Roseanna M. White: The Reluctant Duchess

By Kelly Bridgewater

A Riveting Edwardian Series Set among Britain's High Society

Lady Rowena Kinnaird may be the heiress to a Highland earldom, but she has never felt good enough--not for her father, not for the man she thought she'd marry, not for God. But after a shocking attack, she's willing to be forever an outcast if it means escaping Loch Morar.

Brice Myerston, the Duke of Nottingham, has found himself in possession of a rare treasure his enemies are prepared to kill for. While Brice has never been one to shy away from manor-born ladies, the last thing he needs is the distraction of Lady Rowena, who finds herself in a desperate situation. But when Rowena's father tries to trap Brice into marrying his daughter, Brice makes a surprising decision.

Rowena wanted to escape the Highlands, but she's reluctant to marry a notorious flirt. And when she learns that Brice is mixed up in questionable business with a stolen treasure, she fears she's about to end up directly in the path of everything she was trying to avoid.

My Thoughts:

From Amazon

Historical fiction has been growing on me. I find some writers like Sarah Sundin, Julie Lessman, and Lorna Seilstad absolutely wonderful writers. I LOVE their historical fiction, so I have been branching out and trying to find other writers who write in the same style.  I have tried a hand at reading The Lost Heiress, which is the first book in the Ladies of the Manor series by Roseanna M. White. It was an okay book, but the second book, The Reluctant Duchess, was again an okay book.

White really knows how to draw me into the setting and the time period. Her research into the late nineteenth century shines across the page. I really feel like I'm traveling with Rowena as she enters a new, scary world with her surprise husband Brice.

The Reluctant Duchess is a completely predictable story that has a little bit of mystery in it. Not enough for my taste, but there is a mystery that surrounds around red jewels that started in the book The Lost Heiress. I wished there would have been more to go. As for the current plot, I flipped and passed a number of pages because I had a hard time staying involved in the plot. The story dragged for a long time and then picks up toward the end where we come across the exciting aspect with the jewels.

As for Rowena, she was a major weakly to me. I understand she had some abuse issues she had to overcome, but she just didn't seem like the type of heroine that I wanted to spend 400 pages traveling with. She really annoyed me. Brice, however, was a likeable hero. He was polite and respected the space that Rowena needed. He didn't push her or make her uncomfortable.

Roseanna M. White's The Reluctant Duchess will wrap you in the setting and the attention to detail, but the heroine and the plot did not grip my attention as much as I wanted it to. While some fans of historical fiction will enjoy this novel, I had a hard time staying focused or being motivated to keep reading.

I received a complimentary copy of The Reluctant Duchess from Bethany House Publishers and the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Purchase The Reluctant Duchess

What are some of your favorite historical fiction writers? Why do you like them so much?

Patricia Bradley: Silence in the Dark

By Kelly Bridgewater

Two years ago, Bailey Adams broke off her engagement to Danny Maxwell and fled Logan Point for the mission field in Chihuahua, Mexico. Now she's about to return home to the States, but there's just one problem. After Bailey meets with the uncle of one of the mission children in the city, she barely escapes a sudden danger. Now she's on the run--she just doesn't know from whom. To make matters worse, people who help her along the way find themselves in danger too--including Danny. Who is after her? Will they ever let up? And in the midst of the chaos, can Bailey keep herself from falling in love with her rescuer all over again?

With lean, fast-paced prose that keeps readers turning the pages, Patricia Bradley pens a superb story of suspense and second chances.

From Amazon

My Review:

Since Romantic suspense is one of my favorite type of genres to read, I picked up Patricia Bradley’s first book in her Logan Point series Shadows of the Past and continued to read A Promise to Protect and Gone Without a Trace. They were riveting stories filled with romance and danger, just the way I like my romantic suspense books to be. Silence in the Dark, however, stills instills the danger and romance I wanted.

Right away, the story has the main heroine, Bailey running from the bad guys while carrying a little girl away from danger. For the first eighth of the book, the story moves at a quick pace. But the story slows down once Bailey, Marie, and Danny come to America. It is like the story comes to a standstill and everyone is safe and secure. Yes, there are still moments of threat hanging over every move that the characters make, but they are not threatening physically. I kept flipping the pages, waiting for something to happen, but for a long time, nothing did.

