This book has most everything you could want in a historical romance. We get to learn about the politics taking place in Ireland in the early 1920’s. This includes the prejudices that were felt between the Irish and the English. This book also gets in to what happens between the rich and the poor. I love learning about the legend of the Claddagh ring. Annabeth and Stephen go through a lot while Stephen teaches her about jewelry making. This story made me laugh and cry. I could not put the book down. I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
I give this book a five out of five stars.
PUBLISHER DESCRIPTION
In 1920, Annabeth De Lacy’s father is appointed landlord of Galway Parish in Ireland. Bored without all the trappings of the British Court, Annabeth convinces her father to arrange an apprenticeship for her with the Jennings family–descendants of the creator of the famed Claddagh Ring.
Stephen Jennings longs to do anything other than run his family’s jewelry shop. Having had his heart broken, he no longer believes in love and is weary of peddling the “lies” the Claddagh Ring promises.
Meanwhile, as the war for Irish independence gains strength, many locals resent the De Lacys and decide to take things into their own hands to display their displeasure. As events take a dangerous turn for Annabeth and her family, she and Stephen begin to see that perhaps the “other side” isn’t quite as barbaric and uncultured as they’d been led to believe–and that the bonds of friendship, love, and loyalty are only made stronger when put through the refiner’s fire.
Travel to the Emerald Isle for another poignant and romantic story from the enchanted pen of Jennifer Deibel.
I am never disappointed with books by this author. I love her characters and how she brings them all in in each book. I do recommend reading this series in order so you get to know all the people that live in this area. This is an Amish romance that is set in 1914. I love that Magdelena and Toby want to honor their parents but they also want to honor how they feel. I love the inspiration that I feel after reading this story. There are lots of emotions happening in the story. I did not want to put this book down. I received a copy of this book from Celebratelit for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
I give this book a five out of five stars.
About the Book
Book: Magdelena’s Choice
Author: Molly Jebber
Genre: AMISH HISTORICAL ROMANCE
Release date: January 25, 2022
As the daughter of a wealthy rancher, Magdelena Beachy may not truly need her job at the Amish Charm Bakery, but she enjoys tending to customers, be they neighbors or curious Englischers. Only one thing would make life sweeter, and that’s if Toby Schlabach would court her. It’s not just his dimples and smile that warm Magdelena’s heart—she admires his kindness and values. Yet she worries their chance may slip away . . .
With his daed ill and his mother and sister depending on him, Toby can’t yet offer Magdelena the future she deserves. But even as he nears his goal, he learns her father has arranged a match with another suitor. Magdelena risks shunning if she goes against her family. Choosing a path will take courage as well as faith—in God’s plan, and in this steadfast, tender love . . .
Molly Jebber is a best-selling and award-winning author of Amish Historical Romance. Molly’s books have been featured in Publisher’s Weekly Best Ten lists, USA Today’s HEA, featured in live video on Naples News, many media outlets across the U.S. You’ll find her books on most stores the first three months of their release across the U.S, UK, Canada, and more. She’s been interviewed on television, and she’s a touring speaker for Women’s Christian Connection, other women’s professional organizations, and she offers presentations on writing, agent or no agent, publishing, and marketing. She also speaks about the Amish lifestyles and traditions. She says the most rewarding part about writing stories is meeting wonderful readers who become friends through social media and at her speaking events. Please visit her website: http://www.mollyjebber.com for a full list of her books, speaking events and recipes.
She loves God, her family, and friends and Florida sunshine. She says yes to swimming, the beach, golf, and time with her family and friends, and no to coconut, onions, and skydiving!
More from Molly
Magdelena faces difficult decisions when having a difference of opinion with her parents. If she goes against them, she’ll face serious consequences. Sometimes we have family situations that arise, and they require us to search our heart for how to deal with them. Toby also faces hardship, tragedy, and being judged wrongly by others. Toby and Magdelena are sure God has a plan for their lives, but they’re not sure if they are following his will. They pray for guidance. You’ll enjoy their friends and how they come into play in this story. We all have friends we love, and memories we make with them. They root for us. The same goes for this couple. You’ll wonder what will happen next, and just when you think things are better, something else happens. I hope you enjoy the story. Don’t forget to sign up for a chance to win the grand prize at the end of this tour!
