Showing posts with label poor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label poor. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 9, 2026

Gingham Mountain by Mary Connealy

 

Another treasure of a story. It will make you laugh - hard, tear up, feel frustrated and angry and all because of the wonderful characters who will positively melt your heart. This is another special book that you're sure to love and want to read the rest in the series. 

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.

#GinghamMountain #MaryConnealy #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #CelebrateLit #ChristianWesterns #WildHeartBooks

About the Book

Book: Gingham Mountain

Author: Mary Connealy

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: May 26, 2026

From beloved author Mary Connealy comes a heartwarming Western romance about faith, family, and finding love in unexpected places—a touching tale of a devoted bachelor rancher, a determined schoolteacher, and the orphaned children who bring them together. Perfect for fans of Tracie Peterson and Karen Witemeyer.

Grant Cooper has dedicated his life to taking in orphaned children others have overlooked, building a loving family on his rugged Texas ranch. When a new schoolteacher arrives in Sour Springs with strong opinions about his unconventional household, he finds himself drawn to her fierce spirit—even as she challenges everything about his carefully ordered world.

Hannah Cartwright’s own painful past as an orphan makes her wary of the bachelor rancher raising children alone. But as she gets to know Grant’s extraordinary family, she discovers there’s more to him than meets the eye. When dangerous enemies threaten both their futures, Hannah and Grant must learn to trust in God’s plan—and each other.

Can a man who’s sworn never to marry risk his heart for love? And can a woman who’s known only betrayal find the faith to build a true home at last? A touching story of healing, hope and the family bonds that transcend blood.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Mary Connealy writes romantic comedies with cowboys and is celebrated for her fun, zany, action-packed style. She is a two time Carol Award winner, and a Rita, Christy and Inspirational Reader’s Choice finalist.

Mary Connealy writes romantic comedy with cowboys always with a strong suspense thread. She is a two-time Carol Award winner, and a Rita, Christy and Inspirational Reader’s Choice finalist. She is the bestselling author of 75 books and novellas. She has over a million and a half books in print.

Mary lives on a ranch in eastern Nebraska with her very own romantic cowboy hero. Visit her website or find her at Petticoats & Pistols!

 

More from Mary

Gingham Mountain is the third book in this series. The first books I got published…though there were other things sprinkled in after Petticoat Ranch, the first in the series.

I think of Petticoat Ranch as my husband’s story. A mountain man who’d never been around women, finds himself married to a widow with four daughters.

Then Calico Canyon is my husband’s story growing up. He is one of seven sons. I tried to imagine how that would be.

Now comes Gingham Mountain and that’s my story. I grew up in a tiny farm house with eight brothers and sisters. We had two bedrooms until my sixth sibling was born. And two is a bit of an exaggeration because my folks slept on a couch in the living room that folded out into a bed. And the only ‘real’ bedroom was an upstairs, the kind that has sloped roofs and, well, it was just tiny.

Then my folks bought another tiny home and moved it to our home and stuck it on the end. Now our ‘two’ bedroom house had (drumroll!!!) three bedrooms. Mom and dad retired the living room couch. Huge family, tiny home, the thing was, everyone back then had a huge family. Hey, it was the baby boom, these things happened. No such thing as a kid having their own room. I remember being excited that I had my own DRAWER!

So, Gingham Mountain, all those kids in a house that really only had three bedrooms was completely believable to me. And it was hot inside and no room for nothin’ so we went outside to play all the time. And that’s how Grant’s kids had to function.

Grant with his little house and loneliness and the knowledge of how hard it was to be an orphan.

Hannah with her lioness heart for protecting children. And her utter poverty. Getting the job as school marm when she’d never been to school herself. With zero ‘womanly’ skills. The woman can’t cook or sew or do anything expected of a woman. But, because she had an abusive adoptive father who pressed her and a scad of sisters, into work at a carpet mill, she can thread a weaving look like lightning. Now she’d trying to save children from such a fate.

She and Grant are in perfect accord…if they just had a rational conversation. Instead, Hannah sees a man trying to make off with orphans, just like her abusive father. She sets out to save the children from Grant and chaos ensues.

Then set it in Texas and there’s trouble with oil, still a very underused natural resource and Grant doesn’t know he’s sitting on a gusher of wealth. But there are villains who know what he’s got and they want it.

Gingham Mountain, when I wrote it, was one of my favorite books ever. Helping those two find each other, well, I can’t even tell people about it without smiling. Grant and Hannah’s first kiss is one for the ages and, of course they are both horrified. And then they kiss again. What could be more fun?

Blog Stops

Giveaway



To celebrate her tour, Mary is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card!!

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

https://gleam.io/cy4lg/gingham-mountain-celebration-tour-giveaway


My reviews

Tuesday, April 15, 2025

The Indigo Heiress: (A Marriage of Convenience Historical Romance Novel Set in 1700s Colonial America and Scotland)

 


Enthralling. Become completely immersed and admire Juliet. Set in 1774 she's from a prominent tobacco plantation family but is also involved with the business and understands it's workings and how to run it. It's a shock when on short notice her father orders her to marry a merchant from Scotland. With this wordsmith, it's lovely being engulfed in their lives and lifestyles on each continent, where so much is soon uncovered and with a backdrop of the war in America. This one's a keeper - you'll treasure every moment reading it.

I received this book free from the author and NetGalley bloggers review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
 
#TheIndigoHeiress #NetGalley #LauraFrantz #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #Revell #ChristianHistoricalFiction @LauraFrantz @NetGalley


Description
Virginia plantation life is all she has ever known.
But could the life she was meant to live be waiting on a distant shore?

In 1774, Juliet Catesby lives with her father and sister at Royal Vale, the James River plantation founded by her Virginia family over a century before. Indigo cultivation is her foremost concern, though its export tethers her family to the powerful Buchanan clan of Glasgow, Scotland.

When the heir of the Buchanan firm arrives on their shores, Juliet discovers that her father has arranged for one of his daughters to marry the Scot as a means of canceling the family's crippling debt. Confident it will be her younger, lovelier sister, Juliet is appalled when Leith Buchanan selects her instead.

Despite her initial refusal, Juliet realizes that fleeing Virginia is her only choice after finding herself in the midst of a scandal. The ship just leaving the harbor for Glasgow is her only hope. But she will soon realize that being part of the complex and calculating Buchanan clan is not the sanctuary she imagined--and the man who saved her from ruin is the very one she must now save in return.

About the author
Bestselling, award-winning author, Laura Frantz, has been writing stories since age seven. She is passionate about all things historical, particularly the 18th-century and her novels often incorporate Scottish themes that reflect her family heritage. She is a direct descendant of George Hume, Wedderburn Castle, Berwickshire, Scotland, who was exiled to the American colonies for his role in the Jacobite Rebellion of 1715, settled in Virginia, and is credited with teaching George Washington surveying in the years 1748-1750. Proud of her heritage, she is also a Daughter of the American Revolution. Though she will always consider Kentucky home, she and her husband live in Washington State. 

According to Publishers Weekly, "Frantz has done her historical homework." With her signature attention to historical detail and emotional depth, she is represented by Janet Kobobel Grant, Literary Agent & Founder, Books & Such Literary Agency of Santa Rosa, California. Foreign language editions include French, Dutch, Spanish, Slovakian, German & Polish.

Readers can find Laura Frantz at www.laurafrantz.net

*Subscribe to Laura's seasonal newsletter and receive new release information, news about contests, giveaways, and reader events, sneak peaks and teasers, signings and appearances, and more! To subscribe, click here or copy and paste this into your browser's address window: 


My reviews

Tuesday, December 6, 2022

The Sisters of Sea View by Julie Klassen

 




1819 Sidmouth England. When their father dies, his estate goes back to an heir. Their Mother and four sisters own the house at Sea View but have little to live on. Their former lady's maid helps them to consider taking in borders to help keep them going. This is the start of a fabulous series with shadows of Jane Austen. It's easy to settle in and feel involved in their lives. The struggle of starting this business after being a Gentleman's family, lost loves, new interests, new people and their lives, social norms and their reduced state add flavor to the story. Originally, they had come there because their mother was in need of the healing of the sea. One sister was born with a cleft palate has had several surgeries, left more scarred inside than she is outside now. Interesting things to learn about the area, healing baths and cleft palates. Beautifully written, keeps you enthralled to the end and looking forward to the next in the 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.
#TheSistersofSeaView #NetGalley #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #JulieKlassen #ChristianHistorical

My reviews

Friday, October 1, 2021

The Librarian's Journey by Patty Smith Hall; Cynthia Hickey; Marilyn Turk; Kathleen Y'Barbo

 




Excellent romance collection about saddlebag librarians. Very diverse stories even though they share a common profession. These were new jobs that opened up in a time when jobs and money were scarce. Many men had to leave home to search for jobs. People who lived in the mountains didn't have access to a library, some didn't have schools. These librarians brought books to them, often in perilous conditions. Many of the people were reclusive and untrusting, at least at first. The books gave them many benefits, including education. Entertaining read, nothing boring here! Christian historical. 

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.
#TheLibrariansJourney #NetGalley

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Christian Book

Tuesday, April 6, 2021

The German Heiress by Anika Scott




Wow, what a deep story. Set after the war is over and the British are cleaning up, finding war criminals. Clara is from a family who owned an iron works factory. She ran it during the war when her Father was away. The German army forced them to keep it open and running. She did what she could for the poor Ukraine and other forced labor that was brought in. Even through her wealthy life there was another personal story, some of which she uncovers as this story unfolds, including her best friend. You feel the depth of struggle for life throughout and it's hard to put down. Very well written.
 
