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The Irish Matchmaker by Jennifer Deibel Review

February 21, 2024 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Title: The Irish Matchmaker

Author: Jennifer Deibel

Publisher: Revell

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Released: February 2024

As daughter of a well-known matchmaker, Catríona Daly is no stranger to the business of love–and sees it as her ticket away from the sleepy village that only comes alive during the annual matchmaking festival. Enter Lord Osborne’s son, Andrew, who has returned to the festival after being disappointed by a rival matchmaker’s failed setup. Catríona seizes the opportunity to make a better match for the handsome man–and for herself!

Cattle farmer Donal Bunratty is in desperate need of a wife after loss left him to handle the farm and raise his daughter on his own. Shy and lacking the finer social graces, he agrees to attend the matchmaking festival to appease his daughter. But when he arrives, it’s not any of the other merrymakers that catch his eye but rather his matchmaker–who clearly has eyes for someone else.

Catríona will have to put all her expertise to work to make a match that could change her life forever. Will her plan succeed? Or will love have its own way?

About the Author

Jennifer Deibel is a middle school teacher and freelance writer. Her work has appeared on (in)courage, on The Better Mom, in Missions Mosaic Magazine, and others. With firsthand immersive experience abroad, Jennifer writes stories that help redefine home through the lens of culture, history, and family. After nearly a decade of living in Ireland and Austria, she now lives in Arizona.

Author photo credit: Katherine Marini, Photography by Katherine Nicole

My Impressions

Let Jennifer Deibel sweep you away to the beautiful land of Ireland at the turn of the last century. As the time for the annual matchmaking festival in Lisdoonvarna nears, professional matchmaker Catríona Daly rues the irony of being an unmatched matchmaker. Her dearest wish is to for some rich festival-goer to woo her away from this small, backward town to a bustling city.

Meanwhile, Donal Bunratty and his nine-year-old daughter are struggling to make a go of their small farm a few miles away. Donal will do anything for his daughter, so he reluctantly agrees to attend the matchmaker’s festival.

Andrew Osbourne’s match from last year was a flop. He is back with his determined parents, set on finding a match that will see him well politically.

When Catríona becomes the matchmaker for both men, scheming on more than one front nearly brings disaster. Will true personalities show through the posturing of such times? Will wisdom or personal gain drive decisions?

Of course, my fave character is 9-year-old Sara, so precocious in some ways and forced by circumstances to assume adult roles never meant for children. No wonder her father will go to great lengths to please her, or that she attracts goodwill and help from Caty.

A glossary at the front of the book helps with Irish words and phrases and gives an air of authenticity to the novel. It was fun learning some of the details of what went on behind the scenes of a match, like the “plucking of the gander.”

Bullying, social status, love of the land, and pure selfishness, plus romance and trust in God all make this a believable and enjoyable novel to be visited more than once.

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

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Magnificent! Jennifer Deibel’s novels will cause you to fall in love with Ireland and its people.

Bethany House, BLOG, NetGalley

Set the Stars Alight by Amanda Dykes

July 18, 2020July 18, 2020 Babbling Becky L

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About the Book

Title: Set the Stars Alight

Author: Amanda Dykes

Publisher: Bethany House

Released: June 2020

Genre: Christian fiction, Timeslip

Lucy Clairmont’s family treasured the magic of the past, and her childhood fascination with stories of the high seas led her to become a marine archaeologist. But when tragedy strikes, it’s Dashel, an American forensic astronomer, and his knowledge of the stars that may help her unearth the truth behind the puzzle she’s discovered in her family home.

Two hundred years earlier, the seeds of love are sown between a boy and a girl who spend their days playing in a secret sea cave, while the privileged young son of the estate looks on, wishing to join. As the children grow and war leads to unthinkable heartbreak, a story of love, betrayal, sacrifice, and redemption unfolds, held secret by the passage of time.

As Lucy and Dash journey to a mysterious old estate on the East Sussex coast, their search leads them to a community of souls and a long-hidden tale that may hold the answers–and the healing–they so desperately seek.

My Review

Set the Stars Alight by Amanda Dykes is a book that I had to get my hands on. I hope you will want to, also. This is a realistic story, yet stirred into it are the timeless allure of magical inklings, coupled with family ties swelling and shrinking. Love slowly takes root and blossoms, yet is carefully guarded until the right time. And the wondrous fact is, that this is actually true of both subplots of this amazing novel, which comprise this split-time tale.
One portion of our adventure concerns Lucy, born to a clockmaker in London in recent times. Lucy’s warm, welcoming family time is built around tales spun by her enigmatic father and amended by her jovial mother. Dash, a young misfit, American boy, is welcomed into their familial atmosphere. Suddenly, life flips and flops, and Lucy finds herself alone and floundering with only her marine interest to keep her afloat.
The second saga is a melodrama about a young son of a military hero in the war against Napoleon. Frederick tries hard to make his father proud, but loyalty and fate interfere.

