50 more in 2024!

Happy New Year book lovers! I don’t know about you, but I am very ready to leave 2023 behind and forge a better path in 2024. Here’s to health, friends, family, and happiness…and great reads!

1. Seamstress of Acadie by Laura Frantz
Sylvie Galant and her family have built a home, family, orchard, and community in their beloved 1750s Canadian Acadie. While the Acadians are peaceful, the two worlds surrounding them are drawing nearer to war. Canada is a fertile land that is drawing the attention of the British, much to the dismay of the French. When the British Rangers led by William Blackburn move into Acadie, they are to survey the land, people, and resistance - especially led by local Bleu Galant. As the Rangers search for the elusive Bleu, the British army moves into Acadie, overcoming their defenses and disregarding their cries of neutrality. Sylvie, her family, and their entire Acadian community are forced onto ramshackle cargo ships with only the clothes on their back and the supplies they could carry. As the fleet sets sail, the destination is unknown, the rations are meager, illness is a stowaway, and the route fraught with storms. Their survival is unsure. If Sylvie and her family survive this voyage, what will their future be and where will they begin life anew - British America does not want them and the Acadians do not want to return to France…and France & England are moving towards war.

This was a great book! I could not put it down & devoured it in 3 days! The expulsion of the Acadians from their beloved homeland (now Nova Scotia) and their fate was a devastating tragedy. If you like this book, you would also love the Song of Acadia series by Janette Oke & T. Davis Bunn. Thank you Library Thing Early Reviewers for this excellent book, that would be the beginning of a great Galants of Acadie series!

2. Christmas at Holiday House by RaeAnne Thayne - Since losing her husband two years ago, Abbie has begun to feel like her life needs a fresh start. She decides to relocate her career and her young son to Austin, Texas after the New Year. However, before Abbie & young Christopher can begin their journey, they must travel to Silver Bells, Colorado for the holidays to help their friend Lucy's grandmother after a bad fall. It was not on Abbie's radar to spend the holidays among strangers, but how could she refuse - and boy is she glad she didn't! Holiday House, home of the Lancaster family, is a sprawling historical Victorian mansion that is beautiful inside and out - well, it would be more beautiful without the grumblings of Lucy's brother Ethan. Abbie quickly learns that her patient, Winnie Lancaster, is very sweet and gracious, but definitely has a mind of her own! Abbie discovers that her role while at Holiday House is not just a home health nurse, but a caterer, decorator, event planner, and hostess. Can Abbie handle all of the demands of Winnie, Lucy, Ethan, Holiday House, and the town of Silver Bells while also ensuring she & her son have a holiday they will never forget?

This was a good little novel! I loved the storyline and the characters. I would have loved one more chapter at the end, but I am the reader, not the author! This is my first book by Ms. Thayne and I think I would be happy to pick up a few more! Happy New Year everyone! :)

3. The Irish Matchmaker by Jennifer Deibel - Donal Bunratty wants nothing more than to keep his family farm and to make his young daughter Sara happy. After the death of his wife, he has raised Sara alone and kept to himself and his farm. He thought all was going well, until he heard his daughter's one birthday wish: "I'd really like a mother." While Donal is not ready to find another wife, he does agree to attend the local Lisdoonvarna matchmaking festival to make Sara happy - at least he can try, for her sake. Upon arriving in town, Donal seeks out the assistance of the legendary, local matchmaker Jimmy Daly. He agrees to help Donal find a love match & seeks out the assistance of his daughter Catriona who is also a matchmaker. While Donal may not be interested in finding a match, he is finding himself intrigued by Catriona - especially when she comes to the rescue of his young daughter Sara. But Catriona has her matchmaker eyes on another prize - Andrew Osbourne, son of Lord & Lady Osbourne. But can she deny the sparks of interest flying when she and Donal Buratty meet?

This was a really sweet book with a fun storyline. I really liked all the characters and the lovely descriptions of Ireland & its' people. Always a pleasure to read one of Ms. Deibel's books! Thank you LibraryThing Early Reviewer's for the opportunity!

