This week’s topic for Top Ten Tuesday is Covers/Titles with Things Found in Nature (covers/titles with things like trees, flowers, animals, forests, bodies of water, etc. on/in them) (Submitted by Jessica @ a GREAT read) Hosted at That Artsy Reader Girl
I love pretty covers so this is what I’m going with this week, pretty nature covers.
These are all waiting for me to read them from my NetGalley pile Which of these have you or will you be reading?
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.
NETGALLEY GRABS
LIBRARY CHECKOUTS
Husband’s book checkout
Husband’s book checkout
I didn’t really add a lot to my shelves this week. I’m finishing up a book from 2021 for Berkley from NetGalley. I’m also starting to read books for my blog tours for next month then I’ll be concentrating on books either taking place in Ireland or having to do with St. Patrick’s Day. Of course, I do have a few to read from publishers on NetGalley who don’t like you to be late with their reviews but not naming names 🙂
352 pages Bethany House publishers February 13,2024 publish date
ABOUT THE BOOK
Amid the hushed city, two hearts must navigate danger and deception, bound by a love that outshines the stars. Katherine Schneider’s life as a dentist in 1913 New York is upended when a patient reveals details of a deadly plot while under the influence of laughing gas. As she is plunged into danger, she seeks help from the dashing Lieutenant Jonathan Birch, a police officer she has long admired from afar.
Jonathan has harbored powerful feelings toward Katherine for years but never acted on them, knowing his dark history is something she could never abide. Now, with her safety on the line, he works alongside her through the nights as they unravel the criminal conspiracy that threatens her . . . even as he keeps his deepest secrets hidden at all costs.
MY THOUGHTS
This is now my favorite book by this author as it has absolutely blown me away. So much happening in the book, it’s pretty much nonstop action and I swear at one point I was sweating and holding my breath because of the danger. Danger, intrigue and a fascinating story taking place quite a bit at night while the city sleeps.
We get to visit the underground subway and get an up close and personal view of the different functions of the NYC police department and the danger they put themselves into. The story made me think of my son as he’s an officer as well. Just like in this time period many people don’t respect LEO’s.
Touching on many subjects such as bomb making, and the mafia I found the book utterly fascinating. I will say the addition of the owl and her babies added a special touch to the story.
Many things in the book are based on actual past history which I am always glad to read about and learn from. The characters are well suited for each other. Nighttime NY city life vividly brough to life like you haven’t seen in a historical fiction before. This needs to be your next read.
Pub Date 13 Feb 2024 I was given a complimentary copy of the book. All opinions expressed are my own opinion.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Elizabeth Camden is best known for her historical novels set in gilded age America featuring clever heroines and richly layered storylines. Before she was a writer, she was an academic librarian at some of the largest and smallest libraries in America, but her favorite is the continually growing library in her own home. Her novels have won the RITA and Christy Award, and she lives in Florida with her husband who graciously tolerates her intimidating stockpile of books.
Have a wonderful weekend. Thanks for stopping in.
FONT: MilkyWell
READING
Thank you to my friend Susan for this awesome tag. Check out her blog here
296 pages Bethany House publishers February 13,2024 publish date
MY THOUGHTS
I have not read a great wagon train historical fiction in some years. It’s funny because I was just talking to my husband the other day about how I’ve missed reading these types of stories and stories about pioneers recently. I’ve been reading a lot of WWII stories recently and while I do enjoy them it’s nice to have a variety in my historical fiction so I’m glad the author has written this book.
I’ve been reading this author’s books for so long and I can always count on a fabulous and realistic story that has you feeling as though you’re there and can talk to the characters. In this case I could feel the danger the characters are in, for example the wagons as they are fording the streams. This is something we wouldn’t worry about today, but the author writes it in with such authenticity.
How easily someone could be admitted to an asylum while claiming the person was having hysterics and paying off a doctor is just wrong. There was danger filled times and joyful times and I enjoyed the book a lot. I look forward to the next book in the series.
