The Nonesuch by Georgette Heyer

 

Title: The Nonesuch

Author:  Georgette Heyer

Narrated by:  James Lailey

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Length: Approximately 10 hours and 53 minutes

Source: Audiobook Purchased from Audible

If you could live in any book world, which would it be?  The Regency world of Georgette Heyer would be one book world where I would want to live.

Sir Waldo Hawkridge has inherited an estate from his cousin.  He is known at the “Nonesuch” in London for being a man of impeccable taste.  He is also a man of charity and wants to make the estate into a home for orphans.  He and his relations descend on the estate to check it out.  While there he meets the impetuous Tiffany Wield and her governess, Ancilla Trent.  While Tiffany seems to have the eye of every man in the neighborhood, Sir Waldo can’t help but notice that her governess is a woman of rare quality.  Will love finds its way?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was a January pick for the JASNA Northwoods Book club.  I was unfortunately unable to make the meeting last weekend as I really wanted to discuss the books!

·       I loved Ancilla Trent as a heroine and that she was an “older” heroine at the grand old age of 28.  She knows her own mind but didn’t want to look like she was setting her cap at anyone.  I always like a good story that features a governess, and this really captured my imagination.

·       Tiffany is probably one of the brattiest characters in literature.  I don’t know that I would have the patience to be her guardian or her governess.

·       Sir Waldo was a fun character and I liked that he wasn’t chasing after teenage girls. 

·       The misunderstanding over Waldo and his home for “his children” was quite hilarious.

·       This was a very entertaining story to listen to on audiobook and James Lailey was a good narrator.

·       Georgette Heyer is a master of the Regency Romance novel.  She did considerable research to make sure she used the correct terminology of the time and she writes very entertaining stories with well-developed characters.

·       I would love to see this story made into a movie.

Overall, The Nonesuch is another wonderful entertaining Regency Romance by the master, Georgette Heyer.  I highly recommend it!

The Wedding Shop by Rachel Hauck

 

Title:  The Wedding Shop

Author:  Rachel Hauck

Narrated by:  Windy Lanzi

Publisher: Zondervan

Length: Approximately 10 hours and 57 minutes

Source: Checked out with Hoopla through the Kewaunee Public Library.  Thank-you.

Do you have a favorite shop to get new clothing?

Cora Scott has inherited her aunt’s wedding shop in the 1930s Tennessee.  She loves a mysterious river boat captain, Rufus, but she has been waiting years for him to marry her.  Meanwhile her friend Birch helps her and tries to persuade her to marry him.  All the world goes through major changes in the 1930s. Will Cora find her happy ending?

Eighty years later, Haley Morgan has returned home after serving as an Air Force Captain.  She wants to rebuild the wedding shop as she and her late friend Tammy dreamed of doing while they were kids.  Tammy’s fiancé, contractor Cole Danner, helps Halley with the project.

My thoughts on this audiobook:

·       This was the June pick for the Kewaunee Library Page Turners Book Club.  It seemed liked the club all enjoyed it back in June and we had a good discussion.

·       This novel was part 3 of The Wedding Collection series.  I read it as a standalone and it worked for me.

·       This novel is an inspectional Christian fiction and clean read.

·       The loved the details of the shop and the shopping experiences of the bride.  It was a good read for June.

·       There was a “magical” wedding dress and people kept giving Haley money to help her build her shop.  It was hard to believe. 

·       I liked how the two storylines come together at the end and how they connected throughout the novel.

Overall, The Wedding Shop by Rachel Hauck was an engaging story and audiobook.

Christmas with the Queen by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb

 

Title: Christmas with the Queen

Author:  Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb

Narrated by:  Fiona Hardingham, Gary Furlong, Esther Wane

Publisher: HarperAudio

Length: Approximately 10 hours and 15 minutes

Source: Audiobook Purchased from Audible

Have you ever wanted to visit somewhere else for the holidays?  I’ve always wanted to go to Germany and England at Christmas.

