This week’s topic is all about weather! What books have you read/do you want to read that have weather-related words in the title or on the cover image? Words/images like storm, rain, blizzard, flood, lightning, hail, snow, wind, etc. all count for this! For this topic I decided to go with the word snow. Which weather-related words are on your book covers? Hosted at That Artsy Reader Girl.
Okay, this may be a bit more than 10 but with these beautiful covers I couldn’t help myself. Have you read any of these or are any of these titles on your tbr list? I’ve read quite a few of them myself.
Have a wonderful day and I hope it’s not snowing yet where you are. We usually will see snow in late November or sometime in December here.
354 pages Bethany House Publishers October 10,2023 publish date
ABOUT THE BOOK
It promises beauty but steals life instead. Will the ghosts of Barlowe Theater entomb them all?
Barlowe Theater stole the life of Greta Mercy’s eldest brother during its construction. Now in 1915, the completed theater appears every bit as deadly. When Greta’s younger brother goes missing after breaking into the building, Greta engages the assistance of a local police officer to help her unveil the already ghostly secrets of the theater. But when help comes from an unlikely source, Greta decides that to save her family she must uncover the evil that haunts the theater and put its threat to rest.
Decades later, Kit Boyd’s best friend vanishes during a ghost walk at the Barlowe Theater, and old stories of mysterious disappearances and ghoulish happenings are revived. Then television ghost-hunting host and skeptic Evan Fisher joins Kit in the quest to identify the truth behind the theater’s history. Kit reluctantly agrees to work with him in hopes of finding her missing friend. As the theater’s curse unravels Kit’s life, she is determined to put an end to the evil that has marked the theater and their hometown for the last century.
What I love about this author’s books is how atmospheric they are. In this dual timeline, you will feel like you are experiencing everything right there with the characters. This is a fast-moving plot that will have you looking behind yourself as you’re reading. What was neat was that the historical part of the book is loosely based on a theater where the author lives. I love stories based on facts.
Barlowe Theater is where Greta’s oldest brother perished during its construction. Will she have to concede to another brother lost to her when he goes missing in the theater after breaking in with a few other boys?
Rumors of underground tunnels in the basement sound like the perfect place for the police to look for the boys. When they can’t find anything, theater owner Mr. Barlowe refuses to let Greta search.
I enjoyed reading about the opulence of the theater in its prime. With its velvet seat covers and drapes, vast size, and box seating for the rich, it sounds like a magnificent place to see a show.
During a ghost walk at Barlowe Theater, which social media influencer Madison hopes will boost ratings, she and a ghost-hunting host, along with Madison’s best friend Kit, decide to tour the theater and see if they can find evidence of the ghostly rumors that have been around for a long time. When Madison seemingly vanishes before their eyes at the theater, Kit becomes wrapped up in finding her best friend.
Logic seems to have gone out the window as searching the theater seems to bring no new clues, but things are getting creepier all the time with rumors swirling about ghosts and other eerie things in the theater.
Yes, the same theater where the boys went missing a century before. There is something or someone trying to keep them from searching and finding answers. Eerie, fast-paced, and no one is quite who they seem to be.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers through Interviews & Reviews for my honest opinion.”
THE AUTHOR
Jaime Jo Wright, multi award-winning author–including the Christy and Daphne du Maurier awards–is a coffee-fueled and cat-fancier extraordinaire. She has entwined her life with the legendary Captain Hook, residing serenely in Wisconsin’s rural woodlands. Her literary vocation involves penning chilling Gothic tales, a baffling change from that of Austenites, with a strong preference to the master of dark, Edgar Allan Poe. Two mischievous urchins adorn their family, who keep their mother on her toes – providing an exhilarating amount chaos.
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organise yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn here at The Book Date.
In a few days we will be taking some of the kids to a Fall festival at Cowan’s Gap state Park here in Pennsylvania. It’s such a fun time but I don’t like the addition of food trucks because it’s just a money grab and doesn’t add anything to the festival. They always come home with a nice pumpkin to carve. I’ve been upping my working out and have started back with the Core Rhythms workout. It really works the core and is so much fun. I’ve been eating less sugar and have more energy for it.
