Book Review ~ The Road Through Rushbury by Martha Keyes

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title:  The Road Through Rushbury by Martha Keyes

Series: Seasons of Change Book #1

Pages:  245

Date Published:  April 28, 2020

Publisher:  ???

 Blurb:

All she needs is a little bit of change. She'll have to fight him for it.

Georgiana Paige is on the shelf after eight full Seasons in London and not a single offer of marriage. When the opportunity to act as companion to her spinster aunt presents itself, she jumps at the chance to escape the Marriage Mart and embark on a new adventure. Upon her eventful arrival in the tiny Yorkshire village, though, she finds herself confronted with a man who both piques her interest and provokes her pride.

A lowly country vicar, Samuel Derrick would do anything to keep his coarse but idyllic parish the way it is. When change arrives there in the form of multiple new tenants straight from London, he vows to fight against their meddling. He is unprepared, though, for Georgiana Paige and the way she forces herself into the inner workings of the parish. His past experience tells him to keep the woman at arm's length, but his heart—and her determination to stay involved—won't allow for it.

As the village fights against the industrialization and poverty sweeping the North, Samuel and Georgiana find themselves working to pull the village together, even as those around them seemed determined to pull it apart. But how can two people who have lived such disparate lives bring anything together when they are fighting against their own desires for change and love?

My Thoughts:

Martha Keyes is another new-to-me author.  I am absolutely loving being able to read all these new authors and stories!

"The Road Through Rushbury" seemed an odd title to me before I started reading the novel.  Now, I think it the perfect name for the book.  The "road" is almost a character unto itself!

I felt that Georgiana was far too good natured.  She let so much roll right off her back.  I guess that is something for me to aspire to.  I take things a bit personally.

Samuel got on my nerves at times with his reverse snobbery!  He was so harsh toward Georgiana; until he wasn't; and then he was again when the conflict arose.  I guess I expected more from him as a vicar but he had been hurt in the past by someone of Georgiana's "class".

I loved how the author evolved both characters throughout the progression of the book.  I fell a bit in love with Rushbury and its citizens myself.  I could certainly understand Georgiana's desire to stay there rather than be in the London "crush".

I enjoyed how the story comes full circle back to the "The Road Through Rushbury" with Georgiana wielding her pistol once again :)

This is a sweet, clean regency romance that I highly recommend.  I look forward to reading the rest of the "Seasons of Change" series :)

I downloaded this book through Kindle Unlimited.

On to the next book!

Colletta

Book Review ~ A Storybook Love by Amelia Sinclair

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title:  A Storybook Love by Amelia Sinclair

Series: McLachlan Family Romance Book #2

Pages:  

Date Published:  April, 2020

Publisher:  ???

 Blurb:

Candace McLachlan is beyond excited to return to Minnow, Montana for her brother's wedding. As an overworked English teacher, she's in desperate need of a summer vacation. But even twelve years after her parents' divorce, she's surprised to discover there's one family in town still bitter against her own.

Ray Heathcliff has no interest in romance, so he mostly keeps himself busy running the family bookstore. After the drama of his sister's failed marriage, followed by losing his wife and his mom, Ray can't handle anymore heartbreak. And though he knows Candace should be off limits, he can't seem to stay away from her.

Minnow is alight with preparations for the McLachlan wedding, and Ray is sure the romantic atmosphere is what keeps drawing him back to Candace. But after a few illicit kisses and family brawls, Ray has to make a decision: will he open his heart to love again, or is theirs a forbidden romance that will never be?

My Thoughts:

Amelia Sinclairs "McLachlan Family Romance" series has been a fun journey so far.  I've now read the first two books of the series and am hooked!  I'm so excited that there are two more brothers in the McLachlan family to read about.

I didn't know how the author would reunite the McLachlan and Heathcliff families after all the tension that has been between them.  It reminded me of "Romeo and Juliet" and also the "Hatfields and McCoys"!  

Ray was a widower so it was also interesting to read as he opened himself back up to love after heartbreak.  Candace was immediately drawn to Ray and they had a lot of commonalities.  Ray owned a bookstore and Candace was an English teacher.  There were lots of fun literature references.

This was a quick read, perfect for a lazy afternoon or evening.  I thoroughly enjoyed reading "A Storybook Love".

I would recommend reading this series in order to get the full back-story.

I downloaded this book through Kindle Unlimited.

