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Specters in the Glass House: (A Haunting Dual-Time Inspirational Gothic Suspense Book)

336 pages Bethany House Publishers October 1, 2024 publication date

ABOUT THE BOOK

An ominous butterfly house. A sinister legacy. An untraceable killer.

In 1921, Marian Arnold, the heiress to a brewing baron’s empire, seeks solace in the glass butterfly house on her family’s Wisconsin estate as Prohibition and the deaths of her parents cast a long shadow over her shrinking world. When Marian’s sanctuary is invaded by nightmarish visions, she grapples with the line between hallucinations of things to come and malevolent forces at play in the present. With dead butterflies as the killer’s ominous signature, murders unfold at a steady pace. Marian, fearful she might be next, enlists the help of her childhood friend Felix, a war veteran with his own haunted past.

In the present day, researcher Remy Shaw becomes entangled in an elderly biographer’s quest to uncover the truth behind Marian Arnold’s mysterious life and the unsolved murders linked to an infamous serial killer. Joined by Marian’s great-great-grandson, can Remy expose the evil that lurks beneath broken wings? Or will the dark legacy surrounding the manor and its glass house destroy yet another generation?

MY THOUGHTS

Specters in the Glass House is perfect for the spooky reading season. Unlike quite anything I’ve read before this book goes beyond leaving you feeling spooked to feeling a bit unsettled. Written in alternating timeline from 1921 to modern days.

The book is about mental illnesses, several different types but the author does it well and writes with sensitivity. Mental illness is so hard to get a grasp on and we yet don’t have a clear understanding of it.

As I read it was hard to put my finger on what was reality and what was perceived as almost as a dream state by a main character. I enjoyed the characters and seeing how well developed they were as their stories became clearer.

Disembodied voices, a feeling of not being alone, dealing with what is reality and what is not as the mind plays tricks on you, a hint of romance and butterflies, I’ve never thought of butterflies as creepy before.

Excellent read for its many twists and turns that’ll keep you glued to the pages.

Recommended!

About the Author

Jaime Jo Wright is the author of twelve novels, including Christy Award and Daphne du Maurier Award winner The House on Foster Hill and Carol Award winner The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond. She’s also a four-time Christy Award finalist, as well as the ECPA bestselling author of The Vanishing at Castle Moreau, The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater, and two Publishers Weekly bestselling novellas. Jaime lives in Wisconsin with her family and fabulous felines. Learn more at JaimeWrightBooks.com.

Thank you for stopping in. May your light shine bright.

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Blog Tour for The Wartime Nurse by Imogen Matthews 

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Wartime Nurse: Utterly heartbreaking and absolutely gripping World War Two fiction inspired by a true story (The Dutch Girls Book 3) by Imogen Matthews

An ear-splitting blast blows me sideways and debris starts to fall on top of me. In my shock it takes me a moment to realise the very worst has happened – the hospital has been bombed. The screams of panicked patients are deafening. But I can only think about one thing – my darling Will. Where is he?

1944, Nazi-occupied Holland. As Nurse Freddie cycles through the tulip fields, she looks like any other law-abiding citizen. But beneath her innocent smile lies an iron will to fight for freedom. The Nazis have no idea she is part of the resistance, and that she risks her life every day to deliver food and messages to hidden refugees.

After a failed attempt to take the life of a Nazi collaborator, Freddie is sent to an underground hospital to tend to a group of injured Allied airmen. And when unconscious English pilot Will wakes up and locks his dazzling blue eyes with hers, her heart jolts. As she tends to his wounds, she can’t help but fall deeply in love with this charming English officer.

Will and Freddie start to dream about a future after the war, but when the hospital is bombed by the Nazis, they lose each other in the chaos. With her heart shattered, Freddie vows to find Will and get him to safety – even if that means letting him go forever.

But Freddie’s world comes crashing down when she learns that Will has been captured. To save him, Freddie must infiltrate the hospital where he is held captive. But will saving him cost Freddie her life or her heart?

Inspired by the incredible true story of a brave young woman who would stop at nothing to fight for her country, The Wartime Nurse is an utterly heart-wrenching and emotional World War Two novel of one woman’s courage and the power of true love. Perfect for fans of Heather Morris, Kristin Hannah and Fiona Valpy.

