A Love Restored

What an easy read. The pages just fly by as you spend time getting to know Ruth Ann. She's a lovely girl, inside and out. People judge others by the way that they look, and can be mean when someone doesn't come up to whatever standards they've set. But many times when they are, it's based on something in themselves that is lacking. Adversity builds strength in those who are abused. Verbal abuse is every bit as bad as physical abuse.
Ruth Ann is from a wealthy family and gives herself to others. It's after the war, she has a soft spot for educating black people. Others in her society and in the community don't like it. 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.”

"Her quiet confidence and inner strength resulted from a deep abiding faith in God that made him a better man just by being with her."

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Hearts of Oak by Berryl Kingston

“No point meeting trouble half way. If ’tis coming, ’tis coming, and we’ll face it when we must."

What an unusual story, and one of the best kind that brings history to life. It would be an interesting but dry one if not for getting to know these characters and their own story. It's early 1800 in England and Lord Nelson is about to go to sea to find and fight Napoleon and the French. Jen and Marianne were just married, off to a bad start on their wedding night when he went to a pub. There he was drugged and signed into service. When Marianne heard of it, she searched for him then dressed in her brother's clothes and signed up too. She hadn't taken into consideration the size of the fleet, and ended up with her own adventures, even finding two friends who were also girls disguised as boys. Never a dull moment! Their story takes you all through the years and final battle where they won the war and lost Lord Nelson. I never would have thought to tell the story this way. It makes it easy to absorb the history lesson and easily picture it all. Excellent read. There is some brief, mild sexuality that I didn't feel was necessary. Beautiful cover!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NetGalley and the Publishers. 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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Christmas at Whitefriars: A Novella by Elizabeth Camden

Completely engaging. This is a companion book A Dangerous Legacy. It's not necessary to read the other book, but it's great to recognize those friends in this book too. 1912 England. Mary lives at the family's old castle, and was tasked with the job of renovating it. A huge undertaking. She's in England, her brother and their investor are in America, so she's doing everything alone. Everett is an American, of a manufacturing family company that bought the castle for the image it lent to their food products. Products that interestingly enough were developed by Everett, who loves creating recipes as much as he loves business, and he is good at both. He was at first not understanding of Mary's position of how the castle was being run. The castle is dear to her heart. It's dear to Everett because of the fortune he's invested in it. It makes for a really really good story, and is hard to put down. Christian Historical

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the Bethany House Publishers. 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 Art of Theft by Sherry Thomas

Nothing short of what you'd expect from Sherlock Holmes, or maybe something more - since this Sherlock is a woman, pretending to be her brother Sherlock. Deductive reasoning at its best, with ribbons of facts and characters woven along. Anyone versed with Sherlock Holmes stories is frozen with fear at the name of Moriarty, and that person is in this story as well. Deep plot with both the story and regular characters. It would be good to see this in a movie. Charlotte and her crew go under cover at a French mansion to pull off an impossible theft. A mansion complete with secret underground passages. Scary stuff!
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 Daughter of Hardie

"She was as frightened as he was when she said goodbye , and spent sleepless hours that week trying to see into the future."
Interesting book. England 1898. Near Oxford. Clean read. Mostly about Grace, who because of her health has a special gift that benefits her and her family. Taking them from when she is six until 30, it explores her world, why and how she feels what she does, thinks like she does. They have a family winery, but her father is a botanist who has gone on a trip back to China and not come back. This is the area where her mother had gone with him just after getting married. As the story unfolds the war starts and affects them all, of course. Different twists and turns as it goes along. It does make you want to read 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.”
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The Bridge to Belle Island by Julie Klassen

1819 England. Murder mystery. Information slowly unfolds. Isabelle can't leave the island where her home is, believing a curse after her parents and sister are tragically killed. The man, a distant uncle, who is running the estate treats her and her niece terribly and wants to sell part of her island off. He is murdered in London, something discovered by Benjamin, a young lawyer in the firm. It would have looked different if not for his excellent power of observation and detail. He had lost a case, and the elder law partner sent him out to Belle Island to uncover information. Isabelle is suspected even though she hasn't been able to leave the island for many years. Interesting and endearing characters and this small community unfold as you get to know them and the information winds out. As it nears the end the story gets intense and is impossible to put down. The story is set in a time before the establishment of a centralized police force as we know it today. Excellent Christian historical that you can expect from Julie Klassen. Struggles with insecurities and forgiveness are themes.
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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All Hearts Come Home For Christmas

"His enthusiasm for life was contagious, and when I was with him everything seemed larger. It was as if a vast existence that had never touched my being before had been opened up to me."

Perfect stories of love, at Christmas or any time of the year. Truly a special collection. Don't you just love that cover?

England 1816. Interesting twist, as the story begins with a seven year old boy who, because of the death of his father, has just become a Duke. The twist being that the story is about his mother, who had abandoned him. And the Vicar, also a lonely person.

London 1820 A young girl is working in a dress shop for nothing more than food to eat and a place on the floor to sleep when a gentleman stops in the shop with a button off his coat, and ends up asking if she'd come to care for his house, daughter and Aunt. An answer to prayer, and a great blessing.

London, 1814
Elizabeth wants to get out of going to the Ton's social events and away from her mother's attempts at match making, so she chooses to call out a confirmed bachelor and behave just slightly inappropriately so she'll have to sit out the season. She gets more than she expected!

Yorkshire, 1816
Nell, after her Pastor father died had to take a job as a seamstress. Jacob returned home after his cruel father died to care for his sister. When he had Nell come to the house to fit Alice with a new wardrobe, all of their lives turned for the better.

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.”

"Though Christmas remained a number of weeks away, a whisper of it hung in the air."

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