Literary Time Out: Blog Tour

Showing posts with label Blog Tour. Show all posts

Monday, November 15, 2021

Blog Tour: The London House by Katherine Reay

The London House by Katherine Reay

Book Description:

Uncovering a dark family secret sends one woman through the history of Britain’s World War II spy network and glamorous 1930s Paris to save her family’s reputation.

Caroline Payne thinks it’s just another day of work until she receives a call from Mat Hammond, an old college friend and historian. But pleasantries are cut short. Mat has uncovered a scandalous secret kept buried for decades: In World War II, Caroline’s British great-aunt betrayed family and country to marry her German lover.

Determined to find answers and save her family’s reputation, Caroline flies to her family’s ancestral home in London. She and Mat discover diaries and letters that reveal her grandmother and great-aunt were known as the “Waite sisters.” Popular and witty, they came of age during the interwar years, a time of peace and luxury filled with dances, jazz clubs, and romance. The buoyant tone of the correspondence soon yields to sadder revelations as the sisters grow apart, and one leaves home for the glittering fashion scene of Paris, despite rumblings of a coming world war.

Each letter brings more questions. Was Caroline’s great-aunt actually a traitor and Nazi collaborator, or is there a more complex truth buried in the past? Together, Caroline and Mat uncover stories of spies and secrets, love and heartbreak, and the events of one fateful evening in 1941 that changed everything.

In this rich historical novel from award-winning author Katherine Reay, a young woman is tasked with writing the next chapter of her family’s story. But Caroline must choose whether to embrace a love of her own and proceed with caution if her family’s decades-old wounds are to heal without tearing them even further apart.

Review:

This was an enjoyable read and I believe the first book I’ve read by this author. I didn’t really know what to expect but I was intrigued by the mystery of Caro. Finding out if she really was a traitor or not made for an entertaining story. I liked the growth of the characters and the relationships that healed throughout the story.

Advanced Praise:

“Carefully researched, emotionally hewn, and written with a sure hand, The London House is a tantalizing tale of deeply held secrets, heartbreak, redemption, and the enduring way that family can both hurt and heal us. I enjoyed it thoroughly.”— Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author of The Forest of Vanishing Stars and The Book of Lost Names

“An expertly researched and marvelously paced treatise on the many variants of courage and loyalty . . . Arresting historical fiction destined to thrill fans of Erica Roebuck and Pam Jenoff.”— Rachel McMillan, author of The London Restoration and The Mozart Code

“Reay’s fast-paced foray into the past cleverly reveals a family’s secrets and how a pivotal moment shaped future generations. Readers who enjoy engrossing family mystery should take note.”— Publisher’s Weekly

About the Author:

Katherine Reay is the national bestselling and award-winning author of Dear Mr. Knightley, Lizzy and Jane, The Brontë Plot, A Portrait of Emily Price, The Austen Escape, and The Printed Letter Bookshop. All Katherine’s novels are contemporary stories with a bit of classical flair. Katherine holds a BA and MS from Northwestern University, graduating Phi Beta Kappa, and is a wife, mother, former marketer, and avid chocolate consumer. After living all across the country and a few stops in Europe, Katherine now happily resides outside Chicago, IL.

Title: The London House

Author: Katherine Reay

Publisher: Harper Muse

Published: November 2021

ASIN: B08ZMC97BZ

Source: I received a review copy from the tour host. All opinions expressed are my own.

Wednesday, November 10, 2021

Blog Tour: Every Word Unsaid by Kimberly Duffy

Every Word Unsaid by Kimberly Duffy

Book Description:

Augusta Travers has spent the last three years avoiding the stifling expectations of New York society and her family's constant disappointment. As the nation's most fearless--and reviled--columnist, Gussie travels the country with her Kodak camera and spins stories for women unable to leave hearth and home. But when her adventurous nature lands her in the middle of a scandal, an opportunity to leave America offers the perfect escape.

