Monthly Bookshelf Review - March 2022

This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee.

March's Books Completed and Reviewed

A Brush with Shadows (A Lady Darby Mystery) by Anna Lee Huber - Kiera accompanies Gage to his family home in Dartmoor to find out what has happened to his missing cousin. The search turns into an investigation into suspected foul play, and an opportunity for Kiera to learn more about Gage's family. (Read my full review HERE)

Lumberjacks and Ladies (a novella collection) - This is a collection of four romance novellas, all set in the 1800s, and all featuring a leading man involved in the lumber industry. (Read my full review HERE)

Love's Fortress by Jennifer Uhlarik - Dani Sango inherits the estate of her estranged father, and begins to realize how little she knew him. Following up on correspondence about an art book he owned leads Dani to a fascinating history of St. Augustine and to new friends. (See my full review HERE)

In February I had finished but not yet reviewed The End of the Magi by Patrick W. Carr - You can now find the full review HERE.

During March I started reading:

An Artless Demise (A Lady Darby Mystery) by Anna Lee Huber - Kiera and Gage have barely returned to London when a gang of body snatchers is arrested and accused of 'burking'.

A Rose For The Resistance by Angela K. Couch - In occupied France, Rosalie finds an unexpected ally in a German soldier, but how much can either of them trust the other?

Price of a Rose by Byrd Nash - This is a fairy tale retelling, in which three sisters take over the running of a strange household. The middle girl, Rose, looks after the gardens and looks for a way to end the curse on the house and its reclusive master.

During March I continued reading:

Raincoats & Sunglasses by Caroline Johnston - I started in late February, but didn't get very far in March since I had a couple of review things to work on, and this got shuffled lower on my priority list.

   

Coming Up in April!

Recitatif: A Story by Toni Morrison

Murder Most Fair by Anna Lee Huber

An Unexpected Peril by Deanna Raybourn

All That's Fair by Amanda G. Stevens

   

      

On my blogs recently . . . 

Besides the reviews, here on Just A Second you'll find:

Scripture and a Snapshot posts

Friday Fun posts - The Friday 56 and First Lines

What I'm Reading - March 14, 2022

And on HS Coffee Break:

I Spy posts (#61-#64)

Five Minute Friday posts

Created To Change The World

Difficult Conversations

Changing With The Seasons

Currently . . . March 3, 2022

High School Writing Tip Sheets - How to Write a "How To" Paper

This post will be linked at the March 2022 Monthly Wrap-Up Round-up Link-up and Giveaway hosted by Feed Your Fiction Addiction; and at the weekly reading list meme hosted at Book Date.

 

©2008-2022 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/ 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Scripture and a Snapshot - Such A Hope

Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.

~II Corinthians 3:12, 17-4:1~

<div style='width:100%;text-align:center;'> <span style='margin:5px;padding:5px;border-radius: 5px;border:1px solid lightgrey;display:inline-block;'><a rel=_nofollow href='https://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/search/label/Scripture%20and%20a%20Snapshot'> <img style='border: 1px solid gray;width:330px;height:330px;' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBkEsmWJLn1f3VqhfaylcSn7IABJxDE4XrGPLFjO1V9xTM3ozVgjnerdCaVUqCwcRPIiwfqTfFqk4du0DK8acoLtyo-qFBOeBIKDwilTJVyIcRXpdYZC2QcFtMnVXKNk4Q1SLHMCX7SPU/s320/scripture+snapshot.jpg'><p style='align: center;'> </p> </a></span>

Thank you for joining Scripture & A Snapshot. Leave a link to your own post sharing a Scripture and a Snapshot. Take time to visit some of the other links and bless each other with comments.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

©2008-2022 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/ 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Scripture and a Snapshot - The New Is Here!

For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:

The old has gone, the new is here!

~II Corinthians 5:14-15, 17~

<div style='width:100%;text-align:center;'> <span style='margin:5px;padding:5px;border-radius: 5px;border:1px solid lightgrey;display:inline-block;'><a rel=_nofollow href='https://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/search/label/Scripture%20and%20a%20Snapshot'> <img style='border: 1px solid gray;width:330px;height:330px;' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBkEsmWJLn1f3VqhfaylcSn7IABJxDE4XrGPLFjO1V9xTM3ozVgjnerdCaVUqCwcRPIiwfqTfFqk4du0DK8acoLtyo-qFBOeBIKDwilTJVyIcRXpdYZC2QcFtMnVXKNk4Q1SLHMCX7SPU/s320/scripture+snapshot.jpg'><p style='align: center;'> </p> </a></span>

Thank you for joining Scripture & A Snapshot. Leave a link to your own post sharing a Scripture and a Snapshot. Take time to visit some of the other links and bless each other with comments.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

©2008-2022 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/ 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Friday Fun - The Friday 56 and First Lines for March 18, 2022

This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee.

