The Stars Above Northumberland

I have to admit it. I'm guilty.

Guilty of being hooked on what some might label the genre as Traditional Regencies! Fans of Jane Austen's novels and fans of Downton Abbey understand exactly what I am saying. It is a genre like any other because of the social implications for women back in the 1800's. Women had little to say in the way things were handled and often time had very little to do except accept what social standards dictated at the time.

For Meriwether Sturgess, that was a life of seven years to a mean man whom she married that had one persona on the outside and another in the quiet confines within his home and in their marriage. That is why it came as no shock when the man died quite unexpectedly leaving her not only a widow and single mother to their two children, but also the large financial inheritance she would assume or rather oversee until her son Crispen was old enough to assume the responsibilities of running the Sturgess finances and holdings.

But for Meri, she simply planned carefully for the last seven years, holding back a small fund from her husband's allotment of her monthly expenses to keep up appearances for both herself and the children. Along with the jewelry he bestowed upon her, she kept it all hidden until the day she could change both her own circumstances and that of her children. She shared no affections for her husbands family and couldn't wait to leave the estate under the guise of needing to get away and be with her family to deal with her grief. There was no turning back for Meri.

Now she has returned to live with her Aunt Annabel at the Rosewell Manor and finds a bit of a surprise to learn that her childhood friend, Elliot Rosewell has returned as well and he hopes to find a second chance at love with Meri and her two children, something he has deeply regretted for those same seven years, watching her go and marry another man, while he had to deal with his own broken heart. But like all great romances, there are bound to be complications which work against our dear couple in an effort to keep them apart but will these secrets truly be the ones that keep their love from full blossoming?

I received The Stars Above Northumberland by Anita Stansfield compliments of Covenant Communications. I absolutely LOVED this entire novel, although at the beginning there are parts of the novel that appear repetitive as though you just read the same pages previously. Once you get pass those however, you find yourself ever rooting for our beloved couple and know that Meri's quick departure will not be a lasting one. No one can ever truly run from their pasts. I have loved reading Anita Stansfields novels and now anxiously await each new one she pens. I easily give this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about The Stars Above Northumberland, Anita Stansfield or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Stars Above Northumberland by Anita Stansfield

You can find Anita Stansfield on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Stars Above Northumberland, please visit Covenant Communications website. 

An Inconvenient Beauty

Downton Abbey fans, Jane Austen diehards, want to get hooked on an incredible series of novels? Check out the Hawthorne House Series by Kristi Ann Hunter and you will be as hooked if not more than you are on your favorite area of interest surrounding the traditional Regency Romance genres! An Inconvenient Beauty is book 4 and the possible final one in the series and wraps up the love interest surrounding Griffith, Duke of Riverton!  Now that all his siblings are married off and beginning their own lives, Griffith realizes as the oldest, he must find a way to settle down and produce an heir for the families wealth to be inherited to. Only he isn't about to settle for just anyone that society deems is the right and top choice for him.

His entire family has married for love and not necessarily based on where a suitable lady fell on the social ladder in London. He wants someone who isn't really thinking she might be able to offer anyone, that way she won't necessarily have to work at being the best at all the social graces that come from marrying a Duke, one of the highest honors after royalty that is. With it comes a responsibility and a certain standard that must be maintained to keep things in proper order. Griffith believes he has found a suitable wife in the wallflower Miss Frederica St. Claire who is now going into her fourth season with no potential matches. She would make the perfect wife, because no one would even compete with her plain and homely looks and she wouldn't be out to impress him with things he isn't looking for. Now all he has to do is convince her by simply asking her to dance. Even all of London's society has been wagering on just who he might settle with.

Most think that Griffith will settle for the most beautiful and society's pick of the top females. In fact, her cousin Miss Isabella Breckenridge is working her way to doing just that with all the eligible young and older men vying for the honor to court her. He isn't at all interested in her but in Miss St. Claire instead, but everytime he calls on her, she is unable to communicate and sends signals that she isn't the slightest bit interested in the most eligible and wealthy bachelor in London. It seems Miss St. Claire has her own interests in a young man who has returned from the war, a solider whom she thought dead. Now it seems that Freddie will do all she can to push the Duke's attentions off to Isabella instead and often times it is under the most trying of situations, but then again, Isabella isn't interested in the Duke, because her Uncle wants her to focus her attentions on the members of the House of Commons to sway their vote for an Apothecary Bill he is pushing to be passed. He promises that he will take care of Isabella's family, simple sheep herders in North Umberland, but will anyone discover the true meaning behind Isabella's actions?

I received An Inconvenient Beauty by Kristi Ann Hunter compliments of Bethany House Publishers and NetGalley. This has been such a dream to enjoy every single novel in this series and trust me, you will want to read them in order to understand all the relationships within the Duke's family and how each came to marry the one they have chosen to spend the rest of their life with and ones that they will LOVE first and foremost over what society deems is acceptable. I LOVE Isabella's character because she isn't interested in the Duke for marriage, so it keeps her guard down and she can be the person she is on the inside without having to fake her way through being proper and with that Griffith falls for the true woman she is over the lady she is acting like. Well worthy of all 5 out of 5 stars and only wish there were more to look forward to in this series. There are some historical facts that were incorporated in this novel that are revealed at the conclusion of this novel in the Author's Note section.

For more information about An Inconvenient Beauty, Kristi Ann Hunter or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

An Inconvenient Beauty by Kristi Ann Hunter

You can find Kristi Ann Hunter on Facebook to enjoy all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on An Inconvenient Beauty, please visit Bethany House Publisher's website.

All She Left Behind

I have been fascinated by the old ways of medicinal healing. From natural cures and remedies found in plants to the various ways oils can be used to induce healing over prescription bills doctors hand out. That is what drew me to read All She Left Behind by Jane Kirkpatrick. Jennie Pickett is the character I can identify with because she has a desire to truly learn from the plants and herbs she collects as well as the oils themselves she removes from them to aid in healing those who come to her for treatment. In a time where women wanting to become doctors was discouraged, Jennie goes out of her way to learn all she can. Of course, with her husband Charles, and her young son Douglas, she hardly has time to devote to that, but she does know it can contribute to the family's finances.

