Sunday, March 26, 2023

Remember Me by Tracie Peterson

1902. What an amazing ride of a story. Tracie is so good at drawing the pictures in her stories, and for using great lessons of faith to highlight the paths. This is another book where you feel totally invested in these people. I found myself praising God in the victories! When teenagers, Addie and Isaac met in the Yukon and promised themselves to each other. He left intending to come back, but it took years. In the meantime, the cruelty of her father and brothers changed her life. Fascinating story of strength even through abuse; what an amazing and uplifting girl. The story builds fast. It got so it was almost impossible to put down, right straight through to the end. Classic Tracie Peterson - never disappoints!

I received this book free from the author, publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#NetGalley #RememberMe #TraciePeterson #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #ChristianHistoricalFiction #FiveStarNovel

My reviews

Thursday, March 23, 2023

The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre by Natasha Lester

Quite the book - with a lot of depth. Other than marketing, Alix is so much different than I am that I was truly an observer, watching her work her magic and get results. She is an orphan raised by a wealthy family, like a sister to Lillie. She later becomes a writer for a fashion magazine, in WW2 is recruited to be a spy and goes to Switzerland. It's very interesting to read how things went in her spy world, many based on real facts from the author's research. After the war in Paris, she goes to work for Christian Dior as he comes into the spotlight. A fascinating world. And meets Anthony as she is trying to find a Nazi war criminal who had set her up in her earlier life. She's looking for answers and revenge for the people who were killed after a message she had relayed during the war. She's strong and quite courageous as well as vulnerable. Hard to put down, easy to get fully immersed. Very, very well written. A small amount of bad language throughout that was irritating and I could have done without.

I received this book free from the author, publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#NetGalley #TheThreeLivesOfAlixStPierre #NatashaLester #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #HistoricalFiction #FiveStarNovel #GrandCentralPublishing

My reviews
Goodreads

Rosie's Gamble by Linda Carroll-Bradd

1893 this is a story about Rosie and Beck. She was unhappy and unwanted in her stepfather's house. Beck had posted a wish for a bride to go on the Oklahoma land rush and claim a spot for his new store. They communicate by letter and decide that she'll go to him, and they'll try to get a claim. She's a doctor and very independent, used to taking care of herself. Well written clean romance as they get to know each other and struggle with issues, with each other and with others. Good read right to the end.

I received this book free from the author, publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#NetGalley #RosiesGamble #LindaCarroll-Bradd #BacklitPR #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #ChristianHistoricalFiction #FiveStarNovel

My reviews

Amazon

Fields of Bounty by Lauraine Snelling

So good to spend time with these people again. They feel like family. All the homey feelings of a farm, a small growing town and industrious sisters with caring brothers who help from back home. Relationships and hard work with the rhythm of living. Marriages and babies in the air. Deep hurts healed with prayer and love from each other as they look for God's plans in their lives, using the gifts and talents that He gave them. I'm never ready for these stories to end; I'm looking forward to the next.

I received this book free from the author, publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#FieldsofBounty #NetGalley #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #LauraineSnelling #KierstiGiron #ChristianHistoricalFiction

My Reviews

Monday, March 20, 2023

Forged in Love by Mary Connealy

A great Western set in 1870 Wyoming. Mariah's entire family were blacksmiths. On a stagecoach riding home, they were robbed, everyone shot, left for dead. Only Mariah survived. From a gang who never left any survivors - and wouldn't once they learn that she is alive. Clint is a gourmet chef who delights in running a diner where people love his food. He's been waiting for Mariah. Their lives take on a new twist as time moves forward, Mariah's two best friends as well. Keeps you turning the pages! As always, an excellent read.

I received this book free from the NetGalley, author, publisher and CelebrateLit book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#ForgedInLove #MaryConnealy #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #ChristianHistoricalFiction #FiveStarNovel #CelebrateLit

About the Book

Book: Forged in Love

Author: Mary Connealy

Genre: Historical Romance

Release date: February 28, 2023

When sparks begin to fly, can a friendship cast in iron be shaped into something more?

