Waiting on Wednesday: Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth

A weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine

Title: Bitter Greens Author: Kate Forsyth Published: September 23, 2014 by St. Martin's Press Amazon Goodreads Synopsis: The amazing power and truth of the Rapunzel fairy tale comes alive for the first time in this breathtaking tale of desire, black magic and the redemptive power of love French novelist Charlotte-Rose de la Force has been banished from the court of Versailles by the Sun King, Louis XIV, after a series of scandalous love affairs. At the convent, she is comforted by an old nun, Sœur Seraphina, who tells her the tale of a young girl who, a hundred years earlier, is sold by her parents for a handful of bitter greens... After Margherita’s father steals parsley from the walled garden of the courtesan Selena Leonelli, he is threatened with having both hands cut off, unless he and his wife relinquish their precious little girl. Selena is the famous red-haired muse of the artist Tiziano, first painted by him in 1512 and still inspiring him at the time of his death. She is at the center of Renaissance life in Venice, a world of beauty and danger, seduction and betrayal, love and superstition. Locked away in a tower, Margherita sings in the hope that someone will hear her. One day, a young man does. Award-winning author Kate Forsyth braids togetherthe stories of Margherita, Selena, and Charlotte-Rose, the woman who penned Rapunzel as we now know it, to create what is a sumptuous historical novel, an enchanting fairy tale retelling, and a loving tribute to the imagination of one remarkable woman.

Why I'm Waiting and Why You Should Be Too

If you follow me on Twitter, Goodreads, or have seen my YouTube videos you know, I am absolutely obsessed with this book. If you do follow me on all these places then you are probably annoyed with me for continuing to rave about this book. But you guys, I loved it that much. So allow me to once and for all (that's a complete lie, I will not stop praising this book) tell you why I love Bitter Greens.

I recieved a copy of Bitter Greens from St Martins (Macmillan) at BEA and I immediately had to start reading it. I had heard about this book about a year ago when I started watching BookTube videos and I knew it was a book I would love. And while I had high expectations this book exceeded them. It may be my favorite book of the year so far!

Everything about Bitter Greens was flawless. It is a lot of things and everything it is, is brilliant! It is an exquisitely detailed and well-researched Historical Fiction novel set in the Middle Ages. It is a fairy tale retelling that creatively plays on the familiar story of Rapunzel. It is a dark and tawdry adult romance with just the right amount of sex scenes and expert treatment of some very difficult concepts. It is a low fantasy story with a hint of magic that makes it feel realistic and possible. It is a character-driven story of three women and the hardships that they have gone through during their lives. It is an expertly-crafted novel with interwoven plots and crazy twists. It is a gorgeously-written novel with beautiful prose and surprising feels. It is a book that you should put on your TBR list!

I cannot sing this books praise enough. If you like adult Historical Fantasy like Phillipa Gregory then pick this book up! If you like low fantasy stories with a hint of magic then pick this book up! If you like well-written retellings then pick this book up. Just pick it up and send me your feels! There is even a giveaway on Goodreads so head to the link above and enter to win an ARC! You will not be disappointed, I wasn't! And stay tuned for my full review of Bitter Greens closer to it's release date.

What are you waiting for this Wednesday? Leave me a comment with the book you are anticipating. Also let me know if you're as excited for Bitter Greens! Or if you're sick of hearing me continuously bookpushing it, let me know that too! Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!