Category: Litfuse blog tour

In 1772 England, Lady Keturah Banning Tomlinson and her sisters find themselves the heiresses of their father’s estates and know they have one option: Go to the West Indies to save what is left of their heritage.

About Keturah

In 1772 England, Lady Keturah Banning Tomlinson and her sisters find themselves the heiresses of their father’s estates and know they have one option: Go to the West Indies to save what is left of their heritage.

Although it flies against all the conventions, they’re determined to make their own way in the world. But once they arrive in the Caribbean, conventions are the least of their concerns. On the infamous island of Nevis, the sisters discover the legacy of the legendary sugar barons has vastly declined-and that’s just the start of what their eyes are opened to in this harsh and unfamiliar world.

Keturah never intends to put herself at the mercy of a man again, but every man on the island seems to be trying to win her hand and, with it, the ownership of her plantation. She could desperately use an ally, but even an unexpected reunion with a childhood friend leaves her questioning his motives.

To keep her family together and save the plantation that is her last chance at providing for them, can Keturah ever surrender her stubbornness and guarded heart to God and find the healing and love awaiting her?

My Thoughts

I fell in love with this beautifully written and unique story. In this novel, we have three young privileged women who have been orphaned. Their eldest sister would do anything to ensure her sisters are taken care of and remain in the family home. The only problem? This would see her having to travel to her family investment in the West Indies – their last hope at saving their lands in England.

What she doesn’t expect? Her sisters absolute refusal to let her go alone! So instead all three young women take off on an exciting journey that is far beyond social acceptance and looked down upon by many in their class. I found it to be so brave and determined but their greatest setback is how sheltered they have been. They are grossly unprepared for what to expect, what to bring and the sexism they will face.

This was an incredible story of perseverance, hope, faith, forgiveness with a touch of love growing in there. I couldn’t put this novel down wanting to know more about what would happen to Keturah and her sisters. This novel is a definite must read.

You can find more reviews on the Litfuse blog tour page. You can purchase a copy of the book here.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Lisa T. Bergren has published more than 40 books with more than 3 million books sold combined. She’s the author of the Christy Award-winning “Waterfall,” RITA®-finalist “Firestorm,” bestselling “God Gave Us You,” and popular historical series like Homeward, Grand Tour, and more. She’s also a recipient of the RT Lifetime Achievement Award. She lives in Colorado Springs with her husband and three teen-and-older children.

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

In The Melody of the Soul, Anna Zadok, a Jewish Christian living in Prague, has lost everything, including her career as a concert violinist and almost her entire family – will she lose the music of her heart as well?

About The Melody of the Soul

By 1943, Anna Zadok, a Jewish Christian living in Prague, has lost everything, including her career as a concert violinist and almost her entire family. The only person she has left is her beloved grandmother, and she’s determined to keep her safe. But protecting Grandmother won’t be easy–not with a Nazi officer billeted below them.

Anna must keep a low profile. There’s one thing she refuses to give up, though. Despite instruments being declared illegal, Anna defiantly continues to practice her violin. She has to believe that the war will end someday and her career will be waiting. Fortunately for Anna, the officer, Horst Engel, enjoys her soothing music. It distracts him from his dissatisfaction with Nazi ideology and reminds him that beauty still exists in an increasingly ugly world.

When his neighbors face deportation, Horst is moved to risk everything to hide them. Anna finds herself falling in love with the handsome officer and his brave heart. But what he reveals to her might break her trust and stop the music forever.

My Thoughts

This novel is set in the backdrop of World War II. We have Anna who is a Jewish Christian who has watched her friends be taken away. She is struggling with her family but they are together. This all changes the day that her family are called to report – everyone except her Grandmother and herself. She is devastated and can not imagine leaving her family. She begs to be able to go with them regardless of where they ended up. She just wants to keep her family together. Instead her Father tasks her with the job of caring for her Grandmother.

The two live in constant fear of being called next, they don’t leave the house and Anna who has already lost so much is forced to give up her music in fear of being heard. When a German soldier moves in to her building, this ups the risk for the two.

The soldier that moves in is not like most soldiers in the German army. He is conflicted morally and religiously with what his country is doing. He sees the humanity in all and can not bear to do the harm that is expected of him. In the eyes of his Father and his army, he is a failure and is weak but in his own eyes he can’t bear going through with the actions. He becomes security for Anna – although she finds it hard to trust, understand and forgive him. She becomes his saviour and forgiveness in the eyes of God.

This is an extremely powerful novel. I cried in so many parts of the novel for the cruelty and unfairness. I cried for the trust and forgiveness these two are trying to build. In all of the cruelty, there is hope and faith. Hope that this will soon end and that freedom, peace, respect and love will come again. This is the type of novel you will not put down – I read it in one sitting as it was just too powerful. I had to know what was happening to Anna. The ending was just perfect and suited their story. This is a definite must read novel.

You can find more reviews on the Litfuse blog tour page. You can purchase a copy of the book here.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Best-selling novelist Liz Tolsma is the author of several World War II novels and prairie romance novellas. She also works as a freelance editor. She lives in a semirural area of Wisconsin with her husband and two daughters. Her son serves with the US Marines. All of their children came to them through international adoption. Her other passions include walking, gardening, camping, and reading.

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

Seeds of Hope is a heartwarming tale of discovering love right in front of you.

About Seeds of Hope

Miriam Troyer has had a secret crush on Mark Byler since she was a teenager, but she knows they can never have a relationship: Mark is a big-city attorney and an Englischer. Her Amish community is too far removed from all he knows–and she loves her quiet way of life.

Mark has always loved his visits to his grandfather’s farm, but he’s convinced the Amish life isn’t for him. There’s so much of the world to see and experience, and the excitement of his successful law practice can’t be matched by the slow pace of life found back home in the country.

But when things go wrong and his firm distances itself from him to try to save themselves, Mark finds himself back at his grandfather’s farm. Could life in this simple world be worth living after all? Especially when the teenager he remembers has grown into a woman who could be his future. Suddenly, these two people whose lives seem so far apart may get a chance to really see each other for the first time.

My Thoughts

In Seeds of Hope, you have two individuals from opposite worlds that are connected through their friends, family but who are too worried about what the outside world would think if they were to ever act upon their friendship and budding feelings.

Miriam is a sweet, kind-hearted soul who dotes on her siblings and those in her community. She never asks for anything in return. She has tried to like the men in her Amish community but her heart has been stolen by Mark, who lives outside the Amish world. She begins to struggle with some of her teachings – how could love be wrong – and test the boundaries her Father has set for her.

Mark’s Father left the Amish community but he still has ties with his Grandfather. His one friend and defender in the community has always been Miriam. When his life is thrown upside down and he is left confused and questioning everything he has ever believed or done he heads back to his roots for guidance and hope.

Seeds of Hope is a beautiful story of hope, faith and pushing past old beliefs. It is about following your heart and allowing God to speak to you freely with you listening to him. While our past will always be there to guide us, it does not have to determine our future as these two learned. We can build and create a new future based on hope and love. This is a well written, sweet novel that I truly enjoyed reading.

You can find more reviews on the Litfuse blog tour page. You can purchase a copy of this book here.

Rating: 4/5

About the Author

Barbara Cameron has a heart for writing about the spiritual values and simple joys of the Amish. She is the best-selling author of more than 40 fiction and nonfiction books and three nationally televised movies, and the winner of the first Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Award. Her books have been nominated for Carol Awards and the Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award from RWA’s Faith, Hope, and Love chapter. Barbara resides in Jacksonville, Florida.

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