After being kidnapped as a child, heiress Emma Grace McMurray has seen firsthand the devastation that greed causes in the world, and she wants nothing to do with it–including her father’s offering her hand in a business deal. She sneaks away to be a Harvey Girl at the El Tovar Grand Canyon Hotel, planning to stay hidden even if it means always looking over her shoulder.
Ray Watkins arrives at the hotel wanting to impress his father by finding success on his own. Then maybe he can take on more of the family business and do something good with the profits.
Ray immediately admires Emma Grace, and though a friendship forms, she’s afraid he’s just like every other wealthy man she’s known. Then art and jewels go missing from El Tovar and the nearby Hopi House, a mystery that pulls them in and stirs up their worst fears. When shocking revelations come to light, they’ll have to question all they thought to be true.
My Impressions
“Her whole identity was a façade. How could she be real with anyone?”
I really loved A Deep Divide by Kimberley Woodhouse. I think it may be her best work yet. A historical set mostly at the Grand Canyon, we see plenty of great description of this beautiful landmark. The writing style is solid, with a touch of wistfulness that will draw you in with its suspense, romance, and faith. Plus, the great historical detail Woodhouse includes shows her meticulous research.
Emma Grace McMurray learns in childhood that those most responsible for caring for her cannot be trusted. Now she is in hiding, trusting no man, always looking over her shoulder.
I like Emma Grace’s character. She is humble and not too proud to work, when many in her position would be. She befriends those around her in need. She does have an issue with those of the upper class and quickly categorizes most as snobby and self-absorbed.
Ray Watkins has his work cut out for him. Interested in the calm, collected, and beautiful waitress, he has a hard time getting her to pay him any attention. Ray is someone I felt very sorry for. His father is very domineering, with some health issues, that make working for his approval nearly impossible. Ray tries hard to live up to his new faith, but his father and his associates make that difficult.
I loved Ruth, who ended up being such a loyal friend. Always ready to listen, ready to comfort, ready to think the best of her new friend.
I loved learning about the Harvey Girls and the Harvey House, El Tovar, at the Grand Canyon. We saw a display about the Harvey House Girls while we visited the canyon, but we were in a hurry at the display, and I didn’t catch the significance. Thank you, Ms. Woodhouse, for this great, fun education on the Harvey House Girls and the Grand hotel there!
I received a copy of the book from the author and publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own, and no positive review was required.
Notable Quotables:
“A man was a man, no matter his status.”
“She’d love to have a real friend, but she had too many secrets.”
“…you are valuable to us for who you are.”
“You’re so busy trying to be brave and take care of yourself that you’ve shoved God back because you don’t think He can be trusted.”
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Magnificent! I Loved Learning about the Harvey Girls!!
About the Author
Kimberley Woodhouse is an award-winning and bestselling author of more than twenty-five books. A lover of history and research, she often gets sucked into the past and then her husband has to lure her out with chocolate and the promise of eighteen holes on the golf course. She loves music, kayaking, and her family. Her books have been awarded the Carol Award, Holt Medallion, Reader’s Choice Award, Selah Award, Spur Award, and others. A popular speaker/teacher, she’s shared with over 1,000,000 people at more than twenty-five hundred venues across the country. Married to the love of her life for three decades, she lives and writes in the Poconos where she’s traded in her hat of “craziest mom” for “coolest grandma.” Connect with Kim at www.kimberleywoodhouse.comwww.facebook.com/KimberleyWoodhouseAu… www.instagram.com/kimberleywoodhouse www.twitter.com/kimwoodhouse
Full of intrigue, adventure, and romance, this new series celebrates the unsung heroes—the heroines of WWII.
Journalist Nellie Wilkerson has spent the bulk of the war in London, photographing pilots taking off and landing—and she’s bored. She jumps at the chance to go to France, where the Allied forces recently landed. She enlists Jean-Paul Breslau of the French underground to take her to the frontlines. On the journey, they come upon an orphanage where nuns shelter children with disabilities. Can they help save them before the Nazis come to liquidate it?
It is the evening after I finished A Picture of Hope, #2 Heroines of WWII, by Liz Tolsma. I am experiencing a very real sense of loss because I can’t spend any more time with Nellie and Jean-Paul. Why, oh, why, did I stay up so late last night to get to the end? Oh, yes… it would have been agonizing not to know what became of Nellie and Jean-Paul!
I love how Marie-Terese is such a strong, influential secondary character. She gently encourages and nudges others to strengthen their faith muscle. Yet, we see that she has doubts, which makes her very human.
The faith aspect is woven in beautifully. Doubts are allowed. Trust is a strong theme. God wins over evil, but maybe not in our timing.
The inclusion of Downs syndrome children as a main component of the story is as delicious as Texas sheet cake. And done just as tastefully. Liz Tolsma possesses a special education background and is also a parent of a special needs child. Tolsma’s expertise shines throughout the book, both in the Downs Syndrome aspect and the French Resistance of WWII.
