Marrying the Matchmaker by Jody Hedlund

 

Do you like stories that feature a matchmaker?  Do you wish that matchmakers were more of a thing in modern day society?

Zaira is the middle child in the Shanahan family, and she dreams of becoming a published author.  She keeps this dream from her family, but when she involves herself in a scandal by asking local matchmaker Bellamy McKenna to kiss her so she will know how to write about it, her life is about to change.  Zaira and Bellamy are forced into an engagement to cover up the scandal.  Will these two fall in love?  Will they be able to help those in need in their community?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I enjoyed this novel’s setting in St. Louis, Missouri in 1849.

·       There is a spark and great chemistry between the two leads, Zaira and Bellamy.

·       This historical romance has the fake relationship and friends to lovers’ tropes. There was great tension with the fake romance, but with each kiss, real feelings would form.

·       The story was told through Zaira and Bellamy’s point of views in alternating chapters.  I loved how these two characters could be themselves with each other.

·       This novel is the conclusion to the “A Shanahan Match” series.  I wish this series could continue.

·       I loved the look into the Irish community in St. Lous and Irish matchmaking.  My Great-Great Grandparents came from Ireland.  At this point in time, the Irish are immigrating to S. Louis because the potato famine and are living in terrible conditions.  Zaira and Bellamy help a pair of orphans.

·       The McKennnas as a matchmaking family are good at making matches for others, but not for themselves which has made Bellamy hesitant to match with Zaira.

·       Cholera is spreading through St. Louis, which is scary at the time, especially as they didn’t know what caused it.  They thought it might be in the malt used to make beer or in the air as a miasma.  Unfortunately, they didn’t realize it was contaminated drinking water.

·       There was some action and tension towards the end of the book where the two main characters find themselves inadvertently mixed up in a bank robbery.

·       This book was a clean and inspiring read.  It focused on a theme of telling the truth.

Favorite Quote:

“Was it because she cared more about what people thought of her and pleasing them than doing what was right and pleasing to God?”  - This was an interesting and very thoughtful quote.

Overall, Marrying the Matchmaker by Jody Hedlund was a quick read and a very romantic historical romance.  I enjoyed this book, and it was a great read for the Valentine’s season.

Book Source:  Thank-you to @jodyhedlund @bethanyhousefiction @greatreadsbookpromo for the review copy of this novel as part of the Great Reads Book Promotion Tour.

A Forty Year Kiss by Nickolas Butler

 

Title:  A Forty Year Kiss

Author:  Nickolas Butler

Narrated by:  Richard Poe

Publisher: Recorded Books

Length: Approximately 8 hours and 46 minutes

Source:  Libby through the Kewaunee Public Library

What is your favorite second chance romance book or movie?

Forty years ago, Charlie and Vivian divorced after forty years of marriage, mostly due to Charlie’s alcoholism.  He has regretted this divorce and now finds himself retired and alone.  He returns to Wisconsin to look for Vivian.  Will these two find a second chance at romance after a lifetime has passed?

My thoughts on this audiobook:

·       This novel has two triggers in it:  alcoholism and abortion.

·       I liked the western Wisconsin setting. 

·       This was a very slow-moving novel.  It was a second chance romance and also domestic fiction for genres.

·       It was the February pick for the Page-turners Book Club at the Kewaunee Public Library.  We meet next week, and I’ll see what the rest of the book club thought about this one.

·       I figured out a plot twist almost right away, but it did overall play out differently than expected.

·       I listened to this on audiobook. The narrator was good, but I did bump up my listening speed to 1.5 as the story was so slow moving.

·       I enjoyed getting to know Viv’s daughter, Melissa, and her grandkids.

·       The writing in this novel was inconsistent.  Charlies is made out as being a more caring and compassionate man, but he also makes statements like that from Viv’s picture on social media, he can tell she takes care of herself because she dyes her hair.  Then later he talks about how he doesn’t dye his hair.  I really hate this type of sexist talk on women’s looks and expecting more than you are willing to give yourself.

·       The alcoholism storyline was weird as they divorced because of Charlie’s alcoholism, and he is still an alcoholic all these years later.  It seemed unrealistic that he would just be able to drop it after all this time.

