Jaime Jo Wright: Specters in the Glass House

By Kelly Bridgewater

An ominous butterfly house. A sinister legacy. An untraceable killer.

In 1921, Marian Arnold, the heiress to a brewing baron's empire, seeks solace in the glass butterfly house on her family's Wisconsin estate as Prohibition and the deaths of her parents cast a long shadow over her shrinking world. When Marian's sanctuary is invaded by nightmarish visions, she grapples with the line between hallucinations of things to come and malevolent forces at play in the present. With dead butterflies as the killer's ominous signature, murders unfold at a steady pace. Marian, fearful she might be next, enlists the help of her childhood friend Felix, a war veteran with his own haunted past.

In the present day, researcher Remy Shaw becomes entangled in an elderly biographer's quest to uncover the truth behind Marian Arnold's mysterious life and the unsolved murders linked to an infamous serial killer. Joined by Marian's great-great-grandson, can Remy expose the evil that lurks beneath broken wings? Or will the dark legacy surrounding the manor and its glass house destroy yet another generation?

 

My Thoughts:

Specters in the Glass House by Jaime Jo Wright reminded me of a previous novel that I read. Not the entire concept. Just the family members of the heroine thinking she was mental for the things that she was seeing. Readers will love how Wright captures the mystery element and makes the reader question every person that she comes across. The plot was interesting, scary, and delightful all the same time. I read this book within 24 hours and was a little disappointed when the story was over. I wanted more. The heroine in the past, Marian, was indifferent. She was a little naïve and tried to understand her mother that disappeared from her life. She was definitely not a strong character.  On the other hand, the heroine in the present timeline, Remy Shaw, was trying to deal with her past. But of course, her past kept haunting her in her present situation. I did like how the guy who purchased the house in order to write the biography didn’t have internet. Made it a little harder for Remy Shaw to do her research. Anything to make the heroines life’s harder. The setting was nicely detailed, and my imagination blossomed with all the details of the house. Overall, Specters in the Glass House by Jaime Jo Wright was spooky, historical, and wonderfully told. I look forward to all of Wright’s stories and own all her books. This book is no different.

I received a complimentary copy of Specters in the Glass House by Jaime Jo Wright from Bethany House Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating:  5 out of 5 stars

Purchase Specters in the Glass House

Why No Paperback Books?

By Kelly Bridgewater

When I started blogging, I was given roughly 10 paperback books a month to review.

Some of the books, I wanted to review. Others not so much.

Now more and more Christian Publishing companies are not even publishing Fiction stories.

Waterbrook / Multnomah does not publish fiction books.

Tyndale publishes maybe three books in a quarter.

Thomas Nelson, which used to be a big producer of fiction books, is only publishing five fiction books from September 1^st through the end of this year.

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Even though Revell and Bethany House Publishing does publish majority of the fiction published it appears, they are limiting how many paperback books go out too.

Bethany House started about two years ago that the reviewers were put into two categories: influencers and reviewers. The influencers will have a choice of the one book that they have chosen out of all the books that are published that month to review or not. The rest of them can be downloaded through Netgalley.

Revell Reads, which is Revell publishing’s Review team, does list every book that is published, but they say they randomly select from all the people who have signed up for certain books. However, I signed up within 10 minutes of receiving the sign-up email, and I have not been given a book in over 6 months.

I know inflation is hurting everyone, thank you, Joe Biden, but this is kind of why book reviewing is something I am trying to move away from.

What about you? Do you receive many physical paperback books anymore?

Michelle Griep: Of Gold and Shadows

By Kelly Bridgewater

The shadows hold secrets darker than they ever imagined. . . .

In 1888 Victorian England, Ami Dalton navigates a clandestine dual life. By day, she strives to establish herself as a respected Egyptologist, overcoming the gender biases that permeate academia. But with a heart for saving black-market artifacts from falling into the wrong hands, she is most often disguised as her alter ego, the Shadow Broker.

After eight years in India, Oxford's most eligible bachelor, Edmund Price, has come out of the shadows to run for Parliament and is in search of an Egyptologist to value a newly acquired collection. Expecting a renowned Oxford professor, Edmund instead finds himself entangled with Ami, the professor's determined daughter. As they delve into the treasures, their connection deepens, but trouble emerges when a golden griffin--rumored to bear the curse of Amentuk--surfaces, and they're left to wonder if the curse really is at play, or if something more nefarious is hiding among the shadows. . . .

