Beyond Ivy Walls by Rachel Fordham (Bibliolifestyle & Austenprose Book Tours)

 

Title: Beyond Ivy Walls

Author:  Rachel Fordham

Narrated by:  Em Eldridge, Jason Keller

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Length: Approximately 10 hours and 56 minutes

Source: Thank you @bibliolifestyle @tnzfiction @rachel_fordham for the physical review copy, @netgalley audiobook review copy, and @austenprose for the digital review copy.

If you could jump into any fairytale, which one would you pick?  I’ve always thought of Beauty and the Beast mainly because I want the library that is in the Disney cartoon.

Beyond Ivy Walls is a Beauty and the Beast type story.  Sadie West’s father has been in an accident, and her family desperately needs money.  Sadie goes to work in Monticello Iowa at a feather duster factory to earn money to help her family.  While there through a series of unfortunate events, she found herself homeless and living in an abandoned factory.  One day she befriends a dog only to discover that he belongs to a mysterious man who has just returned to his family estate.  Otis Taylor was sent away by his father years before and has only recently returned after the death of his brother to settle the estate.  He discovers that his brother may have had a secret child and that he may still have family in this world.  He also discovers Sadie living in his abandoned factory.  Will Otis find his brother’s daughter?  Will Sadie be able to help her family?  Will these two find love?

My thoughts on the novel:

·       Poor Otis has alopecia and loses his hair as a child.  His father tries many “cures” such as pouring boiling oil on top of his head, which scarred Otis for life.  His father never had him come home again and Otis spent his life alone.  He longs to feel loved and to have a family.

·       The one good thing Otis’s father did was to send him to a place where he can practice his beautiful music and become a great musician.

·       Sadie is ridiculed at the factory for being dirty and smelly.  There is a pretty viscous “mean girl” in this novel.  Luckily, the kind servants who live in the Taylor mansion offer her a part time job which includes board.

·       The story was told through the alternating viewpoints of Otis and Sadie.  On audiobook, each has their own narrator.  It was pleasant to listen to.

·       I especially enjoyed that there were many mentions of Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester throughout the novel.

·       This was a clean read.

·       I really enjoyed the author’s note.  Author Rachel Fordham described her research including a real feather duster company and skating rinks in early twentieth century Monticello Iowa.  She also included a picture of the historical factory and the patent of the “featherless” duster.  It was interesting and made for a very unique setting and story.

·       I enjoyed the mystery of trying to find Otis’s niece.  That story had many twists and turns.

·       This novel really made me ponder what is “normal?”  There is a beautiful scene in the epilogue where a doctor has “horrible” news about a facial birthmark of a child, but the mother only sees the child as beautiful.

·       As it is a Beauty and the Beast type story, I did enjoy the overall theme of looking beyond appearance and looking at the character and personality of the person.

·       There are also great discussion questions at the end of this novel for a book club.

Overall, Beyond Ivy Walls is a lovely historical romance novel with a unique setting, and thoughtful story.

Meeting Her Match by Jen Turano (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

What is blooming in your neighborhood?  My hydrangeas and lilies look lovely in my yard. My purple clematis is growing on my house right now too.  We’ve had such a rainy summer that some plants are not doing as well as others.  These three flowers are doing fine with the rain.

Camilla Pierpoint and her paid companion Lottie are nearly kidnapped by highwaymen and mistake a man who tried to save them as one of the highwaymen.  When the dust settles Camilla discovers that Mr. Owen Chesterfield has traveled to seek her help as a matchmaker for his beloved sister, Luella.  Luella is a “ragamuffin” who has found herself a social outcast and shunned by the man she loves.  Camilla is a member of the elite New York City “400,” and Owen hopes that she will help Luella to rehabilitate her social standing.  Camilla decides to help as she loves a challenge and wants a change of scenery to thwart would be kidnappers.  Will Luella be rehabilitated?  Will Camilla discover who is trying to kidnap her?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I love the cover of this novel.  I really like when covers show an entire person including their face.  Her purple gown is striking and beautiful. It really made me want to pick this book up!

·       This is Book 3 in The Matchmakers series.  I’ve read Book 2, but not Book 1.  They work well as standalone novels, although I do still want to read the first book. There is a good excerpt of Book 1 at the end of this novel.  Characters such as Camilla appear in the other books.

·       I love the Gilded Age setting of this novel.  It helped to fill my void waiting for another season of the show, The Gilded Age.

·       The West Virginia setting for part of the novel was unique and fun.

