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The Spice Merchant's Wife
The stunning third novel from award-winning historical fiction author, Charlotte Betts, opening in 1666 at the time of the Great Fire of London.
1666. Newly married to a wealthy spice merchant, Kate Finche believes all her dreams of a happy family life are just around the corner until the Great Fire rages through London. She watches in horror as their livelihood goes up in flames, filling the air with the heady scents of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
As the city is devastated, Kate's husband Robert is forced to seek employment to ensure their survival, but when he is found drowned, Kate refuses to believe that he has taken his own life. Widowed and penniless, she seeks refuge in The House of Perfume, the home of blind perfumer Gabriel Harte, who awakens Kate's senses to a whole new world. But as she flees from this forbidden love, her husband's murderer comes looking for her . . .
The Spice Merchant's Wife is a stunning novel, bursting with the colour and flavour of Restoration London - perfect for readers of Phillipa Gregory, Joanne Harris and Patrick Suskind's Perfume.
1666. Newly married to a wealthy spice merchant, Kate Finche believes all her dreams of a happy family life are just around the corner until the Great Fire rages through London. She watches in horror as their livelihood goes up in flames, filling the air with the heady scents of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
As the city is devastated, Kate's husband Robert is forced to seek employment to ensure their survival, but when he is found drowned, Kate refuses to believe that he has taken his own life. Widowed and penniless, she seeks refuge in The House of Perfume, the home of blind perfumer Gabriel Harte, who awakens Kate's senses to a whole new world. But as she flees from this forbidden love, her husband's murderer comes looking for her . . .
The Spice Merchant's Wife is a stunning novel, bursting with the colour and flavour of Restoration London - perfect for readers of Phillipa Gregory, Joanne Harris and Patrick Suskind's Perfume.
400 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
33 people are currently reading
1108 people want to read
About the author
Charlotte Betts
20 books177 followersCharlotte Betts discovered a passion for writing after her five children had grown up and left her in peace. Demanding careers in hotel design and property force her to be inventive in finding time to write but she has achieved seven novels in eight years. One of her short stories was published in Scribble and others short-listed by Writers’ News and Real Writers’. She has won first prize in five short story competitions and wrote a regular column on interior design for The Maidenhead Advertiser for two years. She is a member of WordWatchers http://www.wordwatchers.net/ and the Romantic Novelists’ Association.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 139 reviews
July 24, 2024
Review from 2015
B+ for both narration and content.
I bought this audiobook on impulse a while back. I’d heard of the author, but hadn’t read any of her books, and I knew of the narrator, having seen her name attached to several titles at Audible – but other than that, didn’t have much to go on apart from the synopsis. And that’s fairly unusual for me, as I’m someone who usually looks at the narrator’s name first and the storyline and author second and third.
Fortunately, this turned out to be one of those times when my purchase proved to have been a good idea, because I listened to The Spice Merchant’s Wife in two or three sittings over one weekend; I didn’t want to stop listening to go to sleep even though I kept dozing off at 2 am on the Sunday morning!
It’s September 1666, and Kate Finche is both eager and apprehensive at the prospect of being reunited with her husband Robert, who has been away from home for six months of their seven-month-old marriage. He has been trading overseas and has now returned with a large and soon to be profitable cargo, all of it unloaded into the company warehouses near the docks. Kate has been living with her in-laws while Robert has been away, and now her husband is back, looks forward to finding a home of their own and starting a family.
Kate’s hopes – and much more – are dashed when fire sweeps through London, destroying lives, homes and businesses. The Finche’s warehouse and family home are burned down, and they are destitute, Mr Finche senior taken to debtor’s prison, and the young couple forced to live in a dingy room on the meagre income Robert is able to earn as a clerk.
Kate’s marriage to Robert Finche was not a love match; but he’s young, good-looking and had good prospects, which is probably more than many young women could have hoped for at that time. In addition, Kate was desperate to get away from the ill-treatment meted out to her by the malicious elderly aunt who had taken her in upon the death of her parents. The already uncertain foundation to their marriage weakens further in their straightened circumstances. Robert shows Kate very little affection or understanding, and refuses to give her the child she longs for (which I can understand, given the circumstances). Things begin to look up for them when he gets a job with one of the men who has been given many of the contracts for re-building the city, the unpleasant and ruthless Mr Hackett.
With the story of Kate’s life with Robert running in the foreground, in the background we are introduced to the well-to-do and elegant Gabriel Harte, the blind owner of The House of Perfume . Kate meets him early on in the story when she saves him from a serious accident and then later he introduces her to his wife, Jane, and his young son, Toby. Kate and Jane become fast friends, and it’s to her and Gabriel that Kate eventually expresses her reservations about the shoddy nature of Hackett’s work. There has already been death and injury as the result of collapse in some of the new houses that have been built – and when Robert is found drowned, Kate is convinced she knows who is responsible for his death.
Now a widow, and once again penniless, Kate is taken in by the Hartes and given a post as Toby’s nursemaid. The lad quickly develops a fondness for Kate, and his mother, whose health is deteriorating, seems determined to foster their friendship. The trouble is that Kate finds herself increasingly drawn to the handsome and enigmatic Gabriel, even though she knows nothing can come of it.
While there most definitely IS a romance at the heart of The Spice Merchant’s Wife, I’d say the book is more a piece of romantic historical fiction. The romance is fairly low key for the first half of the book, which is principally concerned with telling the story of the trials and tribulations of Kate’s life as a young wife and a young woman in Restoration London. The author’s descriptions of the fire and its aftermath are very evocative, and I was thoroughly caught up in the events of Kate’s day-to-day life, her increasing determination to expose Hackett’s wrong-doing and the development of her growing friendship with and attachment to the Hartes.
