Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss
January 2022 MBR The Romantic Fiction Shelf
1 view
Skip to first unread message
Midwest Book Review
Feb 1, 2022, 6:12:53 PM2/1/22
to
The Romantic Fiction Shelf
Simple Tryst of Fate
D. M. Barr
Champagne Book Group
https://champagnebooks.com
9781771559980, $13.99, PB, 182pp
https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Tryst-Fate-Rules-Broken/dp/1771559985
Synopsis: A desire for a more conventional life once propelled travel writer Dani Barrett into a disastrous marriage. Ten years later and newly divorced, she's back on the road with a series of rules to protect her heart and a secret sideline as an erotica author. On a press trip, she meets James Aldridge, a charming yet cynical publisher who arouses her interest. Little does Dani know James is secretly an investigative journalist with his own kinky streak, and that rather than writing a travelogue, his undercover probe into political corruption will suck her into a treacherous journey across South America that could either end at James's grave site or in his loving arms.
Critique: A deftly crafted and entertaining contemporary romance novel laced with suspense, intrigue, unexpected plot twists, and memorable characters, "Simple Tryst of Fate: Some Rules are Meant to be Broken" showcases author D. M. Barr's genuine flair for originality and the kind of narrative driven storyteller that will immediate engaging the reader's total attention. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Romance Fiction collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated contemporary romance fans that "Simple Tryst of Fate: Some Rules are Meant to be Broken" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $2.99).
The Highlander's Inconvenient Bride
Terri Brisbin
Mills & Boon
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9780263289695, $TBA, PB, Large Print, 384pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9780263289695
Synopsis: Betrothed by duty to his enemy as a political strategy to strengthen an alliance between their clans, future chieftain of the mighty Cameron Clan, Robbie Cameron, must marry Sheena MacLerie. Only she is the last person he would have picked after her betrayal of him some years ago. Now she is as infuriatingly elusive as ever -- and, worse, she seems intent on breaking their betrothal! Just what is his inconvenient bride hiding? Uncovering her secrets means earning her trust -- but that also ignites a simmering passion!
Critique: Of particular interest to fans of historical highlander romances, "The Highlander's Inconvenient Bride" by Terri Brisbin is an inherently riveting read from first page to last. Memorable characters, entertaining plot twists and turns, an original storyline, "The Highlander's Inconvenient Bride" is highly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Historical Romance collections as one of those deftly crafted and original stories that will linger in the mind and memory long after the novel is finished and set back upon the shelf.
Captivating The Cynical Earl
Catherine Tinley
Mills & Boon
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9780263289718, $TBA, PB, Large Print, 384pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9780263289718
Synopsis: For Jack Beresford, the cool and aloof Earl of Hawkenden, emotional entanglements are the path to pain. But when his brother brings his new wife and her enchanting best friend to his country home everything changes. Lady Cecily Thornhill is both vibrant and beautiful, and Jack finds himself increasingly captivated by her sunny nature. Yet he must resist her charms, for in a month she'll be gone -- unless his frozen heart thaws before then!
Critique: Historical romance at its very best, "Captivating The Cynical Earl" by Catherine Tinley reads like one of those BBC movies -- elegant, fascinating, and memorable. An inherently engaging read from beginning to end, this large print paperback edition of author Catherine Tineley's "Captivating The Cynical Earl" is very highly recommended for the personal reading lists of all dedicated historical romance fans and will be a popular and appreciated addition to community library Romance Fiction collections.
Battle Royal: A Novel
Lucy Parker
Avon
c/o HarperCollins
https://www.harpercollins.com
9780063040069, $15.99 pbk / $10.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Battle-Royal-Novel-Lucy-Parker/dp/0063040069
Synopsis: Four years ago, Sylvie Fairchild charmed the world as a contestant on the hit baking show, Operation Cake. Her ingenious, creations captivated viewers and intrigued all but one of the judges, Dominic De Vere. When Sylvie's unicorn cake went spectacularly sideways, Dominic was quick to vote her off the show. Since then, Sylvie has used her fame to fulfill her dream of opening a bakery. The toast of Instagram, Sugar Fair has captured the attention of the Operation Cake producers... and a princess.
