Uncover the Story Behind a One-Hundred-Year-Old Love Letter
Walk through Doors to the Past via a new series of historical stories of romance and adventure.
Clara Blackwell helps her mother manage a struggling one-hundred-year old family bookshop in Asheville, North Carolina, but the discovery of a forgotten letter opens a mystery of a long-lost romance and undiscovered inheritance which could save its future. Forced to step outside of her predictable world, Clara embarks on an adventure with only the name Oliver as a hint of the man’s identity in her great-great-grandmother’s letter. From the nearby grand estate of the Vanderbilts, to a hamlet in Derbyshire, England, Clara seeks to uncover truth about family and love that may lead to her own unexpected romance.
About Pepper Basham
Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor with a southern Appalachian flair. Her books have garnered recognition in the Grace Awards, Inpsys, and the ACFW Carol Awards, with The Thorn Healer selected as a 2018 finalist in the RT awards. Both her contemporary and historical romance novels consistently receive high ratings from Romantic Times, with Just the Way You Are as a Top Pick. Most recently she’s introduced readers to Bath, UK through her novellas, Second Impressions and Jane by the Book, and taken readers into the exciting world of WW2 espionage in her novella, Façade. The second novel in The Pleasant Gap series, When You Look at Me, arrives in October and her contribution to Barbour’s wonderful My Heart Belongs series hits the shelves in January 2019 with My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge. Her books are seasoned with her Appalachian heritage and love for family. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the mom of five great kids, a speech-pathologist to about fifty more, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus.
You can get to know Pepper on her website, http://www.pepperdbasham.com, on Facebook, Instagram, or over at her group blog, The Writer’s Alley.
My Review: 4 Stars!
‘Some dreams required hard work. Others require miracles.’
Pepper Basham brings us a poignant and powerfully told dual time slip novel in Hope Between the Pages. Set in WWI Asheville, we are treated to the wonderful Biltmore estate as most of the setting where servant Sadie Blackwell tends the magnificent Biltmore library and inadvertently becomes a library fairy to a visiting Englishman, also a book lover just as Sadie is.
‘In her beloved books, she knew the ending came with a happily-ever-after, for the most part. At least in the books she loved best.’
Present day finds Clara Blackwell owning a book shop passed down to her by her great grandmother Sadie. The discovery of a hundred year old letter has presented a great mystery. A mystery that involves Sadie greatly.
Any book lover, like myself, will adore this enchantingly rich story. Like a beautiful fairy tale, it weaves its magic into your heart and you find yourself weeping at the beautify of it. Highly recommended.
My thanks to the author and publisher for a copy of this book. I received no compensation and the opinion in this review is entirely my own.
Coming home isn’t always easy…in this novel from USA TODAY bestselling author Ruth Logan Herne.
Faced with a decades-old mistake,
can she find forgiveness?
After a fire devastates her hometown, Dr. Jess Bristol returns to save her mother’s clinic—and comes face-to-face with her high school sweetheart. Over twenty years ago, Jess helped put Shane Stone in jail…and later learned he was innocent. Now they must work together to restore their town. Though Shane has put his past behind him, can the adoptive single father forgive the woman he once loved?
From Harlequin Love Inspired: Uplifting stories of faith, forgiveness and hope.
Kendrick Creek
About Ruth Logan Herne
USA Today bestselling, award-winning author Ruth Logan Herne is the author of over 50 novels and novellas. She loves God, her family, country, coffee, chocolate and dogs, and wishes possums would leave the cat food on the side porch alone. And yet… they don’t. With over two million books in print, Ruthy is living her dream of touching hearts and souls by writing the kind of books she likes to read.
She lives on a pumpkin farm in Western New York where they grow all kinds of cool things for fall from sumptuous squashes and veggies to gorgeous stacking pumpkins. Ruthy’s farm is quickly becoming the place to be every September and October. Ruthy herself is in charge of the kitchen and her very own baked goods, jams and jellies are for sale. The farm gives Ruthy a chance to chat with real people… then turn them into fictional characters during the quiet of mid-winter, so be careful what you say!
She loves chatting with readers through her website blog http://ruthloganherne.com and hanging with readers and writers in Seekerville… http://www.seekerville.blogspot.com where coffee is always hot, fresh and good! She loves playing in the kitchen, too, with a wonderful group of regionally-inspired inspirational authors at the Yankee Belle Cafe http://www.yankeebellecafe.blogspot.com. On Goodreads, she’s (yes, you guessed it!) Ruth Logan Herne, and that’s how to find this prolific author on facebook, too!
My Rating: 5 Stars!
‘If I really trust God, I have to trust Him in all things. Not just the easy stuff. The hard stuff, too. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that second-guessing God is a fruitless act.’
