A Lady Most Entangled ~ Review

A Lady Most Entangled

A Grimm Regency Tale

By Mary-Celeste Ricks

Rupert Stilson is incognito, working in his family's mill to learn the ins-and-outs of how it works. His boss, Mr. Chernock is a hard-hearted, nasty individual and Rupert is looking forward to the day when he can replace him and improve conditions for those working there.

Charlotte Dawson has been working to keep her father from trouble. But when her father makes a deal to get out of debt Charlotte is the loser no matter how it turns out. She will be married to a man she's never met before, a man willing to take advantage of a man in a vulnerable condition. 

Can Rupert Stilson stop her unwanted marriage to Mr. Chernock? And what of the rumors that some young ladies are spreading about Mr. Stilson? Could he be the true villain in this tale? 

I really liked Rupert, his character is a true gentleman and kindness itself. I loved how this story retold Rumpelstiltskin in such a unique and delightful way. I loved how instead of spinning gold the task was to spin fabric - perfect for a Regency setting involving mills. This was a cute read.

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:

What if the knight in shining armor wielded a loom instead of a sword?

Rupert Stilson can never resist a damsel in distress. When Charlotte Dawson becomes entangled in a plot to rob her father of his daughter and his estate in one fell swoop, Rupert rushes in with flax and loom to save the day. But the danger is hardly over once the wager is won. If Rupert cannot trust Charlotte with the secret of his real identity, her family will never truly be safe.

A Grimm Regency Tale series

• A Lady Most Engaged by Audrey Glenn
• A Lady Most Fitting by Sienna Peake
• A Lady Most Untamed by Amanda Panhorst
• A Lady Most Intrigued by Jenni Ward
• A Lady Most Entangled by Mary-Celeste Ricks
• A Lady Most Isolated by Heloise C. Kensington
• A Lady Most Alluring by Amy Newbold

Across the Ages ~ Review

 Today, I am thrilled to feature Across the Ages by Gabrielle Meyer, the fourth book in the Timeless series.

One woman. Two separate lifetimes. A life-altering decision that could reshape her destiny.

This series has an intriguing premise: there are people among us who live in a second time period. Going to sleep finds you living your second life. You don't dream; you live.                                

In Across the Ages, Caroline dwells in 1727 and 1927. In both, she seeks answers about the "curse" she was born with. Could the answers she seeks come from the mother who abandoned her as a baby?

When a series uses a unique split-time scenario, such as this one, one would think it would become stale, but each time, it comes across as fresh and new. And with pirates in one timeline and gangsters in another, it is not boring.        

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. 

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Purchase at: 

http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/across-the-ages/422230
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/209357000-across-the-ages (or another link with purchase info 

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Series: Timeless #4
Release Date: November 5, 2024
Genre: Christian Historical Time-Travel Romance Fiction

Caroline holds a deep secret. Living in 1727 and 1927 simultaneously, each night she goes to sleep in one life and wakes up in the other. In search of answers to her unique existence, Caroline stumbles upon a letter from her mother hinting at her own experiences as a time-crosser, sending Caroline on a daring quest to uncover the truth. In 1727, Caroline disguises herself as a cabin boy and joins a ship sailing for the Bahamas, her mother’s last known location, where she crosses paths with a ruthless but handsome pirate and is caught in a web of secrets, deception, and unexpected alliances.

In 1927 St. Paul, Minnesota, Caroline grapples with her other life as the daughter of a renowned preacher. Her two older brothers have fallen prey to the corruption rampant during Prohibition, and Caroline struggles to keep their involvement hidden to save her father’s career. As her search for answers about her time-crossing leads her to the dangerous yet exciting world of speakeasies, Caroline enlists the help of a childhood friend who is now a police officer. But with her family’s future at risk and their loyalties tested, Caroline faces a life-altering decision that could reshape her destiny.

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Tea With Elephants ~ Review

Tea With Elephants

Suitcase Sisters #1

By Robin Jones Gunn

"If you want to travel fast, go alone. If you want to travel far, go together." This quote which is from the back cover so perfectly sums up this book. As besties Fern Espinoza and Lily Garden fulfill a longtime dream of taking a trip to Kenya, a trip that lasted only a week, but was life changing.

Fern's life is in a state of upheaval at the time and with the support of her husband and Lily, she is determined to enjoy the experience. For both Lily and Fern the time in Kenya allows both to see the world and their lives through a changed perspective. It is amazing what one week can do in a person's life.

I loved the scenes where the safari part of the trip took place. With a title like Tea With Elephants, one gets a visual in one's head and it is always nice when such an expectation is met. I've read Robin Jones Gunn's books in the past and was not disappointed in this series debut. And fun bonus there are a couple of recipes to try out.