·       Speaking of fun, this novel was a lot of fun.  It had me laughing out loud at several points.  The story drew me in immediately with the action-packed kidnapping in the first chapter.  The action soon turned into humor as Camilla and Owen have their misunderstanding.  The madcap comedy reminded me of some of my favorite screwball comedies from the 1930s or favorite romcoms from the last thirty years.  The banter between the characters was great.

·       The characters were three dimensional and interesting including both the leads and the secondary characters.  I enjoyed all of them, especially the leads Camilla and Owen, but also Meemaw and Luella as well.

·       Even the animals were great characters and hilarious.  Esmeralda the pig has a grand entrance to the story, and I also enjoyed El Cid the cat squaring off against the pig.

·       This novel is a clean read with romantic kissing only.

·       Owen went to school for engineering!  I always love finding engineers in fiction.

·       I just love stories with matchmakers in them.  I am not sure why, but I think it’s fun when a matchmaker is trying to bring a couple together, and inadvertently finds love for herself.  Maybe it all goes back to my love of Emma by Jane Austen.

·       This book had a lot of fun tropes including a fake engagement, forced proximity, and enemies to lovers.

·       Great first line, “Being chased by highwaymen was certainly cause for concern, as was the idea she was in imminent danger of losing her seat because riding sidesaddle, and while dressed in the most fashionable of riding habits, was not exactly conducive to escaping from a most dire situation.

·       Life is still super busy and stressful for me lately and reading this novel was a great escape.  It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed spending time with these characters.

Overall, Meeting Her Match by Jen Turano was a fun historical romantic comedy that I greatly enjoyed reading.  It has wonderful characters, banter, and a fun story line.  I highly recommend this novel.

This book is coming out today!!

Book Source:  Review copy from Bethany House and NetGalley as part of the AustenprosePR Book Tour. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Miss Camilla Pierpont, a renowned matchmaker and influential member of the New York Four Hundred, has vowed never to marry after suffering a devastating heartbreak during her debut years ago. However, when she is nearly abducted along the Hudson River, she finds herself rescued by an annoyingly outspoken, albeit fascinating, gentleman who challenges her in a manner she wasn't expecting.

After learning that Camilla Pierpont has enjoyed success with taking wayward young ladies in hand, Mr. Owen Chesterfield travels to the Hudson River Valley determined to convince Camilla to sponsor his sister, who is in desperate need of social rehabilitation.

Knowing her life is in danger, Camilla agrees to Owen's proposition and travels with him to West Virginia, finding herself charmed by the less-than-formal attitude of his small hometown, as well as by Owen himself. But danger waits in the shadows, disrupting what she knows would be the most spectacular match she's ever made--her own.

AUTHOR BIO

Named one of the funniest voices in inspirational romance by Booklist, Jen Turano is a USA Today bestselling author known for penning quirky historical romances set in the Gilded Age. Her books have earned Publishers Weekly and Booklist starred reviews, top picks from RT Book Reviews, and praise from Library Journal. She's been a finalist twice for the RT Reviewers' Choice Awards and had two of her books listed in the top 100 romances of the past decade from Booklist. She and her family live outside of Denver, Colorado. Readers can find her on Facebook, Instagram, and X, and at JenTurano.com.

To Spark a Match by Jen Turano (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

Are you smooth in a social situation, or do you tend to get into mishaps?  The heroine of this story, Miss Adelaide Duveen tends to get into mishaps.  She starts the story by causing a scandal when she shows up with her dress accidentally tucked up showing her undergarments which are embroidered with her favorite animal, cats.  Adelaide has had five unsuccessful seasons, and it appears that she will remain a spinster with her cats and books.  One evening, she stumbles upon Gideon Abbott in the library at a party and realizes that there is something more afoot than just a regular party. Gideon is a former intelligence officer and is on a case.  Adelaide causes a distraction for him to be able to make his escape, but it further ruins her reputation.  Gideon uses his matchmaking friend Camilla to help Adelaide become fashionable again after this incident.  Will Adelaide’s become a diamond of the first water? 

To Spark a Match is Book 2 in the matchmakers series after A Beautiful Disguise.  A Beautiful Disguise is also a great book and I highly recommend it.  You first meet these characters in book one, but you can definitely also read To Spark a Match as a standalone novel.

I loved the humor in this novel.  It was fun to read the hijinks and witty banter throughout the novel.  There was also mystery and romance.  I really enjoyed the Adelaide and Gideon as characters and I loved their development as the story progressed. They had great chemistry and their personalities really complimented each other.   I loved Gideon’s job and Adelaide’s involvement in it.  It made for fun adventure and intrigue.  I mostly really loved that as the novel progressed, Adelaide learned to love herself just as she is.

