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The Italian Musician’s Sanctuary by Danielle Grandinetti

August 18, 2024 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Title: The Italian Musician’s Sanctuary

Series: Our House on Sycamore Street

Author: Danielle Grandinetti

Publisher: Hearth Spot Press

Released: August 13, 2024

Hunted by one man, can she open her heart to another?
If you love historical romance with intrigue, you’ll love The Italian Musician’s Sanctuary.

Eden Cove, England, 1931—Margherita Vicienzo flees Italy pursued by her former fiancé, a member of Mussolini’s Blackshirt. Smuggled illegally into England, Margherita is a foreigner at the mercy of strangers. Her limp from an improperly healed broken leg means she has nothing to offer the Ferryman family, who offer her sanctuary, and nothing to appease their son who resents her presence.

Luke Ferryman needs a wife. He wants to marry for love, but carries the weight of his family’s generations-old expectations on his shoulders. Though he inherited the role of both baker and ferryman, he knows he can’t fulfill both needs once his aging grandparents retire. A wife would help, but not an illegal one like the refugee his matchmaking grandmother is harboring.

As opposite as night and day, Luke and Margherita forge a tentative friendship that grows despite the constant threat of Margherita’s discovery. But when strangers appear in the close-knit seaside town, threatening Luke’s livelihood and Margherita’s safety, the choice between justice and mercy becomes harder. And sacrifice proves the only answer.

Our House on Sycamore Street
Our House on Sycamore Street is a new multi-author, multi-genre series set in quaint and quirky Eden Cove, an English seaside town with plenty of spirit. With stories of redemption and salvation behind every door, you’re sure to find a new tale of romance, intrigue, humor or heart. All you have to do is knock!

The Ferryman’s Light by Anna Jensen
The Italian Musician’s Sanctuary by Danielle Grandinetti
The Outsider’s Welcome by Vida Li Sik
The Daughter’s Truth by Claire Lagerwell
The Light Keeper’s Wife by Jennifer Mistmorgan
The Key Collector’s Promise by Donna Jo Stone
The Maestro’s Missing Melody by Amy Walsh
The Niece’s Aussie Patient by Meredith Resce
The Runaway’s Redemption by Allyson Koekhoven
The Bookbinder’s Daughter by Lynn Dean
The Widow’s Request by Ashley Winter
The Lost Daughter’s Irishman by Carolyn Miller
The Mother’s Song by Caroline Johnston
The Wedding Planner’s Predicament by Dianne J. Wilson

About the Author

Danielle Grandinetti is an inspirational romance author fueled by tea and books, and the occasional nature walk. A 2023 Finalist in the FHLCW Reader’s Choice Award, she has also won the UNW Distinguished Faith in Writing Award and the CROW National Excellence in Story Telling Award. Originally from the Chicagoland area, she now lives along Lake Michigan’s Wisconsin shoreline with her husband and their two young sons. Find her online at daniellegrandinetti.com.

My Impressions

“You are not useless. You have felt useless.”…“The difference is in how you see yourself. You’ve allowed others to view you in such a way. It is not the truth. You are useful, Margherita. God has a purpose for you.”

I have loved every Danielle Grandinetti book I have read, but The Italian Musician’s Sanctuary may be my favorite of hers yet! The novel begins with Margherita, a young woman with a limp, that has put her on the expendable list of pre-WW II Italy and Mussolini’s Black Shirts. We also meet Luke Ferryman, a young Englishman whose two aging grandparents are all he has, other than their separate legacies of being a ferryman or baker.

While Margherita is definitely the one in peril from her jealous ex-fiancé, I didn’t know who to empathize with most. Poor Margherita finds it hard to hide in the small English village when her limp confines her to close quarters with an attentive Luke. Guilt hangs over her head as she has been cruelly labeled and assured she is worthless, undeserving to live. “Why are you not supposed to be alive?”

“Because I am incapace … unfit, incapable … there is no use for me in the world.” Poor Margherita, who values peace, feels the stress her stay with the Ferryman family brings. “She prized harmony. Discordant notes were her least favorite within a piece of music. To be that chord here among the Ferryman family was its own thorn of doubt under her skin.” And then.. cue up the suspenseful music as things start going wrong!

I loved Luke, but, wow, is he conflicted! He is drawn rather unknowingly into protecting Margherita, then agonizes over whether it is right to conceal her , breaking the law, or whether it would be right to turn her in, sentencing her to deportation and certain death. He is so gentle, so attentive with Margherita, even though he struggles with the rightness of his actions.

Gotta love Gran and Granddad, they both have formative parts in the story. Well- drawn!

Do yourself a favor, get this book if you like 1930s historical fiction, and swoony romance.(“‘You can tell me anything. Ask me anything. You know that, right?’ Goodness, he might as well hand his heart to her on a platter right here and now.” ) Le sigh! And don’t forget the suspense factor coupled with tested faith and plot twists! Superb! Excuse me while I return to daydreaming about this amazing romance!

I received a copy of the book from the author. I also bought my own copy. No positive review is required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“Margherita was as strong as the sea. And as gentle as water. She belonged on the water. A pearl of great price, created through trial and hardship.”

“if my heart is so full of love for Him, there is no room for hate. Loving my neighbor is merely an overflow.”

“Did God collect her every sorrow? Did He write each of them in His book? She was niente, nothing. Why would God deign to bend an ear to someone as … broken … as she?”

“The way he said her name. The sensation wrapped around her like a warm breeze blowing in from the Mediterranean. Like he’d found a beautiful daisy. A daisy, like her name meant when translated from Italian to English. It had been so long since someone saw beyond her deformity.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent! Danielle Grandinetti is one of my few no questions asked, buy immediately authors!

ARC, BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Favorite, Kindle, Purchase

The Enchanting of Miss Elliot by Grace Hitchcock Review and Giveaway

August 16, 2024August 16, 2024 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: The Enchanting of Miss Elliot (Aprons and Veils: Book Three)

Author: Grace Hitchcock

Genre: Historical Romance

Release date: July 29, 2024

She thought he was her forever—he had other plans.

Of all the dares Lorna Elliot had accepted, becoming a Harvey Girl waitress was by far the dumbest—and she’d pulled some pretty foolhardy antics. Her back was sore. Her feet were swollen. And she had done it to herself in a fit of pique over a Texas Ranger who was mooning over another woman. Lorna had longed for distraction at the time, but after weeks of training, she might keel over and die in the middle of the dining room floor with a plate of apple pie in one hand and a pot of coffee in the other. But, she’s an Elliot. And Elliot’s never quit. The only thing she’d ever quit was attempting to win Ranger Reid and now that he’s the new sheriff in her hometown, it’s going to be impossible for her to move on unless she takes control of her heart—for better, or for worse.

Sheriff Reid had never wanted to settle down until he had fallen hard for a runaway mail-order bride turned Harvey Girl who chose another. When news of an outlaw’s escape lands on his desk, he eagerly rides out in pursuit all the way to Topeka and overhears the outlaw’s plans that revolve around the wealthy Elliot family and their daughter, Lorna. It’s up to Reid to see his childhood friend safe . . . despite Lorna insisting that she can protect herself without him.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Grace Hitchcock is the award-winning author of multiple historical novels and novellas, including the American Royalty, True Colors, and Aprons & Veils series. She holds a Master’s in Creative Writing and a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in History. Grace lives on the Northshore of New Orleans, with her husband, Dakota, sons, and daughter in a cottage that is always filled with the sounds of sweet little footsteps running at full speed. When not writing, or chasing babies, she’s baking something delightful and can usually be found with a book clutched in her fist.

