RETURN TO SATTERTHWAITE COURT by Mimi Matthews, Reviewed by Kim and Winnie #ReleaseDay

KIM'S REVIEW:
I love Mimi Matthew's stories! She pens some of the most swoon-worthy romances! In Return to Satterthwaite Court, the adult children of the main characters in The Work of Art (possibly my favorite Mimi Matthews story!) and Gentleman Jim meet and the result is a wonderful, entertaining, totally swoon worthy romance that is not to be missed!

I absolutely loved when Kate and Charles meet for the first time in this story and I couldn't wait until they met again! Charles borders on being grumpy, but he is really just the strong, silent type. Kate borders on being too forward, but I totally loved how it worked out in their story. They are perfect for each other! I loved catching up with their parents and seeing how their lives turned out especially since it was so far into the future. I also enjoyed the light mystery.

I'm so looking forward to Ivo and Meg's story and I really want to read James's story too! Return to Satterthwaite Court is everything I love in a romance! I highly recommend this story!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own. This is a clean read, but there are a couple of mild swear words.

WINNIE'S REVIEW:

With a perfect blend of history, romance, and mystery, Return to Satterthwaite Court by Mimi Matthews is sure to satisfy those who enjoy Victorian historical fiction. The writing is superb, the characters engaging and memorable, and the story is enthralling. From the entertaining meeting of Lieutenant Charles Heywood and Lady Katherine Beresford on the streets of London to their escapades in the Somersetshire countryside, their tale is a delight. Kate is feisty, capable, and independent, and Charles is tired of adventure and ready to find a quiet estate of his own and settle down. Although I doubted Kate was going to be relaxing and quiet for Charles, when Kate set out to win him he didn’t have a chance. I totally enjoyed their witty and humorous interactions and seeing their relationship grow and change.

Readers who enjoy Victorian stories full of intrigue, suspense, romance, and British atmosphere will want to read this. I’ve read most of Mimi Matthews’s books and loved them all. This is definitely one for the keeper shelf.

*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy through the author, publisher, and NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

BackCover Blurb:
A reckless Victorian heiress sets her sights on a dashing ex-naval lieutenant, determined to win his heart as the two of them embark on a quest to solve a decades-old mystery in USA Today bestselling author Mimi Matthews's sequel to her critically acclaimed novels The Work of Art and Gentleman Jim.

Lieutenant Charles Heywood has had his fill of adventure. Battle-weary and disillusioned, he returns to England, resolved to settle down to a quiet, uneventful life on an estate of his own. But arranging to purchase the property he desires is more difficult than Charles ever imagined. The place is mired in secrets, some of which may prove deadly. If he’s going to unravel them, he’ll need the assistance of someone as daring as he is.

At only twenty, Lady Katherine Beresford has already earned a scandalous reputation. As skilled with pistols as she is on horseback, she’s never met an obstacle she can’t surmount—or a man she can’t win. That is, until she encounters the infuriatingly somber Lieutenant Heywood. But Kate refuses to be deterred by the raven-haired soldier’s strong, silent facade. After all, faint heart never won handsome gentleman.

From the wilds of rural Somersetshire to the glittering ballrooms of early-Victorian London, Charles and Kate embark on a cross-country quest to solve a decades’ old mystery. Will the greatest danger be to their hearts—or to their lives? 

Perfectly Proper Press, April 11, 2023

Buy RETURN TO SATTERTHWAITE COURT at Amazon

BLIND TRUST by Natalie Walters, Reviewed by Kim #ReleaseDay

 

Blind Trust is book three in The SNAP Agency trilogy. I have been looking forward to Lyla and Garcia's story since I read Lights Out. This story nicely wraps up this series and gives us answers to questions we didn't even know we had!

