Yesterday's Tides By Roseanna M. White

Yesterday's Tides

by Roseanna M. White

Publisher: Bethany House

ISBN: 9780764240010

The cover of this book is what caught my attention. Isn't it stunning? Then, of course, knowing it's a Roseanna M. White book had me excited as well! As part of her launch team I received her book for review.

Summary:

In two world wars, intelligence and counterintelligence, prejudice, and self-sacrifice collide across two generations

In 1942, Evie Farrow is used to life on Ocracoke Island, where every day is the same--until the German U-boats haunting their waters begin to wreak havoc. And when special agent Sterling Bertrand is washed ashore at Evie's inn, her life is turned upside down. While Sterling's injuries keep him inn-bound for weeks, making him even more anxious about the SS officer he's tracking, he becomes increasingly intrigued by Evie, who seems to be hiding secrets of her own.

Decades earlier, in 1914, Englishman Remington Culbreth arrives at the Ocracoke Inn for the summer, never expecting to fall in love with Louisa Adair, the innkeeper's daughter. But when war breaks out in Europe, their relationship is put in jeopardy and may not survive what lies ahead for them.

As the ripples from the Great War rock Evie and Sterling's lives in World War II, it seems yesterday's tides may sweep them all into danger again today.

My Review:

Wow, I think I'm in love!

Yesterday's Tides was fanTASTIC! I've become a big fan of timeslip novels, and am usually a fan of one time period over another. Not so with this story. I loved both time lines equally!

First we meet Evie, who gives off the all-American young woman vibes in the 1940s. Her life seems the same every day but it's a life she's chosen. There seems to be a simplicity to her life as well. And then Sterling shows up, barely alive on her beach. He seems to be quite the special agent!

Then we meet Louisa in 1914. She's my kind of gal! She's more likely to pick up a "spanner" and fix an engine than sit around paining her nails. That summer one of her guests is Remington and she turns his world topsy-turvy just by being who she is!

For me, each storyline pulled me deeper and deeper in. The storylines are connected, but HOW? Are they connected in the way we hope? The author's writing kept dodging the answers and on more than one occasion I had to talk myself out of turning to the end for both timelines. Because of the unknown and not knowing how it could possibly all come together, I had a couple of very late nights reading.

There's intrigue, an awful mother-in-law, and characters from a number of other books that I adored by the author. I think this may have been my favorite part - seeing all of these familiar characters. You can 100% read this book as a standalone. There are just lots of "Easter eggs" for those of us who have read all of the other ones.

I almost forgot to mention that I think the author writes some of my favorite grandmas in her stories! Turns out there are a couple of great ones in this story as well. They give me something to aspire to as a somewhat new grandma!

I also have a deep appreciation of the author tackling the topic of mixed marriages which were looked down on for so many years. I felt like she handled it so well!

There were some surprising turn of events that happened throughout the story. Some had my heart racing and others had me FURIOUS! The author was able to pull out a LOT of emotions from me. I appreciated the author's inclusion of faith in her characters lives. They definitely relied on and turned to the Lord regularly. 

Hands down, I can't recommend this book enough. If you like reading WWI and WWII era stories, you do NOT want to miss this one!

About the Author:

Roseanna M. White(www.roseannamwhite.com) is a bestselling, Christy Award-nominated author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. She pens her novels beneath her Betsy Ross flag, with her Jane Austen action figure watching over her. When not writing fiction, she's homeschooling her two children, editing and designing, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of numerous novels, ranging from biblical fiction to American-set romances to Edwardian British series. Roseanna lives with her family in West Virginia. Learn more at www.roseannamwhite.com.

A Mark Of Grace By Kimberley Woodhouse

A Mark of Grace

by Kimberley Woodhouse

Publisher: Bethany House

Series: Secrets of the Canyon

ISBN: 978-0764238024

Are you sad when a series comes to an end? I really enjoyed traveling west in the Secrets of the Canyon series! I was able to conclude the series thanks to the publisher since they sent me a book for review!

Summary:

When everything crumbles, her chance for a new beginning hangs in the balance.

