Across The Blue

Some of my favorite novels are about strong women characters. Those that go against the grain of what society might think would be considered inappropriate for that time frame. I often think that if I were a character in a novel, I would tend to go against societies norms of the day and create my own mark as it were. The latest novel from best-selling author Carrie Turansky, Across the Blue features just a determined and strong-willed woman, Isabella Grayson. Just her name speaks of where her family falls in terms of social standing in my opinion, but she is likeable and relateable to the characters I lean towards. Her family has been pushing for her to find a suitable match, one that would guarantee that she will add to her families fortunes instead of the other way around. Now already two seasons since her debut to society, she has much different interests in mind, much to her mother's dismay and frustration.

Her father is the owner of three of the leading newspapers in England, thus the reason for the families fortunes and social standings within the communities. Bella finds her father's newspapers interesting because she yearns to be a writer. Yet she isn't sure how to go about earning her wings with persuading her father to give her the opportunity to write for one of his papers. That would be against everything her family wishes for her future, maintaining a proper reputation is key to finding a suitable husband. Bella only wants to pursue her own future and hopes that one day, the right man may just fall into her lap, that shares her interests and passions in hopes of marrying for love and not just for money.

Lucky for her, that is just what has happened upon touring her families new home, a young aviator soaring overhead, crashes into the property, but has managed to escape unharmed. While the agent leading the family is aghast that such a thing has happened, Bella and her father, share a love for aviation and hope that England will be the first to launch a solo trip across the English channel and hopefully paving the way for more financial contributions that would lend to adding air support towards keeping their country safe. In fact, her father has been instrumental in creating interest in doing just that, with a promise of a thousand pounds to the first person to do it. When he hears rumors that the French might be further along in their progress and testing, he offers his assistance to aid James Drake in his efforts to be the first to fly across the English channel. It might just be more than good luck that landed him on that fateful day and with it the passions ignited between James and Bella! Will that be enough to build a future on?

I received Across The Blue by Carrie Turansky compliments of WaterBrook Multnomah Publishers. I absolutely LOVED this novel from the very first page. Not only did the premise hook me based on the back cover, my love for aviation and its history made me want to explore those first flights from a different perspective. I found myself relating to Bella's character quite a bit, her love for writing, her passion for adventure and progress as well as have a determined sense of what she wants for her own future, but curbs some of that enthusiasm around her family, especially her father, whom she adores and deeply respects. I love the chemistry between James and Bella, first to help one another in any way and by becoming their own personal cheerleaders and encouragers in any endeavor. I love all the random situations that they find themselves in together, without any pre-planning to make that happen. I guess I am a firm believer in a happily ever after ending and if you love adventure coupled with romance and bit of that traditional regency, then you will absolutely adore this novel and thus the reason for my 5 out of 5 stars in this reader's opinion.

For more information about Across The Blue, Carrie Turansky, or where you can pre-order a copy of this novel today, which is due out in February 2018, please click on the links below:

Across The Blue by Carrie Turansky

You can find Carrie Turansky on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest books.

To read more reviews on Across The Blue, please visit WaterBrook Multnomah Publisher's website. 

A Refuge at Highland Hall

I love it when you follow an incredible series through to the very end and you find yourself sighing with happiness but also a bit bittersweet at the same time because you realize it's over. For fans of historical romance or of Downton Abbey, you might want to begin Carrie Turansky's Edwardian Bride Series! In Refuge at Highland Hall, the third and perhaps final book in this series, we follow the life of Penny Ramsey as she finds herself an unfortunate victim of the Great War coming to England. She was staying with her sister Kate and her husband Jon, trying to help care for eight orphaned children while Kate is pregnant. It is there during a time of serving wounded soldiers, that she meets Alex Goodwin, who is recovering from a recent crash, but hopes to be back in the air again soon.

