Tag: historical

Blog Tour and Review: An Engagement of Sorts

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by Alene Wecker

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Covenant Communications, Inc. (August 8, 2021)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1524417645
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1524417642

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Much to her mother’s dismay, spirited Anne Fletcher spent her youth seeking her father’s approval by hunting and riding. More comfortable in breeches than ball gowns, Anne sees the freedoms she once enjoyed slowly taken from her in the name of fashioning her into an eligible young lady. When her parents try to force her into marriage, Anne makes a desperate attempt to salvage her last vestige of independence. If she is to marry, she will do so on her own terms.

Anne strikes a deal: if she cannot secure a man for herself, she will agree to marry the husband her parents approved. She soon finds herself in the last place she would ever choose―that stifling parade of etiquette, the London Season. Anne’s plan is in motion. Now all she needs is a man willing to masquerade as her fiancé.


An Engagement of Sorts is not one of those stories where the characters just sit around waiting for things to happen.

There was laughter and tears, a villain to defeat, and a hoyden who found her knight disguised as a flirtatious dandy.

I always love when a story has a combination of funny moments and sweet moments. For a good laugh, the horse race wins hands down! There is also the sweetest love letter.

I loved Alene Wecker’s complex characters, interesting plot, and perfect pace to her story. Wecker is a debut author who I greatly look forward to hearing more from.

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Blog Tour and Review: Song of Salzburg

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by Jen Geigle Johnson

Publisher : Covenant Communications, Inc. (August 2, 2021)
Language : English
ISBN-10 : 1524417602
ISBN-13 : 978-1524417604

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When talented violinist Freya Winter is chosen to take part in a musical celebration alongside some of the best instrumentalists in the world, she is thrilled. Performing in front of royalty is a breathtaking opportunity, but her true motivation for traveling to Salzburg is to fulfill an unlikely dream: to meet and train under the renowned Salzburg Maestro, a master musician shrouded in mystery.

Freya travels aboard the Orient Express to practice with the newly formed orchestra in Salzburg, and nothing can distract her―not her mother’s illness, nor her father’s domineering ways; however, when a handsome passenger becomes a regular fixture on her journeys, Freya feels her focus blurring. Conversation with Erich is easy, and their shared love of music draws them undeniably closer. But even as they open their hearts to each other, the harsh realities of her family life intrude on the future she’s envisioned, and Freya feels her dreams slipping through her fingers, threatening to rob her of everything she cherishes most.

This was an enjoyable read about a young woman named Freya Winter who has a passion for music. Her parents see it as only a hobby and are giving her some time away in Salzburg in the student orchestra before she must give it up. On the way there she meets a young man named Erich.

Their relationship takes place mostly on the Orient Express as she travels between her school and her grandmother’s house in Paris. There are a lot of details about the Orient Express as well as the cities of Salzburg and Paris that I liked, as well as fashion from this time period.

While I like music and have an appreciation for it, I am not a musician. However, there was something so beautiful about this young couple having such a passion for music, and then how they are able to play it together as one.

Song of Salzburg is a sweet read that I would recommend.

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The Merchant and the Rogue – Review

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by Sarah M. Eden

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Shadow Mountain (August 17, 2021)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1629728519
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1629728513

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London, 1865

Vera Sorokina loves reading the Penny Dreadfuls and immersing herself in tales of adventure, mystery, and romance. Her own days are filled with the often mundane work of running the book and print shop she owns with her father. The shop offers her the freedom and income to employ and protect the poverty-stricken Londoners she’s come to care about, and it gives her father something to do other than long for their hometown of St. Petersburg. She is grateful for the stability in their lives, but she often feels lonely.

Brogan Donnelly was born and raised in Ireland, but has lived in London for several years, where he’s built a career as a Penny Dreadful writer. He has dedicated himself to the plight of the poor with the help of his sister. His membership in the secretive Dread Penny Society allows him to feel he isn’t entirely wasting his life, yet he feels dissatisfied. With no one to share his life with but his sister, he fears London will never truly feel like home.

Brogan and Vera’s paths cross, and the attraction is both immediate and ill-advised. Vera knows from past experience that writers are never to be trusted, and Brogan has reason to suspect not everything at her print shop is aboveboard. When the growing criminal enterprise run by the elusive and violent Mastiff begins targeting their area of London, Brogan and Vera must work together to protect the community they’ve both grown to love. But that means they’ll need to learn to trust each other with dangerous secrets that have followed both of them from their home countries.

I’ll admit that a secret society of vigilante Penny Dreadful writers during the Victorian era sounded a little strange to me when I first started reading this series, but now I want to be a member! Sarah Eden can write so many different genres and due to her immense talent and painstaking research, I find myself immersed in every story.

The Merchant and the Rogue is different from the previous in the series because Brogan Donnelly has left the Dread Penny Society because he no longer wanted to lie to his sister, and because the Dread Penny Master wanted him to go rogue on a case involving a Russian ambassador in order to find out some information. He ends up working at a print shop where Russian Vera Sorokina and her father also sell penny dreadfuls, so he has to hide his identity.

