Category: Litfuse blog tour

In Through Waters Deep, it is 1941 and America teeters on the brink of war.

About Through Waters Deep

Outgoing naval officer Ensign Jim Avery job is to escort British convoys across the North Atlantic in a brand-new destroyer, the USS Atwood. On shore, Boston Navy Yard secretary Mary Stirling does her work quietly and efficiently. She is happy to be out of the limelight. Yet despite her reserved nature she never could back down from a challenge. When evidence of sabotage on the Atwood is found, Jim and Mary must work together to uncover the culprit. A bewildering maze of suspects emerges and Mary is dismayed to find that even someone close to her is under suspicion. With the increasing pressure, Jim and Mary find that many new challenges and danger awaits them.

My Thoughts

I love a good historical novel and this is another huge hit set in World War II just prior to America entering the war. Sarah does an amazing job capturing the emotions, stress, tension and fear that arose in America prior to the country entering the war.

Mary, the most unlikely hero, personally challenges herself to step out of her comfort zone to help solve a mysterious case before tensions crack and disaster strikes. Everything that makes her the perfect secretary is what makes her the perfect ‘spy’ (I use spy in a loose term). Mary transforms in this novel and it is beautiful to witness as she struggles on her journey and the freedom she finds at the end. The mix in of a little bit of romance by Jim’s character tops off a completely heart warming, exciting and beautiful story. A story that reminds us that there is always much more to a person then the outer features or the fears that people hold against others.

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

Sarah Sundin is the author of With Every Letter, On Distant Shores, In Perfect Time, and the Wings of Glory series. In 2014, On Distant Shores was a finalist for the Golden Scroll Awards from both AWSA and the Christian Authors Network. In 2011, Sarah received the Writer of the Year Award at the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference. A graduate of UC San Francisco School of Pharmacy, she works on call as a hospital pharmacist. During WWII, her grandfather served as a pharmacist’s mate (medic) in the Navy and her great-uncle flew with the US Eighth Air Force in England. Sarah lives in California with her husband and three children.

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

In the most turbulent decade of our nation’s history, four Southern women whose destinies are forged by birth, hearts steeled by war and who face near impossible choices on their journeys in life and in love.

About Among the Fair Magnolias

Four books in one make up Among the Fair Magnolias: To Mend a Dream, An Outlaw’s Heart, A Heart So True and Love Beyond Limits.

To Mend a Dream by Tamera Alexander

Savannah Darby would do almost anything to revisit her family home. So when the new owner, Aidan Bedford (a Boston attorney and former Union soldier) seeks help to redecorate the house for his fiancée, she jumps at the opportunity. But the clock is ticking – can she find the box her father supposedly hid there during the war (and may hold the key to her financial security) before her assignment is completed? And before she sees yet another battle lost on the home front. This time the battle will be one of the heart.

An Outlaw’s Heart by Shelley Gray

When Russell Stark returns to Fort Worth, he is determined to begin a new life. But when he arrives at his mother’s homestead, he discovers she’s very ill and the woman he loved is still as beautiful and as sweet as he remembered. With time running out for him, Russell must come to terms with both his future and his past.

A Heart So True by Dorothy Love

Abigail knows all too well what is expected of her: to marry her distant cousin Charles and take her place in society. But her heart belongs to another man. A terrible incident forces Abby to choose between love and duty.

Love Beyond Limits by Elizabeth Musser

Emily has a secret: She is in love with one of the freedmen on her family’s plantation. Meanwhile, another man declares his love for her. Emily realizes some things are not always as they seem and that secrets must be kept in order to keep those she loves safe.

My Thoughts

I always worry when I read a novel that contains more than one story, that the story will not be developed enough or will feel too rushed. This was definitely not the case in Among the Fair Magnolias. Each of the four stories brings its own unique writing skills (that also complement each other) and story. At the root of each story is a difficult decision each main character has to make – accepting the past and present in order to find love, forgiveness and hope. It is a novel that explores love and forgiveness in many different forms, that will not leave you disappointed (but maybe craving for some more!).

You can find more reviews on the Litfuse Blog Tour Page. You can purchase a copy here.

Rating: 5/5

About the Authors

Tamera Alexander is the best-selling author of numerous books including A Lasting Impression and The Inheritance. Tamera is a two-time Christy Award winner, two-time RITA winner, and a recipient of the prestigious Library Journal Award. A native of west Tennessee.

Dorothy Love makes her home in the Texas hill country with her husband and their golden retriever. An award-winning author of numerous young adult novels, Dorothy made her adult debut with the Hickory Ridge novels.

Shelley Gray is the author of The Heart of a Hero series. Her Amish novel (written as Shelley Shepard Gray), The Protector, recently made the New York Times best seller list.

Elizabeth Musser, a native of Atlanta, Georgia now living in France, is a novelist who writes what she calls ‘entertainment with a soul.’ For over 25 years, Elizabeth and her husband, Paul, have been involved in mission work with International Teams.

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

Two strangers are drawn together in A Bride at Last through one woman and her child.

About A Bride at Last

Abandoned by his mail-order bride, Silas Jonesey has fought a battle to recover from a pattern of poor choices. Now his prayers have finally come true and his estranged wife has contacted him with her whereabouts.

Kate Dawson was supposed to be a mail-order bride, but upon realizing she had been deceived about her intended groom, she’s now settled into life as a schoolteacher. When the mother of a student passes away, Kate assumes she will take on care of nine-year-old Anthony – until two men suddenly show up in town, both claiming to be the boy’s father.

Silas can see Anthony loves Kate, so he enlists her help in reaching out to the boy and attempting to prove his paternity to the court. When a common interest in Anthony leads to an interest in each other and Silas and Kate begin to think they can overcome their rocky start, neither is prepared for the secrets and past hurts that have yet to come to light. Can Silas, Kate, and Anthony’s wounded souls bind them together or will all that stands between them leave them lonely forever?