Ruth Anniston survived an injury that left her physically scarred, broken, and angry at God. Now, she finds herself working behind the scenes as a kitchen and dining room supervisor at the El Tovar Hotel, hidden away from curious eyes and with little hope of finding love. When money begins to disappear from the hotel, Ruth's entire livelihood is put at risk when she lands on the list of suspects.  

Frank Henderson has at last succeeded in obtaining his dream job as head chef at the El Tovar. But competition in the kitchen is fierce, and one mistake could cost him his future. As the thefts at the hotel continue, and his affection for Ruth grows, Frank's career--and his heart--are in jeopardy. 

As tensions run high, Ruth and Frank must work together to save the El Tovar. They find themselves growing closer . . . but can their combined ingenuity overcome the odds against them?

My Review:

A Mark of Grace was a sweet conclusion to this series. If you like a story full of Truth and the Gospel message, look no further. It's there in spades and fit so perfectly into the story.

I've been waiting for Ruth's story because I loved her kind, generous spirit from the start. And of course, there's Frank. He's a strong tower compared to her gentleness. I loved the idea of the two of them together, but with Ruth's injury from the previous story and her recovery through this one made it incredibly difficult.

I thought it was so interesting to see how a person can change after a life altering injury. Ruth, tired of struggling with it all, is ready to try just about anything that will help her get better. Frank on the other hand encourages her and reminds her constantly that he still sees he as he did before her injury. It's quite the emotional, spiritual, and physical story for Ruth.

On top of that, Ruth and Frank have to work together to figure out wha't going on behind the scenes at the El Tovar hotel that might have them all losing their jobs!

While I liked the story, I felt like what was going on with Ruth went on a bit too long. It seemed to be stretched out. And then at the end with all of these crazy things happening all at once it had me shaking my head because it was a bit too much for me.

An overall sweet conclusion to this series and if you enjoy Harvey girl stories, you'll enjoy this one!

About the Author:

Kimberley Woodhouse (www.kimberleywoodhouse.com) is an award-winning, bestselling author of more than 30 fiction and nonfiction books. Kim and her incredible husband of 30-plus years live in the Poconos, where they play golf together, spend time with their kids and grandbaby, and research all the history around them.

The Reunion by Natasha D. Frazier + GIVE AWAY

 

Welcome to the Blog Tour for The Reunion by Natasha D. Frazier, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours! I received the book for review from the author and the tour!

About the Book

Title: The Reunion 

Series: Langston Sisters #1 

Author: Natasha D. Frazier 

Publisher: Encouraging Works 

Release Date: October 25, 2022 

Genre: Christian romantic suspense 

Divorced. 

 Dragged through the mud by entertainment media outlets. 

Determined to rise above her past. 

Crystal Langston's plan was perfect: go to her 20th college class reunion to prove her divorce from her abusive ex-husband, NFL player, Dante Green, didn't break her. Her life was thriving outside of his shadow. Though it's been over a year since their divorce, Dante makes a huge announcement during their reunion mixer. His latest stunt results in his death. 

And Crystal is the number one suspect! 

Marcel Singleton recently launched his political campaign for Houston's District Attorney. Now that his childhood friend is no longer tied to Dante, he attends their class reunion with one goal in mind: to finally tell Crystal how he feels about her. What he didn't expect was that he'd be representing her in a murder case against her ex-husband. 

Crystal's life is going up in flames -- fast! 

Will Marcel's feelings for Crystal cloud his judgment? How will his involvement with a murder suspect affect his campaign? 

And if Crystal is innocent, will the real murderer come for her next?

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookDepository | IndieBound

Also Available

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My Review:

This was the first book I've read by this author and it won't be my last. I'm invested in the sisters lives after book one. I really feel like it's more of a 3.5 rating than a straight 3 star.

I really liked Crystal. She's been through a LOT with an abusive ex-husband. Like many women, she wonders how she missed the signs or even married Dante in the first place. His narcissistic behavior shows itself at their 20 year reunion. I liked her determination not to be swayed from attending the reunion as well as being willing to face him if forced to. I also like that her sisters get into her business! These sisters have each others backs.

Her childhood friend, Marcel clearly carries a torch still for Crystal. Too bad he's reminded of this on the heels of starting his political campaign to be the new DA and Crystal's ex is killed. His loyalty to Crystal is very sweet and I really liked watching them work through their feelings as they try to unravel the mystery of who killed Dante.

