His Lady In Hiding by Jen Geigle Johnson

His Lady In Hiding by Jen Geigle Johnson ISBN-13: 9781524410452 Paperback: 272 pages Publisher: Covenant Communications Released: April 1, 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Lady Elizabeth Davenport is desperate. Her hand in marriage has been offered to the highest bidder, a distressing proposition in and of itself but made all the more repulsive when she meets her father’s first choice for her hand: Lord Pinweather. When her parents refuse to hear her pleas, Liz is forced to take drastic measures—she will impersonate her maid and begin anew in America on her own terms.

Once on board the ship to America, another passenger, Lord Barton, almost immediately discovers her true status as a noble. After listening to Liz’s highly modified version of her life and her plans to begin again, Barton has compassion on her and teaches her how to abandon her noble mannerisms. Upon disembarking, however, Barton’s generous spirit quickly dampens when he discovers Liz has indeed found work—as his own head housekeeper. Suddenly, the tender feelings they hid from each other on the ship are inescapable, but their difference in station makes romance impossible. As misunderstandings abound and the threat from Lord Pinweather still looms, she knows she can’t hide her true identity forever.


My Review:
His Lady In Hiding is a historical romance set in 1817 in England, America, and on ships traveling between the two. Lady Elizabeth started out as a very spoiled, self-centered young woman but learned to sympathize with servants and slaves as she learned how to run a house as a housekeeper. She did become a more likable character as the story went on, but she didn't seem to learn from her mistakes. She very quickly learned why women travel with others for protection, but she kept going off on her own even when she knew there was danger beyond the ordinary ones. As she didn't hide very well, either, this made it easy for her unwanted fiancé to keep tracking her down to repeatedly attempt to force her to marry him. This created many opportunities for rescuing her.

Lord Barton was more likable because he didn't have to experience something for himself to empathize and he was willing to risk his life for a stranger. However, after a few scenes of their budding friendship on the ship, most of the story had him acting erratically towards her (harsh or distant in company and more sympathetic when in private) as they tried to maintain their new social roles despite their romantic interest in each other.

The historical details mainly focused on inheritance laws and marriage settlements. There is no sex or bad language.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

The Noble Smuggler by Sian Ann Bessey

The Noble Smuggler by Sian Ann Bessey ISBN-13: 9781524412272 Paperback: 256 pages Publisher: Covenant Communications Released: April 1, 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
Despite living at her father’s inn her entire life, Elizabeth Doyle has always managed to avoid involvement with the smugglers who frequently gather there. Until now. When a handsome smuggler is brought to her with dire injuries, Elizabeth risks everything to hide him—completely unaware that the wounded man is not who he appears to be.

When an opportunity arises to infiltrate the notorious smuggling gang he believes caused his father’s death, Jonas Ainsworth, the Viscount Langton, pretends to be one of them. But when he is wounded midcharade, Jonas’s life is placed in the hands of an unlikely savior: a smuggler’s daughter. Forced to flee before his wounds have fully healed, he does not think he will ever see her again—until she appears on his doorstep, seeking safe haven.

Divided by their social standings yet united in their mutual desire to expose the leader of the smuggling ring, Jonas and Elizabeth are undeniably drawn to each other. Neither realizes, however, that they are dangerously close to uncovering explosive secrets from the past—secrets that will alter the course of their lives forever.


My Review:
The Noble Smuggler is a romance set in 1784 in England. Elizabeth and Jonas were brave, kind, likable characters who reacted realistically to events. I cared about what happened to them. They each supported and helped the other in a time of need. The main thing keeping them apart was their social status but there was also a threat to Elizabeth because she knew some details about the smuggling gang's leader. Most of the story was spent trying to determine who the gang leader was based on some clues like the color of the horse he rode. Of course, there was a suspenseful ending, but happily it wasn't caused by the stupidity of the main characters.

The historical details were woven into the story and were mainly about smuggling at that time. I noticed several minor historical inaccuracies in other areas. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable story.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

The Lost Lieutenant by Erica Vetsch

The Lost Lieutenant by Erica Vetsch ISBN-13: 9780825446177 Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Kregel Publications Released: April 21, 2020 Author Website

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Evan Eldridge never meant to be a war hero--he just wanted to fight Napoleon for the future of his country. And he certainly didn't think that saving the life of a peer would mean being made the Earl of Whitelock. But when the life you save is dear to the Prince Regent, things can change in a hurry.

