Tag Archives: Historical Fiction

Review: Refining Fire

14 Jul

Refining Fire

Refining Fire by Tracie Peterson

Purchase a copy:
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Christianbook | DeeperShopping

Militine Scott, twenty-two, is in training at the Madison School for Brides in Seattle, Washington. Though she has no intention of pursuing marriage–believing no man will have her–she has found the school provides the perfect opportunity to hide her unsavory past.

Thane Patton, though fun loving and fiercely loyal to his friends, hides a dark secret, as well. He finds himself drawn to Militine, sensing a haunting pain similar to his own.

Will they finally allow God to make something new and beautiful from the debris of the past?

 

My thoughts:

Refining Fire is an engaging story rich in history! Although it is the second book in the Brides of Seattle series, I believe this story easily stands on its own. I have not read the first book, Steadfast Heart, and had no trouble following the story line.

Tracie Peterson’s love of research is evident in her stories, and the imagery and details she included in Refining Fire allowed me to envision the setting and the events that transpired during this time. I really enjoyed the historical aspects of the story, as well as the spiritual messages that were included. I also enjoyed visiting the Madison School for Brides and getting to know the well-crafted characters and experiencing their stories. With elements of drama and intrigue, Refining Fire is an enjoyable historical romance. I look forward to continuing the series in the next book, Love Everlasting.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Bethany House Blogger Reviewer program in exchange for an unbiased review. I appreciate the opportunity to read this story and share my thoughts.

 

Tracie Peterson

Tracie Peterson is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than one hundred books. Tracie also teaches writing workshops at a variety of conferences on subjects such as inspirational romance and historical research. She and her family live in Montana.

Visit Tracie’s web site at: http://www.traciepeterson.com

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Review: Beyond the Ashes

9 Jul

Beyond the Ashes

Beyond the Ashes by Karen Barnett

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1IGu1bg

Where better to rebuild and face one’s fears than in 1906 San Francisco, a city rising from the ashes?

Ruby Marshall, a young widow, is certain she’ll discover new purpose assisting her brother Robert with his cancer research, but she doesn’t anticipate finding new love.

Dr. Gerald Larkspur dreams of filling his empty home with family, but he’d always hoped it would be a wife and children. In the aftermath of the great earthquake, the rooms are overflowing with extended family and friends left homeless by the disaster. When Robert’s widowed sister arrives, the close quarters seem close indeed.

Ruby and Gerald s fledgling romance is put at risk when Gerald develops symptoms of the very disease they’re striving to cure. Together they must ask is it worth a second chance at love when time might be short?

My thoughts:

The beauty of Beyond the Ashes extends well beyond its lovely cover! I loved this dramatic, emotional story and the spiritual messages that are woven through its tapestry.

Set in 1906 San Francisco, Karen Barnett transports readers to this historic city in the months following a devastating earthquake. I really enjoyed the descriptions of the city and its atmosphere as the community worked to rebuild and recover. I also enjoyed the medical details that were given regarding the research and procedures that were being used to fight cancer. This vivid imagery, coupled with excellent characterization, brought the story to life for me. Barnett deftly expresses the feelings and emotions of her characters, and I loved experiencing their journeys.

Beyond the Ashes is a captivating story, and I look forward to reading more of The Golden Gate Chronicles!

I received a complimentary copy of Beyond the Ashes through Litfuse Publicity in exchange for an unbiased review. I appreciate the opportunity to read this story and share my thoughts.

Landing page:
http://litfusegroup.com/author/kbarnett

 

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Karen Barnett

Karen Barnett is the author of Beyond the Ashes, Out of the Ruins, and Mistaken.  Named the 2013 Writer of Promise by Oregon Christian Writers, Karen lives in Albany, Oregon, with her husband and two kids. When she’s not writing novels, she loves speaking at women’s events, libraries, and book clubs.

