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The Last Party at Silverton Hall–historical and contemporary story lines
The Last Party at Silverton Hall
by Rachel Burton
Isobel inherits a large five-bedroom mansion from her grandmother Vivien. She is guilt ridden over not visiting her grandmother as much as she could have. After all, Vivien had raised Isobel, keeping her in their beloved Silverton Bay and out of British boarding schools when Isobel’s parents moved to America.
This is a family riddled with secrets. Isabel’s mother Gina and Gina’s mother Vivien never seem to have gotten along, and Isabel is not sure why. She never knew her grandfather Max, but he is a powerful presence in The Last Party at Silverton Hall. Many people in the town were aware of the family’s secrets which amazingly they guarded for years.
This work of historical fiction is told in a dual timeline. In this way the backstory of the family is gradually introduced as Isobel discovers it for herself by talking with long-time residents and unearthing pertinent documents.
Isobel is helped in her search for the truth by an old flame Nick with whom she shared an unforgettable kiss eighteen years prior, Neither is currently married and neither has achieved their original career goals. Nick, a trained physician, has a knack for restoring and flipping houses, and he offers his skills to Isobel as her large house is badly in need of a variety of repairs and renovations.
As secrets come to light, Nick and Isobel confront the past and prepare themselves for a future that they hope will include both of them and Silverton Bay.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Historical Fiction, Romance, Women’s Fiction
Publication: March 2, 2023—Aria
Memorable Lines:
“Life never works out the way we think it will when we’re young. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be proud of what we achieve. Just because things turn out differently doesn’t mean they aren’t worthwhile.”
Secrets have a habit of being revealed, she knew that. But at the same time, when they were, they could blow a life into pieces.
Perhaps we all feel as though we have all the time in the world, and then, when that time inevitably runs out, it takes us by surprise.
A Novel Proposal–one more chapter!
A Novel Proposal
by Denise Hunter
I have read other books by Denise Hunter. I have read other clean romances. A Novel Proposal, however, is one of my favorites from both perspectives. The format of the book appeals to me so much. The author tickles my writing and reading sensibilities with her plot dilemma in which the protagonist Sadie, a budding author, has written several good western novels at a time when no one is buying westerns. Her contract is cancelled, and she will owe the advance money she received. Her publisher likes her writing, however, and gives her a chance to redeem her career with a romance. Romances are totally out of the comfortable range for Sadie, both in her personal life and in her writing experiences and goals. So, what makes A Novel Proposal unique? Each chapter begins with a quote from Romance Writing 101. These quotes summarize the steps in romance writing and reflect what is happening in each chapter. For example, Chapter 2 begins with “A meetcute is a charming encounter between two characters that leads to the development of a romantic relationship.” In this chapter Sadie meets the handsome, apparently broody Sam who shares half of a beach duplex with her when she travels from NYC to South Carolina to write a romance. She is gifted a stay there by her best friend’s mom. Sam is staying there to escape from a romantic disaster while continuing his job working for the family landscaping business. Supporting characters that you will enjoy include Caroline, Sadie’s best friend, and Rio, Sadie’s Maltipoo and constant companion. Hayley, Sam’s teenage sister, and the rest of his extended family add depth to the novel.
Sadie and Sam both have trust issues that hinder their relationship. Sadie is fun loving and blossoms in South Carolina where she starts a Free Library on the property and discovers something valuable in one of the books. She exchanges time as a “plus one” with Sam for his help in tracking down the owner. With publishing deadlines pressing, Sadie begins to write her novel based on her developing relationship with Sam using the old adage “write what you know.” Sadie and Sam are both characters with reader appeal. The reader knows that, as a romance, there will be a happily ever after, but how will the characters arrive at that end? Going along on the journey and watching the characters develop is such a fun reading experience. I had trouble putting the book down as each chapter led into the next in such a way that my mind kept say “One more chapter, one more chapter…”
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Romance
Notes: standalone, clean
Publication: March 21, 2023—Thomas Nelson
Memorable Lines:
A jet went streaking over their heads, reminding her of her noisy apartment, just a stone’s throw from LaGuardia with thin walls and thinner windows. Not to mention the construction project that had been going on next door since the Revolutionary War.