Now Evan has a new title, a manor house in shambles, and a stranger for a bride, all thrust upon him by a grateful ruler. What he doesn't have are all his memories. Traumatized as a result of his wounds and bravery on the battlefield, Evan knows there's something he can't quite remember. It's important, dangerous--and if he doesn't recall it in time, will jeopardize someone's life.


My Review:
The Lost Lieutenant is a romance set in 1813 in England. Lieutenant Evan Eldridge saved a noble's life, but he can't remember exactly what happened due to a concussion. The Prince Regent makes him an Earl as a reward, but Evan wishes he could just go back to soldiering. He feels overwhelmed and that God must've made a mistake when allowing this to happen. Then the Prince further changes Evan's life by commanding him to marry Diana. She has an abusive father who uses her promise to take care of her sister's illegitimate child as a way to control her. She risks her new marriage if she brings the child with her, but the child's life is in danger she doesn't.

Both Evan and Diana were kind, compassionate people who cared about others, like the baby and discharged, wounded soldiers. Though they had misunderstandings and secrets to work through, they built each other up and supported each other's talents. Historical details about the war and the Prince were woven into the story and created suspense about the marriage working, potential social ruin, and a dangerous spy uncovered yet not remembered by Evan. There were no graphic sex scenes. There was no bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable novel.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

A Stroke of Malice by Anna Lee Huber

A Stroke of Malice by Anna Lee Huber ISBN-13: 9780451491381 Paperback: 384 pages Publisher: Berkley Released: April 7th 2020

Source: review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Scotland 1832. After enjoying a delightful holiday with her family, Lady Kiera Darby is looking forward to finishing her new friend, the Duchess of Bowmont's portrait, as well as attending the duchess' annual Twelfth Night party. Though she normally avoids such fashionable events, Kiera trusts the attention will not be focused on her, but rather her notorious hostess and her family. But upon their arrival at the opulent Scottish estate, Kiera and her husband and fellow investigative partner, Sebastian Gage, swiftly deduce that someone seems determined to cause mayhem among the guests with a series of forged notes.

However, matters swiftly turn from irksome to downright deadly when the merrymakers stumble upon a decomposing body in the castle's crypt. This corpse is certainly no laughing matter, especially when they suspect it's the duchess' son-in-law, the Earl of Helmsdale, who had purportedly traveled to Paris more than a month earlier. It is evident the man met with foul play, and Kiera and Gage step in to investigate, at the duchess' insistence. Kiera and Gage must swiftly reexamine the facts, for a ruthless murderer walks among them and may well be a member of the duchess' own family.


My Review:
A Stroke of Malice is a mystery set in 1832 in Scotland. It is the eighth book in a series. The author referred back to events in the previous books, but it can be read as a standalone.

Much of the story was spent trying to identify the dead body. Kiera and Gage asked questions which revealed a number of people with motives to murder the Earl of Helmsdale, but they eventually learned that some other people were missing, too. I guessed the critical secret and the identity of the dead man long before Kiera and Gage did. In fact, some of their reasoning seemed deliberately dense in order to draw out the story. The author also spent a lot of time describing the rooms, furniture, and such even though it played no role in the mystery. Basically, it wasn't a very difficult mystery to solve in the end, though it took a while for them to accumulate enough clues for the reader to guess whodunit.

The historical details were mainly about the Twelfth Night party. I found it odd that Kiera was sometimes described as barely showing her pregnancy and as heavy with child at other times. There were no sex scenes or bad language, though there was some intense kissing between Gage and Kiera. Overall, I'd recommend this historical mystery to fans of the series, but it might not be the best book to start with.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Death of an American Beauty by Mariah Fredericks

Death of an American Beauty by Mariah Fredericks ISBN-13: 9781250210883 Hardback: 272 pages Publisher: Minotaur Books Released: April 14th 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Jane Prescott is taking a break from her duties as lady’s maid for a week, and plans to begin it with attending the hottest and most scandalous show in town: the opening of an art exhibition, showcasing the cubists, that is shocking New York City.

