Month: December 2020

Top 20 Books of 2020

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Losing yourself in a good book was even more important this year than in previous years. I am so thankful for these amazing writers that share their work with us. Here are the Top 20 Books in 2020.

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Courting Misfortune – Review

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by Regina Jennings

Publisher : Bethany House Publishers (December 1, 2020)
Language: English
Paperback : 336 pages
ISBN-10 : 0764235346
ISBN-13 : 978-0764235344

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Calista York needs one more successful case as a Pinkerton operative to secure her job. When she’s assigned to find the kidnapped daughter of a mob boss, she’s sent to the rowdy mining town of Joplin, Missouri, despite having extended family in the area. Will their meddling expose her mission and keep Lila Seaton from being recovered?

When Matthew Cook decided to be a missionary, he never expected to be sent only a short train ride away. While fighting against corruption of all sorts, Matthew hears of a baby raffle being held to raise funds for a children’s home. He’ll do what he can to stop it, but he also wants to stop the reckless Miss York, whose bad judgment consistently seems to be putting her in harm’s way.

Calista doesn’t need the handsome pastor interfering with her investigation, and she can’t let her disguise slip. Her job and the life of a young lady depend on keeping Matthew in the dark.  

Calista York feels a calling to become a Pinkerton agent and help save people. While undercover on a case, she finds herself in a seedy part of town. Matthew Cook is in Joplin trying to save the lost sheep. When he runs into Calista, he gets tangled up in quite a mess.

I loved how unique this story was and that I didn’t know what would happen next. There were a number of things I didn’t see coming.

This book is connected to Graham and Willow’s story in Intrigue a la Mode (Harvey House Brides), but it can be read as a standalone. Intrigue a la Mode is an excellent story, so I suggest reading it. 🙂

Calista has a large family and at the beginning it got a little confusing with all the characters, but they were all different. I enjoyed learning about each family member.

This book was a good lesson in not judging people. You never know what someone else is going through, and you often don’t have the full story.

I enjoyed reading the author’s note at the end and learning about the history and research that went into the writing of this book.

This was a great start to a new and interesting series.

“You’re my heart, and anything that threatens you threatens my future.”

Blog Tour and Review: The Duke Meets His Match

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by Karen Tuft

Publisher : Covenant Communications, Inc. (December 1, 2020)
Language: English
Paperback : 208 pages
ISBN-10 : 1524414557
ISBN-13 : 978-1524414559

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At thirty years of age, Susan Jennings has long been considered a spinster. Exceptionally intelligent, she has little tolerance for London and the dreaded Season̵if that’s how one is expected to find love, it’s not for her. But when an invitation arrives that cannot be ignored, Susan leaves her comfortable life in the country and enters the fashion and frivolity she most despises. She quickly discovers, however, that there is more to loathe in London—and his name is George Kendall.

George, Duke of Aylesham, has learned to keep his distance from cloying females chasing the title of duchess. Susan Jennings, however, proves an entirely different challenge—a woman who has pushed him to the limit of his patience with their every encounter. But their simmering hostility is disrupted by a thoughtless slipup: to avoid a marriage of political strategy, George claims he is already betrothed. And when pressed for the name of the lucky woman, only one name comes to mind: Susan’s. Their forced betrothal proves advantageous, but when their verbal sparring must change in order to be convincing, the line between fact and fiction becomes blurred by something neither expected: love.

Susan Jennings and George Kendall, The Duke of Aylesham, have had one bad meeting after another before the Duke puts them in a situation where they must marry.

Their first conversations with each other have been fairly volatile. The title of this book is so appropriate for their relationship. This is definitely an enemies to lovers book.

The Duke has been living in high society for years and is used to the mask he has had to put on. Susan is new to the attention and has trouble with it. Even though it doesn’t look like they have much in common, and there is a lot of tension, I love that they communicate with each other when they have a problem. I just wish they had shared more about their lives with each other. They both have gone through bad previous relationships, and I was waiting for them to share that with each other and connect over it.

Aunt Margaret and Foster are as cute as ever in this book.

I look forward to reading more of Karen Tuft’s books.

Enter Here!

A Castaway in Cornwall – Review

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by Julie Klassen

Paperback : 400 pages
ISBN-10 : 0764234226
ISBN-13 : 978-0764234224
Publisher : Bethany House Publishers (December 1, 2020)

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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?

First of all, check out the cover! Besides the beautiful image, it has a pearl finish that I have not seen on a book before. It is very eye catching.

We are introduced to Laura Callaway who feels like she doesn’t belong anywhere and is like a castaway who has no place to call home. Not long later she saves Alexander who is an actual castaway from a shipwreck. It is clear from the beginning that he is hiding something, but she still feels drawn to him. Together they will look for the answers they both need.

This book was lighter on the romance. It focused more on the historical elements and the mystery. Klassen has clearly done a lot of research in writing this book. There were so many things I learned about Cornwall.

I was really interested in the Sinkininny church. A church covered by sand where they lowered the pastor through the roof sounds crazy. I love that it’s true. Sometimes truth really is stranger than fiction. There were so many interesting historical things that were weaved throughout the story.