Giveaway - Emeralds and Envy Murder Mystery by Angela McRae

About a week ago I was approached by longtime blogging friend/fellow tea enthusiast, Angela McRae, to see if I would be interested in reviewing her first novel. Well, what an honor to be asked!  I wasn’t sure I could commit before release day, but she assured me anytime was fine.  However, after checking my schedule for another book due to release, I still had plenty of time for that one! So, I am happy to say I enjoyed reading it in time for its upcoming release.

I personally enjoy reading (in my head) in the correct accent the characters are speaking in.  However, I was unsure of a proper GA accent.  Checking You Tube, I found this fun example (view in blog).  I certainly NEVER heard that when it's raining and the sun is shining it's called: The devil is beating his wife. Hahaha! Good stuff.

It occurred to me to review the back section of the book first because sometimes you find great tidbits there before starting a book which I did! There are two recipes related to the story, as well as a warm greeting from Angela reminding her readers to cozy up with a cup of tea.  I set my book (phone) aside and went to grab a pot of Titanic Tea by Harney and Sons ((smile)).

•°o•:*:•. Clean, Cozy Murder Mystery

 in Small-Town, GA .•:*:• o°•

Modern story, told in first person, past tense.

After leaving the newspaper business a couple of years ago, Emma Madison and her Siamese kitty, Miriam Haskell, enjoy a quiet, small-town lifestyle, designing jewelry and hunting for more unique pieces in local shops and yard sales. 

On a particular spring day, she scored a great find and headed for her friend Carleen’s shop to double check the maker.  However, her plans are quickly dismissed when the shop is crawling with police.  After discovering the body of a friend, Emma vows to utilize her reporter skills and dig up any help she can to find the killer!  But, that decision lands her in all kinds of hot water over the next couple of weeks.

As with any small town, there are many characters, and gossip abounds!  Detective Alan Shelton is a thorn in Emma’s side, but I quite liked him.  He is diligent and concerned. I enjoyed the introduction of fellow artist Justin Hayes and found him to be a particular sweetheart, but naturally, in a murder mystery you can never be sure, so I kept my guard up regarding him.

There are lots of artists and art details throughout, including specific jewelry makers I found fun to look up such as a Tank-Style watch by Cartier, first issued in 1917 and Trifari and Hollycraft Christmas tree pins. When googling Bakelite era teapot pins, the only one I found took me to, of all places, Angela’s website and a June 29, 2010 post she shared on her “Tea With Friends” blog. How fun is that?  You should see ALL the pins in her collection. Stunning!

Spiritual Moment (not too many, but Emma does attend church on Sundays): “The pastor’s hopeful message about the coming of Easter was exactly what I needed to hear.”  I liked that I was reading the story just before Easter in real life (smile).

Tea Moment(s) (Emma seems to favor more coffee than tea, but there were some): Ch. 18 features a lovely description of a 3-tiered tea platter with salmon pinwheels, cucumber sandwiches, egg-olive salad, cranberry scones with clotted cream and jam, etc. all served in a friend’s home which I personally appreciated as I find home tea parties to be the best tea parties! There is also a hole-in-the-wall restaurant called Mama’s place featuring sweet tea, fried chicken and heavenly treats, such as fried peach pie which I had never heard of, but a quick google search shows it’s like an empanada and I am certain I would love to visit and try it all!

Funny Moment(s): “The cowbell on the door made its customary clanging sound as I entered, and I got a nice whiff of Eau De Musty Antique Mall as I stepped inside.”

I DID NOT figure out who the killer was, which was refreshing.  If you enjoy clean murder mysteries set in a small town, I recommend this one as your next treasure!

© April 16, 2019, Red Adept Publ. - 4 stars

I was sent an eVersion of this book by the author in the hopes of a favorable review with no fee and no compensation. My opinion is entirely my own.

Author: Angela McRae

Connect with the author at Angela McRae dot com or her blog TeaWithFriends dot blogspot dot com.