This book has lots of action every time you turn around. Hope and Hunter get thrown back together after having been pulled apart years earlier. Hunter must help Hope and Naomi run from thugs that are looking for someone that Hope had earlier helped. There is some romance and lots of snow, action and crashes. This will keep you on your toes. I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
As always this is a fun cozy mystery. I loved putting Dottie and Henry together for the dance contest. As always I love Mae and Hank. Each of the books in this series helps you to learn more about each of the characters. We get to learn a bit more about Abby and Bobby Ray this time. This is a fast read. I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
I give this book a five out of five stars.
Welcome to Normal where nothing is normal!
Join Mae West and the Laundry Club Ladies as they cha cha and twirl their way around Happy Trails Campground as they put on some sleuthing dance shoes to bring closure to this southern and fun cozy Valentine’s mystery.
When I begged Hank Sharp to take dance lessons to celebrate Valentine’s Day, I knew I was getting more than I had bargained for. But when a dancer’s dead body shows up at the height of the competition and Hank is hired to investigate the murder, I had no idea what we were in store for when he had Dottie Swaggert and Henry Bryant go undercover as a dance competition couple to get insider information.
After a little snooping around, we discovered there were deep running feuds and passions behind those sequins and smiles that gave motive and opportunity to kill for the desires to win the most coveted dancing title.
Time is running out and we fear Dottie’s life is in danger. Let’s face it, she has a hard time keeping her mouth shut. And NO ONE puts Dottie in the corner.
It is finally time for Fiona and Nathan to get married but will it really happen or will something or someone stop it. We learn all this in this wonderful romp from Pittsburgh to London and back to Pittsburg. I really liked Nathan’s mother and hope she will be in more stories. Rita and the men following her are a great edition to these books. This book takes us on a roller coaster ride that is lots of fun. I received a copy of this book from ireadbooktour for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
I give this book a five out of five stars.
Book Description:
The venue is set, invitations sent, and the flowers ordered. It’s almost time for Fiona and Nathan to get married…again. What could possibly go wrong? Nothing…well, until the wedding planner is found dead.
Then the woman Fiona has never met shows up–Nathan’s enigmatic mom, Rita Landry. And she’s wearing a gorgeous but mysterious necklace. Worse, Rita is being followed by two sinister-looking men, forcing her to flee the country. And who gets dragged along? None other than the bride-to be! How does a girl prepare for all of that? Looks like Fiona’s perfectly planned matrimony has morphed into mayhem and murder! You’re formally invited to Fiona and Nathan’s wedding. Question is: Will the wedding happen?
This book with Fiona and Nathan has a few different things going on. We have a murder that happened years ago and letters being delivered to people that are not alive any more. I enjoy the descriptions of the bad dancing and the good dancing. It is great to meet some more of Fiona’s friends. This book will keep you on your toes. I received a copy of this book from ireadbooktour for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
I give this book a five out of five stars.
Book Description:
Three ballroom dancers were murdered over 40 years ago. Wow, that’s one old cold case. What’s more, the murderer, who was thought to have been killed during a police chase, has resurfaced in Pittsburgh. Yikes! How can that be? Worse, ballroom dancing simply isn’t Detective Nathan Landry’s forte. After weeks of practice, Nathan still has two left feet. Can Fiona step in to guide Nathan through this dancing debacle or will it take 40 years for the detective to find his footing? Double yikes! Join Fiona and detective Landry in this high-stepping whodunit!
I really enjoyed these four quick mysteries by C .S. McDonald. Here is what I felt about each of them. At the end please go to the giveaway.
The Christmas Cameo
I really enjoyed this quick mystery starring Fiona Quinn. This has wonderful characters and a great story. It was fun to get to learn about Fiona and more of her family. I received a copy of this book from ireadbooktour for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will. I give this book a five out of five stars.
Harriet’s Heist
This is a quick and funny mystery where Fiona is visiting her parents and she is dragged in to help solve a rash of thefts. There are lots of laughs around how Fiona and her dog solve these thefts. I received a copy of this book from ireadbooktour for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will. I give this book a five out of five stars.
Banking on a Murder
If you like very short mysteries you will love Fiona Quinn quick mysteries. This one is very fast and Fiona is mad and then worried that her old friend has stood her up. This gets stranger as the story commences. It is funny and a little suspenseful. I received a copy of this book from ireadbooktour for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will. I give this book a five out of five stars.
Crystal Clear Confusion
It is fun to read these quick mysteries that feature Fiona Quinn. This one had her having nightmares about a lion chasing her in the school. It was fun to see what the dream was really about. I always like to read about Fiona and her boyfriend Nathan. I received a copy of this book from ireadbooktour for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will. I give this book a four out of five stars.