Set the Stars Alight 1
Split-time stories depend upon the author’s fantastic ability to draw two separate, believable strands, at first totally disparate paths, then cause them to become parallel roads, then bring those parallel roads into an obvious intersection where the highways then become one. I had trouble suspending disbelief at some points. I wanted more communication in others. Some issues dragged on too long between people because of a fear of communication that I didn’t find realistic.
So, I thought this was a great book, but it stopped short of the terrific level of Ms. Dykes’s debut novel. Still a very worthy read. Get ahold of Set the Stars Alight and judge for yourself.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinions, which are solely my own.
Notable Quotables:

“When things seem dark…that’s when you fight for the light.”

“The God of the stars . . . He is coming, and coming, and coming after you. Always. The heart of a father who will never forget his daughter.”

“But it started with smaller things, which bigger things built on again and again until the big betrayal no longer felt like a plunge to him. It was a small—almost natural—next step.”

“‘Impossible?’…The word had been gifted to them all their lives as a challenge. A lens to see wonder where others saw walls.”

My Rating

4 Stars- Great, Almost Terrific!

About the Author

517ufoFnplL._US230_ Amanda Dykes is the author of Bespoke: A Tiny Christmas Tale, the critically-acclaimed bicycle story that invited readers together to fund bicycles for missionaries in Asia. A former English teacher, she has a soft spot for classic literature and happy endings. She is a drinker of tea, a dweller of Truth, and a spinner of hope-filled tales, grateful for the grace of a God who loves extravagantly.

Bethany House, BLOG, NetGalley

Echoes Among the Stones by Jaime Jo Wright

December 6, 2019December 6, 2019 Babbling Becky L

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About the Book

Title: Echoes Among the Stones

Author: Jaime Jo Wright

Publisher: Bethany House

Released: December 2019

After Aggie Dunkirk’s career is unceremoniously ended by her own mistakes, she finds herself traveling to Wisconsin, where her grandmother, Mumsie, lives alone in her vintage, though very outdated, home. Aggie didn’t plan for how eccentric Mumsie has become, obsessing over an old, unsolved crime scene–even going so far as to re-create it in a dollhouse.

Mystery seems to follow Aggie when she finds work as a secretary helping to restore the flooded historical part of the town’s cemetery. Forced to work with a puzzling yet attractive archaeologist, she exhumes the past’s secrets and unwittingly uncovers a crime that some will go to any length to keep hidden–even if that means silencing Aggie.
In 1946, Imogene Grayson works in a beauty salon but has her sights set on Hollywood. But coming home to discover her younger sister’s body in the attic changes everything. Unfamiliar with the burgeoning world of forensic science and, as a woman, not particularly welcomed into the investigation, Imogene is nonetheless determined to stay involved. As her sister’s case grows cold, Imogene vows to find justice . . . no matter the cost.

My Review

“My mother told me that when the boys came home from the war, people thought the world would go back to the way it was before. But it didn’t. The war lived on in souls for years after, and people were just never really the same again.”
This quote by Jaime Jo Wright in Echoes Among the Stones so aptly captures the mood of Mill Creek, Wisconsin in July of 1946. Wright recreates the ominous heaviness that the war brings to America’s hearts. Some people, like the young men who survive, come home brooding or unable to find their way out of the horror now relegated to memory. Others are affected by the loss of family members or the great personality change in a family member who returns. Still others like Imogene and Hazel are also affected second-hand by the war brought to America.

Echoes Among the Stones 1
Jaime Jo Wright has penned yet another mystery novel with spooky, ominous undertones that beckon the tentative reader in. Echoes Among the Stones is a time-slip novel, marrying two distinctly different and at first seemingly unrelated plots, no pun originally intended. In the present day, Aggie loses her real estate job and returns to her selfish, demanding grandmother’s home, while working a cemetery job. Collin, the archaeologist who works with Aggie, frustrates her, intrigues her, and challenges her by turns.
There was enough eerie mystery, romance, and humor (“You have all the sense of an addlepated muskrat, ”) plus faith scattered throughout the book that this book is a big winner for me. Also, I loved the way the solution took me by surprise. Look for this book among my favorites in 2019.

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Quotes:
“Sometimes…you must step outside of your own strength and realize there’s a greater Strength waiting to hold you.”

“All I can say right now is that we sell God short when we look at the pain. Instead, we should focus on what He’s provided us to help us heal.”

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House through NetGalley. This in no way affected my opinions, which are solely my own.

My Rating

5 Stars- Hit My Reading Sweet Spot!

About the Author

Daphne du Maurier and Christy Award-Winning author, Jaime Jo Wright resides in the 13916081 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!

BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, NetGalley, Uncategorized

The Seamstress by Allison Pittman

February 22, 2019February 22, 2019 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

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Title: The Seamstress

Author: Allison Pittman

Genre: Historical Fiction

Release date: February 5, 2019

Publisher: Tyndale

A beautifully crafted story breathes life into the cameo character from the classic novel A Tale of Two Cities.

