Historical Fiction

The Melody of the Soul by Liz Tolsma

The Melody of the Soul by Liz Tolsma

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

The Melody of the Soul by Liz Tolsma was a book that I love right from the start.  I knew going into this book that I was probably going to like it and I am so glad that I did.  I am a huge fan of any books that take place during WWII, so I always get worried that I will find a book that I don’t like.  I love that the characters in this book aren’t Americans because it gives you a different view of the horrible things that happened during WWII.  I am so glad that there are more books in this series because I fell in love with all of the characters in this book and the setting of the book.  I have read few other books by this author, and I think I loved them just as much as I did this book.  If you are a lover of books that take place during WWII than I would pick up a copy of this book because  I am sure you will love it like I do.

What is your favorite genre of book to read?

About The Book

By 1943, Anna Zadok, a Jewish Christian living in Prague, has lost everything, including her career as a concert violinist and almost her entire family. The only person she has left is her beloved grandmother, and she’s determined to keep her safe. But protecting Grandmother won’t be easy–not with a Nazi officer billeted below them.

Anna must keep a low profile. There’s one thing she refuses to give up, though. Despite instruments being declared illegal, Anna defiantly continues to practice her violin. She has to believe that the war will end someday and her career will be waiting. Fortunately for Anna, the officer, Horst Engel, enjoys her soothing music. It distracts him from his dissatisfaction with Nazi ideology and reminds him that beauty still exists in an increasingly ugly world.

When his neighbors face deportation, Horst is moved to risk everything to hide them. Anna finds herself falling in love with the handsome officer and his brave heart. But what he reveals to her might break her trust and stop the music forever. . . .

About The Author

New York Times best-selling author Liz Tolsma is the author of Daisies are Forever, Snow on the Tulips, and the contributing author of A Log Cabin Christmas. When not busy putting words to paper, Liz enjoys reading, walking, working in her large perennial garden, kayaking, and camping. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband and children, all adopted internationally.

Connect with Liz: website, Facebook, Twitter

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The Desires of a Duke: Historical Romance Collection

Eight historical romances featuring roguish dukes willing to risk it all to get the lady their heart desires.

Out Dec 12th– The Desires of a Duke: Historical Romance Collection

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Title: The Desires of a Duke

Authors: Darcy Burke, Grace Callaway, Lila DiPasqua, Shana Galen, Caroline Linden, Erica Monroe, Christina McKnight, Erica Ridley

Genre: Historical Romance

Release Date: December 12, 2017

Available for a LIMITED TIME ONLY!

Enjoy eight historical romances from bestselling authors, featuring dashing, roguish dukes who are willing to risk it all to get the lady their heart desires. When these powerful, bold men take a chance on love, nothing can stop them.

THE FORBIDDEN DUKE by Darcy Burke
The Forbidden Duke helps ruined Eleanor find a second chance for happiness. What will she say when she learns of the role he played in her downfall?

THE DUKE WHO KNEW TOO MUCH by Grace Callaway
A spinster and rake join forces to catch a murderer. Wills clash and passion flares; will they risk all for love—before it’s too late?

THE DUKE’S MATCH GIRL by Lila DiPasqua
The only woman Leo, Duke of Mont-Marly, has ever yearned for is the adorably unconventional beauty who got away. Suzanne creates and selling matchsticks, elixirs for the ill…and is still so damned alluring. Leo is determined to give her a Christmas beyond her wildest imagination…

WAITING FOR A DUKE LIKE YOU by Shana Galen
Pursued by assassins, Princess Vivienne of Glynaven escapes to England. The Duke of Wyndover aids her, but is he the man she’s been waiting for?

WHEN I MET MY DUCHESS by Caroline Linden
The Duke of Wessex realizes he’s about to marry the wrong woman when he meets his bride’s sister…and the wedding may become a scandal.

I SPY A DUKE by Erica Monroe
A governess entering into a marriage of convenience with a duke gets more than she bargained for, as he’s also a spy for the crown.

THE MISFORTUNE OF LADY LUCIANNA by Christina McKnight
The Duke of Montrose has only one choice: find a wealthy heiress to wed. When his quest brings him to Lady Lucianna, he can’t deny that he wants her for more than just her dowry.