Arriving in India, she expects only a nice visit with childhood friends, siblings Catherine and Gabriel, and escapades that will further her career. Instead, she finds herself facing a plague epidemic, confusion over Gabriel's sudden appeal, and the realization that what she wants from life is changing. But slowing down means facing all the hurts of her past that she's long been trying to outrun. And that may be an undertaking too great even for her.

Advanced Praise:

“Duffy shines in elegant, flowing prose and delicate precision that underscores the nineteenth-century setting."— Booklist, starred review

"An author to watch."— Library Journal

"Duffy's writing is beautiful, deep, and contemplative."— Jocelyn Green, Christy Award-winning author of Shadows of the White City

Review:

I think this is my first book by this author. The cover is eye catching and I was intrigued by Gussie’s career and how she was trying to ditch her chaperone and uncle-even though I was totally lost on the first page (it took a minute to realize that Gussie was short for Augusta).

Gussie didn’t fit the mold for her time and usually that really endears a character to me. Her selfishness didn’t make her really likable though, so I was torn by wanting to see her live her dreams when she didn’t seem to think much about the other people in her life. Thankfully she evolves as the story goes on.

The relationship in the story had some repetitive issues, but I appreciated the happy ending.

Tour Participants:

Nov 01 Heidi Reads (Excerpt)
Nov 01 Austenprose (Review)
Nov 02 The Caffeinated Bibliophile (Review)
Nov 02 A Darn Good Read (Review)
Nov 02 Reading with Emily (Review)
Nov 03 A Bookish Way of Life (Review)
Nov 03 Bookfoolery (Review)
Nov 03 All-of-a-Kind Mom (Review)
Nov 04 Between the Lines Books ‘n’ Stuff (Spotlight)
Nov 04 Library of Clean Reads (Review)
Nov 04 Wishful Endings (Review)
Nov 05 Captivated Reading (Spotlight)
Nov 05 Laura’s Reviews (Review)
Nov 06 My Bookish Bliss (Review)
Nov 06 Beauty in the Binding (Review)
Nov 07 Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen (Spotlight)
Nov 08 Novels Alive (Review)
Nov 08 Bookworm Lisa (Review)
Nov 09 Nurse Bookie (Review)
Nov 10 Our Book Confessions (Spotlight)
Nov 10 Literary Time Out (Review)
Nov 11 Chicks, Rogues and Scandals (Excerpt)
Nov 11 Storeybook Reviews (Excerpt)
Nov 11 Life of Literature (Review)
Nov 11 Among the Reads (Review)
Nov 12 Books and Socks Rock (Review)
Nov 13 Silver’s Reviews (Spotlight)
Nov 13 Reading Is My Superpower (Review)
Nov 14 Literary Quicksand (Review)

About the Author:

Kimberly Duffy is Long Island native currently living in Southwest Ohio, via six months in India. When she's not homeschooling her four kids, she writes historical fiction that takes her readers back in time and across oceans. She loves trips that require a passport, recipe books, and practicing kissing scenes with her husband of twenty years. He doesn't mind.

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Title: Every Word Unsaid

Author: Kimberly Duffy

Publisher: Bethany House

Published: November 2021

ISBN: 0764235656

Source: I received a review copy from the tour host. All opinions expressed are my own.

Purchase Links: AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY | BOOKSHOP | GOODREADS

Tuesday, November 2, 2021

Blog Tour: Love and Lavender by Josi S. Kilpack

Love and Lavender by Josi S. Kilpack

Book Description:

Hazel Stillman is a woman of rare independence and limited opportunities. Born with a clubbed foot, she was sent away as a child and, knowing her disability means a marriage is unlikely, she devoted herself to scholarship and education.

Now working as a teacher in an elite private girls' school, she is content with the way her story has unfolded. When her uncle Elliott Mayfield presents her with the prospect of a substantial inheritance if she marries, Hazel is offended. What kind of decent man would marry for her money? Besides, she loves her freedom as a professional, respected woman. When she hears rumors of the school possibly being sold, however, she knows she must consider all her options.

