Category: Litfuse

In A Name Unknown, she’s out to steal his name. Will he steal her heart instead?

About A Name Unknown

Rosemary Gresham has no family beyond the band of former urchins that helped her survive as a girl in the mean streets of London. Grown now, they are no longer pickpockets-now they focus on high value items and have learned how to blend into upper-class society. Rosemary’s challenge of a lifetime comes when she’s assigned to determine whether a certain wealthy gentleman is loyal to Britain or to Germany. How does one steal a family’s history, their very name?

Rumors swirl around Peter Holstein. Awkward and solitary, but with access to the king, many fear his influence. But Peter can’t help his German last name and wants to prove his loyalty to the crown-so he can go back to anonymously writing a series of popular adventure novels. When Rosemary arrives on his doorstop pretending to be a well credentialed historian, Peter believes she’s the right person to help him dig through his family’s past.

Anger and danger continue to mount, though, and both realize they’re in a race against time to discover the truth-about Peter’s past and about the undeniable attraction kindling between them.

My Thoughts

A Name Unknown is an exciting tale of intrigue, suspense and hope.

We first have Rosemary, a young woman growing up on the streets of London. She has learned so many hard lessons at such a young age. Life was not easy for the majority during these times in London and we get a good picture into the lives of these children who have been orphaned or left alone in the world. Rosemary builds a new family out of children who are in the same predicament as her and they become almost like her children. She learns a trade that so many of the youth on the streets know all too well – stealing. She has a rare and special talent for this and becomes the best of the best. This is what lands her the job of a lifetime – finding out the loyalties of a certain young man of German origins.

This young man, Peter, is a shy and awkward man. He has trouble socializing and your heart goes out to him so many times throughout the novel. He can be so painfully awkward but so kind-hearted and sweet at the same time. When Rosemary arrives, we see a whole new side of Peter as well as in Rosemary. They bring out the best in each other, even though each of them is holding a little bit back from the other. As one tries to uncover his past while writing a novel and the other is trying hard to earn the name and money she so desperately needs, we uncover a series of events and hate. As these mysterious events become more dangerous, we are kept on our toes as to who could harbour such hate towards Peter.

The ending of the novel was incredible and definitely not what I was expecting at all but well worth it. We uncover the secrets of the past, find out who has been behind the hateful and dangerous events as well as have a realization that love is stronger than any other emotion.

A Name Unknown is a beautiful story of hope, faith, love and trust. We watch as our characters struggle through each of the stages throughout the novel in the backdrop of misunderstanding and hatred fueled by race. It is a well written novel that I just could not put down.

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

Roseanna M. White pens her novels beneath her Betsy Ross flag, with her Jane Austen action figure watching over her. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two children, editing and designing, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of over a dozen historical novels and novellas, ranging from biblical fiction to American-set romances to her British series. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to make their way into her novels . . . to offset her real life, which is blessedly boring. She passes said boring life with her husband and kids in the beautiful mountains of eastern West Virginia

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

A thrilling tale of two women longing to follow God’s leading, make the most of second chances, and find true love at last.

About My Daughter’s Legacy

A thrilling tale of two women longing to follow God’s leading, make the most of second chances, and find true love at last.

Virginia, 1864

Therese Jennings cannot abide the thought of owning slaves. When her widowed mother inherits a plantation, Therese flees to Civil War Richmond, where she works as a governess by day and tends to wounded soldiers at night. But when trouble befalls her family, can she reconcile her obligations with her beliefs? And will love-whether with an old beau or a handsome new suitor-ever fit in her broken world?

Virginia, Present Day

Nicole Talbot’s life is back on track after years of substance abuse. Home from college for the summer, she’s finally ready to share a shocking secret, one that raises new questions about a traumatic childhood experience. But when facts she uncovers cast doubt on her family’s legacy, she must risk all that she’s gained-her fresh start, her family’s trust, and her growing relationship with a new man-to unlock the secrets of the past.

My Thoughts

An incredible story of two women born years apart who face similar struggles and are tied together not only by family but by the mysterious disappearance of an important family artifact.