It’s always great to have fact vs fiction notes at the end! I find it fascinating to see what parts of history an author has been able to incorporate into the story; what events are true, but dates are fudged to fit the story, or when personalities are blended to create an authentic character.
A fabulous, haunting book. May we never forget!!
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit via Netgalley. All opinions are my own, and no positive review was required.
Notable Quotables:
“Photographs don’t always have to be pretty. Sometimes they tell a story. That’s what I want mine to do. Tell the story of this war so the world knows what is going on and so our children and grandchildren and all those who come after us will never forget what happened on this beach or in these fields.”
“This suffering is meant to make our souls long for heaven. This world wearies us and weighs us down. Oh, but there is another world where we will never weary and where we will never long for anything better.”
“Even if you only help one person, that is enough. By aiding a single individual, you have changed one world.”
“I would rather suffer in chains for the sake of freedom than be free for the sake of tyranny.”
“But she is safe in God’s hands. That’s safer than you could keep her.”
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Truly Magnificent!! A Stunning Picture– May We Never Forget!!
About the Author
Liz Tolsma is the author of several WWII novels, romantic suspense novels, prairie romance novellas, and an Amish romance. She is a popular speaker and an editor and resides next to a Wisconsin farm field with her husband and their youngest daughter. Her son is a US Marine, and her oldest daughter is a college student. Liz enjoys reading, walking, working in her large perennial garden, kayaking, and camping. Please visit her website at http://www.liztolsma.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter (@LizTolsma), Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest. She is also the host of the Christian Historical Fiction Talk podcast.
More from Liz
Why Another WWII Novel Set in France
You may well read the back cover of my latest release, A Picture of Hope, and wonder why on earth we need another WWII novel set in France. After all, Kristy Cambron just had one. Melanie Dobson and Sarah Sundin will be coming out with theirs in 2022. So why did I feel the need to write my novel with the same setting?
First of all, I’m a Francophile. I love all things French. It started when I took French in high school. Everyone else was learning Spanish, but I wasn’t into being part of the crowd. There were only a few of us in the class, and it was great fun. We had a wonderful teacher. Being able to pull out some of that French, refine it a bit, and use it in the book was a blast. But I also love French food (who doesn’t?) and everything else.
Secondly, I hadn’t written about France before. When I wrote this proposal at least five or six years ago, I didn’t know France would be so hot. God did, and the book came about in His perfect timing. I’d explored the Netherlands, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and the Philippines. Such a shame that I was leaving out France, so I set about to write a novel located in that country.
Thirdly, there was so much good material to pull from. The French resistance, while small, did good work and sacrificed a great deal to get Jews out of the country and into Switzerland or Spain. The books that Kristy, Melanie, Sarah, and I write are all so different. Only the setting is the same. And when I found out that the famous mime Marcel Marceau was part of the resistance, I couldn’t help but giving him a cameo. Be on the lookout!
Along the way, I discovered some truly heartrending incidents that took place in France. They also compelled me to write this book. I long for the world to remember what happened so that we will never forget. And so that the atrocities committed there will never be repeated.
Fourthly, this was originally the third book in a series. Don’t worry – it’s a stand-alone. Maybe someday I’ll get to publish the other two. The women in the series are all American journalists in Europe. One is a reporter, the other is a broadcaster, and so I decided to make Nellie, the heroine in A Picture of Hope, a photojournalist. And where better to take pictures than on Omaha Beach soon after D-day. How she gets there is based on a very interesting true story, so be sure to read to the end for that one.
There are so many stories about WWII to be told and so many countries that participated in the conflict in one way or the other. The ground is so rich that we aren’t plowing the same parcel. You’ll find all of these books to be very different from each other, each with its own message, its own voice, and its own plot.
The focus in my book is on children with Down syndrome. I have a background in special education, and my husband and I adopted a child from the Philippines with an intellectual disability, so I’ve always had a heart for people with special needs. My daughter brings us so much joy that I wanted to share a glimpse into what these remarkable people are truly capable of.
So that is why I wrote a WWII novel set in France. Make yourself a cup of café au lait, butter up a croissant, and enjoy A Picture of Hope!
To onlookers, Carrie Ann Bell Collier might appear to be the dutiful wife, sitting at her unconscious husband’s bedside. But she feels like a hypocrite. Instead of trusting her intuition, she allowed herself to believe Peyton was dead. And then she fell in love with his best friend, Eli Kent.
Except, Peyton wasn’t dead, and now Carrie will do anything to keep him alive.
Andrea Boeshaar has done it. She has created characters so real, that I cared about so much, that I found myself praying for the heroine, Carrie Ann. I have an affinity for stories of faith set in Civil War times, and There is a Season that will stay on my mind for a long time to come.
While this is the third book in the series, it is possible to read only this novel and not be lost. Boeshaar provides enough backstory that anyone can enjoy this book, but after reading it, I have a hankering to re-read the first and devour the second.
