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ArecRain (8 KP) rated A Bride in the Bargain in Books

Jan 18, 2018

I couldnt help but fall in love with this one. With Gist, its hit or miss with me, and this one definitely hit. I love nothing than a good historical romance, and this is definitely a favorite.

I first fell in love with the characters. Determined and hardworking, Joe and Anna both have their own plans and try to use each other to accomplish them. However, Annas plans contradict Joes and they are thrown into quite.

I then fell in love with the world Gist conveyed through her talented writing. She has a way of taking you back into that time and making you part of that world.

Normally, I would find the plot interesting all, but Gist had me interested. I think it was because I was so caught up in Joe, Anna, and their problems that I forgot to be bored with a plot that normally wouldnt do anything for me. Instead, I found myself rooting for Anna and Joe not only as a couple but as people.

Gist always has to through a wrench into things to make them interesting. I could have kicked her for it this novel, but the fact that she gave me an ending I was happy with made it for it. Maybe.

Kudos

Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated The Silver Witch in Books

Feb 21, 2018

This novel is told in both the present and in ancient Celtic times, both storylines taking place in the same locale. In present day Wales, following the death of her husband, Tilda moves into the house that she and Matt had purchased to start their new life in together. After spending some time alone in her cottage, Tilda starts to experience strange things, and finds a new sort of power developing inside her. In ancient times, we hear the story of Seren, a shaman and seer to a Celtic Prince who lived on a man-made island in the middle of the lake near Tilda's cottage.

Each story on its is intriguing. We know early on that there is a connection between the two women, but it takes longer for Tilda to realize why she feels such an affinity for the lake and the area around her new home. By the time she does, her life and the life of her new love may be in more danger than she can handle.

This book has a little bit of everything. Historical fiction, fantasy, suspense, and a touch of romance. I highly recommend this one if you are a fan of any of those genres.

Kudos

Dianne Robbins (1738 KP) rated Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady's Guide to Sex, Marriage, and Manners in Books

Oct 31, 2018 (Updated Oct 31, 2018)

Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady's Guide to Sex, Marriage, and Manners

Therese Oneill | 2016 | Art, Photography & Fashion, Gender Studies, Humor & Comedy

9.0

(2 Ratings)

Book Rating

The author's writing style, history, information, frivolity. It isn't dry. (0 more)

It doesn't delve as deeply as I like. (0 more)

Such glorious fun!

I love this author's writing style. It isn't a recitation of dry facts as some historical nonfiction books can be. She really takes you into the daily rituals associated with fashion, hygiene, sex, marriage, and manners by immersing you in the culture as a virtual time traveler visiting the Victorian era. It brushes away the romance of the time period and gets you into the nitty-gritty, down-and-dirty history but in a fun and frivolous way as she takes you into her confidence and shares the secrets of the past. It's a delightful romp written with light sarcasm that brought tears from laughter into my eyes. I highly recommend this book and this author. She has written another book on the history of child-rearing called Ungovernable: The Victorian Parent's Guide to Raising Flawless Children (Hardcover), which will be available April 16, 2019. Though I don't have children, I'm tempted to buy this book because the other was so much fun.

Oh, and if you like this book, you might also enjoy The Dirt on Clean: An Unsanitized History by Katherine Ashenburg.

Kudos

Deborah (162 KP) rated Highland Surrender in Books

Dec 21, 2018

In the reign on James V (son of Margaret Tudor, the sister of Henry VIII, and father of Mary Queen of Scots) Fiona and Myles, representatives of two feuding clans, are told by the King that they must marry and form an alliance.....

Sadly, Fiona, the heroine, appears as a right Little Madam for most of the first part of the book. Even after feeling betrayed by her brothers, she is unable to reasonably question anything beyond the clan indoctrination and acts simply like a spoilt child. It's quite hard to see why Myles falls for her at all.

That said, overall this isn't a bad book. I think a bit more on the history side would have made this a more solid and exciting novel, as the ending was really rather good, but it seemed that it couldn't decide if it wanted to be an historical novel, with a romance element (think Elizabeth Chadwick) or something more akin to a bodice ripper (and nothing wrong with that!). You started off feeling there was a bigger plot at play, but this seemed to get a bit lost in the middle, before a quite exciting ending after all.

Not sure it's worth a second read, but I'd consider this author again in the future.

Kudos

Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Aug 3, 2021

Happy book birthday to the Christian historical fiction novel UNDER THE BAYOU MOON by Valerie Fraser Luesse Books! Read some of the author's favorite quotes from the book on my blog, and enter the giveaway to win a copy of the book, a Flavors of the Bayou seasonings gift box, and a $10 Starbucks gift card!

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2021/08/book-blog-tour-and-giveaway-under-bayou.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
When Ellie Fields accepts a teaching job in a tiny Louisiana town deep in bayou country in 1949, she knows her life will change--but she could never imagine just how dramatically.

Though rightfully suspicious of outsiders, who have threatened both their language and their unique culture, most of the residents come to appreciate the young and idealistic schoolteacher, and she's soon teaching just about everyone, despite opposition from both the school board and a politician with ulterior motives. Yet it's the lessons Ellie herself will learn--from new friends, a captivating Cajun fisherman, and even a legendary white alligator haunting the bayou--that will make all the difference.

Take a step away from the familiar and enter the shadowy waters of bayou country for a story of risk, resilience, and romance.