A #PubDay #RomanceTuesdays feat. #HarlequinHeartwarming | “The Soldier’s Unexpected Family” (Book Three of the Hollydale series) by Tanya Agler

Posted Tuesday, 9 March, 2021 by jorielov Harlequin Books, Harlequin Heartwarming, Hollydale series, Tanya Agler, The Soldier's Unexpected Family 2 Comments

Acquired Book By: I started hosting with Prism Book Tours at the end of [2017], having noticed the badge on Tressa’s blog (Wishful Endings) whilst I was visiting as we would partake in the same blog tours and/or book blogosphere memes. I had to put the memes on hold for several months (until I started to resume them (with Top Ten Tuesday) in January 2018). When I enquiried about hosting for Prism, I found I liked the niche of authors and stories they were featuring regularly. This is how I came to love discovering the Harlequin Heartwarming authors & series as much as it has been an honour to regularly request INSPY stories and authors. Whenever I host for Prism, I know I am in for an uplifting read and a journey into the stories which give me a lot of joy to find in my readerly queue of #nextreads. It is an honour to be a part of their team of book bloggers.

I received a complimentary copy of “The Soldier’s Unexpected Family” direct from the author Tanya Agler in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

*waves!* Hallo, Hallo dear hearts,

I wanted to preface my review this #RomanceTuesdays with a quick s/o and note to my readers & regular visitors alike – THANK YOU for visiting with me during February – as it became quite the epic month of CHANGE & TRANSITIONS for my family and I. I had meant to compose a Sunday Post about it all – however, to be honest, I’ve been having trouble with bouts of fatigue and exhaustion; this is the first week we’re I’m rested and able to get back to my blog – really *back!* on the blog, reading, composing my thoughts and rejoining the book blogging community I’ve loved being a part of for the past eight years come the 31st of March!! (in just a few short weeks – its my blogoversary!)

You’ll start to see more regularity again – on Jorie Loves A Story and on my social feeds – what better way to ‘come back’ than to come back and celebrate a favourite imprint by a publisher whose been giving me wicked good Romance reads! (big smiles) I’m working on the draft for that Sunday Post I kept mentioning in February – which should go live *this!* Sunday whilst I have announcements for #WyrdAndWonder (follow us via @WyrdAndWonder on Twitter), the RAL for ‘Unconquerable Sun’ I’m hosting throughout April via the community of @SciFiMonth (#SciFiMonth) and lots of bits and bobbles of life ‘behind the blog’ as well.

Bless you for your patience in me, for your comments & lovely notes you’ve been leaving me on my posts and for giving me a chance to sort out some of the changes in my life but still visiting with me as I was able to surface and share some new posts, blog tours & a wicked #TopTenTuesday all Janeites would be proud to watch (ie. it was a vlog interview!)

Now without further adieu,… let’s get back to the blog tour today!

If you caught sight of my #BestBooksOf2020 you know “A Ranger for the Twins” was a winner of my Cuppa Book Love Awards – which you can read about HERE!

Why I loved my introduction into Hollydale:

Happily read through my Harlequin Heartwarming archives!

It was hard not to burst into a proper fit of giggles when you first meet Lucie – if it weren’t for the seriousness of her situation and the hard-won luck she was providing for herself and her kids, it would have been a cracker of an opening! Plus, honestly – it just proved that whenever you think you are juggling all the chaos in your life, sometimes life has a way of giving you a bit more than you bargained after and proving that sometimes you just can’t lock it all down ahead of time! I loved how Agler gave us this comfortable opening to the novel – as it was a very relaxed start to the story whilst at the same time, it was full of cheeky humour lit round the edges!

I loved the tender moments Agler created between the twins, Mattie and Ethan with their Mum, Lucie as she gave you this wonderful warm home and hearth setting wherein a young family was patchworking their way into a better tomorrow. The young twins respected each other and their Mum, whilst they also had quite a large collection of animals to care after which gave you a burst of smiles because of how eclectic they were in species! It was the kind of home where you’d feel comfortable on your first visit and might not want to leave too quickly because of how engaging the family was to everyone who graced their home. It was a wonderful burst of life and love and I loved discovering this side of Agler’s writing style.

