Review: The Lost Lieutenant by Erica Vetsch

In the midst of all the crazy of the world, I wanted something lighthearted and fun to read. This arrived perfectly timed on my kindle! :) It made me laugh a few places, swoon quite a few others, and left me with a smile by the time I finished the final pages. Kudos to Ms. Vetsch!

Now I should clarify that the plot isn’t all happiness and rainbows, there are mysteries upon mysteries to solve amongst all the sweetness. I could never quite put my finger on exactly what would happen to whom although I surely spent quite a bit of time trying to figure it all out. I got close, but still had a few surprises left for me to discover at the climax. And at the heart of all the goings on is the super adorable (and sometimes frustrating) marriage of convenience! That, naturally, was my favorite bit of them all. :D Evan and Diana have splendid chemistry together, their scenes were always snapping with energy. Even as they frustrated me with their inability to just be honest with each other already, I could still appreciate their reasons why they each held things so close. And! The fact that they completely acknowledge the ridiculousness of their refusal to communicate towards the end redeemed all that for me.

The added detail of having the Prince Regent play such a large role in the story was unexpected but I actually rather enjoyed his outrageous way of going about things. (Not so sure I’d enjoy it in real life, but in fiction? Absolutely! :) Combine that with all the swooniness of the romance and the utter sweetness of Cian and you simply have the makings of a wonderful few hours of reading. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and if you like a bit of mystery with your romance then you just might do the same.

**I received a complimentary copy via JustRead Tours. All opinions are my own.

Goodreads :: Amazon :: Barnes & Noble

Cover Reveal :: One Bad Apple by Rachel Kovaciny

Hello, my lovelies! I am SO pleased to be sharing the wonderful cover of Rachel Kovaciny's newest book coming out very soon! Ms. Kovaciny has been slowly writing an intriguing series of books based on fairytales set in the old west. She is a good (real life!! :) friend of mine, but is also a wonderful author in her own right. So it pleases me to share her awesomeness with the world. :)

So! Without further ado, let's get to the pretty, shall we?

Ooooo! Isn't it gorgeous?! I love the color scheme and all the small details that you notice as you really look at it. I actually didn't catch this until I looked a second time, but the apple has the look of a skull. Coupled with the title, the general creepiness makes it clear this isn't going to be a happiness and rainbows type of story. It just intrigues me! Doesn't it you?? :)

In case you need a synopsis to intrigue you further...

Fourteen-year-old Levi Dalton feels numb. Hands tied behind his back, he's about to be hauled away for poisoning a beautiful girl and her kind father. The woman pointing her finger at him and accusing him of murder is the very same woman he hoped could teach him to heal illnesses, not cause them. The woman he idolized. The woman he trusted. Levi knows he should be scared for his own life. But all he can think about is how graves always come in pairs.

The book releases on 07/28/20, so it'll be in our anxious hands soon! And you can add it to Goodreads if you care to. Ah the anticipation! :)

Review: The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner

Naturally, any book to do with Jane Austen catches my eye, so I was intrigued when I saw the synopsis for this one. There is so much to love about this story, friends. I mean, the fictionalization of how the Jane Austen Society began? And such a mix of characters! Ms. Jenner is quite talented at bringing all her different storylines together into one cohesive big tapestry.

Okay, so I admit that I didn’t love every character. Certainly I didn’t start out loving all of them! A few are easier to love, a few make choices that I didn’t like, still others made me smile every time their point of view appeared again. Yet it was their genuine love of Jane Austen which endeared even the unlikeable ones to me.

My absolute favorite bits of all? Were the moments when they began to come together and each discovered the genuine joy of discussing and analyzing books with likeminded friends!! I get that, I understand that, I LOVED that! Whether it’s Jane Austen or whatever other books we love or hate, discussing the whys and wherefores with someone else who loves to read….there’s just nothing like that feeling. It brings people of all kinds together. And these characters are all so very different! Which is why I loved it when they found they had so many more things in common through discussion of Jane Austen. Jane is so good at bringing people together, don’t you think?

