by Crystal Caudill | Mar 23, 2021 | Book Reviews
Sing in the Sunlight
by Kathleen Denly
Have you ever been in a season where everything is so wonky you’re afraid to pick up a book and read? I feel like I must be weird, but January, February, and March flew by with a ton of stress. In theory, I wanted to read, but I just couldn’t get my mind to settle into wanting to read. No story appealed, even my tried-and-true friends. Knowing I needed to write a book review for this month aside from the challenge review, I finally bit the bullet and opened the e-book of the newest release on my kindle evening before bed.
Big mistake.
The book I chose ended up being Kathleen Denly’s Sing in the Sunlight. I didn’t stop reading until 12:30, and when hubby graciously said he’d take the boys to school the next morning so I could rest and get work done, I stayed in bed and read until the entire book was done instead of cleaning or anything else productive. But hey, we all need a mental day, right?
Sing in the Sunlight was a wonderful book to get back into reading with. I loved the depth and realistic portrayal of all the characters’ struggles, especially Clarinda’s. There were some pretty tough subjects touched including unwanted pregnancy, strained parental relationships, trauma, physical scarring, and some of the emotional ramifications. All were dealt with a soft, but truthful touch. The marriage of convenience was a spin I hadn’t seen before, and I enjoyed watching Richard and Clarinda learn to love each other and face the challenges their pasts brought into their marriage.
I recommend this book to readers who love historical romance, marriage of convenience stories, stories with characters who face difficult challenges with real-life consequences, and stories where the hero pursues the heroine.
Genre: Historical Romance, 1858, California
Plot Overview:
Richard Stevens isn’t who he thinks he is. Neither is the woman who now claims his last name.
Disfiguring scars stole Clarinda Humphrey’s singing career, her home, and her family, but she refuses to let her appearance steal her future. While attending The Young Ladies Seminary in 1858 Benicia, California, she finds a man who promises to love and cherish her. Instead, he betrays her, leaving her with child, and Clarinda must take drastic measures to ensure her child doesn’t suffer for her foolishness.
Richard Stevens’s life hasn’t turned out as he expected, and when a shocking letter turns even his past into a mystery, he travels to San Francisco in search of guidance. On the way, he encounters a mysterious young woman hiding beneath a veil. That night he experiences a dream that sends him on a quest to find the bride God has chosen for him. He never imagines she’s already told everyone they’re married.
Unwilling to lie, nor accept a marriage of mere convenience, Richard wants the real thing. Yet Clarinda’s not interested in love, only a chance to save her child. Can he help her rise above the pain that runs deeper than her scars to accept a love worth every risk?
What I loved: The gentle, but real-life, approach to hard topics. I appreciated especially the struggle with an out-of-wedlock pregnancy and the struggle to decide what is best for the child in her situation. The note at the back from the author also was something I recommend reading, especially if you have been touched by any of the hard topics she addresses in the book.
Favorite Character and Why: I really liked Richard. He really helps Clarinda to see her situation, parents, and scars in a whole new way. He seems to have a deeper understanding of who she is in Christ, and he does his best the be the husband she needs while also pushing her to see hard truths. I really appreciated his persistence and endurance.
Who would like this? Readers who love historical romance, marriage of convenience stories, stories with characters who face difficult challenges with real-life consequences, and stories where the hero pursues the heroine.
Rating and Why: Four and a half stars. There were a couple of possible subplots that felt hinted at and then dropped. I’m not sure if that is set up for the third book in the series, but didn’t seem like it from the third book blurb. I’m sort of left wondering about some things. The story as a whole was amazing, and again the soft touch of hard topics is something I really enjoyed.
PURCHASE LINKS
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QUESTION FOR YOU:
What books have you read that deal well with tough topics?
by Crystal Caudill | Jan 19, 2021 | Book Reviews
Winner of the Gift Cards: The winner of the $25 Baker Bookhouse gift card from the Class of 2021 post giveaway, is Amy (amy****9@****.com)! Congratulations! Please check your email! The winner of the $15 Get the Word Out Giveaway is sweets (sweets*****@hotmail.com). Please check your email!
The Thief of Blackfriars Lane
by Michelle Griep
Y’all, this book. 
I finally was able to step away from responsibilities long enough to finish it. You have to buy a copy. It is the perfect delicious mix of danger, mystery, history, romance, and God’s perfect love. I have long been a “super-fan” of Michelle Griep, and guys it was such a blessed relief to sink into another one of her amazing stories. No matter how crazy the world turns, I can always count on her books to leave me satisfied and hopeful. 
This one was no different. You don’t want to miss her way with words and ability to transport you back in time. I seriously want to write like her one day.
