The Master Craftsman

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In 1917, Alma Pihl, a master craftsman in the House of Faberge, was charged to protect one of the greatest secrets in Russian history - an unknown Faberge Egg that Peter Karl Faberge secretly created to honor his divided allegiance to both the people of Russia and the Imperial tsar's family. When Alma and her husband escaped Russia for their native Finland in 1921, she took the secret with her, guarding her past connection to the Romanov family.

Three generations later, world-renowned treasure hunter Nick Laine is sick and fears the secret of the missing egg will die with him. With time running out, he entrusts the mission of retrieving the egg to his estranged daughter, Ava, who has little idea of the dangers she is about to face. As the stakes are raised, Ava is forced to declare her own allegiance - and the consequences are greater than she could have imagined.

Review

I felt like I was stepping into a National Treasure movie! This was quite the adventure story - or should I say, treasure hunt? I had heard of the Fabergé Eggs before, but the history Kelli Stuart fleshes out about Peter Karl Fabergé and the stories behind the famed eggs was beyond fascinating. Be sure to search the internet for photos of the discovered Eggs as they are absolutely breathtaking in beauty and detail. And while we have some Eggs today, there are some known to be lost. And off of this, the author begs the question, "What if there was another Egg?"

The Master Craftsman was an intriguing and thought-provoking story. And don't despair - this book is not just a history lesson about the Eggs.  It's an adventure story full of intrigue and danger with characters in the midst of relationships as complex as the Eggs themselves. An enjoyable read!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. 

The Element of Love

 

Back Cover

With their sharp engineering minds, Laura Stiles and her two sisters have been able to deal with their mother's unfortunate choice in husband until they discovered his plans to marry each of them off to his lecherous friends. Now they must run away - far and fast - to find better matches to legally claim their portion of their father's lumber dynasty and seize control from their stepfather.

During their escape, Laura befriends a mission group heading to serve the poor in California. She quickly volunteers herself and her sister to join their efforts. Despite the settlement being in miserable condition, the sisters are excited by the opportunity to put their skills to good use. Laura also sees potential in Caleb, the mission's parson, to help with gaining her inheritance. But when secrets buried in Caleb's past and in the land around them come to light, it'll take all the smarts the sisters have to keep trouble at bay.

Review

This was a fun adventure story following three quirky and brilliant sisters as they escape a horrid future laid out by their abusive step-father. Laura, Jillian, and Michelle hope to find honourable, God-fearing men to marry quickly in order to rescue them - and their mother - out of a plot by their stepfather to take over their inheritance. A shorter novel, The Element of Love is a quick and easy read and perfect for lovers of Western fiction. It has all the right "elements" (haha): dashing cowboys, strong women, and an evil villain threaded together with themes of romance and faith. Possibly because it was a shorter read, I did struggle a bit with the realism of the romantic connection between Laura and Caleb.  Perhaps a few extra chapters would have aided in that, but I understand given the plot line, quick courtships were necessary! I'm still intrigued about the future books in this new series, "The Lumber Baron's Daughters", surrounding Michelle and Jillian's stories.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.