Category: Reviews by Christie K.

Christie is an avid reader who enjoys romance from all time periods, mystery, and YA. She also writes romantic suspense and has won a single writing contest that has not miraculously launched her into fame. Until that happens, she will dive into new books and share them with others. When she isn’t reading, she is a speech language pathologist, wife to one, mother to four (if the two dogs are counted), and a plant addict.

Learn more about Christie on Twitter @writercbk

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Review of Shadows in the Mind’s Eye by Janyre Tromp

The audio version of this review was first shared in Episode 32: Guest Jody Hedlund & a Review of Shadows in the Mind’s Eye by Janyre Tromp

THE BOOK

Charlotte Anne Mattas longs to turn back the clock. Before her husband, Sam, went to serve his country in the war, he was the man everyone could rely on–responsible, intelligent, and loving. But the person who’s come back to their family farm is very different from the protector Annie remembers. Sam’s experience in the Pacific theater has left him broken in ways no one can understand–but that everyone is learning to fear.

Tongues start wagging after Sam nearly kills his own brother. Now when he claims to have seen men on the mountain when no one else has seen them, Annie isn’t the only one questioning his sanity and her safety. If there were criminals haunting the hills, there should be evidence beyond his claims. Is he really seeing what he says, or is his war-tortured mind conjuring ghosts?

Annie desperately wants to believe her husband. But between his irrational choices and his nightmares leaking into the daytime, she’s terrified he’s going mad. Can she trust God to heal Sam’s mental wounds–or will sticking by him mean keeping her marriage at the cost of her own life.

THE REVIEW

Janyre’s debut novel showcases a beautifully woven story filled with uncertainty, redemption, revenge, and forgiveness. Each character seems to go through their own transformation by the end, but this story isn’t only character-driven but also plot-driven. This story centers around Annie, a woman learning to live with this new war-torn version of her husband, Sam, while her husband battles the demons he brought back with him from the war. But aside from the inner struggle is the suspicious activity near their house and the shady criminal underbelly that rules the nearby town. No one believes Sam when he shares what he witnesses, and when he follows the trail of clues to do the right thing, he drags everyone he loves into the middle of a dangerous maelstrom. 

If you’re in the mood for a realistic depiction of mid-century slice of life with a side helping of mystery, then Shadows in the Mind’s Eye is a great read for you!

Disclaimer: The publisher offered a complimentary copy of this book. The review was given freely, without payment. All views expressed are only the honest opinion of a member of the Historical Bookworm Review Team.

THE AUTHOR

Janyre Tromp is a historical novelist whose loves spinning tales that, at their core, hunt for beauty, even when it isn’t pretty. She’s also a book editor, published children’s book author, and lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan with her family, two crazy cats, and a slightly eccentric Shetland Sheepdog. You can grab a free copy of her novella Wide Open on her website: janyretromp.com

You can connect with her on:

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Where the Road Bends by Rachel Fordman

The audio version of this review was first shared in Episode 31: Guest Karen Barnett & a Review of Where the Road Bends by Rachel Fordman.

About the book

As Norah King surveys her family land in Iowa in 1880, she is acutely aware that it is all she has left, and she will do everything in her power to save it–even if that means marrying a man she hardly knows. Days before her wedding, Norah discovers an injured man on her property. Her sense of duty compels her to take him in and nurse him back to health. Little does she realize just how much this act of kindness will complicate her life and threaten the future she’s planned.

Norah’s care does more than aid Quincy Barnes’s recovery–it awakens his heart to possibilities. Penniless and homeless, he knows the most honorable thing he can do is head on down the road and leave Norah to marry her intended. But walking away from the first person to believe in him proves much harder than he imagined.

Rachel Fordham invites you to experience the strength and beauty of love forged in the crucible of hardship in this heartwarming story.

