Hidden Family Secrets

 

A Young girl leaves everything behind when she marries. She was frightened and doubted her choice.

Her husband was eager for the change.  He was excited for their future. He was proud of his new wife. She was a beauty.

Duncan and Meg move into the Todd's home to learn the weaving trade.  Duncan hoped one day to have his own business.

Adultery, lies and deceit changes the course of all their futures. These  "Hidden Family Secrets" can ruin their families and the world as they know it.

I loved the story with all the twists and turns.

I received this book from Boldwood Books to review.

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Hidden Family Secrets

Can a long-kept secret ruin the future happiness of two families?

Paisley, Scotland 1745

Meg and Duncan Montgomery move to the flourishing Scottish town of Paisley to find work in the thriving weaving industry. Soon, Meg is expecting their first child, Margaret.

To make ends meet, they live in Peter Todd’s household, Duncan’s employer and Meg’s days are filled with domestic duties. But soon Meg and Duncan find themselves caught up in the intricate lives of the Todd family and when a tragic accident causes further conflict, a decision is made to keep a terrible secret from Meg.

As Margaret grows older, she despairs of the town’s inequality and becomes an advocate for the poor. While her philanthropic ideals are tolerated, even accepted by her understanding parents, Margaret’s affection for her childhood friend William Todd is greeted with disapproval.

But Margaret wants more from life than marriage and is overjoyed when she is taken on as a teacher at the local hospital.

As a dark secret from the past looms over the lives of both families,threatening to tear apart their futures, the younger Todds and Montgomery’s must decide between following in their parents’ footsteps or forging their own paths.

The start of The Paisley Women saga series from Evelyn Hood, the original bestselling Scottish saga writer.

Previously published in paperback as The Silken Thread

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

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 

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

The Queen's Necklace

 

I love Tudor History. This is why I wanted to read this.  It started a little slow for me but it quickly picked up. Adrienne Chinn did a excellent job.

The book has two timelines. Anne and Mary Boleyn are sisters vying for attention in the 1500s.  Bryher and Marnie are sisters doing the same in 2025. Bryher and her sister are distantly related to Mary Boleyn. 

Both timelines are quite similar. I was not fond of Anne or Bryher. They were both the younger sisters. They came across harsh and at times, mean. They were in competition against their sibling. I guess it happens in families.

I did like the ending of Bryher's story. She learned from her mistakes in time to change her behavior. Anne Boleyn realized too late to make any amends. If you know history, Anne found herself in a hot mess and lost her head and life because of this. 

It was quite an interesting story. The cover and the title was what interested me at first. 

I received this book from Boldwood to review.

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The Queen’s Necklace

The most famous necklace in the world has finally been found…

Bryher Finch’s life isn’t just a disaster, it’s a catastrophe, until a chance invitation to chart her family tree changes everything. As Bryher uncovers the ancestry she never knew about, she stumbles on the find of the century – Anne Boleyn’s ‘B’ necklace, as enigmatic as Henry VIII’s most notorious Queen herself.

But Bryher isn’t the only one who wants the necklace…

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Queens-Necklace-Adrienne-Chinn/dp/0008643822/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0

https://www.amazon.com/Queens-Necklace-Adrienne-Chinn-ebook/dp/B0DRZ9BNZQ

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-queens-necklace-adrienne-chinn/1146772161

https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-queens-necklace/adrienne-chinn/9780008643829

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=IWv50AEACAAJ&source=gbs_book_other_versions

https://www.whsmith.co.uk/Product/Adrienne-Chinn/The-Queens-Necklace/15620348

Author Bio – 

Adrienne Chinn was born in Grand Falls, Newfoundland, grew up in Quebec, and eventually made her way to London, England after a career as a journalist. In England she worked as a TV and film researcher before embarking on a career as an interior designer, lecturer, and writer. When not up a ladder or at the computer writing, she often can be found rummaging through flea markets or haggling in the Marrakech souk. Her debut novel, The Lost Letter, was published in 2019. Her second novel, the international bestseller, The English Wife, was published in 2020. Her third novel, Love in a Time of War, the first in a series of four books in The Three Fry Sisters series, was published in 2022. The second book in the series, The Paris Sister, was published in 2023, and the third book, In the Shadow of War, was published in March 2024. Her next book, an historical timeslip novel, The Queen's Necklace, will be published in September 2025, followed by the fourth book in The Three Fry Sisters series, set during WWII, in 2026.

Social Media Links – 

https://www.adrienne-chinn.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/adriennechinnauthor/

https://www.instagram.com/adriennechinn/

https://x.com/adriennechinn/with_replies?lang=en&wptouch_preview_theme=enabled

A Season of Grace

Mysteries unfold but Grace keeps her mouth shut.  She is often called a blabber but not this time.  Her lips are sealed.

I absolutely love this family.  Wilma opens her door and yes, even her heart to all.  She just wants her family to be happy and settled down.  At times, Wilma and her friend, Ada, get a little too involved in their family's business. 

