Book Review: The Weaver's Daughter

Kate Dearborne is just a girl looking to take up the mantle of her family weaving business and do the work she loves but her father has other plans for her. As tensions between small traditional weavers and the ever-growing local mill industry grow Kate is just trying to keep up- and keep to the right side of her father’s anger and unflinching demand for loyalty. When Henry Stockton, grandson of the mill, returns from war and to all who believed him to be dead, it only takes things between the weavers and mill to new heights of passion. Throw in a murder and a rumor of new mill equipment arriving that will put craftsmen out of work and the town becomes a powder keg waiting to go off!  In the midst of this Kate most certainly shouldn’t be having so many accidental meetings with Henry, a man she’s supposed to hate- but what if he isn’t what and who everyone assumes he is just because he carries the Stockton name? What if he, and Kate, can find a way together through the fighting and animosity to create something beneficial for all the townspeople- weaver and mill worker?  

If you are a fan of historical lit you are going to be easily drawn into the setting of this book and the story it tells as you think back to the ever popular North and South. Having that background imagery playing in your mind it’s easy to fall for this book and the characters in it. I think all of us have been waiting for more stories in this vein in our historical lit reading! J Part of me kinda hopes to see Kate and Henry again in the future because I felt like we were only scratching the surface with all that was going on in their minds and hearts as they worked through their individual and shared troubles. The other half was just pretty happy to get to enjoy their story as is because it’s rare to find a novel these days without any major plot holes or silliness in characters!

All in all, I’d recommend it as a good read. I enjoyed this over a couple weeks as I went in and out of doctor’s appointments and it helped to chase away time as I waited. I think you’d enjoy it too!

Final Rating: 3.5   

I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product.

Book Review: Christmas at Carnton

What fun to have a small Christmas novella to read from Tamera! Introducing her upcoming Carnton series Christmas at Carnton takes a quick peek at the Plantation from an outsider’s point of view. 

Taking place while the Civil War rages on around them we meet Aletta Prescott who’s just received news that her husband has been killed. With nothing to her name to keep her and her six-year-old son Aletta seeks employment at Carnton for their upcoming war relief benefit auction. While there she finds herself making friends with a soldier there on medical leave, Captain Jake Winston. Jake’s orders are to help the ladies in their war effort but saying he’s not too keen on it is an understatement. Aletta can’t quite figure out why a seemingly able-bodied man isn’t on the front lines, but with how her son’s grown to love him and how kind he’s been to Aletta herself, she can’t quite figure out if their pasts and differences matter or if there’s a new future tucked between the crinolines and carpentry.

Okay, so this may be the middle of August as I write this but honestly, do yourself a favor and cool off by picking up a copy of this Christmas novel! Aletta and Jake’s story is a sweet one and one that had me guessing for quite a while! Aletta is also a sweet character whose sweet pastry skills immediately caught my attention! I love it when bakers show up in books- and do things right- it gives my little pasty chef heart joy hehe! There is a cool recipe section at the end of the book that I’m looking forward to trying out this Christmas season- but will still be just right for your family table at the next get-together- even if it’s in August!

Final Rating: 4.5  

I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product.

Book Review: To Wager Her Heart

Well, you all should know by now that I’m a total fangirl for a Tamera Alexander book- so it’s a real treat to have had so many books released this past year! My reading spree of the new books began with the final installment in the Belle Meade Plantation series, “To Wager Her Heart”.

As we again venture into Belle Meade’s part of the world in Reconstruction Era Nashville we are met with the story of a train. It’s the story of those who ride on trains like Alexandra Jamison; and those wishing to own and build them, like Sylas Rutledge. For Alexandra she never wishes to ride on a train again after the accident that killed her fiancé and left her battling her fears and trauma from that day. For Silas, his goal to build the new line for General Harding and cement his place in the Eastern railroad market is only surpassed by his desire to clear his father’s name from infamy after the terrible accident that killed him and others. Having searched for something useful to do now that marriage is no longer on the horizon for her, Alexandra seeks out a job teaching at the Fisk University, a freed blacks school, much to the dismay and disapproval of her father. Alexandra and Sy are a couple with pasts that put them at odds, but they are a couple that finds they need each other as Alexandra has the position and graces to tutor Sy in the ways of the Nashville elite, and Alexandra is in need of a hand up as she begins her teaching job at rock bottom. Together they may be able to find justice for the past that will put them on course for a future together. 

While Alexandra and Sy’s story is front and center in this book it would be entirely remiss not to talk about the secondary theme that is shared with the reader. I loved learning about Fisk University and about their brave students who put together a highly risky and completely unguaranteed traveling group known as the Jubilee Singers. These singers were the true historical part of this novel and traveled all over the North, and later on across the world all to raise money for funding their school. A noble endeavor indeed. I love learning these tidbits of forgotten history every time I open one of Tamera’s books!

Two tiny nitpicks for this book are that when the book cover described Sy as having a “reformed gambler from the Colorado Territory” I kinda expected him to have a little more of a rough edge to him or to see him struggle a bit with those past impulses- but nope- this guy was a total gentleman through and through! What a complaint to make! Lol J I was also a bit disappointed that our duo didn’t get full resolution to the answers they sought about the accident. With the judge being so shady about things I was eager for people to get their due, but I guess in retrospect that those are really the things that we need to learn to live with in our lives too.

