In this second book of THE LOST BRIDE trilogy, Sonya McTavish is living in a beautiful mansion she inherited on the coast of Maine, along with her friend Cleo and an assortment of ghosts, because the gorgeous home holds a lot of haunted secrets. And not all of the ghosts are friendly. There is one horrible witch who has killed seven brides on their wedding day. Sonya finds an enchanted mirror and is able to travel back in time to those murders to try and stop her.
The magical realism works very well in this story. Nora Roberts does a great job of making the house come alive with magic and sometimes evil. The backstories of the ghosts and of Sonya herself are intriguing. This wasn’t marketed as horror, but does have some horror elements and sometimes gets a little dark for my personal taste, but overall this is a wonderful second book in the series. It ends on a cliffhanger, but the third book of the trilogy is coming.
My rating is 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 on sites with no half-star option.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
This week I went looking for the oldest titles on my TBR. I don’t have any older titles on my Netgalley list anymore so I headed to Goodreads to check out my Want to Read list.
All of these books have been on my TBR since sometime in 2019. Now that I’ve looked at them again, a few of them are going straight to the top. Bill Bryson’s One Summer America, 1927 describes an extremely eventful summer in the US, and I can’t believe I haven’t read it yet. I love his books. Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus is about the journey of a Muslim man who eventually converted to Christianity, although he initially had absolutely no intention of doing so. I’m curious about his journey, but haven’t gotten around to reading it. Midnight Chicken is a combination cookbook and recovery story. I’m very intrigued, as the readers/reviewers said the book made them cry, and they enjoyed the recipes, and that is an interesting combination that I can’t miss.
The late Jack Finney was a popular time travel author, and I’ve never read his books to the best of my knowledge. I plan to start with Time and Again and About Time. The Lucky One is a Nicholas Sparks book I haven’t read, though I always enjoy his stories.
White Rose and The Great Alone are historical fiction. White Rose is set during WWII and The Great Alone is set in Alaska just after the Vietnam War. Smoke on the Mountain is a thriller, and What The Wind Knows is another time travel book. Regular readers of this blog know that’s my favorite subgenre, especially when there is a good deal of historical fiction thrown in.
While looking at my Goodreads TBR, I deleted some other books which I realized I’m never going to read.
After doing this list, I’ve decided to review at least one book a month from the oldest books on my TBR, starting with the books above. I need a catchy title for this project: Tackling the TBR? TBR Cleanout? TBR Throwback? Any Suggestions?
Author Louise Bélanger has generously provided a sample of her upcoming poetry book for you to enjoy. See a beautiful poem and photo below, as well as a link to preorder. I am tempted to review it right now because it’s so wonderful, but I will wait until book release day.
First glance
We don’t know How many they were Or the name of each one
Were they young or older? Were they born in this region?
Did they know Mary? Or the One who spoke with authority?
When they heard the commands Did they think the orders were absurd?
Did they obey while fearing the consequences Of what they were doing?
Pouring…
Presenting…
Water
None of that Is told
Because…
None of that Matters…really
Only their obedience does
It also provided them
First glance
As they did What they were told The transformation occurred
As they obeyed They were the first ones To witness…
The change in the color
The exquisiteness of the bouquet As they poured The perfect nectar
The no longer water But excellency In the cup of the master of ceremonies
The absolute finest wine
In abundance
I grant you What choice Did the servants At the wedding at Cana have Besides to obey
But they did And the miracle Took place
We On the other hand Have a choice
But He Hasn’t changed
We can choose To obey or not All-loving God Who still consents Who still performs Miracles With And through The obedience Of His servants
We can choose To be instrumental
To magnificent goodness Absolute finest Poured out on this world In abundance
And like the servants At the wedding at Cana
Have the privilege of
First Glance
*Photo and poem by Louise Bélanger.
*Preorder by clicking on the image below. The ebook is only $2.99 right now until December 31st.
The fourth book in Louise Belanger’s Your Words Christian poetry collection will be released on December 9th. I’m happy to share with you the beautiful cover of Your Words Your Love below, as well as a link to preorder. I will provide a review on December 9th. Each poem is accompanied by beautiful photographs, and as you can see by the cover, you are in for a treat.
Click on this absolutely gorgeous cover for a link to preorder this inspiring and beautiful book.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Louise Bélanger is an artist and a gifted storyteller, both with words and photography.
Her inspirational poetry will transport you in her world where there is hope and trust in a loving God. Her faith is strong, and it will strengthen yours.
Her nature photographs will remind you of the beauty of God’s creation. From delicate flowers to breathtaking scenery.
