Read and enjoyed series March 30, 2023

March 30, 2023March 29, 2023 / For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

The trouble with speed reading and then allowing books to accumulate before talking about them? I’ve lost track of my thoughts and the reasons for the ratings I’ve given them. I think I enjoyed these two books from this series but I decided on four stars, not sure why.

I do remember they were worth the read anyway, especially the second one.

The Shepherd’s Voice: A Novel (Beneath Sweet Western Skies)

Gabe Talmadge languished in prison for ten years, convicted of a horrible crime. Now free, he’s unable to find work in the midst of the Great Depression. In desperation, he returns home to Ransom, Idaho, hoping his uncaring father will give him food and shelter, if not love. But the prodigal isn’t welcomed home. Hudson Talmadge, who virtually owns the town, despises his son as much as ever, and Gabe is as powerless as an adult as he was as a child to win his father’s approval.

Hungry and hopeless, Gabe is rescued by the owner of a sheep ranch south of Ransom. Incredibly, Akira Macauley gives him a place to live and work to do. More than that, she gives him hope that he can receive forgiveness of his past – and perhaps even love. But when tragedy strikes Ransom once again and Gabe’s life begins to unravel, he must either sink into an abyss of hopelessness or cling to a faith, hope, and love stronger than any he has ever known.

A Vote of Confidence: Historical Romantic Fiction (Beneath Sweet Western Skies)

Put up or shut up! Complaining about Bethlehem Springs’ dissolute mayoral candidate, Gwen Arlington is challenged to take on the role herself. For seven years, she’s carved out an independent life in the bustling mountain town of Bethlehem Springs, Idaho, teaching piano and writing for the local newspaper. But now she’s a single woman running for mayor — and in 1915 this decision is bound to stir up trouble.

Morgan McKinley is fed up with the delays that hinder the construction of New Hope Health Spa, a place where both rich and poor can come for rest and healing. New to the area, he’s determined that serving as mayor would help him push through his agenda for progress.

Gwen and Morgan each want to prove they are the most qualified candidate, not only to voters but to each other, and so sparks fly as the two campaign. Although Morgan has learned to guard his heart as fiercely as Gwen guards her independence, could they learn to be allies instead of adversaries?

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I enjoyed the next two Christmas collections although the first collection was my favorite.

Keeping Christmas: Volume One

The Lights of Castlebourne (by Cathe Swanson and Chautona Havig):

The Girl From Dalarna (by Olivia Talbott):

The Cross at Morioka Castle (by Kathleen J. Robison)

The Ghost of Christmas… (by Denise L. Barela):

Crystal Clear (by Marguerite Martin Gray):

The Weary World Rejoices (by Naomi Craig):

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Keeping Christmas: Volume Two

Escape to Greenaway (by Chautona Havig):

The King’s Promise (by Tabitha Bouldin):

A Castle for Christmas (by Susan K. Beatty):

An Irish Christmas Heart (by Jennifer Sienes):

Christmas at Curwood’s Castle (by Melissa Wardwell):

Christmas in the Cotswolds (by Stacy T. Simmons):

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I still have seven more books to mention and clear out of my device, so more tomorrow.

Now that I’m done for the moment, I’m going back to check out several bargains that looked like they could be interesting. If they are I’ll probably publish that post ahead of this one to make sure they don’t expire before we are ready. Fingers crossed. I’d like to see something fresh. Most of the choices right now have been around for a while and passed over in favor of more enticing opportunities.

Christy Barritt Bargain books March 29, 2023

March 29, 2023 / For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

Two new Christy Barritt books showed up in my search tonight, both pre-order, which is quite common for her new books. I’m definitely ready for more so the timing is good.

Fractured Lies (Lantern Beach Exposure Book 1)

Lantern Beach has seen its fair share of trouble. But the danger isn’t over yet . . .

As security agent Jonah Gray zeroes in on his current mission, he finds scientist Rachel Atwood in his crosshairs. Right before his foster brother died, he handed Jonah a slip of paper with the woman’s name on it and muttered the word “killed.” But the more Jonah gets to know Rachel, the more he’s uncertain if she’s a killer or a target.

