Fairest of Heart by Karen Witemeyer

 𝘐 𝘚𝘖 𝘛𝘏𝘖𝘙𝘖𝘜𝘎𝘏𝘓𝘠 𝘌𝘕𝘑𝘖𝘠𝘌𝘋 𝘛𝘏𝘐𝘚 𝘐 𝘙𝘌𝘈𝘋 𝘐𝘛 𝘐𝘕 𝘈 𝘋𝘈𝘠! 𝘞𝘖𝘜𝘓𝘋 𝘓𝘖𝘝𝘌 𝘛𝘖 𝘚𝘌𝘌 𝘐𝘛 𝘐𝘕 𝘔𝘖𝘝𝘐𝘌 𝘍𝘖𝘙𝘔!! 🎬

𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐮𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞. 𝐈 𝐤𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐬 𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐧𝐞.
𝐎𝐫𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐏𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐬 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧, 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐧𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐚, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫!
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜, 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞. 𝐈 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐫.
𝐐𝐮𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞: 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐰 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝. 𝐒𝐡𝐞’𝐝 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐒𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 . . . 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞. 𝐀𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐬. 𝐉𝐨𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭. 𝐔𝐩 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐝𝐮𝐭𝐲.
𝐓𝐞𝐚 𝐐𝐮𝐨𝐭𝐞: 𝐂𝐨𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐲. “𝐈’𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐚 𝐨𝐧. 𝐌𝐲 𝐦𝐚 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐬 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧’𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐚 𝐜𝐮𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐞𝐚.”

ɪ ʀᴇᴄᴇɪᴠᴇᴅ ᴀɴ ᴇ-ᴠᴇʀꜱɪᴏɴ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ ꜰᴏʀ ᴍʏ ᴏᴘɪɴɪᴏɴ. ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴏᴘɪɴɪᴏɴꜱ ᴀʀᴇ ᴍɪɴᴇ ᴀʟᴏɴᴇ.

𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 19 𝓖𝓸𝓸𝓭𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓼 𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓷𝓰𝓮 📚 2023

Check out 

https://www.karenwitemeyer.com/

Until next time, hugs and a cup of tea!

A Beautiful Disguise by Roseanna M White

 

EXCITING READ!!

I would give it 10 stars if I could! WOW!!!

I like how another reviewer said, "Mix Downton Abbey, the Greatest Showman, and Enola Holmes and you get a taste of what is in store in this book". I might add Behind the Mask as well.

I have long felt that Roseanna White's writing is elevated and you need to be able to keep up with a fast-paced writing style. It causes me to carefully choose who I pass her books along to.  If you prefer a simple, easy-to-digest without much effort story, her books are probably not for you. Those who can handle more depth to a story, mixed with intrigue, historical facts, a large cast of characters, and exciting backdrops should definitely seek out her works.  

I think this new theme is my favorite to date! 

Marigold is a fantastical enigma. Her brother Yates, is such a strong character, lending expertise and understanding. Leonides 🦁 is so sweet and yet, exactly what you hope for! The ending was unexpected and I cannot wait for book two, featuring Gemma & Graham, next Spring.

Quotable: Lady Marigold Fairfax might have wiggled her toes in ecstasy if that wouldn't have meant losing her purchase and sending herself plummeting eight feet down to the street below.

Also, look up an Aukouphone - trust me.

I received an eVersion from the publisher and NetGalley.  All opinions are mine alone without expectation or compensation. 

𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 33 𝓖𝓸𝓸𝓭𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓼 𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓷𝓰𝓮 📚 2023 

- Available August 23, 2023

Synopsis from Author's Website:
A Beautiful Disguise
The Imposters, 1
1909
Left with an estate on the brink of bankruptcy after their father’s death, Lady Marigold Fairfax and her brother open a private investigation firm marketed to the elite . . . to spy on the elite. Dubbed The Imposters, Ltd., their anonymous group soon becomes the go-to for the crème of society when they want answers delivered surreptitiously. But the many secrets Marigold learns about her peers pale in comparison to her shock when she and her brother are hired to investigate her best friend’s father as a potential traitor.
Sir Merritt Livingstone has spent a decade serving the monarch in the most elite guard, but when pneumonia lands him behind a desk in the War Office Intelligence Division just as they’re creating a new secret intelligence branch, he’s intent on showing his worth. He suspects a man of leaking information to Germany as tensions mount between the two countries but needs someone to help him prove it, so he turns to The Imposters, Ltd. No one knows who they are, but their results are beyond compare.
Lady Marigold is determined to discover the truth for her friend’s sake, and she’s more determined still to keep her heart from getting involved with this enigmatic new client ... who can’t possibly be as noble as he seems.

