Sunday, May 14, 2023

Lilac Cottage by Carrie Fancett Pagels

About the Book

Book: Lilac Cottage

Author: Carrie Fancett Pagels

Genre: Historical Romance, Christian Fiction

Release date: April 12, 2023

Inspirational Contemporary Women’s Fiction from Award-winning Bestselling Author Carrie Fancett Pagels

Lilac Cottage – set on Mackinac Island, Book 2 Mackinac Cottages Series

Out of options, after losing her job and apartment, Rachel Dunmara “camps out” at her deceased Grandmother’s cottage on Mackinac Island. Next door, her childhood nemesis, Jack Welling, is overseeing his family’s remodeling of their home on the West Bluff. When Rachel’s new boss, at a local coffee shop, pushes her to work as Jack’s assistant, for her second job, can they mend their rift?

Kareen Parker, widowed in the past year, returns to the island to share long-held information with her son and to transition ownership of her resort to her son. Her grandson befriends Rachel, who was banned by her family from associating with the Parkers.

After a summer full of secrets that are finally revealed, can three families be healed?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Carrie Fancett Pagels is the award-winning author and bestselling author of over twenty Christian fiction books. Twenty-five years as a psychologist didn’t “cure” her overactive imagination! Raised in Michigan’s beautiful Upper Peninsula, you’ll find her most summers at the Straits of Mackinac—where many of her stories are set.

More from Carrie

Why I Wrote Lilac Cottage

I had felt the Lord nudging me to write a sequel to my first-ever Women’s Fiction, Butterfly Cottage (after writing 20+ Historical Romances in Christian Fiction). I travel up to the Straits of Mackinac each summer to do book signings, library visits, and to see family and friends. At several of my book signings at the Island Bookstore, on Mackinac Island, I had readers ask if I had a sequel planned for Butterfly Cottage. I met a lovely young reader at one of the signings, who worked at Lucky Bean, my fave coffee shop in the world and it is on the island. Rachel asked me about plans for the next book and I thought – what if I had a young heroine who worked at Lucky Bean for the summer? Ya know, most authors stories start with the what if. So, I also tossed around the notion of what if Rachel was actually camping out in one of the mansions, called “cottages”, up on West Bluff? That spawned my plot thoughts.

When I work, I percolate an idea. I also will not pursue writing a story unless God’s hand is on it. So, I first submitted my will to His. I got the go ahead. I also got a lot of other stuff: Norovirus, Covid, a root canal and crown, a bleed on an optic nerve, and also what I thought might be a heart attack but thankfully it was only my Rheumatoid Arthritis, oh and did I mention recurrent shingles? Yup—all that. So, I figure there must be a reason this book needs to be written for me to have confronted such opposition from the enemy.

This is my very first novel where the main characters are all saved and are all newbies as far as being refreshed in their faith. At my church, one of the pastors preached about how new Christians are so on fire for the Lord and how they are often different from those of us who have been saved for a long time. I wanted to have that reflected in this novel.

I know people have strong feelings about the pandemic. I wanted to make sure I had written something that included some reality of what the winding down was like in 2022, which is when the story is set. My father was born in 1918 during the Spanish Flu pandemic and I always felt that authors from that time didn’t include enough references to how this affected people. I didn’t dwell on Covid in this novel, but I did touch on it in I hope realistic ways, such as shortages of workers.

Whew! One other reason I wrote some of the characters in this book was to give one of my continuing characters, Mrs. Hampy Parker, some redemption. She’s been a Co-dependent in two of my books (Butterfly Cottage and Behind Love’s Wall) and it was time, since she’s now in her early 80’s, for her to get free from that. I enjoyed the new start her character got and it was inspired by one of my friend’s real life stories.

Thank you for being part of the tour!!! And may God bless and keep you!

My Review: I truly enjoyed this book and give it a rare 5 out of 5 stars. I read the book Behind Love's Wall by Carrie Fancett Pagels and really enjoyed it and this book is in the same vein.

This book is set in modern-day times as opposed to the other book I read but there were a lot of the same names in this book as the other. And, that is my only complaint, too many names and I got confused trying to keep them all in order. Especially the one named Parker as it seemed that was both the first and last name of this character.

The story flowed very well and it was a quick and easy read for me. The editing was well done and the story flowed well. It is a Christian book and that was very evident in a faith-based but not preachy way.

I was given a chance to read and review this book through CelebrateLit. The opinions are truly my own and freely given.

Blog Stops

An Author’s Take, May 2

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 3

Blossoms and Blessings, May 3

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 4

Betti Mace, May 5

She Lives to Read, May 5

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions , May 6

Texas Book-aholic, May 7

Mornings at Character Café, May 7

For Him and My Family, May 8

Locks, Hooks and Books, May 9

Mary Hake, May 9

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 10

Connie’s History Classroom, May 11

Holly’s Book Corner, May 11

Sylvan Musings, May 12

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, May 13 (Author Interview)

Books You Can Feel Good About, May 14

Christina’s Corner, May 14

debs book review, May 15

Books I’ve Read, May 15

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Carrie is giving away the grand prize package of $70 Amazon Gift Card, a copy of Lilac Cottage, and a copy of Butterfly Cottage!!

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/25f56/lilac-cottage-celebration-tour-giveaway

Saturday, May 13, 2023

In This Moment by Gabrielle Meyer

I received this book from LibraryThing via Netgalley. No positive review is required and all thoughts are fully my own.