I adore these sweet stories. I love that I have gotten to know all the characters. It could be a few months between books but I can just pick up where I left off. 

Samantha Price needs to know how much I look forward to each book.  I'm hoping that Matthew will eventually find his own happiness. Maybe this will be in the next book!!! 

I received this book from the author to review.

#blog #Amish #SamanthaPrice

Samantha Price

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

The Irish Midwife

Loved this story. Educational, riveting and a love story all in one book.

This is a new author for me. I love being introduced to new authors.  Another plus is when the book is actually good.

Peggy loved helping her Aunt deliver babies. The community depended on them.  Then one day, a terrible incident occurred. The life Peggy knew was no more. 

A few years later Peggy found herself studying to be a midwife in Dublin.  Far from home. She knew that she had secrets that couldn't be revealed.  Secrets that could ruin everything. And if she got too close to Dan Sheridan Jr. It could mess things up.

A great book. I loved learning about midwifery in Ireland.  It was really sad when I was done with this story. I wasn't ready for the book to be over.

I received this book from Boldwood to review.

#raresources

#blogtour

The Irish Midwife

Can she finally put herself first, in order to find love?  Peggy Cassidy is a milly, working in the Belfast linen mills to just about get by. But Peggy also has another job - a secret one. She works as a handywoman - an illegal midwife, tending to the women of her community in their time of need.  When Peggy is offered the chance to leave Belfast to receive formal midwifery training in Dublin, it sets off a chain of events that will change her life forever.  But amongst her middle-class colleagues, Peggy must keep the truth about her past secret at all times. If the realities of her life in Belfast are revealed, she could lose everything she has worked for.  And when she meets a well-to-do doctor down in Dublin, she must make a decision: should she protect her family and her history? Or can she let herself fall in love? 

The first book in a heartwarming new historical romance series, for fans of Dilly Court, Anna Jacobs, Rosie Goodwin and Call the Midwife.

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

Author Bio – 

Seána Tinley is an Irish author of saga historical romance. She also writes regency romance as Catherine Tinley.

After a career encompassing speech and language therapy, Sure Start, being president of a charity, and managing a maternity service, she now works as NI Country Director for a leading UK charity.

Seána was appointed as chair of the Romantic Novelists’Association in August 2024.

Social Media Links – https://lnk.bio/seanatinley

The Pit Girl

Mari lived with her parents and siblings in a town in Wales. Her father and brother worked in the coal mines. It was a dirty and difficult job.  A dangerous job. Many were injured and even killed there.

Life went on. Day by day, the family doing their very best to make ends meet.  Then one day the unthinkable happened.  Their whole life was turned upside down. Drastic measures were needed.  Mari cut her hair and became a pit girl.  Well, really a pit boy.  A young girl doing a man's job. A secret that must be kept.

This was a page turner. I finished it faster than I wanted to.  I loved so many of the characters.  Big Al, looks tough, but was a wonderful, caring man. Mari's Mom who has a Christian heart. Mrs. Jones who gives Mari a place to find some comfort and a cup of tea.

I highly recommend.

I received this book to review from Boldwold Books.

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#rararesources

The Pit Girl

With no one to rely on, she must make an unthinkable choice...Mari Evans has always known life would be hard, but nothing could have prepared her for how quickly things would fall apart. First, the devastating news that her father has a second family–and chose them over her. Then the tragic accident in the pit that leaves her eldest brother unable to work.

It started as an off-hand joke, a comment by her brother.‘Cut your hair, Mari. You could pass for a lad and work the pit in my place. 

’But with cholera sweeping the village and hunger gnawing at their stomachs, it’s Mari’s only option. Disguised as a boy, she takes her brother’s place underground, risking everything to keep her family from ruin.

But danger isn’t only found in the harsh conditions of pit work. One wrong step could cost her the job, her safety–and even her life.  As whispers circulate and secrets threaten to surface, Mari must tread carefully. How far will one girl go to protect the people she loves?

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

Author Bio–Lynette Rees lives in Wales and has been writing since she was a child. She enjoys the freedom of writing in a variety of genres including: crime fiction and contemporary romance, though her first love is historical fiction. 

When she's not writing, or even when she is writing, Lynette enjoys a glass of wine and the odd piece of chocolate as she creates stories where the characters guide her hand. She honestly has no idea how a story will turn out until the characters tell their own tales in their own unique ways.

Social Media Links–Facebook: @authorlynetterees

Twitter: @LynetteRees0

Instagram: @booksbylynetterees

7Newsletter Sign Up:https://bit.ly/LynetteReesNews

Bookbub profile:@romancewriter0Notes

Her Amish Refuge

What a blessing!  I just discovered a new author.  And I loved her book.  

Florene has made a mess of her life. She has lost all hope.  And today she just may die.  

But GOD was there with her. The gentle giant, Gil, found her and brought her to his home. And with time, she felt she belonged there.

Florene was trying to figure out what to do next. Could she go home? Will she be shunned?  

