Beewitched--Hannah Reed

  Cover and synopsis from Goodreads

Beekeeper Story Fischer has stocked the shelves of her market, The Wild Clover, in preparation for the influx of produce-crazy tourists about to invade Moraine, Wisconsin. In fact, with the apple cider and caramel apple stand on Main Street and the corn maze out at Country Delight Farm, the whole town is ready for the swarm.

But when a self-proclaimed witch moves into town, the neighbors are all abuzz with questions. Is the quirky newcomer a good witch or a bad one? Story thinks Dyanna Crane is perfectly nice, albeit a little eccentric. But after an entire coven shows up for a new moon ritual—and one of the witches ends up dead in the corn maze—Story must comb through both fact and fiction, before anyone else is murdered under the cover of magic….

My Review:

This was a very delightful book that kept me thoroughly entertained.  Story is a great character who is determined to get to the bottom of this mystery at any cost.  This book was filled with some quirky characters, like PP Patti.  Sometimes I had to chuckle at the antics of Story and all her wonderful cohorts.  The setting for this series is also great.  It is a place that I would like to visit.  I really liked this cozy because it kept me guessing.  The killer wasn't revealed till the very end.  I won't give anymore away.  I just say, pick up a copy of this wonderful book when it comes out this Tuesday, February 4, you won't be disappointed.

I received a complimentary copy  of this book from the author for my honest review. 

Forget Me Knot--Mary Marks

  Picture and Synopsis from Goodreads

Welcome to San Fernando Valley, California, where Martha Rose and her coterie of quilters are enjoying life on the good side of retirement—until murder pulls a stitch out of their plans…
Martha and her besties Lucy and Birdie are set to expand their Quilty Tuesdays by inviting newcomer Claire Terry into their group. Though at forty Claire’s a tad younger than their average age, her crafty reputation could perk up their patchwork proceedings, especially as they prepare for the fancy quilt show coming to town. But when they arrive at Claire’s home and find her dead inside the front door, and her exquisite, prize-winning quilts soon missing, Martha is not one to leave a mystery unraveled. Especially if she wants to stop a killer from establishing a deadly pattern…

My Review:

I absolutely loved this book.  It had me hooked from the time I picked it up, till I put it down.  Mary Marks did a remarkable job with this cozy mystery.  I liked the friendship between Martha, Birdie, and Lucy, I would love to have two friends like that.  I was kept guessing till the very end, and there were so many twists and turns, it was impossible to figure out who the killer was and why.  But Martha not only uncovers the killer, she uncovers a lot of nasty secrets, family and otherwise.  Pick up a copy of this book, you won't regret it.  Especially if you love quilts and mysteries.  Thanks, Mary, I can't wait for the next Quilting Mystery.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for my honest review.

Link to Purchase from Amazon:  Amazon

 
Mary Marks grew up in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area. She became an award winning quilter after retiring from an administrative job at UCLA. Her first quilting mystery, Forget Me Knot, was a finalist in the 2011 Malice Domestic competition.
"I always heard that the best stories come from writing what you know, so Martha Rose is loosely modeled after me: a divorced, overweight Jewish quilter of a certain age who lives in the San Fernando Valley." The smart but impulsive Martha Rose is aided and abetted by her best friends Lucy and Birdie and a cast of quirky characters.
The author is an unrepentant Hidden Object game player and Sudoku addict. "Solving puzzles, finding patterns, piecing things together--that's what quilters and mystery writers do all the time," says the author.

Author picture and info from Amazon

Cara Putman--Shadowed by Grace

About the book: She found peace in a time of war.

Desperate to save her dying mother, an American woman accepts her newspaper's assignment to travel to Italy where she takes photographs dangerously close to the front lines during World War II. But Rachel's real motive in this journey is to find the father she never knew, an artist she hopes can offer the comfort and support both she and her mother need to survive at such a desperate time.

