The Year of Jubilee

Author: Cindy Morgan

Publisher: Tyndale House

Release Date: April 18, 2023

Family can cause the most drama, and in this novel, it creates all the right kinds of drama for a wonderful read!

Jubilee, Kentucky has been the home to the Mockingbird family when their lives are rocked by division and illness striking their youngest son, Isaac. Grace is fourteen and left in charge of her younger brother while the rest of her family is at the hospital. It’s 1963 and a hard time for Grace and the rest of her family; her aunt June comes to help but Grace is left with most of the burden. Grace meets a boy named Golden who is unlike anyone she has met and ends up being a key factor in helping her brother. Nothing is as it seems when she must decide between what she is told and what she knows.

The nicest thing about this book is the way it flows; Cindy Morgan has a beautiful way of crafting words that are read so easily. Even though it read quickly and easily, the subject matter was hard and heavy. It is difficult to find a book with a deep subject matter that flows in such a way, but when one is found it turns out to be a beautiful read. I’m thankful for authors that have a way of writing stories that have a deep meaning and are written in a way that will keep the reader interested and turning the pages. I recommend this book to readers that not only enjoy historical fiction but a story with good characters and a heartfelt message.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

After the War

Author: Anita Frank

Publisher: HQ

Release Date: July 21, 2022

Secrets always have a way of reemerging no matter how much effort goes into keeping them.

Jack needs to escape from his past in Newcastle. Putting as much distance as he can, he arrives in Berkshire. There he meets a friendly farmer who offers him a job to help oversee the farm. Even though he knows nothing of the work, Jack accepts his offer. There he meets the farmer’s daughter, Gwen, who is hiding a secret of her own, a pregnancy. Jack offers to marry her and, on that day, war is declared with Germany. After marriage, Jack enlists and promises Gwen that she will never see him again.

Six years later, victory bells are ringing across England. Jack has been wounded many times but remains alive and decides to return home to England. Gwen wonders if Jack will return and when he does, they find that one of the greatest challenges of their lives will be adjusting to married life. As trouble arises, they find they must work together and trust one another to make it through life.

The first part of this story really drug out, but the second half flew by in a flash. There are a lot of references to farm life that get monotonous and could turn readers away, but hopefully they will give it a chance. Also, as the title states, this book is not about the war. It is about what happens to Gwen and Jack after the war. This is also when the tension really gets going moving the story along. There is also not much romance in the book. Even so, the ending is worth the read!

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Daughters of Paris

Author: Elisabeth Hobbes

Publisher: One More Chapter

Release Date: August 5, 2022

The bonds of friendship last beyond the tides of war.

Collette is the daughter of wealth and privilege growing up in post Great War Paris. She lacks for nothing but is often underestimated by her peers and the socialite scene that she is thrust into. She carries secrets that weigh on her conscience but must not let anyone know what has happened in her past to prevent her future.

Fleur is the daughter of a maid in Collette’s parent’s estate. After her mother dies, Fleur continues to live at the estate with her aunt. She and Collette are fast friends when they are young, but as time moves on, they grow apart. When Germany marches into Paris, they realize that they must trust each other and rely on the early friendship they once had if they are going to survive.

As World War II fiction goes, this was a quick read with a look into the occupation of Paris and how people of different classes dealt with it. Hobbes does a good job of balancing the book between both Collette and Fleur, giving each character a chance to tell their tale. I think Fleur was my favorite character as she had to overcome so much adversity to be able to get ahead and life even when she was set back. Collette also showed more resolve than I originally thought she would have, but still fell second to Fleur. The book had a few historical references that I was glad to see and kept the romance to a minimum, which was nice for this type of story.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

The Long March Home

Authors: Marcus Brotherton & Tosca Lee

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: May 2, 2023 (Early Release)

The most moving story with the best characters, storyline and gut-wrenching moments that brought me to tears!

When World War II becomes a real threat to America, Jimmy Propfield and his best friends, Hank and Billy, join up to get out of Mobile Alabama and see the world. Jimmy is also trying to leave behind a broken heart from his high school sweetheart, Claire. The boys are sent to the Philippines which seems like a paradise compared to Alabama. On December 8, 1941, when Pearl Harbor is attacked, life as they knew it changes. They are thrown headfirst into the war with the enemy as the battle for the Pacific ensues. The last stand on the Bataan Peninsula ends with the largest surrender of American troops in history following in the Bataan Death March, one of the worst atrocities in modern warfare. The three friends band together to make it home alive not knowing they are in for a four-year fight to see family again.