WHAT I READ LAST WEEK
WHAT I’M READING NOW
READING NEXT
Have you read any of these? What does your upcoming reading week look like? Thanks for stopping in. Have a wonderful day.
359 pages Publisher Revell October 3,2023 publish date
ABOUT THE BOOK
Doctor-in-training Louisa Vaughn has no intention of remaining in Sweetwater Crossing. She’s just there for a few days to help a friend. But she can’t abandon the injured man she finds at the side of the road. Until his broken leg heals, she’ll serve as the town’s doctor and midwife. She may not be fully qualified yet, but surely, she’s better than nothing.
Josh Porter’s plans to win his grandfather’s challenge and fulfill his father’s final wish to gain full control of the family business hit a roadblock when he breaks his leg. But his enforced stay in Sweetwater Crossing gives him new ideas about the expansion of the company into new territory–ideas Louisa could help turn into reality.
If only the town were more accepting of Louisa’s talents! Someone is determined to convince her to abandon her dream of healing others. Can Josh help her uncover the person behind the threats before it’s too late? And is there any future for them together when neither of them plans to stay?
“Against the Wind by Amanda Cabot is the second of three books in the Secrets of Sweetwater Crossing series. I am delighted to be back in Sweetwater Crossing in this second book, with characters I am familiar with from the first book. We also meet new characters. I think the story was well-plotted. I enjoyed Louisa Vaughn’s and Josh Porter’s characters a lot. Louisa is a midwife/doctor with no formal training, but many didn’t have schooling for this. It was just a hands-on approach back then. Sweetwater has many with the attitude that women are to be midwives only, and many had trouble accepting a woman doctor.
When Josh is thrown from his horse, he becomes dehydrated and has a broken leg. He is very fortunate to have Louisa find him, and he trusts her with his care, and she’s able to set him on the mend with his leg.
As they become closer friends, she finds out he is on a quest to impress his grandfather in a challenge to expand the family company to a new territory. Two men become interested in Louisa, but one is not understanding and wants her to give up practicing medicine.
As in the first book, we have a bit of a mystery to solve as Louisa finds threatening notes and someone sabotages her medicines, among other things. Is it someone in town who has not accepted her, or could it be more?
I enjoyed seeing the natural flow of the relationship between Louisa and Josh. She is so encouraging to him as he gets his business started. Despite many people in town turning their backs on her in unacceptance, Josh has always accepted and stood by her. He is kind and encouraging. When I found out who was behind the mystery, I was surprised, not expecting things to turn out this way.
I had a hard time putting this book down and eagerly look forward to reading the next sister’s story in the last book in this series.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book by Revell through Interviews & Reviews.”
THE AUTHOR
With both parents avid readers, it’s no surprise that Amanda Cabot learned to read at an early age. From there it was only a small step to deciding to become a writer. Of course, deciding and becoming are two different things, as she soon discovered. Fortunately for the world, her first attempts at fiction, which included a play for her fifth grade class entitled “All About Thermometers,” were not published, but she did meet her goal of selling a novel by her thirtieth birthday. Since then she’s sold more than forty novels. When she’s not writing, Amanda enjoys sewing, cooking and – of course – reading.
The Royal Daughter: A completely unputdownable and heartbreaking page-turner full of family secrets (The Lost Daughters Book 3)
“My darling B, my heart, my soul. I only wish we’d had longer. Longer to search for the daughter that I should never have given up. The daughter that I should have been brave enough to keep, brave enough to tell you about, brave enough to tell the world about.”
London, present day. As Ella looks down at a faded black and white photograph of an unknown woman and child alongside a yellowing piece of sheet music, she wonders how the two things can possibly relate to her own family. The items were left for her family at Hope’s House, a home for unmarried mothers whose babies were adopted.
Soon Ella learns that the photograph was taken on the picturesque Greek island of Skopelos, nestled in the turquoise calming waters of the Aegean sea, and that the woman in the photo holds the key to her family’s heritage. As she opens up to her new flame Gabriel, he tells her that she should go to the island to unravel the mystery and that he will wait for her.
Though Ella is torn she decides to go and once there, she discovers a heart-wrenching story of a royal family forced to leave their country for a new life in London, and of a girl with a unique talent for music who captured the heart of a young violinist but was forced to leave him and London behind for the sake of her family.
