The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth by Barbara O’Neal (TLC Book Tours)

 

Title:  The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth

Author:  Barbara O’Neal

Narrated by:  Andi Arndt

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Length: Approximately 11 hours and 59 minutes

Source: Thank-you to Lake Union Publishing for a review copy of the paperback book as part of the TLC Book Tour and thank-you to @netgalley for audiobook review copy.

How do you communicate with friends?  Emails, texts, social media, or old-fashioned letters?  I would say all the above for myself.

Victoria is going through a divorce.  She and her husband had seemed closer than ever until he ended it all for a much younger woman.  Fifty and suddenly alone, Victoria must get a job fast to survive. She gets a job as a companion to Mariah, a young woman with an injury who is going to travel the world tracing the footsteps of her mother’s last unfinished project in London, Paris, Morocco, and India.  Her mother, Rachel, was a good writer, and she also left behind letters she had written her sister.  As Victoria and Mariah make their journey, they learn more about Rachel and themselves.

My thoughts on this novel:

·       The audiobook had a good narrator and was interesting to listen to.

·       I liked Victoria’s character growth throughout the novel.

·       I really disliked Victoria’s ex-husband.  He seemed to want his cake (new younger wife) and eat it too (keep his ex-wife on string.).  I kept wondering why he didn’t get in trouble for not paying his alimony.

·       Why can’t Victoria’s family change their tradition of skiing every year as a family so that Victoria gets to have a family Christmas at least every other year?  It’s strange to me that this is a family tradition since Victoria doesn’t ski or snowboard.

·       Rachel was killed in a mas shooting while grocery shopping with her daughter.  Mariah survived but can no longer snowboard (she was an Olympian) with her handicap.  The PTSD from this tragic even still impacts Mariah.

·       A handsome middle-aged photographer, Henry, accompanies them on the trip.  He is a father figure for Mariah (one of Rachel’s ex-boyfriends), and a love interest for Victoria.

·       I liked how both Victoria and Mariah had a coming-of-age storyline as they came to terms with their new realities and worked towards moving forward with new dreams.

·       I loved the descriptions of all the different countries, foods, and cafes.

·       I didn’t see how the cafes, countries, and Rachel’s story were all linked until the very end.

·       I am close to Victoria’s age of fifty and she gets picked on by her kids for being old and treated as an old lady a lot on their trip.  I suddenly felt very old!!

Overall, The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth by Barbara O’Neal was a great story with unforgettable characters, growth, and travel.  I enjoyed it!

A Measure of Devotion by Nell Joslin (TLC Book Tour)

Susannah Shelburne lives in South Caroline in 1863.  She has a much older husband, Jacob, and one son, Francis.  Their family does not believe in slavery.  Francis left their family to join the Confederate army at the start of the war, much to his parents’ dismay.  As Jacob’s health fails, Susannah must leave him in the care of friends (employees that were former slaves that they freed), to travel to where Francis has been gravely wounded in battle.  Will Francis forgive her for the cruel words that she said before he left for the war?  Will this family survive the war?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This is a very well written, fascinating Civil War story.

·       Things were very complicated when people had anti-slavery sentiment and lived in the South.  I had never thought about people being killed in the south for their beliefs.

·       This novel was told in the first person viewpoint of Susannah. It flipped at first between “current day” of going to help Francis, to back when her and Jacob got together, married, and had Francis. 

·       A mother’s love is everything.  Susannah has many, many trials trying to save Francis, especially after he is captured as a prisoner of war.  Francis never seems grateful, but Susannah never stopped loving him.

·       The story showed the cruelty of war through all manner of what could be thought of as small incidents.  For example, Francis tells his mother the story of how they killed a cow in front of a young mother and her two young children.  This poor family didn’t have enough food to survive.

Overall, A Measure of Devotion by Nell Joslin is a beautifully written compelling story of the Civil War.

Book Source:  A review copy from Regel House Publishing as a part of the TLC Book Tour. 

I’ll Tell You Everything by Rebecca Kelley (TLC Book Tours)

 

Do you prefer to read one book at a time or multiple books at once?  I’m usually reading multiple books at once.

