Saturday, December 26, 2020
Dreams of Savannah by Roseanna M. White
Saturday, December 12, 2020
His Accidental Bride by Carolyn Twede Frank
Sunday, December 6, 2020
The Duke Meets His Match by Karen Tuft
Wednesday, December 2, 2020
Wrong Train to Paris (Romance on the Orient Express #2)
Sunday, November 29, 2020
Courting Misfortune (The Joplin Chronicles #1)
Monday, November 23, 2020
To Dwell among Cedars (The Covenant House #1) by Connilyn Cossette
Sunday, November 22, 2020
The Gentleman and the Thief (Blog Tour)
Saturday, November 14, 2020
Besotted (The Fairest Maidens #3) by Jody Hedlund
Monday, November 2, 2020
To Steal a Heart by Jen Turano
Thursday, October 22, 2020
The Right Kind of Fool by Sarah Loudin Thomas
Wednesday, October 14, 2020
Mary and Martha
Friday, October 9, 2020
Beguiled (The Fairest Maidens #2)
Monday, October 5, 2020
The Light at Wyndcliff (Cornwall #3) by Sarah E. Ladd
Description:
Friday, September 25, 2020
A Hopeful Christmas
This entire collection was delightful! I enjoyed each story and can't even pick a favorite.
A Heart of Gold by Stacy Henrie Blog Tour and Giveaway!
A Heart of Gold
9/22 - Wishful Endings / LDS and Lovin It
9/23 - Literary Time Out / Julie Coulter Bellon / My Book a Day / Singing Librarian Books
9/24 - Katie’s Clean Book Collection / Bookworm Lisa / Empower Moms
9/25 - The Bibliophile Files / Kellie Dickes / Books are SanityMonday, September 21, 2020
An Ivy Hill Christmas
The Paper Daughters of Chinatown
By Heather B. Moore
Published by Shadow Mountain
Description:
When twenty-six-year-old Donaldina Cameron arrives at the Occidental Mission Home for Girls in 1895, she intends to stay for only one year to teach sewing skills to young Chinese women. Within days, she discovers that the job is much more complicated than perfect stitches and even hems. San Francisco has a dark side, one where a powerful underground organization—the criminal tong—buys and sells Chinese girls like common goods. With the help of Chinese interpreters and a local police squad, Donaldina works night and day to stop the abominable slave and prostitution trade.
Mei Lien believes she is sailing to the “Gold Mountain” in America to become the wife of a rich Chinese man. Instead, she finds herself sold into prostitution—beaten, starved, and forced into an opium addiction. It is only after a narrow escape that she hears of the mission home and dares to think there might be hope for a new life.
The Paper Daughters of Chinatown throws new light on the age-old scourge of human trafficking. The heroes who fought this evil and the victims who triumphed over it more than a hundred years ago offer a bright example of courage and determination for anyone wishing for a better world.
Review:
I love learning about new-to-me aspects of history, so getting to read about Donaldina Cameron's work as portrayed in Heather B. Moore's excellent writing style was a pleasure. While thinking about the women and girls who suffered so horribly was painful, the look at Dolly's efforts to help as well as the way the girls and women who were rescued grabbed onto fresh hope, was inspiring and uplifting. The research that Moore did for this book clearly shows, and a difficult topic is written about so skillfully. This is an eye-opening book that would be particularly good for book clubs, as there is much that could be discussed.
4.5 stars.
I read an ARC provided by the author/publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
#Netgalley. #Heather Moore #paperdaughters
Friday, September 18, 2020
Beholden (The Fairest Maidens #1)
Wednesday, September 2, 2020
Otherwise Engaged
Description:
She’s never been afraid of breaking the rules—until she risks breaking her heart.
Constantly stifled by the rules of Society, spirited Rebecca Rowley enjoys finding ways to quietly—or not so quietly—rebel. But riding bareback and avoiding nosy neighbors are nothing compared to the thrilling secret she is keeping from her family. When Rebecca’s quick thinking saves the life of a young girl, she unwittingly attracts the attention of the child’s dashing brother, Lieutenant Nicholas Avery. As that attention turns flirtatious, Rebecca is forced to tell him the truth: she is secretly engaged—to the one man her family would never approve of. Fortunately, Lieutenant Avery is a navy man with no wish to marry, or so they both assume as they enter into a friendship. Rebecca hopes to change her family’s mind about her betrothed, but the more she comes to know the handsome lieutenant, the more she wonders if she promised her hand too hastily.
After all her carefully laid plans are shattered during a family crisis, Rebecca must force her heart to decide. Should she stay true to the promise she made or fight for the future she’s only just begun to imagine?
Review:
This book just made me smile SO much. I loved Nicholas. Oh man, oh man, he is pretty dreamy! I loved Rebecca; she had some growing and self-realization she needed to do, but that made her all the more realistic. I loved how she's spunky and brave and always trying to push the boundaries--and I loved how Nicholas didn't try to reign her in but instead supported her. They were so good for each other! I loved the banter--oh, I love a story with good banter and there was some excellent banter in this book! I loved Nicholas's and Rebecca's first kiss (and the other ones, too, of course). I kept wishing I could read Nicholas's POV on so many scenes--but I also loved seeing them all from Rebecca's POV, so that's an indication of how good it is, not a criticism.
