A Mismatch Made in London by Melanie Dickerson

 

What is the last book you read in a day?  I didn’t quite finish A Mismatch Made in London in one day while on vacation, but it was close!

Thank you to @melaniedickerson123, @bethanyhousefiction, and @greatreadsbookpromo for the gift copy of A Mismatch Made in London.

Amelia Moore has been invited by her aunt to the social season in London.  As the oldest of twelve, it would help her family if she made an advantageous marriage.  She immediately makes a new friend, Juliet, but Juliet’s older brother, Jeremy, questions her motives for the friendship.  He is the most eligible bachelor of the season.  Is Amelia befriending Juliet to get closer to Jeremy?  Amelia is offended and vows not to talk to him again.  Will Juliet and Amelia find their matches?  Will Jeremy and Amelia mend their differences?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was an enemies-to-lovers story.  It reminded me of Pride and Prejudice with an initial misunderstanding and dislike which eventually became friendship and love.  I enjoyed Jeremy and Amelia’s relationship. 

·       The novel had an interesting dual narrative structure.  Amelia narrated most of the book in first person and Jeremy narrated part of the book in 3^rd person.

·       I greatly enjoyed the friendship between Juliet and Amelia.  It felt like a real relationship.

·       This was a good story of forgiveness.

·       A subplot in the novel made me think about how easily it was to ruin a woman’s reputation and make it so she couldn’t marry, especially if a woman didn’t have male protection.

·       I just loved this story – it was a great escapism read.

·       I would classify this novel as slow burn, regency, historical romance/fiction, clean read, Christian, inspiration, and enemies to lovers.

·       I loved the snippet at the end of the book of “A Proposal Reconsidered” which looks like a great second chance romance and I can’t wait to read it!

Overall, A Mismatch Made in London by Melanie Dickerson is great escapism reading with a lovely Pride and Prejudice inspired regency romance story with great characters and world building.

What the Trees Remember by Abigail Cutter

 Where was the setting of the last book that you read?  I am intrigued by the Appalachian mountain setting in this book.

In 1969, an old woman Dora Minor, awakens to a terrible flood.  Clinging to her dogs and riding out the storm, Dora thinks back over her life.  She was born a Quaker in that very house on a mountain in Virginia. Her grandmother, Alma, raised her after her mother’s death from childbirth and her father’s mysterious death.  What secrets will the flood waters reveal?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was a beautifully written novel.  It created a visual picture in my mind to describe the mountain and its inhabitants.

·       It was a great story with well-developed interesting characters and an intriguing and unique storyline.

·       This story was set in the post-Civil War era primarily with some flash forwards to 1969.

·       This novel showed the social unrest that happened after the Civil War as people were trying to come up with the new normal.  A tragic event occurs in the novel and sadly the detailed notes at the end describe how it was based on a true story.

·       Dora’s father Tom taught a school with a formerly enslaved woman, Ginny, for black children.  There was a need for education and unfortunately the townspeople would not provide it.

·       I keep thinking about this book and the trying times after the Civil War.  It took so much work and time for formerly enslaved people to really receive the full rights of citizens. 

·       The flood in 1969 was devastating and based on a real event.

·       I had some maternal ancestors that were Quakers and lived in the Appalachian mountains so this was extra intriguing to me imagining what their lives were like.

·       I loved the friendships in the novel and how they stuck together through good and bad times.

·       Sometimes doing what is right is dangerous.  True freedom was built on the sacrifice of many.

Favorite Quote:  “She’s read what St. Thomas of Aquinas had said about sin; the greatest was turning a blind eye those who most needed help.”

Overall, What the Trees Remember by Abigail Cutter was a beautifully written southern historical fiction novel that truly captured the story of social unrest after the Civil War.  I will be thinking about this story for a long time. 

Book Source:  Thank-you to Get Red PR, Abigail Cutter, and She Writes Press for a review copy of the novel as part of the book tour.

A Chance for Kallie Mae by Ann H. Gabhart

If you can read books from only one genre for the rest of your life, what genre would it be?  That’s a hard one for me as I love so many different genres, but it would probably be historical fiction.