More from Grace

Q & A with Grace Hitchcock

Q: What is your favorite trope to read? Which of your books have that trope?

To name a few, I love stories about marriage of convenience, fake dating, mail-order brides, runaway brides, and enemies to lovers. In my books, I do have some of those tropes, but I adjust them to fit my story

My Harvey Girl books by tropes:

Runaway Bride: The Finding of Miss Fairfield

Mail-Order Bride: The Pursuit of Miss Parish

Friends to Lovers/Fake Dating: The Enchanting of Miss Elliot

I’d love to write an enemies-to-lovers trope in the future!

Q: Have you ever been asked to spice up, or down, a kissing scene? How did you do it?

For my May release, To Catch a Coronet, the editor challenged me to make the kissing scene longer and more romantic. Haha it took me my entire writing session that day to make the short scene two paragraphs longer in order to make the kissing more swoon-worthy, while still staying true to the level of affection I have in my books. With that critique in mind, I attempted to add a bit more “swoon” in The Enchanting of Miss Elliotas well.

Q: What historical novel has most impacted you? How?

Grace: I feel like every season, there is a novel that touches me. The one that stuck the longest has to be Tracie Peterson’s Westward Chronicles (a Harvey Girl series). They are moving, unique tales that inspired me to write my own Harvey Girls series! I re-read the Westward Chronicles every few years.

Q: How does your faith integrate into your writing in practical ways?

Grace: No matter how subtle my theme or short the verses, my stories will always point the reader to the Lord. Usually, whatever I am personally learning spiritually while writing impacts my heroine/hero in some way.

For The Enchanting of Miss Elliot, the heroine, a firm believer, is despairing that God will not give her the desires of her heart and sets out to find a new future and a re-directing of her heart. It’s a very realistic struggle, and the reader can see through the story the beauty of trusting God in our daily walk and with our biggest dreams.

Q: What’s your life like outside of writing?

Grace: Besides reading at least one to two books a week, I love to take long walks to the park with my family, exercise on my bike, plan the family’s next travel adventure, and try new baking challenges. As a wife and mama of three, I usually have some happy recipients for the new recipe.

Q: Will there be more Harvey Girl books from you?

Grace: Yes! I am currently working on Book Four in the Aprons & Veils series, The Vanishing of Miss Victoria. It will release mid-2025.

About The Vanishing of Miss Victoria:

Love got her into this mess—never loving again would get her out.

Corinna Victoria Roberts had never been lucky—not in her choice of husband, or her lot in life after the man she’d eloped with had promptly abandoned her, taking her gold and jewels with him. When her husband’s thieving, lawless relatives show up at her door announcing his death and demanding that her late father’s restaurant empire be signed over to them, her life is in danger. She flees to take a position no one expects of her—as a Harvey Girl waitress in New Mexico.

Tanner Sterling has hunted his last bounty. As the new foreman on his friend’s ranch, he wasn’t expecting to rescue a Harvey Girl from a raging river his first day. He is intrigued by the shy beauty and becomes friends with Corinna over many meals at the Harvey House. But, when a picture of her on a wanted poster with a massive bounty arrives in Tanner’s mail, everything he knows about Corinna shifts. If he doesn’t claim the bounty on her head, he knows far less honorable men who would love to ride off with the stunning Harvey Girl. Despite wanting to hang up his past along with his gun belt, Tanner will do anything to protect Corinna from the coming storm.

My Impressions

“We all have a bone to pick with Reid, so it stood to reason that he would be our first target.”

The third book of the Apron Strings series, The Enchanting of Miss Elliot is another great book by Grace Hitchcock featuring the Harvey Girls. With more than a touch of the Old West, fine vistas, fancy hotels, and proper serving girls, plus elements of danger, faith, and romance, you’ll be glad you read this book.

A friends-to-lovers trope, Lorna has become a Harvey Girl on a bet with her brother. She hopes to be placed in a hotel far away from her hometown of Las Vegas, New Mexico, but is placed exactly there instead. How is a girl to get over her childhood crush if she has to see him often? For his part, Sheriff Gaston Reid has grown up as Lorna’s brother’s best friend, but was enamored of another Harvey Girl. When that girl marries another, Reid takes s second look at his old friend… who has built up s wall protecting her heart from interest in him.

However, the leader of The Death Riders, a very dangerous gang, has escaped prison, along with his outlaw wife, and life in the West just got a lot more hairy for both Reid and Lorna. There are some unique twists in this book.

Can Reid keep Lorna safe as he promises? Will she ever see him as more than a friend? The Death Riders are like a bad penny. They keep turning up over and over again, and know one knows just when or where they’re going to appear next. While it actually applies to another character, Lorna easily could have said, “…it is a daily act, giving God my fears…” She certainly is learning to trust God through these times!

Lorna suffers from a lack of friends, which is why Reid’s friendship is so valuable to her. She does make friends with some of the other waitresses at the Harvey House Hotels. One of them, knowing Lorna is working at getting over Reid, reminds her, “Remember your goal, and when you waver, count all the blessings the Lord has given you, and pray that He changes the desire of your heart.”

What will it take for this couple to admit that what they feel for each other is more than friendship and God is directing their course to each other?

In summary, the danger, romance, and twists kept me intrigued from the moment I started the book. I am glad there will be more Harvey House Girl historical romances by Hitchcock!

I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit. I also bought my own copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“…bitterness and rage only blinded the person holding on to the offense.”

“But wouldn’t an apology like that hurt her and the confession would be more for me than her? Yes. Yes, it would.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent! I love these Harvey Girl stories!

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, August 16

Pens Pages & Pulses, August 16

Melissa’s Bookshelf, August 17

Karen Baney Reviews, August 17

Bizwings Book Blog, August 18

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 18

Texas Book-aholic, August 19

Devoted To Hope, August 19

lakesidelivingsite, August 20

Hannahbandanarama, August 20

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 21

Happily Managing a Household of Boys , August 21

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 22

Books You Can Feel Good About, August 22

Betti Mace, August 23

Book Looks by Lisa, August 23

Simple Harvest Reads, August 24 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

For Him and My Family, August 24

Jeanette’s Thoughts, August 25

Mary Hake, August 25

Connie’s History Classroom, August 26

Labor Not in Vain, August 27

Cover Lover Book Review, August 28

Holly’s Book Corner, August 28

Pause for Tales, August 29

Lights in a Dark World, August 29

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Grace is giving to two winners an autographed copy of The Pursuit of Miss Parish each!!

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/2ddaa/the-enchanting-of-miss-elliot-celebration-tour-giveaway

ARC, BLOG, Favorite, Just Read Tours, Kindle, Kregel, Launch Team, PB, Purchase

Where Trees Touch the Sky by Karen Barnett Review and Giveaway

August 15, 2024 Babbling Becky L

Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for Where Trees Touch the Sky by Karen Barnett hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Where Trees Touch the Sky
Series: National Parks
Author: Karen Barnett
Publisher: Kregel
Release Date: August 13, 2024
Genre: Christian Fiction, Dual Timeline

Some secrets have shadows as long as the redwoods are tall.

