|
 Of the 53 books I read in 2011, Untied Kingdom was quite possibly my favourite. I was fascinated by the alternate reality of the world, so much of which could have been reality if certain events in history had different outcomes, like a butterfly effect. The writing itself was gorgeous and often witty. And of course the tension between the hero and heroine had me eager to turn each page!
Rachel, Chorleywood
______________________________________
|
|
Eve is a has-been celebrity who was in a girl band, now starring in a reality television show, when she falls through a hole or portal in the world, and when she comes to, she finds herself in an England very different from the one she left behind. Here, the country is under military control and is at war with Coalitionist fighters. Everyday things are no longer available – telephones are scarce and only owned by the very rich, hardly anything is known about computers, and even more frighteningly for Eve, history as she knows it has been rewritten – there was no British Empire, and England is not a major power in the world, in fact it is a much more primitive place. Eve is found by Major Will Harker, and ends up under his wing. Those around her initially view Eve with suspicion. What are all these things that she speaks of, which to them sound so peculiar, or are completely unknown? Is she a spy or an alien? How do they deal with this woman who is evidently so unfamiliar with their world, and how does she try and comprehend them when everything seems the same and yet totally different – is she mad, is this a parallel universe? Harker has his own problems, with Sholt, the man he despises, looking to get promoted, and now his boss wants him to run a mission to find a computer, using Eve to help him and his team, since she knows all about them, whereas to Harker and his crew, they are totally unknown. This is an appealing romance novel with a twist – a clever concept that makes it an original, exciting, and dramatic read too! I love the premise behind this book and I like the clever title. It’s intriguing and if you can suspend disbelief, it really makes you think about how life could be very different. Eve makes for a clever, spirited heroine who takes a full part in the adventure, and we feel how unsettled she is to find that the London, the England she knows, its history and culture has all changed. Why doesn’t anyone recognize the songs she sings to them? Harker is a strong, formidable man, a loyal and proud leader, but he has a soft, sensitive side which is revealed to the reader, as, despite the internal conflicts regarding who she is and where she has come from, his romantic feelings for Eve develop. There is an interesting supporting cast of characters including Harker's ex-wife and her sister, who he takes under his wing. There is so much more to this read than romance, it is also very much an adventure story, a wartime drama, with a paranormal/fantasy element, all of which the author has cleverly combined.
Lindsay.
______________________________________
|
|
One of the most innovative books I've ever read--the plot shouldn't have worked but it totally did and I couldn't put it down once I'd started! I loved Eve, I loved Harker.
Elizabeth, USA
______________________________________
|
|
A brilliantly realised other world. Cleverly imagined and populated by wonderful characters and a very well thought out plot. Could't put it down and when I finished it, I wanted to read it all over again. My favourite read of this year.
Jules, Tring
______________________________________
|
|
I picked up this book in Heathrow and didn't put it down until I reached Washington, DC and the very last page! The heroine was bold and smart without being snarky, the hero strong, sexy and admirable. But it was the ease with which the author drew me into her upside-down world that made it impossible for me to put the book down. A great romance in a crazy mixed-up parallel universe! Two thumbs up.
Danielle, Silver Spring, USA
______________________________________
|
|
  Set in a world like our own in some ways and dramatically torn by war and devastation, it took this reader a moment to really understand the full depth of the challenges facing the heroine. She manages, despite all this, to acclimate and become a useful and demanding force in this new world. Likeable characters and lyrical writing round off this journey and make this a love story that left this reader pleased to have made the trip.
Virginia, Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More
Read the full review here ...
______________________________________
|
|
 ... UNTIED KINGDOM is an epic tale of love, war, loss and hope. Author Kate Johnson does a magnificent job of character development and world building. It is a unique concept to remove certain key events and see how our world may have otherwise developed. Charismatic characters, death, love, action and hope weave together into a page-turning tale that you won't want to put down.
Reviewed by Wendy, Romance Junkies.
Read the full review here ...
