An Unexpected Journey ~ Review

Welcome to the Blog Tour for 

An Unexpected Journey by Ann Elizabeth Fryer, 

hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

  An Unexpected Journey

  A Regency Hobbit Retelling

  By Ann Elizabeth Fryer

 The premise behind this story is intriguing The Hobbit combined with the Regency period. It is just that, sort of. It is indeed set in the Regency period of England and there are elements of The Hobbit but it is done in such a way that unless one was well acquainted with The Hobbit you could miss it.

  The need of a "thief" brings the Canfield family to the Grandview Estate, an estate slowly crumbling to disrepair. But also the home of Lady Laura Tamlow. Through a series of unfulfilled expectations Laura is unaware of the vital role she is expected to play in an attempt to retrieve the long stolen wealth of the Canfield and Tamlow families. Wealth lost due to scandalous events that began with Laura's grandfather's duplicitous actions more than 40 years ago. Thus the beginning of An Unexpected Journey. A journey filled with danger, intrigue, long-held secrets, and unexpected attraction. 

Sometimes God leads us to a place and changes 

our plans to enact His own plans.

I think the above quote from the book excellently describes and shares the heart of this story. The faith of the various characters is what keeps them continuing on in their journey, even in the face of doubts and unanticipated changes to the plan. But is it enough to see them through the danger and separations awaiting them? Can they stay the course? And what will the cost be to them if the succeed? If they fail debtor's prison, the workhouse, or a sentence to Australia is the best they can expect. A most unexpected reading experience is before you should you agree to go on it, but beware of the dragon, Lord Herrington who won't easily give up what and who he now claims as his!

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own. 

This book was read through Kindle Unlimited.

About the Book

Title: An Unexpected Journey: A Regency Hobbit Retelling
Author: Ann Elizabeth Fryer
Publisher: Independently Published
Release Date: November 28, 2024
Genre: Regency Romance/Hobbit Retelling

A heritage neither of them desires, a wrong to right. A chance to end a family curse... 

When strangers tumble through the doors of once resplendent Grandview Estate, Lady Laura Tamlow is pulled into a rather unexpected journey, away from the village she's never left along with a gentleman unlike any she's ever known. 

Jonathan Canfield is out of options. And he'd do anything to restore his family fortunes in order to keep them from poverty, including roping Lady Tamlow into playing the part of thief. They must reclaim both his and her family jewels that were stolen the night of the fated Grand Masquerade of 1770, where both the Canfields and the Tamlows fell far from society's good graces. If only his thief weren't so lovely, he'd be able to focus on the mission without distraction. 

But there's a bigger problem at hand. The jewels reside at Lombard Park under the eye of Lord Herrington, a greedy dragon of a man who knows he's about to die. Yet he has bigger claims than they ever imagined and attempts to steal something far more valuable than family jewels. With deception afoot, will Jonathan ever see Lady Tamlow again? 

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub  

**The author is offering free swag to the first 20 people who purchase a paperback/hardcover book. Proof of purchase required.**

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About the Author

 Ann Elizabeth Fryer loves nothing more than using story and romance to relay   the depths and graciousness of a Father who holds us securely in the palms of   His hands. Daydreaming her surroundings from a young age, she's lived in   historic homes most of her life and regularly participates in backyard   archaeology. When she's not writing historical projects, her contemporary novels   show a flavor of her forever-passion for all things old. Ann, her husband, and   three children make their home in small-town Illinois where they can hear church

 bells keep time and tradition.

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

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a hardcover copy of An Unexpected Journey, a tote bag, swag, and a $10 Amazon gift card!

(1) additional winner will receive an ebook copy of An Unexpected Journey!

The full tour schedule is linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight December 2, 2024, and will last through 11:59 PM EST on December 9, 2024. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of the close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. No shipping restrictions. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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

Goose Princess ~ Review with Snippet

Goose Princess

Beyond the Tales #4

By Tricia Mingerink

 

This is the book I've been waiting for since book three came out. And it was so worth the wait. Unfortunately, it is the final book in the Beyond the Tales series. 

Keziah has been cursed since she was eight days old to not be able to talk to anyone. Through creative reasoning, she has figured out a way to communicate indirectly, but it only works if others are paying attention to her. Now she and her four brothers are fleeing to a safe and hidden location. 

