Judith Miller: The Potter’s Lady *GIVEAWAY*

By Kelly Bridgewater

From Amazon

Back Cover Copy:

When Rose McKay convinces her brother, Ewan, to invest in a pottery business, she's determined to assist him in making the venture a success. Having just graduated from the Philadelphia School of Design for Women, she believes she can design pieces that will sell well. In her efforts to help the pottery flourish, Rose reconnects with Joshua Harkness, who oversees his own family's pottery works in a nearby town.

Rylan Campbell has never liked change, but the new owners of the pottery seem to be the decent sort. He just wishes Rose wouldn't insist on cleaning and moving everything. But when McKay Pottery starts losing business to the Harkness company, Rylan realizes Joshua might be taking advantage of Rose.

Then Franklin Hotels announces a design contest. Winning the Franklin contract would be exactly the boost McKay Pottery needs, so Rose and Rylan work closely together to create something magnificent. With Joshua's company as their main competition, can Rylan convince Rose her trust in Joshua may be misplaced?

My Thoughts:

I have enjoyed Judith Miller’s Postcards from Pullman’s series, so I thought I would give Judith Miller another chance. I am glad I did. Miller’s latest release, The Potter’s Lady, is a different and unique historical romance.

I really enjoy how in the four books that I have read of Millers all of the heroine are strong characters. Even during the historical time period when women weren’t shined or allowed to blossomed, Miller allows her women characters to be educated and have a voice in a changing world. This makes her heroines come to life for me. I enjoy reading about strong women who want to change the world around them for the better. This time around was no exception. Rose is a woman who has a strong eye for art and design but believes in the education of all and a cleaner working environment.

Miller does a great job at bringing the historical period of 1872 to life. I really felt like I was roaming the pottery and missing the train as it crossed the railroad tracks through town. Miller captures the emotions and  hurts of the society and brings it to life in my imagination. Miller is a master at using her research to tell a story, not bore her readers with annoying facts. Instead she allows me to take a journey through history with her characters.

I don’t blame Miller for this, but the only problem I had was with the nanny. I don’t know if it is because I just finished a book with the same issue for the servant. I think it is. Recently, I just finished another book where the servant was being bribed by someone with power through money, prestige, and a chance at a better lifestyle for gossip about the family she worked for. It felt like I was reading the same thing again. I think it has become a trend among historical fiction writers.

I believe fans of historical fiction would enjoy this book and love learning more about the horrible working conditions in factories in 1872.

I received a complimentary copy of The Potter’s Lady from Bethany House Publishers and the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Kate Breslin: Not by Sight

By Kelly Bridgewater

From Amazon

Back Cover Copy:

With Britain caught up in WWI, Jack Benningham, heir to the Earl of Stonebrooke, has declared himself a conscientious objector. Instead, he secretly works for the Crown by tracking down German spies on British soil, his wild reputation and society status serving as a foolproof cover.

Blinded by patriotism and concern for her brother on the front lines, wealthy suffragette Grace Mabry will do whatever it takes to assist her country's cause. When she sneaks into a posh London masquerade ball to hand out white feathers of cowardice, she never imagines the chain of events she'll set off when she hands a feather to Jack. 

And neither of them could anticipate the extent of the danger and betrayal that follows them--or the faith they'll need to maintain hope.

My Thoughts:

Kate Breslin and I met last September at the 2014 ACFW conference. After spending time with Jewess aka Stella and Aric in For Such a Time, I couldn’t wait to read more of Breslin’s writing. When I found out she was writing another book, I jumped at the chance and contacted her, asking to read an ARC copy of Not by Sight. She agreed.  Not by Sight is an impressive historical romance by one of my favorite writers. I think it is because I connect instantly with the characters.

I really enjoyed getting to know Jack Benningham, a wealthy man who first comes onto the scene as a playboy and a gambler. But three months later, I met a totally different guy. He was humbled with less hubris leading his choices. Now Jack was blind with scars on his face. Throughout the book, I watched Jack change and transform, not only physically, but also spiritually.