Her husband Charles, works for the prison and has become increasingly violent in his angry outbursts toward Jennie, calling her efforts foolish when she should be doing more to care for his needs. Now with the abuse becoming physical, Jennie has to find ways to make their lives better, in hopes her husband will be content with what life has offered them. But when he turns to alcohol and cocaine, she still holds out hope she can help him with her home remedies but Charles wants nothing to do with her foolish treatments. What he wants from her is to help him convince their local pastor to help them become real estate investors since Charles believes he can truly get out from under working at the prison and provide a life style he feels he deserves and only Jennie and Douglas would benefit.

But as Jennie constantly bends over backward for Charles, she soon learns the ugly truth, when she finds he has given her young son cocaine during one of his late night outings and she can no longer let this continue. She sees that Charles is using the money loaned to them from the pastor's family to buy things that will increase their "look of prosperity"'to future clients but soon Charles confesses things have gotten out of hand and he has lost most of the money in a bad deal with a unlikely customer. He divorces Jennie without regard for her feelings and when the two head home, they find that Charles has taken everything and left them with only their clothes in the home they once shared.

I received All She Left Behind by Jane Kirkpatrick compliments of Baker Publishing Group and NetGalley. I found myself as I was reading, looking up the medicinal uses for the oils Jennie dispenses to her customers to help them and find myself wanting to search for more homeopathic remedies to what ails us over the pharmaceutical industry standards. I really felt for Jennie when things just kept going from bad to worse, but she always wanted to believe that with forgiveness, hope is possible despite the situation at present and loved that her outlook on things remained positive. I easily give this book a 5 out of 5 stars and especially LOVED the author's note section at the conclusion which gives readers an idea of how this story line evolved from true historical facts, There is even an oil and herb guide at the conclusion so readers can take advantage of Jennie's homeopathic remedies and uses.

For more information about All She Left Behind, Jane Kirkpatrick and where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

All She Left Behind by Jane Kirkpatrick

You can find Jane Kirkpatrick on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on All She Left Behind, please visit Baker Publishing Groups website. 

Where We Belong

What really made me want to read this book, before I ever looked at the synopsis, is the cover. Just something about exploring Egypt has always fascinated me, and this book by Lynn Austin is no disappointment. Truly something a bit unique but found myself thinking of this book, like The Mummy movie with Brandon Frasier, because of the woman in the movie, who defies social stereotypes of the era and branches out on her own. In Where We Belong, Rebecca and Flora Hawes are being raised by their father, since their mother's death on Flora's birth that left them without the influence of a woman in their household. Being from a well-to-do family, they lacked for nothing with what money could buy for a good education, and their father held nothing back from them.

Deep within both of the girl's hearts was a love for adventure and travel, and at any early age knew that they could convince their father to take them on a European trip to discover the things they were being taught at school, better than any books could teach them. They only had to present it in the correct manner as father liked to conduct all things with a business plan in mind and thus the reason they were so well off. After their latest adventure and returning on their voyage home, they encountered Mrs. Worthington who was also a widow with a plan and purpose. She manages to convince their father that both girls will need suitable husbands to help manage their finances and thinks her nephews would make the ideal candidates.

But Rebecca isn't ready to settle down with the quintessential husband that society and her father would love for her to marry. Flora is quite pleased with having the best of both world and soon falls in love with Thomas. Knowing their father's health is failing, they beg him to not marry Mrs. Worthington until they return from one final trip to visit Egypt and the Holy Lands. But alas, fate will take its own turn as their father passes away and the girls are stuck with figuring out how to manage without a man's influence in their lives any longer. Their journey has only just begun and its about to get very interesting with whom they meet on their latest trip abroad.

I received Where We Belong by Lynn Austin compliments of Baker Publishing Group and NetGalley. I absolutely LOVE Rebecca's spirit of adventure in not conforming to societies standards for proper young women! This is like an Indiana Jones adventure but with switching the roles between the main characters. I found myself rooting for her the whole time and really wanted to see where all this would lead and could only imagine untapped wealth and the ability to travel makes this such an enjoyable novel. I easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion!

For more information about Where We Belong, Lynn Austin or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Where We Belong by Lynn Austin 

You can find Lynn Austin on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Where We Belong, please visit Baker Publishing Group's website. 

Christmas At Carnton

It's hard to imagine that war once divide this great country. That men and women both lost those they loved when the North divided against the South. Men ill equipped to go to war went anyway and so much blood was shed on both sides of the country. For Aletta Prescott, she learned that her husband would not be returning home from the war as he had hoped and now she has learned she is about to be laid off from her job at the Chilton Textile Mill. It wasn't due to her work, but as a matter of last hired is those who would have to face the burden of no longer having a job, a ways to provide for their family and for Aletta, now seven months pregnant and with a young boy at home, she struggled to figure out how she was going to pay for their mortgage now with winter coming.

She had hoped that the bank would be understanding regarding her recent loss and now unemployment, but despite all the bank manager's assurances that they might be able to work something out, the bank's board members refused to allow her any more time. They felt they were being generous in letting her have two weeks before they foreclosed on her home. But where could they go? When she learned that the Carnton estate was looking for help in preparation for an upcoming auction to lend financial resources to help the war effort, she felt assured this would be an answer to prayer. She had to find something otherwise she didn't know what she would do or where they would go.

Jake Winston felt that his life was spared when he was shot in the shoulder, but it also allowed him to deal with the loss of his eyesight even temporarily. He would have to wear glasses now to miss seeing the sharp details a marksman like himself would need if he was to be an use of continuing in the war effort, but such was not to be the case just yet. His commanding General has asked him to travel to Carnton Estate and lend in the security of helping the women raise funds to benefit the war. It would also give him time to continue to allow his eyesight to return. But there was no winning this battle with the General. He just didn't plan on having his heart fall for a young mother due with another child and her sweet, young, impressionable son as well. He will have to maintain the respect due to her after learning she had lost her husband while trying to do as ordered, but will God have other plans in store for them all?

