Daisies and Devotion

Daisies and Devotion (Mayfield Family #2)
By Josi Kilpack

Timothy Mayfield knows that he must marry a woman of wealth, as he has none of his own, but he hopes that he can also find a woman whom he can love.--and Maryann Morrington may be that woman. She isn't a great beauty, but she is the sister-in-law of his friend, has a fortune that will pass to her husband, and he enjoys her company and her wit. Then Timothy's uncle Elliott, who is trying to bring respectability and stability his nieces and nephews, reveals that, upon Timothy making a match of which Elliott approves, Elliott is prepared to give him a generous amount of land as well as a home in London, suddenly he is free to forget about financial matters and find the perfect woman for him--and he promptly puts together a list of everything he desires in a woman, from blonde hair to artistic talent to a tinkling laugh.

Maryann knows that just about any man who shows any interest in her is likely attracted more by her fortune than herself, she appreciates Timothy's honest assertion that he while he needs a woman of means, he also is spending time with her in order to find out if they could connect on a deeper level. When Timothy returns from his uncle's and doesn't pay her any attention at all, she finds her heart wounded--and when another forthright conversation with him has him revealing his newfound circumstances as well as the list of qualities the perfect woman must have--few of which Maryann possesses--any dreams she had of a future with Timothy are shattered. Still, she enjoys his friendship and truly wants his happiness--and she even gives him pointers on how to dress and introduces him to ladies recently come to town in order to help him find the woman for him, while hoping, without any real hope, that someone will come along who can drive Timothy from her thoughts and heart.

This book had me hooked from the opening chapter and I couldn't wait to see how things worked outI loved how Maryann was both very direct and smart; the banter between Timothy and her was terrific from the beginning and continued throughout the book. I really liked Maryann's character--she was good and kind and strong but also somewhat wounded, and she just felt very real. Her pain at Timothy's rejection, as well as his inadvertent insults, was portrayed very realistically and I just hurt for her! I really liked Timothy's upbeat attitude and how he was funny and kind (with a few slip-ups), but at the same time, I got exasperated with him for Maryann's sake. I liked seeing the growth in his character and particularly enjoyed an enlightening conversation he had with his older brother. I also liked how the book ended; I was a little worried it was going to wrap up too easily and without adequate resolution, but I think things played out realistically and satisfactorily. This is a delightful book and one of my picks for best of 2019. 5 stars.

This is the second book in a series; while you could read it without reading the first, the first book is equally enjoyable, so check out Promises and Primroses, too!

I read an ARC from the publisher #ShadowMountain via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own. #DaisiesAndDevotion

Wager for a Wife

Wager for a Wife
By Karen Tuft

Lady Louisa Hargreaves' first London season is going well--she has even attracted the attention of the heir to a dukedom, the Earl fo Kerridge. He even proposes, and the details of the marriage agreement just need to be finalized before they can announce their engagement. Before that happens, though, William Barlow, Jr., the new Viscount Farleigh arrives and changes everything. It seems years ago, his father and Louisa's grandfather made a bed, which his father won--and the winnings were the hand of the daughter of the Marquess of Ashworth in marriage to the Viscount Farleigh. Since the vowel didn't state which Marquess of Ashworth or which Viscount Farleigh, William can claim the hand of the current marquess's daughter--meaning Louisa now has to choose whether to uphold her family's honor and pay the debt or to sacrifice the family honor by refusing to wed the viscount.
While Louisa agrees to the marriage, she wants to get to know the character of her betrothed--but he speaks little and shows no emotion, and she fears what marriage to such a man will bring. William needs her to marry him in order to save his estate and provide a home and living for the servants there, who are more like family to him than his father ever was, and he wants to marry her, because he fell for her immediately, but he can't break down the walls he's built up in his life, walls built as a result of an abusive father who drilled in him that he must never show emotions.

I was immediately drawn to honor-bound, reticent Willam and bubbly, vivacious Louisa. William just drew me in with how much he cared about his servants and how he'd been hurt and influenced by his father; I also adored the fact that while he was terrible at expressing himself, he easily appreciated that about Louisa and didn't ever try to stifle her emotions. I also really liked the supporting characters in the book, Louisa's family and William's servant family. The banter between Louisa and her brothers was a lot of fun, and the love that William's servants had for him was really sweet and tender--and a nice break from the traditional servants in Regency novels; I liked that we got to see their personalities. I skimmed through other reviews of this book and the biggest complaint seemed to be that people didn't find the vowel and the mortgages that made it necessary for William to call in payment on the debt to be believable. For me, that wasn't a problem. I guess I don't know enough about Regency estate management and entails to be bothered by that plotline. I certainly have read books where I felt like the author made you suspend disbelief to a point that it wasn't enjoyable, but that wasn't my experience with this book. (I did get tired of the word "vowel," however; according to my Kindle search, its' in there 66 times in 256 pages!)