Kallie Me has grown up in the Appalachian Mountains dreaming of going to school to learn to read and of her love for Quinn Spencer.  After her mother dies, Kallie Mae must put away her dreams to raise her infant sister.  Her father won’t put aside his feud with the Spencers and Kallie Mae is no longer able to visit Quinn.  Now six years later, Kallie Mae runs into Quinn again and old feelings flare.  Will she be able to chase her dreams after all?

My thoughts on this novel:

• This is a Romeo & Juliet or forbidden romance story between Kallie Mae and Quinn.  I enjoyed this love story.  It was well developed, romantic, and sweet.  They were both hardworking, caring people who took care of their families.  They were perfect for one another.

• This was a lovely story and I enjoyed reading it back in May.

• This book could be classified as Southern fiction, historical romance, and family drama. It was also a clean read with Christian themes of forgiveness and reconciliation.

• It is set in Kentucky in 1911.

• I loved the complex characters that were well written and fleshed out.  I especially loved wise old Aunt Sudie and little sister Emmie.

• I was intrigued to learn about Cora Wilson Stewart, the founder of adult literacy in the United States.  This was new history to me.

• The story uses Appalachian dialogue.

Overall, A Chance for Kallie Mae by Ann H. Gabhart was an engaging historical romance with great characters and story. I enjoyed the new to me history on adult literacy education in the United States.

Book Source:  Thank-you to @annhgabhart @revellfiction @greatreadsbookpromo for a review copy of the novel as part of the Great Reads Promo Book Tour.

The Bachelor Spy by Pepper Basham

 

Who is your favorite spy in literature or film?  I really liked George Smiley in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John Le Carre, and now I can add Stephen Blake as a new favorite spy from this novel

Stephen Blake is a spy for England and his work is incredibly important for the war effort (WWI). After surviving a devastating betrayal and the sinking of the Lusitania, he finds himself assigned to his cousin’s home that is being used as a convalescence hospital, Havensbroke Hall.  His mission is to try to find the German spy known as the Midnight Angel.  Will he succeed?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was a delightful historical mystery and romance with espionage and spies set during WWI.

·       This is the fifth novel in the “A Freddie & Grace Mystery” series.  This is the first book I have read in the series.  It can be read as a standalone, but it would be great to read the series in order.  I was confused on Zahra and her background in the story. Is she adopted?  Is she Freddie’s biological child?  Something else? I need to read the rest of the series to figure it out. 

·       I read that this may be the last book in the series.  I definitely need to read the first four books!

·       I loved the banter and enemies to lovers romance between Stephen and Evie.

·       Grace is home alone at the estate trying to keep it and the convalesce hospital running while her husband, Freddie, is off fighting in WWI.  She begins to suspect that all is not what it seems and there is a spy or two in the midst.  How will she keep everyone safe and solve the mystery?

·       I loved that Freddie is in the royal engineers.  I enjoyed Freddie and Grace’s relationship and want to see the buildup in the previous books.

·       This was a fun story with even a treasure hunt involved.

·       I loved the characters, adventure, suspense, and humor in this novel.

·       It was also an inspirational, Christian, and clean read.

·       There were plenty of red herrings and the mystery kept me guessing.

·       I enjoyed the epilogue and conclusion of the story.

Overall, The Bachelor Spy by Pepper Basham was a delightful historical mystery and romance set during WWI with humor, suspense, spies, espionage, and great characters. 

Book Source:  Thank-you to @pepperbasham @barbourbooks @greatreadsbookpromo for a review copy of the novel as part of the Great Reads Promo Book Tour.

These Empty Places by Sarah Loudin Thomas

Title:  These Empty Places

Author:  Sarah Loudin Thomas

Narrated by:  Pilar Witherspoon

Publisher: Recorded Books

Length: Approximately 10 hours and 9 minutes

Source: Purchased from Audible.com and physical copy from @sarahloudinthomas @bethanyhousefiction @greatreadsbookpromo   Thank-you!

Do you have a favorite story that involves forgiveness?  The Hiding Place by Carrie Ten Boom is one of my favorites and this book, These Empty Places by Sarah Loudin Thomas was another great story of forgiveness.

These Empty Places by Sarah Loudin Thomas is a story of two women.  One woman, Claire Roth, is a widow in her 40s that has a second chance of love.  Will she take it?  The other woman is Lena Hawkins, a socialite who married a man of lower social standing.  When things do not go as planned in either of their lives, will these two woman be able to help one another?