I say devour because the whole premise of this book had me truly gobbling it down. Colonel Peyton Collier is near death, but his young wife, Carrie, hires a nurse, Hannah, who promises healing with experimental medicine. There are just a few drawbacks: Hannah demands an exorbitant fee and complete control of the sickroom. And the saga begins, plus Boeshaar treats us to another competition that traverses the book, weaving the novel into a complex tapestry.
I loved the different characteristics of various players. Carrie is determined and tenacious once she makes a decision. Eli is loyal to a fault. Aunt Ruth loves beyond bloodlines.
The epilogue makes the book even better, if possible!
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.
Several Notable Quotables:
“Practicing my faith is going to be more difficult than I imagined.”
“It’s not much of a battle, really.” Peyton knew what the right thing was, but the decision meant death.
“…just because you don’t feel something doesn’t mean God has abandoned you or that His Holy Spirit no longer resides within you.”
“I should warn you, dear one, that this idea of yours is like handling a deadly serpent. You may be bitten.” …”We may both be bitten…and devoured.”
We’re children of the King of kings.” “Which makes us princesses.”
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Characters so Real I Prayed for Them!
About the Author
Andrea Boeshaar was born and raised in Wisconsin but now lives in South Carolina. She had her husband Daniel have been married more than 40 years. They have 3 grown sons, 1 beautiful daughter-in-law, and 5 grandkids.
Andrea’s publishing career began in 1994 when her first novel was released by Heartsong Presents book club (Barbour Publishing). In 2007, Andrea earned her certification in Christian life coaching and she’ll soon earn her bachelor’s degree in Business Management.
Meanwhile, Andrea continues to write. Her latest novel is There is a Season: A Civil War Novel. It’s book 3 in her Shenandoah Valley Saga. Recent historical short novels include: Give Me Thine Heart, Love’s Guiding Light (Steeple View Publishing).
At last, the long-awaited third and final book in Andrea Boeshaar’s Shenandoah Valley Saga is available for purchase. Discover the final outcome of the lives of the characters you came to love in Books 1 and 2.
Ben Zook had only two loves in his life: books and birds. In a stroke of good fortune, he’d stumbled onto a way to cobble together those two loves into a career, writing books about rare birds. He was as free as a bird–until a chase for a rare White-winged Tern takes him to the one place on earth he planned to never return: his Amish home in Stoney Ridge.
Desperate for photographs of the elusive tern, Ben hires a local field guide, Micah Weaver, and boards at Micah’s farm, planning to “bag the bird” and leave Stoney Ridge before anyone recognizes him. But he neglected to plan for Micah’s sister, Penny. One long-ago summer, Penny had introduced Ben to birding, even sharing with him a hidden eagle aerie. That eagle became his spark bird–the one that inspired his lifelong love.
Ben. He was Penny’s spark bird. That was when she knew true love. She’d always hoped Ben would come back to Stoney Ridge. Back to his Amish roots. Back to her. The only problem? Ben has absolutely no memory of Penny.
Wow! A fiction book with birding as its subject matter!! I am a fan!! Suzanne Woods Fisher pens a most engaging tale of Amish and Englischers hunting both birds and fulfillment in A Season on the Wind. I loved this book on so many levels.
First, it starts with descriptions of birds. It was so hard to not look up the birds’ pictures in my phone app as I went. Each chapter includes a page out of Micah’s bird diary about a different bird: its plumage, nesting and mating habits, and habitat.
Second, personalities and relationships are complex. Nothing is as simple as it seems it should be. Because the novel is written in a non-linear way, we slowly discover the motivations behind Ben’s attitude and life. We also slowly see what makes his cousin Natalie tick. I love the way Woods surprised me more than once with twists well-placed that make perfect sense, yet I hadn’t seen them coming.
Third, a return to some of the characters of Stoney Ridge. The more Amish stories I read, the more I love and respect David Stoltzfus, Bishop of Stoney Ridge. “He was a true Spirit-led leader. Just the right combination of depending on the word of God in Scripture, and the word of God in hearts.” Such wisdom and care for his flock. Then there’s Hank and Edith. This unlikely couple adds so much color and sometimes confusion to their community.
Fourth, I love that Fisher is careful to point out that while the Amish life seems peaceful, it has its share of troubles and heartaches. It’s not their lifestyle that is the panacea for troubles. As Boyd says, it’s about what’s on the inside, not the outer trappings. “Wherever God puts us, he wants us in relationship with him. That’s for everyone, wherever they are. Amish or Englisch or any other label.”
A beautifully complex novel, presenting pain, fear, romance, faith, and ultimately, forgiveness. I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit via Net Galley. I was not required to leave a positive review, and all opinions are my own.
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Magnificent! A Sweet Amish Stoney Ridge Romance with Twists and Birds!! If you like birds at all, don’t miss this one!!
