Category: Father-Daughter Relationships

Blog Book Tour | “A Home for Christmas” (a #shortstory collection) by MK McClintock

Posted Thursday, 27 November, 2014 by jorielov , , 1 Comment

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A Home for Christmas by MK McClintock

Published By: Trappers Peak Publishing
Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook

Converse via: #MKMcClintock, #AHomeForChristmasBlogTour, #ShortStory, #SweetRomance

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Acquired Book By:

I was selected to be a tour stop on the “A Home for Christmas” virtual book tour through Book Junkie Promotions. I received a complimentary copy of the book direct from the author MK McClintock, in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Blog Book Tour | “A Home for Christmas” (a #shortstory collection) by MK McClintockA Home for Christmas | 3 Historical Short Stories
by MK McClintock
Source: Author via Book Junkie Promotions

Includes three historical fiction short stories to delight and entertain this holiday season.

CHRISTMAS MOUNTAIN
In search of family she barely knows and adventure she’s always wanted, Katherine Donahue is saved from freezing on a winter night in the mountains of Montana by August Hollister. Neither of them expected that what one woman had in mind was a new beginning for them both.

TETON CHRISTMAS
Heartache and a thirst for adventure lead McKensie Stewart and her sister to Wyoming after the death of their parents. With the help of a widowed aunt and a charming horse breeder, McKensie discovers that hope is a cherished promise, and there is no greater gift than love.

LILY’S CHRISTMAS WISH
Lily Malone has never had a real family or a real Christmas. This holiday season, she might get both. From an orphanage in New York City to the rugged mountains of Colorado, Lily sends out only one wish. But when the time comes, can she give it up so someone else’s wish can come true?

Genres: Anthology Collection of Short Stories and/or Essays, Christmas Story &/or Christmas Romance, Historical Fiction, Short Story or Novella, Western Fiction



Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9780996507653

Also by this author: Alaina Claiborne & the British Agent series (Author Interview)

Published by Trappers Peak Publishing

on 5th November, 2014

Format: Trade Paperback

Pages: 120

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

About MK McClintock

MK McClintock

MK McClintock is the author bestselling historical western romance and award-nominated historical romantic mystery. She spins tales of romance and adventure inspired by the heather-covered hills of Scotland and the majestic mountains of home. With her heart deeply rooted in the past and her mind always on adventure, she lives and writes in Montana.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

I truly have come to love finding short story collections, except to say, my previous wanderings have been within the Speculative Fiction realms (A Chimerical World & Moments in Millennia as a for instance), as not only do they give me a lovely introduction to new authors, but they allow me to soak inside a world whose length of story might be short, but of which has a spirit & heart stitched inside breathing a vibrant life over the characters, the setting, and the timescape therein. I love seeing where different writers take their shorts, as each writer has their own unique style to convey a story within the space granted to them.

I have mentioned previously about my affection for Westerns, and how residing in the world of a Western Historical fiction story is not only a true delight to my senses but it truly feels cosy inside! I have always curled inside a Western novel with such anticipated haste that I could barely see the words across the page — I was always happy to find adventure, love, and a deep resounding passion for the wilds of the West illuminated throughout the stories. There is a connective thread of joy between a historical story and a story set in the Old West; something magical lives within the hours and days of the frontier! I do not think I could ever read my full of these stories, as there are too many exciting writers emerging on the scene to give us something new to chew on and appreciate!

You can gather a ready sense that when this collection of shorts arrived, I was elated beyond the moon!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

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Posted Thursday, 27 November, 2014 by jorielov in 19th Century, American Old West, Anthology Collection of Stories, Blog Tour Host, Book Junkie Promotions, Book Trailer, Bookish Films, Death, Sorrow, and Loss, Father-Daughter Relationships, Grief & Anguish of Guilt, Historical Fiction, Indie Author, Orphans & Guardians, Short Stories or Essays

Blog Book Tour | “Softly Falling” by Carla Kelly

Posted Saturday, 22 November, 2014 by jorielov , , , 3 Comments

Parajunkee Designs

Softly Falling by Carla Kelly

Published By: Sweetwater Books (@SweetwaterBooks),
an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc (@CedarFortBooks)

Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook

Converse via: #SoftlyFalling, #histfic, #diverselit

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Acquired Book By: 

I am a regular tour hostess for blog tours via Cedar Fort whereupon I am thankful to have such a diverse amount of novels and non-fiction titles to choose amongst to host. I received a complimentary copy of “Softly Falling” direct from the publisher Sweetwater Books (imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc) in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Inspired to Read:

I simply adore historical romances, and I have a soft spot for Westerns! I love the intensity of the moment where the two main characters find themselves in a place where they have to fight alongside each other for survival! A great place to curate drama and romance!

Blog Book Tour | “Softly Falling” by Carla KellySoftly Falling
by Carla Kelly
Source: Direct from Publisher

Lily looked at the vastness of the plains, full of cattle, and then up at the sky without a cloud in sight.

"What's going to happen, Mr. Sinclair?" she asked.

"What do you know?"

Fresh off the train from New York City,  Lily Carteret arrives in picturesque Wynoming only to discover that her wayward father has lost his cattle ranch to a lowly cowboy in a card game!

Determined not to let her father's folly ruin her life, Lily becomes a teacher on the ranch. There she learns that the handsome cowboy, Jack Sinclair, has made some wild predictions about the upcoming winter - that it will be unlike anything Wyoming has ever seen. Lily must either cast off her skepticism to work with Jack or risk losing everything she holds dear.

This latest novel by bestselling romance author Carla Kelly is sure to please new and old fans alike. Stirring, tense, and filled with swoon-worthy moments, it's a delectable read that will leave you begging for more!

Genres: Historical Fiction, Western Fiction



Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9781462113958

Also by this author: Summer Campaign, Courting Carrie in Wonderland, A Season of Love

Published by Sweetwater Books

on 11th of November, 2014

Format: Paperback Edition

Pages: 288

About Carla Kelly

Carla Kelly is a veteran of the New York and international publishing world. The author of more than thirty novels and novellas for Donald I. Fine Co., Signet, and Harlequin, Carla is the recipient of two Rita Awards (think Oscars for romance writing) from Romance Writers of America and two Spur Awards (think Oscars for western fiction) from Western Writers of America. She is also a recipient of a Whitney Award for Borrowed Light, My Loving Vigil Keeping and Softly Falling.