The Review

One could gush about the hero’s dramatic life-altering decisions that push him to be a better man or one could get lost in Norah’s hope that keeps her hanging on when life knocks her down, but what makes this story unputdownable is the author’s voice in the way she weaves the two main characters’ stories together and apart leaving the reader wondering just how all this will work out in the end. With any romance novel, the reader is assured of the HEA, the trick for an author is to still lead the reader on by wondering exactly how it will all happen. Rachel Fordham delights her readers with almosts, twists, disappointments, and redeeming moments. Movies have a montage of characters falling love over the course of a single song, but through daily events and conversations this story progresses with wit and humor. This book will have you rooting for all the characters, even the fully-fleshed out secondary ones. 

It’s been some time since I’ve read a historical romance book that was such a pleasure to read. I finished it in two days and I’m still thinking about the story and the characters. Where the Road Bends is a must-read!

Disclaimer: The publisher offered a complimentary copy of this book. The review was given freely, without payment. All views expressed are only the honest opinion of a member of the Historical Bookworm Review Team.

About the Author

Rachel Fordham has long been fascinated by all things historical or in the words of her children “old stuff”. Often the historical trivia she discovers is woven into her children’s bedtime tales. Despite her love for good stories she didn’t attempt writing a novel until her husband challenged her to do so (and now she’s so glad he did). Since that time she’s often been found typing or researching while her youngest child naps or frantically writing plot twists while she waits in the school pick-up line. In addition to her passion for storytelling she enjoys reading, being outdoors and seeing new places. Rachel lives with her husband and children on an island in Washington state.

Learn more about current projects at RachelFordham.com

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Never Leave Me by Jody Hedlund

THE BOOK

In the last stages of a genetic disease, Ellen Creighton has decided to live out her remaining days at the estate of her longtime friend Harrison Burlington. Harrison cares deeply for Ellen, but as a wheelchair-bound paraplegic, he’s never allowed himself to get serious in a relationship. However, he’s desperately trying to save her by finding the holy water that is believed to heal any disease.

When he locates two flasks, Ellen refuses to drink one of them because she believes the holy water killed her sister and father. In an effort to convince her to take it, Harrison ingests the contents first, and when Ellen witnesses the effects, she can no longer deny the power of the substance in the bottles. Dangerous criminals are also seeking the holy water, and Ellen soon learns they will go to any lengths to get the powerful drug–including sending her back into the past to find it for them.

Bestselling and award-winning author Jody Hedlund plunges you into the swiftly flowing river of history in a race against the clock in this breathtaking, emotional second Waters of Time story.

THE REVIEW

This book was eagerly anticipated after reading Hedlund’s first book in the series, Come Back to Me. This second novel spends most of its time in the present tense, but does dip into the past for some perilous encounters.

The concept of healing waters from the first book splash onto these pages also with Ellen and Harrison using the healing water to aid with their own healing. Their sweet romance was enjoyable with a few slightly steamier scenes, but still docile compared to the first book. Even with the Middle Ages thrown in, the violence was minimal. The struggle to let go of past worries is difficult for Ellen due to her sudden lifestyle change brought on by the healing and she’s plagued by the ethical dilemma of the holy water. The characters mesh well with the story, and with the author’s writing this hard to believe tale seems plausible.

If you’re in the mood for a time-traveling romance that will take you beyond the realms of reality, Never Leave Me should be at the top of your TBR queue.

Listen to our review on Episode 25: Guest Crystal Caudill and Review of Never Leave Me by Jody Hedlund.

Listen to Jody’s interview featuring Come Back to Me on Episode 16 and a you can read our full review of Come Back to Me here.

Disclaimer: The publisher offered a complimentary copy of this book. The review was given freely, without payment. All views expressed are only the honest opinion of a member of the Historical Bookworm Review Team.

THE AUTHOR

Jody is the bestselling author of over 30 historical novels for both adults and teens and is the winner of numerous awards, including the Christy, Carol, and Christian Book Awards. She shares about her new time travel novel Come Back to Me, her love of cats, and the fun of writing. Learn more about her at her website JodyHedlund.com/ and her ReaderRoom Facebook group.

