Showing posts with label Book Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book Reviews. Show all posts

Sunday, June 26, 2022

Much Ado About Persuasion - Book Review and Giveaway!





Much Ado About Persuasion
by Barbara Cornthwaite


Some duel with swords, others with ships. In love, however, they duel with hearts.

When Sir Walter Elliot, secret admirer of the Navy, invites officers to visit his estate, what could be more natural than for his two daughters to find themselves in love?

Elizabeth Elliot’s legendary, bitter pride clashes with Admiral Baldwin’s stubborn conceit until any hope of a match seems impossible. They say love conquers all, but does it?

All looks hopeful for Anne Elliot and the dashing Captain Wentworth, but when a cousin steps in and sets evil plans into motion, is their love enough to withstand the storm, or is it best to let the captain sail that ship… alone?

Shakespeare’s Much Ado about Nothing meets Jane Austen’s Persuasion in this story about trust, disappointment, and disguises.

 Click here to get your copy!



As much as I love Shakespear and Jane Austen, it was so exciting to learn that this book would be a mingling of both authors stories.  That is to say that this author, Barbara Cornthwaite, wrote this book with two of their stories in mind--Much Ado about Nothing and Persuasion.  Even before I knew this, I could recall certain events from these books throughout the pages of Much Ado About Persuasion, which was simply marvelous!  

It is interesting to see how Cornthwaite is inspired by these two amazing classic authors as she takes note and inspiration from their work to pen her own words.  This was such a fabulous idea for a modern day story--of course, even though Shakespeare and Austen are from generations ago, we can still learn so much about life and friendship from them today.  If you enjoy classic literature, I recommend picking this book up!  Happy reading friends!  

 


Barbara Cornthwaite lives in the middle of Ireland with her husband and children. She taught college English before “retiring” to do something she loves far more; her days are now filled with homeschooling, trying to keep the house tidy (a losing battle), and trying to stay warm in the damp Irish climate (also a losing battle). She is surrounded by medieval castles, picturesque flocks of sheep, and ancient stone monuments. These things are unappreciated by her six children, who are more impressed by traffic jams, skyscrapers, and hot weather.

 

More from Barbara

I discovered Jane Austen in college when I was required to read Pride and Prejudice. This was in the dark ages before the famous adaptations, and I knew nothing about the storyline. In fact, I expected it to be depressing, probably because the title sounded similar to War and Peace. It was a delightful surprise to be charmed by the novel, and I went on to read all Austen’s other books on my own. Each of them have a special place in my heart. I love Emma so much that I wrote a two-book parallel novel for it (the George Knightley, Esquire series). I also have novellas based on Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park and Emma in the A Very Austen anthologies. This book, however, is the first thing I’ve written based on Persuasion.

Shakespeare I met in high school, and furthered my acquaintance with him in college. Much Ado About Nothing is, I think, my favorite of his plays (although there are several close contenders for the top spot). His grasp of character is unmatched, and his language, even after five hundred years, is striking.

Mixing the stories of these two authors has been great fun, and redeeming a couple of characters who didn’t learn anything from their mistakes in the original stories gives my version a spiritual twist. I hope you enjoy it!




To celebrate her tour, Barbara is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

Enter giveaway here!


Monday, January 10, 2022

My Top Ten Books of 2021!

 The Magnolia Story
by Chip and Joanna Gaines


Are you ready to see your fixer upper?

These famous words are now synonymous with the dynamic husband-and-wife team Chip and Joanna Gaines, stars of HGTV’s Fixer Upper. As this question fills the airwaves with anticipation, their legions of fans continue to multiply and ask a different series of questions, like—Who are these people?What’s the secret to their success? And is Chip actually that funny in real life? By renovating homes in Waco, Texas, and changing lives in such a winsome and engaging way, Chip and Joanna have become more than just the stars of Fixer Upper, they have become America’s new best friends.

The Magnolia Story is the first book from Chip and Joanna, offering their fans a detailed look at their life together. From the very first renovation project they ever tackled together, to the project that nearly cost them everything; from the childhood memories that shaped them, to the twists and turns that led them to the life they share on the farm today.

They both attended Baylor University in Waco. However, their paths did not cross until Chip checked his car into the local Firestone tire shop where Joanna worked behind the counter. Even back then Chip was a serial entrepreneur who, among other things, ran a lawn care company, sold fireworks, and flipped houses. Soon they were married and living in their first fixer upper. Four children and countless renovations later, Joanna garners the attention of a television producer who notices her work on a blog one day.