Ooh my dear stars! Caleb’s Mum stole the show for me! And, I loved her for it!! She had the most to lose and the most to gain but in the artful way Agler chose to give us a winning scene wherein Tina herself became the champion of her own story was the best moment of A Ranger for the Twins! It bespoke to the underlying theme of the story – about family, redemption and second chances – about rebuilding a life after the ashes have erased the past and of having the faithfulness of believing in the beauty of tomorrow! Ooh my goodness, what a wonderful toasting of mercy and the beautiful ways in which you can find yourself redeemed!

I definitely have found a new series to keep my eyes on for Heartwarming! I know this series isn’t officially named or even declared but for me, Hollydale is my new favourite small towne I can’t wait to revisit!! Here’s to more installments and more lives being healed and restored through Agler’s vision for her growing community where hearts and lives intersect with a lot of love and hope! Agler has a style for Contemporary Romance which is smooth as key lime pie and as charmingly lovely to read as a cool Autumn afternoon.

-quoted from my review for A Ranger for the Twins

If you love reading Harlequin Heartwarming & the reviews I am sharing
kindly let me know if we’re reading the same authors and/or if you think I need to add someone to my TBR to be read as soon as I can get my hands on their books!!

The Soldier's Unexpected Family
by Tanya Agler
Source: Author via Prism Book Tours

He had a plan…
She changed it all!

Major Aidan Murphy arrives in the charming small town of Hollydale to take full guardianship of his six-year-old nephew. Only there’s a slight problem—his vivacious, fiery co-guardian. School teacher Natalie Harrison has no intention of letting Aidan take her best friend’s heartbroken little boy away. Now Aidan must convince Natalie that blood is stronger than love…even if his heart tells him otherwise.

Genres: Contemporary (Modern) Fiction (post 1945), Contemporary Romance, Romance Fiction

Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9781335179807

Also by this author: A Ranger for the Twins, The Single Dad's Holiday Match

Also in this series: A Ranger for the Twins

Published by Harlequin Heartwarming

on 9th March, 2021

Format: Larger Print (Mass Market Paperback)

Pages: 384

The Hollydale series:

The Sheriff’s Second Chance (book one) – Mike and Georgie’s story

A Ranger for the Twins (book two) – Caleb and Lucie’s story (see also Review)

The Soldier’s Unexpected Family (book three) Aidan and Natalie’s story

*Please note: I noticed there is a connection with all of these stories being set inside the small towne of Hollydale and have chosen to collect them into a ‘series’ as they are a series by setting – however, I am not sure if they have been officially named as either a collection and/or a series or continuity with Harlequin Heartwarming as there isn’t a series name on the books nor on their informational pages online. I collected them together for my own frame of reference and for other readers and visitors to my blog Jorie Loves A Story who likes to read series in order and/or meet stories in order of how they were first disclosed.

Finally sorted: This was a trilogy and the series is officially called: Heroines of Hollydale!!

Published by: Harlequin Heartwarming (@HarlequinBooks) | imprint of Harlequin Books

Formats Available: Paperback* and Ebook

*Harlequin has the luxury of offering Regular, Large & Larger Print editions which I personally can attest are lovely to be reading! Especially after a migraine or when my eyes are fatigued.

Converse via: #TanyaAgler and #HarlequinHeartwarming

About Tanya Agler

An award-winning author,Tanya Agler moved often during her childhood and settled in Georgia where she writes sweet contemporary romance novels, which feature small towns, family and pets, and themes of second chances and hope.

Her debut, The Sheriff’s Second Chance, is a January of 2020 Harlequin Heartwarming release. The sequel, A Ranger for the Twins, will be released in Oct. 2020. A graduate of the University of Georgia with degrees in journalism and law, she lives with her wonderful husband, their four children, and a lovable Basset, who really rules the roost. Represented by Dawn Dowdle and the Blue Ridge Literary Agency, she’s currently at work on the sequels to her debut. When she’s not writing, Tanya loves classic movies, walking, and a good cup of tea.