About the Author
With over one million copies sold, Suzanne Woods Fisher is a bestselling, award-winning author of over 30 books, ranging from novels to children’s books to non-fiction. She is a Christy Award finalist, a Carol and Selah award winner, and a two-time finalist for ECPA Book of the Year. She writes stories that take you to places you’ve never visited—one with characters that seem like old friends. But most of all, her books give you something to think about long after you’ve finished reading it. Suzanne lives with her very big family in northern California.
More from Suzanne
Did You Know? 8 Facts about the Christmas Bird Count
1) The year 2021 marks the 122nd National Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC) which, ironically, wasn’t always about counting live birds.
2) In 1900, the first CBC was launched as an alternative to the traditional Christmas “side hunt.” This holiday tradition encouraged people to go out into the woods on Christmas Day, choose “sides” to team up with and then, in the words of Frank Chapman, “kill everything in fur or feathers that crossed their path – if they could.” The winner was the “side” with the largest pile of dead birds. (Ugh!)
3) Frank Chapman was a prominent ornithologist, conservationist, and writer/editor who published Bird Lore magazine. He led the charge to end to this senseless slaughter and invited his readers to begin a new holiday tradition of counting, rather than shooting, birds.
4) Twenty-seven people participated in 25 counts that first year (in 1900). They counted 90 species of birds.
5) The idea caught on. Big time.
6) During December and January of each year, thousands of Christmas Bird Counts take place across the U.S., Canada, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Islands. The purpose of the CBC is a scientific census—to assess the health of bird populations and help guide conservation action.
7) Each CBC has an established 15-mile diameter circular count area. On a pre-arranged date, registered teams go out (with an assigned volunteer observer) and count the number of birds of each species they can identify within their assigned area. Each count has a volunteer compiler who sums up all of the lists and inputs the total numbers for each species into Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count database.
8) The CBC is the longest-running citizen science project and wildlife survey in the world. In fact, the CBC is considered the gold standard in citizen science.
And you don’t have to be an experienced birdwatcher to participate in the CBC! Bird lovers of all skills are welcomed. Even me! I’m a very enthusiastic amateur.
Her voice made her a riverboat’s darling–and its prisoner. Now she’s singing her way to freedom in this powerful novel from the bestselling author of The Librarian of Boone’s Hollow.
“[An] enjoyable faith-filled adventure . . . Sawyer’s episodic narrative and rich assortment of characters fighting for freedom provide the story with many twists and unexpected side-plots.”–Publishers Weekly
Indentured servant Fanny Beck has been forced to sing for riverboat passengers since she was a girl. All she wants is to live a quiet, humble life with her family as soon as her seven-year contract is over. However, when she discovers that the captain has no intention of releasing her, she seizes a sudden opportunity to escape–an impulse that leads Fanny to a group of enslaved people who are on their own dangerous quest for liberty. . . .
Widower Walter Kuhn is overwhelmed by his responsibilities to his farm and young daughter, and now his mail-order bride hasn’t arrived. Could a beautiful stranger seeking work be the answer to his prayers? . . .
After the star performer of the River Peacock is presumed drowned, Sloan Kirkpatrick, the riverboat’s captain, sets off to find her replacement. However, his journey will bring him face to face with his own past–and a deeper understanding of what it truly means to be free. . . .
Uplifting, inspiring, and grounded in biblical truth, Freedom’s Song is a story for every reader who has longed for physical, emotional, or spiritual delivery.
My Impressions
“Just ’cause somethin’ is legal don’t make it right.” Truer words were never spoken. In her new book, Freedom’s Song, Kim Vogel Sawyer has many such pearls of wisdom. This multiplies a book’s value to me.
Travel back to 1860 and land on a riverboat on the Mississippi River. Fanny Beck is a popular concert attraction on the River Peacock. Held against her will, she longs for freedom from Sloane, her unscrupulous manager.
I loved the plot and characters of this book. The novel flows smoothly, albeit with suspense and I found myself often holding my breath. The characters are very relatable, except for maybe Sloane. However, Sawyer paints even her antagonist as multi-dimensional, and I enjoyed seeing the fight between good and evil within a person.
It’s amazing to see how well some people can care for their own needs while callously ignoring those of others. This was true of people back then, and is, unfortunately, still true of people today.
I was disappointed to have to leave some of our new friends before we got a chance to know them well. Sawyer created them so well, I wanted them to remain throughout the novel. However, their leaving enables the next scenario, with more people that I began to love because of their great personalities. I fell in love with toddler Annaliese. And Walter is so much more valuable than he gives himself credit for.
If you like themes of redemption, finding true freedom, and friendship; set against a mid-1800’s America, you will love this novel of faith and suspense.
A Reader’s Guide is included at the conclusion. This follows an epilogue, one of those oh-so-satisfying ending touches.
A copy of this book was provided by Waterbrook-Multnomah. No positive review was required. All opinions are my own.
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Magnificent!
Kim Vogel Sawyer has a gentle style that reminds me of Janette Oke.
