BEYOND WOUNDED HEARTS by Cynthia Roemer, Reviewed by Paula Shreckhise #ReleaseDay

A heartfelt story telling of Adelaide, who is injured during the fall of Richmond in the closing days of the Civil War. Luke, a Union soldier, saves her and looks after her, though his attentions are not welcome. Addie is bitter toward God and the Union troops who she considers usurpers. She has a long road to healing, recovery and forgiveness.

 

This is a layered story with spiritual lessons to learn. God is faithful and even uses perceived enemies for our benefit. And His will prevails in the end. God can change the stoniest heart back to Him and make a family when Addie has lost everything.

 

I like the way Ms. Roemer wove real people and events into the story. She also gave warmth to the characters of Luke, his mother and his sister. She told a story with a rich heritage behind it to help us see that God was with His people on both sides of the conflict.

 

This was a great companion book to Beyond These War Torn Lands, Drew and Caroline’s story. I look forward to more from this author.

* I received a complimentary e-copy of this book from the author. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.*5 stars and a solid faith thread

BackCover Blurb:
They were North and South ~ Faithful and Faithless

After suffering disabling burns during the fall of Richmond, Adelaide Hanover awakens in a hospital alone and destitute, escalating her already stanch hatred for Yankees. When the Union soldier who freed her from the rubble begins paying her visits, she wants nothing to do with him … or his faith. Yet, his persistent kindness penetrates her resolve and forges a much-needed friendship. But after a dangerous man threatens Addie, she flees Richmond, intent on solving the mystery to her aunt’s dying wish before he does.

Haunted by a tragic failure in his past, Corporal Luke Gallagher takes Adelaide’s plight on as his own. Though his strong beliefs collide with his growing feelings for her, he offers his family’s home as a place to convalesce. Adelaide’s initial rejection, followed by her sudden willingness to accept his benevolence, hints there’s more to the decision than a mere change of heart. When trouble follows her, endangering her safety, as well as his family’s, Luke must lay his life and his convictions on the line to save them. 

Scrivenings Press, March 14, 2023

Available in digital ebook, and paperback 

Buy BEYOND WOUNDED HEARTS at Amazon 

A WALTZ WITH TRAITORS by A. L. Sowards, Reviewed by Winnie Thomas #ReleaseDay

“We just wanted to go home. The rest was forced on us.”

Set mainly in Russia in 1918 amidst the Revolution and the ending of WWI, this fascinating book details little known historical events involving the Czechoslovak Legion and their fight to get home and have a land of their own. With obvious impeccable research and rich historical detail, author A. L. Sowards has penned a riveting story of history and romance. Colorful, carefully-drawn characters pulled me right into this tale and kept me intrigued to the end. Nadia is a Russian aristocrat who narrowly escapes with her life as her family is killed by the Bolsheviks. She is rescued by Filip and his friends from the Czechoslovak Legion who are struggling to get across Russia and make their way home. Nadia and Filip enter into a sham marriage in order to protect her.

“Maybe all the darkness makes it easier to recognize the light.”

“God is always there, even when it’s too dark to see Him.”

With plenty of suspense, action, history, and a dollop of romance, this book is a good example of why I love historical fiction. I get to learn about historical events while enjoying a great story. The maps and glossary were very helpful in understanding what was going on and where the events took place, while the author’s notes in the back added interesting information. This is a well-written book which has earned a place on my keeper shelf. I’ll be looking forward to more from this author in the future.
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from Covenant Communications through Interviews & Reviews. All opinions are my own.

 

BackCover Blurb:
Czech soldier Filip Sedlák never wanted to fight for the Austro-Hungarian Empire. So at the first opportunity, he defected to the Russians. Now he and others like him have formed the Czechoslovak Legion. Their goal: leave the chaos of Russia, sail to France, and help the Allies defeat the Central Powers, thereby toppling a hated empire and winning an independent Czechoslovakia.

With the fall of the tsar, Nadia Linskaya’s life is in ruins. Her family is dead, her lands are confiscated, and her aristocratic world is gone forever. But Nadia is determined to elude the Bolshevik agent who destroyed her family and find a way to survive in this changed world.

When Nadia takes refuge with the Czechoslovak Legion, the last thing she expects is an ally. But when Filip proposes a sham marriage to ensure her safe passage across Siberia, she takes it. Neither Filip nor Nadia expect real love, not when the legion has to take over the longest railroad in the world—and then hold it against Bolshevik counterattacks, partisan sabotage, allied intrigue, and a set of brutal Siberian winters. At risk is the future of Czechoslovakia, the fate of Russia—and their hearts. 

Covenant Communications, March 14, 2023

Available in digital ebook, paperback, and audiobook:

Buy A WALTZ WITH TRAITORS at Amazon

THE MAID OF BALLYMACOOL by Jennifer Deibel, Reviewed by Rebecca Maney

"Child, there's more to your story than ye could ever know."

More to her story? If you were to ask Brianna, her story was rather short and simple. Orphaned as an infant, dropped off in a basket at Maureen Magee's front door, assigned the role of a house servant at the Ballymacool House and Boarding School for Girls as soon as she was old enough to contribute to the needs of the household, Brianna worked nearly night and day handling endless tasks with little time to dawdle. And yet . . . was there an "and yet"?

