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.

 

 

 

 

 

Twice Shy by Sophia Holloway

  

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

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

 

Rejected by her bereaved father at thirteen and then jilted at nineteen, Elizabeth Ashling is deeply distrustful of men and has no wish to return to London Society. However, circumstances mean she must endure a Season, and there she meets Sir Lucius Radstock. He is as ardent a horse-lover as she is, although that is the only subject on which they appear to see eye to eye. He is initially irked by her coldness, and, in a moment of temper, gives her the nickname, 'The Unassailable'. To Elizabeth's horror, this encourages more unwelcome men to make a play for her, although she remains ignorant of who coined it. As Elizabeth thaws towards Sir Lucius all seems to be going well, until an old rival reveals that Sir Lucius has been as duplicitous as the rest of his gender. 

 

I love this author and was so excited to read this. I wasn't disappointed. I liked the slow pace of the romance. Although, I did feel like some elements were carried out a bit too long, especially the main characters hang-ups about men, and her fears of being betrayed and abandoned. Although they made sense considering what she had been through.

One thing I really enjoy about this author's works is the way she uses third person omniscient in her stories. I love how the narrator floats from person to person showing us what the different characters are doing and saying, from the main character down to the gossips at the ball. This doesn't work in all types of books but it works for me here. Oftentimes there is humor injected into these parts that will have me giggling. I also continue to get a kick out of some of the names the author comes up with.

Elements of this were very reminiscent of Pride and Prejudice. The assumptions made in this book could have been annoying, but worked for me here, for the most part anyway. The last one that ends up coming between the characters was annoying, because I felt like it was accepted as fact too easily, considering where it came from. 

Overall, I loved this book and I'm looking forward to the next book by this author.

 

Thanks to NetGalley and Allison & Busby for providing me a copy of this book.

 

 

 

 

 

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. 

 

 

 

 

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 Tides of Time (Storm Tide #1) by Sarah M. Eden

 

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

 

In 1793, a storm propels Lili forward through time, kindling a love that transcends the ages.

Fleeing the clutches of Robespierre’s revolutionary Tribunal in France, Lili Minet makes a desperate escape on a ship headed to England, but her dangerous flight takes an unexpected turn when a violent storm catapults her off the ship and eighty years into the future, leaving her stranded in the unfamiliar world of 1873 England.

When lighthouse keeper Armitage Pierce rescues a woman from the tumultuous sea, he does not anticipate her silent, cold response to his gallant efforts. Though he is wary of this woman and her odd behaviors, he finds she is just as wary of him. And he can sense that she is not telling him something of great import to her. Only Armitage’s grandfather, a man seasoned by the mysteries of the sea, can seem to penetrate Lili’s defenses to offer her support. But as Lili heals from the physical and emotional wounds of her ordeal and Armitage continues to offer light and safety to her, a tender friendship blossoms between the two.

Yet the shadow of danger looms as the threat that chased Lili from France all those years ago reemerges in her new present. Together Lili and Armitage must navigate the challenges of a romance that grows to defy the boundaries of time and the perils that reach across the decades to ensnare Lili. As the storm clouds gather, Lili and Armitage face the ultimate test—discovering whether their bond is strong enough to rewrite the pages of history itself to save them and their love.

I liked the premise of this story. It reminded me of A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong a little. It also reminded me of the Hallmark TV show The Way Home with the time travel through water thing. This was slow to get going though, and it didn't keep me as engaged in the story as I wanted. The characters were very suspicious of each other in the beginning and it made them a little hard to warm up to at first, and I thought there was a lack of chemistry between them. I think it could have been there if the romance had just been more developed. 

There were frequent changes in language from English to French and it would have been nice to have translations each time this happened. It got a little tedious. One of my biggest problems with the story though, is the way Armitage and his grandfather spoke. I'm not sure if this was a real thing in that part of the world in that time period, or if it was just made up for this book, but either way, transposing pronouns was a really bad idea in my opinion. It annoyed me so much to read it. I'm on the fence about continuing with this series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for providing me with an ARC 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 Season by Sophia Hollway

  

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

 

The Season that changes everything …

Henrietta Gaydon is making her debut in London society for the Season, but her popularity and apparent ease disguises the fact that she is out of her depth and that she dreads the objective of finding a husband. She longs for home, her father and Lord Henfield, who she has always treated as an older brother.

Charles Henfield stopped thinking of Henrietta like a sister when she was sixteen. And he is determined to try his luck with her in London. Mistakes and misunderstandings, the complication of a feud between mamas, and Henrietta’s no longer fraternal feelings for Henfield, all conspire to make this a Season to remember.
 

