Time for posting my review for the month's theme: 'summertime book setting'
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Having loved Anita Higman's stunning novel, 'Winter in Full Bloom', I was definitely open to reading her newest release. I prefer light reading for summer and this plot seemed to be just that for SUMMER'S LIST . Here's the publisher's synopsis:
~ "A dying wish alters the course of a young woman’s life. Life hadn’t been easy for Summer Snow. In acts of selflessness—caring for her ailing parents and now, her grandmother—she had forfeited her youth and dreams for the needs of others. And the only tries she had at love… didn’t turn out. She had her grandmother's bookstore to run, she had her beloved granny, but she was missing something—or someone.
Opportunity strikes when Granny sends Summer on an unexpected adventure with Martin Langtree, a kind young man from Summer’s past. A childhood friendship is rekindled, a romance is sparked, and mysteries are solved in one magical Texas summer. Will Summer strike out on love again, or will things finally go her way'? With lovable characters and surprising twists, Summer’s List is a simple delight."
~
For my response I'm using the #collaboreads review acronym of READS...
Riveting-
What part of the book could you not get enough of?
I loved the sense of adventure as Summer sets out to find and reunite with her former childhood friend, discovering the uniqueness of Martin's character, and the uncovering of the secrets of his past after all the intervening years.
Elements-
How did you relate to/care for the characters? I was especially drawn to Martin. The contrast between him and the two brothers of his adoptive family was well portrayed, making him that much more appealing. The grandmother was well characterized and I liked her individuality and creative thinking.
Thoughts on plotline/twists/turns?
Very intriguing family secrets created unexpected twists in this story. It was not the light read I'd anticipated.
Associate-
What other books are like this one?
None coming to mind Did it remind you of a movie/tv show themes or characters?
Does it serendipitously line up with things going on in your life or in the news right now?
The grandmother's end of life journey and impact on Summer inspired reminders of the loss of my own mom. Sad for the loss but so glad for her gain!
Design-
Judging the book by its cover:
What did you think of it? How did it relate to the contents? Lovely summer sunshine and Summer looking over her shoulder seems to refer to the past
which is a main feature of the story.
Font and layout of pages? Mine was kindle reading so no font or page layout to consider.
Stars-
How many out of 5 did you give this book? Would you recommend this book to a friend?
3.5 *s from me and yes, I'd recommend it for uniqueness of plot.
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Linking up with other collaboreaders for this August read HERE
*
September's theme?
Read a "Back to School" themed book, then link up your READS review Sept 28th.
I look forward to discovering what books you choose !
" Steady girl," Maggie whispered, peering down from the bluff, leather reins held taut. The thrum of spectators on the field below rose on the cool morning breeze, and she leaned forward to stroke the thoroughbred's neck. "Wait," she gently coaxed, anticipation sparking the air. "It's coming..." But even as she said it, her own pulse edged up a notch.
Bourbon Belle pawed the dirt, and Maggie sensed the mare's restraint growing thinner by the ___
The gunshot sounded. The horses on the racetrack below bolted from their marks, as did Bourbon Belle, and exhilaration fired through Maggie's veins. Belle surged to life and Maggie gave the horse her head, allowing the mare to surrender to every instinct the animal's sleek-muscled body commanded. To run..."
~*~
and a Teaser ?
"The breeze on the back of his neck felt like a whisper from eternity, and it slwly fingered its way down his spine. Hoping he was doing the right thing, Cullen swiftly dismounted, took the porch steps in twos, and offered his hand again. "My answer is aye, Mr. Linden. I'll marry your daughter.
If she's willin'."
~*~
Synopsis
"A gifted rider in a world where ladies never race, Maggie Linden is determined that her horse will become a champion. But the one man who can help her has vowed to stay away from thoroughbred racing for good.An Irish-born son far from home, Cullen McGrath left a once prosperous life in England because of a horse racing scandal that nearly ruined him. He's come to Nashville for a fresh start, hoping to buy land and start a farm, all while determined to stay as far away from thoroughbred racing as possible. But starting over proves harder than he'd wagered, especially when Maggie Linden's father makes him an offer he shouldn't accept yet cannot possibly refuse.
Maggie is certain that her mare, Bourbon Belle, can take the top purse in the annual Drayton Stakes at Nashville's racetrack the richest race run in America. Maggie only needs the chance to prove it. To give her that chance, and to save Linden Downs from being sold to the highest bidder, Maggie's father aging, yet wily as ever makes a barter. His agreement includes one tiny, troublesome detail Maggie must marry a man she's never met. A man she never would have chosen for herself. Cullen and Maggie need each other in order to achieve their dreams. But their stubborn, wounded hearts and the escalating violence from a "secret society" responsible for lynchings and midnight raids may prove too much for even two determined souls."
