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Every Good Gift (Amish Blessings Book 3) by Kelly Irvin

381 pages Zondervan publisher February 7,2023 publish date

About The Book

During the most difficult season of her life, how could she know whether their meeting was a gift from God—or another temptation?

Maisy never expected that a Plain girl like her could have her heart stolen by an Englisch boy. But when her rumspringa ends and Maisy realizes she’s pregnant, the reality of their choices—and their differences—sets in.

Maisy knows she will never leave her faith to marry her baby’s father. But she also knows the road to acceptance as an unwed mother in an Amish community will be long and hard. To protect her family from the scandal, she goes to live with her cousin in Haven, Kansas, where she will have some solitude to figure out what kind of future she might have.

In Haven Maisy begins to find her way—thanks in no small part to Joshua Lapp, a Plain man who’s made it clear he isn’t bothered by her situation or ashamed to be seen with her, despite the bishop’s warnings. But Joshua has struggled with his faith ever since the death of his twin brother, leaving Maisy to wonder: How can two people who are so lost ever help each other discover Gott’s plans for their future?

Grab A Copy Here

My Thoughts

I really have enjoyed every Kelly Irvin book I’ve read and this one has been no exception.
The author has a way with words, penning such a realistic book.
There are some very tough subjects dealt with here. It’s not a light easy read, it’s actually a rather emotional one.


A young plain woman, a young plain man and an Amish couple all have things they are dealing with, things that are not easy at all. Through God’s love, redemption, forgiveness and lots of talking it out they are able to get through.


Sometimes the way that is the best way is not the easiest way.
This is a clean Amish romance and the third book in the Amish Blessings series but can be read as a stand-alone.


I found this to be an emotionally story written full of acceptance, hope, redemption, love, faith and finally accepting God’s forgiveness.

Pub Date: 07 Feb 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

The Series

God always had a plan. But how could falling in love with an Englischer be God’s plan for one young Amish woman? 

Young Cassie Weaver only wants what is expected of an Amish woman: a good Amish husband and a large family. But she’s happy as Job and Dinah Keim’s housekeeper, helping Dinah, who is losing her sight due to diabetes. For two decades the Keims have prayed for the salvation of their two children who left the community in a cloud of shame and mystery. 

Mason knew there was more to his mother’s past than she let on, but nothing could have prepared him for learning about his Amish roots upon his mother’s sudden death. Even more surprising, his mother named her Amish parents, Job and Dinah, as guardians to her five children. Now Mason has to trust that this couple, and their pretty housekeeper, can take care of his younger siblings, even when all he wants is to take care of them himself. 

As the children adjust to this new lifestyle, Mason finds himself pulled back to the Keims’ home. Yes, he wants to see his siblings, but it’s the conversations with Cassie that keep him coming back for more. Is there more to this Amish faith and how does it play into his own past? Cassie guards against her growing feelings for Mason, because there can be no happy ending for a Plain girl in love with an Englisch man . . . right? 

Bestselling and award-winning Amish romance novelist Kelly Irvin is back with a heartwarming tale of the power of love to heal all wounds. 

The Author

Best-selling novelist Kelly Irvin’s latest Amish romance, The Warmth of Sunshine, debuted in July. The second novel in the Amish Blessings series takes place in Yoder and Haven, Kansas. The series takes a look at adoption in Amish communities. The first book, Love’s Dwelling, won second place in the Selah Awards contest in the long contemporary romance category. The series follows the Amish of Sky Country series, which featured Amish communities in Northwest Montana affected by wildfires that destroyed thousands of acres in the state in recent years. The first book, Mountains of Grace, debuted in August 2019, and delves into the impact on not only an Amish man and woman, but also a smoke jumper, a sheriff’s deputy, and a young English woman forced to confront her past because of the fires.

Kelly also writes romantic suspense novels. Her most recent forays into this genre include Trust Me, Her Every Move and Closer Than She Knows, all set in San Antonio and South Texas. Publishers Weekly says of Closer Than She Knows, “this brisk, smoothly written thriller from Irvin pits court reporter Teagan O’Rourke, a murder mystery lover, against a cunning and vicious serial killer. Fans of serial killer fiction with a Christian slant will be satisfied.”

Of Tell Her No Lies, The Library Journal says, “Irvin creates a complex web with enough twists and turns to keep even the most savvy romantic suspense readers guessing until the end. Known for her Amish novels, this two-time Carol Award finalist shows that her talents span subgenres from tranquil Amish stories to rapidly paced breathless suspense.”

