Tuesday, March 26, 2024

SEVEN DAYS AT MANNERLEY

MY THOUGHTS:

Mary finds an old suitcase and as she rummages through it’s contents, she can’t believe what she has found.  She assumes the identity of the owner of the suitcase, Agnes.  She has an opportunity to go to a lavish ball in the most beautiful gown at the amazing Mannerley Estate.  What harm could it be, it’s just one night.  Mannerley is a beautiful Estate and the most amazing and lavish balls were held there.  So when Mary’s plan for just one night as Cinderella turns in to seven days, she is not in a hurry to end her fairytale.  She meets new friends and even a couple of suitors that take a shine to her.  But her world could come crashing down when she is recognized by a former co-worker.  He uses extortion in order to keep her secret or her real identity will be revealed.  


Seven Days at Mannerley written by author Audrey Schuyler Lancho is an enchanting and lovely story.  I loved everything about this story from cover to cover.  I love the authors writing style and she described 1870 rural England so well, that I felt like I was actually there.  I loved Mary’s character and know that she is someone I would be friends with.  This rapid moving storyline had me flying through the pages.  I couldn’t wait to get to the end of the story to find out how it would end.  This new to me author immediately landed on my auto-buy list.  I look forward to reading more stories from this author.  This book is one that I definitely recommend.  


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating: 5 out of 5.

DESCRIPTION:

SEVEN DAYS AT MANNERLEY
Author:  Audrey Schuyler Lancho
Publisher: Vinspire Publishing
Publication Date: March 26, 2024 
Pages:  233
Buy on Amazon 

The suitcase she found changed everything. The contents? An elegant dress and an invitation in another girl’s name. Twenty-three-year-old Mary would go to the ball, enjoy how the rich lived just for one night, and then quietly slip back into her real life, sorting rubbish as a poor barmaid. No harm done. Of course, there wouldn’t be much of a story to tell had it turned out that way.

It’s 1870 in rural England, and Mary assumes the identity of the suitcase owner, Agnes. When Mary’s one night at Mannerley estate turns into a seven-day, hilarious farce, she quickly makes friends, finds suitors, and keeps fibbing. Not only does Arthur, the heir himself, fall for her, but so, too, does Mr. Singh, his friend visiting from India, making advances in plain sight of the heir. Making matters worse, a former workmate recognizes Mary and extorts her: she must steal a golden watch from the heir for him or have her true identity exposed and risk being thrown in jail, which could mean death––and that would certainly ruin her stolen, er, borrowed ball gown.

The only way Mary can get close enough to Arthur to steal his watch is via sensuality and flirtation. But as Mary scrambles to cover her tracks, her lies and crimes compound, weaving themselves into an impossible tangle. All the while Agnes, the real owner of the fancy ball gown, is making her way ever-closer to Mannerley. Happily ever after seems as unlikely as a barmaid among dandies, when Mary's only possible escape is a confession and the hope her scandalous true love will risk his reputation to defend and forgive her

ABOUT AUDREY LANCHO

Audrey Lancho is the author of emotionally moving and uplifting 
historical and contemporary clean romance. Audrey's Victorian romances include Seven Days at Mannerley and the forthcoming A Telephone at Mannerley, published by Vinspire Publishing. Audrey lives in North Carolina with her Spaniard husband and two young sons, is bilingual in Spanish, and enjoys church, time with friends, yoga, her kids' sporting events, and funny movies. She’s a freelance fiction editor and an editor at a literary agency. She does both of these jobs from home while entertaining her preschooler and watching plenty of Pixar. When she's not writing or editing, you'll find her doing crochet or a jigsaw puzzle.

Sunday, March 24, 2024

NOTES FROM THE COVE

MY THOUGHTS:

Brittany Thompson loves Sand Dollar Cove which is why she has lived there all of her life. When she was just a teenager she lost her older brother Paul.  He was her best friend and confidant. She still misses him and she is still mourning his loss after all these years.  But she finds solace and comfort in her café, Safe Harbor.  It’s a lovely little café where customers feel at home and bless a stranger with a meal and notes of encouragement.  Just when Brittany feels like things are going great and she may finally stop grieving she Ryan Osborne walks into her café.  The memories of Ryan pour into her mind like a flood.  She remembers how he left Sand Dollar Cove right after her brother Paul died.  She also remembers how Ryan left her to grieve all by herself.  As they begin to grow closer, Brittany starts receiving messages of encouragement and she realizes how strong of a person she is now, because of her past experiences.  Brittany discovers a secret about the night she lost Paul and once again her life is turned upside down.


