09 Oct Book Review Tailored Truths Nancy Jardine #HistoricalFiction #FamilySaga #WomensFiction #Victorian #Scotland #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @nansjar @cathiedunn

FEATURED AUTHOR: NANCY JARDINE

I’m delighted to welcome Nancy Jardine again as the featured author in The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour, being held between September 19th – October 10th, 2025. Nancy Jardine is the author of the Historical Fiction / Family Saga / Women’s Fiction, Tailored Truths (Silver Sampler Series, Book 2), published by Nancy Jardine with Ocelot Press on September 12^th, 2025 (468 pages).

Below are highlights of Tailored Truths, Jancy Jardine’’s author bio, and my review of her poignant family saga set in 19th Century Scotland.

Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2025/08/blog-tour-tailored-truths-by-nancy-jardine.html

HIGHLIGHTS: TAILORED TRUTHS

Tailored Truths
(Silver Sampler Series, Book 2)
by Nancy Jardine

Blurb:

An engrossing Victorian Scotland Saga (Silver Sampler Series Book 2)

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. Though 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 though it entails 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.

Buy Link:

Universal Buy Link: https://mybook.to/TTsss 

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.

AUTHOR BIO: NANCY JARDINE

Nancy Jardine writes historical adventure fiction, historical saga, time travel historical adventure and contemporary mysteries. Research, grandchildren, gardening fill up her day in the castle country of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, when not writing or promoting her writing. Interacting with readers is a joy at Book and Craft Fairs where she signs/sells paperback versions of her novels. She enjoys giving author presentations on her books and on Ancient Roman Scotland.

Memberships include: Historical Novel Society; Scottish Association of Writers, Federation of Writers Scotland, Romantic Novelists’ Association and the Alliance of Independent Authors. She’s self-published with Ocelot Press.

Author Links:

Website     Twitter / X     Facebook     Instagram     Threads     Bluesky

Pinterest     Book Bub     Amazon Author Page     Goodreads

BOOK REVIEW: TAILORED TRUTHS

Tailored Truths chronicles the family saga of Margaret Law. a young woman striving to find her herself and to survive in 19th Century Scotland at the height of the Industrial Revolution.Sweeping technological changes in production are having dire consequences on the environment and family dynamics as women enter the workforce. Though highly educated, Margaret faces obstacles trying to find work as a single woman, most often paid lower wages than a man. She shares her hopes with Jessie, her sister-at-heart, with daily conversations in Dundee. However, their close friendship alters when Jessie’s fortunes change and she marries an engineer and moves to Glasgow. Thereafter, the two women occasionally visit each other and exchange letters. Margaret’s aspirations to be independent and to support herself in a job using her talents are fulfilled when she is hired as the head seamstress at a tailor shop. She become smitten with Sandy Watson, a tailor in training who lavishes gifts and affection on her. As their relationship deepens, she shakes off  gnawing feelings that he has a secret, darker side to him. She marries Sandy and moves with him to a northern Scottish town where his dysfunctional family lives.  

Author Jardine Jardin immerses the reader in the everyday worlds of upper and working class Scottish people facing dynamics changes in the environment and to their family structure. Even though Tailored Truths is the second book in the series, there is sufficient backstory to read the novel as a standalone, but loose ends will need to be resolved in another book. Vivid descriptions of various locations add to the historical authenticity.The story offers insight in the challenges faced by both men and women whose livelihoods are heavily impacted by rich industrialists. One of the more interesting aspects of the tale is how sewing machines were introduced into tailor shops.

This is a character-driven story centered on themes of friendship, social issues pertaining to gender roles and expectations, and survival. Margaret Law is an engaging character whose fate is determined by unfortunate circumstances and limited options presented to her. The potential for Margaret to steer her own life as a seamstress at the tailor shop is shattered when she moves to Peterhead to live with her husband’s parents in Peterhead. Nonetheless, her determination to make the best of the situation and her resilience shines through the shadows. It should be noted that phonetic spelling to capture the strong Scottish dialect sometimes drew me out of the story to decipher the dialogue.   

Tailored Truths is a poignant story of a Scottish woman’s struggle for self-reliance in the wake of misfortune and social injustice during the Industrial Revolution. 

Twitter: @cathiedunn
Instagram & Threads: @thecoffeepotbookclub
Bluesky: @cathiedunn.bsky.social