I liked this book, it held my interest. My biggest problem with it is that it is listed as a Christian book. I feel that it should not be. Even though the main character prays, etc. I feel it can't be Christian (though it's a great, clean fiction) as it goes against what is written in the Bible, Hebrews 9:27 Just as man is appointed to die once... Other than this I did enjoy the book.

It is definitely a unique story and very well written. The main characters were mostly very well-developed. The story flowed in an orderly manner. Lastly, it was very well edited.

I give this a 3.5 out of 5 but since most don't allow fractions, I go up to 4 instead of down to 3. If you are looking for a clean, intriguing book, this is for you.

Thursday, May 11, 2023

In the Shadow of the River by Ann H Gabhart

First I want to say that I received an ARC of the book from Revell Reads through Netgalley. A positive review is not required and all thoughts are my own.

I asked to read and review this book for several reasons. First, I enjoy books by this author, Ann H Gabhart. Second, I enjoy Christian fiction, especially historical fiction. Third, the novel setting intrigued me.

This story is part mystery, part history, and a little bit of love story. The book was well-developed though not deep. It was an easy read. It kept my interest throughout. It was also definitely a Christian book without being preachy or pushy. It showed that a true Christian draws closer to God when times get rough. This book also looks at what is really a family. The characters were quite well developed though not deep. I figured out the bad character easily but not the motives.

If you like historical fiction that is clean without any vulgarity you will enjoy this book. I give it a strong 4 out of 5-star rating.

When Tomorrow Came by Hannah Linder

About the Book

Book: When Tomorrow Came

Author: Hannah Linder

Genre:Christian Fiction / Historical / Romance

Release date: April, 2023

They Waited Their Whole Lives for Their Papa to Return

Nan and Heath Duncan, siblings abandoned by their papa and abused by their guardian, have no choice but to survive on the London streets. When a kind gentleman rescues Nan from such a life, the siblings are separated and raised in two vastly different social worlds. Just when both are beginning to flourish and years have healed some of their wounds, their long-awaited papa returns and reunites them—bringing demands with him. Nan is expected to marry a rich suitor she’s never liked, and Heath is expected to forsake his gentle spirit and become the hardened man his father always was.

Dangers unfold, secret love develops, fights ensue, and murder upsets the worlds Heath and Nan have built for themselves.

They’ve waited their whole lives for their papa to return, for tomorrow to come—but now that it has, will they be able to see through to the truth and end this whirlwind of a nightmare before it costs one of their lives?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Hannah Linder resides in the beautiful mountains of central West Virginia. Represented by Books & Such, she writes Regency romantic suspense novels. She is a double 2021 Selah Award winner, a 2022 Selah Award finalist, and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). Hannah is a Graphic Design Associates Degree graduate who specializes in professional book cover design. She designs for both traditional publishing houses and individual authors, including New York Times, USA Today, and International bestsellers. She is also a local photographer and a self-portrait photographer. When Hannah is not writing, she enjoys playing her instruments—piano, guitar, and ukulele—songwriting, painting still life, walking in the rain, and sitting on the front porch of her 1800s farmhouse. To follow her journey, visit hannahlinderbooks.com.

More from Hannah

Love interests me. Not just in the romantic sense, but in every sense, because love is the driving emotion behind so much of what we do. It’s the heartbeat of everything. What do we have but love? Yet isn’t it the very essence of our greatest pain?

Sometimes it doesn’t make sense. Sometimes love has no reason. Like a tumultuous wind or a wet branch that sways in different directions, love is often petulant and aimless and powerful. But sometimes it’s soft, like a flower lifting dewy petals to the sunshine. The epitome of everything good, sweet, and true.

What makes love change? What makes two friends who have always been fraternal one day confess romantic affection? How much wrong, how much affliction, does it take for sweet love to sizzle into hatred? Even then, is it really hatred? Or merely the charred crust of the adoration still throbbing beneath? And how strong are the cords of new love? Will they break at every pull and tug, or are they more unfaltering than anyone might think?

Maybe those are silly questions. Maybe, like snowflakes, every heart knows a different answer. But if I explored anything in When Tomorrow Came, it was this. I glided through the story and felt love shift from brotherly to intimate, from hopeful to disappointed, from untested to proven, from safe to betrayed.

Just as love is the heartbeat of life, it is also the heartbeat of this story. I hope you will find yourself falling in love with the characters and their journey as much as I did.

My Review:

I was so looking forward to reading this book but I was extremely disappointed overall. It took me literally almost halfway through the book to start enjoying any of it. I would have stopped reading altogether if I had not volunteered to read and review this book through Celebrate Lit.

This is a Christian Regency Romance. It was not believable in general. The characters were hard to get to like except the brother, Heath. I felt the characters were not as fully developed as possible. It was Christian in a light sense. Not at all preachy and barely mentions faith until the last quarter of the book or so.

Another thing, and I'm not sure if it was because this was an ARC copy and will be fixed or not, but there was no way to distinguish when the story took a turn. At one point two people are talking and the very next sentence was a total change in scenery. This was very off-putting.

I have read other books by Hannah Linder and I enjoyed those much more. She's a good author, but this book fell short of her usual style and quality.

Overall I give this a 2 out of 5-star rating.