I received Christmas at Carnton by Tamera Alexander compliments of NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Publishers. This is such a heart warming book because it really takes the readers into the very heart of both Aletta and Jake. You can understand how difficult both the timing and the circumstances surrounding them both would be, and with time running out for them both, anxiety only increases the need to figure out the future, even if it is out of their hands for the time being. I love the generosity of Mrs. McGavock, who is the wife of the Carnton Estate in how she is with her hired staff. She keeps the respectability of her position, but treats them all like family. I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about Christmas at Carnton, Tamera Alexander or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Christmas at Carnton by Tamera Alexander

You can find Tamera Alexander on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

To read more reviews on Christmas at Carnton, please visit Thomas Nelson Publisher's website. 

The Other Alcott

I don't know of any girl who hasn't heard or read Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. In fact it is required reading in most homes because of the story line involving women who defy the odds despite grueling circumstances and forge ahead into an unknown future. With the success of her sister Louisa, now a well-known author in their small town of Concord, Boston, it seems that May Alcott (Amy March) is doomed to bear the guilt of living in her popular sister's notoriety even though she submitted her own drawings as illustrations. However while the book when on to be a world wide success, the reviewers were less than kind with their comments about May's illustrations. Enough so to crush her dreams if she only let them.

In the 1900's finding a suitable art school that would both teach and admit women was hard pressed to locate. May believed if she just had the right instructor to help her with human anatomy and refining her drawing skills, she might just make something of herself much like Louisa did. After all she didn't get published after her first novel. So perhaps it is just a matter of finding the perfect person to teach her. She befriends her ex-boyfriends childhood friend Alice who is wealthy beyond measure and never knows what it is like for someone like May who had to learn to make do with whatever they had, whenever they had it.

Alice inspires a dream within May that perhaps the perfect place to learn art is what the master's studied. In Paris, France. So manages to convince Alice and Louisa to join her, after all who wouldn't want to meet the author of Little Women on a world-wind tour of Europe, and that is something May can stomach as long as it meets her own objectives. She isn't about to let anyone tell her what she can and can't do, even her perspective suitor Joshua. She agrees that perhaps she isn't the one for him after all and packs up all her belongings and heads out on a ocean voyage to Europe. She just doesn't plan for her plans to change. With seasickness keeping her confined to her cabin most of the voyage, she finally thinks she can catch a breath of fresh ocean air, when she learns all passengers are confined to their cabins that to a smallpox outbreak on board. She also learns that Bismark has invaded Paris and most of the people there are starving, even eating rats if they can find them. So with a change of plans not letting these things deter her, she sets out more resolved than even to find her own life and her own future.

I received The Other Alcott by Elise Hooper compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers. I have found similar novels like this one where they expand on the lives of the secondary characters and in this case, this is May's story.  This is Elise Hooper's debut novel and I believe she does an great job in helping readers get to know the lesser known characters from the Alcott's Little Women novel. This is going to be a must read for fans of the original novel and I would give this one a 4 out of 5 stars in my opinion. There is even a Questions and Answers section for the author at the conclusion of this novel as well as Reader's Discussion Guide questions that would make this an wonderful book club novel.

For more information about The Other Alcott, Elise Hooper, or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Other Alcott by Elise Hooper

You can find Elise Hooper on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read other reviews on The Other Alcott, please visit Harper Collins Publisher's website. 

The Captivating Lady Charlotte

My love for regencies came when I first read Pride and Prejudice along with being captivated by the series, Downton Abbey. A time where all the power went into what a man could acquire not only on his own, but through a successful and smart marriage match. If a woman did not have an heir through marriage, all her property and wealth went to the next suitable male figure even if it was a distant cousin. Women didn't have any rights, and in most cases, even those marriage matches were based on accumulation of wealth and title while love was cast aside.

For Lady Charlotte Featherington this is a fate she wishes would not be her future. Being in a loveless marriage just for the acquisition of wealth and title. She vowed despite her parents wishes that she would find a man suitable enough for marriage even if he wasn't a duke. A title her parents desperately wanted for her even if it meant marrying a much, much older man. At least she wouldn't have to be married long for that. When she sets her sites on Lord Markham, a very attractive man, her parents are appalled and try in vain to do whatever they can to ensure that she does not comprise her reputation and be forced to marry that man. But even if it means going against societies rules, she isn't about to let her mother or father tell her what to do.

William, the ninth Duke of Hartington has seen what a loveless marriage can do. His wife had spent her remaining days in the arms of other men, leaving him to deal with the aftermath of catching her red handed. In order to ensure his honor was maintained, he was forced into a duel with the despicable man who has taken everything he worked so hard to attain. Now a widower, all that remains of his former life is a child that isn't even fathered by him. One he keeps locked away with servants to care for her not certain what he will do. All he knows is that he will only marry again to someone who has his complete trust and one who can love him like a wife should. Yet he isn't sure that woman even exists.

I received The Captivating Lady Charlotte by Carolyn Miller compliments of Kregel Publications. This entire series has been a favorite of mine with the first novel, The Elusive Miss Ellison which we see Lavinia and her husband again in this one as she works with Charlotte, a much younger woman to decide what is truly best for her future. Charlotte is unsure of her feelings even if she believes she knows what love is, Lavinia reminds her that is not what love truly is. This novel's theme centers around trust, and in it, both William and Charlotte will be tested to see if their feelings are truly what suits them best, even if it means they may not have a future together. I easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars and traditional regency readers will absolutely want this one! It can be read as a stand alone but trust me, pick up The Elusive Miss Ellison first and then indulge in this one.

For more information about The Captivating Lady Charlotte, Carolyn Miller or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Captivating Lady Charlotte by Carolyn Miller

You can find Carolyn Miller on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Captivating Lady Charlotte, please visit Kregel Publication's website. 