Why are they fleeing? Well, her brothers have all fallen to their curse. All four of them are now geese! Not the best condition to be in when you are the princess and princes of a country under threat from a neighboring country.

But Keziah's plan to protect her brothers is brought to a halt when they come across High King Alexander being hunted by the very people they are trying to hide from. What's a princess to do? Why help her king, of course. 

 

Then there is the whole breaking several curses to deal with, while saving the kingdom, and being selfless. Can we just say this book is packed full of danger, adventure, and learning to trust the Highest King? Well, it is, and it is such good reading.

This series must be read in order to fully appreciate everything. And if it has been awhile since you've read the books, I would recommend rereading them again before reading Goose Princess. I loved seeing Alex's transition throughout the series and how he grew as both a person and a king.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

Before he can have peace, he has one last curse to face.

In the three years since he woke from his enchanted sleep, High King Alexander has faced multiple curses, nearly died, and re-united the Seven Kingdoms of Tallahatchia. He has watched everyone around him find peace and happiness. Is it finally time for him to secure happiness for himself?

When an old enemy strikes once again, Alex finds himself on the run, hunted in his own kingdom, and all alone except for the most unlikely ally: a princess who can't talk to people and her gaggle of goose brothers.

With his enemies closing around him, Alex must make a choice. Will he rescue his best friend or save his kingdom? And, after everything he suffered, does he even want to be the high king or is this his chance to walk away and pursue his own happy ending?

Goose Princess is a retelling of the Goose Girl and Wild Swans fairy tales. Enjoy this fourth and final book in Beyond the Tales, a Christian fantasy fairy tale retelling series!

Snippets:

Ezra glared with his tiny black eyes, as if utterly unrepentant that he’d just bitten the high king. Again.

“What are we, helpless goldfinches?” Josiah gestured to himself. “We’ll be geese, Mother. Geese. With sharp beaks and everything.”

To Heal a Broken Heart ~ Review

To Heal a Broken Heart

A Beauty and the Beast Retelling

The Shattered Tales

By Aveline Brooke

Anelise never expected to have her heart shattered by the man she had known for years. Nor did she expect to be forced into a marriage she didn't want. But she is looking at a future without love unless she can find someone who will make her a love potion.

But can she trick herself into a false happily-ever-after? But it looks like her only hope lies with the man who broke her heart. 

Lucien has been cursed since he broke the heart of the only woman he ever loved by a single act of betrayal. When he is given a chance to aid her, he does all he can at the cost of his own heart.       

This is truly a unique twist on Beauty and the Beast. There is a beast and what beast he is! But the question is what makes a man a beast? 

This is an interesting addition to the retellings of Beauty and the Beast and intriguing part of the Shattered Tales Collection. This is a book that can and should be judged by it's cover, you won't be disappointed. The characters and setting are engaging. This was an up-all-night kind of book in my opinion, and I was up all night reading it. I just had to know would Anelise find her heart's desire or would she settle for the lie?

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

Book Description:
Love is not a fairytale.

Anelise is a romantic young lady who wants nothing more than a loving, faithful marriage, and she knows she has found her prince. Or, rather, her wizard. Her childhood friend Lucien is young, handsome, and shows promise as he trains to become the next Royal Enchanter. But when he breaks her heart in a shocking betrayal, Anelise’s entire perception of love — and the trustworthiness of men — is utterly shattered.

Months later, when Anelise is blackmailed into an engagement to a man who cares for monogamy as little as the dust on his boot, at first, she falls into despair. But then she realizes the one thing that can save her heart: a love potion.

To her surprise, all the nearby wizards refuse to make it, and Anelise is reduced to seeking help from the very man who hurt her the most.

But when she knocks on Lucien’s tower door, the masked wizard who answers it seems quite different from the boy she knew before.

Lucien is shocked to see Anelise at his door. Although it is the last thing he wants to do, Lucien knows that creating this love potion for her is the only chance he has at proving that he has changed… Until he realizes the disastrous reality that awaits her if she drinks it.

To Heal a Broken Heart is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. It is one of twelve novellas in The Shattered Tales, a collection of twelve fractured retellings of your favorite fairy tales. They can be enjoyed in any order, so fall in love with the swoony sweet romance, magical adventures, and tale-shattering twists one happily-ever-after at a time!

