Genre: Romance Fiction

An #INSPYSundays #CloakAndDaggerChristmas Book Review | “Counter Attack” (Book One: Pearl River series) by Patricia Bradley

Posted Sunday, 2 February, 2025 by jorielov , , , , 0 Comments

#INSPYSundays banner made my Jorie in Canva.

Acquired Book By: In February, (2023) I was one of the lucky Early Reviewers to receive a copy of “Counter Attack” by Patricia Bradley from LibraryThing. I have been trying to participate regularly in the ER programme via LibraryThing over the years without success. I was re-attempting to start my journey with the ER programme in (2023) but for whichever reason, I found the book languishing on my shelves to be read rather than getting into the storyline and finishing the book. My mind was distracted by life and work and just a hodgepodge of reasons truly which led to this book getting pushed forward over the last few years. I decided to begin anew in the New Year of 2025 and resume where I left off with both the book and the programme.

I received a complimentary ARC copy of “Counter Attack” direct from the publisher Revell in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein. Per the badge at the end of this review, I am also a member of the LibraryThing Early Reviewer Programme. All promo materials for this novel were provided by the publisher and are used with permission.

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On why I love reading Contemporary INSY Suspense:

I never meant to be so distanced from reading “Counter Attack” these past few years – as soon as I received the novel, I was anxious to read it. Contemporary INSPY (ie. Inspirational, Christian) Suspense novels is a sub-interest and focus I love in Lit. I share this affinity for these stories with my Mum. Of whom we’re both equally addicted to Love Inspired Suspense. I read a healthy amount of mainstream Suspense & Thrillers too, alongside Cosies (ie. both Contemporary & Historical) as well – but, what has me tucking back into the INSPY side of the bookshelf is how wickedly the authors are writing the stories with an uplifting centre in the heart of their stories. These are the faith-based stories in the genre and ones that I appreciate reading.

Authors I have come to love for INSPY Suspense are Dee Henderson (the original storyteller I was introduced to in this genre of interest), Lynette Eason, Laura Scott, Elizabeth Goddard and Lenora Worth to name a few. Each of these lovely authors write convicting storylines with the light of faith as the backbone of their stories and styles. I love being on pins & needles reading INSPY Contemporary Suspense novels but knowing that there is a line in the sand that won’t be crossed, too. As sometimes mainstream Contemporary Suspense (or Thrillers) can push me a bit past the envelope of what I can handle as a reader. This is why I am particularly particular about the kinds of Suspense & Thrillers I read as a reader.

More recently, on the mainstream side it was D.J. Williams with his The Auctioneer (see also Review) who dearly impressed me with his style of narrative and emotional rollercoaster he took me on!

With the INSPY side of Suspense, I know I am going to be in for a chilling read but that there are certain limits within where I will go with the story and sometimes, for me as a reader those limits are warranted. Especially as I have a lot of IRL stress with double-stacked jobs (night and day) and in my down hours it is nice to curl into a story which I know might leave me on the edge of my seat but it won’t leave me shattered. There is a wonderful JOY in reading a story that gives you a wicked good Suspense but one that promises to sprinkle in enough Hope and Light that leaves you uplifted by the end of the story.

When I first received “Counter Attack” the sequel “Fatal Witness” wasn’t published and I honestly never knew it existed until now. Imagine my surprise finding out the third novel released this past November?! I have both of those novels on my #mustbuy list to continue reading the Pearl River series.

As I was trying to say, I never meant to leave such a long gap of time between receiving “Counter Attack” and reading it. Nor did I intend to leave an absence from my participation in the LibraryThing ER programme as a result of not reading this in a more timely manner. I do want to give a shout-out to Abigail Adams and her kind courtesies of response to my messages about my lack of participation in the programme these past few years. With this review I am resuming my participation and becoming active once again.

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An #INSPYSundays #CloakAndDaggerChristmas Book Review | “Counter Attack” (Book One: Pearl River series) by Patricia BradleyCounter Attack
Subtitle: A Pearl River Novel
by Patricia Bradley
Source: LibraryThing Early Reviewer Programme

Her next move just might be her last

No sooner has Alexis Stone been sworn in as the interim chief deputy for Russell County, Tennessee, than a serial killer dubbed the Queen's Gambit Killer strikes again--this time in her hometown. Pearl Springs is just supposed to be a temporary stop along the way to Alex's real dream: becoming the first female police chief of Chattanooga. But the killer's calling card--a white pawn and a note with a chess move printed on it--cannot be ignored.

Pearl Springs chief of police Nathan Landry can't believe that his high school sweetheart Alexis (he refuses to call her Alex) is back in town, and he can't help wanting to protect the woman he never stopped loving. But as the danger mounts and the killer closes in, can Nathan come through on the promise he makes to himself to bring a killer to justice before it's too late?