About the Author
Award-winning, bestselling author Kim Vogel Sawyer told her kindergarten teacher that someday people would check out her book in the library. The little-girl dream came true in 2006 with the release of Waiting for Summer’s Return. Kim’s titles now exceed 1.5 million copies and are available in six different languages. A former elementary school teacher, she now enjoys a full-time writing and speaking ministry. Kim’s passion lies in writing stories that point the reader to a deeper, more intimate relationship with God. When Kim isn’t writing, you’ll find her traveling with her retired military hubby, spoiling her granddarlings, petting the cats, quilting, or–as time allows–participating in community theater. You can learn more about Kim’s writing and speaking ministries at her website, KimVogelSawyer.com.
Are mail-order-brides changing their minds or is something sinister going on in Kansas?
Ten years ago, Penelope’s sister ran away as a mail-order bride, and it was the last their family ever heard from her. Now, with their parents dead and Penelope all alone, the young woman has one goal. Find her sister.
It took enough grit for Henry to write to Miss Mildred Crenshaw about finding him a wife in the first place, but when the stage arrives and no bride steps off, the whole thing feels like a confidence scheme. Investigation, however, sends chills down his spine as he realizes women are leaving the east for the west but many never arrive at their destinations.
Is it any wonder that Penelope doesn’t trust the man who abducts her from the clutches of her new friends and rides off into the sunset? Is his explanation reasonable? Can she convince him to help her find her sister?
And is she about to fall in love with a homesteader on the untamed prairies of Kansas?
Chautona Havig lives in an oxymoron, escapes into imaginary worlds that look startlingly similar to ours and writes the stories that emerge. An irrepressible optimist, Chautona sees everything through a kaleidoscope of It’s a Wonderful Life sprinkled with fairy tales. Find her at chautona.com and say howdy—if you can remember how to spell her name.
More from Chautona
Mail Order Brides: Do We Romanticize the Past?
Although I recall reading about mail-order brides in school… somewhere… Patricia MacLachlan’s Sarah, Plain and Tall was my first introduction to the idea of advertising for or requesting the services of a matchmaker to find a wife. The book and the subsequent movie showed the difficulties of such a marriage and left us all with a satisfactory ending.
Some years later, while doing a bit of research, I discovered another side of the coin—a horrifying picture of what happened to some gullible young women and the unscrupulous people who used such matchmaking schemes as a means for human trafficking. It sickened me, as it should anyone.
All my ideas for mail order bride novels ended up as wadded up balls of mental paper and in the wastepaper basket of my mind. A few years passed, and I came up with a twist on mail order brides, one that will see the light of day if I ever have time to write it. A few more years passed, and a series of books featuring a matchmaking service for mail-order brides and the Homestead Act resurrected those ideas. I smoothed a couple out, reconsidered, and decided against writing them.
I’d have to miss the opportunity to join the series.
My mind never does follow orders well. Within minutes of that decision, I had a story. What would happen if there was some funny business going on with girls going west? How could I combine a satisfactory ending where two people came to a meeting of the minds and hearts in the midst of fighting something that ugly?
Penelope’s Pursuit was born.
Is my story idealized? Probably. I’ll be frank with you. I’m okay with that, too. See, sometimes all we need is a reminder that mankind is sinful and in need of a Savior before the story turns into how things should have been. After all, fiction mirrors reality, but it is also an escape.
I hope Penelope’s escape to the west and her pursuit of her sister encourages you to turn to the Lord for every decision, in every trouble, and with every praise possible in between.
My Impressions
“Penny will always be pretty because she does some of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.” I love this line in Penelope’s Pursuit by Chautona Havig. So many people today base their self-image on how they look. But one point Havig makes clear is that beauty comes from within and spreads outward.
There’s just something about mail-order bride stories that appeals to a great audience. The western factor. The unknown. The strangers-to lovers trope.
Chautona Havig sets out to satisfy that reading itch, but also has another purpose in mind: showing that alongside all the romance we assign this genre and period, there was a dark side. Sometimes mail-order brides were used as another way to further nefarious activities that we think of as modern-day issues. Solomon says, “There’s nothing new under the sun.”
I loved the tone that Havig sets for this book. I found Penelope very easy to identify with, and Reuben is a gem! Both are stubborn, but with good hearts. Their care for others drives them to do unusual things that they wouldn’t otherwise dream of doing. How many of us can say we love others that well?
Havig carefully weaves her faith message into the story in snippets, and it doesn’t feel preachy, but natural.
I was so thankful to see that there are two more mail-order bride books by Havig to come, as she set the bait quite nicely.
If you enjoy westerns, mail-order bride stories, realistic historical romances and tales with faith interwoven, you might enjoy Penelope’s Pursuit as much as I did.
I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit. All opinions are my own, voluntarily given.
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Magnificent! Truly a Different side to the usual Mail-order Bride story!