Blind Trust is filled with action, plot twists, and jaw dropping surprises that kept me guessing throughout the story. I really liked Garcia and his desire to keep Lyla safe from her impulsive actions, and boy was she impulsive! Honestly, she was a little too impulsive for me and I felt like she didn't follow direct orders like she should have, so it was harder for me to connect with her. And as usual, in my opinion, the shining star in this story was Kekoa! I just love him and his sense of humor!

I'm really looking forward to whatever Natalie Walters brings us next!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own. The faith thread is light.

BackCover Blurb:
Lyla Fox knows she has a reputation at the SNAP Agency for impulsivity, but when she receives a threatening letter from a man she helped put in prison, she can't stop herself from going all in to find out why he's coming after her. Unfortunately, she's going to need the help of the one person who questions her reckless choices more than anyone else.

Explosives and weapons specialist Nicolás Garcia agrees to help Lyla in order to keep her safe, but her recklessness continues to be a major concern, especially when her investigation into a conspiracy puts a target on her back. Dealing with bombs is dangerous. Working with Lyla is proving to be just as treacherous--to both the mission and his heart.

Natalie Walters closes out her SNAP Agency series with a bang with this nail-biting story of a deadly government conspiracy, an unlikely couple, and an ending that will leave you breathless. 

Revell Publishing, April 11, 2023

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

Buy BLIND TRUST at Amazon, Christianbook .com, or  Baker Book House

 

THE WORDS WE LOST by Nicole Deese, Reviewed by Paula and Trixi #ReleaseDay

PAULA'S REVIEW:
Another stunning novel from Nicole Deese.

This is a story of friendship and grief. Ms Deese has crafted Cece Campbell as a gifted writer and a gifted friend to Ingrid and Joel. She is the kind of friend that I would love to have, personifying the love the Bible talks about: always seeking the best, being there for you, unselfish, loyal, fun loving, steadfast. The grief depicted affects each character differently. A mother for her daughter, a cousin for his best friend, a daughter for her father. “There are no winners in grief- only survivors.” Grief is complicated and need to be worked through, not covered up.

There is so much to this story. The characters are real in the way they behave and how they handle difficulties. Life is messy and there are no easy answers. But after some soul searching, they see that forgiveness is for the benefit of all. “No heartache has ever gone unseen and no darkness has ever been too dark for light to overcome.” The underlying faith of the main characters is played out in the story. I like the whole Campbell clan and the way they run their hotel. They are principled, kind and honest.

There is interesting information about the publishing business and added mystery of a missing manuscript. Through it all, the love Cece has for her friends takes center stage as she speaks from the grave in a memoir to Joel and Ingrid.

This story is packed with things to ponder and spiritual lessons to be learned. 

*A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Bethany House through Interviews and Reviews and Bethany House Reviews. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.*5+ stars and an underlying faith thread

TRIXI'S REVIEW:
“There are no winners in grief; only survivors.”

This is an absolutely powerful novel of epic proportions! I've read every single book by Nicole Deese from “Before I Called You Mine” back in 2020, and I expect nothing less than brilliant from her. I think this is her best yet! She takes three friends, binds their hearts together and then carries two through grief, forgiveness, and finally peace with a new outlook on life. I'm sure this wasn't an easy book for her to write, having gone through her own grief when she lost her youngest sister in 2013 (read the author's note in the back), so this makes the story much more authentic. I can't even move on from this for a few days yet!

Deese doesn't leave the reader in the grief period without the promise of hope...a hope only God can give in the hardest of circumstances. Because the one other thing I adore and appreciate from this author is her smattering of faith in the pages. It not only gives my soul sustenance as a reader, but also something for her characters to cling to when life gets messy. Cece's mom Wendy is a great example of a mentor to Ingrid when she talks about her faith in God and lives it out in her own life.

“I'd always admired the way Wendy spoke to God when I was a teenager, as if she'd saved Him a seat at the dinner table and He'd actually shown up.”