Genre: Historical Romance, April 1885, City of London, England
Plot Overview:
There’s Often a Fine Line Between a Criminal and a Saint
Constable Jackson Forge intends to make the world safer, or at least the streets of Victorian London. But that’s Kit Turner’s domain, a swindler who runs a crew that acquires money the old-fashioned way—conning the rich to give to the poor. When a local cab driver goes missing, Jackson is tasked with finding the man, and the only way to do that is by enlisting Kit’s help. If Jackson doesn’t find the cabby, he’ll be fired. If Kit doesn’t help Jackson, he’ll arrest her for thievery. Yet neither of them realize those are the least of their problems.
What I loved: I probably shouldn’t put everything. I think what sets a Michelle Griep book apart from any other is her complete ability to sink you into the world and character. I absolutely loved running around City of London with two fantastic, unique, strong characters. It is a story I intend to go back and study the “how she did it” aspect after I finish my rough draft of book two.
Favorite Character and Why: Jackson and Kit were such an amazing pair. Jackson wasn’t my typical hero type at first, but I really grew to love and respect him. He really does have a heart of gold. And Kit. Wow! What a woman to grow up on the streets and become who and what she was in the story. I loved them both individually and together.
Who would like this? Those who have a love of gothic type mysteries, Victorian romances filled with danger, love, and hope.
Rating and Why: Five stars. It was such an exciting adventure with imagery, emotions, and characters I want to revisit over and over and over again.
*I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. The above opinions are my own and are in no way influenced.* (And yes, I even purchased my own extra copy. I always do with a Michelle Griep book.)
PURCHASE LINKS
Amazon Barnes and Noble Books-a-Million Book Depository Bookshop.org Christianbook.com Get It Local Indiebound.org
by Crystal Caudill | Oct 27, 2020 | Book Reviews
Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey
by Abigail Wilson
As many of you know, first-person perspectives are NOT my favorite. An author really has to engage me and make me forget I am in the first-person in order for me to really get through the story. That being said, I needed an audiobook to listen to on a road trip that would have a bit of mystery, danger, and romance. The blurb for this story intrigued me enough to make me willing to try and listen to a first-person point of view novel. (And I totally blame Erica Vetsch’s The Lost Lieutenant and The Gentleman Spy for sending me on a Regency binge.)
I was pleasantly surprised, enough so, that I am considering going back and listening to and/or reading the first two books in the series. Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey is a standalone book, although it is connected to other stories. I am sure there are little antidotes I missed by reading out of order, but I still found the story engaging and believable. While not always able to suspend the thought of being in first-person, I loved the unusual marriage of convenience story. Elizabeth and Lord Torrington proved to be unique characters who drew me in. Lord Torrington especially was an unexpected kind of man. I struggled to make him out just as Elizabeth did, but found him a hero whose company I enjoyed.
If you like the first-person point of view, marriage-of-convenience stories, mysterious heroes, danger, and mystery, I highly recommend this Regency story.
Genre: Historical Romance, England, 1815
Plot Overview:
In this new Regency romance, a young unwed mother must protect her heart from the charms of her convenient new husband, Lord Torrington. She is not, however, prepared to protect her life.
When the widowed Lord Torrington agreed to spy for the crown, he never planned to impersonate a highwayman, let alone rob the wrong carriage. Stranded on the road with an unconscious young woman, he is forced to propose marriage to protect his identity and her reputation, as well as his dangerous mission.
Trapped not only by her duty to her country but also by her limited options as an unwed mother, Miss Elizabeth Cantrell and her infant son are whisked away to Middlecrest Abbey by none other than the elder brother of her son’s absent father. There she is met by Torrington’s beautiful grown daughters, a vicious murder, and an urgent hunt for the missing intelligence that could turn the war with France. Meanwhile, she must convince everyone that her marriage is a genuine love match if her new husband has any hope of uncovering the enemy.
Determined to keep her son’s true identity a secret, Elizabeth will need to remain one step ahead of her fragile heart, her uncertain future, and the relentless fiend bent on her new family’s ruin.
What I loved: The plot itself was incredibly fascinating. The dance of romance, family drama, and danger intrigued me and kept me on my toes. It was a delightful distraction from a long boring drive.
Favorite Character and Why: Lord Torrington was a puzzle. I truly enjoyed getting to know him. He was far from a perfect hero, but he was a man whom I could respect and grow to admire. The man’s soft heart was shown in some rather unexpected ways.
Rating and Why: Five Stars. I was pleasantly pleased that despite it being first-person, the story was fully engaging. I waited in my car for twenty minutes after I got home, just so I could finish the story.