Until next time, hugs and a cup of tea!

COUNTERFEIT FAITH by Crystal Caudill

 

About the Book (from the author) SHE’S LOSING HER FAITH IN MANKIND. HE’S LOST HIS FAITH IN GOD. CAN WORKING TOGETHER RESTORE THEM BOTH? As matron of Final Chance House of Refuge, Gwendolyn Ellison has dedicated her life to serving the children deemed delinquents by society. She'll protect them with everything she has. So when she suspects someone is using Final Chance for criminal deeds, she's determined to investigate and put a stop to it. But villains don't like to be crossed--and they're willing to kill to get their way. Gwendolyn knows she can't quit fighting. More than her own life is on the line if counterfeiters go free. She must find someone she can trust to help her expose the criminals and protect the children under her care. Charming and chivalrous Secret Service operative Josiah Isaacs has never been able to turn his back on a woman in trouble--and capturing counterfeiters is his job, after all. The danger he's truly worried about is his growing attraction to Gwendolyn when his heart wants to remain faithful to his deceased wife. As both peril and interest grow, he begins to consider whether a second love may be possible--if they can live through this case. At the same time, he's put off by her faith in a God he no longer trusts. How can a future together even be possible when their beliefs are at odds?

A very well-written story about counterfeiting, youth refuge houses, the Secret Service, God's strength and mercy, and the chance at new love. Some of the subject matter is difficult (abuse of children), but handled well I thought. I enjoyed this story enough that I read it in a day. I recommend the entire series.

I received a book from the author. All opinions are mine alone without expectation or compensation.

Hidden Hearts of the Gilded Age Series:

Counterfeit Truth ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Counterfeit Love  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Counterfeit Hope  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Counterfeit Faith ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Click here to sign up for author's newsletter

Until next time, hugs and a cup of tea

A MATCH IN THE MAKING by Jen Turano

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ME! I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH!
Apologies for not posting this sooner.  I thought I had, but apparently not!

The non-stop banter of Miss Gwendolyn Brinley and pretty much anyone she comes in contact with is fantastic! She is no meek debutante to be sure.

In fact, she is something entirely different. 

Walter Townsend is considered the catch of the season and a rather shallow man until Miss Brimley begins to unlock his better traits. 

I devoured this book and because it was "that good" I did not slow down for my usual highlights, except a very few.

Here are a couple:

Regarding Adelaide, who I adore:

"I’m perfectly comfortable with who I am—a bluestocking at heart, who besides loving the written word has a great affection for cats.”“She has sixteen of them,” Phyllis said. “Twenty, Mother. You’re forgetting about those kittens I found at Mrs. Gerry’s picnic.”

“We’ll receive everyone in the parlor, but only after I have Gibbons leave them lingering about in the receiving room for a good ten minutes or so.” 

Not only was it amusing but Gibbons is my maiden name so that was great fun for me! Thank you Jen 💞.

There are both animals and children which are always excellent additions to enhance charm and comedy. There is some light faith as well. Set in Newport Rhode Island, during  "The Summer Season" 1888

Gideon Abbott is most useful and certainly mysterious. I definitely hope he appears in the next book along with Adelaide as they seem to have an unrecognized spark. 😁

I have been part of "The Gilded Gals of Turano Street" (Jen's Street Team) since the beginning. She is a favorite author and everything she writes is fantastic! 

While I am not required to write a positive review,  I simply cannot help it 🤷🏻‍♀️🤭

Thank you to NetGalley for an eVersion of this book. All opinions are mine alone without expectation or compensation.  

Release Date: 2/21/2023

Read 12/15&16/2022

📖 Book 75 GoodReads Reading Challenge 2022

Until next time, hugs & a cup of tea!!