My thoughts on this book:

·       I read and enjoyed this book in May and I’m finally getting my review posted.

·       This story was set in North Carolina in the 1930s.

·       I loved the imagery of the dam bursting at the start of the novel and a woman waiting for years with the belief that the lake she loves will be refilled.

·       There is a mystery in the story of Claire’s first true love who she didn’t marry, but who threw a box with an item in it that was important to starting their life together, in the lake.  Does this box still exist?  What is in it?

·       Claire hires Lena to be her assistant, but also to be a new librarian for the library she wants to build.

·       Claire’s daughter contracts polio and it is a good reminder of how terrifying it was before the polio vaccine. 

·       Lena’s husband Preston is a speculator which is how they lost their money.  When he starts to perhaps be involved in underground deals, what will Lena do?

·       The story really shines in the second half with a theme of forgiveness and of moving on in life from past hurts.

·       What is important in life?  Chasing treasure or appreciating what you have?

·       There is also a great theme of pursuing your own dreams.  What makes you happy and fulfilled versus what you are told should make you happy.

·       This book could be classified as a second chance romance, later in life romance, inspirational, dual POV, and friendship novel.

·       I loved how Claire helped so many people.

·       This was great on audiobook and kept me entertained.  I enjoyed narrator Pilar Witherspoon.

Overall, These Empty Places by Sarah Loudin Thomas was an inspirational book of forgiveness, love, friendship, and chasing your own dreams.  It was a lovely story.

Don’t Upstage the Body by Naomi Stephens

 

What is the weather like by you?  We’ve been hit by a heat wave in Northeast Wisconsin with temps hovering near 100 degrees Fahrenheit.  I am not a fan of this type of weather and would rather be in the cool foggy weather of England.

Hippolyta Halfpenny and her family are professional mourners.  They show up to a funeral with disguises and characters to make sure the deceased is properly mourned.  When Hippolyta discovers the undertaker’s body in the library, she inadvertently becomes an investigator as the estate is cut off from the world by a washed out road.  With the help of the new Lord Montfort, Crispin, will Hippolyta be able to solve the crime before the murderer strikes again?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This novel is set in 1957 England and has a unique and fun story.

·       This is a cozy mystery, historical mystery, and historical romance.

·       I loved the characters, especially Hippolyta and Crispin.  They had great chemistry and fun and witty banter.

·       The side characters were great as well.  I particularly liked Tula, Crispin’s sassy and eccentric American aunt.

·       This was the book I needed last week to escape from the stresses of the world.

·       This is a Christian book with light faith elements.

·       I need to read more mysteries by this author.  I loved how it was an Agatha Christie type mystery.

·       It was a satisfying mystery – I did not guess the ending!

Overall, Don’t Upstage the Body by Naomi Stephens was a very engaging novel, and I did not want to put it down. I haven’t felt this invested in a story in a long time!

Book Source:  Thank-you to @authornaomistephens @bethanyhousefiction @greatreadsbookpromo for a review copy of the novel as part of the Great Reads Promo Book Tour.

The Hapless Milliner by Jessica Bull

 

What fictional or real-life person do you think would make a great detective?  I don’t know why, but I would love to see a book with Eleanor Roosevelt solving crimes.

Young Jane Austen is enjoying a ball when a milliner’s dead body is found locked inside a cupboard during the middle of the ball.  Jane instantly becomes a part of the case as she identifies the victim.  When her brother George becomes the prime suspect, Jane works tirelessly to solve the case and free her brother.

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was the June pick for the JASNA Northwoods book club.  I finished it before book club, but unfortunately had to miss the meeting due to a lingering illness.

·       This was a fun story and is the first book in the new series, “Miss Austen Investigates.”  I enjoyed the second book in the series, which I read before the first.

·       It felt like Jane Austen as a character was flightier or more apt to go against convention (secretly meeting with Tom LeFroy) than I always imagined.  It might be because I was an avid reader of the “Being A Jane Austen Mystery” series by Stephanie Barron for twenty years and I loved the characterization of a more serious Jane in that series.

·       I did love that it felt like the book was firmly set in Jane Austen’s world with her family and neighbors as fully formed characters.  I did miss some of Barron’s characterizations.

·       This was a cozy mystery that also included romance.

·       Jane had a bad habit of gossiping and speculation.

