Author: BonnieReadsAndWrites

I love to read and write book reviews in my free time. I review advance review copies of books on Netgalley for various publishers. I am also a reviewer for Historical Novels Review Magazine, the magazine of the Historical Novel Society. I review books from publishers of all size, large to small. I have a special place in my heart for indie authors. I will sometimes post a little writing that I might dabble in occasionally. I also am lucky enough to live in the Smoky Mountains, so I'll be sharing photos of the beauty around me from time to time.

Book Review: The Lost Story of Via Belle

BonnieReadsAndWrites8 Comments
Cover of The Lost Story of Via Belle by Melanie Dobson.


Book Review

1940. Olivia Belle Ash is a romance writer who has lost her voice. Famous as “Via Belle” for 20 years, she is now faced with a deadline she cannot meet.  Awash in grief, she struggles to write again after the death of her husband three years ago.  She also mourns the daughter she lost in infancy.  Then, after an invitation to a university literary conference, she meets Simon Farrow. Ultimately, she begins a whirlwind relationship with this younger man, but things are not as they seem.

2006. Harper Rayne is a caterer and aspiring screenwriter looking for a story that will make her career. She ultimately decides to research the story of Via Belle, her late mother’s favorite author, who suddenly vanished in the 1940s.

Some parallels to the real life of a famous Christian romance author, Grace Livingston Hill, are present in the story. Hill was happily married to a minister before his death in 1899. She became a famous author in the early 20th century, and then suffered a very unhappy marriage to a younger man.  This book appears to be inspired by Hill’s story, and the author also dedicated The Lost Story of Via Belle to Grace Livingston Hill.

The 1940s timeline is compelling, and the secrets and deception are well written.  Simon is as unlikeable a character as many of the villains in the books of Grace Livingston Hill, who usually created very clear heroes and villains in her novels.   The 2006 timeline is not as gripping at first, but it does grow in complexity by the end of the book.  Fans of Christian fiction and of Hill’s books will enjoy this novel.

I received a free copy of this book from Tyndale Fiction via The Historical Novel Society. My review is voluntary, and the opinions expressed are my own.

Additional Comments

This is another review I did for The Historical Novel Society. You can see it on their website here. As mentioned above, it is very loosely based on the life of Grace Livingston Hill, an early 20th Century Christian romance writer. My grandmother started reading Grace’s books to her kids in the 1930’s and 40s, and my Mom passed them on to me. They are very old fashioned–Grace frowned on makeup, for example. But they’re wonderful Christian stories for their time period. My favorite is The Substitute Guest, which I talk about a little bit here.

About Grace Livingston Hill

Grace Livingston Hill (April 16, 1865 – February 23, 1947) was a prolific early 20th-century American novelist best known for her Christian romance and inspirational fiction. She wrote over 100 novels and numerous short stories, often under her own name or the pseudonym Marcia Macdonald (her mother’s maiden name). Her works typically featured young Christian women (or characters who convert to Christianity) facing moral challenges, romance, and redemption, with clear themes of good versus evil and faith restoring lives.

Grace’s Two Marriages

Reverend Thomas Guthrie Franklin Hill: Grace married “Frank” in 1892, and they were married until he died in 1899 from complications of appendicitis. They had two daughters, settled in Germantown, Pennsylvania, and collaborated on Christian Endeavor materials. After his death, Grace began writing full-time to support her daughters.

Flavius Joseph Lutz: Grace married Lutz, a music teacher for her daughters and 15 years her junior, in 1904, against the advice of others. It was a very unhappy union. Lutz did not contribute to the household financially, not even from music lessons, and was verbally abusive. He often left to stay with his parents, and in 1914, Grace told him not to come back. There was no divorce, but there are rumors that the marriage was later annulled. Grace continued writing into the 1940s and died in 1947.

Purchase The Lost Story of Via Belle

KOBO | APPLE BOOKS | AMAZON

Hit With A Whammy–A Blog Update

BonnieReadsAndWrites31 Comments

Amazon blindsided me a couple of days ago. I got a message that because of “irregularities,” they were taking away my ability to review on Amazon and deleting ALL of my reviews. That is at least 15 years of reviews. I have tried to appeal, but there has been no response yet.

