Christian Fiction, Five Stars, Giveaway, Historical Fiction, Low Language, Low Romance, Moderate Religion, Moderate Violence

A Waltz With Traitors Blog Tour

This book is a stunning portrayal of war and the hard decisions that have to be made.

I loved that though the author didn’t sugar coat the circumstances, she beautifully wove the realities of the legions’ situations with hope and faith.

Even with those realities this book was hard to put down. I loved how the author was able to take an event spread out over so many miles of track and so much time and condense it into such a compelling account.

She shed light on an event that needs to be remembered and gave life to the individual struggles and emotions they may have experienced.

I admit to being lost in the historical details every now and then, but that only made me want to adjust my ignorance and get back into the story.

Rating: Romance and Language was clean. The Violence, though never graphic or vulgar, did include mentions of sexual assault, executions and war battles.

Contemporary Suspense, Four Stars, Low Language, Low Religion, Low Romance, Moderate Violence, Suspense

The Danger with Diamonds

When Lars Hendriks arranges to meet Marit Jansen in Vienna, he is hoping their friendship will blossom into romance. What he doesn’t expect is a surprise visit from his cousin Cole or the loose diamonds he brings with him.

As a CIA operative, Cole Bridger is used to uncertainty, but when his work takes him back to Vienna, he looks forward to reconnecting with Isabelle Roberts, the fellow agent he dated briefly before duty took him away from Austria. Unfortunately, his silence over the last few months has created a chasm that he can’t cross without help. He barely takes a step toward repairing the damaged relationship when a brazen jewel heist seemingly links Cole, Lars, Marit, and Isabelle to the crime. The group is drawn into a deadly mystery, and once again, the treasures of Falcon Point are threatened. It doesn’t take long for them to realize they have stumbled upon something far bigger and more dangerous than a simple robbery. And someone on the inside knows it.

The romances were sweet, but understated, in a good way. The suspense was spot on. There was a great twist and fun moments that kept me on my toes.

I had a hard time shifting points of view as quickly as they did. As a new fan of suspense that may be a tool they use more often that I’m just not used to, but there were times it pulled me out rather than sucked me in as I attempted to shift with the narrator.

I like the pace of suspense and this one had great pacing. There are a few times where I find myself skimming suspense books more than other genres. That may have more to do with my personality and what I’m used to reading than anything else. But I loved their red herrings, and how realistic they made even the more dramatic moments.

I especially loved the opportunities they gave Lars and Marit to be heroes in very realistic and civilian ways. It put a very relatable and genuine feel on the novel.

Low Language, Low Romance, Moderate Violence

Five Stars, Giveaway, Historical Fiction, Low Language, Low Religion, Low Romance, Moderate Violence, Victorian

“Hazel Thornton has one great ambition: to help the sick and wounded as a nurse. But that dream can never become a reality. After a devastating childhood trauma, she has spent her life battling fits of panic that make it impossible to finish her studies. Everything changes, however, when a trip to Spain takes a perilous turn that derails her plans to visit her father for Christmas and immediately plunges her into the dangers of a brutal war.

With single-minded focus, she springs into action to help her fellow travelers. To ensure their continued care, she begins work at a Spanish hospital alongside Dr. John Jackson—a man whose only emotion seems to be wariness of his new assistant. Armed with gifts of support from each of her dearest friends, a group that dubs themselves the Blue Orchid Society, Hazel embarks on a journey of hope and healing to battle the demons of her past with the help of the doctor who has captured her heart.”

Jennifer Moore created a story of strength, of finding your independence, and realizing what’s worth fighting for.

Her imagery had the ability to make things at once heavy and then light. I felt the tension, thought I was in the hospital and could practically smell the dank place they were held in. I was fully drawn into every aspect of this story.

Her characters are strong and she writes with beautiful emotion. Hazel’s struggles were both real and relatable. I loved this book and thought it was the perfect addition to the Blue Orchid Society Series.

***** Low Language, Low Romance, Moderate Violence (they are in a hospital in the middle of a war, but it’s not graphic), Low Religion

Five Stars, Historical Fiction, Jane Austen Re-telling, Low Language, Low Romance, Moderate Religion, Moderate Violence

The Murder of Mr. Wickham Book Tour

“The happily married Mr. Knightley and Emma are throwing a party at their country estate, bringing together distant relatives and new acquaintances—characters beloved by Jane Austen fans. Definitely not invited is Mr. Wickham, whose latest financial scheme has netted him an even broader array of enemies. As tempers flare and secrets are revealed, it’s clear that everyone would be happier if Mr. Wickham got his comeuppance. Yet they’re all shocked when Wickham turns up murdered—except, of course, for the killer hidden in their midst.

