Book Recommendation - A Portrait of Loyalty

 

For historical romance, Roseanna M. White is one of my go-to authors. This is because of her well fleshed-out characters who you can absolutely relate to (even the villains, most times), as well as the story-line, which always  includes some adventure and mystery, and a solid faith thread. As I don't enjoy romance quite as much, I love it when the romance also includes these elements. And when it teaches me some history in the process, even better! A Portrait of Loyalty is book 3 in her Codebreakers series, which follows cryptographers in WWI employed by the British Admiralty. This book can be read on its own as the story itself stands alone, but if you're reading all 3, I'd recommend reading them in order. This book is absolutely superb with strong characters, a fantastic story and a sweet romance to top it all off. Timing-wise, this one is coming out at a great time as the politicking due to the current events in 1918 in this book feel eerily similar to current events today. I actually reached out to Ms. White about it and she advised that the re-writes/edits of this book were completed in November 2019, so it was purely coincidence that things sounded a lot like 2020. 

Here's a blurb about the book:

Zivon Marin was one of Russia’s top cryptographers, until the October Revolution tore apart his world. Forced to flee after speaking out against Lenin and separated from his brother along the way, he arrives in England driven by a growing anger and determined to offer his services to the Brits.

Lily Blackwell sees the world best through the lens of a camera–and possesses unsurpassed skill when it comes to retouching and recreating photographs. With her father’s connections in propaganda, she’s recruited to the intelligence division, even though her mother would disapprove.

After Captain Blackwell invites Zivon to dinner one evening, a friendship blooms between him and Lily. He sees patterns in what she deems chaos; she sees beauty in a world he thought destroyed. But both have secrets they’re unwilling to share. When her photographs reveal that someone has been following Zivon, his loyalties are called into question–and his enemies are discovered to be far closer than he’d feared.  

This book releases September 8, 2020, though she is currently offering sneak peak pages to her newsletter subscribers. Check out her website to sign up! For additional information, please see some links below:

Roseanna M. White's webpage:https://www.roseannamwhite.com/

Roseanna M. White's facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/RoseannaMWhite

My full 5-star review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3190081239

Book recommendation - Love and a Little White Lie

 Tammy Gray is well known for her contemporary romances that include real, raw emotions, difficult topics, and realistic relatable characters. Her latest book, which starts her new State of Grace series, is no different. Love and a Little White Lie has those trademark elements of Ms. Gray's, but also includes a bit of humor and of the books of hers I've read, a more solid faith thread. This author generally writes conversion stories and this one is no different, but in this story, Jan is surrounded by Christians throughout the story and that makes the difference in the faith element.

Here's a little blurb about the book:

THERE'S A LOT OF IRONY IN HITTING ROCK BOTTOM

After a heartbreak leaves her reeling, January Sanders is open to anything--including moving into a cabin on her aunt's wedding-venue property and accepting a temporary position at her aunt's church despite being a lifelong skeptic of faith. Choosing to keep her doubts to herself, she's determined to give her all to supporting Grace Community's overworked staff while helping herself move on.

What she doesn't count on is meeting the church's handsome and charming guitarist. It's a match set for disaster, and yet January has no ability to stay away, even if it means pretending to have faith in a God she doesn't believe in.

Only this time, keeping her secret isn't as easy as she thought it would be. Especially when she's constantly running into her aunt's landscape architect, who seems to know everything about her past-and-present sins and makes no apologies about pushing her to deal with feelings she'd rather keep buried.

Torn between two worlds that can't coexist, can January find the healing that's eluded her, or will her resistance to the truth ruin any chance of happiness?

As part of her launch team, I was able to do some Q&A with the author. Here's how that went:

1. Which character most resonates with you and why?

Definitely January. I struggle a lot with trusting people and being vulnerable. Even now after 21 years as a Christian, prayer feels hard to do because it is so intimate. I just love how God pursues her and how people around her show the love of Christ. It was the same for me.

2. You mentioned in your author note (and facebook group) that you'd basically quit writing a couple of years ago and then God gave you this story. Can you tell us a little bit about that time period in between?