As usual, the setting, themes, and writing of this delightful novel are far above par. To sit and open one of Tamera’s books is to both find new friends and new truths to walk with you in your Christian living. It’s something we all could use a little more of every time we curl up with a book.      

Final Rating: 5

I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product.

Book Review: A Stranger at Fellsworth

There’s no doubt about it- I love digging into a novel from Sarah E. Ladd! It only took me three nights to polish off this latest one, “A Stranger at Fellsworth”! 

Annabelle Thorley has always had a life of privilege and comfort in her family home but after the passing of her parents and the questionable doings of her elder brother Anabelle’s future is in question. When her brother becomes increasingly abusive and tries to force her into an arranged marriage she can see no other way out but to leave home. As she escapes under the cover of darkness- even as shots ring out in her home- Annabelle is afraid and unsure but seeks help from the first trustworthy man she finds- Owen Locke, who delivers her to her long lost uncle’s home where she begs for sanctuary.

As Annabelle begins to work for the first time in her life she grows fond of one of the pupils in her uncle’s school and finds that she is Owen’s daughter. As Owen’s duties as a magistrate, and his work as a gamekeeper overlap with Annabelle’s past they begin to grow closer, but too many coincidental things are going wrong around them to not all have a connection to each other and to Annabelle’s past- and possibly an impact on their future.

This read truly didn’t take me long because I was so caught up in it! There was a lot of great little details in the weaving of this story and of the characters in it. All of them quickly won me over and I was eager to follow their story and see how Annabelle developed and strengthened her character as a woman, and to see how Owen as strong as he was in character and purpose learn to soften a little in love and open his future to it again after the death of his wife.   

For those who love Regency stories this one will be a great one for you! I’m betting that you will finish it off just as quickly as I did! A solid recommendation to pass the evening with!

Final Rating: 4.5 

I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product.

Book Review: Death at Thorburn Hall

Well, it’s been some time since I reviewed a Drew Farthering Mystery! I was eager to get this book and catch up with the series.

This fifth book in this series by Julianna Deering has Drew and his ever charming wife taking a trip north to Scotland to be spectators in the British Open. Joining them are Nick, and Carrie who’s come from America and is still grieving her father’s death. Planning to spend a lovely and relaxing holiday with their hosts Lady Louisa and Lord Rainsby focusing on golf- and avoiding any murders- doesn’t quite work out when the bodies begin to fall! With his right-hand man, Nick ever at his side Drew stashes the upset ladies at the local inn and sets off to honor a promise and get to the bottom of things. Along the way, he begins to discover things that don’t add up and point to a much larger dastardly plot on the verge of playing out before his eyes!

I had a lot of fun reading this book, it’s well paced and has creative twists and turns all along the plot that keeps you pressing forward in wanting to get to the end and find out ‘whodunit’. Drew is a great character that really can’t help get himself tied up in things that might be better for his wife’s nerves that he stay out of- but oh so fun to jump in next to him and his right-hand man, Nick, as they muddle their way through!

This time around I was annoyed by one little detail that the turning of the plot seemed to hang around. Seeing one thing without any supporting facts caused Drew to have all sorts of crazy theory’s that drove most of the rest of his investigation. I wished that the rabbit trail had shown more carrots, as it were, before leading us off on that path.

All in all, this is a great little escape to curl up with and enjoy! I know I’ll be waiting for the next time that Drew and his whole crew get to meet up with their next murder!

Final Rating: 3.5 

I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product.

Book Review: The Ladies of Ivy Cottage

In Julie Klassen’s latest installment of this “Tales from Ivy Hill” series picks up right where book one- “The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill” left off. As we enter this not-so-sleepy little village again our attention now focuses in on our friends that live down the road from the inn and the plights of friends Rachel Ashford and Mercy Grove. Last time we saw Rachel lose her family home after her father’s death. Now living as a guest in the little home where Mercy and her aunt run a small school Rachel finds herself in need of a living- for starters, and a purpose as well- if she is to learn to live her life as an independent woman. Mercy, on the other hand, has her purpose and means to keep her independence- even when her parent's disapproval of her teaching and demands to marry come marching through the door.  

When Rachel opens a library in the front rooms of Ivy Cottage it brings more to her than she ever expected including mysterious books,  unexpected friendship with the village women, and a curious collection of suitors- for both her and Mercy! But what the future holds for both women still may remain a mystery…

As I said before in my review of book one of this series Ivy Hill reminds me of Cranston. The BBC miniseries that so adeptly wove together the lives and tales of its residents find the loveliest echo here in Ivy Hill. There is no better time spent than in curling up with a book that takes you time to chew and leaves you feeling satisfied and happy and that’s just what is found here in “The Ladies of Ivy Cottage”. There were so many things that I could relate to, personally, in this story and I made my best wishes and stacked up my best hopes to pull for both Rachel and Mercy as they worked through the day to day of living with joyfulness and contentment in the midst of uncertainty and a surprise around every turn!  