France, 1788
It is the best of times . . .

On a tranquil farm nestled in the French countryside, two orphaned cousins—Renée and Laurette—have been raised under the caring guardianship of young Émile Gagnon, the last of a once-prosperous family. No longer starving girls, Laurette and Renée now spend days tending Gagnon’s sheep, and nights in their cozy loft, whispering secrets and dreams in this time of waning innocence and peace.

It is the worst of times . . .

Paris groans with a restlessness that can no longer be contained within its city streets. Hunger and hatred fuel her people. Violence seeps into the ornate halls of Versailles. Even Gagnon’s table in the quiet village of Mouton Blanc bears witness to the rumbles of rebellion, where Marcel Moreau embodies its voice and heart.

It is the story that has never been told.

In one night, the best and worst of fate collide. A chance encounter with a fashionable woman will bring Renée’s sewing skills to light and secure a place in the court of Queen Marie Antoinette. An act of reckless passion will throw Laurette into the arms of the increasingly militant Marcel. And Gagnon, steadfast in his faith in God and country, can only watch as those he loves march straight into the heart of the revolution.

Click here to purchase your copy!

MY REVIEW:

1788 Paris is dark, gritty, and terrifying; beautiful, lavish and out-of-touch. While the Seamstress by Allison Pittman has much action in the poor countryside, much thought and control are determined in the capricious capital. With its model being The Tale of Two Cities, The Seamstress yet holds forth rays of hope peeking through the backdrop of the dank Bastille on a hot, steamy day. What an incredible, overall effect the completed story has on one’s heart. Abandonment, adoption, intrigue, faith, faithlessness, famine, excess, forgiveness, greed, love, lust, loyalty, rebellion in every form; all are here and present in Paris where the food is scarce and the anger is plentiful. Pittman relates her tale through two cousins, Laurette and Renee. Unsatisfied Laurette’s part is told in the third person, while innocent Renee’s is narrated in first. I half wondered if that encouraged the reader to favor the purer Renee? Silver-tongued Marcel and godly, poor farmer Gagner are major players in the drama. This is certainly a character-driven novel as we see a nation fighting against itself for survival. I loved the great attention to historical detail and political climate, while God’s Word was seamlessly woven into the story in small but efficient sound bites at just the right time. This is a book to leave you reeling!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Celebrate Lit. I was not required to leave a positive review and all opinions are my own.

MY RATING:

About the Author

Allison Pittman is the author of more than a dozen critically acclaimed novels and a three-time Christy finalist—twice for her Sister Wife series and once for All for a Story from her take on the Roaring Twenties. She lives in San Antonio, Texas, blissfully sharing an empty nest with her husband, Mike. Connect with her on Facebook (Allison Pittman Author), Twitter (@allisonkpittman) or her website, allisonkpittman.com.

Guest Post from Allison

My dream of being an author began by “finishing” other author’s works, fleshing out the stories of neglected characters. When I read the final books in the Little House series, I was far more interested in Cap Garland than I was in Almonzo Wilder, and I imagined all kinds of stories in which he was the hero.

This, The Seamstress, is one of those stories that came to me in a single burst of thought. I was teaching my sophomore English class, discussing through the final scenes in A Tale of Two Cities, when the little seamstress in those final pages reached out to me. She is a nameless character, seemingly more symbolic than anything. Dickens, however, gives her an entire backstory in a single phrase: I have a cousin who lives in the country. How will she ever know what became of me? I remember pausing right then and there in front of my students and saying, “Now, there’s the story I want to write.”

Now, years later, I have.

While every word of every Charles Dickens novel is a master class in writing, what he gave to me for The Seamstress is the kind of stuff that brings life and breath to fiction. I have to convey the fact that any character on my pages—no matter how much story space he or she is allotted—has a life between them. Every man was once a child; every woman a vulnerable young girl.

So, Dickens gave me the bones of the story. A seamstress. A cousin in the country. A country ripped apart; family torn from family. I did my very best to put flesh on those bones, but no writer can ever bring the life and breath. Only a reader can do that.

Blog Stops

Fiction Aficionado, February 9

The Lit Addict, February 9

The Power of Words, February 9

Jennifer Sienes: Where Crisis & Christ Collide, February 10

Lis Loves Reading, February 10

Maureen’s Musings, February 10

Carpe Diem, February 11

A Baker’s Perspective, February 11

All-of-a-kind Mom, February 12

Emily Yager, February 12

Mary Hake, February 12

Stories By Gina, February 13

Stephanie’s Life of Determination, February 13

The Christian Fiction Girl, February 13

Inspired by fiction, February 14

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 14

Remembrancy, February 14

Through the Fire Blogs, February 15

Seasonsofopportunities, February 15

Inspiration Clothesline, February 15

Books, Books, and More Books, February 16

Inklings and Notions, February 16

Locks, Hooks and Books, February 16

Bibliophile Reviews, February 17

Texas Book-aholic, February 17

Margaret Kazmierczak, February 18

A Reader’s Brain, February 18

By The Book, February 18

Multifarious, February 19

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, February 19

Pause for Tales, February 19

Bigreadersite, February 20

Simple Harvest Reads, February 20

Janices book reviews, February 20

For the Love of Books, February 21

Book by Book, February 21

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, February 21

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, February 22

To Everything A Season, February 22

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 22

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Allison is giving away a grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card, a hardcover copy of The Seamstress, and this copy of A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens!!