The setting is Gilded Age New York.  I am watching the new season of The Gilded Age and loved the reference to Ward McAllister in the book (he’s a real life person who is a character on The Gilded age).

Favorite Quote:  “I believe my propensity for mishaps, my love of books, my lack of proficiency with most feminine arts, my enormous collection of cats, and my questionable fashion sense already sets me worlds apart from the crowd – and not in a favorable manor.”

Overall, To Spark a Match is a delightful novel with humor, mystery, and romance.  It’s a great read!

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

QUICK FACTS

·       Title: To Spark a Match

·       Series: The Matchmakers (Book 2)

·       Author: Jen Turano

·       Genre: Historical Romance, Gilded Age Fiction, Inspirational Fiction

·       Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (November 14, 2023)

·       Length: (368) pages

·       Format: Trade Paperback, eBook, & Audiobook 

·       ISBN: 978-0764240218‎

·       Tour Dates: November 13 – 21, 2023

 

BOOK DESCRIPTION

After five unsuccessful Seasons on the marriage mart, Miss Adelaide Duveen has resigned herself to the notion that she's destined to remain a spinster forever--a rather dismal prospect, but one that will allow her to concentrate on her darling cats and books. However, when she inadvertently stumbles upon Mr. Gideon Abbott engaged in a clandestine activity during a dinner party, Adelaide finds herself thrust into a world of intrigue that resembles the plots in the spy novels she devours.

Former intelligence agent Gideon Abbott feels responsible for Adelaide after society threatens to banish her because of the distraction she caused to save his investigation. Hoping to return the favor, he turns to a good friend--and one of high society's leaders--to take Adelaide in hand and turn her fashionable. When danger surrounds them and Adelaide finds herself a target of the criminals in Gideon's case, the spark of love between them threatens to be quenched for good--along with their lives.

PRAISE FOR TO SPARK A MATCH

• “Turano charms with her offbeat characters, and she has a knack for funny, flirty dialogue…fans will find this irresistible.”— Publisher’s Weekly
• “Turano delivers a rousing second installment in her the Matchmakers historical inspirational romance series set in New York's Gilded Age. This is a delightful novel about individuality and unexpected love that balances humorous hijinks and the intrigue of criminal activity within the rare book world. It shimmers with spunk and stars a most admirable leading lady whose unapologetic acceptance of herself is what refreshingly captivates her hero's heart."— Booklist
• “This book is full of ups and downs, twists and turns, hilarious encounters, slow burn romance, bookish characters, cats and a dash of mystery! I highly recommend it, friends!”— Tasha, Clean Read Book Club

 

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | PUBLISHER | BOOKSHOP | BOOKBUB |    GOODREADS

 

AUTHOR BIO

Named one of the funniest voices in inspirational romance by Booklist, Jen Turano is a USA Today bestselling author known for penning quirky historical romances set in the Gilded Age. Her books have earned Publishers Weekly and Booklist starred reviews, top picks from RT Book Reviews, and praise from Library Journal. She's been a finalist twice for the RT Reviewers' Choice Awards and had two of her books listed in the top 100 romances of the past decade from Booklist. She and her family live outside of Denver, Colorado.

 

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | X (FORMERLY TWITTER) | BOOKBUB | GOODREADS

 

The Lost Summers of Newport by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White

 

What type of books do you like to read on vacation?

The Lost Summers of Newport was the perfect vacation read for me.  It had an engaging plot with great characters that kept me enthralled.  Even my 11-year-old daughter kept asking me for updates on what was happening in my book. 

This novel is set at a mansion in Newport in three time periods:  1899, 1957, and 2019.  A mystery runs through all of the timelines.  Each timeline was a strong story and there were great cross connections.  I loved it!

In 2019, Andrea “Andie” Figuero is working on the reality show, Mansion Makeovers.  The show has traveled to Newport, Rhode Island, to focus on the lavish mansions that were built in the area during the gilded age.  The filming of the show does not go as planned with her boss constantly missing and not all of the family on board with the show.  When Andie starts digging into the house’s history, she discovers that there are many secrets that may be unearthed.

In 1957, Lucky Sprague grew up in Italy, but returned with her grandmother to Sprague Hall during World War II.  She married her handsome cousin Stu, but he has a wandering eye.  Will Lucky be able to find happiness?

In 1899, Ellen has escaped her past to teach music to young heiress, Maybelle Sprague at Sprague Hall.  Her brother wants Maybelle to catch a prince with her song.  As Ellen tries to keep the household together, she helps Maybelle to prepare for her big debut.  Will Maybelle marry her prince?  Will anyone find out about Ellen’s past?

