Book Review: The Murder on The Links (Hercule Poirot Mysteries #2) by Agatha Christie

Summary: The Murder on The Links by Agatha Christie

When a man is found dead in a freshly dug grave adjacent to a golf course, Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings arrive on the scene only to be met by a hostile local police detective who is unwilling to share information. But Poirot's methodical investigation slowly and surely reveals the real killer amid a host of suspects and clues, including an impassioned love letter and heavy lead piping found near the body. However, as Poirot and Hastings rush to solve the murder, a similarly slain corpse and fresh clues are discovered.

Book Review: The Murder on The Links by Agatha Christie

Poirot receives a letter from Monsieur Paul Renauld with a plea for help as he feels his life is in danger. Poirot and Captain Hastings rush off to France only to find it too late to prevent the murder. The victim is found in an open grave stabbed in the back with his own dagger. The case includes a mess of cover-ups, lies and deceits to divert the investigation, thoroughly testing Poirot’s skills.

Frensh Detective Investigator Girault tries to undermine Poirot. He tries to consider him a silly little man. Using an arrogant, condescending and patronizing manner, it doesn’t seem to get Poirot off his game. He focuses on his task, ignoring Girault’s attitude. He even mocks and teases Giroult by pointing out weaknesses in his investigation.

This is Story #2 of the Hercule Poirot Mysteries, when Poirot has no become famous. It is told from Captain Hastings’ perspective from a time when he doesn’t quite believe Poirot will be able to bring about a successful outcome. Poirot gets on Hastings’ nerves with his neat, methodical methods. But as the story progresses, he becomes impressed by Poirot and develops more trust in his skills.

We get to follow Poirot and Hastings’ relationship in the earliest stages when Hastings gets irritated with Poirot’s talks about “the little great cells” and analyzing methods. That doesn’t happen in the later stories. With his army background, Hastings seems to prefer to act instead of analyze too much. He comes across as a rather impulsive character who gets side-tracked by feelings, particularly regarding women, which put spanners in the works of Poirot’s investigation.  

There is an interesting mix of characters who don’t exactly make it easy for Poirot to dig out the real truth. A veil of mystery surrounds some of the characters. Some consistently lie and cover up to divert the investigation, while others openly resist and do some great acting to deceive the detectives, but Poirot doesn’t buy it. He walks to the beat of his own drum, and methodically follows the evidence which ends up solving the murder. Must say I was quite surprised by the result as I felt the culprit was sprung on me. I normally pick up on clues along the way, but not this time.

All in all I enjoyed this story by Agatha Christie a lot like I always do. In The Murder in The Links I particularly liked the parts about the relationship between Poirot and Hastings. These descriptions set it apart from later works where it seems their relationship has developed into more fixed detective vs assistant roles where they have learned how to go about solving cases most effectively way.

Fans of Agatha Christie will enjoy The Murder in The Links. It is also recommended for readers of crime fiction.

All opinions in this review are my own.

My rating: 4 stars / 5

Book Details:

Hardcover: 172 pages
Publisher: Public Park Publishing (January 16, 2020)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1989814387
ISBN-13: 978-1989814383

About The Author (Copied from Amazon.com)

Agatha Christie was born in 1890 and created the detective Hercule Poirot in her debut novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920). She achieved wide popularity with The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926) and produced a total of eighty novels and short-story collections over six decades.

Book Review: The House at The End of The Moore by Michelle Griep

Summary: The House at The End of The Moore

What Can a London Opera Star and an Escaped Dartmoor Prisoner Have in Common?
 
Opera star Maggie Lee escapes her opulent lifestyle when threatened by a powerful politician who aims to ruin her life. She runs off to the wilds of the moors to live in anonymity. All that changes the day she discovers a half-dead man near her house. Escaped convict Oliver Ward is on the run to prove his innocence, until he gets hurt and is taken in by Maggie. He discovers some jewels in her possession—the very same jewels that got him convicted. Together they hatch a plan to return the jewels, clearing Oliver’s name and hopefully maintaining Maggie’s anonymity.

