The Lines Between Us by Amy Lynn Green

 

The Lines Between Us by Amy Lynn Green
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Source:  Received to Review

Genre: WWII suspense

Book Description:  Since the attack on Pearl Harbor, Gordon Hooper and his buddy Jack Armitage have done “work of national importance” in the West as conscientious objectors: volunteering as smokejumpers, parachuting into and fighting raging wildfires. But the number of winter blazes they’re called to in early 1945 seems suspiciously high, and when an accident leaves Jack badly injured, Gordon realizes the facts don’t add up.

A member of the Women’s Army Corps, Dorie Armitage has long been ashamed of her brother’s pacificism, but she's shocked by news of his accident. Determined to find out why he was harmed, she arrives at the national forest under the guise of conducting an army report...and finds herself forced to work with Gordon. He believes it’s wrong to lie; she’s willing to do whatever it takes so justice will be done.

As they search for clues, Gordon and Dorie must wrestle with their convictions about war and peace and decide what to do with the shocking secrets they discover.

My thoughts: The Lines Between Us had me contemplating what makes a hero? Is it the person who blindly follows orders or the person who thinks and makes decisions based on their beliefs?

Gordon Hooper follows the Quaker faith and as one of the "friends", he feels it is his moral obligation to not fight during WWII. Instead, he becomes a smokejumper. He parachutes into forest fires and does his best to stop them. He recruits his best friend, Jack, to join him. Things change when Jack has an accident.

Dorie Armitage believes that her brother Jack and his best friend, Gordon, are cowards because they objected to fighting during the war. She hasn't talked to her brother and basically refuses to acknowledge him until someone says her brother may be in danger and then he has his accident.

This book is more of a mystery. Dorie and Gordon reluctantly join forces to find out what happened to Jack. There is a cover-up and they want to get to the bottom of it. Sometimes the truth is surprising and unexpected.

I really enjoyed this mystery. I found the characters to be very likable and it made me think about what is right and what is wrong? I also pondered the concept of judging others when I have not walked in their shoes. The book is full of suspense and action. I felt as if I were right there with the characters as they unraveled the mystery of the accident.

Source: I received a complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Online Purchase Links:

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Book Depository

About the Author: Amy Lynn Green is a publicist by day and a novelist on nights and weekends. History has always been one of her passions, and she loves speaking with book clubs, writing groups, and libraries all around the country. Her debut novel, Things We Didn't Say, received a starred review from both Booklist and Library Journal and was a finalist for the Minnesota Book Awards in genre fiction. Amy and her husband make their home in Minneapolis, Minnesota. You can sign up for her newsletter on her website, amygreenbooks.com, for quarterly giveaways, writing updates, and lots of bookish fun.

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Charming Artemis by Sarah M. Eden #giveaway #regencyromance #historicalfiction

 

Charming Artemis by Sarah M. Eden
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Source:  I purchased a copy for my kindle.

Genre: Regency Romance

Book Description:  Charlie Jonquil is mild-mannered and kind—except when it comes to his one true adversary, Artemis Lancaster. Though Charlie has a brilliant mind for mathematics, Artemis poses a problem he can’t seem to comprehend: how can one be so lovely and so infuriating? A party in London brings him into the company of the maddening young lady, and it is clear that Charlie’s disdain is mutual. But when an unfortunate incident between the pair involving Charlie’s jacket and a glass of raspberry shrub leads to scandal, the sworn enemies are left with only two options: be ruined or be married.

So it is that Artemis finds herself in a most outrageous predicament: she must wed a gentleman she’s hated for years—and she pledges to avoid him at all costs. But it is only when they enter into this mockery of a marriage that Charlie and Artemis learn things are not as simple as they once appeared. As their tentative ceasefire leads to friendship, it seems their marriage born of desperation might lead them to a love that was destined to be.

My thoughts: It seems like I have been waiting for this book forever. (We'll just say it's been a while.) The problem with anxiously anticipating a book is that when you finally read it, you devour it! I wish that I could have savored it, but I couldn't put it down.

The time has come to have the Lancaster and the Jonquil families be related through marriage. But there wasn't romance in the long-awaited, for me, marriage. It started with an accident with the raspberry shrub. Marriage is the choice over ruination. Somehow Charlie and Artemis have to figure out how to get along or be miserable for the rest of their lives

This novel was everything that I hoped it would be. I literally laughed and cried. I loved revisiting both families and having all of the nieces and nephews in one place. This book was bitter/sweet for me. The ending is so tender.