Ramona Crawford was adopted as an infant, and she wants to find out her biological parents.  She is able to find her mother, Amy Linden, through DNA testing and she meets with her to find out more details about her biological father.  Amy tells Ramona the sad story of her birth, but the details don’t quite add up. What is true and what isn’t?  Is Amy capable to be able to tell the truth?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I always enjoy a good suspense novel.  This novel kept me wondering what the real story was right up until the end.  I read this book quickly.

·       I loved the setting of this novel.  Amy runs a mountain lodge, which was also the setting for where she met Ramona’s father.  The lodge seemed like a cozy place to stay with hiking, and cabaret performances.

·       The book alternates between Ramona and Amy’s point of view.

·       I thought both Amy and Ramona were interesting characters.  Amy especially seemed like she could turn into a villain, but she wasn’t.  She was a complicated character that kept me interested in the story.  I felt bad for Ramona and just wanted her to be able to find out the truth about her biological father and origin.

·       I am always intrigued by unreliable narrators.

·       This was a good domestic drama.

Overall, I’ll Tell You Everything by Rebecca Kelley was an enjoyable domestic drama and suspense novel.

Book Source:  Review copy from author Rebecca Kelley as part of the TLC Book Tour. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Serabelle: Where the Wealthy Come to Play by Tavi Taylor Black (TLC Book Tours)

 

What trees are flowering near you?  We have beautiful flowering pink trees in Northeast Wisconsin right now, but I am not sure what they are.  My lilacs are now in bloom.

In Maine, rich people have built mansions that they visit during the summer to get away from the City in the early twentieth century.  Serabelle is a beautiful cliffside “cottage.”  The Hunt family spends their summers at the estate.  Mr. Hunt and Mrs. Ainsworth-Hunt both came from wealthy families and married to combine their fortunes.  Now in their middle age, they find they have nothing in common, but can mostly keep apart in their large home.  Mabel is a young teenage maid starting her job at Serabelle, and she has quickly caught the eye of Mr. Hunt.  As their affair heats up, and family squabbles come to head, will Mabel be able to get the life that she deserves?

My thoughts on this book:

·       I loved the Downton Abbey in America feel to this book.  I always love it when we get an intertwined story of the rich family as well as the servants who live on the estate.

·       I felt bad for poor naïve Mabel and the choices she must make after she discovers she is pregnant with Mr. Hunt’s child.  It made me wonder how many “arranged marriages” there were back in the day to cover up pregnancies by a married man.

·       There was also an interesting subplot involving Mr. Hunt’s jewels that shines a light on the families disfunction.

·       There were many storylines between the family members, the servants, and the interactions between the family members and servants.  They all came together to a stunning conclusion.

·       I really loved one character and I was shattered by their death at the end of the novel.

·       The descriptions of Serabelle and Maine were beautiful.  It made me want to visit.

·       I enjoyed the themes of inequality, suffrage, and socioeconomic class divide that were throughout the novel. 

·       The author’s grandmother worked as a cook for an estate in Maine.  I thought that was very interesting in the acknowledgements at the end of the novel.

Overall, Serabelle was an atmospheric story with great characters and setting. I enjoyed reading it.  I would recommend it for those that like me enjoyed Downtown Abbey, The Gilded Age, or the novels of Edith Wharton.

Book Source:  Review copy from author Tavi Taylor Black as part of the TLC Book Tour. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

In The Shelter of Hollythorne House by Sarah E. Ladd

 

Title:  In the Shelter of Hollythorne House

Author:  Sarah E. Ladd

Narrated by:  Jude Mason

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Length: Approximately 8 hours and 49 minutes

Source: Purchased from Amazon.com on Audible, physical copy won from a Bookclub Giveaway from TLC Book Tours, e-book from NetGalley

Do you like second chance romance novels?  Do you have any favorite romantic tropes that you love or hate?

