A Chance At Forever by Melissa Jagears

A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

Summer sports are in full swing at my house, but I have still found some time to read. I recently finished reading A Chance at Forever by Melissa Jagears. The book is part of her Teaville Moral Society series, but it reads well as an individual book.

Set in Kansas in 1909, the book follows the story of Mercy, who helps run the local orphanage with her brother and sister-in-law and serves as a member of the local school board, and Aaron who has recently returned to Teaville to try to set things right with those he wronged as a bully when he was child. He has changed since he left Teaville and we meet him as he is applying for a teaching position at the local school. Mercy, one of the victims of his bullying, does not believe he has changed and does not want someone of his like to be allowed to teach.

As fate would have it, while he is waiting on the decision of the school board, he finds a summer job that puts him at the orphanage as the gardener. He sees this as an opportunity to help show Mercy that he is a change man and hopefully, gain her forgiveness for the way he treated her as a child.

The plot was engaging and made the book difficult to put down. The characters were easy to relate to and the type that you wanted only the best for. The story was a touching read that was well written with underlying messages of faith and forgiveness. It included a nice touch of romance and mystery, which were enjoyable and added to the appeal of the story. It was nice to watch how through self-discovery and awareness, Mercy was able to come to realize that she might be wrong that no man could ever love her or choose her as his. As the characters grew through the story, they gained new perspectives about others around them and helped show that it's never too late to turn to God and that through faith and conviction great things are possible.

If you enjoy historical fiction or a simple love story, then this book is for you.

About

". . . heartwarming and sweet . . . compelling . . ."--RT Book Reviews on A Love So True

Determined to protect the children of Teaville, Kansas, from the bullying she experienced as a child, Mercy McClain finds fulfillment working at the local orphanage and serving on the school board. When Aaron Firebrook, the worst of her childhood bullies, petitions the board for a teaching position, she's dead set against his getting the job.

Aaron knows he deserves every bit of Mercy's mistrust, but he's returned to his hometown a changed man and is seeking the forgiveness of those he wronged. He doesn't expect Mercy to like him, but surely he can prove he now has the children's best interests at heart.

Will resentment and old wounds hold them back, or can Mercy and Aaron overcome the past in time to battle the threats against the future of the town's orphans?

About the author:
Melissa Jagears

Carol Award-winning author Melissa Jagears is a homeschooling mom who writes Christian historical romance into the wee hours of the night. She's the author of the Unexpected Brides series, the Teaville Moral Society series, and Love by the Letter, a free prequel ebook novella. You can learn more about Melissa, her books, and where she hangs out online at www.melissajagears.com.

No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

A Song Unheard by Roseanna M. White

A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

I have been jumping between genres recently and this past week have been reading a piece of Edwardian fiction, in which I have been deeply engrossed - A Song Unheard by Roseanna M. White. A Song Unheard is the second book in the Shadows Over England series and is set primarily in Wales in 1914. This story is a stand alone story, but if you had a chance to read the first book in the series, A Name Unknown, this book offers a chance to catch a brief glimpse of those main characters, but more so, focused on the story of another member of the family.

Willa has a love for music, spending time catching practices of the symphony in London and playing on a well-loved violin. So when Mr. V offers a role that has her spending time with famed violinist Lukas De Wilde to locate a highly sought cypher key, she knows that she is the right person for the job. The author did a good job developing characters through the progression of the story, continuing to reveal things about some of the characters right up to the end of the story. Lukas is intrigued with Willa the moment he sees her on the street, assessing the building in ways similar to how he has seen his sister assess things. When he learns that she is a violin prodigy, he offers her lessons as a way to get to know her and spend more time with her. Willa is determined not to follow the path that Rosemary did and fall for her target, but she needs to spend time to get to know him to get close enough to locate and steal the cypher key.

Suspense and danger is woven throughout the story. We get the sense of the danger faced by Willa when she finds herself not alone on her quest and the ongoing danger faced by Lukas' family who is hiding out from the soldiers, even with one sharing the same house. When it seems that she will not succeed in completing the job and is caught in a place she shouldn't be, Willa confesses to Lukas and changes the dynamic between them. The story isn't over at that point though bringing more into the story as the danger intensifies and more secrets come out, making the story even that much more intriguing.

Through her vivid descriptions of the settings, both internal and external, the author is able to transport the reader to another time and place. Her story was so engaging that I found myself not wanting to put the book down, resulting in me yet again staying up later than I should simply so I can read a little more. The book had the perfect balance of danger, friendship and courtship, romance, mystery, deception, intrigue and faith.

I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

About the Book:
If Betraying Her Heart Means Saving Countless Lives, Will She Find the Courage?

Willa Forsythe is both a violin prodigy and top-notch thief, which makes her the perfect choice for a critical task at the outset of World War I--to secure a crucial cypher key from a famous violinist currently in Wales.

Lukas De Wilde has enjoyed the life of fame he's won--until now, when being recognized nearly gets him killed. Everyone wants the key to his father's work as a cryptologist. And Lukas fears that his mother and sister, who have vanished in the wake of the German invasion of Belgium, will pay the price. The only distraction he finds from his worry is in meeting the intriguing and talented Willa Forsythe.