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C42JYR1Z

Related Series Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C46HX3PG

About the Author
Aveline Brooke discovered a great love for reading and writing fantasy from a young age, and it has been a constant source of joy since. Although she graduated with an Associate’s degree in digital design, she realized that her heart was in storytelling. She is always working and learning to become a more skilled writer.

Aveline is a proud Catholic who lives with her husband, son, and two cats in the American South. She values family, cultivating beauty in our daily lives, and good food. She is excited to share the journey as she gets closer to the official debut of her first novel, The Crown Prince Wretched.

Find her online at: Website || Goodreads || Instagram || Amazon 


Add the Book to Goodreads

Release Day for Summon the Light

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today is the Release Day for Summon the Light: a retelling of The Tempest by Tor Thibeaux.

This is the 6th book in the A Classic Retold multi-author series, and it’s out today! 

BLURB:

            Everything he ever loved is gone.

            Can what is broken ever be restored?

    In a quiet, seaside town, Nick works as a smuggler, disguising himself as a human and hiding his secret past as the servant of the magician Prospero. It’s been two years since the attack that devastated the great magician’s island leaving it dark and ruined. Prospero and his beautiful daughter, Miranda, are dead, and even Nick’s best friend, the spirit Ariel, has slipped into a coma. Nothing is left.

    Nick has resolved himself to mere survival when a voice from the past suddenly begins to call to him, urging him to rebuild the magic island’s ruined chapel. No matter how futile the task, Nick cannot ignore the haunting call to restore the heart of the island.

    But hope is not the only thing awakening. Darkness is stirring as well—darkness that understands the meaning of Nick’s task better than he does.

    As Nick begins his work, he is stalked on land and sea—by enemies human and inhuman—all of them prepared to do whatever is necessary to keep him from summoning the light.

    Tor Thibeaux re-imagines Shakespeare’s The Tempest in an epic story of good and evil in a high-stakes fantasy adventure.

Available Now on Amazon 

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/165772740-summon-the-light

Author Website: https://www.tspecfiction.com/

Battle for the Land of Sweets ~ Review

Battle for the Land of Sweets

The Christmas Realm Chronicles

By Kaitlyn King

The Battle for the Land of Sweets is a new take on the Nutcracker Suite. But it is set in a contemporary setting that finds cousins and siblings trying to survive or enjoy Christmas based on their individual perspectives. Nadine, the youngest, is overjoyed to find herself participating in the ballet. Her brother Oliver is not so happy - dad is gone, they are living with their Scrooge-like uncle, a busy aunt, and an overworked mom. Yeah, not a happy mix, in Oliver's opinion, and Christmas - bleah. Felicity is trying her best to help her younger cousins be as happy as possible, and that starts with Christmas. But it is hard when the only one who seems to respond to her attempts is Nadine. And her older brother Ethan is becoming more like dad - money-driven. But when the only seasonal job open for Ethan is at Drosselmeyer’s Christmas Emporium, everything is about to change.

In Drosselmeyer’s there is a back workroom that Ethan can't enter, it is always locked and his boss says he isn't yet ready for the key to that lock. I know, intriguing. What's behind the locked door? Even more intriguing is that it is an old intricate-looking lock. But when mice enter the shop through that door, the excitement and adventure are just beginning. 

Yes, I can hear your thoughts, "Mice??" Yes, MICE, not the sometimes cute mice that one can find running around. Nope, these are BIG mice, mice the size of a full-grown human. YIKES!! Call in someone because these mice not only entered the shop through the mysterious back door, they return through it, taking a most unwilling Drosselmeyer with them.

Ethan, Felicity, and Oliver, who both just happen to be shopping in the store at that particular moment, pursue them and get trapped in a strange wintery world. A world in which they need to escape and return home. But there are some who are determined to stop them as they could upend their nefarious plans.

This is an adventure-packed retelling that is wholly new and unique. Perfect for middle-grade readers and up. If you like Christmas, Nutcrackers, or adventures that ring true to classics, this is one story you don't want to miss. And this is a land I wouldn't mind revisiting in further adventures. This book caught my attention and kept me wondering what would happen next. This truly is an adventure worthy of Narnian comparisons. I highly recommend it and would even suggest it would be a perfect chapter-a-day family reading. It is that good, though the two boys could be a bit tiresome with their attitudes at the beginning, though one can understand why.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

Hidden in the back of an old nutcracker and sweets shop is a door…behind it is a magical land full of chocolate rivers, sugar flowers, and candy cane trees.