Jack Devereux and Olive Carter had a brief romance at the end of World War II that never took off.  Jack fell instead for Olive’s friend, Andrea.  Years later, Jack is a widower and the two meet again at Sandringham House at Christmas.  Jack is now a chef working for the royal family and Olive is a reporting on the royal family Christmas traditions when the two meet again. Will they ever be able to truly connect?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       There are three narrators of this novel.  Jack, Olive and Queen Elizabeth all narrate portions of the book.  The audiobook has three different narrators for these parts which works out great.  The primary narration is Jack and Olive.

·       The novel starts in the 1950s and goes through several Christmases in the 1950s.  I enjoyed that most of the action was during the Christmas season.

·       There are flashbacks showing how Jack and Olive met at the end of WWII.  Olive also has a brief meeting with then Princess Elizabeth celebrating the end of the war.

·       The near misses in romance drove me crazy at times!  I was like NOOOOOO – just tell him/her how you feel.  This story is two shy people afraid to ever say their feelings and rock the boat. 

·       The story was cozy. 

·       Jack is a Louisiana native and brings spice and new dishes to the palace.  He dreams of owning his own restaurant like his grandfather before him.

·       Olive is a single mother.  She lies that she is a war widow to hide the fact that she is an unwed mother.  Her journey was interesting working as a female in a man’s world while also trying to hide that she is an unwed mother

·       I liked the royal happenings throughout the story – it reminded me of The Crown.

·       The ending of this novel was perfect.

Overall, Christmas with the Queen by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb is a lovely slow burn historical romance set at the Christmas season.  I enjoyed reading this one!

Murder on Mistletoe Lane by Clara McKenna

 

Who is your bookish OTP (one true pairing)?  I love Stella and Lyndy in the Stella and Lyndy Mystery series.

Recently married American, Stella, and Viscount “Lyndy” Lyndhurst are celebrating their first Christmas together in Edwardian England.  Stella is excited to bring some of her American traditions to the celebrations but is feeling some push back from the staff and from her mother-in-law.  Her mother-in-law is happy to spend Stella’s dowery on fixing up the estate and having more staff but is less enthused by her American traditions.  When first the housekeeper, Mrs. Nelson, and then their neighbor, die within quick succession under mysterious circumstances, will Lyndy and Stella be able to solve the crimes?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This is the fifth novel in the Stella and Lyndy Mystery series.  I have read and enjoyed book 4, but I need to read the rest of this series. Book six is next on my list!

·       This mystery had many twists and turns and it kept me on my toes.

·       This novel had wonderful characters.  There was a lot going on in the story with the characters, families, servants, friends staying at the manor, and neighbors.  I really enjoyed getting to know all these characters.  I especially loved Lyndy and Stella together.  They have great love, mutual respect, and are a great crime fighting duo.

·       I loved the Edwardian Christmas setting.  I was annoyed that the mother-in-law was spending Stella’s money, but not open to her suggestions. 

·       There are many other side mysteries in this story.  Why did the cook disappear?  Why does Stella’s things keep disappearing?  How could a car disappear?

·       I liked how the servants were included in the story.  It gave it a Downton Abbey feel.

Overall, the Stella and Lyndy Edwardian cozy historical mystery series is a must read.  This addition, Murder on Mistletoe Lane, is especially fun with the Christmas setting.

Book Source:  Review copy from NetGalley.  Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Liberty Scarf by Aimie K. Runyan, J’nell Ciesielski, and Rachel McMillian (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

Title: The Liberty Scarf

Author:  Aimie K. Runyan, J’nell Ciesielski, and Rachel McMillian

Narrated by:  Ann Marie Gideon, Gary Furlong, Caroline Hewitt, Saskia Maarleveld

Publisher: Harper Muse

Length: Approximately 9 hours and 58 minutes

Source: Review Copy from NetGalley and Harper Muse as part of the Austenprose PR Book Tour.  Thank you!

Do you like to wear scarves?  Do you have a favorite one?  I liked the wearing scarves trend of last decade, but now I only wear a scarf when it’s cold with my jacket.  I have a soft red one that is my favorite.