______________________________________
|
|
 
It’s not often I give a “Best Book”, but The Untied Kingdom certainly deserves this rating. It’s a book that drew me in until I had to get to the end to find out what surprise the author had written to finish the book.
Well done Ms. Johnson, if this book is a sample of your writing, then I would love to read more.
Reviewed by Orchid
Read the full review here ...
______________________________________
|
|
 Eve Carpenter is having a very bad day, and it is about to get worse. She comes round from a paragliding accident but everything is rather strange. Although she’s still in London, this is a city and a world she hardly recognises. There is just enough that is familiar to be totally confusing. In this world, England is a backward country with a population kept too busy fighting in a civil war to do much else. She is taken captive by a small group of soldiers who take her marching across the country with them. The leader, Major Harker, is obnoxious and scruffy, and is convinced Eve is a spy, or perhaps she is just mad. While they apparently speak the same language, they struggle to understand each other – their worlds are so different.
The Untied Kingdom is an unusual combination of genres – a dystopian chicklit novel, as much a war and adventure story as a romance (not just a romance with a war setting). I quickly got caught up in the problems facing Eve and Harker and the other soldiers. The strongly drawn characterisation and lively narrative and dialogue is key to this...
...Something else I found interesting in this novel was the exploration of an alternate world without the technology we have become so reliant on, where electricity and landline telephones are luxuries which only the super rich can afford and only stronger military powers have equipment like computers.
Thank you to Choc Lit for sending a copy of this original and exciting romantic adventure story to the Bookbag.
Luci, reviewer for The Bookbag
Read the full review here ...
______________________________________
|
|
 Eve Carpenter, a broke, ex-popstar has had three years of hell thanks to the taxman and her greedy mother. She agrees to take part in a tv reality show and ends up paragliding into the Thames and being rescued by the lean, mean and moody Will Harper, who also happens to be a major in the army. In this alternative world, England is in the middle of a civil war and rather than being a major world power, it is somehow a third world country without the basics Eve is used to, such as computers and central heating among other things. She can’t believe they haven’t even heard of Shakespeare ...
...Eve is feisty and tough, even when she’s terrified and Harper is a perfect hero, sexy, brave and always loyal to his ‘men’. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book where the heroine fell through a portal into another world, but it was gritty, at times dark and the growing sexual tension between the two main characters was wonderful. A great read with a hero I’m still thinking about two weeks after reading the book and that has to be good.
Debs Carr, reviewer for Novelicious
Read the full review here ...
_____________________________________
|
|
 ...This is where the title comes into play- it is the “untied kingdom” instead of the United Kingdom, nice play on words there. Though the year is still the same as the one Eve came from, she landed in a world that was without the British Empire, only had one World War, and more events that left England in a very different state that what we know now. It was thrilling to think about what the world would be like if certain events in the past never happened, or if the outcomes were different. Johnson clearly has a wild imagination, and to be able to capture such an interesting take on what the world could have been takes talent. Besides the plot being highly engaging and quite thrilling, the characters are also gems in their own ways...
Samantha, Chick Lit+
Read the full review here ...
______________________________________
|
|
 Have just finished reading the Untied Kingdom and I really enjoyed it. I found it a real page turner and the ending was a bit of a surprise which was great. A lovely feel-good style of writing. Bring on the next book very soon please.
Carolyn
______________________________________
|
|
Rarely have I read a book so quickly and neglected everything I should be doing. This book was a brilliant read. Harker was gorgeously flawed but brave and I loved the slow build up to their falling in love. Eve was feisty(although that's a really irritating word!) yet vulnerable. The plot and premise was quirky, yet believable and the humour really shone through. Would love to read a sequel just so I could get a bit more of Harker.
Jackie, Herts
______________________________________
|
|
I did not want to put it down because I needed to know what would happen. I would recommend this one too, oh this is hard, romance fans, suspense fans, steampunk fans (not the same but it works in a way), and all the rest of you too because it was a great book. And I sure hope the author writes something more like this book.
Linda, Booksforlifeblogspot
Read the full review here ...
______________________________________
|
|
