Reviewing: Behind Love's Wall (Doors to the Past) by Carrie Fancett Pagels

 ...from the publisher...

Two successful women, a hundred-and-twenty-years apart, build walls to protect their hearts. Modern-day Willa, a successful interior decorator, is chosen to go to Mackinac Island and consult for the Grand Hotel’s possible redesign. During work on a room, she discovers a journal detailing the struggles of a young woman, Lily—which reveals dark secrets. The renowned singer wasn’t who she pretended to be.
 
As Willa reaches out to Lily’s descendant, a charismatic and prominent landscape artist, she lets down her guard. Should she share the journal with him—revealing hidden history—or once again erect a wall as she struggles to redesign both the Grand and her life?

...my thoughts...

Behind Love' Wall is a book where the past comes alive because of Lily's journal and the curiosity of modern day Willa, who unwittingly found her diary. The very woman who is the subject of a recent newspaper article Willa casually picked up on a ferry ride to the island. There are some parallels between the two women, each searching for clarity in their lives.  I liked the mystery both women bring to the story.  This is more than a romantic story that brings readers of Carrie's books back to Mackinac. It is a true mystery and it is not until that end that the answers truly unfold.  

I also like how the author weaves in characters from earlier books with their descendants in this time split story. I have read several of Carrie's books and it was interesting to see how she wove these characters and their talents to span generations.  It is like looking at genealogy and learning of talents shared with a great grandparent.  The setting at the Grand Hotel, rich with history is an invitation to travel across on the ferry and enjoy the sights of this well researched book. 

I hope there will be more stories coming up set in this area of our country that is so rich with stories to be shared.
 

Just In Time: The Fruitcake Challenge Now Available in Audiobook Format!

...from the publisher...

When new lumberjack Tom Jeffries tells the camp cook, Jo Christy, that he’ll marry her if she can make a fruitcake “as good as the one my mother makes”, she rises to the occasion. After all, he’s the handsomest, smartest, and strongest axman her camp-boss father has ever had

in his camp - and the cockiest. And she intends to bring this lumberjack down a notch or three by refusing his proposal. The fruitcake wars are on! All the shanty boys and Jo’s cooking helpers chip in with their recipes, but Jo finds she’ll have to enlist more help - and begins corresponding with Tom’s mother. 

Step back in time to 1890, in beautiful Northern Michigan, near the sapphire straits of Mackinac, when the white pines were “white gold” and lumber camps were a way of life. Jo is ready to find another life outside of the camps and plans that don’t include any shanty boys. But will a lumberjack keep her in the very place she’s sworn to leave?

...my thoughts...

 I enjoy reading historical fiction and stumbled upon the Lumberjack Ball by Carrie Fancett Pagels several years ago.  I have enjoyed several of her other books, mainly set in the late 1800's in Michigan. When the opportunity from the author to read The Fruitcake Challenge in audiobook format I jumped at the chance. Audiobooks are not a replacement for the written word for me, but an addition to print copies.

The Fruitcake Challenge is the first book in the Christy Lumberjack Series.  Imagine being a woman living in a camp full of lonely lumberjacks. Women are scarce and you are likely to be proposed to on a regular basis.  Lucky for Jo, our heroine, she has two burly, protective brothers. No man would dare to bother Jo, until Tom Jeffries.  Confident, good looking and full of himself, his first impression on Jo was anything but impressive.  Until he issues his fruitcake challenge, that is.  Still grieving at the recent loss of her mother, she is weary of the camp, the men and would love nothing better than her independence. I enjoyed the banter between Jo and Tom in the kitchen with the other cooks.  I felt like I could have sat down on a bench and had a cup of coffee and fruitcake with everyone.

This audiobook is narrated by Virginia Gray.  She did a nice job on both women and men characters, not an easy task. I hope to listen to more books narrated by her in the future.  

Novellas are quick but shouldn't be overlooked.  This one is entertaining, and with the fruitcake theme, it reminded me of my own mother making her grandmother's fruitcake every year for Christmas. 

 

 

9 Sweet Novellas to Warm Your Christmas Sprits....9 Authors to Tell Their Tales

The Victorian Christmas Brides Collection

from the publisher...

Faced with the daily extremes of gluttony and want in the Victorian Era, nine women seek to create the perfect Christmas celebrations. But will expectations and pride cause them to overlook imperfect men who offer true love? 

   

...my thoughts...

