Oct 20 Rosamond Cadden (Daughters of the Armistice Book 1) by Hannah Byron

  

 

Rosamond Cadden (Daughters of the Armistice Book 1) by Hannah Byron

This story starts out with Rosamond and she is ill. She started taking a medication and it helps but then there's some parts that she has side effects so it doesn't help. She was a writer and since the time that she found out her husband was not coming home from the war and she had other health problems as well.

Her sister's husband is a psychiatrist and she talks to him while lying on a couch at their house. She is able to convey to him the dreams that trouble her from sleep.

A time later Dickie hands her a letter that he had investigated before he turned it over to her. She had gotten a report that her husband had died on a certain date but they had no body.   The country would not declare him legally dead. Dickie has his hands in things in Paris and he thinks he may have found the answer.. They both travel to Paris to see for themselves if it is Reggie. What they find is a man with a beard and very taken with gardening. I love the scenes that are spoken about Reggie in his gardens.  He has many of them. He's living amongst monks and had no recollection of who he was or what he had done. Rosamond sees him for the first time and it's Reggie but she sees things in him so she almost isn't 100% sure..  She goes to visit the next day and every day following until she learns more about him and one of his concerns was she did not wear the blue silk dress of the first time. He always loved her in blue so that comment really set Rosamond to know it was Reggie. They are able to bring other things to light for him and he can picture them things from where they lived in England.

 I love how a lot of other people from the family come into play in this book. Elle was the driver that had picked him up and transported him from one location to another and when there were no places for him to go she nursed him herself. I like how we also hear from Madeline and her family and their part in the war and how they help the soldiers that are still alive.

The birthday parties, the celebrations at Christmas and family get-togethers are just so beautifully written about. They remind me of our family gatherings as sometimes they are very crazy and lots of laughter.

 I especially appreciate all the information from the author at the end about certain things that happened in the story and why they were written in that way. The author has really put a lot of research and time into this book to make sure it comes out right.

 I liked all the travel and just the things that happened in the 1919's overseas in France. I am not familiar with Downton Abbe bit it's nice to learn the sequence of authority in a house. Love how everyone plays a part in the running of the house. Love the sections about the horses especially velvet.

Can't wait to read more from this new series as I am familiar with the characters. Just during a different time frame.

Like that the author got away from 90% of history of the war and spend it now on characters. It's more of a story for me now.

 

Oct 22 The Cowboy and the Rodeo Queen by Leah Vale

  

 

The Cowboy and the Rodeo Queen by Leah Vale

The story starts out with Eleanor (EL, Elle) and she's on her way back to the family ranch as she has been blacklisted 

at her theater job in Los Angeles California. She thinks her father may be ready for retirement and she'd like to 

become the new manager of the ranch. When her car dies she's lucky that Beckett is the one who stops to help her. 

They had a misunderstanding while they were dating and he left the area to go do the rodeo and she headed down to Los Angeles to prove she could make something of herself. He fills her in on things that are happening around town as he delivers her back to the family ranch which he is training to be the new manager for the ranch. He has some news from his doctor that he doesn't share with anybody.

He had a rough upbringing because his mother didn't make a lot of money so he didn't have a lot of things that normal people would have had. Grandmother has decided Elle and Beck will categorize all of her ornaments  and she puts the 2 of them together in the rustler ranch

house which is haunted with ghosts. This comes at a good time because even though it's a Christmas story Halloween is just around the corner so it kind of combine it both together. There are some strange things that do happen.  Twists and turns along the way. There are adult situations. I love that there are so many different age groups encompassed in this book and everybodys issues and solutions. Love hearing all about the decorations and how many trees they have in their house. I like how it ends; I never saw it happening that way. Great

story.

Received this review copy from Tule Publishing via Booksprout and this is my honest opinion.

 

Book Review: Christmas on Goose Island by Laurie Beach

  

 

Christmas on Goose Island by Laurie Beach

This story follows Dottie and her family. She works in the food truck business til the accident. She also has premonitions of when her life will end even the exact time. It's around Christmas so she doesn't plan too much. Her daughter is getting married in CA and her other daughter went there to visit with them.

Dottie has a love interest through a dating app and she's not sure it's the police man that is her friend.  Love the surprises in this one, the big family celebration, long lost relative, her premonition.

Love how this all plays out and that we can catch up with the relatives and other town folks. Great holiday read.

Received this review copy from Tule Publishing via Booksprout and this is my honest opinion.

 

Oct 15 The Cowboy's Christmas Twins by Melinda Curtis

  

 

The Cowboy's Christmas Twins by Melinda Curtis

Like this book but not how Colt found out hie was the father of twins.  Like how it all plays out. 

Josie allows the boys to spend time with him as he renovates her  antique shop that she needs to get in order and stocked. He's even offered her all of the stock he has in his barn. Like safety measures he takes with the boys.