On to the next book!

Colletta

Book Review ~ Love in the Bargain by Kasey Stockton

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title:  Love in the Bargain by Kasey Stockton

Series: Women of Worth Book #1

Pages:  240

Date Published:  April 26, 2019

Publisher:  Kindle Unlimited?

 Blurb:

A vow to remain unwed ​and a bargain designed to find her a husband.
What could possibly go wrong?

Elsie and her two best friends made a childhood vow to never marry.

But when Elsie begins her first season in London, her mother presents her with an irresistible bargain: if she says yes to each and every man’s invitations and still remains unattached by the end of the season, she will receive her inheritance and become a free woman.

She is thrown into the spotlight by increasing attention in the newspaper gossip articles, and keeping her end of the bargain seems impossible—especially when her best friend’s tyrant of a brother, Lord Cameron, begins to make advances that Elsie literally cannot refuse.

The gossip grows increasingly malicious, leaving destroyed reputations and broken homes in its wake, and Elsie can’t seem to escape its focus. But it’s her own blossoming feelings for Lord Cameron that pose the greater threat. If she can’t keep him out of her heart, she’s sure to compromise the bargain, break her vow, and lose her one shot at freedom for good.

My Thoughts:

"Love in the Bargain" is the first book in the "Women of Worth" Series by Kasey Stockton.

I'm truly not sure how I felt about this book.

The first half of the book was setting up the characters for the series but it felt like forever before the story really started rolling.  There really wasn't much of even a hint of romance until over halfway through the book.

One of my issues is the book was written in first person from the POV of Elsie.  Personally, I prefer third person stories where I get to know what is going on in multiple character's heads.  For so much of the book, I felt like I was in the dark because I truly didn't have a clue what was going on except for Elsie's POV.

I did truly enjoy the premise and the characters.  Once the story got going (about 50% through) I couldn't put it down because I had to know what in the world was going on!  lol  At some points, I was so confused!

The last chapter or two were the best, where everything was coming together I finally got to know what was going on with Rosalynn and Freya.

I will definitely give the second book in the series a go :)

I read this book through Kindle Unlimited.

On to the next book!

Colletta

Book Review ~ The Right Time for Love by Amelia Sinclair

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title:  The Right Time for Love by Amelia Sinclair

Series: McLachlan Family Romance Book #1

Pages:  

Date Published:  February, 2020

Publisher:  ???

 Blurb:

You never forget your first kiss...

Hannah Hayes loves her quiet life in Minnow, Montana, but when a lightning strike damages the town hall clocktower, Hannah is put in charge of hiring a contractor for the repairs. She knows the best choice is someone the town is slow to accept, but he's also the guy Hannah has tried for years to forget.

Jeremy McLachlan is hesitant to return to Minnow. His parents' divorce rocked the small town and left lots of bitterness, so he only goes back for the occasional visit to his grandma. But the familiar voice on the other end of the phone is intriguing enough that he accepts the clocktower project.

When Hannah is also given the responsibility to start a fundraiser for the repair costs, she gets even closer with Jeremy. Her instinct is not to trust him, from personal teenage experience, but she can't help wishing he would come back for good, that she could be his reason to stay.

My Thoughts:

Amelia Sinclair is another new-to-me author that I discovered through Kindle Unlimited.  Her writing style was amazing and she even used the word "twitterpated" which I loved!  The story was a quick, clean read.

"The Right Time for Love" is the first book in a new series and I love reading the first book of a new series and getting to know the characters and the area.

Minnow is the small town where Hannah and Jeremy grew up and where Hannah still lives.  The town itself is quite the character.  Minnow reminds me of my own small town of around 1000 people except we don't have a bell tower :)  We do have a Church that rings the bell occasionally though!

Jeremy was a lady's man growing up in Minnow and had to earn Hannah's trust.  I really thought he had changed but then there is a scene with "Elaine" (the next door neighbor) that just didn't gel.

Hannah was painfully shy in the beginning of the book.  Even throughout the entire book she has issues with self-worth and confidence.  I still am kinda confused by Hannah's apology toward the end of the book.  But you'll have to read it to learn more.  I don't want to give too much away.

The author did a wonderful job setting up the new series with the town, the townspeople and the McLachlans.  I really look forward to reading more about the McLachlan Family.

BTW, I really like when the book cover matches the contents and this one did :)

On to the next book!

