Title: Shadow on the Quilt
Author: Stephanie Grace Whitson
Publish Date: September 1, 2012
Post Date: October 25, 2012
Blog url: http://www.sweetpea0944.wordpress.com
Review link:
Julianna Sutton lives in Lincoln, Nebraska in the year 1883. She is the wife of a very successful businessman and is one of the elite in their community. Her life looks perfect on the outside but everything soon begins to unravel after the untimely death of her husband. The circumstances surrounding his death confirm the fear Julianna has that things are not as they seem in her marriage.
Cass Gregory is a foreman in Julianna's husband's business. He has secrets of his own that haunt him. Determined to keep the jobs of the the company men secure Cass works alongside Julianna to keep her husband's business thriving.
This is one of the best books I've read this year. I was completely engrossed in the lives of the characters throughout the entire book. This is a must read for fans of historical fiction.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I have not been compensated in any way. The opinions stated in this review are my own and I give them freely without bias.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Two Packages
Two packages sit in a room. One is plainly wrapped in the editorial pages of the daily paper. The words on the rough paper speak truth, truth that isn't always accepted. The second package is beautifully wrapped. Paper the perfect shade of blue covers its surface.
People walk into the room and glance at the boxes. All are immediately drawn to the pretty package. They surround it and discuss its beauty. It's the best gift, it must be. Just look at it. The paper is flawlessly creased and its seems are fastened invisibly. All the while the second package sits unnoticed. "I don't like the truth staring at me like that."
Oh, but if they open the packages or examine them closely they will see that things are not as they seem on the surface. The pretty package is wrapped around the gift of deceit and betrayal. They sit in wait of their next victim. The box wrapped in editorials speaking its offensive truths hides a secret as well. Inside it waits faithfulness, love. Wrapped in truth it sits alone.
When will the truth be discovered? Who will be the one who gets too close to the beauty and falls prey to its contents? How many people will be crushed by the pretty package?
People walk into the room and glance at the boxes. All are immediately drawn to the pretty package. They surround it and discuss its beauty. It's the best gift, it must be. Just look at it. The paper is flawlessly creased and its seems are fastened invisibly. All the while the second package sits unnoticed. "I don't like the truth staring at me like that."
Oh, but if they open the packages or examine them closely they will see that things are not as they seem on the surface. The pretty package is wrapped around the gift of deceit and betrayal. They sit in wait of their next victim. The box wrapped in editorials speaking its offensive truths hides a secret as well. Inside it waits faithfulness, love. Wrapped in truth it sits alone.
When will the truth be discovered? Who will be the one who gets too close to the beauty and falls prey to its contents? How many people will be crushed by the pretty package?
Drowning
Lately I have found myself sinking deeper and deeper into the depths of depression. The murky water sucking me into its darkness; stealing my breath from me. Too tired to tread the water anymore I have gone under once, twice in the past week. Nighttime is my sanctuary; daytime my enemy. Each time I manage to surface for a breath of air something hits me and forces me back under the blanket of the water. Lost, alone, dying a little more each moment. How did I get here? Lost. Hopelessly lost. Abandoned, betrayed. Alone. Isolated. Why can't someone see and save me? Just make it better like a mother kissing a skinned knee. So much pain, disappointment, and loss. Things stolen from me that can never be returned. Forever scarred. I carry the scar forever on my heart.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Tidewater Inn
Title: Tidewater Inn
Author: Colleen Coble
Publish Date: July 17, 2012
Post Date: October 19, 2012
Blog url: http://www.sweetpea0944.wordpress.com
Review link:
Libby is a restorer whose business partner is abducted after discovering that Libby has a family she doesn't know exists. While on Hope Island searching for her partner and settling the legalities of a recent inheritance Libby begins to fall for a local Coast Guard lieutenant while trying to connect with her newfound siblings.
I really enjoyed this book. The mystery of the abduction had me guessing until the very end. It is a great read.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I have not been compensated in any way. The opinions stated in this review are my own and I give them freely without bias.
Author: Colleen Coble
Publish Date: July 17, 2012
Post Date: October 19, 2012
Blog url: http://www.sweetpea0944.wordpress.com
Review link:
Libby is a restorer whose business partner is abducted after discovering that Libby has a family she doesn't know exists. While on Hope Island searching for her partner and settling the legalities of a recent inheritance Libby begins to fall for a local Coast Guard lieutenant while trying to connect with her newfound siblings.
I really enjoyed this book. The mystery of the abduction had me guessing until the very end. It is a great read.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I have not been compensated in any way. The opinions stated in this review are my own and I give them freely without bias.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
A Love Surrendered
Title: A Love Surrendered
Author: Julie Lessman
Publish Date: October 1, 2012
Post Date: October 17, 2012
Blog url: http://www.sweetpea0944.wordpress.com
Review link: http://wp.me/p16xCO-jb
A Love Surrendered is the third book in the Winds of Change series written by Julie Lessman. The book is set in Boston, Massachusetts in 1932 during the prohibition. I enjoyed reading about this period of history and found the events in the book to be believable. This is the only book in the series that I have read and therefore had no prior knowledge of the O'Connor family who make up most of the main characters in the book. I found it hard to keep the secondary characters straight in my mind. The main characters, Annie and Steven, to be realistic and could relate to the conflicts they each faced.
