First Line Fridays - 12 Days at Bleakly Manor

Hosted by Hoarding Books, I am excited to share my First Line with you today! YAY for more Christmas books!!! Today's First Line comes from Michelle Griep's Christmas Novella, 12 Days at Bleakly Manor. Book One in the series, Once Upon a Dickens Christmas. I can not wait to read it this month!

London, 1850

Christmas or not, there was nothing merry about the twisted alleys of Holywell.

Amazon | Goodreads

Comment with your FIRST LINE below and then head over to the Hoarding Books Blog to join in more First Line fun and link up with your own post!

A Note Yet Unsung - A Belmont Mansion Novel Book 3 - Tamera Alexander

Winner of The Christy Award for Historical Romance 2017!!! 

My Rating

★★★★★ - You have bewitched me, body and soul. (More Info)

About the Book

Despite her training as a master violinist, Rebekah Carrington was denied entry into the Nashville Philharmonic by young conductor Nathaniel Whitcomb, who bowed to public opinion. Now, with a reluctant muse and a recurring pain in his head, he needs her help to finish his symphony. But how can he win back her trust when he's robbed her of her dream?

My Thoughts

How is this the FIRST book I have ever read by Tamera Alexander? Although, I am happy to report that I HAVE been to both Belle Meade and Belmont in Nashville (See pics below). The setting, the emotions, the music, the characters, the history...it all sweeps you away in a flurry of crescendos and allegros!

Rebekah and Tate are the PERFECT match and it is so much fun to watch their relationship go from mutual dislike, to swoon worthy, heart rending romantic story. Tate's family is the epitome of love and kindness. And that love is exactly what Rebekah needs. 

The faith woven throughout the story line flows perfectly into the hearts of the characters and therefore into the heart of the reader as well. 

I can not wait to catch up on the rest of the books in the Belmont Mansion series! I love being able to visualize the house from personal experience.

I received a complimentary copy of A Note Yet Unsung. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

About the Author

Tamera Alexander is a USA Today bestselling novelist and one of today's most beloved authors of Christian historical romance. Her works have been awarded and nominated for numerous industry-leading honors, among them the Christy Award, the RITA Award, the Carol Award, Library Journal's top honors, and have earned the distinction of Publisher's Weekly Starred Reviews. Her deeply drawn characters and thought-provoking plots have earned her devoted readers worldwide. 

Tamera and her husband reside in Nashville, Tennessee, where they live a short distance from Nashville's Belmont Mansion and Belle Meade Plantation , the setting of Tamera’s #1 CBA bestselling Southern series. Her upcoming series, the Carnton Novels , launches in fall 2017 with Christmas at Carnton (October 3, 2017), a Christmas story, which is set at Franklin, Tennessee's historic Carnton Plantation.

Facebook // Instagram // Pinterest // Twitter // Website

Many thanks to Canva for providing an AMAZING program for me to design all these beautiful graphics. Book covers, publisher/tour logos, and author pictures not owned by me. All other graphics created by Bookworm Mama with public domain photos on Canva unless stated otherwise. 

You're the Cream in my Coffee - Jennifer Lamont Leo

My Rating

★★★★★ - You have bewitched me, body and soul. (More Info)

About the Book

In 1928, Chicago rocks to the rhythm of the Jazz Age, and Prohibition is in full swing. Small-town girl Marjorie Corrigan, visiting the city for the first time, has sworn that coffee's the strongest drink that will pass her lips. But her quiet, orderly life turns topsy-turvy when she spots her high school sweetheart--presumed killed in the Great War--alive and well in a train station. Suddenly everything is up for grabs.

Pinterest - Art Institute

Although the stranger insists he's not who she thinks he is, Marjorie becomes obsessed with finding out the truth. To the dismay of her fiancé and family, she moves to the city and takes a job at a department store so she can spy on him. Meanwhile, the glittering world of her roommate, Dot, begins to look awfully enticing--especially when the object of her obsession seems to be part of that world. Is it really so terrible to bob her hair and shorten her skirt? To visit a speakeasy? Just for a cup of coffee, of course.

Pinterest - Marshall Fields

But what about her scruples? What about the successful young doctor to whom she's engaged, who keeps begging her to come back home where she belongs? And what, exactly, is going on at the store's loading dock so late at night?

Amid a whirlwind of trials and temptations, Marjorie must make a choice. Will the mystery man prove to be the cream in her coffee--the missing ingredient to the life she yearns for? Or will he leave only bitterness in her heart?

My Thoughts

Pinterest

Oh.My.Goodness! I am so in love with this book. Set in the height of the Roaring Twenties...There is so much to see and discover throughout Chicago. Times were changing drastically. Will Majorie be able to keep up with the fast pace of the big city? 

Between adjusting to life in the city, seeing ghosts from her past, having second thoughts about her upcoming wedding...Marjorie is a MESS! When she tries to piece her life together on her own, it only comes to ruin. When she realises that she must turn her life over to her Heavenly Father...That no matter our mistakes, or our distancing ourselves from Him...He is always there. It can be hard to let go of the control we have on our lives, but trust me when I say, it is so much better when we turn our cares and worries over to Christ. 