1913 is also the fiftieth anniversary of Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation speech, and the city's great and good are determined to celebrate in style. Dolly Rutherford, heiress to the glamorous Rutherford’s department store empire, has gathered her coterie of society ladies to put on a play—with Jane’s employer Louise Tyler in the starring role as Lincoln himself. Jane ends up helping the ladies with their costumes. Then a woman is found murdered outside Jane’s childhood home—a refuge for women run by her uncle.

Deeply troubled as her uncle falls under suspicion and haunted by memories of a woman she once knew, Jane—with the help of old friends and new acquaintances, reporter Michael Behan and music hall pianist Leo Hirschfeld—is determined to discover who is who is making death into their own twisted art form.


My Review:
Death of an American Beauty is a mystery set in 1913 in New York. This book is the third in a series but it can be read as a stand alone. The characters were interesting and reacted realistically to events. There was a lot of interesting historical detail about what was going on at the time, though some of it was not directly related to the mystery. The novels tend to focus on the struggles faced by different ethnic groups.

Jane's uncle is accused of murder, so she tried to learn about a past, similar murder to solve the current ones. Jane was basically just randomly guessing the people she didn't like until her one clue became useful. She stupidly put herself in danger several times, not thinking out how she would accomplish her goal or the dangers involved. Frankly, I lost my respect for her as a detective. There were no sex scenes or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this historical mystery to those mostly interested in the historical aspects.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Daughter of Cana by Angela Hunt

Daughter of Cana by Angela Hunt ISBN-13: 9780764233845 Paperback: 384 pages Publisher: Bethany House Released: March 31, 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Thomas and Tasmin, twin siblings hired to oversee a wedding feast in Cana, worry when the host runs out of wine . . . until a guest tells Tasmin to have the servants fill the pitchers by the gate with water from the cistern. Reluctantly, she obeys and is amazed when rainwater turns into the finest wine ever tasted in Cana.

When Thomas impulsively decides to follow the teacher from Nazareth, he and Tasmin argue--since the twins have been together since the womb, Tasmin can't accept losing her brother to some false messiah. Aided by Jude, younger brother to Jesus of Nazareth, she decides to find the Nazarene's group and bring her brother home.


My Review:
Daughter of Cana is biblical fiction set in 27-30 AD in Israel. It covered the time from Jesus's miracle at the wedding feast in Cana to after his resurrection. The author had Jesus' ministry start right before the Passover and his death on the fourth Passover from that one. The first half of the book was Tasmin witnessing the miracle at Cana, her doubting it but her brother following Jesus, and then Tasmin and Jude trying to catch up to Jesus as he went to Jerusalem for Passover, going back to Nazareth, etc. They only heard reports about what Jesus had done and said, pretty much quoted from the Bible. They personally witnessed a few more gospel scenes then came home where they continued to hear others tell about what Jesus was doing and saying. I felt like my time would've been better spent just reading the Gospels. Tasmin and Jude were more of a way to show what a common woman and a brother of Jesus might have felt about Jesus and his claims. They didn't have much of a story of their own (maybe 50 pages of the story?), but they bonded due to traveling together on multiple occasions.

I also wasn't impressed by the level of historical accuracy. For example, the author had Jude and others loading their donkey with water jars when going on long journeys. Water jars are heavy and fragile, so it's more likely they would've used water skins. Little things, but it added up for me. Also, the author was determined to have Jesus die as the Passover lambs were actually being slaughtered, so she had the sun darkened at the exact time that the Passover lambs were being slaughtered. Okay, if that's what she believes, it's her book. But Tasmin and Jude walked around observing things like it was broad daylight out during the darkness, and she made a point that the lambs were being slaughtered during the darkness. The torn temple curtain wasn't even mentioned though they passed the temple shortly after it should have occurred (after the earthquake). The people inside Jerusalem acted like everything was completely normal even though it's dark and an earthquake just happened. It just didn't work for me. (Please note that I read an advanced copy, so the text may change in the final copy.) There was no sex or bad language.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

The Haunted Lady by Mary Roberts Rinehart

The Haunted Lady by Mary Roberts Rinehart ISBN-13: 9781613161593 Hardcover: 288 pages Publisher: American Mystery Classics Released: April 7th 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
The arsenic in her sugar bowl was wealthy widow Eliza Fairbanks’ first clue that somebody wanted her dead. The nightly plagues of bats, birds, and rats unleashed in her bedroom were the second indication, an obvious attempt to scare the life out of the delicate dowager. So instead of calling the exterminator, Eliza calls the cops, who send Hilda Adams — “Miss Pinkerton” — to go undercover and investigate.