Second chance romance is one of my favorite romantic tropes.  I was happy it was part of this novel.  Charlotte Grey and Anthony Welbourne fell in love as teenagers, but Anthony left for war in the United States.  Their fathers were enemies, and they knew that their love could go no further.  While Anthony was gone, Charlotte married Roland Prior.  Their marriage was not a happy one, but she did have one son, Henry, whom she adores.  When Roland dies, Charlotte returned home to Hollythorne house with Henry for a chance to live life on her own terms.  Her brother-in-law sent guards to watch her and Henry due to unrest in the mills after Roland’s death.  One of the guards is none other than Anthony.  Will the two be able to live with their new roles in life, or will the spark of love return?

I found this story to be very engaging.  I liked both Charlotte and Anthony and their second chance at romance.  I also liked how there was a mystery and adventure in the story.  I also thought there were hints of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte in this story with the mysterious widow living on the moors after an unhappy marriage.

My JASNA Northwoods Book club won editions of this novel from the TLC Bookclub Giveaway, which was very exciting.  I handed them out at our last meeting in October and we discussed it today.  Most members liked the book, and we had an interesting discussion of marriage during the Regency time period and how women were trapped in unhappy marriages.  We also discussed that Charlotte’s father left a good marriage settlement on her which really helped her out after her father’s death.  Not all women had this.

I listened to the audiobook of the novel while following along in my physical copy.  Jude Mason was a good narrator, and it was an engrossing story to listen to.

The Wishing Bridge by Viola Shipman (TLC Book Tours)

 

Do you have any towns or areas you visit for the Christmas season?

Frankenmuth, Michigan is a beautiful town known as Michigan’s “Little Bavaria” and takes celebrating Christmas seriously with a giant Christmas store, Bronner’s and a beautifully decorated town. I have only visited Frankenmuth once while I was in college, but I would love to visit again.  Frankenmuth is the setting of The Wishing Bridge by Viola Shipman.

Henrietta “Henri” Wegner grew up in Frankenmuth and her parents started Wegner’s, an iconic Christmas store that draws tourists from far and wide.  The business has had troubles making it through COVID and tough competition from Amazon.  Henri left Frankenmuth after graduating from the University of Michigan and works for a mergers and acquisitions company in Detroit.  Her boss sends her home for the holidays to make a big deal for a corporation to take over her family’s business.  Once home, she reconnects with her best friend, Sofie, and her childhood sweetheart, Shep.  She discovers that Shep has been divorced for five years and he makes it clear to her that he is ready to date again.  Henri must decide, does she want to help her family business get back on track, or does she want to finish the big corporate deal that will help her keep her current job?

I loved this book.  Viola Shipman (pen name of Wade Rouse) writes vivid characters with great depth.  I loved Henri, Sofie, Shep, and Henri’s entire family.  I could imagine Henri trying to find success in the world, but suddenly realizing all that she misses as she has strived for success.  She also has great flashbacks and memories of her Grandma that help her to shape her decisions as the novel progresses. I enjoyed that Henri was a class of ’85 graduate and a generation X protagonist in her fifties.  The only time I had to stretch my imagination was besides Henri’s parents still running their business, it seemed like there were a lot of people that worked at her family’s store still there from her childhood.  They would mostly likely be in their late 70’s or 80’s and that seemed to be stretching it on age to me.  The romance was sweet, and the setting was perfect.  I loved that Wegner’s was a veiled version of the real-life Bronner’s.

The extras is this novel are a treat.  The novella Christmas Angels is at the back of this book, as well as book club questions, and a very thoughtful letter to the readers.  I loved this quote in the letter, “The Wishing Bridge is about choice we make in our life – some good, some bad – but realizing if we have a strong foundation, it is never too late to cross that bridge in our lives to become the people we dreamed we could become.”  What a perfect description.

Favorite quotes from the novel:

“Memories serve as the voice to our souls, the soundtrack to our lives.”

“The holidays are hard for a lot of us.  Too many people acting like the world is perfect when others are battling a lot of bad memories, or loss.”

“It’s humbling and a bit terrifying to realize, when you really stop to think about it, that when you reach the age of fifty, there are only, perhaps five people in the universe who truly ‘get’ you.  And the sad part?  They all now probably live in a different city than you.”