Dominic is His Majesty the King's favorite baker and a veritable British institution. He's brilliant, talented, hard-working. And an icy, starchy grouch. Learning that Sylvie will be joining him on the Operation Cake judging panel is enough to make the famously dour baker even more grim. Her fantastical baking is only slightly more troublesome than the fact that he can't stop thinking about her pink-streaked hair and irrepressible dimple.
When Dominic and Sylvie learn they will be fighting for the once in a lifetime opportunity to bake a cake for the upcoming wedding of Princess Rose, the flour begins to fly as they fight to come out on top.
The bride adores Sylvie's quirky style. The palace wants Dominic's classic perfection. In this royal battle, can there be room for two?
Critique: Award-winning romance author Lucy Parker presents Battle Royal: A Novel, about two bakers with widely disparate personalities who clash in a contest for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bake a cake for a royal wedding. Sylvie Fairchild is a former baking-contest-show contestant who recently fulfilled her dream of opening a bakery; Dominic is a stern and dour baker in service to British royalty. Their respective passions for culinary art seem to put them at defiant odds - yet could their be room for creative collaboration? Battle Royal is delightfully delicious from cover to cover, highly recommended. It should be noted for personal reading lists that Battle Royal is also available in a Kindle edition ($10.99).
Editorial Note: Lucy Parker is an award-winning romance author who lives in New Zealand. A romance reader from a young age, she loves to write about people pursuing their dreams and falling hopelessly in love along the way - often with the last person they would expect! Her previous titles have been featured in Entertainment Weekly, Cosmopolitan, and Oprah Magazine, and were included in NPR's Book Concierge for three consecutive years.
Since You've Been Gone
Tari Faris
Revell
www.RevellBooks.com
9780800736491, $15.99 pbk / $10.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Since-Youve-Been-Restoring-Heritage/dp/0800736494
Synopsis: Leah Williams is back in the quaint town of Heritage, Michigan, and ready to try again to make her business a success. But blank slates are hard to come by, and a piece of her past is waiting for her there. Heir to the Heritage Fruits company, Jonathan Kensington is the guy who not only made Leah's past difficult, he also seems determined to complicate her present as well.
Jon is trying to prove to the Heritage Fruits board that he, not his manipulative uncle, should be running the business. The board insists Jon find a new owner for the building that will house Leah's business. To avoid forcing a buyout of Leah's part of the building, Jon strikes a compromise with Leah, and the two go into business together. With her vision and his know-how, it might work. And Leah might realize he's loved her since high school. If only he didn't keep on shooting himself in the foot by boxing her out of important decisions.
Sparks fly in this romantic story of two people who must learn to trust both each other and the one who called them to this journey.
Critique: Part of the "Restoring Heritage" series of heartwarming Christian novels set in the fictional town of Heritage, Michigan, Since You've Been Gone is a romance about second chances as a gift from God. Leah Williams and Jonathan Kensington are former sweethearts with a falling out; both return to Heritage in hope of earning success in business. They're forced to work with one another as a compromise, when the board of the business Jonathan aspires to run insists on finding a new owner for the building Leah wants to make the site of her new business. Attraction flickers between the two, but so does pride. Hurt feelings, and complicated baggage from the past make any sort of reconciliation, let alone teamwork or something more, very difficult. Since You've Been Gone is an emotionally satisfying romance with thoughtful subtext about the importance of improving one's skills at listening and communication, highly recommended. It should be noted for personal reading lists that Since You've Been Gone is also available in a Kindle edition ($10.99).
Editorial Notice: Tari Faris is the author of You Belong with Me and Until I Met You. A member of American Christian Fiction Writers and My Book Therapy, she is the projects manager for My Book Therapy, writes for learnhowtowriteanovel.com, and is a 2017 Genesis Award winner. She has an MDiv from Asbury Theological Seminary and lives in the Phoenix, Arizona, area with her husband and their three children. Although she lives in the Southwest now, she lived in a small town in Michigan for 25 years. Learn more at TariFaris.com.
