Author: cvegnad

October 16, 2020

An Appalachian Summer Book Review

Bestselling author Ann H. Gabhart invites you into the hills of Eastern Kentucky to discover what happens when one young woman steps away from the restrictive past into a beautiful, wide-open future.

About An Appalachian Summer

In 1933 Louisville, Kentucky, even the ongoing economic depression cannot keep Piper Danson’s parents from insisting on a debut party. After all, their fortune came through the market crash intact, and they have picked out the perfect suitor for their daughter. Braxton Crandall can give her the kind of life that she is used to. The only problem? This is not the man, or the life, that she really wants.

When Piper receives the opportunity to volunteer as a horseback Frontier Nursing courier in the Appalachian Mountains for the summer, she jumps at the chance to be something other than a dutiful daughter or a kept wife in a loveless marriage. The work is taxing, the scenery jaw-droppingly gorgeous, and the people she meets along the way open up a whole new world to her. The longer she stays, the more an advantageous marriage slips further from her grasp. But something much more precious–true love–is drawing ever closer.

My Thoughts

I fell in love with the characters, the setting and the plot of this amazing novel. Piper is a young woman determined to find her own way in life, despite her parents attempting to push her into the life that society deems that she should live.

Piper was born into a privileged lifestyle and she comes of age in the backdrop of the Great Depression. Her father has arranged a marriage for her with a suitor that could give her the life that he feels she deserves – a life of wealth and never wanting for anything. But she is so conflicted inside with many different emotions, the man that she has loved her whole life appears to have abandoned her, she feels a need inside of her to do more, to be more than just a wife and Mother. She jumps on the opportunity to volunteer as a Nursing courier in the Appalachian Mountains for the summer before making a final decision on her future. It is in this moment that she takes hold of her destiny.

Piper learns about a whole new world in the mountains, she learns her own strength, her own skills and what she really wants and needs in her life. She finds the strength inside her to chase her dreams (and her heart) regardless of what her parents feel and what society expects from her. She learns she has the strength to help others, as she witnesses the miracles of child birth, caring for others and the animals around her.

An Appalachian Summer is an excellent novel from start to finish. It is full of hope, faith, love and following your dreams. You will love every moment of reading this novel.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Ann H. Gabhart is the bestselling author of several Shaker novels–The Refuge, The Outsider, The Believer, The Seeker, The Blessed, and The Gifted–as well as other historical novels, including Angel Sister, These Healing Hills, River to Redemption, and An Appalachian Summer. She and her husband live on a farm a mile from where she was born in rural Kentucky. Ann enjoys discovering the everyday wonders of nature while hiking in her farm’s fields and woods with her grandchildren and her dogs, Frankie and Marley.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

October 13, 2020

In the Nick of Time Book Review

A timely tale about a little brown boy who saves Christmas.

About In the Nick of Time

Nick Saint never really put a lot of thought into his name until one snowy day in December when he accidentally receives a letter meant for Saint Nick. Realizing there is not much time left until Christmas, Nick opens the letter. The unexpected message inside ultimately leads him on a journey of understanding poverty, gratitude, and service to others while discovering the real meaning of the holiday spirit.

Our Thoughts

In the Nick of Time is a beautiful reminder of the importance of Christmas, of helping others, not judging a book by their cover and how we can all make a difference in the lives of others regardless of our age. The book starts off with a special message from Deedee to her son. Deedee had found that too often, so many young children of colour do not see themselves in the stories they read (especially around holidays), and she hopes that this book shows them that they too can be a leader, and save Christmas.

Nick is very much your typical young child – loves his video games and gives very honest answers (I love his Mom’s response to his usage of the word stupid – one of my least favourite words too!). The mailman accidentally drops off a letter meant for Saint Nick (not him, Nick Saint) and this sets him off on a special journey of kindness and understanding. Nick realizes that we don’t always know what is going on in someone else’s life. From the outside, their life may look perfect, they may not look like they are struggling or living in fear of not being able to provide for their family. But as Nick learns, we should never judge a book by their cover and the importance of helping others. Nick goes above and beyond for those in his school as they lead a drive to collect food, toys and even host a job fair.

There are so many important lessons for young children in this book delivered in a way that they can understand. Children can find it hard sometimes to understand that others may not have as much as them or take for granted what they have (not on purpose but just due to their age). I loved how his Mother encouraged him and guided him but ultimately, he made some very important decisions on his own. I loved how Deedee shared the importance of having a young brown male character as the lead and hero in this story. This is an excellent holiday (and year round) story for young children.

Book Trailer

About the Author

Deirdre “Deedee” Cummings believes literacy is a fundamental human right. She is the founder of Make A Way Media, It Pays to Read & the Louisville Book Festival, as well as, an attorney, therapist, and CEO of Abi Behavioral Health in Louisville, Kentucky. Abi is an intensive therapy agency that works to prevent the placement of children in out of home care, such as foster care, hospitalization, and incarceration. Deedee attended Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina, one of only two all-female Historically Black Colleges in the country. After graduating from Bennett, she earned a master’s degree and a law degree from the University of Louisville. All of her writing focuses on sharing inspiring messages that remind us all it is never too late to begin again. Deedee encourages the children she works with to write as a way to process emotions, document their journey, and express themselves more clearly. In addition to presenting on multiple topics around the country, Deedee donates hundreds of books and volunteer hours every year to families, children, churches and the local school system. She is excited to announce the launch of her tenth children’s book, This is the Earth. The inspiration for this book came from overwhelming negative media coverage about race relations in our country and across the world. This is the Earth is a book about peace, respect, and diversity inclusion: a message that must be heard and repeated often. She and her husband Anthony live in Louisville with their three children Kayla (an actress in New York), Anthony (a college student and athlete), and Nick (in elementary school).

You can connect with her on her website, Twitter and Facebook.

The Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

October 8, 2020

Love and a Little White Lie Book Review

Torn between two worlds incapable of coexisting, can January find the healing that’s eluded her or will her resistance to the truth ruin any chance of happiness?

About Love and a Little White Lie

January Sanders grew up believing karma was more reliable than an imaginary higher power, but after suffering her worst heartbreak in 29 years, she’s open to just about anything, including taking a temporary position at her aunt’s church. Keeping her lack of faith a secret, January is determined to use her photographic memory to help Grace Community’s overworked staff, all while scraping herself off rock bottom.

What she doesn’t count on is meeting the church’s handsome and charming guitarist, who not only is a strong believer, but has also dedicated his life to Christian music. It’s a match set for disaster, and yet January has no ability to stay away, even if it means pretending to have faith in a God she doesn’t believe in.

Only this time, keeping secrets isn’t as easy as she thought it would be. Especially when she’s constantly running into her aunt’s landscape architect, who seems to know everything about her past and present sins and makes no apologies about pushing her to deal with feelings she’d rather keep buried.

Torn between two worlds incapable of coexisting, can January find the healing that’s eluded her or will her resistance to the truth ruin any chance of happiness?

My Thoughts

Love and a Little White Lie is fun, warm novel with loveable (but flawed) characters and a fantastic plot.

January is an incredible young woman, who just doesn’t know it yet. She had a tough childhood, her Mother was angry at life and had several failed marriages. At so many points in her childhood, the father figure in her life walked out on her. It felt that at times, January took on the role of Mother in their relationship, which I can’t even begin to imagine the stress that this would cause. This made a lasting impact on her life and the way that she looks at life and relationships. She turned her back on faith and has a very difficult time trusting in others (especially men – she always believes the worst of them).

One awful, heart breaking break up sends her running to her Aunt, who opens her arms (and home) to her. Her Aunt takes her in, helps her find a job and does her best to help her find her way. The only issue with her job? It is at her Aunt’s parish and January stopped believing a long time ago. She does not share this information with others – out of fear of being let go or perhaps even not being accepted by those around her?

January falls hard for the guitarist that works at the church. But something just made me feel that perhaps it wasn’t love – was it infatuation? Was it a rebound? January never quite felt comfortable sharing with him that she did not share his beliefs, which I found huge. These nagging feelings I had about their relationship came up several times throughout the novel.

My favourite character? Dillon. Dillon works on her Aunt’s property and at first glance seems offish, angry at life but as his story develops, we learn of his pain, his insecurities and his hopes. I kept rooting for him throughout the story, I wanted him to share his feelings which seemed so obvious but to January and Dillon, it was not.

Love and a Little White Lie is a fantastic novel about second chances, believing in yourself, knowing that it is okay to fail and it is okay to hurt but sometimes we need to open our heart (and mind) to those around us and above us. I loved every moment of this novel – a definite must read!

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Tammy L. Gray lives in the Dallas area with her family, and they love all things Texas. Her nine modern and true-to-life contemporary romances include the 2017 RITA Award-winning My Hope Next Door. When not taxiing her three kids to various events, Tammy can be spotted crunching numbers as the financial administrator at her hometown church. Find her online at www.tammylgray.com

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

October 5, 2020

A Mosaic of Wings

About A Mosaic of Wings

It’s 1885, and all Nora Shipley wants, now that she’s graduating from Cornell University as valedictorian of the entomology program, is to follow in her late father’s footsteps by getting her master’s degree and taking over the scientific journal he started. The only way to uphold her father’s legacy is to win a scholarship, so she joins a research expedition in Kodaikanal, India, to prove herself in the field.

