Below are three mini-reviews, From three stars to five, in order. The reviews are short and to the point. For a book description and purchase options, you can click on each cover.
This one never came completely together for me. There is too much telling and not enough showing, which I know is common for Steel’s novels, but did not work here. A major terrorist attack on New York is mentioned but not too closely explored. Kate was the most complex character, in my opinion, and managed to elevate this book a bit.
All in all, it’s not my favorite Steel novel, but I love most of her work.
I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
This is a really clever continuation of The Secret Staircase series, as Tempest and her crew are back, creating illusions in homes and finding themselves in the middle of mysteries. When a former client is killed in their building by a booby-trapped door, Tempest is on the case, trying to exonerate her company and another surprise suspect.
Although this is part of a series, it easily stands alone as the author does a good job of catching the reader up on events. The cast of characters is fun and intriguing, and the story has plenty of twists and turns.
I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publisher via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
I’ve always been intrigued by books about The Blitz and books about libraries/book clubs. Since this is a combination of the two, I figured it was a “can’t miss.” novel. I was right. Compelling characters and true-to-life descriptions will transport you to 1940 London as you peruse a book in the underground tunnels while bombs drop overhead. Highly recommend.
I received a free copy of this book from the publishers. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
Have you read any of these books? What did you think?
I reviewed this book for the February issue of Historical Novels Review, the Journal of The Historical Novel Society.
BOOK DESCRIPTION
The bestselling author of The Witch of Tin Mountain and Parting the Veil mines the subtle horrors of 1950s America in a gripping novel about a woman under pressure—from the living and the dead.
The first day of autumn brought the fever, and with the fever came the voices.
Missouri, 1955. Loretta Davenport has led an isolated life as a young mother and a wife to Pete, an ambitious assistant professor at a Bible college. They’re the picture of domestic tranquility—until a local girl is murdered and Loretta begins receiving messages from beyond. Pete dismisses them as delusions of a fevered female imagination. Loretta knows they’re real—and frightening.
Defying Pete’s demands, Loretta finds an encouraging supporter in parapsychologist Dr. Curtis Hansen. He sees a woman with a rare gift, more blessing than curse. With Dr. Hansen’s help, Loretta’s life opens up to an empowering new purpose. But for Pete, the God-fearing image he’s worked so hard to cultivate is under threat. No longer in control of his dutiful wife, he sees the Devil at work.
As Loretta’s powers grow stronger and the pleading spirits beckon, Pete is determined to deliver his wife from evil. To solve the mysteries of the dead, Loretta must first save herself.
BOOK REVIEW
Missouri, 1955. A young girl, Darcy, is missing, which is disturbing enough, but then Loretta Davenport begins seeing visions of the girl’s location, and, sadly, knows where her body can be found. This paranormal ability does not sit well with her husband, a Bible professor at a local college. He’s already upset about her lack of energy and weight gain. Their perfect life seems threatened enough without psychic messages that overwhelm her. After the vision of Darcy, the door to the “other side” seems to open for Loretta, and she begins to see more of the dead. She seeks out a psychologist to try and make sense of it as her life turns upside down.
This story of a 1950s housewife who can suddenly see and receive messages from the dead is so fascinating and compelling that it will be hard to put down. Loretta’s growing abilities and the cracking facade of her life are so well described. The author expertly begins to pull the curtain from Loretta’s marriage and show the truth—her husband is not perfect, and is, in fact, abusive. The combination of a bad marriage and explosive new psychic abilities makes this book shine. The lack of basic rights for women in the 1950s is also explored, as Loretta becomes almost a prisoner in her own home. And a mystery is involved, as Loretta is trying to find Darcy’s killer to save others from the same fate. There is a bit of romance, and a theme of embracing one’s true self. This is a satisfying mix of historical mystery and paranormal fiction that fans of those genres will enjoy. Highly recommended.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Paulette Kennedy is the bestselling author of The Witch of Tin Mountain and Parting the Veil, which received the prestigious HNS Review Editor’s Choice Award. She has had a lifelong obsession with the gothic. As a young girl, she spent her summers among the gravestones in her neighborhood cemetery, imagining all sorts of romantic stories for the people buried there.
After her mother introduced her to the Brontës as a teenager, Paulette’s affinity for fog-covered landscapes and haunted heroines only grew, inspiring her to become a writer. Originally from the Missouri Ozarks, she now lives with her family and a menagerie of rescue pets in sunny Southern California, where sometimes, on the very best days, the mountains are wreathed in fog.