Nearly everyone at the house party is a suspect, so it falls to the party’s two youngest guests to solve the mystery: Juliet Tilney, the smart and resourceful daughter of Catherine and Henry, eager for adventure beyond Northanger Abbey; and Jonathan Darcy, the Darcys’ eldest son, whose adherence to propriety makes his father seem almost relaxed. In this tantalizing fusion of Austen and Christie, from New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray, the unlikely pair must put aside their own poor first impressions and uncover the guilty party—before an innocent person is sentenced to hang.”

Have you ever thought, if Jane Austen held a house party and invited all her character, how would that go? Who would be friends?

As a Jane Austen fan I was delighted to be asked to be a part of this book launch. Who wouldn’t want a little more from this world. My one concern was if I would really feel as if I was back in Jane Austen’s world again. And Oh did I.

Claudia Gray did an amazing job of showing us what might have happened after happily ever after. Each character had a completely believable background since we last met them, a distinct voice and intriguing emotions.

Have you ever thought to yourself, why in the world did Wickham marry Lydia? Claudia portrays in her book, one of the best explanation I’ve ever heard. And if that’s not enough to get you to read it, the mystery alone would be.

How could any of our beloved characters be a murderer? You can’t turn pages fast enough. The author is really good at pointing the finger at everyone. Claudia’s mystery is woven wonderfully, giving you morsels of clues without any idea of who it really is.

There was one little moment that felt a bit like a soap box that seemed unnecessary. Until I kept reading. I was pleasantly surprised at how she encouraged a deeper thinking, and granted me a much needed dose of compassion for the era and what others may have struggled with. I came away impressed with how she handled all the complicated relationships on the page. Including the dimension she gave characters we thought we knew so well, and the new ones we are introduced to.

I would recommend this to not just fans of Jane Austen, but fans of historical fiction, romance, mystery, or just a good intelligent, entertaining read.

***** Low Language, Moderate Romance (the reason for this label is a spoiler alert, if you want details please don’t hesitate to message us here or on social media), Moderate Violence (the murder does not happen on page, but seen after the fact. The descriptions aren’t gory, but this is a murder mystery so it is referenced occasionally. There is also a moment of sexual assault told in flashback, but it is not detailed.), Moderate Religion (because two of the character’s professions have to do with the church, there is some intense discussions about morality and religious law. I felt however that these discussions only added to the depth of the characters and the intrigue of the story.)

Contemporary Romance, Contemporary Suspense, Four Stars, Giveaway, Low Language, Low Romance, Moderate Religion, Moderate Violence

Facing the Enemy Blog Tour

Lady Elise Henderson lives two separate lives. At home in Scotland, she’s the titled daughter of the Marquess of Roxbury, an heiress in her own right. In London, however, she’s Elise Taylor, a top MI6 operative for the “home office.” But when a devastating accident threatens to end her career, Elise is left with far too much time for self-reflection and the regret of a decision made long ago that features one man: fellow MI6 agent Harry Benson.

Harry Benson, the son of servants, has loved Elise for the better part of a decade. But life took them on separate journeys until their worlds converged once more. An immediate assignment to the Scottish Borders leaves Harry little time to make provisions for his small, rambunctious son, Sammy. Harry knows only one person he can rely on for the boy’s care—Elise. When Elise brings Sammy to her ancestral estate, she never imagines that a nemesis from her past looms in the shadows, hungry for revenge. Stalked at every turn, Elise and Harry discover that fighting their feelings for one another is futile, but can they survive long enough to get another shot at true love?

Paige Edwards sets the stage for the suspense really well. So much, that I realized I’m still a wuss. Her villain had wonderfully fleshed out background and motive. Not the kind that makes you empathize with him, but the kind that ups the creep factor, in the best way possible.

I would have loved that much depth in the backstory of Harry and Elise. I felt like their romance was a little hot and cold at times and their relationship backstory skimmed the surface of what I hoped to know. We did get cute glimpses into the past and plenty of swoony moments in the present. I was hoping for just a little bit more meat.

One of the relationships I did love was between Sammy and Elise. In a single dad romance, the relationship between child and significant other is almost as important and Paige did a fabulous job with them. It wasn’t instant connection and understanding. It was something Paige built slowly overtime in a beautiful way. Their relationship was genuine and definitely upped the suspense factor by the end. I loved how she wove that together.

She also built the relationship between Elise’s family really well too. Their complex family dynamics held all the hooks and I’m completely attached to all the siblings, I’ll need to read every single one of their stories!