Basically, in this era of scams against authors, I was out there trying to provide free and honest reviews, and Amazon’s AI somehow found something suspicious, and now I can’t review on Amazon anymore.

For anyone I have promised a review, I can still review the book, but I cannot put the review on Amazon. I can put it on Goodreads, Bookbub, Instagram, Audible, and wherever else you want, but Amazon has blocked me and has not given me a reason.

I used to pick up your books on Kindle Unlimited when possible, because it helped you out, but I am cancelling my Kindle Unlimited because I can’t review the books I borrow there, so why pay for it?

Basically, my good deeds have been punished. I will still continue to try to do them, but I can’t do them on Amazon.

Sorry for the rant! Let me know if you no longer want me to review your book, knowing the review won’t be on Amazon.

Indie Spotlight: Book Review of Pon My Puff by Peter Stark Lansley

BonnieReadsAndWrites12 Comments

Indie Spotlight is my attempt to help Indie authors with marketing. It is a daunting task, and if I can help even a little, I’m glad to do it. You can help too by sharing this post with all the readers you know. Below is a review of Pon My Puff by Peter Stark Lansley. It was discovered, edited, and published by his son, Dr. Charles Morris Lansley.

Cover of Pon My Puff, an Autobiography about growing up on The Isle of Wight in the 1920s.

Book Review

This is an autobiographical novel by Peter Stark Lansley about his childhood on the Isle of Wight in the 1920s.  It was discovered 60 years later and edited by his son, Dr. Charles Morris Lansley, who also provides notes about the history and background of the era, the location, and the family.

We watch young Peter living an everyday life and celebrating big moments. Peter fondly remembers starting “morning school,” a crush on his teacher, attending horse races, meeting his friend Vicki, and more.  I loved the Christmas traditions portrayed, including “stirring the pudding.”  There are notes from the editor describing this Victorian tradition and its deep spiritual meaning.

One of my favorite parts of the book was when Peter asked his Gramp what would happen to him when he died.  He said, “When I die I’m going to Mount Joy,” and went on to explain that “It’s the Down overlooking Newport…” And on a clear day, …you can hear the angels playing their silver whistle-pipes if you stop and listen.”   This appears to be the name of a cemetery, but it became Peter’s euphemism for going to heaven, and he was quite glad when he was told his Aunt Emily had gone to Mount Joy.

“Pon my Puff,” was Gramp’s favorite saying, and is used as an exclamation throughout the book. “Pon my puff,” said Gramp, “You do ask some questions.  Now, where do I begin?”

This book reads like a big hug, a look at an idyllic childhood that will put a smile on anyone’s face. It hearkens back to a simpler time, and Peter’s relationship with Gramp is truly a joy.  This is a fun, special, well-written, and well-researched autobiographical novel/history.

About the Author

Peter Stark Lansley was born in Portsmouth and died in 1999 on the Isle of Wight after 80 years of a varied and interesting life at sea and in aviation. Between 1938 and 1939 Peter was a radio engineering student at the Municipal College Portsmouth, now the University of Portsmouth. His course was interrupted by the outbreak of war, so Peter joined the Merchant Navy on the staff of the Marconi International Marine Communications Company as Radio Officer and went to sea on board M.V. Port Hobart.

While serving on MV Wandby as Second Radio Officer, his ship was sunk by a German U-boat off the coast of Iceland after being torpedoed on 19 October 1940. He survived and served as a radio officer aboard various ships until being released from the Merchant Navy in 1946 on medical grounds. After this, he worked for the Ministry of Aviation as a telecommunications officer based at Eastleigh Airport, now Southampton Airport, completing his aviation career at Heathrow Airport before retiring to the Isle of Wight in 1981.

Peter loved writing and was a member of the Southampton Writers Circle in the 1950s, during which time he wrote numerous short stories and the notes that were to form his book Pon My Puff!

