The Curiosity Keeper - A Book Review

I'm always excited to read a book by Sarah E. Ladd!  She is such an elegant writer and knows how to perfectly pen regency novels.  The Curiosity Keeper is a nice blend of suspense, mystery and romance.  From the first page I was captivated and I stayed enthralled for the duration of the novel.

Camille helps her father who own's Iverness Curiosity Shop in London.  More and more she finds herself fighting off customers who have become angry with her father.  Now her very life is being threatened.  

 Jonathan is the heir to Kettering Hall.  When someone steals The Bevoy, a priceless ruby, Jonathan's father insists that Jonathan search for it.  His search leads him to London and to the Curiosity Shop.  He comes to Camille's rescue when she is being attacked and he takes her back to Kettering Hall to treat her injury.  When Camille overhears her father accusing her of stealing the ruby she knows she must start a new life.  Jonathan helps her find a job and Camille hides from her father.  Camille and Jonathan are getting closer, but Camille can't help but wonder if Jonathan's interest in her is more about the ruby than anything else.

I would definitely recommend The Curiosity Keeper especially if you love the regency era.  There is lots of twists and turns and it had a surprising end.  I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and I can't wait to see what Sarah E. Ladd writes next!

About the Author

Sarah E. Ladd received the 2011 Genesis Award in historical romance for The Heiress of Winterwood. She is a graduate of Ball State University and has more than ten years of marketing experience. Sarah lives in Indiana with her amazing husband, sweet daughter, and spunky Golden Retriever. Facebook: SarahLaddAuthor Twitter: @SarahLaddAuthor 

***This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange form my honest review.

The Mapmaker's Children - A Book Review

The Mapmaker's Children is a tale of two women's lives.  One woman's story is from the past, set in the 1800's, the other is from the present.  One I liked, one I didn't and truthfully could hardly even stand to read.  I'll start first with the one I liked.

Sarah Brown is the daughter of John Brown, an abolitionist who helps slaves escape through the Underground Railroad.  There are nine children in the Brown family.  After a terrible sickness Sarah finds out that she will not be able to have children.  Although she is shocked and upset she does not dwell on her misfortune and instead she begins to use her artistic abilities to help save the lives of slaves.  Many slaves cannot read and the directions they are given by John Brown are confusing, if only they could see what he is referring to.  Sarah begins to create maps and hides them in her paintings.  She soon becomes one of the Underground Railroads best mapmakers, but as a war is nearing she finds herself having to make difficult choices that not only put herself in danger, but also those she loves.

Sarah Brown is such a likable character and her story is such an important part of our country's history.  Her story is the only thing that salvaged this book for me and I wish the author would of left out the tale of Eden all together. The book would of been so much more enjoyable.

Eden Anderson is a contemporary woman who has fertility problems.  She has miscarried more than once and has tried just about everything under the sun.  It has caused a huge strain financially and emotionally.  Her and her husband move to an old house in Washington, D.C. in hopes of salvaging their marriage and starting a family.  In the root cellar of their new home Eden finds a porcelain doll head that is linked to the Underground Railroad.  Through this doll and the secret messages Eden and Sarah's lives, although past and present, are now intertwined.

Eden is a horrible character.  I don't know how else to put it.  I couldn't stand her.  She was hateful and mean and I could of done without her story all together.  The book would of been so much better without this character and I personally didn't even get why she was included in this book.  Her story ruined it for me.

There are curse words in this book, which is a huge let down for me.  I don't cuss and I don't like to read those words either.  I cannot with a good christian conscience recommend a book that has curse words in it.   The book had potential if it would of left out the contemporary aspect and concentrated on the life of Sarah Brown.


***This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Gone Without A Trace - A Book Review

Livy Reynolds is a homicide detective that can't get over killing a teenage boy in the line of duty.  Even though the act was justified, Livy can't seem to get past the guilt.  She takes a leave of absence and heads to Logan Point for some rest and relaxation.  Rest and relaxation is the last thing she gets.  Two years ago, Livy's cousin Robyn went missing.  Since that time there have been several waitresses gone missing and the most recent is Samantha Jo, a senator's granddaughter.

Alex Jenning is a private investigator who has been hired to find Samantha Jo.   When he meets Livy they discover that the similarities between Samantha Jo's and Robyn's case are eerily similar.  They team up to uncover the truth.  They feel that if they can figure out what happened to Robyn they can figure out what happened to Samantha Jo.  Will they be able to find Samantha Joe before it's too late?  Will someone else be hurt or kidnapped before they catch the person who is doing this?

This book has it all!  Within its pages you will find romance, suspense, mystery, restoration and forgiveness.  The character's are well developed and easy to connect with.  It is one of those books that you don't want to put down until the end.

It is a great mystery that kept me guessing.  A lot of books of this genre are fairly predictable, but not this one.  The author writes in such a way that leaves you on the edge and every time I thought I had figured out who the culprit was I was proven wrong.  This is the third book of a series, but at no time did I feel like I was missing out because I hadn't read the first two.  I will be going back and reading the other two though.  This was my first time reading one of Patricia Bradley's books, but it won't be the last!