1885. Adria Fontaine has been sent to recover goods her father pirated on the Great Lakes during the war. But when she arrives at Foxglove Manor–a stone house on a cliff overlooking Lake Superior–Adria senses wickedness hovering over the property. The mistress of Foxglove is an eccentric and seemingly cruel old woman who has filled her house with dangerous secrets, ones that may cost Adria her life.
Present day. Kailey Gibson is a new nurse’s aide at a senior home in a renovated old stone manor. Kidnapped as a child, she has nothing but locked-up memories of secrets and death, overshadowed by the chilling promise from her abductors that they would return. When the residents of Foxglove start sharing stories of whispers in the night, hidden treasure, and a love willing to kill, it becomes clear this home is far from a haven. She’ll have to risk it all to banish the past’s demons, including her own.
About the Author
Daphne du Maurier and Christy Award-Winning author, Jaime Jo Wright resides in the hills of Wisconsin writing suspenseful, mysteries stained with history’s secrets. Jaime lives in dreamland, exists in reality, and invites you to join her adventures at jaimewrightbooks.com!
“Foxglove Manor was alive. It had eyes in the walls and a soul in the floorboards.” Indeed, Foxglove Manor is an imposing, sinister house that sits on the cliffs at the edge of cold and howling Lake Superior. Jaime Jo Wright expertly evokes a very melancholy, ominous dual-timeline mystery in her latest, On the Cliffs of Foxglove Manor.
In the post-Civil War story, Adria Fontaine is exiled to the manor as punishment for embarrassing her family. She can only get back in her father’s good graces by finding what he is searching for.
My heart went out to poor Adria, whose father and sister are incredibly cruel and self-centered. A large part of who she is, negatively, is caused by their abusive behavior towards her.
What an assorted, unusual cast of characters inhabit Foxglove when Adria arrives. I did not figure out this mystery, but I sure enjoyed how Ms. Wright drew her characters with such depth and intrigue. I loved how all the puzzle pieces came together at the end, quite differently than I would have deduced.
I did figure out a little bit more of the present-day part of the mystery, but it again was multi-faceted, so no wins there for me. Kudos to Wright for the way she stretches and twists her characters to conform to the shape of this compelling, spooky story! Yet it is all very plausible. More kudos.
And Jude. This quote shows all of Kailey’s love and respect for him, when many would disregard him. “But the questions drilled into her by kidnappers at the age of five had their answers embedded in the mind of Jude, the boy with autism. And now Jude was the man with autism, whom too many looked on as less than instead of what he was—a veritable genius.” I love how Jaime Jo Wright shows what an incredible genius an autistic person can be, way more than the average person we tend to see as “normal!”
The two tales tie together well, with the one dependent on the other. Intrigue and suspense run high as shenanigans, manipulation, and abuse are slowly revealed. Romance and some humor plus faith round out this amazing tale and make it a must-read for those who love dual-timelines, mysteries, the Great Lakes, the Civil War, special needs people, etc.
More Notable Quotables:
“The truth that Foxglove Manor would twist its way into your soul until one day it owned you, and it called to you, and it didn’t cease hunting you until you returned.”
“I am losing my mind, and Raymond wants to take all the fun out of it.”
“…there’s a smartness in being a coward. A person stays alive when they run.”
“Stereotyping and ostracizing because of differences were the worst sorts of cruelty.”
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Magnificent! Eerie, Historic, & Amazing Dual Timeline Not to be Missed!!
After a time of heartache and loss, Simone Winthrop discovers a tantalizing letter from her French great-grandmother, which seems to suggest that she is heir to a family treasure. Ever practical, Simone assumes the claim is baseless, but her best friend encourages her to find out for sure. Despite her deep-rooted fear of flying, Simone boards a jet to travel to Paris at Christmastime to uncover the truth.
During the long flight, Simone meets the charming Kyle Larsson, who’s on his way to France to become an apprentice clockmaker. Though they abruptly part ways, an unexpected rendezvous in the French Alps at Simone’s family’s clock factory may lead to the discovery of the family treasure . . . and so much more.
For anyone who is wearying of staying home, Melody Carlson invites you to spend Christmas with her in the beautiful French Alps this year. So pull on your mittens, tie your scarf tight, and prepare yourself for a magical mountain holiday.
About the Author
Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books, several of them Christmas novellas from Revell, including her much-loved and bestselling book, The Christmas Bus.
She also writes many teen books, including the Diary of a Teenage Girl series, the TrueColors series, and the Carter House Girls series.
Melody was nominated for a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her books, including the Notes from a Spinning Planet series and Finding Alice, which is in production as a Lifetime Television movie. She and her husband serve on the Young Life adult committee in central Oregon.
My Impressions
Oh, my goodness! After reading A Christmas in the Alps, I have the strong urge to go out and purchase all of Melody Carlson’s other Christmas novels and novellas! Carlson recounts an amazing story of finding family and restoring relationships long ago damaged and severed. All set against a backdrop of a young woman seeing Paris for the first time, then staying in a lovely chateau-hotel in a quaint village in the Alps. I felt like I was traveling along with Simone, suffering through the trans-Atlantic flight, seeing the beautiful sights, stumbling through awkward attempts at communicating in French.