It all happened around the same time -- the quitting and the writing. I told my readers I was taking a year off to see what I needed to do and began praying. Pieces of this story would come, and I would write, but I never had a plan to publish it. I was writing for me again. And then suddenly, I was writing for Him, and I knew I had to get these words out to the world.

3. What do you hope readers will glean from this story?

There are so many lessons to take. Each character is struggling in their faith. For me, it was learning to let go of control, and to let God's plan reign. For others, they may feel stagnant in their faith like Cameron or questioning it all together, like Dillon. My hope is that everyone feels inspired by the story in some way.

4. Did anything in this story surprise you as you were writing?

Honestly, the biggest surprise was how much I enjoyed writing humor. Drama has always been my thing, but this time, it was fun to combine both, release the tension, and poke a little fun at some the "churchy" things we all do.

5. What was your inspiration for writing this novel?

I have spent most of my author life writing about shame, addiction and pain prior to belief. This time, I wanted to show a little of what it looked like to be a Christian on the long journey. To show what abundant life looks like. That was my inspiration. The Christian journey.

6. Any fun bits of trivia about this novel or the writing of it that you'd like to share?

I guess some fun trivia would be that the tree I reference in the story is real as is the wedding venue, although it has a different name and resides in Dripping Springs, TX. But I had friends get married under an amazing oak tree, and it was one of the most beautiful ceremonies I've witnessed. I knew immediately it would be in a story one day.

7. What do you have coming next?

Book 2 in the State of Grace series is next! Aug 2021. I've turned it into my editor and I'm so very excited about this story. Just a little hint... you will see some characters from book 1. 🙂

I'm very much looking forward to book 2! Love and a Little White Lie releases August 4, 2020. I strongly recommend checking it out! 

For more information, please check out the following links:

Tammy Gray's website:http://www.tammylgray.com/
Tammy Gray's facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/tlgraybooks/
Tammy Grays reader room on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3068117613234632
My full 5-star review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3130890408?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Book Recommendation - Bride of Convenience

When it comes to Christian historical romance, Jody Hedlund is one of the names that comes to mind for a great story. I was introduced to her writing several years ago when I won her biographical fiction piece on John Newton entitled "Newton and Polly". Two years ago, she wrote an amazing series on the orphan trains that I thoroughly enjoyed and she is currently doing a series on the bride ships that brought women from England to the Canadian colonies where miners had settled in and men outnumbered the women 100 to 1. When Ms. Hedlund learned of these ships, she wondered at what sort of desperation would cause women to leave the only home they've ever known, sail for months at a time to come to a colony and plan to marry a stranger. This series looks into those reasons and each leading lady has a different one. Bride of Convenience is the 3rd book in this series. It follows Zoe, who has come to the colonies on the bride ship not only to be a bride, but also to find her brother who immigrated 2 years prior. When she finds herself in custody of an orphan child, she knows that she has to find a husband sooner than later. While I'm generally not overly keen on romance novels in general, a marriage of convenience story is probably my favorite trope within the romance genre. I think this is because the love is built on the solid foundation of commitment, and I appreciate that about a romance novel.

Here's a brief synopsis of this novel:

Unemployed mill worker Zoe Hart jumps at the opportunity to emigrate to British Columbia in 1863 to find a better life and be reunited with her brother, who fled from home after being accused of a crime.

Pastor to miners in the mountains, Abe Merivale discovers an abandoned baby during a routine visit to Victoria and joins efforts with Zoe, one of the newly arrived bride-ship women, to care for the infant. While there, he’s devastated by the news from his fiancee in England that she’s marrying another man.

With mounting pressure to find the baby a home, Zoe accepts a proposal from a miner of questionable character after he promises to help her locate her brother. Intent on protecting Zoe and frustrated by his failed engagement, Abe offers his own hand as groom. After a hasty wedding, they soon realize their marriage of convenience is not so convenient after all.

