A Sweet Romance with Lots of History-"A Love Restored" by Kelly Goshorn-Review

Book Blurb:

She was nothing like the woman he’d envisioned for his bride, but he was everything she’d ever dreamed of—until a promise from his past threatened their future.

 Twenty-year old Ruth Ann Sutton doesn’t measure up to society’s vision of a perfect lady. She would rather read Jules Verne or teach Negro children to read and write than join the Women’s Benevolent Aid Society or practice her voice lessons. Her pert opinions and less than perfect figure keep many suitors away. When Ruth Ann accepts a position teaching at the new Freedman’s School, it threatens the only marriage offer she is likely to receive. Should she risk life as a lonely spinster or reinvent herself to accept a proposal from a man she does not love?

Determined to rise above his meager beginnings, Benjamin Coulter’s reputation as a fast learner and hard worker earn him the opportunity to apprentice with a surveyor for the railroad—a position that will garner the respect of other men. All he needs now is a woman to share his promising future. When Benjamin has a chance encounter with Ruth Ann Sutton, he is smitten with her pretty face, quick wit, and feisty personality. When others ridicule his choice, will Benjamin listen to his heart or put ambition first?

 

My Review:


A Love Restored by Kelly Goshorn is a historical romance set in 1870s Virginia during the Reconstruction Era in the United States.  Readers will love the heroine, Ruth Ann, as she is very relatable.  It’s nice to have a main character that is flawed and struggles with different issues.  Ruth Ann wrestles with body image and self-worth.  She is on the heavier side and wants to be loved and accepted for who she is.  I think every woman will be able to relate in some way to her struggles.
 
There are so many great lessons in this story!  Ruth Ann teaches at a Freedman’s School and deals with a lot of racism.  Through her dealings with racism the lesson is taught that people should think more about what they have in common than focusing on their differences.  And throughout there’s also the message about body image, self-worth and learning to love who you are.  The heart is what matters the most and we shouldn’t compare ourselves to others. 

If you’re looking for a historical romance filled with faith content, this is the book for you!  Ms. Goshorn has written a wonderful debut!

Content:  I would put this book in the edgy Christian fiction category and give it a PG-13 rating.  Some examples of the content are: the word Negro is used in historical context; mentions of a woman’s curves and bosom and a man trying not to look at them; a man smokes a cigar and another chews tobacco; men make alcohol and play poker; a bit of physical abuse; a man has slept with a woman he’s not married to; a man attempts to physically assault a woman; some scenes are a little steamy as the couple tries to resist temptation.

Rating: I give this book 4 stars!

Genre: Christian fiction; Historical; Romance

I want to thank Kelly Goshorn and Prism Book Group for the complimentary copy of this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express in this review are my own. This is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR 16, Part 255.


 

Author Bio: Kelly Goshorn weaves her affinity for history and her passion for God into uplifting stories of love, faith and family set in nineteenth century America. Her debut novel, A Love Restored, received recognition as the winner of the 2015 COTT Olympia Contest and as a semi-finalist in the 2015 ACFW Genesis Contest. Kelly has been enjoying her own happily-ever- after with her husband and best friend, Mike, for 27 years. Together they have raised three children, four cats, two dogs, a turtle, a guinea pig, a gecko, and countless hamsters. Thankfully not all at the same time. When she is not writing, Kelly enjoys spending time with her young adult children, scrapbooking with friends, board gaming with her husband, and spoiling her Welsh corgi, Levi.

 You can connect with Kelly on:

Her website: http://kellygoshorn.com/
 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kelly.j.goshorn/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KellyGoshorn

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/KellyGoshorn/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellyjgoshorn/

A Haunting and Evocative Dual-Timeline Romance--"Bellewether" by Susanna Kearsley--Review

Susanna Kearsley writes yet another lush saga in her newest novel Bellewether!  Ms. Kearsley has become an “auto buy” author for me ever since I discovered The Winter Sea a few years ago.  I love that these secular novels are fairly clean with such amazing writing.  I have devoured all of her work since and my only complaint is that this novel took so long to be released!