Find Karen online: website, Twitter, Facebook

 

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Review: In Good Company

6 Jul

In Good Company

In Good Company by Jen Turano

Purchase a copy:
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Christianbook | DeeperShopping

After spending her childhood in an orphanage, Millie Longfellow is determined to become the best nanny the East Coast has ever seen. Unfortunately, her playfulness and enthusiasm tend to bring about situations that have employers looking askance at her methods. After her most recent dismissal, Millie is forced to return yet again to an employment agency.

Everett Mulberry has suddenly and quite unexpectedly found himself responsible for three children he’s never met. Attempting fatherhood while also pacifying the less-than-thrilled socialite he intends to marry is made even more complicated when the children scare off every nanny he hires. About to depart for Newport, Rhode Island, for the summer, he’s desperate for competent childcare.

At wit’s end with both Millie and Everett, the employment agency gives them one last chance–with each other. Everett is wary of Millie’s penchant for disaster, and she’s not entirely keen on another snobby, grumpy employer, but they’re both out of options. As Millie falls in love with her mischievous charges and tries to stay one step ahead of them, Everett is more focused on achieving the coveted status of society’s upper echelons. As he investigates the suspicious circumstances surrounding the children’s parents’ death, will it take the loss of those he loves to learn whose company he truly wants for the rest of his life?

 

My thoughts:

In Good Company is pure delight! With a writing voice all her own, Jen Turano has penned another imaginative tale that I believe is her best yet!

Millie Longfellow endeared herself to me in After a Fashion and I have been anxiously awaiting her story. This quirky character elicited non-stop smiles and laughter as I read In Good Company. I loved Millie’s creativity and charm as she dealt with her mischievous charges and her employer. Everett Mulberry was a bit obtuse and frustrating at times, especially with regard to the dreadful Caroline Dixon, but I enjoyed his transformation as the story progressed. Full of humor and heart, In Good Company is a must read! I adore Jen Turano and can’t wait for more of her fantastic stories!

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. I appreciate the opportunity to read this story and share my thoughts.

 

Jen TuranoJen Turano is the acclaimed author of The Ladies of Distinction Series, published through Bethany House publishers. Her second novel, A Most Peculiar Circumstance, was chosen by Booklist as a Top Ten Romance for 2013. Her fourth book, A Match of Wits, released in July, 2014, while a new series, A Class of Their Own, will begin hitting the shelves in early 2015. She is a member of ACFW and makes her home outside of Denver, Colorado with her husband and teenage son.

Author links:
Website | Facebook

 

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Review + GIVEAWAY: The Lumberjacks’ Ball

26 Jun

Lumberjacks_ Ball cover

The Lumberjacks’ Ball by Carrie Fancett Pagels

Purchase a copy: http://amzn.to/1LvRx0G

A decade after surviving a brutal attack, a mercantile owner’s daughter begins her life anew in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. A gifted craftsman wishes to leave the lumber camp and seeks employment at her new store. When his presence dredges up memories she wishes to suppress, the proprietress must learn to face her past and open her heart. When complications arise, will they overcome adversity in time for The Lumberjack’s Ball?

My thoughts:

The Lumberjacks’ Ball is a wonderful short novel! Carrie Fancett Pagels is a terrific wordsmith, evoking imagery and emotion from the first words until the last. She skillfully brings her beautiful setting, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, to life, as well as her endearing characters. Brimming with drama, intrigue, and romance, Rebecca and Garrett’s story is captivating!

The Lumberjacks’ Ball is the second book in The Christy Lumber Camp Series, following The Fruitcake Challenge. I loved both of these stories and look forward to more!

 

Giveaway- CFPagelsThank you so much, Carrie, for offering this generous giveaway!  To enter, please leave a comment, along with your email address. This giveaway ends Friday, July 3 at 11:59 p.m. CDT.

To earn additional entries, you may do the following:

◦Follow my blog, Buzzing About Books
◦Share this giveaway through Facebook, Twitter, your blog, or email

Be sure and leave a comment letting me know what you have done to earn additional entries.