As for Grace Mabry, when we first encounter her, she was a woman who wants to shame the men who weren’t fighting. Three months later, she was a very strong heroine who I related to instantly and liked. She fought for women who worked with the Women’s Forage Corps (WFC) and wanted more with their lives.

Breslin’s use of imagery and descriptive language welcomed me into Jack and Grace’s world. I smelt the roses in Jack’s garden. I imagined the hay, laying down waiting to be picked. I imagined the dirt and sweat rolling across Grace’s body after she spent a day unsuccessfully digging a trench. Jack’s estate came alive in my imagination. I felt like I have left the twentieth-century and moved into the conflict of the early nineteenth century.

The historical detail is top-notch and really brought the historical period to life in my imagination. I learned a lot about the treason that went on behind the line during the 1917’s and the fight for women’s equal rights. I enjoyed how Breslin included a mystery surrounding Grace’s father who was accused of being a traitor. This captured my attention, and I couldn’t wait to see the resolution.

The romance was sizzling. Beauty and the Beast is my all-time favorite Disney movie because of Belle’s ability to look past Beast’s outer appearance and discover his true personality. Breslin fashioned a classic romance with Grace and Jack, tugging at my heart along the way. Every time Grace would drive Jack around town, Grace would find another reason to fall a little more in love with this scarred and damaged man beside her. Likewise, Jack learned that someone could love him, no matter what his scars looked like. Their romance was sigh-worthy, and I prayed for their happily-ever-after together.

At times, I had a hard time believing that Grace could be so perfect and polite to everyone, even Clare who treated her badly at their first encounter. But her personality did not stop me from loving Breslin’s heroine.

In literary fashion, Kate Breslin’s Not by Sight gave me a glimpse into the world of World War I with treason and women suffrage, while creating a romance that reminded me a lot of classic literature’s Beauty and the Beast and Phantom of the Opera. I will definitely recommending Not by Sight to fans of classic romance novels and good literature.

My Rating:  5 out of 5 stars

Forever Yours: A Review

By Kelly Bridgewater



Back Cover Copy: 

Enjoy the rollercoaster ride five modern couples take on the road that leads them back into a love that was meant to be. The ex-wife reads his work of fiction for an eye-opening revelation. The missing fiancée is returned to her home. A desperate wife gets one last Christmas with her husband before they divorce. The busy housewife wakes up to the drift occurring in her marriage. The low-key mom suddenly encounters her son’s high-profile dad.

My Thoughts: 
Forever Yours is a nine hundred page book, so I couldn't wait to get lost in some of the stories and spend a lot of time there. This book's cover was beautiful with the husband and wife on the cover looking toward the title in their wedding attire as the day ends. 

Each individual story does allow each couple to show the struggles that normal married couples go through. While most stories like to make marriage look like a piece of cake with no true dilemma. These stories did a good job at allowing the fairy tale endings to appear more realistic. I truly enjoy that part of the stories. Also, I enjoy the idea of second chances for individuals. It is such a strong cord in who I am, so I loved that idea for the stories. 

The writing of each author is top notch and made me feel like I was really there, experiencing the dilemma that each character has been facing. I understood the individual thoughts, struggles, and emotions. The setting and point of view were top notch. Like I would expect from these individual authors. 

I wish some of the stories were longer, so I could spend more time with the characters. I felt like I got dropped in the middle of their struggles and didn't really get to spend a lot of time knowing each individual character. It would have been nice to see them more developed. 

I received a complimentary copy of Forever Yours from Barbour Publishing through Netgalley and the opinions stated are all my own. 

Why do you enjoy reading a collection of novellas?

Where Treasure Hides

By Kelly Bridgewater

Description (From Amazon):

From Amazon

Artist Alison Schuyler spends her time working in her family’s renowned art gallery, determined to avoid the curse that has followed the Schuyler clan from the Netherlands to America and back again. She’s certain that true love will only lead to tragedy―that is, until a chance meeting at Waterloo station brings Ian Devlin into her life. Drawn to the bold and compassionate British Army captain, Alison begins to question her fear of love as World War II breaks out, separating the two and drawing each into their own battles. While Ian fights for freedom on the battlefield, Alison works with the Dutch Underground to find a safe haven for Jewish children and priceless pieces of art alike. But safety is a luxury war does not allow. As time, war, and human will struggle to keep them apart, will Alison and Ian have the faith to fight for their love, or is it their fate to be separated forever?