In the early 1920s, the accelerating destruction of the California redwoods is more than nature-loving Marion Baker can bear. Throwing herself headlong into the work of the Save the Redwoods League, she is shocked to learn that Frank Duncan, a man she’s grown to love, is the son of one of the area’s worst timber barons. Though devastated by the betrayal, she realizes this could also be an opportunity–if only she can convince him to help preserve her favorite grove from his father’s greedy grasp. Is her love strong enough to persuade him to save these precious trees? Or will Marion choose to sacrifice her beliefs to keep Frank by her side?

Nearly fifty years later, in 1972, polio survivor June Turner is deeply proud of the legacy her great aunt Marion has left as a redwood warrior. And despite her disability, June is determined to prove herself capable as a ranger at the recently established Redwood National Park, even if it means taking to the trails with her crutch in hand. What better way to carry on the family tradition of preserving Gods magnificent creation?

When aspiring film student Adam Garner approaches June to help make a documentary about Marion’s life, she swiftly grabs the opportunity to spread her aunt’s worthy reputation. That is, until they unearth a secret that might shatter the family legacy. In the scramble for answers, June may lose not only her family pride but also her own dreams.

Karen Barnett’s beautifully crafted split-time novel, set against the majestic backdrop of a beloved national park, immerses the reader in history that feels as fresh as if it happened yesterday.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook | Bookshop

Also Available:

About the Author

Karen Barnett is the award-winning author of eight novels including When Stone Wings Fly and The Vintage National Parks Novels. A former national park ranger, she’s also a hobby photographer and enjoys teaching writing workshops with both Cascade Christian Writers and West Coast Christian Writers. She and her family live in Albany, Oregon.

Connect with Karen by visiting karenbarnettbooks.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

My Impressions

“‘As they bury their roots in this giant of the past, all of the goodness and accomplishments of this tree pass on to the next generation—a rich inheritance of nutrients. Everything it worked for in its life now strengthens those that follow.’She glanced at Aunt Marion. ‘One generation, leading the way for the next and giving them the strength and courage to stand tall.’”

This was my first experience reading a Karen Barnett book. I read for her name recognition as an author of national parks novels. After reading Where Trees Touch the Sky, my expectations on out will include not only great scenic vistas, their smells, atmospheric majesty, and history, but the stories of the complex humans involved. I read Where Trees Touch the Sky because it is a dual timeline, and I enjoy seeing an author tie the two times together.

I enjoyed the seventies portrayal, and unfortunately, can remember enough of the era to say, “right on,” Miss Barnett, your depiction there is “so hip!”

I loved that June, a polio victim, works twice as hard to be given a chance at jobs and other opportunities that people without those issues cannot really comprehend. What I loved most about June, though, was that people saw her intense love for nature and the Redwoods in her talks and walks and her enthusiasm transformed her. Do you have a belief, a cause, or a job that transforms you when the topic arises?

A major lesson of the book is that things, whether people or history, are never as straightforward and simple as they seem. Becoming stoked about a foray into the past history of the trees, June and Adam become aware that giant trees can cast giant shadows that are hard to escape.

In summary, I loved Where Trees Touch the Sky. It is by turns historic, romantic, and faith-filled. Its characters are brave, self-sacrificing, ambitious, yet selfish and deeply flawed at crucial times. What a great movie this would make!!

I received a copy of the book from the author and Just Read Tours. I also bought my own paperback for the keeper shelf. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“The trees wouldn’t survive without the web of life in which they reside—fungi in their roots, lichens in the treetops. The big and the small, weak and strong, all relying on one another. Just as the Good Lord intended. Redwoods aren’t strong simply because they’ve got fancy genetics. It’s because they work together, holding tight to the roots of their neighbors.”

“We all fall down; it’s just important that we keep getting back up.”

“‘If you want to understand who God is, you got to whittle away all the added-on stuff that isn’t Him.’ Mr. Wheeler dug the knife in a little deeper. ‘Chip off all the layers of rules and good deeds people have been trying to add for centuries, and you’ll find His grace waiting for you there.’”

“She’d been chosen because of her disability. Just once, she’d like to be chosen because of who she was or what she could accomplish instead of being viewed as nothing more than a girl on crutches. Was that too much to ask?”

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Magnificent! I cannot say enough good about this book! Someone, please make it into a movie!!

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a signed copy of Where Trees Touch the Sky and book related goodies!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight August 14, 2024 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on August 21, 2024. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

Enter Giveaway

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

ARC, BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Favorite, Kindle, Launch Team, Purchase

Dreams on the Horizon by Penny Zeller Review and Giveaway

August 12, 2024August 12, 2024 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Dreams on the Horizon

Author:Penny Zeller

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: June 25, 2024

Can love overcome all obstacles?

Mae Shepherdson’s dream of a school for the deaf has finally come to fruition. All is going well until she receives devastating news: the railroad wants to build a spur through the property where the Horizon School for the Deaf is located. What will become of the children who attend the school and the employees who so tirelessly commit their time and resources? Mae questions why God would allow the closing of a school that has been the lifeline for so many young pupils. And what of her dream that no child should endure being ostracized as she once was?

Landon Bennick is accustomed to obeying his father’s orders. He’s observed and even assisted with the building of many railroad spurs, and the newest in Horizon should be no exception. However, things grow complicated when he begins to fall in love with Mae, a soft-spoken teacher at the Horizon School for the Deaf—the same school blocking the railroad’s progress. Will Landon heed his father’s strict demands or is there another way to build the spur and save the school?

When a nefarious character with vengeful intent threatens Mae, will Landon intervene before it’s too late and save the woman who has claimed his heart?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Penny Zeller is known for her heartfelt stories of faith, love, and humor and her passion to impact lives for Christ through fiction. While she has had a love for writing since childhood, she began her adult writing career penning articles for national and regional publications on a wide variety of topics.

Today Penny is a multi-published author of over two dozen books and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. She is also a fitness instructor, loves the outdoors, and is a flower gardening addict.

In her spare time, she enjoys camping, hiking, kayaking, biking, reading, running, and playing volleyball. Penny resides with her husband and two daughters in small-town America and loves to connect with her readers.

More from Penny

Enjoy this peek inside the first chapter of Dreams on the Horizon:

Sometimes the Lord answered multiple prayers all at once.

Mae Shepherdson faced her pupils and, using sign language, dismissed them from class and promised to see them early tomorrow morning.

The students signed back to her and Mae thought her heart would explode.

Her charges were learning.

And she was making a difference.

Each student had a different story. From the ones who came from a supportive and caring home; to the ones who’d been mistreated or were orphans; from those who struggled to learn to those who eagerly embraced every lesson; from the youngest to the oldest, and all those in between…all were thriving under the dedicated tutelage of Mr. and Mrs. Eddington and the Horizon School for the Deaf.

Mae’s heart warmed as she watched as the children bounded from their desks, waved, and one by one, left the classroom. All except Polly, whom Mae had asked to stay after class.

