Veiled in Smoke (The Windy City Saga #1) by Jocelyn Green

Title: Veiled in Smoke (The Windy City Saga #1)

Author: Jocelyn Green

Pages: 416

Year: 2020

Genre: Historical Romance

Publisher: Bethany House

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:

     Meg and Sylvie Townsend manage the family bookshop and care for their father, Stephen, a veteran still suffering in mind and spirit from his time as a POW during the Civil War. But when the Great Fire sweeps through Chicago’s business district, they lose much more than just their store.

     The sisters become separated from their father, and after Meg burns her hands in an attempt to save a family heirloom, they make a harrowing escape from the flames with the help of Chicago Tribune reporter Nate Pierce. Once the smoke clears away, they reunite with Stephen, only to learn soon after that their family friend not only died during the fire—he was murdered. Even more shocking, Stephen is charged with the crime and committed to the Cook County Insane Asylum.

     Though homeless, injured, and suddenly unemployed, Meg must not only gather the pieces of her shattered life, but prove her father’s innocence before the asylum truly drives him mad.

My review:

     This is a gripping historical novel!

     There is definitely a large element of romance in this story but the history is much more important in my mind. I love the four main characters. Meg, Stephen, Sylvie, and Nate are incredibly well developed. Watching the emotional growth of each of them was fantastic. As they grew I enjoyed seeing the changes in how they interacted with each other.

     I had read about the Great Chicago Fire in history class. It never really seemed real to me before reading this book. The fear and other emotions the people dealt with in the aftermath was palpable. My heart broke especially for Stephen as he was not only trying to deal with the current situation but also all of his memories and fears from his service in the Civil War.

     I thoroughly enjoyed seeing how they learned to depend on God to help them. The fact that multiple characters were able to bring scriptures to mind was a great reminder to me about the need to memorize scripture.

     I was completely captivated by this book. I’m giving it a rating of 5 stars and highly recommending it.

Disclaimer: *Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book for free in the hope that I would mention or review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I have 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.*

I'll Be Seeing You by Robin Lee Hatcher

 

Title: I’ll Be Seeing You

Author: Robin Lee Hatcher

Pages: 382

Release Date: June 7, 2022

Genre: Dual-time Novel

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

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:

     Generations of secrets unfold as a young college student learns the truth about her great-grandmother’s World War II heartbreak and love.

     Brianna Hastings’s life seems dull and full of disappointment until a handsome young man visits her church. She’s instantly smitten by the charming Greg, who leads an exciting, independent life—the kind of life she longs for. But when a college history assignment forces Brianna to interview her great-grandmother about life during World War II, she can’t believe it when Daisy presses her with questions about Greg’s character. “What sort of man is he? Who is he at his core?”

     What could her great-grandmother possibly know about love at first sight?

     The questions take both women back to Boise, Idaho, in the early 1940s, when war emphasized how fragile life could be. Daisy and her older sister pine for the same handsome bomber pilot—until one night of terrible judgment reveals their true characters and drives them apart. Trying to protect the people she loves the most, Daisy condemns herself to live a lie.

     In the years that follow, as Daisy grapples with the consequences, she receives unexpected grace from a man she’s known her whole life but never looked at twice. Could what she learned about love save Brianna from heartache three generations later?

  

My review:

     This is one of the most thought provoking novels that I have ever read!

     I really love Brianna, Daisy, Adam, Hannah, and Todd. I think that my favorite character though is Professor Meyer. He is mentioned but never actually in any of the dialogue. But the assignment that he gave to his college history class was absolutely fantastic! I sort of wish that I had had a teacher that gave that type of assignment. It took a student who hated history and turned her around.

     I was completely caught up in the plot of this book. Both time periods were captivating. They way that they related to each other was wonderful. I was extremely happy to see how both Brianna and Daisy grew and matured. It was wonderful to see the growth in their relationships with God.

     I find that I have no choice but to give this marvelous book a rating of 5 stars. I highly recommend it. I usually don’t review books this far ahead of their release. I would suggest that you pre-order it so that you won’t forget to get it.

Disclaimer: *Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book for free in the hope that I would mention or review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I have 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 Sugarcreek Surprise (Creektown Discoveries #2) by Wanda E. Brunstetter

Title: The Sugarcreek Surprise (Creektown Discoveries #2)

Author: Wanda E. Brunstetter

Pages: 320

Release Date: March 1, 2022

Genre: Amish Romance

Publisher: Barbour Fiction

Format: eBook (also available in paperback)

Note: I received a complimentary copy of the 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:

     Welcome to Sugarcreek, Ohio, where the Amish schoolteacher has a determined admirer. Tragically losing her parents as a child, Lisa Miller has grown up being afraid of loving and losing. She dedicates herself to teaching at an Amish schoolhouse and helping the grandparents who raised her, all the while avoiding the advances of newcomer Paul Herschberger. Paul enjoys antiques and meets Orley Troyer while looking for unique old milk bottles at yard sales. Orley and his wife offer prayers and advice as Paul tries to reach Lisa’s closed heart. But when secrets are revealed, will Lisa use them as an excuse to close herself off again?

My review:

     This is a delightful Amish romance!

     Both Paul and Lisa are very well developed. I felt a lot of compassion for Lisa very quickly after meeting her. She had a lot of tragedy in her childhood and was still carrying the scars from it emotionally. I desperately wanted to see her work through the pain and move on with her life. Paul was also trying to move on from a painful situation. I enjoyed seeing how Paul and Lisa were able to develop a friendship and then use that to heal. 

     The plot of this story was wonderful. There was plenty of hardship and troubles that Lisa and Paul had to deal with that helped them grow. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing how Lois and Orley Troyer, along with older family members, were able to support both of them and encourage them to trust God with what they were going through.