·       I did enjoy the final resolution of the mystery even thought I had guessed the ending earlier.

Overall, The Hapless Milliner by Jessica Bull is a fun new cozy mystery series for lovers of historical mystery and Jane Austen.

Book Source:  Purchased at Barnes & Noble

Miss Bates: Emma Revisited by Catherine Cliff

 

What is your favorite flower?  One of my favorites is the peony.  Mine just finished blooming for the year, or have they?  I still see a few buds left out there.

Happy Release Week and #bookbirthday for Miss Bates: Emma Revisited by Catherine Cliff.  I just finished this book today and am posting my review today a well.

Henrietta “Henrie” Bates is known from the book Emma by Jane Austen as a very boring elderly and poor spinster.  What was her life before this that brought her to a spot in life to be looked down upon by Emma?  This book tells the story of her life from her early childhood until after the events of Emma.

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This novel did a great job of really delving into what life would be like for a woman of limited means during the late 18^th century and early 19^th century.  It was disheartening to see how Henrie was reduced as she grew older as her means kept decreasing.  When your father does not save money to leave to his female heirs, they are left in dire straits.

·       It really made me think about what life would be like for such women in that time period and thankful for the rights we have today.  This is the life that Jane Austen lived and feared.  Luckily, she was never reduced as much as Henrie, but it could have happened if things had turned out differently.  This is what Mrs. Bennet feared for her daughters in Pride and Prejudice.

·       I liked how Henrie was a sharp person who was well aware of everything that was happening around her.  She put on a mask of happiness and silly prattle in order to survive in her world.  She needed extreme gratitude to help people to remember her as their gifts were often the only food she had.

·       Her love for Jane and having to give her up to ensure that she could have a better life was heartbreaking.

·       This is a well written literary novel and a good character story.

·       This is a dark take on the story of Emma and best for those that really hate the character of Emma.  While it was dark and I like Emma, I couldn’t put the book down and wanted to see what would happen next.

·       The very last couple of pages were the perfect ending for this book.

Favorite Quote: 

“But we, we undistinguished and unmarried women – we are like imaginary beings to the rest of the world.  We only have substance when we are before them.  What is it to forget someone imaginary?  - there can be no consequence. While to use it is the difference between living and dying.  The humiliation!”

Overall, Miss Bates:  Emma Revisited by Catherine Cliff is an intriguing and literary character study of Miss Bates and the plight of a poor single woman trying to make it in the past.

Book Source:  Thank-you to @catherinecliffwrites @pegasus_books @greatreadsbookpromofor a review copy of the novel as part of the Great Reads Promo Book Tour.

With Enduring Tides by Jane Kirkpatrick

 

Title:  With Enduring Tides

Author:  Jane Kirkpatrick

Narrated by:  Christina Moore

Publisher: Recorded Books

Length: Approximately 8 hours and 21 minutes

Source: Purchased from Audible.com with a physical book review copy from  @jane.kirkpatrick.3 @revellfiction @greatreadsbookpromo.  Thank-you!

What is your favorite book that features friendship?

With Enduring Tides by Jane Kirkpatrick is a character driven story featuring many different complicated characters with interesting stories that is set in a beautiful location on the Oregon Coast.  It is based on real-life historical figures.  The story is mainly focused on Mary Gerritse, a woman trying to keep her family together while also searching for her own identity.  She delivers mail on horseback and has let her oldest daughter, Belle, stay with her grandparents.  When death and disaster hits the family, how will they make it through?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       There was an entire community of complicated characters that supported Mary and her family that had their own interesting stories.  I loved the friendships between these characters.

·       Who are you when you find out your parents lied to you your entire life?

·       Who stands by you when hard times hit?

·       This was a great story of women living on the frontier and how they make it work through a variety of tragedies.

·       Trigger warning:  R%^e.

·       The story was set in a beautiful location on the Oregon coast.

·       This is the second in the series, The Women of Cannon Beach, but it works as a standalone.

·       This book is set in the early 1900s.

·       It is based on real life historical figures that have been meticulously researched.  Mary Gerritse was a real-life woman who did deliver mail on horseback.

·       I like how the story showed both the highs and the lows of living on the frontier.

·       It includes indigenous people who lived in the area when the settlers arrived.

·       I read the first half of the physical book and listened to the second half on audiobook.  I enjoyed reading it both ways. 