If you enjoy historical fiction with a strong sense of time and place, and books that take time over their setup and that pay a lot of attention to detail, then The Spice Merchant’s Wife could well be one for you.
My one complaint is that perhaps Kate has far more than her fair share of misery heaped upon her before she finally gets her HEA – destitute, widowed, almost raped, almost murdered, destitute again… and much more, and I felt that the final tragedy she experienced was one too many. But she’s an engaging character, and her relationship with Gabriel, although it moves at a leisurely pace, is well developed and imbued with a latent sensuality.
Penelope Freeman is an experienced narrator with many titles to her name at Audible, but I’ve never listened to her before. She has a mellow, fairly deep voice which lends itself well to performing the male characters in the story. She gives Gabriel slightly gravelly, husky tones which are both attractive and authoritative, and while Robert is performed in a similar register, there is never any question as to which of the two is speaking in the few scenes in which they appear together. Every character in the story is clearly differentiated, from Aunt Mercy’s nasal whine to Jane’s higher-pitched, delicate tones; and Hackett’s slimy growl to the rounded, portly timbre Ms Freeman uses for Kate’s father-in-law.
The narrative is well-paced for the most part, although if I have a criticism, it’s that this narrator seems to favour quite long pauses in dialogue or between sentences. Much of the time, such pauses are very effective, but at others, I wondered if the battery on my mp3 player needed recharging!
Overall though, The Spice Merchant’s Wife is a compelling story wrapped up in a very engaging performance and is an audiobook I found very difficult to put down. This is one impulse buy I certainly don’t regret!
B+ for both narration and content.
I bought this audiobook on impulse a while back. I’d heard of the author, but hadn’t read any of her books, and I knew of the narrator, having seen her name attached to several titles at Audible – but other than that, didn’t have much to go on apart from the synopsis. And that’s fairly unusual for me, as I’m someone who usually looks at the narrator’s name first and the storyline and author second and third.
Fortunately, this turned out to be one of those times when my purchase proved to have been a good idea, because I listened to The Spice Merchant’s Wife in two or three sittings over one weekend; I didn’t want to stop listening to go to sleep even though I kept dozing off at 2 am on the Sunday morning!
It’s September 1666, and Kate Finche is both eager and apprehensive at the prospect of being reunited with her husband Robert, who has been away from home for six months of their seven-month-old marriage. He has been trading overseas and has now returned with a large and soon to be profitable cargo, all of it unloaded into the company warehouses near the docks. Kate has been living with her in-laws while Robert has been away, and now her husband is back, looks forward to finding a home of their own and starting a family.
Kate’s hopes – and much more – are dashed when fire sweeps through London, destroying lives, homes and businesses. The Finche’s warehouse and family home are burned down, and they are destitute, Mr Finche senior taken to debtor’s prison, and the young couple forced to live in a dingy room on the meagre income Robert is able to earn as a clerk.
Kate’s marriage to Robert Finche was not a love match; but he’s young, good-looking and had good prospects, which is probably more than many young women could have hoped for at that time. In addition, Kate was desperate to get away from the ill-treatment meted out to her by the malicious elderly aunt who had taken her in upon the death of her parents. The already uncertain foundation to their marriage weakens further in their straightened circumstances. Robert shows Kate very little affection or understanding, and refuses to give her the child she longs for (which I can understand, given the circumstances). Things begin to look up for them when he gets a job with one of the men who has been given many of the contracts for re-building the city, the unpleasant and ruthless Mr Hackett.
With the story of Kate’s life with Robert running in the foreground, in the background we are introduced to the well-to-do and elegant Gabriel Harte, the blind owner of The House of Perfume . Kate meets him early on in the story when she saves him from a serious accident and then later he introduces her to his wife, Jane, and his young son, Toby. Kate and Jane become fast friends, and it’s to her and Gabriel that Kate eventually expresses her reservations about the shoddy nature of Hackett’s work. There has already been death and injury as the result of collapse in some of the new houses that have been built – and when Robert is found drowned, Kate is convinced she knows who is responsible for his death.
Now a widow, and once again penniless, Kate is taken in by the Hartes and given a post as Toby’s nursemaid. The lad quickly develops a fondness for Kate, and his mother, whose health is deteriorating, seems determined to foster their friendship. The trouble is that Kate finds herself increasingly drawn to the handsome and enigmatic Gabriel, even though she knows nothing can come of it.
While there most definitely IS a romance at the heart of The Spice Merchant’s Wife, I’d say the book is more a piece of romantic historical fiction. The romance is fairly low key for the first half of the book, which is principally concerned with telling the story of the trials and tribulations of Kate’s life as a young wife and a young woman in Restoration London. The author’s descriptions of the fire and its aftermath are very evocative, and I was thoroughly caught up in the events of Kate’s day-to-day life, her increasing determination to expose Hackett’s wrong-doing and the development of her growing friendship with and attachment to the Hartes.
If you enjoy historical fiction with a strong sense of time and place, and books that take time over their setup and that pay a lot of attention to detail, then The Spice Merchant’s Wife could well be one for you.
My one complaint is that perhaps Kate has far more than her fair share of misery heaped upon her before she finally gets her HEA – destitute, widowed, almost raped, almost murdered, destitute again… and much more, and I felt that the final tragedy she experienced was one too many. But she’s an engaging character, and her relationship with Gabriel, although it moves at a leisurely pace, is well developed and imbued with a latent sensuality.
Penelope Freeman is an experienced narrator with many titles to her name at Audible, but I’ve never listened to her before. She has a mellow, fairly deep voice which lends itself well to performing the male characters in the story. She gives Gabriel slightly gravelly, husky tones which are both attractive and authoritative, and while Robert is performed in a similar register, there is never any question as to which of the two is speaking in the few scenes in which they appear together. Every character in the story is clearly differentiated, from Aunt Mercy’s nasal whine to Jane’s higher-pitched, delicate tones; and Hackett’s slimy growl to the rounded, portly timbre Ms Freeman uses for Kate’s father-in-law.
