Books You Can Feel Good About

Friday, February 4, 2022

The Telegraph Proposal by Gina Welborn; Becca Whitham

Growing pains.

It's good to go back to this town and these people. Yancey has loved Hale for years, but he's always tried to avoid her attention. They both turn to a matrimonial agency, with unexpected results. The town has a murder mystery that needs to be solved. The story is very well told, as usual. I felt connected right to the end. Excellent story! There is both good and bad in many situations, their faith carries them through.

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.

#TheTelegraphProposal #NetGalley

My reviews

Courting Calamity by Amanda Barratt, Gabrielle Meyer, Jennifer Uhlarik, Kathleen Y'Barbo

Four Christian Historical Romances by fantastic authors. All are very unique stories and characters; all have some sort of calamity in their lives to challenge them. Good moral and Christian lessons, as well as lessons of love, trusting in yourself and letting others love you and you them. Not always an easy path! 1800s to 1900s Excellent, involved intriguing read. You won't be bored!

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.

#CourtingCalamity #NetGalley

My reviews

ChristianBook

Until Leaves Fall in Paris by Sarah Sundin

Such a fabulous read! I usually read for a couple of hours before going to sleep, to relax. Not with this book! It's breath taking and so very hard to put down, especially as the story builds. It's 1940 Paris where Lucie is in the ballet. Born American, she is staying with friends of her family, had been for years, studying ballet, living above their American bookstore. Then the occupying Germans made the Jews leave. The family friends were Jews. So Lucie bought the bookstore from them and left the ballet to run it. Paul is also an American, their family making luxury automobiles, but forced by the Germans to convert their factory to making trucks. Both have to adjust their way of life as the Germans cut back and restrict everything. Their loyalty to America, ideals and the people around them, plus being willing to sacrifice themselves to help defeat the Germans is basically the same. But they don't know it, until little by little. A huge last quarter of the book will leave you breathless and unable to put it down. When you try you can almost feel the action and danger pulsing, waiting to be picked up again. Such torture! But if you're like me you wouldn't have it any other way. As always a fabulous author, this is amazing Sarah!

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.
#UntilLeavesFallinParis #NetGalley.

My reviews:

Wednesday, February 2, 2022

Where Her Heart Lies by Carolyn Twede Frank

Excellent read. I'm a new fan, even though this isn't the first in the series. Celeste has been sent East to finishing school but returns home to Colorado and her parents after 5 years, because she was asked to leave. The finishing didn't stick. But she liked most of the things in her life from before, including Logan. He is a few years older, and hardly recognizes now her since she's not a little kid anymore. They had been the best of friends before. He's been trying to prove himself and live on his own for many years. He doesn't feel he's good enough for her, so even when they get close, he retreats. Another of her friends come to town from back east, looking to court her. Eventually this wakes Logan up, and the two take turns courting her. This path for them is quite entertaining as they evolve and realize what is really important. Logan has opportunities that open up for him, then messes it all up. Keeps you interested to the very end. Pulls at your heart strings all through the story. Endearing characters, even Logan's horse! Isn't that the most gorgeous cover too?

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.

#WhereHerHeartLies #NetGalley

My reviews
BookBub

Goodreads

Amazon

Instagram

A Portrait of Loyalty by Roseanna M. White

A masterpiece of mystery, danger and intrigue. In 1918 WW1 London, Lily is a talented photographer who can alter photographs by hand, way before Photoshop was even thought of. Zivon is a Russian codebreaker who escaped from his country, barely, with his life. He was separated from his brother by a train wreck and accidentally exchanged bags. Bags with very important information for all sides of the war. Very tense, deeply loving and heartbreaking story with a satisfying ending. Christian lessons and life's wisdom throughout, with astute sight and clarity. Beautifully done! Riveting, very hard to put down, especially in the last quarter as everything moves so fast. If I wasn't already a fan of Roseanna's, I would be now. Needs more than a 5 star rating.

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.

#APortraitofLoyalty #NetGalley

My Reviews

The Spanish Daughter by Lorena Hughes

Interesting story of love, family love and struggle, murder and mystery. Puri's father died and she had an inheritance from him in Ecudor. She had always wanted to visit him. Now that both her parents were gone, she could go. She convinced her husband to sell their chocolate shop and go. On the way sailing there someone tried to kill her and did kill her husband. He and the killer both went overboard. She left the ship at shore dressed as her husband, not knowing who had wanted to kill her, suspecting why. She had not known that her father had another family there on the plantation. While in disguise she got to know her sisters, brother and their friends. Slowly the mystery unfolds and the story builds. Jealousy and complicated relationships unravel, and Puri learns more about herself as she can act in ways differently as a man, with rights, and is treated differently than she would have been. But she also sacrifices the true relationship with her family. She is legitimate, they are not, and their father didn't let them forget it, yet he lived with them, not with her. It's interesting that an area that grows cocoa beans does not make them into chocolate. Puri brings that knowledge there with her grandmother's invention. An intricate story with an interesting conclusion.

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. #TheSpanishDaughter #NetGalley

My reviews

Beyond the Lavender Fields by Arlem Hawks

1792 early in French history, shortly after the revolution, there was another uprising in Paris that physically removed the king. It pulled revolutionaries from all over the country, including Marseilles where this story is set. Giles works in a soap factory and is friends with the owner's son. They are fellow revolutionaries with his brother and are major flirts as well as dedicated to the cause. His employer is a monarchist, although he keeps it low key. The employer's daughter returns home since it is becoming unsafe in Paris. She does not believe this revolutionary movement is good since there is so much violence and killing. One of the mottos is that they are ridding the country of impure blood - one similar to what Hitler would promote many years later. She is beautiful and a strong woman, easily putting Giles to shame when he tries to kiss her on a dare. As the story moves along, they try to be friends, each learning from the other. The situation becomes more and more dangerous. Interesting story and characters, looking into different perspectives of this time in history and what the people were trying to accomplish as well as just plain live. Gives you depth of feeling from both sides. The danger and story become more fast paced, as does their relationship. Pulls on the heart strings! I'm hoping there is another to follow.

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.

#BeyondtheLavenderFields #NetGalley

My reviews: