The Painted Castle ~ Review

The Painted Castle
The Lost Castle #3
By Kristy Cambron

Keira Foley finds herself working in her family's Dublin pub rather than making use of her skills as an art authenticator. But when Emory Scott starts making a nuisance of himself hanging out in the pub Keira finds herself running interference with American and her overprotective brother Cormac. But Emory has a proposition for Keira that requires her art knowledge. But it will take her to East Suffolk and Parham Hill Estate.

Parham Hill has a history that has a bearing on the mysterious painting that Keira has been hired to authenticate.

1843 finds Elizabeth Meade in search of her father's killer. Ten years have passed since he died before her eyes and she is determined to find the man she thinks responsible. When a possible match with Viscount Huxley brings her to Parham Hill she becomes acquainted with portrait artist Franz Winterhalter and the man she believes she has been searching for. But what Elizabeth thinks she knows is far from the truth she never knew.

1944 finds Parham Hill caught up in the midst of a world at war. Amelia Woods has lost her husband to the war and grieves the life she will never have. Parham has been turned into a boarding school for refugee children when most unexpectedly they are ordered to offering housing American pilots who have no room on the nearby base.

What ties these three women together is Parham Hill, a painting of Queen Victoria, and hearts that are hurting from loss. As with the previous Lost Castle novels, this book is a delightful blending of three stories into one. As the story progresses every third chapter focuses on a different character/timeline in a seamless fashion. One knows that the story is changing but it is not a sudden and abrupt departure that leaves the reader wondering what happened. This is the perfect read for those who love contemporary and historical fiction with a generous pinch of mystery and romance. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a book-getaway that ends well.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via the publisher through Amazon's Vine Program with no expectations but that I offer my honest opinion.

About the Book:

A lost painting of Queen Victoria... 

A centuries-old English estate with a library bricked off from the world...

And three women, separated by time, whose lives are irrevocably changed.

When art historian Keira Foley is hired to authenticate a painting at a centuries-old East Suffolk manor, she hopes this is just the thing to get her career and life back on track. But from the time she arrives at Parham Hill Estate and begins working alongside rumored art thief Emory Scott, she’s left with far more questions than answers. Could this lost painting of Queen Victoria be a duplicate of the original Winterhalter masterpiece, and if so, who is the artist?

As Keira begins to unravel the mystery behind the portrait of the queen, two women emerge from the estate’s forgotten past. In Victorian England, talented sketch artist Elizabeth Meade is engaged to Viscount Huxley, then owner of Parham Hill. While there, master portrait artist Franz Winterhalter takes her under his wing, but Elizabeth’s real motive for being at Parham Hill has nothing to do with art. She’s determined to avenge her father’s brutal murder—even if it means feigning an engagement to the very man she believes committed the crime.

A century later, Amelia Woods—a WWII widow who has turned Parham Hill Estate and its beloved library into a boarding school for refugee children—receives military orders to house a troop of American pilots. She is determined that the children in her care remain untouched by the war, but it’s proving difficult with officers taking up every square inch of their world… and one in particular vying for a space in her long shut up heart.

Set in three time periods—the rapid change of Victorian England, the peak of England’s home front tensions at the end of World War II, and modern day—The Painted Castle unfolds a story of heartache and hope and unlocks secrets lost for generations, just waiting to be found.

The Painted Castle is a sweet romance, the third in the Lost Castle series. It can be read as a stand-alone but is better if read with The Lost Castle and Castle on the Rise.

North by Northanger ~ Review

North by Northanger
By Rebecca H. Jamison

It was just supposed to be a blind date with her brother's roommate but when a stranger accidentally mixes up phones with Eva Morland she is drawn into something she'd never imagined. There was something about Grant Tilney that just made for an almost instantaneous connection so when Eva discovers the phone mix-up she rushes off to switch the phones back. What could go wrong with a good deed?

But instead of Grant, Eva finds herself being kidnapped and taken to a remote location. When Eva manages to escape no one believes her. In fact, Eva finds herself instead on the wrong side of the law and her life in danger. What's a girl to do???