Posted Tuesday, 9 March, 2021 by jorielov in #RomanceTuesdays, 21st Century, Adoption, Blog Tour Host, Bookmark slipped inside a Review Book, Contemporary Romance, Death, Sorrow, and Loss, Equality In Literature, Family Drama, Family Life, Flashbacks & Recollective Memories, Life Shift, Mental Health, Military Fiction, Modern Day, Mother-Son Relationships, Motherhood | Parenthood, North Carolina, Orphans & Guardians, Post-911 (11th September 2001), Prism Book Tours, Realistic Fiction, Romance Fiction, Single Fathers, Single Mothers, Small Towne Fiction, Small Towne USA, Social Services

#EnterTheFantastic | Enter the realms of “The Gifted and the Cursed” – in the conclusion of the trilogy “The End of Dreams” by Marcus Lee

Posted Wednesday, 3 March, 2021 by jorielov Marcus Lee, Self Published, The End of Dreams, The Gifted and the Cursed 0 Comments

Acquired Book By: During my 3rd Year of co-hosting @WyrdAndWonder, I was able to participate on my first blog tour with Storytellers on Tour which was featuring the author Brianna Sugalski on her “Disenchanted” blog tour. What I appreciated about Storytellers on Tour is their dedication to Indie Authors of Speculative Literature and their ability to find authors who are telling stories in Fantasy which intrigue me to read. Fantasy has been a challenging genre for me to explore even a bit moreso than Science Fiction – which is why I feel blessed to be on their blogger team. Whilst some of their tours I might seek out a book to consider for review, I also actively enjoy hosting creative content using book photography and/or featuring their authors in conversation (ie. interviews) or giving them the breadth of joy to write a guest post based on a topic of my choosing. Overall, Storytellers on Tour are dedicated to creating community and for championing those of us who are choosing to share our readerly lives each day we bring content to our book blogs.

I received a complimentary copy of “The End of Dreams” direct from the author Marcus Lee in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

My thoughts on behalf of “Tristan’s Folly”:

At the heart of the series is the love story of Maya and Taran – of how they found each other and how their love grew out of the battle to survive the oppressive overreach of Daleth. Theirs is a romance that is rooted out of their relationship having a strong foundation of friendship and the mutual respect they each shared for the others’ gift. Without each other by their side, I am quite sure they would not have survived as long as they have now as they have a way of renewing each others’ strength as much as they are the truer compliment of each other as well. You cannot help grieve alongside them when their fears and anxieties about the prospects of their future are revealled – of the checks and balances they undertake to better recognise their advantages and disadvantages to re-engage in war with Daleth and yet, find small measures of joy in renewing their affirmed love for each other as well. The ways in which Lee has presented their relationship’s growth throughout this sequel re-affirms why this series seeks to redirect the reader off the war itself and re-align the reader’s eye on the more important aspects of what life is meant to give everyone. It isn’t about conquest or war nor is it about the rise of power – there is a unifying will to seek out one singular part of our lives which redefines the purpose of all men (and women) and truly illuminates our purpose through the strongest light possible.

Yana’s efforts to insurrect her own footing into the confidences of those round her was a bit discomforting knowing that her intentions were without honour. She could have given more to their cause if she hadn’t turnt her back on what a more just person might have pursued. Her mind was stuck on one particular goal and whatever came next paled in her original plans to overturn a relationship she had no right to interfere against. It spoke to her truer nature and of how she never set out to establish her own path to walk. She was constantly conniving her way into measures of confidence and trust with those round her and yet, part of me questioned how she could ever find true happiness if her happiness was completely tethered to the destruction of joy in others.

The greater crust of the story is about the battles themselves – the art of warfare and of how those who fought for either Daleth or Tristan had to choose their actions wisely against the intelligence of their enemies. Neither side would admit defeat and both sides felt they had the upper hand against each other – to more or less extent, this was true but the greater issue is what this world would yield once the battles concluded. What could be left of a world where everyone was pitted against each other and where those in power had their own agendas to see through which contradicted the reasons why the men and women fought in this war?