Ruth Logan Herne once again brings us her heart in a wonderful story. Dr. Jess Bristol, ER doctor in New York City, returns to her hometown to help her doctor mother after a devastating fire hits the town in Tennessee. Then she comes square face to face with her high school sweetheart. The same one she sent to jail over 27 years ago. A crime for which he was innocent. They must now work together to rebuild the town. Shane believes the past belongs in the past, but can he forgive Jess for what she did to him?
The author has created a wonderful little town full of such sweet people. I wanted to jump in the book and visit the town myself! These people have suffered such great loss in this fire but they are holding onto hope and God. I’ve always felt that Ruth Logan Herne writes with heart and it’s totally evident here. And she does the best children characters ever! Truly she does. I connected with these characters right away and they dove into my heart. I loved every minute. I can’t for the next one set in Kendrick Creek. Well done!
My thanks to the author and publisher for a copy of this book. I received no compensation and the opinion here is all mine.
Publisher: Love Inspired Publication Date: April 1, 2021
Sophie Owens and Kevin Lane failed at love a long time ago, but when tragedy makes them guardians of their best friends’ children, they become coparents overnight. Both will do anything for the kids they promised to care for. But when a judge demands they must marry to keep them, a temporary engagement is their only option—causing old flames of lost love to flicker…
About Angel Moore Angel Moore fell in love with romance in elementary school when she read the story of Robin Hood and Maid Marian. A Harlequin novel, usually Betty Neels, accompanied her to school every day as a teen, where she’d finish all her schoolwork and escape to a happily-ever-after world.
The joy of Angel’s life is her family. Married to her best friend, she has two wonderful sons, a lovely daughter-in-law, and four grands. She loves sharing her faith and the hope she knows is real because of God’s goodness to her.
Imagine your best friend both perish in a terrible accident. That’s horrible, but then you are left guardians of their two children. With the man you broke up with ten years earlier. Then imagine that the family court judge demands that you must marry or lose the kids. What a dilemma! This is an emotional story of two people thrust into a situation where they are grieving their best friends while trying to keep those friends’ children out of foster care. They would do just about anything to keep the kids together. But will they marry to do that? Well written and worth the time to read, Angel Moore has a winner.
My thanks to the author and publisher for a copy of this book. The opinion here is my own.
Publisher: Love Inspired Publication Date: April 1, 2021
Can Captain Wyvern keep his new marriage of convenience all business–or will it turn into something more?
Captain Charles Wyvern owes a great debt to the man who saved his life–especially since Major Richardson lost his own life in the process. The best way to honor that hero’s dying wish is for Wyvern to escort the man’s grieving fiance and mother safely to a new cottage home by the sea. But along the way, he learns of another obligation that has fallen on his shoulders: his uncle has died and the captain is now the Earl of Rothwell.
When he and the ladies arrive at his new manor house in Devon, they discover an estate in need of a leader and a gaggle of girls, all wards of the former earl. War the new earl knows; young ladies and properties he does not. Still wishing to provide for the bereaved Lady Sophia Haverly, Charles proposes a marriage of convenience.
Sophie is surprised to find she isn’t opposed to the idea. It will help her care for her betrothed’s elderly mother, and she’s already fallen in love with the wayward girls on the Rothwell estate. This alliance is a chance to repay the captain who has done so much for her care, as well as divert her attention from her grief. When Wyvern returns to his sea commission, she’ll stay behind to oversee his property and wards.
It sounds so simple. Until the stalwart captain is arrested on suspicion of smuggling, and Sophie realizes how much he’s come to mean to her. Now she’ll have to learn to fight, not only for his freedom but also for his love.
Erica Vetsch is a New York Times best-selling and ACFW Carol Award–winning author. She is a transplanted Kansan now living in Minnesota with her husband, who she claims is both her total opposite and soul mate.
Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. When she’s not writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum and cheering on her Kansas Jayhawks and New Zealand All Blacks.
A self-described history geek, she has been planning her first research trip to England.
