive read for historical fiction fans, set during one of the most exciting eras of the city's history Holiday Magazine


Awards
Winner of Romantic Novelists' Association Awards: Historical Romantic Novel 2013 and Romantic Novel of the Year Award 2011. Short-listed for Festival of Romance Reader Award for Best Historical Read 2011.



Book Information
ISBN 9780749954499
Author Charlotte Betts
Format Paperback
Page Count 400
Imprint Piatkus Books
Publisher Little, Brown Book Group
Weight(grams) 280g
Dimensions(mm) 196mm * 128mm * 25mm