Well dang! I will definitely not be reading 50 more in 2024!

But, I did finally starting reading recreationally again this week! Yay!
When you read emails & papers all day long at work, it is very hard to make yourself read when you come home too!

I am excited to be finishing Boleyn Time by Deborah Cohen. This is the 2nd in The Boleyn Bloodline series and it is just as entertaining as the first: Boleyn Curse.

Hopefully will have a "book report" posted this weekend!
Happy Thursday everyone!
:)

4. Boleyn Time by Deborah Cohen - Anne Bolyen has been biding her time in France while waiting for her beloved Henry VIII to divorce Catherine of Aragon. Anne learned much as a maid of honour to Margaret of Austria and formed strong friendships with Queen Claude and Marguerite de Navarre. She has also been trying to control her supernatural talents as a witch and avoid the notice & wrath of the Goddess. Anne has been under the tutelage of the great Leonardo da Vinci at the Chateau du Clos Luce in France and has been studying mathematics, science, and how to end the curse that plagues her. Da Vinci is building a clock that allows one to travel through time and break the curse of the Goddess & free Anne from her tyranny. The plan is extremely dangerous and very unpredictable, especially when da Vinci dies before testing it. But all hope is not lost - Anne was left as the guardian of the true key to the clock & instructed to travel through time and find The Girl & prevent the marriage of two men. This enigma sounds more like a baffling riddle than a chance to free her from the Goddess' power - will Anne continue Leonardo's mission?

Ellie Bowlan's life has taken a wrong turn. She cannot really say what has happened, but she knows things are just not as they should be...but then again, what should it be? Her relationship with John Chelsea was going well, but once he took a research position halfway around the world, Ellie wondered if they were even right for each other. Her best friend Dez has found love & is planning to get married - to a horribly rich & snobby Lucien (according to Ellie) in France! Her life seems out of control and without focus, not to mention filled with supernatural powers that make her very ill-at-ease, even if they have been inherited through generations of Bowlan women. Can an opportunity to travel to the famous Chateau du Clos Luce bring everyone back into harmony & help Ellie to decide what & where her focus in life should be?

This was a really good sequel in the Boleyn Bloodline series! I look forward to reading the next book in the series! It is a very interesting spin on who Anne Boleyn is and what could have magically been. Thank you LibraryThing Early Reviewers for the opportunity to read the next book in the series! I will be watching for #3.

5. Embers in the London Sky by Sarah Sundin - Aleida cannot stay in Denmark any longer - Hitler & his army have made that very clear. She also cannot stay with her husband Sebastian any longer - his years of abuse & neglect for their child has made that very, very clear. But just as she is about to make an escape with her son, Sebastian packs them all into their car to flee together. As Aleida tries to find a way for she & Theo to escape, Sebastian is looking for his own way to escape. His plan - to rid himself of his deformed child in any way possible.

Hugh Colllingwood loves reporting for the BBC radio and bringing the news to life with his broadcasts. However, his family thinks this is beneath him and tries repeatedly to convince him to give it up. As tensions grow and rations diminish, keeping up England’s morale is becoming increasingly difficult. Then, tragedy strikes when his older brother, his uncle, and his good friend are killed. Can Hugh survive this war much longer? Can England?

Another wonderful book from Ms Sundin! Her novels never disappoint in historical accuracy or interesting plot lines. I cannot wait for the next book in this series! Thank you LibraryThing Early Reviewers for the advanced copy of this book!

6. Chasing the Horizon by Mary Connealy - Thaddeus Rutledge liked life on his terms & was not a man to be crossed. When he wanted to advance in society, he married wealthy socialite Eugenia Wyse. When he wanted his businesses to prosper, he stopped at nothing to make it happen. When his wife began voicing her own opinions & refused to hand over their daughter's trust fund, he locked her in an asylum. When his daughter Elizabeth tried to convince Thaddeus to release her mother from the asylum, he caned her. Nothing would stop Thaddeus from having it all - until his wife escaped from the asylum & his daughter went missing. This was not in his plan...