 

My Thoughts:

Of Gold and Shadows by Michelle Griep is a Egyptian historical mystery with a hint of romance. Readers will love how Gripe captures the world of a female Egyptian scholar and how she can't wait to shine and be able to value a bunch of artifacts. While the hero, Edmund Price, is shown as someone all the women fall for when readers are first introduced to him, Gripe does a wonderful job at allowing Ami, the heroine, to see past all that. She sees his flaws and slowly starts to look forward to this little quirks to make him more realistic in her eyes. The setting comes to live. Readers will enjoy how much time and detail Griep spends in her descriptions of the Price Manor. I loved visiting her and watching Ami and Edmund begin to develop something deeper. As for the plot, I loved the concept of cursed artifacts that had a response on the whole house. Griep also wrote a mystery into the plot that I actually enjoyed reading. Overall, Of Gold and Shadows by Michelle Griep was a delightful Egyptian tale of valuing artifacts and oneself all set in a London Manor. I can't wait to own the physical copy.

I received a complimentary copy Of Gold and Shadows by Michelle Griep from Bethany House Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Purchase Of Gold and Shadows 

James 4

By Kelly Bridgewater

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Submit Yourselves to God

4 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? ² You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. ³ When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

⁴ You adulterous people,^[a] don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. ⁵ Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us^[b]? ⁶ But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

“God opposes the proud
    but shows favor to the humble.”^[c]

⁷ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹ Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

¹¹ Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister^[d] or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. ¹² There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

Boasting About Tomorrow

¹³ Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” ¹⁴ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. ¹⁵ Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. ¹⁷ If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James%204&version=NIV 

Erica Vetsch: A Thieving at Carlton House

By Kelly Bridgewater

Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for A Thieving at Carlton House by Erica Vetsch hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: A Thieving at Carlton House
Series: Of Cloaks & Daggers #1
Author: Erica Vetsch
Publisher: Kregel Publications
Release Date: Kregel Publications
Genre: Regency Mystery Romance

Unlikely alliances form when a killer is on the loose... but who can be trusted?

The Home Office has asked Sir Bertrand Thorndike to head an investigation into stolen royal jewels. And as with everything concerning the Prince Regent, discretion is paramount.

It's the perfect chance for Bertie to step out of his brother's long shadow. Unfortunately, his superior, the Duke of Haverly, has a plan that makes him balk. In order to sell his cover, Bertie must play the part of a man looking for love, ready to reform his rakish ways.

Philippa Cashel escaped a life as one of society's best-known courtesans and now devotes her time to helping other women in dire straits. Her hope is that laboring hard enough at her charity work will allow her to feel worthy of God's forgiveness of her past. So when Sir Bertrand Thorndike approaches her about becoming an agent of the Crown, she is skeptical. Why her? She's focused on getting her school for underprivileged women up and running, not on cloak-and-dagger skullduggery.

But when two of Philippa's rescued girls become targets, Philippa risks partnering with Bertie to find the loot and stop a killer.

 

My Thoughts:

A Thieving at Carlton House by Erica Vetsch is a Regency mystery with a hint of goodness for people who have been shunned by society. With heart, Vetsch dives into the characters who want to make a better life for those who can use it. Readers will enjoy seeing other characters from Vetsch other novels make an appearance and actually help the plot. The mystery drives part one of the story, and it was handled nicely. I like the way the mystery works with the other plot driving the story. Vetsch handles both story lines nicely. It was nice to see the main characters who were sidelined characters in the previous books. Really no romance in this edition, but Vetsch did leave a potential romance on the table. Similarly, I enjoyed the setting. The house that was being worked on came alive before my imagination. Vetsch does a wonderful job at crafting a story with heart and a hint of mystery that drove the storyline. I really enjoyed the story, and need to catch up with the first three books with these familiar characters. A Thieving at Carlton House by Erica Vetsch features a mystery and a plot line that is driven to make life better for others. A nicely handled story. I recommend it.