But danger presses in from every side, and Willa knows what Lukas doesn't--that she must betray him and find that key, or her own family could pay the same price his surely has.

About The Author:
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award-nominated author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she's homeschooling her two kids, designing book covers, editing, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books . . . to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. You can learn more about her and her stories at www.RoseannaMWhite.com.

No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

Out of the Ordinary by Jen Turano

A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

I took a break from reading over the holidays. There was family time and baking and lots of tv series and movie binge watching. I missed it, but with everything else there simply wasn't time. As the holidays wound down, I was glad to realize that I had Out of the Ordinary, part of the Apart from the Crowd series by Jen Turano to read. I have read the earlier books in the series, but certainly you don't need to have read them. I loved catching up a bit and learning more about some of the characters that I had met in the earlier stories.

This Regency romance did not disappoint. It was full of quirky characters and mysterious situations. There were those that held the standards of society as the norm and those that eschewed it (or perhaps were oblivious to it) at every turn. There was the development of a friendship that evolved to be more, almost without recognition by those involved. There was revelation of secrets and healing through sharing and conversation. I think that hanging out with Harrison, Asher, Permilia, and Gertrude would be fun.

If you enjoy period fiction, or just a good story, I recommend this book (and the others in this series too).

About

"With all the charm of a Regency romance, the humor of a drawing room farce, and the swoonworthy delight of a fairy tale, Turano's first Apart from the Crowd historical absolutely sparkles."--Publishers Weekly on Behind the Scenes

Working as a paid companion may be quite commonplace, but Miss Gertrude Cadwalader's eccentric employer makes her job unpredictable, to say the least. She finds herself carrying out an array of highly unusual tasks, including wearing peculiar outfits and returning items the woman pilfered. But when the wealthy Mrs. Sinclair catches Gertrude sneaking around the Sinclair yacht with some of the missing items in her possession, she immediately jumps to the wrong conclusion.

Shipping magnate Harrison Sinclair is caught in the middle of a misunderstanding between his mother and Gertrude, but he can't help coming to his friend's defense. Even as he hopes their friendship might become something more, Harrison is unprepared for the outlandish escapades that seem to follow the lovely, anything-but-ordinary Gertrude at every turn.

Jen Turano is the USA Today bestselling author of nine books and lives in a suburb of Denver, Colorado. Visit her website at www.jenturano.com.

No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

An Inconvenient Beauty by Kristi Ann Hunter

A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

The weather here has been unseasonably warm lately, with temperatures hitting the 90s last weekend, but fortunately, the weather has returned to more fall like weather. I love fall weather, it is the perfect time of year to sit on the porch or curled up on the sofa reading a book. Of course, yesterday, with only 100 pages to go in An Inconvenient Beauty, I found myself sitting at the table and reading while I enjoyed a nice hot cup of pumpkin spice coffee and getting up only to make another cup of coffee.

I thoroughly enjoyed An Inconvenient Beauty and couldn't put it down. In fact, when I did put it down after reading all 379 pages, my daughter commented 'didn't you just start that book'...as I closed the book and exclaimed 'I can't believe that was the last one in the series, I want it to go on!' It really was a great story, that was well written and had great scene and character development. Having met Griffith and the rest of the family in an Uncommon Courtship, which was the third in the four book series, I was glad to get to know him better. His family is the type of family that anyone would be happy to be part of, a group that is there for support and guidance, a group that knows how to play and have fun together, and a family that loves to pick on one another but would not fail to support one another.

Isabella and her cousin Frederica were well developed characters and both had to overcome adversity. Isabella not only had her challenges at home, problems she was hoping to solve with her time in London, but the added complexity of the role her uncle expected her to play and the threats he held over her. Freddie had only her father to deal with, but she clearly had a strong character having survived the loss of her mother and brother, but also as evidenced in the way she carried herself and the role she played in helping the right things happen.

Reading a story from an era with very different societal norms and expectations is always interesting to me. Despite recognizing how different of a time it was for women, there is still something so intriguing to me. On one hand, I think it would be so fun to get dressed up and go out to events, but I think that by the end of a season I would be well beyond interested in dressing up and putting on my 'social face'. I think that the idea of having a chaperone with you at all times as you court seems a bit extreme (and how boring for the chaperone!), but love how innocent courting was - filled with visits to see art and walks in the park.

An Inconvenient Beauty is a great reminder that sometimes the best way to find love is to not look for it. In fact, even when you are avoiding it (or someone), a love that is meant to be will find a way (and likely make you appreciate it more).

About the Book:

Griffith, Duke of Riverton, likes order, logic, and control, so he naturally applies this rational approach to his search for a bride. While he's certain Miss Frederica St. Claire is the perfect wife for him, she is strangely elusive, and 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, she has no choice but to agree to a bargain that puts her at odds with all her romantic hopes--as well as her conscience. And the more she comes to know Griffith, the more she regrets the unpleasant obligation that prevents her from any dream of a future with him.

