Showing posts with label loss. Show all posts

Monday, November 11, 2024

A Noble Scheme (The Imposters Book #2) by Roseanna M. White

This is one of those series that you get lost in, because they're so real you know them. I wanted to read it slowly to hang onto it, but I just couldn't put it down. Love and loss. The Imposters go in disguise to solve a kidnapping. I wasn't sure how it would end - it's so well told. Great lessons of faith.

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.

#ANobleScheme #RoseannaMWhite #NetGalley #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #ChristianHistoricalRomance #BethanyHousePublishers

From the Back Cover

In the opulent and perilous world of high society's most elite--and most dangerous--families, two investigators must set aside their broken hearts to uncover the truth.

Gemma Parks is known to the London elite as G. M. Parker, a columnist renowned for her commentary on the cream of society. Behind the scenes, she uses her talents to aid the Imposters in their investigations by gathering intel at events and providing alibis for the firm's members through her columns. Yet her clandestine work would be more exhilarating if it weren't for the constant presence of the gentleman who broke her heart.

Graham Wharton has never had eyes for anyone but Gemma, and she left his heart in tatters when she walked away from him. When the Imposters take on a new job to recover a kidnapped boy mistaken for his aristocratic cousin, Graham is determined to use the time with Gemma to not only restore the missing boy, but to also win back the only woman he's ever loved. As they trace the clues laid out before them, Graham and Gemma must devise a noble scheme to save the boy's life and heal their hearts.

"A Noble Scheme is as clever as it is glamorous."--LAURA FRANTZ, Christy Award-winning author of The Seamstress of Acadie

About the Author

Roseanna M. White (RoseannaMWhite.com) is a bestselling, Christy Award-winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she's homeschooling, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books . . . . to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.

My reviews

Monday, September 9, 2024

What I Left For You Launch Team

I'm feeling blessed to be on Liz Tolsma's launch team for her new book coming out this fall! Yay! This is the third book in the series - I loved the previous two - they're so interesting. It's a WWII novel set in Poland and about love, loss, family, and the meaning of home. You can preorder the book. Here’s a link: https://amzn.to/3XhS1AX.

#LizTolsma #BarbourFiction #ChristianHistoricalMystery&SuspenseRomance #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout

Wednesday, July 17, 2024

A Love Discovered (The Heart of Cheyenne Book #1)

A young couple, friends, come together over tragedy and loss. They marry out of convenience and move to wild Cheyenne to make a new life for themselves. A great deal awaits them there, with struggle and pain as well as great friendship and opportunity. Bittersweet.

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

#ALoveDiscovered #NetGalley #TraciePeterson #BethanyHousePublishers #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout

My reviews

Wednesday, July 3, 2024

A Choice Considered by Tracie Peterson

The tiny ember that had always burned for his dream seemed to flame up momentarily.

An enjoyable story set in early Cheyenne. Melody and her father traveled along as the new railroad was laid and are staying in town after her father was injured. They got to know and become close to friends who live there. Charlie came into town to manage his father's bank and finds more than he expected. Melody and Charlie always followed where their fathers led, are now considering other ideas. Beautiful story of loving families, changes in their lives, and difficulties to face.

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

#AChoiceConsidered #NetGalley #TraciePeterson #BethanyHousePublishers #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout

My reviews

Saturday, April 27, 2024

Streams of Courage by Sandra Merville Hart

Deeply realistic story of life when the Civil War started, in a town along the Mississippi. Once a Union leaning city, they joined the Confederacy, leaving loyalties tied. Social struggles, then war and loss made conflict between friends. So well told, you're there.

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.

#StreamsOfCourage #SandraMervilleHart #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #CelebrateLit #WildHeartBooks #ChristianHistoricalFiction #FiveStarNovel

About the Book

Book: Streams of Courage

Author: Sandra Merville Hart

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: March 26, 2024

In a world turned upside down by war and betrayal…will his role as a spy bring them closer…or tear their future apart?

The war that Julia Dodd prayed to avoid is now reality, and with it, her world has been turned on its head. Her fellow citizens, who stood with her in their support of the union, have crossed firmly to the side of the south. And her mother, lost in her grief over the loss of her husband and children, can think of nothing but protecting Julia’s brother’s inheritance. She insists that her daughter seek a wealthier husband than Ashburn Mitchell.

Ash knows what his fellow citizens think of him when he refuses to fight for the Confederacy. Shouldering the accusation of being a coward and refusing to hide behind his limp, Ash remains in Vicksburg to support his family as a saddler while his two best friends join the fight. Struggling to increase his business so he can marry the woman he loves, Ash becomes a spy in support of the Union. He can’t fight for the South but won’t raise a musket against them.

As tragedy instigates Ash to risk greater danger to speed the end of the war, Julia can only pray it won’t cost them everything. She’s already lost her father and two siblings. Must she lose the man she loves too?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Sandra Merville Hart, award-winning and Amazon bestselling author of inspirational historical romances, loves to discover little-known yet fascinating facts from American history to include in her stories. Her desire is to transport her readers back in time. She is also a blogger, speaker, and conference teacher.

