“An Inconvenient Beauty” by Kristi Ann Hunter

“Griffith, Duke of Riverton, likes order, logic, and control, and he naturally applies this rational approach to his search for a bride. He’s certain Miss Frederica St. Claire is the perfect wife for him, but while Frederica is strangely elusive, he can’t seem to stop running into her stunningly beautiful cousin, Miss Isabella Breckenridge.

Isabella should be enjoying her society debut, but with her family in difficult circumstances, her uncle will only help them if she’ll use her beauty to assist him in his political aims. Already uncomfortable with this agreement, the more she comes to know Griffith, the more she wishes to be free of her unfortunate obligation.

Will Griffith and Isabella be able to set aside their pride and face their fears in time to find their own happily-ever-after?”

What a lovely finale to this captivating series! Little did I know when I came across the prequel novella to this series, a few years ago, that I would actually get the opportunity to follow through with the whole thing as each one was released (well, except for the first one). I absolutely love books set in the Regency time period, and Mrs. Hunter did a marvelous job depicting the setting, and crafting the characters.

Though it may come as a bit of surprise, my favorite characters were actually Frederica and Arthur (though of course, I loved Griffith and Isabella as well). Frederica, as cousin and best friend of Isabella, was just so sweet and cute (despite her unfortunate features :-), and I loved her personality. As for Griffith and Isabella, one likes them simply because they are the main characters and their story is so fun, though I have a feeling if I were to meet them in real life, I might be a bit off put by them. Particularly Griffith, as a duke, comes across as proud at times, which I guess is understandable, and it’s what makes him believable.

I will say that other than the “happily-ever-after” factor, I honestly didn’t know how the author was going to resolve the issues that made up the conflict of the story. Which, in a way, I enjoyed and yet at the same time, when the resolution regarding Isabella’s family came out, I almost felt like it was too easy and pat.

The spiritual aspect of the story wasn’t as strong as it has been in others of her books, but once again I guess if you are attempting to portray something realistically we all have different spiritual strengths and failures.

I think overall, the thing that salvages any weakness in the storyline or other possible shortcomings, is the fact that Mrs. Hunter is an incredibly talented writer, and you feel like you are in the story. I only realized some of the weaknesses after I had finished the book and was thinking about my review.

I’m giving it a 4 star rating. Such a pleasure to read!

*Disclaimer: I received an ebook copy from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.

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“A Name Unknown” by Roseanna White

“Rosemary Gresham has no family beyond the band of former urchins that helped her survive as a girl in the mean streets of London. Grown now, they concentrate on stealing high-value items and have learned how to blend into upper-class society. But when Rosemary must determine whether a certain wealthy gentleman is loyal to Britain or to Germany, she is in for the challenge of a lifetime. How does one steal a family’s history, their very name?

Peter Holstein, given his family’s German blood, writes his popular series of adventure novels under a pen name. With European politics boiling and his own neighbors suspicious of him, Peter debates whether it might be best to change his name for good. When Rosemary shows up at his door pretending to be a historian and offering to help him trace his family history, his question might be answered.

But as the two work together and Rosemary sees his gracious reaction to his neighbors’ scornful attacks, she wonders if her assignment is going down the wrong path. Is it too late to help him prove that he’s more than his name?”

Ah, this was another lovely read from one of my favorite authors! I have come to expect quality writing, thought-provoking content, and a riveting story line from Mrs. White. I am happy to report this book was no exception.

The main female character is no someone you can agree with through the whole book, yet she is certainly someone you can admire. Her point of view does lend food for thought, even though wrong is still wrong. The best part, of course, is how Peter Holstein is able to show her an example of what true Christianity looks like even in the upper classes of society. Such loveliness! All the secondary characters were wonderful too, and can I just say, I want a story about Treeve.

As for the historical part of the storyline? Truly fascinating! Mrs. White certainly did her research, and all the facts that came out about Peter’s family history, though they were, perhaps, made up, were ‘simply mahvelous’!

As always, the spiritual content was very good, though, probably the one thing I disagreed with was the way Peter excused his irregular church attendance.

For me this was definitely a 5 star read!

Disclaimer: I received a print copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.

 

“High as the Heavens” by Kate Breslin

“In 1917, Evelyn Marche is just one of many women who has been widowed by the war. A British nurse trapped in German-occupied Brussels, she spends her days working at a hospital and her nights as a waitress in her aunt and uncle’s café. Eve also has a carefully guarded secret keeping her in constant danger: She’s a spy working for a Belgian resistance group in league with the British Secret Service.