Kelly is also the author of the Every Amish Season series, which included four books that chronicle the lives of Amish widows who are in different seasons in their lives. These women are linked by life altering experiences that bring them together as wives, mothers, and grandmothers in the small town of Jamesport, Mo. The first book, Upon a Spring Breeze, received critical acclaim from the Library Journal: “A moving and compelling tale about the power of grace and forgiveness that reminds us how we become strongest in our most broken moments.”

Kelly Irvin is also the author of The Amish of Bee County series, which includes the critically acclaimed The Beekeeper’s Son. Publishers Weekly called the first book in the series a beautifully woven masterpiece and Romantic Times Magazine called Kelly a storyteller extraordinaire. It was followed by The Bishop’s Son and The Saddle Maker’s Son, which is an ECPA bestseller.

A two-time ACFW Carol finalist, Kelly’s novellas have been included in numerous anthologies, including An Amish Summer, The Amish Christmas Gift, An Amish Market, an Amish Christmas Love, and Amish Quilt, An Amish Reunion, An Amish Picnic, and An Amish Christmas Bakery.

She also penned the Bliss Creek Amish series and the New Hope Amish series, both published by Harvest House Publishers. Love Still Stands, the first book in the New Hope series, debuted in September 2012, and the follow-up, Love Redeemed, released March 1, 2014. The final book in the series, set in Branson, MO., was A Plain Love Song, released in July 2014.

The Bliss Creek Amish series, set in Kansas, includes To Love and to Cherish, A Heart Made New, and Love’s Journey Home.

In the New Hope series, familiar characters from Bliss Creek move to Missouri to start a new district and a new life.

The Kansas native is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and the ACFW San Antonio local chapter Alamo City Christian Fiction Writers, as well as Sisters in Crime.

A graduate of the University of Kansas William Allen White School of Journalism, Kelly wrote nonfiction professionally for thirty years. She studied for three semesters at the University of Costa Rica, learning the Spanish language. As a journalist, she worked six years in the border towns of Laredo and El Paso, where she was exposed to culture and language that serves as fodder for her fiction writing. She has written hard news, features, entertainment pieces, restaurant critiques, editorials, and weekly columns. Writing awards include the Silver Star Award from the Texas Mental Health Association for articles pertaining to mental health and numerous awards in news, feature, and editorial writing from the Texas Press Association and Texas Press Women.

Kelly retired in 2016 from her position of 22 years as public relations manager for the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department, where her duties included writing and designing an employee newsletter, writing news releases, collaborating on marketing campaigns, coordinating ribbon-cuttings and groundbreakings, coordinating press conferences, updating the web site, and acting as a media spokesperson.

Kelly has been married to photographer Tim Irvin for more than 30 years, and they have two young adult children and three grandchildren. In her spare time, she likes to write short stories, read books by her favorite authors, and visit the babies.

For more information, visit http://www.kellyirvin.com

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The Paris Sister by Adrienne Chinn Blog Tour

The Paris Sister

Three sisters separated by distance but bound by love

The Fry sisters enter the Roaring Twenties forever changed by their experiences during the Great War. Now, as each of their lives unfold in different corners of the globe, they come to realise that the most important bond is that of family.

Desperate to save the man she loves, Etta leaves behind the life she has made for herself in Capri and enters the decadent world of Parisian society with all its secrets and scandals.

Celie’s new life on the Canadian prairies brings mixed blessings – a daughter to adore, but a husband who isn’t the man who holds her heart.

In Egypt, Jessie’s world is forever changed by a devastating loss.

And back in London – where each of their adventures began – their mother Christina watches as the pieces of her carefully orchestrated existence begins to shatter…with implications for them all…

The Paris Sister Blog Tour 1st-7th February @Rachel’sRandomResources

Purchase Links Amazon

My Thoughts

An emotional family drama set during the Roaring twenties.
I have not read the first book in this series, instead jumping in at book two of three. I absolutely need to read book one now.
The book is very wordy at 480 pages, and I loved it. The more descriptive for me the better.
Set during the 1920's we can see woman are starting to stand up for themselves and not be dominated by men anymore.
There is strife, there is drama, as there is in every family but at the end of the day there is the love of family.
This book features three sisters and their mother. The women all live in different parts of the world, one in Canada, one in Egypt and one in Paris.
There is a lot going on in this story as it takes place over years. What I found to make it easier to follow is if you concentrate on each woman and their story rather than concentrate on too many characters at once.
I really enjoyed this historical fiction and learning about the different foods, languages and customs of each country.
The widowed mother has a secret her daughters must not find out. It happened during her younger days when she was not married. Living in London she must now face her past.
One of the daughters lives in Alberta, Canada amongst the wheat fields.
Another daughter lives in Cairo running a health clinic. Another daughter lives in Paris trying to forget her past.
I enjoyed seeing how the women and their mother communicated by letter. Though they may not agree on everything there is always love, communication and encouragement.
The book is very well researched. I felt as if I were right there in the story experiencing all this with the characters.
This is a wonderful, wonderful book. The next book can't come out soon enough for me!