“Time, there is never enough.”

The Wishing Bridge by Viola Shipman is a heartfelt, perfect novel about Christmas, the importance of family, and how it is never too late to make a change in your life.  I highly recommend it.

Book Source:  Review copy from Graydon Books as part of the TLC Book Tour. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

About The Wishing Bridge

• Publisher: Graydon House (November 7, 2023)

• Paperback: 336 pages

Workaholic Henrietta Wegner can feel her edge beginning to dull in middle age. Once the company’s hottest mergers and acquisitions executive, Henri can see the ambitious and impossibly young up-and-comers gunning for her job. When her boss makes it clear she’ll be starting the New Year unemployed unless she can close a big deal before the holidays, Henri impulsively tells him that she can convince her aging parents to sell Wegner’s—their iconic Frankenmuth, Michigan, Christmas store—to a massive, soulless corporation. It’s the kind of deal cool corporate Henri has built her career on.

Home for the holidays has typically meant a perfunctory twenty-four-hour visit for Henri, then back to Detroit as fast as her car will drive her. So turning up at the Wegner’s offices in early December raises some eyebrows: from her delighted, if puzzled, parents to her suspicious brother and curious childhood friends. But as Henri fields impatient texts from her boss while reconnecting with the magic of the store and warmth of her hometown, what sounded great in the boardroom begins to lose its luster in real life. She’s running out of time to pull the trigger on what could be the greatest success of her career…or the most awkward family holiday of her life.

About the author

Wade Rouse is a popular award-winning memoirist and internationally bestselling author of twelve books, which have been translated into twenty languages and selected as Today show Must-Reads, Indie Next Picks and Michigan Notable Books. Rouse writes fiction under his grandma’s name, Viola Shipman, to honor the woman whose heirlooms inspire his writing. He lives in Michigan and California, and hosts Wine & Words with Wade, A Literary Happy Hour, every Thursday. 

The Secrets of Still Waters Chasm by Patricia Crisafulli (TLC Book Tour)

 

What flowers are still in bloom in your area?  My coneflowers and brown-eyed susans are hanging on as well as my potted mums.  We have not had a freeze yet!

Gabriela Domenici and her boyfriend Daniel Red Deer are hiking in the wilderness of Still Waters Chasm in the State of New York when they come across a dead body and another dying person.  They try to administer first aid, but when it proves to be futile, they go to a higher area to call for help.  When they return, the two bodies and their canoe are missing.  Where did they go?  Was this a case of accidental poisoning or was it foul play?

This is the second book in the series following last year’s The Secrets of Ohnita Harbor.  It picks up after the conclusion of the first novel with Gabriela still struggling with her feelings from almost being killed.  She is also working on furthering her relationship with Daniel Red Deer while also keeping her outspoken mother Agnese out of her relationship.  I found her to be such a relatable character as she struggles with work, being a mother, and love.  Throw a mystery on top of it and no wonder she is stressed!  I also love that she is a librarian who does detective work as a hobby.

I really enjoyed this novel.  I loved the characters and the setting.  I loved returning to Ohnita Harbor and getting to spend more time with this cast of characters.  While this can be read as a stand alone novel, I recommend reading The Secrets of Ohnita Harbor first so that you can really get to know the characters.  The setting sounds very beautiful and makes me want to visit upper New York.

I liked the cozy mystery in this novel as well.  The mysterious deaths also involved fracking and an old plan for a ship.  I didn’t guess the ending and loved seeing all the pieces fall into place as the story progressed.  The ending was pretty fast paced, and I couldn’t stop reading too far into the night to see how it all wrapped up.

Book Source:  Review copy from Woodhall Press and author Patricia Crisafulli as a part of the TLC Book Tour. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Highlander’s Kilted Bride by Vanessa Kelly (TLC Book Tour)

 

Do you play an instrument?  I used to play the piano and clarinet, but I haven’t played in quite some time.  Now I enjoy listening to my children play the piano and their other instruments. 

