The Number of Love by Roseanna M. White

Book Blurb (in my own words):

Margot De Wilde loves puzzles and numbers, so deciphering intercepted messages in the secretive Room 40 allows her to do her part for England during the Great War.  Already facing the loss of her father and childhood house, she is once again faced with tragedy close to home.  Feeling like God has gone silent, Margot realizes that her own intelligence and numbers may not be enough anymore.  Drake Elton is on medical leave, living in England at his sister’s flat.  He finds his sister’s friend Margot to be witty and attractive.  As the dangers of war loom closer, he works with Margot to find the enemy close to home before it is too late.

Book Review:

Great history, descriptive scenes, complex romance, and realistic tragedies all come together in perfect order to craft a truly delightful novel!  This book is the start of a new and exciting series by Roseanna M. White, but readers will be thrilled to find characters from her previous books intermixed among the new ones.  I like that she includes short snippets of the mindset of the villain, as I think it adds to the suspense and mystery.  Margot is the perfect strong female lead with intelligence and wit combined with her adorably oblivious attention to her own good looks.  I also really liked her friend Dot, who struggles with agoraphobia.  The romance was realistic in its timetable and its outcome.  I learned much about World War I too, and it is obvious that the author did her research.  I really loved this book and cannot wait for book two!

Disclaimer:

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author.  The opinions of the review are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.

About the Author:

Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award nominated author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. She and her family make their home in the beautiful mountains of West Virginia. You can learn more about her and her stories at www.RoseannaMWhite.com.

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Celebrate Lit Tour – When You Are Near by Tracie Peterson

About the Book

Book: When You Are Near

Author: Tracie Peterson

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: March 5, 2018

After her father’s death, Lizzy Brookstone, a trick rider in the all-female Brookstone Wild West Extravaganza, wants nothing more than to quit her role as the star of the show and live a quiet life on her family’s ranch. But returning home would bring Wesley DeShazer, the ranch’s foreman and the man who broke her heart, back into her life. In addition, the Brookstones’ new manager fears that Lizzy’s departure could doom the already cash-strapped show.

Hope grows in Lizzy during a stopover at Fleming Farm. Ella Fleming not only has a natural talent for trick riding and could easily replace Lizzy, but she’s eager to join the show to flee a forced betrothal. However, while there, one of the show’s wranglers is killed in a manner Lizzy finds suspicious. And during her escape from the farm, Ella stumbles across a secret that could affect all of their lives, as well as the future of the Brookstone Extravaganza.

Click here to purchase your copy.

About the Author

Tracie Peterson (www.traciepeterson.com) is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than 100 novels. Tracie also teaches writing workshops at a variety of conferences on subjects such as inspirational romance and historical research. She and her family live in Montana.

Guest Post from Tracie

Introducing…When You Are Near!

I’m excited about the new Brookstone Brides series and had so much fun researching for the various characters and locations. This is a story about a fictional Wild West show with all female performers. Prior to the rodeos we see today, the Wild West shows traveled throughout America and Europe to entertain people and give city dwellers a taste of what the American frontier was like. At least their version.

Buffalo Bill Cody was famous for his shows, which brought Native Americans and their culture into the world of people who might otherwise never have even seen an “Indian.” Pawnee Bill was another entertainer who sought to keep these shows alive.

For the fictional show in my novels, I wanted to focus on three female characters who became a part of the Brookstone Wild West Extravaganza for varying reasons. Lizzy Brookstone is the heroine in book one, When You Are Near, and as the daughter of one of the show’s owners, she has enjoyed a starring role as a trick rider.

For research I went to Pueblo, Colorado to the ranch of Karen Vold, a famous trick rider and rodeo star. Linda Scholtz, a famed trick rider, was teaching a clinic there along with Karen at the Red Top Ranch Trickriding School.

These are two remarkable Christian trick riders who have long worked to keep the sport alive. I spent three days getting to know them and what they do and learned so much. And just to prove that we weren’t all work and no play, I thought I’d share my attempt at trick riding. What I won’t do for research!

