A Rebel Heart by Beth White

"She shoved away her terror, drawing on some reserve that hadn’t been there before this morning."

Christian historical takes place in Mississippi first during, then 5 years after the civil war. A former Union man, now a Pinkerton agent investigating a series of robberies, and a young woman from a local plantation travelling on family business are passengers together on a horrible train crash. The atrocities of the war, and later adjustment to getting along after the war must have been incredibly hard to live through. The train crash was historical fact. The characters come to life and are artfully woven around the restoration of the estate and the Pinkerton investigation. Selah employs former slaves to bring the plantation back, and she and her sisters work just as hard along side them. A benefit to them all, but not approved by all. Struggle, danger, mystery and murder along with love, strength and faith make for a strong story and lay the ground for a wonderful new 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.”
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Hidden Among the Stars by Melanie Dobson

 

"Only God knows the entire score of our lives , but we all have our assigned parts, measures to sing solo or with a choir."

Modern time - Callie and her sister have a bookstore, and she reads stories to children. She hides painful things in her life and needs someone she can trust in her life. She blogs about second hand books they bring into the store, and is given one that belonged to an Austrian girl just before Hitler took their country over. It's interesting to go back in time (1938) and learn more about her and those in her life at that time. The story weaves back and forth through both times, and is so well written it leaves you on the edge of your seat wondering how it will turn out for those in both time frames. Who would ever dream that someone like Hitler could ever come along. Sure, we all have people who don't like us for one reason or another, but never on the scale that was. Who would dream up the torture and mistreatment at that time and the evil that some could commit on others. Thankfully very few, but we all deal with situations in our own way. This is a very good story in a beautiful setting. I don't like to see books come to and end, but I needed to get to the end to know what happened.
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.”
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The Sound of Rain by Sarah Loudin Thomas

"Judd blew out a breath. This whole family left him feeling like he was skating across a frozen pond in his stocking feet."
Christian Historical 1954. Simple people, simply told, but as complicated as real life is. Judd, a coal miner in West Virginia has a life altering accident. He leaves for a new job at a timber company in Myrtle Beach, following a dream - his brother's. It's a whole new life for him. There he meets the boss's daughter, Larkin. She has a dream of helping people, more specifically Appalachia hill people, near where Judd was from. This is a beautifully told story, vividly real, where you thoroughly get to know the people and it's easy to see their surroundings. You want the very best for each of them. A story that certainly holds your interest until the very end.
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.”
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Finding Lady Enderly by Joanna Davidson Politano

A rag girl posing as Cinderella, or rather a Countess. What a deep and interesting story. It started out as a quick opportunity for the girl, then she was forced to continue in the ruse. Raina was used to taking rags and restoring them, delighting in the finer things that she encountered along the way. When she was down, she decided to do the same thing for the surroundings she was in. There are twists and turns, danger and a deep love story, with roots in the classics. If you're a deeply romantic story lover, this is for you! Lessons of faith are threaded throughout. Excellent 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.”
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The Noble Guardian by Michelle Griep

“Life is more than good ideas. It’s the risks that return greater results.”
England, 1815. Abbey is a combination of an extreme optimist and pure ignorance. She's very unhappy at home, and after her father arranges a marriage with a man that she met once, she's off to meet her groom to be. Unescorted except for a maid, because her family couldn't be bothered to spare anyone to go with her. The maid isn't up for as much adventure as what they're put through and goes back shortly after leaving. Even this didn't prompt her family to send someone to help Abbey. She is so frustratingly ignorant, but it adds to the constant tension of the story, mixed with the dangerous, life threatening storyline. She's also a sweet girl who has been mistreated, and you want to root for her.
Samuel is a Bow Street Runner Horse Patrol Captain who runs into Abby's carriage after a massacre. Their situations bring the two of them together, an unlikely combination, and it brings out lots of feelings in both of them, especially to the surprised Samuel. Quite a cynic, he struggles with not having enough money, she with not being loved by her family after her mother died. Both have lived a hard life. It's quite an adventure, leaving you holding your breath, wondering what will happen next. But you have to know what will happen to this girl. Knowing that most of her optimism comes from her deep faith helps to explain a lot. A good read! Don't you just love the cover? It's nice to see men on the cover - shows how appealing it can be, even with their shirt on!
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.”
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The Spice King by Elizabeth Camden

"The world was a good place. She needed to look for it, even when life was full of pain."
New book in the "Hope and Glory" series.
1900 Washington DC. Christian Historical. I was all in on the first page. 
This is intense.
Annabelle is from a farming family in Kansas. Her father was able to put her and her sister through college, which is quite a thing now, even more so back then. She and Elaine move to Washington, DC, she at the Smithsonian (later Department of Agriculture), her sister at the Library of Congress. Elaine is blind, and this seemed to be a great opportunity for her to learn and to grow, so despite the financial strain on the family, off they went.
Annabelle is a botanist (something I very much had wanted to be so I can relate). Her boss wanted a rare plant that Gray Delacroix was rumored to have, and told her that a permanent position depended on her getting in to Gray's property to see if it was there. She is pleasantly pushy (I pictured June Allison) and actually manages to get in to see him. Gray is from a wealthy family, built on hard work, and it takes more hard work to keep the fortunes going. Their family has earned their reputation by providing the best quality products. Not every company was that way. These were the early days when there was a lack of safety standards in the food industry, so companies could get away with putting out a product that was not what it seems. (Doesn't seem possible now, does it?) The story unfolds interesting information about Good Housekeeping in it's early days - what they did and why - and how important to our country it was. The story takes off from there, seeming to put Annabelle on one side of things and Gray on the other. Gray's brother never really wanted to work for the family - or so it seemed. Politics, secrets, money, mystery and life all play a part in this book. Choices made, right from wrong, scruples and personal standards are reviewed and explored. Integrity - or lack of it. Nothing boring here - all together an excellent read! Don't you just love that cover? Can't wait for the next in the series.
"The world was a huge, wide-ope landscape bursting with opportunity, and it was up to her to choose how she would live in it."
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.”
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The Midwife's Dilemma by Delia Parr

At Home In Trinity Series
Conclusion to a three part series involving Martha, a Midwife in Trinity Pennsylvania 1831. Christian Historical. This is one of those series for your shelf that you'll always look at fondly, as it's a companion for the time you're reading it, and lodges in your heart  in the same way as Jan Karon's Mitford series. Martha is a very stubborn woman and you're bound to get frustrated with her. She's surrounded by lovely characters, and everything is changing in Trinity. Things that she was always sure of are tipping and turning, and she's not sure of her place anymore - she doesn't know what she wants to do with herself when she grows up. This is one lady who doesn't move fast or make a hasty decision. Everything is done in it's own time. Sometimes it's frustrating to read about her - you want to tell her to just do it!. But that's not her way, and in the end it's all in God's time as well.

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.”
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