Miss Newbury's List ~ Review

Miss Newbury's List

By Megan Walker

Rosalind Newbury is soon to be married, and she has a list things she is determined to accomplish before her wedding day. Rosalind is convinced that once she accomplishes these ten things, she'll be ready to marry, allowing her to find happiness in the arrangement with the Duke of Marlow. 

But three weeks to accomplish everything will take some strategic planning to keep her family in the dark about what she is about. After all, the future wife of a duke should not be learning to swim. or any of the other things Ros has determined to do. But she needs help, and unfortunately, the one person most likely to aid her endeavor is her best friend's cousin. 

Mr. Charles Winston has made a mess of his life. And he isn't about to improve it anytime soon, but he never planned on meeting Rosalind Newbury. When she manages to convince him to help her, in exchange for her silence, how can he refuse her? What neither expected was a friendship that would threaten Rosalind's future.

Miss Newbury's List is a lovely and delightful read. It is a standalone title that is full of depth that explores the expectations of duty versus the desires of the heart. How does one decide whether elevating one's family is more important than love? This is the decision that Rosalind faces. She knows her duty and is content with it until she meets Charlie, a man who sees her for who she is and not who she is expected to present herself as. 

I really enjoyed Miss Newbury's List, and I have to admit I was not sure where Rosalind would direct her future. She obviously cared about her family and wanted to help them, so she was torn when she met Charlie. And then there is Charlie, who is slipping lower in his family's estimation due to his behavior. Two more unlikely people in the estimation of those who knew them, but the heart isn't always to be understood by others. I would love to have a sequel that would follow Rosalind's brother Ben. Ben seemed more in tune with his sister's feelings and put this first in his thinking. Overall this is a book I have no reservations in recommending to fans of clean reads and Regency Romance.

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:

England, 1820

Rosalind Newbury is counting down the days until her wedding to the Duke of Marlow, a man she has only met twice. The marriage is more an agreement between two families and less a romantic connection between two hearts, but Rosalind becoming a duchess will elevate her family’s status to dizzying heights. And the duke is a kind man who will care for Rosalind, even if he doesn’t love her.

She only has three weeks before her life changes forever, and she knows exactly how she wants to spend her days. As a child, Ros was inspired by her adventurous Aunt Alice and created a list of ten things to do before her wedding day. So far, Ros has done none of them.

She is determined to tackle each item, though she’ll have to accomplish them all in secret. After all, a soon-to-be-duchess is not usually allowed to bury treasure in the pasture, eat sweets all day, or learn how to swim. She enlists the help of her best friend, Liza, who brings along her cousin, Charlie, a prodigal son-turned-boxer who has come to the countryside to mend his reputation and learn how to be his father’s heir.

Together, the three of them work to complete the list, and as each item is crossed off, an unlikely friendship blossoms between Ros and Charlie. The more time they spend together, the more Ros falls in love with this imperfect man and his good heart.

With the wedding looming, Ros must decide to either admit her romantic feelings for Charlie and risk her family’s future, or keep her promise to marry the duke and start a new life as a noblewoman.

The Orphan Keeper ~ Review

The Orphan Keeper

Adapted for Young Readers 

By Camron Wright

Chellamuthu had a family but, like many left to their own devices, was getting himself into the wrong crowd. This unfortunate troublemaking group of boys leads to Chellamuthu being stolen off the streets of his village in India. When Chellamuthu is bartered off to a home for orphans, he tries to get those in charge to realize that he has a family and needs to get home. 

But Chellamuthu is a commodity who is about to be sent to a family wanting a child. But not to a family in India but one far away in America. Years pass, and Chellamuthu becomes a blending of his old and new life with a new identity and a new family. But can he truly leave behind who he was?

The Orphan Keeper is a moving story about a little boy, lost, who searched and found what he was looking for. Was he better for the trials and losses he experienced? Or were the lost years something that would forever mark him, keeping him from truly ever being part of either world that he knew? This book is based on the true events of Chellamuthu's (Taj's) life. There are definite moments of heartbreak as a family is torn apart, and yet there are moments of triumph, as well, as Chellamuthu becomes Taj and his story comes full circle.

This book is adapted for younger readers and recommended for those 8 years and older. When it is time for book reports that are supposed to be biographies or from another culture, keep this book in mind as it fits both well. This book doesn't come across as dry or boring, in my opinion. It is well written and well-detailed without getting stuck in the detailing. I highly recommend it to readers, whether they be 8 years old or 88 years. 

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:

Seven-year-old Chellamuthu’s life—and his destiny—is forever changed when he is kidnapped from his village in Southern India and sold to the Lincoln Home for Homeless Children. His family is desperate to find him, and Chellamuthu anxiously tells the Indian orphanage he is not an orphan, that he has a mother who loves him. But he is told not to worry as he will soon be adopted by a loving family in America.

Chellamuthu is suddenly surrounded by a foreign land and a foreign language. He can’t tell people that he already has a family and becomes consumed by a single, impossible question: How do I get home? But after more than a decade, home becomes a much more complicated idea as the Indian boy eventually sheds his past and receives a new name: Taj Khyber Rowland.

It isn’t until Taj meets an Indian family who helps him rediscover his culture and family history that he begins to discover the truth he has all but forgotten. Taj is determined to return to India and begin the quest to find his birth family. But is it too late? Is it possible that his birth mother is still looking for him? And which family does he belong to now?

The Orphan Keeper is a deeply moving and gripping journey about discovering one’s self and the unbreakable family bonds that connect us forever.

An Advent Carols Countdown ~ Review

An Advent Carols Countdown

Stories Behind the Most Beloved Music of Christmas

By Michael D. Young

An Advent Carols Countdown is a new way to enjoy Christmas carols, some that are familiar and others not much. Each day from December 1-24 explores a different carol. The first page is the lyrics of the carol, while the following page or pages explain the history of the carol. Each day is a chance to discover something new.

I love how this "advent" book is just for the days of December leading up to Christmas Day. Often advent books are for the four Sundays leading up to Christmas, which can vary in entries and not work from year to year. While this book uses a date - December 1 as its start date - a date, that will allow this book to become a part of your family traditions to celebrate the Christmas season.

There is an included QR code with each and every song so that you can experience each song yourself. I love this as there were a couple songs I was unfamiliar with. At approximately 120 pages, one is able to get a good understanding of each carol and its song without getting bogged down with too much info. So this would make a great family time activity for those eight years and up, in my opinion. Those younger might get bored or distracted but should, at least, enjoy the chance to, at least, watch and/or listen to the songs.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. 

About the Book:

Get in the Christmas spirit with this unique collection of the most beloved Christmas carols, from the warmly nostalgic to the majestically solemn and uplifting. The book features one carol for each day from December first to Christmas Eve, and presents both the lyrics and the fascinating stories and interesting facts behind the creation of the songs. Each entry deepens our understanding of the music and enhances our appreciation of why these songs are culturally important and dearly treasured.

From popular, familiar carols to lesser-known but cherished hymns, author Michael D. Young combines his musical expertise with information specific to each song.

An Advent Carols Countdown is a beautiful gift book for the whole family to enjoy along with the music of the holidays. Each entry also features a QR code that will link to an audio or video performance of the carol performed by the choir most associated with Christmas, the world-renowned Tabernacle Choir.