Thursday, April 25, 2019

Series Review: Ada's House by Cindy Woodsmall

Ada's House is a trilogy that follow several Amish couples through different struggles and romantic ups and downs. I started out the series listening to the audiobook, and while the reader was good, I was soon so caught up in the story that she just couldn't read fast enough. One of the main characters is Cara, whose Amish mother died without telling Cara about her Amish roots. Cara has a lot of bitterness built up toward her father and her Amish aunts and uncles who never came for her and left her to her fate in foster care. Deborah's fiancé left the Amish life. Sylvia is running from her former fiancé, and his wife, her sister. Lena is ashamed of her birthmark and afraid that no one will ever be able to see the real her beneath the mark. All of them find rest and comfort through the Bible and through Ada, a widow in her 40s who becomes surrogate mom to Cara, and who is definitely on Lena's widower father's radar. All in all, this is a delightful series that makes you wish for more. I want so many sequels. I need more than three books, because I've fallen in love with all the characters and I want to know more about them. Anything about them. I'm giving this series 4.5 stars.

Wednesday, April 3, 2019

Review: A Silken Thread by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Blurb from Goodreads` *For readers who love a heartwarming romance and a rich historical setting comes a tale of a young woman with a heavy burden, the International Cotton Exposition, and the pursuit of true love.

Eighteen-year-old Laurel Millard, youngest of seven children, is expected to stay home and "take care of Mama" by her older siblings, but Laurel has dreams of starting her own family. Operating a silk loom at the Atlanta Exposition will give her the chance to capture the heart of a man wealthy enough to take care of Laurel and any children she might bear, as well as her mother.

Langdon Rochester's parents have given him an ultimatum: settle down with a wife or lose his family inheritance. At the Exposition, Langdon meets Laurel. Marrying her would satisfy his parents's command, she would look lovely on his arm for social events, and in her besotted state, he believes she would overlook him continuing pursuing rowdy adventures with his unmarried buddies. Langdon decides to woo Laurel. Willie Sharp is not well-off and must take on an extra job at the Atlanta Exposition as a security guard. When mischief-makers cause trouble in the Women's Building, Willie is put in charge of keeping the building secure. He enjoys visiting with Laurel, who seems like the little sister he never had, but his feelings for Laurel change to something much deeper. Can Willie convince Laurel that he can give her better life--even with so little to offer?*

This book has been high on my TBR list since I first saw the cover. Imagine my delight when I was accepted onto the launch team! A Silken Thread was my "spring break project" but really that's code for "I actually have time for leisure reading!" Of course, I was NOT disappointed! One thing I love about Kim's books is that they often hit on events in history that I either have not heard of or that I am not overly familiar with. It's the best way to learn new things. The characters in this book were so diverse and well-written. I adored Laurel and her Mama. Willie and his dad. The cat! And especially the friendship between Willie and Quincy! The issue of interracial friendships, especially in the deep south during this time, was well dealt with. The craft of the writing made this a joy to read. You won't be able to help falling in love with all the characters. (Okay, so you may fall in hate with a few...) Honestly, I think if you are still looking for a gift for your mama for Mothers' Day, you should consider getting this book. What a tribute Kim has written! 4.5 Stars for this wonderfully sweet read with deeper threads than you'd first imagine.

I received this book as part of the launch team. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise. (As always.....)

Saturday, March 30, 2019

Review: An Inconvenient Beauty by Kristi Ann Hunter

I'M SO SORRY IT'S BEEN SOOOO LONG!!!!!

Blurb-"Griffith, Duke of Riverton, likes order, logic, and control, and he naturally applies this rational approach to his search for a bride. He's certain Miss Frederica St. Claire is the perfect wife for him, but while Frederica is strangely elusive, he can't seem to stop running into her stunningly beautiful cousin, Miss Isabella Breckenridge.

Isabella should be enjoying her society debut, but with her family in difficult circumstances, her uncle will only help them if she'll use her beauty to assist him in his political aims. Already uncomfortable with this agreement, the more she comes to know Griffith, the more she wishes to be free of her unfortunate obligation.