In The Magnolia Story fans will finally get to join the Gaines behind the scenes and discover:

-The time Chip ran to the grocery store and forgot to take their new, sleeping baby
-Joanna’s agonizing decision to close her dream business to focus on raising their children
-When Chip buys a houseboat, sight-unseen, and it turns out to be a leaky wreck
-Joanna’s breakthrough moment of discovering the secret to creating a beautiful home
-Harrowing stories of the financial ups and downs as an entrepreneurial couple
-Memories and photos from Chip and Jo’s wedding
-The significance of the word magnolia and why it permeates everything they do
-The way the couple pays the popularity of Fixer Upper forward, sharing the success with others, and bolstering the city of Waco along the way

And yet there is still one lingering question for fans of the show: Is Chip really that funny? “Oh yeah,” says Joanna. “He was, and still is, my first fixer upper.” 


His Bluestocking Bride
by Sally Britton


He vows to never risk his heart again. She hides her love to avoid rejection. A marriage of convenience is not what either of them wished for.


Overlooked by society and underappreciated in her family, Ellen Bringhurst has resigned herself to spinsterhood and a life of reading. Until her match-making friends contrive to reintroduce Ellen to the man she has secretly loved since their shared childhood.

As the younger son to an earl, Marcus Calvert must wed in order to inherit his estate. Still nursing a broken heart, he prefers a practical approach to matrimony rather than romantic love. When Ellen is presented as a possible bride, he proposes a marriage of convenience.

Ellen accepts his hand, hiding her feelings rather than risking her husband’s rejection. Marcus, though determined not to expose his heart again, finds more to admire in his childhood friend with each passing day. What began as a sensible arrangement now has the possibility to become so much more. But is Marcus willing to risk his heart a second time?


The Cracked Spine
by Paige Shelton


In need of a good adventure, Delaney Nichols takes the leap and moves to Edinburgh, Scotland to start a job at The Cracked Spine. She doesn't know much about what she's gotten herself into, other than that the work sounds exciting, and that her new boss, Edwin MacAlister, has given her the opportunity of a lifetime. Edwin has promised that she'll be working with "a desk that has seen the likes of kings and queens, paupers and princes," and Delaney can't wait to get started.


When she arrives, she meets her new Scottish family; also working at the Cracked Spine are Rosie, perpetually wrapped in scarves, and who always has tiny dog Hector in tow; Hamlet, a nineteen-year-old thespian with a colored past and bright future; and Edwin, who is just as enigmatic and mysterious as Delaney expected. An unexpected bonus is Tom the bartender from across the street, with his piercing eyes, and a rolling brogue -- and it doesn't hurt that he looks awfully good in a kilt.

But before she can settle into her new life, a precious artifact -- a previously undiscovered First Folio of Shakespeare's plays -- goes missing, and Edwin's sister is murdered, seemingly in connection to the missing folio. Delaney decides to do some sleuthing of her own, to find out just what the real story is behind the priceless folio, and how it's connected to the tragic death, all without getting harmed herself.


All Creatures Great and Small
by James Herriot


Delve into the magical, unforgettable world of James Herriot, the world's most beloved veterinarian, and his menagerie of heartwarming, funny, and tragic animal patients.


For over forty years, generations of readers have thrilled to Herriot's marvelous tales, deep love of life, and extraordinary storytelling abilities. For decades, Herriot roamed the remote, beautiful Yorkshire Dales, treating every patient that came his way from smallest to largest, and observing animals and humans alike with his keen, loving eye.

In All Creatures Great and Small, we meet the young Herriot as he takes up his calling and discovers that the realities of veterinary practice in rural Yorkshire are very different from the sterile setting of veterinary school. Some visits are heart-wrenchingly difficult, such as one to an old man in the village whose very ill dog is his only friend and companion, some are lighthearted and fun, such as Herriot's periodic visits to the overfed and pampered Pekinese Tricki Woo who throws parties and has his own stationery, and yet others are inspirational and enlightening, such as Herriot's recollections of poor farmers who will scrape their meager earnings together to be able to get proper care for their working animals. From seeing to his patients in the depths of winter on the remotest homesteads to dealing with uncooperative owners and critically ill animals, Herriot discovers the wondrous variety and never-ending challenges of veterinary practice as his humor, compassion, and love of the animal world shine forth.

James Herriot's memoirs have sold 80 million copies worldwide, and continue to delight and entertain readers of all ages.


Courting the Vicar's Daughter
by Sally Britton


Harry Devon, son of a wealthy gentleman who cared more for money than his family, has returned to the family estate at last. Without direction, and lacking the knowledge necessary to run his estate, Harry is prepared to leave it to others to make the difficult decisions. Until he meets the vicar's daughter.

