Saturday, December 23, 2023

The Grand Design A Novel of Dorothy Draper by Joy Callaway

Loosely autobiographical story of Dororthy Draper and the Greenbriar Resort starting in the early 1900s. She stayed there as a young girl, and later, as a decorator redesigned it and brought it back after it had been used during the war as a hospital and internment for political prisoners. Being a decorator back then was not typical for a woman. Dorothy was a wealthy heiress: a woman having a profession wasn't done. The story is a love story for Dorothy and for the resort as a special place. Royalty, actors, actresses, political greats and the wealthy all enjoyed staying there, with all of their secrets.

I received this book free from the author, publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#TheGrandDesign #NetGalley #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #HarperMuse #HistoricalFiction #JoyCallaway

My reviews

Friday, December 22, 2023

Bygone Christmas Brides - Six Stories of Old-Fashioned Christmas Romance

Special stories from special authors.

They had me at old-fashioned. Then at the first page. All six are SUCH good stories and even include characters from Ireland and Scotland. PLUS there’s a recipe at the end of each story. I hadn’t known about the tradition in Ireland of lighting a candle for the holy family and found it very interesting.

I received this book free from the author, publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#BygoneChristmasBrides #NetGalley #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #BarbourPublishing #ChristianHistoricalFiction #FiveStarHistorical #GinnyAiken #CarlaGade #PamelaGriffin #TamelaHancockMurray #JillStengl #GinaWelborn

My reviews

Love's Faithful Promise by Susan Anne Mason

Drop right in to an Irish family. Dierdre is a nurse who is just starting to study to become a doctor in pediatrics. When her mother has a stroke, she goes to visit a doctor to convince him to help her mother. Dr Matthew Clayborne is a young widower who served in the military. While wounded he learned techniques in physical therapy to help injured limbs recover and began a practice when he returned to Toronto. Emotionally shutdown, as much as he helps his patients he is yet withdrawn from them and from his little 4-year-old daughter who had contracted the same disease that killed his wife. Persuaded because of his daughter’s health, he decides to go with Dierdre to help her mother. He hadn’t counted on how much Irish Meadows estate and the O’Leary family would affect them both. Wonderfully told story where you’ll feel right at home.

I received this book free from the author, publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#LovesFaithfulPromise #NetGalley #SusanAnneMason #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #BethanyPublishing #ChristianHistoricalFiction #FiveStarHistorical

From the Publisher:

A Stirring Story of Love and Faith and America's Great Promise

When her mother suffers a stroke, medical student Deirdre O'Leary makes the difficult choice to put her career on hold to care for her. Dr. Matthew Clayborne is renowned for his amazing results with patients, but when Deirdre approaches him about helping her mother, she finds him challenging and surly. Deirdre has had enough of complicated men in her life. After her fiancé left her, she vowed never to give a man that kind of power again.

Widower Dr. Matthew Clayborne is devoted to two things: his work with wounded soldiers and his four-year-old daughter, Phoebe. He won't abandon either of these priorities to care for one older woman. However, when Phoebe suffers a health scare, they're offered respite at the Irish Meadows farm, where his daughter's weakened lungs can recover--but only if he cares for Mrs. O'Leary.

Matthew intends to hate Irish Meadows, yet he immediately feels at home, and soon both Mrs. O'Leary and Phoebe are showing improvement. But since he has no intention of leaving his life up north forever, and Deirdre has sworn off marriage in favor of her career, how will they deal with the undeniable attraction between them?

My reviews

What I Promise You by Liz Tolsma

Set in 1942, 1955, and 2022. Heart wrenching within each time frame, with a bit of a twist. As the story switches time frames, you can start to piece things together and see the picture, but not all of it. Interesting to try to figure it out. WW2 South France became unsafe for the Jews, and a fight to survive. Placed partly at a maternity home, there's more heartache and joy with the children and trying to save as many as they could from the nearby camp. Two generations away is another part of the story as a girl deals with tragedy in her life and tries to find out about her family while she's at school in Spain. Very interesting, fully captivating. Very hard to put down when you just have to know more of the story. Healing faith is a struggle for each because of what they go through with great loss of dear ones.

