Recent Reads - A Taste of Traditional Regency Romances

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A Taste of Traditional Regency Romances: Extended excerpts of Regency novels (Bluestocking League Book 1) by Gail Eastwood, Camille Elliot, April Kihlstrom, Vanessa Riley, Regina Scott - This collection is somewhat awkward to review, as it is a free-for-Kindle volume consisting of extended excerpts from the beginnings of five separate novels set during the Regency period. As such, I knew before starting that I would not be able to read the end of any of these stories, but the purpose was to whet my appetite so that I would (hopefully) purchase one or more of the full-length novels to find out how things worked out.

The Captain's Dilemma by Gail Eastwood - Merissa stumbles upon an escaped French war prisoner but decides not to alert anyone to his location. She even provides him information about a safe place for him to stay until he can move on. When she realizes he has been wounded, she risks charges of treason in order to help him further.  ***  I liked these two characters and was interested in learning more about both of them and how they wind up together, as I'm certain they do, so this full novel may be something I'd like to read.

The Spinster's Christmas by Camille Elliot - Captain Gerard Foremont is home recovering from a war wound and meets his childhood friend Miranda at a large house party. Miranda is looking for a way to escape the drudgery she's fallen into as a poor relation in a cousin's household. Gerard is looking for a way to help her, and one of the young children in the party, but it appears there is an enemy that puts them all in danger.  *** I've read, and loved, a previous novel by Elliot so her name was what drew me to this collection. The opening of this novel was not quite so exciting as I'd hoped, but Miranda is in an awkward position and the writing is excellent, so this will be on my to-read list for the Christmas season.

The Wicked Groom by April Kihlstrom - The Duke of Berenford is engaged to marry a woman he doesn't know, and his fiance, Lady Diana, is resentful that her family expects her to go through with a marriage to man she's never met. James, the Duke, disguises himself as a groom in order to meet Diana, and the two are desperately attracted to one another.  ***  It doesn't take a genius to figure out that when Diana finds out she's been deceived she'll not be pleased, but that the two will wind up with a happy and passionate marriage anyway. This was my least favorite of the excerpts, partly because it seemed like a "cleaned up" bodice-ripper. I was not impressed by the writing and the characters were rather one-dimensional.

Unmasked Heart by Vanessa Riley - Gaia Telfair is shy and nearsighted, and somehow doesn't fit in with her siblings, but she is shocked to discover the real reason - she is mulatto, and not really a Telfair at all. William St. Landon doesn't guess her secret, but sees that she has a gift for helping young children learn to speak, so he wants her as a companion for his troubled daughter. *** Only a few sentences into this excerpt, I realized that I was somewhat familiar with Vanessa Riley. I had previously read her story, Swept Away, and I had not given it a very good review at all. This excerpt proved no better, with word usage errors and an amateurish style that puts me in mind of a young teen overzealous in using descriptive words yet not understanding what they mean. I will definitely not be reading the rest of this one.

Secrets and Sensibilities by Regina Scott - Art teacher Hannah Alexander must act as chaperone to some students on a country house visit, and meets the handsome new owner of the estate, David Tenant. David has been living in Boston, and with his Americanized manners, he sees nothing wrong with spending time with the young teacher. Besides, she's very attractive, and he wants her help solving a mystery involving the art collection at the estate.  ***  Although perhaps a bit far-fetched, this story premise appealed to me, and I found myself quite drawn to the two lead characters and rather curious as to how the mystery will play out. Another possibility for a future read here.

Also by Camille Elliot - Prelude for a Lord
Also by Vanessa Riley - Swept Away

©2008-2016 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Wordless Wednesday - Firewood

This post is linked at Wordless Wednesday, hosted by Life at Rossmont.

©2008-2016 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Teaser Tuesdays/First Chapter First Paragraph - Undaunted Hope

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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Jenn at A Daily Rhythm. To play along, just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be careful not to include spoilers!
• Share the title and author, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

They were lightkeepers, she reminded herself. Even if they were both handsome men, she would never interest herself in them if she were in a position to do so, which she wasn't. She'd rather strap her body to a large boulder and drop into the middle of Lake Superior before she let herself become enamored with a lightkeeper.