She was using a saw. A circular saw if his ears hadn’t failed him. What in the world was she doing? The ear-shattering noise stopped as she finished the cut—or sliced off a finger. He had a hard time believing a woman who couldn’t navigate porch steps might be handy with tools.
Maybe he needed space to figure things out. Just because her day had lasted eight decades didn’t mean his had too.
The Good Luck Cafe
The Good Luck Cafe
by Annie Rains
Moira has been hurt—badly. So devastatingly, that she has never shared what happened to her and how she reacted with anyone. Even Gil, who rescued her, only knows part of the story. Now he is town mayor and one of the nicest people in town. Except he has not stopped the town council’s plans to demolish her mother’s coffee shop on the main street through town and replace it with a parking lot. Everyone agrees that it will be sad to lose Sweetie’s Bakeshop, but the driving and parking situation in town has become dangerous.
Gil has always been attracted to Moira, but she pushes him away because of her secret and her concern that her mother will lose the business she loves. Moira is a dispatcher for the town’s 911 emergency services, works from home, and loves her job. Gil has done a good job as mayor. He is also a great big brother to his brother Doug who has Down syndrome. Goldie, Gil’s golden retriever, adds fun to the story.
Around this basic plot, Annie Rains creates and develops some great characters in The Good Luck Cafe. There is a lot of tension over the parking lot controversy, the upcoming mayoral election, and the relationship of Moira and Gil. Denise, Gil’s high school nemesis, decides to stir up trouble. Also, Doug wants to move out on his own and solicits Gil’s help in persuading their parents to allow it while his mother wants Gil to convince Doug to continue to live at home.
All through the book you will find a heartwarming story and a clean romance. Both Moira and Gil have a support group of friends. Moira meets with her Book Club on Thursday nights and the associated men meet at the local tavern to enjoy each other’s company along with some friendly teasing. Most of them go way back as friends.
This is my second book in the Somerset Lake Series. If the next book were available, I would have followed up with an immediate read of it after The Good Luck Cafe. I will just have to be satisfied that there are two more books in the series that I can go back and pick up.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Romance
Notes: 1. #4 in the Somerset Lake Series, but can definitely be read as a standalone.
2. Although it is a clean and fun romance, it does address a few serious topics which I will not list because they would be spoilers.
3. I was simultaneously reading a book for my book club, but I read several chapters of this every day to keep the story going.
Publication: March 14, 2023—Forever (Grand Central Publishing)
Memorable Lines:
When Doug was growing up, it had seemed like acquiring every new skill was a challenge. Doug never gave up though. He wasn’t a quitter. Gil had learned everything he knew about perseverance from his brother.
“Trust me, when you feel like you want to be alone you really need to be with the people who love you.”
“Relationships are hard, and they can be messy, but sometimes the things that complicate our lives are the things that make life worth living.”
Letters of Trust–guarding secrets
Letters of Trust
by Wanda E. Brunstetter
When Eleanor and Vic get married, they move to Paradise, Pennsylvania, where, given the name of the town, they should expect a happily ever after. Eleanor is a very sweet Amish young lady with a strong faith. Despite her mother’s hesitation about Vic based on reports of his rumspringe experiences before he joined the church, Eleanor is in love with Vic, a carpenter, and is determined to be a good wife to him. For the most part, their first year of marriage is a happy one. Unfortunately, tragedy strikes Vic’s family, and Vic is overcome with guilt over what happened. Unable to handle his feelings and unwilling to ask for help, Vic seeks survival through an addiction which threatens his marriage, his job, his future child, and his relationship with family, friends, and church. Most importantly, the addiction stands between Vic and God. Eleanor learns that Vic will need to hit rock bottom before he stops denying his need for help.
I have read several Amish themed books by Wanda E. Brunstetter. Letters of Trust has a more serious focus than the others I have read. My heart went out to the fictional Eleanor as she tries to be a good wife and hold her marriage together. She shares her trouble first with her long time friend Doretta in letters, knowing she can trust her not to discuss her problem with others as gossip. The two young ladies pray for and encourage each other. Eleanor sees the dangers in Vic’s addiction and shows her own strength when she stands up to and for Vic as he struggles in his own personal mire of guilt and depression.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Christian, Romance
Notes: 1. #1 in The Friendship Letters Series
2. At the end of the book, the reader will find Discussion Questions and notes from the author about why she chose to write about such a sensitive subject.