Music plays a key role in The Highlander’s Kilted Bride.  In 1828, Kade of the Klan Kendrick has recently returned home to Scotland after a worldwide tour playing his music and also spying for his country.  He is annoyed at being roped into attending a wedding and perhaps playing a concert of his music rather than getting to spend his time working on his latest piece that has been commissioned by the king.  While on the way to the wedding, his carriage is nearly crashed into by a feisty lady riding a white horse, Charlotte “Charlie” Stewart.  The two met as children and have a shared love of music.  Charlie is meant to marry another, but will Kade and Charlie forge their own path?

I thought The Highlander’s Kilted Bride was a delightful escapism read.  It’s been a very busy week at work and in life and it was fun to be able to settle down each evening and read this novel.  I loved the characters in this novel.  The story starts with a prologue where Charlie and Kade meet as children and Charlie defends Kade by punching another boy in the nose.  This sets the tone for their relationship, and I loved it.  I loved Charlie’s spunky personality and also enjoyed their shared love of music.  All of the other characters were great, but I think I would have loved them even more if I had read the first five novels in this series and knew their back stories.  I always enjoy a Scottish setting and loved the highland setting of this book.

The story was very fun with a wedding, a loss of a family heirloom, and the search for a treasure all with love blooming in the midst.  I enjoyed the mysteries.  I especially loved feisty Grandpa Angus.  He has great love for his family and hilarious anger towards other families for past historic misdeeds.  The book had great humor and had me chuckling often.  I loved all of the family interactions.

Favorite Quote:  “One need not trick oneself out in the latest styles or simper about as a ninny to be a woman, and a lovely one at that.”  I loved the message of being yourself in this novel.

Book Source: Review Copy from author Vanessa Kelly and NetGalley.   Thank-you! I received a complimentary copy of this book as part of the TLC Book Tour.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.  

About The Highlander’s Kilted Bride

Publisher: Zebra (August 22, 2023)
Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages

The youngest brother in Clan Kendrick has become a charismatic force in his own right—especially when the perfect woman gallops into his life—in the latest novel in USA Today bestselling author Vanessa Kelly’s sparkling Scottish Regency series.

Charlotte “Charlie” Stewart would rather don a kilt and ride her horse than simper in a ballroom. But with her younger sister about to be wed, she can’t escape the pressure to be next. A husband has been chosen, and Charlie’s fate seems set. Until an afternoon gallop sends her horse colliding with Kade Kendrick, the broad-shouldered Highlander who was once her childhood pal . . .

As a youth, Kade felt overshadowed by his older siblings. Now he’s a renowned musician whose fame provides cover for his other work—as a spy. Home from his latest mission, he’s annoyed to be roped into attending the wedding of a family friend—until it reunites him with the fearless tomboy who has become a breathtaking beauty. And though his thoughts should be on a new concerto, Kade is soon distracted by rival suitors, a dangerous quest—and the unconventional woman who fills his soul with music and his body with desire . . .

About the Author

Vanessa Kelly is the award-winning and USA Today bestselling author of The Improper Princesses series, the Clan Kendrick, The Renegade Royals and The Stanton Family series, in addition to other historical romances. Named by Booklist as one of the “Stars of Historical Romance,” her books have been translated into nine languages and published internationally. In graduate school, Vanessa specialized in the study of eighteenth-century British fiction and is known for developing vibrant Regency settings, appealing characters, and witty story lines that captivate readers. She lives with her husband in Ontario, Canada. Visit her at VanessaKellyAuthor.com or join the Clan Kendrick Facebook Group at Facebook.com/groups/ClanKendrick.

 

Give the Devil His Duke by Anna Bradley (TLC Book Tours)

 

What is your favorite color for a new outfit?  I always tend to go with reds or blues. 

Francesca Stanhope knows that bright pink is not the color that most other debutantes will be wearing, but it is the color of the dresses she has been given.  What she doesn’t expect is for Giles Drew, the Duke of Basingstoke, to be overheard calling her a radish just dug up from the garden and for that fact to be spread across the gossip pages.  Their families have a sordid history that both wish to keep out of the newspapers.  They agree to work together for appearances sake, but they discover that they have a great love-hate chemistry.  When another scandal ensues, their marriage may be the only thing that can save them.  But will they be able to tame each other?