About the Editor

Dr Charles Morris Lansley has strong connections to the Isle of Wight through his father’s side of the family, who lived on the Island, his Stark and Morris ancestors having had grazing rights in 1425 in the reign of Henry VI. He still maintains his connection to the Island through his home in Shanklin and his interest in Island family and social history.

After discovering his late father’s manuscript of his autobiographical novel forgotten in a trunk for almost 60 years, Charles Lansley edited the notebooks by piecing together the stories and by providing annotations to give background information on the villages and villagers in the 1920s.

Charles Morris Lansley’s other research interests are in 18th and 19th-century natural history, science, and literature. He was awarded his PhD by the University of Winchester in 2016 for research into Charles Darwin. His book, ‘Charles Darwin’s Debt to the Romantics: How Alexander von Humboldt, Goethe and Wordsworth Helped Shape Darwin’s View of Nature’ was published in 2018 by Peter Lang. Prior to his research on Darwin, he worked in education and training before retiring. He is a Fellow of The Linnean Society of London.

Amazon UK | Amazon US

** The UK version is the current version from Austin MacAuley Publishers. The US version appears to be an older issue.

Before You Go

If you read this book, remember to post a review on Amazon, Goodreads, and anywhere else you review books. Your review does not have to be a masterpiece. Just a couple of sentences about how the book made you feel will make the author’s day and help them immensely.

Book Blogger Hop: Your Preference for Book Reviews

BonnieReadsAndWrites25 Comments
Book Blogger Hop asks bookish questions every weeks. This question is about how long are your book reviews with a large quirky font and pictures of rabbits.

Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Billy at Caffeine Addicted Writer. Each week, a new bookish question is asked. This week’s question is above.

Answer

I usually write a book review of between 200 – 300 words, because I have been reviewing for The Historical Novel Society for about six years, and their word limit is usually 200 – 300. It works well for me. I see a lot of really long reviews on Goodreads and I usually quit reading halfway through, because they are just too long. I don’t find mine either quick or very long.

Here is an example of one my reviews. Julia by Heather B. Moore.

How About You?

Do you prefer writing long book reviews, or quick, punchy ones?

WWW Wednesdays

BonnieReadsAndWrites8 Comments

WWW Wednesdays asks the questions:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

It is hosted by Taking on a World of Words at samandelizabeth.wordpress.com.

Below are my answers:

What Are You Currently Reading:

Death at King”s Cross is the second book in the Four Queens of Crime trilogy by Roseanne Limoncelli. It will be published on July 21st. In the midst of war, the Four Queens of Crime, Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Margery Allingham, and Ngaio Marsh, help DCI Lillian Wiles solve the murder of a young woman at King’s Cross Station.

What Did You Recently Finish Reading?

Black Thursday is the third book in the When Heroes Flew series by H.W. “Buzz” Bernard. Starring a different WWII flier each time, this one is the story of a deadly day when the U.S. 8th Air Force suffered catastrophic losses during a bombing raid in Germany.

1905. A young suffragist fleeing a deadly Atlanta rally ends up in the hills of Tennessee.

Blog Update

It has been a while since I’ve posted, which I am trying to correct. I have been editing and writing reviews for The Historical Novel Society, starting a garden, and easing into the writing phase of a book with Doug. It is as yet untitled, but will, of course, be historical time travel, my favorite genre mashup.

My garden has tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and herbs. I planted okra seeds, but they are apparently not coming up. I’m in the process of ordering okra plants online.

I have decided to pause review requests until November 1st, and I’m a bit overwhelmed with everything, but I will start writing Indie reviews again on the requests I have received prior to the pause. However, if I have reviewed your book before and you have a new one coming out, the pause does not apply to your book.

I hope you all have been doing well!

What About You?

What Are you reading right now, and what summer activities do you have planned?

Top Ten Tuesday: Authors I wish Were Still Writing Today

BonnieReadsAndWrites34 Comments

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What an interesting topic! Below is a list of authors I wish were still writing today. Most of them have passed away, and all are missed.