Hilda Adams is a nurse, not a detective — at least, not technically speaking. But then, nurses do have the opportunity to see things that the police can’t, and to witness the inner workings of a household when the authorities aren’t around. From the moment Adams arrives at the Fairbanks mansion, she's confronted by a swarm of relatives whom seem desperate for their inheritance.


My Review:
The Haunted Lady is a mystery set in America that was originally published in 1942. It's a part of a series featuring Hilda, a nurse that helps out the police on cases, but it works as a standalone novel. The author had a very obvious way of pointing out clues using a "little did I know how important that would be…" style. Some things were easy to figure out because of this, but she left the clues open enough that basically anyone could have been the murderer until nearly the end. The person that I thought had acted the most suspiciously did turn out to be the murderer. A fun puzzle to sort through.

The characters were not really developed since the focus was on finding clues and solving the mystery. Hilda asked questions and poked around, observing the tiniest details. Hilda was likable, and the author kept telling us so. There was no sex. There was a fair amount of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this mystery to those who like the type of styles that came out of this period.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

A Portrait of Dawn by Samantha St. Claire

A Portrait of Dawn by Samantha St. Claire ISBN-13: 9781732736740 ebook: 337 pages Publisher: River's End Books Released: April 8th 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Dawn Fairburn deftly manages her father's political career but rejects the idea of marriage. Her legs aren't the same length, which draws pity or revulsion from potential suitors. She longs to be loved for herself, not for what marriage to a politician's daughter will get them. The artist, Luke Brennan, may have eyes to see color and light making his artwork unique, but her clear vision for his truest talent will transform both his work and their destiny. In 1890, as Idaho Territory is preparing to become a state, Dawn and Luke must find the courage to step into a wilderness of an uncharted future.


My Review:
A Portrait of Dawn is a romance set in 1890 in Idaho. This novel is the fifth in a series. Characters from the previous novels played a role in this one (so you may be interested in Alena's continuing story), but you don't need to read the previous novels to understand this one.

The main characters had depth and grew as people during the story. They acted realistically, and I cared what happened to them. But most of the "falling in love" happened off screen. We're told that they had a long, personal conversation where they learned about shared interests and what kindred spirits they were. During their shown interactions, though, all I saw was maybe a potential friendship. Dawn told Luke that he was the only person standing in the way of his dreams, so stop making excuses. He appreciated her beauty and how she was awed by his art (which gave him more confidence in his skill). But most of the time, Luke was off drawing or learning how to survive in the wilderness, not spending time with Dawn.

I was concerned when one character basically said that if you kiss another person and lust after them, then you'll know that marriage to that person will be based on life-long love. Er, really? That character was single, but Dawn took his advice seriously. Historical details about Idaho's statehood celebrations were woven into the story. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable story, but I didn't enjoy it as much as the other books I've read in the series.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Who Speaks for the Damned by C. S. Harris

Who Speaks for the Damned by C. S. Harris ISBN-13: 9780399585685 Hardcover: 336 pages Publisher: Berkley Books Released: April 7th 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
It's June 1814, and the royal families of Austria, Russia, and the German states have gathered in London at the Prince Regent's invitation to celebrate the defeat of Napoléon and the restoration of monarchical control throughout Europe. But the festive atmosphere is marred one warm summer evening by the brutal murder of a disgraced British nobleman long thought dead.

Eighteen years before, Nicholas Hayes, the third son of the late Earl of Seaford, was accused of killing a beautiful young French émigré and transported to Botany Bay for life. Even before his conviction, Hayes had been disowned by his father. Few in London were surprised when they heard the ne'er-do-well had died in New South Wales in 1799. But those reports were obviously wrong. Recently Hayes returned to London with a mysterious young boy in tow--a child who vanishes shortly after Nicholas's body is discovered.

Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, is drawn into the investigation by his valet, Jules Calhoun. With Calhoun's help, Sebastian begins to piece together the shattered life of the late Earl's ill-fated youngest son. Why did Nicholas risk his life and freedom by returning to England? And why did he bring the now-missing young boy with him? Several nervous Londoners had reason to fear that Nicholas Hayes had returned to kill them. One of them might have decided to kill him first.