The Liberty Scarf is three wonderful stories set during WWI that are all tied together by a scarf.  The first story is set in London.  Iris works for Liberty Scarfs and dreams of being able to design scarves of her own.  Captain Rex Conrad is a wounded soldier back in London to raise funds for the war effort.  His friends bet him to ask out the first women who enters the door and that woman is Iris.  They start a relationship, but when Rex is called back to serve on the front, they make plans to meet again.  When he is wounded again, will they be able to reunite?

The second story is of Genevieve Tremblay.  She is dating the wealthy Peter, but his family does not approve of her as she is from the wrong side of town as a Canadian immigrant living in Lewiston, Maine.  She is a telegraph operator and she enlists in the U.S. Army Signal Corps.  On her way to France, she has a brief stopover in London and meets a dashing French captain named Maxime.  Maxime and Genevieve start to correspond, and he sends her a scarf that Iris designed.  But with Peter still in the background, will Genevieve and Maxime’s friendship be able to turn to romance?

Clara Janssens is a nurse in Brussels where she meets violinist Roman.  They bond over their shared love of music and continue to write to each other when Roman returns to the front.  His letters take a turn and Clara wonders, will their love still be the same when the war is over?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This novel is made up of three separate novellas and one epilogue.

·       Many parts of these stories take place during the Christmas season.  I loved reading this leading up to Christmas in real time.

·       The audiobook was wonderful.  I enjoyed the different narrators for the different parts of the story.  For example, the first story was narrated alternatively by Rex or Iris, or by two different voice actors.

·       I liked the comparison of two designers in the first story.  Iris wanted to design scarfs while Rex was an architect who wanted to design buildings.

·       I enjoyed how the Liberty scarf was woven throughout all three stories. "Hope is a thing with feathers that perches in the soul."

·       I really loved the strength of the characters in each of the stories and how they are trying to make it through the long and bloody war.  Their romance stories were also delightful.

·       I greatly enjoyed the epilogue which not only tied up all the ends of these stories, but also linked them even more together.

·       I learned a lot of new things in this novel about WWI, for example about General Pershing’s Hello Girls.

·       Many parts of the story were told through the letters passed between the main characters.

·       The authors' notes at the end were fantastic and each author described the inspirations for her story.

·       There are also discussion questions at the end of the novel as well.  I think this would be a great book club selection to discuss, particularly around the Christmas and winter seasons.

Overall, The Liberty Scarf is a beautiful story of three different women and their journey through WWI.  The connection via one special scarf, characters, and plots were all very interesting.  I highly recommend this novel to any historical fiction lover.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

From acclaimed authors Aimie K. Runyan, J'nell Ciesielski, and Rachel McMillan comes an evocative, three-part novel about a thread of connection during World War I--a single scarf that links three extraordinary women, each battling societal expectations, enduring the devastations of war, and striving for personal growth amidst the chaos. The Liberty Scarf is a testament to the resilience of women and the enduring power of hope and unity in the harshest of times.

In the midst of a seemingly endless war, a scarf connects three women in the cold winter of 1917 . . .

London: As an ambitious scarf maker, Iris Braxton spends her days surrounded by color and luxury not often seen during the dark days of war that were promised to be over by Christmas. That promise has come and gone for three years with still no end in sight, and her days continue in a monotony of rations and threads while she spins a dream of becoming Liberty's first female pattern designer. She hasn't the time or interest in rakish soldiers, but the temporarily-on-leave Captain Rex Conrad is persistent--and before long his charm wins her over. But war is cruel, and, all too soon, Conrad leaves once more for the Front, but not before vowing to meet again in Strasbourg, France, the most magical of Christmas cities. Iris begins stitching small messages into each of the scarves she makes in hopes that one will find a way into Rex's hands to let him know she's thinking of him. And when she receives word that he's wounded in Strasbourg, she rushes to his side. Along the way, she passes a woman wearing one of her scarves . . .

Maine: Geneviève Tremblay, a French-Canadian immigrant, is a telephone operator living in Lewiston, Maine. Her beau is a member of a prominent family who has helped to Americanize her in a community often unfriendly to Canadians. As part of this effort, she enlists in the US Army Signal Corps to serve as a bi-lingual operator. Along the way, she meets a French officer who makes her question whether losing her identity is too heavy a price for acceptance.