In her quest, Rachel becomes involved with what will become the Monuments Men effort to save great monuments and works of art from the Third Reich. Soon enough she will find more than she ever imagined---in war, in love, and in God.

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/sCIbG

My Review:

I like to read about the era of World War II, but unfortunately, I didn't care for this book that much; although, I did learn about something I knew nothing about.  The writing was really good and I got a really good sense of what WWII was like.  Cara did her homework, but I just couldn't connect with this story or it's characters, they felt distant to me.  I guess maybe if I liked art and knew a little more about it, I would have enjoyed this story better.  If you enjoy art and the artistic history of Italy, and also enjoy WWII, then this would be a good book for you to read.  I really hate that I didn't enjoy this book, but that happens sometimes.  Good job anyway, Cara, this is a great effort to tell a story of something from WWII that most people, me included, knew nothing about. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review. 


About the author: Cara C. Putman graduated high school at 16, college at 20, and completed her law degree at 27. The best-selling author of more than a dozen books, Cara is active in women's ministry at her church, teaches graduate courses at Purdue University, practices law, and is a homeschooling mom. She lives with her husband and 4 children in Indiana.

Learn more about Cara at: http://caraputman.com

Landing page: 

http://litfusegroup.com/author/cputman

Debbie Macober--Blossom Street Brides

 

 

 

Book Details

Publisher: Ballantine Books
First Published: March 25, 2014
Format: Hardcover, e-Book, Audiobook, Large Print

More info

ISBN-13: 978-0-345-52884-1
Pages: 336

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About the Book

On Sale March 25, 2014
#1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber has won the hearts of millions of readers with her moving and inspiring stories. Now wedding bells are ringing in the tight-knit community that gathers around A Good Yarn, a store in a pretty Seattle neighborhood. Knitters come to the store to buy yarn and patterns but somehow they leave richer in friendship and love.

Lauren Elliott has waited years for her long-term boyfriend, Todd, to propose, yet he seems more focused on his career than their relationship. When Lauren learns that her younger sister is pregnant before she herself even has an engagement ring, she feels overjoyed yet disheartened. Knowing she can’t put her future on hold, Lauren prepares to make a bold choice—one that leads her to a man she never dreamed she’d meet.

Newly married to her second husband, Max, Bethanne Scranton is blissfully in love. But with Max’s job in California and Bethanne’s in Seattle, their long-distance marriage is becoming difficult to maintain. To complicate matters, Bethanne’s cunning ex will do anything to win her back.

Lydia Goetz, too, is wonderfully happy with her husband, Brad, though lately she worries about the future of A Good Yarn. As she considers how to bring in business, she discovers that someone has beaten her to the punch. Baskets of yarn are mysteriously popping up all over town, with instructions to knit a scarf for charity and bring it into Lydia’s store. Never before has her shop received so much attention, but who hatched this brilliant plan?

As three women’s lives intersect in unexpected ways, Lydia, Lauren, and Bethanne realize that love heals every heart, and the best surprises still lay ahead.

 

My Review:

 

This wasn't my first visit to Blossom Street, although it has been a while and I haven't read all of the Blossom Street books.  This was classic Debbie.  She has a way of writing that makes you feel like you actually know the characters and you feel the same pain and joy they are feeling.  I like the community feel of Debbie's books.  This book was no different.  This book gave glimpses into the lives a several different people and families.  Debbie also does really well portraying real life struggles.  I always enjoy Debbie's books, and this one was no exception.  This was a fast read because it flowed so well and was so enjoyable, sometimes I couldn't put it down.  Great job as always, Debbie.

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review.

