Thursday, April 28, 2011

The Voyage of Promise - Kay Marshall Strom

The Voyage of Promise (Grace in Africa, #2)The Voyage of Promise by Kay Marshall Strom



(From back cover)





She is safe, and she is free...
but she is still alone.


--------------West Africa, 1792-----------------

Slavers burst into Grace Winslow's life with guns blazing and tear her family apart forever. She watches in anguish as her husband is led in chains aboard a tightly packed slave ship bound for America. An old enemy has a more sinister plan for Grace and prepares her for a different kind of servitude in London. But Grace will not be enslaved. And she will not give up on the man she loves. In her determination to be reunited with her husband, she finds God reaching out to her.


This is the second book in the "Grace in Africa" series.


I give this book: 4 Stars




My Thoughts:
I thought that "The Voyage Of Promise" was so much more enjoyable than the first book in the series, "The Call Of Zulina", and well worth my time to read it. I plan on reading the third book "The Triumph Of Grace" soon and hope it is as good as this book was to read. 


Author's Websites:
http://www.kaystrom.com/
http://graceinafrica.com/







Monday, April 25, 2011

The Intrigue at Highbury: (Or, Emma's Match) by Carrie Bebris

The Intrigue at Highbury: Or, Emma's Match (Mr. and Mrs. Darcy Mysteries)The Intrigue at Highbury by Carrie Bebris




(From inside cover)


       On a dark road outside the village of Highbury, Mr. and Mrs. Darcy's carriage is hailed by a damsel in distress. Ever the gentleman, Fitzwilliam Darcy stops to aid the young woman, little suspecting that gypsies roam these woods, or that both the Darcys' possessions and the woman are about to vanish into the night.


       The Darcys seek out the parish magistrate, who is having a difficult evening of his own. Mr. Knightley and his new wife, the former Miss Emma Woodhouse, are hosting a party to honor the marriage of their friends Frank Churchill and Jane Fairfax. The celebration turns sinister, however, when Edgar Churchill, uncle and adoptive father of the groom, suddenly falls ill and dies. The cause of death: poison.


       The circumstances of another recent death in the Churchill family lead Mr. Knightley to suspect that Mr. Churchill's demise was no accident. When connections between the robbery and murder emerge, the Darcys and Knightleys join forces to investigate the crimes. Together they must work quickly to locate the source of the poison and the murderer'd motive---before the killer strikes again.


       The Darcys take center stage as the Regency era's answer to The Thin Man's Nick and Nora. searching for truth between teatimes, amidst the social whirl of Jane Austen's England.


This is the fifth book in "A Mr. & Mrs Darcy Mystery" Series.


I give this book: 5 Stars


My Thoughts
The Intrigue At Highbury captured my attention right away and kept it throughout the book. I didn't want to put this down and it kept me guessing until the end. A very enjoyable story and an excellent book!


Author's Website:
http://www.carriebebris.com/




"A Mr. & Mrs. Darcy Mystery" Series:


  1. Pride & Prescience: (Or, A Truth Universally Acknowledged)
  2. Suspense & Sensibility: (Or, First Impressions Revisited)
  3. North & Northanger: (Or, The Shades Of Pemberley)
  4. The Matters at Mansfield: (Or, The Crawford Affair)
  5. The Intrigue At Highbury: (Or, Emma's Match)
  6. The Deception At Lyme: (Or, The Peril Of Persuasion) (Will be available on 9/27/11)

Thursday, April 21, 2011

The Call of Zulina - Kay Marshall Strom

Book 1 in the "Grace in Africa" series.

The Call of Zulina (Grace in Africa, #1)The Call of Zulina by
          Kay Marshall Strom
                    View all my reviews     
        



  (From Back Cover)

The daughter of slave traders helps lead a revolt against injustice.

----------West Africa, 1781----------

Grace Winslow, the daughter of a mixed marriage between an English sea captain and an African princess, is swept up in a slave revolt after she escapes the family compound to avoid an odious betrothal.

As the truth about the fortress of Zulina unfolds, Grace begins to grasp the brutality and ferocity of the family business - the capture and trade of slaves.

Despite being held for ransom, viciously maimed by a runaway slave, and threatened with death, Grace sympathizes with the plight of the captives. She is especially moved by the African Cabeto's passion, determination, and willingness to sacrifice anything, including his own life, for his people's freedom. Leaning on the faith of her nanny Mama Muco, Grace risks everything to follow her heart.


I give this book: 2 Stars


My Thoughts:


The majority of this story takes place in the fortress of Zulina and the story seemed to just drag on forever. There were parts of it I enjoyed but overall I didn't and I had to force myself to just finish it. The book ends in such a way that I plan on reading the next book (even though most of "The Call Of Zulina" was so boring) because it just left me hanging and I hate not knowing what happens. If anyone has read this book and has a different opinion than the one I have, leave a comment and explain your thoughts on this book. I personally would not recommend "The Call Of Zulina" to anyone.


Author's Websites:
http://www.kaystrom.com/
http://graceinafrica.com/

Monday, April 18, 2011

Mrs. Darcy's Dilemma - Diana Birchall

Mrs. Darcy's DilemmaMrs. Darcy's Dilemma by Diana Birchall




(From Back Cover)

It seemed a harmless invitation, after all...

