by Crystal Caudill | Nov 14, 2023 | Book Reviews
The Lady of Bolton Hill
by Elizabeth Camden
Review:
I haven’t read all of Elizabeth Camden’s books yet, but so far, I have to say this one is my favorite. While the hero is a difficult man to love, the profoundness of the spiritual arc, not just for him but for other key characters, just totally blew away. The prologue was a must-read if you are to make it through the rest of the book and understand how Clara and Daniel could like each other, so don’t skip it. It’s a story of how vengeance destroys and kills and how forgiveness heals–but it’s so much more than that. One of the most impactful and complicated characters was Bane–a villain of all people.
The historical details of this story are immaculate, as always. I felt right there in the story while also learning so much. The romance was a true struggle of loving someone who wasn’t who they once were and yet fighting for them because you know who they can be. The familial relationships are complicated, broken, and realistic. There are just so many layers to this story that I know I will find new things when I read it again.
Recommended for fans of Historical romance, friends to more, redemption stories, antiheroes who grow into true heroes, and women in unusual professions (reporter during the 1880s).
Genre: Historical Romance, Gilded Age
Plot:
Female journalists are rare in 1879, but American born Clara Endicott has finally made a name for herself with her provocative articles championing London’s poor. When the backlash from her work forces a return home to Baltimore, Clara finds herself face to face with a childhood sweetheart who is no longer the impoverished factory worker she once knew. In her absence, Daniel Tremain has become a powerful industry giant and Clara finds him as enigmatic as ever. However, Daniel’s success is fueled by resentment from past wounds and Clara’s deeply held beliefs about God’s grace force Daniel to confront his own motives. When Clara’s very life is endangered by one of Daniel’s adversaries, they must face a reckoning neither of them ever could have foreseen.
Author Website: https://elizabethcamden.com/
Purchase Link: Amazon | Baker Book House | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook | GoodReads
What is the most recent book you’ve read? What did you like about it? Who would you recommend it to?
by Crystal Caudill | Aug 15, 2023 | Book Reviews
To Disguise the Truth
by Jen Turano
Review:
I waited far too long to finish this series, but I am so glad that I finally got around to it. Eunice’s story was just as intriguing as it promised to be. With a wide variety of settings, action, suspense, and an enemy-to-lovers trope, it proved a page-turning (or sit in my car an extra few minutes inducing) read. I definitely recommend it for fans of Gilded Age stories, detective-type stories, romance, and heroines who stand on their own.
Genre: Historical Romance, Gilded Age
Plot:
When a man arrives at the Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency, anxious to hire them to find a missing heiress, Eunice Holbrooke realizes her past has finally caught up with her . . . and that she may no longer be able to hide under the disguise that has kept her safe for so long.
Arthur Livingston’s goal in life is to make his mark on the world as a mining industrialist, but after the man who could help him achieve his goal is murdered, Arthur feels compelled to seek justice for the family–but he’s left with more questions than answers after the eccentric Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency refuses to take on his case.
Desperate to conceal her real identity and avoid the irritatingly handsome Arthur, Eunice takes on a different case that requires her to go deep undercover and entangles her in one troublesome situation after another. When other secrets come to light, Eunice has no choice but to confront her past, hopeful that it will set her free but knowing it could very well place her life–and the lives of those she loves–in jeopardy.
Author Website: https://jenturano.com/
Purchase Link: Amazon | Baker Book House | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook
What is the most recent book you’ve read? What did you like about it? Who would you recommend it to?
by Crystal Caudill | Sep 8, 2020 | Book Reviews
The House at the End of the Moor by Michelle Griep
This has been one of the hardest reviews I’ve ever written and thus will be a little different than normal.
I have been a long-time fanatical fan of Michelle Griep and couldn’t wait to read this book. However, when I received it, I discovered she’d changed up her writing style, which for most people doesn’t matter, but for me made it impossible to fully enjoy. The heroine is written in first person present. I struggle with first-person in general, add in the present tense, and no matter how many times I tried, I couldn’t sink into the story. I spent several months revisiting and retrying, but in the end, I just gave up.
If first person present doesn’t bother you, this story will be another one of Michelle Griep’s great reads. Her depth of character, storyline, and spiritual aspect seemed spot on. (I did skim through the story to get an idea of the plot and understand all the praise that was being given for it.) I will always recommend Michelle Griep’s books, and she will remain my favorite author as far as her previous books go, and I will keep watching her new releases in hopes of the day she returns to the third person style I loved.
Because I bought an extra copy beside my ARC, I am doing a giveaway of the extra print copy so that you might have the chance to read the book and enjoy it. Just because it wasn’t my favorite doesn’t mean you won’t love it. 🙂 To enter, you must be a contiguous United States resident, leave a comment here on the blog (see the question below), and provide your email. I recommend using this format: name (at) someplace (dot) com. This giveaway will end Sunday, September 13th at midnight Eastern Standard Time. Winner will be announced on Tuesday’s blog post and contacted by email. 🙂
I apologize to my international readers, I promise another give away will be coming soon that will open to you as well.
