A Writer's Review of “A Lady at Willowgrove Hall” by Sarah E. Ladd

{More about A Lady at Willowgrove Hall }

Her secret cloaks her in 
isolation and loneliness.
 

His secret traps him in a life 
that is not his own.

Cecily Faire carries the shame of her past wherever she treads, knowing one slip of the tongue could strip away everything she holds dear. But soon after accepting the position of lady’s companion at Willowgrove Hall, Cecily finds herself face-to-face with a man well-acquainted with the past she’s desperately hidden for years.

Nathaniel Stanton has a secret of his own–one that has haunted him from birth and tied him to his father’s position as steward of Willowgrove. To protect his family, Nathaniel dares not breath a word of the truth. But as long as the shadow looms over him, he’ll never be free to find his own way in the world. He’ll never be free to fall in love.

When the secrets swirling within Willowgrove Hall come to light, Cecily and Nathaniel must confront a painful choice: Will they continue running from the past . . . or will they stand together and build a future without the suffocating weight of secrets long suffered?

{My Review}


Sarah Ladd's third book was a great ending to a debut series! 

Sarah, as always, writes with precision and passion. The characters were as vivid as expected, and the setting of Willowgrove Hall that she's drawn with her words was just as any avid regency reader could wish. I loved the hero and heroine, and how their secrets, and actions regarding them, so believable. 

And can I mention the cover? I've loved all of Sarah's covers, but this one, with the stone wall and inner garden is my favorite!  


A Lady at Willowgrove Hall by Sarah Ladd released October 2014. It currently has a rating of 4.18 out of 5 stars (from 152 ratings) on Goodreads.
 

{More About Sarah Ladd}

 

Sarah E. Ladd has more than ten years of marketing experience. She is a graduate of Ball State University and holds degrees in public relations and marketing. The Heiress of Winterwood was the recipient of the 2011 Genesis Award for historical romance and a finalist in the Debut Author category of the 2014 Carol Awards. The second book in the series, The Headmistress of Rosemere (2013), was on the ECPA best-seller list for several months. Sarah lives in Indiana with her amazing husband, sweet daughter, and spunky Golden Retriever.

Find out more about Sarah at http://www.sarahladd.com.

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Award-winning author Sarah E. Ladd examines how to escape the clutches of a tainted past in the final installment of her Whispers on the Moor series. A Regency-era novel, A Lady at Willowgrove Hall cleverly shows that even though our pasts may be shameful or painful, God can take the darkest personal histories and turn them into the brightest futures.

***Learn more and purchase a copy at Sarah’s website.

Celebrate with Sarah by entering her Kindle HDX giveaway!
One grand prize winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire HDX
• A Lady at Willowgrove Hall by Sarah E. Ladd

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on November 2nd. Winner will be announced November 3rd here. 

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Read the Whispers on the Moors Series!

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A Writer's Review of “Daisies are Forever” by Liz Tolsma

{My Review}

Daisies are Forever is the second book in a new WWII series by new author, Liz Tolsma. I really enjoyed the first book, Snow on the Tulips, although I wasn't really into reading books set during WWII. However, these books have changed that. It's been very interesting to learn more about the war that ravaged Europe from the perspectives of characters living in different countries.

The plot of Daiseis are Forever, from what I read of the book's blurb on GoodReads, seemed like one I would enjoy even more than the first, however I never quite felt the same connection to the characters as I did in the first book. I was actually surprised I liked the first book so much back when I read it; it's such a different genre than what I usually read. This book was a well-written, with a good romance involved, and I think anyone looking for a good WWII historical will be pleased and blessed by reading Daisies are Forever.

Daisies are Forever by Liz Tolsma currently has a rating of 4.20 out of 5 stars (from 49 ratings) on Goodreads. I was given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

This book came out May 6, 2014.


{More About the Book}

Gisela must hold on to hope and love despite all odds in the midst of a war-torn country.

Gisela Cramer is an American living in eastern Germany with her cousin Ella Reinhardt. When the Red Army invades, they must leave their home to escape to safety in Berlin.

