Review: The Brewer's Tale by Karen Brooks

Title: The Brewer's Tale
Author: Karen Brooks
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Harlequin Mira
Publish Date: October 1, 2014 (Today!)
Source: I received a copy from the publisher; however, this did not affect my review.

What's the Story?:

From Goodreads.com: " When Anneke Sheldrake is forced to find a way to support her family after her father is lost at sea, she turns to the business by which her mother’s family once prospered: brewing ale.

Armed with her Dutch mother’s recipes and a belief that anything would be better than the life her vindictive cousin has offered her, she makes a deal with her father’s aristocratic employer: Anneke has six months to succeed or not only will she lose the house but her family as well.

Through her enterprise and determination, she inadvertently earns herself a deadly enemy. Threatened and held in contempt by those she once called friends, Anneke nonetheless thrives. But on the tail of success, tragedy follows and those closest to her pay the greatest price for her daring.

Ashamed, grieving, and bearing a terrible secret, Anneke flees to London, determined to forge her own destiny. Will she be able to escape her past, and those whose only desire is to see her fail?

A compelling insight into the brewer’s craft, the strength of women, and the myriad forms love can take."

My Two Cents:

In "The Brewer's Tale" we meet a young woman, Anneke, who is suddenly left on her own to take care of herself and her family as her father is lost at sea. It is up she alone to support her family and during the time that she lives in this isn't always easy for a woman to do. She had it she decides that she is going to brew ale, which is not particularly a job that women had during this time. She faces a lot of doubts from a lot of different people but she knows with a little bit of determination, she'll be able to support her family and the way that she needs to. This is a thoroughly engaging historical fiction about a very strong character.

I really enjoyed this book. I always like a character that you can root for and you definitely have one here with Anneke. She is an incredibly strong character and I definitely admired her courage during this book. She had to do a lot of things where the door may not necessarily have been open to her but she's never afraid to bust through. She is definitely someone that you can root from the very first page until the last.

I really like the way that they author was able to pull in a lot of great historical detail. It was really interesting to learn about ale making, which is never something that I really have given much thought to at all. The author presents her details in such a way that it really makes Anneke's world feel very real. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and think that other historical fiction lovers are looking for a strong character will enjoy it as well.