VISIT OTHER BLOGS ON THE TOUR

https://geni.us/B0CYHLVQXPsocial

MY THOUGHTS

Having read the others in The Dutch Girls series I was excited to continue on with this series.
I love reading historical fiction and to realize this story is based on a true story made this read even more fascinating. As I read, I could picture the situations happening, both the good and the bad.


We see a carryover of characters from the past books in the series and I did enjoy seeing how their characters continue to develop.
This is about a resistance fighter, a woman in Nazi-occupied Holland. They have no idea who she is or what she stands for. She is also a nurse.

Sent to an underground hospital, her passion comes alive as she tends to her patients, this is she wants to do, and it gives her satisfaction. As the bombs rain down, the man she has come to secretly love, an injured airman goes missing. Just as they are ready to start planning a life together after this terrible war. Full of grief, she bravely continues on, but will he be found again?


A very brave woman shows she has what it takes to defy the odds, keeping her mission a secret as she gives her all to her country. I was very impressed with the characters and their fortitude. A most enjoyable story.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR

Screenshot

About Imogen Matthews

Imogen Matthews writes novels based on true stories about the Netherlands during the German occupation in World War 2. Some stories she discovered by chance, others are based on her Dutch mother’s own experiences of hardship and survival during the Hunger Winter of 1944-45.

Her first novel, The Hidden Village, is set in the Veluwe woods, a beautiful part of Holland that Imogen has visited frequently over the past 30 years. It was in these woods that she discovered the story of the real hidden village which provided shelter in underground huts for Jews during WW2. Imogen retells the story of the hidden village with characters drawn from real life and from her imagination.

Within weeks of publication in 2017, The Hidden Village became an international bestseller, ranking at the top of a number Amazon’s most-read book lists.

Following on from The Hidden Village comes Hidden in the Shadows, which has the pace of a thriller yet is also a love story. It tells the story about two young people who are brutally torn apart and must find a way to be together against all odds.

Imogen’s third WW2 novel, The Girl Across the Wire Fence, is set in Amersfoort, Netherlands, and is based on the unforgettable tale of two young lovers who risked everything to keep hope alive in the very depths of hell – the little known Dutch concentration camp called Kamp Amersfoort.

Imogen’s WW2 novels are published by Bookouture, a digital imprint of Hachette.

Learn more about Imogen’s story in this video: https://youtu.be/2YO0IWJSjj0

Author social media

www.imogenmatthewsbooks.com

Facebook: @theHiddenVillagenovel

Twitter: @ImogenMatthews3

Thank you for stopping in and share a smile with all.

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Blog Tour and Happy Publication Day to A Letter from Ireland by Ann O’Loughlin

ABOUT THE BOOK

My whole life, I’ve been haunted by a secret I’ve left behind on the coast of Ireland. I may be gone, but if you’re reading this Casey, I need to tell you everything…

When Casey’s dear friend Rosie passes away, her heart breaks in two; Rosie didn’t even tell her she was sick. And when a mysterious letter arrives from beyond the grave, describing the secluded island where Rosie spent every summer, Casey questions if she really knew her friend at all. With Casey’s hectic job ruling her life, and her marriage crumbling around her, she books a ticket to this beautiful Irish island to feel close to Rosie again, and find out what secrets she has hidden there.

Casey rushes to Rosie’s tumbledown cottage and immediately falls in love with the glimmering shores and breathtaking coves of Scarty Island. Why did Rosie keep this magical place a secret, even from her own husband? Desperate for answers, she jumps to the aid of locals organising afternoon teas for tourists, and helps handsome but overworked pub owner Shay.Though Shay stays tight-lipped, Casey notices how his hazel eyes shine when she makes him laugh, and how her heart skips a beat when his rough hands brush hers.

But just as Casey finds herself falling for Shay’s quiet strength, a final letter arrives that changes everything. The tear-stained pages tell the story of a forbidden romance and a tragic day at sea that destroyed Rosie’s life. It could shatter Casey’s blossoming romance and tear the small island community apart.

Will Casey find the strength to confront the ghosts of the past and confess her love for Shay? Or will she decide that some secrets are meant to stay buried, and say goodbye to Scarty forever?

Grab a copy here

MY THOUGHTS

A Letter from Ireland is such a beautiful and emotional read. I could barely put it down, finishing it in less than 24 hours.


A poignant read, it will have the reader reflecting on past choices and reevaluating what’s really important and what it’s time to let go of.
I now want to visit Scarty Island in Ireland, listening to the waves of the sea crashing against the shore, swim and have the close-knit relationship the mainlanders do.


