Thursday, March 19, 2026

The Girl from the Queen's Head

Last night I started this book. I thought I would read a few chapters.

What a story! I was on the edge of my seat (really bed). I was so concerned for Jess' safety. Will her husband find her? Will a co-worker cause more problems?

I'm not as patient and kind as some of these wives. Fortunately, Jess made a decision to save herself. But trouble follows where ever she goes.

Jess made friends so easily. Her friends became family. I loved the friendship with Peg. They would do anything for each other. No judgment. No questions asked. I have friends like that. I am thankful and blessed.

I loved the book. It was romantic. It was frightening. It was a great read.

Family Matters at Blackberry Farm

Any time I read a WW II book, I think of my maternal grandparents. My mother was born in England and lived there during the war.

My Mom told me stories of going to the bomb shelters. My grandpa was a homeguard. He would patrol the streets to make them safe from the Germans. Fortunately, he never met any. I have my Mom's ration book where all the sweetie coupons are gone. Obviously, she had a sweet tooth.

This story tells the struggles that families had during the war. This was when families and neighbors pulled together.

A great story . I love Rosie Clarke. Her characters are so real.

You need to pick up a copy.

Claire Holloway is Winging It

A new author discovered! I have been reading the same type of book for ages. This seemed interesting and I loved it.

The two main characters work for an airline. Ryan was an associate pilot and Claire was a brand new hostess. A chance meeting at the airport brings them together. Friendship develops. Well, it could be more serious but a boyfriend and a former girlfriend get in the way.

I love how the author wrote her chapters. She alternated her chapters by writing one with Claire and the next one was Ryan.

I enjoyed the book. It was entertaining. It didn't offend me in anyway. Clean, cute romance. If you look closely, there are lessons to be learned for young people and their relationships with others. Okay, even older people can learn something here.

#blog

#airport

Angela Ruth Strong survived breast cancer, works as a flight attendant, and uses her own crazy life experiences as inspiration for the stories she writes. Her books have earned TOP PICK in Romantic Times, been nominated for a Christy, won the Cascade Award, and become Amazon bestsellers. She and her husband also got to play extras when her novel Finding Love in Big Sky was adapted for film. To help aspiring authors, Angela started IDAhope Writers where she lives in Idaho.

Saturday, March 14, 2026

Two Amish Widows

Two pregnant widows lost and not knowing where to turn. Both were promised a home to help them get back on their feet. Unfortunately they were promised the same home.

A story of opposites. A story of compromise. I enjoyed how Tillie and Lucinda met and became friends. Lifelong friends.

Have you ever become friends with someone you didn't like at first? I can't say I ever did.

A cute story. I enjoyed how sweet it was. I guess that is one reason I love Samantha Price's books.

I received this from the author to review.

#Amish

#SamanthaPrice

#friends

About the author

Samantha Price is a USA Today bestselling author of Amish romance and cozy mysteries. Raised in the Brethren faith, she writes with a heartfelt understanding of the Amish way of life.

When she’s not writing, Samantha enjoys quiet moments at home with her rescue cat and her fluffy white dog, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Snowy from the Ettie Smith Amish Mysteries.

Find a full downloadable and printable Series-Reading-Order at: SamanthaPriceAuthor dot com

Thursday, March 5, 2026

The Bird of Bedford Manor

My mother was born in Bedfordshire, England before she immigrated to America in the 1950s. I have relatives that still live there. This is the first reason why I decided to read this. The second reason is that I love historical mysteries. Michelle Griep has a special talent of bringing these type of stories to life.

Juliet did everything she could to keep her and her grandmother alive. Even if it was illegal. In doing so, she was caught by Henry Russell on his land poaching.

Instead of having her arrested, he asked for her help. He had to protect his sister and she had what it takes.

An interesting story with many twists and turns. I enjoyed the book.

I received this from Celebrate Lit to review.

#blogtour

#CelebrateLit

About the Book

Book: The Bird of Bedford Manor

Author: Michelle Griep

Genre: Historical Christian Fiction / Regency

Release Date: February, 2026

Bedfordshire, England, 1820: Ruined by the sins of her father, Juliet Finch is cast into a life of self-reliance. Survival is a harsh taskmaster, but she is a quick learner and excels at tracking and snaring wild game to feed herself. Juliet embraces her new identity until the day Henry Russell catches her poaching on his land—a crime punishable by death. Henry, however, has other offenses on his mind: namely, the troublesome stalker who’s making a misery of his sister’s life. To try to put a stop to her torment, Henry charges Juliet with tracking the elusive villain so he can be brought to justice. Using her skills, Juliet hunts down the rogue. . .but may just become the prey herself.