Whispering Pines

The pines on LeMaster's ranch is a special place where the four winds converge. It is where the Sioux people hear the voices of their great spirits who have passed away. The Sioux have a special connection to the land. The pines are where their ancestors offered praise to their creator. Church is our special place where we worship God. It is the heavenly sounds where the winds come together in the trees. They say different people hear different things and only the people of pure heart hear the pleasing sounds.

For Rose Langstry she has always dreamed that one day she would marry the right man in those pines but she is headed home to help Granny out on their small farm. She and her sisters left to seek an education out east and now one by one, they are making their way home again. But when her stagecoach happens upon a hanging in progress, she is appalled that one of them is her brother Frankie, and she will do whatever she can to ensure he is not hung. But when Morgan LeMasters tries convince her that Frank and his gang have been caught stealing horses and cattle, and they deserve to be hung, she argues that until all the evidence is brought before the judge, these men need to go to jail. Rose is convinced that her brother is innocent. Just as they head out for town, the stage coach takes a spill over a cliff, leaving Rose unconscious and Frank in control as he uses his sister as a bargaining chip for his freedom.

The men agree to let Frank go, with the vow that Morgan will find him and bring him to justice. But he will have to convince Rose and Granny of Frank's criminal past and he won't rest until Frank is convicted. The ongoing feud between Frank and Morgan is a long one and while no one really knows the details of it, they know that both men will not stop until one of them is dead. Does God have other plans for them or will justice be found within the whispering pines?

I received Whispering Pines by Scarlett Dunn compliments of Zebra Books, Kensington Publishing Corporation and Net Galley. In accordance with the new FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, you should assume that every book reviewed here at Reviews From The Heart was provided to the reviewer by the publisher, media group or the author for free and were received, unless specified otherwise. This is such a wonderful novel about the way we judge people's characters despite the way we think we know everything there is to know about them. It shows how far Rose is willing to go to help her brothers find redemption and healing even if it means she overlooks their apparent faults. She doesn't believe anyone is beyond God's help. In this case it will be a loving and protective man who learns what it means to trust and to forgive and what vengeance will result in when they take matters into their own hands instead of leaving it up to God. I can't wait for the next novel which readers get a sneak peek at in the conclusion of this novel. Each sister is on their way home and with it, a novel dedicated to the Langstry Sisters. This is the first novel in the series and well worth 5 out of 5 stars in this readers opinion.

For more information about Whispering Pines, Scarlett Dunn or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Whispering Pines by Scarlett Dunn

You can find Scarlett Dunn on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest books.

To read more reviews on Whispering Pines, please visit Kensington Publishing's website. 

To The Farthest Shores

I love a great historical novel based around facts because after you read them not only do you feel like you have personally time traveled to said location, but you also have learned something about history along the journey. In Elizabeth Camden's latest novel, To The Farthest Shores, Jenny Bennett is making preparations as a nurse to say goodbye to the love of her life, Lieutenant Ryan Gallagher who is about to be shipped out since President McKinley declared war against Spain and the base has been mobilizing for conflict. Troops from across the nation streamed into the Presidio, preparing to sail for the Spanish colonies in the Far East. He promises to come back and without a ring to seal his intentions to marry her when he returns, he gives her his father's pocket watch which he intends to swap out with a ring.

So now Jenny spends her time caring for the men at the hospital located in the Presidio, those who are amputee's struggle to come to terms with how to make it now that they are home again. The men love her ability to care for them as if they are the only ones there and many marriage offers accompany their heart-felt thanks, but Jenny is waiting on Ryan. However when the war ended and no letter or notice from Ryan, she got worried and checked the lists for wounded, killed or missing service men, but no sign of Ryan. She even took it upon herself to contact anyone she knew in attempts to locate him, but it would take a year and a half for the letter to come. The only letter she would receive from Ryan, notifying her that he had a change of heart and was no longer coming home. He was going to stay in the Navy.

Left with a broken heart, she tried to find ways to stay busy and the last thing she expected to see was Ryan walking in the park with a little girl named Lily who claims that Ryan is her father. When she tries to confront Ryan, all he does is allude all her questions and has hoped she has moved on with her life. Rumors begin to circulate around the base that Ryan skipped out on serving his time in the Navy or that he became a war profitteer and eluded his time to serve his country. Without any explanation, Jenny has to assume that some of those rumors must be true. She is determined to find out the truth if she ever hopes to move on in her own life, if only she still didn't have feelings for Ryan.

I received To The Farthest Shores by Elizabeth Camden compliments of Baker Publising Group and Net Galley. In accordance with the new FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, you should assume that every book reviewed here at Reviews From The Heart was provided to the reviewer by the publisher, media group or the author for free and were received, unless specified otherwise. This is such a wonderful novel about not only the war, but also about the creation of cultured pearls and oyster farming. In the Historical note section, readers learn about the Military Information Division or MID that was established in 1885 as a branch of the U.S. Army and was one of several organizations charged with gathering intelligence about foreign nations. These unit were not integrated until the creation of the Central Intelligence Agency in 1947. Now as well I have an understanding not only of how pearls are created but the differences between cultured and natural pearls. I easily give this novel a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion. This novel does contain Reader Discussion Guide Questions, which makes this perfect for a book club.

For more information about To The Fartherst Shores, Elizabeth Camden or where you can pick up a copy of the novel, please click on the links below:

To The Farthest Shores by Elizabeth Camden

You can find Elizabeth Camden on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on To The Farthest Shore, please visit Baker Publishing Group's website. 

The Blue Hour

I've always been fascinated with historical fiction, especially one written as a backdrop against historical facts, as in this case of the Blue Hour by Vicki Righettini as her debut novel. Yet don't let that dissuade you from venturing forth with our main strong-willed and determined female lead, Emily Wainwright, who at 26 is what society in most parts deems a spinster. Coming from a well-defined family who is financially well off, she wonders what her future will hold for her. As the book opens in a prologue, we understand what will happen to her husband Samuel, and the saga of how she arrived at that point will be covered in the remainder of the novel to catch us up to date on what prompted her decisions to marry Samuel Todd. a man she considers a fine catch for someone of her age.

