What Kitty Did Next by Carrie Kablean

What Kitty Did Next by Carrie Kablean ISBN-13: 9781910453612 Paperback: 416 pages Publisher: RedDoor Publishing Released: June 28, 2018

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
England, 1813. Nineteen-year-old Catherine Bennet lives in the shadow of her two eldest sisters, Elizabeth and Jane, who have both made excellent marriages. No one expects Kitty to amount to anything. Left at home in rural Hertfordshire with her neurotic and nagging mother, and a father who derides her as "silly and ignorant," Kitty is lonely, diffident and at a loss as to how to improve her situation.

When her world unexpectedly expands to London and the Darcy’s magnificent country estate in Derbyshire, she is overjoyed. Keen to impress this new society, and to change her family’s prejudice, Kitty does everything she can to improve her mind and manners—and for the first time feels liked and respected. However, one fateful night at Pemberley, a series of events and misunderstandings result in Kitty being sent home in shame...

Based on Jane Austen's much-loved characters, this is the story of one woman's struggle to overcome the obstacles of her time and place and truly find herself.


My Review:
What Kitty Did Next is a Regency romance set in 1813 in England. It starts about a year after Pride and Prejudice and is told from Kitty's viewpoint. Kitty knows that her family thinks very poorly of her, but she's not sure how to improve things. Jane takes pity on Kitty and invites her to London to see the sights and learn to mix in society. Then she's invited to Pemberley! Just when Kitty feels like she's proved herself to her family and that new friends have recognized her worth (including some potential suitors), things start to crumble as old prejudices combine with a misunderstanding, forcing Kitty to return home.

The author did an excellent job of capturing the personalities and tone of Jane Austen's novel. The characters' acted in ways that were consistent with their behavior in Pride and Prejudice, and the style of writing was similar to Austen's. The author did add more historical detail--things which help bring the setting and time period alive to the modern reader. This is the best Pride and Prejudice sequel that I've read.

It's an excellent novel on it's own, too. I enjoyed how Kitty grappled with how her family treated her and questions about her future. I liked how she grew as a person. While the romantic interest didn't have a lot of scenes with Kitty (as they weren't constantly together), they did have plenty of "off-screen" time to get to know each other better. He built up her confidence, and they shared interests. And the author has done her research. I enjoyed the little historical details that were woven into the action.

There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd highly recommend this story and I look forward to the author's future novels.


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.

Gifts of Our Lady of Guadalupe by Demi

Gifts of Our Lady of Guadalupe: Patroness of Latin America by Demi ISBN-13: Hardback: 40 pages Publisher: Wisdom Tales Released: June 7, 2018

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Just before dawn on Saturday the 9th of December, 1531, Juan Diego was on his way to Mass near Mexico City. He came to a hill known as Tepeyac just as day broke. He could hear the singing of many beautiful birds, but then the singing suddenly stopped. As he looked towards the top of the hill he heard someone calling his name. He was amazed to see a beautiful lady. Her clothes glimmered like the sun and her brilliance made the rocks and plants sparkle like jewels. Juan Diego bowed deeply before her, as she told him that she was Holy Mary, the Mother of God. Then she instructed him to go to the bishop in Mexico City and ask him to build a great church so that people would come to know her love, compassion, and protection. But the bishop wished for a sign.

In this retelling of the story by award-winning author, Demi, find out how the miracles performed by the Virgin of Guadalupe persuaded the bishop to build the church; how they caused ten million Aztecs to convert to Catholicism within just eight years; and why the basilica dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe today receives 20 million pilgrims per year, making it the most popular Christian pilgrimage site in the world.


My Review:
Gifts of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a 32-page illustrated hardback book for children. The author tells the legend of how the miracles performed by the Virgin of Guadalupe persuaded a bishop to build a basilica dedicated to her plus convince millions of Aztecs to convert to Catholicism.

I am not a Catholic, but I believe that Catholics venerate Mary but do not worship her. Therefore, Catholics may have a problem with the book where it says, "...for imprinted in dazzling colors on Juan Diego's white cloak was a full-sized image of Mary, the Holy Mother of God! The bishop and all the priests fell to their knees in worship." And the accompanying illustration makes it look like they are worshiping the image of Mary. The illustrations are simple and look like different materials were cut into the shape of the bodies for the clothing and then the faces and details drawn in. Overall, it's a nice looking book.


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.

