My Brother's Crown ~ Review

My Brother's Crown
Cousins of the Dove #1
By Mindy Starns Clark
      and Leslie Gould

My Brother's Crown is one of those delightful stories that weaves two into one in a such a way that the reader is thoroughly and completely drawn in within the first pages. The story opens in 1685 France and switches off with present day Virginia.

In France, the Gillet family is at a crossroads as the nation has become hostile to those identified as Huguenots. Huguenots are faced with a choice - convert to Catholicism, flee the country, or face the consequences of their defiance of King Louis XIV.

Catherine wants the family to leave yesterday, but her older brother Jules seems reluctant to take any action. Even worse, her betrothed, Pierre Talbot is more than happy to let her brother decide everything for the family and him. Catherine is determined to do whatever she feels is necessary to safeguard those she holds dear. But does she truly know her own heart? And if temptations come her way will she stand firm in her faith?

In Virginia, the Talbot family has prospered during their time in America and has decided to share an important legacy of their family with the world. A document that Renee Talbot feels sure is more than it appears at first glance. As Renee looks for a way to test what she suspects her own past is about to make its presence known. But this time Renee is not about to let anyone tell her she imagined what has haunted her for years. This time she has an ally who is willing to help her prove what she knows.

This book is perfect for those who love exploring history through fiction. And if your tastes run towards contemporary fiction, you are covered as well. Faith is an important theme throughout and is woven so that it doesn't come across as forced. The other thing the reader will come away with is the value of family in an individual's life. It is interesting to contrast the two stories as they unfold from Catherine and Renee's viewpoints. If you are looking for a book club selection you can't go wrong with this one.

And the dress on the cover - keep your eyes open for it as you read - it is an important factor!

I was provided a review copy of this book by the publisher Harvest House, with no expectations of a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.



About the Book:

France, 1685. Catherine Gillet knows her brother, Jules, wants to protect her from the sinister threats of the French crown. But Jules is involved in a potentially deadly enterprise, one connected with an encoded document. When his actions put the whole family at risk, will Catherine find a way to save them?

Virginia, present day. Renee Talbot, a direct descendant of Catherine’s, is fascinated by the document that’s been part of her family legacy for more than three centuries. Certain its pages hold hidden secrets, she takes a closer look—and makes a shocking discovery. But when memories of a childhood trauma are rekindled, she’s forced to seek answers of a different kind. Inspired by the faith and bravery of Catherine, can Renee find the truth and face her deepest fears at last?

From the authors of the Christy Award-winning The Amish Midwife comes an epic story of two women, centuries apart, each discovering her own hidden bravery, standing for what she believes in, and finding love in unexpected places.

The Sweet Smell of Magnolias and Memories ~ Review

The Sweet Smell of
Magnolias and Memories
By Celeste Fletcher McHale

This is an interesting book, one that I both liked and disliked at parts. Don't get me wrong the story is well-written and the characters are well developed. It is just that at times certain characters made me want to roll my eyes and sigh with some of their antics.

A year ago Jacey and Colin met during a storm that could have cost them and the family they were sheltering with their lives. Somehow after 3 days, they are rescued and the pair has discovered that the other is the love of their life. But tragedy strikes and Colin and Jacey are separated and Jacey loses a portion of her memory due to another tragic accident.

For a year this tragedy has been lurking at the corners of Jacey's memory when she unexpectedly sees Colin again. Suddenly Jacey's memories start coming back with greater frequency and she becomes a woman on a mission. Jacey needs to find the family that she and Collin took refuge with.

With the help of her best friend Georgia, Jacey may finally find what she's been looking for. Or Georgia could help her lose it yet again.

I can't say any of these characters would be people I personally identified with as their lives were so different from mine. But it was an interesting look at how different people respond and react to disappointments and tragedy. Does it break you or give you a foundation on which to build something new?

This book is contemporary and set in the South (think Mississippi and Lousiana). Family and friends play a big role in how each character looks at life. I think of the main characters Georgia is my favorite - she's a unique personality that seems to just fill a room and she is battling her own demons that affect her outlook and actions.