Beth and Ginny were on the run & needed a place to disappear. Going West on the Oregon trail seemed to be the perfect solution & would allow them a chance to find a new home. However, the asylum escape did not go exactly as planned. They did not plan to bring another woman with them from the asylum on their hunt for freedom. They did not plan to find a man shot & critically wounded that needed their assistance with his secrets. They did not expect so many trials & tribulations & difficulty keeping their presence unknown & low-key. Beth did not expect to find happiness, or love....

This was a really great book with very interesting characters! I enjoyed reading it and cannot wait for the next book in the series! Thank you so much LibraryThing Early Reviewers for the ARC.

7. Arrivals & Departures by Dianne Oren - Arrivals & Departures is a set of 3 romance short-stories that all take place in Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). These are really quick reads that are engaging, funny, sweet, and hit just the right spot for a quick little literary get-away. The characters have depth & reveal human-reality that is simultaneously entertaining & simple, yet with complexity. A lovely debut short-story collection that also manages to evoke my pride at being a fellow Texan from the DFW metroplex!
Looking forward to more from Ms. Oren!!!

8. A Love Discovered - Hearts of Cheyenne 1 - Tracie Peterson - Marybeth Kruger has lost her mother, stepmother, and now her father. All she has left is the home she shared with her family and her baby sister Carrie. While trying to wrap her thoughts around her new situation, the local pastor initiates discussions with another family about adopting young Carrie. When Marybeth is told that she must give up custody of her baby sister to a local, wealthy family, she cannot believe what she has heard. While they may not have much or have everything figured out, she & Carrie are the remaining survivors of their little family. How dare the pastor try and force her to give up her own sister. She cannot - she will not.

Lost - that is how Edward Vogel feels. He has felt lost since the death of his brothers in the war, his own injury & discharge from the Union Army, and after the death of his wife & infant son in childbirth. He has been working as a law enforcement officer in Evansville but yearns for more opportunities that this little town can provide. When Edward receives a letter from his former commanding officer with the promise of a job on the Cheyenne Police Force a spark of excitement grows. But, there is one caveat - men with families are desired in Cheyenne to help bring a calmer, settling influence over the town. While Edward may no longer have a wife & child, he does have a dear friend & neighbor that needs support & protection: Marybeth & Carrie. But how can he marry again when he will not be the potential cause of another woman's demise? Will his protection & support as a friend be enough for Marybeth to enter into marriage and move from the only home she has ever known?

This was a really good story! It kept me interested from the first page and did not disappoint. I cannot wait to read the next book in this series. I eagerly look forward to seeing who Ms. Peterson writes about next from Cheyenne or Evansville as they both have very interesting characters with great potential!

Thank you LibraryThing Early Reviewers for the advanced reading copy of this book! I will be on the lookout for Book 2! :)

9. Born of Gilded Mountains by Amanda Dykes - Martin, Reuben, Randolph, & Silas swear to never give up on their hometown, their search for buried treasure, or their friendship as only young boys can: with a spit, a handshake, and an oath of honor. Little did they ever dream that this pact would be the undoing of their friendship. Rusty Bright & Marybeth Spatts are the best of friends - through the post. They met through a school pen-pal exchange & their writings have kept them thick as thieves ever since. But time brings about change: some good, some bad, some expected, & some a surprise. While Rusty finds unexpected love & happiness on her little mountain, Marybeth finds pain, hardship, and despair. Can a mysterious treasure, a lost mail-car, and an abandoned mansion help to bring these friends and their town back together & make them once more?

This was a really good book! I will admit it took me a few chapters to get into it - the changing of storylines/times was a bit much for my tired brain in the beginning. But, once I was properly introduced to all the characters, it really started to pick up speed & became very interesting! Thank you very much LT-ER for the copy of this book! I look forward to reading more from Ms. Dykes.