The hardest part of the story of course are the attacks of conscience of the players in this war whom are not below undermining others free will in order to gain something themselves. They seek to take what they feel is rightly theirs when in reality, it never was theirs at all. This plays out continuously as two persons in this story are content to pine after what they cannot have and then in the end, choose to take what cannot be given freely. It is this under-thread of deceit which has the greatest power to change the course of the souls in the series because of how much their survival is connected to the war itself. Each battle won is a small step forward towards the freedom of the world and yet, some battles are not on the battlefield but held in closed quarters where people bank against their own soul for the prize they desire moreso than the life they breathe.

-quoted from my review of Tristan’s Folly

On my connection to Marcus Lee: I first crossed paths with Lee during the blog tour for Kings & Daemons in August 2020. Being fellow writers and voracious readers – it felt like a natural extension of the first blog tour, we would have something to talk about together about this world being built within the series of the Gifted and the Cursed as well as outside of the series itself. We continued to ‘chat’ privately after the blog tour and then, shortly before the start of the second we reconnected finding we’re both at different junctions of our writerly careers. However, I withheld discussing my thoughts about the sequel until my review for the second blog tour was released.

I am disclosing this, to assure you that I can formulate an honest opinion, even though I have interacted with Lee through our respective joy in being writers as well as enjoying discussing the merits of Speculative Fiction as it applies to Dark Fantasy. I treat each book as a ‘new experience’, whether I personally know the author OR whether I am reading a book by them for the first time or continuing to read their releases as they are available. This also applies to hosting a guest feature by the author I share a connection.

Notation on Cover Art: I am simply in love with the cover art for this book series –

The End of Dreams
Subtitle: The Gifted and the Cursed (Book Three)
by Marcus Lee
Source: Author via Storytellers on Tour

As Daleth the Witch-King and his horde ready themselves for the final battle, a small alliance prepares for a desperate last stand.
However, the alliance is weak and fractured, led by a king interested only in retaining his wealth and a lord commander consumed by his thirst for revenge. With a seemingly unbeatable army before them, invisible foes amongst them, and broken hearts between them, the alliance appears destined to fall.

Yet in these dark times, her light almost extinguished, a peasant huntress is soon to be queen. But if she can find what was lost, she might prove to be more powerful than two kings combined.

This war will bring about the end of dreams, but for whom, the gods have yet to decide.

Genres: Cosy Horror, Dark Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy Fiction, High Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery

Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 979-8598984192

Also by this author: Kings and Daemons, Tristan's Folly

Also in this series: Kings and Daemons, Tristan's Folly

Published by Self Published

on 23rd January, 2021

Format: Trade Paperback

Pages: 400

The Gifted and the Cursed Trilogy:

Kings & Daemons (book one) | see also Review

Tristan’s Folly (book two) | see also Review

The End of Dreams (book three)

This is a Self-Published novel and series!

Converse via: #Fantasy, #EpicFantasy or #HeoricFantasy or #SwordAndSorcery
as well as #StorytellersOnTour # & #EnterTheFantastic as #JorieReads

About Marcus Lee

Writing hasn’t always been a serious hobby for me … but it has always been there, lurking in the shadows, serving me well when called upon.

As I look back over the years, I realise I was guilty of writing many short stories, as well as poetry, and I’d like to think, that even if they were never intended to be published, they were nonetheless warmly received by the intended recipients.

Then in 2019, I was inspired to write not just a short story, or poetry, but a book. Then, suddenly, one book turned into a trilogy and a labour of love, and it was a love I wanted to share with the world.

So, here we are. The pandemic that put my career in sport on hold also gave me the opportunity to lavish time on my alternative hobby, or if demand dictates my new career.

However, only you, the reader, will decide whether this trilogy, which is still a work in progress, will be the first of many. I genuinely hope so.

Who knows, now these creatives juices are flowing, I might just keep on writing anyway.

—

Epic fantasy has been my favourite genre since I first read The Odyssey and The Illiad as a seven-year-old. Now it’s my turn to see if I can bring another world to life in the imagination of others.

