Publication date : January 3, 2023 Print length : 336 pages Publisher : Bethany House Publishers
About The Book
Ruth Anniston survived an injury that left her physically scarred, broken, and angry at God. Now, she finds herself working behind the scenes as a kitchen and dining room supervisor at the El Tovar Hotel, hidden away from curious eyes and with little hope of finding love. When money begins to disappear from the hotel, Ruth’s entire livelihood is put at risk when she lands on the list of suspects.
Frank Henderson has at last succeeded in obtaining his dream job as head chef at the El Tovar. But competition in the kitchen is fierce, and one mistake could cost him his future. As the thefts at the hotel continue, and his affection for Ruth grows, Frank’s career–and his heart–are in jeopardy.
As tensions run high, Ruth and Frank must work together to save the El Tovar. They find themselves growing closer . . . but can their combined ingenuity overcome the odds against them?
I loved the setting of the El Tovar Hotel at the Grand Canyon. Ruth Anniston survives a mauling by a mountain lion it leaves her scarred and she feels unworthy and think people pity her.
Working as a Harvey girl she has risen in the ranks from serving girl to head of the waitresses and kitchen staff. She is now able to work behind the scenes where others don’t see her and pity her as she believes they do.
She is angry, bitter and scared. I enjoyed how each books takes place at the Grand Canyon and involves the Harvey girls but revolves around a different story. I can just imagine the El Tovar Hotel in its heyday. It sounds like it was amazing and the Harvey girls so friendly and charming. It would have been such a joy to dine there. The author does an amazing job of combining fact and fiction with all of her well researched books.
The trials and tribulations the characters go through, some quite a bit more than others kept me reading trying to guess who was responsible and why it was happening. A slow burn romance, suspense, love, hope, realization, seeing self-worth, faith realized and more kept me flipping through the pages.
Though I am sorry to see this series end, I really enjoyed my time with the Harvey Girls, I am eagerly looking forward to the next book by this author.
Pub Date: 03 Jan 2023 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
About The Author
Kimberley Woodhouse is the best-selling and award-winning author of more than two dozen books. She is a wife, mother, author, and musician with a quick wit and positive outlook despite difficult circumstances. A popular speaker, she’s shared at more than 2,000 venues across the country. Kimberley and her family’s story have garnered national media attention for many years including ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, The Montel Williams Show, Discovery Health channel’s Mystery ER, The Hour of Power, The Harvest Show, and over 1,000 other TV appearances and radio interviews. She lives and writes in the Poconos with her husband of thirty years. kimberleywoodhouse.com
Find Kim on twitter and facebook:
twitter.com/kimwoodhouse
author fan page Kimberley Woodhouse
Have you read any of the books by this author? What makes you want to read this book?
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432 pages Berkley Publisher Publish date April 23,2023
About The Book
It’s 1938, and a young woman selling face cream out of a New York City beauty parlor is determined to prove she can have it all. Her name is Estée Lauder, and she’s about to take the world by storm, in this dazzling new novel from the USA Today bestselling author of The Social Graces and Park Avenue Summer.
In New York City, you can disappear into the crowd. At least that’s what Gloria Downing desperately hopes as she tries to reinvent herself after a devastating family scandal. She’s ready for a total life makeover and a friend she can lean on—and into her path walks a young, idealistic woman named Estée. Their chance encounter will change Gloria’s life forever.
Estée dreams of success and becoming a household name like Elizabeth Arden, Helena Rubinstein, and Revlon. Before Gloria knows it, she is swept up in her new friend’s mission and while Estée rolls up her sleeves, Gloria begins to discover her own talents. After landing a job at Saks Fifth Avenue, New York’s finest luxury department store, Gloria finds her voice, which proves instrumental in opening doors for Estée’s insatiable ambitions.
But in a world unaccustomed to women with power, they’ll each have to pay the price that comes with daring to live life on their own terms and refusing to back down.
My Thoughts
As I look over my Estee Lauder beauty products, I think to myself how fascinating it is that I’ve just read a book on their humble beginnings. This compelling read will not be forgotten anytime soon.
Though I thought the book would be told from Estte Lauder’s point of view it is told by her best friend Gloria Downing’s point of view. Estee and Gloria have a love/hate relationship (sisterly/best-friend) love. Gloria’s family was rich until her father was jailed for many people investing with him with no return causing a scandal. Gloria changes her last name and must reinvent herself to avoid shame she believes.
She is now a shampoo girl at a beauty salon where she meets Estee who shows the women at the hair dryers her jars of beauty creams. Getting fired at the beauty salon Gloria feels down on her luck but it quickly picks up when she’s hired to sell beauty products at Saks Fifth Avenue. The top salesgirl quickly rises in the ranks and becomes administration. The beauty products Estee is selling her products at hair salons were made by her chemist uncle. She took over making these products in her kitchen, but I don’t believe she gave her uncle credit for his work.
Estee is desperate to get her products into Saks Fifth Avenue to be sold at their beauty counter. Estee is portrayed as a needy and clingy woman running to Gloria for everything from bad breakups to sets backs in her makeup ventures. Was this her true personality, I don’t know for sure and I’m not sure the author knows either.
I did some research my own on this woman and it was fascinating reading. The author very accurately portrays Estee Lauder’s life and ventures. One thing I have seen is Estee’s determination to get ahead, become famous, get her cosmetics in the hands of everyone and have her products sold at Saks. She wasn’t afraid to step on toes to claw her way to the top.