 

Carrie brick headshot pmConnect with Carrie:

Carrie Fancett Pagels Ph.D. is an award-winning, best-selling, and multi-published Christian historical romance author. Carrie was a psychologist for twenty-five years. Married for twenty-seven years with two children. Carrie resides in Virginia’s Historic Triangle and enjoys reading, traveling and researching. She’s a finalist for the 2014 Maggie Awards for Excellence.

Website | Blog- Overcoming with God | Blog- Colonial Quills | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads | LinkedIn

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Review: Love’s Rescue

25 Jun

Love's Rescue

Love’s Rescue by Christine Johnson

Purchase Links:
Amazon | Barnes and Noble

When her mother dies, Elizabeth Benjamin heads home to Key West, determined to transform herself into the perfect Southern belle her parents always wished her to be. But nothing goes according to plan. Her crippled brother resents her, the servants do not obey her, and Rourke O’Malley, the dashing man she vowed to forget, refuses to relinquish his hold on her heart. Worst of all, it becomes painfully obvious that her father is not the upright man he appears to be.

As family secrets come to light, Elizabeth is faced with a difficult choice: to do her duty and abandon her dreams, or to leave her life of privilege behind to chase the man her father sees as little better than a pirate.

From the first emotional page, author Christine Johnson throws readers into a world of impossible choices, hidden desires, and heart-melting romance in the steamy south. Readers will cheer for Elizabeth and Rourke as they battle the odds and the elements to secure their future.

My thoughts:

Love’s Rescue is a captivating story of adventure and romance! Christine Johnson’s writing is beautiful and she deftly swept me away to historical Key West. The island setting comes to life on the pages, as do the characters and their story.

Elizabeth Benjamin and Rourke O’Malley are wonderful characters and their dramatic story beguiled me with its intrigue, emotion, and romance. I loved Love’s Rescue and look forward to continuing this compelling series!

I received a complimentary copy of Love’s Rescue from the author. I appreciate the opportunity to read this book and share my honest opinion.

 

Christine Johnson

A small-town Michigan girl, Christine Johnson has lived in every corner of the state’s Lower Peninsula. After trying her hand at music and art, she returned to her first love–story. She holds degrees in English and library studies and works part-time as a librarian. She feels blessed to write for Love Inspired and doubly blessed that two of her manuscripts were finalists for Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart® award.

When not at the computer keyboard, she loves to hike, kayak, and explore God’s majestic creation. She and her husband split their time between northern Michigan and the Florida Keys.

Christine enjoys hearing from readers through her web site at http://www.christineelizabethjohnson.com.

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Review: A Heart’s Betrayal | Melt Into Summer Giveaway

24 Jun

A Heart's Betrayal

A Heart’s Betrayal by Colleen Coble

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1B65ZsM

Emmie finds shelter in the arms of a soldier, but her secret could drive them apart.

When Emmie Croftner answered the door to her late husband’s home, she discovered an awful truth: her deceased husband was a bigamist. And what’s more, the home she thought she inherited never belonged to her at all.

Suddenly displaced, powerless, and ashamed, Emmie can’t stay in Wabash, Indiana. She makes a hopeful start for Fort Laramie, Wyoming, to find her friend Sarah Montgomery and a new beginning. But when she arrives, she discovers she’s pregnant—and without a husband. The new start she’d hoped for slips from her fingers.

But then she meets Isaac Liddle, a handsome soldier with a kind heart. When he begins to court her, Emmie wonders whether she could ever really be his—and whether she dares to tell him she is carrying another man’s baby.

My thoughts:

A Heart’s Betrayal is another great story in the Journey of the Heart serialization!  As the end of this journey draws closer and closer, the more anxious I become to find out what will happen next.  Each short story has left me eager for the next, and A Heart’s Betrayal is no exception. 