Peter Bachmann, that man! I found him infuriating and endearing...but in the end he made me swoon. The poor chap has led quite the life. But as he establishes who he is...and who he wants to be...*sigh*...You must meet him for yourself. 

Pinterest

Written in first person strictly from Marjorie's perspective we get to see inside her head and heart a whole lot better than if the voice was written in third person. The message that stood out to me very strongly (other than what I stated above), was to listen to the voice inside you and follow your heart. Follow the calling placed on your life, even if the world doubts your sanity....it's ok! You want to know why? Because "we're all mad here." You are in good company. Do not let others...even well meaning family members...dictate who you are or what you are called to do. Leave that up to God. 

I received a complimentary copy of You're the Cream in my Coffee through the Christy Award. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

I couldn't pass up the chance to include some info on 1920s Fashion!

Pinterest

This song makes the title make so much more sense! I had no idea this song even existed until it was mentioned in the book. So naturally, I had to include it for you!

About the Author

With a passion for all things historical, Jennifer Lamont Leo captures readers' hearts through stories set in times gone by. She is also a copywriter, editor, and journalist. An Illinois native, she holds a deep affection for Chicago and its rich history. Today she writes from the mountains of northern Idaho, where she shares her home with her husband, two cats, and abundant wildlife. 

Facebook // Twitter // Website // A Sparkling Vintage Life // Miss Marjorie's Jazz Age Journal

Many thanks to Canva for providing an AMAZING program for me to design all these beautiful graphics. Book covers, publisher/tour logos, and author pictures not owned by me. Unless otherwise stated, all other graphics created by Bookworm Mama with public domain photos on Canva.

The House on Foster Hill - Jaime Jo Wright

My Rating

★★★★★ - You have bewitched me, body and soul. (More Info)

About the Book

Kaine Prescott is no stranger to death. When her husband died two years ago, her pleas for further investigation into his suspicious death fell on deaf ears. In desperate need of a fresh start, Kaine purchases an old house sight unseen in her grandfather's Wisconsin hometown. But one look at the eerie, abandoned house immediately leaves her questioning her rash decision. And when the house's dark history comes back with a vengeance, Kaine is forced to face the terrifying realization she has nowhere left to hide. 

A century earlier, the house on Foster Hill holds nothing but painful memories for Ivy Thorpe. When an unidentified woman is found dead on the property, Ivy is compelled to discover her identity. Ivy's search leads her into dangerous waters and, even as she works together with a man from her past, can she unravel the mystery before any other lives--
including her own--are lost?

My Thoughts

Just the right amount of suspense, mystery, romance, and creepiness......to satisfy the bookish mind! 

I am not typically a "suspense" reader (and DEFINITELY not a suspense movie type of person at all). But when word about this book started circulating around the bookish world last year...I just knew I HAD to read it!!! I mean just look at that cover...It screams "YOU MUST READ ME! You MUST discover the secrets that I hold within these pages!"

Be prepared for a  lot of emotions that will be brought to the surface while reading The House on Foster Hill. Jaime addresses some very difficult topics in this book. And I am SO glad she does. It is not easy to read about, but the TRUTH must be shared. The secrets, the pain, the shame, must all be brought forward for healing, restoration, and freedom.

With a dual timeline, the author alternates between the present and the past with flawless accuracy. Secrets and shame hide behind the walls of Foster Hill House. What will be revealed? And what will be lost to history forever?

I received a complimentary copy of The House on Foster Hill. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

About the Author

Professional coffee drinker & ECPA/Publisher's Weekly best-selling author, Jaime Jo Wright resides in the hills of Wisconsin writing spirited turn-of-the-century romance stained with suspense. Coffee fuels her snarky personality. She lives in Neverland with her Cap’n Hook who stole her heart and will not give it back, their little fairy TinkerBell, and a very mischievous Peter Pan. The foursome embark on scores of adventure that only make her fall more wildly in love with romance and intrigue.

Facebook // Instagram // Pinterest // Twitter // Website

Many thanks to Canva for providing an AMAZING program for me to design all these beautiful graphics. Book covers, publisher/tour logos, and author pictures not owned by me. All other graphics created by Bookworm Mama with public domain photos on Canva unless stated otherwise. 

A Jolly Holiday!

Merry Christmas to You!

The season of holly and mistletoe, curled up by the fireside (a fake one in my case), devouring a book that I have been longing to read.......

The season of laughter and love, joy and peace, family and tradition. Yet somehow, in the middle of all of this....life gets CRAZY! Christmastime can be a very stressful time of year. Buying presents, baking, cooking for the masses, and it doesn't end up being a very restful time at all.

This is just one of the reasons why I have decided to take a little vacation from the internet and blogging. This year has brought so many changes to our lives and we really need a time to gather together as a family and just rest. 

I will not be on the internet at all for a couple weeks. I am working on scheduling posts of the reviews I completed this summer for the Christy Award and can FINALLY share them with you! If there are any issues with commenting, links, giveaways, I will address the issue when I am back online. 

Thank you all for your continued support and encouragement! I am so blessed by you!