In This Moment (Timeless #2) by Gabrielle Meyer

 

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult, Christian Fiction
Genre: Romance, Historical Romance, Time Travel
Content: Clean

 

Maggie inherited a gift from her time-crossing parents that allows her to live three separate lives in 1861, 1941, and 2001. Each night she goes to sleep in one time period and wakes up in another. Until, that is, she turns twenty-one, when she will have to forfeit two of those lives--and everyone she knows in them--forever.

In 1861, Maggie is the daughter of an influential senator at the outbreak of the Civil War, navigating a capital full of Southern spies and wounded soldiers. In 1941, she is a Navy nurse, grappling with her knowledge of the future when she's asked to join a hospital ship being sent to Pearl Harbor. And in 2001, she's a brilliant young medical student, fulfilling her dream of becoming a surgeon, yet unable to use her modern skills in her other paths.

While Maggie has sworn off romance until she makes her final choice, an intriguing man tugs at her heart in each era. The mysterious British gentleman. The prickly, demanding doctor. The charming young congressman. She's drawn to each man in different ways, only complicating the impossible decision she must make, which looms ever closer.

With so much on the line, how can Maggie choose just one life to keep and the rest to lose? 

 

I've  been looking forward to reading this book for a while now. I liked the first book in the series and I wanted to read more. I ended up loving this one. I liked it more than the first book, which at times was a little too sad and depressing, although still good. In this one, the main character, Maggie is very torn about where she wants to stay because she has a good life with loving parents in each time period. 

I enjoyed reading how Maggie ended up being present for the start of three different wars in US history. The parts on 9/11 had me tearing up as I thought about that day again. I don't want to say too much, but the way that was written just got to me. This was the only time period that she didn't have knowledge of. The other two time periods, she knew what was going to happen, even though everyone around her didn't. I think the temptation to try to change things, or even look up what happens while in 2001 to the people that are in the Maggie's life in the past would be so hard to resist. 

It seemed obvious to me which time period the main character would end up choosing and which man she was really in love with.  I can't imagine having to make this kind of choice and also living in three completely different time periods where nothing is even remotely the same. 1861, 1941, and 2001 are so very different from each other. 

Overall I loved this book and I'm really looking forward to reading the next book in the series. 

 

 

 

 

 

A Sea View Christmas (On Devonshire Shores #4) by Julie Klassen

  

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Adult, Christian Fiction
Genre: Romance, Historical Romance
Content: Clean

  

With a promise to her youngest sister, Sarah Summers declares that this year's Christmas at Sea View will exceed all expectations. But the arrival of Callum Henshall--dashing Scottish widower and returning guest--blows a flurry of doubts into her mind. Sarah had discouraged his attentions before and is once again torn between attraction and duty. Yet even while she's busy managing the family's guest house, alluring thoughts of a second chance at love weave their way into her practical heart.

Meanwhile, seventeen-year-old Georgiana eagerly anticipates the exciting Christmas of her dreams after last year's dull, disappointing holiday filled with endless chores. She enjoys all the promised parties, music, and dancing, but is taken by surprise when young love comes knocking. Does the festive romance of a Sea View Christmas hold the key to a happily-ever-after for both sisters?

Return to Sidmouth for this highly anticipated holiday companion novella to the Summers sisters' lives and loves on the charming Devonshire shore.

 

I was looking forward to reading this, knowing it was the last book in the series, and the one where Sarah's story is finally told. I really liked Sarah in the other books, even though I got a bit impatient with her. I also felt there was good chemistry between her and Callum in the first book in the series, and I wanted them to end up together. Initially I thought things would be less awkward between them when they met again, but unfortunately it felt like they were back at the beginning of their relationship. 

Sarah frustrated me a lot more in this book than she did in the others. Her indecision and the fact that she seemed to think she was the only person that could be there for her mother and the inn, despite the fact that she has four sisters that live nearby and three brothers-in-law, not to mention multiple friends, resulted in me liking her less. I also felt less chemistry between Sarah and Callum this time around, which made the story fall a bit flat for me. 

I enjoyed the Christmas setting but at times felt that it leaned too heavily into showing us the holiday traditions of that time period. I wanted more interpersonal interactions between the characters and it felt like the book dwelt on other things too much. There was too much telling at times and not enough showing, and there were what I viewed as missed opportunities for characters to talk and interact with each other in more meaningful ways. Especially Sarah and Callum. Sarah barely talked to Callum, and she was so unable to share her thoughts and feelings with him. It had me feeling like they were in for a difficult marital relationship.  

I enjoyed the parts about Georgiana, which I didn't expect, and I was unexpectedly wishing more had been written about her and Colin. Unfortunately, this being the last book in the series means there will be no more written about them. Overall, I enjoyed this series but I didn't think this last book was quite on par with the others in the series, but I'm glad I read it and would read it again.

 

 

 

 

 

The Bird of Bedford Manor by Michelle Griep

  

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult, Christian Fiction
Genre: Romance, Clean romance, Historical Romance, Mystery, Historical Mystery
Content: Clean

Bedfordshire, England, 1820: Ruined by the sins of her father, Juliet Finch is cast into a life of self-reliance. Survival is a harsh taskmaster, but she is a quick learner and excels at tracking and snaring wild game to feed herself. Juliet embraces her new identity until the day Henry Russell catches her poaching on his land—a crime punishable by death. Henry, however, has other offenses on his namely, the troublesome stalker who’s making a misery of his sister’s life. To try to put a stop to her torment, Henry charges Juliet with tracking the elusive villain so he can be brought to justice. Using her skills, Juliet hunts down the rogue. . .but may just become the prey herself.
  

This is the first book I've read by this author and I enjoyed it. I felt like there were probably some things that weren't very historically accurate but overall it was entertaining. I liked both the main female and main male characters. I liked that the main female character was written as an intelligent, resourceful woman, although swallowing her pride and asking for help seems like it would have been the easier route compared to poaching. I enjoyed the way the relationship blossomed between the two characters.

