Category: Historical

As a biochemist in early 1900s New York, Doctor Rosalind Werner has dedicated her life to the crusade against waterborne diseases. She is at the forefront of a groundbreaking technology that will change the way water is delivered to every household in the city–but only if she can get people to believe in her work.

Newly appointed Commissioner of Water for New York, Nicholas Drake is highly skeptical of Rosalind and her team’s techniques. When a brewing court case throws him into direct confrontation with her, he is surprised by his reaction to the lovely scientist.

While Rosalind and Nick wage a private war against their own attraction, they stand firmly on opposite sides of a battle that will impact far more than just their own lives. As the controversy grows more public and inflammatory and Rosalind becomes the target of an unknown enemy, the odds stacked against these two rivals swiftly grow more insurmountable with every passing day.

Review

 Elizabeth Camden is a favorite author of mine and not because I love every book she’s written. It’s because I know when I pick up a book by her, I’m going to get a smart, intelligent, pioneering woman (who is still a woman of her times!) matched with a unique and fascinating hero. In that regard, this book is no different. Plus it’s the sequel to one of my favorite Camden books. My thoughts:

What I liked:

Rosalind.  Some of the time. She’s a typical Camden heroine. She’s smart and gutsy. She cares deeply about others and she has this fascinating past that made me want to learn more about her.

Nick. We were introduced to him in the first book, and I was really excited to learn more. He’s also very smart and kind but also exuberant, outgoing, and yet has a temper. He’s very much a layered hero.

History. You learn so much about drinking water and chlorine. While reading this book, I had to stop and google things to see what had really happened.

The romance. It was kind of strange. I didn’t care for how some of it went down (look below), but even though this book had some definite insta-attraction, I still found myself very curious as to how everything was going to come together.

Spiritually the novel deals with forgiveness…on all kinds of layers.

What I didn’t like:

The secrets. There are just too many and I’m not a fan of how they were revealed. I really don’t like deception in books unless it’s handled well and this felt a bit too formulaic and cliche for me. Because of the secrets, it really made certain characters that I liked, look bad.

Overall, I was a bit disappointed with this book and most likely because I thoroughly enjoyed the first one. However, I won’t ever stop reading Camden. She always manages to provide something fresh and new to the table.

Romantic scale: 7.5

** I received a copy from Netgalley. My opinion was not affected in anyway.**

About

From the blood-soaked sand of the Roman arena, a divine destiny will rise.
For as long as Jonathan Tarquinius can remember, everyone has wanted something from him. His half brother wants him dead. His master’s wife wants his innocence. The gladiator dealers want him to fight—and die—for their greed. Rome’s most famous prostitute wants his love. And the gentle slave girl who tends the wounds on his body and the hidden ones on his soul longs for him to return to his faith.

What Jonathan wants is simple. Freedom. But God wants something from Jonathan too—something more than anyone would ever imagine. The young warrior’s journey will push him to the limits of human endurance and teach him that true freedom is found within. The greatest battle Jonathan must ever fight will not come in the arena, but deep within himself as he is forced to choose between vengeance and mercy—with the fate of an empire and the life of the woman he loves hanging in the balance.

Review

I randomly stumbled across this book while actually looking for another book. I noticed that it was about the Romans and after read having Francine Rivers’ A Voice in the Wind, which made me fall in love with Roman-era novels, I decided to read this one. Initially, I found it to be a bit slow, then I noticed that it had shades of the Biblical story of Joseph and I thought it would be predictable, then I reached about 20% on my kindle. Then I fell in love with this book. Here’s why:

What I liked:

The realistic portrayals of Rome. Let’s face it, Rome was about as debaucherous as you could get and authors can either pretend that that stuff didn’t happen or they can tell it like it is. Well, Ms. Kimball tells it like it is. Boy does Jonathan (and some secondary characters) ever go through some things. She didn’t revel in it, but I’m glad she acknowledged that it was there.

Gladiators. Ever since the film Gladiator, I kinda sorta am interested in them and we get a lot of Gladiatorial happenings in this book.

The romance. It had this slow burn to it that was done fabulously. You could see Nessa and Jonathan falling in love with each other. And the sacrifices that he made on her behalf….

It was sweeping. This is not just one story, not just a year in someone’s life. It spreads across more then 10 years and Jonathan manages to affect everyone he comes into contact with.