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/db0e/the-seamstress-celebration-tour-giveaway

BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour

Texas, My Texas:#2Cross Timbers Romance Family Saga by Caryl McAdoo

January 12, 2019January 15, 2019 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Title: Texas My Texas

Author: Caryl McAdoo texas-my-texas-200x300

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: February 11, 2019

He who puts his trust in God will possess the land and inherit the blessings.

Scripture tells a husband to love his wife, but what if she loves the memory of a dead man? Lured to the Texas frontier by more free land than they could ever buy, four families struggle to carve a home and a living out of the wilderness. And though love isn’t always easy coming, like bees to sweet flowers, a neighbor and his partner swoop in hoping to steal the hearts of the clan’s two young beauties. Will their infants spoil the ointment? Wild animals, Indians on the warpath, and living hand-to-mouth never make it easy, but my oh my—Texas my Texas! What a land!

Click here to purchase your copy.

MY REVIEW

“Family Saga” describes this new novel by Caryl McAdoo so well. In 1841 Texas Territory, we meet one of the main protagonists, Gabrielle. She has been blessed with a young baby, yet is extremely jealous of another “clan member” throughout the book. Gabby has a hard time telling herself the truth or letting others tell it to her. Because of her negative thoughts and downward -spiraling emotions, this book was a little gloomier than I had hoped.
Having read an earlier book in the series, I found myself adrift at first, desperately wishing for a family tree. There are a lot of characters, and I wanted to be reminded of how they all fit together sooner than later. I really was amazed at the depth of the love and the lack of conditions Thomas placed on the love he offered. So Christlike, yet so rare in our world.
The love that Gabrielle’s Pap shows both of his daughters is nothing short of amazing to me, as well. He changed from being a drunk to being a very godly, wise man who could counsel and support either daughter in her separate needs.
I appreciated that people could be sorry that their actions hurt others, yet realize those actions were the best choice possible. This seemed to happen several times, perhaps because mature people were repeatedly dealing with immature people.
Because of mature themes, this is a book I would recommend for older readers. Grammar mistakes or typos made for a bit of a disjointed read in spots.
A favorite quote:
“Worry doesn’t do anything but make you sick. Plus, it’s just a slap in God’s face. As if you can’t trust Him or He isn’t able to keep your husband safe.”
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through Celebrate Lit. All opinions are my own and no positive review was required.

MY RATING

About the Author

Caryl McAdoo prays her story brings God glory which is what she lives to do. Her award-winning, best-selling novels enjoy a lion’s share of 5-Star ratings from caryl-mcadoo-1-216x300 Christian readers around the world. With thirty-eight titles, it’s obvious she loves writing almost as much as singing the new songs the Lord gives her—listen to a few at YouTube. She and high school sweetheart Ron celebrated fifty years of marriage in June 2018; they share four children and eighteen grandsugars. The McAdoos live in the woods south of Clarksville, the seat of Red River County in far Northeast Texas, waiting expectantly for God to open the next door.

Guest Post from Caryl

It’s always good to give thanks. And I’m thankful for you! I appreciate you stopping by my awesome Celebrate Lit Blog Tour! I’m thankful for each of the bloggers who signed up to participate in the tour for my January release Texas My Texas, book two in my new Cross Timbers Romance Family Saga series! And I’m so thankful the Lord is blessing Celebrate Lit as Sandy Barela blesses so many Christian authors! She is deserving of all God’s best!

In Book One, Gone to Texas, I got seventeen souls to their new home in the Republic. Texas My Texas has all the same pioneers with a few new added as they establish hearth and home in the wooly, untamed Trinity River Bottoms of North Central Texas—which later in history, becomes the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. They’re settling in what now is Irving—my home for fifty-plus years.

Only a few months has passed for my characters, Book One ends in November, Book Two picks up in March, 1841. In real life, it’s been just that long since Book One launched, too! It debuted in September and Book Two launching now is also four months! Isn’t that fun? Originally, I’d planned a different January title but pushed it back a couple of months to release Texas My Texason the heels of Gone to Texas.