I received a copy of this book for free. I was not required to post a positive review and the views and opinions expressed are my own.

About the Book:

Jacey and Colin shared the three most intense days of their lives together, waiting for help as Mississippi floodwaters surrounded them. Jacey knew Colin was the love of her life—until her rescue boat went under water, along with Colin’s last name and pieces of Jacey’s memory.

My Heart Belongs in Ruby City Idaho ~ Review

My Heart Belongs in Ruby City Idaho
Rebecca's Plight
By Susanne Dietze

Rebecca Rice is headed to a new and better life in Ruby City, Idaho. At least that was her plan - she was headed for a marriage with a Mr. Fordham, Ruby City's shopkeeper, a man she had become acquainted with through an exchange of letters.

When bandits hold up the stagecoach that's carrying Rebecca to her new life she more than a little relieved to arrive more or less unharmed in Ruby City. And she's even more relieved to find her intended awaiting her arrival. And before the sun had a chance to set Rebecca was the lawful wife of Deputy Thaddeus (Tad) Fordham. All too late Rebecca discovered she had made a horrible mistake - she had married the wrong Fordham!

And the worst part of the day is there is no easy way to undo the mistake - they have to wait for the area judge to return before this mess can be resolved to everyone's satisfaction, or so they hope. But with Rebecca married to the wrong cousin and without funds due to the holdup she finds herself in a most unexpected situation.

As they wait for the judge to return to Silver City, Rebecca begins making a life for herself in Ruby City. But as she gets to know both Thaddeus and Theodore she is left wondering if Theodore is truly the man she should marry.  

Mistaken identities, feuding cousins, and a gang of bandits make Ruby City, Idaho, a place of interest in this story set in 1866. This is a fun and diversionary story that is the perfect foil to the heat of summer. Get ready to sit back and be entertained with this marriage mishap that just may the best thing to happen to any of the parties involved.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

About the Book:
Looking forward to a quiet life and a full stomach, mail-order bride Rebecca Rice is pleased to marry her shopkeeper intended, Mr. Fordham, until the justice of the peace calls him Thaddeus, not Theodore—proceeded by the title Deputy.

Is it possible to marry the wrong man?

When the newlyweds realize they’ve married the wrong partners with similar names, an annulment seems in order—and fast, since Rebecca’s true intended is impatient to claim her as his own, not to mention Rebecca would never marry a lawman like her father. But when the legalities take longer than expected, Rebecca wonders if Tad wasn’t the right husband for her all along. . . .

The Road to Paradise ~ Review

The Road to Paradise
A Vintage National Parks Novel
By Karen Barnett

Take a step back in time to 1927 and embrace the peace that Margaret, Margie to her friends, Lane has come to experience at Mount Rainier National Park. Not only is this an escape from the world of society in which she has always lived - it is the chance to truly appreciate the creation that God has created.

Unfortunately for Margie, the park rangers, all of whom are men, don't feel that Margie has anything of importance to offer unless she can influence her father into helping to secure federal funds for their work. Ford Brayden is Chief Ranger and he has been tasked with showing Margie around and he is anything but pleased with the assignment. Ford would rather be out doing something than stuck with what he assumes is a pampered senator's daughter who probably can't tell the difference between a skunk and a raccoon.

 But soon Margie and Ford find themselves having to work together in an effort to save the natural beauty and wilderness of the mountain from the man Margie had thought was her friend, the man she thought she would marry. And this fight is one that could cost them everything if they lose.

I really enjoyed The Road to Paradise with explorations of the beauty and wilderness and how Margie found the hand of God in all that she saw.  I also appreciated the ingenious way that Margie and her father dealt with the threat that they were facing. I have to be honest I really wished I could step into the pages of this book and explore the beauty that was brought to life as the story unfolded. I also enjoyed Margie's habit of quoting persons of note and poetry that suited her location.

Those who enjoy early 20th Century American history will want to check-out this book, which I hope is the first of a series that will explore other National Parks. Karen Barnett's writing is enjoyable with no notice drag as she shifts scenes and characters. And her characters are well-developed one adores Margie, empathizes with Ford, and then there is Philip (who deserves whatever he gets).

