Tuesday, November 19, 2024

A Calculated Betrothal

 

After a decade of abusiveness, Tabitha is able to reinvent herself. Tabitha enabled her sister to be married to her true love when she married a man her father wanted her to. After being a spoiled, manipulative debutant, she didn't realize what she would have to go through. It's a shock as things her husband had done before he died are revealed, and she's put into another trap. The changes in her are dramatic as she adjusts and learns to be a frontier woman. Very interesting story with her being caught up in fighting between Loyalists and Patriots, at times trying to walk both sides. She receives help from an unexpected Patriot soldier, which deeply weaves through the story.  Good longish read keeps you involved as its very well written.

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.

#ACalculatedBetrothal #DeniseWeimer #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #CelebrateLit #ChristianHistoricalRomance #WildHeartBooks


About the Book

Book: A Calculated Betrothal

Author: Denise Weimer

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: November 12, 2024

A Patriot scout, a Loyalist widow, and a desperate fight to save what matters most.

The death of her titled husband means that not only is Tabitha Gage no longer a lady—but she’s also abandoned on an isolated Southern Georgia plantation on the eve of revolution. With the fine house and fields sold to a neighbor, she’s left with a log cabin on unsettled timber land. Rather than marry the neighbor’s son, Tabitha determines to make her own way—and never again be shackled to a man she doesn’t love.

Sergeant Edmond Lassiter is one assignment away from promotion when he comes to the aid of a red-haired beauty fending off cattle rustlers. Thrown together during an attack at a nearby fort, the Patriot scout and Loyalist widow are surprised by the values they share—including honesty, loyalty, and equality. When Edmond learns the same man who ruined his family is after what little Tabitha has left, he convinces her they should work together to make her land profitable—all while fighting off the British from East Florida and her greedy neighbor, who sabotages their every effort to succeed. Their work together will be a business arrangement…nothing more. But as a British invasion threatens, the truth soon becomes clear—continuing the connection between them will risk far more than their hearts.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

North Georgia native Denise Weimer has authored around twenty traditionally published novels and novellas–historical and contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and time slip. As a freelance editor and Acquisitions & Editorial Liaison for Wild Heart Books, she’s helped other authors reach their publishing dreams. The mother of two wonderful young adult daughters, Denise always pauses for coffee, chocolate, and old houses.

 

 

 

More from Denise

There were only going to be four books in my Scouts of the Georgia Frontier Series. But have you ever had a character take over a story? That’s what happened for books four and five.

Temperance Scott, the shy but principled heroine of A Conflicted Betrothal who started her own Daughter of Liberty group during Savannah’s 1765 Stamp Act Protests, had a feisty twin sister named Tabitha. Tabitha kept marching all over the page in her bright silk gowns, making Temperance feel pale by comparison, jockeying to maintain her position as Daddy’s favorite, and plotting to steal Temperance’s beau. When that failed, she stole the end of the novel instead, saving her sister from authorities tracking down the spy who wrote the Townsman Letters that accused prominent Loyalists of supporting the Stamp Act. Then she wed her father’s choice for her, the much older Henry Gage, Lord Riley, and sailed away on his sloop to avoid punishment. As the book closed, Temperance got to marry her Royal Ranger-turned-Patriot, Ansel Adams, while Tabitha was left to an unknown fate in swampy South Georgia. I kept wondering whatever became of the Savannah belle down there with the snakes and gators.

When I learned that Fort Barrington on the Altamaha River changed hands several times during the American Revolution, becoming Fort Howe while under Patriot control, I had to write book five, A Calculated Betrothal. Fast forward ten years, and Tabitha is newly a widow. The intervening years have not been kind, as her husband marginalized her when it became clear she would not provide him with the heir he desired. Their finances have dwindled as he continually sent money to his wastrel brother-in-law in England. Upon his death, she discovers the fine rice plantation has been sold to their greedy neighbors, Loyalist father and son Hugh and Julian Jackson. Julian has an alternate plan in mind, but Tabitha has no intention of yoking herself to another man she doesn’t love—particularly a cruel slave owner and womanizer. She takes her maid-slash-best-friend Dulcie and flees to the cabin Dulcie’s husband occupies on the south side of the river. This land, at least, is still hers…even though it offers only undeveloped timberland and swampland, free range for the Spanish cattle Dulcie’s husband herds.

