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Belle Nash and the Bath Soufflé
When Gaia Champion's soufflé fails to rise in Regency Bath, gay hero Belle Nash – grandson of Beau Nash, Bath's celebrated master of ceremonies – gets involved in a chain of events that challenges day-to-day corruption on the city magistrate's bench and sexual inequality in the dispensing of justice.
301 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 19, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 25, 2022
BELLE NASH AND THE BATH SOUFFLÉ as narrated by WILLIAM KEELING ESQ is a pure gem of a book, stunning to look at (genuinely resembling a traditional 19th Century broadsheet) and well worth the time reading. I finished reading it, fully recharged with energy due to its pure escapism from life and everyday mundane normality.
- Can Belle save Bath and survive? When Gaia Champion's soufflé fails to rise in Regency Bath, gay hero Belle Nash – grandson of Beau Nash, Bath's celebrated master of ceremonies – gets involved in a chain of events that challenges day to day corruption on the city magistrate's bench and sexual inequality in the dispensing of justice -
Who would have thought that such a simple storyline of an unrisen soufflé in the Royal City of Bath in 1831, could turn into a full blown masterpiece? So full of gaiety, humour (silly and risqué), complete with outrageous and flamboyant characters (who would not look out of place in a Pantomime) and a story that just kept on giving. With characters among them named Mrs Crust - the pie lady, Constable Decimus Dimm and Lucius Lush a court clerk, its obvious that you’re in for a belly laugh of a journey.
Apart from the humour and the exciting romp across Bath to ensure no soufflés will ever have the audacity to not rise again, there are the more serious topics of sexual discrimination, misogyny, city hall corruption and homophobia tackled and all these blended into the imaginative story perfectly and with an emotional but strong ending, I finished the book on a high.
On a side note, I don’t think I’ll be eating crumpets anytime soon, the scene with Magistrate Wood in Mrs Haytit’s tea shop was just stomach turning - rancid buttered crumpets with sour tea, yuk! And don’t mention the Rock Cakes haha….
I just HAVE to read the second in ‘The Gay Street Chronicles’
I won’t rest until I do, I just hope that the author - the modern day William Keeling - former foreign correspondent for the Financial Times - finds more paperwork to base his chronicles on and we dont have to wait too long!
#BelleNash - 5 stars
Thank you to author for my copy of the book in return for an honest review.
- Can Belle save Bath and survive? When Gaia Champion's soufflé fails to rise in Regency Bath, gay hero Belle Nash – grandson of Beau Nash, Bath's celebrated master of ceremonies – gets involved in a chain of events that challenges day to day corruption on the city magistrate's bench and sexual inequality in the dispensing of justice -
Who would have thought that such a simple storyline of an unrisen soufflé in the Royal City of Bath in 1831, could turn into a full blown masterpiece? So full of gaiety, humour (silly and risqué), complete with outrageous and flamboyant characters (who would not look out of place in a Pantomime) and a story that just kept on giving. With characters among them named Mrs Crust - the pie lady, Constable Decimus Dimm and Lucius Lush a court clerk, its obvious that you’re in for a belly laugh of a journey.
Apart from the humour and the exciting romp across Bath to ensure no soufflés will ever have the audacity to not rise again, there are the more serious topics of sexual discrimination, misogyny, city hall corruption and homophobia tackled and all these blended into the imaginative story perfectly and with an emotional but strong ending, I finished the book on a high.
On a side note, I don’t think I’ll be eating crumpets anytime soon, the scene with Magistrate Wood in Mrs Haytit’s tea shop was just stomach turning - rancid buttered crumpets with sour tea, yuk! And don’t mention the Rock Cakes haha….
I just HAVE to read the second in ‘The Gay Street Chronicles’
I won’t rest until I do, I just hope that the author - the modern day William Keeling - former foreign correspondent for the Financial Times - finds more paperwork to base his chronicles on and we dont have to wait too long!
#BelleNash - 5 stars
Thank you to author for my copy of the book in return for an honest review.
July 27, 2022
A gem of a book, written with wit & depth of character; Dickensian in style & description.
There’s something rotten in the Royal City of Bath & the clue is in a fallen soufflé.
Belle Nash, a bachelor at heart and loin, along with fellow members of polite society investigate. The repercussions of which will shake the foundations of the decent & indecent peoples of 1830's Bath.
Notes, attributed to the author's late uncle, helpfully illuminate historical references made within each chapter.
There’s something rotten in the Royal City of Bath & the clue is in a fallen soufflé.
Belle Nash, a bachelor at heart and loin, along with fellow members of polite society investigate. The repercussions of which will shake the foundations of the decent & indecent peoples of 1830's Bath.
Notes, attributed to the author's late uncle, helpfully illuminate historical references made within each chapter.
April 15, 2023
A fun romp in an alternative pre-Victorian England.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews