The Songbird And The Spy by J'Nell Ciesielski

"Claire was to make herself useful on their farm. Or else."

Softly at first, then shock. An American girl in France, studying music, as Germany invades. On a train with a blue eyed man. Which characters as she goes along will be of significance? Where does safety lie? Multi layered identities in a time of war and unprecedented evil. Luckily there ARE good people in the world who will help you, but then there are some who will turn on you too.

Claire is shifted out of her comfort zone and forced to run, and she's a bit sloppy about it. But she lands at a bar with a piano while she tries to find her way out of the country. Michael has more layers to his life and personality than most anyone you'll meet. Ideal for a British SIS agent posing as a German Captain in charge of deciphering communications behind enemy lines.

This expertly told story brings you to the harsh reality of Nazi occupied France, folding you in right from the first few pages. If you've ever seen a movie or learned about that time and place, you'll be like me, tense, waiting for the net to drop any time. Innocent people were forced to do things they never would dream of, were killed, tortured, made slaves. Everything taken, sometimes people too. Very well told, enthralling, a mystery to the end.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the 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.”
#TheSongbirdAndTheSpy #JNellCiesielski #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout

My Reviews:
Powells
Goodreads
BookFun
Amazon
Twitter
Facebook
BookBub

A Tender Hope by Amanda Cabot

The last in a Christian historical fiction series that wraps things up in Cimarron creek 1881. Thea's husband was killed. She's a midwife and takes Aimee with her to Cimarron Creek. Jackson is a Texas Ranger looking for the gang who killed Thea's husband, and maybe he's looking for Thea too. An investigation he finds to be with ties near to his heart. Aimee is hoping to find her mother, and finds so much more. Nice romance and showings of faith. An interesting, satisfying and entertaining read.

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.”

#ATenderHope #AmandaCabot #NetGalley #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout

My Reviews:
Amazon
ChristianBook
Goodreads
Powells
Twitter
Pinterest
BookFun
Bookbub

When You Are Near by Tracie Peterson

Totally cool novel set in 1900 Montana. Get to know a bit more about trick horse riding than you probably know now. Really interesting story about a family of trick riders who have a travelling show similar to Buffalo Bill's or Wild Bill Hickock's, only this show has women performers, including trick shooters. See what I mean by cool? Lizzy is the main trick rider. She and her mother are dealing with the death of her father, who had made them promise to continue with the show till the end of the season. Lizzy shuts everyone out thinking she'll feel less pain, but luckily has good people around her to help and teach her and get through this. Beautifully told with lots of interesting characters, murder, mystery and romance. Even an English gentleman in the mix. You can never go wrong with one of Tracy's books. Would you expect anything less than 5 Stars? Deeply emotional and entertaining, with a strong Christian message. The first in a new series - looking forward to the next!

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.”
#WhenYouAreNear #TraciePeterson #NetGalley #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout
My Reviews:
Goodreads
Powells
Amazon
BookFun
Twitter
Pinterest
ChristianBook

Everything She Didn't Say by Jane Kirkpatrick

Quote:
“My writings were autumn leaves, bright and beautiful and flashy. But unmoored from their larger, more imposing hosts, simply dropped to the forest floor to be trampled upon and turned into humus for an acorn to grow one day into a mighty oak. But who remembered the leaves that mulched and gave the nutrient? It's the oak we admire.”

A very public physical journey at the time (1870's), a very private emotional journey for Carrie.

Maybe because we were full time rvers for four years, I think this is of particular interest to that group of travelers. This is another story where Jane Kirkpatrick does what she does best, teaching about women, life lessons, pondering our lives and living with others.

I'm grateful that we were able to go to Colorado and see Colorado Springs and the Garden Of The Gods, having personally seen some of the areas that she wrote of in this book. A regret we have is  that we hadn't gotten to see Yellowstone. It must have been awesome to see these areas before they were populated as they are now. The very real dangers of weather and wildlife were more of an issue then with the mode of travel, often on foot, with miles of wilderness surrounding them. Still people wanted to travel to a better life, and looked where they could for accurate information.

Carrie Strahan's husband wrote books and pamphlets designed to lure pioneers into the West. He worked for the UP Railroad, who wanted "settled" towns before bringing their trains through. This was still a time when women were frowned on for travelling to outlying areas and having occupations other than making a home for family and children. Carrie insisted that she travel with her husband on his necessary forays into the frontier, gaining experience she never would have had, but also giving up a life that other women had. As time goes by she wonders about her contribution to the immigrant movement across America, and is constantly berated for doing it. We are all shaped by the paths that we cross.

I highly recommend this book, especially to women of all ages. There's no doubt that you'll find something you can learn, and gain an insight and perspective of your own life as well as Carrie's.

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.”

Quotes:
Jane, speaking of her sister: "I was struck by how one could make a tape— or write a memoir— of sweetness and light while beneath the words were feelings that were much different. I never forgot those moments with her as she spoke of what was really happening for her on that journey."

"It’s always worse when you’re not where you’ve been, yet not where you’re going to be. You can’t sit down and think too long about it, you have to keep going. And it’s easier to blame someone else, if you can, for your misery while you’re in the middle of it. I do it all the time.”

My reviews:
Goodreads
Powells
Amazon
Twitter
BookFun

The Runaway Brides Collection

From  Maryland 1865 just after the civil war to Kentucky 1877 to New York 1898 to Ohio and Colorado1892 to Massachusetts 1892 to Ohio 1877 to Ireland 1877. I never used to really care for collections, mainly because they were too short. If I did feel that way, this is sure to change it, as I am quite endeared to it. Some were new authors to me, some I'd read their books before, now I'm a fan of all.

Usually as I go along I think of what I would like to say in my review, noting things that stand out. This book though, as I was reading I thought - I like this one best. Then I thought the same about the next story. And the next. So, they're all my favorites! The Groom She Thought She'd  Left Behind I couldn't put down and I swear that I held my breath till the end. Then the next story makes you laugh out loud. Misunderstandings and perfect understandings, rejection and acceptance. A girl can change her mind, can't she? I love that there's a Christian message and lessons too. This is a book that I can highly recommend to just about everyone. They are fabulous on their own, fantastic in this collection.

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.”

#TheRunawayBridesCollection #NetGalley #ChristianHistoricalRomance #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout

My Reviews:
Powells
Pinterest
Goodreads
Amazon
Twitter
Facebook
BookFun
ChristianBooks

The Erie Canal Brides Collection

You can feel the surge of excitement around the building of the canal and the changes it brought to the area and the people.
The Erie Canal was dug, by hand, across Upstate New York state and Ohio in the early 1800s. It brought a lot of people together, in many ways, because of the way it was made and the communities it went through. These 7 stories are an interesting and diverse look at the people whose lives were impacted by it. I live close to part of the canal, so it makes it a little more personal to me. Of course my favorite one is about the Irishman who worked digging the canal, my second favorite about the German village, since my heritage is both Irish and German. All the stories include interesting historical information about this vast area and the early days of the canal. It's easy to become thoroughly engrossed in each story. They're written with great depth. You can easily envision the characters and feel as keenly as they do what they are going through. Never a boring moment! Each also has a message of deep Christian faith which I feel competes any story.

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.”

#TheErieCanalBridesCollection #NetGalley #ChristianHistorical #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout







My Reviews:
Powells
Goodreads
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
Amazon
BookFun
ChristianBooks

Far Side of the Sea by Kate Breslin

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

My Reviews:
Amazon
Powells
Goodreads
BookBub
BookFun
Twitter
Pinterest
Facebook
Instagram
ChristianBook

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.