by Crystal Caudill | Jun 19, 2018 | Book Reviews
The Beautiful Pretender
by Melanie Dickerson
Genre: Christian Historical Fiction, Fairytale Retellings, 1363
Overview of Plot:
Avelina is a lady’s maid… only her lady has decided to run off with a knight. When the Earl’s daughter is summoned to Thornbeck to be evaluated as a possible bride to the new Margrave, she is commanded to go in Lady Dorthea’s place. Her job: convince everyone she is Lady Dorthea, secure an alliance with the Margrave of Thornbeck to protect against an imminent attack, but don’t be chosen as his bride. The latter should be easier than the former.
Former knight Reinhart of Thornbeck became Margrave after his brother’s death… a death which some speculate was his doing. Ordered by the king to find a wife from a list of suggestions to strengthen empire stability, his chancellor comes up with the plan to test the women over the course of two weeks. Lady Dorthea intrigues him like no other woman, but she is hiding something.
When the truth is revealed in a humiliating way, more than their hearts are at stake. Someone is bound and determined to take Thornbeck over and he will use the deception to his advantage. The stakes become life and death as Margrave and Lady’s Maid work together to save a kingdom.
Favorite Character and Why:
As much as I loved Avelina, I loved Reinhart. He is a man who wants more than his parents had but is stuck with new responsibilities that thrust the idea of marrying for love out the window. He has such a good heart and, yes, he is swoony. Who couldn’t love a knight like him? Even when he is conflicted about Avelina’s deception he isn’t a complete monster. He does make mistakes, but he is still the swoon-worthy hero we love to read about.
What I liked:
The cast of characters was great, and I loved how none were stupid. They all had sharp minds and were good adversaries for each other. The inner struggles of the characters were particular interesting to me, and I really love the way Melanie handled them.
Who would like this:
Anyone who loves a good fairy tale. This retelling of the Princess and the Pea was a masterful retelling.
Amazon blurb:
“After inheriting his title from his brother, the margrave has two weeks to find a noble bride. What will happen when he learns he has fallen for a lovely servant girl in disguise?
The Margrave of Thornbeck has to find a bride, fast. He invites ten noble born ladies who meet the king’s approval to be his guests at Thornbeck Castle for two weeks, a time to test these ladies and reveal their true character.
Avelina has only two instructions: keep her true identity a secret and make sure the margrave doesn’t select her as his bride. Since the latter seems unlikely, she concentrates on not getting caught. No one must know she is merely a maidservant, sent by the Earl of Plimmwald to stand in for his daughter, Dorothea.
Despite Avelina’s best attempts at diverting attention from herself, the margrave has taken notice. And try as she might, she can’t deny her own growing feelings. But something else is afoot in the castle. Something sinister that could have far worse—far deadlier—consequences.”
Links for Purchase:
Amazon Barnes and Noble Christianbook.com
by Crystal Caudill | Apr 24, 2018 | Book Reviews
Stories by: Erica Vetsch, Susanne Dietze, Cynthia Hickey, Marcia Gruver, Carrie Fancett Pagels, Martha Rogers, Lorna Seilstad, Connie Stevens, Jennifer Uhlarik
Genre: Historical Romance, 1865-1910
Plot Overview: There are nine stories of first loves being reunited and finding forever love together.
A first love is never easily forgotten…
and coming face to face with that person again can be awkward when the heartstrings are still holding on to the “what ifs.”
In settings from 1865 to 1910, nine couples are thrown back on the same path by life’s changes and challenges. A neighbor returns from law school. An heiress seeks a quick marriage. A soldier’s homecoming is painful. A family needs help. A prodigal son returns. A rogue aeronaut drops from the sky. A runaway bridegroom comes home. A letter for aid is sent. A doctor needs a nurse. Can love rekindle despite the separation of time and space?
– Blurb from Amazon
What I loved: I particularly loved Heartfelt Echoes, Lighter than Air, and After the Ball. Each story had its own merit, and who doesn’t love with those first crushes become long-lasting relationships that hold through the test of time.
Favorite Character: Like in my interview with Jennifer Uhlarik, I really loved Travis and Millie. The obstacles they overcome and the relationship they share makes my heart swoon.
Who would like this: Anyone who likes quick historical romance reads. Each story took me a little over an hour to read, which made the weeks when I didn’t have time for a full-on book at least bearable.
