Reading, Writing & Pondering

  It has been several months since I have read a historical fiction novel. . . The Light of the Stars by Jenelle Hovde was a wonderful read to break back into the genre. Kitty Grenville is expected to wed Sebastian Sinclair. The last time they met, they were children, and it didn't go all that well. When Kitty was a child, The East India Company via her grandfather tore her and her brother from their parents in India and took them to England to live with her grandfather. Sebastian represents that very company, which doesn't win him any points to start with. Sebastian, for his part, goes to England to wed Kitty to fulfill the long-standing betrothal set up by their grandfathers. While Kitty makes it clear she doesn't want this marriage, Sebastian is attracted to her keen mind and spirit and chooses to give them time to get to know each other. He won't force her to marry him but hope she will come around. Kitty takes her time but is then involved in a scandal and does de...

  Mists over the Channel Islands by Sarah Sundin is her latest World War 2 historical novel. I always enjoy Sarah's books as she shares interesting aspects of World War 2 within her story. I enjoy the story itself but I also learn some history I previously didn't know. In 1944, the Germans invaded the British Channel Islands. I didn't know where these islands were but the author has a map in the front of the novel to help readers understand their location. Within this aspect of the story, Dr. Ivy Picot is working hard to keep her family's medical practice afloat amidst the challenges and changes from the war.  Meanwhile, Dutch engineer Gerrit van der Zee goes to the Channel Islands as part of the resistance along with his friend Bernard. Together they pretend to work for the Germans while smuggling information back to the allies. Before long they meet Ivy's brother, Charlie, who joins them in their work, unbeknownst to Ivy. Gerrit and Ivy meet but Ivy believes Gerr...

  A Sea View Christmas by Julie Klassen is is "An On Devonshire Shores" novella. It goes along with this series but I read it as a stand alone looking for a historical Christmas novella to read.  Sarah Summers plans a Christmas at Sea View that will exceed her younger sister's expectations. She aimed to make the Christmas fun--even though she has forgotten how to have fun sometimes after taking on so many family responsibilities in the past. She also is thrilled at the prospect of getting reacquainted with a Scottish widower named Callum Henshall. Will she let her sense of responsibility interfere with a prospective romance or will she make time for her new feelings? Georgiana is excited to celebrate a fun Christmas after spending last year doing mainly endless chores with her sister. She is seventeen and has fun with Callum's stepdaughter, Effie. She also has a heart for younger children, which eventually leads to the family adopting another young girl. I found A Se...

  My love for Scotland and for Sarah Sundin's books merged into one in Sundin's newest release, Midnight on the Scottish Shore. As is typical with her books, this one is set during World War Two. Cilla van der Zee is struggling to survive in German-occupied Netherlands. As she reaches a point where she can't take it anymore, she volunteers to become a spy for the Nazis. In doing so, she hopes to escape to England and connect with some distant family members there. However, things don't go as planned. Cilla washes up along the Scottish shore where she is discovered by naval officer Lt. Lachlan Mackenzie near his family's estate. He believes she is a spy and turns her over to the authorities to be executed. However, British Intelligence believes she is more useful alive than dead and she becomes a double agent. Soon after that, Lachlan is forced to provide her with naval intelligence and they must work together to outsmart the Germans as part of England's M15 prog...

Of Gold and Shadows   by Michelle Griep is the first book in the new Time's Lost Treasures series. This book is set in Victorian England in 1888. Ami Dalton is a respect Egyptologist. However, she leads a dual life and also helps save black market artifacts from the wrong people. Edmund Price is one of Oxford's most eligible bachelors. He is also searching for an Egyptologist to value a newly acquired collection. It is through this search that he becomes acquainted with Ami.  Of Gold and Shadows is a historical mystery with a slow burn romance. This is my first book by this author but it won't be my last. I think it is interesting to read about Egyptian artifacts. I also enjoy reading other details about the Victorian age. The relationship issues were also interesting. I like how Edmund and Ami both overcome issues that they struggle with personally. I also like that the book has some humor in their banter. If you enjoy Victorian age books with a dash of mystery and romanc...