Colletta

Book Review ~ The Jewels of Halstead Manor by Kasey Stockton

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title:  The Jewels of Halstead Manor by Kasey Stockton

Series: Ladies of Devon Book #1

Pages:  342

Date Published:  March 31, 2020

Publisher:  ???

 Blurb:

She can only stay as long as the invalid needs her... so he makes it his business to need her forever.

When a cryptic invitation brings Giulia Pepper to her uncle's remote estate in Devon, she arrives in dire need of a benefactor, only to discover that her uncle never sent her any invitation—nor does he want her there. Forced into a corner, Giulia must contrive a way to convince him to allow her to remain, just long enough to figure out where to go next.

Nicholas never asked for an earldom, but when an aged lord arrives at his door and tells Nicholas that he is next in line for the title, he willingly goes to Halstead Manor to learn the role. But someone isn’t pleased with the heir, and after a gunshot wound in the arm, Nicholas must discover who is out to get him.

When Giulia stumbles—literally—over a fallen man on the lane to Halstead, she has her answer: she can stay at Halstead and nurse her uncle's heir back to health. But as mystery builds and danger mounts, will Giulia and Nicholas be able to solve the puzzle before the Earl forces Giulia to leave for good? And furthermore, can they manage to work together without losing their hearts in the process?

My Thoughts:

Kasey Stockton is a new-to-me author of this the first book in the "Ladies of Devon" series.

I love regency romance but I when I've never read anything by the author before, I'm always a bit leery.  However, this book was amazing and I needn't have worried at all!

There were twists and turns and mysteries and adventures from the first page to the last page.  I had an inkling what the "key" was but the mystery was still fun to read as it unfolded.

I loved the chattiness and boldness of Giulia/Jules.  There were times when it was quite comical.

Nick had a reputation to live down before Guilia would give him a second glance.  Then there was Ames, who threw a wrench into things...

What a ride this story was!

I can't wait to read more by this author.  She is amazing!

On to the next book!

Colletta

Journal Entry ~ 5/14/20

A few sentences about each day...

May 6, 2020 - May 12, 2020

Wed/6 ~ It was rainy and cold today but fortunately the called for snow didn't materialize.  We're trying to decide if we should build a deck, a patio or save the money.  I'd really like a large patio up on the hill behind the house be we don't know if it would be worth the money.  We've been debating the pros and cons...

Thurs/7 ~ It was a beautiful day out!  Sunny and 65F made for a nice time out on the deck.  It got a bit chilly when the sun went behind a cloud but I didn't care.  I was just glad to be outside.  I'm still waiting on an order from christianbook.com.  I think the warehouse is still closed until May 18th.  I'm waiting on my new devotional.

Fri/8 ~ Laken finished the "Ruff Life" puzzle but is missing 3 pieces.  They have to be here somewhere.  It was a brand new puzzle.  Kaylee has her first full week of work under her belt.  She seems to "not mind" her job.  Her first pay is the 15th.  I have a feeling she'll like it a bit more then.  Laken and I started watching "When Hope Calls" tonight.

Sat/9 ~ It was cold and snowy today so we worked on inside projects.  I spent the entire evening curled up with a blanket and a book on the couch.  I'm loving my kindle!

Sun/10 ~  This was our last week of Home Church!  Our county moves to "yellow" on Friday!  I'm so excited!  I cut Kaylee's hair this afternoon.  I was nervous but I think it looks super cute :)  She likes and that is what matters most.

Mon/11 ~ Doug and I stopped at the Farmer's Market and got some vegetable plants for the garden.  We won't plant them yet as we're having unseasonably cold temperatures at night.  It is supposed to warm up drastically by next week with temperatures in the 80F's.  I say "bring it on"!

Tues/12 ~ I discovered today that not all Kindle books are created equally.  I started a book by a new author but ended up quitting reading it at 10% read.  I then tried another new author of a regency novel and am loving it.  I guess it is just rial and error.  At least they are "free"!

Until next week,

Colletta

Book Review ~ Always on My Mind by Susan May Warren

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title:  Always on My Mind by Susan May Warren

Series: Christiansen FAmily Book #4

Pages:  399

Date Published:  December 18, 2014

Publisher:  Tyndale House Publishers

 Blurb:

After a failed dig in Honduras, aspiring archaeologist Casper Christiansen heads home to Minnesota to face his unresolved feelings for Raina Beaumont, the woman of his dreams. But when he arrives unannounced on her doorstep, he receives the shock of a lifetime: Raina is pregnant with someone else’s baby.