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:

When longtime friends Fern and Lily get the chance to fulfill their dream of going on safari in Kenya, they welcome the break from their complicated worlds back home. But the journey will provide more than a change of scenery; it just might give them a new perspective on the lives they’ll return to. 

The Golden Touch and the Silver Note ~ Review and Release Day

The Golden Touch and the Silver Note

The Intertwined Tales

By Ashley Mendoza

King Matthias is cursed. If he does not learn the lesson that the curse was to help him find, he will die. But Matthias is determined to do things the hard way. He seeks anything with magical properties or talents to stop the magic that is slowly turning him to gold. Now he has set his sights on Nadia, a slave known as The Nightingale. Her voice soothes the magic, temporarily easing his pain. But nothing can break the curse.

Nadia was sold by her father and is not even worth the same respect of the horses that transport the performers she is with. Her voice has trapped her in this life, tearing her away from her family and country. When she discovers why King Matthias, she attempts to plead with him to find her sister. But can a selfish, uncaring ruler even understand the loss and emptiness Nadia feels?

I loved watching Nadia and Matthias change as they influence one another and the search for a cure becomes more imperative. As time counts down, the curse is not the only danger Matthias faces. Can he become the king he was meant to be? Or will he become a golden statue worth only his weight in gold? 

The Golden Touch and the Silver Note was a lovely introduction to Ashley Mendoza's writing. This book is appropriate for tweens and up. 

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

About the Book:

He has a secret. She has a magical gift. 

Can they save each other in time?

King Matthias is cursed: everything he touches turns to gold. Closely guarding this secret, he searches for the one who cursed him and for any means to break it. His efforts only result in an added time limit because he apparently was supposed to learn a lesson. Now he has until the first bud blooms, or he will turn into a golden statue himself.

Publicly, Nadia is a famous singer known as The Nightingale. In truth, she is nothing but a slave, forced to travel and sing for nobles until she’s bought by King Matthias. She learns the King’s secret and-more importantly- her singing has an effect, but it is not enough.

What they don’t expect is to fall for each other. Can they break the curse in time, or will they be separated forever?

The Intertwined Tales is a multi-author series of clean fairytale retellings. Each novella entwines a famous fairytale with a lesser-known story to create one happily ever after. These standalone stories can be enjoyed in any order.

A Trick of Fate ~ Review

A Trick of Fate

Agents of the Convent #4

By Rebecca Connolly

Lucy Allred is returning home for the holidays. This is her first visit to her father's home since he retrenched. The carriage takes her into an area of London Lucy is unfamiliar with. Her father has sunk lower than she imagined if the condition of the streets were to indicate the society they would be keeping. When she is suddenly left adrift on the streets of London at night, she finds herself in a precarious situation. 

Trick (aka Hunter Mortimer) never expected to rescue a young woman while waiting for a meeting with a fellow operative. Clearly a lady of refinement, Lucy is ill-suited for the streets of London's underbelly. Trick has no choice but to be her protector until her father can be found.

Lucy is introduced to a whole new world, one not so far away from the one she has spent most of her life in. A world filled with danger, false names, and independently thinking women. Lucy has never seen herself and the life she had lived quite so clearly. How can she return to it if and when her father's new lodgings are located.

This is the fourth book in the Agents of the Convent series, but it can be read as a standalone title. The reader would truly experience Lucy's situation without any foreknowledge of previous cases. That being said, reading the previous books is recommended just to enjoy it. 

For those who want to know about the content, there are scenes with kissing, kidnapping attempts, suggestions of violence, some mild language, and drinking, all of which are to be expected given the setting and storyline. None of which would make my grandma blush or burn the book. (Yes, she did burn books she felt were garbage and unfit to be read ever again)

I was provided an ARC of the book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

If secrets lead a fool to love...

Hunter Mortimer, known in the operative world as Trick, is only doing his duty when he steps in to save a young woman in the streets of London. Thinking she is a fellow spy, what else could he do? But when the victim proves to be just an ordinary young woman in dire straits, everything in his world grows more complicated. To add to that complication, she is beautiful and fiery and makes him smile far too easily.

Lucy Allred did not intend to be a problem for the man who saved her but being lost in London left her helpless. When her father's new lodgings prove difficult for Trick to find, she must remain in his care and company for her safety. The more time she spends with him, the more her eyes open to a world that she had never imagined. And her heart opens to all new possibilities. 