Belgium: Clara Janssens, a Flemish Nurse, and Roman Allaire, an Alsatian violinist, connect in a Brussels palace-turned-hospital far beyond their routine provincial and countryside lives--and the expectations in those towns. Their love of music creates a spark between them, but the destruction of battle and the transient nature of their relationship threatens the bond they have built. Still, the appearance of a kind stranger and the unexpected gift of a treasured scarf bind them long beyond their stolen moments and offer them a future brighter than they could have even hoped.

The Liberty Scarf is more than a piece of fabric--it's a symbol of hope, resilience, and unity in the face of war, binding these three women together in an indelible bond. Experience their stories of love, sacrifice, and survival in this captivating novel from Aimie K. Runyan, J'nell Ciesielski, and Rachel McMillan.

AUTHOR BIOS

Bestselling author J’nell Ciesielski has a passion for heart-stopping adventure and sweeping love stories while weaving fresh takes into romances of times gone by. When not creating dashing heroes and daring heroines, she can be found dreaming of Scotland, indulging in chocolate of any kind, or watching old black and white movies. She is a member of the Tall Poppy Writers and lives in Virginia with her husband, daughter, and lazy beagle. Learn more at www.jnellciesielski.com.

Rachel McMillan is the author of The London Restoration, The Mozart Code, the Herringford and Watts mysteries, the Van Buren and DeLuca mysteries, and the Three Quarter Time series of contemporary Viennese romances. She is also the author of Dream, Plan, Go: A Travel Guide to Inspire Independent Adventure. Rachel lives in Toronto, Canada. Visit her online at rachelmcmillan.net.

Internationally bestselling author Aimie K. Runyan writes to celebrate unsung heroines. She has written six historical novels (and counting!) and is delving into the exciting world of contemporary women's fiction. She has been a finalist for the Colorado Book Award three times, a nominee for the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers' 'Writer of the Year,' and a Historical Novel Society's Editors' Choice selection. Aimie is active as a speaker and educator in the writing community in Colorado and beyond. She lives in the beautiful Rocky Mountains with her wonderful husband, two adorable (usually) children, two very sweet cats, and a pet dragon. Visit her online at aimiekrunyan.com.

 

Murder in Season by Mary Winters (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

What's a book that you wish more people knew about?

Amelia Amesbury is a young Victorian widow.  She is a countess but was not raised in high society.  She secretly writes an advice column at night.  When her sister, Madge, experiences a scandal, she comes to visit to hopefully find a husband during the season.  When a string of thefts starts occurring at balls and a murder takes place at her own home, will Amelia be able to solve the crimes?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This is the third book in A Lady of Letters Mystery series.  It is the first book I have read in the series, and it gives enough background to read it as a standalone.  I need to read the first two books in this series – I enjoyed Murder in Season so much!

·       The start of each chapter has a letter to Lady Agony and her response.  They are amusing and often related to the plot.  They had great advice!

·       I loved the developing love story between Amelia and Simon.  Simon was Amelia’s husband Edgar’s friend, and this fact is holding him back from having a relationship with Amelia.  Will they, or won’t they?  It was a good slow burn romance.

·       I enjoyed the characters – especially Madge and Amelia’s late husband’s Aunt Tabitha.  Madge is impetuous and says what she feels.  Aunt Tabitha is the same and keeps Amelia and the entire household in line. 

·       This cozy mystery had many twists and turns with two different mysteries – the jewel theft and the murder.  I liked the final resolutions and the path to get there.  I did not guess the ending for either mystery.

·       I enjoyed the 1860 Victorian Age England setting.

·       This cozy mystery was short in length, which is perfect for reading during a busy holiday season.

Favorite Quotes:

“Good people did bad things for the right reasons.  Who was to say she wouldn’t do the same when it came to her family members?”

“People were measured by the money, title or status they could bring to the marriage.  Love was, for the most part, for the youthful and inexperienced.  Yet Amelia held out hope that exceptions existed, such as Oliver and Kitty.  And maybe, one day, she and Simon.”

Overall, A Murder in Season by Mary Winters is a delightful cozy historical mystery with a wonderful slow burn romance and great characters.