My Review:

I have lately been on a binge reading historical romances set during World War II. I love everything by Sarah Sundin, Cara Putnam, Liz Tolsma, and others. When I saw the beautiful cover for Johnnie Alexander’s new book, Where Treasure Hides, I knew I had to get a copy and read it. Alexander’s novel fits right into the genre with the budding romance, the historical timeframe, and the conflict ripped from the pages of history.

The first thing that stands out to me is the setting and Alexander’s research into World War II era. Alexander did a good job at inviting the readers into the story right at the cusp of war, then trails the story through the entire process, and ending a year after the war. Even though she covers a lot of time, the story does move quite rapidly along, not fully allowing me to grasp the horror of the situation. Alexander mentions a couple of times that Jews were being taken away, but she never strays enough to cover what was going on. The story is written with dueling plotlines: first, Alison, then Ian. As the plot is told from a variety of narrators, when a certain character speaks, the dialogue fits their behavior, and the prose mimics their movements.

As for the main characters of Alison Schuyler and Ian Devlin, Alexander breathes life into them, making them memorable. Alison inherited the love of art and drawing from her father. Alexander does a great job at showing how all encompassing the viewpoint of an artist’s perspective of the world is. We view the world through different lenses and ideas for new projects appear all the time. Alison is a determined and brave woman who misses her father and mother terribly and eludes capture a number of times. As for Ian, he is a strong and heroic man who seeks out the preyed on weak and helps take them to safety without any concern of what would happen to him.

Right from the first page, Alexander introduces the romance tension and the conflict. For my taste, Ian and Alison claiming to have given their heart away at the first encounter was way too rushed. I would have liked to see it take longer to advance. I shook my head in disbelief a number of times in the early chapters. Like I mentioned early, the story doesn’t really focus on the horrible incidents occurring during World War II, so the tension revolved around Alison’s and Ian’s struggle to be together and save Alison’s family legacy with the paintings. There was really no questionable content with the violence that occurred during World War II. A pretty tame novel.

This completely original and predictable story, Where Treasure Hides, will definitely appeal to fans of Liz Tolsma and Cathy Gohlke’s book, Saving Amelie. It has the similar feel, even though Tolsma and Gohlke are more visual in their display of the horror taking place around the characters. The book was a quick read that I enjoyed, but not going to be listed as one of my favorite World War II novels. Where Treasure Hides really did not touch on the topic of God, so non-fans of CBA books could enjoy the fast moving plot.

In short, Johnnie Alexander’s unique story Where Treasure Hides features likeable characters even though the romance was much too unbelievable for me and all of the tension occurred between Ian and Alison. Not too much focus on the World War II events happening in the subplot. 

I received a complimentary copy from Tyndale Publishing and the opinions stated are all my own. 

Irene Hannon: Hope Harbor

By Kelly Bridgewater

From Amazon

Back Cover Copy:

Tracy Campbell never wanted to leave Hope Harbor, Oregon, or the idyllic three-generation cranberry farm where she grew up. But life--and love--altered her plans. When tragedy strikes and changes her plans yet again, she finds herself back in her hometown with a floundering farm to run and a heartbreaking secret. Romance is not on her agenda. Nor is it on Michael Hunter's. The visitor from Chicago has daunting secrets of his own. But when Tracy recruits him to help save a struggling charitable organization, the winds of change begin to sweep through Hope Harbor, bringing healing, hope, and love to countless lives--including their own.

My Thoughts:

Irene Hannon is one of my favorite romantic suspense authors. I knew she has written a number of books for the Love Inspired line and has two full length contemporary novels that I have enjoyed immensely. So when I heard she wrote a new contemporary romance novel, I couldn’t wait to get my hand on a copy.