He manages to convince Emily that her future lies along the same path as his, one that means you can start over again in Oregon as part of a party of wagoners to make their home receiving parcels of land upon venturing out west. For a single man, it is 160 acres but a married man can receive double and so that is the basis for his romancing Emily, only she doesn't know it. She just sees Samuel as the only future prospect she might receive as a husband of a strong-willed and educated woman, thanks to her father who has denied her nothing despite what society deems a proper woman ought to receive. Even though he has strong objections against her marrying Samuel, he knows that Emily is well educated enough to make her own decisions when it comes to her future and that he has very little to fear in sending her off out West.

Yet no matter how much they attempted to plan on what hazards they may face on the Oregon Trail, nothing will prepare them not only for the adversity they will face both in dealing with others on the trail, but the dangers along the way. The only thing she doesn't make plans for is how much life will change Samuel and the small ways his deceptive practices will slowly leak out along the way, causing her to question not only what she will do, but how she will survive such a mean and often times violent man, who has no real love for her, only what she can provide for him until he has everything he wants. Life can be hard enough for someone venturing out West in search of a new future and hope, but when it appears that the man you married isn't the man you thought after all, perhaps the stranger is the one thing she should fear the most.

I received The Blue Hour by Vicki Righettini compliments of Mill City Press and Virtual Author Book Tours. This is such an incredible novel because the author does such an exceptional job at the details to make the story come alive. You find yourself along with Emily as she struggles from trying to understand the basics of cooking over an open flame and dealing with the fact she must walk the entire way, while her husband drives the wagon to avoid overloading the oxen team with any extra weight. Not sure no matter how much I was trying to prepare for that, just that task alone would wear me out, not to mention, dealing with all the duties women had to provide for, from cooking, laundry and moving items in and out of the wagons. For me, this one rated a 4.5 out of 5 stars and will be adding her name next to my must read author's page.

For more information about The Blue Hour, Vicki Righettini or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Blue Hour by Vicki Righettini

You can find Vicki Righettini on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Blue Hour, please visit Virtual Authors Book Tour's website.

The Dressmaker's Dowry

If only this novel has been written differently, my review rating my be more favorable. The overall content of the story was simply amazing but what really devalued it for me, was the sexual content and profanity. Unfortunately that didn't happen til more than half way through the book. Oh how I wish I could give it more but based on the standards and review ratings I established, I can't and still remain true to my reviews as well as my own personal ethics and integrity.

The Dressmaker's Dowry by Meredith Jaeger is a duality novel meaning that it revolves around two very different characters and each chapter toggles between both time frames, past and present and those characters point of views which we find out much later on, tie in quite uniquely to one another in a unusual manner I didn't see coming.

The setting for the novel is both San Francisco, both in the early 1870's as well as present day. For Sarah Havensworth, who is married but hiding a long dark secret from her husband Hunter, she hopes to some day have her novel published and one her husband whole-heartily supports. She now uncovers some details while researching ideas for her writers block which open up the investigative side of her journalists heart. So she switches gears to follow up on the missing dressmakers who lived in the same part of town she lives in, who apparently people believed might have been murdered. As she begins to unravel the lives of Hannalore Schaeffer and Margaret O'Brien, the missing dressmakers, she begins to uncover a more sinister secret that someone wants to be keep buried at all costs and will stop at nothing to ensure that Sarah gives up any further pursuit.

For Hannalore or Hanna, as she is referred to in the novel finds that working in the dressmaker's shop helps her meet a deeper goal. To escape an abusive father who believes that Hanna is holding out her money so he can spend it on alcohol and gambling. Now she knows she will do whatever it takes to rescue herself and her 3 siblings leave home and find a new life someplace else. For now she will simply do all she can to endure the abuse and keep whatever food she can on the table, even it if means she does without. But her life is about to change with Lucas Havensworth shows up to get his suits mended and runs quite literally into Hanna. From that point on, their lives will be forever changed in remarkable and sinister ways.

I received The Dressmaker's Dowry by Meredith Jaeger compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers. For me this was so well written about both women searching for something more than what their providential lives offered not realizing that in time they would be somehow connected. I love the passion that Sarah has to uncover the truth about what happened to Hanna and Margaret and to solve a century old cold case in the process. I just wish profanity and sexual content was eliminated because it would have made for a much better well received novel across a broader audience. The fact that these two elements exist call for me to give this a 3 out of 5 stars based on my own reviewers rating scale. If those items were removed, it would be a 5 out of 5 star novel!

For more information about The Dressmaker's Dowry, Meredith Jaeger, or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Dressmaker's Dowry by Meredith Jaeger

You can find Meredith Jaeger on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Dressmaker's Dowry, please visit Harper Collins Publisher's website. 

A Memory of Violets

A parallel set of stories between two sets of sisters are the basis for Hazel Gaynor's latest historical fiction, A Memory of Violets. One taking place in 1876 between Florrie Flynn and her sister Rosie who find a way of making a living on the bleak streets of London selling bunch of flowers that they could obtain to put food in their stomachs. Spending nights in the shelter of staircases and wherever they could find a place to sleep while waiting til the next morning to sell their bunches of flowers for a penny.

The other story takes place in 1912 between Matilda "Tilly" Harper and her sister Esther. Tilly seems to understand that her mother loves her younger sister Esther more than her and makes her watch over her when they are away from home. Their father has left to fight in the beginning of the war and now it is up to the girls to do what they can to help their mother. When an unexpected accident happens, Tilly feels she is to blame and takes a job helping as a housemother for Mr. Shaw's Training Homes for Watercress and Flower Girls. It provides her safe distance between her family and the guilt that seems to consume her during her quiet moments.