This was a wonderful addition to this series and it is a book I recommend you get busy reading soon! It will be well worth your time and leave you with a smile at the end! (I can’t wait for the final part to come out!)

Final Rating: 5 

I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product. 

Book Review: Beyond Suffering Bible

There are many reasons, as you may guess, that I wanted to have this book for my collection. As most of you know, I myself suffer with several chronic illnesses. It’s a journey I began as a young girl and one that expands and continues even today nearly twenty-four years after my first diagnosis. What Joni and her ministry ‘Joni&Friends’ have meant to me over that time has been huge, they are such a strong support of ministry to the disabled and of personal encouragement to those of us who carry those conditions and diseases, and to those who care for us as well.

This special edition of the Bible is written just for us.

In the New Living Translation, this Bible is an extensive source of resources and encouragements for the Christian going through difficult journeys. The beginning of each book offers basic introductory points as to the themes of disability that are given and referenced in that book. Pop-out sections throughout each book mark out and explain connections between the text and the theme of disability, and frequently there are entire pages dedicated to enlarging topics about the character of God and how we walk, how we trust, as believers. Throughout the Bible are also whole pages of study notes or devotional entries from Joni herself, or other comparable teachers.

It was really nice to find at the back a lengthy section with essays from noted Christian teachers and writers on topics like the biblical view of the sanctity of life, questions on why am I disabled, the Church’s call to minister to the disabled in their midst, and the hope of heaven, amongst others. It will make for fine reading in both the informative and personally encouraging senses. The publishers have also included a well-rounded easily readable dictionary/concordance in this final part of the book.  

I think that this book would make a great gift for anyone you know that is dealing with a chronic illness or for anyone who is the caretaking parent, spouse, or loved one of someone with one! I’m going to be making this one of the Bibles that I have close at hand for cross-referencing as I study the Scriptures and I’m sure it will become one that I end up frequently reading and frequently gaining a lot from!

Final Rating: 10

Extra photos below~~

Book Review: The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill

Thora Bell was born, raised, and brought up her family in the coaching inn The Bell- only to see her son die suddenly and pass the family business on to his gentlewoman wife, Jane Bell- who has seemingly never taken in interest in the inn. Jane is forced to take in interest however when she finds that her husband has left a massive loan on the books- and the bank is long past being repaid! With their livelihood, past memories, and future security on the line Jane and Thora must find a way to work together and to bring the inn back to its former glory and pay off the debt before they are left with nothing!

Two women from two very different backgrounds and lives are the highlights of The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill! I cannot remember anytime recently seeing or reading a book where the two main characters were women of different generations and I loved seeing it here!

Thora is a working woman and always has been. She is steeped and invested in her family business and known for her knowledgeable running of the inn and for her sharply honest tongue. Jane is born to a life of privilege that lies far in the past with both of her parents dead and her family home being left in ruins. She is not accustomed to the life she’s been thrust into since her husband’s passing but that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t have the mind for it, or the strong will to survive! Together Thora and Jane make an unlikely pair, but a pair that works together the harder the circumstances that surround them become!

Something I thought was really interesting about this book was the look it gave to women working in the Regency era. This isn’t a book that is puffed up on a whirlwind romance in the halls of Bath’s best balls; it is an honest look at the working class of the countryside. Women are and always have been the backbone of farm and country industry. It was neat to learn about the strong connections of how woman and business in these small towns are truly dependent on each other and work to help each other.

Another thing I liked about this book is that it isn’t primarily a romance novel. There is certainly no end of potential suitors for both of the woman in this book but it never overtakes and overshadows the main conflict of the inn’s future. Both storylines complement each other but they do not fight each other for the spotlight. With this being the first installment of Klassen’s first series I was also rather delighted that this book felt like returning to the BBC’s Cranford and getting bits and pieces of all the lives of everyone in the village! I will look forward to the story continuing to unfold and for more to be revealed about all of the characters as the series progresses!

I would highly recommend this book to anyone- even those that have never tried a Regency set book before! I was very happy reading this and am looking forward to the end of the year when the next installment will be released!

Final Rating: 5

I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product.

Book Review: The Loyal Heart

I was really excited to get into The Loyal Heart as I had enjoyed Shelley Shepard Gray’s short story that was a part of the book “Among the Fair Magnolias”. It’s not every day anymore that you get a western theme novel so I was excited to see this story set in Texas! 

This story has a really intriguing premise, Robert Truax, former Confederate Officer and war prisoner has some to Galveston to check in on the widow of his former comrade and to make sure she is comfortable and secure. What he finds when he arrives at Maranda Markham’s home turned boarding house is that everything is far from okay. Maranda is in a deep depression, her home threatened by her mother-in-law, and worse of all her husband, Philip’s, name dragged through the mud after being branded a traitor after his death.

Robert wants to honor the promise he made to Philip and the other men in his company to watch out for and care for each other after the war but he hardly knows where to start after discovering the position Maranda is in! As he begins to remedy the situation she is in he finds himself in danger of losing his heart- something that was never part of the mission!

