Blackberry Beach Another Wonderful Visit to Hope Harbor

 

...from the publisher...

Katherine Parker is on the cusp of having everything she ever wanted--fame, money, and acclaim. So why isn't she happy? In search of answers, she comes incognito to Hope Harbor on the Oregon coast for some R&R. Maybe in her secluded rental house overlooking the serene Pacific she'll be able to calm the storm inside.

Coffee shop owner Zach Garrett has found his niche after a traumatic loss--and he has no plans to change the life he's created. Nor does he want to get involved with his reticent new neighbor, whose past is shrouded in mystery. He's had enough drama to last a lifetime. But when Katherine and Zach are recruited to help rehab a home for foster children, sparks fly. And as their lives begin to intersect, might they find more common ground than they expected . . . and discover that, with love, all things are possible?

Bestselling and award-winning author Irene Hannon invites you to come home to Hope Harbor--where hearts heal . . . and love blooms.

...my thoughts... 

I have long been a fan of Irene Hannon's books, whether it be her suspense novels or a trip to Hope Harbor.  Needles to say, I enjoyed reading Blackberry Beach.  I can almost hear the Gladys and Floyd, the resident seagull couple and feel the sand in my toes as I walk the beach. Blackberry Beach is a novel about second chances and taking life at a slower, but meaningful pace.

 For Katherine the life she was leading was nearly out of control and she wanted to simply enjoy her time alone, escaping notice from any other being. She was beginning to think her incognito stay in a luxurious beach house was a success when she met Zach and his aunt Stephanie.  Not used to people she could trust, it was a blessing to find that things in Hope Harbor were truly different. 

 Zach's new life as a successful coffee shop owner is what he hoped it would be.  If only his father would see things his way and  understand that even though he left a big salary behind, he had everything he needed. Everything, that is except someone to share that happiness with him in peaceful Hope Harbor. 

Charley, the resident sage, fish taco chef and successful painter turns up at the most interesting times, sharing uncanny wisdom that is so in sync with others concerns to make them wonder just a little, how one man can possibly know....yet he does.

I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys good clean stories of the heart.  I received this book from the publisher, Revell and netalley. My opinions are my own.  

Reviewing: A Patchowork Past

...from the publisher...

When wild child Sophie Deiner--the daughter of an Amish bishop--is forced to return to Nappanee, Indiana, quilt-shop owner Jane Berger is one of only a few who welcome her back. It's the last place she wants to be, but Sophie's recent illness requires that she recover for a while.

As Sophie heals, she befriends a group of migrant workers and is appalled to learn of the wretched living conditions they're forced to endure. Sophie begins advocating on their behalf, but soon finds herself opposed by an ex-boyfriend who is the farm foreman.


Jane begins relating the story of an Amish couple who rescued survivors of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, many of whom were Irish immigrants. And Sophie is more convinced than ever that she needs to fight for the powerless. But when digging deeper makes conditions even worse, has she chosen a fight she can't win?

...my thoughts...

Coming back to Nappanee, Indiana, we learn Sophie's story. In ill health she has a lot of bridges to mend, some created by misunderstanding and gossip and others simply by the tangled web of feelings between mother and daughter.  It was good to see the story of her relationship between Sophie and her mother come to light.  The complications created by expectations and lack of understanding are complicated and the author did a good job revealing this, often through the family stories shared by Jane Berger around the quilting circle. 

 I am a fan of Amish fiction, and  have often enjoyed reading Leslie Gould's work. I was, however, disappointed in this book with it's political slant and nearly didn't finish it. However, I wanted to see how things turned out for Sophie and for Jane to finally finish her story on the Chicago fire. I received an advance copy of this book from Bethany House publishers from netgalley.com for an honest review.  My opinions are my own.

 ...from the publisher...

1941. The Blitz rages over London.
And even in Cornwall, the war is being fought…

When Violet loses her sister in the Blitz, she must take her nieces to safety in Cornwall. On the coast, she
meets carefree chorus girl Eva, who is also running from the dangers of London.