“Angela McRae began her writing career as a newspaper reporter, initially covering the police beat and then moving on to features. In a small local bookstore, Angela came across Laura Childs’s Death by Darjeeling, a tea shop mystery set in Charleston, SC. As a longtime tea lover, she had to try it, and she’s been hooked on cozy mysteries ever since.

Angela currently lives with her husband in Georgia. When she’s not writing, she enjoys traveling, cooking, going to afternoon tea with family and friends, and “junkin’” at flea markets and antique malls, where she often finds inspiring artifacts that wind up in her stories. She also writes a monthly cooking column for a local publication, the Coweta Shopper, and enjoys connecting with readers who love to cook.”

CLICK TO ENTER

 ENTER TO WIN a signed copy by clicking the link by 7am EST, Friday, 4/12/2019 over at Angela's website.
Good luck!

Click to Purchase Here

If you don't win, purchase a copy here:

Until next time, 

Hugs and a cup of tea!

Would you mind lifting up a prayer for Angela and the success of her first novel? Thanks ever so much!

THE NOBLE GUARDIAN - MICHELLE GRIEP

Book 3 - The Bow Street Runners

•°o•:*:•. Highwaymen, Coaching Inns, 

Peril & Romance .•:*:• o°•

Southampton, England, 1815

Author's Choice
for heroine

Abigail Gilbert is an outsider in her own home.  Her family has managed to marry her off to a prestigious baronet she met once at a dance, which will boost their own names in society, practically shoving her out the door into a carriage headed for Penrith with only a ladies maid to aid her on the difficult journey. They make plans to go abroad before she is actually even wed.  But not without one final slap from her always angry stepmother.

Author's choice for hero

But, she looks to the future with Sir Jonathan Aberley and her chance for love and belonging at long last, despite the arduous journey ahead of her.

31-year-old Captain Samuel Thatcher patrols the highways of the rugged heath. “Shankhart Robbins was out there, all right. Somewhere. And worse –he’d be back. Evil always had a way of returning bigger and blacker than before, singeing any soul it touched.”

May I just say, Shankhart- what a villainous name!

Samuel is forced to help Abagail when her carriage is accosted and see her safely to Sir Jonathan, who is not at all what was expected.  The dangers and surprises abound which make for a most enjoyable read for lovers of mystery and historical romance.

Spiritual Moment: “She pushed the last hairpin into place then bowed her head. She’d learned long ago while enduring the hurts of her stepmother that only through prayer would she find peace.”

Tea Moment(s): “The servant appeared with a thick slice of pastry and a steaming pot of bohea.”

That was a new one for me, so in looking it up I found “a black China tea that comes from the last crop of the season and is typically regarded as of low quality. Early 18^th century named after the Bu-yi (Wuyi) hills in China, from where black tea first came to Britain”.

“The woman wasn’t old, but neither was she young. Rather, she was timeless, her apron holding in an eternity of love and life and laughter. She was the kind of woman with whom you could share a pot of tea and your deepest secrets.”

I downloaded a copy of this book through Net Galley via the publisher with no fee and no compensation in the hopes of an honest review. My opinion is entirely my own.

Michelle Griep

Connect with the author at Michelle Griep dot com.

© June 1, 2019, Shiloh Run Press/Barbour Publishing 

The Bow Street Runners Series

Until next time,

Hugs & Cuppa

The Golden Bride Daughters of The Mayflower 8

•°o•:*:•. COULD NOT FINISH .•:*:• o°•

When a book becomes too monotonous and no longer enjoyable, I have to admit defeat and lay it aside over forcing myself to plod through it.  I normally finish a novel in 1-2 days, but with this, I keep looking for excuses to lay it aside and do something else.

The story feels forced and the subject matter is depressing. 1849 Gold rush period of California territory set in San Francisco when it is still primarily a tent city and debauchery reigns supreme.  A yet unnamed villain (I have completed 41% of the book at this point) wants to appear good and decent, but is secretly vying for power and money and now kidnapping legal, Chinese immigrants for slave labor. "The fortune to be made was in gambling, liquor, and women."