Christmas used to be the Tannon family’s favorite holiday, but thirteen-year-old Oliver can’t imagine celebrating after his dad deserted their family. Peace on Earth? Yeah right! Oliver doesn’t believe it exists.

His younger sister Nadine is hopeful that this Christmas can still be a happy one now that she has been given a part in the famous Nutcracker ballet.

Fifteen-year-old Felicity will do anything to give her cousins the Merry Christmas they deserve. If only her older brother, Ethan, would get on board with her plans.

Ethan knows the true meaning of Christmas: money, money, money. He’s determined to get a job for winter break, but when he wanders into Drosselmeyer’s Christmas Emporium, he worries that his new boss has watched Nadine’s ballet one too many times.

When masked figures kidnap the eccentric shop owner, the Tannon teenagers follow them through a mysterious back door into a land where fantasy becomes reality. Nutcracker soldiers, the Sugar Plum Fairy, and even Mother Ginger are there to help them on their journey. But where there are heroes, there are also villains. The mice aren’t just a part of the fairytale; they’re real, and they’re tired of losing!

Can these adventurers save the land of sweets and make it back home before Christmas?

Release Day for Raise the Dead

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's release day for Raise the Dead: A Retelling of Jane Eyre by Nina Claire!

This is the 5th book in the A Classic Retold multi-author series, and it’s out today! 

Blurb:

Would you go into hell to rescue the one you love?

After long years of hardship, Jane Rochester is now a young bride settling into a quiet life with the man she loves. But a mysterious stranger at the door resurrects old troubles, unearths buried secrets, and revives a family curse; the past will not leave them in peace.

A malignant force is tearing Jane’s new family apart, and she will have to journey into the very mouth of hell to seek to break it, with no assurance of ever returning home to the living world.

Nina Clare re-imagines Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre in a fantasy quest through the supernatural realms of heaven and hell.

https://www.ninaclarebooks.com/

Release Day for Unearth the Tides

It's release day for Unearth the Tides: A Retelling of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Alissa J. Zavalianos!

This is the 4th book in the A Classic Retold multi-author series, and it’s out today! 

Unearth the Tides is available in paperback, hardcover, and ebook formats, and it is also on Kindle Unlimited.

Blurb:

𝐁𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐓𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬

𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮

Huxley Krew Gannon III always knew he would be a royal guard; defending the Crown is in his blood. And coming from a long line of Gannons, that means the job is to be taken seriously at all costs.

When tragedy strikes, Huxley is framed for treason, and his only option is to flee to Braka’s most feared place: The Wasteful Tides.

It’s rumored a monstrous beast haunts those waters, but what Huxley encounters is even worse: an elusive captain, magical herbs, a beautiful lady, and unearthed truths that could change the course of history.

Unearth the Tides is a fantasy retelling of Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Filled with mystery, found family, and themes of truth and forgiveness, Unearth the Tides is perfect for those who love the coziness of the classics and the thrill of adventure.

Link to order:

https://www.amazon.com/Unearth-Tides-Retelling-Leagues-Classic/dp/B0CBPKJ7SH - 

Release Day for Steal the Morrow

Today is the Release Day for Steal the Morrow by Jenelle Schmidt, a fantastical Oliver Twist retelling and part of the A Classic Retold multi-author series!

Blurb:

The city may be dangerous, but it holds his only hope…

Abandoned on a remote highway after bandits murder his parents, young Olifur finds safety with Fritjof. The gruff woodsman teaches him and other orphans to live off the land. When Fritjof falls ill, Olifur will risk everything to save his mentor—even travel to far-off Melar seeking a doctor.

However, the city of Melar is more perilous than Olifur imagined, and doctors aren't cheap. His quest leads him first to a hazardous job working on the elevated trains high above the city. But the dangers in the clouds are nothing compared to those on the ground. Olifur soon finds himself ensnared in a web of professional thieves, and he must think fast if he is to survive the day and bring the much-needed aid to Fritjof before it is too late.

Schmidt reweaves Charles Dickens' "Oliver Twist" into an exciting tale of integrity and perseverance in this gaslamp-fantasy adventure.