Polly remained at her desk, smiling as she drummed her fingers on the worn-out wood, causing a tap-tapping vibration.

Mae reached inside her own desk and retrieved a wrapped parcel before walking to Polly’s desk. “For you,” she signed.

Polly’s brown eyes lit and she reached for the parcel, opening it with all the enthusiasm a six-year-old could muster. Pulling out the dress, she stood and held it against herself for size.

The dress Mama made would fit perfectly.

Polly wrapped her thin arms around Mae’s neck. She then stepped back, brought her hand to just below her mouth, and signed, “Thank you.” Before allowing Mae a chance to respond, Polly scuttled from the classroom, and Mae knew the little girl would barely reach her room before trying on the dress.

God had answered Mae’s prayers in so many ways. He’d blessed her with a family who loved her; He’d led her to teach at the Horizon School for the Deaf; and He’d allowed her to do something big for the least of these.

My Impressions

“Mae knew what it was like to be turned away. To be unloved. But she also knew the power of God’s abounding grace and His mercy in bringing her a forever family.”

Penny Zeller writes funny, historical romances that I find refreshing like a cool breeze on a hot summer’s day! Dreams on the Horizon involves a school for deaf children in 1890 Idaho, a railroad construction plan that stops for no one, and two hurting individuals on opposites sides of the tracks.

Mae Shepherdson loves her job as teacher at the school for deaf children. But even more, she loves the children themselves, feeling great compassion for them as she recalls her own traumatic childhood.

Landon Bennick, young heir to the Bennick Railways, comes to Horizon to prepare for expansion of his father’s company’s system. Little does he expect to become so enamored with the town, the Sheperdson family, or Mae, specifically. Suddenly, his integrity is called into question as his ruthless businessman father decides that Mae’s beloved school stands in the way of progress.

So much to love about this story. The opening sentence was a keeper for me. “Sometimes the Lord answered multiple prayers all at once.” Instantly, curiosity is piqued!

The writing style Zeller employs reminds me of Prairie Western,( think Janette Oke or Kim Vogel Sawyer)- not fancy(except for Ruby’s pretentious big words ), but flowing nice and easy. Don’t forget the humor that is a Zeller trademark! Loud outbursts generally occur when I’m reading her books!

I loved that while the gospel is presented clearly in response to a character’s questions, the responder is warm and friendly in his answer. It feels very natural, which then opens the way for more questions later.

Besides the obvious main characters, I would say I loved Albert and the Lieutenant and Miss Greta. You’ll have to read the book to see why I loved the last two. But Albert is so wise, so thoughtful, and so prayerful, too. (A person is blessed if they have an Albert in their lives.) I absolutely loved his answer to an insurmountable problem. “This calls for fervent prayer.” Not that we can’t do what we can to fix a problem, but before we do, the best thing is hard prayer!

And I love when the wealth discussion comes into play. Mae has her head screwed on right. “I just firmly believe that wealth is not based on money and possessions. Wealth is having the joy of knowing you belong to the Lord and that nothing and no one can ever take that from you. Of having a loving family who cares about you and is there for you always. Of being richly blessed with loyal friends.”

While I classified this as a “prairie western,” Zeller sensitively tackles many hard subjects. Human fathers affecting our image of God, child abuse, lack of love, need for acceptance, “special needs,” social castes in America, etc. God’s love, mercy, and faithfulness are shown as the light in hard times.

I received a copy of this book from the author and Celebrate Lit. I also bought my own copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“You are worthy. He loves you more than you can ever comprehend.” “As is evidenced by Jesus’ sacrifice?” “Indeed.”

“I had to learn that we can hang on to those regrets and blame ourselves for circumstances that, in your case, were beyond your control. Or we can release those remorses to our Heavenly Father. He doesn’t wish for us to live lives filled with compunctions and shame.”

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Magnificent! I always enjoy Penny Zeller’s novels, full of faith, humor, and romance!

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, August 13

Madi’s Musings, August 13

She Lives to Read, August 14

lakesidelivingsite, August 15

Lighthouse Academy Blog, August 15 (Guest Review from Marilyn)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 16

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 17

Devoted To Hope, August 18

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 19

Stories by Gina, August 20 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, August 20

Holly’s Book Corner, August 21

Book Looks by Lisa, August 22

Pause for Tales, August 23

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 24

Life on Chickadee Lane, August 25

Cover Lover Book Review, August 26

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Penny is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift!!

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/2dbe6/dreams-on-the-horizon-celebration-tour-giveaway

ARC, BLOG, Just Read Tours, Kindle, NetGalley, Purchase, Thomas Nelson

Beyond Ivy Walls by Rachel Fordham Review and Giveaway

August 7, 2024August 8, 2024 Babbling Becky L

Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for Beyond Ivy Walls by Rachel Fordham hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Beyond Ivy Walls
Author: Rachel Fordham
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: August 14, 2024
Genre: Historical Romance

Reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast, a recluse and a young woman discover that the scars of life are no match against an act of love.

Iowa, 1903. All of Monticello believes Otis Taylor has been away fostering his musical genius. But the truth is that his father exiled him long ago, rejecting Otis’s appearance and the scars that came with it. Now that he is the last living Taylor, Otis has covertly returned to settle his family’s affairs and rid himself of his past for good. However, he soon discovers that he may not have been the only discarded Taylor and begins a tireless search for his missing niece.

At twenty-three years old, Sadie West left her family farm and found employment at the Hoag feather duster factory. It isn’t a romantic job, but she’s hardly had a glimmer of romance since her beau went off to college, leaving her with no promise of a future together. Desperate to save money and help her family make ends meet, she trespasses and finds shelter in an abandoned building–and is thrown in the path of the town’s mysterious bachelor.

Otis’s wounds are deep, but as Sadie’s friendship with him grows, she begins to fall for the man beneath the mask. The mystery of his long-lost niece, however, is more complex than either could have imagined, and Sadie may be the key to Otis Taylor finally finding his way home.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook | Bookshop

Also Available:

About the Author

Connect with Rachel by visiting rachelfordham.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

My Impressions

“Why can’t it be normal to be varied and different? In a world full of colors and shapes and backgrounds, who decided we were all supposed to be the same?”

Oh, Rachel Fordham! I don’t know which of your characters in Beyond Ivy Walls I love most!!

I love Sadie because she refuses to gossip meanly, works hard, and is determined to support her family, no matter the cost to herself. She is always putting others first. Whether she is in the feather duster factory or in the big house, she is looking out for others and has a strong sense of duty. Plus, she knows that people are more than meets the eye. “People are much like plants. There is so much more to them that cannot be seen. Ambitions and dreams. Fears and hopes. Buried beneath the soil, overlooked, but vital . . .”

For Otis’s part, I love him for the horrors he endured as a boy, the actions and attitudes that he should have been safe from, occurring in his own home. Yet, he returned. He struggles with staying, but who wouldn’t? And he discovers as he opens up to Sadie and their friendship develops, that he can challenge her in her weak spots, too. And what he does for Sadie!

Leon and Mildred- I love them because they are like catalysts in a slow chemical reaction. Loving Otis, seeing the real man, encouraging both Otis and Sadie as they learn to tolerate each other, making the big house a pleasant place to be.