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | LibraryThing

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

#EnterTheFantastic

Posted Wednesday, 3 March, 2021 by jorielov in #EnterTheFantastic, ArchDemons or Demonic Entities, Blog Tour Host, Content Note, Cosy Horror, Dark Arts (Dark Magic), Dark Fantasy, Excessive Violence in Literature, Fantasy Fiction, Fly in the Ointment, High Fantasy, Horror-Lite, Immortals, Indie Author, Self-Published Author, Storytellers on Tour, Supernatural Creatures & Beings, Sword & Scorcery

Top Ten Reasons Why “Pride and Prejudice” never fails to win a reader’s heart even as its respun: this #TopTenTuesday | a special vlog response by the JA after canon novelist Elizabeth Adams

Posted Tuesday, 23 February, 2021 by jorielov Elizabeth Adams, Jane Austen, Sons of Pemberley 16 Comments

#TopTenTuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl
Topic of the Week: Top Ten Books that Make me Laugh Out Loud

I actually happen to read more dramatic stories and rarely allow myself the pleasure of reading comedic stories – even the romances I read have realistic bits inside them to where it has more drama than comedy! I also read a lot of INSPY Suspense & Cosy Mysteries – as I was a girl who devoured murder mysteries on tv (still do!) – so, realistically I had to respin today’s topic! Ergo, I wanted to focus on a different topic of interest today and bring to my blog one of my favourite JA after canon novelists I’ve chatted with late last year (2020) via my Saturday chat @SatBookChat whilst discussing the anthologies of stories inspired by Jane Austen produced by The Quill Collective!

Side note:

She left me in stitches of laughter during #SatBookChat, so there’s that! (smirks)

Jorie’s topic for Elizabeth Adams:
Top Ten Reasons Why “Pride and Prejudice”
never fails to win a reader’s heart even as its respun

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

Could today’s respun topic for Top Ten Tuesday have been evermore customised to my own readerly heart!? Perhaps not! I mean, ever since I first read PRIDE, I’ve been enchanted by the characters, the story and the setting. This is why throughout the past seven (as technically, its not my eighth year blogging on Jorie Loves A Story until my 8th blogoversary come 31st March!) years you’ve found a lovely array of after canon selections from different contemporary authors being featured as I’ve discovered their stories!

This includes my *fierce!* appreciation for The Quill Collective’s work on behalf of their anthologies – which is why having them gather together during a past #SatBookChat meant the world to me and why I am still working on archiving that chat. You might have caught sight of my review for “Rational Creatures” and the first half of my review for “Elizabeth: Obstinate Headstrong Girl”. I still have the second half of my review in the works and a review for “Yuletide” forthcoming.

You might have also seen my readings for Colin Hemingway’s trilogy about “The Marriage of Miss Jane Austen” – Part I, Part II or Part III as well as a follow-up interview to conclude my stay inside his world on behalf of Jane Austen. Although he didn’t quite write an after canon per se about her stories, he did write a theorised viewing of her life and in effect, portions of how he portrayed her life echoed moments from her stories and novels. As most writers do leave behind an essence of themselves inside their stories.

Whilst at the start of 2020 you might have seen me ducking into a fantastical respun world of “Pride and Prejudice” wherein there were *dragons!* – a lovely first set of stories by an author (Maria Grace) devouting herself to respinning multiple installments from the Austen canon but started off with PRIDE: Pemberbley: Mr Darcy’s Dragon; Longbourn: Dragon Entail and Netherfield: Rogue Dragon; each of these installments were from the perspective of her narrator Benjamin Fife of whom did a wonderful job of bringing her world to life.

There are other after canon stories I’ve blogged and reviewed over the years, which you will kindly find via my Story Vault. As much as I LOVED participating in #AustenInAugust whilst Roof Beam Reader hosted the event. In 2017 you might have seen I wrote a guest essay about my personal journey through Jane Austen’s stories and how her stories have touched my heart over the years.

Whenever I get a chance to read a new after canon story, host a JA novelist and storycrafter or get the chance to read a story in the essence of Austen, I truly jump at the chance as these are the kind of stories which give me such a burst of JOY to find, savour and discover. After all, I wouldn’t be a Janeite if I didn’t keep my eyes peeled for more #awesomesauce stories funnelling out of our mutual passions for all things Austen!