Sisters of Fortune introduces us to the real-life Fortune sisters, who boarded the Titanic with their family and had their lives changed forever. The novel is filled with historical facts about the ship and some of its passengers, and the author’s thorough research is obvious.
I had not heard of the Fortune sisters, so this is a new take on the sinking of the Titanic and introduces passengers that many people did not know about. The description of the ship as the sisters boarded is realistic and well done, as the reader can easily imagine the decadence the wealthy sisters enjoyed. The actual disaster and sinking of the Titanic has of course been written about many times before, but the author does a great job of transporting the reader to that tragedy. The characters, both real and fictional, are woven together beautifully into an intriguing story. The author adds a fictional romance to the novel, and it is so compelling and well done.
In Sisters of Fortune, Fiction, Romance, and History are woven together to create a heartbreaking but very memorable story. Anyone interested in the sinking of the Titanic will enjoy this novel.
I received a free copy of this book. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
Indie Weekend is my effort to help Indie authors with marketing. It’s a daunting task, and if I can help even a little, I’m happy to do it. You can help too by sharing this post far and wide with all your social media followers. Below is my review of Land of the Blue Mist, which I originally reviewed for The Historial Novel Society. The author, Susan Mallgrave, also graciously agreed to be interviewed, so please be sure and check out the Q&A below.
BOOK DESCRIPTION (FROM AMAZON)
In the tradition of Jean Auel, Charles Frazier, and Tony Hillerman comes a work of historical fiction… Land of the Blue Mist: A Novel of Courage, Love, and Survival.
The Principal People, known as the Cherokee by others, have lived for millennia in the place they call the Land of the Blue Mist. Much of their ancestral land has been taken, over decades. But still more land is demanded.
Aster Sweetwater comes of age in this time of fierce pressure on her tribe in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Sent to boarding school to learn so-called civilized ways, she returns home to help her people fight forced removal from their mountains and valleys. But Aster returns home not knowing where she belongs. Who are her people? Should she remain in the Land of the Blue Mist or leave the only home she’s ever known, to search for her missing father?
After gold is discovered in Georgia in 1828 and the Indian Removal Act is passed two years later, the crisis intensifies, ending with U.S. troops invading Aster’s village.
Not all the Cherokee will travel the deadly Trail of Tears to the West. Having escaped capture, but with her family torn apart and her life shattered, Aster must find a way for a remnant of her people to survive in the Land of the Blue Mist.
BOOK REVIEW
The Land of the Blue Mist, or The Blue Ridge Mountains, is the home of The Principal People, also known as the Cherokee. In the 1820s, Aster is sent by her white father to a boarding school to learn the ways of his people. His intent is for her to then teach the Cherokee how to survive in a white man’s world, because he is going far away to avenge the death of his brother in another land. But then gold is discovered, and greedy politicians are determined to remove the Cherokee from their homeland and send them far out west. As Aster fights to find her place in a divided world, she is determined to save her people from removal.
This is a well-woven book about the events leading up to the Trail of Tears, the impact on the Cherokee at that time, and the fact that some Cherokee did escape from it. As we go with 9-year-old Aster to boarding school, we also watch political events unfolding in the U.S. that will lead to the horrors of removal. The author does a good job of building Aster’s world while also showing the government’s intrusion and her determination to stop it. Real-life events and people are woven in, such as John Ross, Principal Chief, who fought unsuccessfully against the removal. And it’s a fictionalized story of the small group of real Cherokee who fought back, hid, negotiated and were able to remain. Full of action, intrigue, politics, romance, and danger, this book is not to be missed. Fans of Native American History and the history of The Blue Ridge Mountains will enjoy this book.
AUTHOR BIO
Susan Mallgrave’s first novel, a work of historical fiction, is set in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains near her current residence and the surviving bent trees of which she writes. She is currently working on a sequel to Land of the Blue Mist. She also writes poetry, short stories, and creative nonfiction. When not writing, she can be found playing tennis, hiking, traveling, and handcrafting, especially knitting socks for family and friends.
Q&A WITH SUSAN MALLGRAVE
Bonnie: Susan, first of all, thanks for agreeing to answer my questions today.