The other thing about this story that kept me turning the pages is how each character, so very different from the others, interprets Austen. How each one reads her stories and sees different things. Which is true of all of us today, just as much as it would’ve been true in the 1940s when this takes place. We all read her books from our own perspective, with our own biases and backgrounds and history playing a part in how we interpret what we read. (This is true of any story we read.) Yet the focus of all these different perspectives coming together and how they learn from each other, how they fall in love, how they grow, how they make choices, both good and bad…it’s all intricately and beautifully woven together.

This isn’t a perfectly written story, as any book isn’t. There were parts that I skimmed over due to not particularly enjoying them, I cannot deny this. Yet watching these characters stumble their way through life and find joyous reason to keep going through Austen’s stories and each other, I could reread those bits without any problem! And will do so, let me tell you. Even just writing this review makes me want to go back and reread the book! I loved all the introspective analysis the characters did which caused me to do the same. They opened my eyes to new perspectives and made me want to reread Austen herself! So I would absolutely recommend this one to all Austen lovers out there. Perfect or not, it is a wonderful homage to the timelessness and beauty of her stories and how she brings so many of us onto common ground together.

**I received a complimentary copy via Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Goodreads :: Amazon :: Barnes and Noble

"He was becoming quite worried for Mr. Darcy. It seemed to Adam that once a man notices a woman's eyes to be fine, and tries to eavesdrop on her conversations, and finds himself overly affected by her bad opinion of him, then such a man is on the path to something uncharted, whether he admits it to himself or not."

Bite-Sized Reviews :: Edition Fifty-Two

And here we have another Christmas edition! I must have been in the mood for Christmas stories this past December because as I went back over my list there were a whole lot more on there than I'd realized. A good problem to have, though, right? :) Some were good and some a bit forgettable...

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
I decided this was the year I'd finally read this little volume and I'm so pleased that I did! I may have thought I knew this story, but it still surprised me in parts. Which is a good thing. :) For being a "ghost story", it has a whole lot of light and hope within it. I can see why so many have loved it for so many years. A particularly good quote: "The Spirit dropped beneath it, so that the extinguisher covered its whole form; but, though Scrooge pressed it down with all his force, he could not hide the light, which streamed from under it in an unbroken flood upon the ground." (emphasis mine, obviously)

Now I want to try another Dickens novel... :)

The Cricket on the Hearth by Charles Dickens
It started out super fun and then went in a completely unexpected direction. But this shouldn't surprise me coming from Dickens, right? :) I did enjoy the story overall, though, I just wasn't prepared for some harsh realities that hit. Yet there is hope threaded throughout the story, so that helped tremendously. Still, the first several paragraphs are perfectly described and woven that I was invested within the story before I knew it. I loved those bits particularly!

Christmas at the Circus by Joanne Bischof
A sweet and wonderful return to Charlie and Ella Lionheart's world! Entirely too short for my liking (a good problem, yes :), I loved getting a small glimpse into their married life. It reminded me it's been far too long since I last read The Lady and the Lionheart!

The Christmas Train by David Baldacci
Having watched the Hallmark Hall of Fame movie based on this book a couple years ago, I was intrigued to try this. Of course, books and movies always differ, so I had a few disappointments. But overall this was an intriguing story, very Christmasy and enjoyable (mostly). There were parts I particularly liked better than others and I won't say that I will ever pick it up again, but I'm not sad I tried it. (Plus, does it ever make you feel like patting yourself on the back when you try a popular and well-known author even if you didn't love their story? Perhaps I'm the only one... ;)

Snowflakes at the Little Christmas Tree Farm 
by Jaimie Admans
Ms. Admans certainly has a way of writing addicting stories! Because somehow she got me to finish this one when I felt like the beginning wasn't truly hitting all the right buttons for me yet. As I pushed on farther, though, my interest picked up by about midway through. Having now finished it, I can say that it's cute overall. Perhaps not one that I loved, but still enjoyable. The romance was adorably fluffy. If you're interested in a quick, Christmasy and wintery story, then try it! You may just love it more than I. :)