 

Debbie's Bio

Debbie Macomber is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and one of today’s most popular writers with more than 170 million copies of her books in print worldwide. Macomber brings to life the compelling relationships that embrace family, community and enduring friendships, filling her readers with a sense of love and hope.
Macomber is the author of more than 100 novels, most recently Starry Night and Rose Harbor in Bloom; two bestselling cookbooks; numerous inspirational and nonfiction works; two acclaimed children’s books and the Mrs. Miracle Christmas novels.  She is also the author of beloved and bestselling Cedar Cove Series set in Cedar Cove, Washington, on which Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove, Hallmark Channel’s first dramatic scripted television series, is based. She is the recipient of a RITA^® award; an RT Book Reviews Lifetime Achievement Award, and is a multiple winner of both the Holt Medallion and the B. Dalton Award. In 2010, the Romance Writers of America presented Macomber with their prestigious Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award. Her next novel to be published will be BLOSSOM STREET BRIDES (April 2014).
In addition to her bestselling novels, Macomber owns her own tea room, Victorian Rose Tea Room & yarn store, A Good Yarn, named after the shop featured in her popular Blossom Street novels. She and her husband, Wayne, serve on the Guideposts National Advisory Cabinet, and she was recently named World Vision’s international spokesperson for their Knit for Kids charity initiative.
A devoted grandmother, Debbie and her husband Wayne live in Port Orchard, Washington State (the town on which her Cedar Cove novels are based) and winter in Florida.

 

 

The Last Runaway by Tracy Chavalier

  Cover and synopsis from Goodreads

New York Times bestselling author of Girl With a Pearl Earring Tracy Chevalier makes her first fictional foray into the American past in The Last Runaway, bringing to life the Underground Railroad and illuminating the principles, passions and realities that fueled this extraordinary freedom movement.

In New York Times bestselling author Tracy Chevalier’s newest historical saga, she introduces Honor Bright, a modest English Quaker who moves to Ohio in 1850, only to find herself alienated and alone in a strange land. Sick from the moment she leaves England, and fleeing personal disappointment, she is forced by family tragedy to rely on strangers in a harsh, unfamiliar landscape.

Nineteenth-century America is practical, precarious, and unsentimental, and scarred by the continuing injustice of slavery. In her new home Honor discovers that principles count for little, even within a religious community meant to be committed to human equality.

However, drawn into the clandestine activities of the Underground Railroad, a network helping runaway slaves escape to freedom, Honor befriends two surprising women who embody the remarkable power of defiance. Eventually she must decide if she too can act on what she believes in, whatever the personal costs.

A powerful journey brimming with color and drama, The Last Runaway is Tracy Chevalier’s vivid engagement with an iconic part of American history.

My Review:

I really enjoyed this book.  It was a fast read that kept my attention throughout the book.  Honor became a stronger character as the story progresses.  She has a lot of decisions to make.  I also liked how the author portrayed the Quaker lifestyle.  I didn't know a lot about that lifestyle before I read this book.  Tracy did her research, that is for sure.  I highly recommend this book.  I read this book for the book club I recently joined, and I am glad that I did!

I obtained a copy of this book from my local library and was not asked to do a review on it.

Naomi King--Amanda Weds a Good Man

ABOUT AMANDA WEDS A GOOD MAN

Amanda Lambright loves Wyman Brubaker, and after four years as a single mother, she is grateful for his support and for this new chance at happiness as his wife. She’s confident that their children will get along just fine. But once Amanda’s clan moves into Wyman’s home, the tight quarters and Wyman’s reluctance to make changes to accommodate Amanda cause friction. The older kids are squabbling. The little ones are frequently in tears. Tiny Alice Ann isn’t speaking at all. Amanda and Wyman can’t find any privacy. And Amanda wonders if she’ll ever have a chance to pursue the pottery making that means so much to her.
Amanda believes that family lies at the center of any well-lived Amish life. Can she find the wisdom to guide the reluctant members of her new extended family toward the love that will bind them together?
Purchase at:

 My Review:

This story started out a little slow for me, but towards the middle it really picked up and I didn't want to put it down.  There is more going on in this book besides Amanda wedding Wyman and combining their families.  There is also the love story of James and Abby that is playing out and how he can't find the right time to ask Abby to marry him.  I felt that Naomi did a very good job portraying Amanda's dilemma.  Amanda and her family have a very hard time fitting in at Wyman's home and in his district.  But when tragedy strikes, will Wyman realize that God is directing him in a different direction.  This book was very well written with realistic situations.  It shows that even the Amish have marital problems.  Very good job Naomi.  I really enjoyed this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review.