Susan: Bonnie, it’s my great pleasure! Thank you so very much for reading my book and reviewing it. It’s a lot to ask of another person, a commitment of your precious time and I appreciate it.
Bonnie: Let’s go beyond the bio. Tell us something about yourself that we wouldn’t know from reading your bio.
Susan: I’ve always loved books of all sorts–adventure tales as a child (and now!), classics, mysteries, historical novels, and non-fiction. I’m probably not so different from your readers. I wasn’t one of those folks who always wrote stories though—I envy them! I recently went through journals I had kept intermittently. What I discovered was I had been talking about writing, thinking about writing, and writing about writing for years! I was circling. If I didn’t try, I wouldn’t fail. That sort of thing. I knew, intellectually, that you can only write if you write. But I didn’t believe it. I didn’t think I knew a thing about it. And maybe I didn’t: which is why I would need to write—to learn. Silly sometimes, aren’t we?
With too much time in between them, I wrote a dozen or so poems and a half-dozen short stories. Covid down-sized and then eliminated my remote job (in Communications) and as I lamented having to find another, my husband Harry said, “You keep saying you’d like to write a novel–maybe it’s time to get serious about that?” Well, yay! (He’s my biggest supporter. At one point during my struggle with the first draft, the only reason I kept writing the novel was because I didn’t have the heart to tell him I wanted out.
You can learn the craft of writing, but I believe much of the art of writing comes osmotically, in a way. The language carried me while I learned how to structure a novel-length work. The impetus to write and the words for writing came from my having been in love with books forever. Sacred objects. It’s always been a parallel world, my journey with books.
Bonnie: Your book, Land of the Blue Mist, is set during the time of the Indian Removal Act. What inspired you to write about that terrible time?
Susan: We moved to upstate South Carolina five years ago and I joined a writers’ group. I wrote some short stories to share with the group. Land of the Blue Mist started as one. But the story kept growing and the characters became real and compelling to me, especially after I began researching. I was—and am—in awe of the 19th century accomplishments of the Aniyunwiya—the people that others call Cherokee. I had no idea prior to my research, for instance, that by 1820 they had a system of government modeled on that of the United States. Also, at one point, the Cherokee were the most literate people in the country, due to a Cherokee warrior and silversmith named Sequoyah. He invented a syllabary—a written set of symbols based on the sounds of their spoken language, and it was a brilliant success. The tribe also published a newspaper from 1828-1834, named the Cherokee Phoenix—later renamed the Cherokee Phoenix and Indians’ Advocate. Each article was written in Tsalagi (the Cherokee language) and English, side-by-side. The paper has been revived and is now published in Oklahoma, by the way.
The people and their leaders went to great lengths to assimilate within the larger culture so that they could remain in the Land of the Blue Mist, which is what they called the Blue Ridge Mountains that they had lived in for millennia. I also admire their love of and respect for nature and the environment. They are an admirable people.
I also wanted to give an alternative end to the horrendous journey to the West, during which so many died, later called The Trail of Tears.
Bonnie: Tell us about your research process for this book.
Susan: I read James Mooney’s books, Myths of the Cherokee and The Sacred Formulas of the Cherokee. Mooney was an early ethnographer, working under the auspice of the Smithsonian Institute, who lived with Cherokee clans in the late nineteenth century for several years. He wanted to chronicle as much as possible about the culture before all memory of it was gone.
I also learned from John Ehle, who wrote The Trail of Tears: The Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation. As the title indicates, it included not just the expulsion, but other time periods as well, leading up to that ignominious ouster. I read biographies of Chief John Ross and Major Ridge, both of whom appear in the novel. I visited the Cherokee Museum in Walhalla, SC, gleaned from Native American websites, and plowed through some Eastern Cherokee census rolls. I read some scholarly articles and some editions of the Cherokee Phoenix newspaper. I read books on Cherokee herbology and gold panning. I researched for four months before writing, and then dipped in and out while writing the book.
Bonnie: Your main character, Aster, appears to be in Georgia during this book. Your biography says you live near the surviving bent trees, which were Native American trail markers. Where are the bent trees located?
Susan: The Cherokee had networks of trails for hunting and trading, as well as for “warpaths,” when engaged with enemies. These ran east to west and north to south. There was a warrior trail that connected Georgia to Pennsylvania and New York. A major trail from Charleston, SC was used to bring goods back from the coast to the northwestern corner of the state, where I live now. Because of these extensive trails, they needed guideposts. It’s speculated that’s the reason they created bent trees, starting with saplings, as “way signs.” A group called Mountain Stewards has mapped several thousand reputed marker trees in 44 states! Most of them, though, appear to be clustered where Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina meet.