I thought this was a nice story from start to finish. However- It really didn’t draw me in or delight me the way that the previous stories of the author that I have read and that surprised me and rather disappointed me. The story moves both quickly in the development of the characters feelings for each other, and slowly, in the way that the plot progresses. Something that was really frustrating was the repeating of information over and over again. I really don’t feel like once a detail has been revealed and explored that it’s necessary to repeat it again a few paragraphs of chapters later. Readers are intelligent and want to be pushed to explore, not talked down to and a number of times I kinda felt that way.

I would say give this book a go if you are looking for a light vacation read that doesn’t take a lot of time or concentration! 

Final Rating: 3 

I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product.

Book Review: Come with Me

I have really enjoyed going through this new devotional! In Susanne Eller’s “Come With Me” she focuses us into the disciples and to see who they really are, what they did, and how we can learn from them- and Jesus! Each chapter is dedicated to a single disciple and walks you through what we know, or maybe don’t know about each of them and draws out a lot of truth that took me time to digest.

The format of each chapter is laid out really nicely and has special quotes to jump out at you from the text, and header sections that break up the reading if you wanted to read a chapter over more than one day. The end of each chapter has a list of discussion questions that would be great not just for personal use, but for a small group meeting!  There is also a memory Scripture, prayer, and a section that gives you a few ideas on putting things into practice in your life.

Something that I really appreciated from the author was her transparency in writing. She shares many personal stories throughout but while sometimes those can bog down a devo book I didn’t feel there here. Rather, I felt like I was in the company of a good friend who was taking time to mentor and disciple me with things she had learned. I highlighted a great deal in this book so I could make sure I could go back and find all of my favorite parts easily!

In the final chapter of the book Eller turns the focus back to you and I as “The Thirteenth Disciple” wrapping up and challenging us to put into practice what we learned and how we will walk with Jesus in our lives.

Final Rating: 4.5

I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product.

Book Review: The Mark of the King

Whenever I run into a book with a setting or premise that I have never heard of or read before I know that book is going to come home with me! When I saw this book, “The Mark of the King” from Jocelyn Green on the bloggers list I knew I was going to be eager to read it!

This story begins in 1719 France where our heroine, midwife Julianne Chevalier, is hard at work attending a birth. Tragedy strikes and Julianne is sentenced to one of France’s most infamous prisons- and forever branded by a fleur de lis marking her as a murderer. When Julianne finds a ticket out of prison and a chance to find her brother she takes it and finds herself in a whirlwind of events that lead to her on a boat to the fledgling Louisiana colony!  

While Julianne thought she was coming to a settled colony she finds instead the swamps of New Orleans, the push and pull of Native Indian wars sponsored by the French and British, and sickness and suffering everywhere, as well as becoming a part of soldiers and settlers alike who are forced to fight the land at every turn just to live- and still there is no definite sign of her brother. Fighting many of her own personal and professional struggles, and deep personal tragedies Julianne seeks underneath it all to find redemption from the past that marks her.   

I don’t want to give away too much of the plot of the book but I was really intrigued and surprised at every turn in this book- and there are many twists and turns the author always kept me on the edge of my seat! I loved the author’s writing style and how she expressed the characters and described the scenes!  

Readers should be given slight caution that there are two or three scenes of a stronger nature in this book. They did not damper my enjoyment of the book but it may startle more sensitive readers and may be skipped over with little trouble if desired.

Though it took me a while between busy days and nights to find time to read I was very glad that I kept going with this book! I very much enjoyed it and learned a lot too about the history of Louisiana. I think it’s great when a book is able to weave a great story and help you to learn something too! In the end I enjoyed seeing Julianna find that God’s grace covers all and we are all able to start again with Him at our side.

Final Rating: 5 

I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product.

Book Review: The Confessions of X

When this book first came in my mailbox I was convinced that it was a book that I couldn’t like on a topic I wasn’t interested in reading about. And so it sat around on my bookshelf for quite some time as I read through other review copies on my list. When I finally got myself in the mood to sit and read this I was very surprised about it indeed.

This book takes you to a very long time ago, to the ancient Carthaginian world of Augustine, the great Christian theologian. The story is told from the eyes of his concubine, a woman whose name is lost to history but whose impact was strongly felt on the life of the man she considered her husband.

From the very first the language in this book sucked me in, it is stunningly beautiful and lyrical and has a loneliness and hunger to it that compels the listener to hear her and know her story. The world in which the woman lives is nothing like our own- and yet her story is so familiar in the storytelling world. It is one of falling in love with someone not of her own class but being loved in return and dearly cherished. It is one of the journey of life and the struggle of living side by side with someone on a journey they don’t know the end of.  It is one of being ripped apart when the odds can no longer pretend they are in your favor.

The woman’s story is told in the strong brush strokes of a hard and sometimes harsh life. There is childbirth, and death, life and love painted in strongly worded descriptions. And there are also the soft stirrings of her own heart as she seeks to understand the world around her and follows alongside of Augustine and is a part of his philosophical work.  