Ms. Kearsley includes evocative descriptions and the setting (an old house on Long Island, New York) is almost like a character in and of itself.  This is the type of story for when you want to sit back and be immersed in another time and place.  It is slower paced and Ms. Kearlsey takes her time describing particular settings and historical circumstances in minute detail.  But that richness of detail is one of the things her readers love about her books.

This is a dual-timeline novel, where one story takes place in the present and the other in the past; but both stories are connected.  The love stories are so romantic and they take so long to develop that you can feel the tension between the characters.  It’s also very touching how love builds between two people who can’t speak the same language.  The contemporary story reminds me a bit of Luke and Lorelai from Gilmore Girls and their relationship.

There are so many great themes and messages that one can take away from reading Bellewether.  Both the present and past stories have similarities and echo these same themes.  Bellewether shows how wars can divide families, and deals with issues of slavery and racism.  There is an amazing message of not turning your back on your family, especially when they need you.  Bellewether also conveys the message of not dwelling on the past so much that you miss what’s in front of you and of learning to be happy with the life one’s been given.  I absolutely loved this story and recommend it to lovers of historical fiction and romance!

 

Content: This is a fairly clean read for a secular novel in this genre.  Overall, I would give it a PG-13 rating for some mild content.  Some examples of the content are: mention of men drinking ale; minor curse words are used; mention of a woman possibly drowning herself; men speak curses but the words aren’t actually written; people drink alcohol; a man struggles with what seems to be PTSD; a man beats a slave; the N word for an African American is used in historical context; mention of past sexual and physical abuse, but nothing is described in detail.

 

Rating: I give this book 5 stars!

 

Genre: Historical Fiction; Romance; Dual-Timeline

 

I want to thank NetGalley, Susanna Kearsley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the complimentary copy of this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express in this review are my own. This is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR 16, Part 255.

 

 

About the Author:

 

I had the good fortune to be born into a family of readers. My mother was reading Mary Stewart’s This Rough Magic when I was born, so it was perhaps no surprise that Mrs Stewart became my own favourite author.

 

I can’t remember when I began to put words on paper myself, but at seven - after reading Little Women and deciding that I wanted to be just like Jo - I started writing first chapters, and wrote continually through my teenage years. After studying politics and international development at university, I sidestepped into museum work and at the age of twenty-two became a curator.

 

In that same year, my sister dared me to stop writing first chapters and produce a book. I’d never been able to resist a dare! By the end of that summer I’d finished my first novel, and I was hooked. My ‘hobby’ had become a vocation.

 

I left the museum to waitress and write. Working mostly late at night, I wrote my second novel, Mariana, and submitted it to Transworld Publishers’ Catherine Cookson Fiction Prize competition. Four days before Christmas, I learned that I’d won. The very best of Christmas presents, and one that truly changed my life - not only the £10,000 prize, but major international publication of a book that continues to find its own life.

And more than twenty years later, I’m still feeling fortunate, doing the thing I love best...telling stories.

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Ms. Afshar paints a vivid picture of the Biblical time period!--"Thief of Corinth" by Tessa Afshar--Review

Beautiful.  Moving.  Fast paced. All the feels.  “The Thief of Corinth” by Tessa Afshar is all these things and more!  I took two courses specifically on 1 and 2 Corinthians in college, so my heart has a special place for these books of the Bible.  Paul is also one of my favorite Bible characters, so I loved reading about him in this book as well!  Ms. Afshar truly makes first-century Corinth come alive!  She adds so much detail of the setting and time period that I could vividly picture this bustling city. 

Ms. Afshar uses a more edgy writing style and tries to be true to the time period by showing the good and bad.  Corinth was a very corrupt place.  I think Ms. Afshar does a good job of being realistic but not too graphic. 

I love that the story is told from a younger girl’s point of view (Ariadne) and reads more like a Young Adult novel, in my opinion.  But it can be enjoyed by young and old alike.  Ariadne faced a lot of rejection in her life and is part of a corrupt, fractured family, torn apart by divorce.  Even though the book takes place in Biblical times, teens and adults will find the themes very relevant today.  Some of these themes are family dynamics, searching for a parent’s approval, wanting to be popular, dysfunctional families and reconciliation.  I highly recommend this book!