If you haven't started the Lancaster of Jonquil series, do it! Then read this book.

Online Purchase Links:

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Deseret Book *Seagull Book

About the Author:

Sarah M. Eden is the author of several well-received historical romances. Her previous Proper Romance novel Longing for Home won the Foreword Reviews 2013 IndieFab Book of the Year award for romance. Hope Springs won the 2014 Whitney Award for "Best Novel of the Year" and The Sheriffs of Savage Wells was a Foreword Reviews 2016 Book of the Year finalist for romance.

Combining her obsession with history and an affinity for tender love stories, Sarah loves crafting witty characters and heartfelt romances. She happily spends hours perusing the reference shelves of her local library and dreams of one day traveling to all the places she reads about. Visit Sarah at www.sarahmeden.com.

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Heirs of Falcon Point by four amazing authors! #blogtour #giveaway #suspense

 

Heirs of Falcon Point by Traci Hunter Abramson, Sian Ann Bessey, Paige Edwards, A.L. Sowards
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Source:  I received a review copy and also purchased one of my own!

Genre: Contemporary Suspense/Romance

Book Description:  In the early days of World War II, the Lang family lost everything. Eighty years later, it’s time to take it back.

The Nazis have taken control of Austria, and wealthy widower Leopold Lang faces a difficult decision: join the ranks of the foreign power that has taken over his homeland or flee with his children to safety. Leopold makes his choice—but too late. His family is ripped apart, never to be reunited. But decades later, fate brings together the descendants of this broken dynasty in the place where it all began—Falcon Point.

Anna, Cole, and Tess have never met, each relying on fractured pieces of information to understand their Austrian heritage. But when unforeseen opportunities draw these Lang cousins to Falcon Point, they soon discover they are not alone in their quest to claim the coveted property and the fabled treasure hidden within. Unfortunately, another claimant, one with a much darker heritage, is determined to eliminate the Lang family once and for all.

My thoughts: Do NOT mess with the Lang family. They are smart and can think outside the box!

The thing that amazes me is that this novel is penned by four authors. It is one story that runs seamlessly between the different characters. It is told from multiple viewpoints, so I'm wondering if they all took a character and wrote their point of view? I really can't tell. I was so engrossed in the story and the plot that I didn't pay attention to see if there was a different writing style. As I said above, the transitions were wonderful!

The story starts in Austria at the beginning of Hitler's grab for power. Austria has succumbed and the Lang family does not want to support him. When push comes to shove, the family pack up to leave, but not all of them will be escaping. While trying to escape the children are separated. They each go a different way and thwart the military's efforts to capture them. If this scene doesn't catch your attention and interest, then I don't know what will.

Then the story comes to the modern-day. Someone wants to stop the descendants of Leopold Lang from taking back their estate. The funny thing is that until the trustee makes a move to renovate the Lang grandchildren do not know about each other or their inheritance.

The book has quite a bit of suspense and a little bit of romance. I had a hard time putting this one down. From what I understand, there will be more stories coming from the Lang family. I can't wait to get to know them better and find out how their love interests work out.

Online Purchase Links:

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Deseret Book * Seagull Book

Traci Hunter Abramson

http://www.traciabramson.com

Sian Ann Bessey

http://www.sianannbessey.com/

Paige Edwards

https://authorpaigeedwards.com

A.L Sowards

http://alsowards.com/

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The Slow March of Light by Heather B. Moore

 

The Slow March of Light by Heather B. Moore
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Source:  I purchase a kindle copy.

Genre:  Cold War Novel

Book Description:  Sometimes all you have is hope.

In the summer of 1961, a wall of barbed wire goes up quickly in the dead of night, officially dividing Berlin. Aware of the many whose families have been divided, Luisa joins a secret spy network, risking her life to help East Germans escape across the Berlin Wall and into the West.

Bob Inama, a soldier in the US Army, is stationed in West Germany. He’s glad to be fluent in German, especially after meeting Luisa Voigt at a church social. As they spend time together, they form a close connection. But when Bob receives classified orders to leave for undercover work immediately, he doesn’t get the chance to say goodbye.

With a fake identity, Bob’s special assignment is to be a spy embedded in East Germany, identifying possible targets for the US military. But Soviet and East German spies, the secret police, and Stasi informants are everywhere, and the danger of being caught and sent to a brutal East German prison lurks on every corner.

Best-selling author Heather B. Moore masterfully alternates the stories of Bob and Luisa, capturing the human drama unique to Cold War Germany was well as the courage and the resilience of the human spirit.