The biggest weakness of the book is that I thought it was pretty obvious, almost from the beginning, who the perpetrator was, and what this person was doing. I didn't feel like this character was written very consistently throughout with the way they went from seemingly calculated and purposeful to crazy by the end. I do feel like the positives outweighed the negatives, so I would probably try another book by this author in the future. 

Thanks to NetGalley and Barbour Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book. 

 

 

 

 

The Creaky Old Barn (The Irish Escape #2) by B. E. Baker

  

The Creaky Old Barn (The Irish Escape #2) by B.E. Baker

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre:  Romance, Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction 
Content: Clean

 

Three failing families. Two different continents. And one creaky old barn that heals them.

With her marriage over and her kids (mostly) excited about moving to another continent, Natalie’s finally en route to Ireland. There’s a lovely and expansive estate waiting for them in southern Ireland.

Samantha’s bags are packed (again) and she’s ready to jet across the pond as well. She’s said all her goodbyes, and she’s ready to fall in love with new horses in Lismore.

But when they discover that their dear friend Vanessa’s struggling, they reconfigure their plans to rally behind her, because that’s what friends do.

In the meantime, creaky old barns and crumbling old estates don’t just maintain themselves. Can these three best friends patch up the leaks and fix up the creaks in their lives (and their hearts) and find a way forward. . .together?

 

I read this back in December and I meant to write a review for this but life got busy around the holidays and I didn't. So here I am now finally writing my review of this wonderful book. I thoroughly enjoyed the first book, and I would say this one was just as good. One thing I'm really loving about this series is the friendship between the three women, and how they're there for each other. I'm also enjoying the love interests that have been introduced. There were a couple of surprises in this one that I didn't see coming. One involves the ex-husbands of two of the women, and the brother-in-law of the third one. Oh boy, let's just say I can't stand them. The other thing that surprised me involved a switch-up, but that's all I'll say, except that I liked how it ended up. I'm looking forward to book three!

Thanks to the author for providing me with an ARC of this book. 

 

 

 

When the Day Comes (Timeless #1) by Gabrielle Meyer

  

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult, Christian Fiction
Genre: Romance, Clean romance, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance
Content: Marital rape, Abuse by a parent

 

How will she choose, knowing all she must sacrifice?

Libby has been given a powerful gift: to live one life in 1774 Colonial Williamsburg and the other in 1914 Gilded Age New York City. When she falls asleep in one life, she wakes up in the other. While she's the same person at her core in both times, she's leading two vastly different lives.

In Colonial Williamsburg, Libby is a public printer for the House of Burgesses and the Royal Governor, trying to provide for her family and support the Patriot cause. The man she loves, Henry Montgomery, has his own secrets. As the revolution draws near, both their lives--and any hope of love--are put in jeopardy.

Libby's life in 1914 New York is filled with wealth, drawing room conversations, and bachelors. But the only work she cares about--women's suffrage--is discouraged, and her mother is intent on marrying her off to an English marquess. The growing talk of war in Europe only complicates matters.

But Libby knows she's not destined to live two lives forever. On her twenty-first birthday, she must choose one path and forfeit the other--but how can she choose when she has so much to lose in each life?

  

I thoroughly enjoyed this book despite the fact that the a huge portion of the 1914 timeline infuriated me, but more on that in a minute. From almost the very beginning we know that the 1774 timeline is the timeline that our main character, Libby feels she belongs in and she is planning to choose that timeline to stay in permanently on her 21st birthday. I enjoyed reading about Colonial Williamsburg and I liked the way the author wove that part of history into the story. I enjoyed the characters from this timeline a lot. I loved how supportive Libby's mother in this timeline is, and the fact that she gave up a lot to live her life there with her children was admirable. 

As for the 1914 timeline, Mother Wells was a real piece of work, the complete opposite of the mother Libby has in 1774. The emotional, psychological, and physical abuse she perpetrated was bad on it's own, but the father in this timeline infuriated me just as much by totally failing to protect his daughter. He acted powerless in a time when men had all the power. As for the marriage contract, I'm not buying that a contract signed on his behalf by his wife would have been held as valid. Libby loves her father throughout the book and never comes to see that he could and should have done more to protect her. It bothered me that this was never addressed in the book. 

Having faith, following Gods will, and forgiving others were big themes in this book and I struggled with the way some of this was applied. Particularly on the subject of forgiveness. At one point in the book when Libby is writing letters to her family, we find out that she is writing to mother Wells. Why?! Forgiving someone doesn't mean you have to let them back into your life if they are a toxic and abusive person. I liked the way God's will played a part in some of the twists in the story, but not how it was portrayed all the time. At times I thought that got too heavy-handed. 

I did end up predicting pretty much every plot twist in this book but despite that I enjoyed how they enhanced this story. I found the end particularly impactful and it had me crying just a little bit. If some things had been addressed that weren't, like Libby's father; if some of the characters had been a bit more nuanced, instead of so black and white; and if the Christian themes had been presented slightly different, then I think I would have given this 5 stars. That being said, 4 stars means I really liked this and will be reading more in this series. Be sure to read the author's note at the end of the book where she tells about how she got the idea for this book and the inspiration for the main character in the colonial era.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Collector of Burned Books by Roseanna M. White

  

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult, Christian Fiction
Genre:  Romance, Historical Fiction 
Content: Clean

In this gripping World War II historical about the power of words, two people form an unlikely friendship amid the Nazi occupation in Paris and fight to preserve the truth that enemies of freedom long to destroy.

Paris, 1940. Ever since the Nazi Party began burning books, German writers exiled for their opinions or heritage have been taking up residence in Paris. There they opened a library meant to celebrate the freedom of ideas and gathered every book on the banned list . . . and even incognito versions of the forbidden books that were smuggled back into Germany.