More from Sandra

In Streams of Courage, Book 4 in my Spies of the Civil War Series, Julia, our heroine, has suffered several significant losses in her life, including her father and two siblings. Her mother’s insistence that Julia stop courting Ash, a saddler, and find instead a rich suitor makes no sense. Surely her father had provided for her.

Then she discovers that her parents have only provided for her younger brother, whom her mother had always adored. Julia will be penniless when her mother dies. The knowledge crushes her.

Ash is already supporting his mother and siblings. As Mama points out, adding a wife and children will stretch his income to the limits. Mama will not give her blessing should Ash propose. Julia, who had been raised in comfort, must find some means of support.

As I considered how Julia could make money in a war-time economy, it was clear her mother, as the daughter of a wealthy plantation owner, would never condone her working in a shop. What can she do?

Tatting lace.

Her lace patterns have received compliments in the past. With fewer ships bringing goods into the city, lace is in short supply. Granted, the demand for lace has diminished because even dress fabric isn’t as available as before the war.

I enjoyed researching this skill that was once so prevalent among young ladies in society. I watched videos on making lace with a special needle called a tatting needle.

The most basic stitch is the double-stitch. There is a special way to hold the needle and thread so that the first stitch grabs thread from under the thumb and the second stitch grabs it from over the thumb. There is a rhythm to the stitching in the hands of a skilled lacemaker.

I watched videos that demonstrated making rings with picot trim. There is a variety of stitching. The variations create beautiful patterns. The lace is then rolled for storage.

Fascinating. It’s mesmerizing to watch the different patterns emerge.

Tatting is a small yet interesting aspect in the adventurous story. Ash has become a Union spy. For her and her family’s safety, he keeps his dangerous activities a secret from Julia.

Part of my research for this novel and the next two novels included a trip to Vicksburg, Mississippi. I toured the museums and walked the streets of the historic city. Though I wasn’t certain of my story at the time of my visit, I was inspired by the history.

Avenue of Betrayal, Book 1, is set in the Union capital of Washington City (Washington DC) in 1861, where a surprising number of Confederate sympathizers and spies lived. Boulevard of Confusion and Byway to Danger are set in Richmond, the Confederate capital in 1862. Actual historical spies touch the lives of our fictional family.

Through both real and fictional characters, this series highlights activities spies were involved in and some of the motives behind their decisions.

I invite you to read the whole “Spies of the Civil War” series!

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, April 17
Alena Mentink, April 18
Connie’s History Classroom, April 18
Locks, Hooks and Books, April 19
Bizwings Book Blog, April 20
Holly’s Book Corner, April 21
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 21
Texas Book-aholic, April 22
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 23
Betti Mace, April 24
Pause for Tales, April 24
Cover Lover Book Review, April 25
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 26
Books You Can Feel Good About, April 27
Lights in a Dark World, April 27
For Him and My Family, April 28
Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, April 29 (Author Interview)
The Lofty Pages, April 29
Blossoms and Blessings, April 30

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Sandra is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/2afa6/streams-of-courage-celebration-tour-giveaway

My reviews

Avid Readers of Christian Fiction

Christian Historical Fiction

Thursday, February 8, 2024

The Paris Spy's Girl by Amanda Lees

Wow. Talk about intense. Christine is tough from what she went through growing up, but she's also very beautiful, smart, shrewd, intuitive. And closed off. Using her beauty as a weapon, she made one of the best spies in Paris against the Germans. Her friendships are few, she trusts no one. But in getting to hear her thoughts you can feel the underlying vulnerability and intense struggle in trying to make a difference. She finally lets Charlie the American in. Unbelievable how it plays out as her colleagues are captured, the games that are played, the betrayal. Really hard to put down. (Clean read but skates along the risqué line.)

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

#TheParisSpysGirl #NetGalley #AmandaLees #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #Bookouture #HistoricalFiction #FiveStarHistorical @bookoture

Buy link: Buy link: https://geni.us/B0CLKV2LPVsocial

From the Publisher:

An utterly breathtaking and emotional World War II novel, inspired by true events.

Paris, 1943. The candlelit salon goes silent, the eyes of every German officer on me. I pause in the door, no hint of a tremble from the champagne glass in my hand, playing my part to perfection. If my deception doesn’t utterly convince them, the war will be lost…

As war rages all over Europe, former runaway Christine is now the most dangerous – and most beautiful – asset the British Secret Service has in Paris. Every safe house that falls under the shadow of the Eiffel Tower is like a second home, and she can disappear into the winding maze of cobbled streets that lead to the Seine like a shadow. Now Christine is on her most vital mission yet. She must go deep undercover to find out who has betrayed the Allied spy network, selling their secrets – and her fellow agents – to the Nazis.

Forced to work with Charlie, a charmingly determined American secret agent, Christine has no choice but to rely on him. Together, they must pretend to be everything they aren’t – Nazi collaborators, and lovers – and risk not just their lives but the lives of their colleagues all over France to unmask the traitor in their midst.

But as they get closer to the truth, and each other, the stress of living undercover takes its toll. Christine can’t trust anyone, even Charlie. And just as her past – and the girl she was before she became Christine – catches up with her, the mission demands a sacrifice so great it may destroy everything she holds dear. Can Christine find the courage to do what it takes? And who will pay the ultimate sacrifice if she fails…?