**** Low Language, Low Romance, Moderate Violence (this is a suspense novel so their is a moderate amount of violence, some of the passing comments of the villain bordered on super creepy/violent for me, but it was never graphic), Moderate Religion (a relationship with God is discussed a time or two in a natural and plot enhancing way, but no specific religion is ever discussed.)

4 1/2 stars, Fairy Tale Re-tellings, Low Language, Low Religion, Low Romance, Moderate Violence

An Awfully Big Adventure

When I heard Annette K. Larsen was going to do fairytale retellings in her Winberg world, I was completely on board. When I heard it was a Peter Pan retelling, I was at the edge of my seat with anticipation. I love the adventure in the Peter Pan fairytale. It’s a tale that has something for everyone: mermaids, pirates, fairies and an awfully big adventure.

Cecily doesn’t want to grow up—not if growing up means marrying. Having escaped a life of abandonment and mistreatment, she refuses to put her life in the hands of a man ever again. She’s happily settled into her life as lady’s maid to Princess Marilee when the princess’s personal guard, Falstone, expresses a wish to know her better.

His kind heart and playful nature pull her in, but while she would trust him with her life, she can’t seem to trust him with her heart. Not only that, but Falstone has pledged his life for the protection of another. The choice to give their budding feelings a chance is taken out of their hands by the appearance of Captain Huckley, the man she ran from years ago, who insists he has a claim on Cecily and her future.

A story about bravery and vulnerability, this reimagined version of Peter Pan will carry you on an adventure that brings romance to the forefront of a beloved tale.

Even though Annette’s tale was based more in a world with out magic, her story still contained everything that makes Peter Pan magical. She had incredibly clever work ins; from the Rogue, to Cecily’s stories, to Falstone’s training the boys, to the thimble. Her reworking of the fairytale was masterfully done.

At first I had as hard a time as Cecily merging the character of Falstone I knew to the Peter Pan he is. I admit to not completely understand his game at times. However one of my favorite things is the dichotomy of Annette’s characters. She doesn’t ever leave you frustrated at inconsistencies. She always writes them as multifaceted and layered individuals that you’re intrigued to know more about.

The more I learned about Falstone, the more I loved his character. He added a light and fun side to the more adventurous plot. Which only added to the overall really good ebb and flow of the plot.

I was enchanted by her imagery, and entertained every step of the way.

**** Low Language, Low Romance, Moderate Violence (I would put the rating here, the violence doesn’t take up a lot of the book, nor is it gory, but it is an important plot point), Low Religion

Four Stars, Historical Fiction, Low Language, Low Religion, Low Romance, Moderate Violence, Regency Romance

The Flip Side

Being a regency and historical romance lover, I have heard the Battle of Waterloo referenced extensively. I have to confess however, I don’t know that I’ve yet read a book whose setting took place in such close proximity to the famed battle.

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She has loved him for as long as she remembers. He is fast discovering his newfound attachment. And now they may never see each other again. Phoebe Tunstall has lived her entire life in the shadow of her outgoing twin sister and in service to her maiden aunt. When she suddenly finds herself alone and free of all responsibility to others, she decides to heed the challenge thrown out by the man she has long admired-her brother’s best friend, Lord Ingram.

Frederick Ingram is reeling from the shock of learning that his first love has married someone else upon mere weeks’ acquaintance. Filled with frustration, he is unable to watch his friend’s little sister, Phoebe, living meekly and waiting for happiness to come to her. He tells her to live more boldly. What he does not expect is for her to take it to heart and travel to Brussels as Napoleon begins his march northward.

Frederick arrives in Brussels for his military duty and-contrary to his expectation-does not find Phoebe cowering in fear at the threat of the emperor’s invasion. Instead, she appears to be the center of Society with every male eye in the city on her. Phoebe is eager to show Frederick exactly what he has been missing out on all these years, and he is finally ready to declare his love. Then war breaks out.

Jennie Goutet had obviously done her research. The setting was stunningly described and unique for a regency. I was fascinated with the way she was able to convey the opinions and fears of both the English soldiers and the people of Brussels. She was able to give me new insight to a well discussed topic and I love it when a writer does that.

While I love the historical details Jennie always includes in her stories, there were times in this one that it felt a little heavy on the details. As one who loves historical details, the only reason I would bring that up, is for me personally it seemed to affect the pacing of the story.

I adored, as I always do, Jennie’s character development. Both in Frederick and Phoebe. Jennie wrote Phoebe coming out of her shell in such a natural yet bold way. It was beautifully done and emotionally compelling. As was the slow realization of Fredericks feelings. Both their character growth and their relationship was wonderfully written.