Genres: Contemporary (Modern) Fiction (post 1945), Crime Fiction, Suspense, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Romantic Suspense



Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9780800741624

Published by Revell

on 16th May, 2023

Format: Paperback ARC

Pages: 378

Published by: Revell (@RevellBooks)
an imprint of Baker Publishing Group

Converse via: #RomanticSuspenseBooks, #RomanticSuspenseReaders
and/or #ChristianFiction and #ChristianRomance

Available Formats: Trade Paperback, Audiobook and Ebook
and Hardcover for Books 1-2

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The Pearl River series:

Counter Attack by Patricia BradleyFatal Witness by Patricia BradleyDeadly Revenge by Patricia Bradley

Counter Attack (Book One) – May, 2023

Fatal Witness (Book Two) – February, 2024

*brings the focus back to K-9 officer Mark Lassiter

Deadly Revenge (Book Three) – November, 2024

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About Patricia Bradley

Patricia Bradley

Patricia Bradley is the author of the Pearl River, Natchez Trace Park Rangers, Memphis Cold Case, and Logan Point series. Bradley is the winner of an Inspirational Reader's Choice Award, a Selah Award, and a Daphne du Maurier Award; she was a Carol Award finalist; and three of her books were included in anthologies that debuted on the USA Today bestseller list. She makes her home in Mississippi.

Photo Credit: © Noel Potts

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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

  • #CloakAndDaggerChristmas 2024
Divider

Posted Sunday, 2 February, 2025 by jorielov in #cloakanddaggerchristmas, 21st Century, ARC | Galley Copy, Contemporary Thriller, Crime Fiction, Fly in the Ointment, Indie Author, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Life Shift, Modern Day, Romance Fiction, Romantic Suspense, Small Towne Fiction, Small Towne USA, Southeastern USA

A #CloakAndDaggerChristmas this #CrimeFicFridays | Jorie returns to the Honour Bound series within the pages of “Prison Break Hostage” (Honour Bond series, Book 5) by Anna J. Stewart

Posted Friday, 20 December, 2024 by jorielov , , , 0 Comments

#CrimeFicFridays banner created by Jorie in Canva.

Previously, during #CrimeFicFridays,

I have featured the following Romantic Suspense novels by Anna J. Stewart:

I started this concentration in 2021 with the following reviews:
Undercover Heat and Colton on the Run

And continuing in 2022: Gone in the Night & Guarding His Midnight Mistress

I am hoping to read a few before the close of 2024 whilst continuing this series in 2025!

Acquired Book By: I have been actively reviewing for Ms Stewart as a member of her Review Team since 2021. My love her stories began with Return of the Blackwell Brothers – a Harlequin Heartwarming series. The Blackwells have several sequel series and it is a series I will be returning to reading in (2025). From there, I discovered her Butterfly Harbour series, the Honour Bound series and the Hawaiian Reunions series. Shifting into (2025) I will be reading her novels more often and thereby, will be sharing more reviews on behalf of her books as I resume the series I started and continue forward with them in the New Year.

I received a complimentary copy of “Prison Break Hostage” direct from the author Anna J. Stewart in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein. Per the badge at the end of this review, I am also a member of the author’s Review Team.

NOTE: All the Press Materials for this series (Honour Bound) were provided by the author, Ms Stewart for use on my blog. Whether she gifted me the books herself or whether I purchased them – as I asked if I could use them as I blog about this wonderfully lovely series.

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On returning to this series two years after I found my footing within it.

You might be curious why I took a leave of absence from reading this lovely series – after I had not only become dearly attached to the characters within it, but I had become achingly hungry to read the next story in the series after I finished Guarding His Midnight Witness. For the fuller context of time behind the years, you’ll have to remember my father entered the hospital two years ago this November, 2024 and exited into long-term care. Aside from the upheaval that provided my family – I also was having issues with my chronic migraines and with my vision; until I realised at long last late last year I was in dire need of Progressive lenses and that, dear hearts changed my life this year. The glasses afforded me a return to reading without straining my eyes to read the words and without the fear of bringing on another migraine, too.

If all things were equal, I would have come back into this series earlier in (2024) – however, as it was overall a hard-won kind of year, I am returning now instead. I felt re-inspired over Summer to pick up the threads of my blog and my socially bookish chatterment online – especially via the portals of #bookstagram and BlueSky. The latter of which happily has a much larger book world community on it now than even before Spring! Whilst taking literary vacations into reading Spookified books in October (via #SpooktasticReads) and Space Opera in November (via #SciFiMonth) you could say I was primed to re-enter my wanderings into Mysteries, Suspense and Thrillers this December!

So much so, it sparked a renewal of interest to showcase a featured set of reviews for these lovely stories as I renew my joy of #CloakAndDaggerChristmas! Thereby, I might have lost a few years but not my love, appreciation and JOY of reading the Honour Bound series. I’m itching to share my reactions about this installment of the series and progressing forward into books six through eight!