Reader favorite Michelle Griep has penned yet another masterpiece with this page-turning adventure that has it all:

swoon-worthy romance
clever turn-of-phrase
colorfully memorable characters
charming British setting

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Michelle Griep’s been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. She is the Christy Award-winning author of historical romances: A Tale of Two Hearts, The Captured Bride, The Innkeeper’s Daughter, 12 Days at Bleakly Manor, The Captive Heart, Brentwood’s Ward, A Heart Deceived, and Gallimore, but also leaped the historical fence into the realm of contemporary with the zany romantic mystery Out of the Frying Pan. If you’d like to keep up with her escapades, find her at www.michellegriep.com or stalk her on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

More from Michelle

The Waltz: The Dance That Shocked Regency England

Post by Michelle Griep

I’ll be the first to admit it…I can’t dance a lick. Not a jig, not a reel, and certainly not anything that requires turning in rhythm without stepping on someone’s toes. If you ever spot me on a dancefloor, it’s because someone shoved me there or I lost a bet. Which is probably why the waltz both fascinates and terrifies me. A dance that actually expects you to glide gracefully while holding someone close? Absolutely not. And yet in Regency England, it became the talk of the town.

When the waltz swirled onto the dancefloors of England in the 1790s, it caused more shock than delight. Imported from Austria and southern Germany, it was a turning, closely-held dance—far too close for the comfort of polite society. Many called it indecent, warning that no respectable couple should stand chest-to-chest before a room full of onlookers. Some critics even claimed the dance “ignited dangerous feelings” and threatened to erode proper English restraint.

Shocking, right?

But fashions shift, and all it took was the Prince Regent giving the dance his approval in 1814. Overnight, the waltz transformed from scandal to sensation. By the 1820s, it was everywhere.

Here are a few fun bits of waltz trivia from the era:
• Some etiquette books warned that too much turning could cause “disorientation” or “undue excitement.”
• Early chaperones sometimes counted the number of turns, convinced it reflected a couple’s level of impropriety.
• A lady’s hemline was said to act like a “barometer” of a gentleman’s behavior—if it swayed too wildly, he was holding her too tightly.

In The Bird of Bedford Manor, set in 1820, this same world of rigid rules and whispered scandals forms the backdrop for Juliet Finch—resourceful, determined, and driven into the woods by her father’s downfall. When Henry Russell catches her poaching on his land, everything changes. What begins as a crime punishable by death becomes something far more dangerous as he charges her with tracking the stalker tormenting his sister.

Juliet can track anything. But this time, she may become the hunted.

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, February 24

Devoted Steps, February 24

Bizwings Blog, February 25

Book Looks by Lisa, February 25

Where Faith and Books Meet, February 25

Sylvan Musings, February 26

Sydney Schmied Books, February 26

Lily’s Corner, February 27

Melissa’s Bookshelf, February 27

Inspired by Fiction, February 28

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 28

Texas Book-aholic, March 1

Simple Harvest Reads, March 1 (Guest Review from Mindy)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 2

Books You Can Feel Good About, March 2

For Him and My Family, March 3

The Bookish Pilgrim, March 3

Betti Mace, March 4

Cover Lover Book Review, March 4

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 5

Blogging With Carol, March 5

Jeanette’s Thoughts, March 6

Blossoms and Blessings, March 6

Stories By Gina, March 7 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, March 7

Holly’s Book Corner, March 8

Pause for Tales, March 8

Vicky Sluiter, March 8

Devoted To Hope, March 9

To Everything There Is A Season, March 9

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Michelle is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon Gift Card and a print copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://gleam.io/zqeQC/the-bird-of-bedford-manor-celebration-tour-giveaway

Monday, March 2, 2026

A Dutiful Daughter

Daughter, sister, Aunt, niece and friend. Mirren was all that and more! A dutiful daughter to her ill mother made her tired and with not much hope in meeting her fiancée in Canada anytime soon.

Mirren's strength came from her friends. They did what they could to help her out. And Thank Goodness she had one brother, Robbie,that did what he could. Her other brother, Logan, was selfish and critical of Mirren's choices.