Review: The House at The End of The Moore

Famed opera singer Margaret Lee is hiding out at Morden Hall at the end of Dartmoor, when she finds escapee prisoner Oliver Ward lifeless at the side of the road. The plot centers around a jewel theft they both are connected to. On an intense and dangerous mission to bring down the real jewel thief they have to deal with people as dangerous as they are powerful.

Having fled from her contract obligations to sing in Bath, famed opera singer Margaret Lee  is in hiding at the end of Dartmoor. She feels she has to escape to protect herself and her father from threats and violence. After 9 months at the end of the moor she is still scared her manager, Mr. Grout, will find her.

Oliver was wrongly convicted for theft of a jewelry necklace and has fought to stay alive in Dartmoor prison. He makes a narrow escape with dangerous and violent Prison Warden, Mr. Barrow, on his tale. This is why he ends up near Margaret’s house, wounded and unconscious. When he gets better, he recognizes Margaret as the one who wore the necklace just before it was stolen. He suspects her to be the thief. She thinks she is in possession of a theatre prop, and is shocked to find out it is real.

Margaret and Oliver realize they have to work together, so they decide to set out on a journey to Bath to solve the jewel mystery as well as trying to stay safe from Mr. Barrow and Mr.  Gout who are chasing them. Throughout this ordeal, they get to see each other bring out their best under pressure.

I really liked the character of Margaret as she tries to fend for herself in a world of powerful men. I found her reactions believable for a woman of that time lacking the security of family or powerful connections to shield her. All her life she has been told what’s acceptable and what’s not by men, but now she is done with it. She has a good heart taking mute girl Nora into her employ, when she is harassed in the local community.

Oliver seems a real charmer with the ladies, and well connected among various groups of potential voters come election day to parliament. He uses his silver-tongued skills for all they are worth to get out of sticky situations. His work in favor of the less fortunate has led to powerful people wanting to get rid of him, hence the wrongful conviction. His political views seem something like Ross Poldark’s, as he fights for the poor and against people whose goal in life is lining their own pockets whatever it takes.

This story contains some seriously unsavory characters. Well done! Prison Warden and law enforcement officer Sebastian Barrow in particular, who has his very own interpretation of what trust in God entails. I find him to be a violent, dangerous and appalling man. When dealing with prisoners, knocking them senseless seems to be his go-to approach. Whether they survive or not doesn’t seem to concern him. He is an excellently crafted villain character with a questionable stability of mental health. He really pushes my buttons. I am pleased to see there is a bit of a positive development towards the end of the story, so stay tuned.

The story is told from Oliver’s and Margaret’s points of view as well as Mr. Barrow’s, who keeps hunting them down to achieve his version of justice and God’s will. The plot contains some intense and dramatic parts, mixed with calm in which the relationship between Margaret and Oliver gets room to develop and, I’m pleased to say, my shoulders get to relax a bit. I really enjoyed the funny streaks mixed into this story, which lightens the mood in spite of the sometimes intense drama.

As the danger temporarily subsides Margaret gets conscious of some of Oliver’s positive traits. There are contrasts in this plot which I love. We move from sequences of Dickensian proportions to opulence in homes of the super rich in Bath. There is a clear element of faith running through the plot which I also truly appreciate.

Fans of Michelle Gripe will enjoy The House at The end of The Moor. It is recommended for readers of historical fiction too.

Thank you to Barbour Publishing and NetGalley for this eARC in return for my honest review. All opinions in this review are completely my own.