THE DUKE’S ACCIDENTAL WIFE by Erica Ridley
The unflappable Duke of Ravenwood meets his match in this rollicking New York Times best-seller!

Available at: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks

 


Christina McKnight is a book lover turned writer. From a young age, her mother encouraged her to tell her own stories. She’s been writing ever since.

Christina enjoys a quiet life in Northern California with her family, her wine, and lots of coffee. Oh, and her books…don’t forget her books! Most days she can be found writing, reading, or traveling the great state of California.

You can visit her online at the following places: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2017 Margaret Margaret

The Pretender by Ta’Mara Hanscom

The Pretender Ta'Mara Hanscom

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

The Pretender by Ta’Mara Hanscom was a book I thought I would really enjoy but in the end, I was bored throughout most of the book.  There were parts throughout the book that I did like but they never lasted long, and I always ended up bored and wanting to pick up something else to read.  This is the first book I have read by this author, and I don’t know that I will get any others to read.  This book was well written, but I just didn’t connect with the author and the characters in the book.  This does happen from time to time, and it makes me sad when it does happen, and I have to review the book because I hate having to leave reviews like this one.  Like I said it was well written and I am sure that it will be a great book for other people it just wasn’t the right fit for me.

About The Book

Set in South Dakota in 1975, where eighteen-year-olds could order 3.2 beer in a bar, and loaded guns were kept under the counter.
Frankie Valli sang “My Eyes Adored You,” and American soldiers returning from Vietnam struggled with their new reality.
It’s within this tumultuous season of American history that Tillie Caselli meets Noah Hansen, and they are never the same again. Their lives were mysteriously intertwined-and had been for many years-yet they had no idea.
From the moment they met, Tillie and Noah wanted to spend the rest of their lives together, but a deliberate omission will keep them apart—and that same omission will be responsible for the escape of a murderer, and a bride’s deception.

About The Author

Born and raised in South Dakota, Ta`Mara loves to write about the Great Plains and the beauty and people of Italia. While her husband and children manage their two pizza ristoranti, Ta`Mara works full time on The Caselli Family Series, and ministers to women. It is Ta`Mara s prayer that as the readers explore the truths in these volumes, they will come away with a new perspective on love, forgiveness, obedience, and God’s plan for marriage
Find out more about Ta’Mara at https://www.tamarahanscombooks.com.
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The Pretender Ta'Mara Hanscom

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2017 Margaret Margaret

Many Sparrows by Lori Benton

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FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Many Sparrows by Lori Benton isn’t one of my favorite historical fiction books that I have read in the past year or so.  I had a tough time getting into the book, and I also had a hard time wanting to read this book.  I found that when I would put it down that, I wouldn’t go right back to it.  I read several other books while I was reading this one which isn’t something that I usually do.  I think my biggest problem was how slow this book seemed to go.  There were quite a few places that I wondered why they didn’t cut them out.  I felt bad for Clare throughout the book because of all of the horrible things that she had to go through.  I know that they only reason I kept reading what because I wanted to know what going to happen to Clare and how things were going to turn out for her.  If you love historical fiction novels than I would pick this book up or at least read other reviews to see if it would be a right for you.  If you have read this book what did you think of it?

About The Book

Either she and her children would emerge from that wilderness together, or none of them would. . . .
In 1774, the Ohio-Kentucky frontier pulses with rising tension and brutal conflicts as Colonists push westward and encroach upon Native American territories. The young Inglesby family is making the perilous journey west when an accident sends Philip back to Redstone Fort for help, forcing him to leave his pregnant wife Clare and their four-year old son Jacob on a remote mountain trail.
When Philip does not return and Jacob disappears from the wagon under the cover of darkness, Clare awakens the next morning to find herself utterly alone, in labor and wondering how she can to recover her son . . . especially when her second child is moments away from being born.
Clare will face the greatest fight of her life, as she struggles to reclaim her son from the Shawnee Indians now holding him captive. But with the battle lines sharply drawn, Jacob’s life might not be the only one at stake. When frontiersman Jeremiah Ring comes to her aid, can the stranger convince Clare that recovering her son will require the very thing her anguished heart is unwilling to do-be still, wait and let God fight this battle for them?