An Interview with Erica Vetsch, Author of The Indebted Earl
Erica Vetsch brings her much beloved Serendipity & Secrets series to a close with the highly anticipated release of The Indebted Earl (Kregel Publications). This latest installment tells the story of Lady Sophia Haverly, the free-spirited and energetic younger sister of Marcus Haverly readers will remember from The Gentleman Spy, and Captain Charles Wyvern, a longtime naval officer trying to find his footing on dry land. Q: The Indebted Earl is the final release in your Serendipity & Secrets series. Can you give us a recap of the series up to this point and introduce us to your new book? The Serendipity & Secrets series is three books about three men who come into titles unexpectedly and the women who capture their hearts. In The Lost Lieutenant, a soldier is granted an earldom as a reward for bravery on the field of battle . . . but he is suffering from partial amnesia and cannot remember what he did to earn the title. In The Gentleman Spy, the new Duke of Haverly is wrestling with keeping separate his public life as a duke of the realm and his secret life as a spy for the Crown. And in The Indebted Earl, a naval captain inherits a title and an estate, three young wards, and the care of his late best friend’s fiancé and mother, all while trying to get back to his life at sea. Three unexpected titles, three unexpected marriages, and three stories of secrets, love, and testing whether God is truly sovereign. Q: Both Lady Sophia Haverly and Captain Charles Wyvern feel a responsibility to care for someone that is left behind. From where does that sense of duty come? Lady Sophia’s care of her fiancé’s mother is born out of her love for him. She was also instilled from birth with the social customs of noblesse oblige. As a woman of noble birth, she has an obligation to live up to that nobility by behaving nobly. While her fiancé is at war, he has entrusted her with the care and companionship of his mother, Lady Richardson. Sophie is delighted with the responsibility, because it allows her to demonstrate her love, and it gives her a bit of freedom that living in her older brother’s household would not afford. Captain Wyvern naturally shoulders responsibility for his ship and his crew. As the leader, everyone under his command is also under his care. This responsibility extends to the dependents of his crew, including the fiancée of his late best friend. Charles feels he bears the blame for his friend’s death, and he must attempt to make some sort of amends. His natural leadership abilities cause him to throw his mantel of responsibility over Lady Sophia, Lady Richardson, the three waifs who wash up on his shore, and the estate and community he’s inherited. Q: What is Sophie struggling with spiritually in The Indebted Earl? Is Charles facing something similar? Sophie struggles with the idea that God is both good and sovereign. It’s easy to accept one or the other, but both? How can God be good when He’s taken her beloved fiancé away? How can He be sovereign when bad things happen? How can she trust in His plan when it seems everything is spinning out of control? Charles’s struggle is similar in that he is all about control, about ordering his life according to his plan, but with the cessation of war, he is on the beach without a command. And he’s carrying a tremendous weight of guilt over the death of Major Richardson. Did God make a mistake, having Rich die in his place? What Charles wants—to continue his naval career—is both noble and reasonable. Why won’t God make it happen? Both Sophie and Charles are learning to trust in the sovereignty and goodness of God’s plans, and realizing that His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are higher than ours. Q: Marcus tries to get Sophie to come back to Haverly Manor with him after her fiancé dies. Would a single woman in her situation during the Regency period have the choice to live on her own? It would be difficult for an unmarried woman in the Regency era to live on her own. Though Sophie had the financial means to live independently, it would have been considered improper for her to live alone. However, for her to continue to live with Lady Richardson, as her companion and friend, was entirely proper.
Though Marcus is acting out of an abundance of compassion and brotherly concern, Sophie is reluctant to return to his home. She’s reluctant to give up the freedom she’s gained, as well as reluctant to live in a house where everyone will be watching her grieve. She wants to remain at Primrose Cottage with Lady Richardson. Q: How does the Captain find himself becoming Earl Rothwell? Is he eager to adapt to the new role? Charles’s parents were estranged from his family before he was born, and there was an heir closer in line to the earldom than he, so he never expected to inherit the title. But when his cousin, the heir, is revealed to be a traitor to the Crown and is killed, Charles is next in line. He’s never met his uncle, the old earl, and his uncle has never shown the slightest interest in his nephew. Charles has made a fine career for himself in the Royal Navy, and though the war has ended and many ship captains are without commands and looking for work, Charles is determined to continue a life on the sea. He knows nothing about managing an estate and cannot even ride a horse, having gone to sea as a child. He is a reluctant peer, but his life aboard ship has equipped him in some nonobvious ways to be at the helm of an estate. Q: Can you give us a quick lesson in peerage and the hierarchy of society during this time period?
There are five ranks of nonroyal peerage in Britain: duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron, in descending order of rank. Most titles were entailed, meaning they passed from father to son, or to the next closest male in the lineage. Often a peer would also hold subsidiary titles at the same time, and his heir would be given use of one of the lesser titles as a courtesy. For example, an earl may also hold the subsidiary title of viscount, and while the earl is alive, his son would use the lesser title of viscount until he came into his inheritance. The British aristocracy during the Regency period was quite small compared to the entire population of England. The government was divided into the House of Lords (where one must be a member of the peerage to have a seat) and the House of Commons, which was open to any elected official. Land was most often owned by members of the peerage. As the Industrial Revolution gained momentum, more and more commoners became wealthy, which caused some friction. As the wealth of a member of the peerage declined, they might look outside their exclusive set to marry some of that new money.