Christmas Every Day By Beth Moran
I loved Jenny! In spite of her current awful circumstances, she forges a path through all the yuck and discovers life again. Her fabulous personality gets her through just about anything. There were bits about this story that disappointed me, but I stuck around for Jenny. And Mack! Because having a neighbor who does good deeds (while grumbling) makes for hilarious interactions between them. I laughed several times during their conversations. I also love the friendships that spring up around Jenny, through hardly any effort of her own. She is simply just that awesome and easy to love. Bits I loved and bits I didn't made an interesting combination but overall a sweet story.

Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses by Jenny Hale
This had it's cute and sweet moments. Particularly when Nick interacts with Max, Abbey's son. Their scenes always made me smile. And the romance was fun, mostly. There were bits that just didn't work for me, but overall an enjoyable read. Very Christmasy and romantic, which was all I was in the mood for, so it worked!

A Bramble House Christmas by CJ Carmichael
Hallmark movies are terribly addicting and when they are based upon books, I tend to want to try them. Turns out that can mean good things or forgettable things. Unfortunately I would label this story as one of the ones that was just intriguing enough to make me finish it, yet there was much that wasn't flowing so smoothly for me. That's not to say it's a terrible book! Just not for me, sadly.

Christmas Joy by Nancy Naigle
This reads exactly like a Hallmark Christmas movie, which is precisely what I wanted. A little bit cheesy, a little bit predictable, a whole lot Christmasy, and quite an adorable romance. It was the perfect way to while away a sick day spent in bed. It made me smile through the misery! :)

Bite-Sized Reviews :: Edition Fifty-One

Well, here we are again. More reviews! These are focused on stories that particularly filled me with delight when I read them. Each of these books cause me to smile inside and out when I think of them... :)

Miss Buncle's Book by DE Stevenson
Oh my goodness, I LOVED this one! Miss Buncle and her neighbors are a hoot and a half. The pickle she finds herself in and the delightful way she worries and processes through it just warmed my heart with every chapter. I really knew next to nothing about this book when I found my first copy a few years back, but the premise intrigued me so I bought it. Then I found a second copy with a gorgeous cover that made me decide it was time to actually read it and I am ever so happy I did. I smiled throughout pretty much every single chapter and now I want to find copies of the next books in the series... If you haven't tried this one yet, friends, then I highly recommend you do so!! Miss Buncle is worth spending time with, trust me. :)

Parnasus on Wheels by Christopher Morley
An unexpected delight of a story, this went very differently than I'd imagined. But that did not take away from its charms whatsoever! I saw a description of it on goodreads that called it an "unforgettably weird classic" and I'd have to agree. I mean that in the best ways possible! Because I truly enjoyed Helen's adventures. And Roger Mifflin...ah what a character he is as well. These two people are so very different, yet find much in common once their journey gets going. A super fun little story that's definitely getting added to my reread pile!

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 1 
by Beth Brower
I've been a fan of Ms. Brower's for some time now, but this new series truly solidifies my awe at her skill with a pen. She is incredibly talented at writing in so many different genres. This (not nearly long enough) little book was wonderful from start to finish. I was relieved, however, when I neared the end and realized there was at least one more book waiting because my investment in Emma's life needed many more pages and chapters than would fit in this one single volume. Emma's adventures in St. Crispian's and the intriguing folk who inhabit it were a lot of fun to discover. I don't quite know how to describe the pure delight found within these pages, so I will tell you this one thing: read it for yourself! I find Emma very much worth getting to know, see if you might feel the same. :)

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 2 
by Beth Brower
Yay for more Emma! So many more escapades and possibilities of romance...maybe, perhaps, we shall see? Whatever the future yet holds for Emma, I am so here for it. Please write more, Ms. Brower! I loved this second little peek into Emma's inner musings and it was as delightful as the first. Emma is awesome, the end. (As are quite a few of her neighbors and townspeople. Their quirkiness adds so much to Emma's own quirks and perspective on life.) Such a wonderful little book! (But seriously. I truly hope more volumes are yet to come!)