The Irish Matchmaker by Jennifer Deibel is the fourth Irish tale from this author that I have read--all have been stand-alones. At the back of this book, Diebel shares how she got this idea and the history behind matchmaking in Ireland. Be sure to read that as I think it will enrich your love for the story. The Irish Matchmaker starts out a well-known matchmaker and his daughter talking about the local matchmaking prospects at the local matchmaking festival held each spring. Along with her father, Catriona also makes matches for others--and this year she is hoping for one of her own that will get her away from this sleepy village and into a more exciting life.  At the same time, cattle farmer Donal Bunratty is considering going to the matchmaking festival. His wife died several years ago and he is struggling to make ends meet on a farm with his young daughter. Her birthday wish is a new mother. Will he go to the festival and try to make that wish come true? I'll be honest, at fir...

    In 1940, Germany invaded The Netherlands and Aleida van der Zee Martens escaped to London. At that time, she was separated from her three-year-old son, Theo. She is a young widow desperately searching for her little boy. Embers in the London Sky by Sarah Sundin starts right out in the nitty gritty of war and all of the difficulties. In the beginning, readers also learn that her husband was abusive to her and her son. It is because he handed the child off to someone else, without her knowledge, that Aleida does not have her son. Aleida soon gets a job with an agency evacuating children to the countryside to help her search for her son. During this time, she also meets BBC radio correspondent Hugh Collingwood. Together, they search for her son and deal with the daily London bombings during the war.  At the same time, there is also a mystery as Hugh's uncle is murdered and the pair seek to help the police find the killer. This case becomes more complicated as the book go...

    A Family Christmas by Sally Britton tells the story of Cyril Grant's return to his grandparents at Christmastime after years abroad following his father's death. As he struggles to fit in, Jane Allen, his grandmother's younger companion, gives him a warm welcome. This was a great start to the book. I enjoyed watching Cyril and Jane get to know each other. I also liked how family life was portrayed in 1816. Christmas Forevermore by Sarah M. Eden was a sweet tale of matchmaking gone awry during the Christmas season. Or did it go awry? In this sort of re-imagining of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Mrs. Jackson sets up spinster Minna Schofield with three potential suitors. I loved the sweet ending to this one. Christmas at Cranfield by Ashtyn Newbold brings two childhood friends together—Hannah and Samuel as adults. Samuel is Hannah's brother's good friend, and she has admired him for years. There are some twists and turns in this story th...

  I have read Jennifer Deibel's books from the beginning with a Dance in Donegal and The Lady of Galway Manor. I think The Maid of Ballymacool may be my favorite so far. Brianna Kelly has worked at Ballymacool Boarding School since she can remember. She was left on the doorstep of the headmistress and knows very little of her family. Still, Brianna feels she was made for something more--something different.  Michael Wray, the son of a contributing family to the school, is sent to Ballymacool to deal with his unruly cousin. Michael is drawn to Brianna and has a sense that he has met her before. Then Brianna finds a platter int he woods and Michael might know something about it. I enjoyed the developing relationship between Michael and Brianna. Of course, I did not like the evil people and they were evil in this book. I kept turning pages to solve the mysteries of who Brianna is, where the platter came from, and more. It was a good story and I read it fairly quickly. The Christi...

  The Sound of Light by Sarah Sundin is another great read for those who enjoy World War 2 Historical Fiction. The Sound of Light is set in Denmark. Baron Henrik Ahlefeldt decides to live a secret life and help the Danish Resistance. At the same time, American physicist Dr. Else Jensen works in Denmark. They both live at the same boarding house for a time. Henrik disguises who he is. Else learns lessons in courage. As the war goes on, the two start to come together. Can they get past the war? Can they be real with each other? I enjoyed The Sound of Light and getting to know Henrik, and all that he is through his disguise, as well as Else. The book moved quickly and I thought the pacing was well done. I could understand the secrecy during the war. I liked the romance. I enjoyed how Sundin wove the mermaid fable into The Sound of Light . There is also a wonderful undercurrent of redemption and forgiveness which was inspiring. I liked the ending SO much and getting to see some of th...