Patricia Bradley is the winner of a 2012 Daphne du Maurier Award and a 2012 Touched by Love Award and was also a finalist for the 2012 Genesis Award. The author of Shadows of the Past and A Promise to Protect, she is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America. Bradley makes her home in Mississippi. Learn more at www.ptbradley.com.

Thanks to Revell Publishing for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review!

The Innocent - A Book Review

The Civil War is over, but Carlyn Kearney has yet to receive word from her husband.  He fought for the Union Army and she has been notified that he is "missing in action".  Two years have passed and she continues to hold out hope that her husband will return, but that hope is dwindling fast.  She has no money, she is in debt and now she is being forced from her home.  All she has is her dog Asher.

With nowhere else to turn, Carlyn seeks refuge at a nearby Shaker village.  The Shakers are a strange people.  They profess peace through simple living, but they have very strict rules and many strange beliefs that do not point towards God.  Carlyn is told right away that she cannot keep Asher so she turns to Sherriff Mitchell and he agrees to keep her dog for her.  He is clearly attracted to Carlyn, but since she may still be married and she is joining the Shaker's who believe that marriage is evil, there is no hope for a future together.

Not long after Carlyn moves to the Shaker village things become anything but peaceful.  A fire and a mysterious death puts Carlyn under the scrutiny of the elders.  The sheriff is trying to get to the bottom of the murder and Carlyn is feeling less and less like this village is where she is supposed to be.

This is the first book I have read by Ann H. Gabhart and it made me an instant fan.  I was intrigued from the very first to the very last page.  I connected with the characters and couldn't wait till I could sit down each day and get back to the story.  I am going to have to read the rest of the books by this author and if they are half as good as this one I know I won't be disappointed!

***Thanks to Revell Publishing for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my review.

Friday Night Fun

My daughter went to The Muny tonight so me and my son decided to spend the evening together.  We had fun playing mini golf and he enjoyed the batting cages at Swing Around Fun Town.  We stopped and got nerd slushies from Sonic and ended the night with a movie and popcorn at home. :):):)  

Shades of Mercy - A Book Review

Shades of Mercy  is a very sweet coming of age story about Mercy, a fourteen year old girl, who believes she has her life planned out.  In a few years,  she and her long time friend and recent boyfriend Mick will go off to college together, then once finished with school, they can get married, and live happily ever after. However, Mercy dreams come crashing around her when a friend of hers and her boyfriend disappear.   This isn't a normal young love runaway, at least in the eyes of Mercy's friend's father. When he finds out that the girls boyfriend is from the local Maliseet tribe, his prejudices come to a boil and sets the whole town on edge. Mercy hopes that everything will be resolved soon and then things can go back to normal. Sadly, that isn't what happens when her boyfriend Mick, who is also Maliseet, is charged with a crime.

The struggles Mercy's deals with are presented in such a realistic way. She is innocent to the ways of prejudice and still young. Mercy is written in such a way that you feel for her. You watch as she holds out hope for her dream to still come true and for everything to blow through. It was refreshing to read about a real teenager that has respect for her parents and who was raised in a loving home, not a teenager that was full of angst. I enjoyed that about the book.

The book was a little slow at times but overall it was a good read.  It dealt with a very heavy topic and handled it nicely.   The book focused on one summer in Mercy's life and I really liked that.   The ending left it open for the series to continue on and to grow with Mercy. 

***This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for my review.

Harvest of Gold - A Book Review

Harvest of Gold by Tessa Afshar is the sequel to Harvest of Rubies.  It picks up right where the first book left off and continues the story of Sarah and Darius.  Even though the main characters are Sarah and Darius, much of the book tells the story of Nehemiah and the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem.  You can see how the love of Sarah and Darius parallels with the rebuilding, which I found very intriguing.

The author really has a unique way of penning a novel that makes the reader feel like they are part of a time period that is long past.  This book gave biblical insight and encouragement and humbled me at how awesome our God is!

If you have not had the chance to read any books by this author I encourage you to do so.  I have not read one that I haven't loved yet.  They are well written, fast paced and keep your interest all the way through.  The historical references are amazing and the characters are well developed.  I can't wait to read more of Tessa's writings!


MORE ABOUT HARVEST OF GOLD:

In Harvest of Gold (Book 2) the scribe Sarah married Darius, and at times she feels as if she has married the Persian aristocracy, too. There is another point she did not count on in her marriage-Sarah has grown to love her husband. Sarah has wealth, property, honor, and power, but her husband's love still seems unattainable.

Although his mother was an Israelite, Darius remains skeptical that his Jewish wife is the right choice for him, particularly when she conspires with her cousin Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Ordered to assist in the effort, the couple begins a journey to the homeland of his mother's people. Will the road filled with danger, conflict, and surprising memories, help Darius to see the hand of God at work in his life-and even in his marriage?

