Historical romance

Next Book in Spies of the Civil War Series Will Release Soon!

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My Spies of the Civil Series is continuing with Felicity and Luke’s story! River of Peril, Book 5, will release on October 15th!

Felicity Danielson, a volunteer nurse, is shocked to learn that her beau, Confederate soldier Luke Shea, came to her ward overnight with a head wound. Worse, he has amnesia and doesn’t remember her. This is a nightmare from which neither of them can awaken.

Back cover blurb:

Amnesia stole his memory, and now he’s fighting for the wrong side.

Orphaned and alone at sixteen, Felicity has found solace in serving others as a volunteer nurse. When she discovers her Confederate soldier beau, Luke Shea, among the wounded in her ward, her worst nightmares come true. Luke’s shrapnel wound has stolen his memory, leaving him with no recollection of their love or his past. As Felicity struggles with the loss of the man she once knew, she turns her attention to the service of her broken country. But the more she learns about the brutal war, the more she realizes she can no longer stay silent. She becomes a Union spy, plunging herself into danger.

When Luke Shea awakes in a hospital with no memory of the last five years, he’s shocked to learn he’s been fighting against the Union he once so strongly supported. And when he learns of his past courtship with his nurse, Felicity, he struggles to understand the man he was and what happened in those missing years. Determined to atone for his Confederate past, Luke also joins the Union cause as a spy.

As danger lurks at every turn, only a Divine hand can not only protect their lives, but give them a second chance for love and the future they both crave.

Preorder your copy today on Amazon!

The Gamekeeper’s Reluctant Bride by Elva Cobb Martin

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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

Julia’s Joy by Susan G. Mathis

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Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

Love at a Lighthouse, Book 2

Terms in her grandmother’s will send Julia Collins to Sister Island on the St. Lawrence River. Julia is accustomed to an active social life. The island only has two residents when she arrives, the lightkeeper and his mother. Before she arrives, she is certain her grief won’t required this much solitude.

William Dodge, the lightkeeper, is recovering from his fiancé ending their engagement, who broke up with him over his occasional bouts with pleurisy. Julia’s lack of faith troubles him and he gives her room to make that journey.

Surprising twists kept me turning pages. Loveable, believable characters drew me into their story. Their heartache tugged at my emotions.  

This gentle, well-written love story is highly recommended for those who love to immerse themselves in another time with a great book!   

I was given a copy of the book by the author. A positive review was not required.

Amazon

Author Background for A Spring at The Greenbrier

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by Sandra Merville Hart

In A Spring at The Greenbrier, Book 7 in Romance at the Gilded Age Resorts Series, Marilla, our heroine, is as desperate as her mother to find healing for her younger sister’s polio. When the doctor recommends daily bathing in the sulphur springs, her family cannot afford the cost. Marilla transfers to the bath wing at The Greenbrier where her new boss allows her to bring her sister at the end of each day after the guests have finished their bathing sessions. It makes for a long day yet the sacrifice is worth her exhaustion if the springs can help her ten-year-old sister.

The Greenbrier, a beautiful and elegant resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, first received its fame from healthy benefits of drinking the sulphur springs and bathing in its waters.

Both the hero and heroine in A Spring at The Greenbrier have younger sisters who can benefit from heated spring baths.

The bulk of my research for this story was for the springs and what illnesses benefit from them. I had to discover the illnesses for which doctors recommended the baths historically.

Soothing soaks in hot springs are recommended even today. They can boost blood circulation, reduce pain, improve skin conditions, reduce stress, decrease inflammation in joints, and detoxify the body.

Most resort guests in the early days drank tumblers of the water before each meal. A resort doctor in the 1800s cautioned taking a maximum of 12 glasses daily. Health benefits for the bowels, liver, kidneys, and skin most often appeared between three to six weeks. The resort began to sell it in bottles at drug stores. It was labelled as A Natural Laxative.

Major renovations were done by new owners for a grand reopening in September of 1913. Marilla, our heroine, begins working at the Women’s Department of the new bath wing. Female guests enjoyed heated sulphur spring baths in bathing rooms. Doctors sent their wealthy patients to the springs with a recommended regimen of bathing that might also include drinking the spring water. The temperature of the water, the frequency, and the length of the baths were set by their doctor.

Folks suffering from a variety of ailments sought benefits from the spring waters, including gout, rheumatism, arthritis, neuritis, dyspepsia, jaundice, scurvy, hay fever, malaria, bronchitis, asthma, and chronic diseases of the skin, stomach, bowels, and liver.

Mineral waters can harm people with aneurisms in the heart and large arteries, cancer, tubercular consumption, and some brain complaints.

The springs were of great benefit for folks suffering from chronic complaints. These benefits happened so gradually that patients started to feel better “without being able to account for it.”

