Tag: Pure Romance series

Blog Book Tour | “To Suit a Suitor” by Paula Kremser by the author who wrote “Sophia”! #JorieLovesRegencies

Posted Thursday, 24 November, 2016 by jorielov , , , , 0 Comments

Book Review Banner using Unsplash.com (Creative Commons Zero) Photography by Frank McKenna

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 “To Suit a Suitor” 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.

Why I am drawn into Sweet Romances & Historical Roms:

I’ll admit – I love being swirled into a Historical Rom and the tenderness of a Sweet Romance! If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t be able to say with pure joy how much I *adore!* watching the Hallmark Channel + their secondary channel for Movies & Mysteries! There is something quite magical about how infusing your heart and mind into a light-hearted (sometimes a bit more dramatic) Romance that can set your heart afire for positivity! I think this is why most of us love to return into these worlds – where innocence is not shameful and where propriety and honour reign. It’s the world of where gentleman are mindful of their manners, act accordingly and women can be strongly fierce as we are today but get to wear such interestingly intricate clothes!

Sometimes there is more historical fact inside a Hist Rom, where the structures of society inflict certain disadvantages towards personal freedom or the right to marry whomever you choose – such as history would reflect, but within the tome of this special niche of Romance, I find my heart simply loves to reach into the pages of where writers are writing a story that is wicked delightful to read – set in a world that is how we’d hope the past would be presented to us if we travelled backwards and full of the delights or woes of being single ahead of marriage.

In contrast to most Historical Roms, the Sweet Romance side of the ledger falls primarily under the INSPY heading – where faith-based story-lines offer an additional layer of sweetness and where the characters are open about their walk in faith during the narrative. I love reading both variants – either mainstream or INSPY – as who wouldn’t want to soak inside a Romance set in the historical past? And, of course, I’m one to openly lament quite often – if it’s a Regency, a Victorian or an Edwardian there is a super strong chance I’m going to find it! Laughs.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Notation on the size of this novel: As what you cannot see from the digital book cover is that this wicked lovely Historical Rom is in portable pocket size edition! You can easily grab a copy to take with you whilst seeking a Romance you can travel with but without the angst of having a bulky paperback weighing you down! I personally love portable pocket size editions – something I shall be talking more about in December! They make you smile by their quaint size but it’s the possibilities of where and when you can read them that are wicked!

Blog Book Tour | “To Suit a Suitor” by Paula Kremser by the author who wrote “Sophia”! #JorieLovesRegenciesTo Suit a Suitor
Subtitle: Pure Romace

Don't set your sights on him,
It will only lead to heartache."

Much to her mother's annoyance, Julia North can't catch a husband. After what seems like the hundredth suitor, Julia leaves London to visit a distant cousin, hoping to forget about husband hunting for a time. She inadvertently finds herself in the society of Henry Chamberlain, the most desirable gentleman in Somersetshire. With every young lady in town competing for his attention, Julia assumes she doesn't have a chance. What she doesn't know is that her desire to avoid Henry's attention may be the very thing that catches it. . .


Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

Find on Book Browse

ISBN: 9781462119332

on 1st November, 2016

Pages: 256

Published By: Sweetwater Books (@SweetwaterBooks),

an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc (@CedarFortBooks)
Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook

Converse on Twitter via: #INSPYRom, #SweetRomance, #HistRom + #Regency

About Paula Kremser

Paula Kremser

Paula Kremser focused on a career in science for a few years after graduating from Brigham Young University. Several years later when she moved with her young family to England, Paula seized the opportunity to focus on her love of the Regency Era. The enchantment of the aristocracy and the fascinating stories from every stately home she visits have been both research and inspiration for her first novel. Paula lives with her husband and four children in a charming village nestled in the Chiltern hills in Buckinghamshire.

For a hilarious look-see behind-the-scenes of how this photograph was captured read her Outtakes post! I believe that the photograph that was chosen captures her 'in the moment' with a spark of joy. Sometimes the best photographs are the ones we do not overly plan but rather happen spontaneously!