I loved all three stories equally and really enjoyed the mysteries.  I love old homes and live in a National Historic Registry Home myself.  It was the home of a Wisconsin lumber baron and is pretty cool, but reading the size of the Newport Homes, my home pales in comparison.  I enjoyed the Mansion Makeovers show too, although I was on the side of Andie having a historical makeover of the home and not just a glitzy update.

This book is also perfect for fans of the great TV show, The Gilded Age, or of any of Edith Wharton’s novels.

Favorite Quote:

“That was the trouble with this family, wasn’t it?  Like Sprague Hall itself, you never knew what kind of rot lay behind the façade.”

Review Copy from William Morrow Books.  Thank-you! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Counterfeit Love by Crystal Caudill (Book Review and GIVEAWAY)

 

Theresa Plane is an artist that is using her skills to make money to try to pay off her Grandfather’s debts. She loves her grandfather for raising her, but he seems to have gotten into trouble with nefarious men tracking him down to pay for his debts.   Theresa has a dashing fiancé Edward Graystone, but when she runs in with her former fiancé, Broderick Cosgrove, sparks fly.  Broderick is working as an undercover agent for the Secret Service to find the leader of a counterfeiting ring.  When this investigation leads him to Theresa’s door, the two have to form a partnership to solve this mystery.

I love historical mysteries, and this had a lot of intriguing elements.  I loved the gilded age setting, secret service, and counterfeit angles.  I also enjoyed that this is a clean read with light Christian elements to the story.  One of my favorite romance tropes is second chance love, so you know what couple of the love triangle I was rooting for in this story.  I am a Water Resources Engineer that has worked on flood management projects in the past and I found it intriguing that the backdrop of this story was the great Cincinnati flood of 1884.  I loved the details!

The only downside of this book to me is that it did take me a bit to get into the story.  The start of it made me feel that I should know the backstory of what had happened to these characters, but it was the first book in the series.

Overall, Counterfeit Love is a great new Christian historical mystery novel!

Book Source: A Review Copy from Kregel Publishing as part of the Audra Jennings PR Book Tour.  Thank-you! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

About the book:

Can this undercover agent save the woman he loves—or is her heart as counterfeit as the money he’s been sent to track down?

After all that Grandfather has sacrificed to raise her, Theresa Plane owes it to him to save the family name--and that means clearing their debt with creditors before she marries Edward Greystone. But when one of the creditors’ threats leads her to stumble across a midnight meeting, she discovers that the money he owes isn’t all Grandfather was hiding. And the secrets he kept have now trapped Theresa in a life-threatening fight for her home--and the truth.

After months of undercover work, Secret Service operative Broderick Cosgrove is finally about to uncover the identity of the leader of a notorious counterfeiting ring. That moment of triumph turns to horror, however, when he finds undeniable proof that his former fiancé is connected. Can he really believe the woman he loved is a willing participant? Protecting Theresa and proving her innocence may destroy his career--but that’s better than failing her twice in one lifetime.

They must form a partnership, tentative though it is. But there’s no question they’re both still keeping secrets--and that lack of trust, along with the dangerous criminals out for their blood, threatens their hearts, their faith, and their very survival.

Combining rich history, danger, suspense, and romance, Crystal Caudill’s debut novel launches this new historical series with a bang. Fans of Elizabeth Camden, Michelle Griep, and Joanna Davidson Politano will be thrilled to find another author to follow!

 To read an excerpt of Counterfeit Love click here.

About the author

Crystal Caudill is the author of “dangerously good historical romance,” with her work garnering awards from Romance Writers of America and ACFW. Counterfeit Love is her debut published novel.

Caudill says that reading and writing are part of her soul and have been since she first held a crayon. While she considered writing to be an escape from challenges and struggles and a way to keep her sanity, Caudill would come to recognize that God used it as a teaching tool. “The stories came through my fingertips, but they were marked with His fingerprints,” she shares.

As she delved into history and crafted her own stories of hope through danger, Caudill would answer the call to pursue writing as a career after her first writer’s conference. “My stories are still filled with danger, struggle, and history, but they are also permeated with the hope and love of Christ. I hope they are dangerously good. Good for the heart and for the soul.”

She is a stay-at-home mom and caregiver, and when she isn’t writing, Caudill can be found playing board games with her family, drinking hot tea, or reading other great books at her home outside Cincinnati, Ohio.

 Find out more at crystalcaudill.com or find her on Facebook (@crystalcaudillauthor) and Instagram (@crystalcaudillauthor). You can also join fellow readers in Crystal Caudill’s Reading Friends group on Facebook.

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