For the last six years, Corinne Bastien has been reading those books and making that library a second home. But when the German army takes possession of Paris, she loses access to the library and all the secrets she’d hidden there. Secrets the Allies will need if they have any hope of liberating the city she calls home.

Christian Bauer may be German, but he never wanted anything to do with the Nazi Party—he is a professor, one who’s done his best to protect his family as well as the books that were a threat to Nazi ideals. But when Goebbels sends him to Paris to handle the “relocation” of France’s libraries, he’s forced into an army uniform and given a rank he doesn’t want. In Paris, he tries to protect whoever and whatever he can from the madness of the Party and preserve the ideas that Germans will need again when that madness is over, and maybe find a lost piece of his heart. 

 

"Books didn’t burn. Books ignited. They lit the burning in others. Not with paper and match. With ideas."

  

Roseanna M. White has become one of my favorite authors. I love the historic details that she includes in her books. I very much enjoyed this one. This is one of her rare standalones and it was a departure from her previous books in that it takes place during WWII. I liked this change, although I have to say that I still enjoyed the books set during WWI the most. 

I liked the slow burn of the romance in this book. I thought the characters were very well drawn, and I genuinely liked them. There are times when I felt like certain characters got away with things they probably wouldn't have during the Nazi occupation. Things felt a little too easy, although I appreciate the fact that this was meant to be a romance that left me feeling good, so it was a more gentle read than a historical fiction book set in this time would have been. 

There were also some actions taken by the main female character that I thought didn't make a lot of sense, like hiding coded messages in books that were banned and could possibly be confiscated. Still, despite those quibbles I enjoyed the story and the author's excellent writing. I think besides the romance, the thing I appreciate the most about this author's books are how historically accurate they are. The Christian themes are always present as well and those give the books an inspirational aspect that I enjoy. I especially like that this author includes historical accuracy in the religion that is included in each of her stories. 

Most of this author's books have some connection in one way or another, and I was looking forward to seeing how this one would be connected to her other works. When it happened it was such a treat!

I'm looking forward to reading the next historical Christian romance by this author. 

 

"When a people stopped entertaining opposing ideas, when they condemned the different as evil, then it was a short step from closed-minded to violently oppressive."

 

 

 Thanks to NetGalley and Tyndale House Publishers for providing me with a copy of this book.

 

 

 

 

 

The Seaside Homecoming (On Devonshire Shores #3) by Julie Klassen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult, Christian Fiction
Genre:  Romance, Historical Romance
Content: Clean

 

Disgraced eldest sister Claire Summers has been living in exile as companion to a stern great-aunt in Scotland. About to become homeless and longing to be reconciled with her estranged family, Claire answers an advertisement from someone looking for a "respectable female partner" in a Sidmouth boarding house. Is it a sign or another reckless mistake? When she meets the handsome, secretive proprietor, she wonders what he's hiding and if he's any more trustworthy than the nobleman who betrayed her years ago. Even as she is drawn to him, she fears he will reject her when he discovers her genteel façade hides a less-than-respectable past.

Meanwhile, the Summers family learn their great-aunt has died and Claire has disappeared without a word. The sisters rally together to find their lost sibling, but will their unexpected reunion heal old wounds and rekindle their bonds . . . or widen the divide?

Return to the picturesque Devonshire coast as the Summers sisters navigate romance, second chances, and the enduring strength of sisterhood in the face of adversity.

This was the third and final full length novel of the series. There will be a novella dedicated to the one remaining unmarried sister. More on that in a moment. I liked the way things were wrapped up in this book for most everyone. I did get frustrated with the mother in this one because she was so adamant about sticking to the promise she made to her dying husband and his wishes regarding Claire. Sometimes that's just not possible, especially when the promise or wishes of that person were just plain wrong or misguided, and circumstances can change that they would not be able to foresee. I enjoyed how the sisters went about handling this though. 

This book felt a bit different from the first two in the series, mainly because it was written almost wholly from Claire's perspective, and didn't jump around to multiple characters nearly as much as the previous books in the series did.

As for the novella, I've been rooting for the romance between this one sister and a certain man to happen through all three books, and it looks like it will be wrapped up in the novella. I'm a little sad about that. I would love to get a whole novels worth of this conclusion, but I'll take what I can get! 

Thanks to NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers for providing me with an ARC of this book.

The Captivating Lady Charlotte by Carolyn Miller

 

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Adult, Christian
Genre:  Romance, Historical Romance
Content: Clean

 

Her heart is her own--but her hand in marriage is another matter. Lady Charlotte Featherington is destined for great things on the marriage market. After all, as the beautiful daughter of a marquess, she should have her pick of the eligible nobility when she debuts. She, however, has love at the top of her list of marriageable attributes. And her romantic heart falls hard for one particularly dashing, attentive suitor. Sadly for Charlotte, her noble father intends her betrothed to be someone far more dull.William Hartwell may be a duke, but he knows he was Charlotte's father's pick, not the young lady's own choice. And the captivating Lady Charlotte does not strike him as a woman who will be wooed by his wealth or title. While she has captured his heart, he has no idea how to win hers in return--and the betrayal and scandal his first wife put him through makes it difficult for him to believe that love can ever be trusted. His only hope is that Charlotte's sense of responsibility will win out over her romantic notions.Can a widowed duke and a romantically inclined lady negotiate a future and discover love beyond duty? Will they be able to find healing and hope from the legacy of grace?

 

This book was hard to put down but I can't give it more than 3 stars because there were some things that annoyed me. Characters just brushing off things that were happening instead of investigating more. Characters that seemed inconsistent at times with their actions and decisions. A lack of communication between characters. Some characters actions not being quite believable for the time period. And just like in the previous book, the Christian themes, though good, were very heavy handed. If done well they can enrich the story, which is one thing I enjoy about Julie Klassen's and Roseanna M. White's books. They add to the story without taking over the story.

Things I did like about this book were the slow burn romance, the growth of certain characters, and though heavy handed, the shared values the characters had.

I'm on the fence about reading the third book in the trilogy, even though I want to see how Clara ends up finding love.