Bought the Farm by Peg Cochran

Bought the Farm by Peg Cochran ISBN-13: 9780425282045 Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Released: June 5, 2018

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Wedding preparations are in full swing at Love Blossom Farm as food-and-lifestyle blogger Shelby McDonald transforms the property for her friend Kelly's down-home country-style reception. But when the lead singer of the wedding band turns up dead--drowned in a trough full of rainwater and strung up like a scarecrow--the police round themselves up a barnful of suspects.

It seems that Travis sowed the seeds of discord wherever he went, and when it becomes clear that everyone from the groom to Shelby's own staff has motive, tracking down Travis' killer is going to be more difficult than finding a needle in a haystack.


My Review:
Bought the Farm is a cozy mystery. It's the third book in the series. You can understand this book without reading the previous one, and this novel didn't spoil the mystery in the previous book.

The story was more filler than detection. We're told every single detail about the wedding decor. We're told every single movement that people made, like this was a step-by-step guide. For example, we're told every step Shelby made to hand-wash dishes when the point was that she thought about some things while she washed dishes. This made for very slow pacing.

The heroine asked questions to determine who had a motive but didn't seem to know how to narrow things down once she realized everyone had a motive. She was slow in connecting any clues and wasn't sure what to do once she finally figured out whodunit. Happily, her boyfriend told her to tell the police. Of course, then she spots the murderer and obligingly runs away from whodunit into a secluded spot then falls into a pool to create an exciting ending. Unfortunately, I lost all respect for her instead.

The "Dear Reader" short asides directed at the actual reader broke the flow of the story and pulled me out of any immersion that I had in the story. There were also numerous grammar errors that created sentences that were quite funny as written and required a pause to determine what was really meant. So the mystery wasn't very puzzling and the writing didn't hold my attention. There was no sex. There was no 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.

Once Upon a Spine by Kate Carlisle

Once Upon a Spine by Kate Carlisle ISBN-13: 9780451477736 Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Released: June 5, 2018

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Brooklyn's future in-laws are traveling from England to meet her, and if that's not enough to set her on edge, rumors abound that the charming Courtyard Shops across the street may be replaced by high-rise apartments. Their trendy neighborhood will be ruined unless Brooklyn and her fiance, Derek Stone, can persuade the shopkeepers not to sell.

But with a rare edition of Alice in Wonderland causing bad blood at the Brothers Bookshop and a string of petty vandalism making everyone nervous, Brooklyn and Derek feel overwhelmed. Then the local cobbler is found in the Rabbit Hole juice bar under a toppled heavy shelf. Things get curiouser and curiouser when a second priceless copy of Alice is discovered.

As the Brits descend, Brooklyn learns they're not so stuffy after all. Derek's dad is won over with chocolate cream pie, and his psychic mum would kill to help Brooklyn solve this murder--before another victim takes a tumble.


My Review:
Once Upon a Spine is a cozy mystery. This novel is the 11th in the series. You don't need to read the previous novels to understand this one, and this story didn't spoil the whodunit of the previous books.

Brooklyn and Derek worked as a team, and they passed on the information that they discover to their detective friend. Brooklyn mainly got people talking about the murder to glean who had motive and might have known that the victim would be at that spot. There were clues, but the mystery was ultimately solved by Brooklyn knowingly running into a situation where whodunit was threatening more people (hoping to somehow prevent another death). I prefer reckless to stupid in a heroine, but my favorite mystery heroines solve the mystery without the murderer confessing. Still, enjoyable characters.

There was no sex. There was occasional use of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable 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.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

A Defense of Honor by Kristi Ann Hunter

A Defense of Honor by Kristi Ann Hunter ISBN-13: 9780764230752 Paperback: 352 pages Publisher: Bethany House Publishers Released: June 5, 2018

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from NetGalley:
Katherine "Kit" FitzGilbert was ruined in the estimation of London society more than a decade ago. She now helps aristocratic women who have been seduced or raped and are pregnant so they can avoid being ruined. She also discreetly raises the illegitimate children in return for payments from the fathers.

When business takes her to London and she's forced to run for her life, she escapes through a ballroom and is spotted by Graham, Lord Wharton. What should have been a chance encounter becomes much more as Graham embarks on a search for his friend's missing sister and is convinced Kit knows more about the girl than she's telling. As much as Kit desperately wishes to tell Graham everything, revealing the truth isn't worth putting him and everyone she loves in danger.