·       Abortion is a hard topic, and I did not enjoy this storyline at all.  I especially didn’t like the keeping of secrets.

·       The book is mostly made up of conversations and not much action.

·       I did like that the book featured a love story between two mature, retired people.

Overall, A Forty Year Kiss by Nickolas Butler was a slow moving second chance romance that didn’t quite resonate with me.

Beyond the Clouds by Elizabeth Camden

 

Are you addicted to a particular genre, or you read all sort of genres?  I am addicted to historical fiction, but I do like to read all sorts of genres.

Delia and Finn fell in love as teenagers at an orphanage.  Their romance ended when Finn left with Delia’s savings.  Now, years later, Finn has returned to the United States after flying with the Lafayette Escadrille in France to help in WWI before the United States has entered the war.  They are forced to work together to raise funds for Belgian refugees.  Will Delia and Finn be able to put aside differences and find love again?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I love aviation and enjoyed the discussions about Finn’s flying including the specifics of  his plane and famous aviators from that time period.

·       Delia is a pacifist and feels that Finn is a warmonger at the start of the novel.

·       Delia and Finn grew up flying kites together and dreamed of opening a kite shop until Finn steals Delia’s money.

·       I liked how the focus of the book was Delia and Finn trying to help with humanitarian efforts with Belgian refugees to help alleviate human suffering.  It was interesting to me also as an Agatha Christie fan as Hercule Poirot is a Belgian refugee from WWI in the first Agatha Christie novel, The Mysterious Affair at Style.

·       Delia and Finn also travel to Belgium in the novel and experience peril while there.

·       This was a clean read.

·       This book has the tropes of second chance romance and enemies to lovers.

·       There was a great author’s note at the end detailing the true history.  It was fascinating.

·       I loved that Herbert “Bertie” Hoover was in this book.  I didn’t realize who “Bertie” was until they said his entire name near the end of the novel.  Herbert Hoover is usually remembered as a poor president due to the Great Depression, but he was an engineer and was able to help with many humanitarian crises during his career.  I really need a biography on him.

·       Catholic faith is mentioned in throughout the novel.  There is a Catholic priest in jail with Finn in Belgium that provides hope and inspiration.  Finn and Delia grow up in a Catholic orphanage together and Mother Superior was an inspiration for them both.

·       There was a theme of forgiveness throughout the novel and realizing when you have committed a sin or error and working to overcome it.

·       This is the third and find book in the Women of Midtown trilogy.  This entire series is spectacular but can be read as standalone novels.  Characters from the books do make brief crossover appearances throughout which is fun.

·       The characters in this novel and the entire trilogy are well written and have the plus and minuses of real people.  I loved Delia and Finn.

Favorite Quotes:

“I used to love flying kites with you because I could daydream about what it would be like to soar above and beyond the clouds.  Instead of flying for joy, you do it to kill people.  You took the best of us and turned it into something hideous.”

“A wave of painful nostalgia rose in his chest.  They offered Finn shelter for six weeks, and he saw the best of humanity in them – in their generosity, in their sacrifice for each other and for their nation, and in their shared commitment.”

“In times like these, we must confront the danger, or inaction will harm our cause more than the enemy every could.”

“It seemed God made some people to be warriors, while others were destined to work quietly behind the front lines.  Both roles had their purpose, she supposed, and there was honor in each one.”

Overall, Beyond the Clouds by Elizabeth Camden is an intriguing historical romance set during WWI with great characters and empathy for those suffering during WWI.

Book Source:  Thank-you to @authorelizabethcamden @bethanyhousefiction @greatreadsbookpromo for the review copy of this novel as part of the Great Reads Book Promotion Tour.

It’s Not Her by Mary Kubica

 

Happy #bookbirthday to It’s Not Her by Mary Kubica!

What is the best thriller or mystery that you have read lately?

Courtney Gray is vacationing with her family and her brother’s family in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.  The mostly peaceful family vacation is shattered when she discovers that her brother and sister-in-law have been murdered and her niece Reese is missing.  Did Reese have anything to do with the murders?  Where is Reese? Why were her parents murdered?

