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A Gilded Lady (Hope and Glory #2)

A Gilded Lady (Hope and Glory, #2)Happy Book Release Day!

Caroline Delacroix is at the pinnacle of Washington high society in her role as secretary to the first lady of the United States. But beneath the facade of her beauty, glamorous wardrobe, and dazzling personality, she’s hiding a terrible secret. If she cannot untangle a web of foreign espionage, her brother will face execution for treason. 
Nathaniel Trask is the newly appointed head of the president’s Secret Service team. He is immediately suspicious of Caroline despite his overwhelming attraction to her quick wit and undeniable charm. Desperate to keep the president protected, Nathaniel must battle to keep his focus fully on his job as the threat to the president rises.

My Review: 

I loved this brand new historical novel by Elizabeth Camden. The entire story was beautifully crafted and well written. With history and a little bit of romance, I was intrigued the entire way through the book.

Set during in the early 1900s, Caroline Delacroix enters the story as the first lady’s secretary. I absolutely loved how Camden mixed her fictitious characters into history as if they really are in the history books. Though this is book two in Camden’s Hope and Glory series, it can be read as a stand alone novel. Caroline’s goal is to find a way to rescue her younger brother from being tried as a traitor of the United States. Her only way of doing that is to get the president to pardon her brother. With her brother in jail for treason this makes her a prime suspect for Nathaniel Trask, the newly appointed secret service agent hired to make the president and his family safe. Camden always does a great job with her main couples and these two were no exception. Let the sparks fly!

The descriptions and the details in this story were incredible. With only a couple of words into the story I could imagine the setting and characters. Oh, and all the costumes too! ( :

So overall, very enjoyable historical fiction. Highly recommend! Definitely looking forward to book three!

 

I received this book from the Bethany House Publishing of the Baker Publishing Group through Netgalley for this review. All words are my own. 

Colors of Truth (Carnton #2)

In 1866 Catriona O’Toole arrives in the town of Franklin, Tennessee, searching for her Colors of Truth (Carnton, #2)younger brother, Ryan, who, according to his last letter, was headed for Franklin only days before the catastrophic Battle of Franklin. Ryan’s last note contained a stack of cash–enough money to bring his entire family across the ocean from Ireland. But after disease and illness tear through County Antrim and the O’Toole family, only Catriona and her seven-year old sister Nora are left to make the journey. Wade Cunningham, one of ten operatives in the newly formed United States Secret Service Agency, is on the hunt for counterfeiters. A tip leads him to Franklin and to Carnton, the home of wealthy Tennessean John McGavock. The recent murder of a fellow agent mandates that Wade keep his true identity hidden, as well as his past service in the Federal Army. But when he receives a note bearing only the name of the deceased agent, he realizes someone in town already knows who he really is. As evidence in the case mounts, it eventually points to Catriona, but Wade is slow to want to believe it. Because his heart is swiftly becoming hers. 

My Review: 

I absolutely loved this captivating historical novel. The story, the characters, and the settings were brilliantly captured. Bravo, Tamera Alexander!

This is the second book in Alexander’s Carnton series. The story could be read as a stand alone novel though I highly recommend With this Pledge, the first book in the series as well. While reading this book I was drawn into the story as if I was really there. Alexander did an excellent job of making her story come to life.

Catriona and her younger sister captured the life of Irish immigrants that traveled to the United States right after the Civil War to track down their brother who fought on the side of the south. The two sisters make it to the last place their brother talks about in his letters and that is where they meet Wade. With secrets of his own Wade soon enlists the help the girls to track down their brother. I enjoyed the main characters very much and by the end of the book it was like saying good bye to dear friends.

The historical aspect was exceptional. Alexander did an amazing job of taking a historical battle and town and entwining it with her story. While reading this, I could tell that a lot of work was put into this story. Well, honestly, I spent quite a bit of time looking up Civil War facts and pictures of the Carnton plantation. But I barely need the visuals since Alexander describe it to a tee.

I am very pleased with this story and highly recommend it! I am very much looking forward to the next book!

 

This book will be released on October 6, 2020, so there is time to preorder your copy!

Intrigued?

Well the author created a Youtube video about the first book in this series that was super cool. Click the link to learn more – Welcome to Carnton with bestselling author Tamera Alexander

 

I received this book from Thomas Nelson through Netgalley for this review. All words are my own. 