When Eva manages to find Grant and get her phone back she soon needs his help to again get away from her kidnappers. But can she trust a stranger who just happens to know things that he shouldn't? Who is Grant and is he truly trying to help her? Or will he be the one to bring her down? But they are on the run and she needs to trust someone.

North by Northanger is a fun read that keeps the reader wondering just what is truly going on. Who can Eva trust and will she ever get home to her family? Or will she just be an unexplained disappearance?

Overall an enjoyable clean mystery that won't keep you up at night unless you can't stop turning the pages. My takeaway from this is don't chase after a stranger to return a phone if you don't know exactly where they went you might end up on the wrong side of a gun. This could be a cute movie but just as fun reading and imagining the characters for yourself.

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:

While Eva Morland waits for her first-ever blind date to arrive, she meets Grant Tilney. Not only does flirting come easily with Grant, but he also shares her appreciation for black-and-white movies and vintage diners. After he leaves, she notices that he left his phone behind. Setting out to find his office and return the phone, she knocks on a warehouse door. The man who answers mistakes Eva for a government spy, who’s come to investigate his crime ring. He and his partner force Eva into a car and drive her to a secluded trailer in the country.

Eva’s kidnapping sets her down a path of suspense and romance, as she uses all her wits to escape from the bad guys and prove her true identity. Grant comes to her rescue, hiding her in the cab of his semi-truck, but it seems that the criminals are always a step ahead.

Grant is the only one who believes Eva, but as they journey North, Eva starts to question Grant’s identity and motives. She must discover for herself if Grant is one of the good guys or bad guys. Only then will she know whether he’s worth the risk of her own life.

Fans of Hitchcock and Jane Austen will enjoy this modern mash-up of North by Northwest with Northanger Abbey.

Kaya: The Journey Begins

The Journey Begins
Kaya #1
By Janet Shaw

Kaya is constantly being told boasting is wrong, but she can't help it if the truths she tells sound like boasting. After all her Appaloosa mare is the most beautiful and the fastest horse in the herd. But when Kaya's boasting leads her to neglect her assigned task of watching her younger brothers all the children suffer as a result of her boasting and disobedience.  Worse her actions have earned her a nickname she would rather not have.

When her sister Brown Deer is hurt, Kaya's quick thinking and Steps High speed are the only things that prevent a tragedy from occurring. But Kaya still bears the nickname that she despises.

When enemies raid their camp during the night Kaya fears that Steps High will be stolen away and she leads her sister Speaking Rain into danger. Worse both girls are captured and taken for from their family and friends. When they arrive in the raiders camp Kaya and Speaking Rain are put to work as slaves - is there any hope of rescue or escape? And with Speaking Rain's blindness is there any way the two girls could escape together? Or will Kaya be forced to leave her sister behind?

This book is set in 1764 and focuses on Kaya's way of life with the Nimiipuu, today we know them as the Nez Perce. The importance of following instructions is stressed as is the need to avoid boasting (which as Kaya proved leads to actions one later regrets). The story is well-paced and the characters well developed. The illustrations work well to help bring the story to life. There are 6 pages after the story portion of the book that focuses on what Kaya's world was like giving historical facts that will help the reader further understand the context of the story.

I received this book via Amazon's Vine Program with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion.




About the Book:

Kaya and her horse are in the lead...

Kaya knows in her heart that her beautiful Appaloosa mare, Steps High, is the fastest horse in the herd. But when boasting leads to a daring bareback race, Kaya pushes Steps High too hard. She puts herself and the horse in danger and earns a terrible nickname for being untrustworthy. Kaya vows to be a girl her horse and her people can trust. When enemy raiders storm Kaya's village, she tries to save Steps High but gets taken captive herself, along with her sister. All Kaya can think of is escape, but how?

Saving Jemima ~ Review

Saving Jemima
Life and Love with a Hard-Luck Jay
By Julie Zickefoose

It all started with noticing something where it should not be. While gardening the author found a newly-laid Blue Jay egg on the ground. She replaced it in its nest and then worried about it and its 2 potential siblings. Her fears were confirmed when prey got to 2 of the eggs. She determined to handle its incubation and deal with its raising when it hatched. But the egg died just under 1/2 through the process.

