Tidewater Bride by Laura Frantz

About the Book
Selah Hopewell seems to be the only woman in the Virginia colony who has no wish to wed. True, there are too many men and far too few women in James Towne. But Selah already has her hands full assisting her father in the family's shop. And now she is in charge of an incoming ship of tobacco brides who must be looked after as they sort through their many suitors.
Xander Renick is perhaps the most eligible tobacco lord in the settlement. His lands are vast, his crops are prized, and his position as a mediator between the colonists and the powerful Powhatan nation surrounding them makes him indispensable. But Xander is already wedded to his business and still grieves the loss of his wife, daughter of the Powhatan chief.
Can two fiercely independent people find happiness and fulfillment on their own? Or will they discover that what they've been missing in life has been right in front of them all along?
Bestselling and award-winning author Laura Frantz takes you to the salty shores of seventeenth-century Virginia in this exploration of pride, honor, and the restorative power of true love.

My Thoughts

Fiction that takes place in the colonies prior to the Revolutionary war isn’t always my thing but Laura Frantz writes this time period so well that I can’t help checking out each new release.

Honestly I liked the fact that this book was lacking a lot of the typical frontier disasters one normally finds rampant in this time period, no disease outbreaks (this was especially nice to find absent considering the current state of the world), no constant attacks from the natives, and they weren’t struggling to make do. Instead James Towne was a thriving area and I enjoyed the look at how life was then. I always appreciate how much research Frantz does to create a richly historically accurate background for her characters!

The characters themselves were great too, I admired both Xander and Selah’s strong work ethic and the care they had for others. Their romance was definitely a slow burning one but I actually didn’t mind and it fit their situation well. And it wasn’t so slow that you couldn’t see the obvious connection growing. The secondary characters enhanced the story and were all well written.

This was another expertly delivered novel from Frantz and I know fans of her work will love this one as well!

Meet the Author

Laura Frantz is a Christy Award winner and the ECPA bestselling author of eleven novels, including An Uncommon Woman, The Frontiersman's Daughter, Courting Morrow Little, The Colonel's Lady, The Lacemaker, and A Bound Heart. She is a proud mom to an American soldier and a career firefighter. When not at home in Kentucky, she and her husband live in Washington State. Learn more at www.laurafrantz.net.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. 

The Vanishing at Loxby Manor by Abigail Wilson

About the Book

A story of second chances and secrets, this mysterious Regency romance will transport you to 19th-century England as one young lady reunites with her childhood love to find his missing sister. 

Her friend is missing.

After five years abroad, Charity Halliwell finally returns to Loxby Manor, the home of dear friends—and her lost love. No longer a young girl, she is now haunted by a painful secret and the demise of her dreams. Instead of the healing and happiness she hopes to find, she encounters a darkness lurking in the shadows of the once-familiar house. When her friend, Seline, disappears the very night of her arrival, Charity is determined to uncover the truth. 

Her only hope is the man who broke her heart.

Branded a coward, Piers Cavanaugh has lived the last five years as an outcast far from his family home. When his sister presumably elopes with a stable hand, Piers joins forces with an unlikely partner—the one woman he thought he’d never see again. Together they launch an investigation that leads to strange nightly meetings in the ruins of an old abbey and disturbing whispers of a secret organization. The more they learn, the more desperate the situation becomes. 

The house seems determined to keep its secrets.

As they struggle to piece together the clues, Charity and Piers also endeavor to rebuild their friendship. One cryptic letter changed everything between them. To find happiness they will have to overcome the grief and shame keeping them apart. But first they must discover why Seline vanished and confront the growing fear that she may never return. 

Settle in, because once you start The Vanishing at Loxby Manor, you won’t be able to put it down. 

My Thoughts

Once again Abigail Wilson has sucked me into a genre that is not my normal forte! I will admit that at that start I wasn’t wholly drawn into the story or connecting with the characters but that all changed and I was completely captivated.

The suspense and mystery were definitely my favorite part about this book! So many pieces were in play and I was constantly changing my opinion of what I thought happened! The suspense was done so well and I felt like I was on the edge of my seat at times.

I liked Piers a lot, he had such a strong character and truly cared more about others than himself. Charity was great as well, I felt for her with what had happened in her past and I was glad to see her find healing from it. Their romance was sweet and a bit subtle but the fact that it was building on a foundation that was laid years ago kept me from minding!

This book was wonderful and I highly recommend it! And take it from someone who rarely reads this kind of book-Abigail Wilson is one to step outside your comfort zone for!

Meet the Author

Abigail Wilson combines her passion for Regency England with intrigue and adventure to pen historical mysteries with a heart. A registered nurse, chai tea addict, and mother of two crazy kids, Abigail fills her spare time hiking the national parks, attending her daughter’s diving meets, and curling up with a great book. Abigail was a 2020 HOLT Medallion Merit Finalist, a 2017 Fab Five contest winner, and a Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence Finalist. She is a cum laude graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and currently lives in Dripping Springs, Texas, with her husband and children. Connect with Abigail at acwilsonbooks.com; Instagram: @acwilsonbooks; Facebook: @ACWilsonbooks; Twitter: @acwilsonbooks.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. 

A Cowboy for Keeps by Jody Hedlund

About the Book

Greta Nilsson's trip west to save her ailing little sister, Astrid, could not have gone more wrong. First, bandits hold up her stagecoach, stealing all her money. Then, upon arriving in Fairplay, Colorado, she learns the man she was betrothed to as a mail-order bride has died. Homeless, penniless, and jobless, Greta and her sister are worse off than when they started.