Brew yourself a cuppa and settle into listening to Ms Adams respond to my enquiries!

And, I hope this vlog interview will give you a wicked good start to #TopTenTuesday!

And, if you have a spot of extra time – stay for my responses which are below the vlog!

Sons of Pemberley (Spotlight/Vlog Interview)
Subtitle: A Pride and Prejudice Reimagining
by Elizabeth Adams

What if Lady Anne Darcy was alive to meet Elizabeth Bennet?

A sweeping tale of tragedy, devotion, and betrayal—spanning over 25 years and two generations—this family saga explores the life Fitzwilliam Darcy would have had if his mother had not died young.

An up-close view of the Darcys’ marriage and Fitzwilliam’s childhood … a retelling of the circumstances that shaped the man we have come to love … a reimagining of the friendships and relationships that formed each iconic character … a tale of love, loss, heartbreak, and triumph—that is Sons of Pemberley.

Genres: Classical Literature, After Canons, Inspired by Stories (Author/Book), Re-telling &/or Sequel, Historical Fiction

Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9798583659739

Also by this author: How to Fall in Love with a Man You Thought You Hated

Published by Self Published

on 19th December, 2020

Converse via: #JaneAusten, #Pemberley and #SonsOfPemberley

Top Ten Reasons Why “Pride and Prejudice”
never fails to win a reader’s heart even as its respun

by Elizabeth Adams

Inspiration from Jorie for this Topic: This particular conversation practically knitted itself together from the moment I first conceived it and then, after the author ran with the prompts I sent over to her to use on her vlog response!

Posted Tuesday, 23 February, 2021 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Blogosphere Events & Happenings, Bookish Memes, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Indie Author, Reader Submitted Author Interview, Top Ten Tuesday, Video (vlog) Author Interview

A #HistoricalMondays #25PagePreview | feat. “The Paris Dressmaker” by INSPY Historical novelist Kristy Cambron

Posted Monday, 22 February, 2021 by jorielov HarperCollins Christian Publishing, HarperCollins Publishers, Kristy Cambron, The Paris Dressmaker, Thomas Nelson 2 Comments

Acquired Book By: I am a regular tour hostess for blog tours via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours whereupon I am thankful to have been able to host such a diverse breadth of stories, authors and wonderful guest features since I became a hostess! HFVBTs is one of the very first touring companies I started working with as a 1st Year Book Blogger – uniting my love and passion with Historical Fiction and the lovely sub-genres inside which I love devouring. Whether I am reading selections from Indie Authors & publishers to Major Trade and either from mainstream or INSPY markets – I am finding myself happily residing in the Historical past each year I am a blogger.

What I have been thankful for all these years since 2013 is the beautiful blessing of discovering new areas of Historical History to explore through realistically compelling Historical narratives which put me on the front-lines of where History and human interest stories interconnect. It has also allowed me to dive deeper into the historic past and root out new decades, centuries and millenniums to explore. For this and the stories themselves which are part of the memories I cherish most as a book blogger I am grateful to be a part of the #HFVBTBlogTours blogger team.

I received a complimentary ARC copy of “The Paris Dressmaker” direct from the publisher Thomas Nelson (an imprint of HarperCollins Christian Publishing) in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

On why I love time shift narratives (ie. duel POVs) and war dramas:

I have a bit of a hankering about chasing after time shift narratives wherein you are seeing a strong representation of a duel POV from two leading characters who are living in different eras of time and yet, their co-joined journeys are imperative to the cohesiveness of how the story is told by the author. It is an interesting perspective to explore because you are enjoying diving in and out of one generation’s influence on the story and peering into another generation’s spin on the same set of circumstances as it co-relates to their world and life.

The kind of war dramas I read in the past vs the kind I read now are a bit uniquely different from one another as I am preferring to tap into the human interest war drama stories such as this one rather than the traditional war drama which can become a bit more intensively difficult for me to read nowadays. I am enjoying seeing more of a Historical Women’s Fiction side of the genre in other words than being constantly at the sidelines of the battlefields. Sometimes that lens is seen through the men, too – but I just wanted to highlight how this new interest relates to my current story in focus on Jorie Loves A Story today.