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A Midnight Dance by Joanna Davidson Politano

The Book

https://amzn.to/3Owk4r3All theater romances are tragedies. Ella Blythe knows this. Still, she cannot help but hope her own story may turn out different than most–and certainly different than the tragic story of the Ghost of Craven Street Theater. Yet as she struggles to maintain her tenuous place in the ever-shrinking ballet company, win the attentions of principal dancer Philippe, and avoid company flirt Jack, Ella cannot deny the uncanny feeling that her life is mirroring that of the dead ballerina.

The Review

Every book Politano writes gets better and better and this one certainly tops the list. This story is filled with twists and turns that don’t stop all the way to the end, and a very sweet love story thread throughout. The characters are woven together in such a way to have their own distinct story, which also culminates into a lovely tapestry of life at the end. The history of the ballet and the spirit with which Ella dances highlight the author’s intensive research and masterfully weaves together history and plot in an intriguing way.

Romance: The romance is sweet with some tender moments. (Loved the interactions between the main two characters, which isn’t always clear initially)

Violence: Very minimal. One scene, really.

Christianese: There are Bible verses sprinkled throughout and Ella’s relationship and perception of God is a steady conversation during the entire story but it never feels preachy. It adds depth to her character and the way she interacts with others in her environment.  Acceptance and grace are big themes.

Highly recommend this book to readers who are in the mood for a charming romance and a story that pulls apart a preconceived life and fills it with God’s better plan.

This review was originally shared on episode 22.

Disclaimer: The publisher offered a complimentary copy of this book. The review was given freely, without payment. All views expressed are only the honest opinion of a member of the Historical Bookworm Review Team.

The Author

Joanna Davidson Politano freelances for a small nonfiction publisher but spends much of her time spinning tales that capture the colorful, exquisite details in ordinary lives. Her manuscript for Lady Jayne Disappears was a finalist for several contests, including the 2016 Genesis Award from ACFW, and won the OCW Cascade Award and the Maggie Award for Excellence. She is always on the hunt for random acts of kindness, people willing to share their deepest secrets with a stranger, and hidden stashes of sweets. She lives with her husband and their two babies in a house in the woods near Lake Michigan and shares stories that move her at www.jdpstories.com.

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The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery by Amanda Cox

The Book

The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery by Amanda Cox
Present Day. After tragedy plunges her into grief and unresolved anger, Sarah Ashby returns to her childhood home determined to finally follow her long-denied dream of running Old Depot Grocery alongside her mother and grandmother. But when she arrives, her mother, Rosemary, announces to her that the store is closing. Sarah and her grandmother, Glory Ann, make a pact to save the store, but Rosemary has worked her entire life to make sure her daughter never follows in her footsteps. She has her reasons–but she’ll certainly never reveal the real one.

1965. Glory Ann confesses to her family that she’s pregnant with her deceased fiancé’s baby. Pressured into a marriage of convenience with a shopkeeper to preserve the family reputation, Glory Ann vows never to love again. But some promises are not as easily kept as she imagined.

The Review

This book follows three generations of women as they each battle their hold on personal secrets they’ve kept hidden from society and each other. The blending of their stories, all at different ages and time periods, meld perfectly amid their changing circumstances. Will the Old Depot Grocery close or will the youngest of the three, Sarah, be able to save the one stable thing in her new, upturned life? Can Rosemary let her daughter make the one choice she’s worked her whole life to avoid? Will the eldest in the trio, Glory Ann, learn how to let go of the past and embrace an uncertain future?

This story reflects on how seeking the truth, no matter how hurtful, can be freeing and heal broken relationships.

  • Violence: none/off-screen.
  • Christianese: Moderate but presented through each character as they handle their life issues and doesn’t come off as preachy.
  • Romance: hinted at but this story is more in the women’s fiction realm than romance.

If you’re seeking a redeeming story involving the unbreakable, but sometimes fragile relationships between mothers and daughters, The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery is a must read.

This review was originally shared on episode 21.