In a male dominated world these women are not afraid to take charge and do things on their own terms regardless of who it affects. This has shot right to the top of my list of favorite books, and I know it’ll stay there. You do have to admire a woman from such a humble beginning who rose to the top with such an insatiable desire to succeed.
Pub Date 25 Apr 2023 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
398 pages Bethany House Publishers December 13, 2022, publish date
About The Book
In the summer of 1918, Captain Marcus Weatherford arrives in Russia on a secret mission, with a beautiful ballerina posing as his fiancée. Marcus searches for the Romanov tsarina and her son–who both allegedly survived the murdering Bolsheviks–and the information behind an allied plot to assassinate Lenin. But Marcus’s sense of duty battles his desire to return home to Clare–his actual love.
Hospital orderly Clare Danner still suffers from Marcus’s betrayal and now fears losing her daughter to the heartless family who took Daisy away from Clare once before, but only Marcus can provide the critical proof needed to save her daughter.
Faced with danger and unexpected circumstances, can Clare trust Marcus, or will he shatter her world yet again?
At the height of World War I, two sweethearts face impossible odds in this powerful tale of courage, duty, and heartbreak.
In the summer of 1918, Captain Marcus Weatherford arrives in Russia on a secret mission, with a beautiful ballerina posing as his fiancée. He’s there to find the Romanov tsarina and her son and glean information about a plot to assassinate Lenin. As the danger intensifies, Marcus’s sense of duty battles with his desire to return home to Clare, the woman he truly loves, before it’s too late.
Military hospital orderly Clare Danner still suffers from Marcus’s betrayal after learning he’s engaged to another woman. Clare also fears losing her daughter, Daisy, to the heartless family who took her away once before. Only Marcus can provide the critical proof needed to save Daisy, but when an injury leaves him powerless to help, Clare’s fate–and the fate of the top-secret mission–hangs in the balance.
My Thoughts
All of Kate Breslin’s books are winners. As soon as I hear she has a new one coming it is highly anticipated and I can’t wait to get my hands on it to read it. It was great to see a character that was in another of her books as a minor character gets a starring role as a character in this book. This book combines fact with fiction in such an intriguing way that had me flipping pages, giving up sleep just to find out what happens. Intrigue, mystery, danger, romance these are all found within the pages of this book. I enjoy that the author writes about WW I and WW II, two fascinating time periods to cover. She is one of my absolute favorite Christian fiction historical writers. She gives absolute attention to details and her research is impeccable. Risk taking is at an all-time high in this intriguing book of courage, strength, importance of family, suspense and espionage. This is the author’s best book yet! Do not miss this one!
Published December 13th, 2022 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Former bookseller-turned-author Kate Breslin enjoys life in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and family. A writer of travel articles and award-winning poetry, Kate received Christian Retailing’s 2015 Best Award for First Time Author and her debut novel, For Such A Time, was shortlisted for both the Christy and RITA awards and received the American Christian Fiction Writer’s 2015 Carol Award for Debut Novel. Kate’s fifth novel, As Dawn Breaks, released November, 2021. When she’s not writing inspirational fiction, Kate enjoys reading or taking long walks in Washington’s beautiful woodlands. She also likes traveling to new places, within the U.S. and abroad, having toured Greece, Rome, Barcelona, and much of Western Europe. New destinations make for fresh story ideas. Please visit her at http://www.katebreslin.com.
Thank you all for your patience, this holiday season has been an extremely busy one for me leaving me not much time for reading or posting. I appreciate your patience and understanding.
Thank you for stopping by today. I hope your day is great.
Welcome to another Top Ten Tuesday. This weeks’ topic is books you received as gifts but I’m going to change the topic up and list a few of the books I am looking forward to reading from my February 2023 NetGalley list. Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, visit and see more lists of wonderful books to read.
Clue meets Indiana Jones with a fiction-loving twist only Grace Percy can provide.
Newlyweds Lord and Lady Astley have already experienced their fair-share of suspense, but when a honeymoon trip takes a detour to the mystical land of Egypt, not even Grace with her fiction-loving mind is prepared for the dangers in store. From an assortment of untrustworthy adventure-seekers to a newly discovered tomb with a murderous secret, Frederick and Grace must lean on each other to navigate their dangerous surroundings. As the suspects mount in an antiquities’ heist of ancient proportions, will Frederick and Grace’s attempts to solve the mystery lead to another death among the sands?
The Cairo’s Curse is a delightful sequel to The Mistletoe Countess by Pepper Basham in the Freddie and Grace Mystery series.
A Gem of a Mystery Takes Center Stage
Walk through Doors to the Past via a new series of historical stories of romance and adventure.
Elise Malvern has a habit of letting people down. Her former boyfriend who hoped she’d be his bride. Her grandfather who hoped she’d take over the family’s auction company. But mostly she’s disappointed herself. What’s the point of pursuing her passion as a violinist, if she is too scared to audition for a seat in the Pittsburgh Symphony? Her internship at the elegant Heinz Hall places her in the wings of the stage, but never on it. By accident, she discovers an old stage prop. Her instincts tell her there’s more to the paste necklace than meets the eye. Whether a good idea or not, she accepts help from a childhood friend, who happens to be country music megastar—Pierson Brooks. Pierson and Elise share a history; one she doesn’t care to repeat. The more involved they become in the mystery, the more things get tangled, including her heart.
A century earlier… Sophie Walters longs for center stage, her name on the marquee, and all that jazz, but climbing her way into an acting career is more difficult than she imagined. Having spoiled all her chances in Hollywood, she returns to Pittsburgh, accepting an insignificant role in a popular production. She watches her dreams pass by from behind the curtain at the illustrious Loew’s Penn Theatre. She finally gets the coveted spotlight, but not for her talent. No, her surge to fame is all one terrible mistake. Somehow, she’s suspected to be a notorious jewel thief known around Pittsburgh as The Mirage. The man she pleads for help is none other than the man she jilted at the altar five years before, Sterling Monroe.
