Star of Wonder by K. Lyn Smith

 

Victorian Christmas romance 1840 England. Andrew has been a soldier in India trying to prove himself worthy to marry Aster. They promised to wait for each other, but he's been away too long. We're never quite good enough in our own eyes, are we? To her it seems he must not care anymore though. When he learns she's to be married he gets back home quickly. His perfect timing turns interesting. Very well told, sweet and deep characters you can't help falling for. Excellent read. Works as a stand-alone, but part of the Something Wonderful series. Don't you just LOVE that cover?

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.

#KLynSmith #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #SweetRomance #VictorianRomance

My reviews
Goodreads

Amazon

Twitter

Pinterest

Facebook

Instagram

BookBub

Every Word Unsaid by Kimberly Duffy

 

Beauty from ashes. 1870. Gussie is from a privileged family. Her family is rough on her because she doesn't want to conform to what they want. They call her worthless. She only has 2 friends, who had moved away when they were kids. So, she runs away on adventures. She has a Kodak camera, and a job with a magazine where she is successful, but she's writing secretly. Her Uncle, who loves her, was a former Pinkerton and tracks her down each time and brings her back. Women didn't travel alone at that time, and their reputations were fragile. Things get worse with her family, so she's glad her boss sends her to India where she finds her two childhood friends and, gradually, herself. She learns that even though she is from a privileged background, she has something in common with a new friend in India, a widow who has been badly abused. Not the same physical things, but mentally. Her personal growth expands as things happen wherever she goes. Deeply told, with wonderful characters you can plainly see and feel their thoughts and feelings. This is a time and place of plague and horrible treatment of the people in India. Gussie's trials deepen, reforming her life. Excellent read, wish the story continued longer.

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

#EveryWordUnsaid #NetGalley #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #ChristianHistoricalFiction #fivestarbooks 

My Reviews

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Powells

BarnesAndNoble

ChristianBook

Pinterest

Instagram

Facebook

Vying for the Viscount by Kristi Ann Hunter

 

Christian Historical - Cinderella with horses

This is one of the most enjoyable books I've read. I didn't want to put it down. Bianca is raised by a stepmother who doesn't want her around. She goes to a neighboring stable to ride and exercise the horses because she loves them so much. Hudson has inherited the estate, arriving from India where he was raised. He doesn't know anyone, but as a member of aristocracy is expected to blend in and advance himself and his estate. Luckily he makes some good friends. Beautiful story unfolds of self discovery and learning what is important in life. Some of the most likable and alive characters you will meet. Loved It! Fabulous series.

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

#VyingfortheViscount #NetGalley

My Reviews:

Goodreads

Powells

BookBub

Amazon

Pinterest

BarnesandNoble

ChristianBook

A Tapestry of Light by Kimberly Duffy

 

"She knew every time she created something beautiful, she was declaring something of her own— independence, value, creativity"

1889 Calcutta, India. What an interesting story. Ottilie is a Indian-British young lady with a talent for beetle-wing embroidery, a skill handed down for generations.  She was not accepted by society, on either side of her heritage. "No matter how far she ran, she couldn’t escape the narrative God had been fashioning for her—a story of constant loss and never belonging." She had lost her father and two siblings to cholera, and then later her mother was killed, leaving Ottilie to care for her grandmother and young brother.  Her mother had supported them with sewing and embroidery and she tried to. Then their British relatives send a representative to take her little brother to England as he had become heir of the family estate. An estate their father had walked away from. You can feel Ottilie's fragility and her strength throughout, as well as her struggle with faith, since her grandmother had died too. But the safety of England from cholera made her accept their going there. Unfortunately society in general there did not accept her and even her relatives treated her terribly, and Everett the young man who had been sent to take them to England. They all struggle to coexist, and when her brother is sent away to school, she leaves the estate to be near him and takes a job in a dress design shop,. This is also a story of the poor conditions women worked in to produce high fashion for the elite. Excellent read! A lot to learn.

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

#ATapestryofLight #NetGalley

My Reviews:

Goodreads

Amazon

Powells

Barnes and Noble

ChristianBook

Pinterest

BookBub

Shadow Among Sheaves by Naomi Stephens

"Most days she found her own past too painful in its vastness."

England 1861. Intricate tale of a young Indian woman who married a British soldier, heir to a fortune. Similar to the biblical Ruth, when he and his father both died, she left India to follow her mother-in-law back to England. Neither realizing just how tough it would be. Severely rejected because of her race and nationality, both women were rejected and shunned by everyone and forced to live in a way neither had experienced before.

Lord Barric grudgingly felt compelled to help these women,  relatives by marriage. At first, he just allowed Rena to glean from his field. The story is excruciatingly painful to read at times, vividly brought to life by this talented author. Unfairness of discrimination, both of race and because they were women in the society of this day and age. And the customs of both countries. Through Rena, the beauty of the Indian people is unfolded. Although in India, the people didn't respect widows at that time; treated them harshly. In many parts of India, widows were beaten and shunned, cursed and spat upon, their clothes stripped away and ornaments ripped from their piercings so even their skin and flesh were broken. In the Indian state of Punjab, the term for widow was synonymous with the word for prostitute. But love has no racial boundaries.

“We are so much more than our reputation,” she finally managed to reply, her face warming. “Stories cheat; truth is found only in friendship.”

I was blessed to meet and work with people from India for a while, even more blessed to call these beautiful people friends. A time and friendship that I will always treasure. I didn't learn nearly enough about them and the land that they came from. The beauty and dignity of the main character in this story made me think of them.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
#ShadowAmongSheaves #NetGalley #NaomiStephens  #BooksYouFeelGoodAbout
Read a preview of the book here.

My Reviews:
Powells
Goodreads
Amazon
Twitter
Pinterest
ChristianBook
BookFun