I received this book free from the author, publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#WhatIPromiseYou #NetGalley #LizTolsma #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #BarbourPublishing #ChristianHistoricalFiction #FiveStarHistorical

My reviews

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Thursday, December 21, 2023

A Feeling of Home by Susan Anne Mason

1944 Toronto. Wonderful continuation of the Redemption’s Light series, focusing on Isabelle and Mark. They both lost their parents and were responsible for taking care of their siblings. In Isabelle's case she also lost her home and everything when her father died. They went from high society to living in a slum with a servant's family. But she handled it graciously, learning how to do demeaning manual labor to support herself and her sister, genuinely caring for others regardless of their social standing or circumstances. Mark is a doctor who gives himself to taking care of every patient regardless of their circumstances. This is a journey for both of them, one of adjustment for them and their siblings. Complicated issues to deal with, lessons of Christian faith throughout. Wonderful characters, easy to visualize and get lost in.

I received this book free from the author, publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#AFeelingOfHome #NetGalley #SusanAnneMason #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #BethanyHouse #ChristianHistoricalFiction #FiveStarHistorical

My reviews

ChristianBook

Thanksgiving Books & Blessings Collection GONE TO TEXAS by Caryl McAdoo

Book one in the collection. I was easily hooked at the beginning of the book. Told in first person switching characters as it goes, a great group of Christian people. What I like in a wagon train story, it makes you feel like you're on the journey with them going from Tennessee to Texas. They'd been swindled on their collective land and farm in Tennessee so they headed to Texas for the free land there that you could get for homesteading it. Interesting journey and it's nice that you get to see them arrive and get settled as things fall into place.

I received this book free from the author, publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#GoneToTexas #NetGalley #CarylMcAdoo #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #BooksGoSocial #ChristianHistoricalFiction #FiveStarHistorical

My review

ChristianBook

Tuesday, December 19, 2023

Calling on the Matchmaker by Jody Hedlund

It's always good to spend time with the Irish. In this case a lot of them. Completely entertaining, on your toes humor, cunning, caring and spicy. Viola and Riley are both from successful self made families and well off. Both have an interest in making the lives of others better, especially the poor immigrants coming into town. With all the passion of a John Wayne, Maureen O' Hara match. And a clever matchmaker. Excellent story to fall in love with and get lost in.

I received this book free from the author, publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#CallingontheMatchmaker #NetGalley #JodyHedlund #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #BethanyHouse #ChristianHistoricalFiction #FiveStarHistorical

Jody Hedlund

Goodreads Author

Website

http://jodyhedlund.com/

Twitter

JodyHedlund

Genre

Historical Fiction, Romance, Young Adult

Jody Hedlund is the best-selling author of over forty books and is the winner of numerous awards. She writes sweet historical romances with plenty of sizzle. Find out more at jodyhedlund.com.

Jody lives in central Michigan with her husband, five busy children, and five spoiled cats. When she’s not penning another of her page-turning stories, she loves to spend her time reading, especially when it also involves consuming coffee and chocolate.

My reviews

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Wednesday, December 13, 2023

Rocky Mountain Promise by Misty M. Beller

Lorilei is one of the Collins sisters. A family of capable, strong women, smart, savvy. Her strength is in healing animals. Tanner set up quite near their ranch with a fort for a trading post. He has some self worth issues. Quite the adventure when Lorilei finds a white buffalo baby. Wonderful family story, very close-knit and supportive yet they need to learn to let others help them as well. The town is still small and growing, so everyone knows each other and they help one another. Excellent faith lessons.

