ReviewsByErin

 Historical fiction is my favorite genre, so which books claimed favorite of the favorite status?



A Daring Venture by Elizabeth Camden

In 1908 there are not many female biochemists, and none are catching more attention than Dr. Rosalind Werner as she seeks to prove that chlorine is safe for water treatment. You'll never read a more suspenseful or romantic book on eradicating waterborne diseases!




More Than Meets The Eye by Karen Witemeyer

Logan Fowler is bent on getting revenge, until he meets gentle Evangeline Hamilton, whose mismatched eyes have made her a social outcast. How could he destroy her brother when he wants to protect this sweet young woman?




An Hour Unspent by Roseanna M. White

Barclay Pearce is a fiercely loyal older brother and a reformed thief now working to help the British government during World War I. He's not going to let anything stop him from doing what he thinks is right... even if the woman he loves walks away from him.

 


Willa Forsythe plays the violin by ear - but only to her friends and family. That's partially because her family is a collection of London orphans who have banded together to form a group of highy experienced thieves, and therefore secrecy is highly desirable. After her sister Rosemary's success in providing information for mysterious government contact Mr. V, the family is all set to lay aside petty thievery and focus on tasks that actually help Britain in The Great War. When Mr. V contacts Willa and asks her to retrieve a cypher key from famous violinist Lukas De Wilde, Willa can hardly believe it. She's admired Mr. De Wilde's work for so long and has even heard him play before! Now with both British and German agents seeking his deceased father's famous cypher, Willa is under scrutiny to find it and report back to Mr. V as quickly as she can without arousing suspicion.

After barely suriviving the German attack on his home, Lukas De Wilde finds himself in Wales with other Belgian refugees. Worried sick about his mother and sister, Lukas is determined to make it back and find them as soon as he is able. Meanwhile he must play with the refugee orchestra and raise funds to help those still in their war-torn country. 

When Lukas and Willa meet, he is captivated from the moment he allows her to play his Stradivarius. He can't believe someone with her talent has never had lessons and taught herself to read music. He would do anything to help her further her abilities, even though he knows that she will eclipse him if her proficiency becomes known. He's never met anyone more fascinating, or more guarded, or more determined to not to let their relationship develop a romantic side. 

While Willa cannot believe Lukas De Wilde has actually taken notice of her, she works hard to fulfill her job for Mr. V - and doubly hard to make sure her heart does not become entangled. She can't fall in love with Lukas, because romantic love has only caused people to abandon her. But she does care for him, and when it becomes clear that his life is in danger because of the secrets he carries with him, she's willing to risk her life to save his.

This is a wonderful story that will have readers racing through the pages. I thought the faith aspect was well done, showing both the power of redemption and the realistic reasons that Willa would hold God at arm's length. The adventure is exciting, and the history thoroughly researched. Another Roseanna M. White novel that I recommend for all history fans!

I received my copy of the book from the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

 


Winter Reeves wants to do something for the cause during the Revolutionary War. Her friend Robbie Townsend is a part of George Washington's spy network, known as the Culper Ring, and Winter keeps her ear to the ground as she is courted by a British officer. She pretends to be a feather-brained socialite to appease her grandparents and throw off all suspicion that she could be involved in the Patriot cause.

New to the city of New York, Bennet Lane has arrived with the express purpose of finding members of the Culper Ring. When his path crosses with that of Winter, he can tell that there is more to the lovely young woman than what meets the eye. While others laugh at him for paying court to someone known for her simple mind, he is willing to wait for the real Winter to reveal herself.

Not only does Winter face danger if it is discovered that she is involved in espionage, her grandparents are harsh and unrelenting in wanting her to secure the best marriage possible. They are pushing her towards Mr. Lane, but even though Winter enjoys his company, she fears he sees too much and that his Loyalist ties might prevent any true happiness from arising between them.

I enjoyed this quite a bit! There are shades of The Scarlet Pimpernel, and the historical accuracy is strong and interesting. There are a fair number of real historical characters scattered throughout, including Winter's friend Robbie Townsend. I look forward to reading more in this series!

 


It was less than a year ago that I first read one of Roseanna M. White's books, but she has quickly found a place among my favorite historical authors. The Lost Heiress and A Name Unknown have both been captivating and charming stories, but this one really took it up a notch, and from the very first pages I did not want to put it down.