My thoughts: I haven't really thought about what the people of Germany went through when the Berlin Wall was built. This novel was an eye-opener for me.

The book is set after the end of WWII. Bob Inama is a young US soldier who was drafted after the war was over and stationed in Germany. The book explains the tensions between the two halves of Germany. I wasn't a fan of how the East German's were treated.

Bob is asked to go undercover and collect intelligence on East German military facilities. He simply takes a picture and mails the location to the US Government. In order to achieve this, he becomes a teacher's assistant to a professor who goes back and forth across the border. It is a good setup until his cover is blown. In so many ways my heart went out to him. He wasn't a made-up character, but a man who lived through the experiences.

The book also tells the story of Luisa, a young German woman who just finished her nursing program. She has a grandmother living in East Germany and she also goes across the border. The living conditions and the challenges of the East Germans are starkly portrayed.

The book is told from both of their viewpoints. Occasionally they meet in the middle, but it portrays two very unique perspectives. In many ways, the story blew me away. It is well written and very compelling. I feel like I learned a lot when I finished the book. The ending was far different than I thought it would be. It took me by surprise.

Online Purchase Links:

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Deseret Book * Seagull Book

About the Author:  Heather B. Moore is a USA Today bestselling author of more than fifty publications. Her historical novels and thrillers are written under pen name H.B. Moore. She writes women's fiction, romance and inspirational non-fiction under Heather B. Moore. This can all be confusing, so her kids just call her Mom. Heather attended Cairo American College in Egypt, the Anglican School of Jerusalem in Israel, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University in Utah. Heather is represented by Dystel, Goderich, and Bourret.

Please join Heather's email list at: HBMoore.com/contact/
Blog: MyWritersLair.blogspot.com
Website: HBMoore.com
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Meet Me Under the Kissing Bough ~ A Christmas Collection #giveaway #historicalromance #review #blogtour

 

Meet Me Under the Kissing Bough by Josi S. Kilpack, Anneka R. Walker, Sarah L. McConkie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Christmas Historial Romance

Source:  I purchased a kindle copy.

Book Description:  A CHRISTMAS ROMANCE COLLECTION

We wish you a merry Christmas and a happily ever after! This special holiday historical romance anthology featuring three heartwarming novellas proves that no matter the obstacles, ’tis the season for love.

Meet Me under the Kissing Bough
by Josi S. Kilpack
Deborah Winfrey hasn’t had the heart to host a holiday party since her husband’s death. But this Christmas, it’s time to move forward. The festivities bring renewed life to her home, and the attentions of two very different men promise a chance at new love.

Healing Hearts for the Holidays
by Anneka R. Walker
Julia Hunt is strictly forbidden from associating with the family in the nearby manor—including the handsome younger son, Esmond, who quickly steals her heart. With Christmas around the corner, an old bundle of hidden love letters may be the key to her own happily ever after.


A Christmas Correspondence
by Sarah L. McConkie
In this novella inspired by the timeless tale A Christmas Carol, John Charleston finds himself on an unexpected journey in the company of the insufferable Lady Caroline Morleigh. But the magic of the season has a way of softening even the hardest of hearts.

My thoughts: I love stories set during the Christmas season. This collection includes three novella's set in England.

Meet Me Under the Kissing Bough is a sweet story about love after loss. Two fully grown adults try to find their way to love during a house party that she is hosting. Expectations and society make it difficult for them to be together, but love can find a way.

This story made me smile. I loved the stolen moments between the couple.

is a little more complex. For some unknown reason, two families have been at odds for years. After the marriage of Julia's older sister to Esmond's older brother, you would assume that the relationship can be mended. If anything it gets worse. The two work together to uncover the secrets while falling in love.

Esmond knows what he wants and it is Julia. He seemed like a character that is fun and sincere. He has a playful side that helped Julia trust him and let down her guard while they are together. This is a story that includes a bit of a Christmas miracle.

A Christmas Correspondence has a young lady who has not been treated right in the past and lets everyone know she is not happy. She is a terror to the young men who become her acquaintance. She belittles everyone around her and thinks she is superior. Letters from her deceased father help her find a new way to live.

I didn't realize when I started this book that it was a twist on "A Christmas Carol." I started to put two and two together as I progressed in the story. There were enough changes that made it its own story. This book shows that lives can be changed and hearts softened.

Online Purchase Links:

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Deseret Book * Seagull Book

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The Inns of Devonshire ~ A Timeless Regency Collection #blogtour #regencyromance

 

The Inns of Devonshire by Sally Britton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Regency Romance

Source: Received to review.

