Friday Fun: RIpper My Love for the Weekend!

I love a book that makes me rethink something I consider to be hard fast fact. For this reason, I am eternally grateful to Glynis Smy, who helped me reconsider my previous dislike of historical fiction.


This dislike is a little bit odd, as I love history, but I just think that historical fiction is hard to do well. It is usually written by history buffs that fall easily into the trap of continually reminding you that this is THE PAST and THIS IS THE COOL STUFF THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED IN THE PAST. The reminders break the flow and aggravate me, and so I usually avoid the genre.

I am glad I made an exception for Smy’s novel Ripper My Love. I read it because my interactions with her on the blogosphere convinced me that she is a kind, bright, and creative person and I wanted to see what she had up her sleeve, despite the genre.

Ripper My Love is the story of Kitty, an energetic and independent woman living near White Chapel in London during the reign of Jack the Ripper. Kitty dreams of owning her own sewing shop and works to care for her father, completely oblivious that she is deeply imbued in the life of the Ripper.

There is an awesome, and totally unexpected twist, but I won’t ruin it.

Smy’s novel is thoughtful, engaging, and really exciting. She masterfully used history to create a backdrop, instead of letting it linger in the forefront like so many historical fiction writers do. Before I realized how she had done it, she transported me into the London slums, and had me wholly invested what happened to our protagonist.

Full of intrigue and action, you will find this a quick read and a thoroughly satisfying conclusion. Available in both print and Kindle, you will find the investment well worth it. Find it on Amazon here..