But Porthcurno hides a secret military base, and soon Violet and Eva realise there’s a battle to fight in Cornwall, too.

Together with local Hazel, who works on the base, they must come together to help the war effort. But will their friendship be enough to keep them safe?

...my thoughts... 

I enjoyed reading Betty Walker's Wartime with the Cornish Girls. The story puts the reader in the middle of events that shaped the future of the brave men and women in Great Britain.  Fortitude and courage allowed them to overcome the hardships of a war that took so much from them all. People who may never have met before the war were on an even keel through their work in the united war efforts.

It is no secret I enjoy historical fiction, and with the added bonus of a secret base on Cornwall with a bit of intrigue captured my attention.  Of course, as with any story set during war, there is no ignoring the devastation of the lives lost, especially in remote locations where people least expect the intrusion of an enemy attack.  I look forward to reading more of Betty Walker's works in the future.

Shadows of the White City

...from the publisher...

The one thing Sylvie Townsend wants most is what she feared she was destined never to have--a family of her own. But taking in Polish immigrant Rose Dabrowski to raise and love quells those fears--until seventeen-year-old Rose goes missing at the World's Fair, and Sylvie's world unravels.

Brushed off by the authorities, Sylvie turns to her boarder, Kristof Bartok, for help. He is Rose's violin instructor and the concertmaster for the Columbian Exposition Orchestra, and his language skills are vital to helping Sylvie navigate the immigrant communities where their search leads.                                                                                                                                          

From the glittering architecture of the fair to the dark houses of Chicago's poorest neighborhoods, they're taken on a search that points to Rose's long-lost family. Is Sylvie willing to let the girl go? And as Kristof and Sylvie grow closer, can she reconcile her craving for control with her yearning to belong?

...my thoughts... 

Shadows of the White City by Jocelyn Green is book 2 of the Windy City Saga. While I believe this book can stand alone, I read about three  pages and decided to purchase the first book, Veiled in Smoke.  I simply wanted more of the story about the two sisters, Meg and Sylvie. I am glad I made this decision. I haven't read Jocelyn Green's work before and have quickly become a fan.  I received an advance reader copy from the publisher, Bethany House, for review, so this was a good introduction to Jocelyn's work.  

Simply put, this is a fine piece of historical fiction. The Chicago World's Fair of 1893 is the setting but with all the detail about the exhibits and famous celebrities, it could almost be considered as one more character in our story.  I enjoyed the intrigue involved in the story when Rose disappears and how it brought Sylvie and Kristof closer.  Kristof has troubles of his own yet he is willing to help Sylvie in every way possible. The fair was vast and this small group of connected people whose lives were intertwined within its confines kept this story moving. Inside the cover is a map of the exposition and I referred to it as our characters moved within its boundaries.  I recommend this book to those who love historical fiction with a little bit of added romance and mystery.  Well researched and very thoughtfully written.

 

Julie Klassen A Castaway in Cornwall

...from the publisher...

Set adrift on the tides of fate by the deaths of her parents and left wanting answers, Laura Callaway now lives with her uncle and his disapproving wife in North Cornwall. There she feels like a castaway, always viewed as an outsider even as she yearns to belong.

While wreckers search for valuables along the windswept Cornwall coast--known for its many shipwrecks but few survivors--Laura searches for clues to the lives lost so she can write letters to next of kin and return keepsakes to rightful owners. When a man is washed ashore after a wreck, Laura acts quickly to protect him from a local smuggler determined to destroy him.

 As Laura and a neighbor care for the survivor, they discover he has curious wounds and, although he speaks in careful, educated English, his accent seems odd. Other clues wash ashore, and Laura soon realizes he is not who he seems to be. Despite the evidence against him, the mysterious man might provide her only chance to discover the truth about her parents' fate. With danger pursuing them from every side, and an unexpected attraction growing between them, will Laura ever find the answers she seeks?

...my thoughts... 

 A Castaway in Cornwall is an intriguing story for the glimpse it gives us into another way of life in Cornwall.  The taking of plunder was so common, the residents of that coastline never considered the loss shipwrecked items were to the rightful owners.  A lost bible, a crate of rum, all for the taking and who would be the wiser.  It appeared to be a sport that gathered many to the shoreline in the hopes of finding something worthwhile.