I appreciated that Marcel prayed a couple of times in the story so I hope it continues through the next two stories! We need more stories like this with faith in them and with characters who are POC in white collar careers. 

Overall I liked the story and writing. I didn't feel like there were a lot of options as to who might've killed Dante so I wasn't trying to figure out who the bad "guy" was. I like stories like this to have several options that keep me guessing and on my toes. This is going to be a weird "pull out" of the story, but Crystal's father refers to her as "my dear" a number of times and it just seemed odd to me. A couple of the descriptions of their kisses made me giggle because the wordings gave me a mental image that just seemed funny.

About the Author

Natasha D. Frazier fell in love with love around the age of twelve because of artists like Babyface, Boys II Men, Whitney Houston, and New Edition. Around sixteen when her mother purchased a romance novel and left it lying around the house untouched, Natasha read it and a spark for the written word had been ignited.

Natasha believes that writing is one of her purposes and contributions to the world. She feels accomplished when she can get a few words written and like blah when life gets in the way. Her hope is that at the end of every novel, readers will feel like they’ve been wrapped in a cozy blanket with a mug of their favorite coffee/tea/warm drink. When she isn’t reading or writing, she is likely watching movies with her family. Natasha resides in Richmond, TX with her husband, Eddie Frazier, Jr. and their three children, Eden, Ethan, and Emilyn. Her greatest joy and commitment is to her family who she hopes to inspire above all else. One of her many mottos in life is: Faith removes limitations. Natasha and her family attend Parkway Fellowship in Richmond, TX, where she volunteers as a small group leader for elementary students. Natasha is also a member of the Houston Area Alumni Chapter of Jackson State University and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Connect with Natasha by visiting natashafrazier.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a copy of McCall Family Series and a $10 Amazon gift card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight January 10, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on January 17, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

Captive Set Free By Valerie Limmer + GIVE AWAY

 

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Captive Set Free by Valerie Limmer, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Captive Set Free 

Author: Valerie Limmer 

Publisher: Green Sap Publications 

Release Date: October 18, 2022 

Genre: Non-Fiction, Christian Living

Have you been hurt? Are you hounded by turbulent feelings and looping thoughts? Do you know you need to forgive but aren't sure where to begin?

Captive Set Free is a lamppost along the path of healing, offering engaging stories and examples, explaining how forgiveness fits into our spiritual DNA, and examining mindsets that make forgiving easier or harder. In this book, you'll learn how to

 - take concrete steps to forgive; 

- be sure forgiveness has taken hold in your heart; and 

 - guard your spirit from bitterness, both now and in the future. 

If you're tired of being imprisoned by pain and toxicity and want to step into the free and abundant life Jesus has planned for His children, this book is for you.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookDepository | IndieBound | BookBub

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About the Author

Valerie Limmer is a missionary in Japan. She is neither a therapist nor a theologian, but she has experienced severe abuse from a handful of people. In Captive Set Free, she shares the principles and techniques she's learned in her own life on her journeys towards forgiveness.

Connect with Valerie by visiting valerielimmer.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

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Guest Post:

People can feel like they've forgiven someone, but it keeps coming back up and they might wonder if you've really forgiven the person. How do you suggest people work through that?

When I was a little girl, I realized I needed to forgive someone who had abused me. It took a while to do so, but I finally did.

A few weeks later, all the old fury, bitterness, and unforgiveness were back in my heart. 

I was so surprised!

I had battled to be godly. I thought I had forgiven this person. How could all the anger be back? Had I been wrong? Had I not forgiven after all? My torment increased with these questions.

If you struggle with these same doubts, you’re in good company. The renowned Christian theologian, C.S. Lewis struggled for many years with this exact issue. A schoolmaster who was cruel to him had “darkened [his] childhood” [1], and he agonized for many years over forgiving him. 

“Each time I thought I’d done it,” he wrote, “I found, after a week or so it all had to be attempted over again.” [2]

Forgiving someone who’s wronged us can feel like a mammoth emotional task—especially if it’s for a deep wound, such as abuse or betrayal. Like C.S. Lewis, we might wrestle with our own emotions and inclinations, and finally come to a place where we feel we have forgiven. But then—agony upon agony!—those exact same feelings of pain and bitterness return. We wonder if we were deluding ourselves into thinking we were successful. Now we’re back in the same misery as before, or perhaps even worse, because we feel that all our struggles were for nothing.