Jimmy Buffett: Jimmy was an accomplished singer and songwriter, but he also wrote several books. He passed away on September 1, 2023. I wish he was still writing and singing.

Grace Livingston Hill: A Christian author of over 100 books in the early to mid 20th Century, I often wonder what Grace would think of the world as it is now.

C.S. Lewis: A brilliant Christian author of The Chronicles of Narnia and many other other books, both fiction and nonfiction, his voice would be much appreciated now in these times.

J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and many other books, his creativity and world-building skills are missed.

Lewis Grizzard: An author and columnist who celebrated Southern life, his humor and wit are greatly missed. He passed away in 1994.

Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain): His ability to combine humor with social criticism would be welcome today.

Mary Higgins Clark: The Queen of Suspense passed away in 2020.

Robert Heinlein: He had a unique ability to imagine the future, some of which came true. He’s the author of my favorite book, The Door Into Summer.

Lawanna Blackwell: A writer of Christian Historical Romances, including The Gresham Chronicles, she is still living, but took a long break in 2016. I hear she may publish a new novel soon, but haven’t seen anything yet.

Virginia Rich: She is the first author I remember writing culinary based mystery novels with recipes. She was followed by Diane Mott Davidson and others. Virginia Rich passed away in 1985. Her character, Eugenia Potter, was a sleuth, an elderly widow, and a great cook!

How About You

Which authors do you wish were still writing?

Thank You

Thanks to That Artsy Reader Girl for Hosting Top Ten Tuesday.

In the Fields of Fatherless Children: Book Review

BonnieReadsAndWrites10 Comments

I reviewed this one for the Historical Novel Society’s May issue. Absolutely loved it, and it was selected as an Editor’s Choice. It’s set in my favorite place–Appalachia.

Cover of In the Fields of Fatherless Children set in Appalachia

Book Description

In late 1960s Appalachia, many things loom darkly over June Branham. The Vietnam War is dividing the country, and a strip mine is eating away the mountain at the head of the holler where she lives, threatening the natural landscape and the only way of life she has ever known. While still in high school, June has fallen in love. She is pregnant, and the father may be Ellis Akers. Ellis is the son of Solomon, a mortal enemy of June’s stepfather, Isom. The feud is so old it fuels two vengeful men with the power of long animosity between rival families.

June’s brother, Tom, leaves to enlist in the war, and so does Ellis. Suddenly, June is on her own, at sixteen with a newborn, and is a mother unable to protect her daughter from the wrath of Isom. Without warning, her baby is kidnapped. Guided by her love for the generations of women before her, but now desperately alone, June must carefully navigate the search for her child alongside family and strangers in a wild and disappearing landscape.

In the Fields of the Fatherless Children is a powerful story of love and perseverance, masterfully told by a writer of exquisite care who intimately knows the rural people of this time and place.

Book Review

Appalachia, 1960s. June is pregnant and sixteen, and that is just the beginning of her problems. The young man she loves, Ellis, is of mixed race and is the son of her racist stepfather’s enemy, escalating a longtime feud. Then Ellis and June’s brother Tom are sent to Vietnam, and she just tries to survive. But her infant daughter is taken away right after birth by her stepfather, who will not allow a child with dark skin in his house. With help from this world, and the next, June leaves her small town in order to find her child. She begins a long and difficult journey, pursued by someone who cares little for her life and wants to take her daughter for themselves.

Gorgeous, lyrical writing and authentic Appalachian dialect make the culture of a 1960s coal mining town come alive. Impressive writing intertwines life in a coal mining town with the faraway war. For example: “Up on the mountain, another explosion. June pictured tree roots wrenched from the earth, dirt and rock bursting up from the ridge, peppering back to the ground, the same way the muted explosions of Vietnam came across Rena’s TV.” As June sets out with her own life on the line in pursuit of her child, other mothers are losing theirs to a war in another land.