Even the best-laid plants can go awry…
After solving a murder and getting her organic farm ready to overwinter, Shiloh Bellamy still expects the next few months to be busy with repairs, spring planning, and networking with local businesses. She might even be able to broker a new partnership with Fields Brewery and its organic brewer’s association. Well, she could if the owner wasn’t found murdered at the county Ice Fishing Derby.
Once again, Shiloh gets tangled up in the investigation when the police ignore an entire crop of suspects to blame one of her friends. She’ll have to dig deep to find the truth, reel in a killer, and convince her city-slicker pug to wear his winter boots. But with Bellamy Farm still struggling, can Shiloh spare the time to look into the town’s fishy characters? Or will her dream farm be the next thing floating belly up?
USA Today bestselling Amanda Flower returns to the Farm to Table cozy mystery series with another exciting sleuthing adventure!
The next gripping and heartbreaking WWII historical fiction novel from international bestseller, Mandy Robotham.
Pianist: NOUN. Informal. A person who operates or controls a radio transmitter – often in code.
July, 1940
Blitz-ridden London: Marnie Fern’s life is torn apart when her grandfather is killed in an air raid. But once she discovers that he’d been working undercover as a radio operative – or Pianist – for the Dutch resistance, Marnie knows she must complete his mission – no matter the cost…
Nazi-occupied Amsterdam: At the other end of the wireless, fellow pianist Corrie Bakker is caught in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse as she desperately tries to keep her loved ones out of the line of fire – even if it means sacrificing herself…
Bound together by the invisible wires of their radios, the two women lead parallel lives in their home cities, as both are betrayed by those they trust the most. But when the Nazis close in on one of them, only the other can save her…
Two cities. Two spies. But which woman survives?
In a cute new culinary cozy from USA Today bestselling author Sarah Fox, budding chocolatier Becca Ransom must solve a murder before she meets a sticky end.
Former actress Becca Ransom lived her dream in Hollywood for seven years before returning to her hometown of Larch Haven, known as the Venice of North America. The Vermont town has canals instead of roads, gondolas instead of cars, and charming cottages plucked from the pages of a fairy tale. It’s also where Becca is pursuing her newest passion as a chocolatier at True Confections, the chocolate shop owned by her grandparents, Lolly and Pops.
While Becca’s testing new flavors and reconnecting with old friends, the town is gearing up for the annual Gondola Races, popular with both residents and tourists, with one exception. Local curmudgeon Archie Smith wants nothing more than to keep tourists away from Larch Haven. He’s determined to derail this year’s event and does his best to stir up trouble for the organizers, including Becca’s grandfather.
Following a heated argument with Pops, Archie is found floating face-down in the canal, and Pops finds himself in hot water as one of the top suspects. Becca’s determined to clear her grandfather’s name, but when the case heats up, she could be facing a sticky end.
A swoony, slow-burn rom-com, Melonie Johnson’s Too Wrong to Be Right features a true romantic on a mission to find her happily ever after.
After her latest jerk of a boyfriend dumps her (and ditches her with his pet hedgehog), florist Kat Kowalski is done chasing after Mr. Wrong. With her two best friends moving on to more serious relationships, she’s ready to stop repeating the same mistakes that are leaving her stuck in the single lane. Armed with a list of qualities for her perfect Mr. Right, Kat swears off dating until she finds him.
Then in a meet-disaster involving a corpse and a salty cockatoo, she stumbles across Mick O’Sullivan at his family’s funeral home. Their immediate chemistry warns Kat to keep things platonic; after all, following her heart never worked out in the past, and this time she’s determined to listen to her head. But can Kat and Mick be just friends? As she gets to know him better, the lines blur, and Kat starts to wonder if she’s gotten it wrong and Mick is exactly who she’s been looking for…
New York Times bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray returns with the second novel in her “tantalizing” (Publishers Weekly) Rumors in Ross County series. In Ross County, love can stay the course, but first you have to know who to trust.
There’s a lot going on in Joy Howard’s life. She’s got an ex-husband who starts acting like he doesn’t want to be an ex anymore, a sixteen-year-old daughter in need of a guiding hand and a lot of rides to dance practice, more orders for paintings than she has time to paint, and a roster of tutoring clients who sometimes need far more than she can give.
What she doesn’t have is time for a new relationship.
Samuel “Bo” Beauman is a lot of things. He’s a counselor for transitioning ex-cons, a good friend to many, a construction worker, a brother and son, and even a part-time model for a high-end sportswear catalog. He’s also a man searching for redemption.
One thing he isn’t is a man in need of a girlfriend.
But none of that seems to matter when Bo hears Joy’s kind voice in a crowded coffee shop. He instantly knows she’s someone he wants to know better. The two of them hit it off—much to the dismay of practically everyone they know—but Bo doesn’t care what other people think. He feels at peace whenever he’s with Joy, and he won’t let her go without a fight.
When Joy starts getting mysterious texts and phone calls from unknown numbers, she tries to ignore it. But instead of going away, the messages escalate and Joy realizes she can’t handle it alone. But she is juggling a jealous ex-husband, a handful of students with little to lose, and a brand-new boyfriend who spent several years behind bars. Who can she trust?
She gave up everything— and changed the world.
A riveting novel based on the true story of the woman who stopped a pandemic, from the bestselling author of Mrs. Poe.