When Ella discovers the sacrifice made by the two young lovers and comes face to face with her forgotten Greek family, will their story give her the courage to follow her own heart back to London and Gabriel, or will the beauty of the island capture her heart and lead her to a new love altogether?
A totally addictive and heartbreaking novel about the strength of family ties and never giving up on true love. Perfect for fans of Santa Montefiore, Lucinda Riley and Victoria Hislop.
MY THOUGHTS
I know when I read a book by Soraya M. Lane my heart is going to be broken. Happens every time. Her books are excellent she has a way of writing from the soul, and I can feel all of the emotions portrayed in the story. I’ll admit the story brought tears to my eyes, and that doesn’t happen often when I read.
The setting was perfect, oh how I would love to visit Greece, it sounds so welcoming and beautiful. The characters so realistic, I would have loved to meet so many of them. My heart felt what the characters did, I was hoping, praying things would turn out differently. Life can be so unfair sometimes, why must we suffer so much at times. This is a dual time historical fiction book. Taking place in modern day England and in the nineteen seventies Greek island of Skopelos.
Finding a box of memories meant for her family left behind at a former home for unwed mothers whose babies were adopted, Ella knows she must follow the clues back to the beautiful island where it all started.
On this beautiful island we are visiting in the nineteen seventies we meet a young woman, just twelve years old who has just had her whole world ripped apart, her mother has died in a horse-riding accident. Her father has no compassion for her, and she is so alone. On top of this they are forced to leave their country and her life is in an upheaval. Her aunt, whom she hasn’t seen in many years steps in and insists she move in with her family in England. All goes well for quite a while and with her newly discovered musical talent she meets another talented musician when she’s a teen and falls in love.
Life is not to be rosy and sweet for her as she once again faces upheaval as her father rips her away from her lover for bringing shame to the family and his own greedy purposes.
Ella discovers the past and is heartbroken by all she finds out when she visits the island and meets her forgotten Greek family. Though sad, her discoveries make her a better, stronger person able to cope with changes.
We discover the strength of family ties that make us a stronger person, more capable to handle life. Unrelenting love that lasts through life’s storms.
I was captivated as I read and couldn’t put this down. I can’t wait to read the next book by the author.
Pub Date 12 Oct 2023 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Soraya Lane graduated with a law degree before realising that law wasn’t the career for her and that her future was in writing. She is the author of historical and contemporary women’s fiction, including the #1 Kindle bestselling novels The Last Correspondent and The Secrets We Left Behind.
Soraya lives on a small farm in her native New Zealand with her husband, their two young sons and a collection of four legged friends. When she’s not writing, she loves to be outside playing make-believe with her children or snuggled up inside reading.
273 pages One More Chapter publisher October 19,2023 publication date
ABOUT THE BOOK
Sutton Alsop hates Christmas. So much so, when confronted with a house that looks like Santa himself vomited Christmas all over it, she accidentally (drunkenly) destroys every fairy light, fake reindeer and candy cane in sight. Unfortunately for Sutton, this house belongs to none other than Gus Langston, single dad and owner of the village’s year-round Christmas shop – aka Mr Christmas himself.
But Mr Christmas has a secret only Sutton knows…
With the two of them forced together for the holidays, the sparks between them are hot enough to melt even the coldest of hearts!
MY THOUGHTS
The book is charming and alive with Christmas vibes, many of which we see in plenty of Christmas books. But we love Christmas books and keep reading them.
This one is a bit different in the sense that it’s usually the guy who is grumpy and doesn’t like Christmas or whatever, this time it’s the girl.
Sutton Alsop hates Christmas and then she stumbles upon the home of Mr. Christmas with its glitzy lights that could surely double as a runway. Gus Langston is known about town as Mr. Christmas, he runs an all-year-round Christmas village shop.
Sutton agrees to nanny for him over the holidays with him being a single dad. This is the cutest little family ever.
Mr. Christmas has a secret that only Sutton knows, one that would surprise everyone in town. A spicy Christmas romance that was fun and full of laughter and good times.
You’ll be sure to read it more than once.