Spiritually, the theme is forgiveness. Jonathan has a lot of people who treated him wrongly, and yet we are required to forgive. It’s beautifully portrayed throughout the whole novel. There is also another theme on not turning back on God when your prayers don’t get answered the way you want them to.  Good stuff.

What I didn’t like:

Again, it took a minute for me to become invested, but once I did, I couldn’t put this book down.

Romantic Scale:9

Overall, loved it!.

About

It is 1704 when Genevieve Gaillain and her sister board a French ship headed for the Louisiana colony as mail-order brides. Both have promised to marry one of the rough-and-tumble Canadian men in this New World in order to escape religious persecution in the Old World. Genevieve knows life won’t be easy, but at least here she can establish a home and family without fear of beheading. But when she falls in love with Tristan Lanier, an expatriate cartographer whose courageous stand for fair treatment of native peoples has made him decidedly unpopular in the young colony, Genevieve realizes that even in this land of liberty one is not guaranteed peace. And a secret she harbors could mean the undoing of the colony itself.

Gulf Coast native Beth White brings vividly to life the hot, sultry south in this luscious, layered story of the lengths we must go to in order to be true to ourselves, our faith, and our deepest loves

Review

I happen to enjoy Beth White’s novels and though I usually read her contemporary novels, I may or may not have been influenced by the cover of this book and read it. Here’s what I thought:

What I liked:

The history. My knowledge of American history pre-1776 is a bit fuzzy so I found it fascinating to learn about these Pelican Brides and their arrival to America, as well as the American Indians that had to deal with all of these foreigners I learned a lot and yet the history just flowed naturally throughout the book.

The premise. I kind of like the “mail-order” bride story.

Tristan. He’s a complex man, but one the reader trusts intrinsically, no doubt because he is a survivor. I liked his back story, and the way that he interacted with Genevieve.

Genevieve. She’s a strong heroine, but she’s not a stupid one. I like that she realizes that she has to survive and play by the rules of this town, and yet she doesn’t have to just go with the flow. I think that she’s a great match to Tristan.

Spiritually, the novel deals with the persecution of the French Protestants and how brave they are to read the Bible and trust God when it could very well be a death sentence. It just brought out the seriousness of our faith that we sometimes forget.

What I didn’t like:

It seems to be fairly common to make siblings of the heroine total meanies. I mean, if I was an only child who read books like these, I would be thanking God. Fortunately, I have two awesome sisters who would never treat me the way Genevieve’s sister treated her. It just kind of bothered me that her sister was so consumed with herself.

The romance happened a bit fast mostly because Tristan and Genevieve spent a lot of time a part from each other. I saw that this book was a series, and initially, I thought that meant that we would see Genevieve and Tristan really get to know each other over the space of the series, but I’m fairly certain that this is their book.

Overall, a very good read and written so well that I got lost in the pages.

Romantic Scale: 7.4

Review

About
1865—Marietta Hughes never wanted to be a spy, but the family legacy of espionage is thrust upon her as the War Between the States rolls on. Unknown to her, the Knights of the Golden Circle—a Confederate secret society bent on destroying the Union her brother died for—has been meeting in a hidden lair beneath her home. Faced with the secrets of her late husband and his brother, whom she thought she could trust with anything, Marietta’s world tilts out of control. Can she right it by protecting a Union agent infiltrating the KGC?

Slade Osborne, an undercover Pinkerton agent, is determined to do whatever is necessary to end the conflict between the North and the South. When he infiltrates this secret cell, it isn’t just their inner workings that baffle him—it’s the beautiful woman who seems to be a puppet for the new leader and yet…so much more.

Do they dare trust each other in this circle of intrigue? Will their shared faith sustain them? And can Mari and Slade stymie the enemy long enough to see their beloved country reunited?

Review
I have read all of Roseanna M. White’s books.  Her first two novels (Jewel of Persia & A Stray Drop of Blood) are the epitome of drama. However, I noticed that after those two, she dialed things back for a while. Oh, but this one brings some of that ole drama back and I loved every minute of it. From the first page I was thoroughly engrossed in this novel and probably gasping for the first half of the book. You will be on the edge of your seat figuring things out. So:

What I liked about it:

The drama (obviously). It’s good drama. The kind that surprises you without making you queasy as you wonder how everything will work out.

Marietta. Boy is this girl something. She’s kind of like a reformed Scarlett O’Hara, the best part being that she is reformed. She’s got a special talent that is so unique and original and makes incredible sense for a spy.