Bonnie: Aster is a fictional character, but is she based on anyone in real life?
Susan: No. Well, maybe a composite. She was the trickiest for me to write, but I’m not sure why, exactly. Going Snake—Aster’s grandfather, her adopted brother Little Fox and Jayce, “the cowboy” more or less walked up to me and said “Howdy!”
Bonnie: One interesting aspect of all of this is that Aster’s father is a white man who goes back to England to avenge the death of his brother. Without giving away spoilers, it seems that there is a whole other world to possibly explore in another book. Is that something you have considered?
Susan: I thought the same thing! Great minds…I ultimately took a different direction. But I do like Timothy and may visit his life in the Lakes District of England at some point. I also may write a prequel to Blue Mist, so that I can explore Going Snake’s formative years—much happened in the Cherokee nation during his lifetime!
Bonnie: You are currently writing a sequel to Land of the Blue Mist. Can you tell us a little bit about it?
Susan: The sequel takes place eighty years later, in the small, Southern Appalachian village that Aster and the others settled. The protagonist is Aster’s great-grandson, who returns to South Carolina in 1920 from the world’s war, suffering from shell shock. He finds many changes have taken place in his town while he was gone. Of course there’s a cast of other characters as well, including a young woman suffragist who yearns to leave the small town where they all live and to have a career in big city journalism. The new novel also contains entries from Aster’s 19th-century journal, so that readers discover what happened to the original group after they settled in the shadow of the Blue Wall. This is the Cherokee name for the Blue Ridge Escarpment, the sheer rock-face end of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Bonnie: Land of the Blue Mist is your first Independently published novel. How was the experience of publishing your first book and what did you learn along the way?
Susan: I used Amazon Kindle, which was a learning curve for me, but when all is said and done, it’s quite doable, in terms of formatting and uploading and there’s plenty of guidance online. I also learned I should have done publicity ahead of time and still need much improvement on promotion and marketing efforts. It’s a bit overwhelming, but other writers are helping me—shout outs to you, Bonnie, and Gail Meath!
Bonnie: It was nice to meet you, Susan, and thanks for answering my questions today! Please come back when you publish the sequel.
Susan: I’ll be happy to come back—thanks for the invitation!
BUY LINK
*Click on the image below to go to Amazon
BEFORE YOU GO….
*If you read the book, please leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, as well as anywhere else you review books. Some people feel very daunted by writing a review. Don’t worry. You do not have to write a masterpiece. Just a couple of lines about how the book made you feel will make the author’s day and help the book succeed. The more reviews a book has, the more Amazon will promote it.
*Please click on the WordPress “share” buttons below and share these books with your Twitter (X), Facebook, and/or WordPress followers. A little bit of assistance from all of us will help Indie authors go a long way!
**This is a review I did for the Historical Novel Society. Now that it’s been published on their website, I can post it.
In the 1880s, Doc Holliday has done it all—dentist, outlaw, gambler, and more. But now he’s called a “lunger,” a cruel term for someone with tuberculosis, and he has traveled west to seek out a drier climate. He’s also heard of a fountain of youth that will rid him of his disease, and thus he begins a life-or-death search for a miraculous cure that eventually takes him all over the West, with stops that often end in murder and mayhem.
Along for the ride is one of Doc’s loves, a prostitute, Kate. Wyatt Earp also makes frequent appearances. As the adventure continues, Doc flashes back to his past and nears the end of his life, all the while seeking out a miracle.
This is a very gritty and realistic portrayal of the life of Doc Holliday. The description of the seedy side of the West in the 1880s evokes vivid and lasting images that transport the reader to that time and place. Holliday’s personality comes alive, for example: “Doc revered impropriety in women, so long as they were not his women.” The author does not hold back on the description of Holliday’s life, illness, fame, and sometimes murderous ways, but still manages to show a bit of dignity in the man.
The bloody effects of tuberculosis and Doc’s deterioration are described in realistic detail. The rumored fountain of youth is always just out of his grasp, “a few towns over,” just as all legends are. The reader follows Doc’s journey throughout the West until his last stop, Glenwood Springs, Colorado, and his final futile attempt to find that miraculous fountain. This book is recommended to anyone who is interested in Doc Holliday, Wyatt Earp, or realistic fiction about the Old West.