My rating: 5 stars / 5

Book Details:

Print Length: 320 pages
Publisher: Shiloh Run Press (April 1, 2020)
Publication Date: April 1, 2020
Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B081GGP5GV

About The Author

Michelle Griep’s been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. She is the Christy Award-winning author of historical romances: A Tale of Two Hearts, The Captured Bride, The Innkeeper’s Daughter, 12 Days at Bleakly Manor, The Captive Heart, Brentwood’s Ward, A Heart Deceived, and Gallimore, but also leaped the historical fence into the realm of contemporary with the zany romantic mystery Out of the Frying Pan. If you’d like to keep up with her escapades, find her at www.michellegriep.com or stalk her on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

And guess what? She loves to hear from readers! Feel free to drop her a note at michellegriep@gmail.com.

Book Review: Corridors of The Night by Anne Perry

Summary: Corridors of The Night

One night, in a corridor of the Royal Naval Hospital, Greenwich, nurse Hester Monk is approached by a terrified girl. She's from a hidden ward of children, all subject to frequent blood-letting, and her brother is dying. While William Monk's River Police fight to keep London safe from gun-runners, Hester takes on a new role at the hospital, helping to administer a secretive new treatment. But she slowly realizes that this experimental cure is putting the lives of the children at risk. Attempting to protect the young victims, she comes under threat from one rich, powerful, and very ill man who is desperate to survive...(copied from Goodreads)

Book Review: Corridors of The Night

Ex Crimean Nurse Hester Monk covers a shift for a friend when she finds a secret hospital ward where scared and very sick children are kept. While Hester tries to keep them alive, she finds out they are part of a cynical medical experiment. The three children and Hester herself soon find themselves in grave danger having been abducted to help with the experiment.

This is installment #21 in The William Monk Series. I enjoy them as stand-alone works and love the universe of characters she creates who show up like old friends. This story contains new male characters with discriminating behavior. By today’s standards Hester has to deal with appalling views on women. Discrimination against women in the work place seems to be an additional theme in the plot, which I find interesting from a historic point of view.

The descriptions annoy me even though I realize the characters have been crafted for this exact purpose. The patient Bryson Radnor, is the main example even though the chemist Hamilton Rand is also quite skilled in patronizing and condescending behavior towards Hester. Radnor has the full range of bad traits being condescending, ungrateful, manipulative and patronizing trying to undermine Hester for not being a man. In his defense I have to say he is sick and angry, not able to deal with receiving nursing help, but the way he makes the most of every moment to bully his own daughter as well as Hester makes me incredibly angry.

In this story Hester is the main character, even if there is a separate story line where Monk and his River Police are trying to keep London safe. They conduct an operation against a cargo ship smuggling weapons, which is not exactly a roaring success. This shorter part of the story seems like addition to the real story, whereas Hester stars in the main part. Monk, however, has to use his detective skills to rescue her towards the end of the plot.

Hester is faced with plenty of dilemmas connected to blood transfusion. I would imagine there were not much in the way of ethical regulations at the time even though blood transfusion had been tried on and off for hundreds of years. I find it interesting reading as we get to follow Hester’s though process when dealing with patients. She focuses mainly on keeping the children alive through this cynical experiment, when she is their only advocate.

The patient Radnor has consented and is paying for experimental treatment as this is his only hope to survive “the white blood disease”, today known as leukemia. Against Hester’s will she helps with the secret experimental treatment. As a nurse of the time she doesn’t seem to have much power or say in what she takes part in. Seems she pretty much does as she’s told even though she is the one with experience with severe blood loss, being an ex WW1 battlefield nurse.

I enjoy the cast of recurring characters, among them is Squeaky Robinson who somewhat lightens up the otherwise dark plot with his volatile temper and failed attempts to cover up his feelings. He has a good heart which he thinks nobody knows about. Having a history as a brothel owner involved in a number of shady and underhanded dealings, he has now somewhat cleaned up his act to only include the occasional forgery. I find it funny that Monk knows Squeaky sometimes colors outside the lines a bit, but closes his eyes as long as it’s nothing major. He works as a semi-reliable accountant for Hester’s health Clinique for prostitutes. In return he gets to live there for free.

The written East London Cockney dialect I sometimes find a bit hard to read, but I enjoy it a lot and feel it adds authenticity to the plot. The way Perry makes sure readers know upper class characters from lower class, I think works quite well in her stories.

