The Major's Daughter by Regina Jennings

Regina Jennings always tells a good story and The Major's Daughter is no exception. I loved every word of this book. Frisco and Caroline have been friends for years, now they are in direct competition for a piece of land.  I enjoyed the fast-moving plot with a few plot twists thrown in to keep me guessing. I would suggest that readers read the first two books in the series before reading The Major's Daughter. My only regret is that this is the last book about the Adams family. So grab a mug of tea and curl up under a warm blanket for a wonderful read.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher with no expectations. All thoughts are my own.

From Amazon:

Caroline Adams returns to Indian Territory after tiring of confining society life. She wants adventure, and when she and her friend Amber come across swaggering outlaw Frisco Smith, they find his dreams for the new territory are very persuasive. With the much-anticipated land run pending, they may just join the rush.

Growing up parentless, all Frisco Smith wanted was a place to call his own. It's no wonder that he fought to open the Unassigned Lands. After years of sneaking across the border, he's even managed to put in a dugout house on a hidden piece of property he's poised to claim.

When the gun sounds, everyone's best plans are thrown out the window in the chaos of the run. Caroline and Frisco soon find themselves battling over a claim--and both dig in their heels. Settling the rightful ownership will bring these two closer than they ever expected and change their ideas of what a true home looks like.

About the author:

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1. 1

   Holding the Fort (The Fort Reno Series Book #1)

   4.5 out of 5 stars (188)

   Kindle Edition

   $8.20
2. 2

   The Lieutenant's Bargain (The Fort Reno Series Book #2)

   4.7 out of 5 stars (117)

   Kindle Edition

   $9.99
3. 3

   The Major's Daughter (The Fort Reno Series Book #3)

   Kindle Edition

   $9.99

Biography

Regina Jennings is the winner of the National Reader’s Choice Award, a two-time Golden Quill finalist and a finalist for the Oklahoma Book of the Year Award. A graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University with a degree in English and a minor in history, Regina has worked at the Mustang News and at First Baptist Church of Mustang, along with time at the Oklahoma National Stockyards and various livestock shows. She lives outside of Oklahoma City with her husband and four children when not traveling the world.

Visit Regina's website at www.reginajennings.com.

Misleading Miss Verity by Carolyn Miller

Wow! I just finished reading Misleading Miss Verity and I believe it to be my favorite of all of Carolyn Miller's books. Verity is a delight, full of fun. She knows her own mind and is not afraid to face the consequences of her actions. Anthony Jardine is an interesting fellow who certainly grew into his role as Laird of Dungally. I thought the plot was fast-moving and entertaining. I am sincerely sorry that this is the final book in the Daughters of Aynsley books. I hope that Ms. Miller has a new series up her sleeve. So grab a pot of Scottish Breakfast Tea and a plate of scones to enjoy while you read Misleading Miss Verity.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher with no expectations. All thoughts are my own.


From Amazon:

Verity Hatherleigh has a mind of her own—but her actions do not impress her viscount papa. When she gets into one scrape too many, he sends her off to the wilds of Scotland to rethink her headstrong ways.

Anthony Jardine relished his role as curate, but his new duties as laird of Dungally aren’t always to his liking. Though he thought his new inheritance would be a blessing, somehow he’s finding nothing but trouble on these estates. And the intelligent, compassionate, feisty lass who was sent to rusticate in his territory is one of the biggest problems. He’s falling in love with her, but she doesn’t share the faith that’s his foundation—not to mention he’s been lying to her about who he really is. For the truth-loving Verity, that may be unforgivable.

The tangled web these two have woven may spell disaster for their happiness—and for the tenants of Dungally.

About the author:

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Biography

Hi, I'm Carolyn Miller, author of 'The Elusive Miss Ellison'.

I live in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia.

I'm married, with four gorgeous children, who all love to read (and write!) as I do (except not in the Regency genre - funny, that!).

My favourite authors are classics like Jane Austen (of course!), Georgette Heyer, and Agatha Christie, but I also enjoy contemporary authors like Susan May Warren and Becky Wade.

I try to write stories that are fun and witty, yet also deal with real issues, such as dealing with forgiveness, the nature of really loving versus 'true love', and other challenges we all face at different times.

I hope you enjoy reading my novels. Thanks for stopping by!

Where the Fire Falls by Karen Barnett

Where the Fire Falls is a delightful novel about the early days of Yosemite National Park. Ms. Barnett has done a superb job of researching the park. She paints beautiful word pictures bringing wonderful scenes to one's mind. I could almost see the fire falling from the top of the cliff. I really enjoyed Olivia and Clark's story. They were so real. So grab a mug of hot chocolate and settle in for a fantastic read.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher with no expectations. All thoughts are my own.