Pub Date 19 Oct 2023 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
ABOUTTHE AUTHOR
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“Sizzles with drama, intensity and sensuality… “
“Chemistry and connection…”
“Knows how to keep her reader’s attention and on the edge of their seats”
I’ve been a reader all my life and I wrote my first book at the age of eight, and haven’t stopped since. Writing and reading have been my solace and my joy. Stories are where I lose, and find, myself.
I also love traveling, a backpack and an airplane ticket are two of my favorite things. What else? I have the domestic skills of a pot plant, drink far too much coffee and have an on-off, mostly off, relationship with exercise.
I’ve written over fifty books and I write for both the Harlequin Presents and Desire lines. I’ve also published romantic action novels with Tule Publishing and Penguin/Random House’s Intermix imprint.
I spent many boring years in sales, pro-business lobbying and local economic development, but now I’m lucky enough to write full time. I live with my husband in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa and am the proud mom of two amazing young adults.
I am bossed around by two spoiled cats and the worst behaved dog in the world, who also happens to be the size of a small cow. I love meeting readers, so come hang out with me on my social media channels.
Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. Find out more here.
This week I’m featuring a book I started reading and have had to set aside because of other reading commitments. Hopefully I’ll be able to pick it back up again soon.
Publisher : Shadow Mountain (April 2, 2024)
Language : English
Paperback : 272 pages
ABOUT THE BOOK
A ghostly estate. A handsome caretaker hiding a secret. And the intrepid Hyacinth Bell who is set on solving the mystery of both.
1887, the Cornwall coast
For years, rumors have flown through the village of Suttonsbury about Ashthorne Hall–that its occupants hoard pirate treasure, that a ghost walks its halls–but botanist Hyacinth Bell only cares about the estate’s extensive, one-of-a-kind orchid collection. As an independent woman, she is eager to focus on her career, even if it means waiting to pursue a romantic relationship. After all, love–like an orchid–must be nurtured and tended before it can bloom.
What she doesn’t expect is to be swept away by Lucas Harding, the manor’s caretaker, upon their first meeting. He is handsome and charming, and the connection between the two is nearly instantaneous. Hyacinth is certain this autumn will be the season that everything good in her life takes root.
But then strange things start happening in the seemingly empty halls of the estate: unexplainable noises, items appearing then disappearing from her room, threatening messages, and glimpses of a woman in white who vanishes into the dark. Lucas dismisses Hyacinth’s worries, insisting that there is no ghost at Ashthorne Hall, but she suspects he is withholding information and decides to investigate the mystery herself.
Armed with little more than her instincts and her courage, Hyacinth must venture deep into the shadows of Ashthorne Hall to uncover the truth Lucas is keeping secret before she herself falls victim to the dangers hidden in the estate.
Dr. Frank Mayfield was touring Tewksbury Institute when, on his way out, he accidentally collided with an elderly floor maid. To cover the awkward moment Dr. May field started asking questions. “How long have you worked here?” “I’ve worked here almost since the place opened,” the maid replied. “What can you tell me about the history of this place?” he asked. “I don’t think I can tell you anything, but I could show you something.” With that, she took his hand and led him down to the basement under the oldest section of the building. She pointed to one of what looked like small prison cells, their iron bars rusted with age, and said, “That’s the cage where they used to keep Annie Sullivan.” “Who’s Annie?” the doctor asked. Annie was a young girl who was brought in here because she was incorrigible—nobody could do anything with her. She’d bite and scream and throw her food at people. The doctors and nurses couldn’t even examine her or anything. I’d see them trying with her spitting and scratching at them. “I was only a few years younger than her myself and I used to think, ‘I sure would hate to be locked up in a cage like that.’ I wanted to help her, but I didn’t have any idea what I could do. I mean, if the doctors and nurses couldn’t help her, what could someone like me do? “I didn’t know what else to do, so I just baked her some brownies one night after work. The next day I brought them in. I walked carefully to her cage and said, ‘Annie, I baked these brownies just for you. I’ll put them right here on the floor and you can come and get them if you want.’ “Then I got out of there just as fast as I could because I was afraid she might throw them at me. But she didn’t. She actually took the brownies and ate them. After that, she was just a little bit nicer to me when I was around. And sometimes I’d talk to her. Once, I even got her laughing. One of the nurses noticed this and she told the doctor. They asked me if I’d help them with Annie. I said I would if I could. So that’s how it came about that. Every time they wanted to see Annie or examine her, I went into the cage first and explained and calmed her down and held her hand. This is how they discovered that Annie was almost blind.” After they’d been working with her for about a year—and it was tough sledding with Annie—the Perkins institute for the Blind opened its doors. They were able to help her and she went on to study and she became a teacher herself. Annie came back to the Tewksbury Institute to visit, and to see what she could do to help out. At first, the Director didn’t say anything and then he thought about a letter he’d just received. A man had written to him about his daughter. She was absolutely unruly—almost like an animal. She was blind and deaf as well as ‘deranged.’ He was at his wit’s end, but he didn’t want to put her in an asylum. So he wrote the Institute to ask if they knew of anyone who would come to his house and work with his daughter. And that is how Annie Sullivan became the lifelong companion of Helen Keller. When Helen Keller was nominated for the Nobel Prize, she was asked who had the greatest impact on her life and she said, “Annie Sullivan.” But Annie said, “No Helen. The woman who had the greatest influence on both our lives was a floor maid at the Tewksbury Institute.”