Tilly finds a wooden box in her closet with a notebook written by Florrie to her sister Rosie. She spends her down time reading about the tragic story of the search to find Rosie when she got separated from his sister one afternoon and it would be a search that Florrie would never resolve during her lifetime. Tilly finds a desire to help continue the search with the few clues located in the notebook as well as a wooden peg, a rag doll and a button in the box. She feels that if she can help find Rosie it might help her find her own sense of healing within her own heart towards her sister Esther.

What she finds during the search is how their lives will intersect and all four of their lives will be forever changed by a series of circumstances to bring about healing, restoration and forgiveness. A Memory of Violets by Hazel Gaynor is based on the true story of John Groom who was her basis for the creation of the character Albert Shaw who saw the plight of these children, London's Flower Sellers,  who were growing up orphans with no one to care for them and a fear of workhouses. This is such an incredible novel and one that historical fiction fans will definitely want to pick up and enjoy for themselves.

I received A Memory of Violets by Hazel Gaynor compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions contained here are my own. I absolutely have LOVED every single one of Hazel Gaynor's novels. She breathes life into the untold stories that are littered in our history that until they appear in book, they are often forgotten or neglected. I applaud her attention to share this one and the details make you feel like you've gone back in time to the pitiful, bleak and depressing state of the streets of London during that time. At the conclusion of this novel are some great bonuses, The Memoirs of Albert Shaw, The Languages of Flowers, The Story Behind the Story and a Reader's Discussion Guide. For me this is one that will become a beloved part of my personal library and worthy of all 5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about A Memory of Violets, Hazel Gaynor or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

A Memory of Violets by Hazel Gaynor

You can find Hazel Gaynor on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on A Memory of Violets, please visit Harper Collins Publisher's website. 

The Accidental Empress

I absolutely love a great historical fiction that is based so much on historical fact. Obviously you have to take some liberties as an author to fill in the proverbial blanks when viewing something that happened in the late 1800's in Europe. While the historical facts give us a broad overview, we often wonder what happened behind the scenes to bring to life the events that are now part of our unshaken historical past. Allison Pataki is such an author with the skill to breath life into the story of Empress Elizabeth or affectionately known as "Sisi" by those who love her including her beloved people in her latest novel The Accidental Empress. She was much like Princess Diana later would be referred to as the people's princess.

This is the story of her life as a young girl at 15, who found her love of the outdoors would be the jewel in her crown to winning the heart of Franz Joseph, the Emperor of Europe. What I love most about the way this novel begins is the brief introduction into the story that outlines the countries that the Emperor had control over. It's not like Downton Abbey where Lords ruled the land, Emperors ruled and controlled the countries that bordered one another in hopes of keeping them together to prevent against the threat of wars from others.

Here we see the evolution of Elizabeth as she goes from being a young girl with a title, being sent away with her sister Helene who their parents believe will be a suitable match as the future Empress. But it isn't Helene that Franz falls for, but the younger sister Elizabeth. Her undisciplined manners from growing up in the outdoors in Bavaria appeals to him. His mother Sophie is the epitome of the wicked Aunt and soon to be Mother In Law, who will ensure that Elizabeth maintains the proper decorum suitable for an Empress along with all the duties and responsibilities.

We see how the events of being thrust into this lifestyle weighs on Sisi as the novel moves forward in time, from trying to procure an heir for Franz to learning to deal with his control mother, Sophie. She has no real alliances and the romantic notions she has built her marriage on soon come crumbling down when reality of war threatens on the countries horizon. Her husband is pulled away to help manage politics but avoids sharing that part of his life with her, instead letting his mother and officials lead him to do what they believe is best. So Sisi is forced to find interests wherever she can even though in her heart, she just wants the love and the man she fell in love with to come back. It is an unforgettable journey that will leave you with a different impression of what life among the royals was really like.

I received The Accidental Empress by Allison Pataki compliments of Howard Books, a division of Simon and Schuster for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions contained here are my own. I absolutely loved a birds eye view into Elizabeth's life, from humble, innocent, romantic backgrounds, to one of being exposed to the difficulties of marriage during turbulent times that would force one to grow up rather quickly. I loved the insight the author shares at the conclusion about how much of this is historical fact, and the fictional fill in elements she added. This for me was a beautiful added bonus and one I enjoy especially when reading historical fictional novels. This one is definitely remaining a keeper on my bookshelf and one I know I will enjoy rereading again and again which is why I feel it deserves a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion. My only hope is Allison will write a sequel to this one in the very near future!

For more information about The Accidental Empress, Allison Pataki or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below"

The Accidental Empress by Allison Pataki

You can find Allison Pataki on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest books.

To read more reviews on The Accidental Empress, please visit Howard Books' website.

The Dancing Master

For me, the ear marks of a great novel is when the author truly takes the time to create a story and characters you can relate to and care about. One that doesn't worry about how many pages are in the novel as long as the storyline they thought through is conveyed in the manner they hoped. One that doesn't spend a lot of time in the build up of the novel only to rush through it quickly in a hurried breath at the end. Julie Klassen is that author.

Being a huge fan of traditional regency novels and television series like Downton Abbey, I love the look back in time when men were truly gallant and women were cherished and treated like ladies. If they were interested in one another, a chaperone was sent along as they spent time getting to know one another through walks in the garden or in carriage rides. This is one of those very heartwarming and hold your breath novels. One you will know from the very beginning you've reached something you won't want to rush through because when it does end, you'll be sad. Sad that it's over and you'll have to wait for more to come in the near future. I've been fortunate to read all of Julie Klassen's novels and this one is a masterpiece.

Julia Midwinter is the only daughter of Amelia Midwinter, one of the richest women in the town of Beaworthy. She is not at a loss of handsome suitors although none of them have caught her eye in the way of falling in love like she dreamed. She has fun practicing the art of flirting whenever the opportunity presents itself but finds life rather boring without balls or social outings one would find in London. Since her mother presides over the town and it's parish, dancing and balls have been banned. There is no law on the books but since the death of her Uncle, the entire town has gone along with request. If only Julia could get her to explain the reasons why, but her mother remains tight lipped about why.