My thoughts on this book:

·       The story is told with short chapters from alternating viewpoints that keep the action moving.  It was a very engaging story.

·       Reese’s point of view (POV) is from the start of the vacation moving forward while Courtney’s POV is from the murder forward.  It was an interesting way to change the viewpoint.

·       Reese hates Wisconsin and describes everything at the resort as terrible.  I thought Mary Kubica did a great job of getting into the mind and character of a sullen teenage girl.

·       There were a lot of twists, turns, and red herrings that kept me surprised up until the end. 

·       I have enjoyed other Mary Kubica books in the past and this one was another great one by her. 

·       This novel was a great suspense thriller and domestic drama.

·       Courtney really starts to wonder if she can trust anyone.

·       I don’t want to spoil the book by going into more details, but it was excellent, and I couldn’t put it down.

Overall, It’s Not Her by Mary Kubica is a riveting suspense thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Book Source:  NetGalley.  Thank-you!

The Belle of Chatham by Laura Frantz

 

Title:  The Belle of Chatham

Author:  Laura Frantz

Narrated by:  Pilar Witherspoon

Publisher: Recorded Books

Length: Approximately 12 hours and 22 minutes

Source: Physical review copy from @laurafrantzauthor @revellfiction @greatreadsbookpromo and audio review copy from @NetGalley.  Thank-you!

Do you have a favorite movie, show, or book that features the Revolutionary War?  I enjoyed the Kent Family chronicles series by John Jakes when I was a teenager.

Maebel and Coralie Bohannon live in the small town of Chatham, New Jersey. When American soldiers arrive, they open their home to American officers.  Coralie is enraged as she is a loyalist who is secretly engaged to a British lieutenant, Eben Gibbs.  Eben grew up in Chatham, but his family left and moved to New York City as the revolution broke out.  Mae and Coralie’s brothers are fighting on the American side.  Mae finds herself attracted to American general Rhys Harlow, who is staying with them.  She finds herself torn between her patriotism, growing love for the general, and her sister.  Will Mae find true love while also keeping the love of her sister?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This novel was set in 1777 during the American Revolutionary War.

·       I loved the quotes at the start of each chapter from historical figures from the Revolutionary War.  It was a perfect read for the 250^th anniversary of the United States this year.

·       This novel had great themes such as romance, espionage, family bonds, sisters, and forgiveness.

·       I took turns reading the physical book and listening to the audiobook for this one.  The narrator was great.  Both formats were wonderful for this intriguing story.

·       There are not enough books about the Revolutionary War, and I was happy to read about it.  I also loved the real-life historical figures that were in the story, such as George Washington, and the facts, events, and battles

·       This was a Christian book and featured clean romance.

·       Mae was a strong character and stayed true to her believes and doing what was right.  I loved the romance and relationship between Mae and Rhys.

·       I enjoyed the side characters as well, especially Lucy.  Lucy is a forthright person who is there when Mae really needs her.

·       I have enjoyed every Laura Frantz book that I have read.  She writes excellent historical fiction with detail to bring me into that time period and also writes fascinating characters, moral dilemma, and romance.  I really need to read Frantz’s backlog. 

·       The tension between the two sisters felt real and palpable.  I loved this relationship and wish we had more follow-up with Coralie at the end.

·       The epilogue was great. 

Overall, The Belle of Chatham by Laura Frantz was an excellent historical romance set during the Revolutionary War with unforgettable characters, espionage, family drama, and forgiveness.

The World According to Mister Rogers: Important Things to Remember by Fred Rogers

 

Who do you look to for words of wisdom for living your life?  While I tend to usually look first to the Gospels in the Bible, Fred Rogers or Mister Rogers was a Christian and good man who had many words of wisdom for being a good person and living a good life. 

Fred Rogers was an ordained Presbyterian minister and was the host of the PBS TV show, Mister Rogers Neighborhood.  I sadly did not have PBS where I lived and did not become familiar with Mister Rogers until I was an adult.  Mister Rogers believed in “Love thy neighbor as thyself” and had a lot of thoughts on how we all could do this.