I went into this book with high hopes. I loved the last book I read by this author, Celia and was hoping for more of what I loved. Ultimately, this one left me feeling unsatisfied. It took far too long to get going and it lacked the type of moments I had hoped for between the two love interests. Unfortunately, there was very little romance in this romance. The main character spent most of her time being courted by other men and getting upset with the main love interest over silly things. I was really wanting to see them together more without the arguing. They are supposed to be friends since childhood that grew up thinking of each other as brother and sister, so they should know each other really well, but that connection isn't conveyed very well in the story. We are told that but not really shown it because of all the misunderstandings between them. If they were that close their whole lives they should have been able to talk to each other and iron these things out a lot sooner than they did. This dragged the story down and made it a slog at times to get through. The ending was satisfying, but there was too much needless drama on the way there.

Lady of Quality by Georgette Heyer

  

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

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

 

Independent and spirited, Miss Annis Wychwood gives little thought to finding herself a suitable husband, thus dashing the dreams of many hopeful suitors. When she becomes embroiled in the affairs of the runaway heiress Lucilla, Annis's life becomes more complicated, as she soon encounters her fugitive's uncivil and high-handed guardian, Mr. Oliver Carleton.
anly
Befriending the wayward girl brings excitement and unexpected consequences, among them greater interaction with Lucilla's guardian, who is quite the rudest man Annis has ever met..

 

Georgette Heyer's books have been on my radar for years. I have several of them on my Kindle, but I've never gotten around to reading any of them. I specifically chose this one because it filled a reading challenge I was participating in and I also wanted to try one of Heyer's books after I recently read a couple of books by Sophia Holloway who has said Heyer was her inspiration. I knew going into this that it wasn't considered one of Heyer's best books, but it still had relatively high ratings. I have to say that this book was very disappointing to me. It certainly didn't leave me wanting to read more of Heyer's books. In fact, I'm going to have to convince myself that it's worth giving her another try. 

My main problem with this book is that some of the word choices and phrases made the prose somewhat awkward and tedious to read at times. I've read multiple Regency era books. Books that were actually published in that era and I've never run across some of the words or phrases used in this book. I'm not saying they didn't exist, I have no idea, but I didn't care for the way this was written. Also, there is very little romance in this book. The man who becomes the love interest in this book decides he's interested in the main character and goes about being quite rude and obnoxious. I didn't find him likable at all. I also didn't really connect with the main character, and her attraction to this obnoxious man didn't make sense to me. On top of that, he's a rake that has kept mistresses and currently has one that he will have to break things off with now that he's fallen for the main character. I'm not a fan of Regency romances with rakes in them. There were also attempts at humor that fell flat for me. 

Celia by Sophia Holloway

 

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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

 

Celia Mardham's first London Season should have been a great success, but a near fatal riding accident has left her with a pronounced limp which means she cannot even curtsy, let alone dance.


Condemned it seems to spinsterhood, her mother Lady Mardham makes one last effort. She draws up a list of guests for a country house party, picking only young ladies who will not be rivals, as well as some potential suitors.


Among the gentlemen is Lord Levedale and when he meets Celia he sees her , not the limp. However, a number of accidents, misunderstandings and spiteful interventions litter the path ahead, and may succeed in driving them apart for good.

 

This is the second book I've read by this author and I must say, I'm hooked! I gave the other book 3.5 stars, but I would have given it 4 if not for a couple of annoying things the main character did. I went into this one hoping I would like it even better because I really enjoyed this author's writing style which reminds me a bit of reading a classic. Little did I know I would end up giving this book 5 stars! I rarely give out 5 stars, especially to romance books, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. 

I loved the characters, particularly the main character Celia, and I love the way this was written. We get a peek into the different characters perspectives on things that are happening and it was great. I just loved Lord Levedale and the fact that he saw Celia right from the beginning and not her injury. I enjoyed getting to know the minor characters as well as the main ones. Celia's mother was a piece of work though! 

There was some nice witty dialog that I also enjoyed, and it was particularly funny when it was at the expense of the more unsavory characters, like this paragraph that was during an archery competition:

"All that mattered was that she won and was the centre of attention. Had one inquired of several members of the party, they would have preferred her to be the centre of attention by being the target."

That was so unexpected that it had me bursting out laughing! 

People have said this author's books remind them of Georgette Heyer, whose books I've been aware of for a long time but never tried, so I decided to give one of her books a try next to compare. I'll post a review of that book later.

