Daisies and Devotion (Mayfield Family #2) by Josi S. Kilpack

Publication: May 14, 2019

Publisher: Shadow Mountain Publishing

Source: Publisher

Synopsis: 

Timothy Mayfield is ready to marry for love, but, since his personal finances are thinner than he’d like, he knows he’ll also need to find a wife with wealth. After receiving an unexpected inheritance, Timothy’s circumstances change, and he is free to pursue his “perfect woman”—one with blonde hair, blue eyes, a light laugh, arched eyebrows, elegant fingers, and a dazzling smile, among nearly twenty other characteristics. 

Maryann Morrington doesn’t match anything on Timothy’s list—except for wealth. An heiress in her own right, she is tired of men pursuing her only for her money. But at nearly twenty-two years old, and not a particularly stunning beauty, she can’t be as picky as her friend Timothy is.

The two friends end up playing matchmaker for each other. Timothy will find a decent gentleman for Maryann, and Maryann will prove to Timothy that his “perfect woman” doesn’t exist.

Until Miss Shaw comes to London.

Now, with Timothy’s heart captivated by the blonde, blue-eyed beauty, Maryann must decide if she should risk her heart and reveal her true feelings for her friend, or if she should settle for someone else. It’s an up-and-down game of “he loves me, he loves me not” with both hearts and friendship on the line.

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I love that the women in the Mayfield Family series are not flat or boring. They are smart, strong, and beautiful women that want to be appreciated and loved. Such is also the case for Maryann. She knows she must find a suitable husband, but finding one that wants her for more than just her money proves to be challenging. 

Seeing Timothy’s priorities change once he receives his inheritance was pretty interesting. Though I didn’t care for some of the choices he made, overall I liked him. He has a silly side to him, but he can also be serious when warranted. Timothy is very smart when it comes to handling his business affairs, though matters of the heart are a different subject. 

Maryann and Timothy’s friendship is so natural and easygoing. I enjoyed seeing them interact with one another. Them agreeing to find a match for each other was a fun and unique aspect to the story.  It’s not long before their friendship is put to the test and Maryann and Timothy must decide whether they will follow their heads or their hearts in the process. And if the result will be worth it. 

Daisies and Devotion was a cute historical romance story. Having read and very much enjoyed the previous book, Promises and Primroses I knew I had to see what was in store for the next member of the Mayfield family. I was not disappointed. The characters were easy to like, and the story was engaging. If you are a fan of clean historical romances than I recommend you give this book and this series a read. 

RATING: 4 OUT OF 5.

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At The Mountain's Edge by Genevieve Graham Cover Reveal!

Expected Publication: April 2, 2019

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

SYNOPSIS for “At the Mountain’s Edge”:

From bestselling author Genevieve Graham comes a sweeping new historical novel of love, tragedy, and redemption set during the height of the Klondike Gold Rush.

      
In 1897, the discovery of gold in the desolate reaches of the Yukon has the world abuzz with excitement, and thousands of prospectors swarm to the north seeking riches the likes of which have never been seen before. 

For Liza Peterson and her family, the gold rush is a chance for them to make a fortune by moving their general store business from Vancouver to Dawson City, the only established town in the Yukon. For Constable Ben Turner, a recent recruit of the North-West Mounted Police, upholding the law in a place overrun with guns, liquor, prostitutes, and thieves is an opportunity to escape a dark past and become the man of integrity he has always wanted to be. But the long, difficult journey over icy mountain passes and whitewater rapids is much more treacherous than Liza or Ben imagined, and neither is completely prepared for the forbidding north.

As Liza’s family nears the mountain’s peak, a catastrophe strikes with fatal consequences, and not even the NWMP can help. Alone and desperate, Liza finally reaches Dawson City, only to find herself in a different kind of peril. Meanwhile, Ben, wracked with guilt over the accident on the trail, sees the chance to make things right. But just as love begins to grow, new dangers arise, threatening to separate the couple forever.

Inspired by history as rich as the Klondike’s gold, At the Mountain’s Edge is an epic tale of romance and adventure about two people who must let go of the past not only to be together, but also to survive.

