Tag: North Carolina

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These Tangled Threads: A Novel of Biltmore 

362 pages Bethany House publishers 02 April 2024 publish date

ABOUT THE BOOK

Seven years ago, a hidden betrayal scattered three young friends living in the shadow of Biltmore Estate. Now, when Biltmore Industries master weaver Lorna Blankenship is commissioned to create an original design for Cornelia Vanderbilt’s 1924 wedding, she panics knowing she doesn’t have the creativity needed. But there’s an elusive artisan in the Blue Ridge Mountains who could save her–if only she can find her.

To track the mysterious weaver down, Lorna sees no other way but to seek out the relationships she abandoned in shame. As she pulls at each tangled thread from her old life, Lorna is forced to confront the wounds and regrets of long ago. She’ll have to risk the job that shapes her identity as well as the hope of friendship–and love–restored.

In this seamlessly woven historical tale, award-winning Appalachian author Sarah Loudin Thomas delivers a poignant novel of friendship, artistry, restoration, and second chances.

MY THOUGHTS

The book takes place at the Biltmore Estates in North Carolina, this is a place I have wanted to visit for many years. I would have loved if the book had been more descriptive of the interior and the going on’s in the mansion.

The book focuses on the Biltmore Industries, particularly the weavers. Three main characters, master weaver Lorna Blankenship, she has created exquisite woven material in the past and has been commissioned to create a piece unlike any other for Cornelia Vanderbilt’s 1924 wedding. She believes she has lost her touch and will be unable to create that special piece. Gentry is Lorna’s student and also an orphan. Arthur is a talented woodcutter and despite having a deformity is pure of heart and in love with Lorna, but she doesn’t even notice him.


Ther are three different time periods here we are working with.
As the story continues the characters become woven together as they go through surprising situations.

It’s a story of love and loss, discovery, betrayal, letting go, acceptance, faith, family and forgiveness. The story was a journey of self-discovery with surprises along the way. So well researched. I’ve never read a book quite like this one and will remember it for a long time.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

THE AUTHOR

Sarah Loudin Thomas grew up on a 100-acre farm in French Creek, WV, the seventh generation to live there. Her historical fiction is often set in West Virginia and celebrates the people, the land, and the heritage of Appalachia.

Sarah is the director of Jan Karon’s Mitford Museum in Hudson, NC. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Coastal Carolina University and is the author of the acclaimed novels The Right Kind of Fool–winner of the 2021 Selah Book of the Year–and Miracle in a Dry Season–winner of the 2015 Inspy Award. Sarah has also been a finalist for the Christy Award, ACFW Carol Award and the Christian Book of the Year Award. She and her husband live in western North Carolina.

Learn more at http://www.SarahLoudinThomas.com

Have a good weekend and thanks for stopping in.

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Black History Month Read: Carolina Built-A woman’s story after emancipation in North Carolina.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Josephine N. Leary is determined to build a life of her own and a future for her family. When she moves to Edenton, North Carolina, from the plantation where she was born, she is free, newly married, and ready to follow her dreams.

As the demands of life pull Josephine’s attention away, it becomes increasingly difficult for her to pursue her real estate aspirations. She finds herself immersed in deepening her marriage, mothering her daughters, and being a dutiful daughter and granddaughter. Still, she manages to teach herself to be a businesswoman, to manage her finances, and to make smart investments in the local real estate market. But with each passing year, it grows more and more difficult to focus on building her legacy from the ground up.

“Filled with passion and perseverance, Josephine Leary is frankly a woman that everyone should know” (Sadeqa Johnson, author of Yellow Wife) and her story speaks to the part of us that dares to dream bigger, tear down whatever stands in our way, and build something better for the loved ones we leave behind.

352 pages Gallery Books September 6, 2022 publish date

MY THOUGHTS

I find books based on actual people to be fascinating. I once again learned a lot about a woman I had never heard about.


Carolina Built celebrates the life of black woman Josephine N. Leary who after emancipation from the plantation home she was born on in North Carolina becomes a real estate magnate.

Very well researched we see the struggles and successes Josephine encounters as she brings her dreams to life.
Marriage is sweet and produces two smart daughters, but it is not smooth sailing all the time. Josephine’s successes lead to feelings of inadequacy in her husband and brings about marital stresses.