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 via The Historical Novel Society. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Matthew Di Paoli has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize three times. He has won the Wilbur and Niso Smith Adventure Writing Prize, The Prism Review, 2 Elizabeth’s, and Momoya Review short story contests. Matthew earned his MFA in fiction at Columbia University. He’s been published in Boulevard, Fjords, Post Road, and Cleaver among others. He is the author of Holliday and the upcoming Killstanbul with Sunbury Press.
New York City, 1911. Edith Wharton, almost equally famed for her novels and her sharp tongue, is bone-tired of Manhattan. Finding herself at a crossroads with both her marriage and her writing, she makes the decision to leave America, her publisher, and her loveless marriage.
And then, dashing novelist David Graham Phillips—a writer with often notorious ideas about society and women’s place in it—is shot to death outside the Princeton Club. Edith herself met the man only once, when the two formed a mutual distaste over tea in the Palm Court of the Belmont hotel. When Phillips is killed, Edith’s life takes another turn. His sister is convinced Graham was killed by someone determined to stop the publication of his next book, which promised to uncover secrets that powerful people would rather stayed hidden. Though unconvinced, Edith is curious. What kind of book could push someone to kill?
Inspired by a true story, The Wharton Plot follows Edith Wharton through the fading years of the Gilded Age in a city she once loved so well, telling a taut tale of fame, love, and murder, as she becomes obsessed with solving a crime.
BOOK REVIEW
I don’t think I’ve ever seen the personality of a real-life character as well described as it is in this portrayal of Edith Wharton. Mariah Fredericks has captured the inner thoughts, feelings, doubts, heartbreak,, and desires of her main character so well that she comes alive. It is a master class in writing and a true portrait of Wharton’s faults, disappointments, and imperfections as well as her talents and strengths.
The murder mystery is based on the real-life murder of David Graham Phillips, and it is captivating from start to finish. The plot and history of the time combine with superbly written, strong characters to create a fascinating and compelling story. Wharton’s struggles, both in her marriage and her career, are honestly depicted and nothing is hidden from the reader. It is an intriguing combination of murder mystery and fictionalized biography that fans of historical fiction will enjoy.
I also listened to the audiobook, and the narration by Kitty Hendrix is well done.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mariah Fredericks was born and raised in New York City. She graduated from Vassar College with a degree in history. She enjoys reading and writing about dead people and how they got that way. She is the author of the Jane Prescott mystery series.
Lady Anne Deveril doesn’t spook easily. A woman of lofty social standing known for her glacial beauty and starchy opinions, she’s the unofficial leader of her small group of equestriennes. Since her mother’s devastating plunge into mourning six years ago, Anne voluntarily renounced any fanciful notions of love and marriage. And yet, when fate puts Anne back into the entirely too enticing path of Mr. Felix Hartford, she’s tempted to run…right into his arms.
No one understands why Lady Anne withdrew into the shadows of society, Hart least of all. The youthful torch he once held for her has long since cooled. Or so he keeps telling himself. But now Anne needs a favor to help a friend. Hart will play along with her little ruse—on the condition that Anne attend a holiday house party at his grandfather’s country estate. No more mourning clothes. No more barriers. Only the two of them, unrequited feelings at last laid bare.
Finally free to gallop out on her own, Anne makes the tantalizing discovery that beneath the roguish exterior of her not-so-white knight is a man with hidden depths, scorching passions—and a tender heart.
EXCERPT FROM THE LILY OF LUDGATE HILL
The twin fragrances of pipe smoke and parchment met her nose. Lemon polish, too, though there was no sign that the maids had done any recent tidying up. The library was a place of spectacular clutter.
Bookcases lined three of the walls; leather-bound volumes on botany, agriculture, and natural history were pulled out at all angles as if an absent-minded researcher had wandered from shelf to shelf withdrawing tomes at random only to change his mind midway through extracting them.
The fourth wall was entirely covered in framed sketches of flowers and greenery. Some images were produced in pencil and others in delicately rendered watercolor. They were-along with the teetering stacks of botanical journals and drooping maps that spilled over the sides of the earl’s carved mahogany desk-evidence of his prevailing passion.