Disclaimer: The publisher offered a complimentary copy of this book. The review was given freely, without payment. All views expressed are only the honest opinion of a member of the Historical Bookworm Review Team.

The Author

Before becoming a stay-at-home parent, Amanda spent her time counseling children, families, and individuals through life’s challenging moments. Now she uses those same skills to develop layered characters and stories, bringing them on a journey of hope and healing. A journey she hopes her readers experience in their own lives as they read.

A few of her favorite things are the sanctuary of the great outdoors, the feeling of pen on paper, the sound of her children’s laughter, and exploring new places with her husband of 17 years. (Oh, let’s not forget good fiction and good coffee. She’s addicted to both.).

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Bookworm Review: Carved in Stone by Elizabeth Camden

This review was first shared in episode 18 on the Historical Bookworm Show.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Her gilded world holds a deeply hidden secret.  

After years of tragedy, Gwen Kellerman now lives a quiet life as a botanist at an idyllic New York college. She largely ignores her status as heiress to the infamous Blackstone dynasty and hopes to keep her family’s heartbreak and scandal behind her.

Patrick O’Neill survived a hardscrabble youth to become a lawyer for the downtrodden Irish immigrants in his community. He’s proud of his work, even though he struggles to afford his ramshackle law office. All that changes when he accepts a case that is sure to emphasize the Blackstones’ legacy of greed and corruption by resurrecting a thirty-year-old mystery.

Little does Patrick suspect that the Blackstones will launch their most sympathetic family member to derail him. Gwen is tasked with getting Patrick to drop the case, but the old mystery takes a shocking twist neither of them saw coming. Now, as they navigate a burgeoning attraction and growing danger, Patrick and Gwen will be forced to decide if the risk to the life they’ve always held dear is worth the reward.

The Review

Elizabeth Camden continues her legacy of excellent storytelling with memorable characters who readers can root for. Underdog lawyer, Patrick, is tasked with pushing a criminal’s book through to publication despite the Blackstones trying to block it’s release as it will drag their reputation through the muck. He’s met his match in the sweet Blackstone heiress, Gwen, who is sent to change his mind. Readers will anxiously speed through chapters to see if the two will be able to breach insurmountable odds while also solving a decades old mystery that becomes deadly. Another great story from Camden with a sweet romance, ideals of acceptance, and very brief, mild violence.

In the mood for a charming historical romance mixed with danger then Carved in Stone should be on the top of your to be read pile.

Disclaimer: The publisher offered a complimentary copy of this book. The review was given freely, without payment. All views expressed are only the honest opinion of a member of the Historical Bookworm Review Team.

About the Author

Elizabeth Camden is a research librarian at a small college in central Florida, whose novels have won the coveted RITA and Christy Awards. She has published several articles for academic publications and is the author of four nonfiction history books. Her ongoing fascination with history and love of literature have led her to write inspirational fiction.

Fidn out more about Elizabth on her webstie ElizabethCamden.com

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The Ice Swan by J’nell Ciesielski

This review was originally shared in episode 14 of the Historical Bookworm Show.

The Book

Amid the violent last days of the glittering Russian monarchy, a princess on the run finds her heart where she least expects it.

1917, Petrograd. Fleeing the murderous flames of the Russian Revolution, Princess Svetlana Dalsky hopes to find safety in Paris with her mother and sister. But the city is buckling under the weight of the Great War, and the Bolsheviks will not rest until they have erased every Russian aristocrat from memory. Svetlana and her family are forced into hiding in Paris’s underbelly, with little to their name but the jewels they sewed into their corsets before their terrifying escape.

Born the second son of a Scottish duke, the only title Wynn MacCallan cares for is that of surgeon. Putting his talents with a scalpel to good use in the hospitals in Paris, Wynn pushes the boundaries of medical science to give his patients the best care possible. After treating Svetlana for a minor injury, he is pulled into a world of decaying imperial glitter. Intrigued by this mysterious, cold, and beautiful woman, Wynn follows Svetlana to an underground Russian club where drink, dance, and questionable dealings collide on bubbles of vodka.