Augusta Ames, who much prefers the childhood nickname Daisy, is preparing to open a school for daughters of poor tenant farmers. In the habit of serving others, Daisy determines to help Harry find his path and place in their community. When he embraces her plan with enthusiasm, their friendship begins to blossom into something more.

But the Devon legacy is regarded with suspicion, thanks to the greed and cruelty of Harry's late father. When the neighborhood finds reason to turn on Harry, will Daisy trust her heart enough to love him still?
 


Raven Black
by Ann Cleeves


Raven Black begins on New Year’s Eve with a lonely outcast named Magnus Tait, who stays home waiting for visitors who never come. But the next morning the body of a murdered teenage girl is discovered nearby, and suspicion falls on Magnus. Inspector Jimmy Perez enters an investigative maze that leads deeper into the past of the Shetland Islands than anyone wants to go.












Twisted Tea Christmas
by Laura Childs

Tea maven Theodosia Browning and her tea sommelier, Drayton Conneley, are catering a Victorian Christmas party at a swanky mansion in downtown Charleston. Drucilla Heyward, the hostess, is one of the wealthiest women in town.


As the champagne flows and the tea steeps, Drucilla is so pleased with the reception by her partygoers that she reveals her secret plan to Theodosia. The Grande Dame has brought the cream of Charleston society together to reveal that she is planning to give her wealth away to various charitable organizations. However, before she can make the announcement, Theodosia finds her crumpled unconscious in the hallway. It looks like the excitement has gotten to the elderly woman--except that there is a syringe sticking out of her neck.





Murder on the Orient Express
by Agatha Christie

Just after midnight, a snowdrift stops the Orient Express in its tracks as it travels through the mountainous Balkans. The luxurious train is surprisingly full for the time of the year but, by the morning, it is one passenger fewer. An American tycoon lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside.

One of the passengers is none other than detective Hercule Poirot. On vacation.

Isolated and with a killer in their midst, Poirot must identify the murderer—in case he or she decides to strike again.
 







An Expectation of Love
by Rose Pearson


As the youngest daughter, Lady Dorothea has been a little more indulged by their father than her sisters. Being fully aware in her own mind as to what she wished her future husband to be, she is immediately dissuaded from accepting the Earl of Windford’s attentions due to the fact that he has something of a limp and cannot partake in society to its fullest extent.

Lord Oliver Windford is astonished at himself. To find himself so drawn to a lady, to then be so turned from her has left him in a great confusion! Already injured by society’s disdain, he makes plans to leave London only to be prevented by the attentions of an entirely new lady. But is she genuine in her considerations towards him or does she have another motive?

When Dorothea realizes that the gentlemen around her are nothing more than rakes and rascals eager for her dowry and status, she soon begins to question her own attitude and selfishness. Is it too late for her to accept Lord Windford’s attentions, or has he, as she fears, already turned towards another?



A Christmas Carol
by Charles Dickesn


Generations of readers have been enchanted by Dickens’s A Christmas Carol—the most cheerful ghost story ever written, and the unforgettable tale of Ebenezer Scrooge’s moral regeneration. Written in just a few weeks, A Christmas Carol famously recounts the plight of Bob Cratchit, whose family finds joy even in poverty, and the transformation of his miserly boss Scrooge as he is visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future.

From Scrooge’s “Bah!” and “Humbug!” to Tiny Tim’s “God bless us every one!” A Christmas Carol shines with warmth, decency, kindness, humility, and the value of the holidays. But beneath its sentimental surface, A Christmas Carol offers another of Dickens’s sharply critical portraits of a brutal society, and an inspiring celebration of the possibility of spiritual, psychological, and social change.

This new volume collects Dickens’s three most renowned “Christmas Books,” including The Chimes, a New Year’s tale, and The Cricket on the Hearth, whose eponymous creature remains silent during sorrow and chirps amid happiness.
Katharine Kroeber Wiley, the daughter of a scholar and a sculptor, has a degree in English Literature from Occidental College. Her work has appeared in Boundary Two and the recent book, Lore of the Dolphin. She is currently working on a book on Victorian Christmas writings.
 



Here are the links to my previous Top Ten List of Books:  

                                                            My Top Ten Books of 2016
                                                 My Top Ten Books of 2017
                                                 My Top Ten Books of 2018
                                                 My Top Ten Books of 2019
                                                           My Top Ten Books of 2020

                                                                     Happy reading!  


Thursday, January 28, 2021

Maryann's Hope




Book: Maryann’s Hope

Author: Molly Jebber

Genre: Amish Historical Romance

Release Date: January 26, 2021

 

The pleasing warmth of fresh-baked maple cookies…the sweet, buttery flakiness of a raspberry jam pastry. In 1913 Ohio, the Amish Charm Bakery is beloved by locals and visiting Englischer alike. And its understanding community always provides help, healing–and new chances for love…even for a widow faced with an impossible choice between her head and her heart.