The series will have three books, as usual, and each book will focus on a different lady and her skills. Mary is a trick shooter like Annie Oakley, and Ella is a Roman rider who stands on the backs of two horses for her part in the act. It was so interesting learning about each of these types of performers, and I hope you’ll get a chance to read all three and enjoy the stories of the Brookstone Wild West Extravaganza.

Blog Stops

Among the Reads, March 26

The Power of Words, March 26

Christian Author, J.E. Grace, March 26

Inklings and notions, March 26

The Meanderings of a bookworm, March 27

Chas Ray’s Book Nerd Corner, March 27

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, March 27

Vicky Sluiter, March 27

Carpe Diem, March 28

The Avid Reader, March 28

Genesis 5020, March 28

The Lit Addict, March 29

Jeanette’s Thoughts, March 29

Back Porch Reads, March 29

Just the Write Escape, March 30

Splashes of Joy, March 30

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 30

Emily Yager, March 31

Daysong Reflections, March 31

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 31

Life of Literature, April 1

EmpowerMoms, April 1

For the Love of Literature, April 1

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, April 2

Through the Fire Blogs, April 2

Stephanie’s Life of Determination, April 2

For Him and My Family, April 3

Remembrancy, April 3

Inspiration Clothesline, April 3

Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, April 4

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 4

Pause for Tales, April 4

Older & Smarter?, April 5

Stories By Gina, April 5

Book by Book, April 5

Bigreadersite, April 6

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, April 6

Connect in Fiction, April 6

Godly Book Reviews, April 7

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 7

Texas Book-aholic, April 7

Blossoms and Blessings, April 8

janicesbookreviews, April 8

A Reader’s Brain, April 8

The Becca Files, April 8

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Tracie is giving away a grand prize of When You Are Near, Tracie’s A $25 Barnes and Noble Gift card, and the three books in The Heart of Alaska series and three other winners will receive a copy of When You Are Near!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/dcdd/when-you-are-near-celebration-tour-giveaway

My Thoughts

This book definitely took a few chapters to pull me in, but once I started getting invested in the characters, I found myself wanting to read more and more.  I definitely grew to appreciate the complexity of the characters.  The plot has twists and turns that are not altogether predictable.  The history about trick riding and wild west shows was interesting and made me really want to go to a show!  Readers will find themselves connecting with the main characters over loss and hardship and rejoicing when there are moments of joy.  I think this authors creates such delicious villains that you learn to love to hate!  The story is interesting and definitely worth a read.  Overall, I did really like this book and do recommend it to readers of historical fiction.

Follow along the blog stops to read more reviews and be entered to win a fun prize!

A Desperate Hope by Elizabeth Camden

Eloise Drake is a successful account in New York City in 1908, a job for which she has worked hard and is very proud.  She is attracted to stability and numbers and therefore finds herself drawn to her stoic and levelheaded boss.  Recognizing her talents, her boss tasks her with analyzing the value of homes in Duval Springs before the city destroys it to create a reservoir for clean water. But Eloise is dreading this assignment because it means returning to the town that she spent many childhood summers and seeing once again the spontaneous and adventurous Alex, her young crush.  Alex is determined to save his town and will do anything to make it happen, even if it means clashing with the girl he once loved—a girl that he again finds himself falling in love.

What a great ending to a great series!  Elizabeth Camden always does such a wonderful job of crafting characters with complex personalities and great depth, and this novel is no exception.  I liked the interactions between Alex and Eloise and that their friendship and relationship was not entirely predictable.  It was fascinating to read about the building of a reservoir at the turn of the twentieth century and I felt myself drawn into the well-researched history and the emotions of the fictional characters. The storyline flowed well and it was easy to enjoy this fabulous novel!  Although it is not necessary to read this series in order, it is fun to read about previous characters in this book.  I highly recommend this novel!

I received a copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers/Elizabeth Camden in exchange for an honest review.