The narrative is well-paced for the most part, although if I have a criticism, it’s that this narrator seems to favour quite long pauses in dialogue or between sentences. Much of the time, such pauses are very effective, but at others, I wondered if the battery on my mp3 player needed recharging!
Overall though, The Spice Merchant’s Wife is a compelling story wrapped up in a very engaging performance and is an audiobook I found very difficult to put down. This is one impulse buy I certainly don’t regret!
March 25, 2021
3.5⭐
Nuspėjama knyga 🙂
Nuspėjama knyga 🙂
April 18, 2014
This is a good read. I wish it wasn't marketed as a historical romance (complete with semi-decapitated woman on the cover) because although the relationship between Kate and Gabriel is a central theme, there is SO much more going on. It's a real page turner, with a good line in suspense and some great characters.
I also really enjoyed the the descriptions of London in the aftermath of the Great Fire; so many novels about this episode culminate with the fire, or focus on it, but in this book the fire happens at the start and the descriptions of the rebuilding of the city are really vivid. I got a real sense of how confusing it must have been to be robbed of every landmark, and then to have completely new streets appear from nowhere.
So, good book - but please, Piatkus, this has a romantic story, but it's not a romance novel. And whoever wrote the back cover copy needs a talking to as it gave away a huge chunk of the plot. (What was presented as 'scene setting' covered the events of the first half - or more - of the book).
I also really enjoyed the the descriptions of London in the aftermath of the Great Fire; so many novels about this episode culminate with the fire, or focus on it, but in this book the fire happens at the start and the descriptions of the rebuilding of the city are really vivid. I got a real sense of how confusing it must have been to be robbed of every landmark, and then to have completely new streets appear from nowhere.
So, good book - but please, Piatkus, this has a romantic story, but it's not a romance novel. And whoever wrote the back cover copy needs a talking to as it gave away a huge chunk of the plot. (What was presented as 'scene setting' covered the events of the first half - or more - of the book).
April 21, 2018
3 de 5 estrellas ⭐️⭐️⭐️(me ha gustado)
La novela se sitúa en el siglo XVII en un Londres devastado por un gran incendio que rompe la vida y la economía de numerosas familias.
La familia Finche pierde su género, su almacén de especias y también su hogar. Una nueva y difícil vida comienza para ellos.
La novela está muy bien ambientada y tiene tintes de costumbrismo, intriga y romance. La primera parte de la novela ha sido mi favorita, me gusta muchísimo como Kate afronta la nueva vida que deben llevar y como sobrevive a la precariedad y al carácter agrio de su marido. La segunda parte tiene más acción y suceden hechos que te mantienen pendiente pero tiene menos encanto.
Es una novela que recomiendo porque me parece muy diferente, muy agradable y que te deja con un buen sabor de boca.
La novela se sitúa en el siglo XVII en un Londres devastado por un gran incendio que rompe la vida y la economía de numerosas familias.
La familia Finche pierde su género, su almacén de especias y también su hogar. Una nueva y difícil vida comienza para ellos.
La novela está muy bien ambientada y tiene tintes de costumbrismo, intriga y romance. La primera parte de la novela ha sido mi favorita, me gusta muchísimo como Kate afronta la nueva vida que deben llevar y como sobrevive a la precariedad y al carácter agrio de su marido. La segunda parte tiene más acción y suceden hechos que te mantienen pendiente pero tiene menos encanto.
Es una novela que recomiendo porque me parece muy diferente, muy agradable y que te deja con un buen sabor de boca.
April 14, 2024
I had a friend say that she only gives a book 5 stars if she felt like she could read it again. I could read this book again and again and again! Loved it.
February 25, 2014
Wow! Never even heard of Charlotte Betts and yet, by coming across this book through a spot of random browsing I was hooked, and picked it up at every opportunity! Brilliant story, realistic characters, so touching and yet so heartbreaking in places. Well worth the money and I'm off to by another Betts rightaway!
June 1, 2022
Neesmu īpaši liela mūsdienu vēsturisko romānu fane, jo, manuprāt, tā zūd autentiskums, bet šai autorei ir lieliski sanācis atspoguļot 17. gadsimta Londonu. Viegli lasāma, interesants sižets, personāži, kuriem tiešām notici.
June 14, 2022
Después del Gran Incendio de Londres en los años 1600, Kate y su marido Robert intentan reconstruir la vida que el fuego se llevó.
Esta novela, fue escrita después de "La hija del boticario" por Charlotte Betts, quien se descubrió como amante de la escritura después de toda una vida como madre y modista.
Realmente me cautivó, la ortografía y sintaxis que persiguen a esta obra es exquisita, más porque el escritor supo manejar de una forma profesional la primera persona para relatar la historia, y también hago una total entrega del crédito del éxito como obra literaria a el traductor inglés-español quien se esforzó en no abandonar la esencia que Betts plantó en este libro.
Si bien, dejo cinco estrellas, considero que el final fue muy abrupto, y queriendo complacer al lector caímos en un típico "happy ending". Estas dos partes juntas: final abrupto + happy ending, no son la mejor combinación, ya que se da la sensación de querer terminar todo rápido, sin pensar ya mucho y como si el escritor estuviese cansado ya de esta obra y quisiera librarse de ella para seguir escribiendo otras cosas.
Cuando leo o adquiero con alguno de mis sentidos alguna obra de arte, necesito que no me den lo que quiero, necesito un final humano, verdadero, triste, necesito que destruya mi poca estabilidad emocional;; 🥀
Está chida, 10/10.
Esta novela, fue escrita después de "La hija del boticario" por Charlotte Betts, quien se descubrió como amante de la escritura después de toda una vida como madre y modista.