Duncan Penhale has a brilliant mind and thrives on order and process. He does not expect to marry because he likes his solitary life, shared only with his beloved cat. When Elliott Mayfield, his guardian's brother, presents him with an inheritance if he marries a woman of social standing, Duncan finds it intrusive. However, with the inheritance, he could purchase the building in which he works and run his own firm. It would take an impressive and intellectual woman to understand and love him, quirksand all.

Hazel and Duncan believe they have found a solution to both of their problems: marry one another, receive their inheritances, and then part ways to enjoy their individual paths. But when Uncle Mayfield stipulates that they must live together as husband and wife for one year before receiving their inheritances, Hazel and Duncan reluctantly agree. Over time, their marriage of convenience becomes much more appealing than they had anticipated. At the end of the full year, will they go their separate ways or could an unlikely marriage have found unsuspecting love?

Andrea’s Review:

Love and Lavender is a great addition to the Mayfield Series. I really enjoy how the author makes her characters so realistic. Their flaws make them relatable and make for a realistic story. Sure, marriages of convenience aren’t common these days, but making the main characters have disabilities really brought so much to the story. My heart strings were tugged and I loved the love and growth displayed throughout the story. We were really able to see the good traits in both Hazel and Duncan by how they treated each other. I have really enjoyed getting to know the Mayfield family through this series.

Rorie's Review:

Another great addition to the Mayfield Family series! I have enjoyed each of the other books in this series, and this one did not disappoint either. There was a new twist in this story, as Duncan, one of the main characters, has autism (of course, they didn't know what that was back then) and Hazel has a clubbed foot. It was fun to sit on the sidelines and watch their relationship develop and grow. At times, I found myself rooting for Hazel to be completely successful with her chosen career path, and then I had to stop and say "But wait! Then what will happen?" I wasn't sure how the author was going to manage making everyone happy, but there is a reason she is a writer and I am not. If you haven't yet started this series, I highly recommend it.

Advanced Praise:

“What a lovely romance. The historical details, the depth of the authentic characters, and the realistic dialogue all contribute to an immersive story. [A] beautiful and inspirational story about loving people just as they are.”— Katie Jackson, Regency Proofreading

“Phenomenal. This book was phenomenal. The very best in the series.”— Lyssa Armstrong, For Where Your Treasure Is
“This love story was unique and such an uncommon take on a marriage of convenience! [S]weet and well worth the wait!”— Ashley Johnson, Bringing Up Books

“Beautifully written, sensitive, poignant addition to the Mayfield Family series.”— Susan K., The Flipped Page

About the Author:

Josi S. Kilpack has written more than thirty novels, a cookbook, and several novellas. She is a four-time Whitney award winner, including Best Novel 2015 for "Lord Fenton's Folly, and has been a Utah Best of State winner for Fiction. Josi loves to bake, sleep, eat, read, travel, and watch TV--none of which she gets to do as much as she would like. She writes contemporary fiction under the pen name Jessica Pack.

Josi has four children and lives in Northern Utah.

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Title: Love and Lavender

Author: Josi S. Kilpack

Publisher: Shadow Mountain

Published: November 2021

ISBN: 162972999

Source: I received an advanced reader copy from the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

Purchase: AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY | BOOKSHOP | GOODREADS

Wednesday, February 3, 2021

Book Review: Georgana's Secret by Arlem Hawks

Book Description:

1811

A Regency romance on the high seas. Two hearts yearning to find a safe harbor, and possibly, a lasting love.

As a young girl, Georgana Woodall dreamed of beautiful dresses, fancy balls, and falling in love. However, when her mother dies, she cannot face a future under the guardianship of her abusive grandmother and instead chooses to join her father on his ship disguised as his cabin boy, "George."

