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Showing posts with the label Historical fiction

The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate

From the #1  New York Times  bestselling author of  Before We Were Yours  comes a new historical novel: the dramatic story of three young women searching for family amid the destruction of the post–Civil War South, and of a modern-day teacher who learns of their story and its vital connection to her students’ lives. Bestselling author Lisa Wingate brings to life startling stories from actual “Lost Friends” advertisements that appeared in Southern newspapers after the Civil War, as newly freed slaves desperately searched for loved ones who had been sold away. Louisiana, 1875:  In the tumultuous era of Reconstruction, three young women set off as unwilling companions on a perilous quest: Hannie, a freed slave; Lavinia, the pampered heir to a now destitute plantation; and Juneau Jane, Lavinia’s Creole half sister. Each carries private wounds and powerful secrets as they head for Texas, following roads rife with vigilantes and soldiers still fighting a war lost a...

A Silken Thread by Kim Vogel Sawyer

For readers who love a heartwarming romance and a rich historical setting comes a tale of a young woman with a heavy burden, the International Cotton Exposition, and the pursuit of true love. Eighteen-year-old Laurel Millard, youngest of seven children, is expected to stay home and "take care of Mama" by her older siblings, but Laurel has dreams of starting her own family. Operating a silk loom at the Atlanta Exposition will give her the chance to capture the heart of a man wealthy enough to take care of Laurel and any children she might bear, as well as her mother. Langdon Rochester's parents have given him an ultimatum: settle down with a wife or lose his family inheritance. At the Exposition, Langdon meets Laurel. Marrying her would satisfy his parents's command, she would look lovely on his arm for social events, and in her besotted state, he believes she would overlook him continuing pursuing rowdy adventures with his unmarried buddies. Langdon decides to woo La...

Castle on the Rise Blog Tour

A storied castle. A band of rebels. A nation chasing a centuries-old dream of freedom. And three women who rise above it all . . . When Laine Forrester travels overseas to attend her best friend’s vineyard wedding, she expects to find the bride on the brink of a fairy tale life. But after a series of unforeseen setbacks, it seems the storybook lives they’d imagined are suddenly ripping apart. With hopes of resurrecting a happy ending, Laine agrees to accompany the newlyweds to the groom’s home in Ireland—never expecting she’d be the one drawn in by its wide-open moors, backroads bordering the Irish Sea, and a mysterious castle that dares to keep its secrets hidden. From the storied streets of Dublin to the shores of the Emerald Isle, Laine is drawn in to the land and its rich history. The castle ruins whisper stories of Issy—a photojournalist battling through the 1916 Easter Rising, and Maeve—the castle’s lady of

The Thief of Corinth by Tessa Afshar

First-century Corinth is a city teeming with commerce and charm. It's also filled with danger and corruption-the perfect setting for Ariadne's greatest adventure. After years spent living with her mother and oppressive grandfather in Athens, Ariadne runs away to her father's home in Corinth, only to discover the perilous secret that destroyed his marriage: though a Greek of high birth, Galenos is the infamous thief who has been robbing the city's corrupt of their ill-gotten gains. Desperate to keep him safe, Ariadne risks her good name, her freedom, and the love of the man she adores to become her father's apprentice. As her unusual athletic ability leads her into

The Ringmasters Wife by Kristy Cambron

What is revealed when you draw back the curtain of the Greatest Show on Earth? Rosamund Easling is no stranger to opulence. As the daughter of an earl, she’s grown up with every comfort money can buy. But when hard times befall the family’s Yorkshire estate in the aftermath of the Great War, Rosamund’s father sells her beloved horse, setting the stage for a series of events that would extend beyond even her wildest dreams. Though expected to marry for a title instead of love, Rosamund feels called to a different life – one of adventure outside the confines of a ladies’ parlor. She abandons all she’s known and follows in pursuit as her horse is shipped to the new owner – an American entertainer by the name of John Ringling. Once introduced to the Ringling Brothers’ circus and knowing she has much to learn,

Starving Hearts by Janine Mendenhall - Includes a GIVEAWAY

When a chance encounter leads to love, can Annette and Peter overcome the odds or will they be forever separated? This is the first time I have read a book by Janine Mendenhall, but I found it captivating, infuriating, and difficult to put down especially as we got closer to the end of the book. The main characters consist of a young girl, Annette, who is struggling to find her "way in the world" after being a bit spoiled by her father, and attacked by a stranger. Her rescuer, Peter Adsley, is a pastor who wants nothing more than to minister to those in need and find a suitable wife to share his life. Both of them are struggling to identify God's hand in all that happens in their lives, and trust Him in spite of their circumstances. Every time things seem to get better, they take a turn for the worse. God's plan is bigger and growing them into the people He wants them to become. 