Lord March’s love of exotic plants was legendary. He’d spent much of his life traveling the globe, from the wilds of America to the highest peaks of the Himalayas, bringing back rare seeds to nurture into bloom.
A distracted fellow at the best of times, but a kind one, too, as far as Anne recalled. It had been a long time since she’d darkened his doorstep. A lifetime, it felt like.
She tugged restlessly at her black kid-leather gloves as she paced the worn carpet in front of the library’s cavernous marble fireplace. She’d never excelled at waiting for unpleasantness to arrive.
Fortunately, she didn’t have to wait long.
“Hello, old thing.” A familiar deep voice sounded from the library door.
Anne spun around, her traitorous heart giving an involuntary leap in her breast.
Mr. Felix Hartford stood in the entryway, one shoulder propped against the doorframe. Lord only knew how long he’d been observing her.
She stiffened. After all these years, he still had the power to discompose her. Drat him. But she wouldn’t permit her emotions to be thrown into chaos by his attractive face and figure. What cared she for his commanding height? His square-chiseled jaw? For the devilish glint in his sky-blue eyes?
And devil he was. The very one she’d come here to see.
“Hartford,” she said. Her chin ticked up a notch in challenge. It was a reflex. There was no occasion on which they’d met during the course of the past several years that they hadn’t engaged in verbal battle.
This time, however, he made no attempt to engage her.
He was dressed in plaid trousers and a loose-fitting black sack coat worn open to reveal the dark waistcoat beneath. A casual ensemble, made more so by the state of him. His clothes were vaguely rumpled, and so was his seal-brown hair. It fell over his brow, desperately in need of an application of pomade.
There was an air of arrested preoccupation about him, as if he’d just returned from somewhere or was on his way to somewhere. As if he hadn’t realized she was in the library and had come upon her quite by chance.
An unnatural silence stretched between them, void of their typical barb-filled banter.
Greetings dispensed with, Anne found herself at an unaccountable loss. More surprising still, so did Hartford.
He remained frozen on the threshold, his usually humorous expression turned to stone on his handsome face.
At length, he managed a smile. “I knew one day you’d walk through my door again. It only took you”-withdrawing his pocket watch from his waistcoat, he cast it a brief glance, brows lifting as if in astonishment at the time-“seven years to do it.”
She huffed. “It hasn’t been seven years.”
“Six and half, then.”
Six years and five months, more like.
It had been early December of 1855, during the Earl of March’s holiday party. She’d been just shy of seventeen; young and naive and not formally out yet. Hartford had kissed her under a sprig of mistletoe in the gaslit servants’ hallway outside the kitchens.
And he’d proposed to her.
But Anne refused to think of the past. Never mind that, living in London, reminders of it were daily shoved under her nose. “You’re not going to be difficult, are you?” she asked.
“That depends.” He strolled into the room. “To what do I owe your visit?”
“Presumptuous, as always,” she said. “For all you know, I’m here to see your grandfather.”
Hartford was the only child of the Earl of March’s second son-the late (and much lamented) moralist Everett Hartford. Anne well remembered the man. He’d been as straitlaced and starchy as a vicar. Rather ironic, really, given his son’s reputation for recklessness and irreverence.
“My grandfather is in his greenhouse,” Hartford said, “elbow deep in chicken manure. If it’s him you’ve come to speak with, you’re in for a long wait.”
She suppressed a grimace. There was no need for him to be crass. “Really, Hartford.”
“Really, my lady.” He advanced into the room slowly, his genial expression doing little to mask the fact that he was a great towering male bearing down on her. “Why have you come?”
Anne held her ground. She wasn’t afraid of him. “I’ve come to ask a favor of you.”
His mouth curled up at one corner. “Better and better.” He gestured to a stuffed settee upholstered in Gobelins tapestry. “Pray sit down.”
Since the death of her father six years ago, beautiful Anne Deveril spends most of her time caring for her ailing mother. Any free time is spent with her close group of friends, riding their horses in London. She has given up on romance, or so it seems. Then she makes a deal with Felix Hartford (Hart), and change begins to bloom.
This is the third book in the Belles of London series and another delightful novel from Mimi Matthews. This captivating group of equestrian friends in Victorian London continues to intrigue the reader and their gentlemen admirers. This time the focus is on Anne, and Matthews gives us a wonderful second-chance, former friends-to-lovers romance that does not disappoint. The description of the fine horses that the women ride adds another layer to the story that will please fans of all things equine. The wonderful stars of the first two books, Julia and Evelyn, make plenty of appearances in this book as well. Romance, friendship, horses, and second chances all make this an endearing and captivating read. Although it is Book 3 in a series, it can easily be read as a standalone.