Notes From The Cove written by author Jennifer Bardsley is a lovely emotional story and I was so happy to return to Sand Dollar Cove.  It is on a lovely little beach town that is locals and tourists love to be.  Brittany was a wonderful character and her little café is a place I would love to visit.  The idea of gifting meals accompanied by a note of encouragement really touched my heart.  I loved the unexpected plot twist and I read faster and faster because I couldn’t wait to see how it would end.  This is the third installment in the Sand Dollar Cove Series and all though it can be read as a standalone, I recommend reading the entire series.  This story was a heartwarming and inspirational read and I highly recommend it. 


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating: 5 out of 5.

DESCRIPTION:

NOTES FROM THE COVE
Author:  Jennifer Bardsley
Publisher: Bookouture 
Publication Date: March 20, 2024
Pages: 355
Buy on Amazon

The cozy café on the bustling beach welcomes tourists and locals for steaming coffees and delicious homemade cakes. But when Brittany receives mysterious notes from a customer will they lead her to the happy ending she’s always dreamed of?

Brittany Thompson has spent her whole life in peaceful Sand Dollar Cove lonely, loving the wrong men and mourning the loss of her beloved older brother Paul—the only guy she’s ever been able to trust—when they were just teenagers. Her one escape is her café, Safe Harbor, where customers can gift meals to strangers along with handwritten notes of encouragement.

That is until a familiar face returns to town: rugged, brooding 
Ryan Osborne—the man Brittany had a schoolgirl crush on when they were young. And who was once her brother's best friend… Ryan’s arrival brings back painful memories, and bumping into him at the charming café sends Brittany's emotions all over the place.

Brittany can’t forget the way Ryan skipped town after Paul’s death, leaving her to grieve alone, though as she watches him struggle to readjust to life in the cove, her heart softens just a little. But just as she and Ryan start to grow closer, bonding over their shared past, mysterious notes begin appearing. The messages encourage Brittany to think about the person she is and how her past led her here…

But when Brittany uncovers a secret about the night she lost Paul that changes everything, 
can she and Ryan come together to finally heal and find a happier future together? Or will the truth of what really happened tear them apart forever?

ABOUT JENNIFER BARDSLEY

Jennifer Bardsley
 believes in friendship, true love, and the everlasting power of books. A graduate of Stanford University, she lives in Edmonds, Washington, with her husband and two children. Bardsley’s column I Brake for Moms has appeared in the Everett Herald every week since 2012. She also writes young adult paranormal romance under the pen name Louise Cypress.  When Bardsley is not writing books or camping with her Girl Scout troop, you can find her walking from her house to the beach every chance she gets.

Saturday, March 23, 2024

THE GIRL WITH THE RED HAIR

MY THOUGHTS:

Hannie and Sonja are inseparable best friends and they are living in Nazi occupied Amsterdam. The year is 1942 and the streets and canals that they loved are now constantly patrolled by Nazi soldiers.  Hannie’s life completely changes when she decides to join the underground resistance.  She must hide her bright red hair to avoid being seen by the Nazis. Her mission is to deliver fake IDs.  She vows to keep her best friend Sonja and her younger sister Maya, safe by hiding them from the Nazis.  Sonja and Maya are Jewish and Hannie will stop and nothing to keep them safe.  Then the unimaginable happens, Sonja receives word that members of her family are taken prisoner.  Hannie goes undercover as a nurse to find them, but when she discovers that they were taken to a concentration camp, she must risk her life to save them.  Then Hannie’s worst fear happens when Sonja is taken and Hannie is her only hope.