I put this story down for a very late bedtime then continued straight through the next morning.
Such a good read!
Tamera's research is thorough, offering unique insights into the world of thoroughbred racing during the nineteenth century. An era not particularly comfortable to today's sensibilities, racial prejudices exacerbated by abuse and violence are not overlooked neither played down. Nashville founding gentry disdain northern carpetbaggers, Irish foreigners along with coloured freedmen alike.
Ms Alexander paints the background clearly.
Sons and fathers lost to war and the ensuing dire situations of landowners losing longheld farmland
drive decisions previously unconsidered.
Personable characters become real in the reading as do villains - all too clear. Lifelong relationships of friendship and love bear weight to the breaking point. Pacing is steady. Tension well played.
*
I have nothing but praise for this exceptional story and masterful storyteller.
The romance is developed so beautifully, I missed spending time with Cullen and Maggie once I'd closed the cover on the final pages.
Tamera Alexander is the USA Today bestselling author of numerous books, including A Lasting Impression, A Beauty So Rare, To Whisper Her Name, and From a Distance. Her richly drawn characters and thought-provoking plots have earned her devoted readers worldwide, as well as multiple industry awards.
These awards include two Christy Awards for Excellence in Christian fiction, two RITA awards for Best Inspirational Romance, three Gayle Wilson Awards of Excellence, two Bookseller’s Best Awards, and being listed among Library Journal’s Top Christian Fiction, among others. Includes a lovely feature on Tamera in Southern Lady September issue.
After living in Colorado for seventeen years, Tamera has returned to her Southern roots. She and her husband now make their home in Nashville where they enjoy life with their two adult children who live nearby.
*
TO WIN HER FAVORis the second standalone novel in the Belle Meade Plantation series published by Zondervan/Harper Collins, set in Nashville, TN, and based on the real history of the famous Belle Meade Plantation founded in 1807. At the heart of each of my books is a female and male protagonist at crucial turning points in their lives. As each story has unfolded in my writing, I've taken the couple's journey with them and hope you'll enjoy taking each of these journeys too.
With the final race in this year’s Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes, taking place on June 6, we’re in a horse-racing mindset. Lucky for us, Tamera Alexander’s To Win Her Favor is available now, and she’s celebrating with a giveaway!
open Canada / US
~*~
*With appreciation to Zondervan/HarperCollins for providing an ecopy for reading and review without cost or obligation.
New York Times Best Selling Author, Liz Tolsma, provides
a video peek into the story's background
*
*
Editions: Paperback, ebook -352 pages
Series: Women of Courage book 2
Published: May 6. 2014
Publisher: Thomas Nelson Publishers
*
Description:
From author, Liz Tolsma ~
"It's the real story of two very courageous women. I've taken the true accounts and fictionalized them, but much of what happens in the book did happen. I cannot imagine living during that time, either on the run for my life or hiding for my life. Wondering if each breath would be my last. Praying that the bombs would stop falling while praying at the same time that they would keep falling. I hope the story touches you the way it touched me."
*
As Liz Tolsma describes, this is a story based on true events of WWII. Gisela Cramer is an American living
in eastern Germany with her Opa and cousin, Ella Reinhardt. When the Red Army invades,
they must leave their home to escape to safety in Berlin.
However, both the elderly grandfather and cousin Ella, a nurse, refuse to leave, sending her young daughters with Gisela. During their journey, Gisela
meets Mitch Edwards, an escaped British POW. She pretends she is his wife in
order to preserve his safety among other Germans. One wounded German
soldier, Kurt, has suspicions about Mitch’s identity. Kurt also has feelings
for Gisela and tries to uncover the truth about her “marriage.”
Their journey to Gisela’s mother in
Berlin is riddled with tragedy and hardship, but they strive to keep Ella's
daughters safe so they can reunite with their mother. During the journey Gisela
and Mitch begin to develop feelings for one another beyond friendship. They
reach Berlin, but their struggles are far from over.
Gisela and Mitch must
learn to live for the day and find hope in the darkest of circumstances.
In this moving, historically accurate
portrayal of WWII Germany, the characters learn that, even with destruction all
around them, some things last forever and theymust hold on to hope and love despite all odds in the midst of a war-torn country.