When a British plane crashes in Brussels Park, Eve is the first to reach the downed plane and is shocked to discover she recognizes the badly injured pilot. British RFC Captain Simon Forrester is now a prisoner of war, and Eve knows he could be shot as a spy at any time. She risks her own life to hide him from the Germans, but as the danger mounts and the secrets between them grow, their chance of survival looks grim. And even if they do make it out alive, the truth of what lies between them may be more than any love can overcome.”

3 cheers for another author that can spin a riveting tale! Because I had read reviews, I was going in with pretty high expectations and I was not disappointed. I seriously had such a hard time putting this book down.

The setting is beautifully developed and I felt like I was living the story (which is pretty rare for me), yet there is no information dumping; it all just comes naturally in the story. I think one of the most amazing parts was the way she would entwine backstory with the storyline, and at those times I felt like I was remembering with the characters and yet not living it, like I did when the story was in the present.

The character development was great! I loved all of them, so much so that I would have a hard time picking my favorite. Yeah, I even liked Otto Reinhardt in his own way. When it came out who the bad guy was…yeah, definitely didn’t see that one coming.

The courage and bravery is inspiring and yet the spiritual battle that Eve fights is so realistic. The only disclaimer I will make in regards to the spiritual aspect is that it is pretty heavily Catholic and therefore I don’t agree with everything that is portrayed.

Also the romance may be a little much for more sensitive readers, and yet since it was between husband and wife, it didn’t bother me as much.

I’m knocking half a star off for the Catholic element for an overall rating of 4 1/2 stars. I just plain loved it!

*Disclaimer: I received a print copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.

 

 

“Heart on the Line” by Karen Witemeyer

“Grace Mallory is tired of running, of hiding. But when an old friend sends an after-hours telegraph transmission warning Grace that the man who has hunted her for nearly a year has discovered her location, she fears she has no choice. She can’t let the villain she believes responsible for her father’s death release his wrath in Harper’s Station, the town that has sheltered her and blessed her with the dearest friends she’s ever known.

Amos Bledsoe prefers bicycles to horses and private conversations over the telegraph wire to social gatherings with young ladies who see him as nothing more than an oddity. His telegraph companion, the mysterious Miss G, listens eagerly to his ramblings every night and delights him with tales all her own. For months, their friendship–dare he believe, courtship?–has fed his hope that he has finally found the woman God intended for him. Yet when he takes the next step to meet her in person, he discovers her life is in peril, and Amos must decide if he can shed the cocoon of his quiet nature to become the hero Grace requires.”
This is another delightful story from Mrs. Witemeyer! I always enjoy her writing voice and the style is one that carries the story forward almost effortlessly.

The ladies of Harpers Station are all you could ask for and they have ea h come to live in this women’s only colony for different reasons. It was enjoyable exploring two of those storylines with Grace and Helen. Now I have a little confession to make. As much as I loved Grace and Amos, I think I enjoyed Helen and Lee’s storyline just a little bit more. Probably because there was more resistance on her side and he had to truly win her over …so sweet!

And I really did love Amos. I much prefer his type of character to the stereotypical western brawn and bravery. Now don’t get me wrong. Amos was definitely brave and of course came to save the day when his lady was in danger. But he relied more on brains than brawn.

The intrigue and danger in the story were well done even though I couldn’t call it truly mysterious. The villain is pretty evident almost from the beginning.

The spiritual content is well done, and once again, Helen’s spiritual journey is my favorite. The choices she makes to trust the Lord even when she’s afraid or wants to express anger are very relatable.

I will just say for the benefit of those that are sensitive to romance that the romance is very emotionally driven and there are a couple of detailed kissing scenes.

Overall I’d give this 4 1/2 stars!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

“The Secret Slipper” by Amanda Tero

Hello Friends! I’m here today with another release from one of my favorite authors (partly because she’s also a close friend ;-), Amanda Tero! The Secret Slipper is the second in a series of novellas that Amanda is writing, the first of which, Befriending the Beast, was released last year.

So what’s the book about? Well, I’ll tell ya….

“Being a cripple is only the beginning of Lia’s troubles. It seems as if Bioti’s goal in life is to make Lia as miserable as possible. If Lia’s purpose is to be a slave, then why did God make her a cripple? How can He make something beautiful out of her deformity?