Realmente me cautivó, la ortografía y sintaxis que persiguen a esta obra es exquisita, más porque el escritor supo manejar de una forma profesional la primera persona para relatar la historia, y también hago una total entrega del crédito del éxito como obra literaria a el traductor inglés-español quien se esforzó en no abandonar la esencia que Betts plantó en este libro.
Si bien, dejo cinco estrellas, considero que el final fue muy abrupto, y queriendo complacer al lector caímos en un típico "happy ending". Estas dos partes juntas: final abrupto + happy ending, no son la mejor combinación, ya que se da la sensación de querer terminar todo rápido, sin pensar ya mucho y como si el escritor estuviese cansado ya de esta obra y quisiera librarse de ella para seguir escribiendo otras cosas.
Cuando leo o adquiero con alguno de mis sentidos alguna obra de arte, necesito que no me den lo que quiero, necesito un final humano, verdadero, triste, necesito que destruya mi poca estabilidad emocional;; 🥀
Está chida, 10/10.
October 4, 2013
Not really a mystery. Not really a romance. I'm not even convinced this is set in the correct century. If all reference to the Great Fire of London and the brief mention of Charles II were removed, this could be a 17th or 19th century story. I'm just not convinced by this novel. I can see why it appeals to readers but it just doesn't do anything for me. There are simply too many things that jolt you out of the story - the modern phrases, the unconvincing psychology, Mistress Finche inventing a guide dog harness, the glaringly obvious character name change that should have been seen in edits, the sudden appearance of characters that are there and gone, the repetitive "is that you" from Mister Harte made it almost impossible to like him in the end but this is because we only need to be told he's blind the once. I could go on but I want to move on and read the next book on my never decreasing list. Like the two star rating states, it was ok but I won't be taking a second journey with Charlotte Betts.
September 4, 2016
Çok başarılı bir kitap idi..Su gibi akıyordu çeviri ve editi oldukça başarılı bir roman..
17.yy İngiltere sini adeta yaşatan bir kurguya sahip idi..
Sadece teyzsinden kurtulmak için yaptığı evlilikte umduğu mutluluğu bulamayan Kate'in hayatı ummadığı kadar dibe gidecektir..Evlendiği kocasını bir türlü sevip isinamamasi ustune bir de tüm şehri yakıp geçen yangın...Beceriksiz ve dusuncesiz bir eş yuzunden hayatının felakete doğru suruklenmesi...Ama bir parfumor sayesinde gelen umut...
Tavsiye ederim..
17.yy İngiltere sini adeta yaşatan bir kurguya sahip idi..
Sadece teyzsinden kurtulmak için yaptığı evlilikte umduğu mutluluğu bulamayan Kate'in hayatı ummadığı kadar dibe gidecektir..Evlendiği kocasını bir türlü sevip isinamamasi ustune bir de tüm şehri yakıp geçen yangın...Beceriksiz ve dusuncesiz bir eş yuzunden hayatının felakete doğru suruklenmesi...Ama bir parfumor sayesinde gelen umut...
Tavsiye ederim..
September 11, 2016
Segundo libro de esta escritora , me encantan te atrapa desde la primera página , sus libros tienen de todo , estoy deseosa de leer el siguiente de ella
March 5, 2018
Patika, bet pietrūka pārsteiguma momentu, atbilstības laikmetam un vides detalizētības, lai lasītu ar aizrautību.
January 18, 2021
Really enjoyed this book. A little predictable.
February 11, 2015
I loved the audio version of my first ever Charlotte Betts novel...The Spice Merchant’s Wife.... Like Caz who recommended it to me, so enthralled was I, that I could not stop listening. Probably like most people, I know of The Great Fire of London and knew that it devastated a huge chunk of London and its inhabitants but never truly appreciated the devastation, heartache and loss endured. Although not many people actually died during the fire the homelessness and poverty experienced afterwards must have absolutely decimated the populace who had to endure the loss of family homes and businesses and the fallout of the knock on effect of hunger and disease which must have prevailed. This is mainly the story of what happened to the Finche family, previously affluent spice merchants, their wealth and family home, wiped out in a couple of devastating days.
Kate Finche is reasonably happy in her loveless but acceptable marriage to Robert Finche, the son of a wealthy spice merchant. The marriage was negotiated for her dowry as Finche senior wished to invest heavily, in what was to be his last business venture before he handed over to his son. For her part, Kate was happy to escape the home of her embittered maiden aunt, where she had lived since being orphaned at a young age.
Instead of the comfortable retirement he dreamed of, the elder Mr and Mrs Finche ended up in debtors prison, after the warehouse full of their entire stock burnt down with hundreds of others, and to make matters worse the family home with most of their belongings perished too. Kate and Robert find lodgings in a dank one roomed home, saving every penny in order to try to pay off the creditors and release the ailing elder Mr Finche and his wife.
Robert manages to find work as a clerk with a curmudgeonly but honest elderly man who is a brick maker by trade, Robert is lured away from him to work for a higher wage, by the sinister and unprincipled bully Mr. Hackett, one of the property speculators cashing in on the need for housing in the capital, some, of whom Hackett was one, using inferior bricks and less than salubrious building methods. The move is a bad one which ends badly, and eventually Kate, alone after her young husband is found dead, apparently having committed suicide, is rescued by Gabriel Harte. He and Jane his wife had previously befriended her, and they invite her into their home to act as nursemaid to their young son Toby.