Fans of Anne Perry’s numerous works will enjoy Corridors of The Night. It is also recommended for readers of historical fiction.

All opinions in this review are completely my own.

My rating 4 stars / 5

Book Details

Series: A William Monk Novel
Hardcover: 473 pages
Publisher: Thorndike Press; Large Print edition (October 7, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1410480364
ISBN-13: 978-1410480361

About The Author

Anne Perry is the bestselling author of two acclaimed series set in Victorian England: the William Monk novels, including Dark Assassin and The Shifting Tide, and the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt novels, including The Cater Street Hangman, Calandar Square, Buckingham Palace Gardens and Long Spoon Lane. She is also the author of the World War I novels No Graves As Yet, Shoulder the Sky, Angels in the Gloom, At Some Disputed Barricade, and We Shall Not Sleep, as well as six holiday novels, most recently A Christmas Grace. Anne Perry lives in Scotland. To learn more about the author, visit http://www.anneperry.co.uk/books

Book Review: #Brooklyn Summer by #Maggie Cummings

Summary: Brooklyn Summer by Maggie Cummings

Ashleigh McAllister’s life is a total disaster. Her ex dumped her for a guy, and she can’t seem to stop bumping into them in their suddenly way too small Brooklyn neighborhood. At least Mother Nature is on her side. Summer is here and the forecast is all sun. Ashleigh needs a little excitement, and things get exponentially hotter when Kellan Dwyer walks into her life.

Fresh out of the army, Kellan is killing time apartment sitting before returning home to a scripted future in Colorado. Her itinerary consists solely of having a blast.

Ashleigh and Kellan decide friends with benefits is hot, and fun, and sexy as hell, but romance? Terrible idea.

With the New York City skyline as their backdrop, the summer heats up fast. They just have to keep their feelings in check before someone gets hurt. When opposites attract, can a summer of passion lead to a lifetime of love?

My Book Review of Brooklyn Summer

As Ashleigh Mcallister is struggling to get over her 12 year marriage, her friend introduces her to ex-soldier Kellan Dwyer who has travelled from Colorado to apartment-sit. They have a lovely time enjoying New York sights and each other until Kellan’s secret lands like a bomb between them.

This is my first time reading romance from a gay/lesbian perspective. I will not pretend to be knowledgeable about it but found it an interesting read. Universal elements in this story I think might be relevant for any gender, as the plot is about development and change of relationships. About what fears and insecurities might come into play when we try to be in a relationship.

Ashley is weary of dating following her divorce, but she still manages to open up to Kellan. She knows she will leave after the summer so she starts off guarding her heart, pretending this is just a pleasant summer fling. Kellan helps Ashley move through the hurt feelings from her divorce and gradually starts to trust her more and share her innermost feelings. Kellan, on the other hand, seems to be under sharing which comes back to haunt them both later in the plot.

Of all the characters in this story, I think Ashley’s 80 year old grandma was my favorite. She is important in the story’s first part as Ashley’s sounding board and confidant. The energetic and young-at-heart grandma is a great support for Ashley with her sharp comments and good advice while they walk to the Day Centre together. I found it endearing and funny that she is computer literate and gets information from a day centre friend’s Instagram account.

This story felt sweet and easy with a summer vibe to it, which would make a great holiday read. For anyone tempted to go to New York, there is a nice collection of sights described. I’m sure fans of Maggie Cummings’ other work would appreciate this new installment, as well as readers of gay/lesbian romance.

Thank you to publisher Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley for this eARC in return for my honest review. All opinions are completely my own.

My rating: 4 stars / 5

Product Details:

Print Length: 246 pages
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books (February 11, 2020)
Publication Date: February 11, 2020
Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B083WHRB6Z

About The Author

Maggie Cummings lives in Staten Island, New York, with her wife and their two children. She has degrees in English, theater, and criminal justice. She works in law enforcement in the NYC metropolitan area
.