  One of my favorite high school courses was English Literature. I really enjoyed the sonnets and we tried our hand at writing them. So when given the chance to read and review Secret of the Sonnets by Samantha Hastings I was glad to read it. It did not disappoint. Secret of the Sonnets is a mix of history, mystery and romance. Miranda Hatch is a scholar looking for some lost Shakesperean papers. She inquires about them and ends up meeting a Marquess, Lord Robert Hamilton. Lord Hamilton is in need of money after his father left the estate in debt upon his passing. Together the two set out to find out if the historical papers they are searching for exist. Secret of the Sonnets is a slow burn romance and primarily a character driven novel. I enjoyed the verses of sonnets at the beginning of each chapter. Hastings writes with rich description of the era. I especially enjoyed her sense of humor and the witticisms among the characters. If you enjoy history and a slow burn romance, th...

  I have heard so many good things about this author that I felt compelled to try Joanna Davidson Politano's new book, The Lost Melody . The Lost Melody starts out with Vivienne Mourdant's father passing away and her talking about a life of more freedom as a result However, that was not to be. Unfortunately, she also finds out she is to care for a patient at Hurstwell Asylum that she had no idea about until her father passed and she is left to care for her. As she tries to figure out who the mystery woman is, she is unfortunately drawn in to the asylum herself. Now she is trying to figure out her own situation as well as who the mystery woman is. With books, I think timing plays a part in how much the reader enjoys it. I have been looking for lighter reads lately and this wasn't a light read at all. The Lost Melody was much heavier than I expected in its storyline. I do have an interest in music as a piano player so I should add that the title also drew me in along with t...

  Looking for a Western Adventure? Inventions of the Heart by Mary Connealy is full of adventure, romance and a gold mine to keep safe. Michelle Stiles is hiding at Two Harts Ranch, owned by Zane Hart--along with her sister, Jilly, after their other sister gets married and goes back to their home that they ran away from since their Stepfather was evil in his ways and actions. Zane is a good guy with a lot to figure out--what should he do with the gold he found? What about his attraction to Michelle? How can he take care of his sisters? Inventions of the Heart is an interesting book with strong female leads. Overall I enjoyed the book but sometimes it got a little old listening to how smart the sisters were. I am not sure that really needed to be stated in those ways. There is a bit of romance and some mystery entwined in the story, along with adventure in the West. If you like clean reads and Western fiction, you'll want to check out Inventions of the Heart. It does not have to b...

  Luke Davenport was restless. He wasn't sure what to do with himself now that the other men in Hanger's Horsemen were "domesticated." In Honor's Defense , Book three of Hanger's Horsemen series is Luke's story. At the start of In Honor's Defense , Luke Davenport jumps at a chance to do something and takes a job tracking down some rustlers. It doesn't turn out to be quite as easy of a job as it sounded. While working that job, Luke meets Damaris Baxter who takes charge of her nephew, Nathaniel, after her brother unexpectedly dies. As a single woman, caring for a growing boy turns out to be quite a challenge. Nate is an angry young man but is he mixed up with the rustling? Or is there more to all of this trouble than meets the eye? In Honor's Defense kept me reading from the first page right through to the end. I enjoyed getting to know Luke, Damaris and Nathaniel. There is also a mystery to be solved within the book and that kept me thinking a...

  Three sisters are on the run. Laura, Jilly, and Michelle are all running away from their step-father. They thought he was a good man before their mother married him, then they found out he was a cruel man. He also planned to marry the girls off to other cruel men.  In The Element of Love by Mary Connealy, Laura and her sisters leave with an elaborate plan to get away as fast as they can and go as far away as they can. The goal was for each of them to get married and then come back to claim their inheritance in part of the lumber empire their father left them. The Element of Love mainly tells Laura's story.  I enjoyed the sisters and the adventures throughout The Element of Love . I also enjoyed how they each took so much time to reflect on their next move and also to pray about each step they took. It was a different book than I usually read but I have not read a Marry Connealy book before. This is clearly Christian fiction as the girls connect with a group of missiona...