Three women, with different personalities and a bit quirky at times, which makes them interesting visit Scarty Island for a two-month time period at the request of their friend who has passed away. These women all used to be very close, but time and circumstances happened, and they no longer share this closeness.

The friend, Rosie, has written them letters delivered to them at the appropriate times which reveals secrets she has kept. These are things she has not wanted to dwell on even herself. These reveals cause the women a lot of self-reflection and tears for what could have been but will not have a chance now to be.

I absolutely loved this book. So beautifully written and emotional. I will be telling all my friends about this book and reading more by the author.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR

Bestselling author Ann is also a leading journalist in Ireland , Ann O’Loughlin has covered all major news events of the last three decades. Ann spent most of her career with Independent Newspapers and is now a senior journalist with the Irish Examiner newspaper. Ann has also lived in India. Originally from the west of Ireland she now lives on the east coast with her husband and two children. The Judge’s Wife was shortlisted in the Epic Romantic Novel category of the 2017 RoNA awards. The Ballroom Cafe and The Judge’s Wife were both bestsellers for several weeks in Ireland. Ann’s books have been translated into eleven languages.

***

Author Links

FACEBOOK @annoloughlinbooks

TWITTER @annolwriter

INSTAGRAM @authorannoloughlin

Thank you for your visit today. Have a wonderful day.

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Blog Tour for Mistletoe Magic in the Highlands by Bella Osborne

ABOUT THE BOOK

Mistletoe Magic in the Highlands

Olivia Bingham has bad luck with men.

She’s been ghosted more times than she can count, but this Christmas she’s finally met someone really special online: Fraser Douglas, a Scottish chef working at an idyllic hotel in the Highlands. He’s sweet and sensitive, thoughtful and funny – not to mention incredibly good looking.

Just when she thinks things couldn’t be going any better, Fraser’s dating profile vanishes, and Olivia fears the worst. Frustrated and wounded, Olivia decides she’s going to drive all the way out to Loch Lochy Hotel and confront Fraser.

But when she arrives, things don’t go exactly as she hoped. Worse still, Fraser doesn’t seem to have any idea who she is….

Purchase Link – https://amzn.eu/d/gGWZGrQ

MY THOUGHTS

Olivia or Liv as she goes by has been ghosted one too many times. She’s not going to take it anymore and goes to Scotland to confront him at his restaurant.


The setting was incredible, lots of snow making for a breathtaking scenery, an undeniably handsome guy and the witty banner between Liv and Fraser had me chucking out loud. This author is one I always go to for a feel good, laugh out loud read.


I think with the popularity of online dating a lot of people will connect with this story.
Cute, festively fun story with some quirky moments make for a story you’ll want to read more than once. The story brought a smile to my face, and I know it will with you also.

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

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MEET THE AUTHOR

Author Bio – Bella Osborne has been jotting down stories as far back as she can remember but decided that 2013 would be the year that she finished a full length novel. In 2016, her debut novel, It Started At Sunset Cottage, was shortlisted for the Contemporary Romantic Novel of the Year and RNA Joan Hessayon New Writers Award. Bella’s stories are about friendship, love and coping with what life throws at you. She likes to find the humour in the darker moments of life and weaves these into her stories. Bella believes that writing your own story really is the best fun ever, closely followed by talking, eating chocolate, drinking fizz and planning holidays. She lives in the Midlands, UK with her lovely husband and wonderful daughter, who thankfully, both accept her as she is (with mad morning hair and a penchant for skipping).

Social Media Links – https://www.bellaosborne.com/ Instagram – bellaosborneauthor

X – @osborne_bella

Have a beautiful day. Thank you for stopping in.

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Blog Tour for Winter Snowfall at Elder Fell Farm

ABOUT THE BOOK

Winter Snowfall at Elder Fell Farm

A simple Christmas just got complicated …

Amy’s in love. She’s looking forward to spending her first Christmas together, as a blended family, with Matt and their two sons, Harry and Oliver. What could be more perfect than a romantic escape to the remote and beautiful Lake District farm where Matt and Amy met?

However, an unexpected and difficult guest threatens to disrupt the festivities, and undermine her relationship with Matt. With Harry and Oliver around to create mayhem, and a snowstorm closing in, it seems that nothing is going to be romantic about Christmas at Elder Fell Farm.

Can their relationship weather the storm?