*
*My thoughts?
From the one hour window of decision to departure
in the face of the army's approach,
the intensity of this story didn't let up until its conclusion.
*
"She clutched her chest, finding it hard to breath, and snapped back
to the present. They had to run. An hour. They would leave in an hour.
She drew an unsteady breath and steeled herself.
"We can't let them catch us.""
*
Authentic characters living life as was the norm at the time,
now encountering extreme life situations at every turn
was overwhelming to read, let alone imagining the scenarios
Ms Tolsma so realistically painted.
Continual pressure of making decisions with far-reaching effect
yet without time to fully consider consequences.
*
"Thoughts whirled like a snowstorm through Gisela's mind...
The pictures...rattled on the wall as another shell hit its mark.
They had no time to waste. "
*
Caring for and carrying two young children from one horrific
setting in succession after another - my heart was pounding
in a continual state of alarm.
*
Gisela discovers their only transportation - a bicycle -
has been stolen during their first night of the move west.
How pleased I was when escaped Brit POW, Mitch Edwards, arrives
on the scene, anticipating him to offer some physical assistance,
yet without grasping the hazard he now becomes to those
of Gisela's immediate group.
His presence as escaped POW, language and accent, jeopardizes their anonymity just by opening his mouth to speak.
*
The magnitude of these desperate masses of people
fleeing capture are vividly drawn by Ms Tolsma.
Each scenario tangibly descriptive and emotionally evocative.
*
"She folded the cash and slipped it into a pocket sewn on the inside
of her dress, along with a handful of cigarettes from the tin.
They were like gold, barter for whatever they needed.
Anyone would sell anything for a cigarette."
*
Travelling on foot, hauling belongings by cart without rest
and for endless miles, with bombers attacking from above,
I despaired for their survival and protection.
Every emotion heightened and fully engaged in the outcome
of this young woman and her charges.
When a one armed soldier pulls her to the last spot of safety
in the final departing army transport, Gisela has no way of knowing
what lies ahead...
*
Bright moments of miraculous provision of food,
catching train space, help from fellow travellers, strangers,
and the comic relief of two elderly sisters
living in a world from their past, all serve to provide some cushion
for the reader from the constant onslaught of darkness that is war.
* In the midst of this exterior darkness, Gisela works and reworks the
interior darkness resulting from her past actions
regarding two cousins for whom she feels responsible.
Faith plays out in resolution of her distress and a maturity
I was looking for on her behalf.
*
Relief at the joys of reuniting once they reach Berlin are soon
exchanged for an entirely new barrage of emotions
when the Allied forces escalate their bombing in the final days of the war,
targeting more than the headquarters to bring down the Third Reich.
The advance of the Russians into the area bodes new evils
depicted by Ms Tolsma
and we're plunged into horrors that take our breath in new ways.
*
Personal tension between the main characters, Gisela and Mitch,
increases as the love triangle manufactured by German soldier, Kurt,
plays out to the music of his own imagination.
Ms Tolsma enriches readers' understanding with excellent insights into Kurt's thinking that colours his actions.
*
A well researched, encompassing story that relieves the suspense
with a satisfying conclusion.
*
“No what-might-have-beens. If
God says not to worry about tomorrow, I would think the same applies to
yesterday. There's enough trouble in the here and now to worry about how
differently things could have turned out.”
* Thanks to Thomas Nelson for providing an ecopy to read and review via Litfuse without cost or compensation.
*
Author Bio:
Liz Tolsma has lived in
Wisconsin most of her life, and she now resides next to a farm field with her
husband, their son, and their two daughters. All of their children have been
adopted internationally one has special needs.
* Her novella, Under His
Wings, appeared in the New York Times bestselling collection, A Log Cabin
Christmas. Her debut novel, Snow on the Tulips, released August 2013.
Daisies Are Forever releasedMay 2014. When not busy putting words to paper,
Liz enjoys reading, walking, working in her large perennial garden, kayaking,
and camping with her family. Please visit her blog atliztolsma. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter @LizTolsma. Liz is also a regular contributor to the Barn Door blog.