Photo Credit: Marie Bryner-Bowles, Bryner Photography

Rugged yet full of Heart: the American West was for spirited survivors:

One of the reasons I love snuggling into a historical fiction drama set within the Rocky Mountain range of majestic jeweled peaks, is because I love the ruggedness of the land with the warm fire of spirit of the people who call the territories home. This was a portion of America where only the rugged at heart could carve out a living and find the joy in the seasons, as hard as they were to survive on little to no means of surplus provisions. This is where the men and women who dared to thrive found themselves in pickles when the heaviest of the storms plundered down around them in the Spring and Winter.

I have always been encouraged by their fiery spirit and their camaraderie to find sparkles of happiness out of a rough-hewn life forged out of necessity and honour. They could teach the art of simplicity and the wealth of faith rooted out of everyday joy and celebrations. Reading stories underlit by raw courage and a sense of instincts labouring to endure whatever nature could see to challenge them with is one reason I find myself drawn into the Western genre; soaking inside one story after another, and gaining a bit of insight into the way the West was settled.

My Review of Softly Falling:

Miss Lily Carteret has not had an easy upbringing; she is the daughter of her father’s heart, but her family in England was quite proper and never fully accepted her uniqueness as a quality they could appreciate. Her grace of statue and her calm fire in spite of such uneasy attitudes gave her a bit of a headway into understanding how to survive in a world of injustices. The colour of her skin held within it’s own beauty of her spirit and the compassion of her mother of whom she rarely speaks of but intuitively knows she had gained a grounding of character. Lily is a formidable woman in an age and time during our historical past where women were not given many opportunities nor a chance to define their lives on the merits of their own capabilities. Yet, due to a change of circumstance in both her station and in her location, Lily not only accepts her plight but shines a light on what is possible inside her mind’s eye.

The story begins on a premise of words whispering out of Thomas Edison about how never to compromise a defeat if you haven’t first uncovered every stone cast against your path. The strength of the quotation is explored through Lily as much as it is in Jack; two unlikely souls finding themselves in the same bit of Wyoming territory where a harsh clime and an undying level of optimism can take you further than a stubborn attitude against change. They each are residing near a rambling ranch where a lone schoolhouse looms silent within a stone’s throw of a towne with less than a dozen children residing inside it. The potential for what the schoolhouse could give Lily is enough of a will for Jack to encourage the lass to consider all options outside the box in an attempt to inspire her forward when life has left her feeling as though she is slowly falling into a vacuum. Neither moving forward or backwards, but rather sliding into a part of her life where uncertainty rules the roost of the early dawn.

The schoolhouse not only offered shelter for a small group of knowledge thirsty children to gain insight into how to read, write and do arithmetic but it sheltered them from a blizzard which arrived without warning and without a whispering sound! Snow funneled down to the earth in such earnest strides towards whitening out the entire ranch, giving Lily only time enough to assess her supplies and attempt to bring a bit of normalcy to the growing tension rising between her and the children. Her mind was filled with concern for her father (recently enroute to the city) and for Jack (elsewhere at the moment) whilst the world turnt dark, cold and frightening otherworldly. The snow’s wrath and extended conditions reminded me of the snowstorm greeting the Northern Tier of the states and provinces of Canada this November of 2014!

In the very beginning of the novel, Jack proffered Lily a premonition of what might come as soon as Winter set in on this small portion of the Wyoming Territory; knowing his intuition was set to rights was one thing, watching it arrive before her eyes was nearly too much weight for Lily to bear. She had grown not in years but in depths of what she was individually capable of achieving since she first arrived off the train; she had taken the bleak situation presented to her and turnt lemons into lemonade. She found her true calling in life (teaching) and she found self-worth was never too far away if you had a bit of ingenuity up your sleeve. Her presence warmed the hearts of the ranch hands and the help of the ramshackle ranch; where even the children learnt prejudice of others had no place in their world. She was not the only multicultural resident, but she was the one who breathed acceptance and tolerance into a slice of the territory which had long since needed to evolve past ignorance.

What I loved the most about Softly Falling is how the pieces of Lily’s life started to fall as soft as early Winter snowflakes, gentle and soft; warming to the spirit and endearing to the heart. She found she was never quite as alone as she felt she were in the world and that suddenly you can find yourself in a well sprung of kindness you never knew you had aligned on your path. The charming bits of the story remind me of a true epic saga, where you tuck yourself into the lives of the characters in such a way as to firmly and rather stubbornly do not move an inch off your seat until your fingers move the very last of the pages forward to gleam what is awaiting you in the ending paragraphs!

Softly Falling reminded me a bit of Love Comes Softly on the level where true love is not always a shower of sparks or lightning bolts, but a reassurance of commitment, trust, and compassion developing into something more solid as hours slide into days and days into months. Love isn’t always a firecracker explosion but true love can fall as softly as a snowflake and endure a soul to another as surely as a thousand year old oak can withstand a blizzard. A testament of strength irregardless of the ills and adversities of life; love can gather itself in thin soil and thrive in a pasture of a fertile harvest.

A soulful grace of story-telling where the characters alight naturally into view out of the pen of Carla Kelly:

Carla Kelly shines her soulful grace of the craft of story-telling within this novel, which accomplishes much more at it’s core than merely telling us a story wrought out of the Western genre within the folds of a Historical Fiction. No, this novel seeks a gentle truth towards telling a story rooted in the realism between the continental divides of race, identity, and personal worth as related to station, lifestyle, and locale. She interweaves a gentle hand of guidance within the minds of her characters, but it is how each of her characters bespeak of their innermost beliefs I found endeared me the most to the novel itself. A prime example of this is how Jack took awhile to realise his fond affection for Lily was far deeper than he was allowing himself to believe and yet, every chance he had to convey his thoughts to the reader, his love shone as bright as the Northern Lights:

My favourite passage from Jack relaying his thoughts on behalf of Lily & her mother:

He had no family, and the two women – one of color and the other of a creamy blend – filled his heart more than he knew at the time. They were ladies of quality but suspended in an unkind world, because they fit no mold.

– Jack from page 50, Chapter 7 of “Softly Falling” by Carla Kelly; see sources below

Kelly has captured my heart for the American West and given me a novel fully supported of cultural integrity and diversity of spirit, soul, heart, and the pursuit of finding your own path when life gives you an intercession of pause to choose how you want to live rather than having a life dictated to you.