For more information, check out the following links:
Jody Hedlund's website: https://jodyhedlund.com/
Jody Hedlund's facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jody.hedlund
Jody Hedlund's reader room facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1645996612301613/about
My full 4.5 star review of this one: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3380968885

Book Recommendation - The White Rose Resists

Amanda Barratt is a new name to me for historical fiction, but I've heard a lot of good things about her. This book received a lot of buzz in some reader groups I belong to, and I had to check it out for myself. Written about a little-known (to me anyway) German resistance group, this book came from the perspective of German citizens during WWII who were against what Hitler was doing. While a couple of the main characters are fictional (Kirk and Annalise), they are based loosely on other outlying members of the White Rose. But the remaining main characters were all real people and the things that they did in this book really happened, as is what happened to them. This book speaks to the importance of standing up for what you believe in, no matter the cost.

Here's the synopsis:

Inspired by an incredible true story, The White Rose Resists reveals the power of ordinary men and women to stand against evil…no matter the cost.

The ideal of a new Germany swept up Sophie Scholl in a maelstrom of patriotic fervor—until she realized the truth behind Hitler’s machinations for the Fatherland. Now she and other students in Munich, the cradle of the Nazi government, have banded together to form a dangerous battleground for truth: the White Rose. Risking everything to print and distribute leaflets calling for Germans to rise up against the evil permeating their country, the White Rose treads a knife’s edge of discovery by the Gestapo.

Annalise Brandt came to the University of Munich to study art, not get involved with conspiracy. The daughter of an SS officer, she’s been brought up to believe in the Führer’s divinely appointed leadership. But the more she comes to know Sophie and her friends, the more she questions the Nazi propaganda.

Soon Annalise joins their double life—students by day, resisters by night. And as the stakes increase, they’re all forced to confront the deadly consequences meted out to any who dare to oppose the Reich.

A gripping testament to courage, The White Rose Resists illuminates the sacrifice and conviction of an unlikely group of revolutionaries who refused to remain silent.

For more information, check out the following websites:
Amanda Barratt's website: https://amandabarratt.net/
Amanda Barratt's facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AmandaBarrattauthor/
My full 4.5 star review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3331026541

Book Recommendations - the Seeking Justice Series

Anyone who knows my reading habits knows that Christian suspense is my go-to genre of choice. I've started expanding my horizons, but suspense is still my favorite. Of the authors that write Christian suspense, C.C. Warrens is at the top of my list! My very first book recommendation blog post was to recommend her first series, her Holly Novels, and so I've come full circle to promote her follow-up series, the Seeking Justice series. I'd highly recommend reading the  Holly Novels first as this series is a continuation of the first, starting with Criss Cross. While the Holly Novels are in first person perspective from Holly's point of view, this series is in 3rd person perspective. It was fascinating to see Holly from an outside perspective after having been inside her head for so long. As Detective Marx was one of my very favorite characters from the original series, it was good to get to see things from his point of view, and not just in how he related to Holly.

This series starts with Injustice for All, where Marx tracks a serial killer who seems to be selecting victims based on their flaws. The first one is found with a note attached to him "I should have tried harder". When more bodies pop up with the same MO, Marx is on the clock to find the killer.

See my full review of Injustice for All here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2523712144

There is a Christmas Novella in the midst of this 2 book series. This one takes a break from the intensity, though there's definitely still a mystery involved and Holly still finds herself in sticky situations. However, this book focuses more on relationships. We get to meet Marx's family, which helps us understand why he's sometimes a prickly cactus and other times a soft marshmallow. My favorite part of this book was the Christmas gift that Holly gives to Marx, which completely embodies their father/daughter-type relationship.

See my full review of Holly Jolly Christmas here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2619615630

The second and final book of this series is Imperfect Justice, which comes out June 1, 2020. This one definitely requires the history of the Holly Novels (though it re-hashes them, it doesn't quite bear the same intensity in the re-hashing) as Collin (Holly's foster brother who kidnapped and tortured her) is on trial. This one had so many twists and turns, I had no idea how the author was going to wrap this one up. This one was a legal thriller and those who have read the previous books enjoyed finally seeing Collin on trial. I was nervous the entire time, but this one offered a satisfying conclusion to the Seeking Justice series.