In this new story, the two young women—Gabrielle and Isabel Harrell—elicit the attention of suitors who come calling even in the wild west territory. Thomas Baldwin (a neighbor introduced in Gone To Texas) has an eye for Gabrielle and uses many excuses to visit, including taking his friend Monroe Humble to the clan’s little settlement to meet the lovey, hardworking Isabel.

But Gabrielle is pining hard for her love back home and deals with pretty severe melancholy—what they called depression back in those days. In Texas My Texas, readers will spend time with the characters they came to love in Gone To Texas. As always, I pray my story gives God glory! And that readers will enjoy the new even better than the old! BLESSINGS!

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, January 12

The Mimosa Blossom, January 12

Inklings and notions, January 13

Jennifer Sienes: Where Crisis & Christ Collide, January 14

D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, January 15

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, January 15

Moments, January 16

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 16

Captive Dreams Window, January 17

Robin is Bookish, January 17

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 18

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, January 19

Bigreadersite, January 19

My Devotional Thoughts, January 20

Bibliophile Reviews, January 20

Texas Book-aholic, January 21

Janices book reviews, January 22

Margaret Kazmierczak, January 23

Carpe Diem, January 24

A Baker’s Perspective, January 25

Giveaway

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To celebrate her tour, Caryl is giving away

Grand Prize – $50 Gift Amazon Card,

1st Prize – Signed, Paperback copy of CHOICE of all my books,

2nd Prize – Signed copy of Texas my Texas,

3rd Prize – eBook copy of Texas My Texas,

4th Prize – eBook copy of CHOICE of all my books,

5th Prize $5 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/d941/texas-my-texas-celebration-tour-giveaway

Revell

A Bound Heart by Laura Frantz

January 5, 2019 Babbling Becky L

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

TITLE: A Bound Heart

AUTHOR: Laura Frantz

PUBLISHER, PUBLISHED: Revell, January 2019

GENRE: Christian Historical Romance

Though Magnus MacLeish and Lark MacDougall grew up on the same castle grounds, Magnus is now laird of the great house and the Isle of Kerrera. Lark is but the keeper of his bees and the woman he is hoping will provide a tincture that might help his ailing wife conceive and bear him an heir. But when his wife dies suddenly, Magnus and Lark find themselves caught up in a whirlwind of accusations, expelled from their beloved island, and sold as indentured servants across the Atlantic. Yet even when all hope seems dashed against the rocky coastline of the Virginia colony, it may be that in this New World the two of them could make a new beginning–together.

Laura Frantz’s prose sparkles with authenticity and deep feeling as she digs into her own family history to share this breathless tale of love, exile, and courage in Colonial America.

MY REVIEW:

Laura Frantz is truly a master of vivid descriptions of beautiful landscapes and sea/skyscapes as she lyrically composes the lives and times of her historical characters. A Bound Heart is set in Scotland. While Ms. Frantz is such a romantic writer she could probably make Antarctica sound like a vacation spot, I had to wonder if I would like the island of Kerrera any more than Isla did.
Smugglers, fighting against unjust taxes, a corrupt court, an ocean voyage of horrors, several love triangles; all make for a very tightly woven story. Frantz’s characters are full of life, passion, and pride in their heritage. When these freedoms are removed, what will remain behind?
It was very interesting to learn about the Scots’ way of life in the 1750s. I must admit, I had a hard time with a love triangle involving a married person. While no wrong actions occurred, I would have preferred to see one party or the other take steps to put physical distance between them. The glossary was a huge help, as was the context in which Frantz used the unfamiliar words. A few wonderful quotes:
On the horrid ship: “Lord, all I have is Ye. Make that enough.”
“Fear had a terrible taste.”
This is a good book, but it will not be my favorite Frantz book. To each his own. Anxiously awaiting the next Frantz novel.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. All opinions expressed here are solely my own and no positive review was required.

MY RATING:

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Laura Frantz is passionate about all things historical, particularly the 18th-century, and writes her manuscripts in longhand first. Her stories often incorporate Scottish themes that reflect her family heritage. She is a direct descendant of George Hume, Wedderburn Castle, Berwickshire, Scotland, who was exiled to the American colonies for his role in the Jacobite Rebellion of 1715, settled in Virginia, and is 2986307 credited with teaching George Washington surveying in the years 1748-1750. Frantz lives and writes in a log cabin in the heart of Kentucky. According to Publishers Weekly, “Frantz has done her historical homework.” With her signature attention to historical detail and emotional depth, she is represented by Janet Kobobel Grant, Literary Agent & Founder, Books & Such Literary Agency of Santa Rosa, California. Readers can find Laura Frantz at www.laurafrantz.net.

Bethany House, BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour

An Hour Unspent, #3 Shadows Over England, by Roseanna M. White

November 10, 2018November 10, 2018 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Paperback, 413 pages

Published: September 4, 2018, by Bethany House Publishers

Original Title: An Hour Unspent

ISBN: 0764219286 (ISBN13: 9780764219283)

Once London’s top thief, Barclay Pearce has turned his b An-Hour-Unspent-194x300 ack on his life of crime and now uses his skills for a nation at war. But not until he rescues a clockmaker’s daughter from a mugging does he begin to wonder what his future might hold.