I received a complimentary copy of A Thieving at Carlton House by Erica Vetsch from Kregel Publishing through JustRead Tours, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Kregel | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook | Bookshop | BookBub

Also Available:

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About the Author

Erica Vetsch is a New York Times best-selling author and ACFW Carol Award winner, and has been a Romantic Times top pick for her previous books. She loves Jesus, history, romance, and watching sports. This transplanted

Kansan now makes her home in Rochester, Minnesota.

Connect with Erica by visiting ericavetsch.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a signed copy of A Thieving at Carlton House and a $25 Amazon gift card!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway

began at midnight September 16, 2024 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on September 23, 2024. Winner

will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture

of prize. US only. International prize ebook and egift card. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

Enter Giveaway

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

Welcome Fall

 By Kelly Bridgewater

 Here come one of my two favorite seasons!

FALL!!

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Love the orange, brown, yellow, and red on all the trees.

Cooler temperature.

Bonfires.

Pumpkins.

Holidays.

Covered Bridge Festival.

Trail rides.

Halloween.

S’mores.

Baking Homemade goodies.

 

What about you? Have anything that you look forward to?

Sarah E. Ladd: The Cloverton Charade

 By Kelly Bridgewater

A long-held family feud reignites when two rival antiquities brokers arrive at the same house party in Regency England.

Olivia Brannon knows her goals are unconventional. As a young woman in Regency England, her best bet--according to society--is to marry well and secure a steady future for herself. But Olivia has never been interested in convention. She'd prefer to follow in her deceased father's footsteps and journey to foreign lands in search of rare and valuable antiquities.

Eager to make a name for herself in the antiquities world, Olivia jumps at an invitation to join a wealthy widow at the famed Cloverton Hall to evaluate her private antiquities collection. Secrecy of the task is vital, and in order to conceal her efforts Olivia must pretend to be a house party guest to avoid suspicion and to explain her presence.

Lucas Avery, whose father was a rival of Olivia's father, has also arrived at the Cloverton Hall house party, hired by the new master of Cloverton Hall--the widow's nephew--to appraise the renowned Cloverton Hall collection. When Lucas discovers Olivia masquerading as a party guest while covertly conducting her own assessment, he's keen to renew the family rivalry. But as their paths frequently cross, he's unprepared for the effect the refreshingly honest--and beautiful--Olivia has on him.

Yet all is not as it seems. Both Olivia and Lucas are shocked by the astonishing discovery of counterfeit pieces, and when the unexpected occurs, everyone is a suspect . . . and Olivia and Lucas both must choose whom they will trust.

 

 

My Thoughts:

The Cloverton Charade by Sarah E. Ladd is a simple Regency novel that fans of this time period will enjoy spending time with. Ladd does a wonderful job of describing Cloverton and all the attendees to the parties that place at this Regency estate. She really invites readers into the setting and allows the readers to wonder and dance away the evening. As for the plot, the synopsis promised more. Reading this first sentence in the synopsis, “A long-held family feud reignites when two rival antiquities brokers arrive at the same house party in Regency England,” I was expecting a more of a rivalry that would break out and cause some issues to the plot, but it really does not affect the story that much. The antiques really do not come until investigation until about sixty percent into the novel. I wanted more of a mystery. As for the heroine and hero, they have a past since it is their families that are part of the rivalry that happened ten years ago. Their romance was quick, and they did not show any emotions toward each other for majority of the book. Overall, The Cloverton Charade by Sarah E. Ladd left me feeling like it was a blah- okay book. Not too great; Not too bad. Just there.

I received a complimentary copy of The Cloverton Charade by Sarah E. Ladd from Thomas Nelson Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating:  3 out of 5 stars

Purchase The Cloverton Charade

Most Anticipated Suspense

 By Kelly Bridgewater

Suspense books that I can not wait to read for Fall 2024. (All covers come from Goodreads!)

Fireproof by Susan May Warren

70 North by Kimberley Woodhouse

Over the Edge by Irene Hannon

One Last Stand by Susan May Warren

Deadly Revenge by Patricia Bradley

Surge by Ronie Kendig

Any book covers that capture your attention? I definitely need more suspense books. 