~Undaunted Hope (Beacons of Hope) by Jody Hedlund, page 86

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

First Chapter/First Paragraph/Tuesday Intros is a weekly link-up hosted by Bibliophile by the Sea. To participate, share the first paragraph (or two) of a book you're reading, or thinking about reading soon.

EAGLE HARBOR, NORTHERN MICHIGAN

SEPTEMBER 1871

   "You're not the new teacher," the bald, round-faced man said again in his childlike voice.

   "But I am," Tessa Taylor insisted. She pushed the wrinkled letter toward the proprietor of Cole Mine Company Store and Office.

   The man's chubby cheeks were flushed red. His eyes shifted in distress toward the shop door. And he refused to so much as glance at the official document she'd carried over the past week, her beacon of hope, her only escape from the past that haunted her.

   "The new teacher is supposed to be a man," the storekeeper said. "And you're a woman."

   She braced her hands on the spotless glass countertop and leaned across it, taking in the name badge he wore pinned to his vest. "Listen, Mr. Updegraff. I'm T. Taylor, which stands for Tessa Taylor. I'm the new teacher for the Eagle Harbor School. I'm sorry you thought you were getting a man, but lucky for you, I'm worth ten men."

   At the sight of her hands on the counter, the man shook his head and made tsking noises at the back of his throat. When he reached beneath the counter, Tessa jerked her hands off the glass and took a quick step back.

   She'd heard tales about the wild, untamed regions of upper Michigan, of the brawling, drunkenness, and lawlessness that were rampant. It would be just her luck if he pulled out a gun and shot her on the spot.

Undaunted Hope (Beacons of Hope) by Jody Hedlund

Here's the blurb:

1871
Eagle Harbor, Michigan

In a Town Mired in Darkness,
She May Shine the Light They Need

Running from the mistakes of her past, Tessa Taylor heads to the uppermost reaches of Michigan, planning to serve as the new teacher to the children of miners. She quickly learns the town had requested a male teacher, but Percival Updegraff, superintendent and chief mine clerk, says she can stay through winter since it's too late to replace her. Tessa can't help but thank him and say she is in his debt.

Determined to make herself irreplaceable once spring thaw arrives, Tessa throws herself into her work, and soon two students have decided Miss Taylor is the right match for their grieving father. At the same time, charming assistant lightkeeper Alex Bjorklund makes his interest known, surprising Tessa, who has never had men fight for her hand before. But not all is well as she feels that someone is tracking her every move, and she may not be able to escape the trap that has been laid for her.

What do you think? Would you continue reading?

©2008-2016 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

What I'm Reading - January 25, 2016

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This weekly reading list meme is hosted at Book Date. Join in to see what others are reading and maybe get some ideas of what to read next! I'm also going to be linking up with Tales of a Pee Dee Mama for D.E.A.R. Monday (Drop Everything And Read).

I recently finished reading...

 The Painter's Daughter by Julie Klassen (Read my review HERE.)



A Taste of Traditional Regency Romances: Extended excerpts of Regency novels (Bluestocking League Book 1) by Gail Eastwood, Camille Elliot, April Kihlstrom, Vanessa Riley, Regina Scott - Just finished this collection of excerpts yesterday, so I will write a sort of review today, I guess.




I'm currently reading...

Worship Changes Everything: Experiencing God's Presence in Every Moment of Life by Darlene Zschech - Planning to finish this and review it this week for Bethany House.

     

Undaunted Hope (Beacons of Hope) by Jody Hedlund - Started reading this yesterday. It's also a review for Bethany House.



White Nights and Other Stories by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - I'm reading this as part of the Back to the Classics Challenge, but I didn't look at it much this past week.




 Next on the stack...

Empty Nest: What's Next?: Parenting Adult Children Without Losing Your Mind by Michele Howe
 David and Bathsheba by Roberta Kells Dorr
Into the Whirlwind by Elizabeth Camden
A Beauty So Rare (A Belmont Mansion Novel) by Tamera Alexander



    

  

On my blogs last week . . .