Evelina Manning has constantly fought for independence but she certainly never meant for it to inspire her fiancé to end the engagement and enlist in the army. When the intriguing man who saved her returns to the Manning residence to study clockwork repair with her father, she can’t help being interested. But she soon learns that nothing with Barclay Pearce is as simple as it seems.

As 1915 England plunges ever deeper into war, the work of an ingenious clockmaker may give England an unbeatable military edge—and Germany realizes it as well. Evelina’s father soon finds his whole family in danger—and it may just take a reformed thief to steal the time they need to escape it.

MY REVIEW

An Hour Unspent. Prior to reading the book, I was convinced this was a very awkward title. Having finished the book, book three in Rosanna M. White’s Shadows Over England, I now applaud the author her doubly apt title.

Who could not fall in love with White’s portrayal of Barclay Pearce, an ex-thief, now spying for the English? He is constantly trying to square his new-found faith with the deception required to perform for his country. However, what really draws the reader into Barclay Pearce is the way he is so compassionate for others. He cares for almost anyone needy around him. He has even built his own family, chock-full of “adopted siblings” who have chosen to belong to each other. They care for each other, laugh with each other, and love each other. While not in the least bit related by blood, they would die for each other if need be. Pearce’s family is very reminiscent of the O’Malley family group created by Dee Henderson.
Evalina “Lina” Manning falls in love with this noble thief, but then waffles over who he really is. One of them deserves someone much better than the other.
Quotables:
“And if the Master Clockmaker took such care with each cog, shouldn’t said cogs have the good sense to obey him when they felt that nudge?”
“There’s no such thing as too late. Not with God.”
Intrigue in World War I; regrets of a splintered blood family vs. the riches of a cobbled family that values its members; knowing who you are; and seeking God, are all themes of this new favorite book of mine. Don’t miss Rosanna M. White’s An Hour Unspent. ( Note: I have not yet read the first two books. This story stood well on its own.)
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and publisher through NetGalley. I was not required to leave a review and all opinions are my own.

About the Author

Roseanna-2018-218x300

Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award-nominated author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. You can learn more about her and her stories at www.RoseannaMWhite.com.

Guest Post from Roseanna

Last year, as I finished up the writing of An Hour Unspent, my great-grandmother passed away at the age of 103. As I sat at her funeral service and listened to the heartfelt memorial raised up to her by her kids and grandkids, I realized anew that this woman had been a matriarch in the truest sense of the word. She’d taught my family for generations how to love the Lord and each other, how to serve the Lord and each other, and how to trust the Lord and each other. Grandma Seward was, in so many ways, the one who instilled in me my idea of what family really is.

That idea—that it’s those knit together by love more than blood, and that faith is the strongest foundation—is what I built my unusual family of thieves upon in the Shadows Over England series. And strange as it is to liken my twenty-something reformed-thief hero to my 103-year-old-grandmother, Barclay Pearce is very much to his family what Maxine Seward was to mine.

The founder. The caregiver. The leader.

I knew as I began the series that I would write about Barclay in book three, and as I got to know him better throughout the series, I grew so excited to share his story! This is a man who led his family first into and then out of a life a crime, always for the right reasons—so he could provide for the children under his care. All he ever wanted to do was give them what he himself had lost. To show them love. To prove to them that they were worth any sacrifice.

It was truly a blessing for me to get to write the story in which Barclay found someone to come alongside him, to appreciate and learn to understand him. To finally share what started him down this path. I loved the idea that only a reformed thief could steal the time another family needed to overcome their own trials.

There are many historical items in the book that were such fun to explore—watchmaking of the era, the suffrage movement in England, technological advancements of the war—but at the heart, this isn’t a story about any of those.

It’s a story about how far people should go for love. I hope you enjoy Barclay’s story as much as I did!

Click here to purchase your copy!

Blog Stops

The Avid Reader, October 30

The Power of Words, October 30

Back Porch Reads, October 30

Kat’s Corner Books, October 30

Janice’s Book Reviews, October 30

Where Faith and Books Meet, October 31

Reading Is My SuperPower, October 31

Faithfully Bookish, October 31

Genesis 5020, October 31

Fiction Aficionado, November 1

Among the Reads, November 1

The Lit Addict, November 1

Just the Write Escape, November 1

Multifarious, November 2

Godly Book Reviews, November 2

Real World Bible Study, November 2

Madeline Clark, November 2

Reflections From My Bookshelves, November 3

Christian Bookaholic, November 3

Inspirationally Ever After, November 3

Bookworm Mama, November 3

Bigreadersite, November 3

Blogging With Carol , November 4

D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, November 4

Life with the Tribe, November 4

The Becca Files, November 4

Kathleen Denly, November 5

Cordially Barbara, November 5

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, November 5

Simple Harvest Reads, November 5 (Guest Post from Mindy Houng)