An additional note on | character descriptions (per a convo I had on #K8Chat):

If I hadn’t ducked in on the lively and open-minded chat via #K8chat whilst I was working on this book review, I might not have thought to broach this subject, as part of the discussion was focused on how characters of race are presented within descriptive narratives. Specifically how writers tend to lean on descriptive choices pairing food with personal appearances as a method to convey differences in culture, race, and ethnicity. During the chat, I had expressed my thoughts on the topic by mentioning that oft-times when I find descriptive choices that lean on this writing technique to be of a ‘falling short of grace’ for me. Of course, within 140 characters I had to get a bit creative in how I expressed this but suffice to say, most choices come across as contrite, predictable, cliche or used in a way which does not befit the character nor the representation of the diversity the character is illuminating.

However, I said it does depend on context and content, as much as the story itself and not every writer writes the same way per each situation this would arise. Or at least, it was my intention to point this out, but chats on Twitter are such a rapid fire explosion of tweeting, you’d have better luck playing Quidditch! What I mostly have found though is that if you are limiting a person’s outside appearance to being described solely upon shapes, food, or discernible attributes which barter on a consensus of commonality within the trade of books — I feel as though the industry is simply missing out on the opportunity to use a palette of words which befit characters as defined as we would describe someone we met in real life.

I  personally do not see colour nor culture – I see people and their stories; stories yet to be shared or known, but everyone who walks earth has a story to tell. We are as diverse as the four winds, we are as colourful as a kaleidescope and we are as wonderfully unique as we were bourne to be. I always champion writers who find a way to allow their characters to be naturally wrought out of the text of their stories, emerging into the scenes as if they were not only living their truth but they were owning it at the same time.

In the opening chapters of Softly Falling, we are greeted by Lily’s disheveled and disillusioned father, who has never quite turnt an honest wage into an honest living irregardless of which country he’s living inside. A man whose soul was hinged to the bottle and a heart without the will to see past his daily tasks. His greatest gifts of love and joy were his wife and daughter, yet both were ethnically different from himself. Sadly, he was never quite the man either one of them deserved. Rather than establish a line of clarity on what his daughter would appear like disembarking from the train to the man he entrusted to collect her, he relates her origins in direct comparison to a specific type of tea.

What I appreciated seeing how Kelly treated the scene from two different points of view – that of Lily’s father (Clarence) and from Jack, is that Jack felt her appearance and her essence were not being properly voiced. He was embarrassed by the frankness of her father and of the method of his ability to describe her. Jack had more sense in his head than a father could bestow on his own flesh and blood. The dichotomy of their choices proved a telling point — no matter which era we call our own, there are always ripples of indifference in regards to who we are on the outside without seeing our beauty from the inside. I felt Kelly approached this quite well and I sided with Jack instantly on his compassion and his acceptance of Lily.

During the #K8Chat, I was surprised on how lively the discussion had become but one that was full of respect, innocent encouragement of exchanging ideas and an open forum for acceptance on both sides of the topic itself. Some voiced concerns over how descriptive narratives are used or how they are interpreted by readers whereas some who might have felt everything was acceptable were given fodder to chew at the end of the hour. To me the best way forward in a diverse world of literature is where every person (and their character counterpart) has the breathing space to become a part of the world stage of stories — we each have to remain open and honest about our thoughts, our impressions, and the believably of how stories are told. If truism and realism are important, even as book bloggers it would benefit us to remember to voice any concerns we might have as we read diversity in novels as much as celebrating the writers like Carla Kelly who get it right.

Don’t forget to give a nod of gratitude to her publisher, Sweetwater Books/Cedar Fort as well!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

(read more of the convo) (read the chat transcript)

(the chatter who sparked the topic : Melissa Robles (@MeliRobles) | The Reader & the Chef)

(read my essay from #atozchallenge: Letter E The World is a Melting Pot)

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

This Blog Tour Stop is courtesy of Cedar Fort, Inc:

Cedar Fort Publishing & Media

 Be sure to follow the rest of the blog tour:

Softly Falling Blog Tour via Cedar Fort Publishing & Media

This book review is being cross-promoted via:

#IndieWriterMonth Blog Feature of Jorie Loves A Story, badge created by Jorie in Canva

Return May, 2015 to see my second book review on behalf of a Carla Kelly novel:

Summer Campaign Blog Tour via Cedar Fort Publishing & Media

{SOURCES: Book Cover Art for “Softly Falling”, author biography, book synopsis, blog tour badges and the badge for Cedar Fort Publishing & Media were provided by Cedar Fort Publishing & Media and used with permission. Permission granted in notice of copyright for ‘brief passages embodied in critical reviews’ which is why I selected a small quotation to share on my review with the permission of the publisher. Post dividers badge by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Blog Tour badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. #IndieWriterMonth badge created by Jorie in Canva. Cross-Posted badge for Riffle created by Jorie in Canva.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.

The live reading tweets in regards to “Softly Falling”:

{ favourite & Re-tweet if inspired to share }

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

  • Go Indie
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Posted Saturday, 22 November, 2014 by jorielov in #K8chat, 19th Century, American Old West, Animals in Fiction & Non-Fiction, Balance of Faith whilst Living, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Bookish Discussions, Cats and Kittens, Cedar Fort Publishing & Media, Clever Turns of Phrase, Compassion & Acceptance of Differences, Death, Sorrow, and Loss, Equality In Literature, Family Drama, Family Life, Farm and Ranching on the Frontier, Father-Daughter Relationships, Geographically Specific, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Homestead Life, Indie Author, Inheritance & Identity, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Life Shift, Lyrical Quotations, Multi-cultural Characters and/or Honest Representations of Ethnicity, Native American Fiction, Old West Americana, Passionate Researcher, Philosophical Intuitiveness, Romance Fiction, Small Towne Fiction, Small Towne USA, Spontaneous Convos Inspired by Book, Twitterland & Twitterverse Event, Western Fiction, Western Romance, Wordsmiths & Palettes of Sage, Wyoming

Blog Book Tour | “Becoming Beauty” by Sarah Boucher a #retelling #fairytale of #BeautyAndTheBeast!