The Elusive Miss Ellison (Regency Brides: A Legacy of Grace #1) by Carolyn Miller

  

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult, Christian Fiction
Genre: Romance, Clean Romance, Historical Romance
Content: Clean

 

Handsome appearance counts for naught unless matched by good character and actions.That's the firm opinion of not-so-meek minister's daughter Lavinia Ellison. So even though all the other villagers of St. Hampton Heath are swooning over the newly returned seventh Earl of Hawkesbury, she is not impressed. If a man won't take his responsibilities seriously and help those who are supposed to be able to depend on him, he deserves no respect from her. In Lavinia's pretty, gray eyes, Nicholas Stamford is just as arrogant and reckless as his brother--who stole the most important person in Livvie's world.Nicholas is weighed down by his own guilt and responsibility, by the pain his careless brother caused, and by the legacy of war he's just left. This quick visit home to St. Hampton Heath will be just long enough to ease a small part of that burden. Asking him to bother with the lives of the villagers when there's already a bailiff on the job is simply too much to expect.That is, until the hoydenish, intelligent, and very opinionated Miss Ellison challenges him to see past his pain and pride. With her angelic voice in his head, he may even be beginning to care. But his isn't the only heart that needs to change.These two lonely hearts may each have something the other needs. But with society's opposition, ancestral obligations, and a shocking family secret, there may be too many obstacles in their way. Fans of Georgette Heyer, Lori Wick, and Julie Klassen will enjoy the spirited exchanges between the bluestocking minister's daughter and the bruised war hero as they move past pride and presumption to a humbled appreciation of God's grace and the true strength of love.

 

There were some things I loved about this book. I really liked the self-reflection and growth of the main characters. I enjoyed the message about valuing people over money or titles. Lavinia's kindheartedness and selflessness added a very nice touch to the story, even if she starts out rather self-righteous. She's kindhearted to certain people but judgemental to others (one other in particular), but she learns and grows. The Earl was harder to like in the beginning but he grew so much as a person. I enjoyed seeing that growth and ended up coming to love his character for the efforts he puts in to change himself for the better.

I have mixed feelings about the twist in the book regarding certain members of Lavinia's family. I would have liked to see if things would have worked out if Lavinia hadn't appeared in London. Would the Earl have come to his senses without her doing so? I feel like it would have been better if it had played out that way instead of the way it did. He waited so long to put his mother in her place that it felt like needless drama. The misunderstandings between the main characters got a bit old at times, and I could have done without the part on the terrace where Lavinia has to be rescued from a rakish individual. It was a bit much. In addition to these things, I found the Christian content to be very heavy-handed. I prefer that sort of content to be more subtle in the books I read. 

Overall, I liked this book despite the little things I found wrong with it. I enjoyed it and had a hard time putting it down through certain parts, particularly when illness swept through the village. Because of the things I liked, I may try another book by this author in the future.

A Noble Scheme (The Imposters #2) by Roseanna M. White

  

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult, Christian Fiction
Genre: Romance, Clean Romance, Historical Romance
Content: Clean

 

Gemma Parks is known throughout high society as G. M. Parker, a columnist renowned for her commentary on the cream of society. Behind the scenes, she uses her talent to aid the Imposters in their investigations by gathering intel at events and providing alibis for the elite firm's members through her columns. Yet her clandestine work would be more exhilarating if it weren't for the constant presence of the gentleman who broke her heart.

Graham Wharton has never had eyes for anyone but Gemma, and she left his soul in tatters when she walked away from him. When the Imposters take on a new job to recover a kidnapped boy mistaken for his aristocratic cousin, Graham is determined to use the time with Gemma not only to restore the missing boy, but also to win back the only woman he's ever loved. As they trace the clues laid out before them, Graham must devise a noble scheme to save the boy's life and heal their hearts.

Christy Award-winning author Roseanna M. White whisks you away to Edwardian-era England in an exhilarating tale of glamor, intrigue, and romance set among high society's most elite--and most dangerous--families.

 

After reading the first book in this series, A Beautiful Disguise and really liking the unique elements that went into that story with the whole circus trapeze artist thing, along with the secret identity thing, and the investigations, I was looking forward to reading this one. I really wanted to know more about Gemma and Graham and why she hated him so much. I enjoyed that it wasn't the typical romance where they meet and fall in love. Instead this is a couple that were together with a long history and had broken up. I have to say that this book didn't go exactly as I expected, but it wasn't in a bad way. If anything, I liked it even more because of that. I loved peeling the layers off Gemma and Graham and slowly getting to the heart of their relationship and what had happened to cause so much pain. Some of it I guessed ahead of time, but not all of it. This really is a book about forgiveness, not only of another person, but of ourselves, and at times this book had me in tears. 

Thanks to NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers for providing me with an ARC of this book.

The Dancing Master by Julie Klassen

 

 

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Category: Adult, Christian Fiction
Genre: Romance, Clean Romance, Historical Romance
Content: Clean

 

Finding himself the man of the family, London dancing master Alec Valcourt moves his mother and sister to remote Devonshire, hoping to start over. But he is stunned to learn the village matriarch has prohibited all dancing, for reasons buried deep in her past.

Alec finds an unlikely ally in the matriarch's daughter. Though he's initially wary of Julia Midwinter's reckless flirtation, he comes to realize her bold exterior disguises a vulnerable soul--and hidden sorrows of her own.

Julia is quickly attracted to the handsome dancing master--a man her mother would never approve of--but she cannot imagine why Mr. Valcourt would leave London, or why he evades questions about his past. With Alec's help, can Julia uncover old secrets and restore life to her somber village. . .and to her mother's tattered heart?

Filled with mystery and romance, The Dancing Master brings to life the intriguing profession of those who taught essential social graces for ladies and gentlemen hoping to make a "good match" in Regency England.