The mystery is well-played and adds a beautiful counterpoint to the storyline. All in all, I am just plain in love with this Beauty and the Beast retelling. *Sigh*

I highly recommend this Christian historical romance novel. Do yourself a favor and grab a copy!

I received a copy of the book from Just Read Tours via NetGalley. I also purchased my own Kindle copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“Unwanted. It was a label no child, no person, should have.”

“Just remember there is more to you than what happened in the past. I’ve seen pieces of your heart—others will too. Come and meet my family and you can see pieces of mine.”

“beside the grief was happiness. Somehow, pain and joy were walking side by side. He did not understand it, but he felt it.”

“Love, acceptance, abandonment, trust. He wanted to run from it all and in the same breath to make sense of the scattered pieces and find peace.”

“It’s a shame, the way we shun when we should rally around those who struggle. And no matter how others behave, in the pit of their stomachs, I think they know it too.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent! I love Rachel Fordham’s sweet, unhurried prairie style and the way she makes me adore her characters!

Tour Giveaway

Rachel Fordham is the author of The Letter Tree, Where the Road Bends, A Lady in Attendance, A Life Once Dreamed, The Hope of Azure Springs, and Yours Truly, Thomas. Fans expect stories with heart and she delivers, diving deep into the human experience and tugging at reader emotions. She loves connecting with people, traveling to new places, and daydreaming about future projects that will have sigh-worthy endings and memorable characters. She is a busy mom, raising both biological, adopted and foster children (a cause she feels passionate about). She lives with her husband and children on an island in the state of Washington.

(1) winner will receive print copies of the author’s previous 6 novels: The Hope of Azure Springs, Your’s Truly, Thomas, A Life Once Dreamed, A Lady in Attendance, Where the Road Bends, and The Letter Tree!

(2) additional winners will receive one Rachel Fordham backlist print copy of their choice!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight August 7, 2024 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on August 14, 2024. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

Enter Giveaway

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

BLOG, Favorite, Kindle, LibraryThing Early Readers, NetGalley, PB, Purchase, Revell

The Song of Sourwood Mountain by Ann H. Gabhart Review

August 6, 2024 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Title: The Song of Sourwood Mountain

Author: Ann H. Gabhart

Publisher: Revell

Genre: Southern Historical Romance

Released: May, 2024

While the century began with such promise, it is 1910 when Mira Dean’s hopes of being a wife and mother are dashed to pieces. Her fiancé dead from tuberculosis, Mira resigns herself to being a spinster schoolteacher–until Gordon Covington shows up.

No longer the boy she knew from school, Gordon is now a preacher who is full of surprises. First, he asks Mira to come to Sourwood in eastern Kentucky to teach at his mission school. Second, he asks her to marry him. Just like that. And all at once the doors that had seemed firmly shut begin to open, just a crack.

With much trepidation, Mira steps out in faith into a life she never imagined, in a place filled with its own special challenges, to serve a people who will end up becoming the family she always dreamed of.

From the pen of bestselling author Ann H. Gabhart comes a heartwarming story of the unexpected blessings that can come when we dare to follow the Lord’s leading.

About the Author

Ann H. Gabhart caught the writing bug at the age of ten and has been writing ever since. An award winning author, she’s published many books for both adults and young adults. Her books cover several genres from historical to small town family stories to cozy mysteries (mysteries published with author name A.H. Gabhart). Her ideas are sparked by events in Kentucky history and by experiences in her own family. Her first Shaker novel, The Outsider, was a finalist for the ECPA Christian Fiction Book of the Year. Love Comes Home won the Selah Book of the Year award, and These Healing Hills was the Faith, Hope & Love Readers’ Choice Women’s Fiction Book of the Year.

Ann lives on a Kentucky farm not far from where she was born. She and her husband have three children and nine grandchildren. Ann enjoys hiking on her farm with her grandkids and her dogs, Frankie and Marley. See more about her books at http://www.annhgabhart.com or join the conversation on her Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/anngabhart.

My Impressions

“‘Would you consider marriage, Miss Dean? To me’…He not only had said the words, he was implying the Lord wanted him to do so.”

*Sigh.* There is something so romantic about the turn of the century (early 1900s) and the people who lived in the hollers and mountains of Kentucky.

Ann H. Gabhart spins her tale, The Song of Sourwood Mountain, and soon you are caught up in its melodic web. The heart and soul of the people of that era rise hauntingly to the forefront of a hard life. The people are hard-working, fiercely independent, and suspicious of strangers who are “ brought in” from the outside. They rally around their own and protect secrets that shouldn’t escape the hills and hollers.

It is into this world that Mira Dean, a young teacher, enters, very reluctantly, as part of a marriage of convenience. Gordon Covington has started a church and a school. He is the pastor, but he desperately needs a teacher. And he thinks God is telling him Mira, a former acquaintance, is the one.

Mira tries to run away from the idea, but boy, does she resemble Jonah of the Bible as God places roadblock after roadblock in her path, until finally, as Mira consults her erstwhile landlady, Miss Ophelia, Mira tells the woman Gordon’s approach to the issue and faith in general: “He claims that sometimes the Lord expects a man to step onto a path that is thick with the fog of the unknown. A path where he has to simply take the next step without knowing if there is a firm path there.”

I enjoyed the stern, no-nonsense- approach to life of Miss Ophelia. Surprisingly, she provides several laughs!

What a not so propitious start to a marriage! Can Mira and Gordon make a go of this marriage, as Gordon believes?

“I can’t marry you. I don’t love you.” She looked directly into his eyes. “You don’t love me.” “But I love the Lord. You love the Lord. I believe he will honor that love, and with a common mission in both our hearts, the Lord will grow love between us as he did so many of those he brought together in the Bible.”

Ada June broke my heart and captured it at the same time. I wondered if I would have had the wisdom to deal with her many fears and her difficult past?

Don’t miss Joseph, Elsinore, and Bo! And the connections within the community were amazing! People are very complex in this novel, just as in real life, and a couple threw me for a loop!

Song… can be reminiscent of Catherine Marshall’s Christy, yet it is different. Making one’s heart desires those that please God is one of the main themes. God, in turn, gives us happiness in those desires. This beautiful novel is covered by a fantasticly colorful and appealing scene that begs you to read the book.

I received a copy of the book from Revell and Library Thing Early Readers via NetGalley. I also bought a pb copy for myself and one to give away. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“Ours would be a mission school with our own rules for the position of teacher. A teacher chosen by the Lord.”

“When I see a bluebird, I can’t help but think of the love with which the Lord surely formed that first bird. Through that love, the Lord gifted us with joy and hope whenever our eyes delight in its sight. May this little bird help you remember not only my love but the Lord’s as well. A bluebird of happiness.”

“One doesn’t have to know everything about one’s destination when one begins a journey.”

“What were the desires of her heart? She had a ready answer. To teach them. To let her light shine. Sometimes she would quote the next verse to them. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. That was her way of letting them know that the Lord would, as her mother always said, provide. He would plant the proper desires in their hearts and show them the way to reach those goals in life. Had she taught that and never truly believed it?”