Content:   This definitely falls in the edgy Christian fiction category.  I would give it a PG-13 rating.  See my above paragraph on my thoughts regarding the content.  Some examples of the content are:  a mention of men being drunk; men drink wine; a scene showing a slave girl has been raped; a mention of a child having been beaten; talk of prostitution at the temple of Aphrodite; talks about men competing in sports in the nude; a man committed suicide; mentions that people swear, but the word isn’t actually written.

Rating: I give this book a solid 5 stars!

Genre: Christian fiction; Biblical fiction; Historical

I want to thank Tessa Afshar and Tyndale House Publishers for the complimentary copy of this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express in this review are my own. This is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR 16, Part 255.




About the Author:
Tessa Afshar is an award-winning author of historical and biblical fiction. Her novel, Land of Silence, was voted by Library Journal as one of five top Christian Fiction titles of 2016, and nominated for the 2016 RT Reviewer’s Choice Award for best Inspirational Romance.

Harvest of Gold won the prestigious 2014 Christy Award in the Historical Romance category.

Her book, Harvest of Rubies, was a finalist for the 2013 ECPA Book Award in the fiction category.

Her first novel, Pearl in the Sand, won her “New Author of the Year” by the Family Fiction sponsored Reader’s Choice Awards 2011.

Tessa was born in Iran and lived there for the first fourteen years of her life. She moved to England where she survived boarding school for girls and fell in love with Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte, before moving to the United States permanently. Her conversion to Christianity in her twenties changed the course of her life forever.

Tessa holds an MDiv from Yale University where she served as cochair of the Evangelical Fellowship at the Divinity School. She serves on the staff of one of the oldest churches in America. But that has not cured her from being addicted to chocolate.

Contact Tessa at tessaafshar.com or on Facebook at: facebook.com/AuthorTessaAfshar.

To purchase the book click here

"By the Waters of Babylon" by Mesu Andrews Spotlight

 

“Experience the psalms like never before - through heart-pounding fiction! 

 

When Babylon destroys Jerusalem, as Yahweh warned through his prophets, the captives' bitterness and grief pours out in the Captives' Psalm: 

 

"[By the rivers of Babylon] we sat as exiles, mourning our captivity, and wept with great love for Zion. Our music and mirth were no longer heard, only sadness. We hung up our harps on the willow trees." (Psalm 137:1-2, The Passion Translation)

A young Israelite woman is among them, captured by a mercenary Scythian prince. Driven toward Babylon by both hatred and hope, she endures captivity to reunite with her husband.

But will he be there when she reaches Babylon? Will the prince risk the Scythian throne--and his life--to believe in the Hebrew God? Can they both find what they seek when they meet the prophet Ezekial. . . by the waters of Babylon?”


AUTHOR BIO: MESU ANDREWS is the award-winning author of Love Amid the Ashes and numerous other novels including The Pharaoh’s Daughter and Miriam. Her deep understanding of–and love for– God’s Word brings the biblical world alive for readers. Mesu lives in North Carolina with her husband Roy and enjoys spending time with her growing tribe of grandchildren.
 
To visit the author's website, click here

To purchase the novella click here, only $0.99 until after the first week of August!

A Heartwarming Regency--"A Defense of Honor" by Kristi Ann Hunter--Review

Being a lover of Regencies, I somehow missed out on reading any books by Kristi Ann Hunter before now.  I've heard so many great things about her Hawthorne House series, that I was excited to be able to read and review A Defense of Honor, the start of her new Haven Manor series.

Ms. Hunter has a firm grasp of the Regency era, as evidenced in her writing and the many details of the period that she incorporates into the story.  Regency lovers will not have anything to complain about in that quarter.  The setting and the detail are what really shine in this book.  I found the storyline itself to be rather slow, but it seems the author doesn’t mind taking her time and focusing more on setting and character development.

 A Defense of Honor has a great cast of characters that readers will fall in love with.  All of the children with their different personality traits are adorable.  Our hero, Graham, has an easy going nature that one can’t help but love.  I especially love the friendships and the side characters.