So there were a lot of conditions to choose from for my two ailing girls in my story.

A Spring at The Greenbrier is a nostalgic story set in 1914. I invite you to read the whole series!

A Deep Divide by Kimberley Woodhouse

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Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

Secrets of the Canyon, Book 1

Heiress Emma Grace McMurray hopes her job as a Harvey Girl will disguise her from those seeking her hand in marriage—and her life. She never feels safe, even in the remote Grand Canyon location.

Ray Watkins arrives in the Grand Canyon with several of his father’s employees. He will inherit his father’s business, yet he yearns for another career. The great wealth his father has amassed only leaves him hungry for more riches, an attitude that worries Ray. He’d love to court his waitress, Emma Grace, but her reserved manner discourages him.

Emma Grace doesn’t trust men—with good reason. Ray doesn’t seem like her father and his employees. Five years is a long time to run. She must trust someone. Can she trust Ray?

I was immediately drawn into the story by a gripping Prologue. Emma Grace’s plight grew worse with each twist and turn. The characters are likeable and believable. Attitudes fit the time period.

There are many surprises in the action-packed drama. I couldn’t put it down.

A definite page-turner!

Recommend! I will look for more by this author.

Amazon

Author Background for Streams of Courage

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by Sandra Merville Hart

In Streams of Courage, Book 4 in my Spies of the Civil War Series, Julia, our heroine, has suffered several significant losses in her life, including her father and two siblings. Her mother’s insistence that Julia stop courting Ash, a saddler, and find instead a rich suitor makes no sense. Surely her father had provided for her.

Then she discovers that her parents have only provided for her younger brother, whom her mother had always adored. Julia will be penniless when her mother dies. The knowledge crushes her.

Ash is already supporting his mother and siblings. As Mama points out, adding a wife and children will stretch his income to the limits. Mama will not give her blessing should Ash propose. Julia, who had been raised in comfort, must find some means of support.

As I considered how Julia could make money in a war-time economy, it was clear her mother, as the daughter of a wealthy plantation owner, would never condone her working in a shop. What can she do?

Tatting lace.

Her lace patterns have received compliments in the past. With fewer ships bringing goods into the city, lace is in short supply. Granted, the demand for lace has diminished because even dress fabric isn’t as available as before the war.

I enjoyed researching this skill that was once so prevalent among young ladies in society. I watched videos on making lace with a special needle called a tatting needle.

The most basic stitch is the double-stitch. There is a special way to hold the needle and thread so that the first stitch grabs thread from under the thumb and the second stitch grabs it from over the thumb. There is a rhythm to the stitching in the hands of a skilled lacemaker.

I watched videos that demonstrated making rings with picot trim. There is a variety of stitching. The variations create beautiful patterns. The lace is then rolled for storage.

Fascinating. It’s mesmerizing to watch the different patterns emerge.

Tatting is a small yet interesting aspect in the adventurous story. Ash has become a Union spy. For her and her family’s safety, he keeps his dangerous activities a secret from Julia.

Part of my research for this novel and the next two novels included a trip to Vicksburg, Mississippi. I toured the museums and walked the streets of the historic city. Though I wasn’t certain of my story at the time of my visit, I was inspired by the history.   

Avenue of Betrayal, Book 1,is set in the Union capital of Washington City (Washington DC) in 1861, where a surprising number of Confederate sympathizers and spies lived. Boulevard of Confusion and Byway to Danger are set in Richmond, the Confederate capital in 1862. Actual historical spies touch the lives of our fictional family.

Through both real and fictional characters, this series highlights activities spies were involved in and some of the motives behind their decisions.

I invite you to read the whole “Spies of the Civil War” series!

Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple, and Books2Read.

Crinoline Cowboys

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Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

4 Southern Women Head West to Crinoline Creek, Texas

In A Cowboy of Her Own by Patty Smith Hall, Madalyn Turner wants nothing more than to run her own ranch in Crinoline Creek, but she doesn’t realize that the male ranchers in town would be so set against a female rancher. Luckily, Carter Wilbanks needs help with his sister in exchange for lessons in ranching.

In Josephine’s Dream by Cynthia Hickey, Josie Montgomery accepts a job as housekeeper and nanny for Parker Owen’s four children with no prior experience. The widower desperately needs her help but is reluctant to trust her. He sure didn’t expect to fall in love with her.

Marilyn Turk’s Love’s Lookin’ at the Cowboy Café finds Sarah Beth Taylor in town to claim her restaurant that her uncle gave to her—only he neglected to mention the establishment used to be a saloon. Emery Wright, the president of the bank, doesn’t want to get involved in the sweet Southern belle’s problems, but Sarah Beth doesn’t take ‘no’ for an answer.