ABOUT NAOMI KING

I’ve called Missouri home for most of my life, and most folks don’t realize that several Old Older Amish and Mennonite communities make their home here, as well. The rolling pastureland, woods, and small towns along county highways make a wonderful setting for Plain populations—and for stories about them, too! While Jamesport, Missouri is the largest Old Order Amish settlement west of the Mississippi River, other communities have also found the affordable farm land ideal for raising crops, livestock, and running the small family-owned businesses that support their families.
Like my heroine, Miriam Lantz, of my Seasons of the Heart series, I love to feed people—to share my hearth and home. I bake bread and goodies and I love to try new recipes. I put up jars and jars of green beans, tomatoes, beets and other veggies every summer. All my adult life, I’ve been a deacon, a dedicated church musician and choir member, and we hosted a potluck group in our home for more than twenty years.
Like Abby Lambright, heroine of my Home at Cedar Creek series, I consider it a personal mission to be a listener and a peacemaker—to heal broken hearts and wounded souls. Faith and family, farming and frugality matter to me: like Abby, I sew and enjoy fabric arts—I made my wedding dress and the one Mom wore, too, when I married into an Iowa farm family more than thirty-five years ago! When I’m not writing, I crochet and sew, and I love to travel.
I recently moved to Minnesota when my husband got a wonderful new job, so now he and I and our border collie, Ramona, are exploring our new state and making new friends.
You can visit her website at www.NaomiKingAuthor.com


 

Carolina Gold--Dorothy Love

The war is over, but her struggle is just beginning.
Charlotte Fraser returns to her late father’s once-flourishing rice plantation on the Waccamaw River, determined to continue growing the special kind of rice known as Carolina Gold. But Fairhaven Plantation is in ruins, the bondsmen are free, and money is scarce.
To make ends meet, Charlotte reluctantly accepts a position as tutor to the young daughters of Nicholas Betancourt, heir to the neighboring Willowood Plantation. Then Nick’s quest to prove his ownership of Willowood sends Charlotte on a dangerous journey that reveals an old family mystery—and threatens all that she holds dear.
Inspired by the life of a 19th century woman rice planter, Carolina Gold continues Dorothy Love’s winning tradition of weaving together mystery, romance, and rich historical detail, bringing to life the story of one young woman’s struggle to restore her ruined world.
Purchase a copy here.

My Review:

This was a very interesting story.  I enjoyed reading it.  Charlotte was a very strong and determined character.  In a time when women depended on men, she was independent and tried to make a go of her rice plantation.  It was very well written and flowed really well; therefore, it didn't take me very long to read this book.  It was filled with wonderful characters.  I highly recommend this book.  It gave a very good glimpse of what life was like during the restoration of the Old South, and during a yellow fever epidemic.  It takes us from Charleston, to the Low Country of SC, to Pawley's Island, and finally to New Orleans.  Great job, Dorothy.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review.



A former journalist, free-lance writer and college professor, Dorothy Love explores the intersection of history and human relationships to create novels that speak to the hearts of women everywhere. She is the author of the acclaimed Hickory Ridge novels set in her native state of Tennessee. After earning a masters degree and Ph.D, she authored dozens of magazine articles before breaking into book publishing with a number of award-winning novels for preteens and young adults. The Hickory Ridge series marked her adult fiction debut. Currently she is working on several stand-alone historical novels set in the South. When she isn’t busy writing or researching her next book, Love enjoys hiking, traveling, and hanging out with her husband Ron and their rambunctious golden retriever. The Loves make their home in the Texas hill country.