COUNTERFEIT HOPE by Crystal Caudill five stars and NEW TEA

Link to book on Author's page

Dramatic Western full of Peril, Heart and Hope

I really appreciate that the author gives a strong warning at the beginning of the book so you understand the book is centered around a woman who suffers through instances of abuse and life situations that forced her, at a young age, to do things she did not want to do. But there is so much beauty in the healing power of Jesus and the author weaves a compelling story set in 1884 Indiana, that is both interesting and incredibly well done.

The synopsis is well-written so I won't re-do that here.

I highly recommend this book and I am grateful for the chance to review the ARC provided to me by the author and publisher.

All opinions are mine alone, without compensation or expectation.

Series: Hidden Hearts of the Gilded Age (I have given the first three books five stars each!)
0.5 Counterfeit Truth (free to newsletter subscribers)
1 Counterfeit Love
2 Counterfeit Hope
3 Counterfeit Faith

Side note: Crystal is a lovely soul and highly approachable through her newsletter and social platforms.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Read 1/27 - 2/3/2023

 

📚 Book 4 GoodReads Reading Challenge 2023 📚

Purchase Link

I also wanted to share this teamail I received yesterday from a dear friend. It is The Royal Cats tea assortment from Richard Royal Teas. Isn't it a hoot? The cat resembles my sweet boy, Max.

They have several different cats and dogs featured on various tea products.
The 3 flavors include Ceylon, Lord Grey and Royal Thyme & Rosemary. I am looking forward to trying them.

The Blackout Book Club by Amy Green 5 Stars

 

WONDERFULLY EMOTIVE

4 ladies from various social, economic, and ethnic backgrounds and a host of other characters who come together during 1942, WWII in a haphazard book club.
We jump around each of their points of view which are easy to follow and get caught up in. I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it as it made me feel and think a lot.
We all have troubles behind the scenes that are relatable to the characters who eventually find help and comfort from the unexpected group in the small, coastal town in Maine.
Ginny was my favorite as I found her youth, free-spirited nature, and drive infectious.
The meeting minutes noted were fun as well.

Quotable:

"Poetry is anarchy, and I still don’t like it." This made me laugh because I always loved poetry with far fewer restrictions than other writing. 🤭

"books make fine friends— but fellow readers even better. With all my love, Father"

The author provides a list of all the books referenced in the story at the end which I thought especially nice.

If you enjoyed The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society I imagine you'd enjoy this clean tale of small townsfolk as well.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

All thoughts are mine alone without expectation or compensation.

Read Jan 17-21, 2023

Click to go to author's page

 

Book 3 GoodReads Reading Challenge 2023 📚

the Rose and the Thistle by Laura Frantz is Incredible

 Incredible Read! Gorgeous cover w/gold foil!

This book is so rich with detail and history; and notably distant ancestors of the author.
The book synopsis does a fantastic job of describing the story set in 1700s Scotland, so I'll leave that be and say how very highly I recommend it with 5 stars.

I did not expect some of the turns Everard and Blythe's story took and that made it all the more enjoyable.

Don't miss the Scotts glossary

Special thanks to the author, Laura Fantz,
for the book & some very kind book swag.

Available January 3, 2023 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I received this book from the author. All opinions are mine alone without expectation or compensation.

Read 1/9-11/2023

📕 Book 2 GoodReads Book Challenge 2023

#TheRoseAndTheThistle
@revellbooks
#ChristianFiction
#HistoricalFiction

CLICK TO GO TO AUTHOR'S WEB PAGE

Until next time,

MOVIE WORTHY BOOK - THE SISTERS OF SEA VIEW

 I pray you are doing well and enjoying the shift into Autumn. Here in So Cal, the weather cannot make up it's mind between cool, hot, breezy, drizzle, and hot again.  Such is life. Anyhow, here is a delightful read I emphatically give two thumbs up to!

WOULD MAKE A FANTASTIC MOVIE! 

If only I could make that happen!

This book had wonderful characters and plenty of them. 

It was rather like a Jane Austen novel. 