Book Source:  Review copy from Severn House Imprint as part of the Austenprose PR Book Tour. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Join Countess turned advice columnist Amelia Amesbury as she tries to juggle a new Season and a new murder in this charmingly deadly historical mystery.

"A beautiful debutante, a wealthy widow, and a dead would-be baron. What could be more exciting?"

Countess by day, secret advice columnist by night, Amelia Amesbury has life happily balanced on a quill's edge . . . until her sister Margaret shows up in London under a blanket of scandal and Amelia is catapulted out of mourning and into the ton's unforgiving Season.

However Madge's Season debut is marred by a rather inconvenient death at the dining table as the infamous Mr Radcliffe takes ill and is later confirmed dead by poisoning. With Madge being the last person to have cross words with the soon-to-be baron, the ton's gossip mill - and the police - are looking to pin the murder on her.

Adding to the ton's troubles is a jewellery thief targeting the most lavish of Society's houses. Is the murderer and the thief one in the same? It falls to Amelia once again to uncover the secrets buried deep within the pages before her sister goes down for the crimes.

Perfect for fans of witty historical mystery and Regency romances with a similar feel to Verity Bright and T.E. Kinsey

AUTHOR BIO

Mary Winters is the author of the Lady of Letters historical mystery series, two cozy mystery series, and several short stories. A longtime reader of historical fiction, Mary set her latest work in Victorian England after being inspired by a trip to London. Since then, she's been busily planning her next mystery - and another trip! 

Counting on Love by Carol Coventry (Review and GIVEAWAY)

 

Which fictional character would you love to have as a best friend?  I would love to be friends with Lady Georgiana Stewart in Counting on Love with Carol Coventry.

Lady Georgiana Stewart is a math prodigy, but she must hide her proficiency to fit into society and try to attract a suitor.  As the daughter of a Duke and a beauty, she received many marriage proposals in her first season. She refused them all as she wants to feel the spark and have the loving relationship that her parents have.  As she starts her second season, will she be able to find true love?

Reginald Taverston is the third son of an Earl. As the third son, he has been slated for the church, but he would rather translate a Greek manuscript and work on other intellectual pursuits.  He is not sure he is well suited for the church.  Should Reginald pursue the path his family wants for him, or should he strike out on his own path?

The Earl is on his deathbed so his eldest son, Jasper needs to find a wife.  He is sure that Lady Georgiana will make the perfect wife.   His wife invites Georgiana, her mother, and cousin to their country estate for a small house party so that the Earl can meet Georgiana and the romance between Jasper and Georgiana can proceed. Will all go as planned?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       The novel is a the first in a new series “The Taverstons of Iversley.”  I can’t wait to read more in this series.

·       I love, love, loved that the heroine enjoyed mathematics and was a genius in that regard.  It was sad she had to hide it, but I loved her finding a man that valued her mind.

·       The entire Taverston family was fun.  They each had their own unique personalities.  They love each other but aren’t above pranking each other.

·       The romance was slow build and mostly clean (until the last chapter).

·       Most of the novel was set at a house party in the country. 

·       I liked the look into how keeping mistresses impacts people and their families.

·       The love triangle between Georgiana, Reginald, and Jasper is well done.  It can be awkward when the love story is a woman and two brothers. Georgiana and Reginald fall in love without it being “icky” or making Jasper a villain.  Jasper is a good guy, but not for Georgiana. 

·       I didn’t think that sparks could fly with just two pinkies touching, but they do.

Overall, Counting on Love by Carol Coventry is a lovely Regency Romance with great characters and a fun STEM storyline.

GIVEAWAY

Check out the giveaway on Instagram at:  https://www.instagram.com/laurasreviews_1/p/DDvzJzbuFrI/

Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

 

Title:  Far From the Madding Crowd

Author:  Thomas Hardy

Narrated by:  Jamie Parker

Publisher: Naxos AudioBooks

Length: Approximately 17 hours and 28 minutes

Source: Checked out with Hoopla through the Kewaunee Public Library.  Thank-you.

If you could live in any book world, which would it be?