If you love Hallmark movies, you will love this novel that begs to be its own movie. Several love triangles make for romantic tension and swoon-worthy reading. Team Kyle or Team Noel? Team Sylvie or Team Simone? How will the love triangles affect the loyalties and action and other relationships in this beautiful story?
*Sigh.* I don’t reread books. But I just may have to make an exception!
I received a copy of this book from Revell Reads. All opinions are my own.
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Magnificent! I rarely re-read books, but I am ready to spend another afternoon in the Alps with Simone this season!
One man fights overwhelming odds to survive and protect. Caught between the love of two beautiful women, which one will he choose?
What if you are a twenty-year-old about to attend college, and your whole world collapses? Your mother and sister are missing, and soldiers murder your father, burn your mansion, and take you prisoner.
Trail of Tears relives one of the most heartrending chapters in American history as the US Government transports the self-governing, wealthy Cherokee nation from their ancestral homeland to relocate in hostile Indian Territory.
The Georgia militia force John Ross, with only a trickle of Indian blood flowing in his veins, to walk the thousand-mile Trail of Tears.
After John protects a full-blood Indian girl from the lustful wagon master, the cruel soldier targets John for retribution—until John’s shoved too far.
Bitter animosity explodes from a jealous Army Captain as John pushes and pulls his Conestoga wagon over mountain roads made muddy by rain and slippery by snow. Yet the persuasive voices of the preacher and his daughter have an impact.
A new destiny awaits John at the end of the trail—if he survives. Four thousand Cherokee do not.
Anne’s home is in the quaint antiquing town of McKinney, Texas, just a few miles north of Dallas. Her husband is a retired Colonel, Army Special Forces. Her little gold and white Shih Tzu, Lily Valentine, shares her writing space, curled at her feet. She has four beautiful, talented children, and eight grandchildren who keep her on her toes and running.
Besides her first love, writing, she enjoys travel, art, reading, and way too many other things to mention. Life is good. Whether writing contemporary or historical, her books celebrate the abundant life.
Anne is a multi-award-winning author. This latest book,TRAIL OF TEARS, makes her thirtieth published book.
Anne loves writing about alpha heroes who aren’t afraid to fall on their knees in prayer, and about gutsy heroines. Her suspense novel, Shadow of the Dagger, is the first book in her CIA Series. Her Women of Courage series spotlights heroic women of World War II, first book, Angel with Steel Wings. Her Holly Garden Private Investigating series blasts off with Red is for Rookie. Enjoy her award-winning Scottish historical romances, Masquerade Marriageand Marriage by Arrangement. Anne hopes her stories transport you to awesome new worlds and touch your heart.
If you enjoy a short read, you’ll love her novellas: A Small Voice, Love At Christmas, Brides of The Wild West, A Crazy Optimist, Recipe For A Husband, Lacy and The Law, A Williamsburg Christmas, Her Reluctant Hero, Mystery At Dead Broke Ranch, Avoiding The Mistletoe, Lord Bentley Needs A Bride, Keara’s Escape, Daredevils, Spur of the Moment Bride, A Christmas Belle, A Texas Christmas Mystery, Texas Law, Hatteras Lighthouse Mystery, and A Time to Stand which will release in September.
During our Fellowship Class one Sunday morning, a visiting missionary told the bare basics of the historic Trail of Tears, or Trail Where They Cried. I had lived, up to that time, all my life in the northern states, so I had never heard of what happened to the Cherokee Nation and those of mostly Caucasian blood who lived in Tennessee, North and South Carolina, Virginia, and Kentucky. The true story captivated me, and I felt this history needed to be told in a fascinating story context.
So, John Ross was born. For research, I travelled the Trail, though in far more comfort than the Conestoga wagons issued to the Cherokee men, women, children, and those with even small amounts of Cherokee blood. Under orders from President Andrew Jackson, the Georgia militia stripped the Nation of their land, their wealth, and their lives and transported them to hostile Indian land in the untamed Oklahoma Territory. At the time, the Cherokees were a civilized nation with a constitution, plantations, schools, and a newspaper. They considered themselves Americans.
The story sounds as if it might be sad … and there are tragic events portrayed, but my Trail of Tears is about hope, overcoming, and finding a new way of life. I think from the first page to the last, you will find Trail of Tears difficult to put down. It’s one of my favorite books!
My Review
“Behind him, scattered over a nine-hundred-mile trek, remained the graves of four thousand Cherokees.”
Get the Kleenex handy before you start this book. This is a highly emotional story, a fictionalization account of a tragic historical event that many people may not be familiar with. Sure, I’d heard of the Trail of Tears and brief references to it. Yet, Anne Greene’s book, Trail of Tears, #1, The Ross Family Saga, will give stark life to the Cherokees’ violent, dreadful march.