Bailey and Danny are trying to figure out if they should pursue a relationship together or move apart. I enjoyed how Bailey worried about Marie, the four-year-old girl from her school back in Mexico. She did everything she could to make sure that whoever wanted Marie and Bailey did no harm to Marie. Bailey was a brave woman who never wavered from her strong faith in God. On the other hand, Danny is a strong man who pines after Bailey even after she turned down his marriage proposal two years ago. He protects her and yearns for her.

Silence in the Dark seemed, to me, like every other drug cartel story from Mexico that I have read or watched. There was nothing really original about it. I figured out who the person was who wanted to bring harm to Bailey and Marie pretty early on, and Bradley lead me right to the finale, which proved my suspicion.

If you are a fan of Colleen Coble, Irene Hannon, and Lynette Eason, then I suggest picking up Patricia Bradley’s Logan Point series.

I received a complimentary copy of Silence in the Dark from Revell Publishing and the opinions stated are all my own. 

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

Purchase Silence in the Dark

Adult Coloring Books

By Kelly Bridgewater

Grab your colored pencils and get ready to refresh your spirit with this coloring book devotional journey!For lovers of the Secret Garden and Enchanted Forest coloring books, Restore My Soul is a beautiful, interactive devotional designed to celebrate our unique creativity and connect us with the ultimate Creator. Find refreshment in short reflections on Scripture and be inspired as you color accompanying intricate illustrations created for meditation and prayer. Both contemplative and imaginative, Restore My Soul is the perfect space for the artist in us all.

From Amazon

 My Thoughts: 

Coloring was not my chosen past time when I was a child. I would rather play with my Barbies, run around outside with my best friend, Robin, or read a book. But the latest craze of adult coloring books has even befuddled the publishing companies. No one knows why they are in every bookstore and even in Wal-Mart. I have skimmed a number of them when I have gone to the grocery store, but nothing has grabbed my attention. But when Tyndale offered a chance for me to have one for review, I thought why not?


The problem I have with coloring books is that I don't have the patience to sit and color for hours. In the new adult coloring books, the detail is so fine and busy that anyone who wants to spend hours coloring can and will get lost for hours. When I worked on my page, I used a brand new box of Crayola coloring pencils. I spent an hour working on one page, and I didn't even finish the picture. I got frustrated. Too much for me. I could be working on my writing or reading another book in my ever growing TBR (to-be-read) pile. 


While the coloring aspect did not really appeal to me, the writing did strike a cord in my heart. I enjoyed the number of devotions. They weren't long, but they gave me something to think about. Ann-Margaret Hovspian gave me some new areas to think about with my walk with God. I really enjoyed her style of writing. I would love to see if she would write a devotion strictly for adults. She has written some devotionals and books for young girls. 


While I have no patient for this growing trend in adult coloring, Ann-Margaret Hovsepain's coloring devotional Restore My Soul does cause me to pause and ponder her words. I do know a number of adults who have sat down and colored with these adult books and have allowed their stress to leave, so this trend does work for some. Just not for me!


I received a complimentary copy of Ann-Margaret Hovsepain's Restore My Soul from Tyndale Publishing, and the opinions stated are all my own.

From Amazon

Ann-Margaret Hovsepian's Bio:

Ann-Margret Hovsepian is an award-winning writer, editor, and illustrator from Montreal, Quebec. She has had more than 300 articles featured in a variety of Canadian and U.S. print publications. Her devotional for tween girls, The One Year Designer Genes Devo, was released by Tyndale House Publishers in 2007. She is also the author of Truth & Dare: One Year of Dynamic Devotions for Girls (David C. Cook Publishing, 2011) and Truth, Dare, Double Dare: Another Year of Dynamic Devotions for Girls (Cook, 2014), and she was the lead author and senior editor of Blossom, a tween BibleZine (Thomas Nelson, 2006). As an illustrator, she contributed five original drawings to Whatever Is Lovely: A Coloring Book for Reflection and Worship (WaterBrook Multnomah, 2015) and her own devotional coloring book, Restore My Soul, will be released on April 1, 2016.