I wanted Mirren to find happiness. She really deserved it. She gave all her love and attention to everyone but herself. Mirren came close to being physically hurt on more than one occasion.

Mirren had a maternal aunt that she kept in contact with behind her mother's back. So many years ago after a silly argument, her mother and Aunt Catherine parted ways. What a loss.

Great story. I loved the characters. Mirren is one of my favorite characters. Warm, caring, patient and determined to take care of her family and friends.

I received this book from Boldwood to review.

#blogtour

#rararesources

A Dutiful Daughter

Will her devotion to duty stop her from pursuing her dreams?

Paisley, Scotland, 1920

By day young Mirren Jarvis works in the twisting department at Ferguslie Thread Mills and by night she works in a local fried-fish shop. She also cares for her sick mother and forgoes the freedom and luxuries her friends enjoy, dreaming of the day her fiancé, Donald, will send for her to come and live with him in America.

In the aftermath of the Great War, many of the women in Mirren’s life are struggling. Her cousin Grace’s fiancé believes he is no longer fit for marriage due to his war injuries, and her widowed sister-in-law faces stern opposition from Mirren’s mother about her decision to remarry. Meanwhile, Mirren worries about her younger brother Robbie’s involvement in politics, encouraged by his friend Joe Hepburn.

As the day-to-day reality of working two jobs and caring for her sick mother begins to weigh more heavily on Mirren, the promise of a life in America with Donald seems even more unobtainable. But when Mirren finally gets her freedom, her plans for the future begin to unravel and she is forced to confront a seemingly impossible choice about her own future.

Storytelling at its best, Evelyn Hood is the original bestselling Scottish saga writer 💫

Previously published in paperback as A Procession of One

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/DutifulDaughter

Author Bio –

The Sunday Times bestselling author of 28 published novels, Evelyn Hood had a variety of jobs, including being a journalist and a poultry farmer. She was a full time writer, best known for her family sagas, set mainly in her home town of Paisley (Renfrewshire) and on the Clyde coast, where she also lived.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/16YScQLN3J/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Instagram: @evelynhood52author

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/evelynhoodnews

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/evelyn-hood

Sunday, March 1, 2026

Amelia's March Arrangement

Only 18, Amelia had no choice to take the responsibility of her 3 nephews. She was not sure how she was going to do it.

Owen hadn't seen his brother in years. But once he heard of the accident, he knew it was time for him to return to his hometown.

I can not imagine the stress Amelia was under. Three young boys and farm to run was no easy task. Her Bishop encouraged her to marry.

A sweet story of a young girl giving her all for the benefit of her orphan nephews. Amelia deserved happiness. Could she marry without being in love?

I enjoyed the book. Mindy Steele knows how to bring her characters to life.

#Amish

#responsibility

Saturday, February 28, 2026

The Maiden and the Mountie

Soldiers are given orders by their superiors. And a OFFICER did what he had to to follow them. But Gage Edwards' heart was telling him something else. He felt he had something to prove to himself and to his deceased father. He went beyond what was expected of him. He had no time for romance.

Anna knew her time was almost over for her and her family at the mill. The mill that the family owned for years. The Government was forcing them to leave due to her being half-Cherokee.

She would never fall for a white man. But Gage Edwards was changing her mind and heart.

Denise Farnsworth does a great job in researching her topics. It was very informative and entertaining.

I loved the story.

I received this book to review from Celebrate Lit.

#blogtour

#CelebrateLit

About the Book

Book: The Maiden and the Mountie

Author: Denise Farnsworth writing as Denise Weimer

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

A marriage of necessity. A secret buried deep. In Georgia’s gold country, love may be the most dangerous treasure of all.

Gage Edmonds plans to use his engineering degree to blaze new roads in the Southern frontier—but first, he must follow in the footsteps of his war hero father and prove he’s worthy of their family name. His assignment to the Georgia Mounted Militia puts him between gold-hungry settlers and Cherokees soon to be forced from their homes. The local miller’s captivating daughter, Anna Walker, makes him question everything he thought he wanted. Grieved at the treatment of the peaceful Cherokees, Gage chooses not to re-enlist but agrees to work as a translator, even if it might cost him his chance at redemption.

Daughter of a European mother and Cherokee father, Anna has seen the way new settlers have pushed her father’s people out of their homes. She vowed never to fall for a white man. Least of all, a soldier. Yet when Sergeant Edwards endangers himself to keep the peace during a clash at her father’s gristmill, she admits there’s something honorable about him. Over Anna’s protests, her father seeks to secure her future in Gage’s hands.

