Review: ‘An Almond for a Parrot’ by Wray Delaney

Blurb: I would like to make myself the heroine of this story and my character to be noble – an innocent victim led astray. But alas sir, I would be lying…

Tully Truegood: Orphan, Magician’s apprentice, Whore.

In prison, accused of murder, Tully begins to write her life story. A story that takes her from a young daughter-skivvy in the back streets of 18th Century London to her stepmother Queenie’s Fairy House – a place where decadent excess is a must…

Trained by Queenie to become a courtesan, and by Mr Crease – a magician who sees that Tully holds similar special powers to his own – together they make Tully the talk of the town.

But as Tully goes on a journey of sexual awakening, she falls in love with one of her clients and the pleasure soon turns to pain. Especially when the estranged husband she was forced to marry by her father suddenly seeks her out. Now Tully is awaiting her trial for murder, for which she expects to hang…and her only chance of survival is to get her story to the one person who might be able to help her.o offer. 

Review: Having been intrigued after seeing a little about this book online, I was lucky to get a copy sent to me by the publisher to review on my blog.

It’s the 18th century and Tully Truegood is writing down her story while sitting in jail awaiting her murder trial. From her childhood days as the daughter of a gambling, drunk and abusive father, who in the end tries to sell her to pay off some of his debts, to her days at her stepmother Queenie’s Fairy House, where she becomes the apprentice of the resident magician and is also being prepared to become a courtesan.
Tully’s story is full of ups and downs and many a times I wanted to grab her to protect her from all the evil. But there are also some laugh out loud moments as well, especially the mention of vegetables in some chapters! With the story getting quite descriptive at times, following her sexual awakening for example, a lot of the scenes could have easily come across as vulgar, but the author handles them all in a brilliant manner.

I just love Tully and can’t help but admire her strength of will and believe in a better life! I know that her story will stay with me and I am looking forward to reading the book again some time!

So if you like historical fiction with a touch of magic, a racy plot and excellent prose, this book is for you! An all around great book that I immensely enjoyed and could not put down until I finished the last page!

~ Thank you to HQ and Cara Thompson for the opportunity to read and review this book ~

Published November 3rd, 2016 by HQ, Harper Collins

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