At best, Lincoln's record is mixed. He served in the Black Hawk War against tribes who were combating white encroachment. Later he supported policies that exacerbated the situation. Finally, he led the United States in a war that culminated in expanding white settlement. Although as president, Lincoln paid less attention to Native Americans than he did to African Americans and the Civil War, the Indigenous population received considerably more attention from him than previous historians have revealed.
In addition to focusing on Lincoln's personal and familial experiences, such as the death of his paternal grandfather at the hands of Indians, Green enhances our understanding of federal policies toward Native Americans before and during the Civil War and how Lincoln's decisions affected what came after the war. His patronage appointments shaped Indian affairs, and his plans for the West would also have vast consequences. Green weighs Lincoln's impact on the lives of Native Americans and imagines what might have happened if Lincoln had lived past the war's end. More than any many other historians, Green delves into Lincoln's racial views about people of color who were not African American.
Undercurrent of Secrets
Rachel Scott McDaniel
www.RachelScottMcDaniel.com
Barbour Publishing
www.barbourbooks.com
9781643529943, $12.99 pbk / $9.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Undercurrent-Secrets-4-Doors-Past/dp/1643529943
Synopsis: As wedding coordinator for the 100-year-old steamboat The Belle of Louisville, Devyn Asbury takes pride in seeing others' dreams come true, even though her engagement had sunk like a diamond ring to the bottom of the Ohio River. When the Belle becomes a finalist in the Timeless Wedding Venue contest, Devyn endeavors to secure the prestigious title with hopes to reclaim some of her professional dreams. What she hadn't planned on was Chase Jones showing up with a mysterious photo from the 1920s.
A century earlier, Hattie Louis is as untamable as the rivers that raised her. As the adopted daughter of a steamboat captain, her duties range from the entertainment to cook. When strange incidents occur aboard the boat, Hattie's determined to discover the truth. Even if that means getting under First Mate Jack Marshall's handsome skin.
Critique: The fourth novel in the Doors to the Past historical romance series, Undercurrent of Secrets tells the parallel stories of a modern-day wedding coordinator and the adopted daughter of a 1920's steamboat captain. Written with the passion and attention to detail that characterizes the Doors to the Past series, Undercurrent of Secrets sweeps the reader into both an unfolding shipboard intrigue, and a vibrant love story. Highly recommended, especially for connoisseurs of the genre! It should be noted for personal reading lists that Undercurrent of Secrets is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).
Editorial Note: Rachel Scott McDaniel is an award-winning author of historical romance. Winner of the ACFW Genesis Award and the RWA Touched By Love award, Rachel infuses faith and heart into each story. She currently enjoys life in Ohio with her husband and two kids. Rachel can be found online at www.RachelScottMcDaniel.com and on all social media platforms.
Girls Before Earls
Anna Bennett
St. Martin's Press
https://us.macmillan.com/smp
9781250793911, $8.99, PB, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Girls-Before-Earls-Rogues-Lovers/dp/1250793912
Synopsis: To survive her difficult childhood, Miss Hazel Lively relied on two things: a tough exterior and a love of books. Now, she's realized her life-long dream of opening a school for girls. She's hoping the wealthy families who summer at the shore will entrust their daughters to Bellehaven Academy -- and help pay for less fortunate students. All Hazel must do is maintain a flawless reputation. It's a foolproof plan -- until a handsome earl strides into her office!
Gabriel Beckett, Earl of Bladenton, has had a monstrous headache since the day his teenaged niece became his ward. She's already been expelled from two London schools, but Blade is determined to enroll her at Bellehaven Academy, where she'll be out of his hair. If only he can convince the buttoned-up (and unexpectedly intriguing) headmistress to take a risk.