I was very struck by all of this story and several times found myself in tears. I could spend a lot more words here trying to explain the details of this story but I think it would only cloud the issue. While I don’t agree with all the events that take place in this story I could not help but be moved by it all the same. This book doesn’t really fit into a box that I can neatly check as being good or bad. The writing is amazing. The story that is told is amazing. But it is also one that pushes me out of my comfort zone. The writer’s notes at the back of the book help to clear up some of the historical perspective and context and I did find that very helpful in understanding this book.

In the end, I would recommend this book to someone who was looking for something very different from the standard Christian fiction fare. I would not recommend it for younger teen readers, I think there is too much in here that needs an older eye to discern. But I’ll tell you that if you do read it, it will change you, and that I guess is what all books are meant to do.

Final Rating: 4

I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product.

Book Review: Fading Starlight

Have you ever wanted to run away from your life? Have you ever had a personal and professional disaster so large that you couldn’t ever imagine recovering from it? Well welcome to Lauren Summers life. Hollywood and the fashion industry are savage and unforgiving when it comes to ‘wardrobe malfunctions’ and when the brightest ‘innocent’ starlet of the moment suffers such a humiliation as she receives an award the backfire Lauren receives as the gown’s designer ends in the stunning silence of a two line text message as her boss fires her minutes later.

Blackballed from designing again in respectable circles Lauren finds a little job making costumes for a private high school’s theatre company and takes up residence in a run-down cottage in a secretive gated community-  and tries to reassemble the remainders of her heart and her dreams.  

Living in the gated community offers privacy, but isn’t without its challenges. The imposing figure of Charlotte Montgomery- a former starlet of another era looms large at the end of the lane. As time goes on it becomes clear to Lauren that Charlotte isn’t just an old woman with a prickly exterior- but is someone who has had her own personal disasters…that she is still running from.   

Can common threads knit them together and bring about healing for them both?

If you are someone who knows me at all you know that I love classic film, and that I love historical costuming! What a treat is was to have the two laid out like a buffet throughout this book! Katherine Cushman paid attention to all the fine details of both the classic era of old Hollywood film, and to its signature luscious couture and created a book that is full of delicious descriptions! It was loads of fun for me to read about the gowns and costumes that Lauren was working on and every detail was vivid making me wish for a fairy godmother to bless me with someone to create such lovely things for me! ;)

Fading Starlight is not all about the dresses though it’s about the people that surround them. Miss Montgomery is a hurting woman with a bitter past that has taken more than her social standing- it took her will for living life and soured her on any who have dared to cross her path.

Lauren herself faces a crossroads as she looks at her own disappointments and decides what to do with the rest of her life. I liked that Lauren was so real in this story. She feels all that she is going through and feels it deeply, but she is also looking to God, and consistently and willingly seeks out the counsel and guidance of her second mother Rhonda’s wisdom. The cast of secondary characters from Lauren’s best friend Chloe, to Miss Montgomery’s housekeeper Frances, to the handy-man Cody are all important and delightful additions to Lauren’s life and story and I couldn’t help but like them!

One little thing that I liked was that this isn’t a romance story. While Chloe does her best to hook Lauren up with Cody and start something brewing Lauren recognizes that her life is in a bit of a shambles right now and is focused on getting herself where she needs to be personally before she begins any romance. I appreciated that perspective.

I highly recommend this book and enjoyed to so much! I will look for other titles from Ms. Cushman in the future! 

Final Rating: 4.5

I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product.

Book Review: Dawn at Emberwilde

From the moment I began this story I couldn’t bear to put it down for long! Being a great fan of regency novels I was eager to begin Dawn at Emberwilde and to see what author Sarah E. Ladd had to offer- I’ve been looking at her books for a while now and I wanted to know if the insides were as lovely as all the covers! I was not disappointed!

This book follows Isobel Creston, an aspiring schoolteacher who has some up through the ranks in the small girl’s school she and her half-sister Lizzy have found home for many years. Orphaned, Isobel’s main hope and dream is to make a safe and comfortable life for herself and her sister. But their entire lives are turned upside down when relatives magically appear to claim them and invite them to live in their family estate.

Everything is not as it seems at Emberwilde however, the great forest that surrounds the estate is said to be haunted, her cousin is cordial but hiding something and her aunt clearly has her reasons for bringing them there but Isobel can’t figure out why- or get her aunt to answer questions about Isobel’s mother and why she left the family. To complicate matters two gentleman of the county seem to have a growing interest in her- and as Isobel faces the pressures of her aunt to marry and marry quickly- when all she really wants to do is protect her sister from the trappings of the lavish lifestyle that she is quickly becoming used to- and figure out why God has brought them to this place!

All throughout the book I found Isobel a sensible and likeable character that in a gentle way put God and her morals at the forefront of her life. Isobel was not in any way stuffy or un-relatable, she is pictured from the first as someone with a great whimsy and love of nature, someone who was kind and sought the best for those around her.

Lest anyone think that this book is all romance and naught else- never fear! There is a great mystery lurking under the cover of darkness in Emberwilde Forest and Collin Ellison, the local magistrate is keen to get to the bottom of it- his only problem is he keeps running into a certain attractive young lady that has recently arrived on the estate! I liked Collin a great deal and really took a shine to his manner and thinking, and his presence was a welcome addition to any scene!