God’s Little Bookworm, November 6

All-of-a-kind Mom, November 6

Faery Tales Are Real, November 6

Christian Chick’s Thoughts, November 6

Carpe Diem, November 6

Margaret Kazmierczak, November 7

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 7

Christian Author, J.E.Grace, November 7

Blossoms and Blessings , November 7

Maureen’s Musings , November 8

Connie’s History Classroom , November 8

Book by Book, November 8

Just Commonly, November 8

cherylbbookblog, November 9

The Christian Fiction Girl, November 9

Have A Wonderful Day , November 9

With a Joyful Noise, November 9

KarenSueHadley , November 10

Tell Tale Book Reviews, November 10

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, November 10

Baker kella, November 10

Bibliophile Reviews, November 10

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, November 11

Inklings and Notions , November 11

Two Points of Interest, November 11

Inspiration Clothesline, November 11

A Baker’s Perspective, November 11

Henry Happens, November 12

Texas Book-aholic, November 12

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 12

Giveaway

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To celebrate her tour, Roseanna is giving away a grand prize of a signed book, a London mug, and a 48-pack Twinings tea sampler!!

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/d570/an-hour-unspent-celebration-tour-giveaway

Bethany House, BLOG

Caught by Surprise, #3 Apart From the Crowd, by Jen Turano

October 30, 2018 Babbling Becky L

ABOUT THE BOOK:

TITLE: Caught by Surprise, #3 Apart from the Crowd

PUBLISHER: Bethany House

PUBLISHED: July 31, 2018

FORMAT: Paperback, 359 pages

ISBN: 0764217968 (ISBN13: 9780764217968)

GENRE: Christian Historical Romance

After years of hiding her true nature, Miss Temperance Flowerdew is finally enjoying freedom outside of the shadow of her relations, so the last thing she expected on her way to work was to be grabbed off the street by a stranger and put on a train bound for Chicago.

When Mr. Gilbert Cavendish is called upon to rescue a missing woman, he follows the trail to Chicago only to discover that the woman is his good friend, Temperance. Before they can discover who was behind her abduction, they’re spotted alone together by a New York society matron, putting their reputations at risk.

Even though Gilbert is willing to propose marriage, Temperance is determined not to lose her newfound independence. But when the misunderstanding in Chicago escalates into a threat on her life, accepting Gilbert’s help in solving the mystery may lead to more than she ever could have dreamed.

MY REVIEW:

Jen Turano is a name I turn to when I need a light-hearted, whimsical, and thoroughly entertaining book. Caught by Surprise does not disappoint. With preposterous situations and amazingly mismatched protagonists, Turano has recreated her hilarious world, and we all want to enter for the rollicking ride she provides.
Turano starts her tale by giving her heroine the rather oxymoronic-name, Temperance. Temperance is anything but. Impetuosity could be her middle name. Gilbert Cavendish, on the other hand, lives by lists. Starting with a botched abduction, this fanciful novel moves along smoothly with breaks only for howls of laughter. Highly recommended! It is not imperative to read the books that come before, but if you do, you will enjoy meeting up with old friends.
I was gifted a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. No positive review was required and all opinions are solely my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

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Jen Turano is a graduate of the University of Akron with a degree in Clothing and Textiles. She pursued a career in management for nine years before switching to full-time motherhood after the birth of her son. When she’s not writing, Jen can be found watching her teenage son participate in various activities, taking long walks with her husband and dog, socializing with friends, or delving into a good book. She lives in suburban Denver, Colorado. Learn more at www.jenturano.com.

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The Light Before Day, #3 Nantucket Legacy by Suzanne Woods Fisher

October 1, 2018 Babbling Becky L

ABOUT THE BOOK:

TITLE: The Light Before Day, #3 Nantucket Legacy

FORMATS: Paperback, hardback, Kindle, 368 pages

ISBN: 0800721640 (ISBN13: 9780800721640)

PUBLISHED: Oct. 2, 2018

GENRE: Christian Historical Fiction

After three years on a whaling voyage, Henry Macy returns to Nantucket to news that his grandmother has passed, bequeathing her vast fortune to him and his sister, Hitty. And it was truly vast. But Lillian Coffin was no fool. The inheritance comes with a steep cost, including when they should marry and whom–a Quaker in good standing, of course. But if they relinquish the inheritance, it all goes to Tristram Macy, their father’s thieving business partner.

As Hitty and Henry seek a way to satisfy the will’s conditions, they’ll be faced with obstacles on every side–and it may be that Lillian Coffin will have the last word after all.

Bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher surprises and delights with this story of hope and renewal, love and redemption, arriving just when most needed.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling, award-winning author of fiction and non-fiction books about the Old Order Amish for Revell Books, host of the radio-show-turned-blog Amish Wisdom, a columnist for Christian Post and Cooking & Such magazine.