Rachel Atwood hopes to leave trouble behind when she takes a new research position at a cosmetics company located on Lantern Beach. But things aren’t as idyllic on the coastal island as she’d assumed. Something fishy is going on at the waterfront lab, and Rachel is unsure who to trust.

When lies are exposed, Jonah and Rachel’s newfound trust is shattered. Can they pick up the fractured pieces of truth in time? Or will a killer’s devious plan destroy them both?

*****************

Shattered Whispers (Lantern Beach Exposure Book 2)

When theater owner Abby Mendez goes in after hours to work on the set for their newest production, she’s shocked to find a body behind stage. She’d just gone out to dinner with the dead man earlier that very night. Even worse, the killer is still in the building.

Blackout operative Hunter Bancroft is nearby when Abby screams, and he rushes to help her. He’s trying to build a new life for himself after the death of his wife, and Lantern Beach seems like the perfect place to do so–until he’s pulled into the chaos surrounding Abby. Yet he can’t walk away, not knowing the jeopardy she’s in.

As more dangerous incidents begin to occur, Hunter and Abby find themselves in the middle of the killer’s deadly game. But the person behind the violent acts remains a mystery–as do his motives. When the truth comes to light, will whispers from the past shatter the new starts both are desperately seeking?

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Colleen Coble has a new series out too and book one is looking interesting. I’m excited to have another one to add to the new pile. I’ll put some of the old partially read books back on hold again for a while.

Edge of Dusk (An Annie Pederson Novel Book 1)

Even though secrets lie off the coast of Rock Harbor, the truth will set Annie Pederson free—if it doesn’t kill her first. Return to the beloved town of Rock Harbor in the first installment of a new series by bestselling suspense author Colleen Coble.

Nine-year-old Annie Pederson’s life changed the night her sister was kidnapped. The two had been outside playing on a dock, and Annie never forgave herself for her role in her sister’s disappearance. Twenty-four years later and now a law enforcement ranger, Annie is still searching for answers as she grieves a new loss: the death of her husband and parents in a boating accident.

But Annie and her eight-year-old daughter, Kylie, aren’t the only people in the town of Rock Harbor whose lives have been marred by tragedy. While managing the property around the Tremolo Resort and Marina she inherited, Annie discovers a dead body floating in the cold Superior surf and begins to work with the sheriff’s office to tie the death to a series of other mysterious reports in the area.

At the same time, her first love, Jon Dustan, returns after nine years away, reigniting the town’s memory of a cold case he’d been suspiciously linked to before he left to pursue his orthopedic residency. For the sake of her investigation and her heart, Annie tries to stay away. But avoiding Jon becomes impossible once Annie realizes she is being targeted by someone desperate to keep secrets from the past hidden.

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There was another one that caught my eye but it was a thriller and I could tell by the opening pages it would be triggering and I’d never make it through. It’s a wise move to just leave it there.

Less tell, more show March 28, 2023

March 29, 2023 / For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

I wasn’t sure if I would connect with this book and sadly, I didn’t. I think it was probably a good enough story, just not for me by the looks of it. I did, at least, read the last three chapters to see how it turned out. It seemed like all the high points were covered at the end and that was good enough for me.

This is the book I had in mind with the less tell and more show comment. I felt like I was being educated and it wasn’t what I was looking for.

Shadowed by a Spy (Suspicious Shores Book 2)

When Lexie Smithfield boards the early morning Long Island train to Manhattan in 1942, she feels safe having left the threat of danger behind her at Jekyll Island. Little does she know, the four men who boarded the train with her are Nazi spies sent to wreak havoc in the United States.

Did the so-called Smithfield family curse follow her to New York?

What will happen to Lexie when she innocently befriends one of the spies and gets involved in the spy ring? And with her fiance Russell overseas, who will protect her?

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This next one is the book I thought I had in mind with the too much tell and not enough show comment but at this point I don’t think so anymore. Looking back over the chapters I can tell I didn’t read the whole book although I did read the last few chapters. I do remember that much. But I gave it four stars so I must have read enough to have an opinion.