Julie Zickefoose was crushed in a sense after anticipating the drawings she would capture as her little jay grew and developed. When a year later she learned of a nestling jay in dire need she offered to give it immediate temporary care.  But temporary soon grew into something more. This book is the journey that took Jemima from sickly nestling to a wild Blue Jay. The journey was filled with setbacks both for Jemima and Julie. But it is also a journey of discovery and triumph.
I once read the book That Quail, Robert and this book reminded me of it though it has been years since I read it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Amazon's Vine Program with no expectations but that provide my honest opinion.

About the Book:
For fans of Wesley the Owl and The Soul of an Octopus, the story of a sick baby bird nursed back to health and into the wild by renowned writer/artist Julie Zickefoose.

When Jemima, a young orphaned blue jay, is brought to wildlife rehabilitator Julie Zickefoose, she is a virtually tailless, palm-sized bundle of gray-blue fluff. But she is starved and very sick. Julie’s constant care brings her around, and as Jemima is raised for eventual release, she takes over the house and the rest of the author's summer.
 
Shortly after release, Jemima turns up with a deadly disease. But medicating a free-flying wild bird is a challenge. When the PBS show Nature expresses interest in filming Jemima, Julie must train her to behave on camera, as the bird gets ever wilder. Jemima bonds with a wild jay, stretching her ties with the family. Throughout, Julie grapples with the fallout of Jemima’s illness, studies molt and migration, and does her best to keep Jemima strong and wild. She falls hard for this engaging, feisty and funny bird, a creative muse and source of strength through the author’s own heartbreaking changes.

Emotional and honest, Saving Jemima is a universal story of the communion between a wild creature and the human chosen to raise it.

Brand of Light - Spotlight with Giveaway

Welcome to the Brand of Light Takeover Tour hosted by 

Just Read Publicity Tours

Book Name Brand of Light    

Author Ronie Kendig

Publisher Enclave Publishing

Purchase Link https://amzn.to/2EftV1U

About the Book: 

There’s a price on her head, and it has everything to do with the brand on her arm.

Tertian Space Coalition has blessed every planet in the quadrants with high technology, save one: Drosero. But in spite of their tenuous treaty with the ruling clans, TSC has plans for the backward planet. And they’re not alone.

After a catastrophic explosion, Kersei Dragoumis awakens in a derelict shuttle, alone, injured, and ignorant of the forbidden technology that has swept her into a nightmare. The brand she’s borne since childhood burns mysteriously, but the pain is nothing to that when she learns her family is dead and she is accused of their murders.

Across the quadrants, Marco Dusan responds to the call of a holy order—not to join them, but to seek a bounty. Gifted—or cursed—with abilities that mark him a Kynigos, a tracker sworn to bring interplanetary fugitives to justice, Marco discovers this particular bounty has nothing to do with justice and everything to do with prophecy. One that involves the hunter as much as the hunted.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Giveaway (1) winner will receive an Exclusive Signed Hardcover of BRAND OF LIGHT, Custom Dio “Kersei” Candle, Handmade Snowflake Galaxy Ornament, Handmade Galaxy Mug Rug, Character Cards of Marco, Kersei, and Tigo, and Maps of the Planets and of Drosero! 

(Giveaway not affiliated with Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. US only.)

Enter giveaway via @justreadtours profile link 

The End of the Magi ~ Review

The End of the Magi
By Patrick W. Carr

This book is one you won't want to put down once you start reading. So just block off some time, get out a don't disturb sign, and pull out your largest mug filled with your favorite hot beverage (in my case tea). And just read away.

The End of the Magi opens on Daniel in 537 BC Babylon just as those captive Israelites able and willing to return to the Land of Promise are given the choice. But returning to the home of his fathers' is not an option for him. Daniel feels led to make sure that the prophecy of the coming Messiah is not lost to the people of Israel when they once again fall away. To do this he must remain in Babylon directing the future of the Magi.