Overall I really enjoyed the book and would recommend it! I made a great read in between work over the course of a week and I looked forward to that time I could pick it up and enjoy it. I will look forward to enjoying more of Sarah Ladd’s work in the future too!  

Final Rating: 4

I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product.

Book Review: The Beautiful Pretender

This story is a new retelling of an old, old story. Avelina is a servant and companion to the earl’s daughter, lowly in standing, but very smart and clever on the spur of a moment’s notice as she is always needing to aide and cover up Dorothea’s misdeeds.  

When it’s discovered that Dorothea has run off with one of her father’s knights- just as word comes of the Margrave of Thornbeck holding a search for a bride- a bride that will help ally and strengthen neighboring regions- Avelina has little choice but to obey the earl’s command and take his daughter’s place!

Avelina’s one job if she is to keep her family safe and well cared for is to get into the margrave’s good graces for the sake of her region- but not get herself noticed too much- and certainly not allow herself to fall in love with the margrave!  With a serious of odd and dangerous occurrences keep happening around the castle Avelina however, may be in danger of failing her mission- and falling in love with a man she can never marry!

I read this book over the course of a couple of weeks as I sat in and out of doctor’s appointments and waiting rooms- and boy was I glad to have this book as companion! I really enjoy old themes and stories being retold in new ways and enjoy the medieval time period this book is set in! It’s a nice change of pace from more modern books and settings, and from some of the same-old, same-old historical eras and settings that flood the market today.

I really love reading YA fiction from time to time and usually find that the storylines are more interesting and the plot is more detailed with more twists and turns than your average novel. This is the case of this book by Melanie Dickerson. As in her previous works I found myself drawn right into the story and swept along to enjoy every minute of it! I cannot remember anything that I found objectionable content wise, though if you are sensitive to kissing scenes and talk of attraction there is some of that in the latter portion of the book. I didn’t find this overly or soppily done (as I do in many books) but felt it was in keeping for the situations and relationship point where they take place. Frankly, I was more interested in at last solving the whole of the mystery that is throughout the story, and was glad to see it come to a satisfying conclusion!

I would recommend this book for yourself or for a mid-teen reader that you may know!

Final Rating: 4.5

I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product.

Book Review: A Respectable Actress

I was intrigued by Dorothy Love’s A Respectable Actress when I first picked it up, the cover is attractive and the back cover reveals a detailed storyline and promises a good mystery set in post-Civil War Georgia. I wish the inside of the book had held up to that promise.

This story follows India Hartley, professional touring actress- and accused murderess. On the second night of her new show her leading man is shot dead on stage seemingly at her own hand- but she insists it is all a horrible mistake. Enter Philip Sinclair, her legal counsel and the man who whisks her away from the outrage of the city to the solitude of his country plantation. As Philip and India try to unwind the hidden details of her case India begins to find some mysteries lurking around the plantation as well and begins to fall for who will help determine her fate.

As I look over my notes I’m really not sure where to begin on all the ways I disliked this book. The ‘fake-out’ opening of the book was confusing to understand and a blur of sensationalized information that was simply repeated in more detail a few paragraphs later and it annoyed me from the first. I had a really difficult time connecting with India and found her whiny and clueless. Her romance with Philip was sadly lacking and frankly boiled down to ‘oh my, what a handsome man with such broad shoulders and look he rescued me, let me cling to him’. India was far more interested in assessing his physique and snooping around his home than she was in aiding her own defense. Where I was expecting the two of them to spend many long hours together talking and sleuthing methodically working over her case they only had a couple of minimal conversations and the remainder of the time she went around playing amateur Nancy Drew on his past while he was back and forth away on other business! It annoyed me that only minutes from her trial he gives her a few rushed instructions and coaching on being a defendant and how this was needed to be her role of a lifetime if she hoped to get off!

Aside from the story I did not enjoy the writing style either. I felt the pacing of the details of the stories- things like the conversations, and the how we get from here to there narration to be rushed and choppy. For example, at one point when India is found snooping and is questioned she offers an excuse and then suddenly is magic'ed back into her bed without any response from the other party or further discussion of any sort on the matter. It’s like the people around her are players, only meant to bounce her thoughts and feelings off of to her own ends and benefit and not individuals with autonomy, action, and feeling! Additionally, there is a great deal of unusually large words in this book that I had difficulty slogging through much less understanding, even from the context, what they were or meant.

Overall, I just didn’t like this book. I felt like the author tossed the reader from one implausible scenario to another racking up scenes but not developing the characters or plot. There was nothing about the characters or plot that I found engaging and all too often I found myself checking and gauging how much more was left in this book and how soon I could stop reading. In the end I couldn’t even give myself any good reason for India and Philip to be together- or even care about who the culprit in the shooting was. This is not a book I will be recommending to anyone anytime. 

Final Rating: 1

I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product.