All in all, I loved the romance and was very drawn in by it and found it to be a very enjoyable read. 4 stars.

I read an ARC via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

From Ash and Stone

From Ash and Stone
By Julie Daines

Lady Margaret Grey's family was killed by reivers, who looted and burned her family's home. Although Margaret escaped, one of the reivers smashed her head into a rock, in a special stone circle, and ever since, whenever Margaret touches someone, she can sense his or her thoughts. For six years, Margaret has kept apart from others, not touching anyone, and has managed to survive on the streets of London. Now, though, she is ready to seek revenge on those who killed her family and heads home to the borderlands. She hopes that is she can find the killer and kill him in return, she will be able to break her curse and finally be free from knowing others' thoughts. She is counting on running into a Scotsman, Angus Robson, who makes a nuisance of himself by constantly turning up at her home, bringing her food and thwarting her plans--both her plans to seek revenge and to keep the wall around her heart intact.

 This book hooked me from the very beginning. I love Margaret; her need for revenge and the wall around her heart are so realistically portrayed. I also loved seeing the cracks in her wall and how she couldn't help but care about certain people. I also loved Angus; I loved seeing how determined he was to help Margaret even when she didn't want him to, and he also made me laugh. The setting was so interesting; I'd never heard of reiving before and appreciated learning more about that period of English/Scottish history. The plot was quick and moved along well. Really enjoyable!

I read an ARC via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

A Desperate Hope

A Desperate Hope
By Elizabeth Camden

Eloise Drake has a good, safe job working as an accountant in New York City. She enjoys her job and the possibility that her supervisor might be interested in her--a good, safe man is exactly what she needs. When she is assigned to go to upstate New York to Duval Springs, a town which is going to be demolished in order to create a reservoir for New York City to have clean water, she doesn't want to go--because it will mean seeing Alex Duval, whom she hasn't seen since her guardian drove him out of town after finding out about Alex's and Eloise's clandestine relationship. Eloise goes to Duval Springs and sets about doing her work appraising the properties in the town to determine how much the City will have to pay; while running into the man she gave everything to isn't something she can avoid, she's certain that she can be mature and professional. When she actually runs into Alex, though, that becomes a lot harder than she expected. As the mayor of Duval Springs, Alex has fought long and hard to keep his home city intact; when that's no longer possible, rather than throw in the towel, Alex comes up with the crazy idea to relocate the town--he wants to move the buildings out of the valley and onto higher ground--but he needs Eloise's math skills to figure out how to make that happen. And while he's at it, he wants to win back the woman he still loves, but Eloise wants a safe life with few risks, not the risky, big dreams that Alex has to offer.

 There were some really interesting elements to the plot--the idea of moving all of the buildings in town was so fascinating. I loved the fact that Eloise is a CPA at a time when few women were, and the mystery element, as someone is sabotaging the camp where workers for the reservoir are staying, was interesting.
However, there were also some parts that were disconcerting to me. Alex and Eloise had premarital sex when they were teenagers, and while Eloise feels badly about it, it almost seems she's more embarrassed and worried about people knowing about it than she is about how than the fact that she sinned, and Alex doesn't seem to have any remorse about it whatsoever. From a Christian novel, I definitely expected more about grace and repentance, and it just was really odd to me that those things weren't there. (Side note: Eloise realizes her boss in NYC won't be compatible with her because he doesn't really believe in God, but I didn't see anything that demonstrated Alex believed, either.) If this weren't a book from a Christian publisher, that wouldn't have been a problem, but I really found myself wishing for it here--not to be preachy but as a beautiful affirmation of God's grace and how He forgives and redeems.
As for characters, I had mixed feelings about Alex. I liked his passion for his town and his big dreams, but there were times when he was just rude to Eloise and didn't even really apologize for it, and I hard time with that. I'm all in favor of a realistically flawed hero, but I couldn't get behind him 1oo-percent.
Is it fair to judge a book differently because it's Christian? I don't know. If this weren't a Christian book, I'd say it's a 4-star book. As a Christian book, however, I didn't feel like there were actually enough Christian elements and even Eloise didn't really come across as more than a surface Christian, which makes it hard for me to endorse as a Christian novel. With those mixed feelings, I'll give it 3.5 stars and I hope I've provided enough information for readers to know whether the things that bothered me would detract from the book for them as well or if they'd be fine with it and thoroughly enjoy the story.
*Although this is the third book in a series, you don't have to read the other two novels prior to reading this one.

I read an ARC via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The Sky above Us

The Sky above Us
By Sarah Sundin

Running from his past, pilot Adler Paxton heads off to England in 1943. He's frustrated when he's assigned to be a wingman, which will make it that much harder to become an ace. Although he's thousands of miles from home, Adler finally has to face up to his past, sins and all, but as he does so, he finds that maybe forgiveness--and a bright future--really are possible, despite all he has done wrong.
Violet Lindstrom wanted to go to Africa as a missionary, but since they won't accept single women, she joined the American Red Cross, thinking she could work with English children who have been evacuated from London. When she finds out she's assigned to an airbase and is supposed to provide entertainment and activity for the airmen, she isn't thrilled. But as she works with the haunted and hurting Lieutenant Paxton, and gets to know the pilots better, she slowly starts to realize that being a missionary isn't the only way that she can serve God.