We all have ups and downs in our lives. During those times we have choices.  We can hold on to our faith and pray for strength, healing or peace.  Or we can turn away from GOD and continue making a mess of our lives. It appears to be an easy choice.  But not always.

Thank you to Ms. Wright for allowing me to read an early copy of this story.

#Amish

#blog

AUTHOR

Pamela Desmond Wright grew up in a small, dusty Texas town. From the time she learned to read, books have been her passion. A veteran of the e-book revolution of the late ’90’s, Pamela moved into traditional publishing, writing in the paranormal and adult romance genres for Kensington and NAL/Penguin. Nominated 2 times, she won the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award in 2010. Pamela was also a founder of the scam publishers and agents website, The Write Connection, which was transferred to the SFWA through (then) vice-president A.C. Crispin to become Writer Beware. She currently writes Amish romance for Harlequin Love Inspired, crafting heartfelt stories where characters face life’s challenges with courage and grace.

 www.pameladesmondwright.com

Find Pam on Social Media @pamdwrites Facebook/Twitter/Instagram

The Search For The Shadow Cat

About the Book

Book: The Search for the Shadow Cat

Author: Kurt Mahler

Genre: Magical Realism Fantasy

Release Date: October 20, 2025

Venture into a lush, mystically supercharged natural world where the fate of an entire animal kingdom hangs in the balance in The Search for the Shadow Cat, the captivating third installment of the Jaguar Oracle series.

After a long absence from the Rio Grande Valley, the majestic jaguar named Oracle returns for a perilous quest to restore the three feline tribes—bobcat, ocelot, and long-lost jaguarundi: the “shadow cat.”

With Patch the raccoon, Plod the horse, Bog the toad, and the child named Miracle, Oracle navigates a richly-drawn landscape, pressing through pain and perplexity to rediscover ancient wisdom that will awaken creation, from a jabber of green jays to secretive turtles to trees holding on to treasured knowledge. Along the way, Oracle finds an unexpected ally in a conflicted young entrepreneur, while a hermit holds the key to unlocking the jaguar's destiny.

Blending magical realism, mythology, and environmental advocacy, this pulse-pounding adventure will captivate readers with its tale of courage, honor, and the power of reclaiming our forgotten roots.

Book Excerpt

 I’m not dominated…I’m safe. I’m invited. I can hope again…And who knows but that the beauty I’ve seen, in the absence of anything good or true, might just go ahead and do the work of all three. Now…get out of my way!”

And with that, Gem closed her eyes and threw herself beak-first at the frigid image of the spirit. The mask shattered, the air became instantly warm, and all that remained was a distant howling. Whether it was the spirit, the weather, or both, Gem could not tell. Hovering in the air, she panted as she recovered in the space of silence the shattering created.

From beneath the branches of the sweet acacia, a summer tanager emerged. “Thank you,” she sang in her robin-like way. “I thought winter had come early—but look, instead, a laughter from a future spring! See how the sweet acacia blooms!”

The bright yellow blossoms of the sweet acacia sang their presence from a lone branch near  Gem, radiating a joy that eclipsed the bleak moment a second before. The tanager gave the green jay hackberries from her cache, and in the strength of that food, Gem hastened on her way.

Excerpts:

Excerpt One: https://www.simpleharvestreads.com/posts/the-search-for-the-shadow-cat-book-spotlight/
Excerpt Two: https://www.guildmaster97.com/posts/the-search-for-the-shadow-cat-epic-book-launch-and-excerpt/
Excerpt Three: https://www.artistwriterandstudentohmy.com/posts/the-search-for-the-shadow-cat-book-spotlight/
Excerpt Four: https://www.fictionbooklover.com/posts/the-search-for-the-shadow-cat-book-spotlight/
Excerpt Five: https://lakesidelivingsite.wordpress.com/2025/09/06/the-search-for-the-shadow-cat-by-kurt-mahler/
Excerpt Six: https://coverloverbookreview.blogspot.com/2025/09/the-search-for-shadow-cat.html
Excerpt Seven: https://nannie3.blogspot.com/2025/09/the-search-for-shadow-cat.html?m=1

 

About the Author

Kurt helps those who built someone else’s dream finally build their own.

As a speaker, advisor, and award-winning poet, he draws from twenty years of lived experience in forty nations.

He is a sought-after voice on five continents, advising expats in places as challenging as Cuba, Persia, and North Korea. He has published multiple books , hundreds of articles, and well-respected poetry.

Kurt and his wife Karen have been married since 1993 and raised their family in Afghanistan, where they founded a community development agency. They are Americans living in the Emirates with ties to the Gulf Coast, the Rio Grande Valley, Central Texas, Louisiana, and New England.

He writes in the poetic tradition, inspired by the wonder of creation, the mysteries of the Ancient Faith, and the drama of the nations. Guiding sources for his work include the Hebrew prophets, the Desert Fathers, Dante, Milton, George MacDonald, C.S. Lewis, and Tolkien.