There is a very strong sense of family here, Jo is mothering her daughters and a devoted daughter and granddaughter. We see many instances of this family’s strength as they spend a lot of time in each other’s company.


Jo becomes one of the first black women real estate magnates despite a lot of opposition. While there is racism and many other obstacles lobbed at her she perseveres.
The woman persevered through her endeavors, and she showed her children not to let anyone tell you that you can’t do it but follow your dreams. An uplifting and encouraging book.

Pub Date 22 Feb 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Like any good Southern belle, Kianna Alexander wears many hats: doting mama, advice-dispensing sister, fun aunt and gabbing girlfriend. She’s a voracious reader, an amateur seamstress and occasional painter in oils.She has a passion for history and an endless curiosity. Kianna is proud to tell stories where Black women are loved, valued, and thriving. A native of the TarHeel state, Kianna still lives there while maintaining her collection of well-loved vintage 80’s Barbie dolls.

Have a beautiful day. Thank you for stopping in.

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Getaway With Murder: The Mountain Lodge Mysteries

296 pages October 26, 2021publish date St. Martins Paperbacks

ABOUT THE BOOK

Getaway With Murder is the first in a cozy series from Diane Kelly set in a lodge in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where secrets hide behind every hill.

As if hitting the half-century mark wasn’t enough, Misty Murphy celebrated her landmark birthday by amicably ending her marriage and investing her settlement in a dilapidated mountain lodge at the top of the Blue Ridge Mountains. With the old inn teetering on both a bluff and bankruptcy, she must have lost her ever-loving mind.

Luckily, handyman Rocky Crowder has a knack for rehabbing virtual ruins and for doing it on a dime, and to Misty’s delight, the lodge is fully booked on opening night, every room filled with flexible folks who’d slipped into spandex and ascended the peak for a yoga retreat with plans to namastay for a full week. Misty and her guests are feeling zen—at least until the yoga instructor is found dead.

With a killer on the loose and the lodge’s reputation hanging in the balance, Misty must put her detective-skills to the test. Only one thing is as clear as a sunny mountain morning—she must solve the crime before the lodge ends up, once again, on the brink.

Blue Ridge Mountains North Carolina credit

MY THOUGHTS

After having just read A Trip with Trouble, the second book in the Mountain Lodge mystery series I was more than ready to read this one, the first in the series. Who says you have to read a series in order, right?

We once again find ourselves in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina with middle aged Misty Murphy. She’s finally doing something for herself, she’s ended her marriage and bought a rundown lodge that’s slowly being repaired.

Excited that her first big group has come to stay at the lodge she’s doing all she can to make them comfy during their stay including having scrumptious meals brought in from the restaurant next door. The group staying is here for a whole week of relaxation on a yoga retreat. Sun salutations are part of their yoga and meditation but when the leader is unable to be found one bright and sunny morning to lead the class the others start to worry. When she is later found dead at the lodge, speculation starts to run rampant with no Zen moments here.

Could one of the yoga students have gotten tired of her bossy and stuck on herself behavior enough to kill her or was it a random outsider? As the clues start to collect, we see Misty working hard to get this solved along with the police, so her lodge won’t get a bad reputation.

What a great plot this is. I loved the characters and the setting. I am now on my way to read the last book in this series.

Pub Date 26 Oct 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A former tax advisor, Diane Kelly inadvertently worked with white-collar criminals. Not surprisingly, Diane decided self-employment would be a good idea. Her fingers hit the keyboard and thus began her Death and Taxes white-collar crime series. A graduate of her hometown’s Citizen Police Academy, Diane Kelly also writes the hilarious K-9 cop Paw Enforcement series, the Busted female motorcycle cop series, the House Flipper cozy mystery series, the Southern Homebrew moonshine series, and the Mountain Lodge Mysteries.

Be the first to receive book news and access exclusive content by signing up for Diane’s newsletter at https://www.dianekelly.com/newsletter/

Find Diane online at http://www.DianeKelly.com, her Author Diane Kelly page on Facebook, and on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and TikTok at @dianekellybooks.

I wish you a wonderful weekend. Thanks for stopping in.

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First Line Friday

Happy Friday & welcome to First Line Friday hosted by Reading Is My Superpower! It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line. Today I’m featuring the first line of Death Knells and Wedding Bells by Eva Gates. I love that her books take place on the Outer Banks of North Carolian, it’s such a beautiful and relaxing place to visit.