There were poor, village invalids, ladies of reduced circumstance, swoony neighbors in need of God's love as well as neighborly charity, snooty guests, dreadful weather, lawn games, cottages and seascapes. Various ages add to the depth of the story. 

There is a bit of comedy as well; "The birdlike woman's mouth fell open, and Emily longed to drop a worm inside."

Action, mystery, faith, drama, romance, history,  well-written... indeed something for everyone. 

I cannot recommend it enough and look forward to finding out what happens next in the series!

I received an advanced eVersion of this story from the publisher without expectation or compensation.

All opinions are mine alone.

5 Stars

Releasing 12/06/22 by Bethany House Publishing

Publisher's Description: Some guests have come for a holiday, others for hidden reasons of their own . . .

When their father's death leaves them impoverished, Sarah Summers and her genteel sisters fear they will be forced to sell the house and separate to earn livelihoods as governesses or companions. Determined to stay together, Sarah convinces them to open their seaside home to guests to make ends meet and provide for their ailing mother. Instead of the elderly invalids they expect to receive, however, they find themselves hosting eligible gentlemen. Sarah is soon torn between a growing attraction to a mysterious Scottish widower and duty to her family.

Viola Summers wears a veil to cover her scar. When forced to choose between helping in her family's new guest house and earning money to hire a maid to do her share, she chooses the latter. She reluctantly agrees to read to some of Sidmouth's many invalids, preferring the company of a few elders with failing eyesight to the fashionable guests staying in their home. But when her first client turns out to be a wounded officer in his thirties, Viola soon wishes she had chosen differently. Her new situation exposes her scars--both visible and those hidden deep within--and her cloistered heart will never be the same.

Join the Summers sisters on the Devonshire coast, where they discover the power of friendship, loyalty, love, and new beginnings.

Click for Author's Website

Author Bio Julie Klassen loves all things Jane--Jane Eyre and Jane Austen. Her books have sold over a million copies, and she is a three-time recipient of the Christy Award for Historical Romance. The Secret of Pembrooke Park was honored with the Minnesota Book Award for Genre Fiction. Julie has also won the Midwest Book Award and Christian Retailing's Best Award and has been a finalist in the RITA and Carol Awards. A graduate of the University of Illinois, Julie worked in publishing for sixteen years and now writes full-time. She and her husband have two sons and live in St. Paul, Minnesota. For more information, visit julieklassen.com.

Until next time,

Worthy of Legend - Roseanna M White

 

Amazon Link to Purchase

Wonderful wrap-up to the series!!

"Bram Sinclair, Earl of Telford, despised a bully."
"Lady Emily Scofield needed someone to protect her, to champion her, especially now that her father and brother were on the islands. And Bram seemed to be the only one available for the job. Which was fine— he had plenty of practice, both with fending off bullies and nursing back to health the puppies they tended to kick."

I really enjoyed Bram. In fact, all 3 heroes in the series were exactly what I would hope for, each in their own way.
The villains are appropriately villainous 🤭 and the sub-plots/characters add extra depth to the story. Lady Emily finds strength and courage as the story develops and she IS grace.

I was REALLY moved by the secret that Bram unlocked (no spoilers).

This book had plenty of faith elements that I quite appreciated and the scenery was great.

I also look forward to comedy in a book:
“My lord, if you don’t stand still, I’m going to throttle you with this bow tie instead of tying it—and it’ll be purely accidental, I assure you.”

Highly recommend entire series for those who both enjoy historical fiction as well as an elevated writing style.

I received an eVersion of this book for my honest opinion. All thoughts are mine alone without expectation or compensation.

Available on September 13, 2022

Author Bio: Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award-nominated author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, & pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents & thousands of years. Spies & war & mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. You can learn more about her & her stories at www.RoseannaMWhite.com.

GIVEAWAY - The Finding of Miss Fairfield - Grace Hitchcock

/ 

Available 8/29/22 Amazon Link to Preorder

Not one, not two, but THREE villains! 😱

I adore a good Harvey House story.  Reading about the historic restaurant is a topic that fascinates me and The Finding of Miss Fairfield, Apron & Veils book #1 set in New Mexico, 1899, was no different.  I always appreciate the faith elements that elevate a story and Grace Hitchcock does a wonderful job weaving them into her stories.