My Review:
A Defense of Honor is a Christian romance set in 1816 in England. Realistic, complex characters and vivid setting details immersed me into the story. I cared about the characters and understood why they acted the way they did. The romantic couple inspired each other to be better people and had shared interests to sustain their attraction. I love this type of story, which has real struggles without making the reader depressed. Rather, the characters find healing and freedom.

Kit pushed her shy friend into doing something that resulted in her seduction while also ruining Kit's reputation. Cast from society, Kit and her friend have found a way to save other women from the same fate while also providing a home for the resulting children. Kit's guilt runs deep, and she helps other women as a way to earn the forgiveness of her friend and God. She struggles to accept that they've already forgiven her. She also struggles with trusting God to provide for their needs.

There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd highly recommend this enjoyable and moving 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.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

The Mermaid by Christina Henry

The Mermaid by Christina Henry ISBN-13: 9780399584046 Paperback: 336 pages Publisher: Berkley Released: June 19, 2018

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Once there was a mermaid who longed to know of more than her ocean home and her people. One day a fisherman trapped her in his net but couldn't bear to keep her. But his eyes were lonely and caught her more surely than the net, and so she evoked a magic that allowed her to walk upon the shore. The mermaid, Amelia, became his wife, and they lived on a cliff above the ocean for ever so many years, until one day the fisherman rowed out to sea and did not return.

P. T. Barnum was looking for marvelous attractions for his American Museum, and he'd heard a rumor of a mermaid who lived on a cliff by the sea. He wanted to make his fortune, and an attraction like Amelia was just the ticket.

Amelia agreed to play the mermaid for Barnum, and she believes she can leave any time she likes. But Barnum has never given up a money-making scheme in his life, and he's determined to hold on to his mermaid.


My Review:
The Mermaid is a fantasy/romance set mainly in 1842 in New York City. The story was initially told like a fairy tale narrative. A mermaid falls in love with a fisherman in a remote village in America, but once her husband dies, she's left mourning him and angry at the ocean that took him from her. She hasn't aged, and rumors about her reach the ears of P. T. Barnum. At this point, the author started showing scenes and developing characters.

While Amelia looked like a human when not in her mermaid form, she didn't accept various human notions of proper behavior. She stood up for herself when dealing with Barnum and didn't feel she needed a protector. But her assertiveness and her desire for others to accept her ideas of right and wrong also made for conflict. Amelia increasingly chafed against the 1842 white male attitude towards women, slaves, savages, and God, and she wanted Levi to agree that those attitudes were wrong.

Levi, Barnum's assistant, fell in love with Amelia and worked to protect her against those who would treat her like an animal or condemn her as the Devil's creature. Even knowing she's not human, he still expected her to conform to human standards in some ways and didn't always understand her attitudes or feelings. The suspense came from the potential danger to Amelia from religious people, greedy people, and those who viewed her as an animal or fraud. Frankly, though, that danger didn't really materialize until nearly the end.

There were no sex scenes. There was occasional use of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting story, but realize it's more about choices and attitudes than suspense.


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.

A Rebel Heart by Beth White

A Rebel Heart by Beth White ISBN-13: 9780800726898 Paperback: 368 pages Publisher: Revell Released: June 5, 2018

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Five years after the final shot was fired in the War Between the States, Selah Daughtry can barely manage to keep herself, her two younger sisters, and their spinster cousin fed and clothed. With their family's Mississippi plantation swamped by debt and the Big House falling down around them, the only option seems to be giving up their ancestral land.

Pinkerton agent and former Union cavalryman Levi Riggins is investigating a series of robberies and sabotage linked to the impoverished Daughtry plantation. Posing as a hotel management agent for the railroad, he tells Selah he'll help her save her home, but only if it is converted into a hotel.

Selah isn't sure she entirely trusts the handsome Yankee, but she'd do almost anything to save her home. What she never expected to encounter was his assault on her heart.


My Review:
A Rebel Heart is a Christian romance set in 1870 in Mississippi. The setting and historical details immersed me in the story. The story touched on how difficult it was for former slave owners and ex-slaves to form new, equitable relationships. The story also looked at how Southerners each reacted differently to a Yankee, Levi.

The characters were complex and acted realistically, and I cared about what happened to them. Selah and Levi brought out the good in each other. They were attracted to the other's character as well as looks. They respected each other and worked well together.

There was some mystery since Levi was trying to determine who caused the train wreck. We know whodunit since we get scenes from their point of view. This increased the suspense since we know there is danger to Levi (and others). The main characters prayed before making major decisions, and their Christian beliefs were reflected in how they treated others. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd highly 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.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.