Thrilling Opportunities for a Lady's Maid - an Editorial Review of "Tailored Truths"

Book Blurb:

Is self-supporting success enough for Margaret Law or will her future also include an adoring husband and children? She might secretly yearn for that though how can she avoid a repeat of relationship deceptions that disenchanted her so much during her teenage years?

Employment as a lady’s maid and then as a private tutor in Liverpool in the 1860s bring thrilling opportunities Margaret could never have envisaged. But when those posts end, her educational aspirations must be shelved again. Reliance on her sewing skills is paramount for survival when she returns to Dundee.

Meeting Sandy Watson means love, marriage, and starting a family – though not necessarily in that order – are a striking development, even entailing entailing a move north to Peterhead. Yet, how can Margaret shed her fear of commitment and her independence and take the plunge?

Jessie, her sister-at-heart, is settled in Glasgow. Frequent letters are a life-line between them but when it all goes horribly wrong the contents of Margaret’s correspondence don’t necessarily mirror her awful day-to-day realities.

Will Margaret discover what she really wants from life and find the courage to take it?

Book Buy Link: https://geni.us/mNCKTM

Author Bio:

Writer, compulsive researcher, public speaker, history obsessive, avid reader, binge-watcher of Historical Series, Nancy Jardine is currently working on The Silver Sampler Series set in Victorian Scotland. This Saga/ Women’s Fiction is a slight departure from her historical adventure and mystery writing.

Memberships: Historical Novel Society, Romantic Novelists' Association, Scottish Association of Writers, ALLI, Federation of Writers (Scotland)

UK Writing Awards placements: The People’s Book Prize; Scottish Association of Writers B. Hammond Prize; Discovering Diamonds Reviews; Chill With a Book Reviews;;

Nancy gives local author presentations on her novels/ Roman Scotland.

Silver Sampler Series Book 2- TAILORED TRUTHS: “Nancy Jardine is a master of human emotion and the written word. How absolutely stunning and heartwarming.” Lauren G NetGalley Reviews

NOVICE THREADS Book 1 Silver Sampler Series- “From the very first sentence to the final full stop, Novice Threads by Nancy Jardine captivated me with its emotionally charged storytelling.” Yarde Book Reviews

TOPAZ EYES "This is a stunning read, which absorbed my attention from the beginning." Author Jane Bwye

#1 THE BELTANE CHOICE " is one of the most convincing evocations of Celtic Britain that I have ever come across, and the central romance stands out against that background with great passion and immediacy." Simon Stirling, The Review Group.

THE TAEXALI GAME "This combination of fantasy and history, linked by an interactive computer game, is sure to appeal to a wide audience....the writer skilfully creates a most believable world." Adjudicator for The Scottish Association of Writers 'Best Self Published Book' competition.

Editorial Review:

Title: Tailored Truths: An engrossing Victorian Scotland Saga (Silver Sampler Series Book 2)

Author: Nancy Jardine

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Nancy Jardine’s “Tailored Truths” is a delightful historical fiction book that will leave readers questioning friendship, perseverance, and how little choices can stitch a life together. It’s the second book in the Silver Sampler Series, and at first it wasn’t clear whether book one was necessary but a few chapters in, this one reads well on its own. It follows Margaret Law and Jessie Morison, two women whose lives start in the hum of Dundee’s jute mills and stretch as far as Liverpool drawing rooms. Sounds straightforward? It isn’t. Because what seems a story of two friends doing well for themselves soon reveals levels of ambition, tragedy and quiet acts of rebellion.

Jardine doesn’t just tell a story- she immerses the reader in it. The hum of sewing machines seems audible, the dust of the mills tangible, and then, without transition, the scene shifts into a deserted hallway where a person’s destiny is going to be changed by a few words. And the consequences? Not life or death in the over-the-top sense, but they feel just as heavy. Will Margaret find a place where her brains are worth more than rapid fingers? Will Jessie’s dreams survive the reality check? Readers will keep on turning pages because you need to know and because Jardine makes you care.

Most striking is how realistic the voices sound. Margaret, especially- she’s capable, intelligent, cunning and ambitious, but also vulnerable in ways she doesn’t always recognize, even by herself. There’s this early moment where she’s operating the sewing machine, and it seems at first to be a technical scene but turns out to be so much more:

“Margaret wasn’t exactly happy with the stitching after she snipped off the thread and examined it. The stitches themselves were incredibly even, but the thread snagged in places. The table wasn’t wide enough for her to stretch out the whole seam to flatten it. The engineer stopped her then turned to Edward Baxton. ‘That problem Isn’t anything that this girl has done wrongly. It’s a tension issue. The thread feed needs adjustments depending on what kind of cloth is being sewn, and which thread is used.’”

This moment works well because at first sight, it’s all stitches and tension which notably is what Margaret’s whole existence is all about- silk-smooth on the surface but entangled in ways she can’t even try to unravel. And then there’s the Earl of Sefton. It’s remarkable how a straightforward exchange manages to hold her normal speaking to an earl and not be a stereotype.

“Margaret felt a huge surge of disappointment when the earl’s reply was negative, though she really had no expectations of the conversation continuing. It had already been a much deeper discussion than propriety allowed. Though, she reckoned, that was probably because she wasn’t a gently-born young lady who needed to stick to social norms.”

This is a moment that brings a grin because it is just so like Margaret. She is disappointed, sure, but not broken and she knows the rules of the game even as she silently challenges them. Readers who enjoy subtlety in characterization will love this. And then there is Jessie. Her story is heartbreaking in unexpected ways. She’s so full of life and energy, but the world knocks blows on her that even she can’t quite soften with her goodness. This scene lingers long after the book is closed:

“Jessie’s customary happy expression faded and her words became a worried whisper that Margaret had to lean forward to hear. ‘That’s twice that I’ve miscarried, Margaret.’ Margaret decided this bit of the conversation needed a more private setting on seeing Jessie’s distress. She grasped Jessie’s fingers. ‘Let’s get outside first.’”

That moment says a great deal about both women- the softness, the substance, and the fact that life never pauses for manners- it’s dirty but truthful. Jardine does not hyperbolize it, and that self-control makes it hurt even worse. Jardine’s writing style can be reduced to one phrase: quietly powerful. Her grammar is exact, her prose is elegant but not finicky, and her dialogue is flawless but overflowing with feeling. It’s slow-paced, but the pace suits the material. It gave space to breathe, to savor the minutiae, and to feel like strolling hand-in-hand through each victory and each sorrow with these women.

If you enjoy character-based historical fiction that’s full of period detail and emotional reality, then “Tailored Truths” by Nancy Jardine is something readers will want to read. It’s not just about class and fashion—it’s about choices, possibilities, and the ties of friendship that run through it all.

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