How to connect with Ann-Margaret Hovsepian:
Facebook
Author Website
Pinterest
Twitter

If you are looking for more devotional coloring type books, there is a Bible entitled the Inspire Bible (NLT-New Living Translation) by Tyndale. It might be worth looking into!

What do you think about adult coloring books? Do you have any? What do you look for in a good, relaxing coloring book?  Would you buy a creative journaling Bible? If you have the Inspire Bible, do you enjoy your purchase?

Melissa Tagg: Like Never Before

By Kelly Bridgewater

Maple Valley became Amelia Bentley's haven after her heart and her dreams of a family were shattered. But her new life as a newspaper editor is shaken when the small-town paper is in danger of closing. Her one hope: A lead on an intriguing story that just might impress the new publisher...if only she knew who he was.

After his biggest campaign success yet, widowed speechwriter Logan Walker now has the chance of a lifetime--a spot on a presidential campaign. But his plans are interrupted when he finds out he's inherited his hometown newspaper. He travels home intent on selling the paper and spending some much-needed time with his young daughter before making the leap into national politics.

But instead of a quick sale and peaceful break from his hectic career, Logan finds himself helping Amelia chase her story. She's scrappy, but wounded. He's dependable, but lost. They may butt heads more than expected, but a series of leads on Maple Valley's quirky unsolved mystery is just the start of the sparks that fly in the office and in their hearts.

From Amazon

My Thoughts:

I actually really enjoy Melissa Tagg’s writing. She writes with such clarity that I feel like I’m right there with her characters as they are interacting with one another. As for her newest book Like Never Before, I enjoyed seeing Amelia in her own story with Logan, the heartthrob that Tagg has been gushing about on Facebook for a while now. I really couldn't wait to read their love story.

Like I mentioned, I enjoyed seeing Amelia tell her own story. She has appeared in two novellas and another book by Tagg, so it was nice to see Tagg finally give Amelia her own story. Like Tagg, Amelia is a journalist who wants to find a place to belong and call home. Journalist writing is her passion, and when she finds out the paper is going to be sold, she believes she can save this small town paper. Enter Logan. The man who can write and steals Amelia’s heart with every word he crafts. He is a single dad, raising his three-year-old daughter, Caroline while trying to make a difference on the political trail.

Tagg is a great writer at descriptions. I really feel like I’m standing in this small town in Iowa and watching the Walkers and the city interact with one another. I really enjoy how Tagg makes her setting comes to life for me. Likewise, her dialogue keeps up a lightly banter between her characters. I enjoy watching them converse and move the story forward.

The story starts out with a hint of Amelia wanting to save the newspaper, but about forty-five percent in, I got bored. It appeared to be the same scenario over and over again. To spice up the story, Tagg includes a mystery of an older gentleman in the novel who funded Amelia’s college education, if she would have finished. I kept flipping through the story because I couldn't wait to see what would happen with Amelia and Logan's research. Would it bring them closer together? Would they actually solve the mystery?

Melissa Tagg’s Like Never Before creates characters and settings that jump off the page with her traditional role of romantic comedy. I enjoyed this book and can't wait to see what story Tagg comes up with next. 

I received a complimentary copy of Like Never Before from Bethany House and the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Purchase Like Never Before

Bachelor Girl Detectives Find Missing Raccoon in The Ward

By Rachel McMillan

(Dear readers of this esteemed and frankly wonderful blog, you are in for a singular treat.  Below, you are given exclusive access to a very, very rough draft of a piece Ray DeLuca reported as scribbled in his journal  and which he is currently polishing for publication in next Wednesday’s edition of The Hogtown Herald)

  Bachelor Girl Detectives Find Missing Raccoon in The Ward

               Miss Fleming of Parliament Street in Corktown was quite bereft when her pet raccoon, Squeakers, was discovered to be missing on Thursday last. Fortunately, his discovery inspired her to relay the talents of Toronto’s celebrated  renowned annoying infamous lady detectives Herringford and Watts. The rotund spinster searched high and low for her constant companion only to be told that he had probably vanished for all eternal in search of a well-stocked rubbish bin.