I don’t remember the last time I was so moved by a work of fiction. If you had told me that a book about World War II, a historical fiction novel, would become one of my favorite books of the year, I would have laughed at you. This story was about so much more than war and history, this story was about the men that went over there and how they were changed; a story of character development that is some of the best of any written I have read in a very long time.

These two authors have collaborated to craft one of the best written stories I’ve picked up in years. I have read books by Tosca Lee before and knew immediately this would be a top of the year read for me and I can easily say that is true. Normally if you ask me what my favorite genre to read is I say suspense thriller, but I’m starting to rethink that. Honestly, if it is a well-written story with characters that grab me by the heart, I will be hooked. A great story doesn’t have to have shoot outs or fast car chases or serial killers to keep me glued to the page, characters that are on a journey like this and written so well are the best glue. Readers that are looking for a book with amazing characters, a heartfelt story, and tears as they turn the last page will not want to miss this one. If I could give this book more than 5 stars, it is one of the few I would!

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Remember Me

Author: Tracie Peterson

Series: Pictures of the Heart #1

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: March 1, 2023

The start of another great series by Tracie Peterson!

Addie Bryant was forced by her father and brothers up to the Alaskan territory when they wanted to search for gold, but she never thought that her brothers would sell her to the highest bidder just to have some gambling money. Being sold to the owner of a brothel was horrible, but fortunately for Addie the owner only wanted her for himself and took her as a wife. After he is killed in a gambling incident, Addie discovers that everything is left to her and she is a wealthy woman, much to the scorn of her brothers that want her money. She manages to slip away out of Alaska entirely and hopes to never see them again.

Years later in Seattle, Addie is working as a camera girl at the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Expo. Her brothers were arrested for burglary but have been released for good behavior while moving pieces to the expo. They also pick up jobs as custodians at the expo and pick a few pockets while they are there, hoping to run into Addie and her money. Addie’s first true love, Isaac, also shows up at the expo with his class of children and can’t believe he has found her after years of searching. But the past doesn’t heal all wounds and Addie isn’t sure who or what she can trust.

As always, Tracie Peterson crafts a fantastic story where she brings history to light with lovable characters that must overcome hardships. Having this set up in the Pacific Northwest was a nice change and I love how she managed to bring the expo to life for her readers. I also love how she molded Addie and Isaac into who they needed to be to move past hardships brought to them. I know they may not be in the next book, but I can’t wait to see where this goes.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

After the Shadows

Author: Amanda Cabot

Series: Secrets of Sweetwater Crossing #1

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: March 21, 2023

Amanda Cabot takes her readers on a journey as she transports them to the Texas Hill Country in the late 1800’s on a wonderfully delightful novel.

When her husband is killed in a bar fight, Emily Leland has no sorrow. Her husband was abusive and with no husband she heads home to Sweetwater Crossing, Texas. Going home is not as easy as she expects; her father has mysteriously passed away and she has no home to return to. After a fight with her sister, she is left alone and with no money. With a broken heart and the mystery of her father’s death, Emily turns to the aid of Craig Ferguson, the schoolmaster that is widowed and the only one willing to help her.

Amanda Cabot always finds a way to thrill me with her writing. She has a way of writing historical romance where I feel pulled into a different time and place seeing myself right alongside these characters and the struggles they face. I’m from Texas so seeing a story set in the hill country close to me was fun and very engaging. Emily is a strong female protagonist even with all she has had to suffer through, and I found myself rooting for her to find love and succeed. All great stories have that one moment that feels different from the rest and this story had that with a few chapters left. I recommend this book to fans of Cabot’s writing and those that love historical romance.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Code Name Edelweiss

Author: Stephanie Landsem

Publisher: Tyndale House

Release Date: March 7, 2023

Landsem connects the darkness of the rise of the Nazi party on home turf in the USA.

