Review

Freedom’s Promise by Pegg Thomas

/ sandramervillehart / 1 Comment

Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

Path to Freedom, Book 3

Zachary Brown has a good life on his dairy farm in Mount Pleasant, Ohio, but he longs for a wife and family. He finds a sick boy in his barn, a runaway slave escaping the life Zachary once lived, but new laws have increased the danger to anyone aiding them. Zachary doesn’t turn his back on the boy and then another one comes.

Daniel Whiteford heads to the Quaker community called Mount Pleasant in search of the grandson he’d given away to his indentured servant, Gwen, four years before. He didn’t anticipate that Gwen would have married and have another child nor that she and her husband considered the boy their son.

My attention was captured from the beginning. Likable, realistic characters pulled me into their emotional journey and tugged at my heart. Their faith in tough situations inspired me.

I was especially fascinated by how fugitives continued to find Zachary. I don’t want to give any spoilers here, so let’s say I’m inspired by his faith and determination in the midst of danger.  

I enjoyed this poignant story that held many surprising twists. This is the third book in the series and I hope there will be another! I recommend reading them in order.

This book was a page-turner for me.

Recommended for readers of inspirational historical romances.

I was given a copy of the book by the author. A positive review was not required. The opinions expressed are my own.

Amazon

Brokenburn: The Journal of Kate Stone 1861-1868

/ sandramervillehart

Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

The journal was edited by John Q. Anderson.

Kate Stone was twenty in 1861, the year the Civil War started. She lived on a large cotton plantation, Brokenburn, in northeast Louisiana, about 30 miles northwest of Vicksburg, Mississippi.

Brokenburn was located in the floodplain of the Mississippi River in what is now Madison Parish. Enslaved people worked on their plantation.

In the beginning of her journal, Kate was involved in many social activities—formal dining, informal “spend the days,” evening parties, riding frolics, and neighbor visits. Early morning hunters with their packs of hounds baying, horns blowing, and horses stamping were familiar sounds.

Then the war grew closer. Her brothers and her uncle enlisted in support of the Confederacy. The war brought lots of heartache and tragedy. Kate looked back on her twenty-year-old self and realized that she had been pampered. That certainly changed.

Knowing this was a journal made the tragic deaths of loved ones difficult to read, yet I was grateful for Kate’s honesty.

I bought this book for research purposes. My Spies of the Civil War Series has three books set in Vicksburg during the war— Streams of Courage, Book 4, River of Peril, Book 5, and Tides of Healing. I read many other books for my research. This book provided many details of daily life in the 1860s. I enjoyed it very much.

Great book for history lovers interested in learning about the Civil War in Mississippi and Louisiana.  

Amazon

Vicksburg: A People at War by Peter F. Walker

/ sandramervillehart

Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

Vicksburg: A People at War 1860-1865

This nonfiction book reports on events that took place in Vicksburg, Mississippi, during the Civil War (1861-1865).

Walker arranged the book in mostly chronological order, which makes it an easy read. The accounts are well-written and easily grabbed my attention.

Filled with interesting details about important leaders and events, this book also includes quotes from newspapers articles that show thoughts and attitudes of the times. It is a treasure trove of information in that it takes readers back in time with its inclusion of descriptions of businesses and streets, and quotes from many of the folks who lived in Vicksburg. I highlighted many paragraphs as I read it.

In fact, I bought this book for research purposes. My Spies of the Civil War Series has three books set in Vicksburg during the war— Streams of Courage, Book 4, River of Peril, Book 5, and Tides of Healing. I read many other books for my research and this was one I enjoyed very much.

Great book for anyone interested in learning about the Civil War in Vicksburg, Civil War research, and history lovers.

 Amazon

Rocky Mountain Rendezvous by Misty M. Beller

/ sandramervillehart / 1 Comment

Sisters of the Rockies Series, Book One

It’s 1837 and women didn’t travel West alone because it wasn’t safe. Juniper and her three sisters are surprised when the wagon train guide that they’d traveled with to the Green River Valley (future Wyoming) releases them into a large encampment of men without food. Some of the men hadn’t seen a woman for a long time and the sisters are in danger. Their dying father’s request had sent them there to find Peigan Blackfoot woman but how were they to find her?

Riley Turner cringes to see the Collins sisters come West without an escort and worries for their safety. He steps in to join their search for Steps Right, not knowing the real danger was to his heart, for he falls in love with Juniper, who makes it clear they’d return to Virginia as soon as their mission was accomplished.

I love when an author weaves a story where I learn a bit of history as a natural part of the story! The characters were believable and lovable and I was soon enmeshed in their mission. The hero and heroine really tugged at my heart and the author did a great job with secondary characters we’ll see in later books.

Surprising turns, challenges, and dangers kept me turning page. This well-written story makes me want to read the next book in the series!

Definitely recommend! I will look for more books by this author.

-Sandra Merville Hart

 Christianbook.com

Brighten Your Corner by Michelle L. Levigne

/ sandramervillehart

Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

Book & Mug Mysteries

Book Three

After reading the first two books in the series, I was excited to read the third one and it didn’t disappoint me!  

Melba and Cilla, two cousins actively working to open a new candle shop, have trouble right away from Ernie, the last shop owner who had been evicted. Ernie feels the cousins have stolen the shop they’re now renting, and complains he didn’t have enough notice to remove all his possessions.