 

This has got to be the most disappointing book I've ever read by Julie Klassen. Needless to say, this has now taken the place of The Apothecary's Daughter as my least favorite book by this author.

The biggest problem I had with this was that I didn't connect with the characters. While Alec was a nice person, I didn't find him all that attractive as a leading man because he was somewhat of a dandy and that didn't come across very masculine to me. I'm also used to reading about leading men who can stand up to bullies and Alec gets bullied in this book more than once by the town bullies. I did like the clever way he stood up to them eventually, but I just wanted to read about a character who could have done that from the beginning. He wasn't a child, he was a grown man and I wanted to read about a capable one. There were also the times when he didn't want to get dirty or do any sort of hard labor that were also turn-offs for me.

Then there was the leading lady, Julia. I didn't like Julia at all throughout most of the book. She was so immature. It took way too long for her to grow up and realize how stupid her selfish, vain, and reckless behavior was. Not that I didn't understand why she had issues, but I didn't enjoy reading this book with her as a main character. There were supporting characters that I would much rather have been reading about than the main characters in this book.

The plot of this book was sort of like Footloose in the regency era. It didn't work for me. The reason why dancing was banned in the town was based on one selfish woman's secrets. I'm calling her selfish, because this woman had something happen to her and then she decided that no one else could enjoy dancing because of it. Overall, this is just a really flimsy plot that was easy to puzzle out. There were no real surprises here, just annoying characters. 

I think if this had been any other author I would have overlooked some of the annoyances, but Julie Klassen has written so much better than this. This was the last of her published novels that I hadn't yet read, and even though this one was a disappointment, I will of course keep reading her other books as she publishes them.

A Winter by the Sea (On Devonshire Shores #2) by Julie Klassen

  

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult, Christian Fiction
Genre: Romance, Clean Romance, Historical Romance
Content: Clean

 

When the Duke and Duchess of Kent rent neighboring Woolbrook Cottage for the winter, the Summers sisters are called upon to host three of the royal couple's male staff in their seaside house. But they soon realize they've invited mysterious secrets and the sweet possibility of romance into their home.

Meanwhile, Emily Summers approaches a local publisher in hopes of fulfilling her dream of becoming an author. When he turns her down, his dashing competitor promises to consider her novel if she will first write a new Sidmouth guidebook for him. Emily accepts and begins researching with the help of the Duke of Kent's handsome private secretary. But a surprise visitor from her past shows up at Sea View, leaving Emily torn between the desires she used to hold dear and her budding dreams for the future.

Return to the Devonshire coast with the Summers sisters, where loyalties are tested, secrets come to light, and new love emerges.

This is one of the books I was looking forward to reading the most at the end of the year, but I ended up not getting to it until January. This series is about sisters who move to Devonshire with their mother after their father dies. They've fallen on some rather hard times as a male relative has inherited their family home, so they end up buying a house in Devonshire and turning it into a guesthouse to make money. Even before the death of their father and the move they experienced other losses as well. 

There are two twin sisters in the family plus two older sisters and a younger one. The oldest is away living with an aunt for reasons I won't divulge because that would be a spoiler for book one. Book one focused mostly on one of the twins, and this book focuses mostly on the other. I liked that there were still parts about the other characters in the books. It felt rather episodic in nature, the way it switched from one character to another. This could also feel a bit like we were just skimming the surface of things at times as well, but overall I still enjoyed the way this was written. 

In the beginning this book felt a bit slow to me, but once it got going I couldn't put it down. The romance was full of longing and conflicted feelings, which made it fun to read, and it was hard to wait for Emily to get her first kiss from the man she loved. When it finally happened it was magic.

There's also the Duke and Duchess of Kent with their baby, the future Queen Victoria, visiting the town. This brought an interesting historical element to the novel, and I appreciated the author's notes at the end of the book about this visit and how it was based on real happenings. 

 

 

 

 

The Headmistress of Rosemere (Whispers On The Moors Book 2) by Sarah E. Ladd

  

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Romance, Clean Romance, Historical Romance
Content: Clean

 

Patience Creighton has devoted her life to running her father’s boarding school. But when the enigmatic master of the estate appears at her door, battered and unconscious, the young headmistress suddenly finds her livelihood—and her heart—in the hands of one dangerously handsome gentleman.

This is the second book I've read in this trilogy of companion books, and I don't really remember anything about the first one The Heiress of Winterwood, except that I gave it 3 stars. It's been a few years. These are standalones with the moors being the only thing all three books have in common, so it really didn't matter. I wanted to give this author another chance after thinking the first book was just ok, but unfortunately this book was also a 3 star read. I'm probably making it sound like 3 stars is bad. It's really not, it means I liked the book, but didn't love it. I was just hoping I would find this one a bit more memorable.

The story started off interesting when William was attacked, and then was found and cared for by the stable hand and Patience at Rosemere. However, this part was unexpectedly brief. I also enjoyed the way this book ended, but there were some bumps in the road getting there that really annoyed me. One was the former love interest and how presumptuous he was. The other was Patience not speaking up more about how she was never going to take him back. Also, at times the book was rather slow and boring, but it finally picked up again at some point.

One big part of this story was that Patience thought it was her dream to teach in the girls' school at Rosemere, which her father started and was the headmaster of before his death,. Rosemere had been her home her whole life, and she hardly ever left it. It's mentioned to her later that she's possibly just been living her father's dream and not her own. She does eventually realize this is true, and that she needs to live her own dream and not her father's. I do wish that the author had delved into what Patience's dream was. She loved the girls at the school, even if she didn't want to spend the rest of her life running it, and she of course had the dream of getting married and having her own family, but I wanted more insight into what she wanted to do with her life besides that.

There were several characters in this book that had to learn to accept change in their lives. I liked the message this book gave about change and how it's important to embrace change in our lives, even when it's unexpected. Sometimes with that change comes something even better.