Read More

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

  • 2016 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
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Posted Thursday, 24 November, 2016 by jorielov in #JorieLovesIndies, 19th Century, Blog Tour Host, Cedar Fort Publishing & Media, England, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Indie Author, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Regency Era, Romance Fiction, Siblings, Sweet Romance, The London Season

Blog Book Tour | “Sophia” by Paula Kremser a #sweetromance set within the London Season! Folly before matrimony in this delightful debut novel!

Posted Sunday, 19 October, 2014 by jorielov , , , , 6 Comments

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Sophia by Paula Kremser

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

Official Author Websites:  Site @PaulaKremser | Facebook

Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook

Converse via: #Sophia & #SweetRomance

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 “Sophia” 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 am magnetically attracted to stories of romance, the London Season, and the follies which are wrought out of seeking romance as much as an engagement to end the unattached life of a singleton! I love the fanciful worlds of classical literature, where ladies and gentlemen not only are attired in such a way to reflect their propriety, but there is a measure of grace and honour in how they interact with each other. Perhaps not always finding themselves in situations that alight on their paths with the full honour of intentions, but there is a magnified expression of life within the ordinary hours that make the best stories burst to life! I love the romanticism of previous generations as much as I love a grounding in realism. I do not always have to read a story wrought straight out of historical records to become consumed by the expanse of the narrative; as there are parts of my literary soul who are quite comfortable in soaking in a romance with a tender-hearted heroine and the perception of a rake who is in fact a misunderstood gent who has yet to control either his life, affairs, or emotional outrage! Laughs.

Historical romances are always going to be a tip of a feather in my hat, as I grew up with a such a rapt fascination for this side of the Romance genre! I have only yet begun my sojourn through the classical writers who created the impetus for the modern writers to find encouragement and inspiration to create their own niche; but what I appreciate the most is being caught up in the details, the conversations, and the whispers of ‘intrigue’ as each lad and lass find their way in life! There are elements of carried over truths, but each story is set to it’s own pace, carrying with it a unique heart centered plot, and allows the benefit of being elsewhere in full mirth of joy for the reader who finds the book itself!

For these reasons and many more I have not yet mentioned, I most delightfully was joyful in finding Sophia! This novel is the second release as part of Sweetwater Book’s new focus on Pure Romance! Willow Springs was the first release, of which I found equally enjoyable to consume!

Blog Book Tour | “Sophia” by Paula Kremser a #sweetromance set within the London Season! Folly before matrimony in this delightful debut novel!Sophia
Subtitle: Pure Romance

Small-town Sophia Spencer can't believe her luck when an unexpected inheritance sweeps her up into the glittering London social scene.  With more invitations to balls, parties, and country-drives than she can keep up with, Sophia is soon lost in the swirl of dresses and dances, friendships, and flirtations. But her happiness comes to an abrupt halt the moment she's caught napping in a grumpy gentleman's bedroom -- and forced into an engagement to protect her reputation!

This stunning debut novel combines unforgettable characters with crisp dialogue and a gorgeous setting to create a world you won't want to leave. A fun, romantic read that's perfect for incurable romantics of all ages!


Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

Find on Book Browse

ISBN: 9781462114825

Series: Pure Romance


Also in this series: Willow Springs, The Second Season, To Suit a Suitor, Mischief & Manors, Unexpected Love, Lies & Letters, The Darkest Summer, The Secret of Haversham House, Love and Secrets at Cassfield Manor, Enduring Promises of the Heart, Book Spotlight: The Promise of Miss Spencer


on 7th October, 2014

Pages: 208

Author Biography:

 Paula Kremser

Paula Kremser focused on a career in science for a few years after graduating from Brigham Young University. Several years later when she moved with her young family to England, Paula seized the opportunity to focus on her love of the Regency Era. The enchantment of the aristocracy and the fascinating stories from every stately home she visits have been both research and inspiration for her first novel. Paula lives with her husband and four children in a charming village nestled in the Chiltern hills in Buckinghamshire.

For a hilarious look-see behind-the-scenes of how this photograph was captured read her Outtakes post! I believe that the photograph that was chosen captures her ‘in the moment’ with a spark of joy. Sometimes the best photographs are the ones we do not overly plan but rather happen spontaneously!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

London | a fetching place to set a Romance:

My heart is always quite aflutter when I realise I have stumbled across a romance set during the time of the London Season; that alluring moment where débutantes have to ‘come out’ and attract a suitor of a match of equality for their family to agree to the marriage. The notion of having to condense your dating years to a full season of endless balls and get togethers where every singleton of the year who is in want of a wife or husband is attending the exact same events as you, is more than daunting; it is tremendously full of pressure and expectancy of an engagement! I am not sure how the young men and woman feted away their anxiety and could settle into the social calendar as though it were simply an ordinary day within the expanse of their life. I do think in some ways it encouraged them to converse and interact with each other on level grounds, but not all the circumstances of their events would be equal nor without their share of hiccups!

I always felt that the easiest way to unsettle anyone’s chances at a good match would be to become quite devious in altering their chances for a match in love whereupon they would have to settle for a match of convenience to avoid scrutiny. It is simply too easy to speculate how willing some families might perceive the situations to being an opportunity to heighten their own motivated chances of success! Yet, aside from the malarkey of some, the back-drop of having a city the size of London the stomping grounds of fetching a suitor and sorting out what you want in life and love is such a captivating locale of choice! London is one of the world’s most known and most elusive of cities; the more I find is writ about one particular city, the more I fear there is still left to uncover about the city’s heart.

I feel the best centuries of setting a story in London are between the 18th & 19th Centuries, yet more oft than naught over the score of the last year: I’ve become further acquainted with London in the early and latter half of the 20th Century! Much to my chagrin I find London is perennially captivating irregardless of the timescape I am attune inside the story at hand!

My Review of Sophia:

Such an extreme concern on where to dispense an inheritance begins this Sweet Romance, on the presumption that if a grandmother were not to choose the most sensible heir to receive the family’s wealth, every inch of what had become the estate would fall straight to ruin! Imagine the tenacity of the declaration, as this is the type of woman who felt quite strongly that a man whose life was given to medicine and taking care of the health of others was beneath the family’s station! The very same man’s daughter became her sole living grand-daughter of whom she elects to choose as the beneficiary of her will and estate. I, must commend the author on how insightful she was in selecting such a perplexing and moxie filled character as Lady Atkinson to start her debut narrative! Atkinson is the type of character you hope to discover in fiction, as she is altogether in full belief she is always in the right as much as she has a sense that the way in which she perceives the world is both the end and beginning of argument!

I felt as if I stepped straight back inside the writing’s of Jane Austen, Elizabeth Gaskell (of whom I have not yet read but read about extensively on her style of voice), L.M. Montgomery, and Charlotte Bronté! There is such a beautiful expanse of classical literary voice ebbing out of Sophia, as part of me started to cheer for her as a character before I knew too much about her person! Fond memories washed over me of having read An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott as I started to soak inside this new classically inspired romance! Of course, part of me fondly brought to mind my viewing of the tv film The Inheritance (1997) starring Meredith Baxter and based on the story by Louisa May Alcott.

Alexander Huntley walks into the scene with a convicting back-story of a ill-wonted youth spent without concern for others, yet as an adult he has returned back to the ton quite changed! Gone from his conscience are the self-less ways of idling away hours he could have been more circumspect on attaching himself to the concerns of his estate’s well-being and replaced with a proper sense of duty, propriety, and a grounding of pride in his work. Huntley is as relatable as Sophia, being that they are two attendees to the seasonal balls who are a bit out of step with the rest of those in attendance! They each have their own quirky backgrounds which set them apart, but it is how they each approach life and set their minds to their futures, that felt the most in sync of all.

The circumstances by which fate brought Alex & Sophia together was part comical and part ingenious twisting of destiny; the scene felt a bit like a ‘meet-cute’ in some ways as well. My favourite part is how Sophia awoken out of her slumber to overhearing everything before fully realising the full scope of the situation! Kremser has a wicked talent for comic timing and a way of infusing a twinkling of wit without being overly cliche! I had noticed the forewarning of Sophia’s recently discovered ‘Auntie’ was up to something most foul, but it is how the plan to upset her niece I think will ultimately prove to be her undoing! Most wretchedly jealous relations always get their upcomings in the end, and it is the suspense of not knowing where Kremser will take these two characters that whisks you away further into the novel!