Mariah Stover is left for dead and with no memory when the Deadeye Gang robs the stagecoach she’s riding in, killing both her father and brother. As she takes over her father’s blacksmith shop and tries to move forward, she soon finds herself in jeopardy and wondering–does someone know she witnessed the robbery and is still alive?

Handsome and polished Clint Roberts escaped to western Wyoming, leaving his painful memories behind. Hoping for a fresh start, he opens a diner where he creates fine dishes, but is met with harsh resistance from the townsfolk, who prefer to stick to their old ways.

Clint and Mariah are drawn together by the trials they face in town, and Clint is determined to protect Mariah at all costs when danger descends upon her home. As threats pursue them from every side, will they survive to build a life forged in love?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Mary Connealy (www.maryconnealy.com) writes “romantic comedies with cowboys” and is celebrated for her fun, zany, action-packed style. She has sold more than one and a half million books. She is the author of the popular series Brothers in Arms, Brides of Hope Mountain, High Sierra Sweethearts, The Kincaid Brides, Trouble in Texas, Lassoed in Texas, Sophie’s Daughters, and many other books. Mary lives on a ranch in eastern Nebraska with her very own romantic cowboy hero.

More from Mary

The Inspiration

I started plotting this novel when I found out that Wyoming was the first state (then a territory) in the Union to grant women the right to vote. Then I discovered it wasn’t just the right to vote; all sorts of other rights were given to women as well, like the right to run for elected office or be appointed to office. In fact, the first woman justice of the peace in the U.S. was from Wyoming. This inspired me to have one of my heroines be the second justice of the peace in the country.

As I continued my research, reading about all that went on in Wyoming was fascinating. They became a territory in 1868—with women voting—and yet they weren’t allowed statehood for another thirty years. With other states being granted statehood in only a few years, why was this? Because the U.S. government refused to let Wyoming in unless they took the vote away from women.

Because Wyoming adamantly refused to strip the vote from women, year after year they were denied statehood. When they finally did get it, the state’s women maintained their right to vote because Wyoming would not budge on the issue. The whole history of this was great reading.

So I wrote a three-book series called Wyoming Sunrise in which all my heroines play against the normal, conventional female roles of the day.

Now, what job could I possibly think of that wasn’t traditionally for women? How about Mariah who happens to be a blacksmith? And while I’m writing against stereotypes, I created a man named Clint who runs a diner. That wasn’t too unusual, for lots of diners were run by men back in the day. Yet not many of them were talented chefs trained in high-class restaurants in New York City. Clint is an excellent chef. Of course, an excellent chef in a small Wyoming town is kind of wasted on folks who prefer fried chicken and beef stew.

Clint makes chicken and beef, but he calls his dishes weird names and makes them unusually delicious. Meanwhile, Mariah is working over a hot forge for long hours every day. When her father and brother are killed in a stagecoach holdup, she becomes the only blacksmith in town.

There’s some resistance to her doing such a masculine job, but even among those who disapprove, well, they’ve got a broken wagon wheel or a hole in their kettle and it’s either let Mariah fix it or go without. Mariah is allowed to be a blacksmith out of pure necessity.

My second book, The Laws of Attraction, has a female justice of the peace, while the third, Marshaling Her Heart, features a tough lady rancher. I write westerns, and honestly, writing about tough, feisty lady ranchers like Becky the Rancher comes naturally to me. Writing about a blacksmith and a judge, however, presents more of a challenge.

Mariah, who survived the stagecoach holdup, learns that the robbers believe she might know something that will reveal their identity, and she needs to be silenced. Clint tries to protect her and finds himself stepping between her and a murderous gang of outlaws.

Through it all, love finds them, and they begin to forge a life together.