Secrets devastated Maryanne Harding’s marriage to an Englischer–and took away her untrustworthy husband. Now the young Amish widow has found contentment cooking up treats at the bakery, raising her little girl, and comforting her ailing mother. And when Andrew Wittmer asks her to marry him, Maryanne is over the moon with happiness that she and the kind furniture maker will put down roots in her hometown…

Until Andrew’s uncle becomes ill, and Andrew must permanently take over his store in a town hours away. Though she would go anywhere to be Andrew’s fraa, Maryanne can’t abandon her mother–or the family that depends on her so much. And when she discovers Andrew harbors secrets of his own, Maryanne’s hard-won trust is shaken. Now, can she risk difficult choices and take a leap of faith into the loving, joyful future she longs for most?

 

Click here to get your copy!

 


Molly Jebber is a best-selling & award-winning Amish Historical Romance author whose books have made the Publisher’s Weekly Best Ten List, media worldwide, and in USA Today. She’s a national speaker for Women’s Christian Connection, and keynote and guest lecturer for many groups on writing, publishing, & marketing. She loves God, family, friends she is grateful for her readers.



Through the years, I have read several books based on the Amish community, and each story was equally good and interesting.  Some of them were even made into films, and I loved watching those too.  This particular book, Maryann's Hope, is based on one such Amish town and focuses its attention on the life of Maryann Harding.  The reader gets to follow her life as she tries to make sense of her feelings regarding a certain Amish gentleman in the hopes of not repeating her mistakes from the past.  The opening paragraphs alone will surprise you!  

Maryann Harding has had so many ups and downs in her shorts life.  In fact, so many of her days have been more than she thought she would ever endure--how could life change so much in a matter of a few short years?  Maryann knows he family loves her, but can she ever forgive and love herself?  The weight of the past is heavy on her heart, but she wants a new chapter going forward, and more importantly, she has her daughter to consider.  But can she possibly love another and trust someone again?  

Andrew Wittmer is infatuated with Maryann, and he hopes to marry her one day.  Throughout their courtship, he loves getting to know this mysterious lady better, but he is also grateful to be introduced to her daughter, Betsy.  He knows Maryann has many secrets, but he hopes that she will be honest about certain things regarding her previous marriage.  He trusts and respects her, but he knows that not everyone in the Amish community might.  Yet he is still determined to stay by her side.  But will that be enough to calm Maryann's heart?  

Molly Jebber is a new author to me, and it's always so nice to not only discover a new book but a new author.  And I am happy to say that this book is part of series--in fact, this is book four in the series.  Make sure to check out the first three books, Liza's Second Chance, Ellie's Redemption, and Hannah's Courage.  Happy reading friends!  


This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to Celebrate Lit for my copy.

 

Hi Readers!

You are the reason I write. Your inspiration and encouragement on social media posts brighten my mood and on those hard days of writing, keeps me going. Thank you!

I’ve been fortunate to have a close family. I hear so often, you can choose your friends but not your family. Maryann in MARYANN’S HOPE loves her mother, but finds her a challenge with her unpredictable moods. When she meets Andrew, they both must make difficult decisions throughout their courtship relating to family and seeking God’s will for their lives. Maryann’s toddler, Betsy, will make you laugh, as well as other children of her friends in the story. The bakery desserts will make your mouth water, and you’ll imagine the aroma of cinnamon, sugar, and warm bread.

The Amish Charm Bakery is where friends come to enjoy a break, share secrets, solve problems, and laugh and cry.

On a personal note, this year has been an exciting one for our family in spite of COVID-19. My daughter, Misty, is getting married, and we love our future son-in-law, Kevin. They are having a small wedding due to the virus, but it hasn’t dampened any of our enthusiasm for this special day. God has blessed all of us with making all the plans go smoothly, and they’ve enjoyed their marriage counseling with Pastor Roger.

Pastor Roger asked them to put their first name in the verses in Corinthians Chapter 13 of the Bible, as an example of how they should feel about each other. Such as Misty is patient, and Misty is kind. I thought about that in my marriage to Ed. He is all those wonderful things to me. But I need to be more patient! So I’m learning along with Misty and Kevin! LOL

I pray that MARYANN’S HOPE will bring you a fun escape into the small Amish town of Charm, Ohio during the period of 1913-1914!


To celebrate her tour, Molly is giving away the grand prize package of a $75 Amazon gift card and an Amish doll!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click HERE to enter!