Heartbroken, especially when he discovers the identity of the baby’s father, Casper tables his dreams and determines to be dependable for once, helping his older brother, Darek, prepare the family resort for its grand reopening. Casper longs to be the hero of at least one family story, but a never-ending Deep Haven winter and costly repairs threaten their efforts—and the future of the resort.

Worse, one of Casper’s new jobs constantly brings him into contact with Raina, whom he can’t seem to forget. A tentative friendship begins to heal fresh wounds, but can they possibly overcome past mistakes and current choices to discover a future together?

My Thoughts:

Sigh...

That is how I feel right now after finishing "Always on My Mind" and how I've felt after reading any of the Christiansen Family series!  I've now read the first four books of the series and have the last two books loaded on my kindle.

I met Casper and Raina a long time ago but was just now able to get a hold of their story thanks to kindle unlimited.  I do recommend reading this series in order to get the full back-story of the characters.

Casper was a fun hero.  A treasure hunter and lover of all things history.  Raina was hurting and confused but don't worry; it all works out in the end!

I loved the mystery the author wove into the love story that Casper and Raina are trying to solve.  And find some treasure along the way.

There were times that I'd have liked to wring both Casper's and Raina's necks but that made the finale all the sweeter

Click HERE to read a few lines from "Always on My Mind".

Sigh...

On to the next book!

Colletta

First Lines Friday, 56 and BBH ~ 5/8/20

Today's "First Lines" and "56" are from:

First Lines

My dearest Casper,

It's not easy to be the middle child, the one who is neither the oldest--the responsible legacy bearer--nor the youngest, pampered and cherished just because he is the last.

 56%

She looked like she'd pulled an all-nighter -- her hair stringy and limp, her skin sallow, her eyes -- oh, her eyes.  Cracked and angry.

 Q.  What platform do you use for your blog? (submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver's Reviews)

 A.  I use Blogger as it is the platform that I started with over 10 years ago!  I can't believe it has been that long since starting my blog!

Colletta 

Also linking up to:

 

Journal Entry ~ 5/7/20

A few sentences about each day...

April 29, 2020 - May 5, 2020

Wed/29 ~ Kaylee's first day at work went well, I think.  She made it through, anyway :)  I was emotional all evening that my baby is all grown up and now working.  I made the mistake of looking at baby pictures and was a blubbering mess for a bit.  I stayed up until she got home so she could tell me all about her evening.

Thurs/30 ~ While waiting up for Kaylee to get home, Laken and I watched "Be Our Chef" on Disney Plus.  It is a really cute Disney themed cooking show where families compete against each other.  I admit that I dozed off on the couch.  I'm not used to staying up that late!

Fri/1 ~ I love turning my calendar to a new month.  I pray that May sees some improvement to our current pandemic situation.  Pennsylvania is starting to move some counties into phase "yellow" but my county is still on "red".  It makes no sense as to how they are picking counties to upon up.  Oh well.  Patience is a virtue.

Sat/2 ~ We finally had a nice day with no rain!  We spent a lot of time outside.  Kaylee enjoyed her Saturday off but said it went too fast.  Isn't that they way it goes?

Sun/3 ~ It dug out our Amazon Kindle fire and signed up for a free 2 month trial of Kindle Unlimited!  It was so much fun "shopping" for new books!  After home Church, we had Sunday dinner complete with homemade Apple Pie :)

Mon/4 ~ Today was gorgeous but very windy.  The wind about blew my car door off when I opened it at the gas station!  This is Kaylee's first Monday of working.  Over the weekend, we got her a lunch box and a metal water bottle to take with her to work.  Laken and I are watching "Mulan" while we wait up for Kaylee to get home.  Doug is on 3rd shift this week and already left.

Tues/5 ~ We sat in the bank drive-through for an hour today waiting to make a deposit!  After 1/2 hour I was ready to leave!  Patience prevailed and I got my banking done.  I've never seen such a line like that at the bank.  Kaylee is headed home from work as Doug is getting ready to leave for work.  She was able to leave early tonight.  I'm glad because I'm tired and ready to go to bed!