Raoul never questioned the death of his daughter until someone reports her whereabouts. If Ellia is still alive, how has she survived these ten years with her deformity? When Raoul doesn’t know who to trust, can he trust God to keep Ellia safe when evidence reveals Bioti’s dangerous character?

As time brings more hindrances, will Raoul find Ellia, or will she forever be lost to the father she doesn’t even know is searching for her?”

As with Befriending the Beast, The Secret Slipper is a fairy-tale retelling! I personally love fairy-tale retellings, and Cinderella stories are some of my favorites. This one was no exception! Following in the same style as the first one, instead of a handsome prince, the male MC is her father. I just love that! And I absolutely loved this book! Amanda did a great job developing the characters. I can’t give anything away, but she did an amazing job of slipping in an undercurrent of uncertainty with one particular character that turned out to be proven correct in the end even though I was still not expecting it to happen!

The plot development was also great! I never felt like there were any parts that dragged, but things transitioned smoothly throughout. I really like the way she switched up the chapters with the two points of view. You were able to follow each of the main characters and their stories, and I could hardly put it down when it got to the point where I could tell they were about to converge! Aahhh, I just loved it.

The spiritual journeys and lessons each of the characters learned were so good! I think one of my favorite things about Amanda’s stories is the way she weaves spiritual truth and lessons seamlessly into her work.

So in conclusion, I truly do think this is Amanda’s best book yet, and I’m giving it 5 stars! Can’t wait for upcoming stories!

Oh, and I forgot to mention just how much I love the cover! So beautiful!

So don’t hesitate! Head over to Amazon and grab your own copy!

Also be sure to stop at the other blogs that are taking part in the tour where you can find out about giveaways and enjoy some author interviews.

May 25, 2017

Amanda @ With a Joyful Noise | Release Day, Giveaway

Leila @ Leila Tualla’s Bookshelf | Spotlight

Faith @ Writings, Ramblings, and Reflections | Review, Giveaway

Leona @ Great Books for God’s Girls | Review, Interview

May 26

Emily @ Zerina Blossom’s Books | Interview

Kendra @ Knitted By God’s Plan (Spotlight) and O’Scarlett Reviews (Review) | Spotlight, Review

Alicia @ A Brighter Destiny | Review, Giveaway

May 27

Anika @ This Journey Called Life | Spotlight, Review, Giveaway

Katie @ His Princess Warrior | Review, Giveaway

Sarah @ The Destiny of One | Spotlight

May 29

Kate @ Once Upon an Ordinary | Review, Interview

Sarah @ Penumbra Reviews | Review

Dary @ Peculiar Miss Darcy | Character Interview

Julia @ My Joyful Journey with Jesus | Interview

May 30

Kenzi @ Honey Rock Hills | Review, Giveaway

Anita @ Christian Author: A.M. Heath  | Review

Judith @ JudithWNicholson  | Interview

May 31

Jesseca @ Whimsical Writings for His glory  | Spotlight, Review

Raechel @ God’s Peculiar Treasure Rae  | Spotlight, Review

Esther @ Purposeful Learning | Review, Interview, Giveaway

June 1

Kellyn @ Reveries Reviews  | Review

Victoria @ Victoria Minks Blog  | Spotlight, Review

Kelsey @ Kelsey’s Notebook | Spotlight

June 2

Hanne @ RockandMinerals4Him | Spotlight, Review, Giveaway

Erica @ Roxbury Books Blog | Spotlight

Crystal @ Crystal’s Adventures for Christ  | Spotlight, Review, Interview

June 3

Alexa @ Verbosity Reviews  | Spotlight

Faith @ Chosen Vessels  | Review

Melissa @ Clothed with Scarlet | Review, Interview, Giveaway

Thanks so much for reading my ramblings! Y’all have a wonderful day, and be sure to make time to read some good books!

“Behind the Scenes” by Jen Turano

“Miss Permilia Griswold may have been given the opportunity of a debut into New York high society, but no one warned her she wasn’t guaranteed to “take.” After spending the last six years banished to the wallflower section of the ballroom, she’s finally putting her status on the fringes of society to good use by penning anonymous society gossip columns under the pseudonym “Miss Quill.”