Love the intervention with the grandmother, she speaks her mind and makes them come to their senses.

He only plans to stay til Jan 1 then back to the rodeo...

He has the opportunity to appear at an event for the rodeo even though he told everyone he would be staying until January. He wants the boys to have a Christmas that they will remember forever: the best Christmas ever because he know how it was to not have the best growing up.  He knows it will break her heart again. He's not so sure he wants to tell her..

Like how this all comes together at the end... Great read.

Received this review copy from Tule Publishing via Booksprout and this is my honest opinion.

 

Oct 23 A Date with Santa by Debbie Macomber

  

 

A Date with Santa by Debbie Macomber

This story starts out with Sage and she's talking to her sister Saffron about watching Ricky her son because she's been deployed to a hurricane disaster area to help them, for the whole month of December. Sage has a huge opportunity to win the companies contest and become the person to take over for the president who's leaving. She has to really dedicate herself a lot more to accomplish this, Taking care of Ricky will make it a lot more difficult as he has to be picked up from daycare at a certain time of the day just right after she leaves work. Her parents are on a cruise that they've been planning for years so they will be no help. So Ricky arrives from a plane ride from Chicago and Sage is there for him. Through thick and thin. He educates her on what is not healthy for his body, a lot of the take out food that she eats will have to be physically made like his mom does. Saffron is also able to call and talk for a few minutes at the end of her day and to say good night to Ricky. Love the small little moments they share. Ethan also works with Sage and he's out of the picture after a miscommunication while seeing one another. They pick up the relationship but she doesn't have much time unless they also take Ricky which works out great because eh has siblings that have kids his age. Love how this story evolves through the time and love the cherish the family time.

Great holiday read, has everything for a celebration, family food and laughs.

Received this review copy from Ballantine Books via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

 

Oct 11 Lost Voices: The Death of Blackbeard by David R. Leng

  

 

Lost Voices: The Death of Blackbeard by David R. Leng

Like how this book starts out with the facts of Israel Hands and how he was pardoned. but that's not the end, only the beginning of the book.

Starts when Sarah in 2019 is handed some treasures form the nearby waters below. Sarah took the bag that held the book and had to do some magic to get the words to come out of the paper. She was familiar with Israel and the legend of Blackbeard and the local waters where he sailed.

Story then goes back to the days when Blackbeard sailed the seas in 1717.  Israel was afraid of Edward because they had spent much time together and at times not even talking. They enjoyed the quiet moments but the expressions on his face told him what Blackbeard was really thinking.

I don't know much about Blackbeard so it was an interesting entraining read for me.

Throw in lots of sea travel and ports up and down the coast and very descriptive details of meetings and skirmishes. He had even held up harbors where he kept the ships hostage from coming or going til he was paid a ransom. He'd ask for medicine. Love the scenes where he also asked the ones who ran the area who was paying what and for which product they'd sell. He'd also learn where it was you coudl get more money from the product. They were so informative.

Finally the governor stated he'd give past pirates a pardon so the ships sailed to that port and they got pardoned.  Problem was the enemies still wanted their revenge so they were not out of the woods yet.

Israel had to testify and the court had the ships log book to compare notes with. He'd learn his fate soon as others were asked questions. He had just wanted to disappear with the knowledge he held secrets to where the treasures were really buried. Still unsolved adventures but no trail.

Liked this story as lost voices and can't wait to read more from this series, as stand alone books.

References from others are listed at the end along with the authors literary changes and why.

Listing of other works the author is working on are also include at the end.

 

Oct 7 A Killer Day in Paradise by J. C. Kenney

  

 

A Killer Day in Paradise by J.  C. Kenney

This story follows Elmo who's relocated to Paradise and he likes to help others out. He's dressed up as the Santa for the day and at the very end a little girl comes up and wants her father for Christmas this year. He listens to the two girls and understands the reason the father left town in a hurry.

It is about a murder that occurred and there are many suspects from months ago but no killer yet.

He gathers his friends together for a pot luck meal at his new location and they love being right on the beach.

They all vow to help him out and give him clues that he follows up on.

Love the team effort as he visits various locations around town and even with the help of the police. Sometimes people tell him a simple thing and nobody else can twist it like Elmo to find the read truth. Elmo even finds a few that confess to the original murder.

Word on the street is that the father is still around, just in hiding til things cool down.

Such a colorful bunch of friends he has, even a werewolf or vampire an that kind of thing spices up the book making it funny at times.

Love how he recreates the scene of the accident gone wrong and so many other angles are now front and center.

Love the ending, never saw it being solved.

Can't wait to read more from this series. Just a carefree life that gets turned upside down from time. Lovely beach read. First time author for me, very descriptive, at times I felt as if I was right there also.

Received this review copy from Tule Publishing via Bookfunnel and this is my honest opinion.