Posted Sunday, 9 November, 2014 by jorielov , , , 0 Comments

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Becoming Beauty by Sarah E. Boucher

Published By: Sweetwater Books (@SweetwaterBooks),
an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc (@CedarFortBooks)

Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Acquired Book By: 

I am a regular tour hostess for blog tours via Cedar Fort whereupon I am thankful to have such a diverse amount of novels and non-fiction titles to choose amongst to host. I received a complimentary copy of “Becoming Beauty” direct from the publisher Sweetwater Books (imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc) in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Inspired to Read:

If you found a story with a teaser of a plot like this,
wouldn’t you want to devour it?

Claws. Long, filthy, and dangerously sharp.

They’re the first thing Bella sees after what’s been the worst day of her life. If Bella were the quintessential Beauty—gorgeous, kindhearted, and self-sacrificing—she might have a chance at transforming this monster into a man, but she’s never been the toad-kissing kind. Obsessed with landing a wealthy nobleman and escaping her humdrum life, Bella will stop at nothing to achieve her goals. Which is precisely what landed her here, at the mercy of the Beast.

I do admit, the last time I was familiar with the fairy-tale Beauty and the Beast echoes back into my own childhood where the story originally stirred my heart and gave me such a felicity of spirit to wrap myself inside! It wasn’t until I hosted #ChocLitSaturdays on 8th November, 2014 I realised the main differences between the fairy-tale worlds I grew up knowing with such a fierce passion and the fairy-tales everyone else know themselves. For if I hadn’t thought to broach the subject about reading after canons and re-tellings for fairy-tales (an interest sparked alive by finding myself in positions to read re-tellings of late) I never would have realised where I stand on this issue.

I grew up with a warm glow of joy in appreciation for Beauty & the Beast, not only spun out of the Disney Animated Film Adaptation but for the tv series starring Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman — despite the re-attempt to bring this series to life, my heart is attached to the 1987 version. I love the beauty of a story where the bare bones of humanity can become integral and woven into the tapestry of where the characters lead our hearts to connect. As soon as I realised this was a re-telling of a beloved story, I felt a hitching of excitement inside my own heart. My spirit was simply eager to see where Boucher would take me on my journey within her debut novel. I suspected it would become a new favourite fairy-tale of mine and I daresay, I was mirthfully thrilled to bits to realise I had been right!

Blog Book Tour | “Becoming Beauty” by Sarah Boucher a #retelling #fairytale of #BeautyAndTheBeast!Becoming Beauty

Bella’s time at home has been spent fobbing off her responsibilities on her siblings,
weaseling new gowns out of her father, and daydreaming about the life she ought to be living as mistress of a wealthy household. When her father returns from an extended business trip, Bella’s life is turned upside-down and she is left with no choice but to call on the mercy of the Beast.

Refusing to be cowed, even by someone as dangerous and imposing as the Beast, Bella matches barbed comment for barbed comment while scheming to escape. Her plans are derailed when she catches a glimpse of the man behind the monster, and when Jack, the Beast’s sole companion, draws her in with his inherent kindness and offer of genuine friendship. With unexpected determination, Bella throws herself into her new role as the Beast’s maid and finds the work both challenging and rewarding. Surprised by the capability displayed by the “pampered princess,” the Beast begins to soften toward Bella and a tenuous relationship springs up between them.

Since her arrival, Bella has been haunted by strange visions of a woman named Rose. When she discovers a neglected bedchamber reminiscent of the one in her dreams, Bella’s curiosity is peaked. Her attempts to discover Rose’s fate and the part the Beast and Jack played in her disappearance will cost Bella more than she can imagine. However, if she can untangle the threads of the past, she may yet earn her own happily ever after.


Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

on 11th November, 2014

Format: Paperback

Pages: 256

About Sarah E. Boucher

Sarah E. Boucher

Sarah E. Boucher spends her days instilling young children with the same love of literature she has known since childhood. After hours, she pens her own stories and nurses an unhealthy obsession for handbags, high heels, baking, and British television. Sarah is a graduate of Brigham Young University, who currently lives and teaches in Ogden, Utah. Becoming Beauty is her first novel.

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Is a man a Beast outright? And, what defines feminine Beauty?:

The Beast (as he is most readily known) aspires to cast fear into those he wants something in return from as his heart is cold and hardened due to circumstances not yet known. His entire physical appearance is set against what would be generally accepted as goodwill towards making a good first impression; he would prefer to have his beastly intentions known directly and remove any inch of kindness from being extracted out of his patterns of speech, mannerisms and the ways in which he carries on his daily business. He acts under the presumption it is his right as a man to either act perpetually grumbled against the nicer bits of living and life rather than to succumb to changing his behaviour as it would be better suited to polite society.

In contrast to his brutal inner rage simmering under his hairy exterior, Bella is a girl who never lifted a finger towards contributing to her family’s security and upkeeping of their household. She was the apple of her father’s eye to the near destruction of their ability to earn a living wage and enjoy a scarce amount of provisions to ensure their basic comforts. Bella rankled her siblings for her inability to see past her nose and for her discontempt for their station within the class of their birth. She always strove to seek a higher level of living without thinking first on how she could benefit her family before pursuing her own inclinations and dreams.

What then defines the innermost nod of a man to become a Beast and how does a woman elect to define her beauty? The story within Becoming Beauty seeks not only to answer this question but to re-define how the characters can grow out of their distrust of one another.

My Review of Becoming Beauty:

As a Janeite whose heart is evocatively attached to Pride & Prejudice, imagine the fluttering excitement to read the opening passages of Becoming Beauty whilst alighting inside a scene reminiscent of Ms Elizabeth Bennett first casting eyes on Mr Darcy? Across the crowded ball, a knowing presumption on a bloke’s character can be ascertained by his countenance inasmuch as his mannerisms; Bella plays the coquette and attempts to charm his heart rather than play a presumptive hand for his courtship. Unlike Elizabeth Bennett however, Bella is resentful of her family to a degree of wanting to expunge herself from their hold as she only has her heart set on making a match in marriage to alleviate her station and thereby resolving what she feels is unnecessary angst.

Becoming Beauty begins by giving us a background insight into who Bella is as we enter her life before shifting forward to where her ordinary life changes overnight. The descriptive choice to pair the unexpected return of Bella’s father with a churning storm as a back-drop proved to be quite clever as to draw the reader towards acknowledging the storm was not merely literally placed but figuratively working as a foreshadow of Bella’s transitional plight out of where she took shelter from the outside world yet was earnestly attempting to flee. The fact Bella strove so hard to shed her family and her life with them tipped her hand to not realising what is truly important in our lives; the love and comfort of family is not something to shirk away from but to cherish and uphold with sincere thankfulness. She is a young woman bent on yielding only to her next whim of materialistic glory without ever considering the sacrifices her own father had to give in order to grant her wishes.