The Golden Age of Hollywood, 1938. Vivian Steele moved to California to start a new life. She opened a fashion boutique in Beverly Hills, befriended Carole Lombard, the actress, and married a successful banker. But when her husband is murdered, Vivian discovers she isn’t the only one hiding a few secrets.
An anonymous phone call lures Vivian to a plush hotel room where she stumbles upon the dead body of a beautiful young actress – her husband’s mistress. To add fuel to the fire, she’s not alone.
Preston Stone, her adversary and Hollywood’s notorious playboy, is standing beside her. Suspiciously, they part ways only to find themselves alone again at a movie premiere two days later, and the message becomes brutally clear. They’re both the next targets of a cold-blooded killer.
Together, Vivian and Preston are thrown into a deadly race to find a missing collection of valuable coins and stop a vicious killer before they become the next murder victims. But first, they need to stop pointing their fingers at each other.
BOOK REVIEW
A PERILOUS PREMIERE is the first book in the STONE AND STEELE Mystery Series, and I can’t wait for more. Vivian Steele is a fashion designer whose husband has just been murdered. Preston Stone is a wealthy playboy who is not Vivian’s favorite person. They are thrown together when Vivian begins investigating her husband’s murder and the killer lets them both know that they are next.
This is a captivating mystery with an amazing cast of characters. I easily connected with both Vivian and Preston. The surprise supporting character, Carole Lombard, a good friend of Vivian’s, brings light, laughter, and loyalty to the story. There are two dogs in the series–Bella, a Boston Terrier, and Boris, a St. Bernard. They are an enjoyable addition to the cast. I felt instantly transported to 1930s Hollywood, and the book was well researched.
The mystery has plenty of twists and turns. It is also made plain that both Vivan and Preston have secrets of their own that have not yet been revealed. I look forward to finding them out in subsequent books. Movie stars, fashion, murders, and glamour combine to create an entertaining mystery. Highly recommend!
I received a free copy of this book. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own
Q&A With Gail Meath
Hi Gail! Thanks so much for answering my questions today, and for all your past interviews. It’s always so great to talk to you. Let’s start with the first question about your new book, A Perilous Premiere, the first in the Stone & Steele series.
Bonnie: In this 1930s mystery series, you included an absolutely wonderful supporting character—Carole Lombard. What inspired you to make Carole a part of this series?
Gail: My mother and I used to love watching old movies together. There were so many wonderful actors in Hollywood during the 1930s-40s, but for me, Carole Lombard always stood out above the rest. Like the parts she played in her movies, she was beautiful, witty, brave, and talented in real life. Her marriage to Clark Gable was truly a fairytale romance that ended in tragedy in 1942 when she died in a plane crash after attending a war bond rally. I have so much admiration for her that I decided to include her as a character in the book as a tribute to her.
Bonnie: You do such a wonderful job of describing 1930s Hollywood. Could you tell us about your research for this series?
Gail: Have I mentioned that I love research? Honestly, by choosing the most popular era in Hollywood history, the research has been fairly easy, although it wasn’t all glamor and glitz back then. Too often, I found myself researching a specific topic for the book, then an article would lead me to another off-topic article, then another, etc. I’ve learned more than I wanted to! (David Niven wrote about a lot of the Hollywood scandals in his memoir.)
Bonnie: Your first cozy mystery series, The Jax Diamond Mysteries, included an animal as a supporting character—Ace the German Shepherd. As you have told us in past interviews, Ace was based on your real-life dog, Gretchen. In the Stone and Steele Mysteries, you introduce Bella the Boston Terrier and Boris, the Saint Bernard. Are Bella and Boris based on any animals in real life?
Gail: Yes, they are! I love all types of dogs, and Ace was the perfect partner for Jax Diamond. I wanted to include two canine companions in this series and decided they needed to be opposites. The choice was easy. Bella is based on our little Boston Terrier, Addie, who is nearly as smart as Ace. And big, old Boris is based on Addie’s good friend, Leif, who lives next door and weighs 220 lbs.!
Bonnie: The main characters, Vivian Steele and Preston Stone, end up solving a mystery together. But the reader is shown that there is a lot in both of their backgrounds that neither are telling. It ends as a cliffhanger of sorts, as Vivian is about to reveal her past to Carole. Are we going to learn a lot more about both Vivian and Preston in Book 2?
Gail: Both Vivian and Preston have some very special investigative talents stemming from their complex pasts, and yes, they will be revealing more about themselves in the next book, although probably not everything. What fun would it be to learn everything about each character right off the bat?