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a few notations about the series

from “guarding his midnight witness”:

There is a wicked enveloping of night in the opening pages of Guarding His Midnight Witness wherein you can feel the chill in the night air as much as the emptiness of walking the street alongside a seasoned detective. I’ve come to love how Stewart chooses to illuminate the scenes within her novels and when it comes to the Suspense ones in particular, it is how she tucks you close into a scene with her descriptive narrative which gives the best impression of ‘where’ she’s taking us both visually in the moment and throughout the length of the story. I especially appreciated in this installment how she elected to talk about the climate – how oppressive heat can change your mood and how welcome a cooler night is between Spring and Summer.

Jack McTavish is one of those kinds of blokes who doesn’t want someone else to tell him about his own story – on the level that, in this particular case, having suffered a greatly traumatic injury and has thus recovered from it (be sure to read the harrowing details at the end of Gone in the Night) – he doesn’t want others to treat him differently, walk on eggshells or even insinuate he’s half the bloke he was before the incident. He has a self-preserving grit about him which serves him well as a detective but he also has an internal strength and fortitude about him that means business; which is why he doesn’t like the effect of everyone’s supposed kindness towards him to sound as if it holds more pity than sympathy. You can immediately tell his state of mind but you can also recognise he’s a survivor – which is why seeing him back on the job questioning the call he was dispatched on felt good to see him back at what he loved to do.

Greta on the other hand was an artist with a sharp mind who just happened to stop Jack in his tracks so to speak on first meeting! I had a good smirk over how these two had instant chemistry even if they were meeting under more serious circumstances. I loved how ethereal Stewart penned Greta’s personality and presence in the scenes with Jack and Bowie (his short-term partner, whilst his partner is on holiday) as it evoked Old Hollywood and the artist eras of the past where creators like her could be isolated from society whilst they allowed their muses to find them. She was the kind of artist who appreciated being round people but she needed to find the solace and solitude away from them in order to create her art. I respected that and she was one of those characters you felt you could connect with as soon as she started to talk.

My favourite mysteries and suspense novels have one thing in common: interesting and beguiling characters who keep you turning the pages! In this instance, Greta is a no-nonsense kind of woman who feels it’s her duty to help Jack solve the mystery despite his best intentions of disentangling her from being so directly connected to his own case. The irony of course is that he too would like to stay in her constant company but for a different reason altogether which matched her own inclinations as well. It was definitely one of those meetings of the mind where despite the events which brought them together it was the connection, the instant bond and the chemistry they shared which meant more than the dangers lurking in the shadows. They were a wicked good match for each other especially since they shared something in common which united them: wounded souls with a desire to find the light and joy they felt was missing out of their lives.

Ooh my! The ending on this one – it truly eclipsed my heart because I was expecting a shocking surprise and I was given more than one by the time the story concluded! It was such a satisfying ending though – I didn’t want it to stop because I had become so connected to Jack and Greta! Theirs was one of those old-fashioned romances where neither of them felt they’d ever find someone and yet, their connection to each other was marred a bit by an evolving case and a crime which needed to be solved. Stewart pulls at your heart-strings with this one – from her capacity to write such an intricate and spellbinding psychological suspense to knitting a brilliantly lovely romance with two characters you’ll not soon forget. I ached to read more chapters of this one – hardly able to put it down even for an hour, much less a day whilst in the end, my heart cheered for Jack and Greta all over again. They truly had an incredible journey – one that only Stewart could have conceived and given us.

-quoted from my review of Guarding His Midnight Witness

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The Honour Bound series:

NOTE: I personally spelt honor as *honour* however, if you follow the feeds socially or socially engage on platforms be sure to use the American spelling #HonorBound to find other readers who are sharing their bookish reactions to the series. I am only spelling it differently as I review it on my blog but note the official title all the same. For me, honor is honour but that’s just a personal quirk.

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More than a Lawman by Anna J. StewartReunited with the P.I. by Anna J. StewartGone in the Night by Anna J. Stewart

Guarding His Midnight Witness by Anna J. StewartPrison Break Hostage by Anna J. StewartThe PIs Deadly Charade by Anna J. Stewart

Deadly Vegas Escapade by Anna J. StewartA Detectives Deadly Secrets by Anna J. Stewart

More than a Lawman (book one)

Reunited with the PI (book two)

Gone in the Night (book three) | (see also Review)

Guarding His Midnight Witness (book four) | (see also Review)

Prison Break Hostage (book five)

The PI’s Deadly Charade (book six)

Deadly Vegas Escape (book seven)

A Detective’s Deadly Secrets (book eight)

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View the list and keep tabs on this series via Fantastic Fiction!