I’m surprised and sad, given the glowing endorsements, that I didn’t love the book. Maybe another time.

The Dark Guest: A Standalone Romantic Suspense novel (The Cold War Legacy Book 1)

When Violet Lundy isn’t cleaning rooms at Happy Hills Assisted Living Facility, she loves spending her free time with resident Rainer Kopecek. Hearing his stories of the dangerous life he led behind the Iron Curtain in East Berlin makes her own life seem more tolerable. But when Rainer is found dead and his room in disarray, Violet suspects foul play.

Dr. Henry Silverton lives among his books, teaching and writing about the Cold War. A letter about an East German traitor known only as “The Wolf” propels Henry out of academia and into Violet’s life. Together, they embark on a perilous quest to uncover the truth about Rainer’s death and the traitor’s identity.

Can Violet and Henry uncover the secrets of the past before one of them ends up as The Wolf’s next victim?

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This is another one I couldn’t get into and didn’t rate. I did read the last couple of chapters with this one too, to see how it ended. I’ve read and enjoyed other books by this author so I’m not adding him to the dislike list. It is not a bad book, it just wasn’t for me at this moment. Maybe it was the archaeology element that I found boring.

Promised Land (A Chosen People Novel Book 2)

Despite their Israeli citizenship, Hana and Daud cannot safely return to their homeland because a dangerous terrorist ring is threatening Daud. Hana is perfectly fine remaining in the United States, working for a law firm in Atlanta, especially when she learns she’s pregnant. But Daud can’t shake the draw to return home to Israel, even if it makes him a walking target.

Hana is helping her boss plan a huge summit in Atlanta when Jakob Brodsky, her old friend and former co-litigator, asks for her help with a case. His client is attempting to recover ancient artifacts stolen from his Jewish great-grandfather at the end of World War II. Because the case crosses several national borders, he needs Hana’s knowledge and skill to get to the bottom of what happened to these precious artifacts.

Meanwhile, Daud is called in to help a US intelligence agency extract a Ukrainian doctor from a dangerous situation in Egypt. While overseas, he can’t resist the call of Jerusalem and thus sets off a series of events that puts thousands of people in danger, including his wife and unborn child.

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On the bright side, there are still books I loved on the read-and-enjoyed but not-yet-shared list. I was hoping to give all of them more attention than usual but I’m falling behind faster this way, not keeping up at all. It’s a good thing I’m not reading quite as many lately as I was, the list would be even longer.

Maybe I’ll dump the whole pile tomorrow. Just a thought.

Books read and enjoyed March 25, 2023

March 25, 2023 / For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

I wasn’t sure about choosing strictly Romance novels for the most recent downloads but they turned out to be a very good choice. Great characters and well thought out story lines in all of them.

Hooked By Love: The Pattern of Piney Series Book One

This one earned a solid 5 stars for keeping me up reading half the night. I loved the quirky and brokenhearted Reesa. In spite of her pain she had a soft heart that was determined to provide for and protect her fatherless daughter. She couldn’t help herself, she had to be there for anyone else crossing her path too, including the fierce bear of a neighbor. He didn’t know what to do with her spontaneous and tight hugs. His grandmother said Reesa was good for him and set out to dabble in a little matchmaking.

Synopsis.

Determined to provide a wonderful life for her daughter, single mom, Reesa Tate, makes a gutsy move to a cabin in the forests of Piney, Arkansas. Not only is it a short distance away from her estranged parents, but it’s overseen by an odd man that she can’t quite figure out.

Theodore Whitley grew up in Piney. After his dreams of playing college ball were shattered, he found himself sliding into a comfortable life in his hometown. A comfortable and quiet life, at least, until Reesa Tate shows up. Something about the woman gets under his skin, and Theo finds the more he gets to know her, the more he doesn’t mind.

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The Secret Life of Lady Evangeline (Secrets Book 1)

Another book I couldn’t bear to put down. It was all because of the awesome characters — and the hazardous lives they lived. Plus, having what it took to meet the challenges only added to their allure. At the beginning Robin Hood is a lady and so are her merry men. As days went on, though, their eyes were opened to the reality of threats on their lives and their property. That’s when things changed.