“He isn’t my young man, and I haven’t received a call to be a missionary.” “Are you sure? I think that is why you ran away this morning. You are afraid of the call you are feeling. Fear has a way of paralyzing us, coloring our thoughts, making us want to believe we know more than God.”

“Do you want me to live out your dream?” “No.” Miss Ophelia shook her head. “I want you to live out your dream. One the Lord appears to be pushing you toward.”

“Don’t we all have choices?” “We do, but sometimes until we walk the same paths as others, we can’t understand the choices they make. It’s a hard life.”

“Pain on the outside helped her not feel the pain on the inside that never went away.”

“Do more than hope. Pray.”

“The Lord doesn’t limit our prayers. He’s ready to answer abundantly if it is in his will.”

“I’m not in the reforming business. Just the spreading the gospel business. I let the Lord do what reforming he thinks needs doing.”

“Sometimes niceness was just a coating like moss on a wet rock that was slippery if a body depended on stepping full on it.”

“We often think we know the best way and have a sure idea of what should happen, without considering if those ways we want to choose will delight the Lord. What we should do, what I feel the Lord wants us to do, is let him plant those desires in our hearts.”

BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Favorite, Kindle, Purchase, Wild Heart Books

Trail of Promises by Susan F. Craft Review and Giveaway

July 12, 2024July 11, 2024 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Trail of Promises

Author: Susan F. Craft

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: June 25, 2024

A marriage of convenience will protect her reputation on the long trail ahead, but he’s barely more than a stranger…

Tessa Harris is a woman without options. When she’s stranded nearly two hundred miles from her destination, her only companions are a former British Cavalry officer and his two young brothers. Society dictates they cannot travel without a chaperone, but can she trust this handsome stranger to protect her if they choose to marry? And if so, should she show her feelings or guard her heart? She’s learned the hard way how painful it is to love a man who doesn’t reciprocate.

Stephen Griffith has enough responsibility caring for his young brothers, and now he shoulders the massive responsibility of keeping his new wife safe as they cross the wilderness toward a new life. And though he tries to keep her at arm’s length, reminding himself their marriage may only be a temporary arrangement, he cannot seem to shake the feelings growing for her.

When they fall into the hands of outlaws, Tessa and Stephen must overcome their hardest obstacle yet. Only God can bring them safely to the end of the trail where enduring love awaits.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Susan F. Craftretired after a 45-year career in writing, editing, and communicating in business settings.

She authored the historical romantic suspense trilogy Women of the American Revolution—The Chamomile, Laurel, and Cassia. The Chamomile and Cassia received national Illumination Silver Awards. The Chamomile was named by the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance as an Okra Pick and was nominated for a Christy Award.

She collaborated with the International Long Riders’ Guild Academic Foundation to compile An Equestrian Writer’s Guide (www.lrgaf.org), including almost everything you’d ever want to know about horses.

An admitted history nerd, she enjoys painting, singing, listening to music, and sitting on her porch watching geese eat her daylilies. She most recently took up the ukulele.

More from Susan

Tessa Harris and her father, Thomas, are portrait artists, limners, who travel from town to town seeking commissions.

Limners were among the first to record glimpses of life in colonial America. By the early 1700s, wealthy colonists hired limners to paint portraits of their families. These limners, mostly self-taught, generally unknown by name, turned out naive portraits in the Elizabethan style, the Dutch baroque style, or the English baroque court style, depending upon the European background of both artist and patron.

Rather than a true portrait, the paintings were most often idealistic and did not give a true representation of the personality of the sitter and were often two dimensional. Artists focused on the material wealth of the subject, giving much attention to their clothing and accessories. Some artists painted only the faces of their subjects, explaining that they need not bother with tedious sittings and that they would paint the bodies and clothing later. They would show their subjects English and French prints from which to choose whatever costumes and backgrounds they preferred.

Like most artisans of their time who found it difficult to support themselves with paintings only, limners also worked in pewter, silver, glass, or textiles or took jobs doing ornamental paintings of clocks, furniture, signs, and carriages. Many painted miniatures—tiny watercolor portraits—on pieces of ivory, often oval-shaped and commonly worn as jewelry. Limners also painted on paper and canvas and earned, on average, $15 per portrait.

Limners Samuel McIntire and Duncan Phyfe became celebrated painters of furniture. Famous colonial portrait artists included Joseph Blackburn, Peter Pelham, John Smibert, John Singleton Copley, John Trumbull and Charles Wilson Peale. An American artist, Benjamin West, became painter to the king and president of the Royal Academy in London. American artists flocked to his studio to learn under his tutelage, including Gilbert Stuart, who painted a famous portrait of George Washington.

In 1754 in British colonial New York, an artist took out the following ad in the Gazette and the Weekly Post: Lawrence Kilburn, Limner, just arrived from London with Capt. Miller, hereby acquaints all Gentlemen and Ladies inclined to favour him in having their pictures drawn, that he don’t doubt of pleasing them in taking a true Likeness, and finishing the Drapery in a proper Manner, as also in the Choice of Attitudes, suitable to each Person’s Age and Sex, and giving agreeable Satisfaction, as he has heretofore done to Gentlemen and Ladies in London. He may at present be apply’d to at his Lodgings, at Mr. Bogart’s near the New Printing-Office in Beaver-Street.

I pray that my Great Wagon Road series honors the Lord and the gifts He has given me and that you will love my characters as much as I do. Soli Deo Gloria.

My Impressions

“By agreeing to travel with him, she had placed herself under his protection. Her body might be petite, but the responsibility of keeping her safe would be massive. Was he up to the task?”

Trail of Promises by Susan F. Craft is the second Great Wagon Road book ( and second in the series) that I have read. Quick thoughts in this paragraph: These books are great historical standalones , not about the Oregon Trail, but about the Wagon Trail that ran through the colonies from New York usually extending to South Carolina or further. I liked the first. I was definitely hooked by the second. Author notes are very important, and I love the help finding out which events are based on history! The fourth thought- after two of these books, you couldn’t pay me enough to be a part of this exceedingly dangerous wagon trail road!! ( But I will definitely be reading the other books of the series as soon as they release!!)

In Trail of Promises, unexpected tragedy causes a woman,sketcher-portrait artist to travel unaccompanied in 1753 on the trail with an attractive, former British military man and his younger brothers. But they are unmarried without a proper chaperone. Will this do harm to their reputations once they reach any settlements?

Stephen Griffith and Tessa Harris eventually do enter a marriage of convenience, but will that be enough for each of them? ( Note: This is a clean, and faith-based book.)

The trail is arduous not just in its path, but the events that the foursome must pass through. Will they crack under the horrendous strain of their encounter with extreme evil and other difficulties, or will they come out tried and shining as gold?

For those who love pre-Revolutionary times, wagon train stories, faith-filled stories, and great evil vs good.

I received a copy of the novel from the author via Celebrate Lit. I also bought my own ecopy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“Even though the soap washed away the scent of death, nothing could ever erase the dark memories that must be lurking in their minds.”

“God walked with her through her valley. His love would sustain her through whatever lay ahead.”

“He made mistakes. We all do. Do not dwell on bad memories, but try to recall some of the good times you had with your father.”