Kathleen Y’Barbo’s Bea Mine finds Bea Wilson coming to Crinoline Creek to claim her aunt and uncle’s land only to find they have no claim to it. In fact, shady dealings connected to the claim get her arrested and temporary Sheriff Gil Hollis must guard her. But the two have a history neither one suspects…  

I enjoyed these stories. All four heroines are determined to make a new life for themselves despite being ill-equipped for the challenges demanded by their new positions. They were all from the South and had all suffered great losses during the recent Civil War, an aspect of the stories that snagged my interest.

Love’s Lookin’ at the Cowboy Café may have been my favorite because the heroine had no clue how to cook for herself, much less cook for customers.

Amazon  

Protected by Paula Peckham

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Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

San Antonio Series, Book 1

Illness claims the lives of all the adults in a small wagon train headed to Texas. At 18, Abby is the oldest, and the weight of leading the surviving children lands on her shoulders.

There is plenty of danger that accompanies the small band of children. Abby is not even certain of the way. Her parents and brother are gone, leaving her without family. Only one family of children have relatives in Texas. Still, she struggles to lead her crew—until two men kidnap her and fourteen-year-old Sarah.

Manny and his friend Jonathan are heading back to Texas when they find the orphans. They can’t turn their backs on them. Manny tries to hide his face, scarred from a fire, so the little ones won’t fear him.

The setting drew me into the story as did the danger. Abby has to learn nearly everything about cooking and establishing a ranch, giving readers a glimpse of the hard work those early settlers endured.

I enjoyed the story and many sections were page-turners for me. I look forward to reading the whole collection.

Amazon

A Spring at The Greenbrier Releases Today!

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by Sandra Merville Hart

I’m thrilled to announce that A Spring at The Greenbrier, Book 7 in Romance at the Gilded Age Resorts Series, releases today, April 30, 2024!

It was such fun to join this series with other talented Wild Heart Books authors! Settings for the other books include Florida’s Hotel Belleview, Sagamore Resort in the Adirondacks, Point Clear Resort, Thousand Island House on Staple’s Island, Jekyll Island Millionaire’s Club, and Newport.

A Spring at The Greenbrier is set in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, where the historic, breathtakingly beautiful resort is located. It was such a joy to explore the grounds and history of The Greenbrier. Marilla, our heroine, works in the resort’s new Bath Wing in 1914.

Here’s a bit about the book:

Marilla will sacrifice anything for her family, so when her sister’s doctor suggests daily sulphur spring baths, an amenity her family could never afford, Marilla takes a job at The Greenbrier resort bathhouse in order to give her sister the care she needs.

When her sister befriends another girl staying at the resort with a similar health condition, Marilla finds herself crossing paths with the girl’s handsome, charming, older brother. And despite their growing attraction to each other, courting Wes must remain a dream. After all, resort staff cannot court guests and Marilla will not risk her sister’s health for her own happiness.


Wealthy resort guest, Wes Bakersfield, has dreams for a future and plans to make his family’s business his own. And while he finds himself drawn to Marilla, despite their differing social classes, he can’t help but wonder if she is really interested in him, or in his wealth.


Can the couple find the trust to help their love succeed, or will their differences pull them apart?

Order your copy today on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple, and Books2Read!

Announcing Spies of the Civil War Series Book 4 Release Today!

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by Sandra Merville Hart

I’m thrilled to announce the release of Streams of Courage, Book 4 of my Spies of the Civil War Series today, March 26, 2024!

Books 4 – 6 of the series are set in historic Vicksburg, Mississippi—a city the Union is as determined to capture as the Confederacy is to retain. Much happens here during the Civil War, not the least of which is spying.

The city’s population swells when the war begins. Southern citizens try to wipe out Unionist support. Fear silences some of the Unionists. Others are emboldened to spy for the North, like our hero.  

Here’s a bit about the book:

In a world turned upside down by war and betrayal…will his role as a spy bring them closer…or tear their future apart?

The war that Julia Dodd prayed to avoid is now reality, and with it, her world has been turned on its head. Her fellow citizens, who stood with her in their support of the union, have crossed firmly to the side of the south. And her mother, lost in her grief over the loss of her husband and children, can think of nothing but protecting Julia’s brother’s inheritance. She insists that her daughter seek a wealthier husband than Ashburn Mitchell.

Ash knows what his fellow citizens think of him when he refuses to fight for the Confederacy. Shouldering the accusation of being a coward and refusing to hide behind his limp, Ash remains in Vicksburg to support his family as a saddler while his two best friends join the fight. Struggling to increase his business so he can marry the woman he loves, Ash becomes a spy in support of the Union. He can’t fight for the South but won’t raise a musket against them.

As tragedy instigates Ash to risk greater danger to speed the end of the war, Julia can only pray it won’t cost them everything. She’s already lost her father and two siblings. Must she lose the man she loves too?

Order your copy today on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple, and Books2Read.