Review: Once Upon a Dickens Christmas by Michelle Griep

I thoroughly enjoyed this anthology! I haven't read much by Ms. Griep before this and I've never read anything by Charles Dickens, but the synopsis of these short stories intrigued me enough to convince me to try them. And I'm so glad I did! They left me with a desire to try a Dickens novel sometime... (We shall hope! My TBR is quite tall.)

Diving into my thoughts, I have to say that I wasn't all that sure what to expect when I pulled this up on my kindle. Even though I haven't read Dickens, I have watched a few adaptations of his novels, and was curious to see just how Ms. Griep would mesh his tendency towards dark and harsh environments with a sweet love story. I shouldn't have worried because it worked wonderfully. The mysterious and sometimes sort of spooky-ish settings certainly grabbed my attention. Yet it was the unforgettable characters and the way they each fought bravely for their happy ever after that kept me turning pages. Clara and Ben, Mina and William, Bella and Edmund...none of them have it easy, but that doesn't deter them from seeking out the small glimpses of joy and warmth just on the horizon. Even as they struggled, they knew there would be a prize worthy of the battle at the end.

Suffice it to say, I had a lot of fun with these stories. Rather than a hallmark-worthy fairytale, they have some darkness and a little raw emotion at times. There is a depth here that made me decide I want to try more of Ms. Griep's writing. She had a way of making the atmosphere around the characters just as mesmerizing as they themselves. To put it simply, it worked. And I am definitely intrigued for more! :)

**I received a complimentary copy via Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Goodreads :: Amazon :: Barnes & Noble

"My mother--God rest her-- always told me to think of eternity, then live backward from that. Such a view has a way o' whittlin' down our current troubles to a size we can crumple up into a ball and toss aside."

Review: The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

Just wow, people! This is simply a fantastical bit of storytelling which is filled to the brim with plot twists and intriguing characters. I was utterly fascinated with this world that Ms. Harrow has created. From those first few paragraphs until the final words on the final page, I was swept into January's life and subsequently was unable to put her story down! Let me attempt to describe to you why...

Firstly, there's the world-building. Ms. Harrow has created a complex world which requires some delving out. I learned never to assume anything about anything, there are always more possibilities than you may be imagining. And also one never can tell for sure who may be trustworthy and who isn't. I was constantly kept on my toes wondering just what may yet come in the next chapter. The details that we begin to uncover about who everyone truly is and how they truly fit into this world are slowly, tantalizingly revealed. There is so much going on underneath the surface that I think a reread or three will probably reveal even more details that I completely missed my first go round!

Then there are the characters. Most of which I liked, but they don't sit comfortably either. Oh no. These characters have depth and a fierceness about them that doesn't soften much. Even January herself has a few unexpected sharp corners. There were times I understood her and times I didn't. All the others pretty much had guaranteed sharpish places and so much that they weren't saying, either to January or to me. I'm not complaining about this, however! It meant I was always endeavoring to figure them out further. These aren't your typical warm and fuzzy type of people. They've seen things, they've experienced things, and those things have changed them forever.

For all the fantastical bits that enthralled me, there were other things that I didn't enjoy, sadly. The romance parts didn't really sit well with me. There are two central romances (both mostly subtle in the background) and while I never felt a connection to either couple, the one caused me to dislike the ending just a tad. I almost think I would have enjoyed it more had that romance not happened at all. I simply never saw enough true emotion going on to help me understand some of the choices made. But that's just my own personal qualm and one which may not bother someone else...