Bonnie: Speaking of Book 2, can you tell us the title and a short synopsis:
Gail: The title is, A Bloody Banquet: Now You See a Murderr, Now You Don’t. When dead bodies start to disappear, Vivian and Preston uncover a sinister killer who has mastered the art of illusion and set his sights on two Oscar-winning stars. It should be a lot of fun!
Bonnie: Before we go, can you tell the reader what else you are working on right now?
Gail: Oh, boy, I considered ending the Jax Diamond series with Book 7, their marriage, but some of the readers requested at least one more book. So, I’m working on Wildcard, Book 8, which is due to release in April. It takes place in Niagara Falls, and it looks like Jax’s good friend, Orin Marino, is a serial killer. Bonnie’s note: Noooo, not Orin!
Bonnie: Thanks again Gail for sharing with us today!
Gail: Thank you so much, Bonnie! This is the first time your questions didn’t stump me!! Bonnie’s Note: Uh, oh I’m going to have to up my question game!
Thank you to That Artsy Reader Girl for hosting Top Ten Tuesday. This week’s topic is destination titles. Any book with a place name in the title. This is a fun one!
Above are ten of my favorite covers with place names in them. I included the mountains as Darlene Foster’s Amanda series leads the way. It’s a great way for kids and adults to learn about the world. Amanda in France is my favorite, so I put that up, but they are all amazing. Check out the Amanda books at this link.
Can you think of a favorite cover with a place in the name?
*This is another review I did for Historical Novels Review, the magazine of The Historical Novel Society.
BOOK DESCRIPTION
It is late autumn of 1798 and Darcy and Elizabeth are married at last and living at Pemberley in love and harmony.
All the impediments to their match have been swept aside; their unpromising first impressions, Darcy’s machinations in having tried to prevent a match between Jane and his friend Bingley, Lady Catherine’s violent objections to a match between Darcy and Elizabeth, Darcy’s own stiffness and reserve even after he had supported Bingley’s suit for Jane’s hand following their return to Netherfield, the disbelief of Elizabeth’s family that she could ever like such a man…
These and all other objections have evaporated like the morning mist. And Lizzy’s whole family are visiting Pemberley for Christmas. What could possibly go wrong?
A letter from the Reverend Wilde, former rector of Longbourn parish, suddenly arrives warning Elizabeth of possible harm to her and her family at the hands of a former resident of Longbourn.
And once the Bennets, Bingleys, Philips, Gardiners and Colonel Fitzwilliam and his friend Lieutenant Colonel Harvey have arrived, unnerving incidents start to build up.
Can Darcy sufficiently protect the household? As the cold of winter sets in, he strives to find a solution, but equally should the visitors leave and return home early to take themselves out of harm’s way? What are the motives of the ill-wisher and can he or she ultimately be found so as to face the proper punishment?
Lizzy and Darcy stand united, their relationship remaining loving and affectionate throughout as they face the threat together. And love is in the air for two other couples during the Christmas celebrations.
BOOK REVIEW
Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice is now Mrs. Darcy in this well-imagined continuation of the classic novel. Elizabeth is just settling into married life when she receives a letter from Reverend Wilde, formerly a rector at Longbourn, warning her of possible danger from Isabella Scargill, a previous acquaintance who had been threatening the Reverend. Wilde thought Isabella, also known as Helen St. Clair, might come to Pemberley to cause trouble. Elizabeth and Darcy prepare for this unwelcome visitor at a time when they are also getting ready for holiday guests. As the preparations ensue, strange things start happening at Pemberley.
Menace at Pemberley is the second in the Elizabeth Bennet series. It can be read as a standalone. It is an enjoyable Christmas story that will please anyone who loves Jane Austen retellings. It is pleasant to read about the life of a married “Lizzy and Fitz,” as they call each other, and the story is well done. The tone of the book is similar to Pride and Prejudice, and the descriptions of life at Pemberley transport you into Jane Austen’s world. Elizabeth’s adjustments to becoming the mistress of the house are interesting and realistic. The mystery includes a missing person and has intriguing twists and turns. The Bennet family are among the Christmas guests, and there are new romances on the horizon. An enjoyable read. Recommended.
I received a free copy of the book via The Historical Novel Society. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own. This review was published in the November issue of Historical Novels Review.
Thank you to That Artsy Reader Girl for hosting Top Ten Tuesday. This week’s topic is Books with ____ on the cover. We get to choose which cover item, so I chose animals. Below are ten covers that feature animals. (Mythical animals count too.)
I could have gone on and on with this list! What are your favorite books with animals on the cover?
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