Fierce warriors were sorely needed . I couldn’t help but hold my breath and cheer them on.

This story wasn’t strictly Romance but it was well loved.

Synopsis

Everyone believes Lady Evangeline is dead…her survival depends on it.

If not for Lady Evangeline’s secret training in weaponry, her corpse would be rotting in a ditch. Instead, she finds refuge in a crumbling abbey—and new purpose. With her child dead and her husband lost to the lies of a devious plotter, Evangeline vows to fight for the starving widows and children in the villages surrounding the abbey. Masquerading as a nun by day, and an armed vigilante by night, she will free these people no matter what it takes.

Lord Henry Stanton still grieves the death of Evangeline. How can he ever shed the weight of guilt over not protecting his beautiful wife? She never even had the chance to know their precious baby girl, now healthy and thriving. Though he failed to keep Evangeline safe, he will stop at nothing to protect their daughter from the intrigue and corruption threatening not just the royal court, but the whole land.

When the worst happens, Henry must join forces with a nun—or is she Evangeline? They must overcome lies, treachery, and a broken marriage to save their innocent daughter—and the country—before it’s too late.

******************

I’m currently reading another Romance book I can’t put down. I’ll tell about it soon.

Continuing PTSD conversation

March 23, 2023 / For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

Things are changing.

This is but another small part in my story as an adult survivor of child abuse.

I’m going to jump right in and say that as a child I compartmentalized to survive. My mind took charge and was very careful about what thoughts were allowed to linger. For sure there were never any questions asked. Never any attempts to figure out the why. As an adult this practice continued for decades. The doors securely locked in the vault of my mind. In recent years things have changed and my mind has opened to the possibility of seeing and examining the truth. A very freeing experience, I’m finding.

Many moments of realization and insight are beginning to add up to something that feels huge and life changing.

Recently, I started reading a book that suggests that: the best way to figure out what your future should look like, you need to go back and write your story. The author makes the case that most of us have never looked beyond basic facts to see the heart of who we are and what makes us who we are. He suggests that if we ever did look back in this way we would begin to make different choices for our future. And we would be happier for it. I think he’s right.

I’m beginning to look at my life in this way and there have been some startling revelations.Today, I am thinking about how to write about it, as he suggested. I think it will take the size of a book to fit it all in.

This morning I’ve been basking in gratefulness for the latest clear moment of insight. It’s covers a part of my life I’ve never written about, and now that I see what a treasure it truly is – it needs to be fully explored.

If I could pick a song that expresses the current new stage of my life, this song would be it.

“I can see clearly now, the rain has gone. I can see all obstacles in my way. Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind. It’s gonna be a bright, bright, sunshiny day …”

“… I can make it now the pain is gone. All of the bad feelings have disappeared…”

*******

The song of my heart these days.

Bargain books March 23, 2023

March 23, 2023 / For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

Do you ever feel like hiding from the world? That’s how I’ve been feeling, and behaving lately. Hiding from as much of the world as I can. I’ve even been in the process of letting this blog go. Things have changed and for some reason we don’t have the traffic we once did. I’m feeling like what’s the use? Until tonight, for just a moment or so, I wanted to make an effort.

With one of today’s suggestion emails I was drawn into checking out some bargains and came across a couple of romance type books that will be a light read. There was one catching my eye and I decided to download it but not bother sharing.

I can’t tell if people like the lightweight romance novels or feel they are a waste of time. I’m inclined to assume most people think they are a waste of time and resist bothering with downloading them.

I read through the first chapter or so of this book, looked at a few more suggestions and found another similar book but with a different author. I thought why not? and decided to download both books, just for me.

I intended to just walk away after hitting the buy button but then I remembered. One purpose of the blog was to keep track of the books I buy. If I quit, then what? So here I am sharing my finds with you once again, anyway. I can’t say I’m unhappy with the decision. It actually feels good to do this. My heart feels a little lighter and I want to smile.