We follow young John Ross from losing his plantation to being prisoner in a crowded stockade, following the Army’s mantra of “hurry up and wait,” to the months’ long difficult trek across treacherous terrain in freezing weather. Greene’s story gives faces to this unbelievably sad event. I wanted to rail against those who made such evil, cruel decisions against their fellow man and cheer for those who reached within themselves to see all humans as of equal value. Loved the love triangles presented. There were several!!
Be aware: Greene is not above adding, growing, or deleting characters as she sees fit to give the Trail authenticity. (Translation: twists, surprises, faith in awesome glory, and tears!)
I love to pick favorite secondary characters to “award” best supporting roles to. Watch for Pastor Worcester, a White who chooses to unnecessary hardship to travel with the Cherokee to reach them with the Good News. What an inspiration he is. Rachael, a full-blooded Cherokee, is a devout, yet warm Christian whose faith is also contagious.
In the end, each character we meet, whether John, Peterson, Bold Hunter, Jeremy, Dread or Worthington; each must choose whether love or hate will win in his heart. Oh, my! My heart will be crying and remembering for months! May we as people learn from history, to treat each other as equals, all beloved in God’s eyes.
I received a copy of this book from the author and publisher through Celebrate Lit. No positive review was required, and all thoughts are my own, freely offered opinions.
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Magnificent! My Heart will be crying and remembering for months! May we choose to let love win!
To celebrate her tour, Anne is giving away the grand prize package of a $100 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!! Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/119f7/trail-of-tears-celebration-tour-giveaway
When their wedding venue becomes a crime scene, the bride and groom are in for a real trick-or-treat.
One week before Marissa plans to get married at her fiancé’s farm, Connor is arrested for a murder in the corn maze. Marissa and her maid of honor, Tandy, must prove the groom innocent before the wedding is cancelled.
With a coffee shop to run, family visiting from out of town, and preparations for the big day, time is running out. The senior citizens who’d been at the farm during the homicide offer to help investigate, but are they witnesses or suspects? A cranky military veteran goes rogue and disappears with his gun, a retired spy suffers from dementia, and a former Broadway star still seems to be putting on a show. Unless the real killer is unmasked, death could do them all part.
My Impressions
Sometimes I need a light, fun, clean cozy to cleanse my literary palate. If you do, too, might I suggest Angela Ruth Strong’s series, The CafFUNated Mysteries? This is a great cozy series about two mismatched barista friends who open a combo coffee/tea shop instead of the original opposing stores. These books need to be read in order because events are sequential. Now that all the books are published, you COULD just binge-read them!
I am sharing about book #4 today, A Mug of Mayhem. Like the other books in the series, there is hilarity enough to make you hold your sides with laughter. The residents of the assisted living home are such “characters” that I found myself talking out loud to them or their caregivers, trying my best to look out for them from the privacy of my living room. (Not advised: nobody listened!) But you will love the old man, Archibald, who plays at being a PI but resembles Elmer Fudd. The elderly Birdie, who has both dementia and sticky fingers, plus a rumored past. Winifred, who sings beautifully as a remedy for any situation. And Pete, who thinks he’s still a farmer. Plus, Marissa and Tandy have picked up the most enigmatic barista help: you’ll have to read the book to see why he’s such a great addition!
I can finally say I actually love Marissa. Before, she was a beautiful, albeit clumsy blonde; the perfect foil for Tandy, a great sparring partner, and love interest for Connor. She will always be “mechanically declined” as my husband terms it. But as Connor’s innocence is questioned, Marissa grows into someone absolutely wonderful in this last book, and I didn’t want her and Tandy to leave us! Besides, isn’t there more to be said about Tandy and Greg’s love story? (I am now begging.)
Some quotes I loved:
“Her life was like the corn maze. She was blocked at every turn.”
“Tingles shot through Marissa’s body. The answer to all her prayers was on the other end of the line.”
“I run on coffee and combat boots.”
“Not that there was anything wrong with snooping. It solved crimes.”
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Magnificent!! Tandy & Marissa really need to make a encore!!
About the Author
Angela sold her first story to a national magazine while still in high school and went on to study journalism at the University of Oregon. Her debut novel LOVE FINDS YOU IN SUN VALLEY, IDAHO released in 2010 to a four-star review from Romantic Times. Angela loves connecting with fans and mentoring aspiring authors, which led her to start IDAhope Writers. She currently lives in Boise with her husband and three kids.
More About Angela’s Works
Angela has published multiple books of different genres. One of my favorite series of hers is the Finding Love line. There are four books in this series, and the second, Finding Love in Blue Sky, Montana, has just been made into a movie of the same name, in which Angela and her hubby had small parts! There’s a series for kids, called Fun4Hire, a few romantic suspense, the cozy series The CafFUNated Mysteries, and her new rom-com, Husband Auditions. Several of the titles are included in anthologies and collections with other authors, of which I have only shown one.
This last book is representative of several book collections that Angela Ruth Strong’s stories appear in.
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions 