One Summer in Paris

I received this book from NetGalley and its publisher. This review is my own opinion and is not influenced by others.
One Summer in Paris by Sarah Morgan is the story of two women. Each woman goes about their lives not knowing anything about the other until their worlds come together in Paris.
Grace is from Connecticut. She has a husband and a teenage daughter, Sophie. She enjoys seeing her grandmother Mimi in the assisted living facility. She is a happy woman who is looking forward to celebrating 25 years of married life. For their anniversary Grace wants to surprise her husband with a trip to Paris for a month. Before she able to share her news, however, her husband tells her that he is in love with someone else and he wants a divorce. Grace decides to take the trip anyway.
Audrey Hackett lives in London but wants to move to France. Her mother, an alcoholic was always difficult to live with, so Audrey wants to leave. Her mother has found herself in a new relationship. This helps Audrey make her move.
The two meet and soon a new friendship is formed.
I liked the two main characters and the book was very fun to read. Sarah Morgan was able to create two different characters who seem to mesh very well. Each one helped the other to grow and to face their fears.
I rate this book very high.

Book Review: Christmas with Miss Austen

I was given this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Once I saw the name Austen in the title I was sold. I had a feeling I would like this book.
Julia Allen is a busy lady. She is a waitress, a painter and an 1800s authoress. She attends a historical open house as Jane Austen and she loves it. Then she gets locked inside after falling asleep. When she heads home she runs into a stranger, Eliot Weston. Weston thinks he must have imagined that historical figure. In her rush to go home, Julia loses a friends rare copy of Northanger Abbey. Weston finds it but cannot find any identification in it as to who the owner is.
This is a short book, 59 pages, and is a sweet Christian romance. I love the way there are little references to Jane Austen through the book. This is a nice, easy, fun read.

Book Review: Christmas on the Coast

On the island of Jersey, Libby does not feel the Christmas spirit. Her work with the police and her role as vicar's wife are overwhelming her. Her children also feel this and now Stella, her friend, is holding a family grudge that Libby is unsure about. When she reads her late great-aunt Queenie's diary she discovers a secret held during the Nazi occupation of Jersey in 1941. As she continues she begins to understand why these secrets still affect her family's life and Stella's. Will the Christmas spirit be able to help Libby, her family and Stella?

I became immersed in this book from the beginning. I felt like I understood what Libby, her family and Stella were experiencing. When I placed this book down, I wanted to pick it back up and continue. I enjoyed the writing as it seemed very personable, fun, humorous, at times and gave me a glimpse into these lives.

I was given this book by NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for my honest review.

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Book Review: The Yuletide Angel

This book is set in the 1890s at Christmas. Violet Madison has an uncertain future. Her home has been inherited by her brother and he is to be married soon. Violet assumes that this means she will not be welcome there when children come. In addition to this, she has been given the title of the Yuletide Angel, a mysterious person who leaves items at the homes of the needy at night. The only one who knows of her nighttime excursions is Hugh Barnes. He worries for her as she goes out to aid others.

Finally, Violet tells Hugh about her uncertain future, who helps by allowing her to sell her goods in his store. When Hugh's brother shows up and show an interest in Violet, he becomes worried. In addition, there is someone that is stalking Violet at night, she fears they will try to stop her good works.

I could rave about this book for a long time. I loved the setting, the time and the characters. The story's pace was good and kept me wanting to pick it back up to read more. I highly recommend this book.

The Yuletide Angel can be found at Amazon HERE!
or
at Barnes and Noble HERE!

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Book Review: Where We Belong

Where We Belong, by Lynn Austen is set in 1892 in Chicago. Rebecca and Flora Hawes are sisters in this Victorian Age. However, instead of enjoying balls at home they head to the Sinai Desert.

Their butler Soren Petersen and Kate Rafferty, a lady's maid in training, formerly from the street, are accompanying the sisters as they are looking for a biblical manuscript.

This is not an easy trip. They face many dangers, which cause each of them to look at their past and what has made each of them the person they are today.

I went on the journey with these travelers as I followed along page-by-page. It was also interesting to see how the author was able to instill her faith in God throughout the book. I enjoy books about history and all the adventures it took to create the world today. This was a wondrous book and I highly recommend it.

I was given this book by Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Best Poems of the Bronte Sisters

I enjoy the works of the Bronte sisters and I am a poetry lover, so this title called my name. The Best Poems of the Bronte Sisters is published by Dover Publications. This collection contains work from each of the sisters and whereby their style is similar, their differences also speak out through their poems. Charlotte's poetry is based on her reflections of her sisters. Where Emily's are on the darker side of life.

I feel this is a good collection of poetry which represents each of the sisters well. Those who enjoy poetry, especially that which is written in the 19th century should turn to this book. It will become a welcome addition as a collection of great poetry.

I was given this book by Dover Publishers and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book can be found at Amazon HERE! and Barnes and Noble HERE!