Lady Anne Fitzgerald is the kind of Auntie I was hoping Sophia would have had inherited rather than her jostly hostile Aunt Nora! My goodness! Lady Anne had all the grace, compassion, and composure of an Aunt you can lean on in the fervent height of a crisis, whilst having the forethought to plan what to do to wiggle your way out of a difficulty as she consoles your emotional heart! Sophia, I knew at this junction was in good hands, because even those of us who are given a jolt to our emotional keel by an Auntie who schemes against us needs a shelter from the storm!

One particular touch of unexpected joy for me was seeing each paragraph of each new chapter began in the hand of cursive writing! It gave me a seed of thought towards this being writ down as a re-telling account of a life in which was lived rather than of a completely fictional story within the imagination of the writer who penned it! Such a curious ticking of bemused thoughts floated to find of finding such a keen treasure of a journal filled my mind as I read each new chapter. Sophia, is the most obvious choice of whom might have kept it, but a part of me felt perhaps it was Lady Anne who was the truer narrator of the story overall — her sharp yet kind wisdom of understanding more than even Sophia & Alex could have dared to conceive possible knitted this theory into existence.

The most poignant love story is the one that places a stronger focus on the relationship and the purity of love spun between the two souls who have become entwined with each other. I am earnestly thankful that I not only found a story that once you become curled into you do not want to put down until the very last pages are wholly consumed, as within those final breaths of narrative prose, you find an illuminating ending that transcends the angst of the climax, but you find that the greatest love story of all is always told with the intention of uniting two persons who genuinely cannot be separated from one another due to the love that grew between them.

On the classically-bent writing style of Paula Kremser:

Kremser has a keen sense of a true way of capturing the heart of a romance booklover whose heart is tethered, tied, and threaded through Classical Literature! Her innate style of pacing the story as many of the writers of the 18th & 19th Centuries gave us such a felicity of mirth to discover, so too does her debut novel of Sophia; for recapturing the style of how to make an unexpected inheritance fuel the direction of a story! The little details and occurrences of a life within the upper tiers of society are contained with a happy fusion of mirth, cheeky humour, and a knowing hand who can pen a tale that is quite plausible as it is believable. An author who makes you giddy to know what she is penning next and if she is going to keep the timescape and setting of her first novel inside the second!

I have several bookish friends who adore this type of story (hallo Maggie, Juli, & Rissi!) and I would be plumb delighted to see if Kara and Charlene would find themselves just as wicked happy to soak inside this tome! This is the kind of story for all of us who grew up on Anne of Green Gables as much as found ourselves attached to Elizabeth Bennett & Jo March!

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 “Sophia” Blog Tour can be found here:

Sophia Blog Tour with Cedar Fort

To find out which Cedar Fort & Sweetwater Books author
I am hosting next visit my 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 “Sophia”, 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. Bookish Events badge created by Jorie in Canva. Tweets were embedded due to codes provided by Twitter.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.

The tweets I posted after I read “Sophia”:

{ favourite & Re-tweet if inspired to share }

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Posted Sunday, 19 October, 2014 by jorielov in 19th Century, Balance of Faith whilst Living, Blog Tour Host, British Literature, Cedar Fort Publishing & Media, Classical Literature, Death, Sorrow, and Loss, Debut Author, Debut Novel, England, Father-Daughter Relationships, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Indie Author, Inspired by Stories, Life Shift, Literary Fiction, London, Modern British Literature, Old World Arts & Crafts, Orphans & Guardians, Romance Fiction, Sewing & Stitchery, Single Fathers, Singletons & Commitment, Sweet Romance, The London Season, the Victorian era, Unexpected Inheritance, Widows & Widowers, Writing Style & Voice

+Blog Book Tour+ Willow Springs by Carolyn Steele #PureRomance a debut from Cedar Fort Publishing & Media!