She isn't about to give up her heart so willingly as the last time she did so, the man chose someone else to marry even though he hadn't given her any impression he wanted anything more. She admires Alex's calm and brave presence and when he asks her to write him when he goes to war, she hopes in the back of her mind that this might just be the one God has in mind for her. However, she also has to be practical as most men who are pilots rarely last but a few weeks. The survival rates for pilots are a bit depressing. Yet she prays for him as she receives each letter and now that the family has relocated temporarily back to her home at Highland Hall, due to safety issues now that Zepplins are releasing bombs over the cities. Alex's goal now that he has witnessed first hand what there destruction does, vows to do all he can to at least find a way to take them out.

The more the letters pass between the two, romance soon blossoms and as much as Penny tries to keep her heart in tact, she finds she is slowly giving it away to Alex a piece at a time through their correspondence. Alex knows he can't face any distractions while flying, so as much as he tries to keep his relationship with Penny as merely a friendship, he can't help but wonder if he were to survive the war, what it might feel like to have someone waiting for him back in England. Will their prayers be enough to sustain them through the war or will the enemy take away the only thing they have and leave them merely victims of the war instead?

I received A Refuge at Highland Hall by Carrie Turansky compliments of WaterBrook Multnomah Publishers for my honest. I did not receive any monetary compensation, aside for a free copy of this book, in exchange for my honest review. I can't even choose a favorite in this series, because it would be like asking me which child is my favorite. By the time you get to A Refuge at Highland Hall, you have had the pleasure of getting to know Kate and Julia's stories and it concludes with Penny's. However, I am still hopeful that Carrie might add another one before she closes this one out, and with that I can believe it might not be quite over. Yet you never know. There is a Reading Discussion Guide included at the conclusion of this novel and for me this one rates a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion based on the fact I love war romances, and the Edwardian time period as well.

For more information about A Refuge at Highland Hall, Carrie Turansky or where you can pick up a copy of this book, please click on the links below:

A Refuge at Highland Hall by Carrie Turansky

The Edwardian Brides Series by Carrie Turansky

1 -The Governess of Highland Hall

2 - The Daughter of Highland Hall

3 - A Refuge of Highland Hall

You can find Carrie Turansky on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on A Refuge at Highland Hall, please visit WaterBrook Multnomah's website. 

The Daughter of Highland Hall

For fans of Downton Abbey and Jane Austen, you might just want to pick up the latest novel to debut in the Edwardian Brides Series from Carrie Turansky, The Daughter of Highland Hall. I've been in love with the characters from this series since picking up the first novel, The Governess of Highland Hall, and had to patiently wait for this one to be published. I was not disappointed. In fact, I took my time with this one knowing the third novel might not be out until fall of 2015, so I had to make it last. Oh, I was in love again with the characters of Kate Ramsey, the cousin of William Ramsey who is the heir to Highland Hall. Readers of the first novel first met Kate as she struggled to rebel against Julia Foster who at the time was her governess. Now she is engaged to be married to William and for Kate, she has come to understand that despite all the appearances of wealth and notoriety, sometimes love is worth more than a title or an inheritance.

Now that Kate is finally ready for her presentation into society, her sponsor Louisa is doing all she can to ensure that Kate finds a suitable husband that will allow her a much sought after marriage to the right man. But as hard as Kate tries to appease what others think is the best for her, she can't help but to be drawn to Jon Foster, Julia's brother who is working on becoming a doctor in London's East End. Here life is the far extreme from anything Kate has seen, where the poor out populate the rich, and where orphans and widows struggle to find enough to eat and place to sleep at night. Kate struggles to understand the conflict within her heart as she watches those of elite spend lavishly on banquets and parties while those just blocks from them don't have enough to seek proper health care. Jon works with the local doctor to offer a light in this dark places at Daystar clinic, a place where you simply have to pay what you can afford to get seen by a doctor. In the time, that Kate volunteers there with Jon, she finds something that warms more than her heart. A calling on her life and one that goes in complete conflict with what her Aunt Louisa would desire for her.