During the summer of 1933, Germany has just named the new chancellor, Adolf Hitler. The Great Depression has been affecting people across the globe and the United States has felt its effects. In the film industry in California, people are losing their jobs, but there is also growing tension between Germany and the film industry due to several of the studio owners being Jews. Liesl Weiss loses her job as a secretary and finds herself begging an unknown stranger, Leon Lewis, for a job. She discovers that he is a Jewish lawyer who has been watching the change of tides as Germany’s new Nazi party has come into power. He asks Liesl to take a job as a spy with the Friends of New Germany group and report to him what she discovers using her new code name, Edelweiss. As she places herself and her family in danger, the information is too dangerous to ignore, and she knows that she must stand for what is right.

This is my first book by Landsem and as someone who loves this era of fiction, it will definitely not be my last. She quickly pulled in my attention with the Liesl’s story and that of some of her counterpart spies with what was happening in the Los Angeles area during the 1930s. I’ve always heard that not much emphasis was put on the war until after Pearl Harbor, but discovering this was based on a true story with sleeper Nazi Germany cells throughout the United States was really unnerving. The character development was great and I would love to see more come out of this story in the future!

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

The Maid of Ballymacool

Author: Jennifer Deibel

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: February 21, 2023

A clean wholesome read that fans of Christian Historical Romance will not want to miss!

Brianna Kelly has only every called Ballymacool Boarding School home. The only home she has ever known makes her very protective of it and the people there. The niece of a local man comes to the school to take care of her unruly behavior. One discovery leads to another making Brianna question her past and how it will all affect her future.

Historical Romance is a genre that can be a quick read with a very lighthearted air and while there isn’t much danger or high stakes moments there is plenty of tension to drive the story forward. The story that Deibel has crafted is fun and just what I needed for a lighthearted quick weekend read. Not a lot of fluff or anything that wasn’t worth reading in the story. While Historical fiction isn’t my favorite genre to read it is a great one to sit down if you are wanting a clean wholesome read. I would recommend this one to readers that enjoy historical Christian romance.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

The House on Foster Hill

Author: Jaime Jo Wright

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: November 21, 2017

A creepy fantastic mystery that is classic Jaime Jo Wright!

Kaine Prescott has been working to get over her husband’s death; she has almost given up on getting the police to believe it wasn’t just an accident while moving across the country. She buys an old, abandoned house without visiting it in her grandparent’s hometown. Wanting a fresh start, she sets about trying to make the house into a home when eerie things start happening and the house’s past comes back to haunt her. With help from a few new friends, Kaine quickly finds there isn’t much she can do to avoid the past and is forced to face it head on. Almost a century earlier, Ivy Thorpe helped to find the identity a woman found dead on the property and try to solve a crime before anyone else gets hurt.

This is the debut novel by Jaime Jo Wright, and I didn’t realize I hadn’t read it until recently. I picked it up and loved every minute of the story. Jaime Jo Wright is a master of time-slip, mystery novels, she has a way of sucking readers in and not letting them catch a breath until the very end. I love picking up her books and knowing I am going to be fully immersed into a world of fiction that is entertaining, mysterious, and totally enjoyable. The way the two timelines tie together by the end is so well done, especially for a debut novel. The characters are engaging and relatable, even the romance aspect was played out perfectly scene-by-scene. This is the type of book that I recommend to readers that enjoy suspense, mystery, and a little bit of romance.

Daughter of Eden

Author: Jill Eileen Smith

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: February 14, 2023

Historical Biblical fiction is not something easily written well, but Jill Eileen Smith is able to knock it out of the garden with Daughter of Eden.

Being one of the very first in the world can make for a hard time. When Eve first looks upon her Creator, she is nearly blinded. It is more than she can take as she is handed over to one like her but not. Adam is different from her but also the closest thing to herself in the garden they live in. Each day their Creator comes to be with them, and it is the moment she looks forward to each and every day. That is until Eve dooms them both with a single act that changes the world. What was once a friendly place is now a world without smiles and an unknown future out of Eden.

Daughter of Eden is one of the best well written historical biblical fiction novels I have read in a very long time. The way Smith writes about Eve and all that took place in a way not thought of before brought me to Eden and right along with Adam and Eve. The story of the garden of Eden is familiar to all, even if you haven’t read the bible, you know the story but maybe not in this way. It is not easy to take such a well-known story and characters and be able to make readers see them in such a different way. The great thing about fiction is it is able to do this. I recommend this book to anyone that wants a different view of how things went down in the Garden of Eden and see Eve in a different light.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.