A beautiful Disguise (The Imposters #1) by Roseanna M. White

  

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult, Christian Fiction
Genre: Romance, Clean Romance, Historical Romance, Mystery
Content: Clean

 

Left with an estate on the brink of bankruptcy after their father's death, Lady Marigold Fairfax and her brother open a private investigation firm marketed to the elite . . . to spy on the elite. Dubbed The Imposters, Ltd., their anonymous group soon becomes the go-to for the crème of society when they want answers delivered surreptitiously. But the many secrets Marigold learns about her peers pale in comparison to her shock when she and her brother are hired to investigate her best friend's father as a potential traitor.

Sir Merritt Livingstone has spent a decade serving the monarch in the most elite guard, but when pneumonia lands him behind a desk in the War Office Intelligence Division just as they're creating a new secret intelligence branch, he's intent on showing his worth. He suspects a man of leaking information to Germany as tensions mount between the two countries, but needs someone to help him prove it, so he turns to The Imposters, Ltd. No one knows who they are, but their results are beyond compare.

Lady Marigold is determined to discover the truth for her friend's sake, and she's more determined still to keep her heart from getting involved with this enigmatic new client . . . who can't possibly be as noble as he seems.

 

I was really looking forward to this new book by Roseanna M. White. After reading the description, I thought it sounded a lot like her Shadows Over England series with the spies, and I was kind of right. This one actually ended feeling like a mix of her Shadows Over England series and her Ladies of the Manor series, but it was also something different. This book had a unique mix of ideas that I feel like shouldn't have worked, but for some reason it did. 

The story pulled me in right from the beginning. It opens with the main character and her brother in a precarious situation, and it had me glued to the pages to see how they would get out of it. As I continued to read I did come to a point where I thought it may not work for me. For some reason I don't usually end up liking books that have a circus in them, and although this one doesn't exactly have a circus in it, it has circus-type elements to it, that in the beginning felt a bit implausible. Even so, I kept reading and this book just kept growing on me. I loved these characters, and the slow build romance paired with the mystery was right up my alley. In the end, I thought this was well worth the read and I had a hard time putting it down. This is the first book in a series and I'm looking forward to the next one!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Yesterday's Tides by Roseanna M. White

  

My rating: No rating at this time
Category: Adult, Christian Fiction
Genre: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical Fiction, Clean Romance
Content: Clean

 

In 1942, Evie Farrow is used to life on Ocracoke Island, where every day is the same--until the German U-boats haunting their waters begin to wreak havoc. And when special agent Sterling Bertrand is washed ashore at Evie's inn, her life is turned upside down. While Sterling's injuries keep him inn-bound for weeks, making him even more anxious about the man he's tracking, he becomes increasingly intrigued by Evie, who seems to be hiding secrets of her own.

Decades earlier, in 1914, Englishman Remington Culbreth arrives at the Ocracoke Inn for the summer, but he doesn't count on falling in love with Louisa Adair, the innkeeper's daughter. When war breaks out in Europe, and their relationship is put in jeopardy, will their love survive?

As Evie and Sterling work to track down an elusive German agent, they unravel mysteries that go back a generation. The ripples from the Great War are still rocking their lives, and it seems yesterday's tides may sweep them all into danger again today.

 

 

I've been trying to get through this book all month and I'm 65% in. I've tried not to push it, and just picked the book up when I felt in the mood for it, but I'm at the point now where I just don't want to pick it up anymore. So, I made the decision to stop reading it. Maybe I'll eventually get back to one day, but with a big list of books to read, I'm setting it aside for now.

This book incorporates two timelines. I'm not a huge fan of romances with dual timelines. The timelines in this book are set in 1942 and 1914. Originally, I decided to read this because I was hoping it would have the same type of feel as the Shadows Over England Series, and the Codebreakers series; romance and espionage with some historical fiction mixed in. Unfortunately, I found this one to be rather boring, and the stories from the two different timelines were too similar. There wasn't enough romance or espionage to make the story spark. Also, the characters in the 1914 timeline frustrated me. I know there were lies told by someone that they both wanted to trust, but I feel like one of them would have done more checking into the story. Why wouldn't Rem have contacted the Inn at least? Anyway, I'm not finished with the book, and maybe he eventually does, but from where I am, it doesn't seem like it. 

I do think that the author had a great idea to include characters from several of her series in this book. They make appearances at different points, and it was a nice surprise. It was probably the thing I liked the most about this book. It put a big smile on my face when Margot De Wilde from The Number of Love was mentioned.

This author's books are all over the spectrum for me. I absolutely love two of her series and count them as favorites. Then there is one series that I liked a lot, but didn't love. There are also two that I never finished, and now this standalone that I've decided to give up on. Usually, when I love something by an author, I consistently love most everything they write, or at least like everything they write enough to keep reading, so this is an odd case here. I'll continue to read her books though, because I absolutely love them when they click with me, and there are some beautiful messages in her Shadows Over England and Codebreakers series.

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

  

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Category: Adult, Christian Fiction
Genre: Mystery, Romance, Historical Romance, Clean Romance
Content: Clean

 

Beth Tremayne has always been drawn to adventure. During her childhood, she fed 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.

 

I've read several books by this author that have become favorites. The Shadows Over England and The Codebreakers series in particular are favorites, but unfortunately this book just didn't work for me. I read the first book in this series and gave it 3 stars because I liked quite a few things about it, even though I found the overall story slow and a little boring at times. This one is not only slow to progress, but I also found the characters to be annoying. From the beginning, the main character, Beth is very angry with Sheridan, who is obviously going to end up being the love interest at some point, and I totally get why she's so angry with him. Despite the fact that I get it, she still comes off a bit bratty at times.

Then there is Sheridan, who doesn't return something to Beth that, in all honesty, he should return. He also thinks he's in love with her and going to marry her one day, after knowing her for a very short time, and it seems based solely on the fact that he finds her to be so beautiful. At one point in the book, they decide to go treasure hunting together, and it ends disastrously, with Sheridan mad and jealous, and Beth purposely dumping him in the water from the boat on the way back, because he won't listen to her side of things. I really didn't blame her for doing it, even if she probably shouldn't have, because Sheridan's behavior was out of line.