I received this book free from the author, publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#RockyMountainPromise #NetGalley #MistyMBeller #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #BethenyHouse #ChristianHistoricalFiction #FiveStarHistorical

Description

"Misty Beller is one of the most amazing and enticing storytellers. I love reading her books and enjoy her ability to bring the characters to life. I encourage my readers to give her a try."--TRACIE PETERSON, bestselling author of the Pictures of the Heart and The Jewels of Kalispell series

Lorelei Collins possesses a soft heart for any animal in need, so when she finds a buffalo calf bawling beside its lifeless mother, she can't help but bring it home to raise on the ranch she and her sisters are building in the Rocky Mountain wilderness. Little does she realize that its white coloring is rare and considered sacred by Native Americans, which makes it highly valuable to them and European trappers alike. Men soon begin to visit their ranch to regard the marvel, with some trying to woo Lorelei into marriage and others trying to steal the calf outright.

When the men's advances become more sinister, Lorelei approaches Tanner Mason, the quiet and mysterious owner of the new trading post, with an idea: she and the calf will move to his post, along with her family's trusted Blackfoot friend. This will solve both their problems by bringing customers to his trade room and protecting her family from the trouble brought on by so many strangers. Yet as the danger travels with her, Lorelei and Tanner are faced with a threat greater than anything they're prepared for--one that will test the limits of their abilities and the love growing between them.

About the author

Misty M. Beller is a USA Today bestselling author of romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love. For a limited time, you can get one of her bestselling novels FREE here: https://mistymbeller.com/freebook

Raised on a farm and surrounded by family, Misty developed her love for horses, history, and adventure. These days, her husband and children provide fresh adventure every day, keeping her both grounded and crazy.

Misty’s passion is to create inspiring Christian fiction infused with the grandeur of the mountains, writing historical romance that displays God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters.

Sharing her stories with readers is a dream come true for Misty. She writes from her country home in South Carolina and escapes to the mountains any chance she gets.

Learn more at www.MistyMBeller.com.

My reviews

Finding Us by Tracie Peterson

Very similar to the first book yet entirely different. You don't think of the evil people who attend events like the Expo in Seattle 1909. This continuation is a wonderful story of Eleanor who is there to work with a camera at the Expo until the event is over, but loves botany. She meets a botanist also working there, who had been living in Alaska and had recently been on a ship that sank getting to Seattle. There the plot thickens and it's hard to put it down. Characters you'd like to know. Strong lessons of faith. Excellent story.

I received this book free from the author, publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#FindingUs #NetGalley #TraciePeterson #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #BethenyHouse #ChristianHistoricalFiction #FiveStarHistorical

Synopsis

One candid photograph will change the lives of four people forever.

While taking photographs at an exposition in Seattle in 1909, Camera Girl Eleanor Bennett snaps an image of a woman in widow's clothes with deep sorrow etched in her expression and a young infant in her arms.

Eleanor longs to study botany at the University of Washington and soon becomes fast friends with botanist Bill Reed, but she can't stop thinking about the widow in the photograph. She is stunned to learn Bill recognizes the woman as the sister-in-law he believed lost in a shipwreck.

As Eleanor and Bill hunt for Amelia Reed to reunite her with her grief-stricken husband, they must stand together to face the danger that follows and learn to trust that God will direct their paths.

About the author

Tracie Peterson is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than one hundred books. Tracie also teaches writing workshops at a variety of conferences on subjects such as inspirational romance and historical research. She and her family live in Montana.

Visit Tracie's web site at: http://www.traciepeterson.com

My reviews

Wednesday, December 6, 2023

The Prince of Egypt - The Musical

This is a new digital musical out that you can purchase. Very beautiful costumes and sets. Beautiful people, beautiful voices and some very beautiful songs. The storyline is pretty and might be a good illustration of Moses life at the beginning of the story, but there are liberties taken and then an almost total break from the bible truth. This is a story of two brothers.

The real story is about God's love for his chosen people and how He rescued them from slavery, returned them to freedom and prosperity in their promised land. About the miracles that He performed through Moses that made this happen.

I can't honestly recommend that you watch this for anything other than a fantasy piece. If all you want is entertainment, this has its beauty. It made me sick to see the deviation from the biblical truth and would be very misleading to anyone who wants to know what the story really is. If you decide to see this, please read the bible to know what the true and really most beautiful story is.