Another squadron of Germans had a large cart laden with an assortment of radios they appeared to be collecting from every home. Not just theirs. Strangely, that brought a degree of peace.

~from page 57 of A Rose For The Resistance by Angela K. Couch

Full of intrigue, adventure, and romance, this new series celebrates the unsung heroes - the heroines of WWII.

With her father in a German POW camp and her home in Ste Mere Eglise, France, under Nazi occupation, Rosalie Barrieau will do anything to keep her younger brother safe . . . even from his desire to join the French resistance. Until she falls into the debt of a German soldier - one who delivers a wounded British pilot to her door. Though not sure what to make of her German ally, Rosalie is thrust deep into the heart of the local underground. As tensions build toward the allied invasion of Normandy, she must decide how much she is willing to risk for freedom.

The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice

*Grab a book, any book.

*Turn to Page 56 or 56% on your e-reader.

*Find a snippet, short and sweet.

*Post it, and share in the Linky.

***************

Normandy, France - June 1940

"Aie-aie-aie!" A drop of blood dripped from Rosalie Barrieau's finger as she jerked back. The dead thorn remained in place, mocking her effort.

~From the beginning of A Rose For The Resistance by Angela K. Couch

Book Beginnings on Fridays is hosted by Rose City Reader.

*It's Book Beginnings on Fridays! Time to gather with our fellow book lovers and share the opening sentence (or so) of the books we are reading this week. Or share from a book that is on your mind right now -- whatever catches your fancy.

***************

First Line Fridays is hosted at Reading is My SuperPower

*Share the first line or two of the book closest to you, then visit other FLF participants.

*Please keep posts family friendly or clean reads.

*Link back to Reading is My SuperPower within your post or grab a button.

 ©2008-2022 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/ 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

 

Recent Reads - Love's Fortress

This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee.

Love's Fortress by Jennifer Uhlarik - Danielle Sango is skeptical and bitter when she hears that she has inherited her father's estate. She's had no contact with him for years and he was a convicted art forger whose reputation has overshadowed her life, so she doesn't expect to find anything in his home or belongings that she wants. What she does find is his best friend and neighbor, Matty, who has plenty of information about her father, and plenty of fatherly advice and encouragement for her. Matty takes Dani under his wing and helps her navigate all the shocking discoveries. 

Among Franklin Sango's effects is a book of Native American drawings, and some email messages about it. Dani follows up on the emails and meets museum curator Brad Osgood who helps her research the book's authenticity and how Franklin acquired it. Brad has just taken guardianship of his four-year-old niece, and despite his reluctance to get involved with any drama or complications related to an art forger's daughter, he and Dani are drawn together and both of them find that Matty is a wonderful mentor.

In the story from the past, Broken Bow is among a group of Plains Indians relocated to St Augustine, Florida in 1875. They are imprisoned at Fort Marion, but the Lieutenant in charge wants them to be educated and trained so that they can eventually return to their tribes and live peaceably with the white settlers. Sally Jo Harris and her fiance Luke Worthing have been hoping to go to the mission field, but the arrival of the Indians opens the door for them to teach and share the gospel right at home. Broken Bow initially rebels against his captors but finds friendship with Sally Jo and Luke, and makes great strides in learning to speak and read English. Not everyone in St Augustine is accepting of the Indians though, and Sally Jo's father is harsh and controlling, which eventually leads to danger and false accusations that put all of them at great risk.

The story is told from multiple perspectives - switching back and forth between present day viewpoint characters Dani and Brad, and 1875 viewpoint characters Sally Jo and Broken Bow. At first I felt it would be difficult to follow, but it's actually quite clear. Dani is a brittle and negative character at the beginning, but after awhile I warmed up to her as she found out the truth about a father she never knew. Matty is a wonderful father figure character that brings each of the characters in the present day story together and guides them towards healing and answers. The story from the past is quite compelling, as the situation of Broken Bow and the rest of the Indians is difficult, and the commanding officer is doing his best to help them under restrictive circumstances. The scene in which Broken Bow hears the gospel is one of the most moving I've read in a long time. 