The narrator Pamela Freeman has a melodious, pleasant voice which she is able to pitch perfectly to the various cadences and accents of the large cast of characters, wealthy, poor, young and old. Gabriel Harte's enigmatic character comes across particularly well IMO, completely blind but in no way dependant on others, he is an honourable and decent gentleman and one which Pamela Freeman manages expertly to convey as immediately likeable and charming. I think perhaps the only voice I found unconvincing was Toby, he has a strange accent and tone for such a young child and one which did not sit well with the refined tones of his parents Gabriel and Jane. I thought the brief visit of Lady Dorchester to Gabriel Harte's Perfumery was priceless, the elderly, squeaky, superior accent Pamela Freeman adopted for this lady was comical and amusing and I could imagine her, jowls jiggling, as she preened for the delectable Gabriel whilst trying girlishly to persuade him to make a perfume for her alone. This is one of the things I love about audio, a talented narrator/actor can really bring a wonderful story even more alive.
Kate has more than her fair share of melodrama and heartache and Ms.Betts' really ladles it on. I was brought close to tears at one particular point, some might say it was one tragedy too many and I would normally agree, but it was so beautifully and sensitively achieved that apart from being a particularly brave thing to include, I was impressed by the writing if it. This was not a romance per se but it was romantic in parts, and Kate DOES get her HEA and in quite an exquisite way...sniffs! Other reviewers have mentioned modern terms being used, I have to say that I did not pick any up, perhaps I was so caught up in this intricate piece of history and fascinating writing of it that I just didn't notice. I highly recommend this intriguing story but you would have to be ready for dark and angsty, have a reasonable love of history and a slow, well written, unravelling of a story, some violence including attempted rape, mystery, and a smattering of romance and a really quite lovely ending. Ticks my boxes anyway...5 stars.
Kate Finche is reasonably happy in her loveless but acceptable marriage to Robert Finche, the son of a wealthy spice merchant. The marriage was negotiated for her dowry as Finche senior wished to invest heavily, in what was to be his last business venture before he handed over to his son. For her part, Kate was happy to escape the home of her embittered maiden aunt, where she had lived since being orphaned at a young age.
Instead of the comfortable retirement he dreamed of, the elder Mr and Mrs Finche ended up in debtors prison, after the warehouse full of their entire stock burnt down with hundreds of others, and to make matters worse the family home with most of their belongings perished too. Kate and Robert find lodgings in a dank one roomed home, saving every penny in order to try to pay off the creditors and release the ailing elder Mr Finche and his wife.
Robert manages to find work as a clerk with a curmudgeonly but honest elderly man who is a brick maker by trade, Robert is lured away from him to work for a higher wage, by the sinister and unprincipled bully Mr. Hackett, one of the property speculators cashing in on the need for housing in the capital, some, of whom Hackett was one, using inferior bricks and less than salubrious building methods. The move is a bad one which ends badly, and eventually Kate, alone after her young husband is found dead, apparently having committed suicide, is rescued by Gabriel Harte. He and Jane his wife had previously befriended her, and they invite her into their home to act as nursemaid to their young son Toby.
The narrator Pamela Freeman has a melodious, pleasant voice which she is able to pitch perfectly to the various cadences and accents of the large cast of characters, wealthy, poor, young and old. Gabriel Harte's enigmatic character comes across particularly well IMO, completely blind but in no way dependant on others, he is an honourable and decent gentleman and one which Pamela Freeman manages expertly to convey as immediately likeable and charming. I think perhaps the only voice I found unconvincing was Toby, he has a strange accent and tone for such a young child and one which did not sit well with the refined tones of his parents Gabriel and Jane. I thought the brief visit of Lady Dorchester to Gabriel Harte's Perfumery was priceless, the elderly, squeaky, superior accent Pamela Freeman adopted for this lady was comical and amusing and I could imagine her, jowls jiggling, as she preened for the delectable Gabriel whilst trying girlishly to persuade him to make a perfume for her alone. This is one of the things I love about audio, a talented narrator/actor can really bring a wonderful story even more alive.
Kate has more than her fair share of melodrama and heartache and Ms.Betts' really ladles it on. I was brought close to tears at one particular point, some might say it was one tragedy too many and I would normally agree, but it was so beautifully and sensitively achieved that apart from being a particularly brave thing to include, I was impressed by the writing if it. This was not a romance per se but it was romantic in parts, and Kate DOES get her HEA and in quite an exquisite way...sniffs! Other reviewers have mentioned modern terms being used, I have to say that I did not pick any up, perhaps I was so caught up in this intricate piece of history and fascinating writing of it that I just didn't notice. I highly recommend this intriguing story but you would have to be ready for dark and angsty, have a reasonable love of history and a slow, well written, unravelling of a story, some violence including attempted rape, mystery, and a smattering of romance and a really quite lovely ending. Ticks my boxes anyway...5 stars.
January 3, 2014
This author is back on tip top form with this stunning historical romance. I adored The Apothecary's Daughter but was a touch disappointed by the follow up to it The Painter's Apprentice which didn't captivate me quite so much as its predecessor.
This latest book blew me away, it was just sheer escapism and so evocative of the period I felt I was there in London experiencing the horrors of the great fire of London and the subsequent rebuilding of the houses and businesses turned to ash by the conflagration. I could visualise the miles of devastation and destruction and the helpless fold trying to flee to safety amidst chaos and panic and I could smell the choking smoke drowning out all the other ripe odours of this time.
It is a purely romantic novel but so well written it’s head and shoulders above the usual restoration romance in this genre. It tells the story of Kate, the eponymous Spice merchants’ wife, recently married to Robert, son of a wealthy spice merchant with the imminent inheritance of his fathers’ business to look forward to. Although not a love match - Kate married him mainly to escape from a life of misery and drudgery with a cruel aunt, as was often the case for young women with few choices available to them. She finds herself married to a man she barely knows, however she aims to be a good wife and is looking forward to creating their first home together and is already longing for children of her own to love, when disaster strikes and fire ruins thousands of lives. As the spice warehouse goes up in smoke, together with their new home so do their plans for a well heeled future together.
