Guest Post (and a Giveaway!): Alissa Baxter & The Lord and the Lady Astronomer

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for The Lord and the Lady Astronomer by Alissa Baxter, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

THE LORD AND THE LADY ASTRONOMER by Alissa Baxter
SERIES: The Grantham Girls #3
GENRE: Historical/Regency Romance (Clean)
PUBLISHER: Dragonblade Publishing
RELEASE DATE: November 1, 2023
PAGES: 272

Can wishing upon a star ever come true?

Abigail Grantham has always taken a keen interest in astronomy since her brother Sir John Grantham enlisted her aid as a young girl to keep records of his astronomical discoveries. Abigail is delighted when her uncle, Lord Longmore, invites her to stay at Longmore Hall in Buckinghamshire as he needs her assistance to compile a star chart.

When Abigail arrives at the Hall, her Aunt Longmore introduces her to local society. However, Abigail also spends a great deal of time in her uncle’s observatory, viewing the night skies alongside her uncle’s neighbor, fellow astronomer William, Viscount Rochvale.

Lord Rochvale is intrigued by Abigail, and when he discovers that they share an interest in ancient buildings and Roman history, he contrives to become better acquainted with her away from her uncle’s observatory, taking her to places of archaeological interest with a view to winning her heart. But the astronomical project they are working on makes courtship difficult, and William’s plans are further frustrated by his rakish cousin Gerald Burnby, who becomes a frequent visitor to Longmore Hall, seeking out Abigail too.

After a valuable Roman urn disappears from Longmore Hall, a series of mysterious occurrences unravel, presenting a puzzle Abigail has no idea how to solve. However, when events escalate into peril, Abigail discovers that it is the night sky that holds the secret to the missing urn—as well as to her stolen heart.

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behind-the-scenes facts about the lord and the lady astronomer

by Alissa Baxter, author of The Lord and the Lady Astronomer

The setting of The Lord and The Lady Astronomer was largely inspired by Hartwell House in Buckinghamshire, England. Hartwell House is now a luxury hotel and spa, but in the 19th century, it was owned by Dr. John Lee, who asked William Henry Smyth, a scientist and frequent visitor at his country house, to write a book about the history of his property, giving especial attention to the Hartwell Observatory. Ædes Hartwellianæ: Or, Notices of the Manor and Mansion of Hartwell (Printed for private circulation by J.B. Nichols and Son, London) was published in 1851.

The churches in Chesham and Stone that Abigail and William explore are real churches.

The telescope Abigail uses in the book, which was made by Joseph Smith, still exists today and is currently for sale.

The comet that Abigail observes was also seen by English poet John Keats and his wife, Fanny.

Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel (2 July 1784 – 17 March 1846) was a German astronomer who initiated a star chart project in 1822, which led to a remarkable advance in understanding the night sky and the methods for observing it. He initiated a mammoth star chart project and invited other observatories to participate in it. This ultimately led to the discovery of Neptune in 1846. I thought it likely that Friedrich Bessel might have asked some of his astronomer friends to evaluate the potential of his project, which is why Lord Longmore agrees to participate in a trial in The Lord and the Lady Astronomer.

favorite lines/scenes from the lord and the lady astronomer

“You will be working in the observatory tonight, no doubt, Rochvale?”

“Yes. We must make hay while the stars shine.”

Love was like a star shining in the universe, always visible but not always attainable. But if you reached for it with hope and determination, a showering of light might rain down on you like a celestial mystery, awesome in its wonder, with the promise that more was to come . . . the promise of a life well lived.  And that was always worth reaching for.

How unfortunate that her acquaintanceship with her uncle’s astronomical partner had begun with her stabbing him in the stomach.

Glancing down at the book’s first page, a quote attributed to someone called Young jumped out at her: “Stars teach as well as shine.” Stars teach as well as shine. She smiled. Such wonderful words to sum up her passion for astronomy.

Thea’s brow creased. “What is the collective noun for a group of betrothals?”

Abigail wrinkled her nose. “A rash of betrothals?”

Alexandra, seated in the window seat of the drawing room, burst out laughing. “Oh, no, Abby! How unromantic. I don’t think such a word exists, but I’m sure we can contrive one ourselves. Any ideas?”

Abigail smiled. “A galaxy of betrothals?”

“Much better!” Alexandra hugged a cushion to her stomach, her expression dreamy. “Especially as falling love can be compared to being touched by starlight.”

Alissa Baxter wrote her first Regency romance during her long university holidays. After travelling the world, she settled down to write her second Regency novel, which was inspired by her time living on a country estate in England. Alissa then published two chick lit novels before returning to her favourite era with her Linfield Ladies Series, a trio of Regency romances that feature women in trend-setting roles who fall in love with men who embrace their trailblazing ways… at least eventually. Her new Dragonblade trilogy, The Grantham Girls, continues this inspiring theme.

Alissa currently lives in Johannesburg with her husband and two sons.

Connect with Alissa by visiting alissabaxter.com to follow her on social media and sign up for email updates.

(1) winner will win a $25 Amazon gift card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight November 6, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on November 13, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

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