My Review:
Who Speaks for the Damned is a mystery set in June 1814 in London. This book is the 15th in a series, but you can understand it without having read the previous novels.

Historical information was woven into the story and provided a distinct feel of that specific time and place. The characters were interesting, complex, and acted in realistic ways. Both Hero and Sebastian were involved in the investigation, though Sebastian was the main investigator. He tracked down leads and asked pointed questions. There were several suspects who had a motive, and it could have been any (or several or all) of them until the final clues at the end.

Sex occurred between Hero and Sebastian, but it was only briefly described (not play-by-play, graphically-described sex scenes). There was a fair amount of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting historical mystery.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

The Traitor's Pawn by Lisa Harris

The Traitor's Pawn by Lisa Harris ISBN-13: 9780800729172 Paperback: 336 pages Publisher: Revell Released: March 31st 2020

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
When FBI agent Jack Shannon arrives in Corpus Christi, Texas, he is focused on one thing: find the man who has been selling encrypted government secrets to the Chinese through online birding chat rooms. But when a senator is shot during a hunting trip and the woman he was with is abducted, Jack agrees to join the search--especially when he discovers that the kidnapping victim is Aubrey Grayson, a woman he was once in love with.

As the search continues, it becomes clear the senator may not have been the intended victim--and Aubrey may be connected to the other case Jack is supposed to be working on. Can Jack untangle the knots before it's too late?


My Review:
The Traitor's Pawn is a Christian romantic suspense novel. The suspense was high from start to finish, created by the physical danger (shooting, kidnapping, a bomb threat, hostage situations, and more) but also by the relationship tensions. Aubrey's father was on Jack's FBI "to arrest" list as someone known to be selling government secrets to both the Chinese and the Russians. Aubrey's father was never a big part of her life even before her parent's divorce, but she still had feelings of abandonment to deal with and a desire to have a good father conflicting with the reality that he wasn't. Jack helped her to deal with these feelings.

Jack and Aubrey were best friends since childhood and supported each other. Their love grew as they shared life experiences together and felt understood by the other, but both were afraid of ruining their friendship if they dated and it didn't work out. They were a good team and made a good couple.

During the story, they talked about several Christian topics like how God is faithful even when the people in our lives aren't and about how forgiving is for our own sake. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd highly recommend this suspense novel.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Blue Skies Tomorrow by Sarah Sundin

Blue Skies Tomorrow by Sarah Sundin ISBN-13: 9780800734237 Paperback: 419 pages Publisher: Revell Released: August 1st 2011

Source: Borrowed from the library.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
When her husband becomes a casualty of the war in the Pacific, Helen Carlisle throws herself into volunteering for the war effort to conceal her feelings. But keeping up appearances as the grieving widow of a hometown hero is taking its toll. Soon something is going to give.

Lt. Raymond Novak prefers the pulpit to the cockpit. His stateside job training B-17 pilots allows him the luxury of a personal life--and a convenient excuse to ignore his deepest fear. When the beautiful Helen catches his eye and captures his heart, he is determined to win her hand. But when Ray and Helen are called upon to step out in faith and put their reputations and their lives on the line, can they meet the challenges that face them?


My Review:
Blue Skies Tomorrow is a Christian historical romance set from March 1944 to May 1945 in California, England, and Germany. This book is the third in a series but it can be read as a stand alone. As usual, an amazing level of historical detail was woven into the story without slowing the pacing. There was a great deal of suspense from the physical danger and emotional conflict. The main characters were complex, grew as people, and reacted realistically to events. Helen and Ray helped each other find their courage and supported each other during hard times, even if sometimes only through letters.

Helen was married to an abusive man and is now trapped in an abusive situation, but she's started to believe that she deserves this treatment and can't speak out about it or escape it. Ray is an old friend that she's been in love with since childhood. He helps her to see the truth, but he feels like everyone believes he's a coward for not flying in active combat like his brothers. Even he questions if it's true, so he sets out to discover if he can find his courage.

There was no sex or bad language. There were some brief descriptions of the abuse that Helen endured. My only problem with the story was that I couldn't believe that Jack (hero of the previous novel) wouldn't find a way to confront a man he thought was a cruel impostor the first moment he could. Helen and Ray had to come to the point that they'd trust God with their future even if they didn't see how things could work out well. Overall, I'd recommend this suspenseful, historical WWII novel.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.