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Book Review: A Change of Fortune

March 25, 2013March 24, 2013 Sarah

Happy Book Review Day! Okay, that’s not really a holiday but I have a fun book to review today–A Change of Fortune by Jen Turano. This is a title received from the blogging review program offered by Bethany House Publishers.

Here is a description of the book from the publisher:

Lady Eliza Sumner has lost everything—her father, her fiancé, her faith, and now her fortune. Masquerading as Miss Eliza Sumner, governess-at-large, she’s on a mission to find the man who ran off with her inheritance and reclaim what’s rightfully hers.

When Eliza’s hapless attempts at her fortune’s recovery unexpectedly put her right in the path of New York society’s most eligible bachelor, Mr. Hamilton Beckett, sparks instantly begin to fly. But when their best-laid plans fall by the wayside, it will take a riot of complications for them to realize that God may have had a better plan in mind all along.

As usual… my five point review! 🙂

First of all–Jen Turano is hilarious! The style of this book [and I don’t know if this is a legit writing category or not, but it’s the best reference I found online] is historical romantic comedy. I guess it’s a style because rom coms are a type of movies, so it only makes sense that they could be books too. Seriously though, the antics that Eliza and her friend Agatha get into as the mystery of the story progresses are absolutely laugh out loud hilarious. I loved this book! It was just so light and fun.
This book is set in 1880, and reading about this time period is so fun. I’ve never been to NYC, but love seeing the city’s growth of this time through the eyes of a feisty British woman. I can’t imagine the sheer amount of culture shock a woman of her stature would actually have gone through if this story was real!
The story’s point of view switches mainly between Eliza and Hamilton, and this makes for a good balance for the fast paced storyline. There is never much confusion over where you are and the knowledge that each character has at a moment in time is appropriate. I appreciate this attention to detail by the author.
Though this is a Christian novel, its tone is not at all preachy. It’s clean and there are themes of faith [especially, and predictably, Eliza exploring what faith in God is], but overall, it is a fun tale of intrigue, mystery, and romance. It’s definitely a Christian novel for those who are looking for it, but if you aren’t, I still think you’d appreciate it.
To sum it up, this was pretty much the perfect book for me. The last page of the book had one of those… if you like this book, you’ll also like… pages. Guess what the three books were? None other than Against the Tide, Unending Devotion, and Love in Disguise. Fitting, huh? 🙂 Perfect, I think. You can’t go wrong with this book! The next book in the series comes out in June. #cantwait

P.S. You can download a free novella written by Jen Turano online from Amazon here. Gentleman of Her Dreams is a companion novella to this book.

What are you reading lately?

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers. However, I was not required to write a positive review. The thoughts expressed above are entirely my own. Thanks to Bethany House for the chance to read this great book!

Reviews

Book Review: Against the Tide

January 30, 2013January 25, 2013 Sarah

Another book review! There are a few book reviews coming and I know this is primarily a food blog… but truthfully, reading is my other hobby. Kinda lame, but it works. National Days of Reading, as my dad calls those days when you just hang out under a blanket with a book and your favorite kitty, are pretty much my favorite kind of days. I first heard about the blogger review program for Bethany House Publishers, a well-respected publisher of Christian fiction and other Christian titles, from Money Saving Mom, and really enjoy getting to read new books as soon as [or before] they are released. I have a nice little collection of books I have reviewed that I can now lend out to friends, and that I hope to donate someday.

The awesome book I have to review today is Against the Tide by Elizabeth Camden.

Here is a description of the book from the publisher:

Lydia Pallas has carved out a good life for herself in Boston, where she has landed an enviable position as a translator for the U.S. Navy. When her talents bring her to the attention of the mysterious Alexander Banebridge, he hires her to translate a seemingly innocuous collection of European documents.

But Lydia soon discovers this job is more than it appears. Bane is driven by a secret campaign to end the opium trade, compelled by his troubled past. When Bane’s enemies gain the upper hand, can Bane and Lydia—and the love growing between them—survive the forces that are conspiring against them?

As with my usual style… here’s my five point review.