The Mapmaker’s Children By SARAH MCCOY

When Sarah Brown, daughter of abolitionist John Brown, realizes that her artistic talents may be able to help save the lives of slaves fleeing north, she becomes one of the Underground Railroad’s leading mapmakers, taking her cues from the slave code quilts and hiding her maps within her paintings. She boldly embraces this calling after being told the shocking news that she can’t bear children, but as the country steers toward bloody civil war, Sarah faces difficult sacrifices that could put all she loves in peril.    Eden, a modern woman desperate to conceive a child with her husband, moves to an old house in the suburbs and discovers a porcelain head hidden in the root cellar—the remains of an

The Confessions of X by Suzanne M. Wolfe

Before he became the sainted church father of Christianity, Augustine of Hippo began a love affair with a young woman whose name has been lost to history. They were together for over thirteen years, and she bore him a son. This is her story. She met Augustine in Carthage when she was just seventeen years old. She was the daughter of a tile-layer. He was a student and the heir to a fortune. They fell in love, despite her lower station and Augustine’s dreams of greatness. Their passion was strong, but the only position in his life that was available to her was as his concubine. When Augustine’s ambition and family compelled him to disown his relationship with the her, X was thrust into a devastating reality as she was torn from her son and sent away to her native Africa.

Patriots, Redcoats and Spies by Robert J. Skead

When Revolutionary War Patriot, Lamberton Clark, is shot by British soldiers while on a mission for the Continental Army, he has only two hopes of getting the secret message he’s carrying to General George Washington: his 14-year-old twin boys John and Ambrose. Upon discovering that their father is a spy in the Culper Spy Ring, the boys accept their mission without a clue about what they may be up against. They set off from Connecticut to New Jersey to find General Washington, but the road to the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army is full of obstacles; including the man who shot their father who is hot on their trail.

Awakening by Tracy Higley - A Review

Kallie Andreas is a mystery, even to herself.   Seven years ago Kallie woke up in a New York City museum, injured and traumatized. Alone and unclaimed. Despite her shattered memories, she's worked her way into a position as assistant curator in that very museum, and now she wants nothing more than to pursue funding for her project--assembling pieces from the ancient Minoans. But then the blackouts start. Lost time, stranded in terrifying danger, frantic visions that can't be real. A threatening phone call may be nothing more than paranoia and madness. Or perhaps not. It's time to start seeing her psychiatrist more often.

The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn by Lori Benton

About the Book Western North Carolina, 1787 To escape a threatening stepfather and an unwanted marriage, Tamsen Littlejohn enlists the aid of Jesse Bird, a frontiersman she barely knows, to spirit her away from Morganton, North Carolina, west beyond the Blue Ridge Mountains. Trouble pursues, as the two men intent on seeing her recovered prove relentless in their hunt. Trouble awaits in the form of a divided frontier community. Across the mountains the State of Franklin has been declared, yet many settlers remain loyal to North Carolina. Chaos reigns, thwarting Tamsen and Jesse's hastily cobbled plan to keep her safe.

Circle of Spies by Roseanna M. White - A Review

I received this book in exchange for a review. No other compensation given. Have a love for history? This one's for you! 1865—Marietta Hughes never wanted to be a spy, but the family legacy of espionage is thrust upon her as the War Between the States rolls on. Unknown to her, the Knights of the Golden Circle—a Confederate secret society bent on destroying the Union her brother died for—has been meeting in a hidden lair beneath her home. Faced with the secrets of her late husband and his brother, whom she thought she could trust with anything, Marietta’s world tilts out of control. Can she right it by protecting a Union agent infiltrating the KGC? Slade Osborne, an undercover Pinkerton agent, is determined to do whatever is necessary to end the conflict between the North and the South. When he infiltrates this secret cell, it isn’t just their inner workings that baffle him—it’s the beautiful woman who seems to be a puppet for the new leader and yet…so much more. Do the...