3. Also included is a recipe for Chocolate Chip Pie, a favorite of one of the characters.
Publication: March 1, 2023—Barbour Publishing
Memorable Lines:
Evening light poured into the room, but no one wanted to eat a thing. Their world had stopped, and they’d been left hanging over a cliff filled with the darkness of grief.
When Vic entered the house behind Eleanor, a wave of exhaustion settled over him like a dark cloud about to dump rain.
People should realize that we’re all human, and sometimes we do things we shouldn’t, Vic thought. Just because we get baptized, join the church, and go to worship services regularly doesn’t mean we’re perfect, by any stretch of the imagination.
The Sound of Light–Denmark in WWII
The Sound of Light
by Sarah Sudin
Through the fictional characters of Baron Henrik Ahlefeldt and Dr. Else Jensen, a physicist working in the lab of the famed Niels Bohr, Sarah Sudin tells the story of the German occupation of tiny Denmark. Initially, freedoms are not as restricted by the Nazis as in the rest of occupied Europe, but many Danes resist through sabotage, work slowdowns, and underground newspapers. Henrik assumes several identities and uses them to hide covert activities; he also uses his skills as an Olympic rower to transfer messages from Denmark to Britain. Else, while fighting her personal battles of discrimination as a female in a traditionally male field, becomes involved in helping the underground cause.
There are a lot of subplots and threads that are woven into this story. Henrik is working as a laborer in his estranged father’s shipyard. Henrik portrays himself as barely literate instead of the well-educated nobleman he is. He and Else live in the same boarding house but are unable to share their identities or secrets with each other because of the confidential nature of the underground. The final straw for the Danes is when the Germans begin to round up Jews for deportation. Many Danish citizens quickly rise up to protect their Jewish friends and neighbors. I will leave it to the author to share what happens to the Jews and to Henrik and Else as they grapple with the question of whether it is “right to do wrong (i.e. to break the law) to do right.”
I highly recommend The Sound of Light. I didn’t feel like I needed to be an expert on Danish history to appreciate the story. I did learn a lot about Denmark’s wartime experiences. The book is fast-paced, and there is good character development. It contains a good plot, scenes tense with intrigue, and a Christian viewpoint on good versus evil.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Historical Fiction, Christian, Romance
Notes: Includes historical notes by the author, pronunciation guide and glossary, and discussion questions.
Publication: February 7, 2023—Revell
Memorable Lines:
Henrik, on the other hand, hadn’t endured Far’s anger. He’d absorbed it, every biting word. For fourteen years, he’d absorbed the anger, and it had fermented inside, loathsome and noxious, until at last, in one moment of clarity, he’d turned from his father and all he stood for.
She was one small individual in a sea of people. But if each person did just one thing to help, a lot of good could be done.
On the deck, the captain sprinkled powder, a mixture of dried blood and cocaine, developed by a Swedish scientist. If the Germans brought police dogs on board, the compound would deaden the dogs’ sense of smell so they couldn’t detect the passengers below.
The Devine Doughnut Shop–divine doughnuts in Devine, TX
The Devine Doughnut Shop
by Carolyn Brown
Anyone who has traveled across Texas by car knows that most small towns in Texas have a doughnut shop. It’s a standard! Devine, Texas, an actual town near San Antonio, in this novel boasts the most divine doughnuts in the area. They are made in small batches from a secret recipe passed down through four generations of Devine women who are a “family of sisters.”
Grace and Sarah are biological sisters and their cousin Macy is like a third sister. The three women, who also live together in a house near the shop, are up at three o’clock six days a week making their delicious doughnuts.
All of the these women have suffered shattered romantic relationships ranging from a bad boy spouse who couldn’t stay around to parent his newborn, to a boyfriend who lied about his marriage, to a serial con man. In The Devine Doughnut Shop, the reader watches as some of these disasters unfold.