Connection with another person, or two or three, has an unexpected positive impact on our emotional well being. I know we don’t have an actual connection but I’m sharing my heart, that’s important, and if you are reading this you are hearing my heart. Hopefully it’s a positive experience for you too. Maybe you feel encouraged and want to smile too. I hope so.

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Anyway, here are my finds for today.

The Loner’s Wife: Small Town Bachelors – Book 2

They said she had burnout, but she had lost so much more…

Gloria Danvers is a planner and a numbers woman. She has a tragedy she can’t reconcile, so she’s decided to walk away from her six-figure job, corporate politics, and finance finagling to be a Yoga instructor. Starting over can be costly and after she just invested in her brother’s new business her funds are low to start her Yoga studio. When she tries to get funding her past comes back demanding to be dealt with.

They thought he was eccentric; he was waiting for someone who saw him

Reid Chance understood that love was a precursor to abandonment and pain. His mom loved someone so much he and his sister landed in foster care. His ex-girlfriend loved his money and left when she found out he wanted a prenup before marriage. He funded startups but he was at home on the land with his horses wallowing in the peace, until a woman with a plan makes him reconsider the love equation.

Neither one of them wanted to deal with the past, but they’ll have to settle old accounts if they want the payout of love.

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Before I get to the second book I found there is a free book from this first author that looks interesting and is new to me. Another good opportunity.

Finding Home: Hidden Treasures Book 1

Everett Stansi had gotten all of his dreams except one. Now that
Ava Pearson was divorced maybe he’d have a chance at that dream too.

A treasure worth having is a treasure worth fighting for.

Nothing moves gossip quicker than a good-looking man taking up with a discarded gem.
That’s what Ava’s friends call her, a true gem. But Ava can’t see how that’s true when
her marriage of twenty years ends. She’s not finding much to shine about these days.
Until she finds friendship with a man who really sees her…Everett.

But as their relationship grows, so do the tales. Gossip is fierce around here.
And their careers and reputations hang on what those gossipers say. Will the tale-tellers
find gold in their story, or trash?

Everett is the only man in Treasure, California, who can see the gem she truly is.

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Last but not least…this is an author new to me. I’m not sure what to expect but I’m hopeful.

Hooked By Love: The Pattern of Piney Series Book One

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These books will provide a relaxing less intense read for a change and I’ll admit I’m looking forward to it.

This has been a good night. It has turned out to be a pleasant interlude, one I’m happy not to have missed out on.

I hope this will mean Happy Reading for you too.

Bargain books March 17, 2023

March 17, 2023 / For the Love of Books / 1 Comment

Here we are again. This day didn’t seem too promising, just the way the last few have been, until I stumbled over something that looked intriguing. Medieval is a nice change from our usual Regency fare. As far as I can tell this author is also unknown to me. I think it’s always a welcome gift to meet and experience another author.

The Secret Life of Lady Evangeline (Secrets Book 1)

If not for Lady Evangeline’s secret training in weaponry, her corpse would be rotting in a ditch. Instead, she finds refuge in a crumbling abbey—and new purpose. With her child dead and her husband lost to the lies of a devious plotter, Evangeline vows to fight for the starving widows and children in the villages surrounding the abbey. Masquerading as a nun by day, and an armed vigilante by night, she will free these people no matter what it takes.

Lord Henry Stanton still grieves the death of Evangeline. How can he ever shed the weight of guilt over not protecting his beautiful wife? She never even had the chance to know their precious baby girl, now healthy and thriving. Though he failed to keep Evangeline safe, he will stop at nothing to protect their daughter from the intrigue and corruption threatening not just the royal court, but the whole land.

When the worst happens, Henry must join forces with a nun—or is she Evangeline? They must overcome lies, treachery, and a broken marriage to save their innocent daughter—and the country—before it’s too late.

********************

Another book popping up for me today looks promising. I’m hearing that distressed young people are searching for meaningful connections with God. Max Lucado has been a popular and well loved author for years and has a way of making God real to us. One of his books is available at a special rate today. It talks about having hope in this turbulent and distressing world we live it. We all need a little of it, or maybe a lot of it, these days and I’m hoping this book will help with that.