Posted Sunday, 24 August, 2014 by jorielov , , , , 0 Comments

 Parajunkee Designs

 Willow Springs by Carolyn Steele

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

Official Author Websites:  Site | @CarolynSteeleUT | Facebook

Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook

Converse via: #WillowSprings OR #CarolynSteele

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 “Willow Springs” 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:

This particular book launches the new “Pure Romance” line of Inspirational Romance from Cedar Fort! I have a long-standing appreciation of reading inspiring stories of Romance (i.e. one of my original beloved stories was Frontier Lady by Judith Pella; you can read more on my review of Chain of Mercy) whether they are individual novels or novellas in print editions (i.e. Heartsong Presents or Love Inspired series),… I simply love being wrapped inside the lift of joy and spirit of a spiritual-centered romance! When I realised this was going to be the launch of a new series of novels, I simply could not pass up the chance to get to know this line from day one – forward! Besides, I have a soft spot for Westerns — if it has to do with the Frontier American small townes or life on the emerging frontier itself, there is a strong chance I’ll settle inside the story! Hence why I always loved watching Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman! (until the writing went a bit off-kilter in the latter seasons!)

One bit of an interesting connection to the story, is that part of my ancestry lies in Sweden! To read about a Swedish immigrant who was attempting to carve out a new life for herself felt like a natural fit for me! I always love reading stories that form connections to my ancestral past. Little snippets of insight I might not otherwise have had the pleasure of finding revealed.

+Blog Book Tour+ Willow Springs by Carolyn Steele #PureRomance a debut from Cedar Fort Publishing & Media!Willow Springs

Husbands. Crissa had to suppress a shudder at the thought. If I had wanted a husband, I would have stayed in Boston. Indeed, Crissa considered Willow Springs to be the nearest thing to her idea of purgatory. She certainly did not plan to stay here long.

Swedish immigrant Crissa Engleson fled Boston hoping to start a new life, unknown and unencumbered, on the American frontier. The quiet gold mining town of Willow Springs in the Utah desert seemed the perfect spot—until the intrigue of her past and rivalries of the town’s leading families enveloped her.

Unaware that a relentless bounty hunter is pursuing her, Crissa falls in love with Drake Adams, a handsome Pony Express rider and the son of an influential mine owner. While Drake returns Crissa’s interest, their courtship is thwarted by the pursuit of one of Drake’s rivals, who may be motivated more by malice than by love.

To realize her dreams, Crissa must confront her painful past and fight for her future head-on.


Places to find the book:

Series: Pure Romance, No.1


Also in this series: Sophia, The Second Season, To Suit a Suitor, Mischief & Manors, Unexpected Love, Lies & Letters, The Darkest Summer, The Secret of Haversham House, Love and Secrets at Cassfield Manor, Enduring Promises of the Heart, Book Spotlight: The Promise of Miss Spencer, Intangible, Beneath Creek Waters


on 12 August, 2014

Format: Paperback

Pages: 231

Carolyn Steele

Author Biography:

Born and raised in Utah, Carolyn Steele was introduced to western novels at a very young age by her grandfather, the son of a gold miner. She has been writing technical and marketing communications for most of her adult life. Her nonfiction articles have appeared in numerous national magazines. She earned her undergraduate degree in Communications from the University of Utah.

Married and living in Salt Lake City, Utah, Carolyn loves researching obscure history then weaving it into stories. She also enjoys family dinners with her children and grandchildren, photography, travel, golf, reading, and all forms of needlework.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Frontier Americana : Small Townes & Immigrants:

The American West was such a difficult area for settlers, frontier families, and those who were striving to make a new beginning inside their lives for the better. It is in a small towne on the route of the Pony Express, we enter the life of an immigrant (Crissa) who is living away from her parents in order to make a proper living for all of them. Here on the outskirts of the wilds of the West, we discover that for all the graces of small towne living one of the worst bits is uncovering projected jealousy through misunderstandings! I appreciated how the dusty and exhausted mining towne was brought to life, to show a reflection of difference between those who worked the mines and the townesfolk themselves, who attempted to provide the civilisation! It is rather interesting that I am reading about a second towne on the edge of elsewhere directly supported by a mine! The last story of course, was Flight to Coorah Creek, where I found myself over the moon in love with the inhabitants and the life of an ambulance aeroplane pilot! The similarities had me in a fit of smiles as I started to read Willow Springs!