Here begins a struggle to survive which tests Kates fortitude to its limit, reduced to living hand to mouth in an overcrowded slum, when Robert throws in his lot with an affluent and influential builder involved heavily in the restoration of London, Kate nevertheless instinctively mistrusts her husbands’ new boss. I don’t blame her!
When even more tragedy leaves her in an increasingly desperate situation, fleeing a would be murderer, she seeks help from her new friends the Hartes, blind perfumier Gabriel Harte and his kind but plain wife Jane. Kate soon begins to find herself having to resist her feelings towards Gabriel. Its’ hardly surprising that a book featuring a spice merchant and a perfumier relies heavily on odorific descriptions – but my nose was in overdrive all the way through!
I found this to be very descriptive without resorting to the flowery speech of the day which can make historical fiction irksome to read. I must admit I found a couple of glaring errors which though annoying weren’t enough to put me off the wonderful story – (Kate mentions a boy in church making vampire teeth from orange peel) I’m pretty darned certain vampire wasn’t a term used in the 1600s and the phrase “he was fit to be tied” didn’t ring true either.
However I loved the storytelling, the descriptions and the overall feel of the book I haven’t deducted any points for these small mistakes.
With several very emotional tragedies and sad and happy events which had me in floods of tears this is one not to be missed if you like your historical romance to transport you into someone elses shoes to experience a historical diorama with all its accompanying sights and smells – sensational.
This latest book blew me away, it was just sheer escapism and so evocative of the period I felt I was there in London experiencing the horrors of the great fire of London and the subsequent rebuilding of the houses and businesses turned to ash by the conflagration. I could visualise the miles of devastation and destruction and the helpless fold trying to flee to safety amidst chaos and panic and I could smell the choking smoke drowning out all the other ripe odours of this time.
It is a purely romantic novel but so well written it’s head and shoulders above the usual restoration romance in this genre. It tells the story of Kate, the eponymous Spice merchants’ wife, recently married to Robert, son of a wealthy spice merchant with the imminent inheritance of his fathers’ business to look forward to. Although not a love match - Kate married him mainly to escape from a life of misery and drudgery with a cruel aunt, as was often the case for young women with few choices available to them. She finds herself married to a man she barely knows, however she aims to be a good wife and is looking forward to creating their first home together and is already longing for children of her own to love, when disaster strikes and fire ruins thousands of lives. As the spice warehouse goes up in smoke, together with their new home so do their plans for a well heeled future together.
Here begins a struggle to survive which tests Kates fortitude to its limit, reduced to living hand to mouth in an overcrowded slum, when Robert throws in his lot with an affluent and influential builder involved heavily in the restoration of London, Kate nevertheless instinctively mistrusts her husbands’ new boss. I don’t blame her!
When even more tragedy leaves her in an increasingly desperate situation, fleeing a would be murderer, she seeks help from her new friends the Hartes, blind perfumier Gabriel Harte and his kind but plain wife Jane. Kate soon begins to find herself having to resist her feelings towards Gabriel. Its’ hardly surprising that a book featuring a spice merchant and a perfumier relies heavily on odorific descriptions – but my nose was in overdrive all the way through!
I found this to be very descriptive without resorting to the flowery speech of the day which can make historical fiction irksome to read. I must admit I found a couple of glaring errors which though annoying weren’t enough to put me off the wonderful story – (Kate mentions a boy in church making vampire teeth from orange peel) I’m pretty darned certain vampire wasn’t a term used in the 1600s and the phrase “he was fit to be tied” didn’t ring true either.
However I loved the storytelling, the descriptions and the overall feel of the book I haven’t deducted any points for these small mistakes.
With several very emotional tragedies and sad and happy events which had me in floods of tears this is one not to be missed if you like your historical romance to transport you into someone elses shoes to experience a historical diorama with all its accompanying sights and smells – sensational.
September 14, 2014
This book had a good storyline, and even managed to make me weep. That's not saying much, since I can also cry at strangers funerals. It wasn't good enough for me to merrit a higher rating. I expected richer, lyrical prose...perhaps because I've been spoiled by authors with the ability to weave stories that read like poetry, and I felt the storyline deserved such treatment. (at least in it's potential) Kate's miserable inability to forgive herself and Gabriel their eventual infidelity grated on me, as did the preceding chapters where she kept on pining for her best friend's husband (Gabriel). I feel that any book that's not true bodice ripper material, and it's titled such as this book id needs a much stonger female character in the lead than Sweet, moral and angsty Mistress Kate. She just isn't a strong female character...despite all the death-defying/stupid/brave trouble she went through I just wasn't fully convinced. Why oh why is she the SPICEMERCHANTS wife if said spicemercheant is such a weak insipid, annoying character in the story? He wasn't extraordinarily bad, good, strong weak....a bland blend of blegh is what he was. Keep his mention out of the title then! All I felt for his (Robert's) character was annoyance and pitty....Kate and her Spicemerchant first husband were just flat wallpaper characters to me. The only character that was Remotely interesting was the blind perfumer forbidden love interest Gabriel, but is not for his blindness I would also have shelved him in the wallpaper category. I don't even want to talk aboout the villain. He (stupid beefed-up lout) is'nt worth my breath.
March 15, 2014
We often read accounts of the Great Fire of London with heroic details of rescue, Charles II and his brother James helping and Samuel Pepys writing about it. Then we have the statistics of destruction and that’s where it ends.
But The Spice Merchant’s Wife allows us to tread the streets of the 17th century city, to feel the heat of the flames, the ruin of a life’s work and future prosperity. Ms Betts describes from the inside how the prosperous trading class was brought to its knees, the wretchedness of the aftermath and the property carpet-baggers’ exploitation.
Katherine, the heroine, appeals to 21st century readers as she always has something to say, often leading to an unfortunate outcome, but we’re behind her. And the perfumer, Gabriel Harte, is a mysterious, a rather too attractive figure.