Grace’s teenage daughter Aubrey is beset with her own trust issues in her desire to be popular. She is used by a group of “mean girls” and foolishly casts off her old friends. One of those friends, Raelene, is herself abandoned by her own mother just a few months before her high school graduation. She finds herself without a home or food and in danger of losing the college scholarship she has worked for.
The mean girls have moms who spoil them and were obviously bullies themselves in high school. Now they are vicious gossipers who excel in and celebrate making others miserable.
All of the characters have trust issues to overcome. Grace finds herself oddly attracted to a successful businessman with a good heart. Married to his job, Travis is surprised by his attraction to this hard-working, no nonsense mother of a teenager who won’t sell either her business or the secret recipe. Is he really interested in Grace or does he just see her as a stepping stone to another business deal? What will it take for these characters to turn their lives around and begin to trust in love again?
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: General Fiction, Romance
Notes: Standalone
Publication: February 14, 2023—Mountlake
Memorable Lines:
She was wearing a five-dollar thrift store dress, but she was riding in a modern-day golden chariot, and she had to admit that the excitement bouncing around in the back of the limo was contagious.
“The way to a man’s heart might be through his stomach, but the way to a woman’s heart is through her family.”
“Honey, I’m swimming with the dolphins.” Beezy held up her tote bag. “I’ve got my bathing suit right here, and I don’t give a rip if my hair gets wet. At my age, we got to do what we can when we can, because tomorrow we might be too old and decrepit to even feed ourselves.”
Her Alaskan Valentine’s Day Matchmaker–frigid setting
Her Alaskan Valentine’s Day Matchmaker
by Melinda Curtis
Welcome to the Alaskan Matchmaker Series. The first book in the series is Her Alaskan Valentine’s Day Matchmaker and is written by Melinda Curtis. It is a novella and authors Anna J. Stewart and Cari Lynn Webb will be writing other books in this series. I don’t know if their books will be novellas or full length romances. I do know that they will deal with some of the same characters that are introduced in Her Alaskan Valentine’s Day Matchmaker.
The setup for this plot is that three bachelors in their twenties wage a bet with their former high school hockey coach. If they win the bet to get three couples together in Kenkanken, Alaska, they get their dream fulfilled of being employed by a hockey team. It’s an outrageous bet, laced with failure, but it gets much worse when Nora and her five week old baby walk into their headquarters, their favorite stools in Coach’s bar. Who is the baby’s father and what does Nora want?
The cold setting is front and center as the men of K-bay all proudly sport winter beards which they don’t shave until spring. Their beards become part of the plot too. As a novella, there is not a lot of time devoted to character development, but there is a surprising amount dedicated to the plot. My favorite character is the baby, little Zoe; everyone falls in love with her. I enjoyed the book and felt like the novella length was appropriate to the story.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Romance, Novella
Notes: 1. #1 in the Alaskan Matchmaker Series
2. I thought the title of the book would grow on me, but it still just seems awkward.
Publication: February 7, 2023—Chelsea Beth Publishing
Memorable Lines:
“How do we get our clients to realize they’ve found true love in the same dating pool they’ve had available for years? I mean, they have only three weeks to fall in love and ring the bell.”
He’d given her a night that was exactly what she’d wanted, but he couldn’t help but feel he hadn’t come close to giving her what she’s really needed.
“Gideon?” The sharp doubt in that one ice-laden word could have punctured the hull of the Titanic.
Spurred to Justice–creepy “Grave Digger”
Spurred to Justice
by Delores Fossen
There were a lot of “firsts” in this read for me. I had never read any books in The Law in Lubbock County series, books by Delores Fossen, or books published under the Harlequin Intrigue imprint. I am sharing my reflections on each topic:
The Series: I could tell that there was a personal relationship backstory between the protagonists Adalyn and Nolan but that gap did not affect my understanding of the plot in Spurred to Justice.
The Author: Delores Fossen is a good writer creating likable characters. Her plot has misdirection for the reader and for FBI Special Agent Nolan and ex-cop, current security officer Adalyn. She adds significant plot twists to keep suspense at the forefront.
