Wonderful Historical Romance! 'Tidewater Bride' - by Laura Frantz

 

About the book:

They're both too busy for love . . . but love is not too busy for them

Selah Hopewell seems to be the only woman in Virginia Colony who has no wish to wed. True, there are too many men and far too few women in James Towne. But Selah already has her hands full assisting her father in the family's shop. And now she is in charge of an incoming ship of tobacco brides who must be looked after as they sort through their many suitors.

Xander Renick is perhaps the most eligible tobacco lord in the settlement. His lands are vast, his crops are prized, and his position as a mediator between the colonists and the powerful Powhatan nation surrounding them makes him indispensable. But Xander is already wedded to his business and still grieves the loss of his wife.

Can two fiercely independent people find happiness and fulfillment on their own? Or will they discover that what they've been missing in life has been right in front of them all along?

My review:

This was a wonderful story full of fascinating history and sweet romance!  Both Selah and Xander were wonderful characters, honorable and aiming to follow Christ in word and deed, even when it was extremely hard and even life-threatening.  I really admired their integrity and bravery in the face of all of the uncertainty of the time period and place where they were living.  It really reminded me to be grateful for all of the blessings I have.  It was fascinating learning more about the Powhatan nation and the history of the settler's interactions with them and also about the tobacco brides coming from England, along with the early beginning of slavery.  There was really a variety of history in this book! The romance was sweet, slowly building with many romantic moments or hints of something there.  There was also exciting action and the story was well-written.  I highly recommend this is you like historical fiction!

I received this book free from Revell.  I was not compensated for this book.  All opinions are my own.

           The Author

1. 

   Laura Frantz

   Laura Frantz is a Christy Award winner and the ECPA bestselling author of eleven novels, including An Uncommon Woman, The Frontiersman's Daughter, Courting Morrow Little, The Colonel's Lady, The Lacemaker, and A Bound...

   Continue reading about Laura Frantz 

Fun Historical! 'Red Canary' - by Rachel Scott McDaniel

 

About the book:

In 1928, soot from the local mills and music from speakeasies linger in the Pittsburgh air. When the manager of The Kelly Club is found dead, nightclub singer Vera Pembroke is thrust into peril. As the only witness to the crime, she’s sentenced to hide away in the Allegheny Forest with a stuffy police sergeant as her guardian.

Sergeant Mick Dinelo harbors a burning hatred for Pittsburgh’s underworld after the devastation it left on his life—and heart. He should be out exposing the culpable gangsters rather than tending to the impetuous woman who defies his every effort to keep her safe.

Mick and Vera must set aside their differences to solve the murder that someone wants to keep buried beneath the soot of Steel City.

My review:

This was a wonderful story full of sass, excitement and the 20s!  Vera was a tough lady, having survived a rough childhood and now a singer in a speakeasy during Prohibition and dating a questionable character.  She's sassy and independent, sometimes to her own detriment.  The only men she's ever known are takers and she can't trust anyone.  Mick was a wonderfully honorable man who's protective and fights for justice, even when a lot of the cops around him might be dirty.  He feels guilty over a traumatic incident in his past and has a strong faith.  There were some wonderful other characters in this story who gave great advice to them both and were full of wisdom and love.  There's a wonderful faith element as Vera's trying to find her way in life but nothing's going right for her;  the story also dealt with the importance of forgiveness and letting go of guilt.  The action was great and the banter was amusing.  There were also some great romantic moments.  I loved the references to culture in the 20s and found myself googling what something might mean then.  I really felt immersed in the time period!  I would highly recommend this wonderful story!

I received a free ebook from JustRead Tours.  I was not compensated for this review.  All opinions are my own.

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Wonderful! 'Joy to the World' - by Carolyn Miller, Amanda Barratt & Erica Vetsch

Joy to the World

About the book:

Inspirational Regency romance with a Christmas twist from three best-selling authors

In Joy to the World, three popular authors come together to offer a heartwarming collection of holiday Regency romance. Based on lines from a beloved Christmas carol, these three novellas in one book have depth, faith, and satisfying stories all packed into the perfect length for readers to curl up and take a brief break from their holiday busyness.

"Heaven and Nature Sing" by Carolyn Miller
Two music lovers, deeply devoted to each other, were on the brink of engagement when family circumstances drove them apart. How can they ever overcome their obligations and fears to find their way back into each other's arms?

"Far as the Curse is Found" by Amanda Barratt
One winter night, a woman struggling to provide for her illegitimate child encounters a scarred veteran of the Napoleonic Wars on the streets of London. Can love conquer the darkness of two broken pasts?

"Wonders of His Love" by Erica Vetsch
A Scots portrait painter with a hidden identity finds work at a noble manor house over the holidays. He never imagined he'd fall in love with the emotionally frozen widow there. Now he wants nothing more than to thaw her heart.

 

My review:

This was such a wonderful collection of Regency stories!  There was a good mix of lost love, redemption, forgiveness, new love and faith.  Some of the characters were strong Christians, one finds faith, there were many prayers said and a church service or two attended.  It was interesting to see people from different classes interacting and sometimes falling in love.  It was fun to see characters from previous books show up yet these stories read very well as stand-alones.  There was some wonderful romance and it was so satisfying to see these characters who had been through so much find love.  The writing was very well done.  The stories had depth and didn't feel rushed as so many novellas do.  This is one of the best novella collections I've ever read!  I highly recommend it!