In this fourth installment of the serialization, readers are introduced to Emmie Croftner, Ben Croftner’s sister.   When Emmie’s world is turned upside down, she seeks a fresh start in Wyoming with childhood friend Sarah Montgomery.  While this story is not as action-packed as those that have preceded it, I thought the slower pace was well-suited to the dramatic story line.  I enjoyed meeting Emmie, as well as catching up with Rand and Sarah and Jacob and Amelia, and I can’t wait to continue their stories.   

The Journey of the Heart serialization begins with A Heart’s Disguise and includes six installments that will release monthly from March through August. These stories were originally published in two books, Where Leads the Heart and Plains of Promise.

A complimentary copy of A Heart’s Betrayal was provided to me through Litfuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review. I appreciate the opportunity to read this book and offer my honest opinion.

Landing page:
http://litfusegroup.com/author/ccoble

 

Melt into summer with a new giveaway from Colleen: four books (books one–four in Colleen’s A Journey of the Heart series) and a box of chocolates to pair with your new books!

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One grand prize winner will receive:
  • A copy of A Heart’s Betrayal
  • A box of Colleen’s favorite chocolate truffles from DeBrand Fine Chocolates
  • A copy of A Heart’s Disguise
  • A copy of A Heart’s Obsession
  • A copy of A Heart’s Danger

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on June 30th. Winner will be announced July 1st on Colleen’s website.

heartsbetrayal-enterbanner

 

Colleen Coble

Colleen Coble has sold over 2 million novels worldwide. Seagrass Pier, the third installment in her acclaimed Hope Beach series, marks a new highpoint for emotion and complexity in Coble’s addictive brand of romantic suspense.

Find Colleen online: website, Facebook, Twitter

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Review: The Mapmaker’s Children

14 Jun

The Mapmaker's Children

The Mapmaker’s Children by Sarah McCoy

Sarah Brown, the vibrant, talented daughter of abolitionist John Brown, is dynamically changed when she stumbles onto her father’s work on the Underground Railroad shortly after being told the shocking news that she won’t ever bear children. Realizing that her artistic talents may be able to help save the lives of slaves fleeing north, she becomes one of the movement’s leading mapmakers, hiding maps within her paintings while bigotry and hatred steer the country toward a bloody civil war.

Interwoven with Sarah’s adventure is the present-day story of Eden, a modern woman desperate to conceive a child with her husband, who moves to an old house in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. and discovers a porcelain head hidden in the root cellar—the remains of an Underground Railroad doll with an extraordinary past of secret messages, danger and deliverance. Sarah and Eden’s connection bridges the past and present, forcing each of them to define courage, family, love, and legacy in a new way.

 

My thoughts:

The Mapmaker’s Children is dramatic, intriguing, and full of emotion!  Sarah McCoy skillfully weaves fact and fiction together in this dual time-period narrative.  I love historical fiction, so I really enjoyed the history of Sarah Brown and her family and their work with the Underground Railroad.  While the historical story line was my favorite, I also enjoyed the contemporary story line and the threads that tied the past and present together.  I really enjoyed this compelling story and look forward to reading more from this talented author!

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Blogging for Books and appreciate the opportunity to offer my honest opinion.

 

sarah mccoy

SARAH McCOY is the author of the New York Times, USA Today, and international bestseller The Baker’s Daughter, a 2012 Goodreads Choice Award Best Historical Fiction nominee. Her first novel is The Time It Snowed in Puerto Rico.

Sarah’s work has been featured in Real Simple, The Millions, Your Health Monthly, Huffington Post and other publications. She has taught English writing at Old Dominion University and at the University of Texas at El Paso.

The daughter of an Army officer, her family was stationed in Germany during her childhood. She calls Virginia home but presently lives with her husband, an Army physician, and dog, Gilbert, in El Paso, Texas.