The Imprint: I like Harlequin Heartwarming books so I thought I might like a novel from the same publisher but with a small amount of suspense. Spurred to Justice had only a little of things that I prefer not to have in books I read: foul language, open bedroom doors, and creepy murders. The inappropriate language is mainly handled by describing someone cursing with the actual words appearing only a few times. The sex scenes do not go all the way to culmination because the pair is always interrupted by phone calls or texts. The creepy factor is the Grave Digger whose taunting and method of murder gives those trying to stop him literal nightmares, but more of the book delves into his identity rather than how he commits the murders.
Reading Spurred to Justice was an experiment for me. My conclusion is that although I did not dislike this book, I won’t be pursuing any similar novels in the future.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Mystery and Thriller, Romance
Notes: #4 in The Law in Lubbock County series, but could be read as a standalone
Publication: January 24, 2023—Harlequin Intrigue
Memorable Lines:
But her body had to be firing off all kinds of signals that this was a primal sort of showdown with the person who’d tried to murder her and would almost certainly try again if he got the chance.
Nolan kept his tone as dry as the West Texas dust.
The Grave Digger would have known this shock would cloud their minds and maybe cause them to lose focus.
The Courtship Plan–first love
The Courtship Plan
by Kathleen Fuller
Things aren’t going well for Charity Raber as she looks for a job and a husband in Birch Creek. She was one of many young ladies responding to an ad that said there were a lot of young Amish men in Birch Creek looking for wives. Charity is thin with bright red hair and more freckles than can be counted. Because of a difficult family background, she comes across as…odd. She is too eager, her speech is unfiltered, and she just doesn’t know how to act around her peers. She was even set up with a date as a prank by one brother fooling another. She escapes more embarrassment by moving to Marigold where she is hired as a caregiver to Shirley, a kind English woman. To her dismay, just as she is adjusting well, one of the brothers moves in next door.
Charity wants love and sets out to get a husband with the aid of library books that hold some pretty bad advice and lead Charity into some situations that are very funny. The interactions between Shirley and Charity with their neighbor Jesse are the basis of a good story that is mostly not a fairy tale romance. A fun addition is Shirley’s escape artist dog Monroe. A serious complication is Charity’s relationship with her father and stepmother.
Love and forgiveness are strong themes that move forward an interesting story. Charity is a complicated character with a complicated background. She is the underdog protagonist that you will root for, but a happy ending seems difficult to achieve.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Christian, Romance
Notes: #1 in the Amish of Marigold Series. This book references a prank that I had also read about in the last book of the Amish Mail-Order Bride Series, but they are really independent series. The reader will get all the information needed right in The Courtship Plan.
Publication: January 17, 2023—Zondervan
Memorable Lines:
He’d called her weird and a pest. He wasn’t the first one to throw those awful adjectives at her. That honor was reserved for her mother.
When he’d told her Shirley cared, her heart leapt. Someone cared about her. She soaked that in like a dried-up sponge sitting in a saucer of fresh water.
She replaced her kapp with a kerchief and tried to bolster her own spirits, like she always had. but she failed. She was tired, so tired of being her own cheerleader.
Love in Harmony Valley Binge Wrap Up
In A Small Town Romance, Melinda Curtis paints a lovely picture of Harmony Valley, the setting of her Love in Harmony Valley series:
“Harmony Valley could have served as a backdrop for a Norman Rockwell painting. Old fashioned lamps lined Main Street. The buildings had brick fronts and canvas awnings. The wind blew brown and orange leaves down the road listlessly, as if even the elements knew the pace here was slow. The jury was out on whether it was off-the-grid, enjoy-your-time-off slow or bore me to tears slow.”
While A Small Town Romance is the last book I will read during this binge of the Love in Harmony Valley series which I have enjoyed, Melinda Curtis continues to rewrite and re-edit the books in this series. She is publishing one book per month. It appears the original series had 17 books including one novella.
Currently the ones shown on Amazon and Goodreads are:
#8 Finding Family in the Small Town—August 22, 2023
#9 A Small Town Girl with a Big City Secret—September 19, 2023
Thanks to my readers for sticking with me during my unusual binge. It’s probably a lot more fun to read the books than the reviews so your interest and loyalty are appreciated. Now we return to a variety of books just waiting to be read—ARC’s, Book Club reads, and personal choices.
If you missed any of the reviews, you can click on the book cover below for a quick link.
education pathways 