A great read as the connection between the past and the present characters is gradually revealed, and the storylines of healing and forgiveness combine.

From the publisher:

An Epic Love Story From the Past Brings Closure to Dani's Fractured Family Roots

Walk through Doors to the Past via a series of historical stories of romance and adventure.

When Dani Sango's art forger father passes away, Dani inherits his home. Among his effects is a book of Native American drawings, which lead her to seek the help of museum curator Brad Osgood to decipher the ledger art. Why would her father have this book? Is it just another forgery?

Brad Osgood's four-year-old niece, Brynn, needs a safe home, and Brad longs to provide it The last thing he needs is more drama, especially from a forger's daughter. But when the two meet "accidentally" at St. Augustine's 350-year-old Spanish fort, Castillo de San Marcos, he can't ignore the intriguing woman. 

Broken Bow is among seventy-three Plains Indians transported to Florida in 1875 for incarceration at ancient Fort Marion. Sally Jo Harris and Luke Worthing dream of serving God on a foreign mission field, but when the Indians arrive in St. Augustine, God changes their pans. Then when a friendship develops between Sally Jo and Broken Bow and false accusations fly, it could cost them their lives. 

Can Dani discover how Broken Bow and Sally Jo's story ends and how it connects to her father's life?

 Visit Barbour Publishing for more info on where to buy.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

By the same author: The Scarlet Pen

©2008-2022 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/ 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

What I'm Reading - March 14, 2022

This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. 

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! Although the Book Date link-up happens weekly, I don't manage to post that often. I aim to post and link about once a month, although I sometimes link up my monthly summary as well. 

I finished reading . . . 

Lumberjacks and Ladies (a novella collection) - This is a collection of four romance novellas, all set in the 1800s, and all featuring a leading man involved in the lumber industry. (Read my full review HERE)

The End of the Magi by Patrick W. Carr - A young magi embarks on an epic journey to find the meaning of his vision about a coming king. I had started this one well before Christmas, set it aside for awhile, and finally finished it recently. (Read my full review HERE)

A Brush with Shadows (A Lady Darby Mystery) by Anna Lee Huber - Kiera helps Gage in the search for his missing cousin at the family estate in Dartmoor. (Read my full review HERE)

I'm currently reading . . .

Love's Fortress by Jennifer Uhlarik - Dani Sango finally finds out what her estranged father was really like after his death, and the research opens up a fascinating story from long ago St Augustine. Watch for my full review in a day or two.

Raincoats & Sunglasses by Caroline Johnston - Just got started on this novel about three people looking for love and meaning, and how their lives intersect. And then of course I got distracted, so I'll probably have to start over!

Botticelli's Muse by Dorah Blume - I've had this sitting on my Kindle for awhile and decided to give it a try this past week. Still making up my mind about it. As you might guess from the title, it's about the artist Sandro Botticelli and his relationship with the young woman who was the inspiration for his most famous painting.

Next on the stack... 

An Artless Demise (A Lady Darby Mystery) by Anna Lee Huber

A Rose For The Resistance by Angela K. Couch

An Unexpected Peril by Deanna Raybourn

All That's Fair by Amanda G. Stevens

   

        

     

What I'm Highlighting . . . a post from a couple of years ago with some of my favorite recipes for this week of the year. Pi Day and St. Patrick's Day! See Mid-March Celebrations over at HS Coffee Break.

On my blogs recently . . . 

Besides the reviews, here on Just A Second you'll find:

Scripture and a Snapshot posts

Friday Fun - The Friday 56 and First Lines posts

Monthly Bookshelf Review - February 2022

And on my "first cup blog", HS Coffee Break:

I Spy posts (#59-#62)

Five Minute Friday - Heavy

Five Minute Friday - Carry

Currently . . . March 3, 2022

High School Writing Tip Sheets - How to Write a "How To" Paper

February Photo Album

Five Minute Friday - Peace

Share Four Somethings - February 2022

Complacency Is Deceptive

Changing the Mama Bear Mindset

Survive or Thrive?

Tattered and Stretched

Doing Something Useful

A Changing Voice

The Habit Trap

Facing the Facts (The Elegance of Aging)

What are you reading?

 ©2008-2022 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/ 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.