10. Tennessee Wildcat: On the Trail of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Mr. Edwards by Robynne Elizabeth Miller
Mr. Edwards is one of the most beloved characters in the Little House book & television series. However, his origins have always been a mystery. Who was Mr. Edwards? Was he a real person, a figment of Wilder's imagination, or perhaps something in-between? Miller & Rushmore's team comb the historical documents to find any record of Edwards while also investigating Wilder's own writings for clues about this enigmatic man. Their research is non-biased, factually based, and full of very interesting information. This book is a must for anyone that loves the Little House series & longs to know more about the real people that inspired the legends.

11. Mountains to Climb (Nursekateers Series #4) by Joy Don Baker & Terri Goodman - The Nursekateers are enjoying their last semester of nursing school before moving into the nursing profession. You might think there are no more crazy scrapes these girls can get into - wrong! They are continuing to learn life's lessons about love, time management, work-life balance, prioritization, and family. When they say you are never "done" learning, they really mean it!

A great ending to the Nursekateers series! These 4 friends have been on quite the ride since entering nursing school in the 1970s. Great job Joy Don & Terri for a wonderful coming-of-age story into the world of nursing.

12. Oliver's Tale by Stephen James - Oliver's musings about life with his new family are a must read! Ever wondered what your cat thought when you tried to play with them & they were not having it? Ever wondered what would happen if you tried to convert a cat from an indoors-litterbox to the great outdoors without a litterbox - just read Oliver's Tale. This was a really cute little book that genuinely made me laugh out loud & read the funny bits to my Mom - who has a feisty cat! A purely enjoyable read - I will be looking out for Oliver's Second Tale!

13. Saved by the Matchmaker by Jody Hedlund - Enya Shanahan never thought her life would end up this way: abandoned, divorced, pregnant, & at the mercy of her family once again. With nowhere left to turn, she must rely on her father & brother to patch up her marriage & the damage that was done. At least she was done with marriage, listening to her heart, and relying on men...until Bellamy McKenna forced her onto that path. Sullivan O'Brien needed a wife before the day's end. All he wanted was a plain, quiet, simple wife - but what he got was beautiful, fiery, & complicated Enya Shanahan. Can these two complicated & flawed human beings really enter into a marriage of convenience, fool their family, and prevent romantic complications?

This book was very, very good! I enjoyed every minute of it! But the ending really surprised me - it felt so out-of-the-blue! I guess I was so wrapped up in the book that I just cannot wait for the next book in the series! In fact, as this was Book 2, I need to find Book 1! Thank you so much LibraryThing Early Reviewers for the ARC. I have not read much by Ms. Hedlund & now I know she will be up on my favorites list!

14. Specters in the Glass House by Jaime Jo Wright -
1921 Mullerian Manor: Marion Arnold will never be the same since the death of her father, the death of his business, and the death of her family's fortune. However, she is thankful that she still has her mother's beloved Mullerian Manor to call home - even if it terrifies her. As Marian begins to adjust to her new life as mistress of Mallerian, her security in old friends, familiar staff, and the countryside is stripped away. Someone has brought death to Mallerian Manor - cold, unexpected, and horrible death. Who would want to hurt anyone here at Mallerian? Who would want to hurt her & why?

2024 Mullerian Manor: Remy Crenshaw is not qualified for this job. Why was she, a general college graduate, selected above all others to be the research assistant to the famous Elton Floyd. It is an honor, to be sure, and she gets along ok with the eccentric Mr. Floyd - but why her? As Remy learns to navigate the confusing confines of Mullerian Manor, she is also learning how to navigate around the aloof Nurse Aimee, crotchety staff & groundskeepers, and the arrogant Tate Arnold. Without internet, how is she supposed to help Elton Floyd find out about the Arnold family, the Butterfly Butcher, and how Tate Arnold is the last surviving relation of Marion Arnold when she dies in 1921? Will Remy's life never make sense or quiet down?

This was a fantastic book! I am never disappointed by Jaime Jo Wright's books and this one (and its surprise ending) was no exception. Thank you LibraryThing for the Early Reviewers copy of this amazing tale of suspense!