“So, as a man, you feel compelled to hide your emotions?” “They were trained out of us, I’m afraid. Not the emotions themselves, but any display of them.”

“People do many things when their life or the life of someone they love is threatened.”

“Many beautiful things in the wilderness have an ugly side.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent!! Ready (with fear and trembling!) for the next Wagon Trail adventure!

Blog Stops

Simple Harvest Reads, July 9 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Pens Pages & Pulses, July 9

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 10

Texas Book-aholic, July 11

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, July 12

For Him and My Family, July 12

Lighthouse Academy Blog, July 13 (Guest Review from Marilyn)

Karen Baney Reviews, July 13

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, July 14

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 15

Life on Chickadee Lane, July 16

Holly’s Book Corner, July 16

Locks, Hooks and Books, July 17

lakesidelivingsite, July 18

Cover Lover Book Review, July 19

Blossoms and Blessings, July 20

Pause for Tales, July 20

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, July 21

Books You Can Feel Good About, July 22

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Susan is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

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/2ca3e/trail-of-promises-celebration-tour-giveaway

ARC, BLOG, Favorite, Just Read Tours, Kindle, Purchase

The Baby and the Guardian by Danielle Grandinetti Just Reads Review Blitz

July 10, 2024July 10, 2024 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

The Baby and the Guardian by Danielle Grandinetti

Series: Christmas Cabin
Author: Danielle Grandinetti
Publisher: Hearth Spot Press
Release Date:July 16, 2024
Genre: Christian Historical Romance (with Suspense)

A baby in danger, a man in turmoil, and a woman determined to save them both.

Wisconsin, 1929—When her best friend is murdered, Eira Mae Pryce gains guardianship over her friend’s baby. A baby in danger. Charged with the child’s protection, she must outrun a snowstorm, her grief, and a killer to seek refuge with the man who saved her life last Christmas.
All ex-sheriff Casper Yarwood wants for Christmas is to be left alone. With failure ringing in his ears, he retreated to his family’s cabin in the densely wooded portion of his former jurisdiction. But when his uncle’s secretary–and the woman he believes he failed–arrives on his doorstep with an endangered child, Casper cannot turn them away.
Casper and Eira Mae face impossible odds that require facing their pasts, sacrificing their futures, and ignoring their growing feelings for one another. But they’ll do so if it means they keep their charge alive long enough to experience his first Christmas.
One cabin in the Northwoods … a decade of Christmas miracles.

Get your copy below !

https://daniellegrandinetti.com/the-baby-and-the-guardian/ #ad

About the Author

My Impressions

“God put Lewis in my charge and then he sent us to you. Yes, it is a weighty responsibility, to keep Lewis safe… But you and I have the means. Together. And in the end, each of us—me, Lewis, you—we are ultimately in God’s hands.”

I think this line pretty much sums up the gist of The Baby and the Guardian by Danielle Grandinetti. Two individuals, one ( Eira Mae Pryce), a judge’s transcriptionist, and one (Casper Yarwood), the judge’s reclusive nephew, are charged with keeping a young orphan baby safe after the baby’s parents are murdered. It takes a lot of thinking, praying, and discussion for the two to realize that God has given them what they need to keep little Lewis safe. Both Eira Mae and Casper feel unqualified for good reason, but God uses them to strengthen each other’s emotions for the job.

I loved the Christmas vibe created by the snowstorm, the Christmas decorations, and the connections the young couple made to God assigning human guardians ( parents) to protect and guide the baby Jesus.

I also loved the fact that Grandinetti quickly starts the novella out and we understand the conflict within the first minutes of the story. The suspense and tension starts up almost immediately!Bravo!!

A well-written story with a good twist, themes of two people who love God learning to work together, plus learning to give God their cares, and learning that God is in ultimate control. The Christmas-y feeling, the suspense, the cold blizzard all make it seem like I could have been a part of it. Definitely recommended!

I received a copy of this book from the author through Just Read Tours. I also bought my own ecopy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“This is why he’d given up being a sheriff. Why he’d left any manner of civilization behind. Caring cost so much.”

“…into his self-inflicted monasticism, God brought the very thing he feared most. And with it, hope?”

“Casper had grown comfortable recognizing God’s Still Small Voice.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent! I need to go back and read the pre-quel to this story, The Sheriff and the Outlaw.

BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Favorite, Kindle, Purchase, Wild Heart Books

A Conflicted Betrayal by Denise Weimer Review and Giveaway

July 4, 2024 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: A Conflicted Betrothal

Author: Denise Weimer

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: June 11, 2024

A King’s Ranger, a secret patriot, and a love that calls everything into question.

As a King’s Ranger on Georgia’s frontier, Ansel Anderson loves his independent life. But he’s also a second son, which means he’ll need the favor of someone influential to secure a land grant to settle his future. What better way to win support than by marrying the daughter of a member of the Governor’s Council? Yet Ansel’s straightforward plan is complicated by Miss Scott’s aloofness and his own growing sympathy for the passionate cause of the Liberty Boys.

As drawn to the enigmatic Ansel Anderson as Temperance Scott might be, he’d be more of a match for her feisty twin sister—who is all too happy to oblige. Not only would timid, nearsighted Temperance make a poor wife for a man trained for life on the frontier, but anyone she allows close to her must share her secret patriot ideals.

When Savannah erupts into riots and intrigue following the passage of the Stamp Act, Ansel is tasked with identifying a spy passing sensitive information to the Liberty Boys and the author of anonymous letters threatening those loyal to the governor. And as suspicions focus on the Scott family, which is he prepared to sacrifice—love or loyalty?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

North Georgia native Denise Weimer has authored over a dozen traditionally published novels and a number of novellas—historical and contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and time slip. As a freelance editor and Acquisitions & Editorial Liaison for Wild Heart Books, she’s helped other authors reach their publishing dreams. A mother of two daughters, Denise always pauses for coffee, chocolate, and old houses.

More from Denise

The American Revolution That Almost Happened a Decade Earlier:

The Setting for A Conflicted Betrothal

Savannah, Georgia, 1765. Sedition, secret letters, spies, and Sons of Liberty. An absolutely irresistible combination for an author of historical romance! All this intrigue centered around the passage and implementation of the Stamp Act.

The crowning grievance after a series of increasingly repressive acts levying taxes for Britain, the act required an imprint on official papers or a small blue paper affixed with tin foil to a document, including bills, calendars, warrants, deeds, court documents, commercial papers, degrees, newspapers, pamphlets, ads, almanacs, indentures, appointments, and even cards and dice. Anyone breaking the Stamp Act would be tried in admiralty court in Novia Scotia. Colonists objected to not having a local trial by their peers and because English parliament, not the local upper and lower colonial houses, set the tax.

Savannah seethed with discontent while awaiting the appointment of a stamp master and the arrival of the stamps.

Then a sensational article in the Georgia Gazette revealed that four local citizens had received letters signed by “the Townsman” accusing them of being the stamp master or having stamped papers in their possession. The men were instructed to publicly advertise their innocence or risk grievous results.

When protest and riots speared by the fledgling Liberty Boys repeatedly erupted, the governor called out his Royal Rangers to quell the potential rebellion. But the rangers and the militia were riddled with secret patriots, many of whom were the sons of prominent loyalists. Imagine being in the position where you are sworn to serve and protect—only, you suspect you may be on the wrong side.