Blade makes an offer that's impossible for Hazel to refuse, but she has one condition: the earl must visit his niece every other week. Soon, Blade discovers there's more to Hazel than meticulous lessons. Their sparring leads to flirtation and eventually something altogether deeper. But the passion that flares between them poses a threat to Hazel's school and Blade's battered heart. They say a good thing can't last forever, but true love? Well, it just might!
Critique: Extraordinarily gifted author and storyteller, Anna Bennett's newest novel "Girls Before Earls" is an original, compelling and impressive crafted romance that will be of particular interest to dedicated Regency Romance fan. While especially recommended for community library Historical Romance collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Girls Before Earls" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).
A Heart Adrift
Laura Frantz
Fleming H. Revell Company
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.revellbooks.com
9780800741020, $29.99, HC, 416pp
https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Adrift-Laura-Frantz/dp/0800741021
Synopsis: Set in 1775, "A Heart Adrift" by Laura Frantz is the story of a colonial lady and a privateering sea captain who collide once more after a failed love affair a decade before. Will a war and a cache of regrets keep them apart? Or will a new shared vision reunite them?
Critique: Author Laura Frantz is a master of the historical romance genre and "A Heart Adrift" continues to showcase her originality and storytelling talents. Memorable characters, unexpected plot twists, and impressive attention to historical detail, "A Heart Adrift" is unreservedly recommended for community library Historical Romance collections. It should be noted for the legion of Laura Frantz fans and those readers with a special interest in Christian Historical Fiction, that "A Heart Adrift" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9780800734978, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
EDITOR'S NOTE:
The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to promoting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We accept no funds from authors or publishers. Full permission is given to post any of these reviews on thematically appropriate websites, newsgroups, listserves, internet discussion groups, organizational newsletters, or to interested individuals. Please give the Midwest Book Review a credit line when doing so.
The Midwest Book Review publishes the monthly book review magazines "California Bookwatch", "Internet Bookwatch", "Children's Bookwatch", "MBR Bookwatch", "Reviewer's Bookwatch", and "Small Press Bookwatch". All are available for free on the Midwest Book Review website at www (dot) midwestbookreview (dot) com
Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them to:
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugalmuse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title, author, publisher, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 13-digit ISBN number, and list price).
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
Simple Tryst of Fate
D. M. Barr
Champagne Book Group
https://champagnebooks.com
9781771559980, $13.99, PB, 182pp
https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Tryst-Fate-Rules-Broken/dp/1771559985
Synopsis: A desire for a more conventional life once propelled travel writer Dani Barrett into a disastrous marriage. Ten years later and newly divorced, she's back on the road with a series of rules to protect her heart and a secret sideline as an erotica author. On a press trip, she meets James Aldridge, a charming yet cynical publisher who arouses her interest. Little does Dani know James is secretly an investigative journalist with his own kinky streak, and that rather than writing a travelogue, his undercover probe into political corruption will suck her into a treacherous journey across South America that could either end at James's grave site or in his loving arms.
Critique: A deftly crafted and entertaining contemporary romance novel laced with suspense, intrigue, unexpected plot twists, and memorable characters, "Simple Tryst of Fate: Some Rules are Meant to be Broken" showcases author D. M. Barr's genuine flair for originality and the kind of narrative driven storyteller that will immediate engaging the reader's total attention. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Romance Fiction collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated contemporary romance fans that "Simple Tryst of Fate: Some Rules are Meant to be Broken" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $2.99).
The Highlander's Inconvenient Bride
Terri Brisbin
Mills & Boon
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9780263289695, $TBA, PB, Large Print, 384pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9780263289695
Synopsis: Betrothed by duty to his enemy as a political strategy to strengthen an alliance between their clans, future chieftain of the mighty Cameron Clan, Robbie Cameron, must marry Sheena MacLerie. Only she is the last person he would have picked after her betrayal of him some years ago. Now she is as infuriatingly elusive as ever -- and, worse, she seems intent on breaking their betrothal! Just what is his inconvenient bride hiding? Uncovering her secrets means earning her trust -- but that also ignites a simmering passion!
