The Mistletoe Countess

 

1913 Virginia then England

A lovely, long read to get wrapped up in. You get the chance to know the characters well. The story is deep enough and deeply wound enough to keep you fully interested as things unwind slowly. Grace steps in to be the bride in an arranged marriage after things her sister did are revealed. But it was no mistake as it seems God chose her for Frederick. He's quite a broken man for many reasons, but Grace helps him to heal as their love for one another grows. She had been the poor choice because of her dislike for social norms, but it's those very reasons that make her perfect for the position. She has self doubt issues herself, but Frederick's genuine caring for her makes her self confidant. Thoroughly, swooningly romantic throughout. Romance, murder, mystery. Excellent read. 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.

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Shadows of Swanford Abbey

 

1820 England. Christian historical. A murder mystery skillfully woven through the romance. Rebecca is a lady's companion and is returning home after years because her brother John is distressed and not handling things well. He had worked for an author, writing his own story, who then stole it. It became a best seller. They wouldn't believe him though. He wrote another story and wanted to sell it. This time making a copy, for it to be presented to the same author to catch him this time. This author is staying at a nearby hotel, which used to be an Abbey, and was supposed to be haunted. John convinces Rebecca to stay at the hotel to get the author to look at his book. 

Sir Frederick, owner of the small home that John stays in, is also staying at the hotel, with his brother. He is an old friend from when their parents were alive. One who Rebecca had a crush on when younger. 

Getting the book to the author is difficult. He is more than unpleasant, sequestering himself in the room which was once the old Abess's, with a hired guard outside his room. Rebecca sees some strange things during her stay, woven throughout, clues Agatha Christie style. The tension between characters, who each have their own mystery to discern, builds. 

After the murder of the author, Sir Frederick, who is also the magistrate, must figure out what happened. Unraveling the backstory is quite interesting. He has a soft spot for Rebecca, which makes things more difficult for him as she seems more and more involved in the circumstances of the murder. While she is trying to solve it herself, worrying that her brother is involved. 

Warm relationships are wound throughout the story, pull at your heartstrings. Excellent read. Not an easy mystery to figure out who done it. Keeps you intrigued to the end.

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.

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Little Dove (Wingbound Series) by Heather Trim

 

Novella that is a prequel to the Wingbound Series. It tells the story of Paloma/Huyana, where she came from and how the people in the stories got started and why. As a very young girl she is rejected by her family and sent away, she learns how to survive under less than ideal circumstances. She's got pluck though, and fights her way back to where her mother once left her. She meets wonderful people in a small village, forging new relationships and eventually learning more about her own family and what happened to them. She grows and heals, finding a way for herself, and for her people. Of course, it's an excellent read and keeps you hooked. Love this series! Make the great escape and pick up this book.

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.
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Behind Love's Wall by Carrie Fancett Pagels

 

Christian Historical. A timeslip novel where uncovering a buried past helps to heal the characters, past and present. Set on Michigan's Mackinac Island, it weaves people through and together who are related through generations. Emotional healing is difficult until the reasons behind the trouble are uncovered, and there are stigmas around it in both the past and present. Warm characters you get attached to, and you want to see them resolve their mysteries. Intricate. 

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.

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As Dawn Breaks by Kate Breslin

 

Her daring bid for freedom could be her greatest undoing. 

Murder, mystery, sabotage.  Set towards the end of WW1, England to Scotland. Rose is being forced to marry an abusive man, by her abusive Uncle. She's allowed to work at the munitions factory, and with the help of her friend she is given a chance to live life differently, after her friend is killed in the explosion where she works. She goes to Scotland near where she grew up before she lost her parents, getting a job at another munitions factory. Pretending to be someone else isn't always easy for her, and little by little she realizes that there was a lot about her friend that she never knew. She becomes close to the family she's staying with, so the lies get more difficult. And she's always looking over her shoulder that she won't be found out.

Alex is sent to secretly search out and prevent another explosion at the munitions plant near his family home. He's following the intelligence they have learned, some of the facts hidden and twisted. There are many twists and turns to this story. Tugs on the heartstrings for the characters and the tension that builds make it a real page turner. It's hard to put down! It's interesting to learn more about the munitions factories and what the women workers went through. The explosion and other events are based on real life. 

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. #AsDawnBreaks #NetGalley.

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A Deep Divide by Kimberley Woodhouse

 

Set in the early 1900s. Emma Grace is the daughter of an extremely wealthy man, whose ambition for more money took him over. When she was still 17 she ran away from him and being his pawn. She became a Harvey girl, strove to be her best, and was able to transfer to the new restaurant at the Grand Canyon. She was tired of disguises and hiding, hoping she had run far enough away for them to find her. She had learned that her father had been murdered after she left, and she was afraid.

Ray was the son of another extremely wealthy man who was obsessed with getting more. He wasn't like his father, and little by little Emma Grace began to see him as he really was, a man of God and faith, who wanted to help others, and not like other men of their social status.
Kimberly Woodhouse is so good at creating fully real, lovable characters with great depth. Excellent story that I didn't want to put down. Beautiful Christian lessons that give a strong foundation throughout. Interesting information about the Grand Canyon and Hopi Indians from the area. 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.
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Yours Is the Night by Amanda Dykes

 

A story set in the last days of WW1, in France near and in the Argonne Forest. Bringing together a few people, quite different from one another, yet whose lives become entwined. A girl has been living in the forest, raised by her Father and Grandfather, who were escapees from another previous conflict. Found by a few soldiers, all vastly different men, now coming together, each with their own strengths and weaknesses to help her get to Paris and her family's great home. What a journey and learning of people, growing in strength and love, much because of their bond with one another.

"We’d scorned one another and needed one another and had left that battle-gouged land with battle-gouged hearts."

Deep, heartfelt lessons of life and faith, building of personal strength from shared experience and support. 
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.
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