In 1940s and ’50s America, polio is as dreaded as the atomic bomb. No one’s life is untouched by this disease that kills or paralyzes its victims, particularly children. Outbreaks of the virus across the country regularly put American cities in lockdown. Some of the world’s best minds are engaged in the race to find a vaccine. The man who succeeds will be a god.
But Dorothy Horstmann is not focused on beating her colleagues to the vaccine. She just wants the world to have a cure. Applying the same determination that lifted her from a humble background as the daughter of immigrants, to becoming a doctor –often the only woman in the room–she hunts down the monster where it lurks: in the blood.
This discovery of hers, and an error by a competitor, catapults her closest colleague to a lead in the race. When his chance to win comes on a worldwide scale, she is asked to sink or validate his vaccine—and to decide what is forgivable, and how much should be sacrificed, in pursuit of the cure.
One woman fights to hold on to her friends, her family, and all that she holds dear as a brewing conflict divides her small-town Georgia community in this powerful novel from the author of The Sweet Taste of Muscadines.
“This book is a treasure. Pamela Terry writes with a poet’s ear and a wicked sense of comic timing.”—Nationally bestselling author Barbara O’Neal
On the morning after Harry Cline’s funeral, a rare ice storm hits the town of Wesleyan, Georgia. The community wakes up to find its controversial statue of Confederate general Henry Benning destroyed—and not by the weather. Half the town had wanted to remove the statue; the other half had wanted to preserve it. Now that the matter has been taken out of their hands, the town’s long-simmering tensions are laid bare.
Without Harry beside her, Marietta is left to question many of her preconceived ideas about her friends and family. Her childhood friend, Butter, has come to her aid in ways Marietta never expected or asked for. Her sister-in-law, Glinda, is behaving completely out of character, and her brother, Macon, the top defense attorney in the Southeast, is determined to find those responsible for the damage to the statue and protect the legacy of Old Man Griffin, the owner of the park where it once stood. Marietta longs to salvage these connections, but the world is changing and the divides can no longer be ignored.
With a cast of compassionate, relatable characters, When the Moon Turns Blue is a poignant and timely novel about family, friendship, and what can happen when we discover that we don’t particularly like the people we love.
Will a big-city veterinarian give this small town—and the single dad who’s caught her heart—a chance?
Veterinarian Harlow Jones knew returning to small-town life, even temporarily, would be a disaster. She just never guessed it would start that way—with her car skidding off the road outside Mistletoe, Maine. And while her rescuer is both charming and handsome, Harlow isn’t about to get involved with a local. She’s in town for one reason only—to pay off her vet school bills—and then she’s back to her real life in Seattle.
Nick Keegan knows all about unexpected, life-altering detours. He lost his wife in the blink of an eye, and he’s spent the years since being the best single dad he can be. He’s also learned not to take anything for granted, so when sparks start to fly with Harlow, Nick is all in. He senses Harlow feels it too, but she insists romance isn’t on her agenda. He’ll have to pull out all the stops to show her that love is worth changing the best-laid plans.
Thank you for stopping by today. Are any of these titles on your want to read list? Do you see any new titles you are interested in reading?
A lively competition draws her into her rival’s blueprints–and maybe even his heart.
Olive Kentworth has spent her life hiding her interest in architecture, even though she pores over architectural books and sketches buildings. When she accepts a job on a home expansion, it’s only because her cousin Amos agrees to pose as the builder. To further hide her involvement, Olive takes a position as a nanny–not knowing that she’ll be working for her idol, Joplin’s leading architect, widower Maxfield Scott.
Maxfield is intrigued by his new nanny–she makes his home and his life bearable again. His work, on the other hand, is a disaster. An untrained builder is remodeling a completed project of his. What’s worse, Maxfield’s current client wants changes to his plans because of that builder’s work.
As the architectural one-upmanship heats up, Olive’s involvement becomes harder to hide. Will the relationship between her and Maxfield survive, or will they both miss out on building something for their future?
Calista York needs one more successful case as a Pinkerton operative to secure her job. When she’s assigned to find the kidnapped daughter of a mob boss, she’s sent to the rowdy mining town of Joplin, Missouri, despite having extended family in the area. Will their meddling expose her mission and keep Lila Seaton from being recovered?
When Matthew Cook decided to be a missionary, he never expected to be sent only a short train ride away. While fighting against corruption of all sorts, Matthew hears of a baby raffle being held to raise funds for a children’s home. He’ll do what he can to stop it, but he also wants to stop the reckless Miss York, whose bad judgment consistently seems to be putting her in harm’s way.
Calista doesn’t need the handsome pastor interfering with her investigation, and she can’t let her disguise slip. Her job and the life of a young lady depend on keeping Matthew in the dark.
My Thoughts
Oh, how I have loved this series and how well researched it is. I enjoyed reading the author’s notes at the end of the book, she lets us know that some of the characters are based off of actual Joplinites of an earlier time, including their name. She does this as a way to honor these individuals and because she finds some of these people fascinating. I enjoyed our character Olive, a woman architect who has hidden her interest and talent because this is not an occupation woman are “supposed” to have during this historical time period. Her reading choices are not the lady’s society page but rather architectural books and building blueprints. Now that’s one smart cookie. Agreeing to help with a home expansion, only because her cousin Amos, “is the builder”. Max, or Maxfield as he is sometimes called is so grateful for his new Nanny, she gives his life a little breathing room as she cares for his children and his home. On the other hand, his working environment is a mess with an incompetent builder who very possibly may make him lose an important work contract he has. The competition between builders was interesting to read about as you wondered what is going to happen. Will Olive be able to keep her work skills a secret from Max, and should she? I can understand her wanting to keep it a secret in this time period but as their relationship ramps up, she should be more open. I think women should have been more valued for their smarts back then instead of having to hide it so much. I will admit I love the humor the author inserts into her books; it always brightens my day when reading it. I enjoyed reading more about the early 20th-century mining town of Joplin, MO, and its people, the author tells it in such an interesting way. Though this is the end of our journey in this series, which I have enjoyed immensely by the way, I look forward to many more books by this author.