I enjoyed this book and the romantic comedy elements brought a smile to me more than once.  I really enjoyed the characters of Giles and Francesca and they had great chemistry.  This book was definitely a steamy read with an awkward sex scene within the first few chapters with Giles and a few ladies that felt very out of place. It also set Giles up to seem just like his despicable father.  It took me awhile to realize he wasn’t like his father.  Giles and Francesca are married within the first roughly third of the book and spend the rest of the book trying to get to know and understand each other.  This book is an enemies to lovers trope.

This is the first in a new series called “Drop Dead Dukes” and I’m interested to read future books.

My only complaint is I wish the cover of the book featured Francesca’s bright pink gown!   

Book Source: Review Copy from Kensington Publishing Group.   Thank-you! I received a complimentary copy of this book as part of the TLC book tour. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Husband List by Ella Quinn (TLC Book Tours)

 

Are you a list maker?  I have lists for everything, especially work-related items.  It feels so satisfying to cross something off a list!

Lady Madeline Vivers just wants to have a conventional marriage and life without adventure.  Mr. Harry Stern is ambitious and wants to rise in parliament and does not seem like a good match to Madeline.  Harry is convinced otherwise and thinks Madeline will be the perfect wife to help him to help serve the people of England.  Harry is not titled, which does cause problems for her mother.  The most important thing on Madeline’s list is for her to love her husband for him to love her.  Will Harry be able to meet this requirement or will it be the Duke that her mother is pushing forward?

The Husband List is book number nine in the Worthington series, and the second book in the Worthington Brides series.  I read and enjoyed book number eight (or one), The Marriage List, earlier this year.  I was more used to the characters this time around, but I still think I need to go back to the beginning and read the entire series, so I know what is happening.  There are a lot of supporting characters, and their relationships are not all explained in this novel.  It made it confusing when I just wanted to focus on the main story of Madeline and Harry.

The Husband List is a slow burn romance without a lot of angst to the story. I enjoyed Lady Madeline’s first year as a debutante and her husband list.  I always enjoy balls and social occasions.    The main conflict in this story is Madeline’s mother’s insistent that she married a titled person.  Since I have read The Marriage List, I did like that Eleanor was in this book as well.  Harry and Madeline were both good people and I enjoyed them as characters.  Just like in the first book, there were social issues from the time in this novel and I enjoyed reading about them.

This book was low on the steam level and had mostly closed-door romance. 

Book Source: Review Copy from Kensington Book Group.   Thank-you! I received a complimentary copy of this book as part of the TLC Book Tour. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Heiress Bride by Madeline Hunter (TLC Book Tours)

 What would you do if you discovered you had a surprise inheritance?  I have all sorts of home improvements I would make including putting bookcases in my sitting room to make a cozy library.

Iris is an independent woman who looks for rare books across England and Europe to sell for collectors.  She is surprised to learn that she has inherited a fortune from a late Duke whom she discussed a rare book with previously.  The new Duke of Hollinburgh, Nicholas, has been searching for her to fulfill his late uncle’s will.  He also is searching for a bride for himself.  When he meets Iris, he is instantly attracted, but also slightly scandalized by her independent ways.  It also appears that Iris is in danger as Nicholas starts to suspect that his late Uncle may have been murdered.  Will they be able to solve this mystery?

I loved Iris and Nicholas both as characters.  I loved how Iris loved books and was an independent woman with her own mind.  I like how Nicholas enjoyed that she was an independent woman and it made him question what he had been taught to look for in a perspective bride.

This was the third book in the series, but I read it as a standalone.  It worked for me, but I did find myself wondering about the two other heiresses that Iris befriends that were the main characters in the first two books in the series.  I need to go back and read them!

The mystery was intriguing, and I enjoyed the slow burn romance.  This was a fun book, and I loved the banter between Iris and Nicholas.  I also loved all of the descriptions of libraries, book sales, and collectable books.  It was a stressful week at work and this was a great book to relax with in the evenings.