Our heroes are a sister and brother (Olivia and Daniel) and rich, recently come-to-Jesus gold mine owner (friend of the brother), Joseph Sawyer, who all want to see the town grow and succeed and direct the people towards God.  The young sister has made some bad choices and chapter after chapter laments those choices and cannot forgive herself.  While I appreciate the continued Christian theme, it seems forced rather than natural.  Also, I noted that while reading her relative's journal from the 1700s the entries were quoted in today's modern English.  I found that frustrating.

Of practical note, I highlighted: "the woman studied God's Word on her own and wrote down her thoughts and life applications in the journal."  Good advice for any of us.

A quote I liked written by her mother about the women in her ancestry: "My sweet Olivia, it's important to remember the hardships of those who have gone before us and to see how they persevered and survived."

I was approached by Barbour Publishing and asked to review an eVersion of this book without fee, expectation or compensation.  My opinion is my own and offered freely.  Please read other reviews for a well-rounded purchasing decision.

© April 1, 2019, Barbour Publishing, 3 stars – writing is not horrible, simply not my cup of tea.

F. Earl Christy, 1909

 I saw this on FB and thought it was funny :)

Dandelion Chai plus The White City

My chest cold has turned into a head cold thanks to ALL the daycare Littles being sick.  Well, that's caused more tea drinking and more book reading... so, not all bad, eh?

My local Sprout's was having a two-fer sale on Traditional Medicinals brand tea, so I decided to give this Dandelion Chai a whirl.

Ingredients: Organic: dandelion
leaf & root, ginger, rhizome,
cardamon seed, cinnamon bark
Bacillus coagulans

It's warm and comforting, plus caffeine free, which is great when you are sick and just want rest! I am generally not a fan of chai, but this has no added milk products so it's very pleasant.

For added fun, the tea tags contain quotes!

And now an exciting book!

Image borrowed from Author's Instagram Page - check her out and consider following this up-and-comer!

The White City –  by Grace Hitchcock

•°o•:*:•. Danger and Murder, Faith, Intrigue and Romance.•:*:• o°•

This is completely outside my preferred reading genre, but somebody on Instagram had great things to say about it and so I requested an eVersion.  I could not put this book down and stayed up well past bedtime to finish it! I had no idea it was based on an actual serial killer! Yikes!  There are details on that at the end of the book.

The story is well-written and told through the eyes of fictional characters who happen to be Christian.  I really enjoyed that aspect.  There are also fun quotes from authors of days-gone-by at the beginning of the chapters.

“If adventures will not befall a young lady in her own village, she must seek them abroad.” Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey.

Art and Handicraft in the Woman's Building
of the World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago,
1893 edited by Maud Howe Elliott.
Paris, New York: Boussod, Valadon & Co.,
1893

Chicago, July 1893 during the World’s Fair

Winnifred Wylde is and inspector’s daughter and has an eye for detail, thanks in part to her dad’s training and her love of dime novels, particularly those of Percival Valentine. Her wealthy aunt would see her married off to a proper gentleman before she becomes an old maid (ahem, she’s 19), but she has other ideas. “I cannot believe Aunt Lillian made me set aside my novel for this. She promised me a day at the world’s fair, not a never-ending monologue.”

When she tells her father of yet another crime she has observed he dismisses her, but just in case assigns newly transferred Detective Jude Thorpe to follow her and make sure she is kept safe.

Jude has requested a transfer from New York to secretly investigate his brother-in-law’s death, but now he has become tied up babysitting.  Perhaps it will simply be a good way to impress his new boss.  That is until he discovers the lovely Miss Wylde’s hunches tend to be correct and danger seems impossible to avoid.

Tea Quote: “Clutching the gold-rimmed china teacup, she averted her gaze to the front entrance of the Ceylon Teahouse…”

Spiritual Moment: “Oh, well then, I’m all ears after we pray, he said, taking his seat and reaching for his dinner napkin before bowing his head.”  I appreciated how these moments were natural and easily woven into the story as a way of life.  Not forced.