As all Griffith's and Isabella's long-held expectations are shaken to the core, can they set aside their pride and fear long enough to claim a happily-ever-after?

About the Author:

Kristi Ann Hunter graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in computer science but always knew she wanted to write. Kristi is the author of the Hawthorne House series and a 2016 RITA Award winner and Christy Award finalist. She lives with her husband and three children in Georgia. Find her online at www.kristiannhunter.com.

I have only read the last two books in the series, but I would highly recommend reading the Hawthorne House series by Kristi Ann Hunter. I intend to pick up the first two books myself, so that I can read them.

No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

A Name Unknown by Roseanna M. White

A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

It has been a while since I have read a piece of Edwardian fiction, but these past couple of weeks I have been deeply engrossed in A Name Unknown by Roseanna M. White. A Name Unknown is the first book in the Shadows Over England series and is set primarily in Cornwall in 1914.

The author did a good job developing characters through the progression of the story, continuing to reveal things about some of the characters right up to the end of the story. Rosemary and Peter are an unconventional pair, she is poor, opinionated, streetwise and independent, and full of doubt when it comes to faith, he is rich, inclined to not speak his thoughts, has friends that look to him for advise and is strong in his faith. As the story unfolds, the reader starts to recognize the growing relationship between them and may even know they are falling in love before they do. Through her vivid descriptions of the settings, both internal and external, the author is able to transport the reader to another time and place. Her story was so engaging and that I found myself not wanting to put the book down, resulting in me yet again staying up later than I should simply so I can read a little more. The book had the perfect balance of an unlikely friendship, romance, mystery, deception, intrigue and faith.

I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

About the book:

She's out to steal his name. Will he steal her heart instead?
Rosemary Gresham has no family beyond the band of former urchins that helped her survive as a girl in the mean streets of London. Grown now, they are no longer pickpockets-now they focus on high value items and have learned how to blend into upper-class society. Rosemary's challenge of a lifetime comes when she's assigned to determine whether a certain wealthy gentleman is loyal to Britain or to Germany. How does one steal a family's history, their very name?
Rumors swirl around Peter Holstein. Awkward and solitary, but with access to the king, many fear his influence. But Peter can't help his German last name and wants to prove his loyalty to the crown-so he can go back to anonymously writing a series of popular adventure novels. When Rosemary arrives on his doorstop pretending to be a well- credentialed historian, Peter believes she's the right person to help him dig through his family's past.
Anger and danger continue to mount, though, and both realize they're in a race against time to discover the truth-about Peter's past and about the undeniable attraction kindling between them.
Learn more and purchase a copy.


About the author:

Roseanna M. White pens her novels beneath her Betsy Ross flag, with her Jane Austen action figure watching over her. When not writing fiction, she's homeschooling her two children, editing and designing, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of over a dozen historical novels and novellas, ranging from biblical fiction to American-set romances to her British series. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to make their way into her novels . . . to offset her real life, which is blessedly boring. She passes said boring life with her husband and kids in the beautiful mountains of eastern West Virginia.
Find out more about Roseanna M. at http://www.roseannamwhite.com.

You can read more reviews and learn more about the book on the Blog Tour Landing Page.

No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

A Love So True by Melissa Jagears

A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

What a busy couple of weeks I have had. Travel has been the name of the adventure. In the past 25 days, I have stayed in 5 different hotels in 5 different cities; traveling to two by air and three by car - that's a lot of travel for someone who is content to be home. The short trips have been for family vacations/sports and the long ones for work. I had great plans of reading while I traveled, but of course, there is something about riding in a car or airplane that causes me to do a mix of snoozing and reading. On the last flight I took though, I was successful in staying awake and finishing A Love So True by Melissa Jagears.

A Love So True is the third book in the Teaville Moral Society series and brings us to Teaville, Kansas in the fall of 1908. Although this is the third book in the series, there is nothing lost in not having read the first two, except perhaps the chance to visit with old friends that reappear across the series. The author does a great job of introducing us to the characters, revealing enough about the characters to help us get to know them with the right balance of opportunity to learn about them alongside the other characters.

Evelyn is a strong and independent woman. She is seemingly uninterested in allowing any man to get close enough to court her and we learn that it is as a result of a closely guarded secret that even her parents and closest friends are unaware she is keeping. With her love of children and as a result of her secret, she believes that she will not have the opportunity to be a mother, a belief that contributes to the amount of passion that she has for helping the kids at the orphanage and the women of the red light district. New to town, David finds Evelyn and her passion intriguing and looks for ways to spend time with her and to help her on her mission to help those in need.

The story featured a nice mix of compassion, friendship. love and mystery. The plot was engaging and made the book difficult to put down. The characters were easy to relate to and the type that you wanted only the best for. The touch of romance and mystery were enjoyable and added to the appeal of the story. Will we ever learn her secret? Will those around her find the secret as horrible as she feels it is? Will she be able to move past the secret and find happiness before David's work in town is done? The characters find themselves realizing that God has a plan and that although we may wonder and wish, sometimes things don't happen on our timeline, because they need to happen on His to fulfill the bigger plan.