I love how she also takes the theme of the Alpha male (which is so popular in secular romance novels) and flips it on its head.

I really liked the complexity of the villain. He had moments of goodness and moments of pure evil. He was in no way one note.

The Lane family. They were very well incorporated in the story without making it feel crowded.

Spiritually, there is a beautiful theme of grace and forgiveness balanced with the concept that just because you’re forgiven doesn’t mean there aren’t consequences.

What I didn’t like:

Okay, I liked Slade and I liked his back story, BUT, somehow the other guys (yes there’s two others) managed to have more charisma and somehow managed to stand out in my mind more. Or maybe someone else who is not supposed to be a contender managed to slip in there and be one. I think it has to do with the fact that they had such terrific back stories that connected with Marietta that it almost felt like who is this new guy. Then again, Marietta needed a new guy on the scene. All I do know is Slade didn’t connect to Marietta as well as I would have liked.

Overall, I had so much fun with this book. To be honest, this one didn’t seem as interesting to me as the others in the series at first, but I think it may have been my favorite in the series.
Romantic Scale: 8

**I received this novel from Netgalley. My opinion was not affected in anyway.**

About
Powerful Retelling of the Story of Esther

In 1944, blond and blue-eyed Jewess Hadassah Benjamin feels abandoned by God when she is saved from a firing squad only to be handed over to a new enemy. Pressed into service by SS-Kommandant Colonel Aric von Schmidt at the transit camp of Theresienstadt in Czechoslovakia, she is able to hide behind the false identity of Stella Muller. However, in order to survive and maintain her cover as Aric’s secretary, she is forced to stand by as her own people are sent to Auschwitz.

Suspecting her employer is a man of hidden depths and sympathies, Stella cautiously appeals to him on behalf of those in the camp. Aric’s compassion gives her hope, and she finds herself battling a growing attraction for this man she knows she should despise as an enemy.

Stella pours herself into her efforts to keep even some of the camp’s prisoners safe, but she risks the revelation of her true identity with every attempt. When her bravery brings her to the point of the ultimate sacrifice, she has only her faith to lean upon. Perhaps God has placed her there for such a time as this, but how can she save her people when she is unable to save herself?

Review
Can I just admit that I think retellings are generally cop-outs? To me, they can lack a certain amount of imagination. But. This. Book. I loved her retelling. It was just enough hints of Esther so that you could see the similarities (particularly with the names) and more than enough creativity on Kate Breslin’s side of things (to the point  where I could not predict how things would turn out). A wonderful, engaging novel. It’s one of the many WWII novels that are coming out this year, but this one is a definite success.

What I liked:

Colonel Aric was my favorite person because he was so deliciously complex. Was he nice? Sometimes. Unstable? All the time. I loved that you couldn’t figure him out and that you didn’t always know who he would side with. For me, personally, he gave me a greater understanding of how Xerxes probably was in the Bible and the risk that Esther took in approaching him. I will say that his character development sped up towards the end, but he didn’t change the essence of who he is.

Stella/Hadassah was also a bit, unstable (emotionally). But, considering what she’s already lived through by this point, it makes a bit of sense. Generally speaking, I find heroines who are just amazingly beautiful to lack something, but here, her beauty was almost a character itself and just fit the narrative.

The secondary characters were wonderful. They were fully developed and each and every one of them tugged on my heart strings. Everyone knows the Jewish people really went through at that time, but oh how they went through.

Spiritually, Stella and Aric both have some heavy pasts and feel like God failed them to some degree. To watch them trust again is a process well worth going through.

What I didn’t like:

Again, it felt like things sped up towards the end.

Overall, I really enjoyed it. I connected with the characters and I cared about them. Constantly, I was asking myself what I would have done. Though this is a retelling, it’s also incredibly unique. I won’t tell you it’s fun, because there are some hard parts, but it’s well worth reading.

Romantic Scale: 8.7
**I received this novel from Netgalley. My opinion was not affected in anyway.**

About

A girl with the best of intentions.
A heart set on Hollywood.
An empty pocketbook.

