The Master Craftsman by Kelli Stuart

by | May 10, 2022 | Books

MY REVIEW:

The Master Craftsman is a dual timeline novel that takes its readers to the famous House of Fabergé, home of the famous Fabergé eggs, to modern day Florida where a dying treasure hunter Nick Laine, sends his daughter Ava with a hand picked team on an exciting trip to Russia to find the missing Fabergé egg.

With its steady plot that moves from one era to the other at just the right points, The Master Craftsman offered an interesting education on the history of the House of Fabergé as well as the political climate in Russia during that time. The search for the missing egg presented an exciting mystery with unexpected twists and turns as well as danger and adventure.

A story of loyalty and betrayal, The Master Craftsman kept me turning the pages because I really needed to find out how everything would be resolved. This is an excellent book for those who enjoy a little history along with their adventure.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

In 1917, Alma Pihl, a master craftsman in the House of Fabergé, was charged to protect one of the greatest secrets in Russian history–an unknown Fabergé Egg that Peter Karl Fabergé secretly created to honor his divided allegiance to both the people of Russia and the Imperial tsar’s family. When Alma and her husband escaped Russia for their native Finland in 1921, she took the secret with her, guarding her past connection to the Romanov family.

Three generations later, world-renowned treasure hunter Nick Laine is sick and fears the secret of the missing egg will die with him. With time running out, he entrusts the mission of retrieving the egg to his estranged daughter, Ava, who has little idea of the dangers she is about to face. As the stakes are raised, Ava is forced to declare her own allegiance–and the consequences are greater than she could have imagined.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kelli Stuart is the author of the Carol Award-winning Like a River from Its Course, as well as A Silver Willow by the Shore and Life Creative: Inspiration for Today’s Renaissance Mom (with Wendy Speake). Stuart has written for The Huffington Post, 5 Minutes for Mom, Tonic.com, Disney, American Girl, The MOB Society, Extraordinary Mommy, God Size Dreams, Short Fiction Break, and (in)courage. Kelli is a storyteller at heart, fluent in the Russian language, and has spent the last two decades studying the Russian and Ukrainian culture. Kelli lives in Tampa, Florida, with her husband and five children.

Sea Glass Cottage by Irene Hannon

by | May 10, 2022 | Books

MY REVIEW:

I never tire of visiting Hope Harbor through the pages of Irene Hannon’s wonderful series. It’s hard to believe that Sea Glass Cottage is book number eight. It makes me happy to know that there will be even more books upcoming in this series. I would be delighted if the series never ended.

Charlie and his taco stand are the one thing I always anticipate when opening one of the Hope Harbor series. His insight and wisdom are always so on point that one might wonder if he is actually an angel whose seagull friends also add their own special touch.

Sea Glass Cottage is yet another winner in which two hurting and estranged people are given another chance at love. As always there are hurdles they must overcome and a few surprises along their tangled path but faith and forgiveness always wins.

If you have not read any of the books in this series, Sea Glass Cottage is a good place to begin. Join Christi and Jack as they renew their acquaintance and discover the plans God had for their lives. I suspect you will want to read the rest of the series too.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

When painful pasts collide, can love overcome heartache–and triumph despite the odds?

Christi Reece is desperate. The one-time golden girl’s life has tarnished, and a cascade of setbacks has left her reeling. She needs help, and she’s certain Jack Colby is in a position to provide it.

When she shows up in Hope Harbor, however, Jack wants nothing to do with the woman who betrayed him. He’s built a new life on the Oregon coast–and there’s no room in it for Christi, even after she takes refuge in a charming but mysterious cottage nearby. Yet it soon becomes apparent his opinion of her may need revising . . . especially when he ends up needing her help.

Can these two hurting souls open their hearts to a new beginning?

Come home to Hope Harbor–where hearts heal . . . and love blooms.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Irene Hannon is the bestselling and award-winning author of more than 60 contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels. In addition to her many other honors, she is a three-time winner of the prestigious RITA Award from Romance Writers of America. She is also a member of RWA’s elite Hall of Fame and has received a Career Achievement Award from RT Book Reviews for her entire body of work. Learn more at www.irenehannon.com.