I found this story to be a good read and if you enjoy period fiction or a good love story, would recommend checking it out.

About

Evelyn Wisely loves working at the local orphanage, but her heart can't ignore the women of Teaville who are also in need. Her boss is willing to help build a shelter for them, but only if she gains the cooperation and financial support of other local businessmen.

While David Kingsman plans to stay in Teaville just long enough to get his father's business back on solid ground, he's intrigued by Evelyn's cause and finds himself more invested with each passing day.

Will their plans and partnership fall apart when confronted with all that is stacked against them, or can they trust in God's plan despite it all?


The Author

Melissa Jagears

Carol Award-winning author Melissa Jagears is a homeschooling mom who writes Christian historical romance into the wee hours of the night. She's the author of the Unexpected Brides series, the Teaville Moral Society series, and Love by the Letter, a free prequel ebook novella. You can learn more about Melissa, her books, and where she hangs out online at www.melissajagears.com.

No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

Behind the Scenes by Jen Turano

A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

I recently finished reading Behind the Scenes by Jen Turano, the first book in the Apart from the Crowd series. Set in New York City in the Spring of 1883, the story centers around Miss Permilia Griswold and those around her. A known wallflower, Permilia has a way of blending in and going unnoticed amongst members of society, until at the Vanderbilt Ball where she suddenly finds herself the recipient of additional attention and it turns into a pivot point in many aspects of her life. Permilia was my kind of girl, able to spend time around society but one who had other priorities and many other things which were more dear to her than the need to be accepted by society.

In good part, Behind the Scenes was a story of acceptance - acceptance of others, acceptance of self, acceptance of God's plan and acceptance of family and past. Permilia had plans for her life and being part of New York society was never on her list, but as the story unfolds and she faces many challenges, she finds herself visiting with Reverend Perry who reminds her that 'some of our life experiences should be looked upon as stepping stones, needed in order to cross the stream at large, but not meant to be lingered on' and that sometimes we have to turn our troubles over to God and be willing to accept what He may have in store for you. It was only after that pivotal conversation that she seemed to come to accept the changes that were happening and really found a path to happiness.

I thoroughly enjoyed Behind the Scenes. The author did a great job setting the scene and establishing the development of the characters through the backdrop of the Vanderbilt Ball, including details on the clothing, dancing and other details of the ball. The book drew me in from the beginning and surprisingly, with almost 1/3 of the book focused of establishing the situation and characters at the ball, the story never slowed. There was a great mix of love, intrigue, mystery and suspense within the story through which the reader grew closer with the characters and the challenges that they faced and successes that they achieved. I really look forward to the next book in the series, which I am sure will cast light onto Permilia's continuing story, as her friend Gertrude is the center of the story.

If you enjoy a good love story with a little mystery mixed in, I would recommend checking out Behind the Scenes.

About
After spending the last six years banished to the wallflower section of the ballroom, Miss Permilia Griswold has finally figured out a way to pass the time at all the New York high-society events she attends. Under the pseudonym "Miss Quill," she is the author of society gossip columns filled with tidbits only an insider in society--albeit one on the fringes--would know.

When she overhears a threat against Mr. Asher Rutherford, the owner of one of the most up-and-coming department stores in the city, she's determined to warn him. But the irritatingly handsome man doesn't believe her, leaving her no choice but to take matters into her own hands. What she doesn't anticipate is that she'll end up putting herself at risk in the process--or that she and Mr. Rutherford, a man with secrets of his own, just might end up joining forces after all.

Author
Jen Turano, author of eight books and two novellas, is a graduate of the University of Akron with a degree in clothing and textiles. She is a member of ACFW and lives in a suburb of Denver, Colorado. Visit her website at www.jenturano.com.

No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

The Mark of the King by Jocelyn Green

A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

Growing up, I was a huge fan of Little House on the Prairie, despite the challenges that they likely faced as pioneers on the prairie, I still had romantic notions of the simplicity of the life and the focus on the importance of your family. I think sometimes, as you study history and read historical fiction, it has a tendency to leave you with a different impression than the likely reality, not that you don't recognize the differences and realize the challenges that they were facing, but it doesn't tend to really provide focus on the difficulties that they really faced. In The Mark of the King by Jocelyn Green, I got a really different perspective on the early settlements in Louisiana.

The story starts in France, where Julianne is serving as a midwife with her teacher as her assistant, a delivery that alters Julianne's future. Finding herself imprisoned for murder, she barters her way out of prison and onto a ship headed to Louisiana, in hopes of connecting with her younger brother who went to Louisiana to serve as a soldier. Little does she know when making the deal, but before they leave France, all of the passengers on the ship are forced to chose a mate (a fellow convict) and marry, as they are headed to the colony to help populate it for France. There is no shortage of challenge and heartache along the way for Julianne. Even in escaping France, she is unable to escape the mark of the king that has been etched into her skin...the mark creating issues for her, but also the potential to finally find happiness in the rough environment of the colony.

Jocelyn Green does a great job in bringing the story to life. She paints the landscape and environment of the wilds of the Louisiana colony in a way that makes it very vivid in your mind. You really got to know the characters and felt that you were experiencing the challenges and heartaches along with them. Her description of the experience at sea and on land during the hurricane makes the reader feel like they are in the storm with the characters.