The Curse of Misty Wayfair by Jaime Jo Wright

In 1908, Thea arrives to Pleasant Valley, Wisconsin, in hopes of uncovering why her mother left her at an orphanage when she was young.  She discovers a secretive asylum tucked into the woods and is able to gain entrance with groundskeeper Simeon and her postmortem photography skills. But as she unearths ghosts and the tale of Misty Wayfair, Thea learns that there may be more than meets the eye. More than a century later, Heidi also travels to Pleasant Valley after she receives a plea from her mother fighting dementia.  Heidi also exposes family secrets of ghosts and soon she finds herself on a journey involving Misty Wayfair and events that cause her to fear her own life.

What an exciting book! The opening line, “melancholy was a condition of the spirit and soul, but also of the mind,” draws you in with its eerie mystery immediately and the grip of the words does not let up until the last page.  This book has ghost like suspense that left me with heart pounding and eyes scanning to find solutions to the supernatural.  I love Jaime Jo Wright’s writing as it is packed with details that allow me to really envision each scene and imagine the thrilling events.  She has such a unique gift!  The characters are rich in depth with imperfections and struggles that are realistic and relatable.  Jaime Jo tackles difficult social topics in this book, including but certainly not limited to, autism and its effects on loved ones, depression and anxiety and its misconceptions, childhood trauma and its psychological aftereffects, and the treatment of the mentally ill in the early 20^thcentury. What a phenomenal read!  I could hardly put the book down and stayed up much too late on several evenings to finish it (really, my only complaint here is the lack of sleep I had while reading, ha!).  The central theme of identity is clearly woven so uniquely throughout and ultimately draws on the Christian principle of identity in Christ.  I did not used to like split time novels, but Jaime Jo has a special gift to craft books that weave together a story that comes together into a well-structured and satisfying ending, and has definitely made me a fan of these books.  I truly loved this book and cannot wait to see what she pens next!  Most highly recommended!

I received a copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers/Jaime Jo Wright in exchange for an honest review.        5/5

Legacy of Mercy!

Hello Readers!

I am so excited to partner with Lynn Austin to promote her newest novel, Legacy of Mercy.  I have recently shared my book review (direct link: https://lifeofliterature.wordpress.com/2018/10/02/legacy-of-mercy-by-lynn-austin/).  Here is a quote from the book that stuck with me!  I have also copied a message from Lynn Austin to readers below.  Seek out this novel when it releases today! You will not be disappointed!

Dear Readers!

I’m so happy that you decided to join me on what I hope will be a fun adventure. I’m very excited to share my newest novel, “Legacy of Mercy,” with you because it was you—my readers—who inspired me to write it! I received many, many letters asking if there would be a sequel to “Waves of Mercy.” The main character, Anna, is only in her twenties and is a new Christian, so when she decides to return to Chicago and marry her fiancé at the end of “Waves of Mercy,” readers wanted to know what happens next in her life. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to explore what happens next for Anna, too. She has just discovered who her birth mother is, so naturally she’ll wants to learn more about her. She’ll also want to solve the mystery of who her real father is and what became of him. Might he still be alive? Lots of material for a story here!

I really hope you enjoy “Legacy of Mercy.” I believe you’re in for a few surprises along the way!

~Lynn Austin

Legacy of Mercy by Lynn Austin

Anna Nicholson returns from her summer trip to Michigan intent on learning more about her birth mother, hiring Pinkerton detectives to help her dig up the past.  As secrets are revealed, however, Anna soon discovers that her past may actually alter her future.  And amidst the craziness of planning for a wedding and maneuvering through society, she realizes that her commitment to seek God daily is not as easy as she had planned.  She finds encouragement in her grandmother, Geesje, who is facing a challenge of her own after she accepts a young, timid girl with a complicated history into her home. As these two women navigate their trials, they find that God’s purpose and forgiveness is the only thing that truly matters.