Critique: Of particular interest to fans of historical highlander romances, "The Highlander's Inconvenient Bride" by Terri Brisbin is an inherently riveting read from first page to last. Memorable characters, entertaining plot twists and turns, an original storyline, "The Highlander's Inconvenient Bride" is highly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Historical Romance collections as one of those deftly crafted and original stories that will linger in the mind and memory long after the novel is finished and set back upon the shelf.
Captivating The Cynical Earl
Catherine Tinley
Mills & Boon
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9780263289718, $TBA, PB, Large Print, 384pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9780263289718
Synopsis: For Jack Beresford, the cool and aloof Earl of Hawkenden, emotional entanglements are the path to pain. But when his brother brings his new wife and her enchanting best friend to his country home everything changes. Lady Cecily Thornhill is both vibrant and beautiful, and Jack finds himself increasingly captivated by her sunny nature. Yet he must resist her charms, for in a month she'll be gone -- unless his frozen heart thaws before then!
Critique: Historical romance at its very best, "Captivating The Cynical Earl" by Catherine Tinley reads like one of those BBC movies -- elegant, fascinating, and memorable. An inherently engaging read from beginning to end, this large print paperback edition of author Catherine Tineley's "Captivating The Cynical Earl" is very highly recommended for the personal reading lists of all dedicated historical romance fans and will be a popular and appreciated addition to community library Romance Fiction collections.
Battle Royal: A Novel
Lucy Parker
Avon
c/o HarperCollins
https://www.harpercollins.com
9780063040069, $15.99 pbk / $10.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Battle-Royal-Novel-Lucy-Parker/dp/0063040069
Synopsis: Four years ago, Sylvie Fairchild charmed the world as a contestant on the hit baking show, Operation Cake. Her ingenious, creations captivated viewers and intrigued all but one of the judges, Dominic De Vere. When Sylvie's unicorn cake went spectacularly sideways, Dominic was quick to vote her off the show. Since then, Sylvie has used her fame to fulfill her dream of opening a bakery. The toast of Instagram, Sugar Fair has captured the attention of the Operation Cake producers... and a princess.
Dominic is His Majesty the King's favorite baker and a veritable British institution. He's brilliant, talented, hard-working. And an icy, starchy grouch. Learning that Sylvie will be joining him on the Operation Cake judging panel is enough to make the famously dour baker even more grim. Her fantastical baking is only slightly more troublesome than the fact that he can't stop thinking about her pink-streaked hair and irrepressible dimple.
When Dominic and Sylvie learn they will be fighting for the once in a lifetime opportunity to bake a cake for the upcoming wedding of Princess Rose, the flour begins to fly as they fight to come out on top.
The bride adores Sylvie's quirky style. The palace wants Dominic's classic perfection. In this royal battle, can there be room for two?
Critique: Award-winning romance author Lucy Parker presents Battle Royal: A Novel, about two bakers with widely disparate personalities who clash in a contest for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bake a cake for a royal wedding. Sylvie Fairchild is a former baking-contest-show contestant who recently fulfilled her dream of opening a bakery; Dominic is a stern and dour baker in service to British royalty. Their respective passions for culinary art seem to put them at defiant odds - yet could their be room for creative collaboration? Battle Royal is delightfully delicious from cover to cover, highly recommended. It should be noted for personal reading lists that Battle Royal is also available in a Kindle edition ($10.99).
Editorial Note: Lucy Parker is an award-winning romance author who lives in New Zealand. A romance reader from a young age, she loves to write about people pursuing their dreams and falling hopelessly in love along the way - often with the last person they would expect! Her previous titles have been featured in Entertainment Weekly, Cosmopolitan, and Oprah Magazine, and were included in NPR's Book Concierge for three consecutive years.
Since You've Been Gone
Tari Faris
Revell
www.RevellBooks.com
9780800736491, $15.99 pbk / $10.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Since-Youve-Been-Restoring-Heritage/dp/0800736494
Synopsis: Leah Williams is back in the quaint town of Heritage, Michigan, and ready to try again to make her business a success. But blank slates are hard to come by, and a piece of her past is waiting for her there. Heir to the Heritage Fruits company, Jonathan Kensington is the guy who not only made Leah's past difficult, he also seems determined to complicate her present as well.