A hidden message, treachery, opposition, and a God-given success, will lead to an unlikely bounty.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tessa Afshar was voted "New Author of the Year" by the Family Fiction sponsored Reader's Choice Awards 2011 for her novel Pearl in the Sand. Her book, Harvest of Rubies was nominated for the 2013 ECPA Book Award in the fiction category and World Magazine chose Harvest of Rubies as one of four notable books of the year. Her novel, Harvest of Gold was nominated for the 2014 Christy Award. Tessa was born in Iran to a nominally Muslim family, and lived there for the first fourteen years of her life. She moved to England where she survived boarding school for girls and fell in love with Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte, before moving to the United States permanently. Her conversion to Christianity in her twenties changed the course of her life forever. Tessa holds an MDiv from Yale University where she served as cochair of the Evangelical Fellowship at the Divinity School. She has spent the last fifteen years in full-time Christian service in New England.

***This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Harvest of Rubies - A Book Review

A Harvest of Rubies by Tessa Afshar is the first book in a series of biblical fiction set during the time of the Jewish exile in Babylon.  The book tells a fictional account set during Bible times.

Sarah has taught herself to read Persian.  Her cousin, Nehemiah, cup-bearer to the king, helps Sarah learn a place at the palace as the queen's scribe.  At first she is terrified, but she loves her positions, and feels like she is proving her worth through her hard work.  When she solves a mystery for Queen Damaspia, the queen does a good deed for Sarah by fining her a royal groom, Darius.   Sarah is scared of marriage and does not know anything of feminine ways and it doesn't take long before she makes a mistake and shames her husband.  Darius leaves her at his estate and leaves to stay at court.  Sarah now has no work to hide behind and she is doing her best to hide her love for her husband.  

This book is full of so much emotion.  It includes drama, mystery, faith and romance.  I was a little disappointed that this book was not more biblically accurate.  I know when writing christian fiction based on real Bible characters that  not everything will be true to life, but a lot of times, if written well, it will give you a deeper insight to what life might of been like during those times.  This however had more fiction characters and the whole story was not based on the Bible.  

Besides that, I did enjoy it and still consider myself a Tessa Afshar fan!

***This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for my review.

Laugh Out Loud Pocked Doodles For Girls - A Book Review

Q:  Why did the bird go to the hospital?
A:  To get some medical tweetment.

Q:  How do you know when it's been raining cats and dogs?
 A:  When you step in a poodle.

Q:  Why did the lady sing lullabies to her purse?
 A:  She wanted a sleeping bag.

Q:  What's a great book geared for girls ages 9-12?
A:  Laugh Out Loud Pocket Doddles for Girls!

This little book is so much fun and will have your little girl laughing out loud and probably the whole family as she begins sharing the jokes with all of you!  Don't think that this is just a joke book though.  It is so much more.  As the name of the book states it is a doodle book.  It fits it's name as well as being the perfect size to fit in a pocket making it a great take-a-long book.  It would be great for road trips or anytime where you have to sit still.  Or what about those boring moments?  You know the kind I'm talking about..."there's nothing to do, I'm bored"  Perfect for that too!  This book is sure to keep them entertained.

There are 240 pages.  Each page has a joke and a partial picture.  Your child can use their imagination to finish the picture or if they need a little prompting there is prompt at the bottom of each page to get you started in the right direction.

All the jokes are clean.  I found nothing inappropriate.  The author does state that body noise and body fluid jokes are the best so if this is something that you do not find humorous and something you do not want your child laughing about you might want to pass on this book.  Not a problem for our family!

I love how it sparks the imagination and encourages creativeness.  Not only will your child be entertained, but they will be using their mind to draw unique pictures!

***Thank you to Revell Publishing for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my review.

Laugh Out Loud Pocket Doodles For Boys - A Book Review

Q:  How did the marching band keep their teeth clean?
A:  With a tuba toothpaste.

Q:  What did the pool say to the lake?
 A:  Water you doing here.

Q:  What's the best kind of dog to shoot hoops with?
 A:  A Basket Hound.

Q:  What's a great book geared for boys ages 9-12?
A:  Laugh Out Loud Pocket Doddles for Boys!

This little book is so much fun and will have your little boy laughing out loud and probably the whole family as he begins sharing the jokes with all of you!  Don't think that this is just a joke book though.  It is so much more.  As the name of the book states it is a doodle book.  It
fits it's name as well as being the perfect size to fit in a pocket making it a great take-a-long book.  It would be great for road trips or anytime where you have to sit still.  Or what about those boring moments?  You know the kind I'm talking about..."there's nothing to do, I'm bored"  Perfect for that too!  This book is sure to keep them entertained.

It has well over 200 pages.  Each page has a joke and a partial picture.  Your child can use their imagination to finish the picture or if they need a little prompting there is prompt at the bottom of each page to get you started in the right direction.

All the jokes are clean.  I found nothing inappropriate.  The author does state that body noise and body fluid jokes are the best so if this is something that you do not find humorous and something you do not want your child laughing about you might want to pass on this book.  Not a problem for our family!

I love how it sparks the imagination and encourages creativeness.  Not only will your child be entertained, but they will be using their mind to draw unique pictures!

***Thanks to Revell Publishing for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my review.