I highly recommend this book, as I thoroughly enjoyed it and was drawn in on each and every page. The night that I finished the book, I stayed up way later than I should have, because I simply could not put down the book without knowing the outcome and the fate of those characters that I had grown to love. Those 75 pages were read without the realization of just how the time was passing. This is the first book I have read by Jocelyn Green but based on the way that she captured me and pulled me into the story, I look forward to reading more of her historical fiction books. She has four others, also set in the early years of the United States.

About the book:

The Mark of the King (Bethany House, January 2017)

Sweeping historical fiction set at the edge of the continent

After being imprisoned and branded for the death of her client, twenty-five-year-old midwife Julianne Chevalier trades her life sentence for exile to the fledgling 1720s French colony of Louisiana, where she hopes to be reunited with her brother, serving there as a soldier. To make the journey, though, women must be married, and Julianne is forced to wed a fellow convict.

When they arrive in New Orleans, there is no news of Benjamin, Julianne's brother, and searching for answers proves dangerous. What is behind the mystery, and does military officer Marc-Paul Girard know more than he is letting on?

With her dreams of a new life shattered, Julianne must find her way in this dangerous, rugged land, despite never being able to escape the king's mark on her shoulder that brands her a criminal beyond redemption.

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/2iKM4uj

About the author:


Jocelyn Green inspires faith and courage as the award-winning author of ten books to date, including Wedded to War, a Christy Award finalist in 2013; Widow of Gettysburg; Yankee in Atlanta; and The 5 Love Languages Military Edition, which she coauthored with bestselling author Dr. Gary Chapman. A former military wife herself, her passion for military families informs all of her writing as well as her numerous speaking opportunities. Jocelyn graduated from Taylor University with a BA in English and now lives with her husband and two children in Iowa.

Find more reviews and learn more on the blog tour landing page.

No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

A Lady Unrivaled by Roseanna M White

A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

I love when I read a book and find myself totally transported to another time and place. When the book is so good that I can't put it down and stay up later that I should simply so I can read a little more and try to 'help' the characters uncover the truth before they find themselves or their loved ones in danger. A Lady Unrivaled by Roseanna White was just that type of book. Her story was so engaging that I simply wanted to keep reading. As with the The Lost Heiress, this third book in the Ladies of the Manor series had the perfect balance of romance, adventure, mystery, intrigue, deception and faith. Even though this was the third book in the series, it very much so can be read on it's own. I have read the first book in the series and somehow missed reading the second, but would like to go back and read it (even out of sequence).

Her character development and scene setting was terrific, so much so, that I was pulled into the story, I felt almost like I was living the story along with the characters. I loved seeing glimpses into the ongoing stories of the characters that we met in the earlier books and of course, further development of some of the characters that we simply met in the earlier stories. I loved Ella's determination and Cayton's softer, creative side. Seeing them each interact with Cayton's daughter was endearing.

As each character grew during the story, they found pathways that were much different than they might have originally expected. As the story concluded, I found that I really enjoyed the way that the story concluded and the curse of the Fire Eyes resolved in a fantastic way, helping to ensure that others would not fall into the danger of the curse.

If you are a fan of historical fiction, I would recommend checking out this book (and the rest of the series, for that matter).

About

Amid the Unforgettable Cotswolds, the Final Grasp for the Fire Eyes Diamonds Could Threaten Them All

Lady Ella Myerston can always find a reason to smile--even if it's just in hope that tomorrow will be better than today. All her life everyone has tried to protect her from the realities of the world, but Ella knows very well how the dangerous Fire Eyes diamonds have haunted her brother and their friends, and she won't wait for peril to strike again. She intends to take action . . . and if that happens to involve an adventurous trip to the Cotswolds, then so much the better.

Lord James Cayton has already broken two hearts, including that of his first wife, who died before he could convince himself to love her. Now he's determined to live a better life . . . but that proves complicated when old acquaintances pull Cayton into their desperate attempt to seize the jewels. He does his best to remove the intriguing Lady Ella from danger, but the stubborn girl won't budge. How else can he redeem himself, though, but by saving her--and his daughter--from those intent on destroying them all?

No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

Christian's Hope by Ervin Stutzman

A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

One of my favorite things about the fall is curling up under a blanket with the windows open and reading on a lazy afternoon. Recently, I had the chance to read the new book by Ervin Stutzman, Christian's Hope. It is the third book in the Return to Northkill series, although I haven't read the other books, there was no problem in being able to start with this book, as the author provides backstory as needed.

This book was an interesting juxtaposition of two types of books that I enjoy reading - historical fiction, set in the 1760s and Amish fiction. I loved that the series is based on actual events in the lives of the author's ancestors.

About the book:

Christian's Hope (Herald Press, October 2016)

When Christian Hochstetler returns to the Amish after seven years in captivity, he finds that many things have shifted.