I absolutely loved the prequel to this novel, Waves of Mercy, so I was thrilled to discover that the author responded to the overwhelming encouragement to continue Anna and Geesje’s story.  Anna faces trials that make her a realistic and relatable character and has a depth to her that allows me as a reader to connect with her and feel her struggles and emotions.  Geesje as well is a compassionate soul with godly wisdom that reaches beyond the pages and encourages me as a reader.  There is mystery surrounding Anna’s story that is unpredictable and the romance becomes complicated, leading to twists and turns unexpected.  I loved the history of the Dutch heritage and the incorporation of many spiritual truths.  I most highly recommend this novel!

I received a copy of this book from Lynn Austin and Bethany House Publishers.

For the Record by Regina Jennings

Betsy Huckabee is motivated to submit articles to a big city newspaper in order to support her budding career as a writer. The only issue is that her sleepy town of Pine Gap, Missouri, does not have enough unique excitement to sell her stories. That is, until the dashing Deputy Joel Puckett arrives in town. His goal might be to establish the law and show the masked marauders who is boss, but he is surprised when a feisty female is the one who seems to be resisting his methods. As Betsy attempts to elaborate Joel’s attributes in order to sell stories, she soon realizes that her stories may harm those she loves and entangle her heart in a messy situation.

I like strong heroines in novels so I was excited to read this story, as Betsy has spirit and gumption to carry her through all sorts of adventures. Her independence, however, never overshadows her desire to help her family, a trait I can admire. There were several surprising twists and the villain in the story keeps you guessing. This particular novel can be read alone as the story develops entirely in this book. I expected a little more humor to the dialogue, but I did still enjoy the characters, the setting, and the overall plot. The main protagonists both grow up a little in the novel and I enjoyed watching their friendship and eventual romance develop. I recommend this novel to lovers of historical fiction!

I received a copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers and the generous author, Regina Jennings, in exchange for an honest review.

An Interview with Tamera Alexander about To Win Her Favor!

For those who have already seen my recent review of Tamera’s newest novel, To Win Her Favor (to be released on May 12th), you may already be familiar with her fantastic new release.  But here is a fun interview with the author herself on her ambition behind writing this newest novel.  Enjoy!

Q: To Win Her Favor is the second in your Belle Meade Plantation series. Can you tell us where the story picks up in the series? Is it directly connected to the first book?

Each of the Belle Meade Plantation novels are standalone novels, so each tells a complete story. However, you might just catch a glimpse <wink> of Ridley and Olivia from To Whisper Her Name in To Win Her Favor (releasing May 12, 2015). But Cullen and Maggie’s story definitely takes center stage in To Win Her Favor, the second of three novels in the Belle Meade Plantation series.

Coming in July is a Belle Meade Plantation novella—To Mend a Dream. To Mend a Dream continues the story of a secondary character we meet in To Win Her Favor, Savannah Darby. Savannah is Maggie’s closest friend and while we learn about Savannah’s struggles in To Win Her Favor, the culmination of her story is told in To Mend a Dream, a novella in a Southern novella collection entitled, Among the Fair Magnolias (written with authors Shelley Shepard Gray, Dorothy Love, and Elizabeth Musser).

You are a resident of Nashville, which is a city rich with culture and history. Is this why you chose to set your series there? 

I’ve always had a love of history. Southern history, specifically. Being from Atlanta, I grew up around antebellum homes, so when I was in Nashville on a business trip in 2004 with my daughter, we toured the Belmont Mansion, and I knew then I wanted to someday write about Belmont’s fascinating history (A Lasting Impression and A Beauty So Rare). Likewise, when I learned about Belle Meade’s thoroughbred legacy, the ideas started coming (for To Whisper Her Name and To Win Her Favor). I’m honored to write about these two Nashville estates and their real history. It never gets old for me.

How many times did you visit the actual Belle Meade Plantation while writing this book?

Oh gracious, I’ve lost count how many times I’ve been out there (Belle Meade is only 25 minutes from my house). Just two weeks ago, I met a book club of about 30 women at Belle Meade. They were from Alabama, having a girl’s weekend out! After they toured the mansion, we walked down to the old Harding cabin, one of my favorite places at Belle Meade, and where Belle Meade all began. No visit to Belle Meade is complete for me without stopping by that cabin. It has such a presence about it.