Purchase Links – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Winter-Snowfall-Elder-Fell-Farm-ebook/dp/B0DCKFMPHY

https://www.amazon.com/Winter-Snowfall-Elder-Fell-Farm-ebook/dp/B0DCKFMPHY

MY THOUGHTS

Elderfell Farm is so beautiful this time of year with its glistening snow and festive happenings. Amy has so many wonderful memories of the beautiful Lake District farm where she and Matt met. What could be better than to relive the memories than spending the holiday there with Matt and their sons as a blended family. This will give them a chance to really connect and start making their own family memories.


As the snow starts falling an unexpected guest arrives and a chance at those new happy memories seem slim as the boys are mischievous and the guest seems bent on being unpleasant.


The snowfall may be beautiful outside, but will this winter wonderland withstand the tension inside when secrets come to light.
I enjoyed meeting the boys, they provided a charming addition to the story.


Cozy and festive. The wintery descriptions will keep you reading to see how things turn out in this charming holiday read.

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

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MEET THE AUTHOR

Author Bio –

Liz has always surrounded herself with books.

As a child, she was always to be found with her head in one and she treasures a bookcase full of her childhood favourites to this day. She went on to work in a library, cataloguing early printed books – but as most of the books turned out to be volumes of sermons, she wasn’t tempted to read them all. She now works as an administrator for her local parish church and is a little more attentive when it comes to sermons.

Her childhood dream of being an author came true with her first published novel The Little Church by the Sea (there are several others in a shoebox under the bed.) It’s the story of a lonely vicar whose vicarage falls off a cliff. Liz hastens to point out that this was written before she was employed by the church! Winter Snowfall at Elder Fell Farm is the second of a trilogy of novels set in the Lake District. After that, she’s thinking it might be time to write another book about a vicar – featuring a hard-working and incredibly efficient parish administrator, of course.

In what remains of her free time Liz is an avid reader, a keen theatre goer, and is also half of the team behind 376 miles, a slightly quirky blog about travelling Britain and watching football. You’ll find it at https://376miles.substack.com and it’s free.

Social Media Links –

https://www.facebook.com/TaylorsonLiz (Facebook)

http://www.liztaylorson.com (Website)

My Threads name is @taylorsonl 

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Stacking the Shelves

STACKING THE SHELVES

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! And audiobooks. Don’t forget audiobooks! Hosted at Reading Reality.

These are the NetGalley books I’ve added this week.

3 approvals from Bethany House this week. I am amazed, I’m never sure they’re even going to approve me, so this is a surprise, and I really love their books. Second Chances at Hollyhock Farm is for a blog tour and the others are books I’ve read the author before or they just sounded good. Have you added many to your reading list this week?

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First Line Friday

FIRST LINE FRIDAY

Happy Friday & welcome to First Line Friday hosted at Reading is my Super Power! It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line. Today I’m delighted to feature the first line The Seaside Homecoming by Julie Klassen.

FIRST LINE(S)

May 1820

Bleak. The weather, her mood, her life. Miss Claire Summers pulled back the dusty velvet curtain and looked out onto another dreary Edinburgh day.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Pub Date Dec 03 2024 

A surprise homecoming tests the bonds of sisterhood as a hidden past comes to light . . .

Disgraced eldest sister Claire Summers has been living in exile as companion to a stern great-aunt in Scotland. About to lose her place and longing to be reconciled with her estranged family, Claire sees an advertisement from someone looking for a “respectable female partner” in a Sidmouth boarding house. Is it a sign? She answers the ad, hoping she has not made another reckless mistake. When she meets the handsome, secretive proprietor, she wonders what he’s hiding and if he’s any more trustworthy than the nobleman who betrayed her years ago. Claire is drawn to him even though she fears he will reject her when he discovers her genteel façade hides a less-than-respectable past.

Meanwhile, the Summers family learns their great-aunt has died and Claire has disappeared without a word. The sisters rally together to find their lost sibling, but will their unexpected reunion heal old wounds and rekindle their bonds . . . or deepen the divide?

Return to the captivating Devonshire coast as the Summers sisters navigate romance, second chances, and the enduring strength of sisterhood in the face of adversity.

I have been waiting for this book to be available for what seems like forever. Will this be making it onto your to read pile? What currently in your hands to read?

Have a wonderful day. Thank you for stopping in.