You might have noticed I had a change in date on the blog tour this month – my life truly shifted this February and as my parents and I worked through those transitions, I had to sort out how to resume both my readerly life and what I wanted to share on my blog. I moved this tour forward by a week but I underestimated how exhausted I would feel after the conclusion of the past week. Thereby I did struggle to get into the context of the story but still wanted to share a portion of my reactions with you today as I think I’ll have to table reading the rest of this story until I re-balance my hours as it is quite the serious read and with my mind and body a bit overly taxed lately re-adjusting through our adverse February, I admit, I wasn’t quite prepared to read this as I had before our lives had a personal emergency to shift through earlier in the month.

The Paris Dressmaker
by Kristy Cambron
Source: Publisher via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

Based on true accounts of how Parisiennes resisted the Nazi occupation in World War II —
from fashion houses to the city streets — comes a story of two courageous women who risked
everything to fight an evil they couldn’t abide.

Paris, 1939. Maison Chanel has closed, thrusting haute couture dressmaker Lila de Laurent out of the world of high fashion as Nazi soldiers invade the streets and the City of Lights slips into darkness. Lila’s life is now a series of rations, brutal restrictions, and carefully controlled propaganda while Paris is cut off from the rest of the world. Yet in hidden corners of the city, the faithful pledge to resist. Lila is drawn to La Resistance and is soon using her skills as a dressmaker to infiltrate the Nazi elite. She takes their measurements and designs masterpieces, all while collecting secrets in the glamorous Hôtel Ritz—the heart of the Nazis’ Parisian headquarters. But when dashing René Touliard suddenly reenters her world, Lila finds her heart tangled between determination to help save his Jewish family and bolstering the fight for liberation.

Paris, 1943. Sandrine Paquet’s job is to catalog the priceless works of art bound for the Führer’s Berlin, masterpieces stolen from prominent Jewish families. But behind closed doors, she secretly forages for information from the underground resistance. Beneath her compliant façade lies a woman bent on uncovering the fate of her missing husband . . . but at what cost? As Hitler’s regime crumbles, Sandrine is drawn in deeper when she uncrates an exquisite blush Chanel gown concealing a cryptic message that may reveal the fate of a dressmaker who vanished from within the fashion elite.

Told across the span of the Nazi occupation, The Paris Dressmaker highlights the brave women who used everything in their power to resist darkness and restore light to their world.

Genres: Feminist Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical Women's Fiction, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, INSPY Realistic Fiction, Time Slip and/or Time Shift, War Drama

Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 978-0785232162

Published by Thomas Nelson

on 16th February, 2021

Format: Paperback ARC

Published by: Thomas Nelson (@ThomasNelson)
an imprint of HarperCollins Christian Publishing (@HCChristianPub)

Converse via: #HistFic or #HistNov as well as #INSPY #HistoricalFiction
+ #TheParisDressmaker as well as #TNZFiction and #HFVBTBlogTours

Available Formats: Trade paperback, Audiobook and Ebook

About Kristy Cambron

Kristy Cambron is an award-winning author of historical fiction, including her bestselling debut The Butterfly and the Violin, and an author of nonfiction, including the Verse Mapping Series Bibles and Bible studies. Kristy’s work has been named to Publishers Weekly Religion & Spirituality TOP 10, Library Journal Reviews’ Best Books, RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards, received 2015 & 2017 INSPY Award nominations, and has been featured at CBN, Lifeway Women, Jesus Calling, Country Woman Magazine, MICI Magazine, Faithwire, Declare, (in)Courage, and Bible Gateway. She holds a degree in Art History/Research Writing and lives in Indiana with her husband and three sons, where she can probably be bribed with a peppermint mocha latte and a good read.