As she starts to forge a new identity of herself whilst living with the Beast, she starts to uncover parts of her character she never knew she had within. Her tendencies towards pride-filled behaviour start to shed as she tackles the upkeep and running of an estate and she puts her own welfare last in regards to doing the bidding of the Beast first. Through her indentured state she is learning humility and how a hard day’s labour can re-instill the blessings you forsaked in the past. Her father I do not believed had intended her to grow without understanding a mindfulness of gratitude but without the guidance of her mother, Bella had grown into a spiteful and pride filled débutante.

I loved following the downward spiral of Bella’s tender grasp on reality and the psychological warfare of her mind accepting the feverish dreams of her slumber to be the truth behind the man within the Beast. This type of story is riveting to me because it plays into what I love about Ingrid Bergman’s performance in Gaslight (of which I mentioned during Horror October); the fragility of the mind and the heart of memory can either free or destroy a person’s sanity.

The true enjoyment for me reading Becoming Beauty is how without giving into grief and an allowance of time to heal from wounds never seen on the outside of your body; you can only lead a half-life. Never quite in the fulfillment of your soul nor contentment within your heart. You have to live life as true to the days which greet you during the hours in which you have to breathe through the adversity. Life is best lived by choosing how to align your attitude to the moments which challenge your compassion and your humanity. Love is the most renewable source of light and hope we have within us to give and to receive. I truly loved every inch of this novel, because the fairy-tale I had within my own mind’s eye on behalf of Beauty & the Beast was expertly taken to the printed page by the hand of Sarah E. Boucher.

On the writing style of Sarah E. Boucher:

Boucher does a brilliant job of counter-balancing the fairy-tale narrative we all know as Beauty & the Beast with a new curtain of insight into how Bella fits within the story arc of where the Beast’s presence is going to lead her towards the best discovery of all: seeing herself for the first time without a cloud of untruth glossing over her infractions and faults of character. The ruminative lingering thoughts and the flashbacks of another life having lived before her, I appreciated seeing where the original tale and this one merged into one; granting a stronger impression of the Beast’s devotion and a curious itch into how Bella could befall under the bewitching dreams of a woman who had not yet let go of her beloved Beast.

I simply adore style of conception and creation of fairy-tale re-tellings by Ms. Boucher, who breathes not only new life into a tale you know by heart but she gives a warranted exploration of the depth of the characters therein. Her own imaginative heart is both full of moxie and a redefinition of the classical canon of how a fairy-tale can be seen through the eyes of someone who believes there is a bit more depth out of the superficiality of misguided souls. She transitions herself into a niche of the world of Fantasy and has fully convinced me to keep my eye on her next releases where she embodies her tagline: Bringing Twisted Fairy-Tales to Life. (a note of gratitude to her cousin!)

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

This Blog Tour Stop is courtesy of Cedar Fort, Inc:

Cedar Fort Publishing & Media

Becoming Beauty Blog Tour via Cedar Fort Publishing & Media

Virtual Road Map of the “Becoming Beauty” Blog Tour:

Visit the tour route to discover other reader impressions!

9 Nov: Jorie Loves a Story, Wondrous Reviews 18 Nov: Bookworm Lisa, Wishful Endings
10 Nov: R.K. Grow, I Love To Read and Review Books 19 Nov: Mel’s Shelves
11 Nov: A Casual Reader’s Blog, Author Cindy C Bennett 20 Nov: A Backwards Story, The Book Blog Experience
12 Nov: Readalot, Literary Timeout 21 Nov: Claudia Y. Burgoa
13 Nov: Getting Your Read On 22 Nov: Corinne’s Garden, Mom Loves 2 Read
14 Nov: Books Complete Me, The View From My Window 23 Nov: Enchanted by YA, Hannah L. Clark
15 Nov: Misty Dawn Pulsipher, My Book Addiction & More 24 Nov: Let It Be & Celebrate
16 Nov: Jo Ann Schneider, Inklings and Notions 25 Nov: Blooming with Books, Fire and Ice Reads
17 Nov: Katie’s Clean Book Collection, My Book a Day 26 Nov: The Phantom Paragrapher, Reader Girls Blog

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Previously I have read the following Indie YA Fantasy novels:

{ I appreciate seeking out well conceived worlds & fully fleshed out characters }

Redheart by Jackie Gamber

Sela by Jackie Gamber

Reclamation by Jackie Gamber

Uncovering Cobbogoth by Hannah L. Clark

The Dreamosphere by Laura Stoddard

Star of Deliverance by Mandy Madson Voisin

Intangible by C.A. Gray

Next I am sharing my thoughts during Sci Fi November:

Invincible by C.A. Gray

Impossible by C.A. Gray

Fade to Black by Sue Duff

Portals, Passages, and Pathways by B.R. Maul

Forthcoming in December will be: An Uncommon Blue by R.C. Hancock

Previously I have read the following fairy-tale stories:

Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth a re-telling of Rapunzel by Brothers Grimm

Awesome Jones by AshleyRose Sullivan a superhero fairy-tale

Reader Interactive Question:

What draws you into a fairy-tale canon and/or after canon? What kinds of fairy-tale re-tellings warm your heart and ignite a feverish passion of anticipation in your soul? Are there fairy-tales you wish had a re-telling/sequel not already established in literature today?! Who are your favourite writers who have re-told a classic fairy-tale and/or re-envisioned one into a new vision of scope?

This post is being cross-prompted through my participation of:

SFN _ SciFi Month_bookreview#IndieWriterMonth Blog Feature of Jorie Loves A Story, badge created by Jorie in Canva

{SOURCES: Book Cover Art for “Becoming Beauty”, author biography, author photograph, book synopsis, book teaser and blog tour badge provided by the author Sarah E. Boucher and used with permission. Badge for Cedar Fort Publishing & Media is provided by Cedar Fort Publishing & Media and used with permission. Post dividers badge by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Blog Tour badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. SFN November Book Review badge, Cross-Posted badge for Riffle & #IndieWriterMonth badge created by Jorie in Canva.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.