Plain, practical Eleanor Braddock knows she will never marry, but with a dying soldier's last whisper, she believes her life can still have meaning and determines to find his widow. Impoverished and struggling to care for her ailing father, Eleanor arrives at Belmont Mansion, home of her aunt, Adelicia Acklen, the richest woman in America--and possibly the most demanding, as well. Adelicia insists on finding her niece a husband, but a simple act of kindness leads Eleanor down a far different path--building a home for destitute widows and fatherless children from the Civil War. While Eleanor knows her own heart, she also knows her aunt will never approve of this endeavor.* Archduke Marcus Gottfried has come to Nashville from Austria in search of a life he determines, instead of one determined for him. Hiding his royal heritage, Marcus longs to combine his passion for nature with his expertise in architecture, but his plans to incorporate natural beauty into the design of the widows' and children's home run contrary to Eleanor's wishes/ AS work on the home draws them closer together, Marcus and Eleanor find common ground--and a love neither of them expects. But Marcus is not the man Adelicia has chosen for Eleanor, and even if he were, someone who knows his secrets is about to reveal them all.
Pages: 471 pages Series: Belmont Mansion #2
Setting: 1868 Nashville Tennessee
Published: April 24th 2014
Publisher: Bethany House
*
My thoughts?
"She turned then and headed straight for him.
He summoned an air of practiced nonchalance...
The woman didn't so much as blink in his direction as she passed.
Feeling aptly put in his place - and not overly fond of the feeling, Marcus watched her exit the post office. He wasn't accustomed to being ignored."
*
Reminiscent of Jane Austen's beloved Elizabeth and Darcy,
the stage is set for the iron sharpening iron between Eleanor and Marcus.
The more I read, the deeper my love grew for these two,
and for their possibilities of a relational future. Intelligent, witty, compassionate ~ Eleanor has me cheering for her
from page one. At the bedside of a dying soldier, I see her
caring heart, the rule of life that motivates her, that compels my
desire to see, to know more.
471 pages later I'm still desiring more. {tweetable}
*
Accomplished author, Tamera Alexander, introduces us to such a grounded and solid young woman
it is a pleasure to meet and follow her journey. Financial downturns
as her father's dementia prevents the provision to which they're accustomed are capably handled by Eleanor and a new life direction
embraced. Not content to burden another, albeit a relative, she
arrives on her wealthy aunt Adelicia's doorstep with plans for provision
in hand. Will her aunt support her in her dreams? She hopes...
*
The turns in situations, relational influences, dependencies and
independencies, as Eleanor makes her way to freedom through each new
circumstance, is reading that inspired me. No hysterics or drama.
She knows what she's about. A pleasure to follow her on her journey.
When the gorgeous Marcus makes his debut in her life,
the sparring has just begun!
*
He's determined to establish his own name despite the life
he's born and entitled to. Again, a character of strength and determination. They are a match whether or not they can see it or desire it.
And the reader has the joy of the ride through their discoveries.
*
Well drawn scenarios of the era, destitute single moms and children
flooding the city after the war losses, extreme wealth versus poverty
without a directed social network, marriages arranged for financial gain,
political shenanigans, and the perseverance of our main characters
in the face of resistance at each level, provides a novel of depth.
*
Highly recommended for reading enjoyment that lasts.
5*s from me. A Beauty so Rare ~ indeed!
*
Author Bio:
USA Today bestselling author Tamera Alexander is a novelist whose deeply drawn characters, thought-provoking plots, and poignant prose have earned her devoted readers worldwide as well as multiple industry awards. Tamera enjoys a devoted international following with her books being translated into German, Dutch, and Polish. She recently returned from a book tour in The Netherlands for the release of A Lasting Impression,the first of three Belmont Mansion novels, showcasing the larger-than-life history of Adelicia Acklen, the richest woman in America at the time, and the Belmont Mansion in the years following the Civil War. A Beauty So Rare is book 2 of this series.
Tamera isthe recipient of two RITA awards for Best Inspirational Romance.
Tamera and her husband have returned to their native South and reside in Nashville, Tennessee, where they enjoy spending time with their two grown children who live nearby, as well as a ten-pound silky terrier named Jack.
Synopsis:
WHEN
THE VILLAGE OF FARTHERING ST. JOHN IS Stunned BY A SERIES OF MURDERS, DREW
FARTHERING IS DRAWN again INTO THE SLEUTHING GAME.
Drew Farthering wanted nothing more than to end the summer of
1932 with the announcement of his engagement.
Instead, he finds himself caught
up in another mysterious case when the family solicitor is found murdered, an
antique hatpin with a cryptic message, Advice to Jack, piercing his chest.
Series:Drew Farthering Mystery #2
Paperback: 320
pages ebook 336 pgs
Expected
publication: March 4th 2014 by
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