Here on Just A Second:

Scripture and a Snapshot - Snow and Ice
Book Blogger Hop - January 22, 2016
Wordless Wednesday - Bread Bowl
Teaser Tuesdays - The Painter's Daughter


And on my homeschool blog, Homeschool Coffee Break:

Homeschool Weekly - Winter Storm Edition
From the High School Lesson Book - The Star-Spangled Banner
Virtual Refrigerator - Pentatonix
Ham and Swiss Dip Bread Bowl
My Favorite (Teen) Son

What are you reading?

©2008-2016 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Recent Reads - The Painter's Daughter

This post contains affiliate links. 

The Painter's Daughter by Julie Klassen - Captain Stephen Overtree traveled to Devonshire looking for his older brother Wesley, who has already sailed for Italy. Wesley is a talented artist, but also rather irresponsible, and so Stephen is not much surprised to learn that Wesley has left so abruptly. The problem is that Wesley has also left behind Sophie Dupont, an assistant to her painter father, and has left her in a predicament - she is expecting a child. In order to protect the vulnerable young woman from scandal and disgrace, Stephen offers her a marriage "in name only" and takes her back to Overtree Hall where he hopes she will be accepted by his family without too many questions about their hasty marriage.

Sophie accepts Captain Overtree's proposal, knowing that her options are few, and realizing that even if Wesley were to return and offer for her, it would be far too late to avoid the scandal. As she gets to know Stephen and determines to make the best of her situation, her feelings for him blossom, and she wonders if perhaps he desires more from their relationship as well. Unfortunately, Stephen must return to his regiment and to battle before the two are brave enough to be honest with each other about their feelings. Soon after Stephen's departure, Wesley returns to Overtree Hall. He is shocked to find that Sophie is now his sister-in-law, and is determined to reclaim her and do right by her. How will Sophie choose, and how will she handle the complicated family relationships as the Overtrees become increasingly dubious about her character and about how well she was acquainted with the two brothers?

This was another absolute winner from Julie Klassen, with complex characters in a gritty storyline without easy answers or choices. Sophie's dilemma is poignant - she loved Wesley and believed he loved her; saw her own naivete and weakness for what it was; and yet she had the strength of character to decide to do her best as Stephen's wife. Stephen is noble and kind, yet so reserved and so accepting of a strange prediction that he would die in battle that he denies himself the chance to tell Sophie how he feels about her. And then there's Wesley - is he the irresponsible rake that Stephen believes him to be, or does he truly love Sophie and want to make everything right and care for her?

By the same author: Lady Maybe, The Secret of Pembrooke Park, The Tutor's Daughter, The Dancing Master

©2008-2016 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Scripture and a Snapshot - Snow and Ice

He sends his command to the earth;

his word runs swiftly.

He spreads the snow like wool

and scatters the frost like ashes.

He hurls down his hail like pebbles.

Who can withstand his icy blast?

He sends his word and melts them;

he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow.

~Psalm 147:15-18~

I thought this was fitting as we are experiencing a winter storm this weekend. The picture was taken when we visited Niagara Falls, Ontario, right after Christmas several years ago. The ice-covered lamp post reminds me of Narnia too.

Scripture & a Snapshot is hosted by A Glimpse of Our Life.

Weekend Whispers is hosted by Barbie Swihart.


Verse of the Week is hosted by Counting Pinecones.

©2008-2016 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Book Blogger Hop - January 22, 2016

It's been awhile since I did a Book Blogger Hop question from Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer.

Can you recall a time in your life when you were not reading? 

I really cannot. I started learning to read when I was about three years old (Dr Seuss books!) and when I started Grade 1 at age five, I was one of the kids that already was reading fairly well. I was still quite young when I started getting in trouble when my mom caught me reading under the covers with a flashlight long after I was supposed to be asleep. Some things never change. Except now I read on my Kindle instead of using a flashlight!

©2008-2016 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/