And the first lines are………….

“I can’t remember when, if ever, my feet hurt this much,” my husband said to me. I leaned my head on his shoulder and attempted to smother another burp.

About The Book

Librarian Lucy’s wedding is nearly perfect—aside from a missing guest and the strangled body she finds. Now, she must vow to find the killer in this 10th Lighthouse Library mystery.

Lucy and Connor planned for the perfect Outer Banks wedding—and that’s exactly what they got. Aside from typical rumblings of familial tensions, the late spring weather allowed for a beautiful day, the food was delicious, and everyone had a good time, until one of the guests goes missing.

Before Lucy can look forward to the rest of her life in Nags Head and the work she does at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library, she gets a phone call from her boss, Bertie James. Eddie, Bertie’s friend, never made it back home after the reception. Initially, Lucy doesn’t think anything of it—sometimes wedding guests simply have a little too much fun. But this quickly turns to something darker when she discovers the body of a wedding guest strangled in a locked closet, and the police immediately start asking questions about Eddie. Lucy must figure out if the two are connected before it’s too late—both for Bertie’s friend and the rest of her wedding guests.

With the Classic Novel Reading Club reading the Selected Works of Edgar Allan Poe—Lucy wonders if the master of the macabre can assist her investigation or if the hunt for the killer’s identity will remain as nothing more than an unsolved mystery.

Let me know the first lines of the book closest to you.

We are having rain for the second day in a row, hopefully it’s sunny where you are.

Enjoy your weekend.

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Sweeter Than Honey-African American Romance

320 pages Montlake publisher June 28,2022 publish date

About The Book

A talented baker and a small-town sheriff forced into a fake relationship decide whether to take a chance on love in this delectable romance from Joy Avery.

Baker extraordinaire Rylee Harris has a recipe for everything—except love. It’s been five years since she lost her husband, but romance is still a struggle for Rylee. In her small hamlet of Honey Hill, North Carolina, Rylee knows she’ll be the talk of the town when she finds someone new.

To ease her mother’s worries about her love life, Rylee impulsively invents a fake relationship with the only man who’s caught her eye: the town sheriff, Canten Barnes. It’s supposed to be a secret, but secrets don’t last long in Honey Hill. One bit of gossip leads to another, and soon the whole town thinks Rylee and Canten are an item.

As Rylee and Canten embark on a make-believe relationship to save face, they slowly realize that their feelings for each other aren’t fake at all. Can Rylee and Canten keep the charade going—or will the town’s prized baker and respected lawman take a real chance on love?

Grab A Copy Here

My Thoughts

Sweeter than Honey is a book you just need to read. I fell in love with Rylee Harris, a baker in Honey Hill, North Carolina and sheriff, Canten Barnes. Both have lost a spouse and though not ready to move on romantically they “secretly” have been attracted to each other. Rylee’s mother tries to set her up with other people, so she tells her she is dating, Canten. Canten agrees to it for his own reason, the ladies in town just won’t leave him alone. The sexual tension is there when they are together. Will this “fake” relationship last much longer before it becomes “real.” The book is filled with humor. I loved seeing the camaraderie between Rylee and her best girlfriends. Talking about laughter, oh the things these ladies talk about and get into. The book is so charming, I just loved the characters. You’ve got to love Canten, as the sheriff he arranges his schedule so he’s able to drive past the bakery when Rylee is working at 4:30 a.m. just to be sure he safe. Canten and Rylee each have a dynamic relationship with their parents and each other’s parents. This couple is sweet, sassy and everything in between and I will now need to read more by this author.

Pub Date 28 Jun 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

About the Author

By day, Joy Avery works as an engagement manager. By night, the North Carolina native travels to imaginary worlds–creating characters whose romantic journeys invariably end happily ever after.

Since she was a young girl growing up in Garner, Joy knew she wanted to write. Stumbling onto romance novels, she discovered her passion for love stories; instantly, she knew these were the type stories she wanted to pen.

Real characters. Real journeys. Real good love is what you’ll find in a Joy Avery romance.

Joy is married with one child. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, crafting, collecting glitter and Sharpie markers, and driving her husband insane.

Joy is a member of Romance Writers of America.

When they say you can’t, Prove them wrong.