Hannon is great at creating characters that are life-like and memorable. They stick with me after I’m finishing reading the book. Hannon allows Tracy and Michael to literally run into each other within the first couple of pages of the book, allowing a lasting impression to change both their lives for the better. In Hope Harbor, Tracy is a determined young lady, willing to help her aunt and uncle who took her in after her parent’s untimely death. She works selfishly long hours at the cranberry farm and volunteers to help others in the small sea-side community of Hope Harbor. The hero, Michael Hunter, is a person who is fleeing from his non-profit work in Chicago, hoping to free himself from the guilt over his wife’s death. He volunteers to help others even the elderly lady who is his temporary landlord.

The theme of moving on and learning to accept what God has in store for the future is important for everyone to learn. It is a hard lesson, yes, but something we need to grasp on to and trust God with both hands.

I enjoyed getting to roam the small town of Hope Harbor and see how a number of lives are affected and changed through the course of the novel. Hannon knows how to create a story that rips at the heart of the reader and keeps them thinking about the plot long after I they close the book. I loved traveling down the beach and having fish tacos from the little stand where most of the locals visit.

Always enjoyable, Irene Hannon’s latest book, Hope Harbor does exactly that. Bring Hope to the characters that populate the pages and interact with each other. The story has just the right amount of romance, sprinkled with tension and real world dilemmas. I would recommend this book to fans of Irene Hannon’s romantic suspense or fans of contemporary romance like Melissa Tagg, Susan May Warren, or Beth K. Vogt.

I received a complimentary copy of Irene Hannon’s Hope Harbor from Revell Publishing through Netgalley and the opinions stated are all my own.

Irene Hannon’s Writing Bio:

Irene Hannon is the best-selling author of more than 35 novels. Her books have been honored with the coveted RITA Award from Romance Writers of America, the HOLT Medallion, the Reviewer's Choice Award from Romantic Times BOOKreviews magazine and the Daphne du Maurier Award for mystery/suspense. Irene and her husband make their home in Missouri, USA.

From Irene Hannon's Amazon Author Page

Where to connect with Irene Hannon:

Irene Hannon’s Personal Website

Facebook

Where to purchase Hope Harbor:

Amazon

Barnes and Nobles

Christianbook

Your Local Favorite Bookstore

What do you prefer: Irene Hannon’s romantic suspense or her contemporary romance? Why?

What Arthur Conan Doyle Means to Me

By Kelly Bridgewater

This is my fourth month talking about certain writers and what they have meant to me as a writer. First, C.S. Lewis, in January, J. R. R. Tolkien in February, and J. K. Rowling in March. Now for April, I plan to talk about the most popular father of the detective novel. No, he didn’t write the first detective novel. That was Edgar Allan Poe. Yes, the man who wrote “The Raven” and “The Tell-Tale Heart” penned the first detective novel with the creation of “The Murders of the Rue Morgue.”

But Arthur Conan Doyle introduced the most popular detective to the world. Every classic cartoon has done an episode where someone is Sherlock Holmes and Watson. It is funny to think about how popular Sherlock Holmes is today while Arthur Conan Doyle did not want to be famous for writing the detective. He wanted his other work to be more widely read and known. I bet you didn’t know he wrote a couple others works of writing, did you? He did. They weren’t as well-written, I promise you that.

Sherlock Holmes.

Everyone in England swears by him and loves him, even though Arthur Conan Doyle is from Scotland, not England.  I was introduced to Sherlock Holmes when I was in college. To escape the boring story of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald during a literary theory class to complete my undergraduate studies in English, I devoured The Complete Sherlock Holmes. It was more my taste. Adventure. Mystery. Non-stop action.

I still return to Sherlock Holmes once a year when I read my favorite books. I watched and loved the latest Sherlock Holmes movies featuring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. I’m fascinated by the great storytelling of the BBC Sherlock produced by Mark Gatiss. He has done a great job capturing the essence of Sherlock in the twenty-first century with text messages and similar technology like Watson keeping a blog to record his adventures.