For Laura, it was an altogether different thing.  She searched for life, and would be a healer for anyone who needed care.  I admired her spirit.  Wise beyond her years, she had an innate ability to see what others could not see.  She did discover treasures on the shore, but her treasure trove was stored until such time she could restore those treasured items to those rightful owners.  The arrival of the stranger, handsome and mysterious set the stage for a poignant love story that sets Laura onto a path that she was destined to take. 

The setting of this story is colorful and well described.  I would love to visit this area and the vast cliffs and stormy seas.  One could almost feel the storms and see the raging sea.  This is a book for those who enjoy historical fiction and a bit of adventure!

When Twilight Breaks Amazing Historical Fiction by Sarah Sundin

 ...from the publisher...

Munich, 1938. Evelyn Brand is an American foreign correspondent as determined to prove her worth in a male-dominated profession as she is to expose the growing tyranny in Nazi Germany. To do so, she must walk a thin line. If she offends the government, she could be

expelled from the country--or worse. If she fails to truthfully report on major stories, she'll never be able to give a voice to the oppressed--and wake up the folks back home.

In another part of the city, American graduate student Peter Lang is working on his PhD in German. Disillusioned with the chaos in the world due to the Great Depression, he is impressed with the prosperity and order of German society. But when the brutality of the regime hits close, he discovers a far better way to use his contacts within the Nazi party--to feed information to the shrewd reporter he can't get off his mind.

This electric standalone novel from fan-favorite Sarah Sundin puts you right at the intersection of pulse-pounding suspense and heart-stopping romance.

 ...my thoughts...

I had a hard time putting When Twilight Breaks down.  From start to finish this book was a gripping story set just as Nazi Germany was about to pounce on the rest of the world.  Intrigue was at its highest and the pure hate deeply embedded within, showed its ugly head like a snake slithering into the very lives of the vulnerable.  Sarah Sundin has done it again with her standalone novel When Twilight Breaks.  Impeccable research with the gift of masterful writing, this reader was captivated by the story of Evelyn and Peter.

Unlikely as suitors, Peter and Evelyn are thrown into a whirlwind as danger escalates in Germany. Evelyn lived by a code she established as a woman correspondent trying to succeed in a world with doors open to men only.  She was highly motivated to get the best stories and was very aware of the danger posed in Munich in 1938.

Peter was engaged in groundbreaking work in language studies at the university while pursuing his PhD. He fit into society, and was immune to the threat posed by the Nazi regime.  After all, the overall country appeared to be doing so well since he visited as a youth. Nothing impeded his work and he enjoyed the freedoms he was accustomed to at home in America.  However, once his eyes were opened to what lay beneath the prosperous land, he and Evelyn embarked on quite a gripping journey together. It was full of suspense that kept me turning pages to see how far they could go to escape the clutches of those who wanted to stop them. 

What an amazing story.  I recommend this to all who enjoy historical fiction mixed with a bit of suspense and romance.  A five star book that is destined to become a bestseller. 

The Moonlight by Suzanne Woods Fisher is Wonderful and Inspiring

...from the publisher...

Haunted by her sister's mysterious disappearance, Lucy Wilson arrives in Rowan County, Kentucky, in the spring of 1911 to work for Cora Wilson Stewart, superintendent of education. When Cora sends Lucy into the hills to act as scribe for the mountain people, she is repelled by the primitive conditions and intellectual poverty she encounters. Few adults can read and write.

Born in those hills, Cora knows the plague of illiteracy. So does Brother Wyatt, a singing schoolmaster who travels through the hills. Involving Lucy and Wyatt, Cora hatches a plan to open the schoolhouses to adults on moonlit nights. The best way to combat poverty, she believes, is to eliminate illiteracy. But will the people come?


As Lucy emerges from a life in the shadows, she finds purpose; or maybe purpose finds her. With purpose comes answers to her questions, and something else she hadn't expected: love.