The Girl With The Red Hair written by author Imogen Matthews is a heartbreaking and emotional story.  This book had me flying through the pages as my heart pounded, I couldn’t put it down.  At the flip of each page I was completely enthralled with the story.  I had to get to the end as fast as possible to see how this great story would end.  Hannie was a wonderful and loveable character as was Sonja, and their friendship was amazing.  I was heartbroken when Sonja was taken and I was inspired when Hannie would stop at nothing and risk everything to save her friend.  This story pulled at my heartstrings and I cried many times throughout the book.  What a wonderful addition to The Dutch Girls Series.  All though it is part of a series it can be read as a standalone novel.  I loved this story and I highly recommend it.


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating: 5 out of 5.

DESCRIPTION:

THE GIRL WITH THE RED HAIR
Author:  Imogen Matthews
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: March 20, 2024
Pages:  353
Buy on Amazon 

My heart thrashes inside my chest as I watch my best friend get dragged away by German soldiers. I run towards her, begging them to stop, but then I see the gun. ‘No, please!’ I shout as panicked tears stream down my face. ‘Don’t hurt her!’ I’m the only one left who can save her…

1942, Amsterdam. The Nazi occupation has shattered the lives of inseparable best friends Hannie and Sonja. The canals and rainy cobbled streets they once strolled down are now patrolled by soldiers day and night, who arrest people at will and beat those who resist.

Hannie can’t stand by and watch the lives of the innocent be destroyed by the evil occupiers. At great danger to herself, she joins the underground
 resistance, where she meets the charming and mysterious Jan. She covers her bright red hair to avoid detection by the Nazis while distributing fake IDs. And she makes a promise to Sonja and her little sister Maya, who are Jewish – she will hide them and keep them safe, no matter the cost.

But as the German grip on the country tightens with each passing day, Sonja’s worst fears come true when members of her family are taken prisoner. With Jan by her side, Hannie goes undercover as a nurse to try to free them. But she’s devastated when she discovers they’ve been taken to a concentration camp in the isolated far east of the country. Is she too late to save them?

And when Sonja goes missing, Hannie is terrified the worst has happened – has someone betrayed her best friend? Hannie knows her most dangerous task is now ahead of her. 
Can Hannie save Sonja, and will she have to make the biggest sacrifice of all to bring her home?

ABOUT IMOGEN MATTHEWS

Imogen Matthews is an Oxford-based, award-winning author and journalist with an interest in forgotten stories from WW2 Holland. Imogen was born in Rijswijk, Holland, to a Dutch mother and English father who moved the family to England when Imogen was very young. All her life, she listened to her mother’s stories about her life in Holland, in particular the hardships she faced during the Hunger Winter in 1944-5, which has had a profound impact on her writing.

Thursday, March 14, 2024

AUNT VIOLET’S LOCKET

MY THOUGHTS:

Paige inherits a cottage on Dune Island from her great-aunt Violet, whom she has never even met.  So you can only imagine how surprised she is when she is notified.  Her plan is to fix it up and sell it as soon as possible.  She has heard many stories about the Hathaway family that were neighbors to Violet.  So when Paige bumps into Seth Hathaway, she begins to think that maybe the Hathaways aren’t so bad after-all.  While searching through Violet’s cottage she finds the one and only piece of Violet’s jewelry, a locket and an inscription inside.  A romantic message from Violet’s true love.  Paige wonders if Dune Island could bring her the happiness she desperately needs.  She uncovers a secret of Aunt Violet’s lost love, but is it a secret that would clear her Aunt’s name or should she keep it hidden from everyone forever?


Aunt Violet’s Locket written by author Kristin Harper is a wonderful and emotional story. This story is  a phenomenal installment to the Dune Island Series.  I always seem to get lost when I visit Dune Island.  I am mesmerized by the sea lapping at the shore and the wonderful little village.  The details that Harper portrays to the reader will transport you to Dune Island, and you will want to stay for a while.  This story, filled with many plot twists makes it intriguing, unputdownable and wonderfully heartwarming.  This charming read is exactly what I needed.  I loved it.  I highly recommend this ten star read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating: 5 out of 5.