Q: All of your leading men in the series end up with titles and responsibilities they weren’t expecting. Within moments of arriving at his new home, Charles’s new responsibilities multiply. Can you tell us about the surprise he receives? Charles finds himself as the guardian to three young girls, sisters who were born on the estate. His uncle, the previous earl, had, for reasons of his own, taken on the orphaned girls as his wards and paid for them to go to boarding school. But at his death, the girls were returned to the estate. The eldest is nearing womanhood and is a romantic, eager to fall in love and bewildering to Charles. The second is a daredevil, tomboy, and adventuress in whom Charles sees glimpses of his younger self. And the third is a girl barely six summers old, who is fascinated by Charles and imitates him at every turn. He’s not certain which of the girls scares him most, and as a collective, they have that crusty old sea captain shaking in his boots. Q: Charles is comfortable leading a ship full of men but finds himself in a house full of women. Does the very stern military officer become a softy? As a captain in the Royal Navy, Charles has been trained to show no softness, no weakness. Conditions were harsh aboard ship, discipline strict, and the dangers of nonconformity very real. In addition, he’s not spent much time around women in general and none at all around girls. He mistrusts their giggling, crying, emotion, and, above all, what he sees as their lack of discipline. But as he is exposed to them and their bewildering array of emotions, they each in their own way begin to break down those walls of sternness and discipline, teaching him that kindness and love will not make him vulnerable but, instead, make him stronger than he’s ever been. Q: Charles ends up proposing a marriage of convenience. What are the benefits of the arrangement for each of them? Charles’s reasoning is threefold. If he marries Sophie, he can begin to pay some of the debt he believes he owes to her because of her fiancé’s death. He feels responsible for her grief, and if he can take on the responsibility of being her husband in name only, he can see that she is properly cared for. In addition, he would have someone who was properly trained to run an estate
house, taking care of his property while he returns to his life at sea. And, finally, it would solve the problem of what to do with the girls. Rather than being sent to an orphanage, which he isn’t comfortable with, or back to another boarding school, which the girls don’t want, they would be able to stay on the estate under Sophie’s care. It all makes perfect sense to him. For Sophie, marrying Charles would mean she was the one in charge of settling her future, not her matchmaking mama, who intends to find her a husband as soon as it is respectable to do so. It would mean she could maintain the freedom she so dearly loves, she could continue to care for Lady Richardson, who is in the early stages of dementia, and she could keep the girls, whom she has come to dearly love. Though her heart will always belong to Baron Richardson, marrying Captain Wyvern would give her much in the way of stability and freedom. Q: Something doesn’t seem quite right with the staff at Gateshead and the surrounding village. What does Charles pick up on? What trouble does he find himself in? Charles encounters inconsistencies in the behavior of those on the estate and in the nearby town. The town is more prosperous than he anticipated, people have possessions he didn’t expect, and there are signs that something is amiss. His steward has little talent in organization and leadership, and the accounts are a tangle. Much blame is put on the previous earl’s eccentricities, but is that enough to explain what’s going on? What he suspects is that he’s stumbled across a smuggling ring. With an estate on the coast, bringing in contraband goods by sea was too easy for the inhabitants to resist. England had been at war with France for many long years, and no French goods were to be imported. However, there were those willing to risk the consequences and bring merchandise into the country illegally. When Charles vows to act on his suspicions, he finds himself under arrest! Q: Captain Wyvern and Lieutenant Evan Eldridge (from The Lost Lieutenant) fought in the Peninsular War. Did you need to do a lot of research on the war and specifically on the different branches of the British military for the series? There was definitely some research involved, as there always is when writing historical fiction. I first had to ground myself in the basics of the Napoleonic Wars, who were the major players, where did the major battles take place, and what was the general timeline. Fortunately, there are many resources available. I wanted Evan Eldridge to be a sharpshooter from the 95th Rifles, so I needed to pick a battle in which the 95th was involved and study the terrain, the battle lines, and the tactics in order to recreate it in his mind. There was also a bit of study into the medical treatments of the day and what they did with men who were suffering what we now know as PTSD, but at the time they knew even less about it. The Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars was a completely different animal to the land battles of the Peninsular War. The jargon is so specific: the ships, the ranks, the rigging, the battle tactics. I was able to immerse myself in the work of Patrick O’Brian. I was able to find a book called Nelson’s Navy by Brian Lavery that gave wonderful overviews of life aboard a naval vessel. Research both solidifies and uncovers new story lines for me. I get lots of inspiration and ideas from research, learning about a particular era or battle or place and then asking those what-if questions that lead to building a story. Q: Last year you had your first research trip to England planned that, of course, got postponed. Are you planning an even bigger and better trip for the future? I am! Though nothing is set just yet, I am planning to get to England. My list of must-see places continues to grow at an alarming rate. Hopefully, with the pandemic reducing in severity, world travel will again become an option for more people, and I will be winging my way to England to experience all the places I now read about. Included on my itinerary are some places that are found in the Serendipity & Secrets series: Hatchards bookstore, Hyde Park, Oxfordshire, and Portsmouth to name only a few. And hopefully a few places that will inspire new stories. Q: Will you be sad to let this trilogy—your first Regency series—go? What can readers look forward to next? There’s such a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction in seeing this series completed, but to answer your question . . . YES! I am so reluctant to let these stories and characters go that I’m bringing some of them back in my new series, the Thorndike & Swann Regency Mysteries! The first book, The Debutante’s Code, should arrive in the fall of 2021 and features Lady Juliette Thorndike and Bow Street Runner Daniel Swann in a fast-paced tale of intrigue, espionage, and art thievery! Q: Where can Regency fans go to interact and talk about books on Facebook?