 The story itself deals with the heavier topic of what happens to women who have children out of wedlock and the fate of those children.  The author refers to everything very discreetly and with grace, but it is still a main theme of the story.

A Defense of Honor is a great addition to Christian Regency fiction!   I’m excited to read some of this author’s earlier work and see how it compares.  I especially love the message that all children are a gift from God, no matter the circumstances they are born into, and they deserve to know it.

Content: I would give this book a PG-13 rating due to the heavier topics dealt with in the book (read above).  Some examples of the content are: references to children born out of wedlock and indiscretions.

Rating:  I give this book 4 stars.

Genre: Christian fiction; Regency; Historical

I want to thank Kristi Ann Hunter and Bethany House Publishers for the complimentary copy of this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express in this review are my own. This is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR 16, Part 255.



About the Author:

Kristi is the RITA® award winning author of Regency romance novels from a Christian worldview. Her books include the award winning Hawthorne House series as well as the newly published first stories of the Haven Manor series. Beyond writing, she is also speaker, teaching classes in writing as well as Biblical and spiritual topics. She has spoken to writers' groups, schools, and young women's groups at churches. 

​

When she is not writing or interacting with her readers, Kristi spends time with her family and her church. A graduate of Georgia Tech with a computer science degree, she can also be found fiddling with her computer in her free time. A born lover of stories she is also an avid reader. From very young she dreamed of sharing her own stories with others and praises God daily that she gets to live that dream today. 

 

To visit the author's website click here

 

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"Her Place in Time" by Stephenia McGee--Guest Post

 

Her Place in Time Blurb:

 

Can love offer a new future…in the past?

A mysterious gown, unexpected courage, and a love that transcends time. 

Nursing student Lena Lowery faces a grim diagnosis and a dangerous surgery. On the cusp of the life-changing procedure, Lena stays at the Rosswood Plantation Bed and Breakfast for one last weekend with her mother. There in an antique armoire, Lena discovers a Civil War-era gown that holds an unimaginable cure…a trip back in time to when the house served as a hospital.

Confederate Sergeant Caleb Dockery lost his brother, his eye, and nearly his life. Stuck in a makeshift infirmary, he’s counting the days until he can return to duty…and seek revenge. When a stranger appears, he suspects she’s a spy. If he can’t return to duty and find the revenge he craves for his brother’s death, he can serve his country by stopping this traitor. But her nursing skills are saving lives, and her courage and independence stirs his heart. When Lena’s safety is threatened, Caleb must strain the loyalties that bind him or risk losing her forever. 

Caught between a future that holds no promises and a past that could offer new life, Lena must face an extraordinary decision. Should she return to her own time where her days are numbered? Or can she and Caleb find a love that stretches across time?

If you like historical romance with a twist, strong female characters, and heroes that transcend eras, you’ll love this journey through time that tests the limits of love.

*Her Place in Time is set in the house from The Liberator Series, just prior to the start of Leveraging Lincoln. Fans of the series will enjoy seeing Annabelle and Peggy in this new novella.



Guest Post: Blurring fact and fiction

 Stephenia H. McGee, Her Place in Time

 I really love weaving fiction with reality. I suppose that’s why I am so drawn to historical fiction. I wonder what it would be like in the past, and then try to paint that world by bringing the research to life.

 

One of the best things about research is traveling to the historical locations, and one of my favorites has been Rosswood Plantation.

 

Beautiful, isn’t it? I first happened on Rosswood when looking for a historical plantation to set The Liberator Series. I met with the owners and asked if they would be interested in letting me use the house for my books. Not only did Miss Jean allow me to use the house, but she also told me all about its history as a Civil War hospital and let me see copies of the historical owner’s (Doctor Walter Ross Wade) plantation diaries (which you can also see if you stay at the bed-and-breakfast!)

My mother and I had a wonderful stay, and we were served a mouth-watering breakfast by Rosswood’s very own Peggy (I adored this lovely lady so much, I named one of my characters after her).

Here they are, Mr. Ray Hylander and the talented Ms. Peggy, both real people who appear in Her Place in Time when Lena visits Rosswood in the present.