Her novella “The Branch of Hazel,” featured in the anthology Grand Central (Penguin), releases July 1, 2014. Her third novel The Mapmaker’s Children releases from Crown May 5, 2015.

To learn more about Sarah and her books, please visit her website. 

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Review: Hearts Made Whole | Prize Pack Giveaway and Facebook Party

13 Jun

Hearts Made Whole

Hearts Made Whole by Jody Hedlund

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1eN4pC8

Hearts Made Whole is a captivating story!  The superb imagery and characterization pulled me into the pages and swept me away to 1865 Michigan.  I felt such compassion for the characters in this story!  Ryan Chambers, who we met in Book 1, Love Unexpected, is a haunted hero.  This war veteran has come to the Windmill Point Lighthouse to hide from his past and, instead, finds himself and his future.  Caroline Taylor, the heroine, assumes the care of her family and the lighthouse after her father’s death and does so with strength and tenacity.  In addition to the main characters, there are also several secondary characters who evoked strong emotions as I read.    

I loved the historical details, spiritual themes, gripping suspense, and tender romance found in Hearts Made Whole.  Jody Hedlund masterfully weaves these threads together, creating a most compelling story!    I highly recommend Hearts Made Whole, as well as the other stories in the Beacons of Hope series.  While each story stands alone, there is a special thread that runs through the series and is such a beautiful part of each story.  As thoughts of this story linger, I anxiously await the release of Book 3, Undaunted Hope.

A complimentary copy of this book was provided to me through Litfuse Publicity.  I appreciate the opportunity to read this book and share my honest opinion.

Landing page:
http://litfusegroup.com/author/jhedlund

 

Celebrate the release of Hearts Made Whole by entering to win an Afternoon at the Beach prize pack and RSVPing to Jody’s June 23rd author chat party!

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One grand prize winner will receive:

One second-place winner will receive:

One third-place winner will receive:

hearts made whole - prize colalge
Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on June 23rd.Winner will be announced June 23rd at Jody’s Facebook party. RSVP here!
hearts made whole - enter banner

 

About the book:

Can she forgive the hurting man who costs her the role she loves?

After her father’s death, Caroline Taylor has grown confident running the Windmill Point Lighthouse. But in 1865 Michigan, women aren’t supposed to have such roles, so it’s only a matter of time before the lighthouse inspector appoints a new keeper—even though Caroline has nowhere else to go and no other job available to her.

Ryan Chambers is a Civil War veteran still haunted by the horrors of battle. He’s secured the position of lighthouse keeper mostly for the isolation—the chance to hide from his past is appealing. He’s not expecting the current keeper to be a feisty and beautiful woman who’s angry with him for taking her job and for his inability to properly run the light. When his failings endanger others, he and Caroline realize he’s in no shape to run the lighthouse, but he’s unwilling to let anyone close enough to help. Caroline feels drawn to this wounded soul, but with both of them relying on that single position, can they look past their loss to a future filled with hope…and possibly love?

 

Jody Hedlund picJody Hedlund is an award-winning and bestselling historical fiction author. She won the 2011 Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award, the 2011 Award of Excellence from the Colorado Romance Writers and was a finalist for Best Debut Novel in the 2011 ACFW Carol Awards. Currently she makes her home in central Michigan, with her husband and five busy children. She loves hearing from readers on Facebook and on her blog.

Find Jody online: website, Twitter, Facebook

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Review: Now and Forever

8 Jun

Now and Forever

Now and Forever by Mary Connealy

Purchase links:
Amazon | Barnes and Noble

A grizzly bear, sheep, and wolves!  Oh my!  I can always count on Mary Connealy to humor me with her stories, and she certainly delivered the laughs in Now and Forever.  She also delivered drama, danger, and intrigue in this Wilde adventure. 

I loved Shannon Wilde and Matt Tucker!  Shannon is an independent woman who is determined to maintain her homestead and tend her sheep.  Matt is a mountain man content to hunt and trap and live off the land.  These two are entertaining characters and the fireworks between them are fun to behold!   