Pub Date 13 Dec 2022 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Regina Jennings is the winner of the National Reader’s Choice Award and a finalist for the Christy Award, the Golden Quill and the Oklahoma Book of the Year Award. A graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University with a degree in English and a minor in history, Regina has worked at the Mustang News and at First Baptist Church of Mustang, along with time at the Oklahoma National Stockyards and various livestock shows. She lives outside of Oklahoma City with her husband and four children when not traveling the world.
Happy Friday & welcome to First Line Friday! It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line then head over to Reading Is My Superpower to leave your link and see more First Line Friday posts.
Today I am featuring the upcoming release from Kim Vogel Sawyer, The Tapestry of Grace, releasing April 18, 2023.
First Lines………….
Alexandertol, Kansas
April 9, 1895
Augusta,Dyck
Augusta stood just inside the Alexandertol Mennonite Church and scanned the crowded benches on the women’s side of the sanctuary. Ach, every woman in town must have come to tonight’s meeting.
About The Book
When a group of Kansas women start a Frauenverein, a benevolent society devoted to aiding widows and orphans, life changes for more than just the hurting people they seek to help in this heartwarming romance inspired by historical events—from the bestselling author of Freedom’s Song.
With classes paused for the planting season, Alexandertol’s schoolteacher Augusta Dyck is glad for some meaningful work to occupy her time. She even knows exactly who their town’s benevolence society should help first: quiet, reserved widower Konrad Rempel and his young twin sons.
Konrad Rempel, however, is adamant that he doesn’t want help. His boys are mischievous but good-hearted. And though Konrad may be struggling, he doesn’t want anyone else sticking their nose in and telling him what his sons need. Or what he needs.
For her part, the charity’s founder Martina Krahn is relieved to have a reason to spend time outside her unhappy home. It even occurs to her that she may, through her work, encounter a boy in need of a family and so find a son for her husband since they have no children of their own.
Augusta, Konrad, and Martina each have deep needs and desires, and each imagines how they should be met: by reaching out or by being left alone. But God, indeed, knows best. Will the competing agendas of Alexandertol’s residents prevent them from receiving God’s help? Or will the members of this small Mennonite community find the answers to their prayers in the very last place they expect—in one another?
I love this author’s books and really look forward to reading this one, it sounds like a unique book
Leave your first line in the comments below.
Thank you for visiting today. Have a happy weekend.
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
I have a lot of books on my Winter TBR list, I’ll list a few here. Do you have any of these on your list as well?
“Don’t go in the guest bedroom.” A shadow falls on Douglas Garrick’s face as he touches the door with his fingertips. “My wife… she’s very ill.” As he continues showing me their incredible penthouse apartment, I have a terrible feeling about the woman behind closed doors. But I can’t risk losing this job—not if I want to keep my darkest secret safe…
It’s hard to find an employer who doesn’t ask too many questions about my past. So I thank my lucky stars that the Garricks miraculously give me a job, cleaning their stunning penthouse with views across the city and preparing fancy meals in their shiny kitchen. I can work here for a while, stay quiet until I get what I want.
It’s almost perfect. But I still haven’t met Mrs Garrick, or seen inside the guest bedroom. I’m sure I hear her crying. I notice spots of blood around the neck of her white nightgowns when I’m doing laundry. And one day I can’t help but knock on the door. When it gently swings open, what I see inside changes everything…
That’s when I make a promise. After all, I’ve done this before. I can protect Mrs Garrick while keeping my own secrets locked up safe.
Douglas Garrick has done wrong. He is going to pay. It’s simply a question of how far I’m willing to go…
This absolutely explosive and shockingly twisty sequel to international bestseller The Housemaid will keep you racing through the pages late into the night. Anyone who loves The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose, The Woman in the Window and Gone Girl will be totally hooked! This book can also be enjoyed as a standalone
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Ginny Baird brings her signature charm to this multicultural story about two disputing families sharing a beach house and the messiness that comes from falling in love with someone who your family is determined to despise.
Busy flower shop manager Evita Machado can’t wait to get to Nantucket. With a bad breakup behind her, relaxing at the shore with her folks and her brothers and their families sounds like the sure cure for heartache, and their vacation destination looks like an amazing place! But when they arrive at the quaint rose-covered cottage, another group has already put down stakes: the Hatfields.
Ryan Hatfield was Evita’s former crush from high school, but their business rival moms refused to let them date. Now history professor Ryan is here for a week with his parents, who won them this oceanfront rental in a society silent auction. Once it’s clear there’s been a double-booking due to a bidding mistake, Ryan’s mom digs in her heels, meaning to stay. When Evita’s mom won’t back down either, both sides tepidly agree to share the luxury accommodations by dividing the cozy space.
With the boisterous Machados livening things up and the strait-laced Hatfields tamping them down, can Evita and Ryan keep the peace between the warring factions while fostering a growing chemistry between the two of them?