Here is what each book is about:
Are you in the mood for a mystery, but short on time? Then enjoy a Fiona Quinn Quick Mystery!
In Banking on a Murder, Fiona is beside herself and spends the entire Memorial Day weekend searching for her friend when she goes missing. Did her ex-husband abduct her? Has she been murdered? Somehow Fiona knows that the key to Priscilla Conroy’s disappearance lies within the bank. But how can that be?
Can Fiona crack the case when her parents’ quiet retirement community is besieged by a wave of robberies in Harriet’s Hiest ? Hopefully, but what’s an amateur sleuth supposed to do when her Maltese, Harriet, shows up decked out in the stolen goods? Join Fiona, her parents, Harriet, and some pretty crazy old ladies for a real jewel of a quick mystery!
Yikes! Fiona’s been having a recurring nightmare and it’s driving her to distraction—so much so that she’s allowed her kooky neighbor, Astrid Dingle, to search for the answer through her crystal ball. What could be the cause of the dream, and what lengths will Fiona go to get to the crux of it all? You’ll be chasing dreams with Fiona, Detective Landry and Astrid in Crystal Clear Confusion!
In The Christmas Cameo, a lovely brooch is discovered in Fiona’s late Uncle Wilbur’s house two days before Christmas. The pin bears a romantic Christmas message from Wilbur for his new wife with the initials, D.A.S. How very strange! To the family’s knowledge, Uncle Wilbur had never been married. So, who is this mysterious woman? Now, Fiona is on a holiday mission to locate D.A.S. and deliver the belated gift. Question is, what happened to the marriage? Is D.A.S. still alive after all these years? And if so, can Fiona find her before Christmas?
This is a very good psychological thriller. Charlotte and her husband become con artists. This book takes you on a roller coaster ride as to what happens to Charlottes estranged husband. This goes from past to present many times. I liked Charlotte but I did not love her. It is fun to see Charlotte losing control at times before the end. This is a pretty good book. I received a copy of this book from Harlequin for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
Karen Hamilton spent her childhood in Angola, Zimbabwe, Belgium and Italy and worked as a flight attendant for many years. She has now put down roots in the UK to raise her three children with her husband and she also writes full time. Her books include The Perfect Girlfriend, The Last Wife, and The Ex-Husband, out January 2022.
Book Summary:
It’s an offer she can’t refuse…and can’t escape.
True: Charlotte has an unsavory past. She married the wrong man, got caught up in his con artist games, took what wasn’t hers. She got out, though: divorced Sam, started fresh.
False: She left him before things went too far. Nothing bad happened.
True: Sam is missing, and before he disappeared, he left cryptic messages about someone threatening him—someone who has been threatening Charlotte, too.
True: She’s on the straight and narrow, has accepted a job as a personal assistant for an engagement party on board a private luxury cruise ship, the Cleobella.
False: No one on board knows about her past, and she’s far away from anyone who means her harm.
As the Cleobella sails through its glittering destinations—the Bahamas, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago—increasingly sinister events haunt the guests, and the turquoise waves and sun-drenched beaches give way to something darker. Someone knows what Charlotte did. Is it the blushing bride? The seemingly placid mother-in-law? Or the mysterious heiress?
Someone knows, and someone wants revenge—before the ship reaches its final port.
This is a very good book for young teens that talks about what can happen in a family over a summer. Abbie and her brother Patrick try to find ways to keep their parents from breaking up. Abbie also learns what it truly means to be a friend to someone you are not sure that you like. This keeps you interested in Abbie and her family. I received a copy of this book from Celebratelit for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
I give this book a four out of five stars.
About the Book
Book: Abbie’s Woods: Defending the Nest
Author: Susan Thogerson Maas
Genre: Middle Grade
Release date: December 15, 2021
Twelve-year-old Abbie Keegan loves spending time in the woods behind her house and watching the silly-looking baby robins as they grow. The woods are a retreat from her parents’ constant bickering and from her sweet, but needy, little brother.
Then Abbie sees two boys breaking pop bottles in the pond. She refuses to allow such harm to “her” woods. However, every attempt she makes to stop the boys only provokes them to greater destruction. Her retreat becomes a place of fear instead of peace. A feud is born, and Abbie feels helpless to stop it. At home, her parents seem close to divorce and her brother’s asthma is getting worse. How can Abbie protect the people and places she loves?