The Color of Home ~ Review

The Color of Home

By Kit Tosello

Audrey Needham is counting on getting a promotion, but on the day of her big presentation, Murphy's Law struck, and she didn't even see it coming. With her past and present about to meet, she's dealing with all the pain that she's tried to leave behind. Her great-aunt Daisy needs her help, and from what Audrey can see, she's needed it for some time as great-uncle Dean's Alzheimer's becomes too much to handle alone anymore.

But Charity Falls, Oregon, is more than Daisy's home; it is also where her father lost his life in a tragic fire. A fire that chases Audrey in her sleep, hiding her happy memories. Could this be just what she needs to confront the pain of the past and find her true place?

Change is never easy and when it involves the past, pain, and family it is doubly hard. But sometimes all you need is to hear or share another part of the story.  Different perspectives can change the colors we view our life through.

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:

Audrey Needham, Bay Area interior designer to the rich and pretentious, is down to her last nerve. Her boss is impossible to please, her future is in jeopardy, and her great-aunt Daisy needs support as her husband descends into Alzheimer's.

When Daisy enlists Audrey's help preparing for a move to assisted living, Audrey risks her career to return to the idyllic small town of Charity Falls, Oregon, the summer stomping grounds of her childhood. But Charity Falls was also the place that broke her heart when her father was killed in a tragic fire at the Sugar Pine Inn thirteen years ago.

Despite Audrey's intent to avoid emotional entanglement, the pull of home is hard to resist. Something should be done about the deteriorating inn. A local girl with an incarcerated father needs a friend. And handsome local do-gooder Cade Carter is coloring Audrey all shades of uncertain.

Join award-winning writer and debut novelist Kit Tosello in this lyrical and often humorous exploration of how God redeems brokenness and draws us to the life we're meant to find.

Cornered ~ Review

Cornered

  By Lynette Eason, 

          Lynn H. Blackburn,

              and Natalie Walters

This is a fun and engaging chance to explore the writings of three different authors. They have created three stories for this collection that are set in their established series. However, reading their previous works is not required to enjoy these new offerings. This is a great way to introduce yourself or a friend to a new author (or two or three).

In the Dark is by Lynette Eason, and gracious tension runs high as Steph Cross deals with the fallout of her coworker's death when she cleans out her desk and finds a hidden notebook. If you see DANGER flashing bright red, you are there. On the plus side, she meets Detective Tate Cooper, who seems interested in her. First, she'll have to survive the person or persons intent on keeping what she found hidden. The question is why and who. Time to cue the Jaws theme. (No sharks were involved in this story, but that music is so dramatic!)

In Lynn H. Blackburn's Downfall, a long-held family feud comes into play when Cassie Quinn fills in for the local mountain resort. The other family owns the resort, and Cassie is dealing with a lot of baggage when someone suddenly decides to make it personal. With the kitchen trashed, the police are called in, and of course, the lead detective is the ex-boyfriend who broke her heart. Ugh!!! Donovan Bledsoe knew he was in trouble. Yes, he broke up with Cassie but never kicked her out of his heart. Keeping her safe is now the only between him and asking for a second chance. If they can figure out why she's become a target, they may discover who is determined to shorten her life. The feud between the two families has never been violent before. Could something have changed? A pulse-pounding climax is coming your way with this one! 

Natalie Walter's Perilous Obsession is more than a little scary for Lahela Young. Lahela finds herself getting empty phone calls (the scary kind that you know someone is there, but they say nothing). She asks for help from Briggs Turner. As a former police officer, she knows he can help her and offer advice. But things get worse as whoever is watching her ratchets it up. Soon, it is no longer a nuisance but a danger. Lahela doesn't want to leave Texas and her new friends behind, but would returning home to Hawaii be safer, or will she just bring the danger with her?  This story links to The SNAP Agency series. (Must read!!!)

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:

Prepare for three times the thrills with these nail-biting page-turners from your favorite romantic suspense authors!

In In the Dark by Lynette Eason, accountant Steph Cross is cleaning out a coworker's desk after her untimely death when she finds cryptic notes that lead her to believe her friend's car accident was no accident at all. Detective Tate Cooper is determined to help her crack the case before someone else gets hurt. But can he protect the woman who has so quickly laid claim to his heart?

In Downfall by Lynn H. Blackburn, chef Cassie Quinn gets an offer she can't refuse: to fill in as chef at an exclusive mountain resort. But when the kitchen is destroyed and it becomes clear Cassie is in danger, she's forced to accept the help of her ex-boyfriend, Detective Donovan Bledsoe, to find the culprit and keep her safe.

In Perilous Obsession by Natalie Walters, teacher Lahela Young becomes the target of someone with a twisted obsession 

of righting a wrong. The first person she turns to is her good friend Briggs Turner. Briggs may have left his career as a 

police officer, but he still has the instinct to protect--especially for Lahela.