Unshakable Hope Devotional: Building Our Lives on the Promises of God

What kind of life are you building?

Do you want to be unshakable in a shaky world?

You can build your life on the enduring promises of God.

If you have a problem, God has a promise. These promises stand the test of time, and they weather life’s biggest storms. In this special companion devotional based on the teaching series, Unshakable Hope by Max Lucado, Max will guide you through the powerful promises found in God’s word and show you how to make them your own. You can go from knowing God’s promises to believing God’s promises.

In this life, we will face trials and storms, but it is in our toughest moments that God’s promises prove themselves true. Because God’s promises are unbreakable, our hope can be unshakable. We have an airtight, holy contract with Him. When the world rages around you, you can stand with Unshakable Hope.

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It has been nice to be back with a few suggestions after yet another of my many breaks from daily blogging. I’ve often been absent from this site but haven’t stopped reading, and will be back soon to share some of the books I’ve finished.

I hope you are still reading as well. There are so many great benefits to be had from this enjoyable activity.

Happy Reading!

Bargain book March 13, 2023

March 13, 2023 / For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

It has been awhile since we’ve met like this.

It feels like forever since the last time we had a new book to add to our reading list and I’m excited to see one today. Not only is it a new book but it’s a new-to-me author as well. The endorsements look encouraging.

The Dark Guest: A Standalone Christian Romantic Suspense novel (The Cold War Legacy Book 1)

Can Violet and Henry uncover the secrets of the past before one of them ends up as The Wolf’s next victim?

*******************

There are still slim pickings when it comes to bargain books this morning. It seems they go in cycles and this is the downstroke.

I have several books on the go when it comes to reading. You know how that goes, the cream of the crop has been exhausted and the rest are not as compelling at this moment. Maybe it’s just me and the place I’m at these days. What appeals some days doesn’t appeal today. Whatever it is I’m determined to finish them. I take comfort in knowing I’m probably not alone in this state of affairs.

Here are the three I’m currently bouncing between.

Well that is not working so well for me.

The first one, it turns out, is not available on Kindle any more. I purchased it in 2015 but haven’t read it and now when I search for the picture and descriptive blurb it is unavailable without a deep dive. At least it is still contained in my library of books and there is a blurb available about the paperback. Books come and they go, it looks like. Probably more often than we know.

When trusting others only leads to pain and rejection, and loving ends only in loss, what will it take to restore hope again? Shamed by the uncovered truth about her missing husband’s secret life, Cora Buchanan sets out on a road trip for home to mend her broken relationship with her parents. When her car breaks down, she’s stranded in a small Georgia town. While staying at the struggling Southern Hope Ranch, she meets little Susie O’Reilly, who unexpectedly fills a void in Cora’s heart. But Rex, Susie’s rugged cowboy father who lost his wife a year earlier, seems to go out of his way to either confront or avoid Cora.

It doesn’t help her comfort level that the news continues to report missing and murdered women in the area. Cora has no idea just how close to home the crimes will hit…or how much the sweet sound of the meadowlark’s song at the ranch will impact her future. Plunge into pure romance with a twist of mystery. Set in the charm of contemporary small-town Georgia. By the beloved author of To Dance Once More.

So, it looks like Sherri has written other books and there is still an Intertwined series of three or four books but Song of the Meadowlark is no longer part of it.That’s probably why it has disappeared. Maybe at some point I will run across her again. to check out the series.

I can see why it has been removed, the serial killer aspect is not a strong part of the story. It would take a complete overhaul to make that happen. It was probably less work to leave it start over.

Here are the other two I’m working on. One is non-fiction.

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I’ll be back if anything else shows up.

Happy reading.

Read and enjoyed March 02, 2023

March 2, 2023 / For the Love of Books / Leave a comment

It’s that time again. Time to clear out the big pile of enjoyed books. There is one thing very different about the list this time though.

I found myself giving out an unprecedented number of five stars. I’m not sure what I was thinking except that I couldn’t come up with a good reason not to.