That’s what happens to my hero in A Conflicted Betrothal. Georgia Royal Ranger Ansel Anderson is summoned from his frontier post to provide intelligence to his father’s friend, a loyalist judge. To obtain the land grant he needs, he’s also to court the man’s daughter, an ardent patriot. Patience Scott has no intention of letting herself fall for a sworn King’s Man…until anonymous letters threatening those loyal to the governor corner her into agreeing to a betrothal. But will their attraction to each other survive their conflicting loyalties?

My Impressions

“…but they could not build a future on secrets and half truths.”

Denise Weimer is another author that I enjoy more with every book I read. A Conflicted Betrothal is such a great title for this novel set in the time just before the Revolutionary War. It’s a story about Star-crossed lovers, Temperence Scott, an ardent supporter of the Sons of Liberty movement in Georgia, and Lt. Ansel Anderson, a Georgia Ranger tasked with sniffing out those very Sons of Liberty. Yet these two find themselves admiring not only the looks of the other, but the true to conscience character each possesses, as well as honest faith. But Cousin Frankie and Temperance’s twin sister cause some interesting, and dangerous love triangles. How can Temperance and Ansel be true to their opposing beliefs, have the honesty that a serious relationship demands, and avoid betraying the other as words become dangerous actions?

An aside here, this strange, opposite political beliefs reminds me of a very well-known political couple of a few years back, each very outspoken in and working for opposite political goals.

Honesty. How can you keep political plans and actions separate from a spouse? How do you remain true to your convictions? This story swept me along, and I couldn’t believe some of the great twists!! Bravo!! Plus another book will follow to tell the story of a couple we met on this story. I want that one today!!

The author’s notes are important as Weimer explains the real-life characters. true events, and then which parts were poetic license. If you love reading historical fiction about the Revolutionary War and how it could tear families apart, don’t miss this book!!

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. I also bought my own copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent!

Blog Stops

Holly’s Book Corner, July 2

Texas Book-aholic, July 2

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 3

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, July 4

lakesidelivingsite, July 4

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 5

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, July 6

Pause for Tales, July 6

Books You Can Feel Good About, July 7

Simple Harvest Reads, July 8 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Locks, Hooks and Books, July 9

Inkwell Inspirations, July 10

For Him and My Family, July 11

Jeanette’s Thoughts, July 12

Blossoms and Blessings , July 12

Cover Lover Book Review, July 13

Life on Chickadee Lane, July 14

Connie’s History Classroom, July 15

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Denise is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

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/2c80b/a-conflicted-betrothal-celebration-tour-giveaway

BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Kindle, New Author, Purchase

Tangled Promises by Lynn U Watson Review and Giveaway

July 1, 2024 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Tangled Promises

Author: Lynn U. Watson

Genre: Historical Romance

Release date: May 21, 2024

Thunderous applause extinguishes her dream and ignites her worst nightmare.

Clara Reinhold’s father publicly pledges her hand to Georg Wolff. His character and arrogance match the stench of his odious cigars, but his lineage offers a suitable alliance for the station of a baron’s daughter.

A charades clue years earlier turned friendship into a promise of forbidden marriage between Clara and family carriage driver, Daniel Becker.

If she refuses Georg and follows her heart, her father disowns her and she loses everything—her loving family, dear friends, and the only home she’s known.

As a tangled web of scandal and deceit unwinds, hidden motives and illicit activities emerge among an unsuspecting ring of players changing everything but nobility’s rules.

How will justice be served?

How will Clara and Daniel overcome obstacles to claim a future beyond that of a charade?

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About the Author

Lynn Watson is a devotional writer, occasional quilter, reflexologist, and great-great-grand-daughter of a baron from Southwest Germany. Lynn combines her passions and her heritage Stepping Through Time Stitching Stories of Faith Snippets of her family story inspire her fiction writing. She and husband, Steve, make their home in Bartlett, TN, where Jasmine the resident feline considers herself Princess of the Palace.

More from Lynn

My daughter gifted me a tee shirt for Christmas with an image of a typewriter and the slogan: I make things up. That’s a novelist job!

Where we and our family came from and how we arrived where we are today, there’s a story in each of us. I find myself often pondering people’s back stories. I regret knowing only the tiniest bits of my own family’s backstory. When I had the opportunity to ask the questions, I was too naive to know what to ask. Decades later I made it up. Tangled Promises was born.

A recurring theme as I wrote Tangled Promises focuses on this verse: The rich and poor meet together: the Lord is the maker of them all. ~Proverbs 22:2

Clara and Daniel lived in the same world. She the daughter of the Baron and he the family’s humble carriage driver. Very much in love with one another, but their social status dictated rules created to forbid their union.

In a world so shattered by differences, God calls us to see we’re all the same in His eyes. From the unborn baby to kings in the land, we’re all cherished by Him. He calls us to forgiveness and love.

While I’ve published a few devotional books, Tangled Promises is my debut novel and the first book in the Promised Destiny series. Thank you for reading. I pray you love it and are blessed.

My Impressions

“Thunderous applause extinguished her dream and ignited Clara Reinhold’s worst nightmare.”

This debut novel by Lynn U Watson about a daughter struggling to honor her father in an unwanted betrothal was difficult to read. Tangled Promises is much like a fairy tale that seems to promise a nightmare ending instead of a happily-ever-after. It brings to mind the saying , “Who’s afraid of the big bad Wolff?!”

What makes the novel difficult is the logic behind the characters’s actions, specifically that of honoring God and one’s parents, even in such a decision. It seems apparent to Clara, the daughter, and her twin Curt, that Georg, the man Clara is betrothed to by her father’s agreement, is arrogant, mean, and downright dangerous. Yet, Clara’s mother feels she cannot counter her husband’s decision, as a wife should honor her husband. As Clara is reminded of verses to honor her father, she reluctantly goes along with this very unhealthy relationship, which her father can’t seem to see, nor will he explain.

Thankfully, a lot of praying goes on in the book as different incidents happen. Much godly advice is sought, which is good. But I still wonder if an adult child ( at that age) is required to honor a parent ( who is turning a blind eye to true character of the proposed spouse) to that degree.

Watson brings in a lot of different Bible verses in different situations. No long sermons. Just characters quoting applicable Scriptures at the appropriate times.

So much desperation in this book! Clara and Curt and others wonder when God is going to answer. “You know I’m praying, and we must accept God’s answer whatever it is. God sees far beyond what we discern, but I’m struggling with my faith. Does God even see us, Curt?”

If you enjoy justice served, don’t stop reading! Watson uses her characters to come together and ferret out the truth in amazing ways! Also, much distinction is made between those who think they are better than others and those who treat all equally. This is another underpinning of this historical fiction story that will have you favoring some characters and wishing others would see themselves through the eyes of those around them..

I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit. I also bought my own copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“A man’s free to choose his entertainment, Mutter.” “Ja, but the entertainment he chooses defines him.”

“I know Who waits to help His children. He’s not a folktale or an imaginary spirit. God’s plan is better than any man’s or a gnome’s map.”