Book Review: The Fifth Avenue Story Society by Rachel Hauck

Summary: The Fifth Avenue Story Society by Rachel Hauck

An invitation to join The Fifth Avenue Story Society gives five New York strangers a chance to rewrite their own stories.

Executive assistant Lexa is eager for a much-deserved promotion, but her boss is determined to keep her underemployed.

Literature professor Jett is dealing with a broken heart, as well as a nagging suspicion his literary idol, Gordon Phipps Roth, might be a fraud.

Uber driver Chuck just wants a second chance with his kids.

Aging widower Ed is eager to write the true story of his incredible marriage.

Coral, queen of the cosmetics industry, has broken her engagement and is on the verge of losing her great grandmother’s multimillion-dollar empire.

When all five New Yorkers receive an anonymous, mysterious invitation to the Fifth Avenue Story Society, they suspect they’re victims of a practical joke. No one knows who sent the invitations or why. No one has heard of the literary society. And no one is prepared to reveal their deepest secrets to a roomful of strangers.

Yet curiosity and loneliness bring them back week after week to the old library. And it’s there they discover the stories of their hearts, and the kind of friendship and love that heals their souls. 

Book Review: The Fifth Avenue Story Society by Rachel Hauck

When five strangers, Jett, Lexa, Coral, Chuck and Ed, out of the blue get invited to the Fifth Avenue Literary Society Library, they don’t understand what’s going on. Gradually they get past their insecurities and start sharing some of the stories of their lives. These strangers with no previous connection come to trust each other, pour their hearts out and wrestle with each other’s stories to get to the truths.

This story starts with background stories of each of the invited. Each has past issues they have been too afraid to deal with and prefers to keep secret. But as they keep meting every Monday night, they share more and more details and are bringing fresh, new perspectives into each member’s life. New input and new inspiration helps to reignite the lives of these somewhat stuck and lonely people. Their relationships seem to develop and the support of the society helps the members reflect on their past and move through some hard issues. They learn to love and be loved, be cared for and respected as they get more and more involved and willing to be there for each other.

I enjoyed the personal development we get to witness by following these individuals as members of the story society. From being rather closed off when joining, they learn to open up about their feelings and trusting the other members with the real truths about their lives. The stories they share become more and more heartbreaking, raw and honest.

The plot presents each society member similar to diary entries where we get to follow their unique process. The writing draws me into how their lives feel to them from the inside with all the fear, grief, and hurt feelings they experience. Going to the story society every Monday somehow adds to their lives and contributes to the healing they didn’t expect or seek.

The members of the story society is a good cast of well developed characters I feel are easy to identify with as they have their individual issues they try to lie, cover up or in other ways refuse to deal with leading to resentment and bitterness in their lives. This makes them all believable, real and special. I appreciated the faith element mixed into the plot which intensified towards the end.

My favorite of the characters is Lexa Wilder who is personal assistant in a burger chain. I am delighted to see her finally stand up for herself work wise. Her eyes get abruptly opened when she understands she really has caught the wrong end of the stick. Realizing this, she has to figure out what she wants and make a tough adjustment.

I felt the writing was vivid. In my mind’s eye I could see how the Fifth Avenue Story Society Library might actually look like. Fascinating how the meetings were held in surroundings of antique furniture, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and dusty carpets. I envisioned maybe it might look something like a mini version of the library at Hogwarts in the Harry Potter movie.

This is the first book I read from Rachel Hauck, but she will be on my radar from now on and I will be on the lookout for more of her previous works as well as future releases. I would recommend The Fifth Avenue Story Society to fans of Rachel Hauck and readers of romance genre.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

My rating: 5 stars / 5

Product Details:

 

File Size: 2041 KB
Print Length: 400 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Up to 5 simultaneous devices, per publisher limits
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (February 4, 2020)
Publication Date: February 4, 2020
Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B07TBZN48W

About The Author: 

Rachel Hauck is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author.