Persuade Me by Joanne Markey

by | May 8, 2022 | Books, Romance

MY REVIEW:

I hate to admit it but my literature education is woefully inadequate. Yes, I have probably read thousands of books including War and Peace and Anna Karenina, yet somehow I missed out on the Jane Austen novels. I hope to remedy that some day if I ever catch up on reading the many unread books already in my library. So I find myself unable to actually compare Persuade Me with Austen’s Persuasion. That being said, I did enjoy Persuade Me very much.

Another story about second chances, Persuade Me takes place on an Australian cattle station. A series of unexpected circumstances places Anne Elliot back in the presence of the man she once loved and has never gotten over. Neither of them welcomes the situation but attempt to make the best of it.

With its well paced plot, interesting character, dynamic events, and the always intriguing Australian setting, Persuade Me follows Anne and Fred as they renew their acquaintance. Observing Anne as she struggled to overcome the unhealthy control of her family was encouraging. I loved how she depended on her faith to guide her through her difficulties, even when she was tempted to run from them.

Persuade Me is an excellent novel with a strong message of faith and forgiveness. I highly recommend it.

 

I voluntarily reviewed a digital copy of this book provided by Celebrate Lit. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Book: Persuade Me

Author: Joanne Markey

Genre: Women’s Christian Fiction/Romance

Release date: April 5, 2022

Click here to get your copy!

One horrible misunderstanding. Two heartbroken people.

For seven long years, Anne Elliot of Kellynch Station quietly mourned the loss of her first love. Now that she’s finally over Fred for good, her sister offers the perfect escape: Uppercross.

This move, from one cattle station to another, offers new friends, new responsibilities, and now that she’s out from under her father’s domineering thumb, a whole new world of possibilities.

The sky is the limit.

Or maybe the sky is the perfect place for helicopter mustering pilot Fred Wentworth to spend his days. It took a while for him to regroup after their breakup, but now he’s back, he’s successful, and he’s put the past so far behind him he doesn’t even think about Anne more than a couple dozen times a day.

Life is good.

Or it was until he quite literally runs into the one person he hoped to never see again. After that, what’s a bloke to do other than rethink every lie he’d convinced himself was the truth?

Although they both seem willing to admit they were wrong all those years ago, when things take a bad turn, Anne is left to wonder… Is it too late for a reconciliation?

Persuade Me: Austen’s Persuasion meets the rugged Australian bush—plus dingoes.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Originally from Australia, Joanne Markey now lives in Ohio with her husband and seven children. When she’s not reading or writing, you might find her wandering the property with her kids in search of whatever seasonal treasure they’re trying to find.

MORE FROM jOANNE:

Can a book be partially autobiographical without actually being an autobiography?
 
Probably not. Persuade Me comes close though. Not in it’s entirety, but I did draw heavily on my own life when I wrote this book. Many of the situations that occur in the book were things that happened to me back in the late ‘90s when I worked on a cattle station as station cook. I also set the book in places where we lived—stations we lived or worked on. The autobiographical part ends there though.
 
As a retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, the family situation in Persuade Me is patterned on the Elliot family, not my own. I was easily able to imagine a family like this living in Australia though. The family pride, boasting of being descended from free settlers, knowing how long the family has been in the country to the exact generation—were all things I ran into as a kid.
 
Not every Australian knows how many generations of the family have lived over there (or cares to know), but in high school there was this one girl… She knew exactly how long her family had been there, and anyone who couldn’t count as many generations of Australians as she could wasn’t as Australian as her. Other people have quite plainly offered the information that their family descended from free settlers, without a single convict in the lineage. Still others can tell the exact year their first ancestor moved to Australia. All I needed was to package all of those things into one prideful being—Mr. Elliot. He doesn’t play a huge role in the story, but his influence can be felt throughout the pages.
 
From there it was easy to imagine him as a grazier—a station owner—who’d run into hard times. His daughter, Anne, is the heroine who has a hidden past, a broken relationship she’d rather not remember. The hero of the story can’t exactly be a ship’s captain, but there is one occupation in the bush that does bring in a lot of money—helicopter mustering—and having gotten into that line of work his personal finances have taken a drastic change for the better. I won’t spoil the story, but the rest followed in like manner.
 