A very enjoyable read.
I won the paperback in a prize draw
But The Spice Merchant’s Wife allows us to tread the streets of the 17th century city, to feel the heat of the flames, the ruin of a life’s work and future prosperity. Ms Betts describes from the inside how the prosperous trading class was brought to its knees, the wretchedness of the aftermath and the property carpet-baggers’ exploitation.
Katherine, the heroine, appeals to 21st century readers as she always has something to say, often leading to an unfortunate outcome, but we’re behind her. And the perfumer, Gabriel Harte, is a mysterious, a rather too attractive figure.
A very enjoyable read.
I won the paperback in a prize draw
July 24, 2021
My only criticism of this book is that, yet again, an author has chosen to use a title that, really, is irrelevant. See my reviews for the Pen-maker’s wife and the Clockmaker’s daughter.
Yes, the heroine begins the book as a spice merchant’s wife but within the first two chapters this ceases to be the case and the fact that she IS (or was) a spice merchant’s wife plays no part in her story. After the Fire would have been a much better title.
Having said that, this is a cracking book, well-written, with a fast moving story line and boldly drawn characters. Set at the time of the great fire, 1660, the period is vividly evoked. I read the book quickly because I was hooked by the story. The details of perfume-making were very interesting.
Yes, the heroine begins the book as a spice merchant’s wife but within the first two chapters this ceases to be the case and the fact that she IS (or was) a spice merchant’s wife plays no part in her story. After the Fire would have been a much better title.
Having said that, this is a cracking book, well-written, with a fast moving story line and boldly drawn characters. Set at the time of the great fire, 1660, the period is vividly evoked. I read the book quickly because I was hooked by the story. The details of perfume-making were very interesting.
Read
February 21, 2021The great fire of London 1766 is the setting that puts this book on my shelf of History in Fresh Eras. I got echoes of Scarlett O'Hara in the wife of the title, who will do what it takes to survive while (not much of a spoiler)
August 15, 2018
Deducted a point for unnecessary casual anti-Semitism. Also featured a boring predictable story line and uninspired writing.
January 29, 2024
Debo confesar que este libro únicamente lo compré porque estaba con un súper descuento en Gandhi y la contraportada me pareció interesante, a pesar de que la portada fuera tan… fea. No obstante, me llevé una agradable sorpresa, ya que es una novela bastante bien escrita con personajes interesantes y una temporalidad histórica bastante bien retratada. Y no sólo eso, sino que también retrata a una sociedad en la que las formas y el “qué dirán” era una parte esencial para constituir su actuación diaria dentro y fuera del hogar. En otras palabras, era la sociedad británica de la segunda mitad del s. XVII, nada más complicado que ello.
En ese sentido, algo que no me encantó del todo fue que la autora, a lo largo del texto, siempre quiere establecer los aromas y el sentido olfativo como un vínculo entre nuestros personajes principales, es decir, entre Kate y Gabriel. Esto seguramente se debe a que Gabriel es un perfumero ciego y, pues… a que Kate está perdidamente enamorada de él desde el primer momento en que la vio. La idea en sí no es mala, pero la autora intenta meter con tal vehemencia, que termina sintiéndose forzado y artificial. No obstante, hacia el final de la novela, es interesante la forma en la que la autora logra retratar el vínculo sexual que crece en los protagonistas a través del perfume que él diseña para ella.
Aunado a lo anterior, fueron dos las cosas que más me gustaron de esta obra. La primera de ellas es que retrata muy bien a una sociedad atrapada en las formas. De este modo, nos encontramos a dos mujeres que fueron infelizmente casadas; por un lado, tenemos a Kate que se casó a través de un arreglo económico realizado por su tía; por otro lado, tenemos a Jane que no pudo elegir a su marido ya que… “era la hermana más fea”. Sin embargo, la novela también deja al descubierto la infelicidad marital en la que se veían atrapados los hombres. Resalta el caso de Gabriel, quien, debido a su ceguera, se tenía que sentir afortunado de haberse siquiera podido casar y tener un hijo.
La segunda de las cosas que me gustaron fue la construcción de los personajes. La historia y las motivaciones de cada uno de ellos está muy bien planteada. En lo personal, me encantó la dualidad que la autora estableció entre Gabriel Harte y el despreciable Sr. Hackett. Por un lado, tenemos al hombre perfecto; guapo, rico y encantador, pero que tiene la desventaja de ser ciego. Por otro lado, tenemos a un hombre que funge como villano y que solamente se deja llevar por sus ambiciones personales, el clásico granuja que cree que el mundo está diseñado para que sus planes se cumplan y pueda poseer a cualquier otra persona, especialmente a las mujeres.
Finalmente, debo confesar que en el fondo soy un cursi empedernido y, por lo tanto, el final me pareció extraordinario. Desde el momento en el que Gabriel y Jane se vieron por primera vez, yo ya quería que terminaran juntos y felices. No me importaba que ambos estuvieran atrapados en matrimonios infelices, lo que me importaba es que ellos alcanzaran la felicidad. No obstante, sí sentí algo apresurado el final, especialmente las últimas tres páginas en las que, por arte de magia, todo se resuelve. ¿Cuál fue la solución? Sencillo, la comunicación. Sin embargo, ese aspecto se pudo haber trabajado con mayor maestría a lo largo del texto.
Descripción del libro en tres palabras: Romántico, Tierno y Predecible.
Instagram: @soysantibeltran y @santini.books
En ese sentido, algo que no me encantó del todo fue que la autora, a lo largo del texto, siempre quiere establecer los aromas y el sentido olfativo como un vínculo entre nuestros personajes principales, es decir, entre Kate y Gabriel. Esto seguramente se debe a que Gabriel es un perfumero ciego y, pues… a que Kate está perdidamente enamorada de él desde el primer momento en que la vio. La idea en sí no es mala, pero la autora intenta meter con tal vehemencia, que termina sintiéndose forzado y artificial. No obstante, hacia el final de la novela, es interesante la forma en la que la autora logra retratar el vínculo sexual que crece en los protagonistas a través del perfume que él diseña para ella.