Blog Stops

Bigreadersite, March 18
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 18
Texas Book-aholic, March 19
Through the Fire Blogs, March 19
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 19
Stories By Gina, March 20 (Author Interview)
Deb’s Book Review, March 20
Books You Can Feel Good About, March 20
Connie’s History Classroom, March 21
For Him and My Family, March 21
Labor Not in Vain, March 21
Cover Lover Book Review, March 22
Lighthouse Academy, March 22 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)
Remembrancy, March 23
Locks, Hooks and Books, March 23
Betti Mace, March 24
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, March 24
She Lives to Read, March 25
Tell Tale Book Reviews, March 25
Pause for Tales, March 26
Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, March 26
Holly’s Book Corner, March 26
Book Looks by Lisa, March 27
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 27
Sodbuster Living, March 28
Jeanette’s Thoughts, March 28
Splashes of Joy, March 29
Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, March 29
Wishful Endings, March 30
Hook Me In A Book, March 30
lakesidelivingsite, March 31
EmpowerMoms, March 31
Mary Hake, March 31

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Mary is giving away the grand prize package of a $15 Amazon gift card and a paperback copy of the book Forged in Love!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/24dc0/forged-in-love-celebration-tour-giveaway

My reviews:

BarnesAndNoble

Sunday, March 19, 2023

The Finding of Miss Fairfield by Grace Hitchcock

1899 Christian Historical Romance. So hard to put down. Sofia, from a wealthy family, is being forced to marry her father's business partner. He is of course quite crooked. But his stepson is honest and quite handsome and is asked to step in while his stepfather goes on a trip. He and Sofia get acquainted and find that they're a match, but their relationship is not accepted. She runs away, going out West and becomes a Harvey girl under an assumed name. She is surrounded by so many underhanded, conniving people it's amazing that she goes on, but her firm faith keeps her strong and she finds that she's stronger and more capable than she thought. She also finds out that she's not homely as she's been told all her life. She's amazing through it all. I raced through this great story and can't wait for the next one.

I received this book free from the author, publisher and CelebrateLit book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

@Celebrate_Lit #ChristianHistorical #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #TheFindingOfMissFairfield #GraceHitchcock

About the Book

Book: The Finding of Miss Fairfield

Author: Grace Hitchcock

Genre: Historical Romance

Release date: August 29, 2022

When an engagement of convenience becomes anything but convenient . . .

Forced into a betrothal with a widower twice her age, Charleston socialite, Sophia Fairfield is desperate for an escape. But, while her fiancé is away on business, he assigns his handsome stepson, Carver, the task of looking after his bride-to-be. Much to her dismay, Sophia finds herself falling in love with the wrong gentleman—a man society would never allow her to marry, given Sophia was supposed to be his new stepmother. The only way to save Carver from scandal and financial ruin is to run away, leaving him and all else behind to become a Harvey Girl waitress at the Castañeda Hotel in New Mexico.

Carver Ashton has had his life planned out for him since birth, but when he encounters Sophia Fairfield, he glimpses a new life—apart from his overbearing stepfather’s business. But, when the woman he loves disappears before he can express his devotion, Carver abandons all to find her. However, his stepfather has other intentions for Sophia and will stop at nothing until she is his bride . . . even if it is against her will.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Grace Hitchcock is the award-winning author of multiple historical novels and novellas. She holds a Masters in Creative Writing and a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in History. Grace lives in the New Orleans area with her husband, Dakota, sons, and daughter. Connect with her online at GraceHitchcock.com.

More from Grace

Q: What type of fiction do you write? What is it about this type that appeals to you?

Grace Hitchcock: I write historical romance with a dash of suspense, unless it was for my true crime books which have a bit more than a dash of suspense  For my American setting novels, The Gilded Age speaks to me as it was a time of change for women. While still having that epic romance feel with balls and dancing and courtships with a sweet romance, women were breaking ground and making history and pairing that with the fact that it was a time of emerging inventions, it is an all-around exciting era to research, read, and write.

Q: Who were the Harvey Girls?

Grace Hitchcock: Whenever I tell people I am writing about a Victorian Harvey Girl romance, they usually assume the Harvey Girls are associated with an old-time saloon, but nothing could be further from the truth. In the 1890s, there were not many respectable jobs for women, so when Englishman Fred Harvey created his chain of fine dining restaurants along the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe railroads, single women without an education, or in need of earning their own way, were given a chance to earn an honest wage without the speculation that they offered anything else but food as a service. With Mr. Harvey’s strict rules about the waitress’s code of conduct, the women were given their independence while still maintaining their good name and place in society under the protective, fatherly arm of Fred Harvey. These extraordinary, brave women became known as the Harvey Girls, the ladies who tamed the Wild West with fine china, good pie, and exceptional service with complete propriety.