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Read More

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

  • #CloakAndDaggerChristmas 2024
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Posted Friday, 20 December, 2024 by jorielov in #cloakanddaggerchristmas, 21st Century, Blogosphere Events & Happenings, Book Review (non-blog tour), Contemporary Romance, Crime Fiction, Modern Day, Post-911 (11th September 2001), Reading Challenges, Romance Fiction, Romantic Suspense, Suspense

Happy #blogmas! A #RomanceTuesdays Book Review | “The Doctor’s Christmas Dilemma” by Danielle Thorne

Posted Tuesday, 17 December, 2024 by jorielov , , , , 0 Comments

#blogmas book review banner created by Jorie in Canva.

Acquired Book By: In (2020) Ms Thorne contacted me about her first Love Inspired novel (“His Daughter’s Prayer”) of which I reviewed and hosted her during @SatBookChat. Fast forward to 2022 and I caught a notice about her review team which led me to asking her about joining the team. I was delighted to receive her second release with Love Inspired as I had fondly remembered the joy I had in reading her debut with the publisher. I was grateful I could join her review team knowing how much I love her writing instincts for telling Contemporary INSPY Romantic stories as much as the fact I love reading stories by this publisher for Romantic Suspense.

I received a complimentary copy of “The Doctor’s Christmas Dilemma” direct from the author Danielle Thorne in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein. Per the badge at the end of this review, I am also a member of the author’s Review Team. All promo materials for this novel were provided by the author herself and are used with permission.

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On the joy of reading Love Inspired by Ms Thorne:

I truly loved how she developed the character of Ali – a woman who was self-determined to make it on her own terms and to develop a small farm that not only could sustain itself but have enough profit for its owner. I love that about having land where the land itself can produce what you need and even more which can be shared with your community. Farming in all varieties on the local level is where the future is because they have the tendency to be more sustainable and environmentally friendly with lower impacts on the natural environs around them. It was refreshing to see all of this explored and celebrated throughout my readings of The Beekeeper Next Door.

In this novel, I saw the growth of Thorne’s writing style as she interwove more of the faith-based antidotes and references into the storyline. She also found a better balance in how she told the story – by letting the characters take us on a fuller journey without resolving some aspects of that journey for us as readers. She wasn’t telling us but allowing us to see those moments of growth as her characters started to expand their hearts and minds in front of us. I even appreciated how she showed how they each had to process the passage of the past with the newer truths they uncovered in the present. Life is hard enough but overcoming loss (ie. death of a parent or a spouse, as this story focuses on both) is a personal journey of its own and not one that is easily navigable. It takes time and it takes patience, and it takes a lot of faith and prayer to overcome to where living doesn’t feel oppressively hard. Lose is part of all our lives but it is one of the harder moments to reconcile especially when it comes to our emotions and memories – and Thorne did a great job of showing that side of it too, as she focused on Ali and Heath’s path towards self-healing.

-quoted from my book review of The Beekeeper Next Door

I have have been happily reading the stories by Ms Thorne for the last four years – as it all started when I read her Jane Austen inspired novel Josette. From there, I followed her into her publishing career at Love Inspired. Becoming a member of her Review Team has been an honour and a joy to see her personal growth as a writer but also, to tuck close into the lives of the characters’ she’s been bringing to life. I love the gentle storytelling styling of hers but also, the convicting characters who have such realistic lives who have relatable obstacles to work through and endearing romances to rally behind.

Each story is a bit of a treasure to read because of the heart and soul knitted into the framework of the stories themselves. For readers who already appreciate INSPY Fiction, they will be won over by Thorne’s style of narrative but also, the homespun small towne settings wherein you feel an immediate part of the local communities she’s built into her novels. I love the uplift of spirit reading her stories, too. The stories are inspiring and give your heart a lift of joy to read them.

For these reasons, I am a reader who is full of appreciation for having crossed her path and am happy I can continue to celebrate her stories and be a book cheerleader for her as we embark on a New Year of stories and characters throughout 2025.

Speaking of which, the new novel forthcoming next Spring, 2025 is about a baker! As mentioned during my last Sunday Post, baking is an art and skill of interest of my own! In fact, I’ve determined to make the New Year one of exploring baking more and of sorting out how to keep a sourdough starter inasmuch as I want to perfect baking bread and other homemade goodies with a keen interest in making them healthier and less sweet but not with an absence of sweet but using better ingredients than regular sugars, etc.

Thereby, I am most intrigued by reading a story set in or around a bakery – I was also keenly curious, is the baker the girl or the bloke? I oft wondered if anyone might make the baker the bloke rather than the girl as there are a lot of guys who love baking as much as girls’ too. Whichever route the story takes, I’m dearly intrigued and ready!

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Books by Danielle Thorne photo collage created by Jorie in Canva. Photo Credit: jorielovesastory.com

The Doctor's Christmas Dilemma
Subtitle: Coming home is just the beginning...
by Danielle Thorne
Source: Author Review Team

Genres: Contemporary (Modern) Fiction (post 1945), Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Sweet Romance, Contemporary Romance



Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9781335597014

Also by this author: Josette, His Daughter's Prayer

Published by Love INSPIRED

on 24th October, 2023

Format: Mass Market Paperback

Pages: 217

Published by: Love Inspired (@LoveInspiredBks)
an imprint of Harlequin Books (@HarlequinBooks)
which is now an imprint of HarperCollins Publishing (@HarperCollins)

Note on Formats: Happily, Love Inspired novels have the same kind of flexibility as Harlequin Heartwarming wherein you can receive these print copies in Regular Print, Larger Print or True Large Print for those who are vision impaired and/or have low vision. I personally love the Larger Print editions for Harlequin Heartwarming, Love Inspired Contemporary Romance & Love Inspired Suspense as it is much kinder on eyes of a migraineur! Generally, I receive Larger Print copies of Love Inspired and/or Harlequin Heartwarming novels – however, I do on occasion receive Regular Print which I can’t read whilst in the throes of a migraine or shortly after one but when I’m migraine-free I can soak back inside them; hence why having different sized fonts available is a lovely gesture by the publisher for readers like me.

Converse via: #SweetRomance, #SweetRomanceReads or #SweetRomanceBooks

and #LoveInspiredBooks as well as #ChristFic, #ChristianFiction, #ContemporaryRomance,
#INSPYRomance or #ChristianFictionBooks on #bookstagram

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More Inspy Romantic stories by Danielle Throne:

His Daughter's Prayer by Danielle ThorneA Promise for His Daughter by Danielle ThorneA Home for the Twins by Danielle Thorne

Books by Danielle Thorne photo collage created by Jorie in Canva. Photo Credit: jorielovesastory.comA Guardian Till Christmas by Danielle Throne

His Daughter’s Prayer (2020) | see also Review

Falling for the Coach (2022)

A Promise for His Daughter (2022) | see also Review
*This is the start of Kudzu Creek series

A Home for the Twins (2023) | see also Review
*The second story of Kudzu Creek series

The Doctor’s Christmas Dilemma (2023)
*The third story of Kudzu Creek series

The Beekeeper Next Door (2024) | see also Review
*This is the start of the Lagrasse series

A Guardian Until Christmas (NEW release: October, 2024)
*The second story of the Legrasse series

Winning Over the Baker (*forthcoming: April, 2025)

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About Danielle Thorne

Danielle Thorne

Danielle Thorne writes from south of Atlanta, Georgia. She is the author of over fifteen historical and contemporary sweet romances. A graduate of BYU-Idaho, she has also published young adult non-fiction and worn an editor's cap. Her new release is a 2020 historical series set in the United States and follows the period of the American Revolution. Her first book with Harlequin's Love Inspired line will be out this summer.

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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

  • #blogmas 2024
Divider

Posted Tuesday, 17 December, 2024 by jorielov in #blogmas, #RomanceTuesdays, 21st Century, Contemporary Romance, Content Note, Family Drama, Fly in the Ointment, Indie Author, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Life Shift, Modern Day, Motherhood | Parenthood, Romance Fiction, Second Chance Love, Single Fathers, Small Towne Fiction, Small Towne USA, Southeastern USA

Book Spotlight | A New Historical Romance set alight in a world of antiques “Georgia’s Folly” by Deborah Chase

Posted Thursday, 21 November, 2024 by jorielov , , 2 Comments

Stories in the Spotlight banner created by Jorie in Canva.

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Why time bending stories & Historical Romance interest me:

I have had such a wicked sweet affinity for time bending stories in Historical Fiction and Romance, it has truly been a hard route of choice for me to name my top favourites in this particular niche of genre as I went into hosting this lovely blog tour! Over the last eleven years, I’ve read so many dearly beloved reads – the best bit about how time bends inside a storyline and either offers a dual time line of interest such as within Georgia’s Folly or bends it through time shifting and/or time travelling directly is how you can intuit so much out of a story through the different perspectives shared within the same narrative.

I, personally, love this duality to the stories themselves. To tuck close inside one era and then, time jump into another and find both the dimensional resonances of both and/or finding that although similarly different and unique of their own eras – both tend to have connective measures within them which not only carry the plot forward but interconnect the characters as well. Time in this instance is temporal and a bit elusive because of how interwoven the stories become through each writers’ vision of how time can bend and contract and reconnect through different portals of ‘time’.

Similarly, within Historical Romances – I am simply swept away by the idea of ‘visiting’ a different era of History and with each ‘time jump’ I undertake through fiction, the lens provided to me gives me another nudge of insight and knowledge of the Historical past to where I’ve become a time traveller myself. Historical Romances are wicked brilliant in how they encompass both the historical societies in which their characters live and the traditions of the era in which they reside. There is something quite alluring to #HistRom and I’ve been a HUGE appreciator for so many years – even, long before I became a book blogger in (2013)!!