And here are a few more pictures from our stay.

 

 

I loved the house and the history and knew it would be a great house for the story. After the completion of The Liberator Series, I wanted to take another trip to Rosswood, and had this wild idea. What if by putting on one of the house’s Civil War era gowns, a guest could be transported to the past?

Thus, the idea for Her Place in Time was born!

Here are two Civil War period gowns they found at Rosswood that are believed to have belonged to Maybella Wade, Rosswood’s historic lady.

 

 

Recognize that yellow one? It’s on the cover of Her Place in Time!

As is Rosswood, as well. I really had a lot of fun blurring the lines of fact and fiction in this one. When Lena stays at the bed-and-breakfast, she finds the yellow gown, and when she puts it on…goes back in time to when Rosswood served as a Civil War hospital. She was in for quite a shock, but no more of one than Sargent Caleb Dockery, who is intrigued by the sudden appearance of a rather unconventional lady.

You can get your copy of the novella here: https://amzn.to/2GCRNep

And be sure to sign up for my newsletter. You’ll get updates on new releases, have a chance to enter giveaways, finds some new recipes, and more! And as my thank you, I’ll send you the first book in The Liberator Series for free!

Sign up on my website: www.StepheniaMcGee.com

 
So how about you? Would you think it would be fun to travel back in time? If you could, what time would you visit?

 

 

Bio for Stephenia H. McGee

 

Stephenia H. McGee writes stories of faith, hope, and healing set in the Deep South. After earning a degree in Animal and Dairy Sciences, she discovered her heart truly lies with the art of story. She put pen to page and never looked back. Visit her at www.StepheniaMcGee.com for books and updates.

Sign up for her newsletter for monthly giveaways and more, and get a FREE novel! Get yours instantly here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/81eo2tc3lm

Social Media connections: 

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Mystery, Danger and Intrigue, O My!--A Rumored Fortune by Joanna Davidson Politano--Review

A Rumored Fortune is a masterpiece!  Joanna Davidson Politano’s debut novel, Lady Jayne Disappears, was on the list of my top ten fiction reads of 2017.  So I was a little worried that her next novel would not live up to her stunning debut.  As you can see, I loved A Rumored Fortune just as much!

Ms. Politano is a master storyteller and a wordsmith!  It’s hard to describe why her writing is so unique.  Some words I would use are lyrical, whimsical and creative.  It is such a pleasure to read the way she phrases sentences and paragraphs. She does a wonderful job describing people and places.
 
I love the story and the mystery in A Rumored Fortune.  It has a Gothic feel to it, reminiscent of Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights.  The whole novel is very atmospheric.  Ms. Politano also weaves allusions to Christianity throughout her fictional story of Tressa and the hidden fortune.

Tressa is a main character I fell in love with.  I love how she is delicate, yet spunky.  She can take care of herself, yet also asks for help when she needs it.  She prays and I like how she talks with God.  Our hero (who shall remain a mystery because we don’t know who to trust in the beginning) is very swoon-worthy.  He also talks to God and follows his convictions to help others. 

You will not be disappointed with this book!  Ripe (in more ways than one, as it involves a vineyard) with mystery, intrigue, danger, and secrets, you will be frantically flipping through the pages to find answers.  Who can Tressa trust and where is this fortune everyone is looking for? 

Content:  This book is a clean read.

Rating: I give this book 5 stars!

Genre: Christian fiction; Mystery; Historical fiction; Romance; Victorian

I want to thank Joanna Davidson Politano, LibraryThing Early Reviewers and Revell for the complimentary copy of this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express in this review are my own. This is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR 16, Part 255.

About the Author: 

I’m a work-from-home mom of one super cute baby girl (pictures to prove it) and I write novels. I married my hero Vince, who is my love and my polar opposite. I write, he tears it up with the red pen. I break cars and other mechanical things, he puts them back together. He’s nailed the “speak the truth” thing, and I bring the “in love” part. But the real spark to our marriage is that he does not like chocolate and I…  like it a normal amount. We love and live from our little house in the woods near Lake Michigan, which is undergoing a constant renovation.

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