Carolina Breeze – A Bluebell Inn Romance #2

Rising Hollywood star Mia Emerson is looking for a safe place to land in the wake of a public breakup and celebrity scandal, and she finds it in the lake town of Bluebell, North Carolina—the location of her canceled honeymoon. She wants nothing more than to hide and wait for the tabloids to die down. Soon after her arrival at the Bluebell Inn, Mia meets Levi Bennett, who runs the inn along with his two younger sisters. Drawn to one another from the start, Mia trusts Levi to keep her location from the press, and Levi confides in Mia about the precarious financial state of the inn—a secret he’s been keeping from his sisters. When Mia and Levi discover an old journal that hints at a rare diamond necklace hidden in the inn, they set off on a treasure hunt to find the long-lost heirloom. What they don’t expect to surface are feelings they thought were safely locked away. Mia and Levi must decide if falling in love again is too big a risk—or if it will uncover a treasure of its own instead. 

My Thoughts: 

This is the second book in the Bluebell Inn series by Denise Hunter and it takes off right where Lake Season (the first book) ended. However, you are not required to read the first book before this one. They are stand alone novels, since it switches main characters.

Overall it was a cute story despite that the whole story pretty much takes place within two weeks. I felt like there was way too much going on in such a short period. It was not a favorite of mine but I do believe Denise Hunter’s readers will enjoy it.

Her main characters both had their issues that needed to be taken care of but they deserved each other. I could not connect with the main girl character since she lives the Hollywood life style and I would want nothing to do with that life style. Levi could seem really annoying but you have to get to the end of the story to know why he is a little protective of his siblings – so don’t judge until you get to the end.

Overall enjoyable read! I just wish there really was a Bluebell Inn.

Last comment: This book would make a great beach read!

 

I received this book from the Bethany House Publishing of the Baker Publishing Group through Netgalley for this review. All words are my own. 

The Land Beneath Us

In 1943, Private Clay Paxton trains hard with the U.S. Army Rangers at Camp Forrest, The Land Beneath Us (Sunrise at Normandy, #3)Tennessee, determined to do his best in the upcoming Allied invasion of France. With his future stolen by his brothers’ betrayal, Clay has only one thing to live for—fulfilling the recurring dream of his death. Leah Jones works as a librarian at Camp Forrest, longing to rise above her orphanage upbringing and belong to the community, even as she uses her spare time to search for her real family—the baby sisters she was separated from so long ago. After Clay saves Leah’s life from a brutal attack, he saves her virtue with a marriage of convenience. When he ships out to train in England for D-Day, their letters bind them together over the distance. But can a love strong enough to overcome death grow between them before Clay’s recurring dream comes true?

My Review:

A great conclusion to the Sunrise in Normandy series by historical author Sarah Sundin.

Overall I was pleased with this book. Sundin does an excellent job with her research into her stories. For those who have followed the series, this book follows the youngest Paxton brother. Clay Paxton is a lieutenant in the Army Rangers and while completing training he meets Leah Jones. Leah is an orphaned girl in search of her younger siblings. She works at the base’s library and there she meets Clay. This is not a story of love at first sight but instead Sundin takes a different turn with a marriage of convenience. This was a little different than the other books I read by Sundin.

Sundin did an excellent job with combing historical facts with her fictitious characters and tale.

The story highlights duty, honor, forgiveness and last but not least true love.

I would recommend this book and series.

 

This review is written in my own words and is my honest opinion.
I received this book from the Revell Division of the Baker Publishing Group for this review.

 

 

Breaking News!

Image result for exciting news

 

Image result for the captive kingdom jennifer nielsenJennifer Nielsen is adding two more books to her Ascendance series!

Yes, I said two more books! Fans, mark your calendar for October 2020 for the release of The Captive Kingdom the fourth book! Yes, we have to wait but it will be worth it I am sure!

I am literally freaking out right now. For any of my readers you already know how much I talk about this series and author.

So I wanted to share this exciting news with you today.

This news was just posted on Publisher Weekly yesterday. Read the full article here!

Since this book was originally a trilogy, Nielsen is changing the series to the Ascendance Saga. Can you guess what this means? That’s right: new, updated covers for the first three books. Here they are…

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The False Prince, The Runaway King, and The Shadow Throne are all books I recommend. Well, I pretty much recommend all of Nielsen’s books!

 

Comment and tell me what you think of this exciting news!

 

Hereafter – An Exciting Conclusion

Growing up deep in the forest as a poor charcoal burner’s daughter, Emmeline has Hereafter (The Lost Princesses, #3)always known her identity as a princess of Mercia, and she lives in fear of being caught and killed. When her adopted father returns from town with news regarding the imminence of war, Emmeline has no wish to join the rebellion against King Ethelwulf. 
Prince Ethelrex, the strongest warrior in the land, has done everything he can to prove his loyalty to his father, including searching for the last lost princess. When Ethelrex finally captures Emmeline, the king commands his son to marry the princess in order to win the support of the people and undermine the rebellion.
Forced into marriage, Emmeline has one goal—to escape. But Ethelrex takes his marriage vows seriously, including his promise to love and cherish his wife, and has no intention of letting Emmeline get away. As the battle for the throne rages, will the prince be able to win the battle for Emmeline’s heart?
My reveiw:
An exciting conclusion to this young adult series by Jody Hedlund. Fans of the series will not be disappointed.
This story follows that last of the three sisters in her daring adventure  to avoid an arranged marriage to the son of the king that killed her parents and forced her and her sisters to grow up apart from each other. There were many twists and turns in this story. The two main characters were great. Jody Hedlund did an excellent job of concluding and finalizing this series.
I enjoyed this book very much.
This review is written in my own words and is my honest opinion.

