Category: Litfuse

Every choice has a consequence in the explosive conclusion to the Carthage Chronicles as Lisbeth returns to third-century Carthage for a thrilling final adventure in Valley of Decision.

About Valley of Decision

Thirteen years ago, Lisbeth made an impossible decision – leave third-century Carthage and her husband Cyprian behind for good. She knew it was to protect her daughter Maggie, so Lisbeth gathered the strength to move on with her life.

All these years, Lisbeth has thrown herself into her work and raising her headstrong daughter, all to live up to the promise she made to Cyprian. But Maggie is sick of being protected. In an act of teenage rebellion Maggie decides to do what her mother can’t, secretly returning to the third century on a quest to bring her father back, leaving Lisbeth no choice but to follow.

With Maggie’s surprise arrival in Carthage, chaos ensues. She finds her grandmother on trial for murder and attempts to save her, but instead the diversion sparks a riot that nearly destroys the plagued city. Only one thing will appease the wrath of the new proconsul of Carthage: the death of the instigator.

Will Lisbeth arrive in time to save her daughter from the clutches of Rome? How can God possibly redeem such a slew of unwise decisions and deep regrets? Filled with heart-wrenching twists and riveting action, Valley of Decision brings the romantic adventure epic, The Carthage Chronicles, to an electrifying conclusion.

My Thoughts

History, time travel with just enough romantic spin on it makes the final novel in this series epic!

In Valley of Decision, we see a grown up version of Maggie who doesn’t understand why her Father can’t just be saved by coming to the future. She is resentful of her Mother for in her opinion, just leaving him there. What she can’t appreciate is the full impact on changing the past and why her Mother was trying to protect her.

When Maggie makes a hasty decision to travel alone back in time, Lisbeth must follow her. This is when everything goes wrong. They find themselves stuck in the middle of death, trials, illness and deadly plots. Valley of Decision will keep you guessing and begging for more. I know that I personally would love to see this series extended!! The series has been well written, thought out and easy to follow with just enough plot twists.

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

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Lynne Gentry has written for numerous publications. She is a professional acting coach, theater director, and playwright. Lynne is an inspirational speaker and dramatic performer who loves spending time with her family and medical therapy dog.

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

In A Wedding at the Orange Blossom Inn, a wedding brings two widows together to find love that they thought would never be theirs again.

About A Wedding at the Orange Blossom Inn

Emma Keim was heartbroken when her husband, Sanford, passed away, leaving her to raise three young daughters alone. Though several years have passed, her relatives have made it no secret that they expect Emma to remain a widow, mourning Sanford indefinitely. But when she meets Jay Hilty, a handsome widower with three young sons of his own. Emma is delighted to have a new friend who understands her struggles. Still, she is dismayed that her family is so opposed to their friendship and the idea of it ever becoming anything more. She honors her husband’s memory every day but is she destined to be alone forever?

Emma’s gentleness with Jay’s boys stirs something in his heart that’s been quiet for far too long. But when his oldest son becomes engaged to a local woman, suddenly Jay, Emma, and their children are swept up in wedding preparations. Witnessing his son’s joy, Jay wonders if it’s time for him to move forward, too, and find happiness again.

Once again, love has come to Pinecraft. But can these two parties of four become a happy, healthy family of eight?

My Thoughts

I love this series of books from Shelley Shepard Gray where we are introduced to new characters but our old favourite characters are intertwined in the  new series and evolution of this beautiful town. In A Wedding at Orange Blossom Inn, we meet Emma who is a very young widow who at the time does not feel lonely until she meets a young man, also a widow, with young children.

This is a man who can understand her struggles, her fears and her need for friendship. He understands the way she thinks and how to talk with her. But they both fear moving forward. They fear what others will say and think. That maybe the other person may not love or be interested in them. It is a lovely story of honouring the past but moving into the future, to trust in God and the path that he has set before us.

You can purchase a copy of the book here. You can find more reviews of A Wedding at the Orange Blossom Inn on the Litfuse Blog tour page.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Shelley Shepard Gray is a two-time New York Times bestseller, a two-time USA Today bestseller, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time Holt Medallion winner. She lives in Southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town’s bike trail.

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

Sometimes when faced with the unknown, all we can do is have the courage to dream.

About Irish Meadows

Brianna and Colleen O’Leary know their Irish immigrant father expects them to marry well. Recently he has put even more pressure on them, insinuating that the very future of their Long Island horse farm, Irish Meadows, rests in their ability to land prosperous husbands. Both girls have different visions for their futures.

Brianna, a quiet girl with a quick mind, dreams of attending college. Vivacious Colleen, meanwhile, is happy to marry–as long as her father’s choice meets her exacting standards of the ideal groom. When former stable hand Gilbert Whelan returns from business school and distant relative Rylan Montgomery visits Long Island during his seminary training, the two men
quickly complicate everyone’s plans.

As the farm slips ever closer to ruin, James O’Leary grows more desperate. It will take every ounce of courage for both sisters to avoid being pawns in their father’s machinations and instead follow their hearts.

My Thoughts

A perfect historical romance novel for you to cherish! Brianna and Colleen, although sisters, are night and day. Like any other family, the two girls fight, argue but love passionately. Their Father has always been a constant presence and pressure in their life. As they have gotten older, he uses them as pawns in order to secure his own financial future. He goes to any means in order to accomplish his goals.

When the two young men enter their lives, their whole world changes. The girls must make important decisions, risk their Father’s anger and disapproval or follow their hearts.

I loved this story not only for the romance but for the story of faith, love and following your dreams. You can find more reviews on the Litfuse blog tour page. You can purchase a copy here.

Rating: 4.5/5

About the Author

Susan Anne Mason’s debut historical novel, Irish Meadows, won the Fiction from the Heartland contest from the Mid-American Romance Authors Chapter of RWA. A member of ACFW, as well, she lives outside of Toronto, Ontario, with her husband and two children.

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

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.