When the family name is suddenly cast in an unfavorable light due to the actions of William's brother, David, soon Kate realizes how society views those who are related to the news. Even though Kate isn't the one involved, it is merely being judged as guilty by association and all of Kate's social invitations grow cold in the wake of the investigation. Will God reveal Himself to Kate in the presence of things that are transpiring in her life to put a call on her heart that is more than what she could dream for herself and her future? Only time will tell and the results just might surprise you in the end.

I received The Daughter of Highland Hall by Carrie Turansky compliments of WaterBrook Multnomah Publishers and Litfuse Publicity for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own. I absolutely LOVED this novel in part because the characters are so believable. I found myself relating to Kate the most, and wondering how society would react if someone of her social standing suddenly walked away from it all for love. Carrie's writing is superb and gains the respect and favor of traditional regency fans! Now I will simply have to deal with waiting another year for A Refuge at Highland Hall. Not sure what Carrie has planned, but if these two novels are any indicator, it will definitely be a huge success. Hands down another stellar 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion. Just what you would expect in any novel dealing with the Edwardian era, romance and high society among the elite.

For more information about The Daughter of Highland Hall, Carrie Turansky, or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Daughter of Highland Hall by Carrie Turansky

You can find Carrie Turansky on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Daughter of Highland Hall, please visit Litfuse Publicity's book tour page.

The Governess of Highland Hall

Little did Julia Foster realize how her time serving as a missionary in India would benefit her future as well as God's plans for her. Replying to an advertisement for a governess for two young children at Highland Hall, she hopes that securing this position will enable her to financial help her parents who have returned to London from India with her due to her father's failing health. Julia believes all the time spent running the schools and medical clinic while serving God is just the right experience to be a governess for the young children of Sir William Ramsey, who is at loss of finding just the right person to help.

On a fateful morning encounter, Julia comes across a well dressed man, she believes is the chauffeur who is struggling with getting the motor car running. She addresses the man and inquires if he might need assistance since she is on her way to an interview at Highland Hall, and they might be able to send someone to help. The man waves her off frustrated that no one will be able to help and it's only when she is sent to Sir William for the interview, she learns that man is the same one she ran into on the way into Highland Manor.

Julia's faith will be put to the utmost test when she learns that no other governess has last longer than six months, and both children have been grieving the loss of their mother and are a bit ill-mannered. Not only that but Julia is being asked to help William's deceased cousin Randolph's two teenage girls who have realized that the ownership of Highland Hall has now passed into William's hands. Having sold off his half of the business to his brother David, William learns that the financial status of Highland Hall is more than he bargained for when the death duties or taxes are due on the house in March and there is no hope for securing the funds necessary to pay for them.

Julia and William are struggling with their past issues when it comes to love, but neither of them could have ever come to expect the fondness and friendship that would develop between them, but with William's title, he could never marry someone of Julia's status. She has resolved to bide her time in the home helping out as much as she can to heal the wounds that have crippled not only the financial matters of the home, but also to the hearts of those that call Highland Hall home.

I received The Governess at Highland Hall by author Carrie Turansky compliments of WaterBrook Multnomah Publishers for my honest review and received no monetary compensation for a favorable one. This one resounded in my book lover's heart being a fan of traditional regency and historical fiction. It's like a blending of Sound of Music with Downton Abbey. What a spectacular novel and the best part is  that Carrie has decided to add this novel to the Edwardian Bride series with this being the first one. I can't wait to see what comes next as there are so many paths she could take with the characters we meet in this lovely and charming novel. I wholeheartedly give this one a 5 out of 5 stars and it has found a permanent home in my personal library. Warning: This novel releases in early October this year, but trust me, you'll want to preorder your copy now!

For more information about The Governess of Highland Hall, Carrie Turansky or where you can preorder a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

The Governess of Highland Hall by Carrie Turansky

You can also find Carrie Turansky on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Governess of Highland Hall, you can visit WaterBrook Multnomah's website by clicking here. 

• Series: Edwardian Brides
• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Multnomah Books (October 15, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1601424965
• ISBN-13: 978-1601424969