Pub Date 13 Feb 2024 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mary Connealy writes romantic comedy with cowboys. She is independently publishing a contemporary romantic suspense series called Garrison’s Law, book one is Loving the Texas Lawman. Her new historical series, High Sierra Sweethearts begins with The Accidental Guardian. She is also the author of these series: Kincaid Brides, Trouble in Texas, Wild at Heart, Cimarron Legacy, Lassoed in Texas, Montana Marriages and Sophie’s daughters, and has man other books.
She is a two-time Carol Award winner and has been a finalist for the Rita and Christy Awards. She’s a lifelong Nebraskan and lives with her very own romantic cowboy hero. She’s got four grown daughters and four spectacular grandchildren.
Find Mary online at:
Her website: maryconnealy.com
Her blog for aspiring writers: Seekerville
Her blog for lovers of western romance: Petticoats & Pistols
Sign up for her newsletter at maryconnealy.com/newsletter
Mary is on Facebook at facebook.com/maryconnealy
And Twitter at twitter.com/maryconnealy
Have a marvelous day. Thanks for stopping in.
Adorable tag given to me by my friend Susan. Please check out her blog here .
286 pages Bookouture publisher May 5, 2021 publish date
ABOUT THE BOOK
A heart-warming story about family secrets and one woman’s escape to dreamy Sandy Cove on the stunning west coast of Ireland.
The picturesque beach of Wild Rose Bay is the last place Lydia Butler thought she’d be. But having just lost everything, the run-down cottage she inherited from her Great Aunt Nellie is the only place she can take her daughter, Sunny. Hidden away in a tiny Irish village, she can protect Sunny from the gossip in Dublin, and the real reason they have nowhere else to live…
The cottage is part of the old coastguard station and other eccentric residents are quick to introduce themselves when Lydia arrives. Lydia instantly feels less alone, fascinated by the stories they have about Nellie, and she’s charmed by American artist, Jason O’Callaghan, the mysterious man who lives next door.
But the longer Lydia relaxes under the moonlit sky, the more the secret she’s keeping from Sunny threatens to come out. And as she finds herself running into Jason’s arms, she knows she must be honest and face up to the past she has tried to forget. Has she finally found people who will truly accept her, or will the truth force her to leave the cottage for good?
Will transport you to Ireland to relax on the shore and stare at the perfect emerald waters. The Lost Girls of Ireland is perfect for readers of Debbie Macomber, Sheila O’Flanagan and Mary Alice Monroe.
Sandy Cove on the west coast of Ireland along with the picturesque beach of Wild Rose Bay sounds like somewhere I’d really love to visit. My grandmother’s mother came on a boat from Galway when she was 16 to America and I would really love to explore the land of my ancestors. It sounds so wonderful in Ireland.
Living in Dublin until the death of her husband, Lydia Butler, who found out after his death, he had done a terrible thing flees with her daughter Sunny to Sandy Cove. There is the run-down cottage Great Aunt Nellie has left her, with little else, she is ready to make a new life for her and her daughter after the scandal.
Her daughter is a typical young teen, a bit uncertain in her new school but upbeat and smart and willing to make new friends. Typical day to day life follows Lydia as she looks for small jobs to do to keep herself and her daughter afloat. I even liked Helen, the doctor’s wife, though she is a bit persnickety. I enjoyed the descriptions of the area so much, the beach sounds lovely and the friendly neighbors so welcoming.
There is a possible love interest for Lydia when she is open to the possibility with next door neighbor Jason who is so compassionate and understanding. He occupies his time as a woodworker. I am looking forward to more books in this heartwarming series.
Pub Date 05 May 2021 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
The little cottage sits atop the cove’s rugged cliffs, with its whitewashed walls and views of the deep blue sea. When Hannah discovers a jar of timeworn postcards hidden inside, will they lead to the fresh start she’s longing for?
