ReviewsByErin

 


Colonial Williamburg comes alive in this gentle yet gripping novel by Laura Frantz. On the brink of the Revolutionary War, Lady Elisabeth Lawson is left forsaken when her father - a prominent Tory - skips town to save himself from the upcoming problems with the local Patriots. He believes Elisabeth's betrothed will come to her aid and take care of her. It turns out that her betrothed was never that interested in her except for how she could ally him with her father's political connections, and now that this advantage is out of the picture, he removes himself from Elisabeth's life.

Elisabeth rallies to the challenges she meets. Newly homeless and without many friends, she decides that she will make a way for herself even though that means seeking gainful employment. She leaves behind her father's title and changes her name to Liberty, finding work at a local inn which is also a meeting place for prominent Patriots, including one Noble Rynallt. Noble has been one bright spot in her downfall from favorite daughter of Williamsburg to little better than a servant, as he took on the indenture of her maid and offered her initial safety when his fellow Patriots were seeking her father after his sudden disappearance.

Noble Rynallt lives up to his name in astounding ways. He's a quiet, generous, hospital man with strong beliefs in what is right and wrong. He's built a peaceful secluded home that pays homage to his Welsh ancestry, yet he's willing to risk it all for the sake of his new country's liberty. And there's a another Liberty who has caught his eye - this young woman who has a depth of character to survive the loss of the life she knew, who is also willing to put herself in danger when she agrees to become a spy for Patrick Henry.

These two characters sparked to life within these pages, consuming my thoughts any time I had to put the book down. As war creeps closer for the colonies, much will be sacrificed to make America the nation they hope she will become. I would recommend this book to any fans of historical fiction, and doubtless it will be on many Best Of lists at the end of the year - for a very good reason! If you want to check it out, be prepared for two things: 1) You *will* swoon every time Noble breaks out a Welsh endearment, and 2) You aren't going to be certain who lives and who dies until the final pages. This is a gem and one that will bear rereading in the future!

 


I know I am behind on the times, but I was finally able to read Sarah Sundin's spring 2017 release. It was worth the wait! Filled with intriguing characters and historical accuracy, When Tides Turn wraps up the Waves of Freedom series. You can read my reviews of the first two books here and here.

Beautiful and outgoing, Quintessa Beaumont has had her share of attention from men - and unfortunately often for the wrong reason. She's tired of people never looking beyond her outer appearance and finding her merely ornamental. Wanting to make a difference and change people's view, she shortens her name to Tess and enlists in the WAVES - Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service. 

Even as Tess thrives in her new role, she can't keep her mind off Dan Avery, her childhood friend. Their paths keep crossing as Dan works diligently in the Anti-Submarine Warfare Unit, where he has taken a year-long assignment in hopes that it will look good on his resume and make him even more fit to pursue his dream of a long career at sea. Tess loves the determination and hard work which Dan applies to every part of his life, but she worries that he's too single-minded and will burn himself out.

Following in the footsteps of the mentor who became like a father to him, Dan has decided never to marry and to devote his life to the Navy. That was an easy enough decision when his only previous romantic entanglement was with a woman who was needy and wanted to hold him back. Now that he is spending time with Tess, he's having to reevaluate his stand. He's never met someone more encouraging or energetic, and he can tell she genuinely wants what is best for him, even if her perspective challenges his status quo. She brings color and warmth to his black and white world.

I love that the cover of this book shows both Tess and Dan with crossed arms - they are two stubborn people who care about each other but have many bridges to cross before they could possibly find a way to be together. You'll enjoy trying to cross those bridges with them, and you'll want to buckle your seatbelt as you travel with Dan for naval battles in the Atlantic Ocean and try to crack an espionage ring with Tess. This is well-researched WWII fiction that you won't want to miss!

 


As a huge Sarah Sundin fan, I think she's the best World War II author out there today. This 2010 release proves how much she has grown since she first became a published author. 

Set mainly in England in 1943, this story follows Jack Novak, Air Force flyboy, as he lives for the thrill of the next bombing mission or chance for promotion. While he always assumed he would grow up to be a pastor like his father, Jack is beginning to wonder if the military is his life calling after all.

Ruth Doherty scrimps and saves every penny she earns from her nurse's salary in order to support her orphaned younger siblings. She has no time for dating, even if her life is full of military men. Not with her responsibilities, and especially not with her past.