The live reading tweets in regards to “Becoming Beauty”:

{ favourite & Re-tweet if inspired to share }

 

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

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Posted Sunday, 9 November, 2014 by jorielov in 19th Century, After the Canon, Blog Tour Host, Blogosphere Events & Happenings, Castles & Estates, Cedar Fort Publishing & Media, Classical Literature, Coming-Of Age, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Fairy Tale Fiction, Fantasy Fiction, Fantasy Romance, Father-Daughter Relationships, Go Indie, Historical Fiction, Indie Author, Re-Told Tales, Reading Challenges, Romance Fiction, Sci-Fi November, SFN Bingo, Sweet Romance, The London Season, the Victorian era, YA Fantasy, YA Paranormal &/or Paranormal Romance, Young Adult Fiction

Blog Book Tour | “Because of Love” by Shauna V. Brown an inspiring short story to encourage your heart & spirit into the joyfulness of the season!

Posted Sunday, 26 October, 2014 by jorielov , , , 2 Comments

Parajunkee Designs

Because of Love by Shauna V. Brown

Published By: Sweetwater Books (@SweetwaterBooks),
an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc (@CedarFortBooks)

Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Acquired Book By: 

I am a regular tour hostess for blog tours via Cedar Fort whereupon I am thankful to have such a diverse amount of novels and non-fiction titles to choose amongst to host. I received a complimentary copy of “Because of Love” direct from the publisher Sweetwater Books (imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc) in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Interest in Reading:

One of my favourite sub-genres within literature are holiday stories, specifically those stories which take place around Thanksgiving to Christmas! I love being caught up in the happy joy of mirth the holiday season can bring, as much as it lends itself to an inspiring time in the year, where stories can help brighten up your day, as much as invigorate your soul! I love curling into the holiday films on Hallmark Channel throughout the season (although this year I think they are starting a wee bit early on Halloween!), because I know I’m going to be in for a season of surprises, goodwill, good hearted celebrations, inspiring stories of triumph over adversity, and a heap of joy! I love the simplicity of seeing how traditions and cultural differences intermix during holiday celebrations as much as I appreciate seeing historical and contemporary based stories as well.

I have always read quite a heap of holiday stories, focusing primarily on Christmas ever since I was a young girl – in fact, it was the Christmas novella collections put out by some of today’s beloved Romance writers that captured my heart the most as they were set during the Victorian age, where families still gathered together in such a joyfully big way that the traditions and rituals that went along with their family’s celebratory cheer felt comfortable and welcoming! A dash of romance never hurt, either! Short stories interested me back then, but it took fantasy to bring me back to the short story as a length of story I would enjoy reading more regularly!

When I first saw Because of Love go on tour, I thought to myself this would be the perfect keepsake short story to read, cherish, and start to get into the holiday spirit! I had no idea of course, my fortnight leading up to my tour stop would be full of technical woes and the day of my stop would be consumed by a migraine! Let me simply say, that as I read this short story ahead of posting this review, aside from the cinnamon toast and the peppermint tea to forestall my migraine from thundering back to me, this short not only uplifted me on a day I felt a bit consumed, but it re-affirmed the happiness the season we’re all about to walk into brings to each of us.

Blog Book Tour | “Because of Love” by Shauna V. Brown an inspiring short story to encourage your heart & spirit into the joyfulness of the season!Because of Love
by Shauna V. Brown

All Phoebe Brown wants for Christmas is three pairs of beautiful, high-button brown shoes - one pair for each of her daughters. But her husband Byron is sure their basic heavy boots are fine. With a little money to spare, Phoebe launches a secret plan to earn the shoes herself. What follows is a season of surprises for the whole family!

Inspired by real pioneer events, this heartwarming holiday tale is the perfect stocking stuffer to share with your family and friends. Touching and tender, it will remind you that the best gifts come wrapped in ribbons of forgiveness, understanding, and a true change of heart.

Genres: Christmas Story &/or Christmas Romance, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Short Story or Novella



Places to find the book:

Published by Sweetwater Books

on 14th October, 2014

Format: Paperback

Pages: 96

About Shauna V. Brown

Shauna V. Brown

Graduating from Brigham Young University with a degree in speech and drama, communication, has provided Shauna V. Brown with many opportunities to use her talents. She has written and directed original plays and presentations for church and community. She has shared her musical talents, numerous scripts and presentations with pioneer trek groups for the past eighteen years. Shauna has equally enjoyed being a guest speaker and presenter at BYU Education Week, women’s conferences, firesides and community presentations.

Shauna and her husband, Rick, are blessed with six children and fourteen grandchildren. For the past twenty-two years, Shauna has written an original Christmas story as a gift to neighbors and friends.

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My Review of Because of Love:

The story opens on the cusp of a mother finding out one of her young daughters is being bullied and harassed by school children, who for whichever reason felt it necessary to devise a song to sing about her physical appearance and condition of her boots. The vexation of her mother brought me back to my own childhood, where I too, was regularly bullied and went in search of my Mum to not only temper the emotions that would swirl inside me but to sort out why children have to behave so unjustly to others they barely know but choose to attack. Josephine is a young girl of seven years, when her classmates start to torment her about the how her legs are off-set against the heaviest of her boots. A simple observation and yet a devastating one if turnt ugly out of spite.

Her mother, and sisters (Sadie and Ida) sat with her in the field grass as they listened to the story their Mum shared from her own past, where forgiveness wasn’t as easily given but truly the only way to set one’s heart and mind free. Misunderstandings are just as easily hurtful as outward spite and the cruelty of childhood bullies who never realise the irksome turmoil they inflict because they are too consumed by focusing on what they feel is right in the moment. Their mother was trying to point out a lesson from the experience but not to distract her daughters from the difficulty of finding bravery in the face of meanness.

I started to reflect on watching Little House on the Prairie and The Waltons as I loved both programmes equally for how they shined a positive light on community and family values. They also dealt with bullying behaviour and the aftereffects it can have on children of different ages. I think it is always a lesson that needs to be presented in different ways through different stories, because in today’s world being bullied has taken on new definition and has caused more than spilt tears.

The parents of the children have two distinctive points of view on the topic of which type of boot or shoe their three daughters should wear to school. For the father, Bryon he’s most concerned about superficiality on appearance being attractive to his daughters where pride could take their central focus over being humble. Whereas their Mum Phoebe simply wants to find a balance between what is practical (the clunky heavy boots) and what is considered a feminine option for women. They are approaching the topic from two separate schools of thought, and what had me winking out a knowing grin, is that both of them were right but for different reasons!

