About the Book
Lady Anna Clifton will stop at nothing to find her missing brother—even if it means working alongside the dashingly handsome but sometimes infuriating Mr. Jennings, who just might steal her heart.
About the Book
Lady Anna Clifton will stop at nothing to find her missing brother—even if it means working alongside the dashingly handsome but sometimes infuriating Mr. Jennings, who just might steal her heart.
About the Book
1956: In the quiet village of Wilbeth Green, the smoldering ruins of Rosemont Abbey set the residents' tongues wagging, and everyone is quick to accuse troublemaker Paul Everly of being the arsonist. Paul has vanished without a trace, leaving only his twin sister, Louisa, certain of his innocence. Fueling her conviction is an inexplicable connection--she felt her twin's death an hour before the abbey went up in flames. Knowing no one will believe her, Louisa embarks on her own investigation, challenging the skepticism of her neighbors and the disdain of her aunt and uncle. Even Inspector Malcolm Sinclair, once Paul's closest friend, is torn between his duty and a lingering loyalty to Paul and warns Louisa to abandon her pursuit. But Louisa is determined to solve a murder no one else believes was committed, even if it means unraveling secrets that could shake Wilbeth Green to its core. Award-winning author Naomi Stephens presents a gripping whodunnit--reminiscent of the beloved Agatha Christie tales--of love and redemption set in a quaint British village. (Goodreads)
My Thoughts
I really enjoyed this story! I had pretty high expectations going into reading this and I think they were exceeded. The characters are an absolute delight all the way around. The setting is fantastic and the author added so many things for the reader to understand what decade this book is set. It is really fun to read a novel in this time period! The mystery had me questioning until the end and I really enjoyed the small romance plot line that isn't the main focus but truly just fun. It does give you Agatha Christie feels but is set apart with its own unique style. This is such a refreshing read for the Christian fiction market and I can't wait for more by this author. I highly recommend!!
Five Stars!
"I received this book from Bethany House Publishers for free. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review."
This is a fun idea for Top Ten Tuesday as I have quite a mix of newly published books on my list but also much older novels! I will never reach the end......so here are just a few!
Published in 1937
Published in 2008
Published in 1922
Published in 2017
Published in 2019
Published in 2019
Published in 1910
Published in 2021
Published in 1931
Published in 2015
About the Book
Unraveling the tangled roots of her family takes her places she never expected.
About the Book
Falling in love is complicated when you’re both keeping secrets.
Book: Hope Like Wildflowers
Author: Pepper Basham
Genre: Christian Fiction/Historical Fiction
Release date: October, 2024
An Appalachian Girl Seeks a Place to Belong
Return to the mountains of 1910s Appalachia with beloved author Pepper Basham to discover Kizzie McAdams’s story.
Kizzie McAdams spent her childhood longing to see beyond the mountains of home, but when her job as a servant in a landowner’s house results in an unplanned pregnancy, her world tips into uncertainty and heartbreak. Disowned by her father, she seeks comfort in the arms of the man who promises to take care of her, but his support is conditional and inconsistent. She finds acceptance in the home of a nearby family who not only offer Kizzie friendship but point her to a deeper understanding of God’s love.
Despite her change of heart, her status as a social outcast brings with it continued threats and alienation so she flees her past in hopes of starting over in a nearby town. But her new world carries many of the same prejudices as the old. It also brings the unexpected friendship of businessman Noah Lewis, a man who lives with the same desire as Kizzie for helping the marginalized.
Unfortunately, Kizzie and Noah’s attempts to help those in need pit them against Noah’s elder brother, a powerful mill owner who holds control of the family finances. Is Kizzie and Noah’s growing romance strong enough to battle family power, social expectations, and Kizzie’s past to capture their happy ending? And when Kizzie’s first love returns to claim her, which future will she choose?
Click here to get your copy!
Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor with southern Appalachian flair. Both her historical and contemporary novels have garnered recognition in the Grace Awards, Inspys, and ACFW Carol Awards. Her historical romance, The Thorn Healer, was a finalist in the 2018 RT Awards. Her historical romance novels, My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge and The Red Ribbon, and her contemporary novels, the Mitchell’s Crossroads and Pleasant Gap series, showcase her Appalachian heritage, as well as her love for humor and family. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the mom of five great kids, a speech-language pathologist to about fifty more, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus.
More from Pepper
It’s pretty easy to overlook wildflowers.
I mean, until they show off all their pretty colors, especially in the middle of a barren place, then they’re noticed and usually appreciated but did you know there’s a lot more to wildflowers that…meets the eye?
Apart from providing food and shelter for smaller animals and/or insects or assisting bees in pollination, wildflowers can be used as an ingredient for healing remedies and contribute to soil health and reduce erosion.
Especially in places where other plants aren’t likely to grow. They’re known as “hardy” because they can survive all sorts of weather conditions, extreme temperature, animal damage, even drought.