I was provided a review copy of this book by Blogging for Books with no expectations of a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.


About the Book:
An ideal sanctuary and a dream come true–that’s what Margaret Lane feels as she takes in God’s gorgeous handiwork in Mount Rainier National Park. It’s 1927 and the National Park Service is in its youth when Margie, an avid naturalist, lands a coveted position alongside the park rangers living and working in the unrivaled splendor of Mount Rainier’s long shadow.

But Chief Ranger Ford Brayden is still haunted by his father’s death on the mountain, and the ranger takes his work managing the park and its crowd of visitors seriously. The job of watching over an idealistic senator’s daughter with few practical survival skills seems a waste of resources.

When Margie’s former fiancé sets his mind on developing the Paradise Inn and its surroundings into a tourist playground, the plans might put more than the park’s pristine beauty in danger. What will Margie and Ford sacrifice to preserve the splendor and simplicity of the wilderness they both love?

Karen Barnett’s vintage national parks novels bring to vivid life President Theodore Roosevelt’s vision for protected lands, when he wrote in Outdoor Pastimes of an American Hunter: "There can be nothing in the world more beautiful than the Yosemite, the groves of the giant sequoias and redwoods, the Canyon of the Colorado, the Canyon of the Yellowstone, the Three Tetons; and our people should see to it that they are preserved for their children and their children's children forever, with their majestic beauty all unmarred."

About the Author:

KAREN BARNETT is an award winning author of four novels who draws on her firsthand experience as a naturalist, former park ranger, and outdoor educator to transport readers to America’s national parks.. She lives in Oregon with her husband and two children.

Love in a Time of Hate ~ Review

Love in a Time of Hate
By Hanna Schott
Translated by John D. Roth

The Story of Magda and André Trocmé

and the Village That Said No

to the Nazis

Love in a Time of Hate is a lovely and moving story in a time when fear and self-preservation were the reigning thought patterns or so it seemed. This is a story that proves this was not true throughout Nazi-occupied France.

The Prologue opens in 1940 with Magda opening the door when the doorbell rang - this scene brought to mind the picture of Jesus standing at the door knocking.  And this scene is but a fleeting glimpse of the work that the Trocmé's did that was a living example of  "...whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." (Matthew 21:40)

This book is broken into parts that share the life story of Magda and André during their childhoods and the familial influences that shaped them into the people that they became. Into people who would take a stand to do what was right at the risk of their own lives and freedom. Into people who tried to live life in such a way so as to not be in conflict with the message that they had to share - a message of love to all during a time of hate and prejudice. To turn the other cheek was not just a statement to speak but a way of life in their commitment to live the peace that Jesus exemplified with His own life. 

Love in a Time of Hate should be an example all should take to heart in this time in our own history, which is becoming equally turbulent and hateful. The historical aspects of this book recommend it in and of themselves. But the human equation adds a depth that many history books lack. This would be a welcome addition to any library and be an excellent choice for a book report.

I was provided a review copy of this book by the publisher Herald Press with no expectations of a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

About the Book:

One young couple.

One small village.

Thousands of Jews on the run from the Nazis.

Love in a Time of Hate tells the gripping tale of Magda and André Trocmé, the couple that transformed a small town in the mountains of southern France into a place of safety during the Holocaust. At great risk to their own lives, the Trocmés led efforts in Le Chambon-sur-Lignon to hide more than three thousand Jewish children and adults who were fleeing the Nazis. 

In this astonishing story of courage, romance, and resistance, learn what prompted André and Magda to risk everything for the sake of strangers who showed up at their door. Building on the story told in Lest Innocent Blood Be Shed, German journalist Hanna Schott portrays a vivid story of resisting evil and sheltering refugees with striking resonance for today.

Accelerant ~ Review

Accelerant
Abiassa's Fire #2
By Ronie Kendig

Before starting off - if you have not yet read the first book in this series - stop right now and pick it up. It is imperative to understand what is going on in this book to know what came before and no summary or synopsis of Embers will accomplish that.