Jon is trying to prove to the Heritage Fruits board that he, not his manipulative uncle, should be running the business. The board insists Jon find a new owner for the building that will house Leah's business. To avoid forcing a buyout of Leah's part of the building, Jon strikes a compromise with Leah, and the two go into business together. With her vision and his know-how, it might work. And Leah might realize he's loved her since high school. If only he didn't keep on shooting himself in the foot by boxing her out of important decisions.
Sparks fly in this romantic story of two people who must learn to trust both each other and the one who called them to this journey.
Critique: Part of the "Restoring Heritage" series of heartwarming Christian novels set in the fictional town of Heritage, Michigan, Since You've Been Gone is a romance about second chances as a gift from God. Leah Williams and Jonathan Kensington are former sweethearts with a falling out; both return to Heritage in hope of earning success in business. They're forced to work with one another as a compromise, when the board of the business Jonathan aspires to run insists on finding a new owner for the building Leah wants to make the site of her new business. Attraction flickers between the two, but so does pride. Hurt feelings, and complicated baggage from the past make any sort of reconciliation, let alone teamwork or something more, very difficult. Since You've Been Gone is an emotionally satisfying romance with thoughtful subtext about the importance of improving one's skills at listening and communication, highly recommended. It should be noted for personal reading lists that Since You've Been Gone is also available in a Kindle edition ($10.99).
Editorial Notice: Tari Faris is the author of You Belong with Me and Until I Met You. A member of American Christian Fiction Writers and My Book Therapy, she is the projects manager for My Book Therapy, writes for learnhowtowriteanovel.com, and is a 2017 Genesis Award winner. She has an MDiv from Asbury Theological Seminary and lives in the Phoenix, Arizona, area with her husband and their three children. Although she lives in the Southwest now, she lived in a small town in Michigan for 25 years. Learn more at TariFaris.com.
At best, Lincoln's record is mixed. He served in the Black Hawk War against tribes who were combating white encroachment. Later he supported policies that exacerbated the situation. Finally, he led the United States in a war that culminated in expanding white settlement. Although as president, Lincoln paid less attention to Native Americans than he did to African Americans and the Civil War, the Indigenous population received considerably more attention from him than previous historians have revealed.
In addition to focusing on Lincoln's personal and familial experiences, such as the death of his paternal grandfather at the hands of Indians, Green enhances our understanding of federal policies toward Native Americans before and during the Civil War and how Lincoln's decisions affected what came after the war. His patronage appointments shaped Indian affairs, and his plans for the West would also have vast consequences. Green weighs Lincoln's impact on the lives of Native Americans and imagines what might have happened if Lincoln had lived past the war's end. More than any many other historians, Green delves into Lincoln's racial views about people of color who were not African American.
Undercurrent of Secrets
Rachel Scott McDaniel
www.RachelScottMcDaniel.com
Barbour Publishing
www.barbourbooks.com
9781643529943, $12.99 pbk / $9.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Undercurrent-Secrets-4-Doors-Past/dp/1643529943
Synopsis: As wedding coordinator for the 100-year-old steamboat The Belle of Louisville, Devyn Asbury takes pride in seeing others' dreams come true, even though her engagement had sunk like a diamond ring to the bottom of the Ohio River. When the Belle becomes a finalist in the Timeless Wedding Venue contest, Devyn endeavors to secure the prestigious title with hopes to reclaim some of her professional dreams. What she hadn't planned on was Chase Jones showing up with a mysterious photo from the 1920s.
A century earlier, Hattie Louis is as untamable as the rivers that raised her. As the adopted daughter of a steamboat captain, her duties range from the entertainment to cook. When strange incidents occur aboard the boat, Hattie's determined to discover the truth. Even if that means getting under First Mate Jack Marshall's handsome skin.