However, Ella is a nurse and refuses to leave, sending her young daughters with Gisela. During their journey, Gisela meets Mitch Edwards, an escaped British POW. She pretends she is his wife in order to preserve his safety among other Germans, especially one wounded German soldier, Kurt, who has suspicions about Mitch’s identity. Kurt also has feelings for Gisela and tries to uncover the truth about her “marriage.”

Their journey to Gisela's mother in Berlin is riddled with tragedy and hardship, but they strive to keep Ella’s daughters safe so they can reunite with their mother. During the journey Gisela and Mitch begin to develop feelings for one another beyond friendship. They reach Berlin, but their struggles are far from over. Gisela and Mitch must learn to live for the day and find hope in the darkest of circumstances.

In this moving, historically accurate portrayal of WWII Germany, the characters learn that, even with destruction all around them, some things last forever.

{Raving Reviews}

“Daisies Are Forever is a compelling and fast-paced tale about the atrocities and tremendous losses endured by those marked forever by World War II. Recommended for fans of Rosamunde and Robin Pilcher, Kate Morton, and historical romances.” —Library Journal

“Tolsma isn’t afraid to detail the horrors of war as she depicts how tragedies can be obstacles to one's Christian beliefs.” —Romantic Times, 4-star review

“Excellent storytelling, accurate historical reporting and gritty, persevering characters make this WWII-era novel a must-read.” —CBA Retailers + Resources

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/wAD3T 

{About the Author}
 

New York Times best-selling author Liz Tolsma is the author of Daisies are Forever, Snow on the Tulips, and the contributing author of A Log Cabin Christmas. When not busy putting words to paper, Liz enjoys reading, walking, working in her large perennial garden, kayaking, and camping. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband and children, who were all adopted internationally.

{Connect with Liz}

• Website  
• Facebook   
• Twitter

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One winner will receive: 

~ A Kindle Fire HDX 
~ Daisies are Forever by Liz Tolsma

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 31st. Winner will be announced June 2nd on Liz’s website.

Don’t miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to stop by Liz’s website on June 2nd to see if you won.

Dawn Crandall's Review of “The Headmistress of Rosemere" by Sarah E. Ladd

{My Review}

I loved this book. I loved this writing. I wish there were more books written like this one... The Headmistress of Rosemere so enraptured my attention with such a perfectly unfolded character-driven plot. 

Technically, I read this book a bit slower than I usually read a book that I'm enjoying, but that was because I didn't want it to end. Reading books like this is more an escape for me than many others tend to be. As a writer/author myself, it's difficult to enjoy books often without critiquing them as I do so. Sarah's words are so much like ones I would write myself--only in a very different (mine are written first person, while hers are written from third person) way--that her books are a complete joy to read.

Sarah knows how to create characters with depth and knows how to make them come to life on the page. Patience and William (whom Sarah's readers would know from her first book, The Heiress of Winterwood--my review is here) are from different places in society; both have come to the point of needing something different from what they've always had... and to come back to letting God be a part of their lives. And, at least I could tell, that whatever it is that pulls two people to each other, they had it. Every time they looked at one another, it was evident. Every time they parted ways, I could not wait for the next scene where they were on the same page together... could not wait for more of that magnetic pull that seemed to get the best of both of them.

The Headmistress of Rosemere currently has a rating of 4.41 out of 5 stars (from 83 ratings) on Goodreads. An advance reader copy of this book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for this honest review.

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{More About the Book}

(The blurb from Goodreads) Patience Creighton will finally find the peace she lost years ago--if she can open her heart and forgive the man who loves her.

Bright, sensible Patience knows what is expected of her. At twenty-five, her opportunity for a family of her own has passed, so she finds contentment teaching at her father's school for girls. When her father dies suddenly and her brother moves away to London, she is determined to keep her father's dream alive.

Confirmed bachelor William Sterling also knows what is expected of him, but mistake after mistake has left him teetering on ruin's edge. As master of Eastmore Hall he owns a great deal of land but possesses little money to manage the upkeep. He is desperate to find a new source of income, including the sacrifice of land connected to Rosemere.

When her brother returns with a new wife to take over management of the school, Patience is heartbroken to no longer be responsible for her beloved school and is forced to reassess God's purpose for her life. After her sister-in-law's matchmaking brings Patience and William together, they both learn new truths about their character and find a common goal in restoring Eastmore's legacy.