Echoes of Mercy by Kim Vogel Sawyer - Review

Sometimes a secret must be kept for the truth to be revealed. When a suspicious accident occurs at the famous Dinsmore Chocolate Factory in Sinclair, Kansas, Caroline Lang goes undercover as a factory worker to investigate the circumstances surrounding the event and how the factory treats its youngest employees—the child workers. Caroline’s fervent faith, her difficult childhood, and compassionate heart drove her to her job as an investigator for the Labor Commission and she is compelled to see children freed from such heavy adult responsibilities, to allow them to pursue an education.

Traces of Mercy by Michael Landon Jr and Cindy Kelley - Review

A post Civil War Romance filled with faith values and suspense by Love Comes Softly's producer - Michael Landon At the war's end, a young woman suffers an accident that leaves her unconscious and alone. Waking with amnesia, she takes the name Mercy and wants more than anything to find out the truth of her past. But then a handsome stranger arrives, who may hold the key to everything she has forgotten. What he knows could devastate her future, and even end her life.

The Redcoats Are Coming by Marianne Hering

The following post contains some advertisement for publisher. "If they capture you, they can hang you for treason," Paul Revere said. Join cousins Patrick and Beth on a patriotic adventure set in 1775, Concord, Massachusetts. They have a simple mission: to deliver a letter to Paul Revere. They arrive just in time to meet founding fathers John Hancock and Samuel Adams. They also meet a teen girl named Sybil. She's collecting musket balls for the Patriots and is on the lookout for Loyalist spies.

What Hurricane? Solar Powered History on a Supply Ship to Jamestown by Alana Terry - Review

The following post contains some advertisement. The author provided me with an e-book in exchange for my review. After Benson, O’Malley, and I returned from our trip to the Granada Relocation Center, Dad started working on the solar-powered history machine to make it better than ever. It took us awhile to decide where our next adventure would take us, but finally my brothers and I settled on exploring some family history from way back in the 1600s!

The Miner's Lady by Tracie Peterson - Review

Disclosure: I received this book in exchange for my review. The following post contains some advertisement. When Chantel Panetta's younger sister claims to be in love with Orlando Calarco, Chantel knows there is no hope. The Panettas and Calarcos have been sworn enemies for decades, and young love cannot heal the deep wounds between the two iron-mining families. Yet, unable to resist Isabella's pleas, Chantel agrees to help her sister spend time with Orlando...only to have a run-in with

WHISPERS from the SHADOWS by Roseanna White - Review

Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my review. The following post contains some book advertisement. I love her...can I trust her?                             I love him... is he safe? This exciting and adventurous romantic spy novel is the second book in an exciting series by Roseanna M. White. Whispers from the Shadows combines fascinating cloak-and-dagger secrets with a tale of love and intrigue during the War of 1812. Treachery causes Gwyneth Fairchild’s world to crumble. The daughter of a British general, she barely saves her life by fleeing London aboard a ship to America. Her goal is to find refuge with the Lane family in Maryland, having been told by her father she could implicitly trust Winter and Bennet Lane, even though their nations are once again at war. After meeting their son, Thad, she w...

DARK ROAD HOME by Elizabeth Ludwig - Review

Disclosure: I received this book in exchange for my review. The following post contains advertisement The nightmares of her past have found Ana Kavanogh an ocean away. Ana Kavanogh's memories of Ireland are mostly of fire and pain. As a girl she survived a blaze that left her an orphan, scarred and angry at God. Now in New York Ana find a kindred spirit in Eoghan Hamilton, who's struggling with his own anger. His twin sister, Cara, betrayed him by falling in love with his enemy. Both of their lives in danger,

Most Peculiar Circumstance by Jen Turano - Review

FTC required disclosure: I received this book in exchange for my opinion. This post contains some book advertising. Miss Arabella Beckett has one driving passion: to help the downtrodden women of America. Naturally, she supports the women's suffrage movement and eagerly attends rallies and lectures across the country. On her travels, she makes a simple offer of assistance to a young woman in need that goes sadly awry and lands both ladies in more trouble than they can manage. An independent sort,