I received a free copy of this book from Berkley via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you’ll read next?
CURRENT READ
This is the latest Eve Dallas. I’m only about halfway through, but it is COMPELLING. Teenagers are being murdered at clubs, and Eve is on the trail of the killer, who is injecting teens with a lethal substance while they dance, and then slipping away.
JUST FINISHED READING
I did a lot of reading while I was off for Christmas.
CHRISTMAS PIE is another Christmas Story by Jodi Taylor, who always releases a short story on Christmas Day. This is my favorite one ever! For the last several years I’ve enjoyed the Christmas tradition of reading Jodi’s latest story, and I thank her for that. My review is here.
THE WOMAN IN ME by Britney Spears should scare the crap out of you, especially if you don’t have trustworthy people in your life. My review is here.
CHARLIE HUSTLE by Keith O’Brien shares all the dark secrets about Pete Rose, who I still think should be in the Hall of Fame. This isn’t published until April, so my review will come later.
WHAT AM I READING NEXT?
Publisher’s Description:
As 1754 is drawing to a close, tensions between the French and the British on Canada’s Acadian shore are reaching a fever pitch. Seamstress Sylvie Galant and her family–French-speaking Acadians wishing to remain neutral–are caught in the middle, their land positioned between two forts flying rival flags. Amid preparations for the celebration of Noël, the talk is of unrest, coming war, and William Blackburn, the British Army Ranger raising havoc across North America’s borderlands.
As summer takes hold in 1755 and British ships appear on the horizon, Sylvie encounters Blackburn, who warns her of the coming invasion. Rather than participate in the forced removal of the Acadians from their land, he resigns his commission. But that cannot save Sylvie or her kin. Relocated on a ramshackle ship to Virginia, Sylvie struggles to pick up the pieces of her life. When her path crosses once more with William’s, they must work through the complex tangle of their shared, shattered past to navigate the present and forge an enduring future.
I will start this soon. I’m doing a blog tour for this book with Austenprose PR later this month.
Inspired by the true events of the most notorious evictions in Irish history…
1861, Donegal, Ireland
Ten years ago Declan Conaghan’s father died in the Great Famine, and since then, Declan has kept his promise to keep his family out of the workhouse. But all that is threatened with the arrival of new landlord, John Adair. Adair is quick to cause trouble and fear among his tenants. When he turns them off his land, Declan has no option but to break his promise…
Declan is in despair until he receives a letter from America offering him the chance of a new life and salvation for his family. But it would mean signing up to the US Army and fighting for Lincoln. Despite knowing nothing of war, or US politics, Declan leaves behind all he knows.
Set against the wild landscapes of Ireland and the turbulent times of the American Civil War, this sweeping narrative takes us on an epic journey to understand the strength and endurance of the human spirit.
This is the only book on my Netgalley shelf that is late, but I also picked up the audiobook and I’ll be listening to it soon.
UPDATE
Christmas was wonderful. I’m back to work, but luckily I can listen to audiobooks while I drive, and that helps me keep up with my reading. Looking forward to New Year’s and the Rose Bowl. ROLL TIDE!!!
Indie Weekend is my effort to help Indie authors with marketing. Marketing is a daunting task, and if I can help even a little, I’m happy to do it. You can help too by sharing this post with your social media followers. Below is my review of The Girl Who Tried to Change History. It’s time travel fiction. As a lot of you know, that is my favorite subgenre, especially when it’s a mashup with historical fiction! I reviewed this for the November 2023 issue of Historical Novels Review.
BOOK REVIEW
2009: What would you do if a mysterious man sat down beside you in the park and offered you a chance to travel in time? That is what happened to Vivienne Riley, a Ph.D. history student specializing in World War II. She accepts and is tasked with saving children in Germany prior to the war as part of an experiment to see if these children would have made a difference in the world. When she arrives in pre-war London in 1939, she meets handsome, kind RAF pilot Andrew Sheffield. As history begins to unfold and bombs begin to fall, Vivienne tries to help the war effort while desperately hoping for Andrew and herself to survive and stay together.