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Book Review: Delicious and Suspicious

This book is set in Memphis, at Aunt Pat's barbecue restaurant. Aunt Pat is actually Lulu Taylor's Great aunt. Lulu runs this restaurant which has a reputation for great ribs. Now, however, there has been a murder.

The victim is Rebecca Adrian, who came to the area for the Cooking Chanel Show. She was hoping to find a restaurant with great barbecue, now she is dead. Everyone is sure that her death was the doing of Aunt Pat's restaurant, so Lulu decides to investigate to put their reputation to the good again.

I love a good cozy mystery, and Delicious and Suspicious fit the bill perfectly. Riley Adams filled this book with Tennessee charm and made my mouth water for a taste of the barbecue from Aunt Pat's restaurant.

I felt like the characters were complex and real, plus, it kept me turning the pages to find how the mystery was solved.

Book Review: Flood

Laura Brooks left Hannibal, Missouri years ago, now she is coming back. She doesn't tell anyone she is coming. When she get there she tells everyone that she is only going to be there for a short time and to attend her high-school reunion. Soon, her friend Rosie pulls into her divorce proceedings, and her former fiance, Sammy McGuire is there.

Laura had left this town at eighteen because she felt she was drowning in the town's past, both the ties to Mark Twain, and the cultural and economic.

I felt that the author knows about her hometown, Hannibal and conveys this knowledge very well to the reader, in a contemporary way. I enjoyed this novel. I felt like she was able to create real characters, flaws and all. I enjoyed the details that she included throughout.

I was given this book by NetGalley and Faithwords/Center Street in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: The Little French Bistro

Married for 41 years, Marianne decides to leave her marriage and life behind. So she set off for Brittany. While there she finds many interesting people. People she will remember forever. They welcome her like an old friend and they all seem comfortable with her from the beginning. Soon Marianne feels like she is rediscovering all the good parts that make her up.

I love this book and the joy and warmth that it gives the reader. I had read "The Little Paris Bookshop" and loved it, so I was looking forward to this book. I did not sink into it as quickly but soon I fell in love with this world. I loved taking in the language and the characters.

This book may not be for everyone, but it is well worth picking up and enjoying.

I was given this book by Blogging for Books and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: A Portrait of Emily Price

In A Portrait of Emily Price, the main character is an artist who would love to own a gallery and this is what her main focus is. That is until a chef by the name of Benito Vassallo decides to court her. He is here from Italy to help his aunt and uncle's restaurant, but when he sees Emily he decides to multi-task and try to win her also.

I found this a book to lose myself in. The characters were fun and developed and portrayed people who are dedicated, stretched, self-discovering, imperfect and human. I loved them.

I think any ready will discover themselves entranced with this book from the time they pick it up.

I was given this book by NetGalley and Thomas Nelson in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: The sisters of Sugarcreek - Cathy Liggett

I first chose this book to review because it had knitting on the cover. I am mad for all things yarn related. Then I noticed that it mentioned Sugarcreek in the title. This was the name of the church camp I attended when I was growing up. So it had two things going for it in the first place.

Then I began to read the story and the Sisters of Sugarcreek is set in a town which I visited when I was in our youth group. Oh my, I knew I had to love this book. And I did.

There are three women that the story centers around. Lydia Gruber, a young Amish woman, who just lost her husband and is unsure of what she will need to do in order to survive.

Then there is Jessica Holtz. Along with her son Charlie, her life has been turned upside down when her favorite aunt died and left her Rose's Knit One Quilt Too Cottage. She and her son move upstairs to the apartment and she runs the store, even through she doesn't know anything about knitting or quilting.

Finally there is Liz. Jessica's Aunt Rose was Liz's best friend. They also gave hope in the form of anonymous gifts as the Secret Stitches Society. Jessica and Liz want to keep the society going. Their first mission is to help Lydia. These three become friends and together learn how to place one foot in front of the other as they deal with grief and love.

Cathy Liggett developed characters that I could relate with and I could not wait to read each page to see what would happen with these ladies. I definitely enjoyed this book tremendously.

I was given this book by Tyndale in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Between Sisters

Cathy Kelly is such a rich author and she shares her wealth of talent with each of us through her works.

In the book Between Sisters, the sisters are Cassie and Coco. Their mother left them when they were younger. Now that they are grown, they are still feeling the pain. They were left in the care of their grandmother, so they did know love but not the love of their own mother.

Cassie now has a family with two teenage daughters and Coco is single. Each are successful career-women.

There are problems that erupt into their lives and seeing their pathway to the resolution is very interesting and intriguing.

As with many of her other books, Between Sisters, is not a light book to read. It includes mistakes and real-life instances throughout it.

I love the bond that Cathy Kelly is able to include in this book between the sisters. I would highly recommend this book to Cathy Kelly lovers and to those who enjoy books with reality throughout it.

I was given this book by NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing in exchange for my honest review.