I fell in love with both of our main characters, Therese and Nicole. Therese is a young woman growing up in the South during the Civil War. She loves her home and her family but her personal values and beliefs are against everything that the South stands for. She struggles with the fact that her family owns slaves and their disregard for her feelings. We watch as throughout the novel, she grows from a quieter young woman who listens to the wishes of her Mother and her deceased Father, to a young woman who knows herself and has the confidence to walk away from her Mother and her plantation in order to stand up for her beliefs. I really liked her character the most – she was strong, independent, confident in her beliefs and courageous to stand up for them.

Nicole is a young woman who was traumatized by an incident that she viewed as young girl. It is something that hurt her so deeply, she became an addict. She had to work hard to overcome her addictions and regain the trust of her family and friends again. My heart would go out to her when she constantly faced doubt from those around her or when her past would be brought up. She had to fight hard to push past her history.

I loved how the authors intertwined the stories of the two young woman as they struggled with their own fears, breaking free of the chains that tied them down and finding hope and love again. Both young women must fight to have those who love them believe in them, trust their decisions and in the end solve a mystery that plagued both young women. My Daughter’s Legacy is a beautiful story that is well written and planned out – I would love to see a second installment for this book!

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 Authors

Mindy Starns Clark is the bestselling author of more than 20 books, both fiction and nonfiction, with over a million copies sold. Mindy and her husband, John, have two adult children and live in Pennsylvania.

Leslie Gould, a former magazine editor, is the author of numerous novels, including “Beyond the Blue” and “Garden of Dreams.” She received her master of fine arts degree from Portland State University and lives in Oregon with her husband, Peter, and their four children.

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

A brave midwife. A wounded pilot. A risky secret.

About Grounded Hearts

A brave midwife. A wounded pilot. A risky secret.

In the midst of World War II, Ireland has declared herself neutral. Troops found on Irish soil must be reported and interned, no matter which side they are fighting for. When midwife Nan O’Neil finds a wounded young Canadian pilot at her door, she knows she’s taking a huge risk by letting him in. Not only is she a widow living alone, but if caught harboring a combatant, she’ll face imprisonment.

Still, something compels Nan to take in “flyboy” Dutch Whitney, an RAF pilot whose bomber has just crashed over County Clare. While she tends to his wounds and gives him a secret place of refuge, the two begin to form a mutual affection-and an unbreakable bond. But Nan has another secret, one that has racked her with guilt since her husband’s death and made her question ever loving again. As Nan and Dutch plan his escape, can he help restore her faith?

My Thoughts

I fell in love with Grounded Hearts! In this novel, we have a strong female lead who lives on her own after the death of her husband. In the midst of the war, a soldier comes to her door. Against the rules, she takes the Canadian soldier in and nurses him. She does so even when she could face huge consequences. She knows in her heart, that caring for this young man is what God would want her to do. It is under these circumstances, the pair develops a strong friendship and mutual respect.

Some of my favourite aspects of this novel is that it is based during World War II and in Ireland – we learn a lot about life in Ireland during this time. I didn’t realize they had internment camps for soldiers during the war and this was eye opening for me. I LOVED the strong female characters that are found throughout this book. We have a female physician, midwife and a mechanic – all of whom are more than capable of taking care of themselves, business and more. This was probably a lot more common then most novels give women credit for during this time period, so it was really nice to see this focus in this novel.

Nan is a very special woman who is plagued by a dark secret, one that should not even be hers to carry. My heart broke for her throughout the novel as she deserves so much more but it is her past that holds her back. It is Dutch and their friendship that helps her to understand, let go and have hope for her future. The road to this discovery is long and difficult though and you watch as they both struggle with their past and their futures.

Grounded Hearts is a beautiful story of hope, trust, letting go and faith during an extremely difficult time. We have amazing characters who never give up and inspire you the reader. I could not put this novel down – I loved every moment.

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

Jeanne M. Dickson was born into an Irish American family, the only girl surrounded by four brothers. She credits her mother, her aunts, and her grandmother with her love of storytelling. Perfecting her craft, she attends many writer’s conferences and over the years, she has won and finaled in numerous RWA romance writing awards including the Daphne du Maurier Award, the Maggie Award, The Molly, The Tara, and she was the overall contest winner of Launching A Star. Today she lives in Coastal San Diego with her fabulous husband, her two wonderful girls, and a dozen disobedient rose bushes.

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