Book Description:  Three novellas, three times the romance, and three times the love . . . in this brand new Timeless Regency Collection

The Seventh Star Inn, by Sally Britton

After years of looking after one another, Susan Baxter and her mother view their neighbors in Totnes as family. When a new landlord inherits the leases on their homes and businesses alike, Susan dreads knowing her world could change at the whim of a stranger. But when she meets Collin Stonecroft and his inquisitive daughter, her feelings shift quickly from cautionary to hopeful. Collin has lived in the confines of London boarding houses all his life, and he’s determined to give his daughter more. They check into the Seventh Star Inn with plans to return to London as soon as possible, but both find Miss Baxter and her local history lessons far too enchanting to leave behind. When Susan learns of Collin’s proposed changes to her beloved neighborhood, will she be able to help him see that some things are perfect the way they are?

The Truth about Mr. Blackmore, by Annette Lyon

Leigh’s life at the Old Grey Inn is drudgery broken by flights of fancy thanks in part to novels by Simon Blackmore. When Mattias McGrady comes to the inn for a fortnight, Leigh captures his attention. A relationship develops, and she dreads the end of his stay, which will mean a return to an unhappy life. An urgent letter to Mattias leads to him inviting Leigh to an event that stands to change both of their lives forever. If all goes well, Leigh will have a life of her choosing after all. But half-truths and lies have a way of complicating matters. When their plans go awry, Leigh loses her reputation and Mattias almost surely loses his career. Can either of them find happiness?

The Coachman’s Choice, by Deborah M. Hathaway

Ever-reliable Mary Thorne has helped her widowed mother run The Golden Mermaid Inn for years. She spends her days greeting guests, ensuring the inn runs smoothly—and dodging flirtatious remarks from passing coachmen. But she’s far too busy to pay any attention to such men, even the enticingly attractive Mr. Northcott. Known far and wide for his horsemanship, punctuality, and dallying reputation, Robert Northcott relishes his life as a coachman, especially his freedom to flirt with numerous women from inn to inn, all without the messy details of commitment. There’s just one woman who's immune to his charms: the lovely, single landlady of The Golden Mermaid. Robert is determined to win Mary over, just as heartily as she is determined to keep her distance from him. But his carefree life is threatened when his pursual of Mary becomes more than just a game...

ABOUT THE SERIES

Since 2015, Mirror Press has been publishing the Timeless Regency Collection, a curated anthology of novellas and short stories set in early 19th century England. Featuring bestselling authors from the historical romance genre, the series has hit the USA TODAY bestselling list and charted at #1 at Amazon.com. Learn more about the series and other anthologies published by Mirror Press at their website.

My thoughts: The Inns of Devonshire is a collection of three stories that highlight young women who have accepted that their life will forever be linked to their homes. They have resigned themselves to a future without a family of their own.

My favorite theme in the stories is that each of the women is considered a spinster! Men have overlooked them for years. They are devoted to their mothers or are indebted to an aunt and uncle. What they think is their end story turns out to be the beginning of their love story.

Every single story was well written. I loved the women and ended up liking their love interests. You cannot go wrong with any story in this collection.

Source: I received a complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Online Purchase Links:

AMAZON | BOOKBUB | GOODREADS

AUTHOR BIOS

Sally Britton is a wife, mother, and author who loves the world of romance, received her BA in English from Brigham Young University, and reads voraciously. She started her writing journey at the tender age of fourteen on an electric typewriter, and she’s never looked back.

Sally primarily lives in Oklahoma with her husband, four children, and Izzie the Aussie Shepherd. She loves researching, hiking, and eating too much chocolate.

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Annette Lyon is a USA Today Bestselling author. She's won a Whitney Award (2010) and is an eight-time recipient of Utah's Best of State medal for fiction and short stories. She's the author of more than a dozen novels, even more novellas, a cookbook, a grammar guide, and some 120+ articles. She's worked as a professional editor for publishers and bestselling authors and graduated cum laude from BYU with a degree in English.

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Deborah M. Hathaway graduated from Utah State University with a BA in Creative Writing. As a young girl, she devoured Jane Austen's novels while watching and re-watching every adaptation she could. She finds inspiration for her novels during her travels with her English husband to the United Kingdom, where she draws on the beauty of the country in such places as Ireland, Yorkshire, and her beloved Cornwall. Be sure to sign up for Deborah's Newsletter to stay updated on new releases, free and discounted Clean Romance novels, and more!

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