Hannah Turner has always lived in the historic and beautiful seaside resort of Sand Dollar Cove. Now grieving the loss of her father, Hannah finds comfort in the places that remind her of him, including one of the resort’s oldest cottages. Heartbroken that it’s due to be knocked down—taking her memories with it—Hannah’s heart leaps when she finds the old postcards concealed within.
Reading “I still believe in our happily ever after” on one of the cards, Hannah feels a pang for the happy ending her father never had. She can’t bear someone else’s precious memories being destroyed, so she traces the postcards’ owner to New York and sends them off—inspired by her discovery to finally seize the day.
After watching Guy—the resort’s handsome new trainer—charming their older guests, Hannah’s new attitude pushes her to give dating a chance for once. Hannah can’t resist gazing into Guy’s blue eyes as she shows him the delights of the cove. But just as she’s about to let him into her heart, she is stunned to find one of the postcards in Guy’s bag. Is Guy somehow connected to them? Is this why he came to town in the first place?
Hannah is devastated that Guy is hiding something, but can she keep her heart open to love? And when the postcards reveal a surprising link between Hannah and Guy’s pasts, will the truthbind them together or tear them apart for good?
Let yourself be swept away to the beautiful coastal town of Sand Dollar Cove in this uplifting story of long-buried family secrets, the struggle to prove your worth, and learning to be vulnerable in love. Fans of Susanne O’Leary, Mary Alice Monroe and Kristin Harper will fall head over heels for this gripping novel.
Here are the beautiful covers of the first two books in the series.
MY THOUGHTS
The description of Sand Dollar Cove is so lovely. I surely want to visit there. This is my first read by this author. I loved the descriptions of the area, so warm and inviting, waves crashing against the cliffs, sandy beaches and rustic cabins. The seaside setting will draw you into this story.
The characters are likable, and I enjoyed getting to know them as the story progressed. There are a lot of emotions at play in this story. Hannah is such a strong character; she does a top-of-the-line job at work and is there for her family every step of the way.
A mystery, family dynamics, a warm and hospitable setting along with realistic situations and characters I loved will have me diving right into the second and third books in this series right away.
Cozy and entertaining this will be the one you’ll be recommending to your friends.
Pub Date: 15 Feb 2024 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Jennifer Bardsley believes in friendship, true love, and the everlasting power of books. A graduate of Stanford University, she lives in Edmonds, Washington, with her husband and two children. Jennifer’s column, ‘I Brake for Moms’, has appeared in the Everett Herald every week since 2012. When Jennifer is not writing books or experimenting with her latest kitchen appliance, you can find her walking from her house to the beach every chance she gets.
A new world. A new hope. An unexpected love. What life awaits these brides?
With the cotton mills closed and hunger rampant in Manchester, England, Willow Rhodes’s family encourages her to join the bride ship bound for the Pacific Northwest, where she is assured of employment. Willow agrees to go with the hope that eventually she can save enough money for her family to join her.
Rebellious knuckle-boxing champion Caleb Edwards loves Willow more than life itself. But Willow has been adamant that she sees him as a friend and nothing more. Unable to watch her sail away, Caleb uses his prize money to pay for passage to Vancouver Island to be with Willow.
After arriving, Willow finds work as a maid and Caleb is a farmhand on the same property. As Caleb struggles to keep his feelings for Willow from growing, he’ll do anything for her, even take the blame for a theft to keep her safe. As the crime catches up to them, they’re forced to make choices that could finally rip them apart forever.
Bride Ships: New Voyages Book 1: Finally His Bride Book 2: His Treasured Bride
Bride Ships by Jody Hedlund Book 1: A Reluctant Bride Book 2: The Runaway Bride Book 3: A Bride of Convenience Book 4: Almost a Bride
MY THOUGHTS
If you’ve enjoyed Jody Hedlund’s The Bride Ships series then I also suggest her newest series, Bride Ships: New Voyages. The Rhodes family are locals in Manchester, England, after trying so hard to stay all together they are resigned to sending their daughter Willow to join the bride ship bound for the Pacific Northwest. She’ll work until she earns the money to send for the rest of her family.