Book Review: The Golden Braid

Melanie Dickerson is another new author for me and though I have seen her around in the book catalogs I’ve never picked up any of her books until now. The Golden Braid is a retelling of the Rapunzel story and this book has an amazing and striking cover showcasing the heroine in vibrant rich colors! I was immediately drawn to it! Reading up on this book a little I also learned that it is a young adult (YA) story, it’s been a while since I reviewed one of those- and since the last YA I reviewed was set in this time period  I was eager to dig into this one and see how they compared.

The Rapunzel story has been told and retold many times but this retelling has been very thoughtfully and carefully told. In short an evil mother keeps her daughter locked away in a tower where no one will ever see her great beauty or hear her beautiful voice. She is rescued by a handsome prince who breaches her prison by climbing her long hair. In this story there are great twists on the story from beginning to end! The story begins long before Rapunzel is locked in the tower- Rapunzel is eager to learn how to read and has dreams for her future, her mother is legit paranoid insane, and the prince turns out to be a grumpy but handsome knight! The extra twist on Rapunzel’s story is a great one that I don’t want to spoil but I will say I was pleased with it and it set things up for a really cool and satisfying ending!

In the beginning part of this book things sometimes seemed to be repetitious with facts gone over again and again but I don’t know if a teen reader would necessarily notice that and as the book progresses it does get better and begins bringing in new details and storylines. I really liked how there were several morals that were woven throughout the story including that of healthy relationships between both parent and child and between guys and girls. Sir Gerek was a true hero who demonstrated his dedication to his vows and acted honorably towards Rapunzel. There is a romantic element to the story, and yes, even some kissing and unchaperoned travel but through it all nothing felt it was ‘off’ or inappropriate to the characters and their ages (Rapunzel is 19 and Sir Gerek 23). This was something that was really nice to see in a YA book and I was pleased that the author balanced romance and purity well. Other themes were forgiveness, patience, and timing, and these were all well woven through the story and never felt like the reader was being bombarded with a religious or moral message.

As a side note, some retellings of Rapunzel have been questionable to me as they have presented a picture of joyful consequence free teenage rebellion but I didn’t feel this was the case in this book. This Rapunzel is a young woman of legal age and she only leaves her mother’s side when her mother’s madness takes a turn from bad to worse and Rapunzel’s safety is threatened. I felt it marked an appropriate time for her to move on and taught the reader about taking the right kind of actions for personal safety.

In the end, The Golden Braid was a great novel and I enjoyed it as much as I think a YA reader would! I would recommend it to any of the teen girls that I know!

Final Rating: 4.5

I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product.

Book Review: Restore My Soul

With today being National Coloring Book Day I thought it was time to get this review up!

Well unless you have been living the life of a hermit I'm sure you have noticed that in the last two years the coloring book craze has majorly taken off! Books of every size and description are available everywhere from the supermarket check-out aisle, to the local craft store, and are seen in spades at the big box bookstores.

It's a craze that I don't think is going anywhere any time soon- and I think that's great news!

I have always been a fan of crafting for relaxation and coloring books for adults provide a great outlet for you to unwind and destress without needing a lot of fuss and muss.

Restore My Soul by Ann-Margret Hovsepian is the newest addition to the world of inspirational coloring and is a lovely one at that! This 10x10 inch book boasts about 80 pages of coloring delights. The unique thing about this book is that it's not just a coloring book but it's one that is paired with devotionals too! For every coloring page there is a devotional page opposite it for meditation and reflection.


The devotionals in this book are really nice with a verse at the beginning and a passage that you can read in a few minutes to give you a little bit to think about for the day.
The illustrations in this book are really nice too and have lots of different styles of drawing, enough to keep you busy picking and choosing for a while!

w/colored pencil 

w/colored pencil

w/Distress Crayons

w/Distress Crayons- after watercoloring 

For me I really like designs that have lots of open room like the above 'Celebrate Today' page or the 'Fruit of the Spirit' page and I had fun coloring those because I could finish a page in a reasonable amount of time. Many of the other pages though are much more detailed and even after spending hours on them I still have never finished them. Detailed pages aren't necessarily a bad thing, the problem with them for me was that continually coming back to the same devotional reading and that frustrated me. I think it would be better to have illustrations that were easier to accomplish in a shorter amount of time.

Overall I thought this was a good Christian coloring book and I feel like many people would enjoy working through it!

Final Rating: 4


I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product.

Book Review: Whispers in the Reading Room

Hello Dear Readers! Today I am reviewing a fabulous looking new book from author Shelley Grey, Whispers in the Reading Room! I love the cover of this book, it drew me in right away and made me want to know what mystery I was going to uncover inside!

Our heroine is Lydia Bancroft, the librarian for a small reading room in Chicago after the World’s Fair. Lydia loves her little domain of books, helping others love reading, and reading about the faraway places and adventures that she will never experience in person. Having fallen drastically in fortune after her father’s death her mother is doing all in her power to make an advantageous society match for Lydia and restore their fortune and social standing, though willing to help her mother the only way she knows how Lydia would really love to be left to the solace of her books!