If you’ve read any of my other reviews, you know I love historical fiction, and this book was no different. Against the Tide is Elizabeth Camden’s second novel, and I will definitely be reading everything she writes from now on. I actually read her first novel, The Lady of Bolton Hill earlier last year and was super excited to see this novel up for review. Like her first novel, this story combines romance, humor, and intrigue into one seamless story.
I appreciated Elizabeth’s writing style for two reasons. First, her faith shines through but is not in your face annoying. Some Christian authors’ use of Bible verses every other page, while good intentioned, can be unrealistic and can detract from the storyline. As a little jest to that, my Christian fiction board on Goodreads is actually called Cheesy Christian. Haha! 🙂 Secondly, her books have both been very well edited, with good vocabulary that hasn’t been dumbed down. That might be a minor thing, but it irks me to no end when books are poorly edited and repeat words all the time.
This story continues following the lives of a couple characters from her first novel, notably Bane, but you can definitely read it as a standalone novel. It isn’t marketed as a sequel and though the stories are related, they aren’t too interlocked… but definitely do read both if you can!
I was encouraged by Lydia’s growth and decision making process throughout the story. Her childhood was difficult, and she overcame alot of adversity as an adult on her own. Watching her get to know Bane better and work with him through her troubles [can’t tell you too much or I’ll spoil it] is just awesome. He is such a good man. They are the kind of couple you just want to be… but will they get together or not? That is the question! 🙂
The last reason that I loved this story was that it was so well researched. Not that you’d expect anything less, but Elizabeth is a librarian! She actually graduated with her MLS from the same program I am finishing now, which is pretty cool. You can tell that she put alot of time into investigating the Navy, opium use, and life in the 1800s… and it shows in her story.

I know that I say every book I read is good, and I loved it, and blah blah blah in these reviews… but it’s true. I mean every word of it. But I must say, this is the single best piece of historical Christian fiction I have read in recent memory. Five stars, definitely. Be sure to check it out! I hope to meet Lydia and/or Bane again… 🙂

What are you reading lately?

Reviews

Book Review: Unending Devotion

December 26, 2012January 15, 2013 Sarah

So, once again, I absolute hate to say that I am behind on my book reviews that are part of the blogger review program for Bethany House Publishers, a well-respected publisher of Christian fiction and other Christian titles. Fortunately, they are extremely graceful, and for that, I thank them. Since I have had some time off during Christmas break, that means plenty of time to read–and time to post book reviews!! 🙂 Today I want to tell you all about Jody Hedlund‘s Unending Devotion. Can we just say… so, so, so, SO good?? Yes, please!

Here is the description of the book from the publisher:

Amidst the dangerous logging camps of Harrison, Michigan, Lily Young is on a mission to save her lost sister, or die trying. Boss-man of three lumber camps in the area, Connell McCormick is an upstanding citizen interested in clearing the pine and earning a profit. But Lily’s desperate search will challenge everything he thought he knew about life—and love. [You can also check out the book trailer here.]

As with my usual style… here’s my five point review!

First of all, I have read other books from Jody Hedlund. I have to admit, I am a person who does judge a book a bit by the cover [because I know what good cheesy Christian fiction covers look like!]. She lives in Midland, Michigan… where I have spent a lot of time because that’s where my dad grew up and my grandparents still live there. So, I was prejudiced from the beginning to like the book, but I continued to be impressed with the author’s writing style. I have read [or attempted to read] many poorly written books that I celebrate when things are written well. 🙂
This story is pretty dark. I know that might not make you want to read it, but it’s dark in a redemptive, Les Mis sort of way. Lily is fighting prostitution in 1800s Michigan logging camps, and is one of the most determined characters I have ever read about in her fight to save her sister. I do love that her fight to save her sister escalates to include all who are affected.
I know I’m already married, and I know that you can’t marry a book character [darn] but I am so in love with the hero, Connell. He is such a Godly man, and a good guy to boot. It goes without saying, but the love story between Lily and Connell is one of the best parts of the book. I love it when couples work together for good.
I thought Jody Hedlund did an excellent job portraying the time period and true historical events to life. To prevent spoilers, I won’t say too much, but I was really impressed with the research it must have taken to write this book.
This was a really fast-paced, captivating read. I would highly recommend it. Though I can’t say how long this will be available for free, today, December 26, 2012, this book is free for Kindles. Hope you enjoy!

What are you reading lately?

Reviews

Book Review: Inescapable

October 17, 2012January 15, 2013 Sarah

So, I hate to admit that I am a bit behind on my book reviews that are part of the blogger review program for Bethany House Publishers, a well-respected publisher of Christian fiction and other Christian titles. Fortunately, they are extremely graceful, and for that, I thank them. But just because I am behind does not mean that I am not a fan of Nancy Mehl’s Inescapable or the next book I’ll review soon [with Ben’s help!].