Now and Forever is another delightful story in the Wild at Heart series.  I love these feisty sisters and can’t wait to read Book 3, Fire and Ice! 

I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Bethany House Blogger Reviewer program. All thoughts expressed are my own and no monetary compensation was received.

 

About the book:

Saddle up for romance and adventure with the Wilde sisters!

Shannon Wilde is the middle sister–and the one who loves animals. She’s established her own homestead and is raising sheep for their wool. Things are going fine…until Shannon gets swept over a cliff by Matthew Tucker!

Tucker seizes every opportunity to get away from civilization, but one particular walk in the woods ends with him sprinting away from an angry grizzly and plunging into a raging river, accidentally taking Shannon Wilde with him. Their adventure in the wilderness results in the solitary mountain man finding himself hitched to a young woman with a passel of relatives, a homestead, and a flock of sheep to care for.

As Tucker and Shannon learn to live with each other, strange things begin to happen on Shannon’s land. Someone clearly wants to drive her off, but whoever it is apparently didn’t count on Tucker. Trying to scare Matthew Tucker just makes him mad–and trying to hurt the woman he’s falling in love with sets off something even he never expected.

 

Mary Conneally

 

Mary Connealy writes romantic comedy…with cowboys.
http://www.maryconnealy.com
She is a Carol Award winner, and a Rita, Christy and Inspirational Reader’s Choice finalist.

 

 

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Review: A Heart’s Danger | Perfect Pairing Giveaway

21 May

A Heart's Danger

A Heart’s Danger by Colleen Coble

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1G01e4s

On the brink of war with the Sioux, Sarah risks everything to expose the betrayal threatening the man she loves.

Christmas is coming, and the air at Fort Laramie has turned cold . . . but relations with the Sioux have turned colder. As tensions between soldiers and natives approach a tipping point, a trap has been set for Rand Campbell.  Rand’s new fiancée wants to keep him from returning to Sarah Montgomery . . . for whom his heart clearly still yearns.

Sarah just wants to move on with her life at Fort Laramie, but doing so under the watchful eyes of both Campbell—the man whose love she craves—and Croftner—the man whose lies have cost her everything.

Will Rand fall victim to the conspiracy and go through with his wedding? Or will he declare his love for Sarah and make good on the promises that brought her into the rugged western territories?

My thoughts:

A Heart’s Danger is a gripping story!  This third installment of the Journey of the Heart serialization is brimming with drama, intrigue, and danger, as tensions mount and conspiracies abound.  I am really enjoying this serialization and can’t wait to find out what will happen next.  Once again, Colleen Coble has enthralled me and left me anxiously awaiting next month’s release!   

The Journey of the Heart serialization begins with A Heart’s Disguise and includes six installments that will release monthly from March through August. These stories were originally published in two books, Where Leads the Heart and Plains of Promise.

A complimentary copy of A Heart’s Danger was provided to me through Litfuse Publicity. I appreciate the opportunity to read this book and offer my honest opinion.

Landing page:
http://litfusegroup.com/author/ccoble

 

Enter to win the perfect pairing giveaway: three books (books one–three in Colleen’s A Journey of the Heart series) and coffee to pair with your new book!

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One grand prize winner will receive:

  • A copy of A Heart’s Danger
  • A pound of Colleen’s favorite coffee, Captain Davy’s Coffee Roaster Costa Rican
  • A copy of A Heart’s Disguise
  • A copy of A Heart’s Obsession

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 31st. Winner will be announced June 1st on Colleen’s website.

heartsdanger-enterbanner

 

Colleen Coble

Colleen Coble has sold over 2 million novels worldwide. Seagrass Pier, the third installment in her acclaimed Hope Beach series, marks a new highpoint for emotion and complexity in Coble’s addictive brand of romantic suspense.

Find Colleen online: website, Facebook, Twitter

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