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Publication Day Review-Yesterday’s Tides by Roseanna White-WWI and WWII

416 pages Bethany House Publishers January 24,2023 publication date

About The Book

In two world wars, intelligence and counterintelligence, prejudice, and self-sacrifice collide across two generations

In 1942, Evie Farrow is used to life on Ocracoke Island, where every day is the same–until the German U-boats haunting their waters begin to wreak havoc. And when special agent Sterling Bertrand is washed ashore at Evie’s inn, her life is turned upside down. While Sterling’s injuries keep him inn-bound for weeks, making him even more anxious about the SS officer he’s tracking, he becomes increasingly intrigued by Evie, who seems to be hiding secrets of her own.

Decades earlier, in 1914, Englishman Remington Culbreth arrives at the Ocracoke Inn for the summer, never expecting to fall in love with Louisa Adair, the innkeeper’s daughter. But when war breaks out in Europe, their relationship is put in jeopardy and may not survive what lies ahead for them.

As the ripples from the Great War rock Evie and Sterling’s lives in World War II, it seems yesterday’s tides may sweep them all into danger again today.

Grab A Copy here

My Thoughts

How do I even begin a review for this absolutely incredible book? Not much got done yesterday, I can tell you that. I read it all in one day.
We visit the Outer Banks in North Carolina several times a year and was so excited to see this took place there in Ocracoke Island, NC. I have been reading this author's books for years and she is an automatic read. I cannot resist her books. Her other books have been fabulous, I've loved them all but with this one she's totally blown it out of the water.
Taking place in two time periods, 1918 and 1942, it's always a treat to read a book taking place in multiple time periods with multiple points of view.
There is so much happening in each time period.
This historical fiction starts out in 1942 and I learned so much about this time period.
I found it fascinating to learn about the HMT Bedfordshire an armed naval ship in the service of the Royal Naval Patrol during WWII. It was sunk by the German submarine U-558 on May 11, 1942, off the coast of Ocracoke Island. It was staffed by British and Canadien crew.
Fascinating history switching between WWI era and WWII time periods the thread runs with the same family and includes not able to put it down action, heart-wrenching family drama, suspense and romance. There is a mixed-race relationship that leads to racism and discrimination which the author deals with carefully and respectfully.
I loved the book and am eagerly awaiting what this author puts out next.

Pub Date 24 Jan 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

About The Author

Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award nominated author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. You can learn more about her and her stories at http://www.RoseannaMWhite.com.

Have you read this author yet? What are your favorite books by her?

Thank you for visiting the blog today. Have a wonderful day.

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Death By Beach Read-OBX cozy mystery, Lighthouse Library Mystery #9 By Eva Gates-Review

280 pages Crooked Lane Books June 07,2022 publish date

About The Book

Librarian Lucy’s new historic house comes with a lot of baggage and family secrets. Can she put them to rest or will a killer bring Lucy’s family to their downfall, in the 9th Lighthouse Library mystery.
 

It’s spring in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and Lucy and Connor have moved into their new home at last, a historic cottage on the Nags Head Beach. The house needs a lot of renovations, but they worked hard over the winter to get it ready. Lucy is now happily immersed in her work at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library, planning her wedding, and decorating the house. That is, until a dead body disrupts their peaceful new abode.   
 
The first night Lucy’s alone in the house, with the company of Charles the library cat, she hears sounds. Investigating they see footsteps in the dust of the unfinished living room, and the door to the outside is open. Lucy’s reminded that the house is said to be haunted: forty years ago the teenage daughter of the owners fled in the night, and never again stepped foot inside her family home.
 
But the sounds have an all-too-human origin and one evening Lucy and Connor find the dead body of a man they don’t even recognize in their kitchen. They soon realize he has a long-time connection to their house. Lucy’s forced to find out what happened all those years ago and why it’s threatening her happiness today.
 
Meanwhile, the Classic Novel Reading Club is reading The House of the Seven Gables by Nathanial Hawthorne, a book about another old house full of secrets. Can Lucy find parallels to her own situation in Hawthorne’s fiction before the killer strikes again?