Overall, I was so thoroughly involved within this story that when I finally finished a few hours later, it felt like I hit real life with a jolt! :) There are so many wondrously written sentences that I kept finding another and another I had to stop and reread. Her lyrical way of writing means that Ms. Harrow is certainly an author I will keep an eye out for in the future. Her attention to detail and ability to withhold information while seeming not to withhold it at all is a skill that not many writers have. I was suitably impressed and look forward to rereading this one again!

**I received a complimentary copy via Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Goodreads :: Amazon :: Barnes & Noble

"Books can smell of cheap thrills or painstaking scholarship, of literary weight or unsolved mysteries.

This one smelled unlike any book I’d ever held. Cinnamon and coal smoke, catacombs and loam. Damp seaside evenings and sweat-slick noontimes beneath palm fronds. It smelled as if it had been in the mail for longer than any one parcel could be, circling the world for years and accumulating layers of smells like a tramp wearing too many clothes.

It smelled like adventure itself had been harvested in the wild, distilled to a fine wine, and splashed across each page."

"If we address stories as archeological sites, and dust through their layers with meticulous care, we find at some level there is always a doorway. A dividing point between here and there, mundane and magical. It is at the moment when the doors open, when things flow between worlds, that stories happen."

Bite-Sized Reviews :: The Unputdownable Edition {#46}

These two stories were SUCH memorable reads for me that I thought they deserved showcasing by themselves...

The Enlightenment of Bees by Rachel Linden
Wow! This was quite the adventurous ride. Mostly. I understood all too well all the indescribable feelings of visiting another culture for the first time and being faced with all the needs you aren’t certain how to handle. Listening to this audiobook just took me immediately back to my first foray into a different country and culture from my own and every bit of wonder and uncertainty I felt. Mia's emotions as she tried to understand just what this adventure was doing to her insides completely resonated with me! I loved, especially, all the bits once the group arrived at the refugee camp. Those chapters made me fully believe that Ms. Linden has experienced such herself because there was this atmospheric and real quality to all the confusion, the uneasiness felt among everyone there--helpers and refugees alike, and the sheer necessity to do all that you can to help those in need. The way this experience changes every single person in the group and the way they do and don't handle that change well...it all spoke to my heart and my own personal experiences.

I will have to say that there was far too many descriptions of the drinks and outfits of the characters. That bit pretty much got old quick and pulled me away from my investment in the story a few times. But that mostly settled down once the overseas adventure began for which I was grateful. Overall, I was able to overlook those bits and would still highly recommend this story for those willing to dig a little deeper into the world and catch a glimpse of life outside of your comfort zone.

Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes
This book, y'all. Oh my stars, I loved every single bit of it! I loved the characters, especially Annie. And all her uncertainty, grief, fears, and fierce desire to do right by her beloved Uncle Bob. Her journey to understanding her own story by searching out her uncle's was just lovely. I loved Ansel-by-the-Sea and all the people who populated it, especially Jeremiah Fletcher. Discovering his story bit by tiny bit alongside of Annie was delightful as well! I loved the backstory which took place during WWII. I loved the finely held tension that gripped me as I was sucked into this amazing story of love and all that people will do in honor of it. Love is so multifaceted and Ms. Dykes delves into several of those facets here. From family relationships, to romances, to friendships, to grief, ah all the emotions are here, people! I was fully invested in both storylines going on (past and present) and couldn't wait to get back to each one. I held my breath so many times hoping what I foresaw wasn't going to be true or hoping it would. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough! :)

Ms. Dykes' writing just flows so beautifully and I kept having to pause and reread glorious sentences that made me look twice. Her lyrical way of writing perhaps won't be for everyone, but I am definitely a fan! This story is simply worth checking out and I don't think you'll be disappointed. There's a depth here that you need to dive into for yourself, trust me.

Blog Tour Review :: Curse and Consequence by Savannah Jezowski

I am so pleased to participate in the blog tour for this book! I am definitely a fan of tales that take place during regency times and the synopsis of this story intrigued me. So it was a happy day when I was able to get this book for review! :)

My Thoughts

The first words that came to mind once I'd finished this story were cute and entertaining. Plus a bit of silliness, which came from the brothers of the story. Sedgwick and Hugh could both use a bit of growth seeing as how they are constantly frustrating each other and acting like children. And then Sedgwick decides a curse is a good idea. Never a good idea! The consequences bring lots of shenanigans.