Susan Thogerson Maas grew up in the rainy, green state of Oregon. She loved to wander through the woods, discovering new wildflowers and birds. Her second favorite place was the cool grass of the front yard, lost in a book about nature or faraway lands. She still loves camping and hiking, as well as traveling to places she’s never seen before. Life should always be an adventure.
More from Susan
Abbie’s Woods: Defending the Nest, in its original version, was the first book I ever wrote. Although I had sold a number of short articles and children’s stories, it was my first attempt at a whole book. Being a busy mother and volunteer (den leader for seven years, Sunday school teacher, etc.), homeschooling our boys, growing a big garden for freezing and canning, and all that kept me busy. But my dream since third grade had been to write children’s books. My sweet aunt had paid my way to summer writing conferences, and my shelves were filled with books on writing.
So I began, one slow chapter at a time. I set the story in the woods that lay behind our property when I was a child. “The Wonderful Woods” I called it in the first article I ever sold—sent by my sixth grade teacher to The Horn Book. My book was filled with details about the plants and birds of the woods. I added in symbolism because this would be my masterpiece. After maybe three years, the book was complete. And it was terrible. I showed it to a couple of editors, but the responses told me it was not ready. I was not ready.
I put Abbie’s Woods aside and wrote two chapters books, which now sleep peacefully in old files on my computer. Then came Picture Imperfect, published in 2015 by Ashberry Lane. (now owned by WhiteFire Publishing) After years of study, practice, and critique groups, I finally wrote a book good enough for publication. It even won a couple of awards. And so I thought, why not give Abbie’s Woods another try? I began all over again, changing the characters, adding subplots, and dropping the stilted symbolism. And now here it is!
What do I like most about Abbie’s Woods? Well, for one thing, the woods. That woods is now preserved as part of the Springwater Corridor in the Portland, Oregon area. I learned to identify plants there, including the first flower whose scientific name I learned: arenaria macrophylla. I have no idea how I can still remember that! I especially loved the birds. As a teen, I often roamed the woods with binoculars around my neck and bird book in hand. I learned to recognize bird calls: the Steller’s jay’s screech, the cheerful chickadee’s call, the “chweee” of the towhee as it scratched for seeds in the undergrowth. And the robin’s song, so peacefully filling the air on warm summer evenings. Robins were always special, and robins play an important role in Abbie’s Woods.
But the book is about more than nature. It’s about a girl trying to preserve her little world, only to learn her best efforts often backfire, that many things are not under her control. Can she learn to let go of her pain and forgive those who hurt her? And can she learn to trust God for the things she cannot control? Abbie’s struggles are not so different from those many people face, whether children or adults. I have certainly acted in ways I thought would make things better, only to find the opposite result. I have also tried to control things that are better left in God’s hands. Although the story is entirely fictional, in many ways Abbie is also me, trying to follow God but often getting lost along the way.
Yet, for Abbie as for me, no matter how dark the day, there is always light behind the clouds, always the hope that tomorrow will be better. That hope is the foundation of my faith and a thread through everything I write.
This is fantastic historical fiction with romance and privateers and action and chocolate. Esmee and Henri were two people that had to break apart and have years apart to finally know that they still loved one another. This has been one of my favorite books ever. The story flows beautifully and you will not want to put it down. It was interesting to learn how hot chocolate and other chocolates were made at this time. I also love stories that have light houses in them. I always look forward to reading books by this author and have never been dissatisfied.
I give this book a five out of five stars.
PUBLISHER DESCRIPTION
A Virginia chocolatier and a privateering sea captain 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?*****It is 1755, and the threat of war with France looms over colonial York, Virginia. Chocolatier Esmée Shaw is fighting her own battle of the heart. Having reached her twenty-eighth birthday, she is reconciled to life alone after a decade-old failed love affair from which she’s never quite recovered. But she longs to find something worthwhile to do with her life. Captain Henri Lennox has returned to port after a lengthy absence, intent on completing the lighthouse in the dangerous Chesapeake Bay, a dream he once shared with Esmée. But when the colonial government asks him to lead a secret naval expedition against the French, his future is plunged into uncertainty.
Will a war and a cache of regrets keep them apart, or can their shared vision and dedication to the colonial cause heal the wounds of the past? Bestselling and award-winning author Laura Frantz whisks you away to a time fraught with peril–on the sea and in the heart–in this redemptive, romantic story.
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