DESCRIPTION:

AUNT VIOLET’S LOCKET

Author: Kristin Harper 
Publisher: Bookouture 
Publication Date: March 12, 2024
Pages: 314
Buy on Amazon

The long, tarnished chain and heart-shaped pendant is heavy in Paige’s hand. Carefully prying it open she can just make out the tiny engraving inside. What she reads will change everything she ever believed about her great-aunt Violet, and their family history…

When newly single and heartbroken 
Paige inherits an isolated cottage facing out to the wild sea on Dune Island from her great-aunt Violet, she is shocked. Paige never even met Violet, and she’s heard family stories about how a terrible incident involving the wealthy neighboring Hathaway family during World War Two led Violet to withdraw from everyone. But why would Violet leave everything to her?

Determined to clear out the cottage and sell it as quickly as possible, when Paige bumps into 
Seth Hathaway as he walks back from the beach, at first she’s guarded. But Seth’s easy smile makes her think that maybe the Hathaways can be trusted after all…

Then Paige finds an old envelope containing her aunt’s only piece of jewelry. The romantic message inscribed inside brings tears to her eyes, and Seth shows her how the initials match those carved with a heart into an ancient beech tree on her aunt’s property. Did Violet live her whole life yearning for the person who gave her the locket?

As Paige and Seth grow closer, she starts to wonder if she could find happiness right here on Dune Island. And if Paige discovers the identity of Violet’s lost love, can she finally clear her aunt’s name—
or in this tight-knit island community, should some secrets be left in the past forever?

ABOUT KRISTIN HARPER

I grew up in New England and I’ve vacationed on Cape Cod almost every summer of my life, except for one year when I allowed my job to interfere with my vacation plans. (Fortunately, I never made that mistake again.)


After moving around the country and working in all sorts of professions, including roles in education, philanthropy and healthcare, I’m glad to be living in Massachusetts again, writing women’s fiction set in fictitious oceanside locales.

Sunday, March 10, 2024

THE SAPPHIRE DAUGHTER

MY THOUGHTS:

London, Present Day:  Georgia holds in her possession a pink sapphire and she wants to get it appraised.   She leaves it with a jeweler for appraising.  When she returns to pick it up, she finds out that it is very valuable and not only that but it also was part of a priceless tiara owned by the Italian royal family.  Discovering this information takes Georgia to Lake Geneva.  She must find out everything she possibly can about the beautiful gem she holds in her hand.  When she arrives at Lakeside City, she meets Luca.  Luca tells here that he has been searching for that missing sapphire for many years.  They become the perfect team in uncovering the mystery of how the pink sapphire ended up at Hope’s House, a home in London for unwed mothers.


The Sapphire Daughter written by author Soraya Lane is an absolutely wonderful and engaging read.  This story filled with mystery, intrigue and plot twists and turns makes it unputdownable.  This author had me flying through the pages waiting to see what was going to happen next.  The author describes Lake Geneva in a beautiful way.  I could see the sun dance on the ripples in the lake.  I could feel the breeze from the lake on my cheek.  I loved the character of Georgia and the relationship that developed between she and Luca was lovely.  This is the fourth book of The Lost Daughters Series.  What an amazing series this has been.  Each book is wonderful and satisfying read.  I have loved each installment, don’t pass up this amazing series.  It is definitely a must read.


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating: 5 out of 5.

DESCRIPTION:

THE SAPPHIRE DAUGHTER
Author:  Soraya Lane
Publisher: Bookouture 
Publication Date: March 8, 2024 
Pages: 296 
Buy on Amazon

Lake Geneva, 1951: Delphine looked up at Florian, her fingers grazing his cheek as she pressed her mouth to his, the sapphire tiara sparkling beside them. “Yes,” she whispered against his lips. “I will marry you. If you can find a way, then I promise you. I will marry you.”

London, present day. Georgia holds the rare pink sapphire in her hands, watching it glitter in the morning light. It was left for her at Hope’s House, a home for unmarried mothers whose babies were adopted. But how is it connected to the secrets of her family’s complicated history?

Georgia tries to forget about the sapphire, her heart too bruised by past hurts. But when she discovers the gemstone was part of a priceless tiara owned by the Italian royal family, she is drawn in by the mystery surrounding it. Her only way of finding answers is to travel to Lake Geneva to meet with the man who inherited the stunning tiara from his grandfather.