That’s all it takes for Ellis Eton to find herself working as a telephone operator for a look-alike friend. For Ellis, this job will provide not only acting practice but the funds to get her a start in the movies. She’s tired of always being a disappointment to her traditional Boston family, and though she can’t deny the way he makes her head spin, she knows she’s not good enough for Griffin Phillips, either. It’s simple: avoid Griff’s attentions, work, and get paid. But in typical Ellis fashion, her simple plan spirals out of control when she overhears a menacing phone call…with her very own Griff as the target.

Review

Siri Mitchell does a fantastic job of picking up small historical facts and really running with them. I really felt like I had been transported to the 1920s with this one. There’s telephone operator girls, speakeasies, and flappers. There’s also Ellis. Ellis is an interesting heroine that, for the most part, I really liked. I will say, that someone let me in on a spoiler that I felt like I was glad to know ahead of time.* I will post said spoiler at the end of my review in case you want to go into this novel blind, but I will say, because I knew the spoiler, I was able to find Ellis endearing as opposed to annoying. Okay, now for the rundown:

What I liked:

The dedication (and really the theme of the whole novel): for everyone who has ever wished they could just be like everyone else. Um, yes. Who hasn’t wished that at some point? This really made Ellis easily identifiable and lovable.

The time period. It’s just on the edge of modern with old school ways. I’m really beginning to enjoy books written in the 1920s.

The romance. It’s a different kind of romance. This is not boy meets girl and likes her. This is boy already likes girl. Therefore, I will say, this novel is not romance centered, but I still loved every moment that Griff was with Ellis.

It’s a very easy read. I found myself surprised that I was almost finished with the book at one point.

Spiritually, I love that the novel shows that you are just who God created you to be. It also deals with whether or not you can legalize morality since it is really a heart issue. Good thinking points.

What I didn’t like:

Ellis decides to solve a mystery that potentially has murder at the root of it…by herself. I just wasn’t sure what she was hoping to accomplish half the time. Also, at times, it did feel that Ellis acted years younger than her age because she seemed to have almost no concept of how others think (unless this was because she was wealthy…I haven’t decided).

Overall, a very cute story.

Romantic Scale: 7.5

**I received this novel from BethanyHouse. My opinion was not affected in anyway.**

*[Spoiler Alert: Ellis has ADHD.]

About

A gripping love story set against the backdrop of a stunning antebellum mansion

Pink was not what Eleanor Braddock ordered, but maybe it would soften the tempered steel of a woman who came through a war–and still had one to fight.

Eleanor Braddock–plain, practical, no stunning Southern beauty–knows she will never marry. But with a dying soldier’s last whisper, she believes her life can still have meaning and determines to find his widow. Impoverished and struggling to care for her ailing father, Eleanor arrives at Belmont Mansion, home of her aunt, Adelicia Acklen, the richest woman in America–and possibly the most demanding, as well. Adelicia insists on finding her niece a husband, but a simple act of kindness leads Eleanor down a far different path–building a home for destitute widows and fatherless children from the Civil War. While Eleanor knows her own heart, she also knows her aunt will never approve of this endeavor.

Archduke Marcus Gottfried has come to Nashville from Austria in search of a life he determines, instead of one determined for him. Hiding his royal heritage, Marcus longs to combine his passion for nature with his expertise in architecture, but his plans to incorporate natural beauty into the design of the widows’ and children’s home run contrary to Eleanor’s wishes. As work on the home draws them closer together, Marcus and Eleanor find common ground–and a love neither of them expects. But Marcus is not the man Adelicia has chosen for Eleanor, and even if he were, someone who knows his secrets is about to reveal them all.

From the USA Today bestselling author Tamera Alexander comes a moving historical novel about a bold young woman drawn to a group of people forgotten by Nashville society–and to the one man with whom she has no business falling in love.

Review

Can you believe we went a whole year without a book from Ms. Alexander? I can’t either. She was completely missed, and I was so excited to get my hands on this new book of hers. Here is the breakdown:

Things I like:

The romance. No one quite does romance like Ms. Alexander. She does my favorite kind: friendship romance. The novel has that slow build that you can just watch unfold on the pages. Eleanor learns every facet of who Marcus is and vice versa. By the time I finish the novel, I have the utmost faith that they love each other and that their relationship would last. Nothing is rushed, nothing is contrived and when you get to that moment in the end all you want to do is sigh (sidenote: if you love Jane Austen movies, you will love this book).