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{About the Author}

 Sarah Ladd lives in Indiana where she shares her life with her amazing husband and sweet daughter. She has more than ten years of strategic marketing and brand management experience, including five years of marketing non-fiction books and three years of marketing the musical arts. Visit her website or like her on Facebook.

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Sarah Ladd lives in Indiana where she shares her life with her amazing husband and sweet daughter. She has more than ten years of strategic marketing and brand management experience, including five years of marketing non-fiction books and three years of marketing the musical arts. Heiress of Winterwood, the first book in her Whispers on the Moors series, will release next spring. Visit her website or like her on Facebook! - See more at: http://seekerville.blogspot.com/2012/05/author-facebook-pages-what-every-author.html#sthash.POXVTMI0.dpuf

Sarah Ladd lives in Indiana where she shares her life with her amazing husband and sweet daughter. She has more than ten years of strategic marketing and brand management experience, including five years of marketing non-fiction books and three years of marketing the musical arts. Heiress of Winterwood, the first book in her Whispers on the Moors series, will release next spring. Visit her website or like her on Facebook! - See more at: http://seekerville.blogspot.com/2012/05/author-facebook-pages-what-every-author.html#sthash.POXVTMI0.dpuf

A Writer's Review of “Dear Mr. Knightley" by Katherine Reay

{About the book} 

Katherine Reay's debut novel follows one young woman's journey as she sheds her protective persona and embraces the person she was meant to become.

Samantha Moore has always hidden behind the words of others-namely her favorite characters in literature. Now, she will learn to write her own story-by giving that story to a complete stranger.

Growing up orphaned and alone, Sam found her best friends in the works of Austen, Dickens, and the Brontë sisters. The problem is that she now relates to others more comfortably as Elizabeth Bennet and Jane Eyre than as herself.

Sometimes we lose ourselves in the things we care about most.
But life for this twenty-three-year-old is about to get stranger than fiction, when an anonymous benefactor (calling himself "Mr. Knightley") offers to put Sam through the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. There is only one catch: Sam must write frequent letters to the mysterious donor, detailing her progress.

As Sam's program and peers force her to confront her past, she finds safety in her increasingly personal letters to Mr. Knightley. And when Sam meets eligible, best-selling novelist Alex Powell, those letters unfold a story of love and literature that feels as if it's pulled from her favorite books. But when secrets come to light, Sam is--once again--made painfully aware of how easily trust can be broken.

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{My Review}

I've been on quite a streak lately, finding all kinds of GREAT debut authors who have written amazing first novels. I wasn't so sure about Dear Mr. Knightley at first because it was written in such a different way--almost entirely through letters written to an unknown beneficiary who wanted to be referred to as Mr. Knightley.

It took my reading through about a dozen of the letters to get into the groove. I think because the book was "technically" written from first person with such an open and honest voice, it quickly had me hooked. Not that I've grown up with anything like the same issues as Samantha Moore had... I related to her more than I can remember ever relating to a character in any Contemporary Romance book I've ever read.

I learned to love Samantha, was completely engrossed in her life and almost became desperate to find out who Mr. Knightley really was... and how exactly Alex Powell was involved--if he was at all. At one point in the book, I was actually crying happy tears because of what was all was happening in her life. I don't usually cry because of books... so that was definitely something to note. 

I'm not sure if this author will be writing all of her books in the same manner as this one, but I do hope she keeps writing them in first person point of view. I am definitely looking forward to her next book. For more reader reviews of Katherine Reay's Dear Mr. Knightley follow the Litfuse Blog Tour here: http://litfusegroup.com/author/kreay

Dear Mr. Knightley currently has a rating of 4.54 out of 5 stars (from 83 ratings) on Goodreads. I was given a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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{Meet the author} 

Katherine Reay has enjoyed a life-long affair with the works of Jane Austen and her contemporaries. After earning degrees in history and marketing from Northwestern University, she worked as a marketer for Proctor & Gamble and Sears before returning to school to earn her MTS. Her works have been published in "Focus on the Family" and the "Upper Room." Katherine currently lives with her husband and three children in Seattle. "Dear Mr. Knightley" is her first novel.