See my full review of Imperfect Justice here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3233951766

I had the opportunity to pose a Q&A to the author, and here is how it went:

1. What made you switch from 1st person to 3rd person? Was it weird writing Holly from the outside in?
Since the Seeking Justice Novels follow law enforcement and prosecutors who are trying to bring about justice, it seemed more fitting to step out of first person and into third so that the reader could have a wider experience. It was difficult switching from first to third, and I worried that the characters would seem shallow, but it eventually came together. It was actually a breath of fresh air writing Holly outside of herself. In the Holly Novels, we know everything about her, including how she sees herself. Third person allowed me to illustrate how everyone else sees her. How we see ourselves and how others see us don’t often match up, and that’s the case with Holly. Of course, I do miss the quirkiness of her first person thoughts and perspectives. 2. What was your favorite part about writing the "Seeking Justice" series? What was your least favorite part?
My favorite part was getting to explore Marx’s personality outside of his interactions with Holly. Around her, he chooses his words carefully and checks his temper. But when he’s on the job, he can be sarcastic, snarky, and even short-fused. I loved rounding him out, and then showing the transition as he went home to Holly, and she brought out his inner marshmallow. My least favorite part was… well, writing third person lol. I had never done it before, and it was a challenge figuring out what material was relevant and what could go, how to transition between scenes without a central character tying them together. In first person, with everything from one character’s perspective, they tie every chapter together. I had to figure out how to make the chapters flow gracefully when one focused on Marx, the next on Holly, the next on the killer, and so on. 3. I know that you really struggled with getting "Imperfect Justice" done. I know that part of that was physical health-related, but can you share what else made you struggle with this one so much?
Honestly, trial books (or legal thrillers, some call them) have always bored me, and here I was… about to write one. I needed to make it interesting, to strike a balance between legal and suspense. I did an insane amount of research into the setting and the process, and that was the easy part. One hard part was pulling details from all of my prior books so that the prosecution could use them in their case against Collin, Holly’s foster brother and attacker. It was a lot of information, and I didn’t want to bog the story down with three books’ worth of information. I had to pick and choose carefully. The absolute hardest part though… I didn’t plan for a trial. When I wrote “Crossed Off,” the book where Collin abducts Holly, I didn’t write it with the intention of bringing those actions into a courtroom. When I started “Imperfect Justice,” I wrote the case for the prosecution, and then—shifting my mindset into defense-mode—I went back and tried to poke holes in my own story. I looked for points of weakness that a good defense attorney would exploit, truths that could be twisted, any little detail that could be manipulated. It was an arduous process! But I hope my readers enjoy the outcome. 4. Did the stories end up surprising you at all as they went along?
My stories always surprise me. Beyond the beginning, climax, and conclusion, I don’t plan things out. I was nearly finished with “Injustice for All" when I realized that one of the characters was coincidentally absent or in the wrong place when the murders happened. I never intended for him to become a suspect, but he did that all on his own!