Though some of the information seemed to slow down the emotions of the battle and the fear of the people, the reality of it all was alive on each page and I was impressed with the overall story.

**** Low Langauge, Low Romance, Moderate Violence (She doesn’t sugarcoat the battle, but I never felt her descriptions were gory, just real.), Low Religion

Contemporary Romance, Four Stars, Low Language, Low Violence, Moderate Romance, Moderate Violence

Ridiculous and Real

Two of my least favorite tropes are second chance romances (which is ironic considering that’s technically what my own love story is) and royal romances. However, some authors make it entirely possible to overlook your own personal preferences, because their stories are just that good. Emma St. Clair is one of those authors for us, we’ll read anything she writes, regardless of genre or trope.

You know what else I don’t love, first person point of view. That gave Royally Rearranged two strikes. That’s how much we like Emma St. Clair. So much so that we eagerly looked forward to a book I knew contained both of those things.

I must admit that the pretentiousness of the royalty did get to me a time or two, but Emma’s writing is so witty and so emotionally driven that I found myself really liking the story.

Even with the first person, I loved the dual perspectives. The reader was given a glimpse into what was real and what was a mask giving the characters good development.

I did feel like while we got a lot of background on Rafe and you love him more and more with each thing you learn. I didn’t feel like we got that same character background with Seraf. We get to see her current life and a lot about her dealing with the concept of love and what it means, but I feel like all her past memories are tied into Rafe and Callum and not many are just her. I think the moment she steps up for her country and for Rafe would have been a little more powerful if we knew a little bit more about her than just her ice princess façade and her relationship with the two boys.

I liked it more than I expected to for a royal romance, but I shouldn’t have been too surprised considering how much we love Emma’s writing.

**** Low Language, Moderate Romance (there were quite a few innuendos in this one just a heads up), Moderate Violence (I put it here, just to give a trigger warning for those that might need it about the emotional and physical abuse of Rafe’s childhood, though never very descriptive, it is a major plot point to the story, but one that was handled really well by Emma.)

The Buy-In

I think one of the reasons I don’t love second chance romances is the whole hindsight thing. I look at how the relationship failed the first time and I think, if they would have just done ____, all this pain and drama could have been avoided. But that’s not human nature is it? And I love it when an author gets real with their characters.

Emma’s characters and her writing is so witty and fun, but they don’t ever loose that realness. The town of Sheet Cake for instance, is hilarious. It is over the top and ridiculous, but you can picture it. Emma writes it in such a way that its real. You close the book reminding yourself that’s it’s fictional. You can’t take the next plane to TX and visit this town and these people, who you feel like you know. But you want to, cause the writing is just that good.

The one thing I couldn’t picture though, was the giggling. Both of us that read it thought the same thing. I have never heard a grown man giggle and I couldn’t picture it. I admit that the odd trait did pull me out of the story when it happened, but so much else about Pat was endearing that we still both loved the character.

My favorite part of the story was how well Emma wrote their relationship. Even with the initial fall out, and all throughout the story; neither of them were all right and neither of them were all wrong. Real life is never that black and white and the way Emma balanced that just added to the realism.

Emma also had some awesome foreshadowing throughout the story. In so many ways. With Pat and Lindy, the town of Sheet Cake, and the stories to come. It’s the kind of writing that leaves you anxious for the next in the series.

**** Low Language, Moderate Romance (Pat and Lindy are married early on in the story and do have married people conversations and there is one closed door scene at the very end of the book, but the way Emma handles it all I still wouldn’t put this in a High category), Low Violence

Five Stars, Giveaway, Historical Fiction, Low Language, Low Religion, Low Romance, Moderate Violence

Hope Amidst the Conflict

One of the first school required books that I fell in love with, and then went and purchased for myself, was The Tale of Two Cities. I found the French Revolution fascinating and the plight of both sides equally heart rending. Arlem Hawks’ newest release Beyond the Lavender Fields gave me those same kind of feels.