I am thrilled that we have a place on Facebook to discuss all things inspirational Regency romance. There is a lively and growing community of readers that can be found at https://www.facebook.com/groups/2568745689914759. We have contests, giveaways, polls, notices of sales, reviews, and much more, and we’re always welcoming new members.
My Rating: 5 Stars!
I had so been looking forward to this last book in Erica Vetsch’s ‘Serendipity and Secrets’ series! Vetsch absolutely excels at this genre. I totally lose myself in her stories.
Captain Charles Wyvern is completely shocked to return from war to find himself the new Earl Rothwell, owner of a large estate and, it seems, guardian to three young girls. Then there’s that marriage of convenience to Sophia Haverly. Ack!
It was great to see old friends from the previous book and to meet new ones. I do enjoy a good Regency and as I stated earlier, Erica Vetsch has mastered the art of telling a good Regency story. Well done!!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Kregel Publishers. I was not compensated and the opinion in this review is my own.
Deirdre Mackenzie has spent her life hiding from her father and hating the English. However, when she is caught stealing from an English laird, his unexpected kindness begins to melt away her hatred and strums lonely heartstrings longing for love. Bryce Warwick discovers the “boy” caught with his livestock is actually a young woman. After several attempts to lure the truth from her, he determines she is as deceitful as his late fiancée who nearly cost him his life. But the woman is the least of his worries with the turbulence brought on by threats of another border war and by King Richard’s distrust of the nobles. With old wounds in need of healing and adversaries who would ruin their chances at true love, both must learn to trust in a way they never knew possible. The stakes are high, secrets prevail, and treason is just a kiss away.
About Debbie Lynne Costello Debbie Lynne Costello has enjoyed writing stories since she was eight years old. She raised her family and then embarked on her own career of writing the stories that had been begging to be told. She and her husband have four children and live in upstate South Carolina. She has worked in many capacities in her church and is currently the Children’s Director. She loves the Lord and hopes people will be uplifted and inspired by her writing. Debbie Lynne has shown and raised Shetland Sheepdogs for eighteen years and still enjoys litters now and then. In their spare time, she and her husband take pleasure in camping and riding their Arabian and Tennessee Walking horses.My Review: 4 Stars!
‘It was a frightening thing to leave everything in God’s hands.’
I absolutely love a tale set in medieval times and Debbie Lynne Costello has done this one well. She has populated her story with wonderful, believable characters and a plot that had me boning up on my British history! Set during the reign of King Richard II, and then some, Costello keeps her readers on the edge of their seats as we watch the border fractions and the cutthroat actions common during that time period.
‘Did God really put evil men in high places to rule over innocent people?’
I love it when an author writes in such a way that I feel connected to their characters and I did here. Very well. Even secondary characters. And pets, one a very unusual one, but you’ll have to read the book to find out how unusual. Well done! Highly recommended.
My thanks to the publisher and author for a copy of this book. I was not compensated and the opinion in this review is my own.
Debbie Lynne has graciously shared some of her research with us on the blog. I love history, and I actually looked some things up during the reading of this book. Don’t forget to read to the end of the blog for a chance to win one of Debbie Lynne’s books. Thanks for being with me today, Debbie Lynne. Tell us about your research, please.
I enjoyed the research side of Sword of Trust. But I will say some things were pretty hard to find. Thankfully, I have made a sweet friend in England who answered many a question I could not find the answer to here in the states. Research is a lot of work, but it adds so much depth to a story. One of the things I researched while writing Sword of Trust was the Lord Appellants. You will read that name frequently as Bryce, Michael, Royce and some of Bryce’s are talking. Here’s a little background on what the men were talking about and why they no longer trusted their king.
Richard was a young king and his trouble with the Lord Appellants built up over the years until it came to a head in 1387, at which time King Richard would have been twenty years old. The tensions began when Richard surrounded himself with young men. They became his favorites and he bestowed titles and offices on his friends. The Lord Appellants did not approve. The Appellants became more and more disgruntled. In November of 1387 Arundel, Warwick and Gloucester brought accusations of an appeal of treason against the king’s favorites. It was about a month later Derby and Nottingham joined them. These men today are today called the Lord Appellants. Henry Bolingbrook and Thomas de Mowbray would eventually join them.