               “I went straight to those lady detectives.” Miss Fleming informed me when she knocked on the door of the Hog office, thereafter trundling her not inconsiderable girth through the narrow corridors of our newspaper.   “You know, the Ward detectives, they call them.  That odd girl Merinda Herringford who has the audacity to wear men’s trousers!” (she whispered the last part of the sentence conspiratorially as if we were plotting invasion). “And the pretty brunette. And of course their advertisement says there is no problem great or small! Why, Mr. DeLuca it says so right here.” She stabbed her sausage finger at the mock-up of a new Herringford and Watts advert atop my desk.

 “Or small.” I hedged.

From Amazon

“Exactly. And Squeakers is not one of the most robust of his species.  So, I get there, see? And they treat me all lovely.  The pretty brunette, Miss Watts, ensures that her housekeeper has provided me with tea and shortbread. I ate five fingers of the delicacy! Melt in your mouth, so it was.” (I tried to direct Miss Fleming back to the matter at hand: with little success ) “And then she brought out the most wonderful lemon sandwiches.  They are a true wonder, they are. Make me think I should start losing things more often!”  Then, she asked me, your run-of-the-mill muckraker, how familiar I was with Misses Herringford and Watts.  I am, of course, familiar with both.  Merinda Herringford is a little larger than life, Miss Watts, a little more delicate with skin like porcelain and eyes like blue china and a figure like a goddess and…  is slightly more refined.   The two had recently become quite the talk of the town (in which my efforts to report their goings-on have, of course, contributed).

I consulted Miss Herringford after Squeakers had been returned safe and sound to Miss Fleming for her side of the story and inquired if she felt whimsical employment such as a missing raccoon might somehow undermine her attempts to grow her efforts and secure a respectable detective establishment.

               The question was met with anticipated annoyance spirit. “You tell your Hog readers that it takes a certain tenacity and gumption to focus one’s efforts on finding an animal of a species so populous in Toronto.  Why Squeakers very much looks the same as every other of his ilk!” She lifted her chin and narrowed her eyes. “It takes far more stamina to dedicate oneself to a mystery many other investigators might find below them.  But, mark my words, the deductive prowess I engage in returning a missing raccoon to its owner is exaggerate tenfold when I am pitted against a murder.”

I then asked Miss Watts of her opinion, which was of a far more delicate and feminine sensibility: “Oh the poor fluffy thing.  Don’t you just adore raccoons, Mr. DeLuca?  Their little faces look like they’re wearing masks! And their little paws.”  She went on in this same vein for several moments. “But we found him.  Snuggled under a newspaper at Queen Street. At first, we couldn’t be completely sure that it was Miss Fleming’s raccoon. They all sort of look the same.”

              It turned out the identifying marker was a small green ribbon tied around the animal’s neck.   That and a determining clue from Miss Fleming’s cook who said that the “pesky rodent” had overturned a jar of molasses.  Our intrepid duo was able to follow the sticky prints from the rear kitchen of Miss Fleming’s home on Frederick Street and to his hiding spot at Queen.

             One assumes that their advertisement, boldly stating that there is no problem too great or small has not always accounted for raccoons.  Nonetheless (and despite a few eye rolls from Miss Herringford before Miss Watts nudged her in the rib), Herringford and Watts have again proved their loyalty to Toronto’s most peculiar cases. 

From Goodreads

Rachel McMillan's Author Bio:

Rachel McMillan is a keen history enthusiast and a lifelong bibliophile. When not writing or reading, she can most often be found drinking tea and watching British miniseries. Rachel lives in bustling Toronto, where she works in educational publishing and pursues her passion for art, literature, music, and theater.

How to connect with Rachel:

Goodreads

Author Webpage

Twitter

Facebook

From Christianbook.com

Where to purchase A Bachelor Girl's Guide to Murder:

Amazon

Christianbook

Barnes and Nobles

Just in case you want more of Rachel's FABULOUS books, there is a novella out too that you can purchase for $2.51. It is entitled A Singular and Whimsical Problem. (I loved this novella too!!!)