About The Author

Lori Benton was raised east of the Appalachian Mountains, surrounded by early American history going back three hundred years. Her novels transport readers to the eighteenth century, where she brings to life the Colonial and early Federal periods of American history. When she isn’t writing, reading, or researching, Lori enjoys exploring and photographing the Oregon wilderness with her husband. She is the author of “Burning Sky,” recipient of three Christy Awards, “The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn,” Christy-nominee “The Wood’s Edge,” and “A Flight of Arrows.”
Find out more about Lori at http://loribenton.blogspot.com.
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The House of Moody Avenue by Cellestine Hannemann

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FTC: I received a free copy of this book from BookLook in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

The House of Moody Avenue by Cellestine Hannemann wasn’t my favorite book, to say the least, but I still did enjoy parts of this book.  I had a tough time staying interested in this book.  At times I found it hard to know who was talking.  I also felt the book was rushed in some places and in other places I felt like there were way too many details.  I did like most of the characters in this book though.  I also liked the plot of this book because it was different from anything other than I ever remember reading in the past.   I am sure that is the way I did enjoy parts of this book and why I didn’t want to just stop reading it.  Usually, when I read books that don’t keep my attention I have a hard time finishing them, and I usually give up on them.  I am sure that this book will work for some people, but I wasn’t one of them.

About The Book

An eclectic assortment of humanity, with all their foibles and failings, lived in the house on Moody Avenue over a period of ninety years. I tell their stories.

Lisette, her unshakable faith sustaining her, is undeterred in the face of adversity; Julia, a social-climbing snob, sees her world crumble when her children marry inappropriately; Clarence, a Casper Milquetoast bank clerk, absconds with a quarter of a million dollars; Frances, a country girl, comes to the big city to marry a rich man; Sammy, a black man, passes for white.

Beatnik squatters, high on LSD, burn down the condemned ninety-year-old house, leaving it naught but a precious memory in the hearts of those who once sought its shelter.

About The Author

Cellestine Hannemann (born March 28, 1924) is an American author and pioneering figure in the methodology of Oshibana art. Hannemann, née Hofmann, born in Chicago, Illinois, and currently living in California, is best known for developing new processes in the pressing of botanical materials to reduce discoloration and shrinkage. She manufactured a unique press incorporating polyester materials to cushion the plants that became known as “Cellestine’s Press,” and authored a book that is a popular reference guide for plant pressers and Oshibana artists. Hannemann also wrote two novels.

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A Name Unknown by Roseanna M. White

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FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

The Name Unknown by Roseanna M. White was an okay book for the most part.  I did get bored from time to time because of all the details that are in this book.  I am sure this wouldn’t have bothered me if I was more interested in the book but I had a tough time staying interested in this book.  I know that is probably because it is a historical fiction book and it takes place before WWI, and I have a harder time staying interested in those types of books.  This book is really well written, and I did like the characters.  I think the reason I was bored with the book was that of the time period and it being so far out of the time periods that I enjoy reading.  If you like historical fiction from this time period than I am sure that you would enjoy this book.

About The Book

Edwardian Romance and History Gains a Twist of Suspense

Rosemary Gresham has no family beyond the band of former urchins that helped her survive as a girl in the mean streets of London. Grown now, they concentrate on stealing high-value items and have learned how to blend into upper-class society. But when Rosemary must determine whether a certain wealthy gentleman is loyal to Britain or to Germany, she is in for the challenge of a lifetime. How does one steal a family’s history, their very name?

Peter Holstein, given his family’s German blood, writes his popular series of adventure novels under a pen name. With European politics boiling and his own neighbors suspicious of him, Peter debates whether it might be best to change his name for good. When Rosemary shows up at his door pretending to be a historian and offering to help him trace his family history, his question might be answered.

But as the two work together and Rosemary sees his gracious reaction to his neighbors’ scornful attacks, she wonders if her assignment is going down the wrong path. Is it too late to help him prove that he’s more than his name?

About The Author

Roseanna M. White pens her novels beneath her Betsy Ross flag, with her Jane Austen action figure watching over her. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two children, editing and designing, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of over a dozen historical novels and novellas, ranging from biblical fiction to American-set romances to her British series. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to make their way into her novels . . . To offset her real life, which is blessedly boring. She passes said boring life with her husband and kids in the beautiful mountains of eastern West Virginia.

Find out more about Roseanna M. at http://www.roseannamwhite.com.

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