Will Griffith and Isabella be able to set aside their pride and face their fears in time to find their own happily-ever-after?"
I'll give this book 4 stars. It was a nice book. I enjoyed the distraction from college life. And I was so glad to see the conclusion of this series that I started in the summer. This book had me laughing out loud a whole awful lot. My poor roommate probably thought that the stress had finally gotten to me, but really I just found this very humorous. The plot was nice. The characters were nicer. It wasn't my favorite in the series, but I did enjoy it. Definitely one of the better regency novels I've read. If you enjoy regency, then I would recommend this series. Sometimes it got a little much for me, as it is heavy on romance. But all in all, a good ending to a lovely series. (Really, though, I found this to be one of the most humorous books I've read in a while.) Also, note the yellows of the cover, which spice up my bookshelf quite nicely.

Thursday, February 21, 2019

Review: Alaska Twilight by Colleen Coble

"For some people, Alaska is a breathtaking wilderness adventure, full of light and beauty. For Haley, it is a dangerous world of dark dreams and tortured memories. On the surface, she's here to document wildlife activist Kipp Nowak's bear encounters. But her real reason is to unearth the truth about a past murder.
From behind the viewfinder of her camera, Haley observes it all, including Tank Lassiter, the bear biologist who has been forced to lead Kipp and his team into the Alaskan backcountry. As she watches him with his work, she feels a growing attraction. It will take great courage to confront the truth she once ran away from. Will she have the faith to move beyond the role of observer and embrace life-and love?"

I'll admit that I should have written this months ago, when it was all still fresh in my mind, but I'll do my very best.

First of all, this is my first time to read something by Colleen Coble and I'm definitely a fan now. You guys know that I can't resist a story set in Alaska! It's one of my Achilles' heels in reading. {The other is adoption of any kind, including by marriage} Colleen did such a good job of capturing the beauty of Alaska with her words, that the fire inside me that longs to go there is burning brighter than ever. The characters were wonderful. Not only was there growth, but there was just a meshing of the perfect cast. Even the bad guys, one of whom I did not actually see coming until it was almost too late, were exactly what the story needed. I, of course, spent a good amount of time being angry at the dumb ol' sister-in-law. She was certifiable, the looney witch! {Don't worry, just a turn of phrase. No witches in the book.} The relationships that each of the MCs had with Brooke would melt any heart of stone. And seeing Haley work through her new relationship with a sister she didn't even know she had was both painful and beautiful. The grandmother was basically the only voice of TRUE reason in the whole book, since everyone else was caught up in all the what-not going on, and I loved her. Especially, her love for Haley. And those two even worked out some of their own junk to. Basically a 5 star book of love and healing that has an edge of suspense that keeps you flipping pages like nobody's business ;)

Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Review: Murder Is No Accident by A.H. Gabhart

Blurb-"Young Maggie Greene may be trespassing in the old, empty Victorian mansion on a quiet street in Hidden Springs, but all she wants is some private time in the magnificent tower room to write her stories. Certain she'll be in trouble if caught, she hides when a realtor shows up. But someone else is in the house too, someone even more worried about getting caught. When Maggie finds the realtor's body at the bottom of a flight of stairs and the other person gone, Deputy Sheriff Michael Keane is called in. He assumes the realtor's death is a tragic accident--until a second person is found dead in the house. When Maggie is threatened, Michael must catch the murderer before anyone else dies."

4 Stars for this murder mystery. Do you know, I'm not sure what I expected, but I don't believe it was this... The setting is very much "small-town-USA" and the so are the people. Hidden Springs seems to be a place where everyone knows everyone. Where the deputy sheriff goes to help an old farmer fix his fence and shoo his cows back in. Where using the lights AND sirens on the car causes everyone to sit up and take notice. I enjoyed getting to know the characters from Hidden Springs (and I did jump right into book 3, typical me, so if I know I've missed out on some of that!) Especially Aunt Lindy. She was one of my favorites. Michael was another of my favorites and it was from him that almost all of the POV came. I thought it was going to be a slow book, I think, and at first it was, but somewhere when I wasn't looking, action started happening. People came in from other states. Bodies were being found. Kids were getting threatened. And Van Gogh's were being carried around as shields. I thoroughly enjoyed the heart-pounding action. (Even if it did make me wish I weren't alone at home after dark...) There were a couple things that annoyed me/ I didn't agree with/ I wish weren't in there/ Whatever: 1) There's a woman preacher (2) There were several (pardon me) slang-y "heck"s and "darn"s and "gee"s and stuff like that, which I could have done without. Other than these things, I enjoyed it immensely. (I still prefer Gabhart's River To Redemption though.)