“Uniquely charming! With her delightful characters, Biller builds an irresistible world inside a Viennese Victorian-era hotel that is equal parts screwball comedy, epic love story, and thrilling mystery. An utterly captivating novel about the power of fate.” – Joanna Shupe, USA Today bestselling author of The Fifth Avenue Rebels series Diana Biller’s Hotel of Secrets is chock full of banter-filled shenanigans, must-have-you kisses, and romance certain to light a fire in the hearts of readers everywhere.
During ball season, anything can happen—even love.
It’s ball season in Vienna, and Maria Wallner only wants one thing: to restore her family’s hotel, the Hotel Wallner, to its former glory. She’s not going to let anything get in her way – not her parents’ three-decade-long affair; not seemingly-random attacks by masked assassins; and especially not the broad-shouldered American foreign agent who’s saved her life two times already. No matter how luscious his mouth is.
Eli Whittaker also only wants one thing: to find out who is selling American secret codes across Europe, arrest them, and go home to his sensible life in Washington, DC. He has one lead – a letter the culprit sent from a Viennese hotel. But when he arrives in Vienna, he is immediately swept up into a chaotic whirlwind of balls, spies, waltzes, and beautiful hotelkeepers who seem to constantly find themselves in danger. He disapproves of all of it! But his disapproval is tested as he slowly falls deeper into the chaos – and as his attraction to said hotelkeeper grows. “With prose to match the sumptuous setting of 1870s Vienna, Hotel of Secrets is an exquisite and decadent read. Diana Biller breathes new life into historical romance with writing that is singularly lush, deeply romantic, and transportive. Readers will get swept away by the combination of nail-biting intrigue and whole-hearted passion.” – Rosie Danan, bestselling author of The Roommate
A swoony, slow-burn rom-com, Melonie Johnson’s Too Wrong to Be Right features a true romantic on a mission to find her happily ever after.
After her latest jerk of a boyfriend dumps her (and ditches her with his pet hedgehog), florist Kat Kowalski is done chasing after Mr. Wrong. With her two best friends moving on to more serious relationships, she’s ready to stop repeating the same mistakes that are leaving her stuck in the single lane. Armed with a list of qualities for her perfect Mr. Right, Kat swears off dating until she finds him.
Then in a meet-disaster involving a corpse and a salty cockatoo, she stumbles across Mick O’Sullivan at his family’s funeral home. Their immediate chemistry warns Kat to keep things platonic; after all, following her heart never worked out in the past, and this time she’s determined to listen to her head. But can Kat and Mick be just friends? As she gets to know him better, the lines blur, and Kat starts to wonder if she’s gotten it wrong and Mick is exactly who she’s been looking for…
A mesmerizing novel about three generations of women who have lost each other—and the quest to weave them back into a family.
An immersive historical tale spanning the life stories of three women, The Woman Beyond the Sea traces the paths of a daughter, mother, and grandmother who lead entirely separate lives, until finally their stories and their hearts are joined together.
Eliya thinks that she’s finally found true love and passion with her charismatic and demanding husband, an aspiring novelist—until he ends their relationship in a Paris café, spurring her suicide attempt. Seeking to heal herself, Eliya is compelled to piece together the jagged shards of her life and history.
Eliya’s heart-wrenching journey leads her to a profound and unexpected love, renewed family ties, and a reconciliation with her orphaned mother, Lily. Together, the two women embark on a quest to discover the truth about themselves and Lily’s own origins…and the unknown woman who set their stories in motion one Christmas Eve.
From an exciting new voice in WWII historical fiction comes a tale of love, loss and a betrayal that echoes through generations…
Paris, 1940: War is closing in on the city of love. With his wife forced into hiding, Jacques must stand by and watch as the Nazis take away everything he holds dear. Everything except his last beacon of hope: his beloved bookshop, La Page Cachée.
But when a young woman and her child knock on his door one night and beg for refuge, he knows his only option is to risk it all once more to save a life…
Modern day: Juliette and her husband have finally made it to France on the romantic getaway of her dreams – but as the days pass, all she discovers is quite how far they’ve grown apart. She’s craving a new adventure, so when she happens across a tiny, abandoned shop with a for-sale sign in the window, it feels fated.
And she’s about to learn that the forgotten bookshop hides a lot more than meets the eye…
A heartbreaking tale of love and loss in war, perfect for fans of Kate Quinn and Rachel Hore.
Water for Elephants meets The Night Circus in this World War II debut about a magnificent travelling circus, a star-crossed romance, and one girl’s coming-of-age during the darkest of times.
“A powerful reminder that to live is not just to survive, but to be seen and known for ourselves.” —Pam Jenoff, author of The Orphan’s Tale
When all is lost, how do you find the courage to keep moving forward?
1938. Lena Papadopoulos has never quite found her place within the circus, even as the daughter of the extraordinary headlining illusionist, Theo. Brilliant and curious, Lena—who uses a wheelchair after a childhood bout with polio—yearns for the real-world magic of science and medicine, her mind stronger than the limitations placed on her by society. Then her unconventional life takes an exciting turn when she rescues Alexandre, an orphan with his own secrets and a mysterious past.
As World War II escalates around them, their friendship blossoms into something deeper while Alexandre trains as the illusionist’s apprentice. But when Theo and Alexandre are arrested and made to perform in a town for Jews set up by the Nazis, Lena is separated from everything she knows. Forced to make her own way, Lena must confront her doubts and dare to believe in the impossible—herself.
Soon to be a Hallmark Channel original movie!!!