This collection of novellas just in time for the Christmas reading list is perfect for the reader who loves to read but feels they don't have time for a complete book.  Each story is just enough to tempt the senses yet complete in the telling.  Many dream of the simpler times in Queen Victoria's day yet enjoy the trappings of modern times with central heat and a handy grocer.  Yet these stories beckon and like Dickens, will hook you in once you begin.  I recommend you brew a pot of tea for your afternoon leisure or pour a glass of sherry to sip by the fire of an evening.  

Paper Snowflake Christmas by Vanessa Riley

1837 Framlingham, England

 An uncle comes to claim his new ward at Christmas but has to face Child's mother married his late brother years before, leaving him with a broken heart....

  

 One Golden Ring by C.J. Chase

 1855 Devonshire, England   

 How can a man face the woman who jilted him with no explanation five year ago? Can she face him with her altered status without showing her true feelings?  Love isn't always perfect yet it can remain true even under the most tying times.  

  

Love  Brick  by  Brick by Kathleen L. Maher
1857Elmira, New York
A wealthy man is rebuilding his English estate in America where his mother is regaining her health in a special clinic.  He is falling for a beautiful young woman pursuing a medical degree but whether he will still want to see her when he discovers she is an orphan is not so certain. 

The Sugarplum Ladies by Carrie Fancett Pagels

An engagement announced in the paper is as good as a formal arrangement. Set in Detroit and Ontario, this story opens when a young woman nearing the end of her prime is being tricked into an engagement to a man who is not what he appears to be.  Reading about her "engagement" in the newspaper, she seeks counsel from her attorney to dissolve this scandal only to meet a handsome barrister from Ontario.  In a series of comical events, they are drawn together for a purpose neither had planned for but with aplomb resolve to a mutual plan...but the results are nothing they could have planned. A fun story that will tickle your humor.  Enjoy the possibilities a do-gooder woman can have with the help of her little Sugarplum ladies to help save the day!
 
Star of Wonder by Susanne Dietze
1875 County Durham, EnglandArranged marriages, diamond necklaces and conditions that this has to happen on this date at this time is enough for any couple to digest.  While both want to please their parents, they would rather marry for love.  When plans fall apart, can they truly find something better than their parents had?

A Christmas Promise by Gabrielle Meyer

1899 Cambridgeshire,England.

When Ashleigh Pendleton and Christopher Campbell met the first time, they were young. They also had a tremendous dislike for each other.  Imagine their shock when they find out that their late mothers signed a contract for the pair to marry.  The mothers had a long-lasting friendship and thought this marriage would be a blessing for all. They have until Christmas Eve to become engaged to someone else or the engagement stands!  I enjoyed this match-up!  The long guest list for the house party, complete with a handsome suitor to foil Christopher and competition in an old fried for Ashleigh

Father Christmas by Lorna Seilstad

 Chicago, Christmas 1880

Widowed harpist Beatrix Kent succumbs daily to the guilt his unforgiving mother-in-law dishes up every day at tea. A piano teacher, she devotes the remainder of her time to her students, hoping to forget the death of her husband.  Hugo Sherman, the father of one of her students would love to hear her perform and with a few obstacles he strives to make it happen. Along the way, the inevitable happens as Christmas arrives and hearts have the possibility to become whole...

The Perfect Christmas by Erica Vetsch
1880s London
Melisande Verity is a lovely young woman who runs the chocolate counter at Garamonds, the exclusive department in London.  Every year at Christmas there is a contest to choose who will design the windows. The town has an annual contest among the shop and Garamonds has never won. She has worked hard on a special design.  Every year the same man has been chosen and this year she hopes her design is chosen. In the history of the store that honor has always gone to a man...and it wouldn't be a good Christmas story if she didn't get the chance to use her designs and manage the project.  With the reluctant help of Gray Garamond, the grandson of the Mr. Garamond, she embarks on a challenge that will not only challenge her talents, but also the world view of a handsome young man bent on changing the way things are done...delightful story.

  

 A Christmas Vow by Gabrielle Meyer

London, England, Christmas 1899


Lady Ashleigh Pendleton is hosting a houseful of guests for Christmas when railroad executive Christopher Campbell unexpectedly arrives from America with a mysterious agreement signed by their fathers before their birth.