Pub Date 03 Feb 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Visit other blogs on the tour here

About the Author

Adrienne Chinn was born in Grand Falls, Newfoundland, grew up in Quebec, and eventually made her way to London, England after a career as a journalist. In England she worked as a TV and film researcher before embarking on a career as an interior designer, lecturer, and writer. Her debut novel, The Lost Letter, a timeslip love story set in Morocco, was published by Avon Books UK in 2019. Her second novel, The English Wife — a timeslip story set in World War II England and contemporary Newfoundland — was published in June 2020 and has become an international bestseller. Her third novel, Love in a Time of War, the first in a series of four books in The Three Fry Sisters series, was published in February 2022. The second book in the series, The Paris Sister, will be published in February 2023.

Social Media Links –

https://www.facebook.com/adriennechinnauthor/

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Release Day Review-The Cairo Curse, A Freddie and Grace Mystery #2 by Pepper Basham

320 pages Barbour Publishing February 01, 2023 publish date

About The Book

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.

Grab A Copy Here

The Series Here

Book 1 Here

Will the magic of Christmas bring these two newlyweds closer together, or will the ghosts of the past lead them into a destructive discovery from which not even a Dickens’s Christmas can save them?

Mistletoe is beautiful and dangerous, much like the woman from Lord Frederick’s Percy’s past, so when he turns over a new leaf and arranges to marry for his estate, instead of his heart, he never expects the wrong bride to be the right choice. Gracelynn Ferguson never expected to take her elder sister’s place as a Christmas bride, but when she’s thrust into the choice, she will trust in her faithful novels and overactive imagination to help her not only win Frederick’s heart but also to solve the murder mystery of Havensbrook Hall before the ghosts from Frederick’s past ruin her fairytale future. 
 

My Thoughts

"My darling, I have high hopes that not every scene in our future will be experienced with such life-threatening adventures."

If you enjoy high adventure, not quite knowing what the next page holds and breathtaking descriptions of Egypt that will have you believing you're there with the characters, you're going to love this book. Fraught with danger around every corner, suspense, romance and humor.
Before you read this one though do yourself a huge favor and grab "The Mistletoe Countess " to read which starts this series out. You're going to love it and it'll give you Freddie and Grace's backstory.
This may just be more of a honeymoon than Poor Freddie imagined. I hope you're ready for an adventure filled with camels, tombs, a jewel thief, and exciting digs. I don't read many books taking place in Egypt, this is only the second one I can think of, and it was an intriguing read.

Pub Date 01 Feb 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

The Author

Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance “peppered” with grace and humor. Writing both historical and contemporary novels, she loves to incorporate her native Appalachian culture and/or her unabashed adoration of the UK into her stories. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the wife of a fantastic pastor, mom of five great kids, a speech-language pathologist, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus. Her nineteenth novel, Authentically Izzy, debuts in November with Thomas Nelson. She loves connecting with readers and other authors through social media outlets like Facebook & Instagram.

You can learn more about Pepper and her books on her website at http://www.pepperdbasham.com

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A Maple Syrup Cozy Mystery, A Doomful of Sugar by Catherine Bruns

278 pages Poisoned Penn Press October 25,2022 Publish date

About The Book

First in the new Maple Syrup cozy mystery series from USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bruns.

There’s nothing sweet about murder…

Leila Khoury has always believed that everyone loved her father as much as they loved his artisanal maple syrup. But when he’s killed, and she returns to Sugar Ridge, Vermont to take over his business, she starts to realize how much of his life she’s left untapped.

With her brother under suspicion, her mother just barely holding it together, and police not producing any leads, Leila will have to investigate herself if she wants answers about her father’s sticky end. But the more she learns, the more she worries that there won’t be a sappy ending to the story.

A cozy mystery perfect for fans of Joanne Fluke, this edition includes 5 delicious maple recipes for mystery readers with a sweet tooth!