SHHH, I am Reading a Youth Book

Image result for “A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest.”― C.S. LewisI believe this sums it all up for adult readers that still love children/youth books. I still love looking through brand new picture books and reading the current, popular youth story. As a librarian it is easy to get away with doing so but I know that many people look at children’s book and say, “I cannot read that I am an adult.” Take Mr. Lewis’s advise and you will find out that sometimes the best book out there is a children’s story.

I did and found…

Image result for the war that saved my life series

Wow, these two books were great! I kept picking them up but then telling myself these are kids stories. When you hear yourself saying that, don’t believe it. I can say that I would recommend these books to young readers and older readers. These stories are an excellent way to introduce readers to history because they show what it was like to live during the second world war as a crippled girl.

Readers will laugh and cry while reading this series. I sure did. Very well done for a youth historical fiction series.

Highly recommend!

Interested? Read the summary for the first book below.

Ten-year-old Ada has never left her one-room apartment. Her mother is too humiliated by Ada’s twisted foot to let her outside. So when her little brother Jamie is shipped out of London to escape the war, Ada doesn’t waste a minute—she sneaks out to join him.
So begins a new adventure of Ada, and for Susan Smith, the woman who is forced to take the two kids in. As Ada teaches herself to ride a pony, learns to read, and watches for German spies, she begins to trust Susan—and Susan begins to love Ada and Jamie. But in the end, will their bond be enough to hold them together through wartime? Or will Ada and her brother fall back into the cruel hands of their mother?

More books like these…
A Night Divided by Jennifer Nielsen
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

What Book(s) Impacted You?

This is a difficult question to answer. I grew up being read aloud to and once I learned

Rapunzel Reading

This is me, reading my favorite series over again. (: LOL

how to read I always had a book in hand. Library trips were a must for my family and when all the other kids were playing on the computers, I was checking out dozens of books.Many books I read when I was younger I enjoyed and learned from. To be honest I was never the Little House On the Prairie type girl. I did read the whole series but I never wanted to read it more than once.

One series I know that I read more than once (let’s say over a dozen times) when I was younger was the Grandma’s Attic series and the Grandma’s Attic novels by Arleta Richardson.

I loved this series and read it over and over again, when I was younger. I might have been a little infatuated with it. I got all my younger sisters to read it and even my mom. They all enjoyed it just as I did.

This series is one of my favorites and I highly recommend it!

 

Here is the list of all the books in order:

  1. In Grandma’s Attic
  2. More Stories from Grandma’s Attic
  3. Still More Stories from Grandma’s Attic
  4. Treasures from Grandma
  5. Away from Home
  6. A School of Her Own
  7. Wedding Bells Ahead
  8. At Home in North Branch
  9. New Faces, New Friends
  10. Stories from the Growing Years
In Grandma's AtticMore Stories from Grandma's AtticStill More Stories from Grandma's AtticTreasures from GrandmaAway from Home
A School of Her OwnWedding Bells AheadAt Home in North BranchNew Faces, New FriendsImage result for Stories from the Growing Years

What book(s) impacted you?

Always – Intriguing New Beginning

I am excited to share my review of Jody Hedlund’s intriguing novella, Always. This story is the prequel that launches the beginning of all new three book series which will be known as The Lost Princesses series. A review of book one will be coming very soon!

Read the summary of the book here!

Image result for jody hedlund always

 

Review Time!

I enjoyed this story very much. What can be better than sitting in a hammock and reading a brand new story?

This story is sure to delight all who read it. It is an excellent sneak peak into the world of the Lost Princesses. I read this intriguing novella in one sitting. Filled with adventure and romance, it will surely keep readers turning the pages as fast as possible. It sure did for me.

Highly recommend! Fans of Jody Hedlund will not be disappointed

I was very pleased with this prequel.

 

 

As I am a part of the influencer team for this book, I have been asked to put in the purchase link in my review for this book, for anyone interested in getting this book as soon as possible!

Always: https://buff.ly/2OcAPN8

I was provided a copy by the author herself but all opinions and reviews are strictly my own.

Review of Evermore (Book 1) will be coming very soon, so stay tuned. You can read the book summary here.