She is a Christy Award Winner and a double RITA finalist. Her book The Wedding Dress was named Inspirational Novel of the Year by Romantic Times Book Club. She is also the recipient of RT's Career Achievement Award.

A graduate of Ohio State University with a degree in Journalism, and a former sorority girl, Rachel and her husband live in central Florida. She is a huge Buckeyes football fan.

Visit her at www.rachelhauck.com or www.facebook.com/rachelhauck

#Historical Romance Book Review #The Bridge to Belle Island by #Julie Klassen

Summary: The Bridge to Belle Island by Julie Klassen

After a humiliating mistake, lawyer Benjamin Booker resolves to never again trust a beautiful woman. When an old friend is killed, the senior partner isn't satisfied with Bow Street's efforts and asks Benjamin to investigate. Eager to leave London for a while, Benjamin agrees. Evidence takes him to a remote island on the Thames, a world unto itself, shrouded in mist and mystery. Soon he finds himself falling for the main suspect--a woman who claims not to have left the island in ten years. But should he trust her?

On Belle Island, Isabelle feels safe and leads a productive life, but fear keeps her trapped there. When Mr. Booker arrives with news of her trustee's murder in London, Isabelle is stunned. She has not left the island, yet she has a recurring dream about the man's death. Or is it a memory? She had been furious with him, but she never intended . . . this.

When a second person dies and evidence shockingly points to her, Isabelle doesn't know who to trust: the attractive lawyer or the admirer and friends who assemble on the island, each with grudges against the victim. Can she even trust her own mind? While they search for the truth, secrets come to light and danger comes calling.

My thoughts about The Bridge to Belle Island

When lawyer Benjamin Booker and his senior partner Robert Harvey stumbles upon a crime scene, they are horrified the victim is longtime friend and company founder Percival Norris. The case seems connected to Isabella Wilder of Belle Island. Benjamin agrees to pay her a visit to investigate the murder under the cover of giving her legal advice.

The victim, Mr. Norris, has served as trustee of the Wilder estate in a way which increasingly worries and angers his charge Isabella. He is trying to use his power to pressure Isabella into allowing a shipbuilding company onto the beautiful and secluded Belle Island. For the last ten years she has not left the island even once because she believes in a curse on her family. She is adamant on keeping everything as it is, stay on the island and run her willow basketry business as usual. Only trouble is, she has this strange and vivid dream of being present in the Wilder’s town house at the time of the murder.

When Benjamin arrives at Belle Island, he is eager to both please his employer, Mr. Hardy, and regain confidence in himself after a very public and humiliating loss in court. He is trying to quietly dig up additional evidence in the murder case and figure out what Isabella has to do with it all. Could it be she or another family member is the actual murderer?

Isabella’s niece Rose Wilder is betrothed to Christopher Adair. He lies about his whereabouts at the time of the murder. He acted entitled and arrogant, and I disliked the way he tried to cover up and obstruct the investigation.

Evan Curtis is Isabella’s childhood friend and youth love interest. He was sent away to the most dangerous of war zones because it was in Mr. Norris’ best interest as trustee that Isabella didn’t marry. He is very angry with Mr. Noris and suspects him of picking the most dangerous posting of all hoping he would be killed in the Peninsular war. I found him odd and secretive, maybe even dangerous with his experience of weapons and war. Why is he back a Belle Island after so many years?

Dr Theodore Grant also Isabella’s childhood friend. Even though he is a very talented doctor meant for big things in some city, he stays on as country doctor. Isabella expects him to propose to her at some point. She waits, but nothing happens. Instead he seems to act over-protective, possessive and patronizing towards her. She considers him a friend, but has no real feelings for him. A strange display of reactions show everything is not as it seems with him.

The vivid writing of this story draws me into the plot. It feels like I’m actually there in the beautiful English hamlet Riverton with the old village church, thatch roofed cottages and the Thames River lazily floating by. I love the descriptions of life on the river at the time. A lot of activity seemed to be going on with fishing boats and net makers trying to make a living.