Rating and Why: I gave this a three-and-a-half star rating because while I did really enjoy several of the stories, there were also two that I really just did not enjoy at all. And in a rare exception, I completely skimmed one and never read the whole story. With all collections, you have a mix of writing styles and skill levels, but this one had more than I am accustomed to as far as did not appeal to me. Reading is completely subjective so you may disagree once you dive in. I do still recommend it, if only for the few mentioned in What I Love.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher/author. I was in no way required to leave a review, and the above review is my honest opinion.
Winner of the giveaway from Jennifer Uhlarik’s interview is: Cassandra Darensbourg Check your email for a notice from me and if you do not see something, check your spam folder. Thank you so much for participating.
Join the discussion: What makes a novella so enticing you can’t put it down?
by Crystal Caudill | Apr 17, 2018 | Author Interviews
Today I have the great pleasure of introducing you to Jennifer Uhlarik, a wonderful historical romance author. If you are into reading the novella collections that are so popular right now you might already recognize her name. Now I get the joy of giving you a glimpse of the person behind those delightful stories. At the end of the interview, check out your chance to win a copy of one of the novella collections she has a story in.
Jennifer Uhlarik discovered the western genre as a pre-teen when she swiped the only “horse” book she found on her older brother’s bookshelf. A new love was born. Across the next ten years, she devoured Louis L’Amour westerns and fell in love with the genre. In college at the University of Tampa, she began penning her own story of the Old West. Armed with a B.A. in writing, she has finaled and won in numerous writing competitions, and been on the ECPA best-seller list numerous times. In addition to writing, she has held jobs as a private business owner, a schoolteacher, a marketing director, and her favorite—a full-time homemaker. Jennifer is active in American Christian Fiction Writers and lifetime member of the Florida Writers Association. She lives near Tampa, Florida, with her husband, college-aged son, and four fur children.
Ready to go beyond the blurb? You’ll be glad you took the time to get to know her.
Sweet or Unsweet Tea?
J.U.: Sweet! Like…REALLY SWEET. Cavity-inducing sweet! Anything else is just colored water. 😉
Crystal: A true southern girl, no doubt! Love the, “Anything else is just colored water.”
Beach Vacation or Mountain Getaway?
J.U.: I live in Florida, so beaches are prevalent. I’d prefer a mountain getaway. It feels far more exotic to me!
Crystal: We just got finished vacationing in your area. Definitely a great place to visit, but I can see getting tired of the beaches.
Homebody or Love to Travel?
J.U.: Can I say both? When I’m home…I want to be home in my comfy clothes and chilling with those I love. But I adore traveling too—from planning the trip to sightseeing and hitting all the museums and historic sights each new place has to offer. I guess you could say we’re go-go-go on vacation, and stay-stay-stay at home. LOL
Crystal: Ha, sounds like home might be more relaxing. 😉
Morning Person or Night Owl?
J.U.: Hmmm. This is a hard one. I’m somewhat both. I wake usually around 7:15 in the morning, but I’ll stay up until midnight most nights—and 2 AM if I’m really flowing in my writing.
Crystal: I’d put you in the night owl category then! People who enjoy being up before 6:00, those are the crazy morning people. 7:15 sounds reasonable to me.
Bookmark or Dog-ear Pages?
J.U.: I’m strictly a bookmark girl! My husband is a dog-ear guy. I cringe every time he turns down a corner, and I have to resist screaming, “STOP, you animal!”
Crystal: I just cringed right along with you. Eek!
The Writing Journey
What is the hardest part about being an author? What is the easiest?
J.U.: The hardest part of being an author for me is balance. I can be very one-track-minded, so when I’m writing, everything else gets ignored. That’s great for the word-count, but my husband likes to eat each evening, and we often have errands to run, or the house needs cleaning. So keeping all the parts of my life balanced tends to be really hard!
The easiest thing is dreaming up new characters to write about and new adventures for them to experience. It seems I have far more story ideas than I have time to write them.
Crystal: Clean houses and meals aren’t really necessary, right?
What are your “have to haves” when it is time to write?
J.U.: A bottle of water or two, a pad of paper and my favorite pen, a blanket to cover my legs, and my dog Gracie. She is my “helper dog,” and she races me to my writing room each day, ready to get to work! (Her version of work is napping on her dog bed in the corner while I slave away at the keyboard, but she makes for good company for those long, lonely hours).
Crystal: I love that you have a writing buddy. She sounds adorable.
What is your favorite Bible verse?
J.U.: Luke 1:45—Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished.