Grab A Copy Here

My Thoughts

Death by Beach Read is the ninth book in the Lighthouse Library Mystery series.
I enjoy reading books about places I’ve visited, and this takes place on the Out Banks of North Carolina, Nags Head and Bodie Island Light House. Such a beautiful area. While the lighthouse in the story houses a library, living quarters and offices from visiting I know there is no room for this but its fiction so allowable it is.
Having read and enjoyed others in this series I am familiar with the characters Lucy, a transplant from Boston and Connor, the very busy mayor. They have moved into a newly renovated beach house and are settling in with her library cat Charley.
Her first night alone in the house provides to be too spooky with sounds coming from the closed off upstairs area and footprints in the dust.
When a body of a man the homeowners don’t even know turns up in their house it’s time to take into account the old rumors about the house being haunted.
Will the cat’s nosing around turn up anything but mice in the empty and dusty areas of the home?
Action, suspense, wedding planning, a library, a cat, sleuthing this book has all you need to be satisfied with a great cozy mystery.
I am enjoying this series and a lot of the same characters in each book. Wonderful, easy to follow plot. Some cozies can confuse you with too much going on, not so with this one. Recommended!

Pub Date: 07 Jun 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

About The Author

Eva Gates is the pen name of Canadian author Vicki Delany. As Eva she writes the national bestselling Lighthouse Library cozy series for Crooked Lane Books, the latest of which is DEATH BY BEACH READ, coming June 2022.

Have a great day. Thanks for stopping by.

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The True Love Bookshop (Somerset Lake #3)

My Review

This is so heartwarming, it’s her absolute best book ever!
Her books are so realistic, you could see you friends and neighbors in these situations.
I love that this is a series and we get to meet characters from previous books again and also meet a new cast of characters.
I must say I was glad to see Somerset Lake’s gossip blogger,Reva back at it again. She knows everybody’s business and you wouldn’t want her for a neighbor but she has a fun and outgoing personality and she won’t hesitate to tell you what you need to know about someone.
The book is so emotional, it may bring you to tears and you’ll find yourself in a range of emotions as you read this.
Tess Lane owns Lakeside Books, it’s her calm space to go to after the death of her husband,Jared that occurred three years ago. She had so many dreams of how life would be for them but it was all snatched away by a car accident.
River was her husband’s best friend before their wedding until he objected to their wedding,now she and his family don’t like him because of the objection.
When he shows up on her doorstep questions rush in.
As she starts spending more time with River she sees he’s not the bad guy she thought he was, this former Marine has changed and has her best welfare at heart.
He’s a PI now and the more he uncovers about her husband the more she feels as though her life is crumbling all over again.
Will a journey of self-worth and self-discovery for River and Tess both set them on a path of despair or easing of pain and knowing forgiveness is the way to reopen the heart again?
Family is not always blood but who you make it when you let others into your heart.
Loved this book and look forward to many more by this author!

Pub Date 05 Jul 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own. 

Grab A Copy Here

GoodReads Synopsis

She’s ready to start a new chapter in her life…
 For Tess Lane, owning Lakeside Books is a dream come true, but it’s the weekly book club she hosts for the women in town that Tess enjoys the most. The gatherings have been her lifeline over the past three years since her husband’s mysterious death. Tess has tried to move on, but when River Harrison shows up on her doorstep, all her lingering questions come rushing back.…

River, a former marine turned private investigator, was her husband’s best friend, and seeing him again is a reminder of everything Tess lost. At first, she tries to ignore him, but Tess comes to realize that this is her chance, once and for all, to find the answers that have troubled her for years.

With the support of her friends, Tess joins River on a journey of discovery that leads them to the edges of Somerset Lake and on a road trip down the Carolina coast. Although their adventure isn’t always easy, Tess starts to find the joy in life again. But when secrets surrounding her husband’s death are finally revealed, can Tess find it in her heart to forgive the mistakes of the past … and maybe even open herself up to love again?

About The Author

Website

http://www.annierains.com/

Annie Rains is a contemporary romance author who writes small town love stories set in fictional towns on the coast of North Carolina. Raised in one of America’s largest military communities, Annie often features heroes who fight for their countries, while also fighting for a place to call home and a good woman to love. When Annie isn’t writing, she’s spending time with her husband and 3 children, or reading a book by one of her favorite authors.

If you enjoyed the Hero’s Welcome series, don’t miss the short wedding story for Kat and Micah (Welcome to Forever). Get it here for FREE: https://www.instafreebie.com/free/aTSl1

For other books and happenings, sign up for my newsletter on my website: www.annierains.com

Thank you for stopping by. May you have a blessed day.