Captured as a child during the French and Indian War, Christian has spent much of his life among Native Americans, who cared for him and taught him their ways. Now that Christian is home, his father wants him to settle back into their predictable Amish life of farming, and Christian's budding friendship with Orpha Rupp beckons him to stay as well.

Yet Christian feels restless, and he misses his adoptive Native American family---who raised him as their own son. When faced with a life-altering decision, will Christian choose the Amish identity that his father desires for him? Or will he depart from his family and faith community yet again?

Christian's Hope tells the story of the younger brother of Joseph and son of Jacob, whom readers have come to love in the first two books in the Return to Northkill series. Based on actual events and written by a descendant of the Hochstetler family, Christian's Hope brings the sweeping epic of the Return to Northkill series to a soul-stirring end.


Purchase a copy here.


About the author:

Ervin R. Stutzman is author of Jacob's Choice, Joseph's Dilemma, Tobias of the Amish, and Emma, A Widow Among the Amish. Born into an Amish home in Kalona, Iowa, Stutzman based the Return to Northkill series on the life of his ancestor, Jacob Hochstetler. He has been featured on TLC's Who Do You Think You Are?

See more reviews and learn more about the book on the Blog Tour Landing Page.

No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

Playing the Part by Jen Turano

A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

I recently finished reading Playing the Part by Jen Turano, I didn't realize it when I started but quickly came to discover that some of the characters that I had first met in In Good Company the first book that I had read by Jen Turano. Even before I discovered that it was next book in the series, I was looking forward to reading this book, as I like the style of Jen Turano and enjoy the historical fiction set in America.

Playing the Part has a great balance of romance, mystery, and humor. The author did a great job bringing the eccentric characters to life and it was hard not to fall in love with all the characters (well except for Silas and Nigel). I love the way that the author presented the characters and their quirkiness and then through the telling of the story starts to reveal what makes them who they are. As Bram and Lucetta begin to learn more about the other, they discover that first impressions are not always so reliable. Almost to the final page, the reader continues to learn more about the characters. I love that Millie returned in this story, even if only for a short portion of the story, with her dictionary and 'big words'. Every time she used a big word and then proceeded to tell her friends what it meant, it made me chuckle.

The setting for this story is primarily at Bram's castle, which is in part it's own 'character' with it's motley crew of staff, animals, unique structures, the suspicion that it is haunted and even a dungeon. The castle makes a perfect backdrop for this story, helping to move the story along and allowing us to get to know the real side of the characters.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and look forward to reading more by Jen Turano.

About the book:

Playing the Part (Bethany House, March 2016)

Can they accept who they are behind the parts they play in time to save the day?

Lucetta Plum is an actress on the rise in New York City, but is forced to abandon her starring role when a fan's interest turns threatening. Lucetta's widowed friend, Abigail Hart, is delighted at the opportunity to meddle in Lucetta's life and promptly whisks her away to her grandson's estate to hide out.

Bram Haverstein may appear to simply be a somewhat eccentric gentleman of means, but a mysterious career and a secret fascination with a certain actress mean there's much more to him than society knows.

Lucetta, who has no interest in Abigail's matchmaking machinations, has the best intentions of remaining cordial but coolly distant to Bram. But when she can't ignore the strange and mysterious things going on in his house, it'll take more than good intentions to keep her from trying to discover who Bram is behind the part he plays.

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1RQM4QD

About the author:


Jen Turano, author of the Ladies of Distinction series and the A Class of Their Own series, is a graduate of the University of Akron. She is a member of ACFW and lives in a suburb of Denver, Colorado.

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Check out more reviews and learn more about the book on the blog tour landing page.

No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

Whispers in the Reading Room by Shelley Gray

A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

I have read a number of books by Shelley Gray, but to date, most of them have been Amish fiction. A few months back, I got the chance to read her novella An Outlaw's Heart as part of the book, Among the Fair Magnolias. So, when I saw that she had a new book coming out that was period fiction, I was excited for the opportunity to read it.

Whispers in the Reading Room is set in Chicago in 1893. It turns out that it was the third in the A Chicago World's Fair Mystery series. Fortunately, there was no need to have read the earlier works to thoroughly enjoy this one.

Even from the first chapter, I was drawn into the story and found myself wanting to read more. There were evenings that went a little later than planned, as I convinced myself to read just one more chapter (and then perhaps another) so that I could see what happened next. My husband even made fun of me as I attempted to read a few pages on a short car ride to lunch one afternoon.

As with her other works, this story has great character development. Through the course of the story, I came to know the main characters and yet, they still managed to surprise me in their action.

I frequently find passages that strike me, but rarely share them. In this case, I tabbed the corner, because it was something that I really could relate to, that feeling when you finish a book.

"She still remembered the expression on his face last week when he'd finished and closed the last tome. He'd looked pleased and just a bit melancholy. She knew those dual feelings well - the satisfaction of completing a well-written piece of literature while also coming to terms with the fact that those few moments of pure bliss would soon be replaced with longing for more."

I really enjoyed the book and would recommend it to those that love period history and those that love stories of mystery and love.

About the book:

Whispers in the Reading Room (Zondervan, November 2015)

Lydia's job at the library is her world---until a mysterious patron catches her eye . . . and perhaps her heart.