This verse came to my attention one Christmas season years ago when I was waiting for a promise from God to come about in my life. I’d been through a tough divorce, was raising a child alone, and God had promised me that if I would seek Him first, that there was another (better) marriage in my future. From the first time I heard that verse, it became a lifeline to me as I waited on God’s promise to come true, and even after I was married, I’ve hung onto that verse for each new promise God gives me.
Crystal: I love that story and seeing how God does bless those who believe what He has said.
First Love Forever Romance Collection
Heartfelt Echoes by Jennifer Uhlarik
1875—Virginia City, Nevada: A short, urgent letter mentioning his childhood love, Millie Gordon, forces deaf Travis McCaffrey to turn to his estranged birth father for help rescuing the woman he can’t forget.
Crystal: I just have to say, I absolutely LOVE Travis and Millie. Of all the novellas I have ever read, I think they are my favorite.
What drew you to create deaf characters?
J.U.: Wow! I am humbled that my characters are your favorites! Thank you. What an honor!
Travis and Millie are characters that appeared in a previous novella, Mountain Echoes, which I wrote for the Courageous Brides Collection. In that story, Travis was a 12-year-old boy who’d lost his hearing the year before. The heroine of Mountain Echoes, Hannah, crossed the Sierras by stagecoach to pick him up and transport him back to San Francisco to attend the California School for the Deaf. I brought Millie into the story in one of the last scenes of Mountain Echoes, one of Travis’s new friends in his new environment. So when I learned the theme of the First Love Forever collection, they were the characters that came to mind. There was already a foundation laid for their romance, and it was simply a matter of them telling me how they were separated.
Beyond having a “history” with Travis and Millie, I have always loved sign language. During my teens, one of my best friends had a sister who was deaf, so I was exposed to sign language and the deaf culture a little through their family. I guess something stuck from my experiences with them because I have known for a long time that I would like to write a story about a deaf character. It was a challenge, making sure I didn’t write any sounds into that story, but I love a good challenge.
Crystal: I didn’t realize there was another story with Travis and Millie. I will definitely have to check that out. I love how you used the experience of your friends to create a story that others might not have been exposed to otherwise.
I especially loved how Millie had gone through a surgery that affected her. From my own research, that detail was so true to life.
Who or what inspired you to create Millie the way you did?
J.U.: I can credit Millie’s surgery and its effect on her to a wonderful group of friends who helped me brainstorm this story. When we got the word that Barbour Publishing wanted the collection, I had, at most, a synopsis that was roughly a paragraph long, and it may have been only a sentence. As I got to thinking about the story as I’d envisioned it when I wrote the very brief description, I realized that it had some flaws, and I would need to restructure some things. Fortunately, I was headed to the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference and signed up for the brainstorming class. In that class, the eight participants each discussed the respective stories represented in the group, and someone threw out the idea of Millie having had a surgery…and the effect it had on her. As soon as the idea was put out, we all knew it was a must for this story. So I can credit Lynette’s brainstorming class—and particularly Patty Smith Hall, since she’s the one who put the idea out there to begin with.
Crystal: How wonderful to have such a wonderful group of people to help you brainstorm.
This novella collection is about First Love Forever. Most people I know dream of finding one person to love and cherish for an entire lifetime, but marriage can be tough.
What is the best piece of advice for marriage you have ever heard?
J.U.: This is a topic that is near and dear to my heart. As I mentioned above, I went through a divorce and spent a decade as a single mom before I found love again. God was gracious to me and brought me my Dave—my best friend who is funny, kind, giving, and amazing in so many ways. He makes marriage seem easy (though, no…no marriage is truly easy—at least not all the time. Marriages take work, but when you’re with the right person, the work doesn’t seem so hard).
When Dave and I were planning our wedding, our pastor made an offhand comment during a planning meeting that both Dave and I immediately locked onto. The pastor said, “Marriage isn’t about finding the right person. It is about being the right person.” As soon as the words crossed his lips, we each immediately recognized that our marriage needed to be more than expecting our other half to meet our every need or make us happy all the time. Rather than being self-focused, we needed to have the outlook of “how can I make his (or her) life easier? What does he (or she) need from me now?” Sure, we falter from that at times, but by and large, we’ve had eleven years of marital success by living by this principle—thinking of our other half before ourselves.
Crystal: Beautiful, wonderful advice. It is something I hope many take to heart.
Fun Question of the Day:
If you could spend the day with any author you wanted (past or present), who would it be?
J.U.: I think I’d have to say Louis L’Amour. It was his books that made me fall in love with the western genre. He was a wealth of knowledge about the west, history, and so much more. It would’ve been quite a dream to meet him and listen to the stories he had to tell of his various adventures and experiences in life.