I enjoyed the book overall but found that some of the content seemed to repeat to the point that I became annoyed. I also found that some details were left out that should have been included to enhance the storyline.
Rating: I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. I give this grade to the book as a stand alone novel and my score may have been lower due to the fact that I haven't read the first two books in the series. It is an enjoyable book overall.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I have not been compensated in any way. The opinions stated in this review are my own and I give them freely without bias.
Author: Julie Lessman
Publish Date: October 1, 2012
Post Date: October 17, 2012
Blog url: http://www.sweetpea0944.wordpress.com
Review link: http://wp.me/p16xCO-jb
A Love Surrendered is the third book in the Winds of Change series written by Julie Lessman. The book is set in Boston, Massachusetts in 1932 during the prohibition. I enjoyed reading about this period of history and found the events in the book to be believable. This is the only book in the series that I have read and therefore had no prior knowledge of the O'Connor family who make up most of the main characters in the book. I found it hard to keep the secondary characters straight in my mind. The main characters, Annie and Steven, to be realistic and could relate to the conflicts they each faced.
I enjoyed the book overall but found that some of the content seemed to repeat to the point that I became annoyed. I also found that some details were left out that should have been included to enhance the storyline.
Rating: I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. I give this grade to the book as a stand alone novel and my score may have been lower due to the fact that I haven't read the first two books in the series. It is an enjoyable book overall.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I have not been compensated in any way. The opinions stated in this review are my own and I give them freely without bias.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
A Season of Love
Title: A Season of Love
Author: Amy Clipson
Publish Date: July 1, 2012
Post Date: October 2, 2012
Blog url: http://www.sweetpea0944.wordpress.com
Review link:
A Season of Love is book five in the Kauffman Amish Bakery Series written by Amy Clipson. The author does a great job introducing characters and this book can easily be read as a stand alone novel. I have read a couple of the other books in this series and plan on getting the ones I've missed to complete the series.
The book is set in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania's Amish country. Katie Kauffman is an unattached Amish girl whose two best friends are courting young men from their community. Katie often feels like the fifth wheel when she is with her friends since she is unattached and most of their conversations revolve around courting and the upcoming marriage of her friends. She meets a young Mennonite man who is working with her grandfather remodeling her grandmother's bakery where Katie works. They become fast friends but this quickly comes to the attention of Katie's father. Amish and Mennonites don't intermarry and Katie's father wants to ensure that his daughter isn't involved in an inappropriate relationship so he forces Katie to end the friendship. This book is a perfect example of how complicated life can become and how our actions are often judged by others.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. This book is appropriate for ages 14 and up.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I have not been compensated in any way. The opinions stated in this review are my own and I give them freely without bias.
Author: Amy Clipson
Publish Date: July 1, 2012
Post Date: October 2, 2012
Blog url: http://www.sweetpea0944.wordpress.com
Review link:
A Season of Love is book five in the Kauffman Amish Bakery Series written by Amy Clipson. The author does a great job introducing characters and this book can easily be read as a stand alone novel. I have read a couple of the other books in this series and plan on getting the ones I've missed to complete the series.
The book is set in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania's Amish country. Katie Kauffman is an unattached Amish girl whose two best friends are courting young men from their community. Katie often feels like the fifth wheel when she is with her friends since she is unattached and most of their conversations revolve around courting and the upcoming marriage of her friends. She meets a young Mennonite man who is working with her grandfather remodeling her grandmother's bakery where Katie works. They become fast friends but this quickly comes to the attention of Katie's father. Amish and Mennonites don't intermarry and Katie's father wants to ensure that his daughter isn't involved in an inappropriate relationship so he forces Katie to end the friendship. This book is a perfect example of how complicated life can become and how our actions are often judged by others.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. This book is appropriate for ages 14 and up.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I have not been compensated in any way. The opinions stated in this review are my own and I give them freely without bias.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
The Irish Healer
Title: The Irish Healer
Author: Nancy Herriman
Publish Date: April 3, 2012
Post Date: September 26, 2012
Blog url: http://www.sweetpea0944.wordpress.com
Review link: The Irish Healer
I was held captive by Nancy Herriman's debut novel The Irish Healer. The book is set in Victorian England and tells the story of Rachel Dunn an Irish healer accused of murder. Rachel leaves Ireland in hopes of rebuilding a future for her and her family. Vowing never to work as a healer again she finds employment with a wealthy and high-bred physician in the process of closing his practice. Hannah's job is to facilitate the move of the doctor as he prepares to retire to the country estate of his family.
Through numerous circumstances the two are forced to face the things they are determined to run from. I felt the characters possessed depth and realism. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the work of this first time author and cannot wait to read her next book. You definitely want to add this book to your list of must reads if you enjoy historical fiction.
Rating: I give this book 5 stars.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I have not been compensated in any way. The opinions stated in this review are my own and I give them freely without bias.
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