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.

Where the Stars Meet the Sea by Heidi Kimball

  

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

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

 

A broken man. A fiery young woman. Neither one's heart will come away unscathed.

Juliet Graham fervently counts the days until her twenty-first birthday, when she can claim the inheritance that will grant her the freedom she has always craved and the guardianship of her younger brother. Until then, she is trapped under her aunt Agnes’s domineering will. When forced to accompany the family to a house party at Shaldorn Castle, Juliet’s only objective is to keep to herself. That is, until a chance encounter with a boorish stranger stirs up an unexpected whirlwind of emotions in her. Thrown off-balance, Juliet does the unthinkable: loses her temper and insults the man—who turns out to be her unwilling host, the Duke of Halstead. Fully expecting to be sent away, Juliet is surprised when the brusque and callous duke instead takes an interest in her.

Drawn to the duke in unguarded moments, Juliet finds herself more and more intrigued by the man who shuns Society’s rules as completely as she does, and over the next few weeks, their unlikely friendship deepens into a connection neither expected.

But even as Juliet comes to recognize her true feelings, her scheming aunt issues an ultimatum that threatens the future she was just beginning to hope for. Juliet must choose: either break the promise she made to herself years ago, or lose the man who has captured her heart and soul.

 

This is a regency romance that doesn't feel like most of the regency romances I've read. It felt like it could have been in just about any setting. I think I missed having some of the details that I usually enjoy in regencies. The cover, which I think is gorgeous, gives the book a bit of a gothic type feel, but the writing doesn't really. 

The story started out really good. The characters Juliet and Halstead were interesting and their slow burn romance made for a compelling read. I really love that type of romance, and the way the book lingered on the characters getting to know each other was perfect. But at one point pretty late in the book Juliet behaves very stupidly. Without spoiling anything here I'm just going to say that he's a duke with lots of power, she could have used that to her advantage. But instead there is needless drama. I still recommend it though because everything else about the book was really good. 

Ladies of Devon Series by Kasey Stockton

In February I decided to add nothing but clean historical romance to my pick it for me list, and the first book in this series, The Jewels of Halstead Manor, was one of them. My friend Melissa ended up choosing it for me. I had never read anything else by this author so I was looking forward to seeing if I liked her writing style. I'm pleased to say that not only did I like her writing style, but I ended up reading all but the last book in the series in February, and that one I read at the beginning of March. I was really in the mood for this type of book I guess, and in a way I still am. I've been reading more romance these last couple of months and thoroughly enjoying it. 

Anyway, back to this book. It pulled in right from the very beginning and I had a hard time putting it down. It had just the right blend of romance and mystery that I love in these types of books. Of course the mystery centers around the jewels in the title. There was great chemistry between the characters. The romance had just the right amount of sweetness and longing to it. I especially loved the supporting cast of characters here, that befriended Giulia, and I wanted to know more about each of them. Each subsequent book in the series is about a different one of the supporting characters and how they find love, so I was hooked. The rest of the books had less of a mystery element to them but I enjoyed all the books in this series. The last book was my least favorite. I wasn't as crazy about the story line or the love interest in that one, but it was still good. It also takes place ten years after the other books. In some ways I thought that was a good thing because I got to see how the families of the characters from the previous books had grown. I've put my ratings and the descriptions for each book down below.

 

 

  

The Jewels of Halstead Manor (Ladies of Devon #1) by Kasey Stockton

 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

 

She can only stay as long as the invalid needs her... so he makes it his business to need her forever.

When a cryptic invitation brings Giulia Pepper to her uncle's remote estate in Devon, she arrives in dire need of a benefactor, only to discover that her uncle never sent her any invitation—nor does he want her there. Forced into a corner, Giulia must contrive a way to convince him to allow her to remain, just long enough to figure out where to go next.

Nicholas never asked for an earldom, but when an aged lord arrives at his door and tells Nicholas that he is next in line for the title, he willingly goes to Halstead Manor to learn the role. But someone isn’t pleased with the heir, and after a gunshot wound in the arm, Nicholas must discover who is out to get him.

When Giulia stumbles—literally—over a fallen man on the lane to Halstead, she has her she can stay at Halstead and nurse her uncle's heir back to health. But as mystery builds and danger mounts, will Giulia and Nicholas be able to solve the puzzle before the Earl forces Giulia to leave for good? And furthermore, can they manage to work together without losing their hearts in the process?

 

The Lady of Larkspur Vale (Ladies of Devon #2) by Kasey Stockton

 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

 

She wants to forget she ever knew him; he just wants her.