Do the “Cupid chocolates” from Lucy’s shop really help people meet their One True Love? Dean, a TV reporter, has his doubts…
Lucy’s chocolate shop, How Sweet It Is, has been in her family for generations…along with the secret recipe for Cupid chocolates. Rumor has it that if you eat one on February 14, you’ll meet your soulmate. Lucy herself isn’t sure if it’s magic or just romantic optimism, but a family legend is at stake. Besides, with her grandmother to support and a rival bakery opening up across the street, it certainly doesn’t hurt to believe.
Dean, an ambitious and skeptical TV reporter, doesn’t like the idea of a business taking advantage of romantic desperation. He doesn’t count on Lucy joining him as he tracks down and interviews couples supposedly brought together by the chocolates. Together, they find that the truth can be complicated…especially when it comes to their own hearts.
Bestselling author Tracie Peterson celebrates 30 years of writing with a collection of both old and new stories.
Four short contemporary romances take readers to the author’s native state of Kansas.
Spring – Stormy Weather Gina Bowden, a young widow, fights city council to regain funding for her son’s Boy Scout troop. Something better than lightning hits, though, when she teams up with the equally tenacious troop leader.
Summer – King of Hearts Elise Jost is a non-traditional student just one credit short of graduating. A hard-working woman determined to establish herself in the business world, she enrolls begrudgingly in a Renaissance appreciation course that will complete her credit hours. Her life’s direction takes a different course when she makes a high grade with Professor Ian Hunter.
Autumn – Falling for Love Karen Armstrong Jacobs has been widowed five years and taken in her mother to live with her. When she learns her mother’s three sisters need a place to live, she opens her home up to them as well. Now there are a lot of repairs that need to be made to the house for safety’s sake. Enter Dan Polk, a widower with a contracting business and a heart for ministry, who makes over the house and Karen’s lonely heart.
Winter – Silent Nights Lynn Murphy always dreamed of having the perfect marriage, and for a while she delighted in her dream come true. But Frank’s job has gradually overtaken their lives. When their plans for an anniversary trip at Christmastime are ruined by yet another business obligation, Lynn decides she’s had enough. She runs away to her grandfather’s house looking for answers. Only there does she begin to glimpse the surprising ways that God will satisfy the desires of her heart.
She gave up everything— and changed the world.
A riveting novel based on the true story of the woman who stopped a pandemic, from the bestselling author of Mrs. Poe.
In 1940s and ’50s America, polio is as dreaded as the atomic bomb. No one’s life is untouched by this disease that kills or paralyzes its victims, particularly children. Outbreaks of the virus across the country regularly put American cities in lockdown. Some of the world’s best minds are engaged in the race to find a vaccine. The man who succeeds will be a god.
But Dorothy Horstmann is not focused on beating her colleagues to the vaccine. She just wants the world to have a cure. Applying the same determination that lifted her from a humble background as the daughter of immigrants, to becoming a doctor –often the only woman in the room–she hunts down the monster where it lurks: in the blood.
This discovery of hers, and an error by a competitor, catapults her closest colleague to a lead in the race. When his chance to win comes on a worldwide scale, she is asked to sink or validate his vaccine—and to decide what is forgivable, and how much should be sacrificed, in pursuit of the cure.
Thanks for stopping by to see my list. Enjoy your day and hopefully you’ll get lots of reading today.
A sumptuous novel based on the fascinating true story of La Belle Époque icon Lucy, Lady Duff Gordon, who shattered the boundaries of fashion with her magnificently sensual and enchantingly unique design from the USA Today bestselling author of In Royal Service to the Queen.
Lucy Duff Gordon knows she is talented. She sees color, light, and texture in ways few people can begin to imagine. But is the male dominated world of haute couture, who would use her art for their own gain, ready for her?
When she is deserted by her wealthy husband, Lucy is left penniless with an aging mother and her five-year-old daughter to support. Desperate to survive, Lucy turns to her one true talent to make a living. As a little girl, the dresses she made for her dolls were the envy of her group of playmates. Now, she uses her creative designs and her remarkable eye for color to take her place in the fashion world—failure is not an option.
Then, on a frigid night in 1912, Lucy’s life changes once more, when she becomes one of 706 people to survive the sinking of the Titanic. She could never have imagined the effects the disaster would have on her fashion label Lucile, her marriage to her second husband, and her legacy. But no matter what life throws at her, Lucy will live on as a trailblazing and innovative fashion icon, never letting go of what she worked so hard to earn. This is her story.
This has so many of the elements I am looking for in a historical fiction book. Based on true events the author has done plenty of research and made this a fascinating read. Lucy Duff Gordon married a man who couldn’t be faithful and had a drinking problem. Despite her mother’s objections she divorced him, which caused whisperings and a scandal, but she didn’t care. Left with a young daughter to support she had to do something and put to use her sewing skills she had developed since childhood. She shakes up the world of design in what had been a male dominated world of haute couture. I loved reading about the cut, style, and design of the dresses. I just imagine feeling the lushness of the fabrics and the weight of it in my hands. Such lovely designs. She is a real trailblazer not only as a fashion designer but as a woman going above and beyond what was expected of a woman. In her mind failure was not an option. This is a woman to be admired.
Pub Date 05 Jul 2022 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
About The Author
Tessa Arlen is the USA TODAY bestselling author of IN ROYAL SERVICE TO THE QUEEN. She lives with her husband and two corgis in the high desert of the Southwest, where she gardens in summer and writes historical fiction in winter.
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She paid a terrible price to keep her sister’s secret…
Florrie and Edith, two devoted sisters, have lived in their little house with threadbare carpets in the East End of London since they were children in the war. But while their neighbours know Florrie as a bright-eyed, kind elderly lady, they always wonder why Edith never leaves the house.