Want to learn more? You can find Jennifer on the following:
Webiste: www.jenniferuhlarik.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferUhlarikAuthor/?ref=settings
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferUhlarik
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferuhlarik/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jenuhlarik/
RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY:
Alright, beloved readers, it is the time you all have been waiting for! This time I am giving the winner a copy of Of Rags and Riches Romance Colletion if in the contiguous U.S. or an e-copy of Oregon Trail Romance Collection if not. Just comment below AND use the Rafflecopter link below to enter. Entries are open Tuesday 12 AM (EST) 4/17/2018 and close on Monday, 4/23/2108, at 11:59 PM (EST). Winner will be announced on the First Love Romance Collection Review the next day.
Rafflecopter giveaway
*Legal Jargon: No Purchase is necessary. This contest is open to all readers in the world, 18 years and older who are legally allowed to participate in such a giveaway as allowed by their local laws. The Write Call does not exchange prizes for reviews. Reviews are appreciated, but not required.*
by Crystal Caudill | Apr 10, 2018 | Book Reviews
The Pirate Bride by Kathleen Y’Barbo
Genre: Historical Romance, 1730’s, Carribean/New Orleans
Plot Overview: 12-year-old Maribel is taken from her home by her pirate father who is thrown overboard when privateers take over the ship. Believed orphaned Captain Jean Beaumont takes her onto his vessel until better arrangements can be made. Over the months together, her spitfire ways worm their way into his heart. When circumstances separate them and allow them to believe each other is dead, they move forward with their lives only to be reunited eleven years later with danger hampering their every move.
What I loved: I loved the high seas adventure aspect of this book. I grew up loving books like Treasure Island, Three Musketeers and the such, so there were parts of this book that threw me back to my childhood and I relished the danger and adventure.
Favorite Character: Israel, the African man rescued from a slave trade vessel. He was a strong Christian figure and full of wisdom. He cared for both Jean and Maribel to a high degree and his loyalty was like no other.
Further Thoughts: While this book is a romance it doesn’t really have a ton of romance in the traditional sense. Half of the book occurs when Maribel is twelve and the rest when she is an adult. Their shared history made the spark happen very quickly, but it still didn’t feel fully romantic.
Who would like this: Anyone who loves adventure with a touch of romance.
Rating and Why: I gave this a four-star rating because while I did really enjoy the story, it was not really a mystery like the blurb tends to make you think and the romance aspect was cute but not fully developed as they entered the adult stage.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher/author. I was in no way required to leave a review, and the above review is my honest opinion.
Join the discussion: What is the best adventure book or movie you have ever read or seen?
Purchase Links:
Amazon.com Barnes and Noble Christianbook.com
by Crystal Caudill | Apr 3, 2018 | Book Reviews
Under Prarie Skies by Cynthia Roemer
I love how great a job Cynthia does with character development. She has never failed to fully flesh out her characters and make them relatable and Under Prairie Skies is no different. You can read the review of the first book in the series Under This Same Sky,here.
Genre: Historical Romance, 1850s
Plot Overview: Charlotte is a jealous, bitter young lady with no idea on how to improve herself until Chad Avery steps into her life as a new neighbor. Challenged to face her faults and change, Charlotte finds helping others is the first steps to becoming the woman God has called her to be.
Chad Avery is trying to fulfill the dream he and his late wife had together, to establish a cattle ranch. He has no desire to love again and struggles with the tug of attraction toward Charlotte as circumstances bring them together over and over again.
Can both Charlotte and Chad let go of the past to discover a better future?
What I loved: These characters are so real and deep. Even though Charlotte was a woman we didn’t like in the last book, Cynthia really brings us full circle with this character. We get a full understanding of why she is the way she is and absolutely relate to it. Chad is a sweet hero with his own struggles but a man who brings out the best in Charlotte.
Favorite Character: This is a toughy. I love both the hero and the heroine so much, but I have to admit, I really like Johnny. Without giving too much away, he is a determined little boy that helps both characters to move beyond themselves.
Who would like this: Anyone who loves stories with deep characters, characters who struggle with grief and learn to move forward, or sweet romances.
Rating and Why: I gave this a five-star rating because of the mastery of character development and solid plot line. Everything weaved together perfectly and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author/publisher. The review above was influenced in no way by this and the above opinions are my own.
Join the discussion: Do you think it is possible to fall in love with someone else without loving the other person any less?
Purchase Links:
Amazon