But the cuteness? That comes courtesy of watching Rea and Sedgwick figure out their hearts. These two are pretty perfect for each other and made me giggle several times. I enjoyed watching them banter back and forth a bit, as well as just swoon over each other. I didn't need to do any swooning, the two of them did plenty enough by themselves! ;)

The only downside to the story that I found was the fact that it ends on a cliffhanger of sorts! And now I have to wait a whole year or so before I find out what happens next! In the meantime, I'd better go back and reread this one over again.

** I received a complimentary copy via the author. All opinions expressed are my own.

About the Book

When Love visits Ravenhead Hall, sparks fly…quite literally.

Miss Rea Abernathy only wants to honor the family who has taken her under their wing, rescuing her from a life of poverty. But thanks to two determined suitors, she finds herself in a state far worse than the one from which her benefactress saved her.

When Mr. Sedgwick Whitby sets his sights on his mother’s sweet-tempered pig keeper, his orderly life is thrown into chaos: Rea’s station is less–than-desirable, and another gentleman may be pursuing her. Hoping to get his annoyingly charming twin brother out of the way, Sedgwick purchases a simple curse from a disreputable faery which consequently plunges them all into a misfortune far more serious than troubles of the heart.

With time running out to break the curse and tempers flying high, can Sedgwick and Rea set things right and find love after all? Jane Austen meets dragons in this frolicking fantasy romance about a comely pig keeper, two wealthy gentlemen, and the curse binding them all together. Perfect for fans of Diana Wynne Jones and Gail Carson Levine.

Amazon (Available on Kindle Limited!)

About the Author

Savannah Jezowski lives in Amish country with her Knight in Shining Armor and a wee warrior princess. She is the founder of Dragonpen Designs and Dragonpen Press, which offers author services such as cover design, developmental edits, and interior formatting. Her debut novella “Wither” is featured in Five Enchanted Roses, an anthology of Beauty and the Beast, and is a prequel to The Neverway Chronicles, a Christian fantasy series filled with tragic heroes and the living dead. She is also the author of When Ravens Fall, a Norse Beauty and the Beast retelling. She is featured in several Fellowship of Fantasy anthologies, including Mythical Doorways, Tales of Ever After, and Paws, Claws, and Magic Tales. When she isn’t writing, Savannah likes to read books, watch BBC miniseries, and play with cover design. She also enjoys having tea with her imaginary friends.

Website — Newsletter — Facebook — Facebook Group — Twitter — Amazon Author Page

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, June 1^st

• Katherine Brown Books: Book Review
• C O Bonham: Book Review
• Beka Gremikova: Book Review & Book Excerpt

Tuesday, July 2^nd

• Jessica Belmont: Book Review
• Lands Uncharted: Guest Post on Magic
• The L. Palmer Chronicles: Guest Post on Themes of Curse and Consequence

Wednesday, July 3^rd

• Paper, Ink, Lizard: Book Review
• Baroness’ Book Trove: Book Review

Thursday, July 4^th

• She Hearts Fiction: Guest Post on Themes of Curse and Consequence & Book Review
• Flowers of Quiet Happiness: Book Review

Friday, July 5^th

• Annie Louise Twitchell: Book Review
• Selina J. Eckert: Book Spotlight
• Kyle Robert Shultz: Book Review & Author Interview
• Pooled Ink: Book Review

Saturday, July 6^th

• The Rustic Reading Gal: Book Spotlight
• Bold Reads: Book Review & Book Excerpt

Sunday, July 7^th

• Unicorn Quester: Blog Tour Wrap-Up

Bite-Sized Reviews :: Edition Forty-Three

Hello, my lovelies! So I've been reading up a storm since I've been home from Thailand...but you know what I haven't done? Gotten many reviews written about all the books I've been reading. Yikes! So not cool, right? (Okay, so y'all probably don't care either way. But I do! So there. ;)

Anyhoo! Here there be reviews. And lots more probably coming soon! Be on the lookout, friends.