If you have read Embers you'll understand Prince Haegan is understandably not happy - his parents were murdered before his very eyes, his sister Kaelyria is paralyzed and near death. And even worse he was not allowed to bring justice and death upon Poired the very person responsible for this attack.

Accelerant opens with Haegen, fleeing the destruction of Zaethien by Poired, upon the back of Chima hoping to somehow save the swiftly fading life of his sister. But Chima has plans of her own and Haegen is about to embark and yet another stage of his journey as Fierian, one that will test him and expose his doubts. But can Haegen overcome his doubts and fears to become whom he was meant to be or will he succumb to the fears and allow the enemy to manipulate and control him - thwarting Abiassa's will?

Throughout this book, there seems to be a lot of anger by many of the key players which I think is a contributing factor in their general unhappiness at the current situations. Many are willing to point out the duties that another must fulfill all the while grumbling at their own. This actually frustrates many truths that could be gathered because this self-focus prevents a key skill - listening.

There are also many important facts that have been lost to the Nine Kingdoms - facts that deal directly with their Histories and which we are only given a glimpse of that may have an important bearing on the final outcome.

And don't expect a conclusion with this book as this series is slated for 3 and what an ending - it will leave you wondering what will happen next. And a word of warning ~ keep a bookmark at the character guide you'll need it to keep this abundance of characters straight in your mind as you read.

About the Book:

He'll destroy the world. 

But first he has to save it.

The Nine Kingdoms bleed. Leaderless, ravaged, the land awaits deliverance from Poired Dyrth's devastating campaign. But what if one blight can only be cleansed by another?

The promised Fierian is known by many names. Judge. Destroyer. Scourge. And now one other: Haegan, Prince of Seultrie. Once a cripple, now a gifted Accelerant, Haegan can no longer run from the truth. But neither can he be reconciled to it. He knows only one thing for certain: as the only able-bodied heir to the Fire Throne, he must return to the Nine and fight for his people.

But there are insidious forces at work. When reality itself falls into question, Haegan struggles to know where to fight, who to trust. Caught between duty to his country and duty to the world, Haegan must see clearly enough to choose the right path to save his devastated world.

Over Maya Dead Body ~ Review

Over Maya Dead Body
A Serena Jones Mystery #3
By Sandra Orchard

Serena Jones is going to just enjoy a little downtime with her family on Martha's Vineyard while celebrating the engagement of an old family friend. But things quickly take a downward turn when their plans are disrupted by a death. Serena being who she is suspicious and with Aunt Martha along she has a ready assistant to help her investigate her concerns.

But all too soon Serena's investigation takes a dangerous turn when someone seems to be targeting her and her unofficial investigation. Before she knows it Nate Butler (her always present building supervisor) and Tanner Calhoun (her mentor and fellow agent) are in Martha's Vineyard offering their assistance and confusing Serena with their attention.

Over Maya Dead Body is a great follow-up to two previous books A Fool and His Monet and Another Day Another Dali. Serena is just as clueless this time as to the marked attention of both Tanner and Nate as she has been before. But this time Nate and Tanner seem determined that Serena be aware of it, but there is a crime to solve if only she can figure out exactly what it is. But whenever she does figure out if it is a murder, antiquities smuggling, or drug running she has a range of potential suspects to choose from.

And more than a case is on the line as once again Serena faces a life-or-death situation, this time her heart is on the line as well. Who will Serena choose? As she says so aptly "I never kiss and tell..."

Get ready for one more case with Serena that will leave you laughing (or at least smiling) as she works with the help of those nearest and dearest to her to solve this mystery. And get prepared for a secret to be revealed that will answer some question series readers may not have realized that they even had. And if you haven't yet read the previous two books you should before opening this one - the background is necessary to fully appreciate this book.

My only complaint the book was so good I read it way too fast for the time I had to wait for it to come out after finishing book 2. And yup it is worth a reread through the entire series.

About the Book:
While vacationing on Martha's Vineyard, Serena Jones becomes entangled in a suspicious death with ties to an international antiquities smuggling ring. Will she find the killer before another person dies?