     I’m giving this delightful book a rating of 5 stars. I highly recommend it. The main characters from the first book in the series are mentioned, but there is no reason to read it first.

Disclaimer: *Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book for free in the hope that I would mention or review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I have 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.*

High-Wire Heartbreak (Door to the Past) by Anna Schmidt

Title: High-Wire Heartbreak (Doors to the Past)

Author: Anna Schmidt

Pages: 256

Release Date: January 1, 2022

Genre: Dual-time Novel

Publisher: Barbour Publishing

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:

     In 1936—A party at the Ringling mansion Ca d’Zan in Sarasota, Florida, leads to a robbery—and possibly death.

     A successful historical mystery writer, Chloe Whitfield come to Ca d’Zan to research her next novel. Chloe’s fascination with the circus is rooted in family stories of her great-grandmother Lucinda Conroy, who reportedly was a trapeze artist of some renown. She’s heard hints of scandal—and perhaps larceny, but no details.

     Chloe’s grandmother—rumored to be Lucinda’s only offspring—was raised in an orphanage and never knew her mother. Intrigued as she is, Chloe has no intent of writing about Lucinda until she sees a poster featuring Lucinda as the star performer for a 70th birthday gala for John Ringling in May of 1936. From there the trail goes cold.

     Who was Lucinda and what happened to her?

My review:

     This is an absolutely incredible dual-time novel!

     I totally love the main characters in both time periods. Chloe and Ian are great. Watching their interactions change as the story goes along was a lot of fun. Then when we got to the 1936 storyline I was quickly captivated by Lucy and Bernardo. They were all surrounded by a full cast of supporting characters in each period.

     I was fascinated by the procedures that were described for doing research in a museum’s archive. I’m amazed thinking about all of the work that takes place to piece together historical stories. I was enthralled by the details that were included in connecting the two stories into one cohesive book.

     I’m giving this wonderful book a rating of 5 stars. 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 or review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I have 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.*

Her Darling Mr. Day (American Royalty #2) by Grace Hitchcock

Title: Her Darling Mr. Day (American Royalty #2)

Author: Grace Hitchcock

Pages: 364

Release Date: January 4, 2022

Genre: Historical Romance

Publisher: Bethany House

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:

     Jilted in front of all New York, Theodore Day decides to lose himself in his family’s luxury riverboat business in New Orleans and compete against his brother to become the next company head. The brother with the most sales by summer’s end will win the position. Thanks to Theodore’s fame as a suitor in Willow Dupre’s outlandish competition to find a husband, he has become veery desirable royalty in southern society and thus has an advantage.

     It took Flora Wingfield’s best work to convince her family to summer in New Orleans, but with Teddy Day a bachelor once again, she’s leaving nothing to chance. Desperate to stand out from all the clamoring belles, Flora attempts a bold move that goes completely awry, only to find it’s her interior design skills that finally catch his notice.

     But when Flora learns her father has matchmaking schemes of his own, Teddy will have to decide where his happiness truly lies and what he is willing to sacrifice for it.

My review:

     This is a delightful historical romance.

     I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know both Flora and Teddy. They were both in the first book in this series but we get to know so much more about their personalities in this one. Flora was at the center of a number of very funny scenes. She really needed to learn how to listen to what she was told though.

     There was a great plot with scheming, danger, and mistaken intentions that ran throughout the book. It kept my attention and provided me with a lot of entertainment.

     I’m giving this wonderful book a rating of 5 stars. I highly recommend it. I do suggest that you read the first book in the series before this one.

Disclaimer: *Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book for free in the hope that I would mention or review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I have 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.*

To Treasure an Heiress (The Secrets of the Isles #2) by Roseanna M. White

Title: To Treasure an Heiress (The Secrets of the Isles #2)

Author: Roseanna M. White

Pages: 384

Release Date: January 4, 2022

Genre: Historical Romance

Publisher: Bethany House

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:

     Beth Tremayne has always been drawn to adventure. During her childhood, she felt that desire by exploring every inch of the Isles of Scilly. As an adolescent, she dreamed of love in London’s ballrooms. Now stumbling across an old map on her family’s property, she’s found more adventure than she ever craved in the hunt for pirate treasure. Unfortunately, Beth can’t escape the attentions of her family’s guest, Lord Sheridan.

     Sheridan has spent years pursuing whatever archaeological interests caught his imagination. And when he discovers that Beth’s search connects with one of his favorite pirates of history, he can’t help getting involved. Plus, he finds her irresistible, even though she insists he stole a prized possession of hers.

     As they work together following different clues and drawing closer to danger, they start to piece together a story of tragic love and piratical adventure. But the true surprise is the treasure they discover in each other.

My review:

     I love this amazing historical romance novel!

     There is an incredible cast of characters in this book. They are so well developed, and have a very wide variety of personalities, that I was captivated getting to know them. My absolute favorite character is Mamm-wynn. She is wonderful. I enjoyed seeing how Beth and Sheridan interacted with each other. Their verbal sparing was very entertaining.

     The treasure hunt kept my interest throughout the story. I had so much fun learning the style of research each person had. I loved finding out how all of the differences came together to answer the questions about Rupert, the pirate prince.

     There is a lot of heart searching and discussion about God in this book. Many of the characters went through a period where their faith grew and matured. Each journey was as different as their personalities.

     I’m giving this incredible book a rating of 5 stars. The romance is a stand-alone story. But I truly believe that the story will have more meaning if book one in the series is read first. I highly recommend these books. I’m looking forward to finding out what happens in the next book.

Disclaimer: *Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book for free in the hope that I would mention or review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I have 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.*