There is no gore in this story, but the danger does set the heart to beating faster at times.  The romance is a nice balance so you are not always focusing on the danger.  This book is part of 6 in a new series by 3 authors.  Go to True Colors Crime dot com to read more.  And seriously, with a last name like Hitchcock, it really is the perfect story!

I downloaded a copy of this book through Net Galley via the publisher with no fee and no compensation in the hopes of an honest review.

Connect with the author at Grace Hitchcock Books dot com.

Image borrowed from author to aid in promoting her book.© March 1, 2019, Barbour Publishing - 5 stars

Upcoming True Colors Books:

June 2019 The Pink Bonnet by Liz Tolsma

August 2019 The Yellow Lantern by Angie Dicken

January 2020 The Gray Chamber by Grace Hitchcock

And two more tbd

Until next time, hugs and a cup of tea!

The Unexpected Champion – High Sierra Sweethearts Book 3 - by Mary Connealy

Well, friends, I am suffering from a chest cold so this review will be short and sweet.  

***LIKE A BULLET, THIS STORY LEAPS OFF THE PAGE AND DOESN’T SLOW DOWN***

Sierra Nevada Mountains – June 1868

Beginning where “The Reluctant Warrior” left off this book is by far the best in the trilogy!  I really enjoyed it.

John McCall, a Pinkerton agent, has helped haul in the man he just shot to the town of Dismal, NV.  Penny Scott is a strong frontierswoman and ready to give her account of the day’s events to the sheriff.  She can take care of herself.  But, when trouble finds them both and McCall offers to die for her, a long adventurous fight for their lives follows.  The story is romantic, outlandish with the disguises and harrowing at times in the rough boomtowns and terrain of mountains, lakes, old mining shacks and wilderness.  I enjoyed Penny’s and John’s chemistry.  Our previous characters return as well, which rounds out the story nicely.  This group is fiercely protective of each other and won’t stop until everyone is safe and justice found.

The only tea reference (albeit slim) I found: “the front windows let in enough light that they managed to not fall tail over tea kettle to the ground floor.”

Copy provided by Bethany House Publishing via NetGalley with no other compensation.  I am not required to provide a favorable review and my opinion is my own. Please read other reviews for a more well-rounded purchasing decision.  

High Sierra Sweethearts Series:

1 – The Accidental Guardian – April 2018☆☆☆☆☆

2 – The Reluctant Warrior – October 2018 ☆☆☆

3 – The Unexpected Champion – coming March 5, 2019☆☆☆☆☆

Connect with the author at Mary Connealy dot com

Until next time, hugs and a cup of tea,

THE HIGHEST OF HOPES

CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE

HIGHLY EMOTIVE

May 1919, three strangers board the SS Olympic and form a friendship before docking in Canada to search for family. Emmaline Moore is traveling with her long-time friend, Jonathan Rowe, who is suffering from horrible seasickness.

Arriving in Toronto, Emmaline is anxious to find her father. A man she believed long-dead. Having returned from the war, Jonathan is determined to share his true feelings with Emma and convince her to begin a life with him while he goes to school at Oxford. “Nobody really won in a war he’d learned. It ate at your soul long after the gunfire had faded.”

Emma has ideas of her own, and they don’t involve the man who abandoned her for the war. She is determined to surprise the father she romanticized as a sort of hero figure and stay in Canada to develop a relationship with him. 

“Soon, with God’s blessing, she would embark on a new life with a family she’d never met, but who, Emma prayed would accept her graciously into their fold. Maybe then the emptiness inside her would finally be filled, and at last she’d feel whole.”

However, her new family is anything but pleased to see her and rather than welcoming her, tries to keep her true identity a secret.  There is animosity, hurt and a nosy reporter determined to discredit her father.