Learn more about Katherine at: http://katherinereay.com/

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{The Giveaway}

Debut author Katherine Reay is celebrating the release of her delightful novel, Dear Mr. Knightley, with a Kindle Fire HDX giveaway, a fun Favorite Austen Moments Pinterest contest, and an Austen-themed Facebook Party.

  One winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire HDX
• Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay
• Handmade Austen-themed items (scarf, mug, bracelet, and necklace) 

Two ways to win! Enter today by clicking one of the icons below or participating in the Pinterest contest (see banner below)—or BOTH! 

But hurry, the giveaway ends on December 3rd. Winner will be announced at the "Dear Mr. Knightley" Austen-themed Facebook Author Chat Party on the 3rd. Join Katherine (and Austen fans) for an evening of book chat, prizes, and an exclusive look at Katherine's next book.

So grab your copy of  Dear Mr. Knightley and join Katherine on the evening of December 3rd for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

 

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today by clicking JOIN at the event page. Spread the word—tell your friends about the giveaway and party via FACEBOOK, TWITTER, or PINTEREST. Hope to see you on the 3rd!

 

A Writer's Review of “Snow on the Tulips" by Liz Tolsma

{About Snow on the Tulips}

A stranger’s life hangs in the balance. But to save him is to risk everything.

The war is drawing to a close, but the Nazis still occupy part of the Netherlands. After the losses she’s endured, war widow Cornelia is only a shadow of the woman she once was. She fights now to protect her younger brother, Johan, who lives in hiding.

When Johan brings Gerrit Laninga, a wounded Dutch Resistance member, to Cornelia’s doorstep, their  lives are forever altered. Although scared of the consequences of harboring a wanted man, Cornelia’s faith won’t let her turn him out.

As she nurses Gerrit back to health, she is drawn to his fierce passion and ideals, and notices a shift within herself. Gerrit’s intensity challenges her, making her want to live fully, despite the fear that constrains her. When the opportunity to join him in the Resistance presents itself, Cornelia must summon every ounce of courage imaginable.

She is as terrified of loving Gerrit as she is of losing him. But as the winter landscape thaws, so too does her heart. Will she get a second chance at true love? She fears their story will end before it even begins.

Purchase a copy here.

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{My Review}

I love finding 5-star debut novels. They don't come around very often. Almost never, actually. But yeah, Snow on the Tulips happens to be one of them! Liz Tolsma's story and characters captured my attention from the very first page and never let go.

Snow on the Tulips is a story set in the Netherlands during the end of World War II. The main character is Cornelia, a young woman who'd been tragically widowed on the first day of the war... which was also her wedding day. Her spiritual and heart-growth throughout the pages of the book was part of what had me hooked. 

Through reading this book, I learned a lot about what it was like to live during the WWII in Europe, and the stresses involved with doing the right thing concerning standing up against the Nazis and standing up for the Allies and the Jewish people who were in hiding. Cornelia had been locked into a state of fear concerning herself and her loved ones for so long, it took being forced into a spy-ring (opposing the Nazis, of course) in order to see that she needed to wake up and live her life not just for herself, but for the sake of others as well.       

For more reader reviews of Liz Tolsma's Snow on the Tulips follow the Litfuse Blog Tour here: www.litfusegroup.com/author/LTolsma

Snow on the Tulips currently has a rating of 4.21 out of 5 stars (from 61 ratings) on Goodreads. I was given a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

  

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{About the Author}

Liz Tolsma has lived in Wisconsin most of her life, and she now resides next to a farm field with her husband, their son, and their two daughters. Add a dog and a cat to that mix and there's always something going on at their house. She's spent time teaching second grade, writing advertising for a real estate company, and working as a church secretary, but she always dreamed of becoming an author. She'd love to have you visit her at www.liztolsma.com.

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Liz Tolsma is celebrating the release of her novel, Snow on the Tulips, by giving away an Amazon Reading Pack to one lucky winner. Find out what readers are saying about the book here.

  One winner will receive:

• A $50 Amazon gift card
• Snow on the Tulips by Liz Tolsma

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on November 16th. Winner will be announced November 18th at Liz's blog. 

 

Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to stop by Liz's blog on the 18th to see if you won. (Or, better yet, subscribe to her blog and have the winner announcement delivered to your inbox! Just enter your email address on the left sidebar of her blog.)