Gabriel Oak is a successful tenant farmer that raises sheep.  He falls in love with a beautiful young woman, Bathsheba Everdeen, that has come to the area to visit.  He has proposed, but she refused him and left that area.  After a devastating accident, Gabriel loses his sheep and tenant farm.  He travels looking for work as a shepherd and gets a job at a farm in a different county.  He soon learns that the farm is owned by none other than Bathsheba Everdeen.  Bathsheba has inherited the farm and is learning how to run everything herself.  She also finds time for romance with two other men with faithful Gabriel looking on.  Will Bathsheba find her soulmate?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       Far From the Madding Crowd was the June read for the Back to the Classics Book Club.  We had a good discussion and enjoyed the story . . . even if Hardy tended to get long winded in his descriptions.

·       Gabriel Oak had a tragedy early on with his 200 ewes when his young dog drove them over a cliff killing them all.  This caught my mind and my imagination.  There was insurance at the time for this type of catastrophe, but Gabriel had not purchased it.  This caused his to lose everything.

·       I liked how Hardy chose the names of his characters.  Gabriel Oak is a good man with a strong character.  Bathsheba Everdeen is fickle with her feelings and dealings with men.  She is young and doesn’t understand the consequences of how she treats others.  She grows up a lot in the novel.

·       I liked that Bathsheba was a woman with her own mind.  She was trying to run her farm herself and to learn how to do it on her own.  She was impetuous though and headstrong which caused her to make poor decisions at times.  She was a complicated character.

·       I liked the parallel story of a young servant girl who runs away with her suitor, but through an honest mistake, becomes a single pregnant woman.  Life was cruel to unwed mothers with no means to make a living.  She had to pay for her mistake.

·       The novel was beautifully written, and I enjoyed the descriptions and storyline.

·       Jamie Parker was a great audiobook narrator.  He had a lot of different voices for different characters and acted out the parts.

Overall, Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy was a beautifully written novel with great characters and an intriguing storyline.  It’s a good book to discuss as a book club selection.  It really made me want to visit Wessex!

So Big by Edna Ferber

 

Title:  So Big

Author:  Edna Ferber

Narrated by:  Laura Merlington

Publisher: Dreamscape Media

Length: Approximately 10 hours and 12 minutes

Source: Checked out with Hoopla through the Kewaunee Public Library.  Thank-you.

What classic book have you enjoyed rereading?  I enjoy rereading many classic novels, but I thought it was fun to reread a recent favorite, So Big by Edna Ferber for my Back to the Classics Book Club back in April.

So Big by Edna Ferber is the tale of Selina Peake.  She is orphaned at age 19 in the late 1880s in Chicago.  She takes a job as a schoolteacher in the Dutch farming community, High Prairie.  She finds beauty in life and marries a farmer, Pervus DeJong.  She dreams of their son, Dirk, finding both success and beauty in life.  She has affectionately nicknamed him “So Big” from telling him as a child, “how big is baby, so big.”  Will Selina and Dirk both fulfill their dreams?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       Edna Ferber wrote beautifully.  It was an enjoyable audiobook listening to the beautiful descriptions and language read aloud.

·       I loved the basket auction and how it was beginning of the love story between Selina and Pervus DeJong.  It reminded me of the basket auction in Oklahoma!

·       The description of farming and life in that time was vivid.  It was an interesting description of the history of Chicago.

·       The novel referenced an “agricultural course” in Madison that Selina wants to take, not Dirk.  The City of Milwaukee was also referenced.  Living in Wisconsin, I thought this was interesting.  Author Edna Ferber grew up in Appleton, Wisconsin.

·       The theme of the book for me was that you can work hard and make a success of your own life, but your children, who had an easier time than you, and their distance from the hard work, may not be fully living their lives.

·       Should you live your life for art and beauty or for making the most money?  What is a successful life?

·       I liked how Dirt thought he would instantly start as a famous architect, and he didn’t like the mundane work of a beginning architect.

·       So Big won the Pulitzer Prize for 1925 and was also the bestselling book of the year.

·       So Big provided an interesting discussion for the Back to the Classics Book Club.

Overall, So Big by Edna Ferber is a lesser-known classic that deals with timeless issues.  It deserves to still be read and enjoyed today.  I highly recommend it.