Wyatt McQuaid is struggling to get his new ranch up and running and is in town to purchase cattle when the mayor proposes the most unlikely of bargains. He'll invest in a herd of cattle for Wyatt's ranch if Wyatt agrees to help the town become more respectable by marrying and starting a family. And the mayor, who has promised to try to help Greta, has just the candidate in mind for Wyatt to marry.

My Thoughts

I’m always excited when an author I like starts a new series and the fact that this was a marriage of convenience (my favorite trope) had me anxiously awaiting its arrival.

Wyatt was great and I loved the way he let Greta set the pace of things and was a true gentleman about it. I also admired the way that he didn’t bat an eye over the fact that her little sister came with her and took time to form a relationship with her.

Greta had a caring heart which was evident in the deep love she had for her half-sister and the lengths she was willing to go to give her a better chance at life.

I will admit though that for most of the book I wanted to smack Wyatt and Greta’s heads together and hope that knocked some sense into them. It was like they both were constantly waiting for the proverbial other shoe to drop and making assumptions about the other one even when they were clearly saying the opposite. They both had people in the past who hadn’t treated them well and said things that they were letting affect their lives years later. In the end I was happy they worked things out but man they could have had such a richer relationship if they weren’t always looking to give the other person an out. There were still some great moments between them though and those were my favorite parts! Astrid, the little sister, was hard to handle for sure and drove me crazy with the way she acted and the fact that she basically ran unchecked.

Overall this was an interesting start to the series and I’m definitely looking forward to the next books!

Meet the Author

Jody Hedlund is the author of over 20 novels and is the winner of numerous awards including the Christy Award, Carol Award, and Christian Book Award. She received a bachelor's degree from Taylor University and a master's from the University of Wisconsin, both in social work. Jody lives in central Michigan with her husband, busy family, and five spoiled cats. She loves hearing from readers on Facebook and on her blog. Learn more at www.jodyhedlund.com.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. 

Dreams of Savannah by Roseanna M. White

 About the Book

Cordelia Owens can weave a hopeful dream around anything and is well used to winning the hearts of everyone in Savannah with her whimsy. Even when she receives word that her sweetheart has been lost during a raid on a Yankee vessel, she clings to hope and comes up with many a romantic tale of his eventual homecoming to reassure his mother and sister.

But Phineas Dunn finds nothing redemptive in the first horrors of war. Struggling for months to make it home alive, he returns to Savannah injured and cynical, and all too sure that he is not the hero Cordelia seems determined to make him. Matters of black and white don't seem so simple anymore to Phin, and despite her best efforts, Delia's smiles can't erase all the complications in his life. And when Fort Pulaski falls and the future wavers, they both must decide where the dreams of a new America will take them, and if they will go together.

My Thoughts

First of all this cover is absolutely stunning and definitely needs a moment of appreciation.

And now on to the actual review. Coming off of the high from the last three connected series that Roseanna White has written that I’ve absolutely adored I was a little hesitant about this book. Especially since we were switching time periods and continents, and I just wasn’t ready to leave the characters we’ve come to love. But growing up I was fascinated with the Civil War so I was intrigued at what this story would deliver. White’s skill as an author definitely shone through and there was no denying the quality of the writing but for me this story wasn’t a favorite. The author definitely gave an honest look at how things were in the south and the viewpoints that many southerners held, but it was also hard to get behind a hero and heroine that believes as they did. They did have changes of heart as the book progressed but I wanted to see a little more of the process to that point rather than the sudden shift that seemed to occur. And selfishly I really wanted more romance from this book, the couple were barely in the same country let alone the same room for almost all of the book and my romance loving self was a little disappointed by that.

I did overall appreciate the author’s writing talent and the way she gave a true glimpse into what things were like in the south during this tumultuous time.

Meet the Author

Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award-nominated author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she's homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. You can learn more about her and her stories at www.roseannamwhite.com

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. 

All of You, Always by Lindsay Harrel

About the Book

Going undercover is Bella’s only hope.

Her mission?

Convince Ben to sell his inn, and she’ll get the information needed to locate the family she’s never known.

Should be simple, right? After all, he’s behind on his mortgage, and a recent earthquake has rocked the town—and his finances. His beachfront property is ripe for the picking.

But the big-city executive didn’t count on him being so stubborn. So rooted in family and tradition and everything that small-town America stands for.

She also didn’t count on him being so attractive and wounded and … good.

And Bella has to wonder if the ends really justify the means.

But more than that—can love survive a lie?

You’ll adore this sweet small-town romance, because everyone enjoys a story of love, redemption, and finding a place to belong.

My Thoughts

When this author, whose books I have enjoyed immensely, announced that she was writing a series of shorter length contemporary romances I was all on board! This was definitely a completely different fare than her other novels, giving a Hallmark type light and breezy feel instead (I mean the city girl came to shut down his inn and ends up helping save it, if that doesn’t scream Hallmark nothing does).

I loved the small town feel of everything and the way they were all in each other’s business all the time definitely showed how close knit they were!

Some of the motivations of the characters didn’t hold up and there were some moments that had me scratching my head but if you’re looking for a quick small town Hallmark type read this might be the story for you!

Meet the Author

Lindsay Harrel is a lifelong book nerd who lives in Arizona with her young family and two golden retrievers in serious need of training. She's held a variety of writing and editing jobs over the years, and now juggles stay-at-home mommyhood with writing novels. When she's not writing or chasing after her children, Lindsay enjoys making a fool of herself at Zumba, curling up with anything by Jane Austen, and savoring sour candy one piece at a time. Connect with her at www.LindsayHarrel.com

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.