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STONES RIVER: A Civil War Story of Courage, Sacrifice, and an Otherworldly Love (THE SENTINEL HEART TRILOGY Book 1)

330 pages Publication date September 26, 2025

Description

When Jessie Gibbs meets Lemuel Sanders, she thinks she has finally found her ideal man—until she discovers that he is the ghost of a Civil War soldier. For 144 years, Lem has kept vigil at his unmarked battlefield grave, seeking someone to complete a personal mission so he can go to his final rest. As love grows between them, Jessie is torn. If she succeeds in fulfilling Lem’s wish, she’ll lose him when he passes into the afterlife. But if she fails and he remains in the world, she’ll never be free to find intimacy with a living man. A riveting story of passion and selfless devotion, Stones River shows the power of love to overcome all obstacles—even death itself. 

MY THOUGHTS

Stones River is written by a debut author and one to keep an eye on.
The writing has very much impressed me. This is a time slip novel but yet so much more. The author contributes a fresh take on the same old civil war story one that caught and kept my interest.


There have not been as many historical fiction books written in the past several years pertaining to the civil war as more are being written about WWII. Civil war history has always been a favorite topic of mine and this writing has been a welcome change.


A time slip we get a modern-day civil war reenactment as our start which includes a woman having a paranormal experience. I haven’t really read much as far as paranormal romance, but this one was really really good. We see many civil war stories from a woman’s point of view, but this one is from the man’s point of view during the civil war time period.

We see day to day activities of the civil war, and I love books that are full of details. It makes the reader feel as though you are really there experiencing it with the characters and you feel included.


Emotional, romantic, full of compassion and very interesting. I can’t wait to see what the author will put out next.

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

About the author

M. F. JONES is a former editor for Viking Press book publishers, where she discovered Judith Guest’s bestseller Ordinary People in the slush pile and became its editor. She then moved to magazines and held senior editorial positions at Redbook, Family Circle, and Reader’s Digest. In addition to writing, she’s a devotee of reading, knitting (while listening to audiobooks), choral singing, and hiking with her rescue dog, Ruby. She lives in Tennessee with her husband, composer Douglas Hedwig. STONES RIVER is her first novel, and the first book in THE SENTINEL HEART TRILOGY.

Thank you for stopping in.

“Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.” Anne Frank

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Once Upon a December a paranormal Christmas on repeat story by Amy E. Reichert

336 pages October 4,2022 publication date Berkley publisher

About The Book

“An absolutely perfect holiday hug.”–New York Times bestselling author Christina Lauren

“This feel-good novel brings tidings of joy.”–Woman’s World

A one-of-a-kind Christmas market offers holiday magic in this new romance from the author of The Kindred Spirits Supper Club.

With a name like Astra Noel Snow, holiday spirit isn’t just a seasonal specialty—it’s a way of life. But after a stinging divorce, Astra’s yearly trip to the Milwaukee Christmas market takes on a whole new meaning. She’s ready to eat, drink, and be merry, especially with the handsome stranger who saves the best kringle for her at his family bakery.
 
For Jack Clausen, the Julemarked with its snowy lights and charming shops stays the same, while the world outside the joyful street changes, magically leaping from one December to the next every four weeks. He’s never minded living this charmed existence until Astra shows him the life he’s been missing outside of the festive red brick alley.
 
After a swoon-worthy series of dates, some Yuletide magic, and the unexpected glow of new love, Astra and Jack must decide whether this relationship can weather all seasons, or if what they’re feeling is as ephemeral as marshmallows in a mug of hot cocoa.

Kringla cookie recipe here

These easy Kringla cookies are a traditional Scandinavian family favorite that’s perfect for Christmas, or any time of year! With just a few easy ingredients and no special equipment needed, you’ll have the softest, most pillowy cookies that you and your family will adore!

Website here

My Thoughts

I would say there were positives and negatives about this book. This is another quirky and out of the ordinary Christmas themed book.
I’ll admit I was a bit confused as I read this one.

I will say it has a very strong Christmasy vibe which added to the authenticity of Christmas time. This is the romantic story of Astra Noel Snow, a recently divorced librarian and Jack Clausen whose family owns a bakery. Every December there is a Milwaukee Christmas market and Astra loves it.

This Christmas market is in an alley only accessible during Julemarked, a fabulous Christmas world where Jack lives. Every 4 weeks Julemarked transfers to another place and the people you meet during Julemarked you don’t remember from year to year.

If Jack goes outside of this magical Christmas world, he feels dizzy and nauseated.
When Jack starts saving the best Kringle cookies for Astra they know they may have something special. Can it possibly work out though she’s in the regular world and he lives in a special Christmas world?

Pub Date 04 Oct 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

About The Author

Amy Reichert earned her MA in Literature from Marquette University, and honed her writing and editing skills as a technical writer (which is exactly as exciting as it sounds). As a newly minted member of the local library board, she loves helping readers find new books to love. She’s a life-long Wisconsin resident with (allegedly) a very noticeable accent, a patient husband, and two too-smart-for-their-own-good kids. When time allows, she loves to read, collect more cookbooks than she could possibly use, and test the limits of her DVR.

Grab A Copy Here

If you try the cookies let me know how they turn out. Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.