Until next week,

Colletta

Book Review ~ Lily for My Enemy by L.G. Rollins

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title:  Lily for My Enemy by L.G. Rollins

Series: Lockhart Regency Book #2

Pages:  273

Date Published:  February 21, 2020

Publisher:  ??

 Blurb:

He's from Lords. She sides with Commons.
Watch out London, sparks will fly.

Felix Lockhart is tired of balls, tired of musicales, and most especially tired of society only seeing him as the heir apparent to a powerful seat in Lords. Then, one evening he meets the witty Jocelyn Hunt—perhaps the only young lady in London who isn’t impressed with him.

Jocelyn Hunt will never hold a seat in the House of Commons herself, but she is no less an ardent supporter. When she meets the brooding Felix Lockhart, she is determined he understand that the House of Lords simply cannot continue to ignore the changing times.

Though they quarrel at first, both Felix and Jocelyn find themselves irresistibly drawn toward the other. But when their roles as heir apparent and daughter of a prominent man in Commons push them apart, can their undeniable connection be enough to bridge two groups determined to hate one another?

My Thoughts:

This is the second book I've read my L.G. Rollins and I enjoyed this one just as much as the first book of the Lockhart Regency Series "Wager for a Lady's Hand".

We're introduced to Felix in Book #1 of the series, so I highly recommend reading it first to get the complete back story.  It really adds a lot to the feel for Felix's character and how much he changes over time and through love.

Jocelyn's character is nicely written.  Her character is "new" to the series so it was important to make her as memorable as Felix and the other characters that I'd already become familiar with.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the interactions between Felix and Jocelyn.  They didn't like each other in the beginning...or did they?  Let's say they were intrigued by each other even though they were from opposite ends of the political spectrum of the time.  As time goes by and they spent more time in each other's company, they each grow in different aspects of their character.

This was a quick, clean, sweet regency read.  The kind I adore!

I read this book through Kindle Unlimited and look forward to reading Cassandra's story in the next book of the series, "A Heart in the Balance."

On to the next book!

Colletta

Book Review ~ Wager for a Lady's Hand by L.G. Rollins

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title:  Wager for a Lady's Hand by L.G. Rollins

Series: Lockhart Book #1

Pages:  206

Date Published:  December 26, 2019

Publisher:  Amazon Digital Services

 Blurb:

Forced into a betrothal with an abusive man, the only way out might be to beat her fiancé at his own game.

Miss Marianne Twisden knows her best chance at a safe and happy life is to marry a kind man and leave her violent father behind. When her father signs papers betrothing her to Lord Cockell—a cruel and even more violent blackguard—Marianne is desperate for a way out. Her new fiancé gives her one: if Marianne discredits Lord Sheldon Lockhart, England’s newest barrister, Cockell will release her from the marriage contract.

Lord Sheldon Lockhart is determined to rid his neighborhood of Cockell—a man who preys on gamble-hooked gentlemen by loaning them far more money than they could ever hope to repay and then extracting it mercilessly. What he didn’t expect was to fall for Cockell’s most beautiful victim, Miss Marianne.
The seemingly simple game becomes complex when a deep, abiding affection grows between Marianne and Sheldon. It is made all the more perilous when Cockell refuses to play by the rules. Strategizing together, Marianne and Sheldon must think several steps ahead if they ever hope to out-play their opponent and have a shot at victory and their own happily ever after.   

My Thoughts:

L.G. Rollins is a new-to-me author but I love clean regency romance so I thought I'd give this book a try.  I downloaded the book from Kindle Unlimited for free, so why not?

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed "Wager for a Lady's Hand"!  It was quick, sweet, clean and fun to read.  The book reminded me of why I fell in love with regency romance when I was an early teen all those years ago!

Sheldon was the perfect hero.  Maybe a little too perfect if he had any faults.  He was chivalrous, handsome, forgiving and protective even if he was a second son :)

Marianne, while very sharp-minded and cunning, was forced into helping her despicable father and the hateful Cockell try to bring Sheldon down.  Even though she grudgingly was on the "wrong" side at times, she always knew what she was doing wasn't right and wished there was another way.

I loved getting to know the main characters as well as getting to know Sheldon's siblings just a bit as well.  The next book of the series features Felix (the first son) and I have it downloaded on my fire as we speak.

I really enjoyed my first book by L.G. Rollins.  It won't be my last :)

On to the next book!

Colletta