India isn’t what she expects, though, and neither is the rival classmate who accompanies her, Owen Epps. As her preconceptions of India–and of Owen–fall away, she finds both far more captivating than she expected. Forced by the expedition leader to stay at camp and illustrate exotic butterflies the men of the team find without her, Nora befriends Sita, a young Indian girl who has been dedicated to a goddess against her will.

In this spellbinding new land, Nora is soon faced with impossible choices–between saving Sita and saving her career, and between what she’s always thought she wanted and the man she’s come to love.

My Thoughts

I fell in love with the book cover and I couldn’t wait to start reading this novel – and it did not disappoint me at all. I could not put this novel down, and read it in one night (I drove my husband a bit crazy as he was trying so hard to sleep and I just couldn’t turn off the light and put the book down).

Nora is a strong, determined young woman who does not let society tell her what she can or cannot do. Her Father was an entomologist with his own journal, and she is determined to follow in his own steps. She has accomplished what so many other woman would love to do (or perhaps were too afraid to say they wanted to do) – earning an undergraduate degree and applying for her Masters in entomology. She is awarded a rare opportunity to prove herself on a research trip in India – where she is again confronted with male figures that did not believe in a female scientist.

What she doesn’t expect in these travels is to find love in a classmate who has always been her rival, a culture that is beautiful but with some beliefs that she just can’t stand by and let happen and an experience that opens her mind and heart to her future and what really matters in life.

Nora is just an amazing character – she is everything that you want to see in a novel. I loved how so many times throughout the novel she corrected her classmates about the difficulty of being a woman in the academic world (not to mention society in general during this time period). She is constantly having to prove herself, where a man could shrug and laugh off the same mistake. Women were supposed to get married, have children and take care of the house – their feelings and thoughts never really considered. Nora defied this at every turn – earning her degree, her spot on the research expedition and continuing her studies. She stood up for what she believed in, which many times got her in a lot of trouble but in her heart she knew that it was the right thing to do.

This was an incredible novel from start to finish, I enjoyed every moment and could not put it down. I loved the characters, the plot and the way the story was written (I have never read a story quite like this before!). It is a definite must read novel.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Kimberly Duffy is a Long Island native currently living in Southwest Ohio, via six months in India. When she’s not homeschooling her four kids, she writes historical fiction that takes her readers back in time and across oceans. She loves trips that require a passport, recipe books, and practicing kissing scenes with her husband of twenty years. He doesn’t mind. You can find Kimberly at www.kimberlyduffy.com.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

October 4, 2020

A Highlander is Coming to Town Book Review

The third book in the Highland, Georgia romantic comedy series from Laura Trentham, A Highlander is Coming to Town, full of love, laughs and highlanders!

About A Highlander is Coming to Town

Holt Pierson is dreading Christmas. His parents absconded to Florida for the season and left him to handle the family farm which will be his one day—whether he wants it or not. Driven by duty, Holt has always followed the path expected of him. But lately, he’s been questioning what he wants and where he belongs. Will assuming the responsibility of the Pierson farm make him happy or is there something—or someone—else out in the wider world calling to him?

To Claire Smythe, the Scottish lead singer of a touring band, Highland, Georgia, is the perfect place to hide . . .until a very handsome and deeply curious Holt begins to ask all the questions Claire doesn’t want to answer. As Holt draws Claire out from under and into the fabric of small-town life, can Claire put the past behind her and embrace the unexpected gifts of the season—including the new and lasting love?

My Thoughts

Claire has never felt that she belongs – not with her rich family, their rich friends, their business and how society expects her to behave. She loves performing but she is stuck at a point in her life where she is struggling with how she should move forward – does she carve her own future or does she cave and take her place in the family business. She finds her way to the small town of Highland, Georgia, a place where she can hide and attempt to work her way mentally and emotionally through her problems and what she really wants from her future.

Holt is the sweet, sexy guy next door that you just can’t help but love. He has struggled with his own past, a future that has been written in stone for him since birth but a future he fully embraces. He is lonely, he has some friends but being in charge of the farm takes up a lot of his time (especially given that his parents are always on the road). He has a chance encounter with Claire and this sends them both down a road that neither saw coming and neither is quite sure that they are ready for (love can be frightening!).

This is a light, fun read that makes it a perfect curl up on the couch with a cup of coffee and read (especially now with the change in weather!). It made me laugh and it made me want to shake Claire’s shoulders (how could she not see how perfect Holt was for her?). The novel is well written and keeps you on your toes, you are never quite sure what Claire will do. I loved watching our main characters grow in this novel – they are from perfect, they struggle and make bad decisions, but in the end can they find a way to make it work?

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 4/5

About the Author

Laura Trentham is an award-winning author of contemporary and historical romance, including the Cottonbloom, Heart of a Hero, and Sweet Home Alabama series. She is a member of RWA, and has finaled multiple times in the Golden Heart competition. A chemical engineer by training and a lover of books by nature, she lives in South Carolina.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.