A brief military battle incurred between the Appellants and an army led by the king’s favorite, Robert de Vere. The result was a humiliation of the king and his eight closet friends, including his former tutor, were executed. De Vere and two others escaped by fleeing the country. A total of forty men and women were dismissed from court. Several years later, Richard regained his power on the throne but harbored resentment. He bided his time and when ten years had passed and he was much stronger with his French alliance, Richard moved to exact his revenge.
He had Gloucester, Arundel and Warwick arrested and condemned as traitors. Gloucester was murdered while in captivity in Calais and is believed to have been killed on Richard’s orders. Arundel was beheaded and Warwick was imprisoned on the Isle of Man, and lost his title and lands. Bolingbrook and Mowbray were exiled.
Richard’s greed was his undoing. He liked to take campaigns to Ireland but that was expensive and the nobles were drained. When Richard’s uncle, and Henry Bolingbrook’s father, John of Gaunt died, Richard couldn’t take his mind off his uncle’s wealth. He decided to banish Henry permanently and confiscate John of Gaunt’s lands and possessions. But his plan back-fired and instead it brought Henry back to England to claim not only his father’s land but also the crown while Richard was across the sea.
Debbie Lynne has been gracious enough to offer a digital copy of any of her books, winner’s choice. To enter the giveaway, please comment on the blog post with: your name, and which book you’d like.
The contest will run through March 30th. I will choose a winner and email them and they will have 24 hours to respond. If not, I will choose another. Please be SURE to let me know which title of Debbie Lynne’s you’d like to win.
Housekeeper-slash-entrepreneur Ella Bradley prides herself on being ready for anything. After all, with a father who died—and lied to her—and a stepmom and stepsister who despise her, she has no one else to depend on. But on the biggest night of her life, she’s unprepared to be trapped in an elevator with the man of her dreams.
He doesn’t mean to lie…
Wealthy prince-to-a-fortune Adrian Vassos wants nothing more than to shed his reputation as a party boy and prove that he is a savvy businessman. Even, a gentleman. But when he’s trapped with a woman who knows his reputation but not his face, he gives into the temptation to be someone else—and lies.
A disastrous beginning leads to a fresh start…
When serendipity brings them together again—this time to work off community service—can their combined sentences spark a new ending? Maybe…if Adrian’s lies don’t find him out. Again.
The magic of Deep Haven enchants in this modern-day Cinderella story.
About the Authors:
Susan May Warren is the USA Today best-selling novelist of 80 books. With more than 1.5 million books in print, she is beloved by reviewers and readers around the world. Visit Susan at http://www.susanmaywarren.com.
Andrea Christenson lives in Minneapolis with her husband and two daughters. When she is not busy homeschooling her girls, she loves to read anything she can get her hands on, bake bread, eat cheese, and watch Netflix. Andrea’s prayer is to write stories revealing God’s love. Visit Andrea at http://www.andreachristenson.com.
My Rating: 4 Stars!
‘I wish I had someone like that, someone to be my safe place.’
When housekeeper Ella Bradley is stuck in an elevator with wealthy playboy Adrian Vassos, she isn’t aware of his true identity. Adrian sees Ella doesn’t know who he is, so he lies about himself, allowing Ella to think he is someone else. Then a strange happenstance brings them together in Deep Haven to do community service. How will his lie play out now? How will this situation play out? Especially now that both have feelings for the other.
Return to the wonderful little town of Deep Haven, MN created by Susan May Warren years ago. It’s a precious and special place and it was so much fun to connect with old friends who live there and have been featured in previous books of Warren’s.
Andrea Christenson has added to the Deep Haven Collection series with a wonderful and well written book that is just a delight. She gives us characters that are so well fleshed out they seem real. That is a big deal to me when I read a book. I need to connect with characters and I did here! Well done! Recommended.
My thanks to the publisher and author for a copy of this book. I received no compensation and the opinion in this review is completely my own.
Publisher: Sunrise Publishing Publication Date: March 16, 2021
Just as Homeland Security Agent Addison Leigh reaches the pinnacle of her cyber investigation into a firearms smuggling ring, she’s attacked and left for dead. Her estranged husband, ICE Agent Mack Jordan, is notified that she’s at the hospital in a coma. He may have let his past military trauma ruin their short marriage, but she never gave up on their relationship, and he remains her next of kin.
Mack rushes to her bedside, where he promises to hunt down the man who attacked her. Mack failed her once when he bailed on their marriage, and he’s not about to let her down again. But when she wakes up in the hospital, she remembers neither the attack nor ever being married to Mack. And when a second attempt to take her life is made, it’s clear something very sinister is going on, and Mack and Addison are in for the ride of their lives.