Here is the description of the book from the publisher:

Lizzie Engel ran away from her Mennonite hometown and swore she’d never return. But five years later, a stalker and a string of threatening letters have left her with no other option. Back in Kingdom, Lizzie attempts to plan her next move with the help of her old friend Noah Housler—and realizes she may not have left her roots as firmly in the past as she’d thought. When it becomes clear that the danger has followed her to Kingdom, Lizzie no longer knows who to trust.

As with my usual style… here’s my five point review!

This was a super fast read. From the first pages, you’re sucked into Lizzie’s story, interested her welfare as well as that of her young daughter, Charity. You just want them to be safe and okay and happy. You can tell that they aren’t, but you’re a bit confused as to why. And you are so torn between Lizzie’s love interests… but at the end her choice is so easy, so wonderful, and so satisfying. I love a good love story! 🙂
This is the first Christian romance about Mennonites that I’ve ever read. I’ve read a lot of Amish romance novels [ha! so lame!] and found similarities between the cultures, but also differences. It was an educational read in that sense [don’t worry, it’s not school :)].
Reading about Lizzie’s growth in faith and learning a right view of God as a loving Father was so encouraging. There are several women who really minister to Lizzie as she returns home, and it was awesome to read about that grace, forgiveness, mercy, and redemption.
Speaking of redemption, I don’t want to give any spoilers, but there is soooo much redemption taking place in this story, in Lizzie’s life, in her family. Absolutely love this! I know she isn’t real [gasp!], but it’s an amazing illustration of what God can do in people’s lives.
Overall, I thought this was a fun, interesting read. I love the dual romance/mystery nature of the book, and would definitely read more of Nancy Mehl‘s work, including the next book in the Road to Kingdom series [expected to be released spring 2013].

What are you reading lately?

Reviews

Book Review: Love in Disguise

August 15, 2012January 15, 2013 Sarah

So, over the past five days or so I’ve been sick. Not that being sick was much fun, but it did allow me to be lazy, have Ben prepare all my [boring] meals, sleep, and read alot. One of my recent reads was Carol Cox’s Love in Disguise. I received this book through the blogger review program for Bethany House Publishers, a well-respected publisher of Christian fiction and other Christian titles.

Here is the description of the book from the publisher:

Jobless and down to her last dime, Ellie Moore hears about a position with the Pinkerton Detective Agency and believes it’s the perfect chance to put her acting skills and costumes to use. Disguised as both Lavinia Stewart, a middle-aged widow, and her dazzling niece Jessie Monroe, Ellie begins her investigation into the theft of silver from Arizona mines. When the thieves come after both characters, Ellie isn’t safe no matter which disguise she’s wearing. Should she give up and reveal her true identity? What will mine owner Steven do when he realizes the woman he’s falling in love with doesn’t really exist?

As with my usual style… here’s my five point review!

This was a totally unique storyline. I’ve read plenty of mysteries in my day, but never anything about an actress using her talents to pose as a detective–and play two characters in the Wild West at once! I’ve been an avid reader literally all my life and rarely read a completely new plotline. Score!
I’m not usually a fan of the Wild West, mining, or books set in the late 1800s. I don’t know why, but that era just doesn’t appeal to me. But Carol Cox did a fantastic job blending historical drama with time-tested cares and concerns of life, love, and faith.
This book was a delightful mix of romance, mystery, intrigue, and humor. All my favorite genres at once. My only complaint was that I didn’t really think it was possible to solve the mystery as the character does because the story is all from Ellie’s point of view… no additional information is given. I always like to try to figure it out first, but the solution came out of nowhere.
Christianity wasn’t a huge part of the storyline, but Ellie’s growth as a person into maturity was attributed to a renewed relationship with God. This relationship [like it is for so many people–fictional or not] is hindered by childhood events, so the faith that was part of the book was realistic. In my eyes, that is much better than the cheesy tales where girl loves Jesus but wants a boy so prays for one and then falls in love with boy too and then grows in her relationship with God because He gives her a boy. Possible? Maybe. Realistic? Not so much. This story? Could happen.
The author, Carol Cox, has such a great writing style. Relaxing, inviting, polished. I’ll definitely be checking out some of her other books, and hope you will too!

What are you reading lately?

Thanks to Bethany House for the chance to read this great book for free!