Her interest in the Amish began with her grandfather, who was raised Plain. A theme in her books (her life!) is that you don’t have to “go Amish” to incorporate the principles of simple living.

Suzanne lives in California with her family and raises puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind. To her way of thinking, you just can’t take life too seriously when a puppy is tearing through your house with someone’s underwear in its mouth.

Suzanne can be found online at:www.suzannewoodsfisher.com

MY REVIEW:

The Light before Day is the astonishing conclusion to Suzanne Woods Fisher’s Nantucket Legacy Series. This is again a split-time story, told through the diary of “Great Mary” (Mary Coffin Starbuck) of the 17th century, and Hitty and Henry Macy, 19th-century twins of Reynolds Macy. Two influential ladies of their respective times bestow two very different legacies. One brings blessing, the other curses.

Another perspective of this novel is a study of human nature, of the “haves” and the “have-nots,” revolving around freedom, money, and religion(Quakerism). Those who think they “have” are not always better off. Certainly, Grandma Lillian Coffin never was, for all her wealth. Another small example of “having” but being unhappy is Stephen Hussey, who as a Quaker, “possesses the Light.” According to Great Mary, “he could convince anyone not to be a Quaker simply because he is one.” May this not be true of us as Christians!

I highly recommend this book. Full of real-life struggles, well-researched history, and a few chuckles, this tale renewed my acquaintance with old friends and allowed me to meet new ones. (Team Anna? Team Marie-Claire? What about Team Isaac vs. Team Benjamin?) This is a series I will be acquiring for my paperback keeper shelf.

A wealth of extra material is included at the book’s end, including discussion questions, author’s note, and “What’s True and What’s False in The Light Before Day?” Fisher also refers to quite a list of historical resources.

So many great quotes. I am choosing to highlight some unique ones that tickled me.
“Decisions were difficult for Henry, small or big. Anna Gardner once told him that he was the only man she knew who could sit on a fence and watch himself walk by.”

“Quakers might be hypocrites, but we are not liars.”

I gratefully received a complimentary copy of this book from the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This in no way influenced my voluntary review. All opinions are my own responsibility.

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Fool’s Notion by Lisa J. Flickinger

September 29, 2018 Babbling Becky L

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Title: Fool’s Notion

Genre: Historical Romance

Kindle Edition, 187 pages; pb 228 pages

Published September 14th, 2017 by Forget Me Not Romances, a division of Winged Publications. Pb ed. published Oct. 1, 2017.

ASIN: B075NQRSB5

ISBN: 1775129705 (ISBN13: 9781775129707)

Missouri mules were the best. Alda grew to love the creatures working side by side with her pa on their farm along the banks of the Missouri River. He would be hopping mad when he realized his wife and daughter colluded behind his back to sell a pack string. It wouldn’t matter that they were trying to save the farm. Alda struck out on her own to drive the team over fifteen hundred miles. By day three, her lead mule Bessie refused to take one more step. It was a good thing the handsome cowboy Cord stopped by to lend a hand or Alda might still be sitting in the dust. Now, Alda needed the man to move on so she could continue her journey. Judging by the spark in Cord’s eye … it just might take some convincing.

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Lisa J. Flickinger, author of historical novels Fool’s Notion, Ella, and All That Glitters, lives and writes from the cliff of a river along the majestic Rocky Mountains. When not writing or reading, you will find her scouring antique shops or sipping a maple latte with friends and family. To learn more about her visit http://www.lisajflickinger.com or her Facebook author page Lisa J. Flickinger.

MY REVIEW:

Fool’s Notion by Lisa J. Flickinger first caught my eye with its unusual and intriguing cover. A redheaded woman in a beautiful period dress is watching a mule train trek across barren land. I knew there had to be a great story there.

In 1883, Alda Lealand of Kansas has decided to take the California trail as a single lady. Unusual enough, but she is also driving a pack of mules 1500 miles cross-country to be sold following her mother’s death and father’s disappearance. Cord is the bounty hunter who can’t settle down, but can’t keep himself from coming to Alda’s rescue more times than she would like.

I really enjoyed this light-hearted western. I often found myself laughing at situations in which the characters found themselves. The romance is sweet, albeit not smooth, due to the personalities and baggage both Alda and Cord have.

Alda has to learn that God is a “God who cared about His family, not like a fickle earthly father-like her father-but a God whose love was deep and wide.”

I found the perfect phrase for me to remember when I act like a stubborn mule, dig in my heels, and hold on like I’m right and no one better challenge me…
“You’re not above forgiving, are you?…”

All in all, just a great, fun book that I learned a few lessons from as I had a great time getting to know the characters. Highly recommended.

I gratefully received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and Celebrate Lit. This in no way influenced my opinions. I was not required to leave a positive review.

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Purchase Link:

https://amzn.to/2lD43Uh