Overall, With Enduring Tides by Jane Kirkpatrick is an interesting historical fiction novel with great complicated characters, interesting stories, and a beautiful Oregon coast setting.  With the 250^th anniversary of the United States around the corner, this is a perfect read to celebrate our history!

 

The Cloak and Dagger Club by Jackie McMahon

 

Are you in any clubs or organizations?  I am in the local Lions club which is a fun organization and makes a difference in our community. 

A group of Golden Age mystery writers meet routinely at the Marie Antoinette Suite at the Ritz.  They are called the Cloak and Dagger Club.  A new member named Lucy has just joined.  She recently published a new mystery novel, but she also has a history with another member, Frank.  They mysteriously broke off their secret engagement three years ago.  When one of the group is found murdered and another member is accused of the crime, will Lucy and Frank be able to solve the crime?

My thoughts on this book:

·       This book will be out July 14^th.

·       The Cloak and Dagger Club is a cozy historical mystery.

·       I liked how each member in the group was investigated, and the reader was able to learn more about the character and their secrets.

·       I was surprised to learn that this was a debut novel – it was a great debut!

·       I enjoyed the romance between Lucy and Frank which was forced proximity and second chance.  Their romance the first time around was friends to lovers.

·       Lucy was my favorite character.  She had written one mystery novel and used her skills to solve this crime.  She was plucky and relatable.

·       This novel seemed written for those that love books and writing books.

·       It was set in 1930 England.

·       There was no spice, but some swearing.

·       The mystery was predictable, but I enjoyed the journey to get to the conclusion.

Overall, The Cloak and Dagger Club by Jackie McMahon was an entertaining historical mystery.

Book Source:  Thank-you to @jackiereadsandwrites for the review copy of The Cloak and Dagger Club by Jackie McMahon.

The Fatal Unpleasantness at Netherfield by Claudia Gray

 

What book series are you enjoying lately?  “A Mr. Darcy and Miss Tilney Mystery” is one of my current favorite book series.  I eagerly await each book in this series.  The Fatal Unpleasantness at Netherfield by Claudia Gray is the fifth book in the series.  While each book could be read as a standalone, I would recommend reading the series in order to really get the character built-up, especially between Juliet Tilney and Jonathan Darcy.

Mr. Jonathan Darcy and Miss Juliet Tilney had a disastrous London season for various reasons. This has forced the couple apart and they both struggle with how to move forward with not only their investigations, but their growing feelings for each other.  Opportunity arises when a murder takes place at Netherfield Hall where Jonathan is vising his aunt and uncle.  He asks for Juliet’s help and she uses her parents absence to make her way to Netherfield.  Her grandfather and uncle want her to use the opportunity to force Jonathan into marriage.  While the Jonathan and Juliet investigate the murder, they also must deal with their feelings for each other and what it means for the future.  As the murder victims pile up, will they be able to solve the crime and how to move forward in their relationship?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I really enjoy this series and seem to love each book even more than the previous book.

·       I enjoyed this mystery and how Jonathan and Juliet methodically investigate and solve it.

·       This series is set in the world of Jane Austen’s novels, and I love how favorite Austen characters make an appearance.  Claudia Gray writes the Austen characters so well and I love being in their world.  There are different Austen characters that pop up in each novel.  I think the regency historical detail is wonderful as well.

·       I really loved seeing the married Jane and Charles Bingley later in their life and still in love.

·       I loved seeing the forward movement in Jonathan and Juliet’s relationship.  They are a great couple!

·       Jonathan appears to be neurodivergent, and I love how he works through things to function in society.  Part of the great relationship between Jonathan and Juliet is that they love and respect each other for exactly who they are.

·       Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy was wearing on my last nerves in this one.  I hope he gets a redemptive arc in the next novel.

·       The ending is a cliffhanger – I hope the next book is out soon!

·       This story is a historical mystery, slow burn romance, and an Austenesque novel.

Overall, The Fatal Unpleasantness at Netherfield by Claudia Gray is a very enjoyable historical mystery with great characters set in the world of Jane Austen’s novels.  Come for the mystery and stay for the slow burn romance.

Book Source:  Thank-you to @claudia_gray @ireadvintage @greatreadsbookpromo for a review copy of the novel as part of the Great Reads Promo Book Tour.