Michael Wray, a local gentleman, arrives at Ballymacool to aid in the oversight of his young cousin, whose unladylike behavior has caused quite a stir among her fellow students. On the other hand, his encounters with the lovely housemaid are surprisingly refreshing, Brianna has a certain charm about her, coupled with a hint of something else . . . familiarity? It's obvious how terribly Mistress Magee is treating the young woman, but for what reason? Michael has many questions for which there seem to be very few answers.

This politely predictable story has a certain allure about it that even its "cinderella" setting cannot deny is appealing. The author has written in just enough intrigue (for who doesn't love a good secret) to keep the reader tip-toeing around the pages, eagerly awaiting the next clue. As it turns out, that "more to the story" could be a fairy tale all its own.

"Just remember, tis no secret that's known to three."
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher and also purchased a copy. The opinions stated above are entirely my own.

 

SEE REVIEWS BY PAULA AND TRIXI

 

BackCover Blurb:

Brianna Kelly was abandoned at Ballymacool House and Boarding School as an infant. She has worked there since she was a wee girl and will likely die there. Despite a sense that she was made for something more, Brianna feels powerless to change her situation, so she consoles herself by exploring the Ballymacool grounds, looking for hidden treasures to add to the secret trove beneath the floorboards of her room.

When Michael Wray, the son of local gentry, is sent to Ballymacool to deal with his unruly cousin, he finds himself drawn to Brianna, immediately and inescapably. There is something about her that feels so . . . familiar. When Brianna finds a piece of silver in the woods, she commits to learning its origins, with the help of Michael. What they discover may change everything.

Fan favorite Jennifer Deibel invites you back to the Emerald Isle in the 1930s for this fresh take on the Cinderella story, complete with a tantalizing mystery, a budding romance, and a chance at redemption.

Revell Publishing, February 21, 2023 

Available in digital ebook, hardcover, and audiobook

Buy THE  MAID OF BALLYMACOOL at Amazon, Christianbook .com, or Baker Book House  

 


 

DOUBLE THE LIES (An Annalee Spain Mystery #2) by Patricia Raybon, Reviewed by Rebecca Maney

"In their crazy town, what kind of messy, stupid anger had left a young, barnstorming pilot dead on his kitchen floor?"

And dead he was. Jeffrey Mann had made the wrong person mad, and it wasn't his wife; private detective Annalee Spain (an aspiring amateur, but she was learning) had witnessed a terse conversation between the two at the Warren Branch of the Denver Public Library, seen the husband hurry off, and then proceeded to befriend his distraught wife by offering a handkerchief and a listening ear as she accompanied Rebecca Mann home. Having inadvertently left evidence at the crime scene (that handkerchief!) (oh Jack, she was so sorry!) Annalee was involved whether she wanted to be or not, especially when the threatening note she received the next morning proved that someone (in addition to local authorities) knew she had been at the Mann residence.

Annalee Spain had just been handed her next case. Primarily, it was a matter of self preservation. (the police wanted to pin this on her, not going to happen! . . . please, God?) And protecting those she loved the most. (that nasty note!)

A movie with buttered popcorn couldn't be any more entertaining than this round-about series of convoluted events. Every twist and turn is a display cabinet full of lies upon lies until the truth finally dares to stare Annalee in the face, and just as she imagined, it wasn't pretty.

A handsome young preacher (named Jack) once said, "It's so easy, lying. Maybe that's why God hates it". (and you will never believe where he was and what he was doing when he said it; hint, hint, he wasn't preaching)

One of the best mysteries I have read in a long time! 

*I purchased this book and was under no obligation to provide a positive review. 

 

BackCover Blurb:
In the second installment of Patricia Raybon’s critically acclaimed mystery series, amateur detective Annalee Spain races the clock to solve the murder of a handsome young pilot before she is framed for the crime—and before his dashing twin falls head over heels for her, tempting her promised heart.

On a cold spring night in 1924, Annalee Spain offers her new fancy lace handkerchief—a gift from her pastor boyfriend Jack Blake—to a young woman crying in a Denver public library. But later that night, when police find the handkerchief next to the body of the young woman’s murdered husband, Annalee becomes the number one suspect, and her panic doubles when she learns that Jack has gone missing.

With just days to solve the murder before the city’s Klan-run police frame her for the crime, Annalee finds herself hunting for clues in the Colorado mountain town of Estes Park. She questions the victim’s wife and her uncle, a wealthy Denver banker, at their mountain lodge, desperate for leads. Instead, she finds a household full of suspects and even more burning questions. Who keeps threatening her, why can’t she find Jack, and will a dangerous flirtation be her undoing? Her answers plumb the depths of the human heart, including her own, exploring long-buried secrets, family lies, even city politics—all of which could cost the young detective her fledgling love . . . and perhaps even her life. 

 

Tyndale House Publishing, February, 2023

Available in digital ebook, hardcover, paperback, and audiobook:

Buy DOUBLE THE LIES at Amazon,  Christianbook .com, or Baker Book House