I’m grateful to Belle Meade’s director, Alton Kelley (a descendant of the Harding family who owned Belle Meade in the 1800s) and to Jenny Lamb (Belle Meade Educational Director) for opening up the family files, letters, and artifacts to me. I couldn’t write these books with such historical detail about the house, the family members, and the servants without Belle Meade’s assistance.

How much of the novel is based on actual events and how much is from your imagination?

The backdrop of the novel—Nashville’s history, the Belle Meade mansion, outbuildings of the estate, the family members, and most of the servants at Belle Meade—are from history. I often take documented historical events—such as parties, horse races, or catastrophic occurrences—and weave them into the fabric of my stories. Then I intertwine a fictional story that follows the journey of a male and female protagonist within that story world. In To Win Her Favor, that’s Cullen McGrath and Maggie Linden.

The basis for Cullen’s character is founded in the history of Irishmen who came to Nashville in the 1850-70s, and who faced very real prejudice from Nashville residents. Likewise, Maggie’s character was inspired by accounts of women who were formerly landed gentry (from wealthy families who were major land owners) but who lost everything following the war and the changes that conflict brought. The rest of the details are filled in by asking myself the question writers constantly ask themselves, “What if…”

How was this book different from other projects you have worked on?

To Win Her Favor is definitely one of the more passionate stories I’ve written, and I don’t mean that solely in a romantic sense. From the start, this story was simply more evocative because it delves into the intimacies of a marriage of convenience, and also explores prejudice within a marriage—in addition to examining the prejudices between former slave owners and former slaves. Passions run high between the characters in To Win Her Favor. Everyone was learning how to be with each other in that time period, learning where the new boundaries were, where everyone fit.

As I read and researched for To Win Her Favor, I often found my own emotions stirred by real events that occurred in Nashville during Reconstruction. At times, the accounts were repugnant and heartbreaking. Yet at others, they were remarkably soul stirring with fresh whispers of hope.

View vignettes filmed on location at Belle Meade Plantation, the setting of To Whisper Her Name and To Win Her Favor, on the Belle Meade Plantation novels page on Tamera’s website.

To Win Her Favor by Tamera Alexander

Maggie Linden has only one dream: to run her prize thoroughbred Bourbon Belle in a high stakes race, the winner being guaranteed a fat purse and notability among Nashville’s finest. However, financial strain has made horse racing difficult for her and her father, an ailing gentleman whose health is declining rapidly. Desperate to escape a horse racing scandal in England, Irish-born Cullen McGrath arrives in Nashville and desires to purchase a peaceful farm. But Southern prejudices against his people abound in the post-Civil War era, making his task nearly impossible. When he stumbles upon Linden Downs and meets Maggie’s father, however, he finds the kind man’s welcoming nature to be a sweet relief. But Mr. Linden’s daughter is much less receiving. As circumstances thrust them together, it may take all Cullen’s strength to win Maggie’s favor and fulfill their dreams in a country healing from a recent war.

Tamera Alexander is a long-time favorite author of mine because she is able to craft the most wonderful characters and create a truly fantastic depth to their personalities, struggles, and joys. I am able to get to know them and understand them on such a complex level. This novel is no exception! The romance in this particular story is unique as the characters are in a different situation than some of her other books, but this only added a richer dimension to the plot. I loved reading how the characters grew and changed throughout the book. In addition, there is lots of great Nashville history, a few cameo appearances from her other books, and a fantastic plot to round out this delightful book. A highly recommended novel!

I received a copy of this book from Zondervan Publishers and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Secret of Pembrooke Park: Behind the Scenes Tour and Book Trailer!

A couple of fun links to check out, both related to The Secret of Pembrooke Park, a fantastic new historical fiction novel by Julie Klassen!  If you have not yet read this book, be sure to get your copy today!  It has suspense, history, romance, mystery, and secrets galore!

Behind the scenes tour by the author herself while visiting the manor behind her inspiration for Pembrooke Park in England.

A book trailer if you would like to find out more about this exciting novel!