I dearly wanted to purchase a copy of “Georgia’s Folly” for myself – to read with my #ChristmasReads this year, however, it is currently only offered in ebook editions. As many of you know, I can only read stories in print due to chronic migraines – and thereby, part of why I wanted to shine a light on this story is not only to acknowledge that there are readers out here who want to read this story but perhaps, if there is more interest in the story overall – a print edition might be forthcoming at a later date.

This story curates a lot of self-interest for me – especially because I am taken with diaries and Epistolatory Fiction as much as I grew up roaming around antique stores and emporiums of the past. There is something quite wicked for uncovering something old and something tangible from someone elses life in the present which reconnects you to their life in the past. You might never know much about the person as much as the object you’ve found but just to realise that someone else lived an entire life ahead of yours and this one particular object made it through all those years to find its way into your hands is quite a remarkable feat. This is one reason why I love antiques and early attic shoppes because instead of putting all that lovely stuff in the rubbish pile, people find beauty in the objects of the past and many of them still have purpose in our lives now.

Flea markets were part of my childhood as much as estate emporiums and antique stores – you just never knew what you would find for sale ‘right around the corner’ of the next stall or aisle. I had many years of memories walking up and down those aisles and spending whole days at the fleas themselves just engaging with the sellers, browsing what was for sale and walking away with more than a few deals. Likewise, the same was true of auctions and emporiums. These leftover items are connective and tangible portals of time in our living histories. I think that is what drew me into that world to begin with – a way to connect to the past and yet, feel or see a tangible part of that life in the present.

You can see why I’m wicked excited about this novel!

Plus, a part of me wondered – what if you discovered a diary of someone who lived during a certain part of the historical past and you unearthed a similar story? How would it feel to connect to that moment in History but also further research what that discovery meant to those who lived then vs now? So many lovely questions to explore on that note alone! Plus, too, isn’t it curious how diaries withstand time when they usually were used as self-disciplined chronicles of time for their own families?

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Book Spotlight | A New Historical Romance set alight in a world of antiques “Georgia’s Folly” by Deborah ChaseGeorgia's Folly
Subtitle: A Lost Treasures Mystery
by Deborah Chase
Source: Chapter Sampler

For fans of "Antiques Roadshow" and "American Pickers" - this is the one for you!

Beginning at a cluttered flea market and ending at a glittering art auction, Georgia’s Follytells the compelling story that blends past and present and the search for a valuable and elusive antique. Chloe Bishop grew up in foster care. She loves shopping at flea markets, picking up family heirlooms like old pottery or vintage furniture to fill in for the family and home she never had.

As Chloe walks through the Brooklyn Flea Market, she stumbles upon the diary of Miss Georgia Potter, a young woman who had lived in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania during the Civil War. The yellowed pages reveal the impact of the war on daily life and spotlights the role of women including Harriet Tubman, Clara Barton and Louisa May Alcott. 

Like Chloe, Georgia Potter was a passionate collector and her diary lists her collection of valuable antiques—including the Holy Grail of 18th century furniture—a Chippendale settee. Well versed in antiques, Chloe is aware that there are only five known examples and a sixth settee would be worth more than $4 million.

Chloe immediately contacts Ben Thompson, the man who sold her the diary. Ben is a picker who drives his RV across America, searching for collectibles to sell to dealers. He is estranged from his wealthy, prominent family who cringe at his chosen career. Ben agrees to take her along to search for the valuable and iconic settee. As Ben and Chloe head to Gettysburg, they are unaware that Gregor Petrov, a shady antiques dealer and Harrison Kent, a respected but unscrupulous art expert are trailing them.

The search for the settee takes Chloe and Ben on fast paced journey from the Gettysburg battlefields to the 18th century street of artisans in Philadelphia to a historic mansion on the banks of the Hudson River. Traveling together in the small RV, Ben and Chloe draw closer. In the confines of the RV, embroiled in an unimaginable quest, Chloe confides that she is also in search for the father she never knew while Ben struggles to explain his complicated family to a woman who never had one.

In a thrilling ending, the rare Chippendale settee is not Chloe’s only valuable discovery.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance



Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ASIN: B0DGWF6J7G

Published by Historium Press

on 11th September, 2024

Format: Chapter Sampler | Online

Available Formats: Ebook

Converse via: #CoffeePotBookClub, #GeorgiasFolly or #DeborahChase

About Deborah Chase

Deborah Chase

Deborah Chase grew up in a family filled with art and antiques. On the high end, her uncle, William Lincer, lead violist at the New York Philharmonic, was an art lover whose collection was sold at Sotheby’s. On the low end, her father, writer Allen Chase took her to flea markets and estate sales. He sparked a lifelong fascination with tales of lost treasures that ranged from plundered Egyptian tombs to trainloads of art stolen by the Nazis. It was this love of history and antiques that inspired her first novel, Georgia’s Folly

She was a founding editor of the Berkeley Wellness Newsletter and the author of 12 books including The Medically Based No-Nonsense Beauty Book (Alfred Knopf), Extend Your Life Diet (Pocket Books), Fruit Acids for Fabulous Skin (St Martin’s Press), Every Bride is Beautiful (Morrow), and with her husband Dr Neil Schachter co-author of Life and Breath (Doubleday) and The Good Doctor’s Guide to Colds and Flu (Harper).