Years later, Kate, their great niece, comes to sort out their things. Kate is running from a broken relationship, and as she sits amongst the dusty furniture, looking at old photos of Florrie during the war, she recognises the change in her aunt – from a carefree young girl laughing with her friends to a young woman with dark sad eyes, always by herself.
Desperate to find out more about Florrie and Edith, Kate is shocked to discover an untouched wedding dress wrapped in tissue paper in a bottom drawer and a locked room at the end of a passage upstairs without a key. What could her aunts have been hiding?
And as she reads entries from her great-aunt’s diaries she is transported back to a time where the German bombs rained down on London and a seventeen-year-old girl was forced to give up everything to keep her sister’s secret. Can Kate ever understand the darkness that has bound her family together? And if she does, will she be able to move on from it?
A heartbreaking historical novel of war, tragedy and the sacrifices we make for those we love. Fans of Fiona Valpy, Kristin Hannah and Victoria Hislop will be hooked by The Shut-Away Sisters.
The Shut-Away Sisters by Suzanne Goldring is my first read by this author.
It is absolutely a heart-breaking read and leaves you questioning why life can be so unfair sometimes.
A dual timeline, we find ourselves spending time with Kate in modern times, she has just gotten out of a bad relationship and taking a break from a workhorse of a boss to clear out her recently deceased aunt Florrie's house for her father.
In past times her father grew up as the youngest child with two older sisters, that are seven years apart. When Florrie was fifteen years old her older sister Evie's beau Frank goes off to fight in WWI leaving her sad, lonely and waiting for him. The waiting turns into years and Evie becomes reclusive, rarely leaving her room, eating little while writing letters to her beau and poetry.
Years go by the parents pass away, the brother goes off to fight in the war and Florrie becomes the caretaker of Evie who has become an invalid. Florrie has a chance at marriage but feels obligated to care for her older sister as they spend the rest of their days together in this house.
It is an intriguing book to read as we see Kate discover a locked door in her aunt's house. What secrets will she uncover upon entering the unknown room. Very suspenseful book, the more I read the more I discovered and the more my heart broke.
I need more books by this author, NOW. All the rest of her books are on my wish list.
Pub Date 29 Jun 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
About The Author
Following an eventful career as a public relations consultant, specialising in business and travel, Suzanne Goldring turned to writing the kind of novels she likes to read, about the extraordinary lives of ordinary people. Her debut novel MY NAME IS EVA draws on her experience of volunteering in a care home and was partially inspired by a cache of wartime love letters which were saved from the flames. Her second novel, BURNING ISLAND, is set in Corfu, a place of fun and beauty but also tremendous tragedy.
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Can she find the strength to heal the wounds of her past–and open her heart again?
A widow at just thirty years of age, Rose Finlay is determined to put all ideas of marriage and family behind her and pursue an independent life. But when she notices a young woman about to be led astray by a roguish aristocrat, bitter memories from her past arise, and she feels compelled to intervene. The unintended consequences of her efforts will ultimately force Rose to reexamine her life in a new light.
As the guardian of his two widowed sisters’ financial and domestic affairs, John Milburn carries heavy responsibilities for a single man. But he’s faced with his biggest challenge when his headstrong niece falls prey to the attentions of a powerful man who could ruin both her and her family.
When Rose and John join forces to protect his niece, they put everything they hold dear–including their growing attraction–in jeopardy.
Alice McNeil resolved at a young age to travel through life unencumbered by love or marriage, free to make her own decisions. A seasoned telegrapher, she’s recently acquired a coveted position at an important trading firm, but when the company’s ambitious junior director returns to London, things begin to change in ways Alice could never have imagined.
For Douglas Shaw, years of hard work and ingenuity enabled him to escape a life of grinding poverty. He’s also determined to marry into high society–a step that will ensure he never returns to the conditions of his past.
He and Alice form a friendly relationship based on mutual respect, but anything deeper is not in their plans. However, when Alice accidentally raises the ire of a jealous and vindictive coworker who’s intent on ruining her life, Alice and Douglas is forced to confront what is truly important in their lives. Will their growing bond give them the courage to risk finding a better way?
My Thoughts
Holding The Line is the third book in the Love Along the Wires series and the final book in this series. While I have enjoyed them all this one may be my favorite of them. I loved seeing Rose, a minor character in the other books have her own story. While this can be read as a standalone in my opinion, you’ll enjoy it more if you read the series as there is some character crossover from book to book. Rose and John are my favorite characters. Rose, a young widow has been hurt by her late husband, is not looking for any romantic entanglement and is happy to be an independent woman now. She works at the post office and is looking to progress with her job quickly. I enjoyed seeing how John helps his widowed sister and sisters-in-law families, he feels the responsibility for them since his brother’s death. We see a lot of twists and turns in the story as he and Rose work together to try to keep his niece from an aristocratic rake who sweet talks her into believing he is interested in this sweet young naive miss when it’s only her dowry he’s interested in. A slow burn romance may be developing between Rose and John, but caution will not be thrown to the wind. Intriguing plot kept me reading.
Pub Date: 06 Dec 2022 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
About The Author
Jennifer Delamere writes tales of the past…and new beginnings. Her novels have won numerous accolades, including Romance Writers of America RITA® award finalist, a starred review from Publishers Weekly, and the Maggie Award for Excellence from Georgia Romance Writers. Jennifer holds a B.A. in English from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, where she became fluent in French and developed an abiding passion for winter sports. She’s been an editor of nonfiction and educational materials for two decades. She loves reading classics and histories, which she mines for the vivid details to bring to life the people and places in her books.
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