Weeping willow trees and lush greenery add to the lovely nature scene. I can almost hear birds chirping in the trees and feel the sun on my face, while I visualize the story. Who could imagine bad things happen in a beautiful place like this.

I found the menu descriptions of the dinner party at Belle Island as thorough as they were impressive. People really did know how to eat and party at the time. The dancing part an issue in it’s own right.

This plot had great build up of tension. I was kept busy suspecting a number of characters of some kind of foul play throughout the story. The relationship between Isabella and Ben I felt grew slowly but surely amidst all the drama in a way that complimented the story without overpowering it.

The Bridge to Belle Island is recommended for fans of Julie Klassen’s other works and for readers of historical fiction.

My rating 5 stars / 5

(All opinions in this review are my own)

Product Details: The Bridge to Belle Island

Print Length: 397 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0764218204
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (December 3, 2019)
Publication Date: December 3, 2019
Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B07PZYTSC8

About The Author: The Bridge to Belle Island

Julie Klassen loves all things Jane—Jane Eyre and Jane Austen. She worked in publishing for sixteen years and now writes full time. Three of her novels have won the Christy Award for Historical Romance. She has also won the Minnesota Book Award, the Midwest Book Award, and Christian Retailing’s BEST Award. Julie is a graduate of the University of Illinois. She and her husband have two sons and live in St. Paul, Minnesota. Visit www.julieklassen.com and talesfromivyhill.com for more information.

Book Review: The Winter Companion (Parish Orphans of Devon book 4) by Mimi Matthews

Summary:The Winter Companion (Parish Orphans of Devon #4)

A winter reunion for the orphans brings romance for Neville Cross in Book 4 of Mimi Matthews' USA Today bestselling Parish Orphans of Devon series.

She Needed to be Seen...

As a lady's companion, Clara Hartwright never receives much attention from anyone. And that's precisely how she likes it. With a stormy past, and an unconventional plan for her future, it's far safer to remain invisible. But when her new employer is invited to a month-long holiday at a remote coastal abbey, Clara discovers that she may not be as invisible as she'd hoped. At least, not as far as one gentleman is concerned.

He Wanted to be Heard...

Neville Cross has always been more comfortable with animals than people. An accident in his youth has left him with a brain injury that affects his speech. Forming the words to speak to his childhood friends is difficult enough. Finding the right things to say to a lovely young lady's companion seems downright impossible. But Miss Hartwright is no ordinary companion. In fact, there may not be anything ordinary about her at all.

During a bleak Devon winter, two sensitive souls forge an unexpected friendship. But when Clara needs him most, will Neville find the courage to face his fears? Or is saying goodbye to her the most heroic thing he can do?

Book Review: The Winter Companion (Parish Orphans of Devon #4)

Following an accident as a child, Neville Cross is speech impaired and that holds him back from fulfilling his dreams of a good life. When he meets Clara Hartwright, lady’s companion with a shockingly unladylike secret, he feels forced to challenge his low self-esteem to forge an independent life.

In the Parish Orphans of Devon Series we follow the orphan boys Justin Thornhill, Tom Finchley, Alex Archer and Neville Cross. Installment #4 is featuring Neville Cross, who is apprentice steward at Greyfriar’s Abby owned by his friend Justin. He finds it hard to do the paper work part of the position and prefers to work outside, particularly tending to the horses. Having had a troubled background, Neville is grateful to Justin for the opportunity to work and live on the estate. He doesn’t think he is able to do anything else and is afraid to venture out among people. He expects to be ridiculed for his trouble expressing himself. The parts of the story where we get a glimpse into his thoughts about himself and his life are heartbreaking. Neville’s confidence and outlook on life has really taken a toll. He is convinced he has to isolate himself at the Abbey for the rest of his life. There is not really anybody in his surroundings who challenges him to make a change until he meets Clara.