When the quiet and mysterious library patron Sebastian Marks comes to Lydia’s rescue one day the two of them begin a whirlwind friendship that knocks Lydia off her feet with his attentions and kindness- and finds her wishing that there might be more than friendship between them. When Lydia finds out that Sebastian is the owner of a notorious underground gambling saloon in the worst part of town she must decide who he really is, who she can trust, and how any relationship between them can survive.

From the first moments of opening this book I was sure I was going to love it- and I did! Whispers in the Reading Room is a zippy read with a smart and resourceful heroine in Lydia. She is someone who has curiosity about the world around her and dreams about what it would be like to be the heroine in one of the books she reads. She is someone who is both a compassionate dutiful daughter and someone who knows her own value. Sebastian is an interesting and different hero who comes from a rough-and-tumble background and has raised himself to prosperity and sophistication through his love of reading.

I found the word play between the two book lovers a delicious treat for a fellow bibliophile and I liked the language banter between them. I even found myself laughing out loud at their discussion of Austen’s Emma as I too would agree with Sebastian’s opinion! J  I really loved the author’s writing style too and I as a read through I found myself delighted as I haven’t enjoyed a turn of phrase so much in ages!  Shelley Grey is a new author to me and this is the first of her books that I have read but I can’t wait to go and pick up the other two books she’s written under the “A Chicago World’s Fair Mystery” banner!

Overall, this book is a fast paced fun read. Sometimes the relationship between Lydia and Sebastian moves quickly in this novel but I didn’t find it out of place, it just reflected the fast pace of the swinging city. I didn’t find any big red flags in this content wise, many of the scenes take place in Sebastian’s world, which is far from propriety, but nothing was overdone or gratuitous. Whispers reminded me of any number of old black and white films. In fact, though the settings are a bit different, this book really reminded me of the Judy Garland movie The Harvey Girls! Whispers in the Reading Room will be a great weekend read for anyone! In fact, I dare you to try and put it down! 

Final Rating: 4.5 

I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product.

Book Review: The Girl From the Train

Well dear readers, I have to admit that it took a little getting into to begin this book but now that I dedicated some time to beginning afresh I have to tell you that I wizzed through this book in a day’s time! I simply couldn’t put it down!

The Girl From the Train by Irma Joubert is a book with a bit of an unusual history. Originally published in South Africa, and then the Netherlands, it became a best seller in both countries! Now it has again been translated, into English this time, and is being published through Thomas Nelson.

Beginning in Poland during the height of the Second World War we meet little six year old German-Jewish Gertl Schmidt and are drawn along into her life story. Gertl is orphaned, family-less, homeless, and hopeless- until she comes into the life of Jakob Kowalski who fights for Poland with the Home Army and against all forces- German or Russian- that want to destroy his beloved homeland. Gertl and Jakob form a strong bond- the kind that can only be forged in the intensity of bombs, and blood, and the pain of relentless nightmares.

In time Jakob and his family can no longer safely care for Gertl in the politically turbulent Poland so he is forced to send her where she can be better cared for, and eventually have a chance at a new life as an adopted war orphan in South Africa.

I was really kind of blown away by this book! Through reading it I realized even on a subject I thought I had thoroughly covered there is still so much about WWII that I do not know and so much I need to learn. Many times historical fiction that is written on this era is told from the point of view of an American or a Brit, having this story told from the eyes of a person who is in the very center of the conflict packs a huge emotional punch. For example, there is a moment early on in the book where knowledge and book hungry Gertl has been studying an atlas and is trying to identify nearby markers and towns but the thing she searched for, Auschwitz, wasn’t on the map. I have to tell you that one small line, one small detail, was like being doused in cold water.

The beauty of this book is in the small details. The storytelling style reminded me (from what I remember) of the Little House series. The style is not elaborate or embellished but is simply related in honestly told truths. In Gertl’s younger years many of her personal observations come off as stark or abrupt but it is simply the nature of a child who has seen and experienced things beyond her years. In time this matures into a special kind of warmth and magnetism as Gertl, now Afrikkans Grietjie Neethling, becomes a young woman.

I am known for loving books that have well drawn detailed descriptions- for a girl who grew up on George MacDonald it’s no wonder really. It’s the quality of those descriptions and what they end up conveying however that are the important part. So often writing can go from in-depth to long-winded in the space of a few words, but that is not the case here. In The Girl From the Train so much is said in so few words- and the effect is very powerfully touching. 

On the ‘warnings’ side of things readers should be aware that there maybe a few instances of objectionable material depending on their comfort level with wartime violence or romantic scenes. There is two times that profanity occurs and while I don’t condone that it’s not gratuitous or out of place for the context of the setting. This book also explores the two faiths of Catholicism and Protestantism and does a good job of relating why those faiths are different even while respecting the sincerely held beliefs of both. One little nitpick was that I very much wished the publisher had included some type of glossary at the end for help in pronouncing some of the eastern-European and Afrikkans names and places. I confess I felt rather stupid bumbling through them and wished I could say them properly!

I would highly recommend this book as being the next thing you should read! I was taken in from cover to cover and feel as if I read something worthwhile for my time. It is a book that I know will be driving me to dive back into world history- and left me very satisfied with Grietjie’s new beginnings in the end.

Final Rating: 5

I have been given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and opinion of the product.