Arthur Conan Doyle taught me that adventure is important to a great story that captures the readers’ attention for generations to come. A great story can surpass the changing time and move into the classics if the story is well-written. Doyle gave the world a gift of a classic detective named Sherlock Holmes who helped cement my love of Adventure, mystery, thrillers, and suspense in books and movies. Because of this, I’m not the type of girl who likes sappy, romance books or movies. Give me an action packed movie or book, and I’m there.

Any though most people have heard of Sherlock Holmes, have you, personally, sat down and read his books? What was your idea of a great book? Romance. Adventure. Fantasy. Mystery. Classics. Why?

Laura McNeil: Center of Gravity

By Kelly Bridgewater

From Amazon

Back Cover Copy:

The truth could cost her everything.

Her whole life, Ava Carson has been sure of one thing: she doesn’t measure up to her mother’s expectations. So when Mitchell Carson sweeps into her life with his adorable son, the ready-made family seems like a dream come true. In the blink of an eye, she’s married, has a new baby, and life is wonderful.

Or is it?

When her picture-perfect marriage begins unraveling at the seams, Ava convinces herself she can fix it. It's temporary. It’s the stress. It’s Mitchell’s tragic history of loss.

If only Ava could believe her own excuses.

Mitchell is no longer the charming, thoughtful man she married. He grows more controlling by the day, revealing a violent jealous streak. His behavior is recklessly erratic, and the unanswered questions about his past now hint at something far more sinister than Ava can stomach. Before she can fit the pieces together, Mitchell files for divorce and demands full custody of their boys.

Fueled by fierce love for her children and aided by Graham Thomas, a new attorney in town —Ava takes matters into her own hands, digging deep into the past. But will finding the truth be enough to beat Mitchell at his own game?

My Review:

Center of Gravity is Laura McNeil’s debut novel. It is categorized as a contemporary women’s fiction piece. The story reminded me a lot of The Sound and Fury by William Faulkner. For those who haven’t read Faulkner’s masterpiece, what I meant is by how the novel is structured. Faulkner and McNeil divided their book up into sections with headings of whom the person speaking. So everyone character has a voice and, as the reader, I can understand the struggles and pains the individual characters go through.

McNeil’s novel has a number of different character’s point of view, such as Ava, the wife, Mitchell, the husband, Jack, the eight-year-old son, and Graham, Ava’s lawyer. I really enjoyed how McNeil told the story because I empathized with Ava, but then I watched the struggle inside Jack and Mitchell as they roam the pages of the story. I was never lost or confused during the changing of the characters.

As for the conflict, it was riveting. I kept flipping the pages, wanting to return to the story because I needed to know what would happen to Mitchell and Ava’s marriage. What would happen to Jack and Sam, their children? The story gripped me from the first chapter and kept my attention the whole time. The plot has been seen on late night news, but I never imagined being this close to the individuals and watching their personal struggles.

I really can’t wait to see what comes next from Laura McNeil. This book was a great introduction to her writing.

I received a complimentary copy of Center of Gravity from Thomas Nelson through Netgalley and the opinions stated are all my own.

Laura McNeil’s Writing Bio:

After six years behind the anchor desk at two CBS affiliates, Laura moved to the Alabama Gulf Coast to raise her family. 

Laura's debut novel with HarperCollins (Thomas Nelson), Center of Gravity, set in Mobile, Ala., will be published in July of 2015. Her writing awards include those from William Faulkner-Wisdom Creative Writing Competition, Writer's Digest, RWA, and the Eric Hoffer competition. Her accolades in broadcasting include awards from the Associated Press, including Best News Anchor and Best Specialized Reporter.

She holds a master's degree in journalism from The Ohio State University and is currently pursuing her MFA in creative writing from New England College.

From Amazon's Author Page

Where to connect with Laura McNeil:

Laura McNeil’s Personal Website

Facebook

Where to purchase Center of Gravity:

Amazon

Barnes and Nobles

Christianbook

Your local Favorite bookstore