From Amazon:

Stunning Yosemite National Park sets the stage for this late 1920s historical romance with mystery, adventure, heart, and a sense of the place John Muir described as "pervaded with divine light."

Watercolorist Olivia Rutherford has shed her humble beginnings to fashion her image as an avant-garde artist to appeal to the region's wealthy art-collectors. When she lands a lucrative contract painting illustrations of Yosemite National Park for a travel magazine, including its nightly one-of-a-kind Firefall event, she hopes the money will lift Olivia and her sisters out of poverty.

    After false accusations cost him everything, former minister Clark Johnson has found purpose as a backcountry guide in this natural cathedral of granite and trees. Now he's faced with the opportunity to become a National Parks Ranger, but is it his true calling?

    As Clark opens Olivia's eyes to the wonders of Yosemite, she discovers the people are as vital to the park's story as its vistas--a revelation that may bring her charade to an end.

About the author:

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Biography

Karen Barnett is the award-winning author of The Golden Gate Chronicles (Out of the Ruins, Beyond the Ashes, and Through the Shadows) and Mistaken. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, two kids, and three mischievous dachshunds. When she's not writing, Karen enjoys photography, hiking, public speaking, decorating crazy birthday cakes, and dragging her family through dusty history museums. Oregon Christian Writers (OCW) honored her with the Writer of Promise Award in 2013 and a Cascade Award for her debut novel, Mistaken, in 2014. In 2016, she was named Writer of the Year by the prestigious Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference. Karen is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and Oregon Christian Writers (OCW) and has been published in Guideposts and other national magazines.

The Painted Castle by Kristi Cambron

Kristi Cambron has again produced a split time novel. The painted Castle is the third book in her Lost Castle series. While it takes a while to get into the book as you are skipping back and forth between 3 different times and 3 different sets of characters. As I gt into each story I began to appreciate the talent that it takes to write 3 separate storylines and then fit them together in a way that makes sense, and even better, entertains. Kristi is one talented lady! I love reading about castles and she does an excellent job with descriptions. Referring back to the series I really enjoyed the three distinct castles, one each in France, Ireland, and England. The Foley family is quite engrossing and protective of each other. So grab your favorite beverage and settle in for a great read.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley.com with no expectations. All thoughts are my own.

From Amazon:

A lost painting of Queen Victoria.

A library bricked off from the world.

And three women, separated by time, whose lives are irrevocably changed.

When art historian Keira Foley is hired to authenticate a painting at a centuries-old East Suffolk manor, she hopes this is just the thing to get her career and life back on track. But from the time she arrives at Parham Hill Estate and begins working alongside rumored art thief Emory Scott, she’s left with far more questions than answers. Could this lost painting of Queen Victoria be a duplicate of the original Winterhalter masterpiece, and if so, who is the artist?

As Keira begins to unravel the mystery behind the portrait, two women emerge from the estate’s forgotten past. In Victorian England, talented sketch artist Elizabeth Meade is engaged to Viscount Huxley, then owner of Parham Hill. However, Elizabeth’s real motive for being at Parham Hill has nothing to do with art or marriage. She’s determined to avenge her father’s brutal murder—even if it means a betrothal to the very man she believes committed the crime.

A century later, Amelia Woods—a World War II widow who has turned Parham Hill and its beloved library into a boarding school for refugee children—receives military orders to house a troop of American pilots. She is determined the children in her care will remain untouched by the war, but the task is proving difficult with officers taking up every square inch of their world . . . and one in particular vying for a space in Amelia’s long-shut up heart.

Set in three time periods—the rapid change of Victorian England, the peak of England’s home-front tensions at the end of WWII, and modern day—The Painted Castle unfolds a story of heartache and hope and unlocks secrets lost for generations just waiting to be found.

Praise for The Painted Castle:

“A gripping tale of secrets hidden behind the walls of an ancient English castle.” —KATE BRESLIN, bestselling author of Far Side of the Sea

About the author:

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Biography

KRISTY CAMBRON is a vintage-inspired storyteller writing both award-winning historical fiction, including her bestselling debut The Butterfly and the Violin, and Bible studies, including the Verse Mapping series. Kristy is a passionate storyteller who travels to speak at events across the country, encouraging women to experience a deeper life in the Word through Verse Mapping. Her work has been named to Publishers Weekly Religion & Spirituality TOP 10, Library Journal Reviews’ Best Books, RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards, received 2015 & 2017 INSPY Award nominations, and has been featured at CBN, Lifeway Women, Jesus Calling, Country Woman Magazine, MICI Magazine, Faithwire, (in)Courage, and Bible Gateway.