This book was just so much fun to read. This is easily one of my favorite books of the year and one of my picks for one of the best books of 2020. Definitely add this to your to-read, to-buy, and to-share lists ASAP!
5 stars.
I read an ARC provided by the publisher via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Monday, August 17, 2020
A Portrait of Loyalty (The Codebreakers #3) By Roseanna M. White
By Roseanna M. White
Published by Bethany House
Publication Date: September 8th, 2020
Description:
Zivon Marin was one of Russia's top cryptographers, until the October Revolution tore apart his world. Forced to flee after speaking out against Lenin and separated from his brother along the way, he arrives in England driven by a growing anger and determined to offer his services to the Brits.
Lily Blackwell sees the world best through the lens of a camera--and possesses unsurpassed skill when it comes to retouching and recreating photographs. With her father's connections in propaganda, she's recruited to the intelligence division, even though her mother would disapprove.
After Captain Blackwell invites Zivon to dinner one evening, a friendship blooms between him and Lily. He sees patterns in what she deems chaos; she sees beauty in a world he thought destroyed. But both have secrets they're unwilling to share. When her photographs reveal that someone has been following Zivon, his loyalties are called into question--and his enemies are discovered to be far closer than he'd feared.
Review:
This book is so well-written and there are so many interesting things about it. I loved how the details about Lily's photography and her work altering photos were incorporated. It was also really interesting to learn more details about the Bolshevik revolution in Russia and the worldwide flu pandemic of 1918. There was a lot going on, and yet, it was written so well that it all came together seamlessly, without feeling bogged down with too much information. The historical information was awesome, but it didn't outshine the characters. Lily and Zivon pulled me in from the beginning; I loved how neither was a particularly flashy or outgoing character and yet they both made important contributions to the war efforts and were wonderful together. Another excellent book from Roseanna M. White.
Friday, August 14, 2020
Forget Me Not (The Gents #1) by Sarah M. Eden
Wednesday, August 12, 2020
Miracle Creek Christmas by Krista Jensen
Monday, August 10, 2020
Almost a Bride (The Bride Ships #4) by Jody Hedlund
Thursday, August 6, 2020
The Librarian of Boone's Hollow
Description:
During the Great Depression, Addie Cowherd dreams of being a novelist and offering readers the escape that books gave her during her tragic childhood. When her adoptive father loses his job, she is forced to leave college and take the only employment she can find--delivering books on horseback to poor coal mining families in the hills of Kentucky.
The small community of Boone's Hollow is suspicious of outsiders and steeped in superstitions that leave Addie feeling rejected and indignant. Although she finds an unexpected friend in an elderly outcast, the other horseback librarians scorn her determination to befriend Nanny Fay.
Then someone sets out to sabotage the library program, going so far as to destroy Addie's novel in progress. Will the saboteur chase Addie and the other librarians away, or will knowledge emerge victorious over prejudice? Is Emmett the local ally that Addie needs--and might their friendship lead to something more?
Inspired by the real WPA program that sent librarians on horseback to deliver books to hill families in Kentucky, Kim Vogel Sawyer immersed herself in Appalachian history to tell this captivating story.
Kim Vogel Sawyer did a great job developing the setting here--she definitely made me feel like I was right there in Appalachia! The details were so vivid, from the daily way of life to the flora and fauna. With the variety of narrators (besides Addie and Emmett, Bettina, a local girl who wants to marry Emmett, and Nanny Fay, an older woman rejected by the community because they think she is a witch, both narrate parts of the story), readers get a look into life for lots of people in the community, from different walks of life, making for a very interesting read. Addie sometimes felt a little too perfect, but I did appreciate her faith and her commitment to kindness. I wish the romance had been a little more developed, but for those who want an interesting historical fiction novel with a hint of romance, this is a good choice.
4 stars.
I read an ARC provided by the publisher via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Tuesday, August 4, 2020
Anxious People
Viewing an apartment normally doesn’t turn into a life-or-death situation, but this particular open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes everyone in the apartment hostage. As the pressure mounts, the eight strangers slowly begin opening up to one another and reveal long-hidden truths.
As police surround the premises and television channels broadcast the hostage situation live, the tension mounts and even deeper secrets are slowly revealed. Before long, the robber must decide which is the more terrifying prospect: going out to face the police, or staying in the apartment with this group of impossible people.
I love Fredrik Backman's books because they always have such amazing characters--they're so real to life. He has this fantastic way of creating dynamic, totally believable characters, complete with flaws and strengths. He also has a way of inviting the reader to almost become a character, thinking about whether you would react and respond the same way his characters do or in different ways. What I love most about Backman's books, however, is how they make me empathize with others. At the outset of Anxious People, I had the thought that I might have to read it in small doses because several of the characters were annoying or abrasive. But as I continued reading Backman skillfully pulled back the layers on each character, taking me past their outward actions to their hearts. I found myself not only wanting to reread the book when I finished it but wanting to restart right in the middle of the book with my new understanding of and appreciation for the characters so that I could erase my earlier annoyance with them and instead read every moment with my newfound insights into their true characters. These sweet, beautiful, totally flawed, and totally relatable people stole my heart--and also reminded me of how often in real life if we would stop being annoyed with people and see who they really are, our hearts would melt and we would do whatever we could to help them.