Universal Buy Link: mybook.to/stealthemorrow

Universal Series Page Link: mybook.to/aclassicretold

Follow Jenelle online:

Website: www.jenelleschmidt.com
Newsletter: www.jenelleschmidt.com/subscribe
Blog: www.jenelleschmidt.com/blog
Facebook: www.facebook.com/JenelleLeanneSchmidt
Instagram: www.instagram.com/JenelleLSchmidt
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3636.Jenelle_Leanne_Schmidt
Amazon: author.to/JenelleLeanneSchmidt

Cover Reveal ~ Raise the Dead

Today I'm taking part in the cover reveal of Nina Clare's Raise the Dead, a retelling of Jane Eyre. This is the fifth book in the A Classic Retold series and will be released on October 13th.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Blurb:

Would you go into hell to rescue the one you love?

After long years of hardship Jane Rochester is now a young bride settling into

a quiet life with the man she loves. But a mysterious stranger at the door

resurrects old troubles, unearths buried secrets, and revives a family curse;

the past will not leave them in peace.

A malignant force is tearing Jane’s new family apart, and she will have to

journey into the very mouth of hell to seek to break it, with no ass urance of

ever returning home to the living world.

Nina Clare re-imagines Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre in a fantasy quest

through the supernatural realms of heaven and hell.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Now for the cover reveal:

AUTHOR BIO: 

When she’s not writing stories or thinking up stories or reading other

people’s stories, Nina likes to paint and collage pictures, get taken for long walks by her

adorable dogs, and cook all things plant-based. She also does other things, like office

work, but that’s the boring bit. She lives very happily in rural Cornwall, England with her

family.

Connect online via website and add book to Goodreads

Preorder now at Amazon

Cover Reveal ~ Unearth the Tides

 Today I'm taking part in the cover reveal of Alissa J. Zavalianos's Unearth the Tides: a retelling of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. This is the fourth book in the A Classic Retold series and will be released on October 6th.

Blurb:

𝐁𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐓𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬

𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮

Huxley Krew Gannon III always knew he would be a royal guard; defending the Crown is in his blood. And coming from a long line of Gannons, that means the job is to be taken seriously at all costs.

When tragedy strikes, Huxley is framed for treason, and his only option is to flee to Braka’s most feared place: The Wasteful Tides.

It’s rumored a monstrous beast haunts those waters, but what Huxley encounters is even worse: an elusive captain, magical herbs, a beautiful lady, and unearthed truths that could change the course of history.

Unearth the Tides is a fantasy retelling of Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Filled with mystery, found family, and themes of truth and forgiveness, Unearth the Tides is perfect for those who love the coziness of the classics and the thrill of adventure.

Now for the Cover Reveal

Preorder through Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CB6PS85K

Submit receipts for preorder swag here:

Preorder signed copies here (All books in series)

Cover Reveal ~ Steal the Morrow

Today I'm taking part in the cover reveal of Jenelle Leanne Schmidt's Steal the Morrow.

The book is the third book in the A Classic Retold series and will be released on September 29th.

Steal the Morrow is available for preorder now.

BLURB:

The city may be dangerous, but it holds his only hope…

Abandoned on a remote highway after bandits murder his parents, young Olifur finds safety with Fritjof. The gruff woodsman teaches him and other orphans to live off the land. When Fritjof falls ill, Olifur will risk everything to save his mentor—even travel to far-off Melar seeking a doctor.

However, the city of Melar is more perilous than Olifur imagined, and doctors aren't cheap. His quest leads him first to a hazardous job working on the elevated trains high above the city. But the dangers in the clouds are nothing compared to those on the ground. Olifur soon finds himself ensnared in a web of professional thieves, and he must think fast if he is to survive the day and bring the much-needed aid to Fritjof before it is too late.

Schmidt reweaves Charles Dickens' "Oliver Twist" into an exciting tale of integrity and perseverance in this gaslamp-fantasy adventure.

COVER REVEAL

AUTHOR BIO: 

Jenelle first fell in love with stories through her father’s voice reading books aloud each night. A relentless opener-of-doors in hopes of someday finding a passage to Narnia, it was only natural that she soon began making up fantastical realms of her own. Jenelle currently resides in the wintry tundra of Wisconsin —which she maintains is almost as good as Narnia — with her knight-in-shining armor and their four hobbits. When she is not writing, she homeschools said hobbits and helps them along on their daily adventures... which she says makes her a wizard.

Find on Goodreads or connect with her online