Maybe it has something to do with downloading fewer books. Choosing to be more selective. Whatever it is I’m liking it.

My favorite stories all have something different about them. Not a whiff of familiarity. This first one had that brand new smell. Of course there were elements similar to other stories but the way it was all put together was new. The rest were just as good, each in their own way.

A Castaway in Cornwall

Set adrift on the tides of fate by the deaths of her parents and left wanting answers, Laura Callaway now lives with her uncle and his disapproving wife in North Cornwall. There she feels like a castaway, always viewed as an outsider even as she yearns to belong.

While wreckers search for valuables along the windswept Cornwall coast–known for its many shipwrecks but few survivors–Laura searches for clues to the lives lost so she can write letters to next of kin and return keepsakes to rightful owners. When a man is washed ashore after a wreck, Laura acts quickly to protect him from a local smuggler determined to destroy him.

As Laura and a neighbor care for the survivor, they discover he has curious wounds and, although he speaks in careful, educated English, his accent seems odd. Other clues wash ashore, and Laura soon realizes he is not who he seems to be. Despite the evidence against him, the mysterious man might provide her only chance to discover the truth about her parents’ fate. With danger pursuing them from every side, and an unexpected attraction growing between them, will Laura ever find the answers she seeks?

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The Legacy of Rose Bodeen (Silver Cross Ranch Legacy Series Book 1)

Imagine opening a long-forgotten trunk to find diaries written by your foremothers. Four generations of thoughts, heartaches, challenges and triumphs. What lessons did they write inside the yellowed pages? What lessons could they gift you now?

THE LEGACY OF ROSE BODEEN – Book One of the Silver Cross Ranch Legacy

Rose Bodeen is a hard-living kind of girl who can out-ride any hand on the ranch. After being jilted, she sets out for adventure and finds it with Bill Cody’s Wild West Extravaganza. Yet the land draws her back like warm sun draws flowers from the ground in spring, just as her sweet Mama said it would the day she rode away. With matter-of-fact conviction and bull-headed determination, she strives to survive during the fast-changing times that follow—The Great War, the fight for a women’s right to vote, the Industrial Revolution, the high-kicking Roaring Twenties followed by the Great Depression and yet another devastating world war. She celebrates thrilling triumphs and endures deep tragedies, along with losses that go hand-in-hand with loving. With hard-won faith, Rose comes to accept what she calls God’s anvil time that hammers and hones her into all she’s meant to be.

***********************

Edgewater Road (The Rumors in Ross County Series Book 1)

The first in a new series from New York Times bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray, Edgewater Road invites us into a world of family mysteries, small-town secrets, and perhaps a little romance along the way.

When Jennifer Smiley’s grandmother, Ginny, leaves her an old farmhouse on Edgewater Road in seemingly quiet Ross County, Ohio, Jennifer can’t pass up the opportunity for a new beginning. Almost immediately she meets a group of men who generously help her move in. When she realizes that they work for Lincoln Bennett, her next-door neighbor, she’s intrigued. Lincoln is gorgeous and has dark, lapis-blue eyes she could get lost in … but he doesn’t seem all that friendly. She’s torn between getting to know him and sticking with the solitude she knows so well. Maybe she could let down some of those walls she’s built around her emotions?

Lincoln Bennett likes to keep his head down and get his work done. He’s been to prison and he knows that a lot of folks don’t take kindly to a man with that kind of history. Plus, he’s busy helping other ex-cons get back on their feet. But when he meets Jennifer, he can’t help but feel an instant attraction. Will she be able to look past his unsavory history? Will she be able to accept the men he’s working so hard to help?

While Jennifer gets to know Lincoln and his friends, she also begins to unravel her grandmother’s story, putting together the pieces from scraps of memories and things she finds in her new home. She soon discovers that Ginny Smiley harbored some dark secrets on Edgewater Road—and that those secrets include both Lincoln and her own absent father. Is learning the truth worth the heartache it could bring?

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The rest , we will run through them quickly. The were all excellent reads though.