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About the Author

(Picture & Bio from Authors Website)

I’m a tremendously lucky lady. I have a wonderful, loving family, a beautiful home, AND I get to write. Really, I can’t imagine a better life. Decades ago(!) I went to university to be a professional oboe player. I never planned to be a writer. I never even tried to write a story until I was over forty-which is proof that you’re never too old to try something new.

My passion is breathing life back into history one story at a time, and I am now focusing on Canadian History. Our country is rich with stories which have yet to be told, and my characters are impatient to share! When you finish one of my books, I hope you will be able to say you’ve learned something about Canada’s history, but I also hope you can say the book moved you to learn more. And I will keep bringing you more!

MY WEBSITE: www.GenevieveGraham.com - it has been totally, professionally redone! Yayyyyyyy! As time passes, I will be adding more and more to the “Beyond the Books” page - for now it’s just deleted chapters from my books, but it will eventually include historical information that I find interesting. I am hoping to add something to that page this weekend.

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Promises and Primroses (Mayfield Family #1) by Josi S. Kilpack

    

Publication: September 4, 2018

Publisher: Shadow Mountain

Source: Publisher & Purchased my own copy

Summary:

Lord Elliott Mayfield aims to correct the very messy marital mistakes and spousal scandals of his brothers and sisters by requiring his nieces and nephews to choose worthy companions.  If they choose wisely, they will receive their generous share of the family’s inheritance.

Peter, Elliott’s eldest nephew, thinks the entire idea is ridiculous. A widower with two young daughters, he simply needs a governess, not a wife. Julia Hollingsworth certainly has the credentials and the experience, but is altogether too young and pretty for such a job. So why can’t he stop thinking about her?

Julia loves working as a governess, despite the objections of her mother, Amelia. And as it turns out, Amelia has a lot to say about the Mayfield men—none of it good. But Julia dismisses the rumors of ruined reputations and instead concentrates on helping Peter with his children and his fledgling business in canine husbandry. His kindness and gentleness is endearing—and increasingly attractive.

But Amelia, whose heart was broken thirty years ago by none other than Elliott Mayfield, is determined to prevent any relationship from blooming either between Peter and Julia—or between herself and Elliott.

Hearts and history collide as both couples must face their pasts and decide if risking it all is worth the promise of new love and a new future.

******

When Elliott tells Peter of his idea to help better his nieces and nephews, Peter isn’t 100% sold on it. He shrugs off the idea of himself needing help. He isn’t looking to get married and is already a respectable member of society. When Peter hires Julia to be a governess to his two daughters’ things seem to be going well. Well enough until Julia’s mother Amelia starts to make her opinions known. Peter is confident and headstrong. He likes to do things his own way, but it isn’t always the correct way to do things. That’s something he learns more than once in this story.

Amelia just wants Julia to say close to home, find a suitable husband and have children. However Julia has other plans. She wants more out of her life and more importantly, she wants to have some space from her semi-controlling but well-meaning mother; which is why she is looking for a new governess position. Julia loves her new position within the Mayfield household. And she adores Peters’ little girls and they adore her as well. How long can Julia's happiness last with her mother's interference?

Amelia is familiar with some members of the Mayfield family; especially Elliott Mayfield. Still recalling the pain from all those years ago and determined to not let history repeat itself when it comes to her daughter, Amelia attempts to take matters into her own hands. But can she judge the present clearly when she is still held firmly in the past?

I loved Julia. She is smart, independent (especially for the time period) and not afraid to be herself and say what she wants. Julia and Peter make a rather cute couple. I was rooting for them all the way. Amelia was the most frustrating character. There were several times I wanted to shake her and tell her stop being so ridiculous! 

Having this story told in multiple POV’s made it all the more entertaining to read. This was the first time I had read a book by Josi Kilpack and it will not be the last. The story was well written and it had a good steady pace to it. I very much enjoyed reading this book. Promises and Primroses made me fall back in love with historical romance all over again. It is a sweet story with traces of humor and warmth throughout. One that I hope you check out soon if you haven’t already.

RATING: 5 out of 5.

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The Girl in the Tower (Winternight Trilogy #2) by Katherine Arden

Publication: December 5, 2017

Publisher: Del Rey (Random House)

Source: Publisher & Purchased my own copy

Synopsis:

The magical adventure begun in The Bear and the Nightingale continues as brave Vasya, now a young woman, is forced to choose between marriage or life in a convent and instead flees her home—but soon finds herself called upon to help defend the city of Moscow when it comes under siege.