But this is not true. 

Forgiveness is a cycle. It’s not often linear, and it’s rarely a one-time event.

Our feelings of animosity and hurt don’t simply evaporate when we decide to forgive. They may very well return. As we sift through the things that have happened, new emotions will often surface. This is not wrong or evil. It’s a part of the healing process.

Healing from a deep wound is like stripping away the layers of an onion. When we forgive the person who has wronged us, we heal a little bit. But after we’ve healed from one layer, another dimension of the wound may become more obvious. It was always there, but perhaps it was hidden by the first layer. [3]

Now we are tasked with healing along a slightly different dimension, and this comes with its own set of feelings that need to be addressed and resolved. 

Dear sister, dear brother, you are not a failure for experiencing these feelings again. You are healing! 

If we want to forgive someone completely, we must adopt attitudes of tenacious grace. As persistent as our bitterness and anger are, godly forgiveness must be twice as adamant. This requires vigilance. In some ways, it’s easier to recognize bitterness and anger for what they are when the hurt is fresh. But what about in two years? Five? Ten? Sometimes resentment creeps in so gradually that we don’t even notice it. 

Our only hope is to submit our hearts to God for cleaning. We cannot afford to become complacent. Every day—or even more frequently—we need to humble ourselves before God and ask Him to examine and cleanse us. This is the only way to remain pliable and saturated with forgiveness and humility rather than becoming brittle and bitter.

NOTES

[1] C.S. Lewis, The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis ,Volume III: Narnia, Cambridge and Joy 1950-1963, ed. Walter Hooper, (HarperCollins Publishers: New York, 2007), 4056 of 5365 in e-book.

[2] Ibid.

[3] The difficulty of these feelings can be compounded if we’re still in relationship with someone who is unrepentant and may still be wronging us. If this is the case, I would recommend that you read the book, Boundaries (by Cloud and Townsend), and (especially in the case of abuse) also seek out the wise counsel of a licensed therapist (e.g., psychologist, psychotherapist, etc.) to help you navigate this often-perilous type of situation.

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a copy of Captive Set Free and a $25 Amazon gift card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight January 9, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on January 16, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US/CAN only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

The Rose And The Thistle By Laura Frantz

the Rose and the Thistle

by Laura Frantz

Publisher: Revell

ISBN: 9780800740672

Summary:

In 1715, Lady Blythe Hedley's father is declared an enemy of the British crown because of his Jacobite sympathies, forcing her to flee her home in northern England. Secreted to the tower of Wedderburn Castle in Scotland, Blythe quietly awaits the crowning of a new king. But in a house with seven sons and numerous servants, her presence soon becomes known.

No sooner has Everard Hume lost his father, Lord Wedderburn, than Lady Hedley arrives with her maid in tow. He has his own problems--a volatile brother with dangerous political leanings, an estate to manage, and a very young brother in need of comfort and direction. It would be best for everyone if he could send this misfit heiress on her way as soon as possible.

In this whirlwind of intrigue, ambitions, and shifting alliances, Blythe yearns for someone she can trust. But the same forces that draw her and Everard together also threaten to tear them apart.

My Review:

I absolutely adored The Rose and the Thistle. I feel like each book gets better and better.

Laura writes wonderfully, strong men as well as bonnie, smart lasses! I could absolutely imagine Everard as a "traditionally" braw Scotsman of that time while Blythe was more of the plainer English Lady whom he saw as more than studious.

Every time I cracked the book open I was transported in my imagination to 1700s Scotland. The author does an incredible job of bringing that time and place to life. So much so, I started hearing everything in a Scottish accent in my head.

While there was tension throughout the story because of the time period, I was SO thankful that there weren't those common character "misunderstandings". While Blythe questioned herself because of how "drab" she was and the fact that she didn't share Everard's faith or country, there weren't any shenanigans.

I loved the deep sense of family (mostly) and loyalty. But on top of all that was the genuine thread of faith. I appreciated how the author was able to include it seamlessly into the story. It brought a layer of depth that I always hope for.