1792, France Rumors of revolution in Paris swirl in Marseille, a bustling port city in southern France. Gilles Etienne, a clerk at the local soap factory, thrives on the news. Committed to the cause of equality, liberty, and brotherhood, he and his friends plan to march to Paris to dethrone the monarchy. His plans are halted when he meets Marie-Caroline Daubin, the beautiful daughter of the owner of the factory.
A bourgeoise and royalist, Marie-Caroline has been called home to Marseille to escape the unrest in Paris. She rebuffs Gilles’s efforts to charm her and boldly expresses her view that violently imposed freedom is not really freedom for all. As Marie-Caroline takes risks to follow her beliefs, Gilles catches her in a dangerous secret that could cost her and her family their lives. As Gilles and Marie-Caroline spend more time together, she questions her initial assumptions about Gilles and realizes that perhaps they have more in common than she thought.
As the spirit of revolution descends on Marseille, people are killed and buildings are ransacked and burned to the ground. Gilles must choose between supporting the political change he believes in and protecting those he loves. And Marie-Caroline must battle between standing up for what she feels is right and risking her family’s safety. With their lives and their nation in turmoil, both Gilles and Marie-Caroline wonder if a revolutionnaire and a royaliste can really be together or if they must live in a world that forces people to choose sides.

This story was done so incredibly well. So many stories of the French Revolution start right in the middle of the Reign of Terror without giving you the backstory you need. I loved how early, historically, Arlem’s story starts. The ground work she lays gives a well-researched representation of both sides of the conflict. She was able to create in Gilles and Caroline, a great juxtaposition of their opposing ideals, while also giving them both understanding and humanity. Painting such a fabulous picture of the good and bad on both sides.

I loved that Marie-Caroline’s thoughts and feelings were conveyed through letters. It was an interesting writing choice that ended up carrying more weight than I initially expected. Her letters were filled with emotion, moving the plot along without added unnecessary scenes or repetition. The book was made charged with clever metaphors, beautifully worded descriptions and intelligent commentary on the historical climate of the time.

The sense of hope Arlem wove through the story was in stark contrast to the terror that she so expertly conveyed without being graphic. It made for a well written tug of war with your heart.

The one and only problem, was knowing where Gilles ended up years later. Prequels kill me! Please tell me we find out what happens to Gilles right before and right after Georgana’s Secret, I’m dying here! Then again, that is the mark of an exceptional writer. Characters who become part of your heart and soul. Times and places that you are invested in even long after you close their pages. And this book gives you all of that.

***** Low Language, Low Romance, Moderate Violence (It is the French Revolution after all, Arlem included the historically accurate violence without it every feeling overly graphic), Low Religion (Caroline’s religious background plays a key role in the plot, but the book isn’t overtly religious in anyway)

GIVEAWAY!! –

We are giving away an ARC of Beyond the Lavender Fields, to enter comment below, then head over to our social media accounts for more ways to enter!

Christian Fiction, Five Stars, Giveaway, Historical Fiction, Low Language, Low Romance, Moderate Religion, Moderate Violence

The Power of Love

After years as a soldier and mercenary, Rasheed has retired from battle to run the bathhouse in Thebes with his friends Gillen and Eudocia. The simple life suits them, so when Venetian strangers come to town looking to hire the renowned crew, their answer is no. But when one of his friends is abducted, Rasheed is left with no choice but to take up his weapons and join forces with the Venetians, including the beautiful and clever Cecilia, whose betrothed has also been seized by the unknown foe. 

As the reluctant allies face ambushes and the looming threat of capture, Rasheed and Cecilia forge a surprising connection. But as the party races to rescue their friends, Rasheed discovers that nothing is as it seems. As his trust in Cecilia begins to waver, he realizes that in the end, they will both be forced to make a choice between love and duty.

This book was just as addicting as the first. I could get lost in the names of the cities and the history, but it didn’t ever pull me out of the story. The way the A.L. Sowards wrote, it just made me hungry for more history and more story.

The book had a wonderful balance between adventure, growth, love and honor. I felt like the pull of duty and honor was done really well. We understood Cecilia’s duty, but the extent of it was given to us in small doses. Thus increasing the odds against them and the tension in the story in a delightful way.

There are quite a few suspenseful moments where you suspect you know what’s going to happen, and you’re pretty sure everyone’s going to get their happily ever after. But, the emotions the author writes with is enough to pull at your heart and leave just enough doubt to make you turn every page with anxiousness.

There is an underlying theme of spirituality that was so impressively done. With Rasheed being a Christian convert and Aban being a Muslim, their differences in belief was both relevant historically and compelling in conversations. The author wrote both with raw emotion and respect. I never felt like she was pushing one religion over the other, but expressing what each of them found good or hard respectively.

I am now one hundred percent invested in this family and this time, and am really hoping we get Lucia and Sebastie’s story!

***** Low Language, Low Romance, Moderate Violence (this book is written during times of war and piracy, this is reflected in the book. I however, was never uncomfortable with the descriptions in the book.) Moderate Religion

 

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