Orphaned and cast out as a witch by her village, Vasya’s options are few: resign herself to life in a convent, or allow her older sister to make her a match with a Moscovite prince. Both doom her to life in a tower, cut off from the vast world she longs to explore. So instead she chooses adventure, disguising herself as a boy and riding her horse into the woods. When a battle with some bandits who have been terrorizing the countryside earns her the admiration of the Grand Prince of Moscow, she must carefully guard the secret of her gender to remain in his good graces—even as she realizes his kingdom is under threat from mysterious forces only she will be able to stop.

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I didn’t think it was possible, but I fell in love with Vasya a little bit more in this book. She is bold, loyal, and has such an adventurous spirit. She also has a way of finding trouble, or for trouble to find her; whichever way you want to look at it. Vasya is wise in some ways and in other areas a little naïve. It frustrated me a little when the characters would refer to Vasya as a child (or young), but as soon as she made a mistake, they were quick to say that she should have known because she was old enough. But who did she have in her life to guide her and tell her the rules of society and of life in general?

I loved the writing and descriptions of the world around Vasya. There were even a few moments where I almost cried. Vasya has definitely grown some on her journey since the first book. With no real place to call home, Vasya wants to travel and see the world, something a lady does not do in her time period. Especially by herself. She does not want to be married off or locked away in a convent. Of course the road she travels is not an easy one, and she encounters trouble along the way. But with the help of her loyal horse Solovey, and even Morozko on occasion, she feels confident she can handle what comes her way.

The Girl in the Tower is a wonderfully unique and atmospheric tale, that I thoroughly enjoyed. The Bear and the Nightingale is still my favorite out of these two books, however I found TGITT to be a good continuation to the events from TBATN. The ending for TGITT was well done. It tied some things up, but there were enough questions left unanswered that I was left wanting more. I am excited to see how everything else unfolds in the third and final book, The Winter of

the Witch, releasing January 9, 2019.

RATING: 4 out of 5.

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The Bear and the Nightingale (The Bear & the Nightingale #1) by Katherine Arden

Publication: January 10, 2017

Publisher: Del Rey Books

Source: Publisher/ Purchased my own copy also

At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn’t mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil. After Vasilisa’s mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa’s new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows. And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa’s stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent. As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed—this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse’s most frightening tales.

I loved how the book began with the story of Morozko (The Lord of Winter) being told to the children in their home. I felt like it set the tone for the rest of the book.

Six years after the death of her mother, Vasilisa’s (Vasya) father brings home a new wife (Anna). Anna is very devout and strict. Her personality clashes greatly with Vasya, who is a bit of a rebel. At least for her time period. She doesn’t like to follow a lot of rules/orders. She gives food and talks to the spirits/creatures that live in the forest and in her home. Much to the dismay of her stepmother.

All of that comes to an end when Father Konstantin, a priest comes to their village. He forbids the worshiping of the spirits. Soon after that, the crops aren’t coming in as plentiful, the food sources start dwindling. But Father Konstantin just urges everyone to pray harder and be strong in their faith.

Vasya knows it is because the spirits/creatures are being neglected. And she even attempts to secretly appease them by herself. But it is not enough. And pretty soon an evil creature threatens to awaken and harm everyone.

The Bear and the Nightingale is a wonderfully imaginative and atmospheric tale that I enjoyed from start to finish. Gorgeous cover? Check. Historical Fiction? Check. Story involving a strong heroine and inspired by Russian folklore? Double check.

There is so much I could say about this book. I feel like my review doesn’t really do it justice. So I am going to tell you to check it out for yourself. The book started off a little slow, but it had a really interesting start and I fell in love with the writing style. The descriptions were vivid, the characters were complex and interesting. Each character added another layer to the story. I loved Vasya. She was a very strong character. It was interesting to see that in an “old tale” there was a “modern” girl. So far ahead of her time I thought. I was even more excited to discover that I would get to find out more about her when book 2 releases, The Girl in the Tower on December 5, 2017!

RATING: 5 out of 5

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