Mr. Asher Rutherford has managed to maintain his status as a reputable gentleman of society despite opening his own department store. While pretending it’s simply a lark to fill his time, he has quite legitimate reasons for needing to make his store the most successful in the country.
When Permilia overhears a threat against the estimable Mr. Rutherford, she’s determined to find and warn the man. Disgruntled at a first meeting that goes quite poorly and results in Asher not believing her, she decides to take matters into her own hands, never realizing she’ll end up at risk as well.

As Asher and Permilia are forced to work together and spend time away from the spotlight of society, perhaps there’s more going on behind the scenes than they ever could have anticipated. . . .”
First of all, the cover of this book is absolutely beautiful, and the dress that Permelia is wearing plays a rather significant part in the story. Speaking of Permelia, the names in this book are so humorous to me. Every time a new one would pop up, my eyebrows would go a little higher. 🙂 

So now for the story. This is my first book to read by Mrs. Turano even though I’ve been seeing her books for a while now and even have a couple on my kindle. I had read reviews of several of her books including this one, so I was pretty much prepared for the style of writing. It is probably what I would call a caricature. The author certainly has a flair for the dramatic and ridiculous, but as I said I was prepared for that so I actually really enjoyed. Once again when I came to a couple of the most dramatic and climactic scenes, my eyebrows were going higher and higher as I wondered who would walk in the door next. It really was quite hilarious! 

It was interesting to see the plot develop and I really liked Permelia as a character. Forgive me if I say Asher was your typical, run-of-mill hero. I liked him a lot, but I can’t say there was anything that stuck out to me as particularly unique among the masses of tall, dark, and handsome heros, with all the charming qualities one has come to expect of that breed. I did quite enjoy the sparring that went on between him and Permelia. 🙂

The spirirtual content was perhaps a little shallow though it was actually better than I had anticipated. I loved the last sentence in this book! It summed it all up very well!

Overall I enjoyed this book, and I wouldn’t mind reading another at some point. 

*Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

“Wings of the Wind” by Connilyn Cossette

“Alanah, a Canaanite, is no stranger to fighting and survival. When her family is killed in battle with the Hebrews, she disguises herself and sneaks onto the battlefield to avenge her family. The one thing she never counted on was surviving.

Tobiah, a Hebrew warrior, is shocked to find an unconscious, wounded woman among the Canaanite casualties. Compelled to bring her to a Hebrew healer back at their camp, he is soon confronted with a truth he can’t ignore: the only way to protect this enemy is to marry her.

Unused to being weak and vulnerable, Alanah submits to the marriage–for now. As she comes to know and respect Tobiah and his people, however, she begins to second-guess her plans of escape. But when her past has painfully unanticipated consequences, the tentative peace she’s found with Tobiah, the Hebrews, and Yahweh is shaken to the core. Can Alanah’s fierce heart and strength withstand the ensuing threats to her life and all she’s come to love?”

Okay, I really hate writing a mixed review. So I guess I’ll start with the positives, and honestly, there are more positives than negatives. Mrs. Cossette is one of the most talented authors I’ve read. She has the amazing ability to pull you into her stories from the first few sentences, and doesn’t release you until the conclusion. Her stories are told from the first person point of view which I think helps a lot in captivating the reader’s attention, but that means that the character development has to be well done, and for that I give Mrs. Cossette 5 stars! Her descriptions are beautiful, her attention to detail fascinating, and her faithfulness to Scripture noteworthy. At the end of her books, she explains areas in which she filled in details that are not specifically given in Scripture. It is truly amazing and riveting.

In this last installment of the Out of Egypt series, we are brought to the time period of entering the promised land. I really loved getting to see Shira again (the main character of the previous book), as well as glimpses of Kiya, etc. Tobiah was such a great character, and Alanah’s journey to faith and spiritual maturing is well done. I also really liked the main story line, and the way Rahab was brought in. It was all very plausible.

So the negatives? Well, I guess the main one is that the author tends to write in a more sensual manner. I don’t think inappropriate details are given, but there are more crude comments, innuendos, and suggestive sentences than I am comfortable with. A percentage of the story occurs around a harlot’s inn, and a temple devoted to sexual pursuits (just so y’all understand, of course, that this takes place in Canaan, with its numerous false gods and just a very depraved way of life). Because of this I’m really struggling with how to rate this book. Writing quality, 5 stars. Content issues, 3 stars, but I guess to find the right balance, it’s overall a 4 star book for me!

Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review