To make matters worse, Melba and Cilla’s cousin, Charlotte, insists that the shop was her idea in the first place and she’s the business owner. Charlotte has been a thorn in their side for decades and her erratic demands cause no end of trouble for Melba and Cilla, yet Ernie’s threats are even worse.

The author does a great job building tension through twists and turns I didn’t anticipate. This cozy murder mystery snagged my attention right away. I love when a small-town cast of believable—mostly lovable—characters collide in a cozy mystery. The author does a great job at making the characters relatable, and I already had my favorites when I began reading this latest novel.   

There are a variety of characters in this book, and several have scenes written in their own point-of-view. While reading the third book, it was less challenging to remember family connections, though I still had to pay close attention at times.

Levigne has delivered another well-written cozy mystery that kept me turning pages.

I hope this isn’t the end the series!

Amazon

The Bake Shop by Amy Clipston

/ sandramervillehart / 3 Comments

Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

Amish Marketplace

Book One

Christiana Kurtz is thrilled to open a bake shop in a local market. It’s a wonderful opportunity to serve even more of the delicious desserts she’s become well-known for baking.

Jeff Stoltzfus sells wood and leather goods in the shop beside Christiana. The pretty baker catches his eye but he’s still trying to grow beyond a prior relationship, that his fiancé had ended. She’s married now. Jeff won’t allow himself to be hurt like that again.

Friends and family notice the spark between them, but Christiana’s father may be the biggest hurdle of all.

The Amish romance is light-hearted and easy to read. Readers of this genre will enjoy the book!

Amazon  

Dancing on My Grave by Michelle L. Levigne

/ sandramervillehart

Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

Book & Mug Mysteries

Book Two

After reading the first book in the series I was excited to read the next one and it didn’t disappoint me!  

While Becca Sheridan is away on an extended mission trip, she keeps in touch with Conrad Price. They’re to meet within hours of her return to Cadburn, Ohio, and she’s excited that this date will be the beginning of moving past the friendship stage.

Then Conrad stops communicating. He doesn’t meet for their date. When she runs into him, he’s changed. He’s forgetting earlier conversations and activities they’ve shared. He also informs her the square dancing club can no use his company for their practices, something they’ve done for years. Becca’s not the only one frustrated with him because he’s treating everyone differently.

This cozy murder mystery snagged my attention right away. I love when a small-town cast of believable—mostly lovable—characters collide in a cozy mystery.  

There are a lot of characters in this book. A variety of characters have scenes written in their own point-of-view, and I had to remember how they were connected—family, friends, enemies, etc.

The author does a wonderful job of building a cast of believable characters.

Levigne has delivered a well-written cozy mystery that kept me turning pages.

I can’t wait to read the next book in the series!

Amazon

The Gamekeeper’s Reluctant Bride by Elva Cobb Martin

/ sandramervillehart

Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

Charleston Brides, Book 6

Helena Allston tries to run away from the man her father has arranged for her to marry and nearly drowns in the river.

Gideon Falconer, a gamekeeper, rescues an unconscious woman from the river but can’t return her to her family until she can tell him her name. By then, they’ve been alone together overnight and her father insists Gideon proposes to her.

Helena’s belief that Gideon marries her to obtain one of her father’s plantations puts up a roadblock in their relationship.

This story had many twists that snagged my attention and kept me turning pages.

I enjoyed this story! Several characters have secrets that add to the conflict and a need for forgiveness.

Recommended for readers of inspirational historical romances.

I was given a copy of the book by the author. A positive review was not required. The opinions expressed are my own.

Amazon

Home Where She Belongs by Penny Frost McGinnis

/ sandramervillehart / 1 Comment

Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

Abbott Island Series, Book 1

Sadie Stewart moves the property she’d inherited on Abbott Island, to escape her ex-boyfriend’s abuse at her father’s company. Happy childhood memories of summers spent with her grandparents are overshadowed by her fear that Bryce will follow her.

Sadie’s childhood friend Joel Grayson is now a policeman on the island. She’d once had feelings for him but can’t trust anyone now—her own father refused to protect her from Bryce.

Joel, who had fallen in love with her while in high school, is determined to protect her.

Danger escalates and it seems that Sadie isn’t safe anywhere from Bryce.

My heart went out to Sadie. I found myself pulling for the characters that I learned to love. Many twists and turns led to escalating danger.

This story kept me turning pages. Recommended!

This is a new-to-me author. It won’t be the last book I read by her!

Amazon

Narrative of Sojourner Truth

/ sandramervillehart

Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

Narrative of Sojourner Truth by Sojourner Truth

Isabella Baumfree was born into slavery in New York in 1797. That state passed a law freeing all slaves 40 years and older 1817. Everyone younger than 40, which included Isabella, were to be emancipated ten years later.

Isabella endured many hardships and cruelty during part of that time. Her mother raised her to have faith and to pray to God before she was sold away from her parents at nine. She spoke Dutch only as a young child and didn’t understand English, which made it impossible to understand the new owners. Isabella endured many hardships and cruelty after her separations from her parents just a few miles away.

She wasn’t allowed to marry a man from a neighboring home. Her husband was much older and she had children with him. After her emancipation, Isabella parted from him.

This her story in her words, as dictated to Olive Gilbert, after Isabella changed her name to Sojourner Truth. Sojourner became an inspiring speaker, sharing her faith as well as advocating for black freedom, women’s rights, and temperance.

A powerful story about a powerful woman. Her story held my attention from page one.

Definitely recommend!

Amazon