    Are you a fan of World War 2 history? If you are, I encourage you to read Sarah Sundin's historical fiction if you haven't read her books yet. Until Leaves Fall in Paris by Sarah Sundin is her second book in this series following When Twilight Breaks. I think they are better as a series but it can also stand alone. In Until Leaves Fall in Paris, Lucie Girard is a ballet dancer with the Paris Ballet and then the Nazi's march toward Paris. When her Jewish friends feel that they must escape she buys their English-language bookstore and continues to run it. When the Germans make it difficult for her to keep the bookstore afloat, she works with the resistance passing secret messages through books.  Through the bookstore, Lucie meets Paul Aubrey, a widower, who brings his little girl to the bookstore. Paul is an American who chose to stay in Paris and keep his factory running while passing German information along to the Americans.  I enjoyed Lucie and Paul's story. Th...

    Eunice Holbrook is an heiress who went East and is trying to disguise herself in New York City so that she isn't recognized after someone tries to kill her grandfather as she thinks they may try to kill her too. To hide herself she wears widows veils and blends in with a new life and identity--until one day Arthur Livingston shows up at her detective agency to hire them to look for HER.  In To Disguise the Truth by Jen Turano, Eunice is a complex character with an interesting past within a dysfunctional family. She also remembers Arthur Livingston because her grandfather wanted her to marry him and have him take over the family business. Neither Arthur nor Eunice were too keen on that idea. . .do they still feel that way? I have not read the other books in the Bleeker Street Inquiry Agency series, but I enjoyed To Disguise the Truth as a stand alone. I am sure it would be even better if a reader has read the other two books in the series. I enjoyed the quick wit and...

  Annabeth DeLacy's father was  appointed landlord of Galway Parish in Ireland in the 1920s. Anabeth was bored with the British Court so she is ready for a new adventure. She talks her father into letting her apprentice with the Jennings' family jewelry shop.  Stephen Jennings spends every day in the family jewelry shop selling the famed Claddagh ring. But Stephen has experienced some hard things in his life that have embittered his heart towards the ring, the shop and love, in general.  At the same time, there is rumors of war for Irish independence from the British. Both the DeLacys and the Jennings experience some of the events of this time differently. Can they bridge the gaps of their differences? The Lady of Galway Manor by Jennifer Deibel is a historical romance book set in Ireland. I really enjoyed the history in this book as I was not aware of what went on in these countries in the 1920s. I also found the history of the claddough ring to be quite interestin...

  I will admit up front that I have a weakness for Scottish romance novels and have been anxious to read this one. Heart of the Highlands by Heidi Kimball lived up to my expectations and I truly enjoyed it. I read it in less than 24 hours! Collum Darrington, future Duke of Edinbane, was not happy to have an arranged marriage to Lady Katherine. He reluctantly agrees to the wedding but still seethes at the control his father has over him. However, once he meets her, he truly likes Lady Katherine (Katie). Then his father deceives him and Collum lashes out at him and heartbreak abounds in his wake. Then four years later, Collum tries to put the pieces of his life and his marriage back together. Can it be done? I truly liked both Collum and Katie in spite of both of their flaws and weaknesses. They did feel like real people. I loved the humorous banter that Collum could dish out. While this book made me chuckle at some of his antics, I also felt their heart break and teared up in a few...

    I really enjoyed Line by Line , the first book in the Love Along the Wires series, by Jennifer Delamere. Crossed Lines is the story of Emma Sutton, who works at the telegraph office, and is longing for a husband and a family of her own. She becomes friends with Mitchell one day as they both arrive at work. Then another day, she sees Mitchell's friend, Christopher, at work and admires how handsome he is. Christopher also is attracted to her and he talks to Mitchell about helping him get a date, in spite of the fact that Christopher is quite shy. Mitchell is also enamored with Emma but sets his feelings aside to help his good friend. However, things don't always go as planned. I thought Crossed Lines started out a little slow but I definitely enjoyed the second half of the book. I had to wonder how this love triangle was going to work out. I liked both Christopher and Mitchell for different reasons. I also liked Emma and her friend Rose. I especially enjoyed Emma's pass...