The Painter's Daughter

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Sophie Dupont assists her father in his studio, keeping her own artwork out of sight.  In private, she paints the picturesque north Devon coast, popular with artists – including handsome Wesley Overtree, who seems more interested in Sophie than the landscape.

Captain Stephen Overtree is accustomed to taking on his brother Wesley’s responsibilities.  Near the end of his leave, he is sent to find his brother and bring him home.  Upon reaching Devonshire, however, Stephen is stunned to learn Wesley has sailed for Italy and left his host’s daughter in serious trouble.

Stephen feels duty-bound to act, and strangely protective of the young lady, who somehow seems familiar.  Wanting to make some recompense for his own past failings as well as his brother’s, Stephen proposes to Miss Dupont.  He does not offer love, but marriage “in name only” to save her from scandal.  If he dies in battle, as he fears, she will at least be a respectable widow.

Desperate for a way to escape her predicament, Sophie finds herself torn between her first love and this brooding man she barely knows.  Dare she wait for Wesley to return?  Or should she elope with the captain and pray she doesn’t come to regret it? 

Review 

Julie Klassen has penned another beautiful story with strong characters and a moving storyline.  Rich in historical detail, The Painter’s Daughter transports the reader to a Jane Austen-esque era resplendent with balls, mansions, family drama, romance, and betrayal, all shrouded in a veil of secrets.  I love the subtle shift in Julie Klassen’s books whereby an element of mystery is being added.  It was prominently shown in her previous work, The Secret of Pembrooke Park, and a thread of intrigue was expertly woven in The Painter’s Daughter, adding a greater depth to the story, and further appealing to a wider variety of readers.  It’s not just a simple, historical romance – The Painter’s Daughter is multi-faceted and greatly enjoyable - one that I would highly recommend. 

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

The Mistress of Tall Acre

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The American Revolution is finally over, and Sophie Menzies is starved for good news.  When her nearest neighbor, General Seamus Ogilvy, finally comes home to Tall Acre, she hopes it is a sign of better days to come.  But the general is not a widower with a small daughter in desperate need of a mother.  Nearly destitute, Sophie agrees to marry Seamus and become the mistress of Tall Acre in what seems a safe, sensible arrangement.  But when a woman from the general's past returns without warning, the ties that bind this fledgling family together will be strained to the utmost.  When all is said and done, who will be the rightful mistress of Tall Acre?

Triumph and tragedy, loyalty and betrayal - you will find it all in the rich pages of this newest novel from the talented pen of Laura Frantz.

Review

I watched a new movie, Goosebumps recently.  Now that may be a strange thing to reference in a review about a historical romance, but there was a quote in that movie that I think aptly applies to this novel.  One of the main characters, the author of the Goosebumps series, R.L. Stine, acted by Jack Black, states that there are three parts to a novel: the beginning, the middle, and the twist.  That is so true for The Mistress of Tall Acre!

The beginning starts off well by introducing the reader to the main characters, the General, Sophie, and the General's daughter, Lily-Cate, as well a a strong supporting cast.  The relationships among these characters slowly blossom and carries the reader into the middle portion of the book whereby an element of danger is introduced and the relationship between the General and Sophie begins to deepen.  And the ending - the "twist" - WOW.  I did not see that one coming!  When it was revealed, it left me dumbfounded as to how the author was going to be able to give sufficient and satisfying closure to all the loose ends.  But she does!  

The Mistress of Tall Acre is a great novel.  It held a strong theme surrounding relationships and what it means to be mindful of others and their needs.  Faith also was showcased with a reminder to always, always trust God with your needs and desires - there is nothing too big that He can't handle.  Hallelujah!  

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

Until the Dawn

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Fascinated by Dierenpark, an abandoned mansion high atop a windswept cliff in the Hudson River Valley, Sophie van Rijn sees no harm in setting up a roof-top weather station for her work with the newly established Weather Bureau.  While the villagers are suspicious of the mysterious estate and its tragic history, Sophie has come to see it as her own enchanted piece of paradise.

The first Vandermark to return to the area in sixty years, Quentin intends to put an end to the shadowy rumors about the property that has brought nothing but trouble upon his family.  Ready to tear down the mansion, he is furious to discover Sophie trespassing on his land.

Instantly at odds, Quentin and Sophie yet find common ground when she is the only one who can reach his troubled son.  There's a light within Sophie that Quentin has never known, and a small spark of the hope that left him years ago begins to grow.  But when the secrets of Dierenpark can no longer be kept in the past, will tragedy triumph or can their tenuous hope prevail?