However when a stranger moves to town along with his mother and sister, Julia's interest is more than sparked. She finds a man that will challenge even her boldest moves. He refuses to treat her with anything less than the respect a lady deserves even if it means he has to walk away most times. Alec Valcourt has moved in with his uncle along with his mother and sister to find a way to support themselves now that their father has left them. Alec only hopes that as a Dancing and Fencing Master, he might provide the finances that would allow them to find a  home of their own. But when Alec learns that dancing is banned in the town of Beaworthy, he finds his dreams are as lost as his family. How will he be able to provide for his family if he has no skills to do so? How will he be able to provide for any women he falls in love with if he has no hope for a future at anything? Will there be a time to restore dancing in the town of Beaworthy again?

I received The Dancing Master by Julie Klassen compliments of Bethany House Publishers and Litfuse Book Tours for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own. I tried delaying the end of this novel as long as I could but somehow like all great things it has to come to an end. My only hope is that Julie Klassen has something else brewing very soon in the future. There simply hasn't been a book of hers I haven't fallen head over heels in love with. Fans of Jane Austen, Downton Abbey or traditional regency fans will LOVE this novel and is why I can easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion. There is even a discussion guide at the end that is excellent for book groups to utilize.

For more information about The Dancing Master, Julie Klassen or where to pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Dancing Master by Julie Klassen 

You can find Julie Klassen on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

 To read more reviews on The Dancing Master from the TLC Book Tour, please click here. 


Best-selling author Julie Klassen will be hosting a Kindle Fire HDX giveaway and a live webcast event (1/23) to celebrate the release of her latest novel, The Dancing Master. Enter and RSVP today!

 
  One winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire HDX
• The Dancing Master by Julie Klassen

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on January 23rd. Winner will be announced at the "All Things Jane (from Austen to Eyre)" Live Webcast Event on January 23rd. Connect with Julie for an evening of book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Julie will also be taking questions from the audience and giving away books, Jane Austen DVDs, fun "Jane" merchandise, and gift certificates throughout the evening.

So grab your copy of The Dancing Master and join Julie and friends on the evening of January 23rd for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today by signing up for a reminder. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 23rd!

Redeeming Love

I love it when I find a great book because I simply want to tell everyone about it and hope that they strongly take my suggestion and pick it up. Some of these stories once you immerse yourself in them become a part of your body and soul. They live with you long after you read them because you find yourself thinking about the theme in so many different aspects of your day. When Francine Rivers got the notion for the storyline for her novel Redeeming Love it came directly out of the book Hosea in the Bible. It shows the way God loves us in such a profound and simply unconditional love that it is simply breath-taking and life changing. This novel and it's storyline will move you to tears and show you just how much God's love can change your life.

The storyline is very reminiscent of Les Misrables, in which a young girl name Sarah spends her life witnessing not only through words but in actions that she is worthless and unwanted. The only people who see her as anything as those who will exploit her beauty and cause her to build such walls that nothing, even the love of God will not be able to penetrate them. First learning that she was a product of an illicit affair her mother had with a wealthy married man, she over hears a conversation that he had wished she had never been born, that she was a mistake and one that he can never accept in his life. Yet Sarah's mother does all she can to protect and care for her child, but soon, life takes a terrible toll on her and she dies, leaving Sarah behind with a man she knows only as Uncle Rab.

Rab is simply a drunken man who loved her mother in between his lucid moments and now finds that taking care of Sarah is simply too much for anyone to handle. When he learns a wealthy man is looking for a daughter to adopt, he thinks he has found his way out. He sells nine-year-old Sarah to him, a man only known as Duke who will ultimately teach Sarah that he will be the only life she will ever know. He tells her that her name is now Angel.

Michael Hosea is a God-fearing man who believes God will show him who his future wife will be, but he never dreamed that would lead him to Pair-of-Dice, a brothel and find a soiled dove in desperate need of God's love. Michael simply can not believe that this is whom God would bestow His promises to find a wife in being the highest paid prostitute in town, one that only the highest bidder can see, but God offers him the opportunity to convince her that despite what she has been lead to believe her whole life, Michael is the real deal. Now if only those mile high walls she has constructed to protect herself against men can be brought down, Michael might just have a chance, but to Angel the only hope for a different life is if she dies and that is just what she has planned when Michael finds her.

I received Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers compliments of WaterBrook Multnomah Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions in this review are strictly my own. Once I received this to review, I didn't realize that this book had been written more than twenty years ago and the message contained in the pages is more relevant now to women who need to understand forgiveness, unconditional love and redemption in Christ. I literally read this in one sitting and could not put it down. I was beyond captivated by the eloquent words that Francine Rivers used to retell the biblical story of Hosea in this novel. I found myself in tears so many times, by the demonstration of Michael's love and commitment to Angel despite how many times she tries to push him away. It's like one reviewer shared, "Michael Hosea is the consummate hero; Angel, in one way or another, is every woman who has ever lived without love." You can not read this one and not be changed forever. Hands down a 5 out of 5 stars and will now hold a prominent place in my personal library. I KNOW I will read this one again and again.

For more information about Redeeming Love, Francine Rivers, or where you can pick up a copy of this incredible novel today, please click on the links below:

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

You can find Francine Rivers on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Redeeming Love, visit the WaterBrook Multnomah website. 

• Paperback: 479 pages
• Publisher: Multnomah Books; Paperback with Study Guide edition (May 9, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590525132
• ISBN-13: 978-1590525135
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.2 x 9 inches

His Steadfast Love

Imagine if you will, being in Texas just on the Gulf. It's the spring of 1861 and Amanda Bell is the oldest of four sisters and a brother she is helping to raise along with her father, Pastor Ezekiel Bell on their southern plantation. Her mother passed away and left Amanda tasked with raising her siblings until they are old enough to fend for themselves.