The introduction of this book was a sweet story by Joanne Rogers about her husband, how they met, their romance, and what kind of person he was, which overall, she said was a kind person.  I think we could all use this type of kindness in the world right now.  The book is a short book filled with quotes, observations, short stories, and anecdotes.  There is also a short biography of Fred Rogers at the end.

A few of my favorites:

“When I was a boy, I used to think that strong meant having big muscles, great physical power; but the longer I live, the more I realize that real strength has much more to do with what is not seen.  Real strength has to do with helping others.”

“There is no normal life that is free of pain.  It’s the very wrestling with our problems that can be the impetus for our growth.”

“Often our periods of losing come the greatest strivings toward a new winning streak.”

“All of us, at some time or other, need help. Whether we’re giving or receiving help, each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world.  That’s one of things that connects us as neighbors – in our own way, each one of us is a giver and a receiver.”

“We want to raise our children so that they can take a sense of pleasure in both their own heritage and the diversity of others."

“It’s very dramatic when two people come together to work something out.  It’s easy to take a gun and annihilate your opposition, but what is really exciting to me is to see people with different views come together and finally respect each other.”

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘ Look for the helpers.  You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of ‘disaster,’ I remember my mother’s words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world.”

Overall, The World According to Mister Rogers:  Important Things to Remember by Fred Rogers is a book that I am going to keep in my nightstand for something to pull out and read when I need cheering up.

Book Source:  Gift from my mother-in-law. Thank-you.

Beloved by Toni Morrison

 

Title:  Beloved

Author:  Toni Morrison, Honorée Fanonne Jeffers - introduction

Narrated by:  Toni Morrison, Karen Murray

Publisher: Random House Audio

Length: Approximately 12 hours and 33 minutes

Source: Purchased from Audible

What is the saddest book you’ve ever read?  I would rate this as one of mine.

Sethe was born into slavery but was able to escape with her children to Ohio.  When her former master finds her and her children, she makes a decision that will haunt her forever.  Now a ghost haunts her home.  When a girl appears with the name Beloved, the only word carved on the tombstone of her baby, is this girl the ghost of her child or an imposter?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was the January read for the Back to the Classics Book Club at the Kewaunee Public Library.  Only two of us braved the cold, but we had a good discussion on this complex book.  I selected this book as I’ve been too scared to read I on my own as I knew it involved the death of a baby.

·       Toni Morrison won both the Pulitzer Prize and the Nobel Prize for literature, but this is only the second book of hers that I’ve read.  I really wish we would have studied her when I was in college.

·       This was a deep book that I keep thinking about.  It was written in a very unique way with a variety of narrators and a variety of time periods.

·       I really liked the intro and the ending.  The ending basically said that terrible things happen and are then forgotten.  They need to be remembered so we don’t repeat the terrible things in our history.

·       I was disturbed to find out in the intro that this book was based on a true story.

·       I listened to this book on audiobook.  It was very interesting.  I liked also having a physical copy of the book to read along with it.  I also stopped and looked up chapter summaries on SparkNotes as recommended by a book club member. It did help me to understand what I was reading.

·       This was a very sad novel describing the horrors of slavery.  It was so horrifying that you would kill your own child rather than have them be a slave.  Sexual abuse was used to control the women and it didn’t just break the women, it broke the men as well to see their wives, mothers, and sisters treated this way.

·       Schoolteacher talks about Sethe like she is an animal.  He compares her to a horse and says that you can’t beat a horse too much or you wreck it.  His nephew and others had stolen Sethe’s milk and then whipped her.  She does not want her children to go back to this kind of life.  Other people do not understand this.

·       The house is haunted, and no one will go inside due to what has happened to her.

Overall, Beloved by Toni Morrison was a haunting novel about a terrible part of our history.

A Little Paris Christmas by Jennifer Shirk

 

Do you have a favorite fictional dog?  I loved the dog character is this novel, but growing up, I loved Jack in the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Sophie Dubois is the promotions director in Paris, Pennsylvania.  Tourism is down and the mayor has tasked her to drum up business for the town or risk losing her job.  While she works on a plan to save both her job and the town, she needs her handsome, but grumpy neighbor, bestselling author, Mason Haywood.  Will Sophie and Mason find love?  Will Sophie keep her job and help the town?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       A Little Paris Christmas was my last Christmas read for the season.