While Harvey Houses were built to serve the needs of the passengers on the rail to encourage tourism in the west, the railroad workers and local townsmen also dined at the restaurant, but usually at the lunch counter. At a time when men filled towns and women were scarce, inevitably, a railroad worker or townsman would express interest in marrying a Harvey Girl. In order to marry, she would need to fulfill her work contract or risk paying a fine of a month of salary. The fine was set in place to ensure that Fred Harvey would have enough workers and that he wouldn’t simply train a girl to have her shipped to a town of bachelors and leave him without a waitress.

As you can probably tell, such a set up sends an author’s head to spinning with all the romance that could come from a woman venturing out on her own in a land filled with cowboys, bandits, ranchers, and farmers. The possibilities for romance are endless! There is so much more I could write about these fascinating ladies and their contributions to society, but I hope you enjoyed this taste of history on the Harvey Girls!

Q: What are your publications? And what are you currently working on?

Grace Hitchcock: After signing with The Steve Laube Agency in 2015, I sold three novellas to Barbour Publishing and then, in March 2019, I released my debut novel, The White City, from Barbour Publishing and signed for a second novel, The Gray Chamber.

My latest release, His Delightful Lady Delia, concludes my 3-book American Royalty series for Bethany House Publishers and hit the shelves in November 2022.

This spring, I signed with Kregel Publications for my first ever REGENCY series!!!! I am thrilled for this dream come true!

While I wait for its release, I’m keeping busy editing and writing book two in my Harvey Girls Aprons & Veils series, The Pursuit of Miss Parish.

The Pursuit of Miss Parish summary:

Love’s gentle promise becomes nothing more than a withered dream.

With dreams of love and a hope for belonging, shy Belle Parish leaves her position as a maid in Charleston to travel to New Mexico with her best friend to become mail-order brides. Colt Lawson’s letters hold great promise and while his devilishly handsome face matches his picture, something does not add up. Discovering his lie only moments before they wed, Belle flees the church and straight into the Castañeda Hotel Harvey House. Giving up the prospect on ever marrying, she dons her nun-like uniform and focuses on her role as a Harvey Girl waitress until a strong, former Texas Ranger rides into her life.

Colt Lawson didn’t want to send that letter to Belle Parish in the first place, but her first response had all but captured his heart. When he is left standing at the altar alone, he is left with two choices—either release his dream of a love marriage, or attempt to win her heart. Wooing her would be a lot easier if that Texas Ranger wasn’t back in town. Who wants a dusty rancher with a past when she could have a shining knight in a Stetson?

While you wait for The Pursuit of Miss Parish to release in Summer 2023, please be sure to check out book one in my brand-new Harvey Girl series set at the historical Hotel Castañeda, The Finding of Miss Fairfield, a tale about Charleston socialite who is on the run from an engagement of convenience.

Happy reading, friends!

Blog Stops

Connie’s History Classroom, March 12
Christina’s Corner, March 12
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 13
Genesis 5020, March 13
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 14
deb’s Book Review, March 14
Texas Book-aholic, March 15
Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, March 15
Locks, Hooks and Books, March 16
Splashes of Joy, March 16
Melissa’s Bookshelf, March 16
Vicky Sluiter, March 17
Cover Lover Book Review, March 17
Simple Harvest Reads, March 18 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)
Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, March 18
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 19
Books You Can Feel Good About, March 19
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, March 20
For Him and My Family, March 20
Blogging With Carol, March 21
Back Porch Reads, March 21
Artistic Nobody, March 22 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)
EmpowerMoms, March 22
She Lives To Read, March 23
Little Homeschool on the Prairie, March 23
Pause for Tales, March 24
Holly’s Book Corner, March 24
Mary Hake, March 24
Lights in a Dark World, March 25
Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, March 25

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Grace is giving away the grand prize package of $50 Amazon gift card, a signed copy of the book, a bookmark, and a book magnet!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/24b7a/the-finding-of-miss-fairfield-celebration-tour-giveaway

My reviews