Favorite Quote: “Even the devil can quote scripture to suit his purposes.”

In her challenging escape, Sophia grows in courage and gumption and  I quite liked her character and that of the kindly Carver Ashton. He is not the perfect hero, but that made him all the more real. Also, Carver disliked Earl Grey tea. RESPECT! I can’t stand that perfumed-tasting stuff! Blegh!

Amazon Link to Preorder

I look forward to the next installment, The Pursuit of Miss Parish coming May, 2023 (more information below).

Other Quotes from The Finding of Miss Fairfield that I enjoyed:

 2. “Lord, give me direction. Send me someone else! Or give me a way out of this marriage.”

3. “To borrow a line from Keats, ‘I love you the more in that I believe you have liked me for my own sake and for nothing else.’”

4. “And you should include a little tea salon where the husbands or wives… can take their refreshments and also have a wall of only the best novels to entice them to linger and order cup after cup of expensive tea!”

5. “…when I come to New Orleans to see your shop, I will want to take tea and order a stack of books.”

6. 

A birdcage with a tiny gold finch caught her eye. She paused at the window display, her fingers splaying against the cool glass. “I know how you feel,” she whispered. 

7.

"Life is short, and let's be honest, tea is better with sugar, especially when it smells rather medicinal in nature."

8. Jenny sighed. “And this is the part where I fear we might lose any new Harvey Girl. The bowls of water deter scorpions from climbing into our beds.” Sophia’s jaw dropped. “Excuse me?” “Scorpions.”

 

I am honored to have been chosen to be
on the Launch Team. Thank you Grace.
I read this eBook without compensation or expectation.
All opinions are mine alone. 4 Stars.

Valmont House Publisher’s Description:

New Mexico, 1899, When an engagement of convenience becomes anything but convenient . . .

Forced into a betrothal with a widower twice her age, Charleston socialite, Sophia Fairfield is desperate for an escape. But, while her fiancé is away on business, he assigns his handsome stepson, Carver, the task of looking after his bride-to-be. Much to her dismay, Sophia finds herself falling in love with the wrong gentleman—a man society would never allow her to marry, given Sophia was supposed to be his new stepmother. The only way to save Carver from scandal and financial ruin is to run away, leaving him and all else behind to become a Harvey Girl waitress at the Castañeda Hotel in New Mexico.

Carver Ashton has had his life planned out for him since birth, but when he encounters Sophia Fairfield, he glimpses a new life—apart from his overbearing stepfather’s business. But, when the woman he loves disappears before he can express his devotion, Carver abandons all to find her. However, his stepfather has other intentions for Sophia and will stop at nothing until she is his bride . . . even if it is against her will.

GoodReads Giveaway:

Link to GoodReads Giveaway ends 08/28/22 - see their site for Rules

Author, Grace Hitcock: Click for her website

 

Link to Preorder on Amazon

Aprons & Veils #2, The Pursuit of Miss Parish, available on May 31, 2023

Publisher's Synopsis: Love's gentle promise becomes nothing more than a withered dream. 
With dreams of love and a hope for belonging, shy Belle Parish leaves her position as a maid in Charleston to travel to New Mexico with her best friend to become mail-order brides. Colt Lawson's letters hold great promise and while his devilishly handsome face matches his picture, something does not add up. Discovering his lie only moments before they wed, Belle flees the church and straight into the Castañeda Hotel Harvey House. Giving up the prospect on ever marrying, she dons her nun-like uniform and focuses on her role as a Harvey Girl waitress until a strong, former Texas Ranger rides into her life.
Colt Lawson didn't want to send that letter to Belle Parish in the first place, but her first response had all but captured his heart. When he is left standing at the altar alone, he is left with two choices—either release his dream of a love marriage, or attempt to win her heart. Wooing her would be a lot easier if that Texas Ranger wasn't back in town. Who wants a dusty rancher with a past when she could have a shining knight in a Stetson?

Until next time, Hugs and cup of tea... or flowers
whatever your heart fancies!
~Heather Elizabeth ~