Critique: The fourth novel in the Doors to the Past historical romance series, Undercurrent of Secrets tells the parallel stories of a modern-day wedding coordinator and the adopted daughter of a 1920's steamboat captain. Written with the passion and attention to detail that characterizes the Doors to the Past series, Undercurrent of Secrets sweeps the reader into both an unfolding shipboard intrigue, and a vibrant love story. Highly recommended, especially for connoisseurs of the genre! It should be noted for personal reading lists that Undercurrent of Secrets is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).
Editorial Note: Rachel Scott McDaniel is an award-winning author of historical romance. Winner of the ACFW Genesis Award and the RWA Touched By Love award, Rachel infuses faith and heart into each story. She currently enjoys life in Ohio with her husband and two kids. Rachel can be found online at www.RachelScottMcDaniel.com and on all social media platforms.
Girls Before Earls
Anna Bennett
St. Martin's Press
https://us.macmillan.com/smp
9781250793911, $8.99, PB, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Girls-Before-Earls-Rogues-Lovers/dp/1250793912
Synopsis: To survive her difficult childhood, Miss Hazel Lively relied on two things: a tough exterior and a love of books. Now, she's realized her life-long dream of opening a school for girls. She's hoping the wealthy families who summer at the shore will entrust their daughters to Bellehaven Academy -- and help pay for less fortunate students. All Hazel must do is maintain a flawless reputation. It's a foolproof plan -- until a handsome earl strides into her office!
Gabriel Beckett, Earl of Bladenton, has had a monstrous headache since the day his teenaged niece became his ward. She's already been expelled from two London schools, but Blade is determined to enroll her at Bellehaven Academy, where she'll be out of his hair. If only he can convince the buttoned-up (and unexpectedly intriguing) headmistress to take a risk.
Blade makes an offer that's impossible for Hazel to refuse, but she has one condition: the earl must visit his niece every other week. Soon, Blade discovers there's more to Hazel than meticulous lessons. Their sparring leads to flirtation and eventually something altogether deeper. But the passion that flares between them poses a threat to Hazel's school and Blade's battered heart. They say a good thing can't last forever, but true love? Well, it just might!
Critique: Extraordinarily gifted author and storyteller, Anna Bennett's newest novel "Girls Before Earls" is an original, compelling and impressive crafted romance that will be of particular interest to dedicated Regency Romance fan. While especially recommended for community library Historical Romance collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Girls Before Earls" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).
A Heart Adrift
Laura Frantz
Fleming H. Revell Company
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.revellbooks.com
9780800741020, $29.99, HC, 416pp
https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Adrift-Laura-Frantz/dp/0800741021
Synopsis: Set in 1775, "A Heart Adrift" by Laura Frantz is the story of a colonial lady and a privateering sea captain who collide once more after a failed love affair a decade before. Will a war and a cache of regrets keep them apart? Or will a new shared vision reunite them?
Critique: Author Laura Frantz is a master of the historical romance genre and "A Heart Adrift" continues to showcase her originality and storytelling talents. Memorable characters, unexpected plot twists, and impressive attention to historical detail, "A Heart Adrift" is unreservedly recommended for community library Historical Romance collections. It should be noted for the legion of Laura Frantz fans and those readers with a special interest in Christian Historical Fiction, that "A Heart Adrift" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9780800734978, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
EDITOR'S NOTE:
The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to promoting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We accept no funds from authors or publishers. Full permission is given to post any of these reviews on thematically appropriate websites, newsgroups, listserves, internet discussion groups, organizational newsletters, or to interested individuals. Please give the Midwest Book Review a credit line when doing so.
The Midwest Book Review publishes the monthly book review magazines "California Bookwatch", "Internet Bookwatch", "Children's Bookwatch", "MBR Bookwatch", "Reviewer's Bookwatch", and "Small Press Bookwatch". All are available for free on the Midwest Book Review website at www (dot) midwestbookreview (dot) com
Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them to:
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugalmuse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title, author, publisher, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 13-digit ISBN number, and list price).
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
0 new messages