Inspired by the true events of the Moonlight Schools, this standalone novel from bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher brings to life the story that shocked the nation into taking adult literacy seriously. You'll finish the last page of this enthralling story with deep gratitude for the gift of reading.

 

 

 

 

 

...my thoughts...

I just finished reading Suzanne Woods Fisher's latest historical fiction novel The Moonlight School.  I enjoyed the book very much in many ways.  The historical aspect of one woman's mission to eradicate illiteracy in hills and hollers of Kentucky was phenomenal. It is incredible that Cora Wilson Stewart was able to rouse a culture to an action that improved the lives of so many.  Literacy changes a way of life forever.  

The story unfolds when a reluctant Lucy is sent to Rowan County Kentucky to become her aunt Cora's assistant.  Fresh out of finishing school, she had no idea she was in for the culture shock of her life.  Suzanne Woods Fisher is a master at character development, and the Moonlight School is a canvas of characters waiting to develop.  Lucy is just one example of a character who came to life between the pages and grew to become an amazing woman.  She is an inspiring fictional character who proved to be an able assistant to the real life Cora Wilson Stewart, by overcoming her city ways to see the wonderful people of the hollers with full lives and stories of their own.

I recommend The Moonlight School as one of the important good books for the year.  It is inspiring, uplifting and a joy to read.

A Cowboy For Keeps Engaging Story With Delightful Characters

 ...from the publisher...

Greta Nilsson's trip west to save her ailing little sister, Astrid, could not have gone more wrong. First, bandits hold up her stagecoach, stealing all her money. Then, upon arriving in Fairplay, Colorado, she learns the man she was betrothed to as a mail-order bride has died.

Homeless, penniless, and jobless, Greta and her sister are worse off than when they started.

Wyatt McQuaid is struggling to get his new ranch up and running and is in town to purchase cattle when the mayor proposes the most unlikely of bargains. He'll invest in a herd of cattle for Wyatt's ranch if Wyatt agrees to help the town become more respectable by marrying and starting a family. And the mayor, who has promised to try to help Greta, has just the candidate in mind for Wyatt to marry.

...my thoughts...

Digging into Jody Hedlund's A Cowboy for Keeps was an easy prospect for me.  I enjoy her books and was curious to start her new Colorado Cowboys series. It wasn't long before I found myself fully engaged in the story.  Marriages of convenience are a popular topics and sometimes dismissed as lightweight fiction.  Not so when you dig deeper.  These men and women endured a hard life and their rewards were very different than what we expect for ourselves today. I enjoy reading these stories because they remind me that this was how many parts of our country were settled into communities.  Communities with families, schools and churches became the fabric of life for the men and women who had the gumption to work hard and build homes on their ranches or farmed their land.

Greta was a courageous young woman for leaving her home behind to forge a new life in an unknown territory to marry a perfect stranger.  A stranger who promised to also support her ailing little sister Astrid, whose life depended on this move.

Watt hadn't planned to saddle himself with a wife, but the mayor's proposition to help him increase his herd was too good to overlook.  The conditions of the deal were another story, but he had plenty of time to meet the requirements so he agreed.  Time, though, is a funny thing as it slips by day by day until finally something has to happen and it all happened as predicted.  Yes, this story was predictable but I didn't mind because the characters were likable and the author wove the tale together in a unique way. 

The location was also a character in this story with descriptions that are picturesque and engaging.  I don't  think Greta could  have found her new home in a better place. It seemed to have it all with plenty of hills, plains and of course, hot springs. I think this is one of those books that would appeal to any reader who enjoys good, clean historical fiction.  I am already looking forward to the second book in this series.

Reviewing: The Right Kind of Fool by Sarah Loudin Thomas

...from the publisher...

 Thirteen-year-old Loyal Raines is supposed to stay close to home on a hot summer day in 1934. When he slips away for a quick swim in the river and finds a dead body, he wishes he'd obeyed his mother. The ripples caused by his discovery will impact the town of Beverly, West Virginia, in ways no one could have imagined.