Many thanks to NBC Universal for providing a sample of the product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own.

#PrinceOfEgyptMIN #PrinceOfEgyptMusical #MomentumInfluencerNetwork #FalseBiblical #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout

Synopsis from filmmakers: Filmed live at the West End's Dominion Theatre, London, the show features a cast and orchestra of 60 performers, making it one of the biggest musicals ever staged. The Prince of Egypt: The Musical is the must-see event for all fans of musical theatre. Based on the classic DreamWorks Animation film the classic story has been brought to life by Stephen Schwartz’s “miraculous music” (Time Out), including Academy Award®-winning song ‘When You Believe’ and Sean Cheesman’s “astonishing choreography” (The Guardian). This epic, critically acclaimed production tells an inspiring tale of resilience and hope. Journey through the wonders of Ancient Egypt as two young men, raised together as brothers in a kingdom of privilege, find themselves suddenly divided by a secret past. One must rule as Pharaoh, the other must rise up and free his true people; both face a destiny that will change history forever.

Website: https://www.theprinceofegyptmusical.com/

Buy/Rent: https://www.uphe.com/tv/the-prince-of-egypt-the-musical

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JIpIourAas

Giveaway: $10 Amazon giftcard

(Note: This is limited to US winners only. Please submit your full name and email address in comments by 12/8. Winner will be chosen at random.)

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

Forever Lovely by Linore Rose Burkard

What a joy, a pure pleasure to read. Margaret, an English bluestocking, believes that she's hopeless. To try to improve her fortune, she begs her relative to escort her to the future where her sister is. Only things don't happen as they normally do for him when he time travels. She's soon left alone in New York City in the future with little to go on, and her adventure begins. A Jane Austen event is happening nearby, so she has a cover as she figures out what to do. A lovely predicament that leaves you turning the pages and loath to put it down. As the story builds, situations snowball for her and for those trying to help her. Enriching and fun. I highly recommend this! What an escape!

I received this book free from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#ForeverLovely #LinoreRoseBurkard #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #LilliputPress #ChristianHistoricalRomance #FiveStarHistorical

Note: This sequel can be read as a stand-alone.

When Miss Margaret Andrews travels to the future to find her missing sister, she never expected to find true love. In 1819 England, Margaret is a bluestocking with dreams of becoming an inventress, but when the Tallit, a magical time-travel shawl, goes awry she finds herself stranded in 21st Century Manhattan. At a Jane Austen conference, she meets Stewart Russell, a grad student studying early British female writers. Stewart is immediately taken with Margaret and her effortless use of the speech and manners of Jane's day—until she claims to be FROM Jane's day! Worse, due to a mix-up, he is a wanted man and the clock is ticking. Margaret must find a way to get them both back to 1819—before the unthinkable happens.

If you enjoyed the time-travel romance of Outlander, then you'll love Margret and Stewart's story in Forever Lovely. Buy now before the price changes!

Linore Rose Burkard

Goodreads Author

Born

The United States

Website

http://www.linoreburkard.com

Twitter

LinoreRBurkard

Genre

Romance, Suspense, Christian

Influences

author: Georgette Heyer/311150, Pearl S. Buck, Jane Austen, Eleanor Es ...more

Member Since

December 2008

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/linrose

Linore Rose Burkard ( L.R.Burkard) is a serious watcher of period films, a Janeite, and hopeless romantic. An award winning author best known for Inspirational Regency Romance, her first novel (Before the Season Ends) opened the genre for the CBA. Besides historical romance, Linore writes contemporary suspense (The Pulse Effex Series, as L.R. Burkard), contemporary romance, and romantic short stories. Linore has a magna cum laude English Lit. degree from CUNY which she earned while taking herself far too seriously. She now resides in Ohio with her husband and family, where she turns her youthful angst into character or humor-driven plots.