Lieutenant Dominic Peyton has no time in his life for love, not with his dedication to His Majesty's Royal Navy claiming his full attention. While trying to adjust to a new crew, he strives to be an exemplary officer and leader. When he sees the captain's cabin boy being harassed by the crew, he immediately puts a stop to it and takes the "boy" under his wing. After discovering a number of clues, Dominic deduces that George is really a woman. Knowing that revealing the cabin boy's secret would put her in serious danger from the rowdy crew, Dominic keeps silent and hides his growing affection for her.

Georgana is quickly losing her heart to Dominic's compassion and care but is convinced nothing can come of her affection. She cannot continue to live her life on the sea, and having already missed too many seasons in London, her chances of being welcomed back into polite society and finding a suitable husband are quickly slipping away.

Georgana's Secret is about two hearts yearning to find a safe harbor, and possibly, a lasting love.

Rorie's Review:

For some reason, I have always been drawn to stories where the main character has to disguise herself as a boy for one reason or another, so the premise of this story drew me in right away. The author did a wonderful job of bringing all of the characters to life, and giving the reader a taste of what life might be like as a cabin boy who doesn't quite fit in with any group on board.

Every time I read a story that takes place on a ship, I'm always amazed at just how many people are in board. I guess I just can't grasp the size of the ship, because I'm always shocked when there are more than 50 people on board. Anyway, the reader obviously doesn't get to know everyone, but we do get to know a handful, and I enjoyed getting to know them all, whether it was to love them or hate them. Definitely a well-written, enjoyable story that I plan on rereading more than once.

Andrea's Review:

Georgana’s Secret is a great addition to the Proper Romance line from Shadow Mountain. I loved the premise of a loving father trying to protect his daughter in the only way he could come up with-having her disguised as a cabin boy on the ship he captained. Wondering if her secret would be discovered made for an entertaining story, and a fast read.

The main characters, Georgana and Dominic, were well developed and lovable. Both had such good hearts and made huge sacrifices for their surviving parents-it showed how selfless they are.

Life on a ship in the early 1800s sounded pretty miserable, but I appreciated how the author included the feeling of love for the sea that some of the characters had.

I hadn’t heard of the author before, but I’m excited to read her other books, and highly recommend this one.

Tarah's Review:

One of my favorite things about reading is the feeling different books can create. If I hate a book, I may not be able to tell you what it was about later, but I can definitely say that I didn't like it. The reverse is also true. A good well written story will just leave me with a good feeling that I remember later. Georgana's Secret gave me the later feeling. I came away feeling filled and was left with a general sense of, "ya, I liked that book." It's always a good day when that happens. Especially with a book that I wasn't sure about to begin with. I'm not gonna lie. I probably wouldn't have picked this one off the shelf. The cover really doesn't intrigue or entice me, and I would have passed this one over because of that. How lucky am I that I read it anyway and loved it?!

I love this addition to the Proper Romance line, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a sweet, clean, naval romance.

About the Author:

Arlem Hawks began making up stories before she could write. Living all over the Western United States and traveling around the world gave her a love of cultures and people and the stories they have to tell. With her travels came an interest in history, especially the history of her English heritage. When she isn't writing, Arlem is baking her characters' favorite foods, sewing Regency dresses, learning how to play the tin whistle, and water coloring. She lives in Arizona with her husband and two children. Having previously published four historical romance novellas, Georgana’s Secret is her debut novel.

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Friday, June 26, 2020

Blog Tour: Living Scriptures Streaming

Review:

I had the opportunity to try out the Living Scriptures streaming service this past week, and I was pleasantly surprised at the number of shows available. What you may think of when you hear about Living Scriptures is the cartoons depicting scripture stories, but there are so many more options. And, being a faith based service I felt comfortable letting my teens have free reign with it.

We watched Spirit of the Game about the Mormon Yankees (missionaries in Australia that had a basketball team and played against Olympic teams). It was a very enjoyable show and fun to watch with my kids. My daughter and I also watched Abel’s Field. It was a heartwarming show with a great message of faith and hope. I watched several episodes of Latterday News and enjoyed the Church updates.

The service seems to have something for everyone. We even noticed Faith Based Fitness on there. They are offering a FREE one month trial, so be sure to head over and check it out.