So why am I talking about wildflowers??
Because, in lots of ways, wildflowers are a great example of what hope looks like.
Hope Like Wildflowers tells the story of hope, but the main character, Kizzie, isn’t relying on her own abilities to keep her hope strong. Oh no! She learned to trust in the only One who is strong enough to BE her hope. He nourishes her heart when her life has turned upside down and she’s been forsaken. He restores and heals her when she’s been broken and cast out. He protects her from dangerous men who try to hurt her, but also he protects her heart from choosing the wrong path. And through the hard places of life, Kizzie’s hope overflows in joy to touch the lives of those around her.
And it’s beautiful and unexpected.
Like wildflowers.
How has God helped bring hope to your life? What trials has His hope helped you through?
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, October 30
Melissa’s Bookshelf, October 30
Life on Chickadee Lane, October 31
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 31
Devoted To Hope, November 1
Texas Book-aholic, November 1
Lighthouse Academy Blog, November 2 (Guest Review from Marilyn)
Locks, Hooks and Books, November 2
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 3
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 3
Wishful Endings, November 4
Book Looks by Lisa, November 4
Sylvan Musings, November 5
For Him and My Family, November 5
lakesidelivingsite, November 6
Blossoms and Blessings, November 6
Connie’s History Classroom, November 7
Labor Not in Vain, November 7
Holly’s Book Corner, November 8
An Author’s Take, November 8
Back Porch Reads, November 9
Inklings and Notions, November 9
Cover Lover Book Review, November 10
Pause for Tales, November 11
Just Your Average reviews, November 11
To Everything There Is A Season, November 12
Vicky Sluiter, November 12
To celebrate her tour, Pepper is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon eGift card and a print copy of the book!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
My Thoughts
My goodness this is such a story! The best part about it is that it is based on real life history! There is so much hurt and healing that take place within these pages. Kizzie makes some life choices at the start of the book that are hard to read. But dear reader keep reading until the end. There is such a wonderful redemption story. I loved the secondary characters so much and there is a sense of found family that warmed my heart. I love "visiting" Appalachia and Basham does such a great job at writing with this as her setting. The author includes details on her family history in the back of the book that you don't want to miss. I really enjoyed this book and recommend!
Four Stars.
"I received this book from the publisher for free. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review."
The Herdman kids are absolutely the worst. They lie, they steal, they bully…and they’ve hijacked the town Christmas pageant. Directed by Dallas Jenkins (“The Chosen”) and based on the international bestseller by Barbara Robinson, THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER follows six siblings who sneak into church searching for snacks and walk away with the lead roles in the town pageant. Grace (Judy Greer) is directing the performance for the very first time; she and her daughter Beth (Molly Belle Wright) and husband Bob (Pete Holmes) are less than amused. But the play’s mischievous stars might unwittingly teach a community the true meaning of Christmas. Featuring Lauren Graham. Screenplay by Ryan Swanson and Platte F. Clark & Darin McDaniel.
Buy tickets today to see The Best Christmas Pageant Ever in theaters starting November 8!
(USA entries only please)
My Thoughts
I really enjoyed this movie. I haven't read the book in many years so I hadn't remembered much of the storyline. All of the child actors were excellent and as the story unfolded on screen I was more and more surprised. The details and the script are so good! There is a lot of humor but there is also a lot of heart. So much of this film is real to life. Poverty and judgement and not talking about certain things but then realizing it is in the Bible. Do we really know the Christmas story? Do we really read our Bibles? Do we treat others as we should? This movie will make a great conversation starter on so many topics with your family. There are many instances of the kids taking the Lord's name in vain. It is brought up multiple times as not being okay. So if you are watching with kiddos know that they will hear that and also see the kids acting out terribly at the start. I don't think younger kids would enjoy watching this (they might get bored) but for kids a little older I think this would be a good Christmas movie to see together.
Enjoyed!
#TheBestChristmasPageantEverMIN #TheBestChristmasPageantEver #MomentumInfluencerNetwork
Many thanks to Kingdom Faith Marketing Services for providing a sample of the product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own.
About the Book
Ever since they met as teenagers volunteering at a conference center in Costa Rica 20 years ago, Fern Espinoza and Lily Graden have shared a close friendship, even though they live in different states. They can hardly believe it when their teen dream of traveling to Africa together becomes a reality. It's the trip of a lifetime--but life sure isn't what they thought it would be back when they were young.
About the Book
Inexperienced in love, Jemma seeks help from her best friend, Miles, unaware that he has secretly loved her for years.
Book: A Token of Love
Author: Carrie Turansky
Genre: Fiction, Historical Romance
Release date: September 3, 2024
Separated by centuries, the lives of two women intertwine through their shared pursuit of love, truth, and justice.