She’ll miss her family greatly, but she’ll also miss her best friend, Caleb Edwards. When he joins her on her journey, she is shocked and how he earned the money to do so leaves her even more shocked.
I really enjoyed reading Willow and Caleb’s story and seeing how he is ready to go to the next step past friendship. Willow is so protective of Caleb and he of her. They have been friends for so long, each one being afraid to take the next step towards a romance for fear of the other not wanting that and losing that special friendship. I just wanted to tell them both, to just take that chance you could open a new world of possibilities.
The author so vividly paints the scenery of the interaction between the characters you can almost hear them taking. Great character development. This marriage of convenience story is not rushed, the characters have had a lot of time to develop their feelings from friends to lovers. This is something the author does well, developing her characters. The secondary characters feel important too and I wouldn’t be surprised to see any of them in future books.
I enjoyed this uplifting and positive faith filled book and greatly look forward to reading more in this series.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jody Hedlund is the best-selling author of over fifty books and is the winner of numerous awards. She writes sweet historical romances with plenty of sizzle.
Stacking the Shelves is hosted at Reading Reality It lets us show off the books we’ve acquired in the past week whether it may be from the library, NetGalley, borrowing from a friend, bought or whatever.
MY LIBRARY HAUL THIS WEEK
In nineteenth-century Scotland, following the death of his mother during surgery, Robbie decides to take revenge on the surgeon who performed the operation, Dr. Robert Knox, and in the process, makes a gruesome discovery about the lengths the medical profession will go to advance its knowledge of anatomy.
From the incomparable master of horror and suspense comes an electrifying collection of contemporary literary horror, with stories from twenty-five writers representing today’s most talented voices in the genre.
A collection of fourteen fantasy stories by well-known authors, set in an alternate universe where romance and technology reign and featuring automatons, clockworks, calculating machines, and other marvels that never existed.
These are my daughter’s books. Mine are below.
In the midst of World War II, an English musician, Norah Chambers, places her eight-year-old daughter, Sally, on a ship leaving Singapore, desperate to keep her safe from the Japanese army as they move down through the Pacific. Norah remains to care for her husband and elderly parents, knowing she may never see her child again. Sister Nesta James, a Welsh-Australian nurse, has enlisted to tend to Allied troops. But as Singapore falls to the Japanese, she joins the terrified cargo of people, including the heartbroken Norah, crammed aboard the Vyner Brooke merchant ship. Only two days later, they are bombarded from the air off the coast of Indonesia, and in a matter of hours, the Vyner Brooke lies broken on the seabed. After surviving a brutal 24 hours in the sea, Nesta and Norah reach the beaches of a remote island, only to be captured by the Japanese and held in one of their notorious POW camps. The camps are places of starvation and brutality, where disease runs rampant. Sisters in arms, Norah and Nesta fight side by side every day, helping whoever they can, and discovering in themselves and each other extraordinary reserves of courage, resourcefulness, and determination.
“The American Queen is based on actual events that occurred between 1865-1889 and shares the unsung history of a Black woman who built a kingdom as a refuge for the courageous people who dared to dream of a different way of life.”–
This is my husband’s library check out.
First rate … a fascinating adventure story … the interest never flags.” –San Francisco chronicle. In his most desperate moment, Adolph Hitler issues an impossible order to an disgraced war hero and his commandos. The mission: invade the very heart of England and kidnap Winston Churchill–or kill him. Far from the thunder of war, in a quiet seaside village called Studley Constable, a beautiful widow and a cultured IRA assassin undertake preparations for the ultimate act of treachery. On November 6, 1943, Berlin gets the coded message: “The eagle has landed.” Tightly plotted and bristling with suspense. The eagle has landed is a masterpiece of espionage and commando action, a searing drama of the courage and deceit of those who paid the price for Hitler’s most daring plan.