Sign up for Linore's newsletter to get updates on new books, works in progress, giveaways, special sales, and more. You'll receive a free Regency "flash fiction" story, Sign up at HERE

Linore is Vice President of the Dayton Christian Scribes, and a Regional Director of CAN, Christian Authors Network. Her biggest guilty pleasure aside from ice cream is cheering the NY Mets. Her husband knows how they're doing from the other side of the house! (It's true what they say, "You can take the girl out of New York, but....." )

My reviews

Monday, December 4, 2023

Capturing Hope by Angela K Couch

During the thirty-six-day invasion, it is estimated that close to two hundred thousand Poles were killed, with many more injured or captured and thousands left homeless.

Amazing. No matter how many stories you hear about war it's always heart wrenching in its own unique way. Nadia is a girl who was raised in Polish nobility. Her father befriended an American photographer and confided in him. As the Germans begin to invade Poland, things change rapidly, and David promises her father to see Nadia safely to England. Their journey changes their lives forever, as well as some of those they encounter. Gripping story...you just have to know what will happen next, how they'll get out. So much sadness, but they also learn to recognize the miracles that happen along the way. Very well told, mostly documenting actual events.

I received this book free from the author, publisher and CelebrateLit book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#CapturingHope #AngelaKCouch #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #CelebrateLit #ChristianHistoricalFiction #FiveStarNovel

About the Book

Book: Capturing Hope

Author: Angela K Couch

Genre: Historical Christian Fiction

Release Date: November, 2023

One step ahead of the Nazis. . .leaves Nadia little room for hope.

Full of intrigue, adventure, and romance, this new series celebrates the unsung heroes—the heroines of WWII.

After her father is murdered by Nazis and her mother flees to her native Germany, hope is something of which Nadia Roenne feels little—even if it is the meaning of her name. It isn’t until an American photographer sacrifices his escape from Poland to save a Jewish family, that she finds a purpose. David Reid is very familiar with failure, but when he is charged with getting Nadia safely out of Poland, he is determined to succeed—even if she works against him at every turn, putting other’s lives ahead of her own. While they race against the daily shower of bombs over Warsaw and the ever-nearing German army, Nadia grows used to risking her life. . .but dare she risk her heart?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

To keep from freezing in the great white north, Angela K Couch cuddles under quilts with her laptop. Winning short story contests, being a semi-finalist in ACFW’s Genesis Contest, and a finalist in the 2016 International Digital Awards also helped warm her up. As a passionate believer in Christ, her faith permeates the stories she tells. Her martial arts training, experience with horses, and appreciation for good romance sneak in as well. When not writing, she stays fit (and toasty warm) by chasing after five munchkins.

More from Angela

When I first decided to set a story during the invasion of Poland, I was woefully unprepared for the pain and horror I found there. I wasn’t new to World War II and had just finished writing A Rose for the Resistance, which is set in France during the war and deals with the resistance and the Normandy invasion. The atrocities and genocide in Poland cut so much deeper.

In the early hours of September 1, 1939, the small town of Wielun, Poland, woke to a shower of bombs on their community. They did not house an army or warehouses, only homes and civilian businesses. Wielun was not the only town or village targeted—demonstrating the Nazi goal to spread fear and death. Six months earlier, Hitler had promised that if Poland did not bow to his wishes, he would wipe them off the map. Over the next month, and more so in the following six years, he came very close to succeeding.

For the full month of September 1939, while German armies rolled across the country, the city of Warsaw endured daily bombardment. Homes, workplaces, churches on Sunday morning, the Warsaw maternity hospital— nowhere was safe. On the tenth of September, someone recorded seventeen separate air raids over the city. I was moved to tears while viewing photographs of women and children who had been shot in the streets and fields by the bombers after they had dropped their payloads over the city.

No one came to their rescue.

Poland was abandoned by its allies to the Nazis.

So how do you write about all that and more while still trying to keep hope alive in the story and in the characters who have to live through such a frightening and demoralizing history?

I invite you to read Capturing Hope to find out.