As I always say, in time travel stories, there must be a distinct method of travel, as well as rules set by the author. Although the method of time travel is not completely revealed in this book, it is made clear that it is advanced, secret technology and in the form of an object. The bearer of the object, Gunther, serves as a rather unlikable guide throughout. There is also a rule about death that is unique and interesting, as well as one forbidding involvement in the lives of others. This is mainly a story of how profoundly people can impact each other, and how even the smallest interaction can cause big changes. The ugliness of war is also explored, as Vivienne struggles while watching the events she has always studied in books come alive. This is a thoughtful, vivid portrayal of World War II London and Germany, and the impact one person can make on the world. Anyone interested in World War II history and time travel fiction will enjoy this novel.
My rating is 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 on sites with no partial star option.
I received a free copy of this book via The Historical Novel Society. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Melissa Kaplan lives in Washington, DC, where she works as a policy advocate on food security and hunger issues. She studied at the London School of Economics and Political Science, and holds a master’s degree in comparative politics with a focus on Europe. She has been a passionate student of history for her entire life, particularly the World War II era, which helped inspire her to write this book. Kaplan is also an avid traveler and has visited more than forty countries, enjoys yoga and barre classes, and is currently finishing her second novel.
*If you read the book, please leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, as well as anywhere else you review books. Some people feel very daunted by writing a review. Don’t worry. You do not have to write a masterpiece. Just a couple of lines about how the book made you feel will make the author’s day and help the book succeed. The more reviews a book has, the more Amazon will promote it.
*Please click on the WordPress “share” buttons below and share these books with your Twitter, Facebook, and WordPress followers. A little bit of assistance from all of us will help Indie authors go a long way!
A love match would not do. She would make an advantageous match—a brilliant match!
At the age of nineteen, Lady Dorothea Rowlandson was practically on the shelf. Had she not suffered her father, the earl’s, untimely death weeks before last year’s season, she would surely by now be a married lady—the established wife of an illustrious peer. With such a regrettable delay, time was ever more of the essence if she wished to secure her own future and that of her sisters.
Miles Shaw holds an encumbered estate. It is only logical, therefore, that he commence the London Season on the hunt for a well-dowered wife. His personal code of honor requires he be upfront about this goal, so that he deceives no one. And as he fully intends to love and cherish the wife of his choosing, he will naturally bring as much to the union as he receives. After all, he is a landed gentleman with no shortage of charm.
When chance forced Miles and Dorothea to partner one another for the first dance of the first crush of the season, Fortuna could only have been in a funning mood. To have fostered so unsuitable a connection was nothing short of absurd. For what could a peer of the realm’s daughter and a gentleman of no consequence, with his pockets to let, possibly have in common?
PRAISE FOR A BRILLIANT MATCH
“This book was an absolute delight and without a doubt belongs on the reading list of any fan of sweet regency romance!”— Merilee Loves to Read
“A creative and delightful historical romance, especially for lovers of a good P&P-type story!”— My Literary Love
INSTAGRAM GIVEAWAY
Author Jennie Goutet has generously offered one print or digital copy (winner’s choice) and a $25.00 Amazon gift card as a giveaway chance to one lucky winner.
FOLLOW me @BonnieReads777, Jennie Goutet @aladyinfrance, and @austenprose on Instagram.
COMMENT on my Instagram post sharing your favorite thing to bake during the holiday season and why.
TAG up to 5 friends in the comments. One additional entry per tag.
TERMS
Entrants must be US residents 18 years or older. The contest ends at 11:59pm Pacific Time, December 5, 2023. Void where prohibited. Not associated with Instagram or its affiliates, nor are they responsible for this giveaway. The winner will be chosen randomly from the entries and contacted by @austenprose as a direct message on December 6, 2023. Prize must be claimed by December 10, 2023. Please be aware of scam accounts!
Jennie Goutet is the best-selling author of twelve Regency romances, including the Clavering Chronicles, Memorable Proposals, and Daughters of the Gentry series. Her books have received first place in historical romance for the New England Reader’s Choice Awards and have hit the number one spot in Regency Romance on Amazon. They have been featured on BookBub and Hoopla and are translated into five languages.
An American-born Anglophile, Jennie lives with her French husband and their three children in a small town outside of Paris. Her imagination resides in Regency England, where her best-selling proper Regency romances are set.
You must be logged in to post a comment.