The books have been a selection of the Book of the Month Club and her articles have appeared in Ladies Home Journal, Self, Glamour, Redbook, Family Circle, Parents and Good Housekeeping. She is a graduate of Bronx High School of Science and a winner of the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. A graduate of New York University she earned a degree with a duel major in journalism and history.

A native New Yorker, Deborah like to spend her weekends at an upstate home where a big kitchen and an endless supply of estate sales indulge her duel passions for cooking and collecting.

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Posted Thursday, 21 November, 2024 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Book Spotlight of E-Book (ahead of POD/print edition), Historical Fiction, Indie Author, Sampler Chapters &/or Excerpt of Novel, The Coffee Pot Book Club

#WWWednesday Special Edition | #MyYASummer on Jorie Loves A Story | #JorieReads the young adult novels winking at her off her shelf!

Posted Wednesday, 28 August, 2024 by jorielov , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 0 Comments

#MyYASummer badge created by Jorie in Canva.

#ChildrensLit Summer | #KidsBooks Summer | #KidsLit Summer

#SummerReads | #SummerReading | #iReadYA

+ my own: #MyYASummer | #JorieLovesYA

(*) If you know of others, kindly add them to the comments!

reading from 1st July – September, 2024

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→ DUE NOTE: Some of the books featured on #MyYASummer Reading List were books sent to me for review consideration at some point over the past years. A few were bookaways I won from the authors themselves. And, one was gifted to me by my parents (ie. Columbine’s Tale). Most of this post was written during the pandemic and shortly thereafter – I found it in my Drafts and decided since EVERYTHING within this post still applies to where I am right now as a reader and allows a bit more insight into my readerly life of the recent past and how long a road I’ve been taking to read more Young Adult Fiction – I decided to leave it nearly untouched and/or edited as it was originally written. Thereby consider this a TIME CAPSULE post which then shifts FORWARD to now.

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A bit of background:

I have been wanting to read more #ChildrensLit for absolute ages – each time I would get close to tucking into these stories, something would divert my attention, and more hours were lost against the clock. This cycle has been repeating itself off/on for more years now than I dare say – if you take into consideration [2017] was the year my father recovered from his stroke (wherein I became his caregiver). Soon thereafter, I experienced a lot of different health afflictions mixed with a steady increase of frequencies in regard to my chronic migraines from [2018/19]. [2020] was the year which began on a rocky foundation – the fires were out of control in Australia, Puerto Rico had too many earthquakes and the whole world seemed to be holding in its breath. We had no idea what Spring would bring and that was an untold blessing in of itself. Uniquely enough – [2020] was also the year I saw a serious reduction in my migraines – wherein my first one which truly affected me was the weekend before I started co-hosting our 3rd Year of #WyrdAndWonder. Except of course for when June eclipsed that statistic and I was battling through more migraines, allergy attacks and toxic air issues than any person ought to have to deal with in a singular week. (see also tweets)

I had other things happening in the background of Jorie Loves A Story – both my parents had ER visits in March 2020; Mum and I were struck down by a serious cold in February 2020 (for three weeks!) and April 2020 to be honest just felt like a month to find a way to breathe again as March was seriously too overwhelming to process as it was lived. Not just for us as a family – but as a nation, as a global community and as a new path towards a future we’re all still sorting out as we shift out of the cycle of Covid-19. Nor how civil unrest and the cry for reform in social justice would write new chapters in American Civil Rights History in Spring and Summer, 2020.

Cue why March (2020) was far more involved than a global pandemic: I was so physically and emotionally spent by April 2020, I was streaming British & Aussie crime dramas via #AcornTV and had a true lack of interest and focus on reading, blogging and being socially bookish. Not that that is a bad thing – it’s just that I needed some personal space to re-group and find my groove again. We all do when we have little crises which arise in your everyday life. Of the two visits (to the ER) in [March 2020] – Mum’s was the most dire and thankfully had a happy ending. She’s nearly fully recovered from her injuries, and she did not have a TBI which was what put my heart in a lurch the moment the ER doc braced me for that possibility on the phone. Seriously – life happens in a series of blinks, you barely have time to breathe and have the courage to face whatever comes your way.