When Jack and Ruth meet, Jack becomes determined to be the one to break Ruth's resolve and win her heart. As the two grow close, he has no idea of the vulnerability lying behind Ruth's strong exterior. Could it be that he is wooing her more for the challenge than for true regard of who she is? As motives unfold and truth comes out, both will have the chance to come to terms with their shortcomings before wholeness can be found.

This novel had a few problems. The main one was that the author seemed to beat the reader over the head with the characters' perceived struggles and flaws. I also had a hard time with the categorizing of teenage kisses as sins, which was a major driving force of false guilt that was never resolved. Additionally, I feel the need to say that if you have triggers from sexual assault or sexual harassment, this is not the book for you. As I mentioned earlier, I consider this author a favorite and this is the first time I've been disappointed with one of her titles. I highly recommend her other works, and I will continue reading her in the future. I'm glad she's improved as an author since this sophomore release!

This Regency story is a sequel to Moonlight Masquerade and features several of the same characters. This time our heroine is Jessamine, a vicar's daughter who is having a season in London thanks to the generosity of her godmother. Jessamine always planned to marry her best friend's brother, but when he chose someone else Jessamine was heartbroken. Now she's determined to catch the eye of a fashionable, wealthy man while she has the chance. Taking her cues from London's elite, Jessamine lowers her necklines and her inhibitions in pursuit of being found desirable.

Having spent time in India as a missionary, Lancelot Marfleet is unimpressed with his return to English society. He desires to find a parish and continue learning about botany, but his parents are insisting it is time he find a marriage partner. When Mr. Marfleet first meets Jessamine he accidentally offends her, and his quest to make up for his blunder brings them together at further parties and dinners. At first he is drawn to her because she is different and has a genuine interest in his life experiences, but soon he's dismayed to see the drastic changes to her person and the questionable decisions about her choice of acquaintances.

Jessamine doesn't realize that as a young lady with very little protection in town she is perfect prey for those of a less savory character. She only wants to be sought after and admired. While Mr. Marfleet is proving himself to be a friend, Jessamine doesn't want to further his attention too much. The last thing she wants is to end up with a man so much like her father.

I confess I found this story quite hard to get into, but once I came to care about the characters I could hardly put the book down. I would caution that this story does contain a few scenes which might be triggering for victims of assault. I would recommend the novel for die-hard Regency fans, especially if you enjoyed the first book in the series.

Wrapping up the Wings of a Nightingale trilogy is the story of Kay Jobson, the nurse who has been more on the outside of the friendly group we've gotten to know from With Every Letter and On Distant Shores. Closed and defiant, Kay has no problem dating six men at a time, keeping them all at her beck and call while actually protecting herself from getting close to any one of them. This way of isolating herself while being a social standout comes with a price, and Kay finds herself longing for more. Her father's fanatic religion has driven her away from wanting anything to do with God, but the faith of the other nurses and pilot Roger Cooper is beginning to call out to her.

Roger struggles with the rules and regulations that come with with being a pilot during a war. All the paperwork and long hours require a different mental approach from the man who would rather play drums all day. Roger dreams of the war being over and auditioning for a place in a popular big band. All his life he's been told he'll never amount to anything, and his past seems to prove it. He knows God has forgiven him, but he still wants to protect himself from repeating mistakes. The last thing he wants is for Kay to turn her flirtatious smile his way, but when she does, Roger suddenly feels impressed to give her his Bible. Couldn't God send anyone else to help the gorgeous redhead find her answers?

While Kay is shocked that Roger has given her one of his most treasured possessions, she begins reading it and writing down questions to mail to him at his new station in India. As she gets to know God for who He is rather than who her father presented Him to be, Kay finds herself longing for His love, and accepting it brings a radical change to her life. No longer seeing the men around her as playthings, Kay devotes herself to trying to unify their nurse squadron so she can qualify for chief nurse training. Such a position would open the door for her dream of a stable future and a home of her own to come true.

When Roger returns from India and finds himself stationed near Kay again, a steadfast friendship emerges. But with their differing goals and the dangers of the final year of the war at hand, there is plenty of tension to keep them from deepening their relationship even as attraction grows.

Out of the three books in the series, I found this one to have the most exciting war action. I won't spoil it, but things happen that keep you on the edge of your seat! I also was very excited when I realized that Kay was getting her own book, as the hints we were getting in previous books made me see her potential as an interesting heroine. I continue enjoying each and every one of Sundin's novels, and look forward to her next release!