A totally compelling, page-turning historical novel of love, courage and sacrifice in the darkest of times. Set in wartime Paris, this is an utterly gripping and tear-jerking read perfect for readers of Kate Quinn, Rhys Bowen and Mandy Robotham.

About the author

Amanda Lees is an author, broadcaster and an actress. She has written for, or contributed to, the Evening Standard, The Times, US Cosmopolitan and Company Magazine, as well as numerous online publications. Amanda appears regularly on BBC radio and LBC and was a contracted writer to the hit series Weekending on Radio 4.

As well as her new World War Two romantic thriller series, she has published two bestselling satirical fiction novels, a YA thriller trilogy and a number of non-fiction titles including The Dictionary of Crime.

Amanda was born in Hong Kong and survived both a convent boarding school and a Jesuit boys’ school before being summarily ejected from the latter. She gets her thirst for adventure from her parents who met in the jungle in Borneo where her mother had set up a hospital and her father, a former Gurkha Intelligence officer and Oxford-educated spy, was probably up to no good.

Amanda has a degree in drama and her first TV job was as a member of the Communist Resistance in ’Allo ‘Allo. This involved running around with a dachshund under her arm and deploying her best cod French accent. It has all been dramatically downhill since.

Her latest nonfiction book, From Aconite to the Zodiac Killer: The Dictionary of Crime, was published by Robinson/Little Brown in July 2020 to excellent reviews. It was published in the US by Ulysses Press in May 2021.

The Silence Before Dawn, the first in her WW2 spy thriller series was published in September 2022 and the second, Paris At First Light, in November 2022. The third book in the series, The Midwife's Child, was published on 16th May 2023. All are bestsellers. The next book in the series, The Paris Spy's Girl, will be published on 6 February 2024.

Author's Social Media:

Website: amandalees.com

Facebook URL: https://www.facebook.com/AmandaLeesAuthor/

Twitter URL: https://twitter.com/amandalees

Newsletter sign up: https://www.bookouture.com/amanda-lees/

For the best deals on books you can't put down, make sure to sign up to the Bookouture Deals mailing list!

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Friday, December 22, 2023

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

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Saturday, April 22, 2023

Still My Forever by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Christian Historical Romance 1905

Cute romance. Ava and Gil were close until he left town, when she chose not to go with him. Her mother was sick, they had lost her two young brothers and she didn't feel she could leave them. Gil had been in N.Y. City learning to be a composer but hadn't had the best results. He came home for the summer to regroup, intending to go back to N.Y. to teach, then life got in the way and God's plans for the two evolved. Interesting, heartfelt tale. Makes you feel like cheering by the end!

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 #StillMyForever #KimVogelSawyer #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #ChristianHistoricalFiction #WaterBrook

My reviews

Friday, December 30, 2022

Lacy by Sharon Srock

The characters are all pretty comfortable, until they're not. There's a plot twist that I didn't see coming, then another. But it all pulls together perfectly. Completely got lost in it and couldn't wait to see what was going to happen. Excellent lessons of more than one kind, and strengthening faith. Excellent read.

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.

#SharonSrock #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #ChristianContemporary

My reviews
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Sunday, June 27, 2021

To Find Her Place by Susan Anne Mason

Very engrossing story of struggle for these characters. Real enough you'll feel you have to tell someone what just happened as you go along. Men are fighting and those still at home are frowned upon. Women are having to step in to fill positions, but are still not taken seriously. Jane is divorced in 1943 Toronto and acting as the Directress of the Children's Aid Society. She had been a caseworker and is completely committed to the children and making things better. Since her husband left her, and her brother is in the war, she has to support herself and her sick mother. She desperately needs this job to become permanent. Garrett is brought in to audit the business, and Jane, and is planning on submitting his application for the Director position. He also needs the money to help support his parents farm. It's quite a story of difficulties during the war and heartaches, but also has lessons of faith. Circumstances seem to dictate their paths, but we know that God is in control. Excellent read.
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. #ToFindHerPlace #NetGalley

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Saturday, April 27, 2019

The Governess of Penwythe Hall by Sarah E. Ladd

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40590427-the-governess-of-penwythe-hall?from_search=true

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-governess-of-penwythe-hall-sarah-e-ladd/1128930050?ean=9780785223160#/

https://www.christianbook.com/the-governess-of-penwythe-hall-ebook/sarah-ladd/9780785223177/pd/97596EB?event=ESRCG

https://www.powells.com/book/-9780785223160

"Never are we promised an easy life, but we are promised that when we rely on Him for strength, we will have what we need to face our challenges.”

Vividly plunge into this story on the first pages! The author is a great painter with words, each brushstroke revealing the character's surroundings and feelings in great clarity. A Christian Regency set near the Moors, full of personal struggle and lurking danger. Also one of wealth, loss and perseverance. Excellent read that will keep you engaged and turning those pages. This is a first in a new series - can't wait for the next one!

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.”
#TheGovernessOfPenwytheHall #NetGalley #SarahELadd #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout

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