Jen Turano: In Pursuit of Civility

 By Kelly Bridgewater

 LESSON TWO: Become headmistress and expect to find yourself partnering with an attractive inventor to search for treasure.

Annaliese Merriweather has been appointed the temporary headmistress of the Merriweather Academy for Young Ladies while her sister is on her honeymoon, but she doesn't feel cut out for the role. Especially after she loses two of her most troublesome students during an outing to a county fair and has to recruit the help of Seth McCormick, an eccentric inventor, to retrieve them.

Soon after, one of those mischievous students disappears again, intent on pursuing a pirate map. Together, Annaliese and Seth set out to find her, accompanied by a menagerie of Annaliese's rescued animal companions. As they stumble from one chaotic situation to the next, sparks fly between Annaliese and Seth. Somehow, they'll need to outwit dangerous individuals also intent on seeking the treasure and bring everyone back in one piece--all while deciphering what their hearts desire.

With witty characters and humorous banter, Jen Turano takes readers on a lively tale of hijinks, humor, treasure hunting, and forced proximity in her latest historical rom-com set in Chicago at a finishing school during the Gilded Age.

 

 

My Thoughts:

In Pursuit of Civility by Jen Turano features many different, yet charming animal characters who make the story a little different, yet in a good way. Annaliese, the heroine, is a decorum instructor at Merriweather Academy for Young Ladies, which her older sister help created out of the castle that their sister left them. Readers need to read the first book in the series to see how this happens. I love Turano’s stories, but in this installment, she does have many moments where readers are going to see two characters have a dialogue, and it will go on for pages with no real action happening. This was a little annoying at times. I wanted something to happen instead of just reading their lines. It made me wonder what the other characters were doing while these two characters were just talking. As for the romance, I like the little gestures that Seth gives to Annaliese to show his affection. There was one gift that stood out, and it is mentioned repeatedly in the story. The plot, besides what I mentioned earlier, does move along nicely. There are mishaps with skunks, pirates, monkeys, and birds that make the reader laugh. Overall, In Pursuit of Civility by Jen Turano was not one of my favorite of her stories, but I will definitely open a paperback copy.

I received a complimentary copy of In Pursuit of Civility by Jen Turano from Bethany House Publishers, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

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Melanie Dobson: The Lost Story of Via Belle

By Kelly Bridgewater

 Searching for a story to adapt for film, an aspiring screenwriter becomes captivated by a bestselling classic novel and the mysterious disappearance of the woman who wrote it.

1940. Via Belle’s sweet romance novels made readers believe in happily ever after. But Via’s reality was much more complicated. While her first husband was alive, her creativity thrived in a beautiful stone estate situated above a pristine lake and moonflower garden. After his tragic death and a whirlwind second marriage shrouded in secrets, Via vanished from public life, leaving behind a shadow of scandal . . . and her final story.

2006. Screenwriter Harper Rayne is desperate for a breakthrough, if only she can find the right story to tell. But when she digs into the life of her late mother’s favorite novelist, she never expects it to become personal. Drawn to the quaint Pennsylvania town where both her mother and Via once lived, Harper discovers more than a mystery to solve—she finds echoes of her own longing for love, healing, and home. As long-buried secrets come to light, Harper must decide if she’ll protect the past or rewrite this particular ending.

Described as a “powerhouse in dual-timeline Christian fiction” (Library Journal), Melanie Dobson delivers another rich, atmospheric novel about the legacy of sacrificial love and the redemptive power of truth.

Standalone dual-timeline historical mystery filled with drama, faith, and intrigueClean, suspenseful historical fiction, perfect for fans of Susan Meissner, Lisa Wingate, or Patti Callahan HenryIncludes discussion questions for book groups

 

My Thoughts:

The Lost Story of Via Belle by Melanie Dobson is writers’ story. From the moment that Via Belle comes across the pages of the novel, something magical with her writing comes across the pages. Dobson does a wonderful job at crafting a story filled with mystery, historical charm, and modern-day hunting. The plot is fast moving and plenty of concern for the different characters make the story move along quite nicely. Even though the story does feature three different heroines, I really had no problem moving from one character’s point of view to the next. They were different, but similar. Dobson crafted characters with a past and a present that tie together nicely. Characters that readers will want to keep moving through the story to follow and see the ending of the novel. On the other hand, the setting is described well and gives a good background for the treachery and rest that the story alludes to. Dobson does not weave a spiritual element through the story, so the readers who just enjoy a good, safe story should pick up the story. While I enjoy a good, strong faith element in the story, even though it is not overly overt in the plot, it doesn’t hurt the story. Overall, The Lost Story of Via Belle by Melanie Dobson was a delightful story to read with the dual timeline and the hunt for what really happened to Via Belle.

I received a complimentary copy of The Lost Story of Via Belle by Melanie Dobson from Tyndale Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Lynn Austin: The Lumber Baron's Wife

 By Kelly Bridgewater

When the young wife of a powerful lumber baron vanishes into the wilds of frontier Michigan, her friend is left to unravel the truth in this captivating dual-timeline novel from bestselling author Lynn Austin.

1873. After a devastating loss, Hannah Wagner never imagined she’d leave her comfortable home for the harsh, unfamiliar wilderness near Lake Michigan. But when Henry Abernathy, a friend of her husband, John, offers them a fresh start in a booming lumber town, where John’s skills as a doctor are sorely needed, Hannah reluctantly agrees. There, she meets Kate Abernathy, Henry’s spirited, much younger wife. Kate’s sharp tongue and outsider status have made her unwelcome among the town’s elite, and when she begins confiding in Hannah, it’s clear her marriage is not what it seems . . . and that a secret from her past could destroy everything.

Present day. Ashley Gilbert never planned to settle in Michigan, but when her husband lands his dream job as a conservationist, she agrees to follow. While restoring their historic home—built in the 19th-century for a doctor and his wife—Ashley becomes captivated by its past and its connection to the nearby Abernathy mansion, now being transformed into a museum. While volunteering with the restoration, she stumbles upon the unsolved mystery of Kate Abernathy’s disappearance. What begins as curiosity soon becomes a quest for the truth—one that will connect her to two women whose stories and struggles echo and inspire her own.

 

My Thoughts:

The Lumber Baron’s Wife by Lynn Austin took my breath away. Austin does a wonderful job at crafting a town with two Victorian homes crafted with such craftsmanship that it made me wish I owned one. This story brings images of the older homes in my town that have went into disrepair because they are now college apartments or apartments, so nice old Victorians are now holding 4 – 6 families and the elegance of yesterday days are gone. I wish the modern homes had more character like those homes instead of the boxes everything is made of now. No pride just slap’em as fast as they can. As for Austin’s story, I love the dual timeline with the mystery of what happened to the Lumber Baron’s wife. Similarly, Austin does a wonderful job at crafting characters with a backstory that readers will love to come along them and help them change and grow from. I love the faith element because it is important to show how God will love everyone no matter what they might have done in the past. Overall, The Lumber Baron’s Wife by Lynn Austin was a story that I wasn’t too sure that I would like because of the cover and the synopsis, but I have enjoyed her writing before, so I picked up the story, and I’m glad that I did. It is a wonderful story that I really devoured.

I received a complimentary copy of The Lumber Baron’s Wife by Lynn Austin from Tyndale Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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