But there’s an enemy more dangerous than the snakes and gators, and maybe even than the Jacksons…the British-allied East Florida Rangers that raid into South Georgia—burning, stealing, and rustling cattle. A confrontation with their vengeful colonel puts Tabitha at the top of their list. With enemies all around, how will Tabitha establish her independence? Enter Fort Howe’s Sergeant Edmond Lassiter, a man determined to settle his own score with the Jacksons. He offers the help Tabitha needs, but with their hidden wounds and differing backgrounds, can they learn to trust each other enough to defeat their common enemies?

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Giveaway



To celebrate her tour, Denise is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf5498


My reviews

Sunday, November 17, 2024

The Liberty Scarf by Aimie K. Runyan; J'nell Ciesielski; Rachel McMillan

 


A Story of Three Women, One War, and a Scarf That Binds Them Together

A treasure of a book. Brilliantly and beautifully written, gently woven together. Three special and unique couples to get to know and love in stories taking place during WW1. Heart melting and heartbreaking, a lovely scarf and its design lightly tie them together. This is a keeper, should be a classic, would make a lovely and thoughtful gift.

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.

#TheLibertyScarf #NetGalley #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #AimieKRunyan #JnellCiesielski #RachelMcMillan #HistoricalFiction #HarperMuse #HarperCollinsFocus

About the book

In the midst of a seemingly endless war, a scarf connects three women in the cold winter of 1917 . . .

London: As an ambitious scarf maker, Iris Braxton spends her days surrounded by color and luxury not often seen during the dark days of war that promised to be over by Christmas. That promise has come and gone for three years with still no end in sight and her days continue in a monotony of rations and threads while she spins a dream of becoming Liberty's first female pattern designer. She hasn't the time or interest in rakish soldiers, but the temporarily-on-leave Captain Rex Conrad is persistent--and before long his charm wins her over. But war is cruel and all too soon Conrad leaves once more for the Front, but not before vowing to meet again in Strasbourg, France, the most magical of Christmas cities. Iris begins stitching small messages into each of the scarves she makes in hopes that one will find a way into Rex's hands to let him know she's thinking of him. And when she receives word that he's wounded in Strasbourg, she rushes to his side. Along the way, she passes a woman wearing one of her scarves . . .

Maine: Genevive Tremblay, a French-Canadian immigrant, is a telephone operator living in Lewiston, Maine. Her beau is a member of a prominent family who has helped to Americanize her in a community often unfriendly to Canadians. As part of this effort, she enlists in the US Army Signal Corps to serve as a bi-lingual operator. Along the way, she meets a French officer who makes her question whether losing her identity is too heavy a price for acceptance.

Belgium: Clara Janssens, a Flemish Nurse, and Roman Allaire, an Alsatian violinist, connect in a Brussels palace-turned-hospital far beyond their routine provincial and countryside lives--and the expectations in those towns. Their love of music creates a spark between them, but the destruction of battle and the transient nature of their relationship threatens the bond they have built. Still, the appearance of a kind stranger and the unexpected gift of a treasured scarf bind them long beyond their stolen moments and offer them a future brighter than they could have even hoped.

Synopsis

From acclaimed authors Aimie K. Runyan, J'nell Ciesielski, and Rachel McMillan comes an evocative, three-part novel about a thread of connection during World War I--a single scarf that links three extraordinary women, each battling societal expectations, enduring the devastations of war, and striving for personal growth amidst the chaos. The Liberty Scarf is a testament to the resilience of women and the enduring power of hope and unity in the harshest of times.