I really hope all my readers enjoyed spending time with Ray and Rachel today. I know I did!! If you haven't read A Bachelor Girl's Guide to Murder, here is my review. I hope it inspires you to read the book. I LOVE this book and can't wait for more from Rachel.   

Thank you, Rachel for supplying this little piece to continue the imagination for your series.


*****************************************************************

GIVEAWAY 

To celebrate with Rachel, I am offering a DIGITAL copy of A Singular and Whimsical Problem, the novella in the Herringford and Watts Mysteries. (Open to U.S residents only! Sorry.) Leave a blog comment and enter with the Rafflecopter. I will draw a winner on Monday, April 11th and announce the winner on my blog on Tuesday, April 12th. 

Thank you!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 ****************************************************************

Rachel McMillan: The Bachelor Girl's Guide to Murder

By Kelly Bridgewater



In 1910 Toronto, while other bachelor girls perfect their domestic skills and find husbands, two friends perfect their sleuthing skills and find a murderer.
Inspired by their fascination with all things Sherlock Holmes, best friends and flatmates Merinda and 

Jem launch a consulting detective business. The deaths of young Irish women lead Merinda and Jem deeper into the mire of the city's underbelly, where the high hopes of those dreaming to make a new life in Canada are met with prejudice and squalor.

While searching for answers, donning disguises, and sneaking around where no proper ladies would ever go, they pair with Jasper Forth, a police constable, and Ray DeLuca, a reporter in whom Jem takes a more than professional interest. Merinda could well be Toronto's premiere consulting detective, and Jem may just find a way to put her bachelor girlhood behind her forever--if they can stay alive long enough to do so.

From Amazon

My Review:

My first introduction to the mystery genre was Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene. I used to ride my bike both ways to the library at least twice a week to check out books and return books. I enjoy mysteries that are reminiscent of the earlier, simple days in our society back in the early twentieth century to the middle of the century when blood and gore wasn't required to sell a novel. With Rachel McMillan's first full length novel The Bachelor Girl's Guide to Murder, I was taken back to my childhood with the interesting and unique novel.

It is hard talking about McMillan's story without first discussing her heroine's. Just like the famous detective Sherlock Holmes, McMillan has two women characters that are popular opposite, yet can't imagine living without the other one in their life. Merinda is a determined woman who wants to solve these murders. Dressing up like a man and dragging poor Jem along for the adventure is nothing new to her. She really doesn't waste her time doing womanly things like cleaning her house. McMillan even created a housekeeper like Sherlock Holmes and Watson had. She brought up tea and kept the ladies' clothes clean. On the other hand, Jem, a woman who grew up with money, but doesn't have it anymore, has to learn to clean and work for a living. Jem brings the romance to the table.

Speaking of romance, McMillan writes the romance between Jem and Ray DeLuca, the reporter. It isn't gushy and swoon worthy. It felt just right for me for the subject matter. I enjoyed watching Ray save her over and over again. It was sweet that he was always at the right place when Jem needed him.

The plot with the murders kept me spellbound. I truly enjoyed how the writing reminded me of Doyle's masterpiece, Sherlock Holmes. Nothing gory. Good deduction skills with simple to easy follow writing. Nothing too flowery from McMillan. I really lost myself for a couple of hours in Toronto, Canada, wanting to find out what happens with the mystery.

With classic mystery form, Rachel McMillan's debut novel, The Bachelor Girl's Guide to Murder, grabbed my attention with quirky characters who made me smile and a mystery that kept me glued to my chair. Fans of Nancy Drew, Encyclopedia Brown, and of course, Sherlock Holmes should check out this book. 

www.libraryschool.libguidescms.com

P.S. Even the cover design reminds of my leatherbound edition of The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Barnes and Nobles. 

I received a complimentary copy of The Bachelor Girl's Guide to Murder by Harvest House Publishing and the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating:  5 out of 5 Stars

Purchase The Bachelor Girl's Guide to Murder