One Month Free Trial

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Blog Tour: Rakes and Roses by Josi S. Kilpack

Book Description:

A standalone novel in the Mayfield Family series with an unusual premise and an uplifting ending.

Lady Sabrina endured an abusive marriage, a miscarriage, and early widowhood to emerge as a smart, successful, confident woman who found a way to make her mark in a man's world. She has friends and purpose, but cannot hide from the emptiness she feels when the parties are over and the friends have gone home to families she will never have.

Harry Stillman may be charming and handsome, but he's a gambler and a rake who has made a mockery of his privileges. He turns to the mysterious Lord Damion for financial relief from his debts, but still ends up beaten nearly senseless by thugs and left in an alley.

When Lady Sabrina comes upon Harry after the attack, she remembers the kindness Harry once showed to her six years ago and brings him to her estate to heal. Though their relationship begins on rocky footing, it soon mellows into friendship, then trust. But Lady Sabrina needs to keep Harry at a distance, even if he is becoming the kind of man worthy of her heart. After all, she is keeping a secret that, if exposed, could destroy everything she's so carefully built.

Rorie's Review:

I have enjoyed each of Kilpack’s books in the Mayfield Family series, and this one was just as enjoyable. I will admit, it has been long enough since I’ve read the other books that I don’t really remember much about the other characters, but that’s not necessary, as each story works well as a stand-alone.

It was fun having Lady Sabrina be the strong rescuer, instead of the other way around, as is usually common in novels set in this time period. (But I don’t mind those either.) I cheered her on as she lived her life on her terms, and I also cheered Harry on as he finally started making much-needed changes in his life. This book was a page-turner, and I stayed up much later than I should have to finish it. I highly recommend this book - and the entire series.

Andrea's Review:

I loved this addition to the Mayfield Family Series and read it very quickly. In the previous books I really disliked Harry. He was a piece of work and just . . . awful. But, I loved his redemption in this story. It was so good to see that no one is beyond hope, and it is possible to change one's ways. That didn't happen to him until he was so far down that death was probably on the horizon, but the kindness and faith of one person brought him out of his own way.

Lady Sabrina was amazing. She made the best of her situation after she'd been through a lot as well, and she saw deep into people's hearts and could see potential where no one else could.

I'm looking forward to reading this (and the rest of the series) again.

Tarah's Review:

In the acknowledgments, the author says, "This is the first time I have written a 'playboy,' and it's a character type I find difficult to like as a reader." (You should keep reading what she says, because it's really good) This is exactly how I feel as a reader, and so this was a more difficult book for me to read. It was well written, each character had a lot to recommend themselves, and it was a beautiful story of redemption. I just...well, I had a hard time.

However, Lady Sabrina was really a great character to read about. It was heartbreaking to hear everything she went through, but then to see her courage as she was able to become strong despite of her background is very inspiring. I loved the supporting cast that helped her become who she was supposed to be.

Honestly, I probably won't read this one again. It's not my style of book. However, like I said before, it was well done, and beautifully written. So if you don't mind, or even if you prefer "the rake" type character, then you will love this one from Kilpack.

About the Author:

Josi S. Kilpack is the bestselling author of several Proper Romance and Proper Romance Historical series and a Cozy Culinary Mystery series. Her books, A Heart Revealed and Lord Fenton's Folly; were Publishers Weekly Best Romance Books of the Year. She and her husband, Lee, are the parents of four children.

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Blog Tour Schedule:

May 04 My Jane Austen Book Club (Guest Blog)

May 04 Historical Fiction with Spirit (Review)

May 04 Austenprose—A Jane Austen Blog (Review)

May 04 All About Romance (Guest Blog)

May 05 Timeless Novels (Review)

May 05 Literary Time Out (Review)

May 06 For Where Your Treasure Is (Review)

May 06 Courtney Reads Romance (Review)

May 07 Fire and Ice (Excerpt)

May 07 Gwendalyn's Books (Review)