I tell you this book has ALL THE FEELS! I must have cried and laughed my way through, all while diving deeper into the pages. Deese's fictional world became mine, her characters my own best friends and the whole Campbell clan my own family. Her words flooded pictures, emotions, tastes (blackberry lemonade slushies in summer, anyone?) and touch in my mind. I rooted for, cried with, and rejoiced with Ingrid, Joel, Wendy, Chip, Allie, Madison, Patti and all the rest. When an author can connect me so completely with her characters, that makes the story for me!

One last note: Ingrid and Joel...okay, so I'm a hopeless romantic and I was so desperate to know if they got back together at the end! I was on tenterhooks because you can just feel the sparks between them. Deese once again proved how she can make the impossible happen, their journey is wrought by rough waters and forged together like the sea glass Wendy finds on the beach.

“Perhaps this is what love did to a person. It slowly turned up the temperature from within so that eventually the outside of a person had no choice but to match the warmth of the inside.”

All I can say is THIS is an amazing piece of fiction that doesn't feel like fiction. Deese is a master writer who can take her readers on a journey they'll never forget and leave them so thoroughly satisfied in the end, they'll keep coming back for more...time and time again. I don't know how she's going to top this one, but I'm looking forward to her next adventure!

*I received a complimentary copy from Bethany House and was not obligated to leave a review. All opinions expressed here are mine.

 

BackCover Blurb:
Three friends. Two broken promises. One missing manuscript.

As a senior acquisitions editor for Fog Harbor Books in San Francisco, Ingrid Erikson has rejected many a manuscript for lack of defined conflict and dramatic irony--two elements her current life possesses in spades. In the months following the death of her childhood best friend and international bestselling author Cecelia Campbell, Ingrid has not only lost her ability to escape into fiction due to a rare trauma response, but she's also desperate to find the closure she's convinced will come with Cecelia's missing final manuscript.

After Ingrid jeopardizes her career, she fears her future will remain irrevocably broken. But then Joel Campbell--the man who shattered her belief in happily-ever-afters--offers her a sealed envelope from his late cousin, Cecelia, asking Joel and to put their differences aside and retrieve a mysterious package in their coastal Washington hometown.

Honoring Cecelia's last request will challenge their convictions and test their loyalties, but through it all, will Ingrid and Joel be brave enough to uncover a twice-in-a-lifetime love? 

Bethany House Publishing, April 11, 2023

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

Buy THE WORDS WE LOST at Amazon, Christianbook .com, or Baker Book House

LOVE ON TARGET by Shanna Hatfield, Reviewed by Paula Shreckhise #ReleaseDay

 

Don’t miss this cute story about Rena, who works in a mine setting dynamite and Josh, with daughter Gabi, who capture her heart with the help of a pink handled pistol, a legacy from Annie Oakley. I especially liked the people who befriended Rena and spritely Gabi, daughter to Josh.

A great addition to the Pink Pistol Sisterhood series. It has excitement, humor, and a solid faith element. I am looking forward to the rest of the series .
*I received a complimentary copy of this e book from the author. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.*4 stars, Solid faith thread

BackCover Blurb:
Will romance hit its mark when true love is the target?Desperate for a fresh start, Rena Burke journeys from Texas to Oregon with only her father’s pistol and a plodding old mule for company. She takes a job working with explosives at a mine, spends her free time emulating her hero Annie Oakley, and secretly longs to be loved.

Saddlemaker Josh Gatlin has one purpose in life and that is his daughter. Gabi is his joy and the sunshine in his days. Then he meets a trouser-wearing woman living life on her own terms. Rena is nothing like his perception of what he wants in a wife and mother for his child, but she might just prove to be everything he needs.

When tragedy strikes, will the two of them be able to release past wounds and embrace the possibilities tomorrow may bring? Find out in this sweet historical romance full of hope, humor, and love. 

Wholesome Hearts Publishing, April, 2023

Available in digital ebook, paperback, and hardcover

Buy LOVE ON TARGET at Amazon