Eleanor is an amazing heroine, and I don’t say that lightly because I’m so hard on my heroines. I love her straightforwardness. I love her vulnerability. I love that when people (ahem, Marcus) make mistakes, she doesn’t make it all about her or make a mountain out of a molehill. I love that she acts like a friend and not a woman scorned when surprises arise. There is probably only one thing Eleanor does that didn’t fit her character (according to my kindle I was about 93% in), but otherwise, hats off to you my dear.

This novel is a history lovers dream. The historical facts are interwoven so beautifully, I kept wondering if some of these characters were real people. I learned so much and yet not once did I feel like the author went off on a tangent to teach me a history lesson. Let’s not forget that this is right after the Civil War which is one of my favorite eras to read about combined with Western European history (another favorite of mine). I couldn’t get enough (you would think those two things would clash, nope).

We are back at Belmont with Ms. Acklen and you get a completely different viewpoint of her. She was the same women in A Lasting Impression and yet not the same. I really liked the newness that was brought to her character.

Spiritually, I liked watching Marcus develop and grow in his faith, while watching Eleanor learn that God can answer our prayers in the most unique ways.

Things I didn’t like:

I will say, that as much as I love long novels and get excited about them, this novel did start to feel long by a certain point, most likely because all the “big things” seemed to be wrapped up fairly early on and I could only see success with the rest of the story. That said, for me this didn’t detract from the novel too much.

Okay, I’m going to say this: this novel, though it has different characters and different issues and concerns, does seem almost interchangeable with the previous novels that Ms. Alexander wrote. I don’t know how exactly, I can’t put my finger on it. But something about the feel of the story made me feel like I had read it before. Again, I love her books so this wasn’t a problem, but I did want to note it.

Overall, very good.

Romantic scale: 9.5

**I received this novel from Netgalley. My opinion was not affected in any way.**

About

Spunky Allison McClare is determined to be a fearless, independent woman, resorting to a mammoth hat pin for protection on her way to and from the school where she teaches. But when she takes a notion to explore the wild Barbary Coast she quickly discovers she is no match for rum-soaked brute strength.

Detective Nick Barone would rather do almost anything than teach this petite socialite jiu-jitsu, but it seems he has little choice in the matter. Sparks fly every time the two meet until a grudging friendship develops into something deeper. But when Nick suddenly leaves town, Allison realizes he’s a fraud just like all the rest of the men she’s cared for. Does she dare love again?

The lushness of the glorious Gilded Age beautifully showcases Lessman’s passion as a writer in this engaging love story written with humor and heart. From the glamour of San Francisco’s Nob Hill to the seedy gambling dens of the Barbary Coast, Dare to Love Again is a journey to find a love that never fails. Fans will love revisiting the world of the cousins McClare, and new readers will seek more of Julie’s passion-filled novel

Review

Having read the first novel in this series, I knew I had to read the second. Here are some things I noticed about this novel:

Logan. He’s my favorite character in the whole series so far. I like the way he thinks, I like the way that he reacts, I like his expectations. You can sense that he is an extremely powerful man and yet weak for his family. He creates problems for Nick, but I like that too because it makes him seem more real. I especially love that he loves Caitlyn. I personally find that their own story has a tendency to overshadow the “main romance” (though I will say there is a moment where I think Caitlyn is unfair to Logan). Let’s not forget that Logan also has something he has to reveal to his family and I was so upset when the book ended right when he was about to make the big reveal (book three you are on my radar!)

Allie and Nick. I will say, that it took me a minute to get invested in this relationship. I was lost for a second in their intense dislike for each other and amidst all the name-calling that went on. But then there was a switch. It probably has to do with the fact that their relationship didn’t follow the “typical” deception story. Nick is a very straightforward kind of guy (though if you read this book….well…that’s all I’m going to say) and I so liked that about him. And Allie is equally straightforward. No shy heroines here. Allie’s reason to learn jiu-jitsu, however, well I was with Nick. This girl had no real sense of the world. I think you don’t prove anything to anybody by being able to walk around in bad neighborhoods at dark. That said, when Allie finally gets a chance to use her jiu-jitsu is a great moment.

Spiritually, there is this great theme of forgiveness and how we have to learn to trust God particularly when things don’t go our way. In this world we are going to have tribulation and Jesus already promised that we would overcome it. With his help, we won’t become bitter about our circumstances. It really is a great point that is really shown beautifully in this novel.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I wasn’t ready for it to end!

Romantic Scale: 9

**I received this novel from Netgalley. My opinion was not affected in any way.**