It's World War II meets "You've Got Mail" and "The Shop Around the Corner" in this tale of anonymous correspondents falling in love. I enjoyed this book so much I couldn't put it down, reading the final half in one sitting. That doesn't happen often these days!

Mellie Blake was raised in the Philippines by her American father, who was very concerned about raising Mellie up to be a proper lady after her Filipina mother left them. Too American to fit in completely with the local girls, and too Filipino to fit in when visiting America, Mellie has always struggled with making friends and being comfortable in her own skin. When she has the opportunity to become one of the pioneering flight nurses in the newly-formed division of the Army Air Force, Mellie hopes this is her calling. But her inability to form a connection with the other nurses leave her not only frustrated but in danger of losing her job.

Fighting for his country in North Africa, Tom MacGilliver is a man who always, always strives to be cheerful and not let his true feelings show through. With his last name made infamous by a father who was tried and executed for murder, Tom wants people to know he's nothing like his father. His desire with his engineering degree is to build bridges that bring people together, and now that he is near the front lines of war he is terrified that he might one day have to take the life of another human being. When his commanding officer arranges for soldiers and nurses to begin anonymous correspondences, Tom realizes this is a needed outlet to reveal his true self to someone who won't judge him based on his name.

Unsure about this exercise of writing to an unknown soldier, Mellie quickly realizes that she can build a friendship on paper, where her awkwardness and nontraditional looks won't garner rejection. Soon letters are flying between "Annie" and "Earnest," each seeking help and guidance from the other about the troubles around them. They find much strength in being able to pour out their hearts, know someone else is praying for them, and point each other to Christ. When Mellie is transferred to North Africa they know there is a chance that they will meet, but they have been so careful to conceal their identity that they may never know it if they do.

Enough information has slipped through that Mellie knows she's met her Earnest the first time she crosses paths with Tom. Getting to know him in person only solidifies the love she's grown to have for him, but he still doesn't know who she is. Feeling like he would only be disappointed if he realized that Annie and Mellie were the same person, but unable to completely give up their letters because they mean so much to her, Mellie must walk a difficult line between being there for Earnest and protecting herself from Tom.

Everyone who has struggled with insecurity will be able to connect with Tom and Mellie. The romantic in you will cheer for their relationship, and the history buff will enjoy the twist of a WWII story not set in Europe. I have loved every novel by Sarah Sundin that I have read, and I hope to read many more. "With Every Letter" is currently free on Kindle, so I hope you check it out if this sounds like something you would enjoy. I don't think you will be disappointed!

I'll never forget the day in June 2004 in Pryor, OK, when I brought this book home from the library by accident. By accident. Look at that bright cover! I don't know how it was possible that I took it off the shelf, walked it up to the desk to check out, brought it out to the car, and drove it all the way home before I realized which book it was. I had thought I picked up the Terri Blackstock novel next to it. But home was 15 miles away from the library and I had no reason to go back and exchange it. I might as well read it, right? Even though the back cover copy made me groan: "Jay Jarvis just moved east. His dating life's gone south. What else is a guy to do but go fishing?"

Now I'm not sure how well you know me, but that doesn't sound like me at all. What I didn't know then was that God had arranged to get this book in my hands, and that it would be exactly what I needed.

In this zany tale, Jay Jarvis has just completed a work relocation to South Carolina. In order to meet eligible females, he decides to start attending church, even though that is not something he has ever done before. His eye is immediately caught by unassuming Allie, a young missionary home on furlough. When he hears that Allie is helping plan the singles' retreat to the beach, he decides to join in and hopes to spend time with her. As Jay becomes more involved in the church, he meets all varieties of Christians: the hospitable ones, the legalistic ones, the secretive ones, the eccentric ones, and more. But he soon recognizes that they possess something inside of them that he does not, and he's pretty sure he wants whatever it is.

When Jay does come face to face with Jesus, he realizes that it has been God orchestrating these events all along. And as Allie is known to say, "God often has very different plans than what our earthly brains think is best for us." As the book continues, Jay seeks God's will for his life, his job, his relationships, and his location... and is flabbergasted by God's plans.

When I first read this book I was very much in a place of transition. 2004 was the year we lived in four different states. I didn't know what God was doing in my life, and I certainly had no idea what was around the corner, or that it would be as blessed as it has been. This book is laugh-out-loud funny and you'll never think of the color lime green the same way again. It was a bright spot in an uncertain time, and was an encouragement to my spirit. Now I've had the chance to be flabbergasted myself at God's work in my life, and I still love Jay Jarvis and the part he played in my journey. That was why I chose to do this 10th Anniversary reread, although it's far from the first time I've opened its pages again. I've bought this book in paperback and hardback. I've bought the audiobook. I have it on my Kindle, too! Ray Blackston's debut (and best!) novel shines in all mediums. It will never stop being one of my favorite stories.