I loved the romantic scene at the Italian restaurant – “The other man sat down on a stool and pulled out an ancient-looking squeezebox. …The music changed tempo and this time there was no doubt the man was singing a love song. The longing in his voice struck a chord deep within xxx.” (no spoilers)

I could not help but picture Disney’s Lady and the Tramp when Tony, the restaurant owner, sings Bella Notte (giggle). Click for Video Clip of Lady And The Tramp - Bella Notte famous spaghetti scene

  

While the story did not go as I expected, I was actually glad it wasn’t cookie cutter.  The ending was very satisfying and I definitely teared up.

Tea Moment: “Oh, and might we have a pot of tea, if it’s not too much trouble?”

“The kettle’s already on the stove.” Her landlady winked.

I enjoyed reading the author’s notes about how her own grandmother was moved from England to Canada and told that her father was dead, when he was very much alive! She discovered so while doing ancestry research.

I recommend this story if you enjoy drama and romance in a historical setting.

Thank you NetGalley and to the author and Bethany House Publishing who sent me a review copy. 

My opinion is my own without expectation or compensation.

Amazon Link

Canadian Crossings Series

1 The Best of Intentions – Grace Abernathy’s story 07/2018

2 The Highest of Hopes – Emmaline Moore’s story 03/05/2019

3 TBD - Quinten Aspinall’s story

Click for her Website

Residing in Brampton, Ontario, Canada with her husband, children and cats; Susan describes her writing style as ‘romance sprinkled with faith.’ She loves incorporating inspirational messages of God’s unconditional love and forgiveness into her characters’ journeys.

Connect with the author at SusanAnneMason.net 

Until next time, hugs and a cup of tea!

 

Ever Faithful – A Vintage national Parks Novel – by Karen Barnett

As someone who has traveled to Yellowstone when I was a teen, I really enjoyed getting to virtually revisit the park!

Ever Faithful – A Vintage national Parks Novel – by Karen Barnett

***Kept Me Guessing***

Yellowstone Natl Park, WY, 1933

This story focuses on the Pack Rats, Pillow Punchers, and Pearl Divers also known as the park’s hotel staff, or Savages (smile) as well as some Rangers, and President Roosevelt’s new Civilian Conservation Corps (the CCC).

22-year old Elsie Brookes has been working summers to save enough money to earn a teaching degree and go to college like her friend’s Mary and Rose.

Teddy Vaughn is a new ranger who gives her stomach flutters, but she needs to focus on her job and caring for her ailing mother, not to mention her closely guarded secret.

Sweet Scripture Reference: “Yes, indeed. ‘Therefore, all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.”  It’s not just the key to a happy home, Elsie-” “I know. It’s the key to a happy life.” Only her parents could make the golden rule sound romantic.

Joining the CCC camp are many struggling young men, arriving from New York area, who haven’t seen work or a decent meal in a long while. This is their chance to earn a paycheck to send home, learn a trade and get a free education.  But for Nate Webber, it’s his chance to keep his younger brother out of jail.  He had never been out of the city and wasn’t sure what to expect. “The sky back home had never looked like this. He could almost touch it, brush his finger against the glittering edges of the distant stars. “God”. He breathed the word, more in reverence than in vain. What other response could a man have in the face of such wonder?” Working out in nature may be just what he needs, plus no one need know about his shameful secret.

The park descriptions are lovely: “A small herd of elk grazed on the green lawn surrounding the lodge.  A cow elk, heavy with her unborn calf, lifted her head to stare back, chewing leisurely.  The animals had over three thousand square miles of park to wander but seemed to prefer it here.”

The mystery of the story kept me guessing all the way through.  There are several characters that keep the story in interesting.  I loved the raccoons!

Tea Moment: “Her friend took a sip of her coffee and made a face. “Why do I always think I’m going to like this stuff? I want to be all modern and sophisticated with my black coffee, but I still prefer iced tea.””

Amen Sister!! (haha)

NOTE: This is a stand-alone novel available 06/18/2019, and fine to read out of order, as per the author.