The story is told mostly from the points of view of June, her mother, Bethel, and Granny Justice, who has passed away, but cannot move on due to “unfinished business.” This bit of magical realism ties into the spiritual side of Appalachian culture. Nuggets of folklore are also woven into the story, making it even more authentic. Compelling and moving, this novel captures the soul of Appalachia. Highly recommended.

About the Author

Pamela Steele received her MFA in Poetry from Spalding University, and her poetry collection Paper Bird (Wordcraft Oregon 2007) was nominated for an Oregon Book Award. Steele is the author of two novels: Greasewood Creek (Counterpoint 2011) and In the Fields of Fatherless Children (Counterpoint 2026). Although she is a native-born Appalachian, she now lives and writes on a ranch in northeastern Oregon.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Google | Kobo

Sunday Post and Sunday Salon: Happy Easter!

BonnieReadsAndWrites21 Comments

Wishing you the happiest Easter/Resurrection Day, as we celebrate Christ laying down His life, so that we might live.

We are celebrating by going to church. Then later for dinner ,we will have deviled eggs, ham, scalloped potatoes, and corn casserole. No Easter baskets for us old folks.

But the message of the day is this:

Resurrection Day Post with cross, bible, clock, and John 11:25-26 Scripture

Have a Blessed Easter!

I’m also celebrating the fact that our missing pilot (SWO Officer) was rescued early on Easter Morning! A true answer to prayer. Here is a link some great reporting of the whole story by Author M.A. Rothman:

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1515379180147062&set=a.501955888156068

Sunday Post is hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer and Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz.

Happy Release Day: Hellcat by Gail Meath

BonnieReadsAndWrites14 Comments

It’s Release Day for HELLCAT, Book 9 of the Jax Diamond Mysteries series. I’ve read it already, and it’s the twistiest one yet! Click the image below for the Amazon link.

Book Description (Hellcat)

Cover of Hellcat by Gail Meath. It's a dark pink and black cover featuring a 1920's woman standing in front of a stage.

New York City, 1923. PI Jax Diamond and his trusted partner, Ace, are having a hell of a day. It starts with the suspicious death of a salesman and a family’s pleas to find their missing father. It ends with a murdered mob leader marked with red lipstick, proving they have a female killer on their hands.

While Jax works around the clock, Laura, his new bride and Broadway star, helps him on one of the cases. She and her friends try to find the owner of a gold locket found at the crime scene and uncover shocking evidence that points to Jax’s mother as the prime murder suspect.

Jax, Laura, and Ace frantically search for the truth, only to become trapped in a maze of misleading facts, twisted timelines, and dangerous assumptions. All the while, the body count is rising, and time is running out to stop Death Row Dotty before she delivers her final act of ‘justice’.

My Review will come later.

But I urge you to check out Hellcat at a great price right now for release day! Like all the Jax Diamond series, it can be read as a standalone. If you love historical mysteries, you’ll love this one!

Sunday Post and Sunday Salon: I’m Baaaack!

BonnieReadsAndWrites27 Comments

Weekly Update

I have been taking an unplanned hiatus! It’s been two weeks since I posted anything. I guess I needed a break, but it wasn’t a conscious decision. The last two weeks I’ve been dealing with my injured knee, which turned out to be a torn meniscus, with moderate arthritis thrown into the mix. The ortho doc wanted me to talk to the knee replacement specialist, but I’ve started physical therapy, and I’ve decided to put the knee replacement off as long as possible. (Sunday Post, Sunday Salon)

In book news, I’m finishing up my reviews and editing for the next issue of Historical Novels Review in May. I need to post some of my reviews from the February issue, which I should have done already.

Last week was fairly uneventful except for going to PT. Good news is my walking is improving already.

Need Your Advice

I came across a problem when taking an Indie Spotlight submission. I asked for an Epub or PDF, and I was sent a Word doc. I didn’t notice at first, but when I started to download it, it was marked as SUSPICIOUS. Then when I replied to them, they asked me a question I had already answered in the previous email, making me think they might be a bot. Maybe I’m wrong and this person wasn’t a bot or a scammer, but I can’t take the chance. If scammers are going to target me that way, I may have to stop taking submissions of documents completely, and only take books that are available on Kindle Unlimited or Book Sirens, or from someone I have dealt with in the past and trust. Please tell me what you think in the comments.