When she arrives at the breathtaking lakeside city, handsome 
Luca tells her he’s been searching for the missing stone for years and is eager to piece together how it arrived at Hope’s House. As they spend sun-drenched days together, Georgia and Luca grow closer and uncover the passionate, forbidden love story of Delphine and Florian, whose tragic romance forced Delphine to make a heartbreaking decision with devastating consequences…

As Georgia comes to terms with the decades-old secret, will it shatter everything she thought she knew about herself? Or will Delphine’s courage inspire her to open up her own heart and build a new life with Luca?

ABOUT SORAYA LANE

Soraya Lane graduated with a law degree before realising that law wasn't the career for her and that her future was in writing. She is the author of historical and contemporary women's fiction, including the #1 Kindle bestselling novels The Last Correspondent and The Secrets We Left Behind

Soraya lives on a small farm in her native New Zealand with her husband, their two young sons and a collection of four legged friends. When she's not writing, she loves to be outside playing make-believe with her children or snuggled up inside reading.


Thursday, March 07, 2024

THE WAR ORPHAN

MY THOUGHTS:

Tasha is only sixteen years old and is finally tasting freedom.  She was taken from her mother’s arms as soon as she was born.  She was taken by an SS guard, just a few days before the gates of Auschwitz were opened forever.  She desperately searches for her mother, but she is not the only one trying to find lost family members.  She longs to be reunited with her mother but it is much harder than she expected.  She finally is faced with the hardest decision of her life, does she stay in war torn Europe and continue to search for her mother or does she leave to build a future of hope for herself in England?


The War Orphan written by author Anna Stuart is a phenomenal continuation to the Women of War series.  This heartbreaking and wonderful story was unputdownable.  The twist and turns of this story were heart wrenching.  I loved the character of Alice, her love and compassion for the orphans was so lovely to read and touched my heart.  Though the unexpected happenings in the book were heartbreaking it also made me reach for the tissues.  I loved this installment to the series and look forward to the next book.  I highly recommend this book.  


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating: 5 out of 5.

DESCRIPTION:

THE WAR ORPHAN

Author:  Anna Stuart
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: March 7, 2024
Pages: 417 
Buy on Amazon

1945, Auschwitz: I stumble out of the gates, tightly grasping the hands of two smaller children. Hunger swirls in my stomach and the barren landscape swims before my eyes. I can barely believe it. We’re free. We survived. But what happens now…

Sixteen-year-old Tasha Ancel turns to take one last look at the imposing place that stole her freedom and her childhood. She has no idea how she continued to live when so many others did not. For the first time in months, her heart beats with hope for her future and that of the smaller children who cling to her now.

Tasha was torn from her mother’s arms by an SS guard days before the gates of Auschwitz opened. Now she only has a lock of her mother’s fiery hair. Desperate to be reunited, Tasha asks everyone she meets if they’ve seen a woman with flame-red hair. But with so many people trying to locate their loved ones in the chaotic aftermath of war finding her feels like an impossible task.

Officially an orphan, Tasha is given the chance to start a new life in the Lake District in England. She knows her mother would want her to take the opportunity but she can’t bear the thought of leaving Poland without her.

Tasha must make a heartbreaking decision: will she stay in war-ravaged Europe and cling on to the hope that the person she loves most in the world is alive, or take a long journey across the sea towards an uncertain future?

ABOUT ANNA STUART

Anna Stuart lives in Derbyshire with her campervan-mad husband, two hungry teenagers and a slightly loopy dog. She was hooked on books from the moment she first opened one in her cot so is thrilled to now have several of her own to her name. Having studied English literature at Cambridge university, she took an enjoyable temporary trip into the ‘real world’ as a factory planner, before returning to her first love and becoming an author. History has also always fascinated her. Living in an old house with a stone fireplace, she often wonders who sat around it before her and is intrigued by how actively the past is woven into the present, something she likes to explore in her novels. Anna loves the way that writing lets her ‘try on’ so many different lives, but her favourite part of the job is undoubtedly hearing from readers.