Out of money and options, Svetlana agrees to a marriage of convenience with the handsome and brilliant Wynn, who will protect her and pay off her family’s debts. It’s the right thing for a good man to do, but Wynn cannot help hoping the marriage will turn into one of true affection. When Wynn’s life takes an unexpected turn, so does Svetlana’s—and soon Paris becomes as dangerous as Petrograd. And as the Bolsheviks chase them to Scotland, Wynn and Svetlana begin to wonder if they will ever be able to outrun the love they are beginning to feel for one another.

The Review

A sweeping love story that rivets the reader with narrow escapes, nefarious characters, strong family bonds, and a hero and heroine whose fragile love will be tested by lies born of pride and the troubles of the world around them.

In trying to outrun her heritage, Princess Svetlana wilts under the pressures of saving her family single-handedly. All Wynn wants is a chance to further medical science and woo the icy princess. A marriage forces Svetlana to open her heart just as Wynn’s world collapses. Can Svetlana pick up the pieces of their marriage her once stoic heart would have abandoned?

If you’re looking for a sweet, clean read with two very different characters who learn to adapt to an ever changing world then The Ice Swan is for you.

This review was originally shared in episode 14 of the Historical Bookworm Show.

Disclaimer: The publisher offered a complimentary copy of this book. The review was given freely, without payment. All views expressed are only the honest opinion of a member of the Historical Bookworm Review Team.

The Author

With a passion for heart-stopping adventure and sweeping love stories, J’nell Ciesielski weaves fresh takes into romances of times gone by. When not creating dashing heroes and daring heroines, she can be found dreaming of Scotland, indulging in chocolate of any kind, or watching old black and white movies. Winner of the INSPY and the Maggie Award, she is a Florida native who now lives in Virginia with her husband, daughter, and lazy beagle.

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Come Back to Me by Jody Hedlund

About the book

The ultimate cure that could heal any disease? Crazy.

That’s exactly what research scientist Marian Creighton has always believed about her father’s quest, even if it does stem from a desire to save her sister Ellen from the genetic disease that stole their mother from them. But when her father falls into a coma after drinking a vial of holy water believed to contain traces of residue from the Tree of Life, Marian must question all of her assumptions. He’s left behind tantalizing clues that suggest he’s crossed back in time. Insane. Until Marian tests his theories and finds herself in the Middle Ages during a dangerous peasant uprising.

William Durham, a valiant knight comes to Marian’s rescue and offers her protection . . . as his wife. The longer Marian stays in the past, the more she cares about William. Can she ever find her father and make it back to the present to heal her sister? And when the time comes to leave, will she want to?

Review

This was a great read and start to a series. Full of good pacing and drama with lots of ups and downs that will leave a reader turning pages well into the night. The premise is sometimes hard to believe as time travel sometimes can be, but there were supporting reasons and the reader wasn’t left to simply make their own assumptions. The book also expertly sets the reader up to look forward to the next installment. The time period Marian travels back to is the Middle Ages and the author manages to make it romantic while also showing the reader the turmoil of everyday living.

Romance: lots of desirous thoughts and touches as this is a male character from the Middle Ages so it makes sense. The author does a good job of weaving in his macho-ness with Marian’s ‘independent woman’ mentality for a good balance. It is obvious that they desire each other.

Christianese: very light

Violence: As noted, it IS the Middle Ages, but nothing gory or outlandish that wouldn’t be found in a history book.

This review was originally featured in episode 11 of the Historical Bookworm Show.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

About the Author

Jody Hedlund is the author of over thirty historicals for both adults and teens and is the winner of numerous awards including the Christy, Carol, and Christian Book Award.
Jody lives in central Michigan with her husband, five busy children, and five spoiled cats. Although Jody prefers to experience daring and dangerous adventures through her characters rather than in real life, she’s learned that a calm existence is simply not meant to be (at least in this phase of her life!).
When she’s not penning another of her page-turning stories, she loves to spend her time reading, especially when it also involves consuming coffee and chocolate.

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