More than 530 years have passed since Daniel gave the Magi the task of searching the skies. Myrad, a young Persian man who has been taken in by Gershom a Hebrew Magi, has a dream. This dream will forever change his life - a star that isn't a star forever holds its place in the heavens. Hearing of Myrad's dream, Gershom knows that his son by choice is to be counted among the Magi. But the Magi are about to be betrayed by the very king they advise and Myrad will be left with no choice but to flee all his knows and fulfill the last request of his father.

In his escape, Myrad took something of great value to those who betrayed the Magi. And this something has him being hunted and he will need to gain allies who will help him understand his dream and fulfill Daniel's mission for the Magi - to make known the coming of the Messiah.

The End of the Magi doesn't conclude with the birth of Yeshua (Jesus) but rather another 30 years pass and the child they found has become a man. And this man has come under the wrath of the leaders of the very people who claim to be awaiting him. But Yeshua isn't what they wanted - rather than a kingdom born of the sword to overthrow those in control he has come to fall to the sword.

At less than 400 pages this book seems more than that just because it is so moving. In no way does the story drag or lag - it is just that there is so much to it that one can't believe that it fits into such a few pages. In no way does the telling fill crimped as if something was cut to make it fir but rather it is a well-rounded reading that is perfect for the Christmas and Easter seasons.

Having read Patrick Carr's previous fantasy series I was delighted that this book that is not fantasy was just as excellent. This book falls into the Biblical fiction genre and it is excellent. This one doesn't feel like a little of this is borrowed from here or there to make the story work. This book is complete and most definitely a standalone title.  Excellent reading that I would highly recommend.

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

About the Book:

Centuries before the magi arrived in Bethlehem,

a prophecy sets a young magus on his path . . .

Following his vision of the coming Messiah, the prophet Daniel calls forth a select group of men who will count down the calendar until the arrival of Israel's promised king. Centuries later, as the day draws near, Myrad, a young magi acolyte, flees for his life when his adoptive father and others are slain by a ruthless Parthian queen.

Equipped with very little, in haste Myrad escapes the city and, searching for a way to hide from the soldiers scouring the trade routes, tries to join the caravan of the merchant Walagash. The merchant senses that Myrad is keeping secrets, but when the young man proves himself a valuable asset, an epic journey filled with peril, near captures, and dangerous battles begin.

With every day that passes, the calendar creeps closer to the coming Messiah. And over everything shines the dream of a star that Myrad can't forget, and the promise that the world will never be the same.

Deadly Commitment ~ Review

Deadly Commitment
The Deadly Secrets series #1
By Kathy Harris

Danni Kemp has never totally gotten over her mother's abandonment all those years ago. The memories have lingered and made her doubt herself over the years. But the one thing she's never doubted is her managerial talents at Amore's. But the time has come to break up with Rob Evans, her boyfriend of over 3 years.

In the last few weeks, Caleb Samuels has been keeping the building Danni calls home under surveillance  - not that she's a suspect but she is dating someone who is...

When a late-night visitor ruins Danni's night she learns that Rob is under suspicion of being a distributor. But she can't, she won't believe a word against him. Suddenly the woman who has problems with commitment finds herself committed to a man she was about to break up with and it could get her killed.

Deadly Commitment is written in a style that will keep the reader's attention. Fans of Love Inspired Suspense will enjoy this contemporary suspense offering. The reader sees the story from the viewpoint of Danni, Rob, and Caleb so the story is well laid out and the characters as equally fleshed out.

If you love suspense that keeps building to a climactic ending you don't want to miss Deadly Commitment. It will keep you turning the pages until you get to the last page. Can you say late-night???

I received 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:
Publisher: New Hope Publishers Genre: Contemporary Christian Suspense Release Date: October 14, 2019 As Danielle Kemp walks out of her downtown Nashville condominium, she gets the eerie feeling someone is watching her. As days go by, she becomes convinced the homeless man outside her building is stalking her. But after learning the real identity of the intimidating stranger, she faces something even more threatening―the truth about her fiancé. Deadly Secrets is a new fiction series with southern charm and big-city twists. Set in the author’s hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, it is filled not only with intrigue and suspense but subtle glimpses into how God is at work in the lives of ordinary people doing ordinary jobs . . . or maybe they aren’t so ordinary after all Goodreads