Upcoming Posts

I have a lot of reviews to post, and I won’t list them here right now because I need to get organized, but they are going to start coming this week! (Sunday Post, Sunday Salon)

Book Haul

Cover of The Windsor Affair for Bonnie Reads and Writes book haul on Sunday Post.
Cover of An Infinite Love Story for Bonnie Reads and Writes Book Haul on Sunday Post.

Midnight Patriots

Blending fact and fiction, Midnight Patriots follows real-life friends Albert Einstein and Charlie Chaplin as they confront powerful enemies threatening America.

It’s 1940. Europe is in flames. Germany occupies much of the continent, and the Blitz rains terror on London. Fritz Duquesne, a German spy straight from the history books, plots to kidnap Einstein and steal America’s nuclear secrets. Enraged by Chaplin’s mockery in The Great Dictator, Adolf Hitler dispatches an SS assassin to silence the man who ridiculed him. The story features Charles Lindbergh, Lena Horne, and J. Robert Oppenheimer—along with a beautiful German spy on a mission of her own. As Nazi agents and FBI operatives close in, all roads lead Einstein and Chaplin to a deadly showdown aboard the Santa Fe Super Chief as it races from Chicago to Los Angeles.

Midnight Patriots is the second novel in the Einstein-Chaplin Series. The first entry, Midnight Burning, was named “Historical Thriller of the Year” by Best Thrillers Book Review and one of the “Favorite Books of 2025″ by Bookreporter. The books stand alone and may be read in any order. The novels are the first works of historical fiction by Paul Levine, best known for his “Jake Lassiter” and “Solomon vs. Lord” series of legal thrillers.

The Windsor Affair

Feuding Windsor brothers and their wives—some things, it seems, never change. The Windsor Affair recreates the cataclysmic events that nearly toppled the monarchy and incited the power struggle between Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon and Wallis Simpson. Told from the perspective of both women, the novel propels readers into the fabulous world of the debonair Prince of Wales, café society of the 1930s, and the glittering private lives of the Windsors. The first novel to be dedicated to this infamous rivalry, The Windsor Affair brings us all the gossip and intrigue between the two very different—yet perhaps more similar than they would admit—wives of royals.

As Queen, Elizabeth would become the symbol of British pluck and courage during World War II and remain a British institution the rest of her long life. Wallis would be forever forced to enact the World’s Greatest Love Story even after it sours, as she goes from being admired to vilified and, ultimately, pitied. Against the backdrop of the Abdication Crisis, World War II, coronations, funerals, births, and deaths, these two women maintain a biting, sharp-tongued feud—until age and the long arm of history bring about a kind of understanding. For the last communication between these bitter rivals was a simple, surprising message: “In friendship, Elizabeth.”

An Infinite Love Story

When Joe Mitchell launches into space, the world is watching. It’s 1968, and the country waits with anticipation and excitement for another successful mission, another celebration as America sets its sights on the Moon. And then comes the knock at the door.

Joe Mitchell’s spacecraft has lost contact. He and his fellow astronauts onboard are feared to be dead. It’s his wife Vivian’s worst nightmare come to life, her grief suddenly taking center stage as the nation waits and mourns. In her quiet moments, Vivian relives their memorable story, unable to accept that this is the end to a love that felt as though it was written in the stars.

As the investigation surrounding Joe’s lost spacecraft intensifies and the mishap is written off as an operator error, Vivian is determined to clear her husband’s name and uncover the mystery of what happened in space. When someone starts sending Vivian messages—messages she believes only Joe could send—she begins to wonder if their love is stronger than space and time, and she’ll do whatever it takes to bring her husband back to her.

**Thank you the The Caffeinated Book Reviewer for hosting Sunday Post and Deb at Readerbuzz for hosting Sunday Salon.