Book Source: Review Copy from Kensington Publishing, Zebra Historical Romance.   Thank-you! I received a complimentary copy of this book as part of the TLC Book Tour. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.  

Suddenly That Summer by Lori Handeland (TLC Book Tours)

 

Do you have any summers that stick out for you in your past?  I definitely do.  2001 was the summer I stayed at college and had a blast.  1988 was a summer we went on a family trip to Washington DC.  I also went to church camp . . . and caught headlice.  I remember both being very hot and dry summers.

In the summer of 1967 in the small Wisconsin city of Willow Creek, two siblings are about to have their lives changed forever.  Billy has enlisted in the Army and finds his world altered by his tour of Vietnam.  His sister Jay has her world changed when one of her three best friends decides she no longer wants to be friends.  A newcomer to their conservative town, Paul, brings anti-war sentiments that don’t match anything that Jay has heard from anyone in her town.  As she starts to receive disturbing drawings from her brother Billy, she starts to wonder, is Vietnam really the just war to end communism that she has been led to believe?

Suddenly That Summer is an intriguing book.  I really liked the alternating chapters telling both Billy and Jay’s points of view.  The harsh realities of the war in Vietnam are juxtaposed against Jay’s summer and her changing views on the war in Vietnam.  I also like how this is visualized on the very nice cover of this book by having the girls with a seemingly happy summer on the top with their shadows being soldiers in Vietnam.

I loved how both Billy and Jay have a coming-of-age journey through the novel as they both try to work through the expectations they have been taught by family and their town, and what the realities are in their ever-changing world.  I really liked the ending of this book.  It also has great questions at the conclusion of the novel and would be a great book to discuss at a book club.

Book Source: Review Copy from author Lori Handeland.   Thank-you! I received a complimentary copy of this book as part of the TLC Book Tour. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

What Happens in the Ballroom by Sabrina Jeffries (TLC Book Tours)

 

What is blooming in your neighborhood right now?  Tulips are up and looking beautiful in my yard.

What Happens in the Ballroom is an enjoyable regency romance.  Eliza Pierce is a young widow that enjoys working with her sisters planning events and helping the gentry find spouses as part of “Elegant Occasions.”  One day, her late husband’s best friend, Nathaniel Stanton, the Earl of Foxstead, stops by to hire Elegant Occasions to help find a husband for his ward, a young war widow.  Mrs. March is young and mysterious.  Is Nathaniel in love with her himself?  What secret are they trying to hide?   Will Nathaniel and Eliza be able to put the past and secrets behind them to forge a future together?

I loved the romance of this novel, the setting, and the characters. The flirting and banter between Nathaniel and Eliza was very fun.  This book was a quick read.  This book did have two steamy love scenes in it.  I guessed the secret, but I really wasn’t sure if I was right until the end.

This is the second book in the Designing Debutantes series.  It was fine to read it as a standalone, but I definitely want to go back and read the first book, A Duke for Diana.

Overall, What Happens in the Ballroom is a delightfully fun regency romance.

Book Source: Review Copy from Kensington Books.   Thank-you! I received a complimentary copy of this book as part of the TLC Book Tour. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A Calder at Heart by Janet Dailey (TLC Book Tour)

 

What is your favorite western book or movie?  We were on a western kick the past few years as a family and watched a lot of classic westerns.  I think my favorite of the mix was The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence, but there were a lot of great movies.

A Calder at Heart is a historical fiction western set in Montana in 1919.  Kristin Dollarhide is a doctor who has returned from WWI to her small town of Blue Moon.  She wants to set up a practice and be with her family again.  She tries to forget her sweetheart who died tragically.  When she meets Logan Hunter, she feels something again.  Logan is searching for a new life and to feel something again himself.  A Major in WWI, he returned home to Texas to find that the Spanish flu had killed his entire family.  He sells what is left and decides to move near his Calder relatives in Montana.  He discovers that there is a feud going on between the Dollarhides and the Calders.  Is he a Calder at heart that will get caught up in the feud or will he be able to move on?