In 1885 London, Lillian Freemont embarks on a treacherous journey to reunite with her long-lost niece, Alice, who was abandoned at the Foundling Hospital eight years ago. Fueled by her sister’s plea and armed with the gold token that identifies her niece, Lillian teams up with investigative reporter Matthew McGivern to expose the grim reality of the shadowed streets of London. As Lillian and Matthew unravel the mystery of Alice’s disappearance, their partnership blossoms into one of shared purpose and undeniable attraction.
In present-day London, Janelle Spencer finds herself unexpectedly running the Foundling Museum. When filmmaker Jonas Conrad arrives to document the museum’s history, their collaboration takes a surprising turn as they uncover articles from the past that shed light on a haunting connection to the present. As Janelle becomes caught between exposing the truth and protecting the museum’s reputation, she must decide if she can risk everything for what she believes.
Click here to get your copy!
Carrie Turansky is the award-winning author of twenty-one inspirational novels and novellas and a winner of the Carol Award, the International Digital Award, and the HOLT Medallion. She loves traveling to England to research her Edwardian novels, including No Journey Too Far, No Ocean Too Wide, Across the Blue, and the Edwardian Brides series. Her novels have been translated into several languages and have received starred reviews from Christianbook.com and Library Journal.
Come with me to London!
My latest novel, A Token of Love, is a dual-time story set in London during the late Victorian Era and present day. That prompted my husband and I to take a trip to London earlier this year. We were especially delighted to visit the Foundling Museum which tells the story of the Foundling Hospital, the first children’s charity home in England. The Foundling Hospital and Foundling Museum tie the historical and contemporary plots together in A Token of Love.
Thousands of children were taken in by the Foundling Hospital when their mothers could no longer care for them. Some of the mothers left small items such as coins, thimbles, and pieces of jewelry with their infants as identifiers in the hope that if their situation changed, they might be able to return and reclaim their child. Those items were called tokens, and we saw several of them on display at the Foundling Museum.
Each token is unique and represents a mother’s love and desire to be reunited with her child. It was very moving to view them on display and think of all the heartache and hope behind each token.
More than two years ago, I saw an image of the tokens on Pinterest. That sparked my curiosity, and I followed the research trail to learn more about them. That led to the Foundling Museum’s website, which offers a treasure trove of information and personal stories about the mothers and children connected by those tokens. What I discovered helped me develop the characters and plot for A Token of Love. The story highlights one mother who gave her daughter into their care, then eight years later tries to reclaim her. But her daughter is missing, and that sets off a series of events that stirs all of London. Family drama, romance, inspiration, and a touch of mystery will make the story meaningful for readers.
If you like stories based on true events in history that will touch your heart and lift your spirit, then I think you will enjoy reading A Token of Love!
If you’d like to see more photos from my research trip to London and the Foundling Museum, I hope you’ll visit my website photo page!
Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, October 7
Maureen’s Musings, October 7
Books You Can Feel Good About, October 8
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 8
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 9
Connie’s History Classroom, October 9
Texas Book-aholic, October 10
Devoted To Hope, October 10
Simple Harvest Reads, October 11 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)
Live.Love.Read., October 11
Stories By Gina, October 12 (Author Interview)
Mary Hake, October 12
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, October 13
lakesidelivingsite, October 13
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, October 14
Cover Lover Book Review, October 14
Lighthouse Academy Blog, October 15 (Guest Review from Marilyn)
Locks, Hooks and Books, October 16
Blossoms and Blessings, October 17
Holly’s Book Corner, October 17
Inspired by Fiction, October 18
Pause for Tales, October 18
Labor Not in Vain, October 19
To Everything There is A Season, October 20
Romances of the Cross, October 20
To celebrate her tour, Carrie is giving away the grand prize of a $15 Amazon gift card and a paperback copy of A Token of Love!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
My Thoughts
I didn't know much about the Foundling Hospital prior to reading this book and I have found its history fascinating after doing more research! The first part of this story really got me hooked because it is a bit of mystery in the search for a missing person. I recommend reading the author's note in the back of the book FIRST. It covers more of the actual historic details and to be honest I was a little disappointed to find that the main premise of this story didn't actually happen as portrayed. Now that is not to say that the selling of innocent girls did not happen, of course it did unfortunately, just not necessarily in the way portrayed in the book. So once I realized this it made me think about the rest of the book a tad differently but not in a bad way. The story is dual-time line and I enjoyed the historical story more but both were written in a way that melded together nicely. There is a human trafficking plot in each past and present day stories and it is astounding to see how people haven't changed. Overall this is a good book that brings to light the things that many want to keep hidden in darkness.
Four Stars.
"I received this book from Bethany House Publishers for free. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review."
About the Book Lady Anna Clifton will stop at nothing to find her missing brother—even if it means working alongside the dashingly handsom...