On the eve of eviction, members of a local village hide their gold, trusting Anna with its safekeeping until they can return. When dangerous men discover the secret, she’s forced to rely on Gage for protection. But just as she begins to trust him, a secret her father has kept threatens to tear them apart. Can Anna trust this soldier with the truth—and her heart?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

North Georgia native Denise Farnsworth, formerly Denise Weimer, has authored over twenty traditionally published novels and a number of novellas—historical and contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and time slip. As a freelance editor and Acquisitions & Editorial Liaison for Wild Heart Books, she’s helped other authors reach their publishing dreams. A wife and mother of two young adult daughters, Denise always pauses for coffee, chocolate, and old houses.

More from Denise

The vanished pieces of our history have always intrigued me as an author. Houses, towns, lives that were once so vital but now of which there is no trace left except in books and oral accounts. For The Maiden and the Mountie, tales about two vanished things caught my attention when I lived near Cumming, Georgia—a Cherokee removal fort and Cherokee gold. Local historians have long debated the location of Fort Buffington and legends of Cherokee gold hidden in tunnels with secret vaults and deadfalls…or buried in clay pots, some of which were reported to have been found.

The second book of my Twenty-Niners of the Georgia Gold Rush series is set during the fall and winter of 1837. Gold had been found in the late 1820s on Cherokee land, land which was then divvied up in a state lottery. Lottery winners prepared to move onto farming lots of a hundred and sixty acres or mining lots of forty acres. Much of that property already had “improvements”—homes, outbuildings, and businesses. The majority of the Cherokee people had “Americanized,” adopting the clothing, religion, language, and farming and business methods of their white neighbors. That did not stop property- and gold-hungry settlers from taking Native American land.

Some Cherokees moved to Oklahoma Territory before the May 1838 deadline set by the national government. Others lingered until the last, fed by rumors and hopes that the legal efforts of their leaders in Washington would succeed. Many of them endured harassment by Pony Club members. Eventually, the remaining Cherokees were rounded up by mounted militia, forced into hastily constructed removal forts, and escorted on the tragic winter march that became known as the Trail of Tears.

No doubt about it—this is grave subject matter. But wouldn’t writing a trilogy about the Georgia Gold Rush without including an account of the Cherokee Removal be an even graver disservice to the actual history and the proud people who endured it?

The Maiden and the Mountie focuses on the mixed-blood Cherokee family of the heroine, Anna Walker, whose father operates a gristmill—another setting unique to fiction but so vital to nineteenth-century communities. For this angle of the story, I was able to draw on my brief stint as a county employee when I spent some time as a docent at Freeman’s Mill in Gwinnett County. The hero, Gage Edmonds, yearns to live up to his father’s military record and at the same time defend the heritage of his Cherokee grandmother-by-marriage. The conflict he rides into as a member of the Georgia Mounted Militia constructing Fort Buffington in Cherokee County convinces him he can better serve the native people as a translator than a soldier. Defending Anna and her family from members of the Pony Club makes his quest even more personal. Little does he know the woman he’s falling in love with has been called on by her father’s people to help hide Cherokee gold.

Themes of The Maiden and the Mountie include finding one’s identity in God, friendship that spans social boundaries, the power of adopted family, and love that blooms amid the harsh winter of conflict. I hope you’ll join Anna and Gage in the tumultuous days of the Georgia Gold Rush and look for The Schoolmarm and the Miner coming later this year.

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, February 21

Blossoms and Blessings, February 22

Books Less Travelled, February 22

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 23

Texas Book-aholic, February 24

Devoted To Hope, February 25

Holly’s Book Corner, February 26

For Him and My Family, February 26

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 27

Betti Mace, February 28

Jeanette’s Thoughts , March 1

lakesidelivingsite, March 2

Cover Lover Book Review, March 3

Books You Can Feel Good About, March 4

Pause for Tales, March 4

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 5

Lyssa Loves Books, March 6

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Denise is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://gleam.io/UE2FM/the-maiden-and-the-mountie-celebration-tour-giveaway

Wednesday, February 25, 2026

Ambush of the Heart

What excitement! The Mountains! The fresh air! Dangers everywhere you turn! All this was in this one book. I invite you to pick up this exciting story by Mary Connealy.

Boone and Delaney, siblings that need escorts to guide them to their parents' home in the Wilderness. Owen and his co-workers not only were assisting them but were delivering a killer to receive his punishment.

Of course, this was not an easy task. Danger lurked in every corner. Will they survive?

This adventurous story never lets up. It was tense and exciting. The characters were feisty and likeable. Well, the bad guys were questionable.

I received this from Celebrate Lit to review.

#blogtour

#CelebrateLit

About the Book

Book: Ambush of the Heart

Author: Mary Connealy

Genre: Historical Romance

Release Date: February 3, 2026

When bandits strike in the wilderness, can love and faith overcome the shadows of danger?

As Owen Riley and his fellow Marshals escort Delaney Bridger, her brother, and an escaped prisoner to Fort Russell, a gang of outlaws ambushes them, bringing death and devastation to their party. With their lives on the line and the outlaws in pursuit, Owen directs the rest of his battered group to temporarily seek hiding at a remote ranch.

After the attack leaves her brother seriously injured, Delaney helps Owen, nursing him and a wounded Marshal back to health while danger looms ever closer. Despite the threat at their heels, romance sparks between Owen and Delaney as they fight for survival on their perilous trek to the fort. Can they overcome the obstacles and find a future together?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Mary Connealy writes “romantic comedies with cowboys” and is celebrated for her fun, zany, action-packed style. She has sold more than 1.5 million books and is the author of the popular series A Western Light, Wyoming Sunrise, and many other books. Mary lives on a ranch in eastern Nebraska with her very own romantic cowboy hero.

More from Mary

Two things drove my interest in The Rocky Mountain Marshals Series. In book #1, Ambush of the Heart, I got to begin that adventure.

The first thing: U.S. Marshals. I did a bit of research and just began discovering how much I didn’t know. I mean…what are U.S. Marshals? The only one I could think of was Rooster Cogburn in True Grit. But my research was confusing. Yes, there were lawmen out hunting for outlaws. But a lot of that was because Oklahoma Territory back then was Indian territory and thus, had no law beyond tribal law. And, because of that, outlaws had gotten to running into Oklahoma and treating it like they’d reached base in a game of tag.

Because it was federal, the government came up with a federal solution. The U.S. Marshals Service already existed. But chasing outlaws into a place with no law…that was new. I went to Fort Smith, Arkansas, known back in the past as the gateway to Indian territory. So many outlaws passed through there that, a part of my research led me to the brand-new U.S. Marshals Museum in Fort Smith.

I could write an entire series about Bass Reeves alone, a former slave who became a U.S. Marshal. Some of my reading suggests he was in part the inspiration for the Lone Ranger and it’s said in his 32 year career as a marshal he arrested 3000 outlaws. He has a TV Series on Paramount+ TV. A network I don’t have.

I found so much of this out because I went on a research trip. (I don’t do that often) Very fun and I learned a LOT.

My second driving interest was…just how lost could someone get in the wilds of the Rocky Mountains? I’ve read so much about Pathfinders…Kit Carson, John Colter, James Beckwourth, John Mullen (a guy I’d never heard of who is so interesting he deserves his own book!). I definitely count Sacagawea among them. These bold, adventurous explorers who went out in the wilderness and found their way through. It was NOT easy.

One thing I found really interesting (all those pathfinders are interesting!) was talk about The Donner Party. That Donner Pass cut 400 miles off the trip to California on the California trail. That might sound ridiculous to us, but back then, in a wagon train, especially in rugged country, that 400 miles was a huge lure. Of course they tried it. People were always trying to find a shorter way through those treacherous mountains.

So, my hero Owen, is transporting a federal prisoner who escaped jail, from Denver to Fort Russell near Cheyenne, Wyoming—where he’s due to hang.

An attempt to break him free by his gang drives the escorts and those with them—including beautiful Delaney, into the Rockies and whoa…they didn’t know how to get out…especially one pair who got separated from the main party.

One other twist is, my three heroes…the guys (the women are heroes, too of course) but the men, Owen, Morgan and Tex, all appeared in the book Marshaling Her Heart, book three in my Wyoming Sunrise series. Writing that book awakened my interest in U.S. Marshals. And I loved those tough men and wanted to … ahem … well, maybe tame them just a little.

So come and join me as my travelers, including the bold and brave Owen Riley and the beautiful and trail savvy Delaney Bridger, are chased from behind and more lost with every step they take ahead. They fight the outlaws, the Rockies and their growing attraction, to find their way home.