And then came the writing… To craft a uniquely Australian book one has to use Australian terms, phrases, and spellings. And when the author has been living outside the country for 21 years, sometimes it’s hard to remember what words go with what country! We worked it all out in the end though, and if you come across a word that looks like it’s been spelled wrong—it’s the Aussie spelling, which is correct for the setting.
 
I hope you enjoy this contemporary retelling of Persuasion set in the Australian bush. Happy reading!

 

BLOG STOPS:

 

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 4
Texas Book-aholic, May 5
Inklings and notions, May 6
Artistic Nobody, May 7
(Author Interview)
For Him and My Family, May 7
Locks, Hooks and Books, May 8
Daysong Reflections, May 9
Tell Tale Book Reviews, May 10
(Author Interview)
Miriam Jacob, May 10
deb’s Book Review, May 11
Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, May 12
Gina Holder, Author and Blogger,
May 13 (Author Interview)
Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, May 14
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 15
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 16
Britt Reads Fiction, May 17

GIVEAWAY:

To celebrate her tour, Joanne 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.

https://promosimple.com/ps/1d729/persuade-me-celebration-tour-giveaway

 

 

Shadowed Loyalty by Roseanna M. White

by | May 2, 2022 | 1920's, Books, Chicago, Historical, Romance

MY REVIEW:

Shadowed Loyalty, latest stand alone novel by Roseanna M. White is a gripping tale where the protagonists must choose where their true loyalty lies. Set in Roaring Twenties Chicago and featuring members of the ruling mafia families, this book illustrates a life where men had two personnas, the loving family man who attended church every Sunday and the crime boss who would do almost anything to stay at the top – perhaps even murder.

It was interesting to me how the women of the families seemed to turn blind eyes to how their husbands and fathers made their livings. It had to be nerve-wracking to always wonder if their husband would come home that evening or could he be a victim of a street shooting, a police raid, etc.  Sabina Mancari was one such woman. The daughter of the leading mob boss, she had been sheltered and had never actually given it much thought until she met the truth face to face. Knowing the truth, it was up to her whether to make the right decision about her own life.

From the very first page, my interest was captured. The plot moved at a steady pace with plenty of action and suspense and numerous twists and surprises. Although I thought Sabina was a spoiled and fickle young woman at first, I was pleased to observe her growing maturity as the story progressed. I liked Lorenzo somewhat better but in his zeal to protect Sabina, he actually hurt her.

Shadowed Loyalty is  a wonderful story with all the necessary elements to satisfy me. A sometimes emotional tale, it delves into family dynamics and true faith. It is definitely well worth picking up a copy.

I voluntarily reviewed a digital copy of this book provided by Chrism Press?. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Sabina Mancari never questioned her life as the daughter of Chicago’s leading mob boss until bullets tear apart her world and the man she thought she loved turns out to be an undercover Prohibition agent. Ambushes, bribes, murder, prostitution—all her life, her father sheltered her from his crimes, but now she can no longer turn away from the truth. Maybe Lorenzo, the fiancé who barely paid her any attention in the last two years, has the right idea by planning to escape their world. But can she truly turn her back on her family?
 
All his life, Lorenzo’s family assumed he would become a priest, but he has different ideas—marrying Sabina and pursuing a career in the law. Despite his morals, he knows at the core he isn’t so unlike his mafiosi father and brothers. Has he, in trying to protect Sabina, forced her into the arms of the Prohibition agent bent on tearing her family apart? How can they rebuild what has so long been neglected and do it in the shadow of the dark empire of the Mafia?
 
Shadowed Loyalty, set amid the glitz and scandal of the Roaring Twenties, examines what love really means and how we draw lines between family and our own convictions, especially when following one could mean losing the other.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning 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. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. You can learn more about her and her stories at www.RoseannaMWhite.com.

GIVEAWAY:

 

One lucky winner, to be drawn on June 3, 2022, will receive:

A set of the art deco dangling earrings featured on the book cover
A tin of Italian pastries
A seat at the July Tea Party Book Club where we chat about the book!

Enter between now and June 2 using the form at this link!