I always have a particularly keen interest in ‘second chance stories’ and ‘stories of new beginnings’, where people are working hard to redeem their past and/or simply want to take off someplace new and forge a different kind of life than they had previously. I love the adventurous spirit as much as the true strength of belief that leaving everything you knew behind in your old life was necessary to create a new future; once you find where your feet land. Small towne fiction is always an ideal setting where characters can interact and yet, remain apart from each other as long as necessary at the same time. Observing the inter-dramatics of where the towne bends or yields rather to whichever new presence has arrived is part of the delight taking the journey through the story itself! Most of our ancestors, including my own, took it upon themselves to dig deep and strive towards seeking out new land, new experiences, and a new way of living when they originally came over from the United Kingdom, Europe, and beyond. How lovely then it is to curl inside a historical story just a few stones outside our own living history to walk inside a person’s shoes who dared to do what our own ancestors did!

My Review of Willow Springs:

Inns, boarding houses, and restaurants were the bare necessities to keep frontier life on the cusp of being a bit more self-sufficient on a similar vein as their neighbouring large cities. I love how the action of hosting and waitressing inside of a small mining towne opens this inspiring romance to the expanding picture that surrounds Willow Springs! A towne where an unforgiving and oft-times judgmental township of residents eagerly jump on a bandwagon if it suits their fancy to cast aspersions on someone they hardly know properly! The fitting strength of determined grit and the lift of faith in knowing she was on the right path towards supporting her own kin, is what roots Crissa Engleson into the heart of the story; and sympathetically into a reader’s heart as well. Here we find her balancing an honest day’s work against the joys of spending time with the Inn Owner’s (Molly) children. The fact that she finds the dashingly handsome and coy mannerisms of one of the Pony Express Riders rounds out the introductory joy!

Most Western dramas have a darker shade of a soul living near to the main characters, and Steele doesn’t disappoint by including Garth Wight into the folds of the chapters! An ego-ridden brute of a bloke bent against years of angst, drunken reverie, and a path never materialising in front of him to stake a claim for gold, Garth is the type of fellow any girl would be smart to avoid! His bold and curt behaviour towards Crissa was not only uncalled for but it stirred the stoking fire of where the arc of the climax might take this sweet girl from Sweden! Seeing her speak in her native tongue as she attempts to make sense out of her everyday blights and adventures warmed my spirit as I appreciate when speakers of different languages can find their own voices to be heard in fiction. It gives a proper sense of dimension and an equality in literature that strives to reflect the world’s melting pot.

Crissa’s friendship with the Inn’s cook Marida, gives the most comedic moments by far, as the cook is never far from giving her a jolt of common sense intermixed with a reassuring ear when life is turnt upside down. Marida is feisty as she is nurturing, although I’d wager she’d rather be known for the former! Yet, when Crissa was celebrating the good news Marida had given her about her beau, she internally could not help but stop to wonder if a similar life of happiness was indeed meant for her own path. It was in this moment of uncertainty laced with thoughts of the past, Crissa was taken off guard and attacked quite brutally by Garth. His arrogance and aggression left her shattered emotionally, physically bruised, and inside the tight-knit community she found her footing was lost; the eyes of the towne judging her negatively though she did nothing wrong. This is typical of the era in which Crissa lived, but for me, I felt for her dearly in this moment as she was attempting to align herself with a solid group of trusted friends whilst she tried to make Willow Springs her home.

On the footheels of that fated night behind her, Crissa in true fashion to settle down the rumours had to make a quick exit out of towne, which led her directly back to a loving couple who were her surrogate family. Seeing the landscape of Salt Lake City (a city I’ve only seen visually on camera and/or during the Winter Olympics coverage) is painted beautifully for any reader who loves to knit inside of a backdrop which has a propensity for natural beauty. Steele gives out such a breath of wonder for a part of the country I know very little about, I nearly felt as though I were breathing in the vistas as Crissa observed them herself.