Just months after the closure of the Chicago World's Fair, librarian Lydia Bancroft finds herself fascinated by a mysterious dark-haired and dark-eyed patron. He has never given her his name; he actually never speaks to a single person. All she knows about him is that he loves books as much as she does.

Only when he rescues her in the lobby of the Hartman Hotel does she discover that his name is Sebastian Marks. She also discovers that he lives at the top of the prestigious hotel and that most everyone in Chicago is intrigued by him.

Lydia and Sebastian form a fragile friendship, but when she discovers that Mr. Marks isn't merely a very wealthy gentleman, but also the proprietor of an infamous saloon and gambling club, she is shocked.

Lydia insists on visiting the club one fateful night and suddenly is a suspect to a murder. She must determine who she can trust, who is innocent, and if Sebastian Marks-the man so many people fear-is actually everything her heart believes him to be.

Purchase a copy here.

About the author:

Shelley Gray is the author of The Heart of a Hero series. Her Amish novel (written as Shelley Shepard Gray), The Protector, recently made the New York Times best seller list. A native of Texas, she earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in Colorado and taught school for ten years. She and her husband have two children and live in Southern Ohio.

Connect with Shelley: website, Twitter, and Facebook

You can learn more about the book and find other reviews on the blog tour landing page.


No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

Beyond All Dreams by Elizabeth Camden

A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

I have really been enjoying Historical Fiction lately. Most of the Historical Fiction that I have been reading is set in England, so when I was given the chance to check out a new book by Elizabeth Camden set in Washington D.C. in the late 1890s called Beyond All Dreams, I jumped at the chance.

The book jumps right in to the story in the first chapter, introducing Anna O'Brien and Luke Callahan. We are also given just a bit of background to help set the stage. The story starts out a little bit slow, but then quickly gathers momentum pulling the reader into the story.

I felt that the story really said a lot about being content and what happens when you push beyond normal boundaries and experiences. The outcome of doing so certainly is not always what you had hoped or expected, but as the title suggests, sometimes the outcome is beyond all dreams.

I really enjoyed the balance of historical fact inter-mixed with the fictional tale. You could tell the author had done her research, from the opening of the new building for the Library of Congress to the Tourmaline mine in Maine. The history going on around the story helped to make the characters and events in their lives more real to me as a reader.

The story is told in third person, yet there are plenty of insights offered by the narrator into what the characters are thinking. This really helped me as a reader get to know the characters and allowed a nice balance of learning about more than just one character's inner thoughts.

I really enjoyed the book and found the experience of reading it satisfying. I would recommend the book to others that enjoy historical fiction or romance.

I haven't read any of Elizabeth Camden's other books, but based on my enjoyment of this book, look forward to reading others.

You can learn more about the book and author, as well as find other reviews on the blog tour landing page.

About the book:
Is bringing the truth to light worth risking all they've ever dreamed for their futures?

Anna O'Brien leads a predictable and quiet life as a map librarian at the illustrious Library of Congress until she stumbles across the baffling mystery of a ship disappeared at sea. Thwarted in her attempts to uncover information, her determination outweighs her shyness and she turns to a dashing congressman for help.

Luke Callahan was one of the nation's most powerful congressmen before his promising career was shadowed in scandal. Eager to share in a new cause and intrigued by the winsome librarian, he joins forces with Anna to solve the mystery of the lost ship. Opposites in every way, Anna and Luke are unexpectedly drawn to each other despite the strict rules forbidding Anna from any romantic entanglements with members of Congress.

From the gilded halls of the Capitol where powerful men shape the future of the nation, to the scholarly archives of the nation's finest library, Anna and Luke are soon embroiled in secrets much bigger and more perilous than they ever imagined. Is bringing the truth to light worth risking all they've ever dreamed for their futures?

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1BbxWeR

About the author: Elizabeth Camden is the author of six books and a RITA and Christy Award winner. With a master's in history and a master's in library science, she is a research librarian by day and scribbles away on her next novel by night. Elizabeth lives with her husband in Florida.

Find Elizabeth online: website and on Facebook

No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

The Secret of Pembrooke Park by Julie Klassen

A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

One of the joys of the holidays is not only having time to spend with family and to relax, but it also means time for extra reading (and watching sappy holiday movies - but that seems to be more limited as my kids get older and don't want to watch with me and don't go to bed as early).

As the holidays approached this year, I started reading The Secret of Pembrooke Park, by Julie Klassen. I have previous read The Dancing Master (you can see my review here), also by Julie Klassen and thoroughly enjoyed it, so I had high hopes for The Secret of Pembrooke Park (it did not disappoint!). As I began to read the book, I discovered that not only was this period literature with some tales of romance, but also a mystery! I have long been a fan of mysteries and to have one set against the background of England in the early 1800s was awesome.

The characters were wonderfully developed in this story. Of course, there were some facts about the characters that were not fully disclosed and others that were revealed in time, by design since the story was in part a mystery. I quickly found myself worrying about Abigail's safety and second guessing whether she could trust those that were around her. What was their history and what did they want with Abigail and her family? I worried about whether she would find love and more importantly, the right love for her.

