Showing posts with label Ireland. Show all posts

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

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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.

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Tuesday, April 11, 2023

The Painted Castle by Kristy Cambron

Growing up in an Irish family, I've been aware of the upheaval in Ireland since I was young. I do know firsthand the qualities of the Irish strength, sticking to a purpose that you believe in, and loving a good fight when you know you're right. The Irish are strong in their heritage as well. This story illustrates that beautifully, expertly and smoothly - woven from three different time frames. It takes you from the 1700s to early 1900s to present. It shows the reality of war and the people who live during it. The English "owned " Ireland for many years. The present time frame shows how not all battles are in history, and the vulnerable. And strength and resilience. Excellent read.

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.

#NetGalley #ThePaintedCastle #KristyCambron #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #ChristianHistoricalFiction #FiveStarNovel

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Tuesday, October 4, 2022

The Invincible Miss Cust by Penny Haw

1874 to 1922 Ireland and England. The true story of a very strong lady who pursued her passion for animals and became a veterinary surgeon. She had to fight men and her own family to do so. I understand her position as I was also brought up around boys and could never understand why things were different for me than for them. I could do everything they could, sometimes better, they got to have all the fun.

Aleen was from an Aristocratic family during a time when women's lives were so much more restricted and rigid, making her situation harder to want to care for animals, especially horses and dogs. She lived an interesting life, was very lonely and treated unfairly. Through it all she still loved her family and tried to reach out to them over all the years and keep in touch, after they disowned her. She had a guardian and his family to support and guide her, through college and eventually back to Ireland. It's a good long read that I had a hard time putting down and thought about often throughout my day. Inspirational. Excellent writing brought her to life.

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.

#NetGalley #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout @bookmarked @sbkslandmark #TheInvincibleMissCust #PennyHaw

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Saturday, February 5, 2022

The Lady of Galway Manor by Jennifer Deibel

1920 Galway Ireland. Lady Annabeth comes with her family from England, as new Landlords of Galway Manor. It's a time of Irish Revolutionary actions. Anna is bored with society things, has been given a year to decide whether to accept betrothal to the older man her father has set up for her. Her father is quite indulgent with her and arranges for her to apprentice at Claddagh Jeweller's shop. Their family had the ancestor who first designed the claddagh, handed down, with the legend, through the years. Steven has his own reasons to want the British out of their town. Having his father agree for him to teach Anna went against him. As they spend time together, they each learn about the other and the many untruths on each side. As Anna interacts unselfishly with the townspeople, they get to know her and like her. Throughout the story you see the give and take, the acceptance of each other and beauty of the Irish way of life. A true love story encompassing the legend of the claddagh, and God's way for us. As the author says, all are created in the image of God, therefore, all are valuable and hold purpose. Many examples of Irish culture are illustrated within the story. People on both sides give of themselves for the other. Christian Historical Romance.

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.

#TheLadyofGalwayManor #NetGalley

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Sunday, March 7, 2021

A Dance in Donegal by Jennifer Deibel

1920 Ireland Christian Historical

Moira travelled to Ireland after her mother died. The school teacher from her Mother's town where she had grown up had passed and they accepted Moira to take over. It's quite a journey in distance from Boston and culturally as well. Interesting and lovely to learn the customs of the area. There is also a hidden secret that keeps Moira puzzled and in danger. Some of the residents of the village know about Moira's mother, or at least they know what they were told. God brought Moira there for a purpose though, and she grows as a person along the way. So does Sean who has recently returned to the town. Become immersed in a lovely small town in Ireland, its people and customs.
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.

#ADanceinDonegal #NetGalley

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Saturday, April 6, 2019

Daughters of Northern Shores by Joanne Bischof

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/daughters-of-northern-shores-joanne-bischof/1128930042?ean=9780718099121#/

https://www.christianbook.com/daughters-of-northern-shores-ebook/joanne-bischof/9780718099138/pd/97585EB?event=ESRCG

https://www.powells.com/book/-9780718099121

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40590294-daughters-of-northern-shores?from_search=true

". . . a washing that only grief could do. One that cleansed away a fragile sort of rest so that what remained was the courage to seek joy and peace in the arms of the Lord amid a storm."

1894-95 Virginia. The second book of the series. You can enjoy this story without reading the first book, but you won't get the true depth of the feelings and really understand the why of it all. The men's heritage is Norway, and they're proud of Norse bloodlines. The girls come from different areas (Aven is from Ireland). Haakan, one of the brothers, has been away after the explosive exit he made in the previous book. He is tortured by what had happened, and looks for relief in different outlets. Addiction runs in some members of this family. He has been a sailor, sailing to many different countries, but loving the land of their heritage the most. He decides to go back home to Virginia and try to make things right with his family, only to learn that his brother Thor is seriously ill. The struggle to rid themselves of the feuding neighbors, fighting for their very lives, combined with the stress of the previous happenings is told with such a great depth. The author describes what it is like for a deaf person and addiction so thoroughly, in such detail, that it tears you apart. But lessons in faith and how God uses even the dark places in our lives for good weave throughout this book. I love this series. It will make a wonderful addition to any library!

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.”
#DaughtersofNorthernShores #JoanneBischof #NetGalley #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout

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Sunday, March 3, 2019

Far Side of the Sea by Kate Breslin

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/far-side-of-the-sea-kate-breslin/1128873080?ean=9780764217821#/

https://www.christianbook.com/far-side-of-the-sea/kate-breslin/9780764217821/pd/217821?product_redirect=1&Ntt=217821&item_code=&Ntk=keywords&event=ESRCP

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40390335-far-side-of-the-sea?ac=1&from_search=true

https://www.powells.com/searchresults?keyword=far+side+of+the+sea

Spies. Mystery. War torn France and Britain in World War One. Christian historical fiction. Twists and turns leaving you wondering who to trust. After her mother dies during resistance fighting in Ireland, Jo searches in France for her father and the sister whom she had just learned about. Colin, a British soldier, had been wounded in France and was hidden and cared for by Jo's sister Jewel. Jo contacts Colin for help to find Jewel, knowing he had pledged to go back for her.

Colonizing a foreign country with enemy spies was an established practice (and is actually still done today). In this story Jo and Jewel's father was a notorious spy for Germany while living in France. The story wraps and folds around these facts, with help from British and American agents. It keeps you off kilter, while the growing relationship of trust between Jo and Colin keeps you rooting for them.

An interesting facet added to the story is the use of carrier pigeons for intelligence communication. Numerous accounts of heroism have been linked to these little birds, as the author had researched. She wound them into the story, with a particular little hero's real story. Christian historical that is incredibly real.

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.”

#FarSideOfTheSea #KateBreslin #NetGalley #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout

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From the Publisher:
In spring 1918, Lieutenant Colin Mabry, a British soldier working with MI8 after suffering injuries on the front, receives a message by carrier pigeon. It is from Jewel Reyer, the woman he once loved and who saved his life--a woman he believed to be dead. Traveling to France to answer her urgent summons, he desperately hopes this mission will ease his guilt and restore the courage he lost on the battlefield.

Colin is stunned, however, to discover the message came from Jewel's half sister, Johanna. Johanna, who works at a dovecote for French Army Intelligence, found Jewel's diary and believes her sister is alive in the custody of a German agent. With spies everywhere, Colin is skeptical of Johanna, but as they travel across France and Spain, a tentative trust begins to grow between them.

When their pursuit leads them straight into the midst of a treacherous plot, danger and deception turn their search for answers into a battle for their lives.