Lady Rowena Kinnaird rarely left her Scottish home while growing up, and more and more the Highland castle has come to feel like a prison, with her father's overbearing ways and a cruel relation looking to make Rowena his wife. The story opens two weeks after Rowena has been assaulted, and she fears she may be with child. Unknown to her, in order to secure Rowena's safety and to give legitimacy to any child she might be carrying, her father and her maid hatch a scheme to get her married off within days to the nearest man they can catch.

The duke of Nottingham is visiting his mother's ancestral home when he receives a rare invitation to dinner with the Kinnairds. Brice has hardly met anyone from the surly Scotsman's family, but he accepts, willing to be neighborly. When he meets Rowena, he begins feeling a tug from the Holy Spirit that she's someone he is supposed to help in some way. Within hours it's clear that Brice has been set on a path to force him into a quick marriage, and while on principle he's prepared to fight the claims of Rowena's father, he is unable to turn aside from a woman who is clearly scared and in danger, even though he does not know the extent of the situation.

Feeling wounded and betrayed on every side, Rowena wants to be honest with Brice even though it would likely blow up the plans her father has set. If she is carrying a child, it would be a despicable secret to pretend it's Brice's. And how could she pretend if she has too much past trauma to let him even touch her? Maybe there won't be a baby and she won't have to face this additional crisis.

Besides the weight of a new wife, skittish and not exactly excited to become his duchess, Brice is also the bearer of the Fire Eyes, a pair of red diamonds that were a focal point in The Lost Heiress, and he knows his life is in danger. He's determined to out the treacherous siblings who are desirous to steal them from him, but having Rowena depending on him certainly complicates matters. He may have brought her out of one danger only to introduce her to a greater one.

Through intrigue, tragedy, misunderstanding, and multiple villains, Rowena and Brice seek to find their way through to what seems like the impossible: a loving marriage. This book is full of wonderful characters, well-depicted emotions and personal growth, and a plot that will keep you racing from one chapter to the next. I'm so glad I have the third book in this series already in hand! Be watching this space for its review soon.

(Please note: Due to content, I would not recommend this for anyone who is triggered by personal assault and the long road of healing it requires.)

Raised as a prince's daughter in the palace in Monaco, Brook is a free-spirited and highly cultured young lady. Yet the longing to find her true identity tugs insistently at her heart, and when her dearest friend returns to her with the news that he's found her biological father, it is with trembling hope that Brook journeys to northern England to meet the Earl of Whitby. She possesses enough links to undeniably be the earl's lost daughter, and he immediately welcomes her with the full joy of his heart. Other family members and household staff are not so sure, however, and Brook must handle their disapproval as well as the adjustment of missing her Monegasque home.

Having safely seen Brook to her new home, her friend Justin Wildon finds himself in a predicament. Not only is he in a time of grieving and inheriting his father's title and responsibilities, but now that Brook has been ushered into a home with every future luxury ensured, he feels awkward to think of courting her at this point, when she might think he was only changing the nature of their relationship due to her new fortune. Deciding the best course of action is to let her settle in, Justin pushes Brook away and throws himself into learning his own new position in society.

Brook is soon inundated with new friends and suitors, some genuine and some who are only fortune hunters. There are also cousins and relatives to meet and get to know. Even as she cherishes the growing relationship with her father, Brook longs for more of the freedoms she's used to, and she misses Justin and his ability to help her make sense of her life.

It soon becomes clear that there is a mystery underfoot. Brook is attacked for something called the Fire Eyes, and she realizes that one of her servants has been betraying her. There is also the lingering doubt as to why her mother left England before her death, giving infant Brook to a stranger with instructions to keep the child out of the country. When it becomes clear that there are those who will stop at nothing to gain the mysterious Fire Eyes - even though neither Brook nor her father know what they are - every attempt goes to keeping Brook's life safe. Danger lurks everywhere, including among those who call themselves family.

This was the first book by Roseanna M. White that I have read, but it won't be the last! It was easy to get lost in fictional 1910 Europe, and while sometimes the characters drove me crazy with their choices, you always hoped for the best for them. The story of the Fire Eyes continues throughout the next two books in this series, and I'll be doing my best to read them soon!