About Susan Sleeman
SUSAN SLEEMAN is the bestselling author of over forty romantic suspense novels with more than one million books sold. She writes romantic suspense novels that are clean with inspiring messages of faith. Readers love her series for the well-drawn characters and edge-of-your-seat action. She graduated from the FBI and local police citizen academies, so her research is spot-on and her characters are real. In addition to writing, Susan also hosts TheSuspenseZone.com. She has lived in nine states but now calls Oregon home. Her husband is a retired church music director, and they have two beautiful daughters, a very special son-in-law, and an adorable grandson. To learn more about Susan’s books sign up for her monthly email that includes exclusive excerpts, giveaways, and other goodies. http://www.susansleeman.com/susans-newsletter/
‘His worse fear could very well play out in slow motion.’
Susan Sleeman brings her Homeland Heroes series to a close with this riveting third book and it’s guaranteed to make your heart pound with excitement. Homeland Security Agent Addison Leigh is attacked and when her estranged husband, ICE Agent Mack Jordan is notified that she is in a coma, he rushes to her side. He allowed his past military PTSD to end their short marriage, but he has never stopped loving her. But Mack is stunned when he arrives at the hospital only to learn that Addy has no memory of their marriage. A second attempt on Addison’s life soon plays out and Mack is determined to protect his wife at all costs.
Susan Sleeman is my go-to for inspirational suspense. She is always at the top of her game and never fails to ratchet up the suspense and give the reader a thrilling ride to a powerfully exciting conclusion. One thing I love about her books is the realness of each. She does her homework and her research is incredible. She always includes the nitty gritty of her professionals and their work, and readers learn so much about the subjects of her novels. I love that! She goes to great lengths to make sure we have the truth of her research. I know I am in for a fast-paced, adrenaline-laced thrilling ride when I read a Sleeman novel. I loved it! Highly recommended.
My thanks to Bethany House Publishers for a copy of this book via Net Galley. I received no compensation and the opinion in this review is entirely my own.
Publisher: Bethany House Publication Date: March 16, 2021 Genre: Inspirational Romantic Suspense Length: 336 Pages
Willow Dupré never thought she would have to marry, but with her father’s unexpected retirement from running the prosperous Dupré sugar refinery, she is forced into a different future. The shareholders are unwilling to allow a female to take over the company without a man at her side, so her parents devise a plan–find Willow a spokesman king in order for her to become queen of the business empire.
Willow is presented with thirty potential suitors from the families of New York society’s elite group called the Four Hundred. She has six months to court the group and is told to to eliminate men each month to narrow her beaus until she chooses one to marry, ending the competition with a wedding. Willow reluctantly agrees, knowing she must do what is best for the business. She doesn’t expect to find anything other than a proxy . . . until she meets a gentleman who captures her attention, and she must discover for herself if his motives are pure.
About Grace Hitchcock
Grace Hitchcock is the author of multiple historical novels and novellas. She holds a Masters in Creative Writing and a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in History. Grace lives in Baton Rouge with her husband, Dakota, and son. Connect with her online at GraceHitchcock.com.
My Rating: 4 Stars!
Welcome to the Gilded Age’s version of the Bachelorette. Willow Dupre has six months to choose a husband from the thirty men her parents have picked out for her. Otherwise, she may not get to run her father’s sugar company. Willow feels she should be allowed to run the company without the aid of a husband; however, the board members think differently.
So begins Willow’s search for a husband. I was glad to see some of these dudes eliminated and pull for my choice. I also enjoyed the bits of humor inserted within the story. Sweet story.
My thanks to Bethany House Publishers for a copy of this book. I received no compensation and the opinion in this review is my own.
Publisher: Bethany House Publication Date: March 2, 2021 Genre: Historical Inspirational Length: 361 pages Buy Link: https://tinyurl.com/2kywu3by
A young girl, kidnapped on the eve of World War II, changes the lives of a German archaeologist forced into the Nazi Party and—decades later—a researcher trying to overcome her own trauma. 1940. Hanna Tillich cherishes her work as an archaeologist for the Third Reich, searching for the Holy Grail and other artifacts to bolster evidence of a master Aryan race. But when she is reassigned to work as a museum curator in Nuremberg, then forced to marry an SS officer and adopt a young girl, Hanna begins to see behind the Nazi facade. A prayer labyrinth becomes a storehouse for Hanna’s secrets, but as she comes to love Lilly as her own daughter, she fears that what she’s hiding—and what she begins to uncover—could put them both in mortal danger.
Eighty years later, Ember Ellis is a Holocaust researcher intent on confronting hatred toward the Jewish people and other minorities. She reconnects with a former teacher on Martha’s Vineyard after she learns that Mrs. Kiehl’s mother once worked with the Nazi Ahnenerbe. And yet, Mrs. Kiehl describes her mother as “a friend to the Jewish people.” Wondering how both could be true, Ember helps Mrs. Kiehl regain her fractured childhood memories of World War II while at the same time confronting the heartache of her own secret past—and the person who wants to silence Ember forever.