I received this book from Kregel Publications.  I was not compensated for this review.  All opinions are my own.

Softly Blows the Bugle - Amish of Weaver's Creek 3 - by Jan Drexler

 

About the book:

Welcome back to the Amish community at Weaver's Creek, where the bonds of family and faith bind up the brokenhearted.

When Elizabeth Kaufman received the news of her husband's death at the Battle of Vicksburg in 1863, she felt only relief. She determined that she would never be at the mercy of any man again, even if it meant not having a family of her own. Then along came Aaron Zook . . .

Despite the severity of his injuries, Aaron has resolved to move west and leave the pain of the past behind him. He never imagined that the Amish way of life his grandfather had rejected long ago would be so enticing. That, and a certain widow he can't get out of his mind.

Yet, even in a simple community, life has a way of getting complicated. Aaron soon finds that while he may have left the battlefield behind, there is another fight he must win--the one for the heart of the woman he loves.

My review:

This was an interesting story set in a fascinating time of history, right after the Civil War ended.  Aaron's friend, Jonas, comes back from the war wanting to marry Katie and has to be allowed to join the church to do that.  It was interesting to see how he was viewed for going to fight and the discussion to decide if he would be allowed to.  I really felt for Elizabeth and all she had gone through and that's why I was so surprised that she was swayed so easily to fall for Solomon, a new Amish man in town.  Even when she had misgivings and there were warning signs that he might not be all he seemed, she convinced herself it was fine.  I also felt like she made a couple of really dumb decisions.  For those reasons I was pretty frustrated for a while with her.   I get that she thought she would get her dream after all but still.  She obviously had issues from her marriage and didn't really understand grace or forgiveness as she kept punishing herself for past choices, despite having grown up in the Amish faith.  I really liked Aaron as he was self-sacrificing, gentle and determined.  He had much to learn about the Amish faith and lifestyle plus he had turned away from God as a child when his mother died.  There were a few sweet romantic moments and some suspenseful ones.  There was also a small story line about Levi, a young man in the district, meeting someone, too.  This story was fine as a stand-alone but I probably would have liked it better having the background of the characters from the first two books.  You might like it if you like Amish or historical fiction.

I received this book free from Revell.  I was not compensated for this review.  All opinions are my own.

The Author

1. 

   Photo by: Roaming Reflections Photography

   Jan Drexler

   Jan Drexler brings a unique understanding of Amish traditions and beliefs to her writing. Her ancestors were among the first Amish, Mennonite, and Brethren immigrants to Pennsylvania in the 1700s, and their experiences are the inspiration for her stories. Jan...

   Continue reading about Jan Drexler

 

 

Amusing Romance! 'Cul-de-sac War' - by Melissa Ferguson

 

About the book:

Melissa Ferguson’s new novel proves that good fences make good neighbors—and that sometimes love and hate share a backyard.

Free-spirited Bree Leake doesn’t want to be tied down. She’s had more jobs than she can count—and the next stop on her journey is the nation’s oldest live performance theater in Abingdon, Virginia. Just when it’s time to move on again, Bree’s parents make her an offer: hold steady in Abingdon for one full year, and they will give her the one thing she’s always wanted—her grandmother’s cabin. She feels like her dreams are coming true.

But life at the theater throws her some curve balls.

And then there’s her new neighbor—Chip McBride.

Chip is the man everyone in town seems to love, yet he’s nothing but a thorn in Bree’s side. She would move heaven and earth to have him out of her life, but according to the bargain she’s struck, she cannot move out of her house. So begins Bree’s obsessive new mission: to drive Chip out of the neighborhood—and fast.

Bree isn’t the only one who’s a wee bit competitive, and as Chip registers what Bree’s up to, he’s more than willing to fight fire with fire. But as their pranks escalate, both of their fragile job ambitions start to wobble. And it doesn’t help that the line between love and hate is starting to blur.

In Melissa Ferguson’s latest rom-com, two enemies find something they never expected in one another—taking “all’s fair in love and war” to a hilarious and heartwarming new level.

 My review:

This was an amusing story about a couple of misunderstandings escalating and the craziness that ensues.  It's funny how you can be so wrong about a person and Chip ended up being a really good guy.  It was so sweet how he took care of their elderly neighbor and sometimes put others first even at great inconvenience to himself.  He also was pretty wise about some things but not so much about others. The situation with his dog was hilarious!  There were some sweet romantic moments and some 'I can't believe they just did that' moments.  Chip goes to church, has a Bible and hinted at believing there's a heaven but there's not a mention of what Bree believes.  It bothered me that they don't talk more about her beliefs and that he did lie to try to get a job.  Both Chip and Bree have some stressful family situations to deal with, along with the work stress, but the story overall is light and fun.  I also liked that Cassie pops in for an update, Ferguson's heroine in her first book.  I would recommend if you like humorous romance.

I received a kindle copy of this book free from Netgalley.  I was not reimbursed for this review.  All opinions are my own.