However with the rivalry between the North and the South, the stirrings of a Civil War is on the horizon and Amanda's only brother Daniel is willing to go to war to defend the South's position on slavery. What he doesn't seem to understand is even though they treat their slaves well, they are still not free. However Pastor Bell provides his blessing over Daniel as he heads off to war along with his childhood friends and Amanda is helpless to stop him.

When Amanda meets Captain Kent Littlefield during a church service, she finds her heart pulled in a way she hadn't expected. Now that the war has begun, Captain Littlefield has been called to duty fighting for the North, which now puts her at odds with the man she loves from the North, going to war with the brother she loves from the South. Will either of them return home from the war? Or will this war keep her love at a crossroads she can never hope to cross battle lines?

In the latest novel by Golden Keyes Parsons, His Steadfast Love, shows the horrors of what men, fathers, sons and families had to endure when our own country went to war against itself. In the end, lines were drawn and even when the war ended some feelings would never be resolved over what men had witnessed during their time of war. This is a chilling, fictional account of the Civil War that was waged in regards to the issue over men's freedom within our own country and along the way, God and love will prevail.

I received His Steadfast Love compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review and was amazed at this fictional account of one of our countries bloodiest battles on our own soil and the amount of lives that were lost in the war. Amanda Bell is a strong woman character I could relate to, who was willing to put aside her feelings of duty to her family and learn to listen to her heart and God's word. I rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars and would recommend this to anyone who loves historical romance!

For more information about this book, the author and where to pick up a copy of this book, please click on the link below:

His Steadfast Love by Golden Keyes Parsons

Fairer Than Morning

Ann Miller envisions her future suitor to be a man of nobility, the knight on the white horse who will come and sweep her off her feet. A man who can romance her and quote words of love to her. She has this detail so well scripted out in her life, she can only see one person to fill that role and that is Eli Bowen!

Only Eli is four years older than Ann, and with her father's stern request that she waits til she is 18 to marry, she can't give him the answer to his proposal while she is only 15. Confident that Eli will wait for her, she tries to persuade her father, a traveling preacher/saddler to change his mind. He tells Ann the reason he wants her to wait is because her mother would have never married him if she fell in love with the first person she met. He wants to make sure whomever she chooses to marry it will be the right one.

When Ann sees Eli at the local mercantile while she is picking up an order for her father, and he has already moved on to another young lady, Penelope. It breaks Ann's heart that even though she believed God was telling her that Eli was the one, apparently in his eyes, Ann isn't the one for him. Opening the barrel for her father, Ann discovers some papers at the bottom. What she discovers are handwritten letters from a mother dying of consumption to a son named Will. Feeling that these letters belong to a boy named Will, Ann sets out to return them to the owner.

Luckily Ann's father has plans to go to Pittsburg where the letters have arrived from, and she begs her father to go. She hopes she can reunite the letters with Will. Will Hanby is a saddle-maker's apprentice working for Jacob Good. He has agreed to become an indentured servant for Mr. Good for a period of 5 years, while he receives room and board and learns to be a saddler. Unfortunately what Will discovers is that being an indentured servant for the Good family is signing an agreement to become a slave, and a abused one at that.

Jacob Good has a great thing going, convincing orphaned boys to sign up to be indentured apprentices, so that they can serve the needs of himself and his wife at any cost. He needs to make sure that in addition to Tom, whose been working for him for years, that Will learns what happens when things aren't done to his liking. Unfortunately for Will and Tom, their contract allows Mr. Good to treat them anyway he wants because they have agreed to do whatever he tells them to do.

Will Ann find what she is looking for in Pittsburg? Will she be able to help Will escape Mr. Good? Will Ann find that her definition for what God has planned for her is different than what she thought?

In the latest novel, Fairer Than Morning by Rosslyn Elliot, the reader is taken into the early 1800's in Ohio at the time where slavery was still considered desirable by some. Not only are slaves still an issue but now residents of Pittsburg, like Mr. Good have found a way around the slavery issue in hiring orphans and the poor under the premise of learning a trade and receiving free room and board. Unfortunately like Will's about to discovery, not everything in writing is a great as it sounds.

I received this book compliments of Litfuse Publicity for my honest review and LOVED it. The storyline was one I hadn't heard of before with indentured servants in the early 1800's. It's hard to imagine how poor people would jump at opportunities to learn a trade only to have people take advantage of them and the court system ruling in favor on the contractual agreements. Will's character is exceptional despite all he has endured, he still is willing to look at helping others as a way to escape his own fate. I award this one a 5 out of 5 stars and look forward to the rest of the books to follow in The Saddler's Legacy series.

For more information about this book, the author and where to pick up a copy of this exceptional series, please click on the links below:

Fairer Than Morning by Rosslyn Elliot

You can also find Rosslyn Elliot on Facebook by clicking here.

To celebrate the release of her debut novel, Fairer Than Morning, Rosslyn Elliott is giving away two fabulous prize packages. The first is brand new KINDLE in her Fairer Than Morning Kindle Giveaway. Then on September 20th she's giving away a $200 gift certificate toward a Custom-Made Historical Reproduction Dress (from Recollections) during the Fairer Than Morning Book Club Chat Party on Facebook! Sigh...romantic.

Fairer Than Morning is receiving wonderful reviews - Library Journal said, "A well-written historical series debut…". Read more reviews here.

Be sure to join the fun and enter the Kindle contest -

One winner will receive:

* Kindle with Wi-Fi

* Fairer Than Morning (for Kindle)

To enter just click one of the icons below. But, hurry, giveaway ends on 9/19. Winner will be announced on 9/20 at Rosslyn's Book Club Facebook Party. Details and official rules can be found when entering the contest.

Then be sure to RSVP for Rosslyn's Facebook Party! During the party Rosslyn will be chatting with guests, hosting a book chat about Fairer Than Morning (don't worry if you haven't read the book yet - you could win a copy!) & historical Fiction, testing your trivia skills. She'll also be giving away that $200 gift certificate toward a FABULOUS custom-made period dress from Recollections!