I was caught up in the blissitude of watching Phoebe earn her keep towards surprising her girls and Bryon at the same time for Christmas; whilst the family started to settle into the joy of having family coming round with the tree! Tree trimming was always one of my favourite times during December, as it always brought back a swirl of memories; most of which were happy but on the years of loss being sustained a bit bittersweet as well. Needless, a tree needs to be trimmed before Christmas is welcomed in and the act of unwrapping the ornaments both store bought and handmade was always a conversation waiting to expand into a recollective memory we could all share together! I loved reading the simple joys of homemade crafting and homemade cooking, warming not only the spirits of her loved ones as Phoebe created her gifts out of love but instilling her passion into her joys and keeping a firm warmth around her loved ones. It is love that stitched itself throughout this short story, of a two parents who would move the earth itself if it meant giving a small seed of faith and hope to their daughters. I hope that everyone who picks up this story this holiday season will be renewed in spirit and have a happy flutter of a dance of light in their eyes as they read one family’s story of fortitude and blessed thanksgiving of family.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

This Blog Tour Stop is courtesy of Cedar Fort, Inc:

Cedar Fort Publishing & Media

Virtual Road Map of “Because of Love” Blog Tour can be found here:

Because of Love Blog Tour via Cedar Fort Publishing & Media

Be sure to check out my schedule for Bookish Events!

I positively *love!* comments in the threads below each of my posts, kindly know that I appreciate each thought you want to share with me and all the posts on my blog are open to new comments & commentary! Short or long, I appreciate the time you spent to leave behind a note of your visit! Return again soon!

{SOURCES: Author photograph, Book Cover of “Because of Love”, the Cedar Fort badge, the Book Synopsis, and the Author Biography were provided by Cedar Fort, Inc. and used by permission. Blog Tour badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. Post dividers badge by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.

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Posted Sunday, 26 October, 2014 by jorielov in 19th Century, American Old West, Balance of Faith whilst Living, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Cedar Fort Publishing & Media, Family Drama, Family Life, Father-Daughter Relationships, Historical Fiction, Homestead Life, Indie Author, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Lessons from Scripture, Old West Americana, Short Fiction, Short Stories or Essays, Siblings, Sisters & the Bond Between Them, Story knitted out of Ancestral Data, Western Fiction

Book Review | The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn by Lori Benton #BloggingForBooks

Posted Wednesday, 22 October, 2014 by jorielov , , , 0 Comments

Parajunkee Designs

The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn by Lori Benton

 Published By: WaterBrook Multnomah (@WaterBrookPress),

(an imprint of Random House Publishing Group)

Official Author Websites: Site | Facebook

Available Formats: Trade Paperback & Ebook

Converse on Twitter via: #ThePursuitOfTamsenLittlejohn & #LoriBenton

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Acquired Book By: I decided to join the “Blogging for Books” programme (on 9th July, 2014) which is a book for review programme created by the Crown Publishing Group. I received “The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn” at the end of July, and had 90 days in which to post my review. As a book blogger you are offered books in exchange for an honest review on your book blog as well as the ability to reach new readers when you cross-post your review to the Blogging for Books website. The benefit for the blogger is exposure as a reviewer as they put direct links back to your blog post on the book you select to review as well as your homepage. Therefore, this is my first review as a new book blogger in the programme. I received a complimentary copy of the book direct from the publisher WaterBrook Multnomah, in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Inspired to Read:

I appreciate compelling historical fiction stories that curate within them a fusion of heart and soul inside the narrative itself. I appreciate reading stories of anguish and angst, where in the ending you feel as though the characters who have walked the hardest path have found not only resolution but redemption through what oppressed them. I have always held a soft spot for stories set in the American West, in the wild lands between the Coasts before progress and civilisation came into existence. There was a lot of untamed townes and cities, where lawbreakers outnumbered the peacekeepers, and where the rules of propriety between the genders was dependent upon the beliefs and views of the individuals you encountered.

I always felt a championing spirit by uncovering the stories that knitted together the realism of the generation where the stories were set but placing within their pages a lead character who could tether your own spirit straight into the story itself. I like taking the journey with a character whose moxie and grit of determined spirit not only inspires you as you read her story unfold, but gives you a hearty prose to stay with you after the book is put down. I love finding writers who stitch their stories alive with an intensity that pulls back with a grace that illuminates the action through a gentle hand of how a story can take you somewhere unexpectedly cosy to visit.

Book Review | The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn by Lori Benton #BloggingForBooksThe Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn
by Lori Benton
Source: Publisher via Blogging for Books

Frontier dangers cannot hold a candle to the risks one woman takes by falling in love

In an act of brave defiance, Tamsen Littlejohn escapes the life her harsh stepfather has forced upon her. Forsaking security and an arranged marriage, she enlists frontiersman Jesse Bird to guide her to the Watauga settlement in western North Carolina. But shedding her old life doesn’t come without cost. As the two cross a vast mountain wilderness, Tamsen faces hardships that test the limits of her faith and endurance.

Convinced that Tamsen has been kidnapped, wealthy suitor Ambrose Kincaid follows after her, in company with her equally determined stepfather. With trouble in pursuit, Tamsen and Jesse find themselves thrust into the conflict of a divided community of Overmountain settlers. The State of Franklin has been declared, but many remain loyal to North Carolina. With one life left behind and chaos on the horizon, Tamsen struggles to adapt to a life for which she was never prepared. But could this challenging frontier life be what her soul has longed for, what God has been leading her toward? As pursuit draws ever nearer, will her faith see her through the greatest danger of all—loving a man who has risked everything for her?


 Praise on behalf of the novel:

“Seldom has a tale swept me away so powerfully that I’m left both breathless and bereft at its end, reluctant to let go. The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn is such a book, a gentle masterpiece destined to be treasured and acclaimed.”
—Julie Lessman, award-winning author of the Daughters of Boston and Winds of Change series

“With gorgeous prose and characters that will steal your heart, Benton has breathed live and passion into history. The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn is a captivating example of excellence. Flawless!”
—Roseanna M. White, author of the Culper Ring series 

“In this sweeping colonial saga, author Lori Benton has crafted a powerful tale wherein every element of storytelling is vividly woven together. Poetic, emotional, and rich in historic detail, The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn is a stirring page-turner.”
—Joanne Bischof, award-winning author of Be Still My Soul and Though My Heart Is Torn 

Genres: Historical Fiction, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction



Places to find the book:

Published by WaterBrook Multnomah

on 15th April, 2014

Format: Paperback

Pages: 400

Author Biography:Lori Benton

Lori Benton was raised east of the Appalachian Mountains, surrounded by early American and family history going back three hundred years. Her novels transport readers to the 18th century, where she brings to life the Colonial and early Federal periods of American history, creating a melting pot of characters drawn from both sides of a turbulent and shifting frontier, brought together in the bonds of God’s transforming grace. When she isn’t writing, Lori enjoys exploring beautiful Oregon with her husband.