5. I really enjoyed getting to meet Marx's parents in Holly Jolly Christmas, and to see the effect that Holly had on them. What was that relationship dynamic like to write?
Martha Marx was an absolute joy to write. Her huge heart, nurturing nature, and mama-bear attitude made her so warm and inviting. Her husband, Gus, is the polar opposite—cold, distrustful, and angry. Richard Marx (or Ritchie, as his mama calls him) is a balance of the two of them, and I loved being able to show where some of his attributes came from and why he is the way he is. Generational violence is a sad reality in some families, passed on from parent to child, and it breeds so much pain and bitterness. But I didn’t mind writing those angry, bitter scenes between father and son because I knew forgiveness was on the horizon. And the little spats between Martha and Gus amused me. And of course, I love how quickly Martha welcomes Holly into the family, immediately deciding that this young woman she’s never met will be the granddaughter she’s always wanted. 6. Were any of the characters in these 3 books based off of real-life people?
My husband would tell you that Holly is a lot like me, and as far as her oddities and quirks, she probably is! But really, does anyone actually like brown and yellow M&M's? And cooking without setting off the smoke alarms is overrated… I did pull some personality traits from people I know to create Gus and Martha, and of course Jace is based loosely on my husband. I find it interesting that I based her off him, and she’s his least favorite character lol. 7. Any other interesting tidbits to share with readers? Behind the scenes stuff?
I brainstorm character conversations while doing household chores, and I do it aloud. My neighbors all probably think I’m crazy, because I walk past the windows while talking to myself in the voices of my characters lol. Also, there are a lot of odd little things I add to the books that are based on my own experiences. If you’re reading the books and one of the characters encounters a really strange or awkward situation not integral to the plot, it’s probably something that happened to me lol. 8. What's coming next and when can we expect it?
“Imperfect Justice” exhausted me, so I’m taking a little vacation to relax and read, and then I’ll be working on my fourth Holly Novel—tentatively named, “Cross the Line.” Back inside Holly’s head and on familiar ground, I expect the book will be completed within the year.


I, for one, am super excited to see another Holly Novel coming down the pike and look forward to reading "Cross the Line" when it releases! And since there's another Holly Novel coming, who knows if we'll see more of the Seeking Justice series further down the line as well?

For more information on the author, you can find it here:
C.C. Warrens website:https://www.ccwarrensbooks.com/
C.C. Warrens facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ccwarrens/
C.C. Warrens facebook group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/402663070392305/

Book Recommendation - Veiled in Smoke

While I've seen her name time and again (and even have a few others of her books on my kindle to be read), Jocelyn Green is still a new-to-me author. This book is the first I've read of hers, but won't be the last. This first book in the Windy City saga takes an up-close and personal look at the Great Chicago Fire and its aftermath. Both the factual historical elements and the fictional story-line were fascinating.

Here's a little bit about the book:

Meg and Sylvie Townsend manage the family bookshop and care for their father, Stephen, a veteran still suffering in mind and spirit from his time as a POW during the Civil War. But when the Great Fire sweeps through Chicago's business district, they lose much more than just their store.

The sisters become separated from their father, and after Meg burns her hands in an attempt to save a family heirloom, they make a harrowing escape from the flames with the help of Chicago Tribune reporter Nate Pierce. Once the smoke clears away, they reunite with Stephen, only to learn soon after that their family friend not only died during the fire--he was murdered. Even more shocking, Stephen is charged with the crime and committed to the Cook County Insane Asylum.

Though homeless, injured, and suddenly unemployed, Meg must not only gather the pieces of her shattered life, but prove her father's innocence before the asylum truly drives him mad.

For more information, check out the following links:
Author's website: https://www.jocelyngreen.com/
Author's facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/jocelyngreenauthor/
My full 4.5 star review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3175424318

Book Recommendation - The Brightest of Dreams

This is the first novel I've read of Susan Anne Mason's, but with it being about the British Children's Home sending children to Canada as a sort of forebear to the modern day foster care system, I couldn't help but be intrigued. Here's a little bit about the story:

Quinten Aspinall is determined to fulfill a promise he made to his deceased father to keep his family together. To do so, he must travel to Canada to find his younger siblings, who were sent there as indentured workers while Quinn was away at war. He is also solicited by his employer to look for the man's niece who ran off with a Canadian soldier. If Quinn can bring Julia back, he will receive his own tenant farm, enabling him to provide a home for his ailing mother and siblings.

Julia Holloway's decision to come to Toronto has been met with disaster. When her uncle's employee rescues her from a bad situation, she fears she can never repay Quinn's kindness. So when he asks her to help find his sister, she agrees. Soon after, however, Julia receives some devastating news that changes everything.

Torn between reuniting his family and protecting Julia, will Quinn have to sacrifice his chance at happiness to finally keep his promise?

For more information, see links below:
Susan Anne Mason's website: https://susanannemason.net/
My full 4-star review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3195885236