Friday, February 1, 2019

Review: Where My Heart Belongs by Tracie Peterson

From a best-selling author, a touching story of a prodigal daughter who learns it's never too late to come home, but will she find acceptance?

This book was so layered and multi-faceted. There were so many many things going on. The layers upon layers of sadness and hurt and anger that had to be worked through made for a very gripping story that totally engrossed. I couldn't put it down. I usually read Tracie's historical fiction, but this is the second contemporary I've read. I have to say... it's quite excellent. It was cool how bit by bit we saw the past twelve years exposed. The revisiting of old wounds and the journey from rebellion to faith made it a book of healing for the characters. I'd like to point out that the ending was so spot on spectacular that I didn't know what to do! It's incredible. It ended just the way I wanted it to. And, there is the fact that this achieved that impossible fiction that seems realistic. I loved this book and definitely recommend it to people who enjoy contemporary books that aren't super heavy in the romance department.

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

CelebrateLit Tour: Review: Flights of Fancy by Jen Turano

Miss Isadora Delafield may be an heiress, but her life is far from carefree. When her mother begins pressuring her to marry an elderly and uncouth duke, she escapes from the high society world she’s always known and finds herself to be an unlikely candidate for a housekeeper position in rural Pennsylvania.

Mr. Ian MacKenzie is known for his savvy business sense and has built his reputation and fortune completely on his own merits. But when his adopted parents are in need of a new housekeeper and Isadora is thrown into his path, he’s unexpectedly charmed by her unconventional manner.

Neither Isadora nor Ian expected to find the other so intriguing, but when mysterious incidents on the farm and the truth of Isadora’s secret threaten those they love, they’ll have to set aside everything they thought they wanted for a chance at happy-ever-after.

Jen Turano has astounded me at every turn. Each time I read one of her books I find myself almost sick with laughter. However, she somehow still manages to balance the mishaps of heroes and heroines alike with serious moments of either self-discovery or spiritual realization. The levity of the story becomes the perfect vehicle for a non-preachy "moral to the story" and we learn much without even realizing it. Flights of Fancy is incredible. The first two chapters weren't my favorite (I'd much rather skip the backstory and hit the action, in theory anyway) but I found myself unable to tear my eyes away from the pages, and several times forgot that I was reading as I became engrossed in the storyline. Izzy's desire to become a normal girl caused many laughing tears, and also was a really nice storyline. That's something I like about Jen's books. They often have a storyline that's just a hair different from what's normal in the genre and that makes you enjoy it all the more. Inserting not 1, not 2, no, not even just 3, but 4 kids into the story made it a bread winner for me. You'll find little hidden gems throughout this book that make it a cohesive, did I mention hilarious?, and extremely enjoyable read that will have you pushing through a massive headache just to see what's happening next. With convincing bad guys who are actually worth your while to hate, and controlling mothers with semi-surprising endings, and half crazy uncles, this is something to drop right on the top of your TBR list, pronto!
And check out this killer cover!

I received this book as a part of the Celebrate Lit Team opportunity, but I was not required to leave a positive review. All thoughts/comments are my very own.

Click here to order your copy!

About the Author

Named One of the Funniest Voices in Inspirational Romance by Booklist, Jen Turano is a USA Today Best-Selling Author, known for penning quirky historical romances set in the Gilded Age. Her books have earned Publisher Weekly and Booklist starred reviews, top picks from Romantic Times, and praise from Library Journal. She’s been a finalist twice for the RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards and had two of her books listed in the top 100 romances of the past decade from Booklist. When she’s not writing, she spends her time outside of Denver, CO.