The first person those ripples disturb is Loyal's absentee father. When Creed Raines realized his infant son was deaf, he headed for the hills, returning only to help meet his family's basic needs. But when Loyal, now a young teen, stumbles upon a murder it's his father he runs to tell--shaping the words with his hands. As Creed is pulled into the investigation he discovers that what sets his son apart isn't his inability to hear but rather his courage. Longing to reclaim the life he abandoned, Creed will have to do more than help solve a murder if he wants to win his family's hearts again. 

...my thoughts...

Sarah Loudin Thomas' The Right Kind of Fool took me right to that hot day in Beverly, West Virginia in 1934. I could feel the heat and desire to shed my shoes and dip my feet in that cool water with Loyal Raines, a young deaf teenager by my side.  He was exploring that delicious feeling we all feel when we are 14 and escaping the strictures of rules that keep us indoors when we just know we should be out having fun.  Only Loyal got more than he bargained for.  

True to her fashion of hooking the reader into her pages, this author had me reading once more into the wee hours of the night. I can't recall any book written by Sarah Loudin Thomas that didn't intrigue me from the start.  Loyal is a formidable hero who is bright for his age, able to see things many overlook and with the knack of remembering what is laid out before him.  He stumbled upon a murder, saw things that could or could not be true and the fact that he was deaf had a profound impact on all that unfolded.  I particularly liked reading his thought process throughout the book. Whether he reasoned through the clues about the murder, his parents relationship. his desire for friendships or to prove himself to his father, he was wise beyond his years.

This story is definitely a murder mystery, and it is a good one.  It is also much more.  It is about pulling people together by one young man who, when finally allowed, touches the lives of his community.  His courage is inspiring and his love is a gift.  The events of the story are almost secondary to the master weaving of a family back together.  This is an inspiring story of hope, set in a time when deaf children were not seen for their precious worth. They were different and often overlooked.  Loyal was not going to be overlooked.  Things are much improved these days, yet all of the modern conveniences pale in comparison to seeing the smiles of a group of children playing where one of them just happens to be deaf. Many thanks to #BethanyHouse and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review.  The opinions are mine.

Reviewing: The Sowing Season by Katie Powner

...from the publisher...

After he's forced to sell the family farm he's labored on his whole life, 63-year-old Gerrit Laninga doesn't know what to do with himself. He sacrificed everything for the land--his time, his health, his family--with nothing to show for it but bitterness, regret, and two grown children who want nothing to do with him.

Fifteen-year-old Rae Walters has growing doubts and fears about The Plan--the detailed blueprint for high school that will help her follow in her lawyer father's footsteps. She's always been committed to The Plan, but now that the pressure to succeed is building, what was supposed to unite her family in purpose, may end up tearing it apart.

When their paths cross just as they each need a friend the most, Gerrit's and Rae's lives begin to change in unexpected ways. Can they discover together what really matters in life and learn it's never too late for a second chance?

...my thoughts... 

I didn't know what to expect the first time I opened the pages to The Sowing Season.  Inside was a surprise that filled me each time I turned a page to see what was happening to Gerrit and Rae.  I felt torn between laughter and compassion for Gerrit. After selling a farm that totally consumed his life, he was confronted with time; time to see what he missed all the days and nights while he worked a farm that, in the end, provided nothing meaningful in his life. Except memories.

Rae was the perfect daughter. She had a bright disposition, was number one in her class and volunteered in all the right places in order to check off the boxes on her long list of "must-do's" to secure her a spot at Columbia University.  She was so perfect she wasn't really enjoying life.

It is amazing that Rae and Gerrit found each other. It was even more amazing that they became friends.  He could have been her grandfather. She could have been the daughter who gave up on him when he was too busy working on the family farm.  Yet, he saw the real Rae.  She saw a man who was waiting to change.

I enjoyed this book and recommend it for those who enjoy a good story.  I recommend it all the more for young and old alike as it bridges what people of a certain age used to call the "generation gap". It appeals because the characters are so human.  Reading The Sowing Season was my introduction to Katie Powner's work and I look forward to more in the future. 

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.