Lynn Austin: Waiting for Christmas

By Kelly Bridgewater

In this hope-filled Gilded Age Christmas novella from bestselling author Lynn Austin, the year is 1901 and the hustle and bustle of the holidays is descending on New York’s Fifth Avenue.

For the first time in her privileged life, Adelaide Forsythe won’t be swept up in it. She couldn’t be happier about the prospect of a quieter Christmas. That’s not to say her transition from Miss to Mrs. has been without challenge. Though she doesn’t regret marrying for love instead of wealth, she can barely light the hearth or cook more than burnt toast. She feels woefully unprepared to run her own household.

Then, on the first Sunday of Advent, winter winds bring change through two unlikely means: a young orphan boy, hiding near Adelaide’s front steps, and a seasoned housekeeper who seems too good to be true.

The boy, Jack, claims he isn’t an orphan at all and is desperate to reunite his family. Adelaide and her husband Howard work tirelessly to solve the riddle of Jack’s story, while Adelaide’s new endeavors open her eyes to a world beyond her past experience―and all the challenge and possibility it holds. As Christmas approaches, small glimmers of wonder light the way toward the answers Adaleide seeks and the most miraculous gift of all.

 

My Thoughts:

Waiting for Christmas by Lynn Austin is a continuing story of All My Secrets. Austin titles the four parts of the story to go along with the Christmas Advent Candles. This is a feel good Christmas story. I love the heart of Adelaide, and how she wants to help Jack. Even so far as to travel to a less-than-desirable places in New York City. At first, Howard wants to give Adelaide a life that she is accustomed too, but as she keeps purchasing slight things, he feels the purse strings tightening a little more and more. Eventually, Howard as a change of heart. Adelaide and Howard are trying to make a better Christmas for "not an orphan" Jack. All the resources Adelaide and Howard use to try to help Jack pursue his Christmas wish is a delight to watch. The plot was nicely handled and made me want to grab a cup of cocoa and turn on the Christmas music while reading the story. This novella will look nice on my shelf with all her other books. I recommend fans of Lynn Austin's stories or anyone who loves a good historical feel-good Christmas story pick up this story. I believe you will not be disappointed.

I received a complimentary copy of Waiting for Christmas by Lynn Austin from Tyndale Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Purchase Waiting for Christmas

Carrie Turnasky: A Token of Love

By Kelly Bridgewater

Separated by centuries, the lives of two women intertwine through their shared pursuit of love, truth, and justice.

In 1885 London, Lillian Freemont embarks on a treacherous journey to reunite with her long-lost niece, Alice, who was abandoned at the Foundling Hospital eight years ago. Fueled by her sister's plea and armed with the gold token that identifies her niece, Lillian teams up with investigative reporter Matthew McGivern to expose the grim reality of the shadowed streets of London. As Lillian and Matthew unravel the mystery of Alice's disappearance, their partnership blossoms into one of shared purpose and undeniable attraction.

In present-day London, Janelle Spencer finds herself unexpectedly running the Foundling Museum. When filmmaker Jonas Conrad arrives to document the museum's history, their collaboration takes a surprising turn as they uncover articles from the past that shed light on a haunting connection to the present. As Janelle becomes caught between exposing the truth and protecting the museum's reputation, she must decide if she can risk everything for what she believes.

 

My Thoughts:

A Token of Love by Carrie Turansky highlights the world of Human Trafficking in modern times and in the past. In London, Turansky focuses on a foundling hospital and the good work that they do for orphans, but then there is a dark, seedy side to the organization. Both stories depend on something that happened in the past, and how it reflects and affects the future storyline. The plot was a little sad that human trafficking still happens today as it did in the past. Readers will enjoy how Turansky weaves the two storylines seamlessly. The characters dove deep into their emotions. I really enjoyed how Turansky created a storyline that depended on the historical aspects. The plot kept my attention, and I wanted to see how the happily-ever-after moment would happen. I loved seeing the setting of London, and how Turansky will draw readers into the setting as much as the plot. As for the spiritual element, it was most definitely there, and I enjoy how it flowed naturally from certain characters. Overall, A Token of Love by Carrie Turansky is an eye-opening historical novel that has great characters that captured my attention. I recommend this book.

I received a complimentary copy of A Token of Love by Carrie Turansky from Bethany House Publishers, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Purchase A Token of Love