The Holly and the Ivy by Rita Gerlach
1900. Small town along the Potomac near Washington DC
Lily Morningstar and British antiquities expert Andrew Stapleton, meet at last after a lecture she attended. In a bold move, she invited him to supper to see some letters written by a naval officer to his wife. Upon discovering who the man was they also found something more for each other.

Historical Romance Set on the Shirley Plantation!

• By: Carrie Fancett Pagels
• Narrated by: Cecily White
• Length: 2 hrs and 34 mins
• Unabridged Audiobook
• Release date: 06-11-18

Good news!  I enjoy Carrie Fancett Pagels historical fiction so when she shared that Return to Shirley Plantation  was being released in audio book format I was pleased.  

 This novella is set on the historical Shirley Plantation, a beautiful contrast to the pain the soldiers endured.  Historical fiction is one genre  that i find intriguing and compels me to look a little deeper into the time and place of many books.

The Civil War was a tumultuous time for  our country and for our hero Matthew Scott especially!  Far from home and wearing a uniform whose cause he did not support was difficult.  He was an actor not a soldier.  However, had he not been thrust into the gray uniform of the confederacy he never would have met the one woman who captured his heart.  

Angelina Rose was meant to be up north by now where freedom beckoned. She couldn't seem to get away from Shirley Plantation though she had had the opportunity.  Time, chance and a bit of faith intervened or she never would have met Matthew Scott who needed her care among the injured.  There was something different about him and it took others on the plantation to help put the pieces together.  This was not a clear case of an injured soldier falling for a beautiful nursemaid. 

Audio books are another way for authors to get their stories out to readers who may not have a chance to experience their books.  I first enjoyed listening while traveling but found it is a wonderful companion to many of the every day tasks I do around the house or garden and even when I am working on my hobbies.  

I recommend Return to Shirley Plantation for anyone who enjoys novellas and historical fiction.  Congratulations to Carrie Fancett Pagels on her first audio book!  I hope it will be the first of many.

...from the Publisher....

Abducted against his will, theater manager Matthew Scott is conscripted into the Confederate army because of his Copperhead senator father’s political leanings. Injured at Malvern Hill, Matthew is taken by the Union army to Shirley Plantation in Virginia, where he is tended by seamstress Angelina Rose, a freed slave. 

Given an opportunity to leave the South and start a new life for herself, Angelina remained for the sake of her sister’s orphaned twins, who are still enslaved. 

Matthew must use his acting skills to to remain safe. Will his return to Shirley Plantation settle a mystery concerning his father’s past? And will Matthew find the family for which he longs?

Reviewing: My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island

Now and then I read a book that just says summer is here! I recently finished reading My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island Maude's Mooring: by Carrie Fancett Pagels and this is just such a book.

Maude Welling is a lovely young woman, considered by fellow islanders to be the best sort of girl.  She is unspoiled by the things most girls visiting the island long for.  Her desire is to marry Greyson, her long time intended, and run the family inn.  Fate, however unkind, intervenes and Maude is left at the pier to watch in horror as Greyson introduces Maude to Ann, his new wife.

Enter Mr. Frederic Konig, a handsome young man who is a very wealthy industrialist, witnessing the entire scene between Maude, Greyson and Ann.  He was taken in by her hurt manner, but even more so by  her beauty and grace.

Mr. Konig will be staying at the very smart Grand Hotel, the very best place on the island to find wealthy young women. Frederic, though, is an imposter. He is not who he says he is. He is actually Ben Steffan, a young reporter for the Detroit Post.  He was furnished in the finest men's fashions, schooled in the proper etiquette of wealth and, more specifically, on special assignment to expose handsome young dandies who prey on lovely young women of fortune. He can fool the many but in his heart he knows who he is.   A man of compassion, he feels like he is playing a game of the Prince and the Pauper.  His dress and actions speak the part but his good nature continues to shine through.  Mark Twain himself appears at the Grand, a nice touch of poetic license that adds just the right spice for Ben when he needed it.

Maude lives with her widowed father and lively brother Jack.  She should be learning to take over the family inn, The Winds of Mackinac, but her father's wishes are adamant: she will not run the inn without the help of a husband.  With her wedding plans down the pipe she is determined to prove to her father that she is capable of running the inn.  She assumes the role of maid at the Grand Hotel, fooling her father but risking termination by  her lack of skills.