The first 2 books are “Where the Fire Falls” and “The Road to Paradise” which I both really enjoyed.

5 Stars.

FREE STUFF – Go to the author’s website Karen Barnett Books dot com to keep up with her news and click FREE STUFF to get a free novelette, vintage style postcards, digital poster and bonus eBook “Women of the National Parks”.  Amazing!

Thank you to Waterbrook Publishing and NetGalley for a digital edition. My opinion is my own and given freely. 

Until next time, hugs and a cup of tea, Heather Elizabeth

A Return of Devotion 5 Star Book Review

Since it is pouring rain and has been for several days,
rather than staging my book, I am borrowing the Author's graphic.

A Return of Devotion – Haven Manor Book 2 - by Kristi Ann Hunter

***Another Superb Regency Era Read by Kristi Ann Hunter!***

We return to Haven House following book 1, A Defense of Honor, with preparations having been made for the owner to take up residence.  (It will be important to read book 1 prior to this one). 

Daphne Blakemoor, by all accounts, seems to be a daft, incapable housekeeper upon the arrival of Lord William Oswald, the new Marquis of Chemsford.  However, the Marquis bears so striking a resemblance to one of the children Daphne cares for that she is immediately struck dumb when she sees him.

The two have many questions they are able unable to voice or are not quite sure how to and various moments of hilarity, covert operations, and deep thoughts ensue.

Ch. 1 “It might be worth keeping Mrs. Brightmoor around simply for the plethora of surprises that came along with her.”

At times Daphne’s thoughts are so moving I felt them deeply and even cried for or with her.
Ch. 11 “She would never possess the ability or courage to guide anyone anywhere, but she could raise up a Joshua just as Moses had done.  These children…were her next generation. They were the ones God was preparing to go forth into the world and live for Him.

Daphne has a huge imagination! Ch. 11 “… leaving Daphne to go into her own pre-sleep routine. The one where she drifted away to a life other than the one she had.” Ok, that right there shook me! I have done that since I was a very young girl and never expected to read about someone else (even fictional) doing it too. I think it’s why my dream life is extremely crazy! ((smile))

I love the supporting character, Jess.  We know she was a spy, but not much beyond that.  She has mad knife and culinary skills and she makes me laugh a lot! Her sarcasm is on point. Ch. 19 “I could put a bit of foxglove in xxx’s breakfast,” Jess murmured. (xxx to avoid spoiler).  She also genuinely cares for the people around her, giving wise counsel and fierce devotion as needed.

William has wonderful strength of character. I really liked him. Ch. 34 “Forgiveness is an interesting thing. Unlike a lot of other things in life, it’s easy to ask for and hard to accept.”

Tea Moment: Ch. 2 “In the new woman’s hands was a tray. Steam rose from the teapot that sat in the center, surrounded by a cup, saucer, and an assortment of small sandwiches and biscuits.” … “As he bit into a biscuit, an explosion of flavors he couldn’t identify but refused to live the rest of his life without filled his mouth.”

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to the next one in the series.

Thank you to Bethany House, the author and NetGalley for a copy. My opinion is my own and given freely. Keep updated on the author’s website, Kristi Ann Hunter dot com

Haven Manor Series:

“The Haven Manor series follows a group of women who take what could have been a life-crushing circumstance and turned it into an opportunity to help desperate women and their children from the same fate. Their pasts may have brought these women here, but God has an amazing future in store for them.” -Author’s Website

Book 0.5 A Search for Refuge (Margaretta’s Story) 03/2018 FREE eNovella (available in print 2019 in the 3 author collection Love At Last)

Book 1 A Defense of Honor (Kit’s Story) 06/05/2018

Book 1.5 Legacy of Love (Sarah’s Story) 10/2018 Novella in The Christmas Heirloom Collection featuring 4 different authors

Book 2 A Return of Devotion – Daphne’s Story - available Feb. 5, 2019

Coming Soon – Jess’s Story 

Hugs and a cup of tea,