I loved this book.  The setting and characters were fantastic. There were just enough characters and build-up that I felt that I knew them all. The chemistry between Kristin and Logan sizzled off the page.  I love reading about this time period and the family drama was riveting.  I also enjoy a Romeo and Juliet type story of two feuding families and a couple who finds love.  I loved that Kristin was a strong and capable woman and Logan was an honorable man.

There were several subplots in this novel that were also very suspenseful including bootlegging, a young woman in trouble, and water rights.  It kept me reading nonstop through the end of the novel.

This is the third novel in a series, but it worked well as a standalone.  It made me really want to read the rest of the series.  I hadn’t read any Janet Dailey novels in awhile, so I looked her up.  Janet Dailey passed away ten years ago, but there is now a ghostwriter writing her novels.  I just wish they had written in the book who the ghostwriter is for A Calder at Heart as I would definitely read more of their works.   There is a nice set of book club discussion questions at the end of this novel.

I keep seeing comparisons of this novel to the series Yellowstone.  I have wanted to watch this series, are you a fan?

Review Copy from Kensington Publishing   Thank-you! I received a complimentary copy of this book as part of the TLC Book Tour. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Marriage List by Ella Quinn (TLC Book Tour)

 

Are you a list maker?  I definitely am.  I like lists, plans, and schedules.  It should come as no surprise that I found a calling as an engineer.

Lady Eleanor Carpenter is a list maker herself and makes a list for what she is looking for in a husband as she starts her season in Regency England.  When John, the Marquis of Montagu starts to pay pointed attention to her, does he meet the requirements of her list?  Why does he only talk about the weather?  Montagu is looking for someone that is quiet and docile, as he gets to know Eleanor, he realizes he admires her for her opinions.  Will the two be able to find true love?

The Marriage List is a slow burn romance.  I enjoyed the ins and outs of the season and the large family.  I loved all of the children and animals in particular.  This book is part of the Worthington Brides series and is book number eight.  I wish it would have had a chart in the beginning that showed the family tree.  There were a lot of side characters and I’ll admit to getting confused on who was who.   It was distracting.  I think it would be better to read the first books in this series before this book.    I did enjoy Lady Eleanor as a character in particular and that she was such a strong willed woman.

I enjoyed the start of the novel when Lady Eleanor helped out a family in need and explained her interest in helping miners and their families.  I love stories that include miners and mining.  There was also a miner, Dobbins, who was out to get Eleanor for helping out the family in need.  This storyline popped up throughout the novel, but I found myself always wondering why I didn’t hear more about it.  I thought it gave a great start to the book and it was exciting, but I wish it would have been more prominent throughout the story. It did make for an exciting conclusion to the novel.

Favorite Quote:

“It had become clear that if I was to get what I wanted, I must take action instead of hoping it will come to me.”

Review Copy from Kensington Books as part of the TLC Book Tour.   Thank-you! I received a complimentary copy of this book.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

About The Marriage List

Publisher: Zebra (December 27, 2022)

Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages

For fans of Bridgerton and lovers of sexy, sparkling Regency romance, USA Today bestselling author Ella Quinn presents a delightful new trilogy set in the reader-favorite world of Regency England’s beloved extended family, The Worthingtons, returning in this first sparkling tale for fans of Sabrina Jeffries, Eloisa James, and Tessa Dare.

As part of a large, rambunctious family, Lady Eleanor Carpenter has gained some knowledge of what makes a successful marriage. She’s even compiled a list of essential qualifications in a potential husband. John, the Marquis of Montagu, seems of good character (check), with money enough to support a family (check). But what of the many other requirements on her list?

Montagu, meanwhile, believes the key to a comfortable life lies in marrying someone quiet and docile. Yet the one lady who captivates him could hardly be more different to what he envisioned. Lady Eleanor is as opinionated as she is lovely, determined to improve working conditions for coal miners, even at risk to her own safety.

From evenings at Almack’s to carriage rides in Hyde Park, this Season will contain many pleasures—and a few surprises that compel both John and Eleanor to rethink their expectations. For one thing is certain: love will not be defined by any list . . .