My Thoughts

Whenever I read a historical novel, I always feel how shocking the norms were during these time periods especially in North America. The concept of mail-order bride can be mind blowing and the same goes for the many children that were orphaned or left to survive on their own. Kate Dawson is an incredibly strong woman for the time period she lives in. She has been hurt, taken advantage of but still manages to push ahead. Her job as a teacher helps her to protect ‘her’ children and guide them. She becomes extremely attached to Anthony who has been abused by his ‘father’.

When a new man comes to claim Anthony as his own, both Kate and Anthony are forced to struggle to put Anthony’s safety and well being first. When bribes were the norm, his fate could be decided by who has more money. It broke my heart.

When Kate and Silas begin to realize they may have feelings for each other or at least try to help each other move past their own hurts, it is heart warming. Both of them have been hurt so badly in the past, that you want to see them happy but their wounds are still so fresh!

You can find more reviews on the Litfuse Blog Tour Page. You can purchase a copy here.

Rating: 4/5

About the Author

Melissa Jagears, an ESL teacher by trade and the author of A Bride for Keeps and A Bride in Store, is a stay-at-home mother on a tiny Kansas farm with a fixer-upper house. She’s a member of ACFW and CROWN fiction marketing, and her passion is to help Christian believers mature in their faith and judge rightly. You can connect with her online and on Facebook.

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

“It is not just a ruby, as you say. It is large as a quail’s egg, still untouched and unpolished. And it is rumored to either bless or curse whoever possesses it.”

About The Curiosity Keeper

Camille Iverness can take care of herself. She has done so since the day her mother abandoned her family and left Camille to run their shabby Curiosity Shop. But when a violent betrayal leaves her injured with no place to hide, Camille must allow a mysterious stranger to come to her aid.

Jonathan Gilchrist never wanted to inherit Kettering Hall. As a second son, he was content to work as the village apothecary. But when his brother’s death made him heir just as his father’s foolish decisions put the estate at risk, only the sale of a priceless possession, a ruby called the Bevoy, can save the family from ruin. But the gem has disappeared. And all trails lead to the Iverness Curiosity Shop and the beautiful shop girl who may be the answer to his many questions.

Caught at the intersection of blessings and curses, greed and deceit, these two determined souls must unite to protect what they hold dear. But when a passion that shines far brighter than any gem is ignited, they will have to decide how much they are willing to risk for their future, love, and happiness.

My Thoughts

The Curiosity Keeper is set in one of my favourite time periods and in London. This novel shares the story of a young woman, whose privileged lifestyle raised with the higher class is suddenly changed when her Mother abandons their family. She is forced to move into a rougher area with her Father and work for him in his shop. She has to learn how to support, defend and trust her instincts. Most of all she has learned that she needs to protect herself first.

When a chance meeting with a nobleman changes the course of her future, she is left unsure of what to do. Throw in a stolen ruby, rumours of corruption and thievery from her Father leave her feeling lost and alone. Does she trust the family that has hurt her in the past or this new young man?

The Curiosity Keeper is very well written with well-developed characters. The last few chapters surprised me greatly – but in a good way! It definitely was not the ending I was expecting especially not for Camille. Through some minor romance into the mix and it was the perfect read from start to finish!

You can find more reviews on the Litfuse Blog Tour page. You can purchase a copy here.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Sarah E. Ladd received the 2011 Genesis Award in historical romance for The Heiress of Winterwood. She is a graduate of Ball State University and has more than ten years of marketing experience. Sarah lives in Indiana with her amazing husband, sweet daughter, and spunky Golden Retriever. You can connect with her online, Twitter and Facebook.

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

Where better to rebuild and face one’s fears than in 1906 San Francisco, a city rising from the ashes?

About Beyond the Ashes

Ruby Marshall, a young widow, is certain she’ll discover new purpose assisting her brother Robert with his cancer research, but she doesn’t anticipate finding new love.

Dr. Gerald Larkspur dreams of filling his empty home with family, but he’d always hoped it would be a wife and children. In the aftermath of the great earthquake, the rooms are overflowing with extended family and friends left homeless by the disaster. When Robert’s widowed sister arrives, the close quarters seem close indeed.

Ruby and Gerald’s fledgling romance is put at risk when Gerald develops symptoms of the very disease they’re striving to cure. Together they must ask–is it worth a second chance at love when time might be short?

My Thoughts

When I first started reading this novel, I didn’t realize that it was continuing where Out of the Ruins left off. So you can imagine how excited I was when I realized this, as I loved Out of the Ruins!

Ruby has faced many ordeals in a society that is constantly pressuring and signalling her out for her widow status. She wants to escape and be allowed to find out who she is and what she can do. The only place she feels she can escape to is to her brothers, who happens to live in San Francisco, a city that is still recovering from a devastating earth quake.

Gerald is a doctor who has not only struggled with the passing of a family member but is having a hard time dealing with death itself in his journey to find a cure for cancer. When he begins to find symptoms of disease on himself, he ignores them as he struggles to come to grips with this.

Karen is a wonderful writer who draws you into the story she is telling. Her characters are well-developed and while she does include a little bit of romance it is not overwhelming so you can truly enjoy the story she spins. Beyond the Ashes is a great read that you can enjoy by the pool or over a weekend. It is a novel of hope and inspiration, that you can fall in love with over and over again.

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

Karen Barnett is the author of Beyond the Ashes, Out of the Ruins, and Mistaken. Named the 2013 Writer of Promise by Oregon Christian Writers, Karen lives in Albany, Oregon, with her husband and two kids. When she’s not writing novels, she loves speaking at women’s events, libraries, and book clubs.

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