Welcome to another TTT! This week’s topic was submitted by Susan @ Bloggin’ bout Books, and is Bookish Jobs I Would Do For Free (Real or Imaginary). Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.
Bookish Jobs I Would Do For Free
Now considering money is no issue I’d love to do these bookish things.
Recommend books based on a person’s interest.
Set up a little free library. I have so many books to give away.
Open a used bookstore/bakery coffee shop.
Collect donations of children’s books for children and set up a reading program with older adults reading to them and they would get books and snacks to take home with them.
Set up a program where children would read to a pet. We have this program at our library, and it works beautifully.
Be a personal assistant for authors
Have author interviews on my blog
Start a book blog meme
Work at a library checking out and shelving books.
Help set up for a public book sale.
girl read book surrounded by books, vector illustration, books
What types of bookish things would you love to do ?
A therapist and self-help writer with all the answers, Sarah Slade has just bought a gorgeous Victorian in the community of her dreams. Turns out, you can get a killer deal on a house where someone was murdered. Plus, renovating Black Wood House makes for great blog content and a decent distraction from her failing marriage. Good thing nobody knows that her past is just as filthy as the bloodstain on her bedroom floor.
But the renovations are fast becoming a nightmare. Sarah imagined custom avocado wallpaper, massive profits, and an appreciative husband who wants to share her bed again. Instead, the neighbors hate her guts and her husband still sleeps on the couch. And though the builders attempt to cover up Black Wood’s horrifying past, a series of bizarre accidents, threatening notes, and unexplained footsteps in the attic only confirms for Sarah what the rest of the town already knew: Something is very wrong in that house.
With every passing moment, Sarah’s life spirals further out of control—and with it, her sense of reality. But as she peels back the curling wallpaper and discovers the house’s secrets, she realizes that the deadly legacy of Black Wood House has only just begun.
MY THOUGHTS
Debut author, Lisa M. Matlin writes a psychological thriller that’ll keep you glued to the pages. The “Death House” it’s called, the lovely Victorian mansion she buys to renovate and resell, flipping houses is all the rage now. She knows she can make a nice buck doing it. Never mind a murder took place here forty years ago and the neighbors know not to go anywhere near it.
That’s them and not her though, she’s a social influencer and A therapist and self-help writer, her blog posts about the renovations will boost her followers’ numbers immensely.
Never mind the house has putridly stale air from being closed up for forty years, very few windows and they don’t even open for a good airing.
I could visualize everything I was reading. The book is dark with a gothic feel to it.
From sleeping in a bloodstained room to sounds in the attic, creepy notes found around the house and feeling sicker and sicker all the time. She’s lost her mind; the evilness of the house consumes her. She’s gone into such a dark place, is it possible for an escape without hurting herself or others?
You can’t read this without feeling creeped out. It will have you wondering when you’re alone, what’s that noise, is there someone here. I wouldn’t advise reading this alone at night.
Something is very wrong in Black Wood House, everyone knows it. Will she become its next victim? Looking forward to the author’s next book.
Pub Date 12 Sep 2023 I was given a complimentary copy of the book. All opinions expressed are my own.