About Melanie Dobson Writing fiction is Melanie Dobson’s excuse to explore abandoned houses, travel to unique places, and spend hours reading old books and journals. The award-winning author of more than twenty novels, Melanie enjoys stitching together both time-slip and historical stories including Memories of Glass, Hidden Among the Stars, Catching the Wind, and the Legacy of Love novels. Five of her novels have received a Carol Award for historical fiction, Catching the Wind’s audiobook won the 2018 Audie for Inspirational Novel, and The Black Cloister was ForeWord’s Book of the Year for Religious Fiction. Her next time-slip novel, The Curator’s Daughter, comes out in 2021.
Melanie and her husband, Jon, have two daughters. After moving numerous times with Jon’s work, the Dobson family has finally settled near Portland, Oregon, and they love to travel and hike in both the mountains and the cliffs above the Pacific. When Melanie isn’t writing, she enjoys exploring ghost towns and dusty back roads, dancing, and reading stories with her girls.
More information about Melanie and her books is available at her website (www.melaniedobson.com), or at either of the following social media platforms:
Sometimes you finish a book and you just sit there, unable to allow anything else to penetrate your mind. Because that book was so compellingly powerful.
Melanie Dobson brings readers a time slip novel set in WWII and the present that carries numerous mysteries that propel the reader forward. I was completely caught up in this story and felt every heartache these characters faced. And their joy at times.
Set in Nuremberg in the 1940s and in the eastern US in the present, this story will resound in my mind and heart for a long time.
‘Words will never penetrate a hardened heart.’
Dobson does a masterful job of unraveling long-buried mysteries and secrets, probing the depths of her characters’ hearts and portraying vividly one of the most horrific times in history. I do not exaggerate when I say I was captivated throughout. Absolutely outstanding, this one will be on my top reads for the year. Well done!
My thanks to Tyndale House Publishing for a copy of this book via Net Galley. I received no compensation and the thoughts in this review are expressly my own.
Publisher: Tyndale House Publication Date: March 9, 2021
They’ve been stripped of everything but a refurbished bus and each other. And it may be the best thing that’s ever happened to them.
Jacob Murphy always felt like the invisible brother, until he fell in love with and married the woman who’d dated his younger brother. Then he became the despised brother. Driven to prove himself worthy of respect, he gambled everything on becoming the successful brother, but with his property speculation business falling apart, he’s ready to admit defeat. He’s lost nearly every worldly good, and after years of disappointments and heartache, it looks like his marriage is about to go the same way.
Kate Murphy lied her way out of life in a trailer park—a life she felt both trapped in and ashamed of. Only Jacob knows the truth about her background. But keeping up appearances has strangled her life and relationships, and even her marriage is troubled. In desperation, she makes a plan to escape from it all—ironically, in a skoolie. But there’s still a tender place in her heart for the man she married, and in a moment of compassion, she offers to take Jacob with her.
Stripped of pride and pretension and struggling to adjust to their new 160-square-foot mobile lifestyle, Jacob and Kate are forced to confront the deception, hurt, and loneliness that have plagued them both. Will their strained circumstances be the death knell for their marriage, or will they allow humility to usher in the healing they need to rebuild?
This Life is a tender love story of second chances in marriage, of romance, and of redemption.
About Jennifer Rodewald
Jennifer Rodewald/J. Rodes lives on the wide plains somewhere near the middle of Nowhere. A coffee addict, pickleball enthusiast, and storyteller, she also wears the hats of mom, teacher, and friend. Mostly, she loves Jesus and wants to see others fall in love with Him too.
Oh, please, may I give 10 stars? Because this book deserves it. I have never been disappointed in a Jennifer Rodewald book. Everything she writes is tremendous. This Murphy Brothers series has been so amazing. But I must say that I did not like Jacob and Kate when they made appearances in the previous four Murphy Brothers books. Not even a little bit.
Then the author tells their story–a story that is so painful it had me weeping in more than one place–and worshiping, too. Jacob and Kate have had problems before, and heartaches to be sure, but now they have been stripped of everything, absolutely everything. Because sometimes God must take all that we put before Him. They thought their life was good, but oh, how they missed that mark. And deep down inside, they knew it. They had a lot, but happiness eluded them.
Rodewald takes us to deeply into the hearts of these two and their pain, that at times it hurts to even read it. But oh, what a story of God’s grace, love and redemption. Nothing is out of His care. He SEES us! This one will be a definite re-read in the future and will hold pride of place on my shelves. it just about did me in. Bravo!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I received no compensation. The opinion in this review is expressly my own.
Publisher: Rooted Publishing Publication Date: March 9,2021 Length: 226 pages
Simply Susan 