I have been working earnestly towards erasing my backlogue (of reviews) for several years and this challenge is helping me to become re-inspired to read after seasons of personal angst. Yet at the same time, I’ve been actively reducing my booked reviews and blog tours; a carry-over from [2016] when I first started to pull back my schedules on Jorie Loves A Story whilst being more mindful of what I want to read per each new Season which arrives which inspires me to seek out the genres I love most to soak inside.

Rewinding a bit: Let’s face it – JUNE [2018] was a wash-out. It barely blinked into view before it extinguished out of sight – I barely posted anything during its duration. The one thing I did accomplish was finding a way to bring ART back into my life and to resume KNITTING giving myself a way to put some Zen into my downtime. Especially imperative as I was ill more than well in Spring [2018 & 2019] as I had 5x migraines during #WyrdAndWonder Year 2 (May, 2019). It had been my hope on the arrival of the monsoon Summer rains starting as we entered into JULY (2019), I could hope my seasonal allergies would start to relent and give me back the clarity of calm I’ve missed all SPRING (for two years).

FAST FORWARD: [2019] marked the first Summer since [2015] I felt I could re-enter the stories and yet the only review I was able to release Summer [2019] when I first conceived this plan to read the initial batch of #MyYASummer was “Summer by Summer”. It proved to be a harder book to read than I first expected and yet, I still have good memories of the journey it took me on. Thus, this remains the ‘first’ book of this personal reading challenge and the rest was meant to follow suit this Summer (of 2020) – as I re-embark on my journey into reading Young Adult stories throughout the volcanic Summery months of June, July, August & September. [we’re just going to overlook the fact the first weeks of this re-genesis of a personal reading challenge was a bit delayed due to double shifts at work, volcanic heat and intensive lightning storms!]

Over the years from [2015-2020] I’ve strived to get current on my backlogue – encouraging myself with different readathons, personal challenges and goals and/or participating in book blogosphere events wherein I could interact with this beautiful community and/or find encouragement to reach my own goals as I move forward and backwards on my readerly journey. Each of these five years has held its own share of woes and challenges – as each of us has a lot of LIFE being lived #behindtheblog – yet, I have optimistically held the hope each new season, each new year would be the season and/or year wherein I could find the JOY again in spending time with these stories.

In August, of 2021 I did release another #MyYASummer review which was for the novel: The Twin Stars (see also Review) which was a very emotional read for me as well. It seems to be tradition now that each story I attempt to read for this personal challenge is not only emotionally convicting but difficult at times to get through the stories themselves.

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Time Shift to 2024: I’d love to say I was able to host #MyYASummer during the last four years but despite an attempt to co-host this lovely event of mine with a fellow book blogger whose blog hasn’t been updated in a few years – I haven’t been able to bring this goal of mine into reality. Most of this post was written ages ago now but it gives a lot of insight into my readerly life and the angst of trying to focus on stories I dearly wanted to read during moments of my life which were far more adverse and challenging than originally thought. I decided to resume my readings of Young Adult Lit this Summer and even then, that particular goal shifted again. I had my sights on starting in June not August – but alas, I decided, ANY YA book I can read before the 30th of September is going to be a win for me as a reader because I’ve wanted to have a microfocus on this section of Literature for so many years now! It is my hope this kicks off a new journey each Summer (ie. starting in June hopefully in 2025!) and a tradition of reading YA for four dedicated months. 

I look forward to your visits as I release my ruminations on these stories whilst if you have any suggestions for #mustreads after those stories are discussed, I’d love to hear your comments & receive a revolving list of recommendations. Kindly read my Review Policy in case you are not aware of my personal bookish turn-offs, etc. As I am rather particularly particular about the stories, I seek out to read and/or review.

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#MyYASummer 2024 collage graphic for Wyrd And Wonder created by Jorie in Canva. Photo Credit: jorielovesastory.com

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The exact order of how I will be reading these stories is UNKNOWN as I am simply going to be picking them up to read and seeing how I get on with them. I will say that all of the titles I’ve chosen to read this year are very emotional reads and with intense storylines attached to them.

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#MyYASummer Reads as they generate over the years:

  1. Summer by Summer by Heather Burch | #SRC2015 via #YASRC 2015 | read in 2019
  2. The Twin Stars by Bridgette D. Portman | read in 2021
  3. Birds on a Wire by Ellen Plotkin Mulholland | DNF August, 2024
  4. Columbine’s Tale by Rachel Nightingale
  5. American Ballerina by Nancy Lorenz | sequel to The Strength of Ballerinas
  6. Chasing Eveline by Leslie Hauser | #ReviewPit 2019
  7. How the Light Gets In by Katy Upperman | publisher ARC 2019
  8. Boys and Girls Screaming by Kern Carter
  9. The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet by Stephanie Morrill

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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

  • #MyYASummer
  • 2024 Backlogue Reviews
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Posted Wednesday, 28 August, 2024 by jorielov in #MyYASummer, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, JLAS Update Post, Reading Challenges, WWW Wednesdays