·       I won this novel from the TLC Book Tours book club giveaway as part of the Rogue Book Club.  We gave it out at our meeting in November.

·       I loved Mason’s dog, Gingersnap.  Gingersnap is a cute dachshund.  He brings Sophie and Mason together and also forces Mason to leave his home and get to know his community.  Gingersnap was my favorite character.

·       This is a fun, light, and cozy novel.  I loved the humor!

·       The Christmas spirit was great in this novel.

·       There was wonderful chemistry between Mason and Sophie.

·       This novel had the following tropes:  enemies to lovers, grumpy vs. sunshine, and opposites to attract.

·       I thought by the title that this book was set in Paris, France, but it is really set in Paris, Pennsylvania.

·       This was a closed-door romantic comedy.

Overall, A Little Paris Christmas by Jennifer Shirk is a sweet story with fun characters.  The lighthearted romantic comedy was perfect for this time of year.

Book Source:  Thank-you to author Jennifer Shirk and TLC Book Tours for the giveaway copy of this novel.

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

 

Title:  The Housemaid

Author:  Freida McFadden

Narrated by:  Lauryn Allman

Publisher: Bookouture

Length: Approximately 9 hours and 46 minutes

Source: Purchased from Audible

Have you watched any good movies lately based on a book?  I am looking forward to watching the new Housemaid movie soon!

Millie Calloway has just recently been released from prison and feels lucky to have found a job as a housekeeper to the Winchester family.  On the surface, they appear to have the perfect life, but as things keep getting weirder, will Millie be able to figure out what is going on and stay alive?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       The Housemaid by Freida McFadden was the Rogue Book Club selection for January.  We all read the book and enjoyed it.

·       The plot moves along and is very engaging in this book.

·       I really enjoyed that the audiobook narrator has a New York accent.  The audiobook made my drives to work go by fast.

·       I did sad sigh while reading this book about some very poor decision making by characters.

·       There was great suspense this novel that kept me on the edge of my seat.

·       This was great escapism reading.

·       I want to read the rest of the series.

·       There was dark humor in this book.

·       I really liked the ending much more than I thought I would.  I guessed the twist but was pleasantly surprised by the ending.  I don’t want to say too much and ruin the story for someone else.

·       I felt like this was a grown-up version of the Fear Street or Christopher Pike novels I read as a teen.

·       This was my first Freida McFadden novel and I know she is well loved.  Do you have a favorite?

Overall, The Housemaid by Freida McFadden was a fast-paced thriller and good escapism reading. 

Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie

 

Are you a cat or a dog person? I love both and currently have both a dog and a cat sleeping at my feet.

At a premier female boarding school, Meadowbank, in England, a teacher is found murdered in the Sports Pavilion.  Why was the teacher murdered and what does it have to do with a revolution in another country?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie was the November Read for the Read Christie 2025 challenge.  I’m behind and read it this month.  The 2025 challenge explored Christie’s canon through character and their careers.  November’s theme was Spies.

·       Hercule Poirot does not show up until the very end to solve the case.  I forgot it was a Hercule Poirot book until he showed up!

·       I was kind of disturbed that the school and detectives didn’t really seem to care that the foreign princess may have been potentially kidnapped.

·       This book mixed a school setting with espionage which was interesting and different.  A coup that happened in a fictional middle eastern country ended up impacting the school.

·       I liked Agatha Christie’s dry humor.

·       I liked how one of the students took matters into her own hands, figured out a major part of the mystery and left the school to get Hercule Poirot involved.

·       Poirot says the murderer is a cat among the pigeons, or a murdered among the innocent students and teachers.

·       The plot was very clever.

·       I was annoyed at one point where it seemed racist when the school staff was very concerned how a foreign princess is wearing what I think is a push up bra and how it was inappropriate for a girl her age . . . this did end up being an important plot point for later in the mystery.

·       There was a great surprise at the very end.

Overall, Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie is a clever cozy mystery that combines espionage and an English boarding school.

Book Source:  Purchased from Amazon.com.