The story takes on the same format as the previous in the series where there are installments of penny dreadfuls at the end of some of the chapters. These ones are written by Brogan and Mr King. Brogan’s stories are very unique. Because of the dreadfuls, there are more characters to keep track of, but I really like the addition of them.

There are some lovable kids from the street, and I instantly adored Olly and Liquorice. I would love to know where Eden gets the names for her street kids.

Readers not only get to know the main characters, but there are always side characters you love and hope to see again. Brogan’s sister is a force to be reckoned with, and I hope she gets her own story. I also am looking forward to learning more about Stone. So many characters are intriguing.

This series is so unique and each of the penny dreadfuls are fascinating as well. I love the characters, and I loved the mystery. I can’t wait to read more from this series.

Blog Tour and Review: Heart in the Highlands

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by Heidi Kimball

Publisher : Covenant Communications, Inc. (August 9, 2021)
Language : English
ISBN-10 : 152441882X
ISBN-13 : 978-1524418823

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An arranged marriage was never what Callum Darrington, future Duke of Edinbane, imagined for himself. But with the well-being of his uncle’s family hanging in the balance, Callum strikes a bargain with his father and reluctantly agrees to tie himself to a stranger. The reality of the lovely Lady Katherine is more than he could have hoped for, and their wedding heralds a bright new future for the couple—until Callum discovers his father deliberately deceived him. Callum lashes out, setting in motion heartbreak not even he could have foreseen.

Four years later, Callum is ready to piece together the marriage he so carelessly destroyed. But their years apart have hardened Kate: she is not the naive and trusting young woman she once was, and she has no intention of allowing Callum a foothold in her life or her heart. Despite her coldness, Callum works to regain her trust and rebuild their marriage, not realizing Kate harbors a secret that could change everything—and this time, there is much more at stake than just her heart.

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I stayed up until 4am reading Heart in the Highlands, and I regret nothing.

I did have a love/hate relationship with Callum. Just when I thought he had gotten back on my good side he messes up again, but that’s just what makes him real. I love that even though he is broken and vulnerable, he is really trying. He just needs to be shown grace for the times he messes up, and he needs to learn to bestow grace to others like his father.

Kate often acts like she was the only one wronged, and while she definitely was abandoned at what could be described as the worst time of her life, Callum did reach out to her repeatedly through letters which she ignored, making him think she didn’t want him around. However, Kate is a very strong woman who tries to do the best with what she has.

Communication is so important in a relationship, and it is often lacking. I loved how they exchanged his journal entries and her drawings from their time apart to learn more about each other.

This story was emotional and really made me think. We might easily find ourselves criticizing others, but could we really forgive someone just as easily? We also have to be careful not to hold on to anger. It can end up affecting us far more than anyone else.

Heidi recently mentioned that she had wondered during a difficult time if her passion for writing would ever come back. I am so glad it did. I would have hated to miss out on reading stories like this.

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The Ears Have It – Review

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by Rebecca Connolly

Publisher : Phase Publishing (July 27, 2021)
Language : English
Paperback : 278 pages
ISBN-10 : 1952103290
ISBN-13 : 978-1952103292

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To see or not to see…

Emmeline Bartlett has a secret. By day, she is the polite, proper, sometimes teacher of writing and rhetoric at the prestigious Miss Masters’s Finishing School. But by night, she disguises herself as the mysterious Ears, exploring and investigating the darker sides of London, writing articles about her discoveries under a pseudonym and exposing scandals. When a handsome Spaniard crosses her path, Emmeline discovers new adventures in London by night, as well as new dangers.

Teodoro de Vickers y Mendoza isn’t sure what he is going to do with the title he inherited from his estranged English grandfather, but he’s come to England to find out. Meeting Ears on a nighttime walk isn’t part of the plan, nor is finding her intriguing, exciting, and beautiful. The further he gets into her world, the more he wonders about his own, and the less certain he is about everything.

Except for her.

As the offspring of an English father and a Spanish mother, Teo is torn between two countries. After the death of his estranged grandfather, he returns to an England he doesn’t know.

Emmeline has always looked for adventure and stories, and she finds it best when she silently tours the streets of London at night. Balancing her nightly sleuthing skills as Ears, her daytime routine following around her Aunt like a proper lady, and her occasional teaching position at a finishing school, leaves her days and nights busy. Yet Emmeline still wonders which identity she really is.

Teo falls head over heels really fast and his entire life and all his thoughts seem consumed by Emmeline. To me it seemed a little fast. Emmeline falls in love pretty fast as well, but it doesn’t seem to consume her entire life as much.

There’s quite a bit of Spanish in this book. I know enough Spanish, so I didn’t have any problems reading it, and it fit the character’s personalities better to use their native tongue. However, if you don’t know Spanish, you may want to have a way to translate it nearby.

Gent is in this book! I love him! If you haven’t read his book (The Lady and the Gent), you really should.

My favorite parts of The Ears Have It are the plots, mystery, and the London League. There were a lot of little connections from previous books that I loved. A major plot is also a continuation, but this book can be read on its own.