What readers are saying about A Doomful of Sugar:

“There’s no shortage of twists and turns”

“Memorable characters, a charming setting…a well-plotted mystery”

“Developed characters, a strong plotline, and a few red herrings”

Grab A Copy Here

My Thoughts

A Doomful of Sugar is the debut book in the Maple Syrup Mysteries Book series. The descriptions of maple syrup bring back a lot of memories. When the children were younger, we took them to a maple syrup festival in Meyersdale, PA. There was the maple syrup tour and explanation of how the syrup was tapped and boiled and made, which is exactly what the book had as well.
It was an easy-to-read book with not too many characters that you can't keep them all straight.
I liked the idea of our main character inheriting the maple syrup business from her father upon his suspicious death. As a teacher out of state, she has no plan to stick around she is just there for the reading of the will. Her surprise is genuine when she realizes her father has left the business to her rather than his wife or son.
Her father has no enemies, she is sure of it, but having not been there in four years she shouldn't be so sure. Always quick to extend credit and the grandfatherly type he seems like the last person you would expect to see knocked off.
As we move through the book and start to see a backstory of this man and his financial dealing a clearer picture is painted for us.
The suspected killer seems very clear as the clues point right to them, but you'll have to read this to judge what you think of the suspects.
I loved all the cooking and mentions of food, it made for a delectable read. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.

Pub Date 25 Oct 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Books In The Series

Book 2

Only a sap would try to ruin a bride’s special day…

Spring has finally come to Sugar Ridge, Vermont, and with it the end of syrup-making season. But Leila Khoury, new owner of Sappy Endings Farm, won’t be making like molasses any time soon. Her best friend Heather’s wedding is coming up, and Leila will do anything to make sure it lives up to all her sweetest dreams.

Even with Leila’s own romantic past stirring up trouble, everything is going to plan until the bridal shower ends up with a body count.

Heather’s rich and backstabbing aunt had a whole orchard of enemies, so Leila will have her work cut out for her. Can she tap the killer before Heather’s dream wedding becomes a nightmare?

Includes delicious Middle Eastern recipes!

About The Author

Catherine is the USA Today bestselling author of the Cookies & Chance mysteries. She lives in New York with her very patient husband, three sons, and several spoiled pets. Catherine has a B.A. in English and is a former newspaper reporter and press release writer. She also writes the Italian Chef mysteries, Cindy York real estate and Carrie Jorgenson (Aloha Lagoon) culinary series. Her book, For Sale by Killer, won the 2019 Daphne du Maurier award for Mainstream Mystery/Suspense.

Get a free ebook when you sign up for Catherine’s newsletter at https://www.catherinebruns.net/contact

Please feel free to connect with her on social media as well:

facebook.com/Catherine-Bruns-Books-218522341685434

twitter.com/@writesmystery

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Hearts of Steel (The Blackstone Legacy Book #3) By Elizabeth Camden-Review 

329 pages Bethany House Publishers January 17,2023 Publish date.

About The Book

His steel empire has catapulted him to the top of the world but loving her could cost him everything.

Maggie Molinaro survived a hardscrabble childhood in the downtrodden streets of Manhattan to become a successful businesswoman. After a decade of sacrifice, she now owns a celebrated ice cream company. But when she offends a corrupt banker, she unwittingly sets off a series of calamities that threaten to destroy her life’s work.

Liam Blackstone is a charismatic steel magnate committed to overhauling factory conditions for the steelworkers of America. Standing in his way is the same villain determined to ruin Maggie. What begins as a practical alliance to defeat a common enemy soon evolves into a romance between two wounded people determined to beat the odds.

A spiraling circle of treachery grows increasingly dangerous as Liam and Maggie risk their lives and fortunes for the good of the city. It will require all their wit and ingenuity to protect everything–and everyone–they hold dear.

Grab A Copy Here

My Thoughts

I absolutely love the uniqueness of the author’s stories. Her stories are so well researched and filled with detail which is what I love. She mixes fact and fiction so marvelously and it turns into an unputdownable story.
This is the third book in the Blackstone Legacy series. I have been waiting for Liam’s story and this is it.
Growing up in Pittsburgh with the steel mills I found many things in the book familiar, like the factory conditions being unsafe.
I have to say I really admired our two main character, Maggie and Liam. Similar in many ways, yet different.
Maggie Molinaro worked with her uncle on the rough and dangerous streets of Manhattan, from the time she was a young teen building from the ground up an ice cream factory. Her uncle was an immigrant and she helped him realize his dream, which also became her dream. It started out with pushcarts selling ice cream around the neighborhood from morning til night. Barely able to pay their debts. Maggie despite all her struggles doesn’t give up. She and her uncle slowly build their inventory from ice cream pushcarts to opening their own factory and supplying delicious ice creams to other businesses.
Liam Blackstone may have been born into wealth but not he’s too good for the average person. He has empathy for the working man and their trials and situations.
Standing in the way of their successes is a man determined to have it all no matter which way he needs to get it. Will he succeed with his evil corruption, lies, and pay offs. It certainly appears to all be going in his favor and no one can stop him.
Maggie and Liam are determined to stop him with the help of others but is it too late?
Excellent! I have read this author’s books right from the start of her writing career and they continue to amaze me. I love how she brings to the forefront little known history and creates stories from it.