36 Questions That Changed My Mind About You 
by Vicki Grant
I read this when I was in need of some mindless and cute romance to distract me from all the stress of my homework and studies. And I totally got what I wanted! This isn't a perfect story by any means, but it does have a pretty adorable romance once you get past the first not-meet-cute. It made me laugh, roll my eyes a few times, as well as swoon over the sweetness by the time I got to the end. A quick and easy read that's entertaining and perfect for the summertime! :)

Match Me If You Can by Krista Phillips
Ms. Phillips is an author that is guaranteed to make me laugh as well as swoon! She just knows how to write humor that I totally get. :) Plus her characters are always put into situations that are either a) hilarious or b) relatable or both! In this case, I've never been to a matchmaking resort, so chalk this one up to being hilarious. And sweet! Ava and Sean are simply adorable together. Which means you should read this one and see for yourself. Trust me.

After the Tide by Lindsay Harrel
This one is super short, but also super adorable!! If you're in need of a really quick reason to smile, then I highly recommend it. Ms. Harrel clearly knows how to write an engaging romance that'll only make you wish it were a whole lot longer.

Sanditon by Jane Austen 
& Juliette Shapiro
Y'all know I am always a sucker for another Jane Austen story. I've read a couple other Sanditon stories and was curious where Ms. Shapiro would take these characters. The results? Not bad, but not perfect either. Still. I enjoyed it anyway! I just love Charlotte Heywood. I really do. She and Sydney Parker are quite fascinating characters. And I will read just about any story that puts them together in the end! (Also, I truly wish Austen had been able to finish this one herself because I would dearly love to know how she would've ended it. Alas...)

Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore
I knew going into this book that things were going to be a bit different, whatwith the "choose your own adventure" premise. But it was certainly a whole lot more imaginative and interesting than I was expecting! The set up is intriguing and then we get to the pivotal moment which hinges on Jane's decision. Each option that comes next is fascinating, especially when we go into each one with information that Jane doesn't have about other characters thanks to the previous choice. I confess there were a lot of weird moments that I skimmed through pretty quickly, but it was awfully unputdownable at the same time. A fun ride while I was on it, but sort of forgettable once I was finished...

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
Fun! But crazy. But fun! That was my exact thoughts when I finished this story late into the night. I could not put it down once I began. Ms. Thorne most certainly knows how to write pretty unforgettable characters! Lucy and Joshua and their hate-to-love romance are just....yeah. Delightful! I laughed at their silly office games of one-upping each other. But I seriously adored their inability to not be aware of the other at all times. Swoony and fun. And crazy. But fun! :)

Lies Jane Austen Told Me by Julie Wright
Of course, Ms. Wright had me at Jane Austen in her title. I loved Emma! I was a bit afraid when I started it that she might become a cliched type of heroine in stories like these, especially when the love triangle begins. But I was pleasantly surprised to realize that Emma knows her own heart pretty well, which made the love triangle not much of a triangle. (Hallelujah!) She knows pretty quickly on which guy she chooses, as do we. And the journey to getting both of them on the same path at the same time is a lot of fun! There were a few moments that made me grimace, but overall a very enjoyable story.

The Lost Letter by Mimi Matthews
While I have a couple blogging friends who have gushed over Ms. Matthews stories for a good while now, I confess to having tried a couple and not really been able to get into them. Except for A Holiday by Gaslight which is just DELIGHTFUL. And I finally found another that I loved! Yay! With a bit of Beauty and the Beast vibes going on, Sylvia and Sebastian's romance is awfully adorable. Even when Sebastian is being an idiot. :) Sweet and fun, this is one you need in your life, reader friends. Especially if you adore reunited lovers tropes.