In the midst of a seemingly endless war, a scarf connects three women in the cold winter of 1917 . . .

London: As an ambitious scarf maker, Iris Braxton spends her days surrounded by color and luxury not often seen during the dark days of war that were promised to be over by Christmas. That promise has come and gone for three years with still no end in sight, and her days continue in a monotony of rations and threads while she spins a dream of becoming Liberty's first female pattern designer. She hasn't the time or interest in rakish soldiers, but the temporarily-on-leave Captain Rex Conrad is persistent--and before long his charm wins her over. But war is cruel, and, all too soon, Conrad leaves once more for the Front, but not before vowing to meet again in Strasbourg, France, the most magical of Christmas cities. Iris begins stitching small messages into each of the scarves she makes in hopes that one will find a way into Rex's hands to let him know she's thinking of him. And when she receives word that he's wounded in Strasbourg, she rushes to his side. Along the way, she passes a woman wearing one of her scarves . . .

Maine: Genevi ve Tremblay, a French-Canadian immigrant, is a telephone operator living in Lewiston, Maine. Her beau is a member of a prominent family who has helped to Americanize her in a community often unfriendly to Canadians. As part of this effort, she enlists in the US Army Signal Corps to serve as a bi-lingual operator. Along the way, she meets a French officer who makes her question whether losing her identity is too heavy a price for acceptance.

Belgium: Clara Janssens, a Flemish Nurse, and Roman Allaire, an Alsatian violinist, connect in a Brussels palace-turned-hospital far beyond their routine provincial and countryside lives--and the expectations in those towns. Their love of music creates a spark between them, but the destruction of battle and the transient nature of their relationship threatens the bond they have built. Still, the appearance of a kind stranger and the unexpected gift of a treasured scarf bind them long beyond their stolen moments and offer them a future brighter than they could have even hoped.

The Liberty Scarf is more than a piece of fabric--it's a symbol of hope, resilience, and unity in the face of war, binding these three women together in an indelible bond. Experience their stories of love, sacrifice, and survival in this captivating novel from Aimie K. Runyan, J'nell Ciesielski, and Rachel McMillan.


My reviews

Saturday, November 16, 2024

Mabel and the Unholy Night released

 

New release! Mabel and the Unholy Night by Susan Kimmel Wright has released! Don't miss this awesome read for lovers of cozy mysteries!

Be sure to check out the other books in the Mysteries of Medicine Spring Series!

Click here for more information: https://tinyurl.com/33fvmcsf

#MabelAndTheUnHolyNight #CelebrateLit #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout

Monday, November 11, 2024

A Noble Scheme (The Imposters Book #2) by Roseanna M. White

 

This is one of those series that you get lost in, because they're so real you know them. I wanted to read it slowly to hang onto it, but I just couldn't put it down. Love and loss. The Imposters go in disguise to solve a kidnapping. I wasn't sure how it would end - it's so well told. Great lessons of faith.

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.

#ANobleScheme #RoseannaMWhite #NetGalley #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout  #ChristianHistoricalRomance #BethanyHousePublishers


From the Back Cover

In the opulent and perilous world of high society's most elite--and most dangerous--families, two investigators must set aside their broken hearts to uncover the truth.

Gemma Parks is known to the London elite as G. M. Parker, a columnist renowned for her commentary on the cream of society. Behind the scenes, she uses her talents to aid the Imposters in their investigations by gathering intel at events and providing alibis for the firm's members through her columns. Yet her clandestine work would be more exhilarating if it weren't for the constant presence of the gentleman who broke her heart.

Graham Wharton has never had eyes for anyone but Gemma, and she left his heart in tatters when she walked away from him. When the Imposters take on a new job to recover a kidnapped boy mistaken for his aristocratic cousin, Graham is determined to use the time with Gemma to not only restore the missing boy, but to also win back the only woman he's ever loved. As they trace the clues laid out before them, Graham and Gemma must devise a noble scheme to save the boy's life and heal their hearts.

