Thursday, June 27, 2019

A Reluctant Belle (The Daughtry House Series #2) by Beth White













Title: A Reluctant Belle (The Daughtry House Series #2)
Author: Beth White
Pages: 368
Release Date: June 4, 2019
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Revell
Format: Paperback (also available in eBook)
Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to give a positive review. All of the opinions expressed are my own.

About the book:

     Impoverished Southern belle Joelle Daughtry has a secret. By day she has been helping her sisters in their quest to turn the run-down family plantation into a resort hotel after the close of the Civil War. But by night and under a male pseudonym, she has been penning articles for the local paper in support of the construction of a Negro school. With the Mississippi arm of the Ku Klux Klan gaining power and prestige, Joelle knows she is playing a dangerous game.

     When childhood enemy and current investor in the Daughtry house renovation Schuyler Beaumont takes over his assassinated father’s candidacy for state office, Joelle finds that in order to protect her family and her home, she and Schuyler will have to put aside their longstanding personal conflict and develop a united public front. The trouble is, what do you do when animosity becomes respect—and even love—if you’re already engaged to someone else?

My review:

     This is an incredible historical romance!

     I think that all of the central characters are extremely well developed. Joelle has to be my favorite with all of her insecurities and doubts. I can relate to her as far as how many of them she has. Yet she continues to strive to help other people and treat them fairly.

     Schuyler Beaumont finds himself having to grow up suddenly and face the realities of what life is truly like. Along with that he does a fair amount of kicking himself for not having been acting in a more adult manner for so long.

     I thoroughly enjoyed seeing how Joelle and Schuyler interact with each other. They suddenly find themselves seeing each other as their adult selves not the children that grew up as friends/foes.

     The plot of the story is very heavy in that it deals with the middle portion of the Reconstruction Era, five years after Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox. The presentation of the racial atmosphere of the time is very well done. I do appreciate the fact that the author chose not to use all of the very harsh language that would have been prevalent at the time. It made it a little easier for me to read.

     The wonderful book is getting a rating of 5 stars from me. I highly recommend it.


Disclaimer: *Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

Monday, June 17, 2019

Imagine... the Giant's Fall (The Imagine Series #4) by Matt Koceich













Title: Imagine… the Giants Fall (The Imagine Series #4)
Author: Matt Koceich
Pages: 112
Release Date: May 1, 2019
Genre: Pre-Teen
Publisher: Barbour Books
Format: eBook (also available in paperback)
Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All of the opinions expressed are my own.

About the book:

     The last thing fifth-grader Wren Evans remembers (before the world as she knew it disappeared) is getting off the school bus to discover her house engulfed in flames. What happens next can’t be explained as Wren finds herself in a beautiful valley with a shepherd named David—in ancient Israel! 

     Imagine . . . The Giant’s Fall is the fourth release in an exciting epic adventure series for kids age 8 to 12 written by schoolteacher Matt Koceich. The Imagine series brings the Bible to life for today’s kids as they ponder what it would be like to live through a monumental biblical event.

My review:

     An unusual look at a biblical story through a child’s eyes.

     Wren is a young girl with very deep heartaches. As she is trying to figure out life in today’s world and with today’s problems she suddenly finds herself getting an eyewitness view of a story she knows from the Bible. I love the fact that she does learn some valuable lessons through it. At the same time the story seems to have a number of very weird twists that made it hard to follow and understand.

     Because of the difficulty I had following the story I have decided to give this book a rating of 4 stars.


Disclaimer: *Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

The Liberty Bride (Daughters of the Mayflower #6) by MaryLu Tyndall













Title: The Liberty Bride (Daughters of the Mayflower #6)
Author: MaryLu Tyndall
Pages: 256
Year: 2018
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Barbour Books
Format: eBook (also available in paperback)
Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All of the opinions expressed are my own.

About the book:

     Lieutenant Owen Masters and Emeline Baratt meet on a British warship as sworn enemies. Where will Emeline place her loyalties when forced to spy against her country?

     War Forces a Choice Between Love and Country

    A trip home from England to Maryland in 1812 finds Emeline Baratt a captive on a British warship and forced to declare her allegiance between the British and Americans. Remaining somewhat politically neutral on a ship where her nursing skills are desperately needed is fairly easy—until she starts to have feelings for the first lieutenant who becomes her protector. However, when the captain sends her and Lieutenant Owen Masters on land to spy, she must choose between her love for him or her love for her country.

My review:

     This is an incredible historical romance!

     I love both Owen and Emeline. They are very well developed. They both have very painful memories of their fathers. These have formed their view of God. 

     Throughout this book they each have strong believers that are doing all they can to help them learn to trust God and rely on Him. I loved their separate journeys and how they intersect at various times.

     This author has a marvelous talent for writing pirate and privateer stories. This book doesn’t disappoint in this aspect. She has included plenty of action to keep the excitement level up. Her description of sailing vessels and all things involved in sailing in the early 1800s is fantastic.

     I loved this story and have decided to give it a rating of 5 stars. I am highly recommending it.


Disclaimer: *Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

Monday, June 3, 2019

The Number of Love (The Codebreakers #1) by Rosanna M. White













Title: The Number of Love (The Codebreakers #1)
Author: Roseanna M. White
Pages: 400
Release Date: June 4, 2019
Genre: Historical Romance (WWI)
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Format: Paperback
Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to give a positive review. All of the opinions expressed are my own.

About the book:

     The Toughest Puzzle She’ll Have to Solve
     Might Be the Wishes of Her Own Heart

     Three years into the Great War, England’s greatest asset is their intelligence network—field agents risking their lives to gather information, and codebreakers able to crack German telegrams for hints of the enemy’s plans. Margot De Wilde thrives in the environment of the secretive Room 40, where she spends her days deciphering intercepted messages. But when her world is turned upside down by an unexpected loss, she discovers for the first time in her life that numbers aren’t enough.

     Drake Elton returns wounded from the field, followed by an enemy who just won’t give up. He’s smitten quickly by the quick and brainy Margot, but soon the dangers of the war draw ever closer. Margot and Drake will have to team up to save themselves from the very secrets that brought them together.

My review:

     This is an amazing historical romance!

     I love each of the main characters in this book. There is quite a variety of personalities and unusual quirks among them. Some of them seemed to be very duplicitous and it was difficult at times to figure out their true motives.

There are many different languages that people use to express love. Margot has a language all her own. It totally captivated me to try and figure her out and see how others would communicate with her. 

     The fact that there was an intelligence network in place on both sides during WWI was not a surprise to me. I was fascinated by how intricate it was though. The plot of this story was very well developed and kept me enthralled. I was very caught up in the details and pulling for England to prevail in the spy game. Having quickly developed an emotional attachment to Drake, Margot, Dot and the others involved in the work done in Room 40 added to my deep interest.


     This wonderful book is getting a 5 star rating from me. I am highly recommending it. I am truly looking forward to seeing what comes next for the Codebreakers in Room 40.

About the Author: 

     Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award nominated author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. She and her family make their home in the beautiful mountains of West Virginia. You can learn more about her and her stories at www.RoseannaMWhite.com

Author Links:

Blog | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter | Website 


Book Buy Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christian Book | More


We first met Margot De Wilde in A Song Unheard (Shadows Over England #2). You can read my review of it here: https://godslittlebookworm.blogspot.com/2018/01/a-song-unheard-shadows-over-england-2.html 


Disclaimer: *Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*