The Nabob’s Daughter – Review

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by Jess Heileman

Publisher : Vagabond Publishing, LLC (June 16, 2021)
Language : English
Paperback : 444 pages
ISBN-10 : 1732985146
ISBN-13 : 978-1732985148

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She’ll do anything to escape an arranged marriage. He’ll do anything to help her.

Honora Crauford relishes her life in India. So when her father informs her of his latest business transaction—marrying her off to a bankrupt nobleman in England—her only hope for returning home is to convince her betrothed, by whatever antics necessary, that a marriage to her comes at a cost that not even the greatest fortune can justify. 

Graham Whitworth can hardly believe his wretched luck. It seems the only way to save his family’s insolvent estate is to comply with his father’s demands and marry the extremely wealthy, but utterly ridiculous, nabob’s daughter. But when Honora missteps, Graham discerns her farce and begins to see who she truly is—a most impressive lady. A lady likely capable of fixing his family’s financial troubles. 

Realizing they both desire freedom, Graham and Honora join forces to restore the Whitworth estate and return Honora to her beloved India. But sometimes love has its own agenda, and the revoking of a once undesirable arrangement may just prove to be the greatest sacrifice of all.  

I read The Nabob’s Daughter by Jess Heileman on Kindle Unlimited, and immediately after finishing it I bought the paperback because I loved it so much!

I seriously hated every time I had to put it down. Honora and Graham were the cutest couple, and I loved how they interacted with each other. I also loved all the rich details of India that the author included.

This book was so sweet and yet hilarious as well; the perfect combination! On top of that, it had a twist that I didn’t see coming. I loved this book, and I highly recommend it. It was one of the best releases of the year.

Blog Tour and Review: Inventing Vivian

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by Jennifer Moore

Publisher : Covenant Communications, Inc. (June 7, 2021)
Language : English
ISBN-10 : 1524418943
ISBN-13 : 978-1524418946

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Ladies of London’s High Society are known for their social graces and poise. Vivian Kirby boasts neither of these enviable qualities, though she does offer impressive conversation on chemical compositions. Unfortunately, it appears that not many men want a brilliant wife. So it is that Vivian finds kinship with a group of young women who embrace each other’s differences: The Blue Orchid Society.

After an extended stay in China, Lord Benedict has returned transformed to his family’s estate, where an encounter with Vivian, whose scientific knowledge he once undermined, leaves him determined to make amends. He arranges to help forward her research—anonymously, of course. Through letters, Vivian establishes a warm friendship with her secret benefactor, even as she’s unexpectedly drawn into a murder investigation that forces her to work alongside Benedict to unearth the truth. Soon, Vivian fears she may be falling in love with two men, never suspecting that they are one and the same.

Vivian Kirby has always dreamed of being an inventor. Her brain seems to think differently than a lot of people, and it has caused many suitors to lose interest in her. The reader receives quite a unique introduction to Vivian in the prologue.

Lord Benedict has lived like a selfish second son until some time in China has opened his eyes.

With Vivian’s keen mind and serious nature and Benedict’s lighthearted nature and extroverted personality, they do not seem like they would make a very good couple. Yet, they make the perfect Yin and Yang.

I found this story really interesting. Besides loving the characters, some of my favorite things were the descriptions of Vivian’s invention, and the Chinese items and stories. I also liked the mystery throughout the story.

This story is a part of a series, but it can be read as a standalone. There are some side characters in this book that have previously made an appearance.

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The Heart’s Charge – Review

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by Karen Witemeyer

Publisher : Bethany House Publishers (June 1, 2021)
Language : English
Paperback : 384 pages
ISBN-10 : 0764232088
ISBN-13 : 978-0764232084

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Members of Hanger’s Horsemen, Mark Wallace and Jonah Brooks arrive in Llano County, Texas, to deliver a steed, never expecting they’d deliver a baby as well. Left with an infant to care for, they head to a nearby foundling home, where Mark encounters the woman he’d nearly married a decade ago.

After failing at love, Katherine Palmer dedicated her life to caring for children, teaming up with Eliza Southerland to start Harmony House. From mixed ancestry, illegitimate, and female, Eliza understands the pain of not fitting society’s mold. Yet those are the very attributes that lead her to minister to outcast children. The taciturn Jonah intrigues her with his courage and kindness, but there are secrets behind his eyes–ghosts from wars past and others still being waged.

However, when a handful of urchin children from the area go missing, a pair of Horsemen are exactly what the women need. Working together to find the children, will these two couples find love as well?

Karen Witemeyer is the reason I stepped outside my Historical Regency comfort zone and started reading Westerns. Books like this are exactly why I now love Westerns!

The theme of this story was very important to me. God has called us to help the orphans no matter who they are or where they are from. Stories like the one Abner shared are so heartbreaking. Eliza’s story was also heartbreaking, and far too common.

It’s often tough to have a book written with four lead characters who are equally important and fully developed. Witemeyer has accomplished this so well. There was also a mystery and some action in this book along with the romance of the two couples.

This book can be read as a standalone, but if you read the first book in the series (At Love’s Command) you can learn more about the history of the horsemen.

I loved the plot and the characters. I read through the book at a fast pace but then read the end slowly because I wanted to savor it. I can’t wait for Preach’s story!