Your heart stirs as you read the story, as the drama continues to unfold at an alarming rate, especially after a precognitive dream cuts Crissa’s visiting plans short. The pulse of emotion is tight as the successive chapters reveal a bit of darkness looming over her young shoulders, and a bit of anguished grief as well. Her heart swells and bleeds through the intrepid sorrow of losing a dear friend of hers and in an attempt to bring normalcy to the children left behind, she starts to further question if her own path is going to be set to rights. The inclusion of her letters and her innermost thoughts as she tries to work out the best path through spiritual guidance and a cluster of hope tethered to her frazzled nerves, Crissa once more has to pick up the pieces of her life.

Steele has written an aptly real and raw romantic suspense novel, as just when you think every wicked and evil reason Crissa has turnt to live outside the shadow of her past, something new arises to draw her closer into harm. The vileness of how human behaviour can be quickly turnt to malice under the right circumstances knits the suspense into the backdrop of the romance; half budding and delayed from blooming. Intermixed into the thick of it is a beautiful yet deadly storyline about herbalists and the various uses of apothecary knowledge. All of this accumulates to a thundering run towards the ending — where your lurching forward with eager anticipation and with a bit of shock horror how one woman’s plight could take her so far deep into the psychosis of the human mind.

On the writing style of Carolyn Steele:

As soon as I started to read this novel, I was instantly thinking about a new Hallmark Channel tv series (thankfully, renewed for a second season!) When Calls The Heart (also a small mining towne); mostly as women in both story-lines have to prove their moxy, their faith, and their willingness to forge a life in a place where ‘rough and ready’ has yet to docile the wilds of the West. Her gentleness in conviction of a faith-centered life is a true lift of joy to read, as she allows her characters the grace to experience their lives with a spirituality that shines through their actions. The inner-workings of seeing where their personal thoughts lie (especially Crissa’s) on how their life is stitching together is a bit of bliss, as each shared moment of their internal world is written in italics (the same with the letters). The full effect of the latter years of the 19th Century are representative of the dialogue exchanges Crissa has with Marida, as Marida’s accented (of Italian decent) English is a bit different from Crissa’s who talks more like an avid reader than a regular commoner.

A sturdy voice for a romance, Carolyn Steele’s debut novel is wrapped inside the Inspirational category of offerings creating a heart-warming fixture for any reader of clean romance. The fact it happens to be the launching novel for the new series of stories under the ‘Pure Romance’ line of novels by Cedar Fort, extends the joy of finding it. The joy of reading the story was a double-fold blessing as the lulling canopy of reading this novel helped to ease my own tensions from being a new self-hosted book blogger. I felt a lot of anxiety consume me over the weekend, as the hours spent sorting out a new hosted site and a heap of upgrades made me feel a bit harried to say the least. Soaking inside Willow Springs, is like walking inside the comfort of a familiar tale of a family friend whose strength and spirit helped renew your own. Reading is such a calming balm to me and this story was a pure joy to consume. I cannot wait to discover what Ms. Steele will pen next nor to follow the joy of where the Pure Romance line will be taken through Cedar Fort!

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

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Virtual Road Map of “Willow Springs” Blog Tour can be found here:

Willow Springs Blog Tour with Cedar Fort

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{SOURCES: Author photograph, Author Biography, Book Synopsis and Book Cover of “Willow Springs” were provided by the author Carolyn Steele and used with permission. The Cedar Fort badge was 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. Bookish Events badge created by Jorie in Canva. Tweets were embedded due to codes provided by Twitter.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

  • Bout of Books
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Posted Sunday, 24 August, 2014 by jorielov in 19th Century, Apothecary, Balance of Faith whilst Living, Blog Tour Host, Brigham Young, Cedar Fort Publishing & Media, Death, Sorrow, and Loss, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Deception Before Matrimony, Domestic Violence, Dreams & Dreamscapes, Equality In Literature, Flashbacks & Recollective Memories, Herbalist, Historical Fiction, Indie Author, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Life in Another Country, Mormonism, Naturopathic Medicine, Salt Lake City, Small Towne Fiction, Utah, Western Fiction, Western Romance, Widows & Widowers