I really, really enjoyed this book. I loved Adler's character and seeing his growth throughout the book. I really liked the theme of redemption and facing up to what he'd done wrong--and I also liked that it wasn't just a "one-and-done" situation but that there were ongoing issues because that's true to life. With Violet, I liked seeing her journey and realizations about herself and her future. The setting was really interesting; I love World War II stories, and I really enjoyed seeing details like how the Red Cross Aeroclub was set up for the airmen. Really enjoyable book. I can't wait for the third book! *Although this is the second book in a series, I think you could read it without having read the first.

4.5 stars.

I read an ARC via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Ada Twist and the Perilous Pants

Ada Twist and the Perilous Pants
By Andrea Beaty

Ada Twist is a scientist and she loves finding answers to all of her questions. When Ada's friend Rosie's Uncle Ned, wearing his helium pants, has a mishap and is floating farther away, Ada's questioning mind and her desire for answers are just what it takes to save the day.

 I read this book aloud to my five-year-old twins, and they both said they liked it and it was funny and they think lots of people should read it. My son said readers will think the pants are funny, and my daughter said she likes Ada because she does experiments. As an adult, I also enjoyed the book. It was a fun story, and I'm looking forward to seeing the final version with the finished illustrations. My kids and I have enjoyed both of the chapter books in this series, as well as the picture books, and will definitely be reading more about Ada, Iggy, and Rosie in the future.
4 stars.
I read an ARC via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

We Hope for Better Things

We Hope for Better Things
By Erin Bartels

Elizabeth Balsam is a reporter in Detroit who is approached by James Rich, a man who says he wants her to return a camera and photos from the riots of 1967 to a relative of hers--a relative she didn't even know existed. When she's fired from her job, Elizabeth goes to visit her great-aunt Nora for an extended stay, hoping to build enough of a relationship to tell her about James Rich's request. While staying with Nora, Elizabeth starts to find out a lot more about two women in her family--Nora, who married a black man in the 1960s, and Mary, who took in escaped slaves during the Civil War.

So, when I saw this title available on #NetGalley, I was really drawn in by the plot synopsis, and despite the fact that I didn't really have time to squeeze in a book by a new author (since I have enough books by authors already love that I need to read), I couldn't pass it by and requested a review copy--and I'm glad I did. It was really interesting to read a book with three different time periods and three different strong female characters. It as also really interesting to look at racism in all of those time periods, and I think it would be a good choice for a book club discussion. Very well-written, thought-provoking book.
4 stars.
I read an ARC via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Flights of Fancy

Flights of Fancy
By Jen Turano

Isadora Delafield, one of the most sought-after heiresses in New York's high society, has been raised to be the perfect lady. When a disgusting and dangerous duke decides he will have Isadora as his wife at any cost, Isadora has to get away. With help from her butler, she sets out for Pennsylvania, posing as a servant looking for a position as a housekeeper. When she heads for Glory Manor, she thinks it sounds like a fancy house--and is therefore surprised to find it's a country home, complete with poison ivy, attacking chickens, and cows that try to enter the house. It doesn't take her long to realize she's not at all qualified to be the housekeeper, but she also finds herself drawn to the home and the people there. Determined to stay, she makes Ian MacKenzie a deal he can't refuse so that he'll hire her, even if it's only on a temporary basis.

Ian MacKenzie, a lawyer in high demand as he negotiates between the wealthy industrialists and their works, is busy with his work in Pittsburg. He needs to hire someone to help his aging adopted parents with the farm and with the four orphans they've recently taken in so he can get back to Pittsburg, and while he isn't sure "Izzie Delmont" will even manage to keep the house standing, he also finds himself completely fascinated by her and gives her a chance--and in so doing finds that maybe the path he's been on--to acquire wealth and marry into high society--isn't the right one for him after all.

Jen Turano is the master at humorous Christian romances. If you need a book to make you laugh out loud, look no further. There are so many things to laugh at, and if I listed them all out, it would probably sound absurd, and yet, that's the beauty of Turano's writing--these incidents that should seem over the top actually totally fit into the story and are completely believable with the characters she has created. Wrapped up in all that humor, though, there are also spiritual messages about changing, growing, and finding God's path, along with terrific chemistry between Izzie and Ian, both of whom are totally endearing characters. I loved watching them fall in love with each other as well as watching them fall in love with the four orphans, who are so completely heart-stealing that I wish they were real so I could hug them. This was just a delightful read from start to finish, and I cannot wait for the next book in the series!

5 stars! Best of 2019!

I read a copy of the book provided by the publisher. All opinions are my own.