Frederic takes an interest in Jack, an incorrigible lad who seems to be everywhere at once with many plans up his sleeve.  He and his games are incorrigible.  Jack is running so much it is hard to realize that if he slowed down he'd have to deal that old pain that keeps rising to the surface named grief. The Wellings lost their mother the year before and the grief is still hanging around the house like an unsung song.

Maude, her father and uncle Robert all have to come to an understanding of the future of the inn.  Wills are meant to make things easier for loved ones left behind but once in a great while, a codicil can change the expectations of everyone.  There is more riding on the fate of this will than just a family legacy on the island.
I liked the story.  The setting on Mackinac Island lent itself well to the summer people who likely found respite from the city during the heat of the summer.  Young women of marriageable age would have enjoyed being pampered at the Grand Hotel.  The idea that a paper would set a handsome young reporter on unsuspecting gold diggers was a nice twist.  It lured me in like a fisherman with a tall tale.  I recommend you add My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island to your summer reading list!

Head to Turtle Springs: Seven Brides for Seven Mail-Order Husbands!

Seven Brides for Seven Mail-Order Husbands by Cynthia Hickey, Susan Page Davis, Susanne Dietze, Darlene Franklin, Patty Smith Hall, Carrie Fancett Pagels and Gina Welborn,  is a collection of novellas by seven authors who provide the "voices" in our story. The Civil War was a brutal war in our nation's history, creating widows and orphan of untold numbers. It is spring in the year 1865 and in Turtle Springs Kansas, the women left behind are tired eking out a living and barely getting by.  They band together to solve the shortage of men by placing an ad for mail-order husbands.  Men travel from far and wide for the chance to be interviewed for the honor of courting the husband hunting women.  Imagine a little town of 223 with so many bachelors converging at once that a tent city is constructed near town.  Every man had a different reason for answering the ad but none so sweet as the ones who were featured in this collection.

I liked having the continuity of the story crossing each novella. Each author built on the main story yet added her own rich style to the mix.  Each story had a different aspect that made each couple unique.  Reluctant grooms and grooms who still felt the wounds of war each shared a deep love for the woman they married.

Historical elements like the one used by Carrie Fancett 
Pagels in The Dime Novel  by adding soldiers traveling to real life  Fort  Mackinac through Turtle Springs during that era add an interesting element to the stories.  Little extras added to the story kept me hooked and drove me to search for more history online.

While this collection is fiction it is indeed true that the hardships of war can be felt long after men come home to their families to pick up their lives. For the many women and children left behind it was such a devastating loss to run the farm, run businesses and keep the family going when their man didn't make it home.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy to review this book. I enjoy American fiction and this book gave me new insight to the Civil War. While the book is definitely entertaining, I can't help but think of the untold stories of women who lived through the years after the war ended.

Fun And Mischief In The Tea Shop Folly

It is a lot of fun to meet an author and even more fun when you discover that by chance you have read her work before but didn't make that connection. This is true of my chance encounter to meet Carrie Fancett Pagels last week. I was lucky enough to have an opportunity to read and review the Tea Shop Folly, A Teacup Courtship Novella.  As luck would  have it I was just wrapping up a good book and was at sixes and sevens for my next selection. I found this story entertaining with a little bit of added history added. Set in Michigan, young Lilly has arrived after inheriting her Great Aunt Lillian's home and fortune.  She left behind a gravely ill mother and  her younger sisters who are in need of much needed hope that Lilly hopes to share upon receiving her bequest. 

What follows is a series of misunderstandings after she meets a handsome young engineer from the Soo Locks, Theo on her first day in town.  As fate would have it, Lilly and Theo meet again when he mistakes her home for Tea Shoppe.  On the hunt for yet another teacup set for his hard to please mother, Theo spies piles of teacups that Lilly is sorting out from her Great Aunt's hoard of treasures.  While she never acknowledges her home is a tea shoppe, he continues to believe she owns a business. When he finally realizes his folly all manner of characters have arrived to make this an even sweeter tale.  Lilly is a treasure and her thoughtful approach to situations thinking about what her mama would do is a testament to proper upbringing and good family values.

I have become a fan of the Novella as a wonderful way to feed my reader for times when I really want to get into the story without committing to a large book. Award winning Carrie Fancett Pagels has not disappointed me with The Tea Shop Folly.  I happily discovered that it was Carrie who wrote the Lumberjack Ball, book 2 of the Christy Lumberjack Series.  If you like a good story with a hint of historical flare, I recommend this novella and other works by Carrie.