Amazon.com Baker Bookhouse Barnes and Noble Book Depository Christianbook.com
by Crystal Caudill | Sep 22, 2020 | Book Reviews
The Bride Bargain by Kelly Eileen Hake
I picked a copy of this book a thrift shop while on vacation in Amish Country. With the entire extended family in the car with us, I sat in the back with the shorter people–vertically challenged here–and I discovered I get car sick if I play on my phone or stare out the back windows too long. Oddly enough, I’ve also discovered that if I read a book, I can push aside motion sickness. Thus I snatched the first Christian book that looked interesting I could find. (Not an Amish fiction gal.)
I found The Bride Bargain to be a fun and distracting read. The play on a match-making scheme plot was delightful and entertaining. The hero and heroine were believable and engaging. I also found delight in all the little details of country life, life on a wagon train, and details you don’t typically find in a novel like this one. There is something to be said for nailing the end though, and there was just something off about the conclusion that made me give it a four-star instead of a five. Without giving spoilers, I found some of the character reactions a little unbelievable. I still enjoyed the ending, but not perhaps as much as I hoped I would.
I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy the wild west, small-town settings, match-making plots, and strong-willed women.
Genre: Historical Romance, Nebraska Territory, 1855
Plot Overview:
When Clara Fields and her aunt are kicked off their wagon train, a store owner in Buttonwood offers a chance at redemption. Desperate, she agrees to find a bride for the man’s son—a stalwart bachelor. Will Clara’s faith and wits help her wrangle a resolution to The Bride Bargain?
What I loved: I loved all the match-making schemes of Josiah and then Clara. I don’t want to spoil the story, but let’s just say some of it is comical.
Favorite Character and Why: Midge is a little girl Saul (the hero) rescues, and I just lover her little soul. She’s had a rough go of it, but she grows and becomes quite the character. Her love for Saul and her desire to please leads to some fun co-conspiracy.
Rating and Why: Four Stars. The ending really knocked it down from a five to a four. Still completely enjoyable, I just didn’t find the character reactions to be in line with what I expect to be real.
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by Crystal Caudill | Sep 16, 2020 | Book Reviews
A Gilded Lady by Elizabeth Camden
I simply could not wait to read this story, especially when I discovered the hero was a Secret Service agent. The male POV of The Spice King enthralled me and I couldn’t wait to get inside the head of a Secret Service operative, especially during the early days of their protecting the president. As always, Elizabeth Camden brought a historical and political backdrop that brought this story to life in ways no other author could. I have a deeper understanding not just of the characters of that time but also the history of our nation. It was truly fascinating. Especially seeing Caroline Delacroix’s role in the White House and shepherding Mrs. McKinley through her social and political life was truly fun. The Spice King is still my favorite of the two, but I really enjoyed The Gilded Lady. I highly recommend this book to readers who love a fully developed historical setting, stories with flawed but admirable characters, and romances that take their time with plenty of sparring.
Genre: Historical Romance, Washington D.C., 1900
Plot Overview:
Caroline Delacroix is at the pinnacle of Washington high society in her role as secretary to the first lady of the United States. But beneath the facade of her beauty, glamorous wardrobe, and dazzling personality, she’s hiding a terrible secret. If she cannot untangle a web of foreign espionage, her brother will face execution for treason.
Nathaniel Trask is the newly appointed head of the president’s Secret Service team. He is immediately suspicious of Caroline despite his overwhelming attraction to her quick wit and undeniable charm. Desperate to keep the president protected, Nathaniel must battle to keep his focus fully on his job as the threat to the president rises.
Amid the glamorous pageantry of Gilded Age Washington, DC, Caroline and Nathaniel will face adventure, danger, and heartbreak in a race against time that will span the continent and the depth of human emotion.
What I loved: Elizabeth Camden never fails to take my breath away with the full breadth of her writing. It’s not just a story, it’s history coming alive in ways I never understood. I particularly loved the depth of character of Caroline. She isn’t the woman you expect, but in a way she is. It was a joy to get to know her and connect with her, even if I don’t share many of her interests.
Favorite Character and Why: Caroline was an incredibly complex woman. I loved all the layers to her, the struggles she faced, and the pure humanness of her. It was so good to see he POV of things and the devotion she has to her twin brother Luke.
Rating and Why: Five Stars. The full breadth of history is astounding, and the way Elizabeth Camden presents it is engaging and believable. The romance was believable and I loved all the little squabbles sprinkled throughout. Oh! And Mrs. McKinley was a hoot to get to know. I am so glad I did not have Caroline’s job.
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