To top it all off, Sheridan's inner monologue about the whole incident kind of infuriated me. He starts telling himself that he won't marry her one day, because she is probably the kind of girl that will just lead him on and then dump him. Um, what?? Beth has never once indicated that she even likes Sheridan in that way. She's been angry with him the whole time. But this guy builds up this fantasy in his head, and suddenly it's the truth. It also bothered me that Beth gets reprimanded for her behavior several times in the book when I think others should be as well, and they are not.

I kept trying to push myself to get through this book, because I figured it would get better, but the characters start out unlikable, the story is slow and uninteresting, and at this point I just can't bring myself to care anymore. So, I'm abandoning it, and I'm not even halfway through. Overall, this book just doesn't have the feel to it that this author's other books have, and I think that's true, so far, of the whole series, even though book one was more likable to me.

Since this is a companion series and the characters and stories are linked, I doubt I will read the last book in the series. Hopefully, the next series the author writes will be a better fit for me.

Shadows of Swanford Abbey by Julie Klassen

  

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult, Christian Fiction
Genre: Mystery, Romance, Historical Romance, Clean Romance
Content: Clean

 

In pursuit of an author who could help get her brother published, Rebecca Lane stays at Swanford Abbey, a grand hotel rumored to be haunted. It is there she encounters Sir Frederick--the man who broke her heart. When a mysterious death occurs, Rebecca is one of the suspects, and Frederick is torn between his feelings for her and his search for the truth.

 

Every year I look forward to reading a new Julie Klassen book. While all her books have an element of mystery added to them, her last three books have all featured the mystery element more heavily. I wasn't as crazy about that in the last two books because I felt like the romance part was sacrificed a bit too much. There was a lack of chemistry for some reason in those two. The chemistry between the characters in this one was better, but still not up to par with her romance books. 

I liked Sir Frederick a lot and Rebecca as well, although I thought she should have trusted Frederick with the truth long before she finally did. Also the story takes too long to really get going, and I found myself a little bored in the beginning. I liked the setting of the old abbey turned hotel a lot, and the parts when Rebecca ended up exploring a little were some of my favorites, as well as when she and Frederick start to collaborate.

This book had elements that reminded me of several other books I've read. It felt rather like an Agatha Christie novel set in the regency era at times, but not nearly as clever as Christie's novels. The mystery here was pretty easy to figure out, but still enjoyable.

Though not a favorite, overall I liked this book and enjoyed reading it once it got going.

On a side note- I love the covers to Julie Klassen's books and I'm sure I'm not the only one who has noticed that there is always a part in her books where she describes what the main character is wearing and it looks just like what the character is wearing on the cover of the book. It seems like most writers don't have control over what the covers of their books look like, so I'm just wondering how she does this. Does she get to help pick the cover out with this in mind? I'll probably never know the answer to this, but it's just one of those random things that I wondered about.

The Last of the Moon Girls by Barbara Davis

  

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Magical Realism
Content: Strong Language, A mild sex scene

 

Lizzy Moon never wanted Moon Girl Farm. Eight years ago, she left the land that nine generations of gifted healers had tended, determined to distance herself from the whispers about her family’s strange legacy. But when her beloved grandmother Althea dies, Lizzy must return and face the tragedy still hanging over the farm’s withered lavender fields: the unsolved murders of two young girls, and the cruel accusations that followed Althea to her grave.

Lizzy wants nothing more than to sell the farm and return to her life in New York, until she discovers a journal Althea left for her—a Book of Remembrances meant to help Lizzy embrace her own special gifts. When she reconnects with Andrew Greyson, one of the few in town who believed in Althea’s innocence, she resolves to clear her grandmother’s name.

But to do so, she’ll have to decide if she can accept her legacy and whether to follow in the footsteps of all the Moon women who came before her.

 

I've said before that I'm drawn to mysteries that involve the main character revisiting the past in some way and so I was looking forward to trying this book. Plus, it had the added twist of magical realism, so that made it extra intriguing. I ended up liking this ok but not loving it. It was a little slow at times and I found myself getting bored. It was never a book that I couldn't wait to get back to, and that disappointed me a little. 

The mystery wasn't too hard to figure out, but it was enjoyable enough. I liked a couple of the supporting characters, but I got annoyed with Lizzy after a while for wanting to continue to run away from her heritage. In fact because she was trying to reject her heritage and everything that went with it, it didn't really make sense in the story when she said she could never get married and have a family because Moon girls didn't do that. Wouldn't she have been more than happy to do the opposite? Her reasoning is that she doesn't want to have a daughter to carry on the line, but she could have simply not had kids. Her love interest even said he didn't care if they never had children. It just felt like needless drama.

There is a supporting character that plays a big part in this book that I liked for the most part, but she was supposed to be from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I'm from Baton Rouge, so needless to say I was really paying attention to this character and everything she said and did, and let me tell you, the minute she called crawfish "crawdads" I no longer believed she was from there. It's a minor thing that most people aren't going to know the difference about or even care, but I did and I really think authors should do their research before they write characters from a place.

Overall this was an ok read. There were a few things I liked about it and a few things I didn't, and I'm not sure if I will ever try another book by this author.