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Blog Tour – Lessons in Love at the Cornish Country Hospital by Jo Bartlett

ABOUT THE BOOK

Lessons in Love at the Cornish Country Hospital

A broken bond…

Wendy Tyler’s marriage ended when she discovered her ex-husband, Mike, had got his much younger new partner, Chloe, pregnant. Wendy’s over Mike, but suddenly she fears her own daughters will find a new baby much more exciting that their old mum…

A chance encounter…

But when Wendy bumps into Chloe at St Piran’s, it’s clear something is troubling the fragile young woman. Wendy doesn’t want to be sucked into Chloe and Mike’s relationship, but she can’t help worrying that Chloe needs someone to turn to.

A lesson in love.

And when Wendy realizes that Chloe is more fragile than any of them realised, she knows she has to step up. She might not love Mike anymore, but Chloe is about to join their family and Wendy can’t just stand by. Sometimes life is hard, but the easiest lessons are built on a solid foundation of love.

Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/lessonslovesocial

MY THOUGHTS

I think for most people it’s human nature to want to help others when we can. Having read all the books in the series this is what I love about the book, not only it’s originality with it’s mainly hospital setting but I love seeing the helping and hopeful spirit the carers give others in and out of the hospital.

This series provides a warm, fuzzy feeling of goodness and a coming together of characters that are there for each other. So many of the characters in this book have been in all of the books and it’s great to see an update of their lives in each book. As in each book there is some drama, but you can’t have real life without some glitches and things going on.

The book deals with love and loss, heartache and happiness, sisterhood and strong family ties and knowing you don’t have to be born into a family to have that strong family bond.
Recommended and looking forward to the next installment in the series.

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

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MEET THE AUTHOR

Jo Bartlett is the bestselling author of over nineteen women’s fiction titles. She fits her writing in between her two day jobs as an educational consultant and university lecturer and lives with her family and three dogs on the Kent coast.

Social Media Links – 

Facebook: @JoBartlettAuthor

Twitter: @J_B_Writer

Instagram: @jo_bartlett123

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/JoBartlettNews

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jo-bartlett

Thank you for your visit today. Hope all is well, have a wonderful day.

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A Christmas at Hotel del Coronado (Romance at the Gilded Age Resorts Book 8)

232 pages Wild Heart Books publisher Oct 8,2024 publish date

ABOUT THE BOOK

When death visits Coronado, will secrets of the past keep them from uncovering the truth?

Her entire life, Eleanore Wainright has been molded to fit the ideal society wife in the glittering world of New York’s elite. Her father’s aspirations for her are clear: marry a man of wealth and status, and secure their family’s future. But when she arrives at the Hotel del Coronado with intentions to do just that, Eleanore’s carefully laid plans are thrown into disarray when she comes face to face with Thomas Harding, the man who shattered her heart and disappeared without a trace.

Working as a bellboy at California’s newest and most prestigious resort, Thomas never imagined crossing paths with Eleanore again, let alone amidst the backdrop of a suspicious death.

As the investigation continues and tensions rise, Eleanore and Thomas are forced to confront not only the ghosts of their past but also the secrets that threaten to destroy their future and the futures of those they hold dear. With the eyes of New York’s elite upon them, they must choose between the responsibilities they’re expected to fulfill and the love they’ve always yearned for, risking everything in the process.

MY THOUGHTS

Gilded Age romances are full of glitz and glamour and this one is no exception. I enjoy books taking place during this time period. I also enjoy historical fiction based on fact as this one is. It’s a fun way of having the past come alive.


Eleanore Wainright is expected to marry in an arranged marriage her father has set up. Becoming a high society wife will ensure she marries a man of her father’s choosing, one of wealth and status and also ensure the family’s fortune.

Though her heart had been broken several years ago, to please her father she decides to go along with this arranged marriage.
Upon arriving at the Hotel del Coronado she is shocked to see a man she though would stay in her past, Thomas, the man who broke her heart and disappeared.


I enjoyed seeing how mysteries unraveled, and secrets became not so secret. Surprising things are revealed and tempers flare. Can all involved put this behind them and come to a compromise?


This second chance romance had me hoping against hope all would turn out for the best with our newly reunited couple. Very enjoyable story with well-developed characters and I also enjoyed the descriptive setting. Will be reading again.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR

Amazon link for the author

I hope all is well. Thank you for stopping in today.

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Bookish September- What I’ve read in the past month

I swear for every book I’ve read this month I got 3 to replace it. Will I ever catch up at this pace? Probably not 🙂

Have a great evening. Are any of these on your to read list?