Guest post from Jen

Q & A With Jen Turano

“Flights of Fancy” is the first book in the American Heiress Series. What inspired you to write this series?

The inspiration for this entire series started off with a What If? All of my proposals for new series start off that way, and this time it was – What if Consuelo Vanderbilt had balked when her mother insisted she marry the Duke of Marlborough – and then that led to – What if she’d run away until her mother came to her senses? Just like that, an entire series was born – a bit of a different take on American heiresses because in all three books, my heiresses might decide to go a tad…rogue. We start off with Miss Isadora Delafield – who does run off to avoid marriage to a duke, then we get to meet Miss Poppy Garrison, who is an unexpected heiress but who can’t quite seem to get a handle on the expected social decorum of the day, and then the final book revolves around Miss Beatrix Waterbury – who gets banished to Chicago after she annoys her mother one too many times, and once there, well, gets up to a bit of mischief.

How do you come up with the names of your characters?

I find most of my names as I research the New York Four-Hundred, although I normally take a first name here, a last name there so I’m not stepping on any toes by writing about an actual historical figure – except for some of the main figures in New York society back then, such as Mr. Ward McAllister – who was the social arbiter of the day, or Mrs. William Astor, who was the queen of that society. What I don’t do is simply make up names, no matter how outrageous they may appear. And, no matter how I may love a certain name, if the character decides it doesn’t suit them, that’s it, it’s out and I’m back to the drawing board.

How do you picture your character? Do you use Pinterest, magazines, movies?

Odd as this may seem, I don’t use pictures for my characters. They start off in my mind as a blurry figure, and then, they develop from there – I like to keep my descriptions of them somewhat vague on the pages so that the reader can imagine them exactly the way they’d like them to be.

What are some of your favorite resources for historical research?

I’ve been building up a research library over the past few years and now have over 200 books dedicated to the Gilded Age. My favorites are – “A Season of Splendor” by Greg King, “Society as I Have Found It” by Ward McAllister, “The Gilded Age in New York – 1870-1910” by Esther Crain, and “ ‘King Lehr’ and the Gilded Age” by Elizabeth Drexel Lehr.

The setting for “Flights of Fancy” is a bit of a departure for you since it’s set in and outside of Pittsburgh. Any reason for that?

My mom was born in Pittsburgh, and unfortunately, her father, a prominent attorney back in the day, died when she was only four. I thought it would be cool to set a story in Pittsburgh, which would then allow me to really dive into some research. And get this – while I was doing that research, I found this obscure journal called “Memoirs of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. In that journal was a bit about my great-grandfather, Fred, his wife, Susie, my grandfather, and his brother and sister, but I’d never heard about this brother, who apparently died quite young. One of the most fabulous research tidbits I’ve uncovered to date.

What are you working on now?

I’ve just recently turned in the content edits for the second book in this series, “Diamond in the Rough,” and I’ve also turned in a novella about the Harvey Girls that will be coming out in a novella collection in Fall, 2019. With those out of the way, I’m now starting the third and final book in the American Heiress series, Miss Beatrix Waterbury’s story, but I’m having a bit of a struggle with the hero at the moment – he was supposed to be Edward, but he doesn’t want to be an Edward – I think he wants to be Norman – but, time will tell on that one – don’t hold me to the name – it’ll depend on if he changes his mind or not – pesky characters.

You seem to enjoy adding animals in many of your stories. Will we find any animals in “Flights of Fancy?”

Since Miss Isadora Delafield ends up on a farm, I do believe you will find a few animals, such as an adorable cow by the name of Buttercup, a few goats that seem to have a great liking for laundry, and…there might be some chickens.

Thanks for stopping by today, everyone! Always enjoy visiting with all of you – in fact, that’s the best part of my job!

All the best,

~ Jen ~

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jen is giving away a grand prize of a trunk filled with all of Jen’s full-length novels released to date!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/d8d1/flights-of-fancy-celebration-tour-giveaway

DON'T JUST TAKE MY WORD FOR IT! SEE WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING AT THESE BLOG STOPS! AND LEAVE COMMENTS FOR EXTRA ENTRIES IN THE GIVEAWAY!