The mystery and the intrigue that the author developed really pulled me in to the story. I found myself wanting to read "just one more chapter" (and they weren't short) before calling it a night. I even took the book to the gym with me and walked on the treadmill, instead of running, so that I wouldn't lose that time and could continue to read the book. My son was impressed that I managed to read the over 450 page book over the course of a few days, but with as good as the story was, I simply didn't want to put it down.

From the back cover:

Abigail Foster is the practical daughter. She fears she will end up a spinster, especially as she has little dowry, and the one man she thought might marry her seems to have fallen for her younger, prettier sister.

Facing financial ruin, Abigail and her father search for more affordable lodgings, until a strange solicitor arrives with an astounding offer: the use of a distant manor house abandoned for eighteen years. The Fosters journey to imposing Pembrooke Park and are startled to find it entombed as it was abruptly left: tea cups encrusted with dry tea, moth-eaten clothes in wardrobes, a doll's house left mid-play . . .

The handsome local curate welcomes them, but though he and his family seem acquainted with the manor's past, the only information they offer is a stern warning: Beware trespassers drawn by rumors that Pembrooke Park contains a secret room filled with treasure.

This catches Abigail's attention. Hoping to restore her family's finances—and her dowry—Abigail looks for this supposed treasure. But eerie sounds at night and footprints in the dust reveal she isn't the only one secretly searching the house.

As old friends and new foes come calling at Pembrooke Park, secrets come to light. Will Abigail find the treasure and love she seeks . . . or very real danger?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it if you enjoy period literature, romance and mystery. I look forward to reading more books my Julie Klassen.

No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

The Dancing Master by Julie Klassen

A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

I just got home from a week long trip to the west coast, which gave me plenty of time to read. I think that in total I was on a plane for about 12 hours and in airports for about 10 hours. The time in the airport was mostly spent visiting or enjoying a meal before the next flight, but the time on the plan was dedicated to reading. It was so wonderful to catch up on some books that I have been wanting to read and not being interrupted with "mom!" every ten minutes.

One of the books that I enjoyed on my flights was The Dancing Master by Julie Klassen. This is the first book I have read by Julie Klassen. In her about author, it says that she enjoys all things Jane - Jane Eyre and Jane Austen. After reading her book, and seeing the character development and attention to details for this book set in the early 1800s in England, I am not surprised to learn that.

I must start by saying, on one hand, there is something that just seems to be so romantic about that time in history to me and at the same time, knowing that if you weren't born to the right class, it probably was a rather tough time in history. With that in mind, this book was of course about those that were born to privilege, yet even within those born to privilege there were certainly degrees of privilege none the less and those that were in one group were not necessarily recognized as the right type of person for marriage for the other group. Of course, as everyone knows, sometimes that which is not allowed is appealing simply because it is not allowed.

The Dancing Master opens sharing some of the traditions, and reflection upon some former traditions, in the community of Beaworthy, Devonshire, England. Julia Midwinter is the daughter of the village matriarch. Alec Valcourt has just moved to the community with his mother and sister and is living at his uncle's home. Julia and Alec first meet at church on Sunday morning.

From the back cover:

Finding himself the man of the family, London dancing master Alec Valcourt moves his mother and sister to remote Devonshire, hoping to start over. But he is stunned to learn the village matriarch has prohibited all dancing, for reasons buried deep in her past.

Alec finds an unlikely ally in the matriarch's daughter. Though he's initially wary of Julia Midwinter's reckless flirtation, he comes to realize her bold exterior disguises a vulnerable soul--and hidden sorrows of her own.

Julia is quickly attracted to the handsome dancing master--a man her mother would never approve of--but she cannot imagine why Mr. Valcourt would leave London, or why he evades questions about his past. With Alec's help, can Julia uncover old secrets and restore life to her somber village...and to her mother's tattered heart?

Filled with mystery and romance, The Dancing Master brings to life the intriguing profession of those who taught essential social graces for ladies and gentlemen hoping to make a "good match" in Regency England.

There is so much of the story that you could spoil by sharing details, so I will suffice to say that the story had me laughing and crying and really connecting with the characters.

I found that The Dancing Master was well written, has a nice pace, has strong, developed characters that you can't help but enjoy and really pulls you in. Early on, you start to discover that some of the characters have interesting, unexpected back stories as you begin to uncover hints about their mysterious pasts. These nuggets keep you wanting to read so that you can learn more about what their history really is and how it has impacted not only them, but those around them. As you continue to read, you find that you are able to start to piece the puzzle together, but just as you think you have figured out the picture, a small piece will lead you to discover that the picture you were envisioning was not complete. The story is filled with drama and insights of character, love, pride, relationships, forgiveness, faith and more.

This is a book that I would certainly recommend that you read, especially if you are a fan of period literature and the works of Jane Austen and her era.

The Dancing Master is a stand alone work, as are the other books by Julia Klassen. I definitely would seek out and read more of her books based on my reading experience of The Dancing Master.

No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. A complimentary review copy was provided to me.