Pictures of the Hagerstown, Maryland library I go to.
Interior Design image of Washington County Free Library in Hagerstown MD by Jeffrey Sauers of Commercial Photographics
I love this skylight as you climb the stairs to go to the nonfiction section upstairs.
Interior Design image of Washington County Free Library in Hagerstown MD by Jeffrey Sauers of Commercial PhotographicsInterior Design image of Washington County Free Library in Hagerstown MD by Jeffrey Sauers of Commercial PhotographicsExterior image of Washington County Free Library in Hagerstown MD by Jeffrey Sauers of Commercial Photographics
You could say I love going to the library each week 🙂
368 pages Bthany House publishers March 12,2024 publish date
ABOUT THE BOOK
One fateful night will change their destinies forever. . . .
Convinced that his stepmother and half brothers have been wrongfully evicted by cattle king Eli Dearing, Asher Ellis uses the cover of an extravagant ball to break into the Three Cedars’ ranch house to search for proof. On the verge of discovery, he flees, but a boy’s cry compels him to make a daring rescue.
Spunky and independent Samantha Dearing balks when she learns the ball her father is hosting is nothing more than a matrimonial ambush. Taking a break from unwanted suitors, Samantha spots a thief fleeing her home. When the stranger ends up saving her brother’s life, she hides the only clue to his identity left behind–his boot–and resolves to find him herself.
When Samantha encounters the older brother of a student she tutors, all thoughts of the bootless mystery man vanish. Asher values family above wealth, a rare trait that opens her heart. Afraid she will discover his past misconduct, Asher tries to keep his distance, but when a series of suspicious accidents befall her, he vows to protect her, even though saving her life could mean losing her love.
MY THOUGHTS
If the Boot Fits is Karen Witemeyer’s retelling of the Cinderella story. If you enjoy fairytale retellings, strong protective cowboy western hero’s and a strong stand on her own two feet heroine protective of her little brother then I suggest this book.
When I first met Samantha Dearing’s character, I didn’t like her. She is portrayed as bratty, whiny and giving her father a hard time at what she thinks is a ball thrown to marry her off to a rich man to further her father’s business investments.
Samantha hasn’t been too in tune with her father in the past years and thinks her father sees her as a nuisance and just wants her out of the way since he has the son he’s always wanted. Talking to her father at the ball and after we see Sam or Samantha as she prefers now has had a misunderstanding about her father’s feelings all along.
When a man escapes out of the window of her home and her father sees it, he’s labeled a thief, but he saves her Non swimming brother from drowning at a pond at their home. When the man escapes after saving the young brother the only clue he leaves behind is a cowboy boot leaving Samantha determined to find him herself.
Samantha spends a lot of time with her father and as they work on straightening out their relationship, he clears up some misconceptions she’s had. I enjoyed the great quality time they had together and seeing a strong relationship reappear.
There is mystery, forgiveness, compassion a bit of danger and a beautiful faith-based thread running through the story. There was a great sense of humor woven amongst the pages along with sweet romance and a fine plot that eagerly kept me reading. Thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Pub Date 12 Mar 2024 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
For those who love to smile as they read, bestselling author Karen Witemeyer offers warmhearted historical romance with a flair for humor, feisty heroines, and swoon-worthy Texas heroes. Voted #1 Readers’ Favorite Christian Historical Author in 2023 by Family Fiction Magazine, Karen is a multiple award-winning author and a firm believer in the power of happy endings. She is an avid cross-stitcher, tea drinker, and family board game player who makes her home in Abilene, TX with her heroic husband who vanquishes laundry dragons and dirty dish villains whenever she’s on deadline. Learn more about Karen and her books at http://www.karenwitemeyer.com.
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Beautiful tag given to me by my friend Susan at Susan Loves Books. Please check out her blog here.
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