ANSWER: What has been your favorite read this year? (Don’t forget to include your email.)
The House at the End of the Moor by Michelle Griep
What Can a London Opera Star and an Escaped Dartmoor Prisoner Have in Common?
Opera star Maggie Lee escapes her opulent lifestyle when threatened by a powerful politician who aims to ruin her life. She runs off to the wilds of the moors to live in anonymity. All that changes the day she discovers a half-dead man near her house. Escaped convict Oliver Ward is on the run to prove his innocence, until he gets hurt and is taken in by Maggie. He discovers some jewels in her possession—the very same jewels that got him convicted. Together they hatch a plan to return the jewels, clearing Oliver’s name and hopefully maintaining Maggie’s anonymity.
by Crystal Caudill | Jun 16, 2020 | Book Reviews
The Spice King by Elizabeth Camden
Elizabeth Camden’s books never fail to astound me with the depth and breadth of her research, and the Spice King was no different. The historical depth was astounding, having a deep understanding of political history, its impact on the food production industry, and the lives of vastly different characters. The amount of research she must have completed in order to bring this part of history to life must have filled a public library building if combined together. In addition to that, the character development of Gray Delacroix was extraordinary. I haven’t read his personality type developed so well and likable before. It was truly a fascinating story with a solid and believable romance line.
If you love a story steeped with a rich history, fully developed characters, and a love story which stands the test of deep personal and political struggles, you will enjoy The Spice King.
Genre:Â Historical Romance, Washington D.C., 1900
Plot Overview:
Gray Delacroix has dedicated his life to building his very successful global spice empire, but it has come at a cost. Resolved to salvage his family before it spirals out of control, he returns to his ancestral home to save his brother and sister before it’s too late.
As a junior botanist for the Smithsonian, Annabelle Larkin has been charged with the impossible task of gaining access to the notoriously private Delacroix plant collection. If she fails, she will be out of a job and the family farm in Kansas will go under. She has no idea that in gaining entrance to the Delacroix world, she will unwittingly step into a web of dangerous political intrigue far beyond her experience.
Unable to deny her attraction to the reclusive business tycoon, Annabelle will be forced to choose between her heart and loyalty to her country. Can Gray and Annabelle find a way through the storm of scandal without destroying the family Gray is fighting to save?
What I loved: The historical depth continues to blow me away. Every aspect of life in 1900 was thoroughly researched and communicated in such a way as to bring it to life. No history book has ever been able to give such a well-rounded look at a single slice of history.
Favorite Character and Why: Gray Delacroix was well developed. Though he was a very serious and flawed man, he was likable and reached hero status.
Who would like this? If you love a story steeped with a rich history, fully developed characters, and a love story which stands the test of deep personal and political struggles, you will enjoy The Spice King.
Rating and Why:Â Five Stars. The combination of history and character development really drove this rating.
PURCHASE LINKS
Amazon.com    Baker Bookhouse    Barnes and Noble    Book Depository   Christianbook.com
by Crystal Caudill | Jan 21, 2020 | Book Reviews
Circle of Spies by Roseanna White
Circle of Spies is the third and final book in the Culper Ring series, but you don’t necessarily have to read the others to enjoy the last, although I HIGHLY recommend it as you will get connections missed otherwise. This particular story takes place during the last months of the Civil War and full of espionage and tension.
As I prepare to write my own Civil War series, it was a great way to get my mindset in the time period. As always her characters have special gifts that make them stand out. The heroine, Marietta, has a photographic memory. This comes as a curse which she eventually learns to accept as a gift. It truly was a fascinating read with historical details that really got my mind working.
Genre: Historical Romance, Civil War, 1865 – Baltimore
Plot Overview:
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 they dare trust each other in this circle of intrigue? Will their shared faith sustain them? And can Mari and Slade stymie the enemy long enough to see their beloved country reunited?
What I loved:
History is always a big one for me, but I enjoyed then tension and ending action of this one. Everything seemed to go a believable path while still keeping me on the edge of my seat.
Favorite Character and Why: It’s hard to put my finger on one, but Grandpa Thad is definitely still a favorite of mine.
Who would like this? Anyone who enjoy American history, especially Civil War fans. The romance in this one is a bit different, but realistic of two broken people learning to become new in Christ. If you like danger, history, and characters with unique gifts, this is definitely a go to read.
Rating and Why: Four and half stars. I love the history, tension, and action of the story.
PURCHASE LINKS
Amazon.com Barnes and Noble Christianbook.com Walmart