Review

Have you ever sighed after reading the last page of a book?  Sighed because it was such a wonderfully written novel and the characters had somehow ingrained themselves into your heart so that it felt like a real "goodbye" when you finished their story?

That's how I felt when I read the final word in Until the Dawn.  I have read several books by the talented Elizabeth Camden, and I have yet to be disappointed.  She has a knack for creating a strong cast of leading characters to draw the reader into the story.  Sophie and Quentin are as opposite of individuals as one could imagine - one is bright, warm, and sunny in nature whose main passion in life, besides being a blessing to others and living out her faith, is having a climate observatory established in town and being able to work there.   The other character is a dark, brooding skeptic hounded by pain from an injury, guilt over his relationship with his former deceased wife, and driven by the need to repay his grandfather and raise his son to be self-supporting.  With two such opposing personalities, fireworks - and not the good kind - are guaranteed to follow.  But what becomes rather surprising is over the course of time, mutual admiration and respect for each other blossom - along with perhaps something else more intimate?

But romance isn't the only side to this story.  Locals call the beautiful Dierenpark Estate cursed and plagued by problems from the moment it was built.  Indeed, it holds more secrets than one could ever imagine, bringing an intriguing angle to the book.  Threaded together with Elizabeth Camden's fantastic writing, Until the Dawn is just a fantastic read that I would highly recommend - along with her other excellent novels.

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

The Shock of Night

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When one man is brutally murdered and the priest he works for mortally wounded, Willet Dura, reeve to the king of Bunard, is called to investigate.  As he begins to question the dying priest, the man pulls Willet close and screams in a foreign tongue.  Then he dies without another word.

Willet returns to his task, but the clues to the crime lead to contradictions and questions without answers, and his senses are skewed.  People he touches appear to have a subtle shift, as though he can divine their deepest thoughts.  In a world divided between haves and have-nots, gifted and common, Willet soon learns he's been passed the rarest gift of all - a gift that's not supposed to exist.

Now Willet must pursue the murderer still on the loose in Bunard even as he's pulled into a dangerous conflict that threatens not only his city, but his entire world--a conflict that will force him to come to terms with his inability to remember how he escaped the Darkwater Forest - and what happened to him inside it.

Review

Wow, this was a fantasy novel unlike any others that I've read!  It's not your typical fantasy about witches, spells, dragons, etc.  It reads like a medieval mystery story, with the added element of "gifts" given to mankind - and one in particular is quite supernatural. 

The main character, Willet Dura, is a reeve to the king, in what I would describe as similar in scope to a homicide detective.  He's called when there's been a murder, and it is up to him to question witnesses and find the culprit.  He is an interesting character for while he holds what one would think is an esteemed position, he is scorned by the society in general, and has many enemies at court.  Perhaps not helping his reputation is his strange fascination with death - so much so, he will attend the kingdom's "hospice" when an individual is near the end, wanting desperately to know what the dying person "sees", and if there is truly a hereafter.  The one thing he truly lives for, however, is his love, Gael, and he looks forward to their impending wedding with no small amount of eagerness. 

With a complex main character, it is by necessity that the story be equally elaborate.  Indeed, it is intricate, and multi-layered, and as Willet goes about his investigation into the deaths of the priest and his guard, each new clue he discovers just leads to more questions than answers.  When he is granted a gift of sight into a person's mind, it becomes a blessing and a curse.  For with it, a person's guilt can be determined with a simple touch.  However, it is a gift equally fiercely protected and sought after, thereby endangering Willet's life more than ever before.  

The Shock of Night is guaranteed to keep the reader enthralled until the final page is read - and wishing desperately there was at least one more chapter!

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

Murder at the Courthouse

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Michael Keane’s stressful days as a Columbus police officer are done.  He’s ready to relax into his new position as deputy sheriff in his hometown.  Nothing ever happens in Hidden Springs, Kentucky—and that’s just fine with Michael.

Nothing, that is, until a dead body is discovered on the courthouse steps.  As Michael works to solve the case, it seems that every nosy resident in town has a theory.  When the sheriff insists Michael check out one of those harebrained theories, his surprising discover sends him on a bewildering search for a mysterious killer that has him questioning everything he has ever believed about life in Hidden Springs.

Bringing with her a knack for creating settings you want to visit and an uncanny ability to bring characters to life, A. H. Gabhart pens a whodunit that will keep you guessing. 