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My Review of The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn:

The opening of The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn brought me back to my readings of Westerns, as there has been a bit of a gap between my readings of frontier life, the open plains, and the trappers who called the woods their home. Cowboy fiction was a bit of a sub-genre of interest for me, and as I started to settle into Jessie Bird’s life moving cattle across the open lands fraught with Native American attacks, it drew me back into the worlds I used to alight inside quite frequently. There is a raw freedom to living off the land, curating your own hours, and taking it upon yourself to draw out a stipend of a living by any which means you’re able. Jessie felt a bit hardened by his lifestyle of choice, but optimistically hopeful about his future at the very same time, wondering why his bunkmates felt it necessary to gloat about another man’s fortune of matrimony when he hadn’t yet found a gal to fancy himself.

I enjoyed seeing a working agreement between the Native Americans and the cowboys, as they were each looking out for each other when a raiding group of rebels attempted to cut the herd by a river. Whilst the men hunkered down for the night by firelight, Tamsen Littlejohn herself took her cue to enter into the story within the next chapter. The segue felt natural to me, as Tamsen’s ability to strike a scene so vivid and endearing of courage held my breath as I watched her handle Ambrose Kincaid’s unsettling display of diffidence towards someone he employs like the true champion I felt she was all along! Tamsen Littlejohn doesn’t seek out trouble, but trouble finds her all the same, yet it is her firm beliefs in what is right and wrong in life that anchor her to speaking her mind when the occasion rises to be filled with words of truth. The 18th Century was not the time of acceptance for expressing the rights of slaves but there were a few who understood the greater scope of the plight all slaves faced and happily I found Tamsen Littlejohn a woman who stood on the side of justice and freedom.

The vile nature of Tamsen’s step-father is enough to see the world painted black and tarnished with a fear that will not end unless you find the bravery necessary to escape – my thoughts were aligned with Tamsen as she plotted to sort out a way to ferret out of his plans. The man had no filters nor boundaries of causing violence inside his home, as he attacked Tamsen’s mother with such a harshness and cruel smugness that I couldn’t wait to see Tamsen exit the house to gain her freedom. Her mother was too passive to understand that staying was not the better option, but watching Tamsen realise the error of her mother’s choices was guttingly emotional.

I had a bit of difficulty staying inside the story after Tamsen starts to make her way out from the shadow of her step-father, not because the writing of the story wasn’t on the same caliber as the first half of the novel itself, but because the intensity of Tamsen’s life never felt like it was going to lesson. I was hoping that once she was out from underneath her step-father’s control, she could start to put the pieces back together, whilst forging a new life and identity elsewhere. The circumstances she left under and the origins of her own heritage she learnt on her mother’s deathbed painted a true portrait of how this story was going to be an emotional read from start to finish. For me personally, it felt a bit too emotionally churning as each time Jesse and Tamsen were a step closer to being on stable ground, something else would alight on their conjoined path and upset the apple cart so to speak. The harsh reality felt a bit crushing at times, and a bit of a difficult reading when your used to having the heaviest bits lesson a bit after awhile.

The writing style of Lori Benton:

Benton has the graceful stroke of understanding the importance of the historical perspective of her story as much as giving realism to the era in which her characters lived by allowing them the chance to speak in words & phrases that would have been readily known. She leaves a breath of intrigue in only giving out certain pieces of information at different junctions of time, giving you a full pause and a measure of wonder at where she is going to guide the story next. She cleverly masked the worst of the brutality from Tamsen’s step-father by giving just enough to feel the full measure of his wrath without pushing the envelope past what you can stomach inside of a historical inspirational novel.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.comThis book review is courtesy of: Blogging for Books

Blogging for Books - book for review programme for book bloggers

I wanted to thank the Blogging for Books programme for giving me the opportunity to read this novel! I had hoped to post my review over the Summer, and not on the deadline of 90 days after I received it! I simply had too much on my plate this Summer, and I regret that I was delayed until now to share my thoughts about reading my first Lori Benton novel! The grace of understanding the staff of Blogging for Books gave me in this regard was a true blessing! I am going to wait until mid-November before I make my next selection for Blogging for Books, to allow myself to have more time to soak into my next novel I accept for review through their programme for book bloggers! I am thrilled I can find Inspirational novels like this one available on their website!

I positively *love!* comments in the threads below each of my posts, kindly know that I appreciate each thought you want to share with me and all the posts on my blog are open to new comments & commentary! Short or long, I appreciate the time you spent to leave behind a note of your visit! Return again soon!

Reader Interactive Question:

What are your favourite Inspirational Fiction stories to read? Do you find yourself captured more by historical settings or contemporary modern life? What do you appreciate the most by finding a strong lead character such as Tamsen Littlejohn who defies her era by standing strong in the midst of danger?

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{SOURCES: Book cover for “The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn” (small icon size) was provided by Blogging for Books directly and the larger version seen at the top of this review was saved from the Random House site’s page for the novel itself with permission of Blogging for Books; both versions are used with permission. The Author Photograph was saved from WaterBrook Multnomah site’s page for the author with permission of Blogging for Books. Likewise, the Author’s Biography, the Book Synopsis, and Quotes of Praise were used with permission of Blogging for Books as well. Blog Tour badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Tweets embedded due to codes provided by Twitter.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.

Comments via Twitter:

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Posted Wednesday, 22 October, 2014 by jorielov in 18th Century, African-American History, Balance of Faith whilst Living, Blog Tour Host, Blogging for Books, Civil Rights, Clever Turns of Phrase, Domestic Violence, Farm and Ranching on the Frontier, Father-Daughter Relationships, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Mother-Daughter Relationships, Native American Fiction, Old West Americana, Psychological Abuse, Sociological Behavior, The American Frontier, The Deep South, Western Fiction, Western Romance