Pub Date 17 Jan 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

The Series

After years of tragedy, Gwen Kellerman now lives a quiet life as a botanist at an idyllic New York college. She largely ignores her status as heiress to the infamous Blackstone dynasty and hopes to keep her family’s heartbreak and scandal behind her.

Patrick O’Neill survived a hardscrabble youth to become a lawyer for the downtrodden Irish immigrants in his community. He’s proud of his work, even though he struggles to afford his ramshackle law office. All that changes when he accepts a case that is sure to emphasize the Blackstones’ legacy of greed and corruption by resurrecting a thirty-year-old mystery.

Little does Patrick suspect that the Blackstones will launch their most sympathetic family member to derail him. Gwen is tasked with getting Patrick to drop the case, but the old mystery takes a shocking twist neither of them saw coming. Now, as they navigate a burgeoning attraction and growing danger, Patrick and Gwen will be forced to decide if the risk to the life they’ve always held dear is worth the reward.

Get It Here

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.

May your day be fabulous. Thank you for visiting today.

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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.

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Her Heart’s Desire (A Season in Pinecraft Book #1) Amish fiction by Shelley Shepard Gray-Review

Print length 291 pages Revell Publisher Jan 3,2023 Publication Date

Grab A Copy Here

About The Book

Mary Margaret Miller needs an escape from her small Amish community. She boards a bus, all alone, for a vacation in Pinecraft, Florida. Meeting Betsy and Lilly on the way, she’s amazed to find two kindred spirits. They become fast friends and determine to have the best two weeks of their lives. For Mary, it starts when she meets Jayson Raber. The handsome and charming carpenter is taken by Mary from the get-go, but he has responsibilities back home in Kentucky–including a girl he’s supposed to marry.

When someone from Mary’s past shows up in Pinecraft, it seems like her perfect vacation is ruined. But that’s nothing compared to what’s coming when she realizes what Jayson has been hiding.

Take a vacation with New York Times bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray as she explores what happens when we allow our pasts to define our futures in this story of friendship, romance, and new beginnings.

My Thoughts

I always look forward to the author’s newest releases coming out. This one is the start to a new series, and we are once again back in Pinecraft, which I would love to visit someday. It sounds so peaceful.
This is A Season in Pinecraft, #1.


The author is such a master storyteller. no matter the genre she writes, I especially enjoy her Amish stories. Her stories are so compelling with such a nice faith message in them. I always feel so much better after reading her books, such a positive boost they give me.


I was moved by the characters, how they examined who they were and worked on improving their character.
I am looking forward to the next delightful book in this series.

Pub Date 03 Jan 2023
I received a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

About The Author

Shelley Shepard Gray is a NYT and USA Today bestselling author. She’s published over a hundred novels and has over a million books in print. She currently lives in northern Ohio and writes full time.

Shelley lives just an hour from Holmes County, where many of her Amish-themed novels are set. She currently writes contemporary romance and Amish fiction for a variety of publishers. When not spending time with her family or writing, she can usually be found walking her two dachshunds on one of the many trails in the Cleveland area.

She also bakes a lot, loves coconut cream pie, and will hardly ever pull weeds, mow the yard, or drive in the snow.

Shelley also spends a lot of time on line! Please visit her website, http://www.shelleyshepardgray.com to find out her latest news or to sign up for her newsletter.

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Release Day Review-A Mark of Grace by Kimberley Woodhouse, Book 3 of 3 Secrets of the Canyon

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?

Grab A Copy Here

My Thoughts

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:

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Top Ten Tuesday-Books from my February 2023 to read list

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?

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Engaging Deception (The Joplin Chronicles #3) Last in an intriguing series, by Regina Jennings-Review

About the Book

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?

The series here

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.

Grab A Copy Here

About The Author

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.

Visit Regina’s website at http://www.reginajennings.com.

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