Ladies of the Manor trilogy by Roseanna M. White: The Lost Heiress, The Reluctant Duchess, and A Lady Unrivaled

I first discovered Roseanna M. White's books when I read A Name Unknown. I loved that book and ended up reading that whole companion trilogy. Then a sequel trilogy came out and I read that one too. Those two trilogies are loosely tied to this one with a few characters from this one making an appearance, so I decided I needed to go back and read this one. First off, I need to say that I was surprised that this series had a bit of a different feel to it than the other two. This one takes place before the war and it's more of a romance with a heavier mystery element to it, with less of a historical fiction feel to it. I didn't enjoy this series a much as I did the other two, but I still thought it was good. I also didn't really find as much of a connection between this series and the others as I thought there would be. As far as the mystery goes, I'm on the fence about the whole fire eyes diamonds thing and the mystery surrounding them. It was a way to string all the plots together, but I wasn't completely sold on it, or the reasoning behind keeping them for so long. Here are my ratings and comments on each book along with their descriptions:

 

  

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult, Christian Fiction
Genre: Romance, Historical Romance, Mystery
Content: Clean

 

Brook Eden has never known where she truly belongs. Though raised in the palace of Monaco, she's British by birth and was brought to the Grimaldis under suspicious circumstances as a babe. When Brook's friend Justin uncovers the fact that Brook is likely a missing heiress from Yorkshire, Brook leaves the sun of the Mediterranean to travel to the moors of the North Sea to the estate of her supposed family.

The mystery of her mother's death haunts her, and though her father is quick to accept her, the rest of the family and the servants of Whitby Park are not. Only when Brook's life is threatened do they draw close—but their loyalty may come too late to save Brook from the same threat that led to tragedy for her mother.

As heir to a dukedom, Justin is no stranger to balancing responsibilities. When the matters of his estate force him far from Brook, the distance between them reveals that what began as friendship has grown into something much more. But how can their very different loyalties and responsibilities ever come together?

And then, for a second time, the heiress of Whitby Park is stolen away because of the very rare treasure in her possession—and this time only the servants of Whitby can save her.

 

I really like the time period and the setting of this book and I think it was my favorite of the three. The best friends to lovers scenario is one of my favorites in romance, but I felt like they were a bit too stubborn and didn't communicate the way they should have. Too many assumptions were made by characters, instead of just talking, which is something the author does less of in her later books.

 

 

 

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult, Christian Fiction
Genre: Romance, Historical Romance, Mystery
Content: Clean

 

Will Fleeing the Scottish Highlands Only Leave Her in More Danger?

Lady Rowena Kinnaird may be the heiress to a Highland earldom, but she's never felt good enough--not for her father, not for the man she thought she'd marry, not for God. But after a shocking attack, she's willing to be forever an outcast if it means escaping those threatening her life.

Brice Myerston, the Duke of Nottingham, has never been one to shy away from manor-born ladies, yet the last thing he needs is the distraction of the newly introduced Lady Rowena. He has enough on his plate having recently come into possession of a rare treasure for which many would kill, yet those around him seem intent on pairing him with this desperate but beguiling girl.

Rowena is reluctant to marry this notorious flirt. And when she learns that Brice is mixed up in some kind of questionable business with a stolen treasure, she fears she'll end up in more danger than she fled.

 

I liked this book a little less than the other two books in the series, but it was still good. My main problem with it is that it didn't feel like it was set in the time period it was set in. For some reason, the story felt like it should have been set further back in history, and the location of  the Scottish Highlands felt a little off as a companion to the previous book. I did feel like there were some beautiful messages about love in this book, and marrying a stranger and falling in love after the marriage is another romance scenario that appeals to me. The characters felt more real to me that the ones in the previous book, with some great character development.

 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult, Christian Fiction
Genre: Romance, Historical Romance, Mystery
Content: Clean

 

Lady Ella Myerston can always find a reason to smile--even if it's just in hope that tomorrow will be better than today. All her life everyone has tried to protect her from the realities of the world, but Ella knows very well the danger that has haunted her brother and their friend, and she won't wait for it to strike again. She intends to take action . . . and if that happens to involve an adventurous trip to the Cotswolds, then so much the better.

Lord Cayton has already broken two hearts, including that of his first wife, who died before he could convince himself to love her. Now he's determined to live a better life. But that proves complicated when old friends arrive on the scene and try to threaten him into a life of crime. He does his best to remove the intriguing Lady Ella from danger, but the stubborn girl won't budge. How else can he redeem himself, though, but by saving her--and his daughter--from those dangerous people who seem ready to destroy them all?

 

Lady Ella was probably my favorite of the female leads in this series. I liked that we got to see who she really was, despite the assumptions others in the book made about her. She was charming and witty and no one took her seriously or realized how intelligent she was, except for Lord Clayton, of course. I loved how she took the initiative to help her brother. I also liked the build up of the romance, and the way the author showed that our choices are what make us the kind of people we are.

 

 

 

The Words between Us by Erin Bartels

  

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Adult, Christian Fiction
Genre: Mystery, Contemporary
Content: Clean as far as I can remember

 

Robin Windsor has spent most of her life under an assumed name, running from her family's ignominious past. She thought she'd finally found sanctuary in her rather unremarkable used bookstore just up the street from the marina in River City, Michigan. But the store is struggling and the past is hot on her heels.

When she receives an eerily familiar book in the mail on the morning of her father's scheduled execution, Robin is thrown back to the long-lost summer she met Peter Flynt, the perfect boy who ruined everything. That book--a first edition Catcher in the Rye--is soon followed by the other books she shared with Peter nearly twenty years ago, with one arriving in the mail each day. But why would Peter be making contact after all these years? And why does she have a sinking feeling that she's about to be exposed all over again?

 

This book seemed like it would be an intriguing read, plus I love that cover. I liked the mix of mystery with the love of books. It's a bit slow moving but that didn't really bother me. My main problem with it is that I just didn't find it all that memorable. The story is told in present day with flashbacks to the past. I found the past segments interesting, probably more so than what was happening in present day. 

One thing that I found missing with this being labeled a Christian book, is that it didn't feel as inspirational as I would have liked. I don't need scripture quoting and endless talking about God, but I would have liked to have felt inspired in some way after reading it. Instead, it felt more like a run-of-the-mill contemporary fiction with a mystery. In the end, I enjoyed this and I liked how things ended up for the characters, but I didn't love it as much as I wanted to. 

This is the first and only book I've read by this author. Would I read another book by her? Maybe. I think this was well written, even if it wasn't exactly what I was hoping for.