"A Noble Scheme is as clever as it is glamorous."--LAURA FRANTZ, Christy Award-winning author of The Seamstress of Acadie

About the Author

Roseanna M. White (RoseannaMWhite.com) is a bestselling, Christy Award-winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she's homeschooling, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books . . . . to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.

My reviews

Monday, November 4, 2024

The Seaside Homecoming by Julie Klassen

 

A surprise homecoming tests the bonds of sisterhood as a hidden past comes to light . . .

A return to 1820 Devonshire and the Summers family, with Claire working through the downfall of her reputation, having taken care of her aunt in Scotland, then taking a chance to return home where her family now lives, years later. New relationships evolve and new possibilities for her. Beautifully written, everyone is completely believable, and you can't help feeling attached and defensive at times. The story takes you through a lot of feelings but hope shines through with second chances and a close-knit family. Nicely wrapped up and opened for the next installment. 

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.

#TheSeasideHomecoming #JulieKlassen #NetGalley #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout  #ChristianHistoricalRomance #BethanyHousePublishers

My reviews
Amazon

Sunday, November 3, 2024

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

 



A movie that people of any age will like. A family of bullies decides they're going to play the lead parts in the annual Christmas pageant in their small town, and no one will say no to them. What develops from there is a story that will keep you wondering until the very end! It's seamlessly acted and filmed - very believable all the way through. It tells the story in a different way and shines a new light - where it belongs.

Watch THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER film, in theaters everywhere beginning November 8th 

BASED ON A BELOVED BOOK:  The newest film from Lionsgate and Kingdom Story Company is based on the beloved children’s book classic book.  As of November 2023, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson has sold more than 7 million copies since its publication in 1972. 

Nobody is ready for the mayhem and surprises that ensue when six of the worst youngsters disrupt the town's yearly Christmas performance. 

Synopsis: The Herdman kids are absolutely the worst. They lie, they steal, they bully…and they’ve hijacked the town Christmas pageant. Directed by Dallas Jenkins (“The Chosen”) and based on the international bestseller by Barbara Robinson, THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER follows six siblings who sneak into church searching for snacks and walk away with the lead roles in the town pageant. Grace (Judy Greer) is directing the performance for the very first time; she and her daughter Beth (Molly Belle Wright) and husband Bob (Pete Holmes) are less than amused. But the play’s mischievous stars might unwittingly teach a community the true meaning of Christmas. Featuring Lauren Graham. Screenplay by Ryan Swanson and Platte F. Clark & Darin McDaniel. 

Trailer LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YlZgG4Vgpw

Buy tickets today to see The Best Christmas Pageant Ever in theaters starting November 8th! 

Website LINK: https://bestchristmaspageantever.movie/

Giveaway: $10 Amazon giftcard (Note: This is limited to US winners only. Please submit your full 
name and email address by 11/15 in the comments below - you will not be spammed. We will not be able to accept winners submitted after this date.) 

Many thanks to Kingdom Faith Marketing Services for providing a sample of the product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own. 

 #TheBestChristmasPageantEverMIN #TheBestChristmasPageantEver #MomentumInfluencerNetwork
#BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout

Tuesday, October 29, 2024

A Truth Revealed by Tracie Peterson

 


Quite the interesting story. Laura had been away at several boarding schools since her mother died. She's of age now and returns to her father's house in Cheyenne. They're very wealthy. She's been away so long that she really doesn't know her father. Will has been called to Cheyenne to be a preacher to the Indians. Events take place that keep both of them in danger, but they've both become deep friends with the key characters from previous books and both have a strong foundation in faith. Terrible tragedies happen and the support of their friends and their faith see them through. Hard to put down as what's hidden becomes known. Excellent read. 

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.

#ATruthRevealed #TraciePeterson #NetGalley #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout  #ChristianHistoricalRomance #BethanyHousePublishers

My reviews
Amazon