Review: The Number of Love by Roseanna M. White {Blog Tour + Giveaway}

 

Welcome to the Blog Tour & Giveaway for The Number of Love by Roseanna M. White with JustRead Publicity Tours! Follow along with the tour for a special inside peek at how The Number of Love is connected to the author's previous book from another series, A Song Unheard.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: The Number of Love
Series: Codebreakers #1
Author: Roseanna M. White
Publisher: Bethany House
Release Date: June 4, 2019
Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance/Intrigue

Three years into the Great War, England’s greatest asset is their intelligence network—field agents risking their lives to gather information, and codebreakers able to crack every German telegram. Margot De Wilde thrives in the environment of the secretive Room 40, where she spends her days deciphering intercepted messages. But when her world is turned upside down by an unexpected loss, for the first time in her life numbers aren’t enough.

Drake Elton returns wounded from the field, followed by an enemy that just won’t give up. He’s smitten quickly by the too-intelligent Margot, but how to convince a girl who lives entirely in her mind that sometimes life’s answers lie in the heart?

Amidst biological warfare, encrypted letters, and a German spy who wants to destroy not just them, but others they love, Margot and Drake will have to work together to save them all from the very secrets that brought them together.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | ChristianBook

Title: A Song Unheard
Series: Shadows Over England #2 
Author: Roseanna M. White
Publisher: Bethany House
Release Date: January 2, 2018
Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance/Intrigue

Willa Forsythe is both a violin prodigy and top-notch thief, which make her the perfect choice for a crucial task at the outset of World War I—to steal a cypher from a famous violinist currently in Wales.

Lukas De Wilde has enjoyed the life of fame he's won—until now, when being recognized nearly gets him killed. Everyone wants the key to his father's work as a cryptologist. And Lukas fears that his mother and sister, who have vanished in the wake of the German invasion of Belgium, will pay the price. The only light he finds is in meeting the intriguing Willa Forsythe.

But danger presses in from every side, and Willa knows what Lukas doesn't—that she must betray him and find that cypher, or her own family will pay the price as surely as his has.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | ChristianBook

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MY THOUGHTS ON THE NUMBER OF LOVE

Having read a few of Ms. White's stories before this, I knew I was in for all sorts of adventures with wonderful characters before I even started chapter one. And I was right! From first page until the last, I was swept up into the crazy-awesome world of Room 40 during WWII. And wow, what an intriguing part of history that I never knew about! Ms. White certainly has a way of finding bits of history and making them come alive. It's incredibly clear that she enjoyed her research findings because so many details fairly leaped off the pages and into my imagination.

Firstly, let me just say that I did adore Margot. She is quick-witted, intelligent, and someone I'd love to call my friend. The way her brain works...she's simply unique! And I love unique and quirky characters. I really loved getting inside her brain and learning to see the world as she does... As did Drake, and oh boy did that bring a load of adorableness and fun to the story!He truly understands her and the way he pursues her while letting her have her say in how their relationship builds...ah, my heart. Those two..! Yeah. Super cuteness happens a few times and my romantic heart was gleefully happy!

From the compelling historical context, wonderful secondary characters, delightful romance, and the utterly fascinating Margot (and Drake), I was blown away by Ms. White's beautifully written story. I am definitely looking forward to book two of the series when next it comes! And unashamedly urge you to move this one to the top of your TBR, reader friends. Like now. ;)

**I received a complimentary copy via Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

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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.

CONNECT WITH ROSEANNA: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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TOUR GIVEAWAY

Grand Prize: Shadows Over England series, The Number of Love, and the Decrypto board game, plus "Mi Alma" necklace (Necklace is 24" chain with a 1" pendant that says "Mi Alma" Spanish for "My Soul". A term of endearment used throughout the book. Handmade by Bookworm Mama)

(3) additional winners of The Number of Love.

Enter via the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Giveaway will begin at midnight June 3, 2019 and last through 11:59 pm June 17, 2019. US only. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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