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.
#TheGermanHeiress #NetGalley

My Reviews:

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Safe Refuge By Pamela S. Meyers


Christian Historical Romance set in 1871 when the Chicago fires destroyed the homes and businesses of wealthy and poor alike. Anna is from a wealthy family, set to marry an abusive man by her family's arranged marriage. The fire provides a delay she welcomes as they flee their burning, prestigious home to safety in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.  She had assisted at a mission school in Chicago and was pleased to find a similar school in Lake Geneva. She hoped that a special little girl at the school was still alive, as so many had died in the fire. Anna was even more happy that this girl's Uncle Rory, who had been a janitor at the school in Chicago, had survived as well and that he came to make his way in Irish Woods near the lake. The story takes a rough turn as Anna and Rory pray for a way that they can be together. Her wealthy family has financial issues that would be solved by the arranged marriage, so the pressure is on. As they pray and wait on God's will for them, their lives take a surprising roller coaster ride. Fabulous read!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author and publisher. 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.”
#SafeRefuge #PamelaSMeyers #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #5Stars #ChristianHistorical
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Friday, July 5, 2019

No Ocean Too Wide A Novel by Carrie Turansky

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42815558-no-ocean-too-wide?from_search=truehttps://www.amazon.com/No-Ocean-Too-Wide-Mcallister-ebook/dp/B07KDXMT5M/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=no+ocean+too+wide+by+carrie+turansky&qid=1562345409&s=gateway&sr=8-1https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/no-ocean-too-wide-carrie-turansky/1129914625?ean=9780525652939https://www.christianbook.com/no-ocean-too-wide-a-novel/carrie-turansky/9780525652939/pd/652939?event=ESRCGhttps://www.powells.com/book/-9781643583242

It's hard not to read ahead. 1909 England. Excruciating story of a poor family from London. The father had died and the mother got sick. The oldest girl was in service some distance away. When the rent wasn't paid on time and they didn't have enough to eat, the boy tried to steal some bread to feed them and was caught, starting an avalanche of problems. The three were put into a children's home, then sent to Canada, thinking their mother had died and their older sister didn't care. The story is written with great detail and each character comes fully to life. 

Great injustice and bright light shown on the holes in the system of removing children from England. Between the 1860s and the 1930s, more than one hundred eighteen thousand poor and orphaned children were sent to Canada as British Home Children. Much good was done when good people were involved, but so much cruelty took place for many unfortunate children, and no good system was in place to put it in check. This story also tells of two good men who were sent to investigate the system, and how they became involved. And the relationship of Laura, the oldest daughter and Andrew a wealthy lawyer who helped them all. Excellent read that will keep you on edge throughout. If not for the underlying story of God's grace and love, it would be so much harder yet to read. You feel a relationship with each of the characters as their story is brought to light.

"If she found Jesus in the pages of that Bible, she would have a friend who would never leave her side . . . and that was what she needed most for the journey ahead."

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.”
#NoOceanTooWide #CarrieTuransky #NetGalley #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout

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Thursday, June 6, 2019

A Reluctant Bride by Jody Hedlund

https://www.amazon.com/Reluctant-Bride-Ships-Book-ebook/dp/B07NDMRYGH/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=a+reluctant+bride&qid=1559607612&s=gateway&sr=8-3https://www.christianbook.com/a-reluctant-bride-1/jody-hedlund/9780764232954/pd/232957?event=ESRCGhttps://www.powells.com/book/-9780764232954https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-reluctant-bride-jody-hedlund/1129716516?ean=9780764232954#/https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42075332-a-reluctant-bride?from_search=true

Deeply satisfying. This girl knows how to write a story, and how to end it, with a promise for more, and you can't wait. Based on historical facts. Mercy was from the poorest of the poor, living in the slums of London. But she had been raised with love and caring, mostly by her sister - who was in a Workhouse and near to death. She made Mercy promise to go on a ship to British Columbia for a new start. A ray of hope for the hopeless. Reluctantly, Mercy went, not realizing that it was a Bride Ship. She accepted the role that she had lived as due her station, felt she was the bottom of the bottom of society. She reached out to help all around her in any way that she could, primarily nursing the sick. She became deeply attached to each in her care, showing kindness and love. Joseph is a member of Society, but chose to be a ship's surgeon. He learns a lot about himself and how he and his peers treat the poor. Mercy proves to be a perfect nurse, and they spend time together as they travel. Each learns they have prejudices, and work through the assumptions of those who surround them on the ship. The author must have done a lot of research to know what it was like to live in a ship at that time, because you can easily picture everything. A story where you become attached to the characters - need a two five-star rating to give it justice. Eagerly awaiting the next in the series!

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.”
#AReluctantBride  #JodyHedlund  #NetGalley  #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout

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