Review 

I’m a fan of A. H. Gabhart (a.k.a. Ann H. Gabhart), having read most of her “Rosey Corner” and “The Heart of Hollyhill” series, and one of her stand-alones, Words Spoken True.  She is a beautiful writer who creates deep characters, interesting and unique stories, and wonderful “small towns”. 

Murder at the Courthouse has the guaranteed cast of memorable characters, a quaint small town (where you can tell the time of day depending on when the town’s resident “busybody” is on her daily tour through town), but with an added element of a dastardly and brazen murder in broad daylight.  As is wont in small towns whereby a small thing like the barber going on vacation is known by everyone, anything larger than that creates an impact.  And suffice to say, a murder rocks Hidden Springs’ residents to the core. 

While their own safety is chief among their concerns, the townspeople also want to know who did it so justice can be served.  And as the conspiracy theories grow faster than the weeds in their backyard vegetable gardens, they are every bit as gnarly.  Enter Michael Keane, who must wade through the “helpful” suggestions to get to the bottom of the matter.  To make things even more complicated, there is a reporter on his tail, an arrogant police officer spearheading the investigation, a teenage boy that is constantly chasing after trouble, and two very different women in his life that he is equally drawn to.  But solve this case he must – and will – even if the answer isn’t what he wants it to be.

With more twists and turns than a back-country road, Murder at the Courthouse is a mystery that keeps you guessing until the culprit is revealed – and holds the reader captive throughout the whole process. 

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

Vendetta

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No one needs to push Nikki Boyd to excel on the Tennessee Missing Persons Task Force.  The case of her own missing sister, still unsolved after ten years, is the driving force in her work.  When a Polaroid photo of a missing girl shows up at the crime scene, Nikki quickly recognizes similarities to the past.  The closer she gets to the abductor, the more she feels this case has become personal, and she is not the hunter…but the hunted.

With this explosive first book in The Nikki Boyd Files, award-winning author Lisa Harris takes you on a fast-paced pursuit of justice that will have you holding your breath until the heart-stopping finish.

Review

If you’re looking for an edge-of-your-seat thriller and a fast-paced read, look no further than Vendetta.  Employing the tactic of making the characters’ situation worse when the story even slightly slows down, Lisa Harris ensures that you will be late for work, have fewer hours of sleep, and be constantly wondering “what could possibly happen next?!” in her well-crafted crime novel.  It’s an adrenaline ride as the Nikki desperately tries to find a missing girl, whilst stumbling upon a possible connection to her own sister’s disappearance – something that Nikki is still struggling with guilt over.  But Nikki is determined – and with her team and loyal friend, Tyler, by her side, she won’t rest until the case is solved and the missing girl is safe.

This novel was a fantastic read.  I will be eagerly awaiting book two in the Nikki Boyd Series – due out in summer of 2016!

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

The Memory Weaver

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Eliza Spalding Warren was just a child when she was taken hostage by the Cayuse Indians during a massacre in 1847.  Now a mother of two, Eliza faces a new kind of dislocation; her impulsive husband wants to make a new start in another territory, which will mean leaving her beloved home and her mother’s grave—and returning to the land of her captivity.

Haunted by memories and hounded by struggle, Eliza longs to know how her mother dealt with trauma of their ordeal.  As she searches the pages of her mother’s diary, Eliza is stunned to find that her own recollections tell only part of the story.

Based on true events, The Memory Weaver is New York Times bestselling author Jane Kirkpatrick’s latest literary journey into the past, where threads of western landscapes, family, and faith weave a tapestry of hope inside every pioneering woman’s heart.  Get swept up in this emotional story of the memories that entangle us and the healing that awaits us when we bravely unravel the threads of the past.

Review

It always blows me away when I read stories about frontierswomen – they could practically take on anything.  They weren’t worried about whether their Starbucks drink was low-fat, stressed when they broke a nail, or squeamish over doing housework.  These women were strong in every sense of the word, and equally admirable.  They did what they had to in order to survive - many relying on their faith to see them through. 

Eliza Spalding Warren was one of those women.  She survived a horrific tragedy when she was young, but instead of letting it defeat her, she soldiered on.  Eliza grew up fast, marrying a man quite a few years older than her, and soon had her own children to raise.  I found her very courageous as she met each new challenge head on, even while she struggled with reoccurring memories of her captivity, a difficult father, and a restless husband.

This is not a fast-paced novel, but rather asks the readers to take a breath, slow down, and allow yourself to be carried away in a tale of loss, love, struggle, courage, and hope.  Rich in setting, history, and characters, The Memory Weaver is a story sure to stick in the minds of readers days after finishing the final page.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  This is my honest review.