Kristy holds a degree in Art History/Research Writing with nearly a decade of ministry experience as an author, speaker, and Women’s Ministry Leader, and 15+ years of experience in education and leadership development for a Fortune-100 Corporation working in partnership with such companies as the Disney Institute, IBM/Kenexa, and Gallup. She lives in Indiana with her husband and three sons where she writes in a beloved coffee shop corner with kayaks on the wall, and can probably be bribed with a peppermint mocha latte and a good read.

To stay connected, visit: www.kristycambron.com.

The Road to Paradise: A Vintage Park Novel by Karen Barnett

A delightful tale of the early days of Rainier National Park. I loved this story with its vivid descriptions of the mountain and the Meadows. The plot was interesting and kept me engaged. There is some romance with a love triangle that adds to the action. I had the privilege to visit Mount Rainier this summer and found many of the places to be as described. So grab your favorite beverage and settle in for a great read.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher with no expectations. All thoughts are my own.

From Amazon:

An ideal sanctuary and a dream come true–that’s what Margaret Lane feels as she takes in God’s gorgeous handiwork in Mount Rainier National Park. It’s 1927 and the National Park Service is in its youth when Margie, an avid naturalist, lands a coveted position alongside the park rangers living and working in the unrivaled splendor of Mount Rainier’s long shadow.
 
But Chief Ranger Ford Brayden is still haunted by his father’s death on the mountain, and the ranger takes his work managing the park and its crowd of visitors seriously. The job of watching over an idealistic senator’s daughter with few practical survival skills seems a waste of resources.
 
When Margie’s former fiancé sets his mind on developing the Paradise Inn and its surroundings into a tourist playground, the plans might put more than the park’s pristine beauty in danger. What will Margie and Ford sacrifice to preserve the splendor and simplicity of the wilderness they both love?
 
Karen Barnett’s vintage national parks novels bring to vivid life President Theodore Roosevelt’s vision for protected lands, when he wrote in Outdoor Pastimes of an American Hunter: "There can be nothing in the world more beautiful than the Yosemite, the groves of the giant sequoias and redwoods, the Canyon of the Colorado, the Canyon of the Yellowstone, the Three Tetons; and our people should see to it that they are preserved for their children and their children's children forever, with their majestic beauty all unmarred."

About the author:

 Following

Biography

Karen Barnett is the award-winning author of The Golden Gate Chronicles (Out of the Ruins, Beyond the Ashes, and Through the Shadows) and Mistaken. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, two kids, and three mischievous dachshunds. When she's not writing, Karen enjoys photography, hiking, public speaking, decorating crazy birthday cakes, and dragging her family through dusty history museums. Oregon Christian Writers (OCW) honored her with the Writer of Promise Award in 2013 and a Cascade Award for her debut novel, Mistaken, in 2014. In 2016, she was named Writer of the Year by the prestigious Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference. Karen is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and Oregon Christian Writers (OCW) and has been published in Guideposts and other national magazines.

The President Is Missing by Bill Clinton and James Patterson

     Not being a Bill Clinton fan and never having read anything by James Patterson, I was not sure that I wanted to read Our President Is Missing. I am glad I threw caution to the wind and read this book. I really enjoyed the suspense of a missing president. I believe having President Clinton involved lent an air of reality to this book. The plot was strong and the characters were intriguing. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys political suspense.
            So grab a mug of coffee and settle in for a great read.


From Amazon:

#1 New York Times Bestseller
#1 USA Today Bestseller
#1 Wall Street Journal Bestseller
#1 Indie Bestseller
"President Duncan for a second term!" --USA Today"This book's a big one." --New York Times
"Towers above most political thrillers." --Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The plotting is immaculate . . . the writing is taut." --Sunday Times (London)"Ambitious and wildly readable." --New York Times Book Review
The President Is Missing confronts a threat so huge that it jeopardizes not just Pennsylvania Avenue and Wall Street, but all of America. Uncertainty and fear grip the nation. There are whispers of cyberterror and espionage and a traitor in the Cabinet. Even the President himself becomes a suspect, and then he disappears from public view . . .

Set over the course of three days, The President Is Missing sheds a stunning light upon the inner workings and vulnerabilities of our nation. Filled with information that only a former Commander-in-Chief could know, this is the most authentic, terrifying novel to come along in many years.