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

2021 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

Posted Monday, 22 February, 2021 by jorielov in #25PagePreview, #HistoricalMondays, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, INSPY Realistic Fiction | Non-Fiction, Time Shift, War Drama

An #HistFic Book Spotlight | feat. an extract from “Thunder on the Moor” (Book Book, Thunder on the Moor series) by Andrea Matthews

Posted Friday, 19 February, 2021 by jorielov Andrea Matthews, Self Published, Thunder on the Moor, Thunder on the Moor series 4 Comments

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

Youmay not realise it but one of my favourite subniches of literature are the trifecta of how time can become bent inside stories: time shift, time slip and time travel! The third of which in the context of today’s featured novelist and series is most likely a bit more well-known since “Outlander” – both the series and the tv adaptation which took off into reader’s hearts worldwide. I, on the other hand – gathered most of the books but hesitated to read them and only read a partial portion of “The Outlandish Companion” as I was more keenly interested in the author’s writerly process and approach to creating her series than I was in the actual series itself. Part of that might have been readerly intuition? As I learnt lateron there are scenes and sequences within the Outlander series which might not have agreed with my readerly sensibilities and I felt better knowing I hadn’t read the series outright.

However, my pursuit of time travel romances never was curtailed – when I was a reviewer for ChocLitUK, I happily read stories by Kirsty Ferry and Christina Courtenay which focused on time travelling romances – many of which I was thankful to review on Jorie Loves A Story. I also purchased a large stack of time travelling romances from a regional library two Christmases ago and still intend on reading them as a way back into my own writerly pursuits as a method of reading outside my intended genre for inspiration. Ergo, I always have a ready eye out on this genre as it is one which interests me as a reader moreso than as a writer.

Scottish stories are equally curious to me – one of my favourite BBC serials is “Monarch of the Glen” – despite the fact part of that series ending episodes was dearly dramatic and emotionally gutting – it was the kind of quirky series you love to get invested inside and fall in love with both the characters and the setting. I love Scotland as a country, too, and being I have a lot of UK ancestral roots – any story set in the UK is going to be one I’ll favour!

Thereby it is with a hearty wicked welcome I am bringing a short extract from “Thunder on the Moor” to Jorie Loves A Story today! I had intended to interview the author but due to personal circumstances earlier in the month and injuries stemming out of the end of January – I was short on time to complete that goal. I hope you enjoy the extract I have for you on the blog tour and perhaps this story will whet a thirst of interest for you to seek out if you’re as mad for time travelling romances as I am!

Brew your favourite cuppa & enjoy!

Thunder on the Moor
by Andrea Matthews
Source: Chapter Sampler

Maggie Armstrong grew up enchanted by her father’s tales of blood feuds and border raids. In fact, she could have easily fallen for the man portrayed in one particular image in his portrait collection. Yet when her father reveals he was himself an infamous Border reiver, she finds it a bit far-fetched—to say the least—especially when he announces his plans to return to his sixteenth century Scottish home with her in tow.

Suspecting it’s just his way of getting her to accompany him on yet another archaeological dig, Maggie agrees to the expedition, only to find herself transported four hundred and fifty years into the past. Though a bit disoriented at first, she discovers her father’s world to be every bit as exciting as his stories, particularly when she’s introduced to Ian Rutherford, the charming son of a neighboring laird. However, when her uncle announces her betrothal to Ian, Maggie’s twentieth-century sensibilities are outraged. She hardly even knows the man. But a refusal of his affections could ignite a blood feud.

Maggie’s worlds are colliding. Though she’s found the family she always wanted, the sixteenth century is a dangerous place. Betrayal, treachery, and a tragic murder have her questioning whether she should remain or try to make her way back to her own time.

To make matters worse, tensions escalate when she stumbles across Bonnie Will Foster, the dashing young man in her father’s portrait collection, only to learn he is a dreaded Englishman. But could he be the hero she’s always dreamed him to be? Or will his need for revenge against Ian shatter more than her heart?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Time Travel Fiction

Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 978-1733337502

Published by Self Published

on 31st October, 2019

Format: Chapter Sampler | Online

Further Readings about the series on Andrea Matthew’s website:
Notes behind the series of Thunder on the Moor

Converse via: #HistoricalRomance or #HistRom or #HistoricalRomance
+ #ThunderOnTheMoor and #HFVBTBlogTours

Available Formats: Trade paperback and Ebook

Posted Friday, 19 February, 2021 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Book Spotlight, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Indie Author