As for the romance, this was a slow burn that had me on the edge of my seat!! Sakes alive, Laura is so good at writing sweet, powerful romance!

I was also fascinated by the time period. I looked up the food that was mentioned in the story and now want to try much of it. I also had no clue about the king of England during that time, the Jacobites, nor the battles. So much to learn in this story. It was a wealth of history!

I already want to go back and read it again!

About the Author:

Laura Frantz is a Christy Award winner and the ECPA bestselling author of more than a dozen novels, including The Frontiersman's Daughter, Courting Morrow Little, The Lacemaker, and A Heart Adrift. She is a proud mom of an American soldier and a career firefighter. A direct descendent of George Hume of Wedderburn Castle, who was exiled to the American colonies for his role in the Jacobite Rebellion, Laura lives with her husband in Washington State. Learn more at www.laurafrantz.net.

What I Would Tell You By Liz Tolsma

What I Would Tell You

by Liz Tolsma

Publisher: Barbour

ISBN: 978-1636094595

I was so thrilled to be asked to join the author's launch team. I had recently read another one of her books set in WWII and jumped at the chance to join her team. I received her book for review.

Summary:

Determined to resist the invading Nazis, a Greek Jewish woman's greatest dream has become her worst nightmare, and now she faces an impossible choice whose consequences echo across the generations.

1941--The pounding of Nazi boots on the streets of Salonika, Greece, reverberates in Mathilda Nissim's ears, shaking her large community of Sephardic Jews to its core and altering her life forever. If only her people would rise up and resist their captors. At great risk to herself and those around her, she uses the small newspaper she publishes to call them to action, all to no avail. Her husband encourages her to trust God to watch over them, but God has once again deserted His people. Amid the chaos, Mathilda discovers she's expecting a longed-for child. Still, nothing stops the occupiers' noose from tightening around their necks, and she may have to resort to desperate measures to ensure her daughter's survival. 

2019--College student Tessa Payton and her cousin take a popular DNA heritage test only to discover they don't share any common ancestors. In fact, the test reveals Tessa is a Greek Sephardic Jew. This revelation threatens her tenuous faith. Always the overlooked child in her family, she empties her savings account and jets off on a journey to Greece to discover where she belongs and which God demands her allegiance. The enchanting curator at the Jewish museum guides her as she navigates life in Thessaloniki, helps with her genealogical research, and loans her a fascinating journal written by a Jewish woman during WWII. Tessa's search, however, may open old wounds and uncover long-hidden secrets that could fracture her family forever and leave her with more questions than when she started.

My Review:

I was incredibly intrigued by the idea of this story. I think most of us only think of countries that touch Germany in regards to WWII. With it being set in Greece and learning about Sephardic Jews blew my mind! I didn't realize, until this story, that Greece had been so affected by the war. I also learned about Sephardic Jews.

We get to know Tessa, in our current time who, through a DNA test, learns her genealogy isn't what her family thought it was. I liked her because she has tenacity to learn about her past and do something about it! Her familial relationships left a lot to be desired. I think I was as happy as she was for her to go to Greece.

We also meet Mathilda. She is smack dab in the occupation of her city, Salonika. She and her husband are trying to stay out of the way of the Germans while still trying to get their fellow Jews to fight back. You can feel, through their storyline, the push and pull of wanting to fight back while wanting to live. Their lives had me on an emotional roller coaster ride. 

Watching the connection between their timelines begin to come together was incredibly powerful. I felt like I was as invested in finding the answers as Tessa was. I wish the world knew more about Sephardic Jews. I'm glad a story like this exists now!

I'm a huge fan of time split stories and I enjoyed both timelines equally. I need more like this!

About the Author:

Passionate might best describe Liz Tolsma. She loves writing, research, and editing. Her passion shone through in her first novel which was a double award finalist. On any given day, you might find her pulling weeds in her perennial garden, walking her hyperactive dog, or curled up with a good book. Nothing means more to her than her family. She’s married her high-school sweetheart twenty-eight years ago. Get her talking about international adoption, and you might never get her to stop. She and her husband adopted three children, including a son who is a U.S. Marine, and two daughters.