The Regency era holds a special place for all Jane Austen fans, and this novel brings a unique twist on the tales usually told during this time, as it focuses on two spies during the tail end of the Napoleonic Wars between France and England.

Rees Phillips has spent a decade toiling away as a clerk in the Foreign Office in London, and has grown a bit despondent that a promotion has not come his way. He is given a chance to prove himself when he is sent to infiltrate the home of Lady Celine Wexham, a suspected spy for the French. Posing as the nephew of her injured butler, Rees is able to assume an interim hold on that position, which allows him access to much of the household and a level of privilege among the servants.

I confess that I started this novel thinking Rees would discover that Lady Wexham wasn't a French spy, but to my surprise it turns out that she actually is! Celine and her mother had fled France during the Reign of Terror, and then Celine was pressured into an unhappy marriage with a wealthy Englishman. Now a widow for three years, Celine still moves in London's first circles but has been recruited to pass along any pertinent information she might discover which would help the war effort in France. She sees this as a way of bringing some meaning to her rather tedious existence.

It does not take long for Celine to detect that her new butler is not all that he says he is. Thus begins a cat and mouse game for Rees and Celine to outwit and catch the other in their suspected activities. Things heat up when Celine takes Rees and other household staff to visit the Count of Provence, the would-be king of France who was in exile in England during the latter part of Napoleon's reign as emperor. While staying at Hartwell House, Rees discovers that Celine's espionage has become suspected by French royalists, and plans against her life have been made. Torn between his duty to his country to unmask Celine as a spy, and what he feels is God's will in protecting her life from her own countrymen, Rees decides to put himself in harm's way for the lonely and intriguing woman.

I found the story a little hard to get into at first, as it's a very character-driven novel, but once the action started I had a hard time putting it down and enjoyed it very much. I learned a lot about England's relationship with France during this time period, which was a unique bonus. I'd recommend this novel to all fans of Regency fiction or historical fiction in general. I look forward to reading more books by this author in the future.

As I've mentioned before, I have an insider track on weddings and I love being part of them. When this book was recommended to me because it starred a wedding planner and a quirky plot, I was very excited to read it. Honestly, weddings and books have one thing in common: you never quite know what's going to happen when you dive in!

Bella Rossi comes from a stereotypical Italian family, and she's way out of her comfort zone in planning a wedding with a Boot-Scootin' western theme. She's just inherited the wedding planning business from her parents, and this is her first solo job. Knowing nothing about country music, she decides to find a deejay who can help her select music and get a better picture of the country western scene.

I had issues with this book immediately. It states right off the bat that we're "less than two weeks" from the wedding, and yet Bella is only just starting to find vendors and shop for decorations. That's ridiculous. Even though it's said that it's a last-minute wedding, no one does it that last-minute and expects good results! I know I'm obsessive about details and having a working plan in place, but by the time you reach two weeks before the wedding, there's nothing that's not already carefully lined up and ready to go. You can't be ordering things off eBay at that date, or just starting to plan the reception. You just can't. Although Bella is understandably nervous to be doing her first wedding on her own, the level of anxiety is rather absurd when you consider she's been helping her parents for years. To be in charge of a wedding you have to have confidence. Had I been this bride, I would have fired Bella and never recommended her to anyone. It was that bad.

Bella is supposed to be 29 years old, and most of the main characters seem to be around the same age. Yet they speak and act like they're teenagers. There's a lack of maturity that drove this reader crazy. That might have been passable if they were 18, but they weren't. The emotions were very unrealistic for this group of people.

The spiritual side of the novel seemed forced. The few genuine moments involved Bella's aunt, not Bella herself. There is a crazy side-plot about a parrot that seems to indicate that animals can come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and become witnesses for Him. That's just bad theology and a waste of everyone's reading time.

The title of the book is the best commentary I can give on recommending it. These things I've mentioned here are only the most major of the problems I had with it, and I could go on if I wanted. Needless to say, I won't worry about finding a place for this book on my crowded shelves. Go watch an episode of "Cake Boss" if you want to see a more realistic portrayal of an Italian family running their own business.