Mabel Sheffield is too tall, or so she believes. It one of the reasons she has given up on finding a husband and instead embraces her role as a spinster, dedicating her days to managing her grandmother's estate and her seven-year-old sister. But when Liam MacKenzie shows up at her house to stay for the summer, she's unsure if she can keep her resolve. The problem: he's the other reason she's a spinster.

Book two in the Ladies of Devon series, The Lady of Larkspur Vale is a childhood friends-to-lovers and second chance romance story. It is a clean Regency romance that continues telling the story of the four women who make up a literary society in Devon and form a lasting friendship.

 

 

The Lady Widow of Falbrooke Court (Ladies of Devon #3) by Kasey Stockton

 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

 

Can true love break the curse?

Amelia Fawn is cursed—or so she believes. How else can she explain each of her husbands' deaths within the first year of marriage? So after the ton names her the Black Widow and warns eligible men to stay clear, Amelia vows never to marry again. Not even if she falls in love.

Charles Fremont has loved Amelia Fawn his entire life. But after enduring countless rejections and watching her get married three other times, he's finally had enough. He swears a vow to never ask anything from her again. Even if it kills him.

Book three in the Ladies of Devon series, The Widow of Falbrooke Court, is a clean Regency romance continuing the story of the four women who make up a literary society in Devon and form a lasting friendship.

 

 

  

The Recluse of Wolfeton House (Ladies of Devon #4) by Kasey Stockton 

 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

 

She is holding out for her soul mate; he believes it’s him.

Hattie Green is five and twenty, unmarried, and growing tired of waiting for fate to hand her a soul mate. But when her sister-in-law arrives for a visit with the intent of helping her find a husband by any means necessary, Hattie digs in her heels—for everyone knows that fate cannot be forced.

The Duke of Bentley has gone to extreme measures to ensure his privacy and seclusion far away from Society—the distance is imperative if he wants to keep his family name free of scandal. So when his lovely neighbor breaks through his carefully constructed barriers and piques his interest with their shared affection for painting, Bentley agrees to give her lessons on the condition that they keep them secret.

As their clandestine meetings grow increasingly more difficult to hide, Bentley realizes that he must make a choice. Is it worth sacrificing his carefully guarded privacy for the woman of his dreams?

Book four in the Ladies of Devon series, The Recluse of Wolfeton House is a clean Regency romance that continues telling the story of the four women who make up a literary society in Devon and form a lasting friendship.

 

 

 

 

The Smuggler of Camden Cove (Ladies of Devon #5) by Kasey Stockton

 

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

 

Pippa Sheffield has a penchant for trouble. She doesn't ask to be thrown into slippery situations, but they tend to find her. She has worked at maintaining good behavior—she owes that much to her sister—until her new neighbor, William Blakemore, moves in. Come to find out, he is nothing but trouble.

Book Five of the Ladies of Devon takes place ten years after the four friends in the literary society each find their soul mates. Mabel's sister is all grown up, and ready for her own adventure.

 

 

 

 

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.

The Reformer (Power of the Matchmaker #12) by Jaima Fixsen

  

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Romance, Historical romance
Content: Some sexual innuendo

 

Love at first sight...
Mary Buchanan is a quiet dreamer, fetching pills for her aunt, and soothing her father's monumental temper—which only gets worse when a radical journalist takes the house next door. Clearly, Mr. Samuel Brown will be nothing but trouble.
But when Mary meets him, locked out of her home and caught in the rain, she instantly falls for the handsome reformer. Together, they could have the happily ever after they’ve both longed for… if she can just get him to realize it.
Mary Buchanan isn’t keeping quiet anymore.

 

DNF at 44%. I've read other books by this author and liked them, but I couldn't get into this one. I didn't care for any of the characters and there was no chemistry between the possible love interests. I was expecting a more mature main character, but this one was 17 and this felt very YA in some ways, with the main character obsessing over an older man. It was also a little off-putting the way the older man first encounters her and all that happened after he rescued her from standing out in the rain. Add in his grumpy best friend, who I suspect will become another love interest later on, and her overbearing, over protective father, and I just didn't enjoy reading this very much at all. Maybe it would have improved if I had stuck with it a little longer, but from the beginning, this book just felt off to me, and I have many other books I could be spending my time on. 

 

This is part of a companion series by different authors, of standalone romance novels with a matchmaker that is the one continuous thread. I haven't read the other books in the series but I do have a couple of the others on my to-read list. I'm hoping those are better than this one.