When Mrs. Darcy invited her sister Lydia's daughters to come for a visit, she felt it was a small kindness she could do for her poor nieces. Little did she imagine the upheaval that would ensue. But with her elder son, the Darcys' heir, in danger of losing his heart, a theatrical scandal threatening to engulf them all, and daughter Jane on the verge of her come-out, the Mistress of Pemberley must make some difficult decisions...


I give this book: 2 1/2 Stars



My Thoughts:



While I enjoyed this book, I thought at times it was annoying and Mr. & Mrs. Darcy didn't behave as I would have expected them to behave. "Mrs. Darcy's Dilemma" was just OK.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Hearts Aglow - Tracie Peterson

Hearts Aglow (Striking a Match, #2)Hearts Aglow by Tracie Peterson




(From Back Cover)


Will love remain elusive for the matchmaker?


Life in Perkinsville, Texas, holds great promise for Deborah Vandermark. Content in the embrace of her family, she pursues her medical studies under the tutelage of Dr. Christopher Clayton and delights in the growing affection between them. Yet when tragedy casts a shadow over life in this logging town, Deborah is unprepared for the difficulties that follow.

When a letter from his family sets Christopher in a tailspin, Deborah's carefully laid plans falter. And the arrival of Jake Wythe only adds to her growing uncertainty. As she struggles against the forces of the past and the Texas land itself, will Deborah be forced to turn her back on the love taking root in her heart?

I give this book: 5 Stars
     
My Thoughts:

I absolutely love all of the books that I have read by Tracie Peterson and when I started reading this series I knew I wouldn't be disappointed. "Hearts Aglow" is the second book in the "Striking A Match" series. The first book "Embers Of Love" must be read first because these books are a continuing story . Tracie Peterson is one of the best Christian fiction authors ( if not the best) and she is my favorite author. I totally recommend "Embers Of Love" & "Hearts Aglow" and I would be very much surprised if anyone did not enjoy these books.



Authors Website:

Monday, April 11, 2011

The Other Mr. Darcy by Monica Fairview

The Other Mr. Darcy: Did you know Mr. Darcy had an American cousin?The Other Mr. Darcy by Monica Fairview



(From back cover)


Did you know Mr. Darcy had an American cousin?

When Caroline Bingley collapses to the floor and sobs at Mr. Darcy's wedding, imagine her humiliation to discover that a stranger has witnessed her emotional display. Miss Bingley, understandably, resents this unknown gentleman very much, even if he is Mr. Darcy's American cousin.

Mr. Robert Darcy is as charming as Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy is proud, and he is stunned to find a beautiful young woman weeping brokenheartedly at his cousin's wedding. Such depth of love, he thinks, is rare and precious. For him, it's love at first sight. Alas, regaining her good graces seems an impossible mission, and he is left to hope that someday their paths will cross again.


I give this book: 4 Stars




My Thoughts:
"The Other Mr. Darcy"  was a pleasure to read. I loved how the author adds another "Mr. Darcy" to the story. The character of Mr. Robert Darcy was excellently written and in this book you see a completely different side to Caroline Bingley. A great book to read and I very much recommend it.


Author's Website:
http://www.monicafairview.co.uk/


Author's Blog:
http://www.austenauthors.com/

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Indivisible: A Novel by Kristen Heitzmann

IndivisibleIndivisible by Kristen Heitzmann




(From back cover)


An Inseparable Bond.
An Insatiable Force.

Battling his own personal demons, Police Chief Jonah Westfall has experienced the dark side of life and is committed to eradicating it. When a pair of raccoons are found mutilated in Redford, Colorado, Jonah investigates the gruesome act, seeking to unmask the perpetrator before the crime escalates and destroys the tranquility of his small mountain town. Jonah fights for answers - and his fragile sobriety - amid a rising drug threat and never-ending conflict with Tia Manning, a formidable childhood friend with whom he has more than a passing history.

But he can't penetrate every wound or secret - especially one fueled by a love and guilt teetering on madness.

From best-selling author Kristen Heitzmann comes a spellbinding tale of severed connections and the consequences of life lived alone.


I give this book: 3 Stars

My Thoughts:


"Indivisible" is a book that kept me guessing almost to the end on some things and very predictable on quite a few other things, but overall a good read.

Monday, April 4, 2011

An Improper Suitor by Monica Fairview

Improper SuitorImproper Suitor by Monica Fairview



(From back cover)

A lady in possession of an independent fortune has no need for a husband. Secure in that belief, Miss Julia Swifton makes no attempt to find one, even after three seasons in London. That is until her grandmother, an advocate of women's rights, rises from her deathbed and threatens to marry her to Lord Thorwynn, a notorious rake. Shocked into action, Julia launches a search for an intelligent, scholarly husband who will suit her. Fortunately, she has a companion - even if Lord Thorwynn is the last person she would ever want to marry.


I give this book: 5 Stars


My Thoughts:


I enjoyed reading "An Improper Suitor" very much and I loved the interaction between Julia Swifton and Lord Thorwynn. This was a great book!!!


Author's Website:
http://www.monicafairview.co.uk/


Author's Blog:
http://www.austenauthors.com/