Aunado a lo anterior, fueron dos las cosas que más me gustaron de esta obra. La primera de ellas es que retrata muy bien a una sociedad atrapada en las formas. De este modo, nos encontramos a dos mujeres que fueron infelizmente casadas; por un lado, tenemos a Kate que se casó a través de un arreglo económico realizado por su tía; por otro lado, tenemos a Jane que no pudo elegir a su marido ya que… “era la hermana más fea”. Sin embargo, la novela también deja al descubierto la infelicidad marital en la que se veían atrapados los hombres. Resalta el caso de Gabriel, quien, debido a su ceguera, se tenía que sentir afortunado de haberse siquiera podido casar y tener un hijo.
La segunda de las cosas que me gustaron fue la construcción de los personajes. La historia y las motivaciones de cada uno de ellos está muy bien planteada. En lo personal, me encantó la dualidad que la autora estableció entre Gabriel Harte y el despreciable Sr. Hackett. Por un lado, tenemos al hombre perfecto; guapo, rico y encantador, pero que tiene la desventaja de ser ciego. Por otro lado, tenemos a un hombre que funge como villano y que solamente se deja llevar por sus ambiciones personales, el clásico granuja que cree que el mundo está diseñado para que sus planes se cumplan y pueda poseer a cualquier otra persona, especialmente a las mujeres.
Finalmente, debo confesar que en el fondo soy un cursi empedernido y, por lo tanto, el final me pareció extraordinario. Desde el momento en el que Gabriel y Jane se vieron por primera vez, yo ya quería que terminaran juntos y felices. No me importaba que ambos estuvieran atrapados en matrimonios infelices, lo que me importaba es que ellos alcanzaran la felicidad. No obstante, sí sentí algo apresurado el final, especialmente las últimas tres páginas en las que, por arte de magia, todo se resuelve. ¿Cuál fue la solución? Sencillo, la comunicación. Sin embargo, ese aspecto se pudo haber trabajado con mayor maestría a lo largo del texto.
Descripción del libro en tres palabras: Romántico, Tierno y Predecible.
Instagram: @soysantibeltran y @santini.books
May 11, 2020
El ritmo del libro me ha resultado bastante "adictivo" especialmente al principio ya que con cada acontecimiento ansiaba seguir leyendo para ver como se las ingeniaba nuestra protagonista. Luego conforme avanza la historia parece que al irse resolviendo ciertos detalles el ritmo se torna un poco más pausado, sobre todo en la última parte del libro, pero también resulta necesario para dar cabida al amor.
Reseña completa: https://atrapadaenunashojasdepapel.bl...
Reseña completa: https://atrapadaenunashojasdepapel.bl...
June 2, 2025
Me gustó la narrativa, siempre me mantuvo interesada. Me agradó el personaje de Kate, una mujer fuerte que no se dejaba doblegar, muchas penurias tuvo que pasar. Desde que salió el personaje de Gabriel, sabía que sería el interés amoroso, hasta a mí me gustó 🤣.
Mucha aventura, asesinatos, intriga. Me gustó bastante.
Buscaré más libros de la autora.
Mucha aventura, asesinatos, intriga. Me gustó bastante.
Buscaré más libros de la autora.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 20, 2022
3.5* gal labiau. Nuspėjama, lengvai skaitoma visai nebloga knyga. Vasariškam savaitgaliui pats tas
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May 2, 2021Muy tedioso.
March 30, 2022
Quite entertaining, kept me reading along though the blurb is a fairly large spoiler! Though the way everyone spoke was kind of weird and unnatural and there was a bit of hand waving “and then this was all fixed” kind of action.
November 30, 2025
Vēl viena grāmata, ko burtiski "izgrauzu". Ir tieši kā uz vāka norādīts - kaisle un noslēpumi 17. gadsimtā. Protams, tā nebūt nav ļoti vēsturiska grāmata (to šeit nemeklēt), un satur vien nedaudz vēstures faktus, kas palīdz iezīmēt laiku, kurus pati autore noslēguma nodaļa arī aprunā. Mani ierāva šis smagais, bet kaisles un drosmes pildītais sižets (un patīkamais nobeigums – arī ar kaut ko vērtīgu, ko pierakstīt un izmēģināt pašai). Iesaku tiem, kam patīk lasīt par drosmīgām, patiesai mīlestībai ticošām sievietēm.
July 31, 2020
Although I try to get through books in one go, even if I dislike them, I found I was uncharacteristically able to finish two other books before I'd even finished this one just because of how boring it was.
It's a bit odd that the synopsis for the book mentions her husband being murdered despite it not happening early in the book. It happens about halfway through, which only makes the synopsis seem like a spoiler. I kept waiting and waiting for it to happen so I could actually feel like the plot would finally be taking place but alas he died in an underwhelming way far too late.
Categorizing this book as a romance is a bit generous. There's romance in it, yes, but barely any and it occurs near the end. Honestly, the bit of romance you do get isn't even all that interesting:
The ending is also beyond predictable.
It's a bit odd that the synopsis for the book mentions her husband being murdered despite it not happening early in the book. It happens about halfway through, which only makes the synopsis seem like a spoiler. I kept waiting and waiting for it to happen so I could actually feel like the plot would finally be taking place but alas he died in an underwhelming way far too late.
Categorizing this book as a romance is a bit generous. There's romance in it, yes, but barely any and it occurs near the end. Honestly, the bit of romance you do get isn't even all that interesting:
The ending is also beyond predictable.
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