Clara Hartwright, comes for a Christmas visit together with her employer Mrs Bainbright. She needs her position to save enough money, so she tries to be as good a lady’s companion as she can be. She doesn’t feel she has the knack for staying silent and acting like a living ghost, but she has this shockingly unladylike project that needs funding and be kept an absolute secret.  Clara seems an assertive and outspoken young woman, so slowly but surely she manages to challenge Neville’s preconceptions. With her help his mind is opened to dreams and opportunities he previously believed was out of his reach.

I really appreciated Clara’s desire to rid herself of some of the feminine constraints of the time, and there certainly were a lot of them to deal with and find creative ways around. I found it refreshing that the plot includes a mix of what might have been forward thinking or even revolutionary ideas at the time. Darwinistic ideas are balanced out with, to us, very old fashioned views.

Neville loves horses and the knowledge and interest in horses and dogs shines through in this work, which I find very enjoyable. Clara rescues old pug Bertie from being put down and secretly takes him with her to her new position. He seems to find a new and happier life in the country playing with his two new mastiff friends. I found him an enjoyable and funny supporting character in his own right.

There seems to have been thorough research ahead of writing this story into how Christmas decorations were made and what games and activities were played at the time. Some of the activities I even recognize as being done today as part of pre Christmas crafting or Christmas Workshops. As the plot is set at a Christmas gathering of friends and family in Devon, I found this part of the story entertaining and enjoyable adding to the Christmas vibe.

Even though this is a 4 book series, I read A Winter Companion (Parish Orphans of Devon #4) as a standalone. It worked well, but I think I would recommend reading the series starting with #1, gradually getting up to speed with characters and events. I found this to be a sweet, entertaining read and I would recommend it to fans of Mimi Matthews other works and readers of historical romance fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for this ARC in return for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

My rating: 4 stars / 5

Info about the book: The Winter Companion (Parish Orphans of Devon #4)

• Publisher: Perfectly Proper Press (February 11, 2020) 
• ARC provided by: NetGalley and Victory Editing
• Publication Date: February 11, 2020
• Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC
• ASIN: B07XJGRLP8

About The Author of  The Winter Companion (Parish Orphans of Devon #4)

USA Today bestselling author Mimi Matthews writes both historical nonfiction and award-winning proper historical romances set in Victorian England. Her articles on nineteenth century history have been published on various academic and history sites, including the Victorian Web and the Journal of Victorian Culture, and are also syndicated at BUST Magazine. In her other life, Mimi is an attorney. She resides in California with her family, which includes an Andalusian dressage horse, two Shelties, and two Siamese cats.
To learn more, please visit www.MimiMatthews.com

Book Review: New Beginnings at Glendale Hall (Glendale Hall book 2) by Victoria Walters

Summary of New Beginnings at Glendale Hall (Glendale Hall #2)

Two weddings and a baby…but who will get their happy ever after?

Emily Prescott’s life isn’t going to plan. Her dreams of starting a family with fireman boyfriend Greg and opening up her own bakery in London feel like they will never come true. So when a wedding invite arrives from her oldest friend, Beth Williams, Emily is thrilled. Not only will she get to return to her childhood home in Scotland, but best of all – Beth wants her to bake the wedding cake!

However, her excitement is cut short when she discovers that Greg has cheated on her. Devastated by his betrayal, Emily flees to Glendale Hall, Beth’s grand estate in the Highlands, and tries to distracts herself with helping with the wedding plans, but that’s not easy when Greg keeps hounding her to forgive him. Then she’s introduced to Glendale’s new young and handsome vicar Brodie, and things become even more complicated.

When Emily discovers that Greg’s betrayal runs deeper than she imagined, she finds herself with a whole host of decisions to make, especially when she discovers her long awaited dream is finally being fulfilled – at exactly at the wrong time…

Book Review of New Beginnings at Glendale Hall (Glendale Hall #2)

Emily Prescott, expert baker, is in a dwindling relationship with firefighter boyfriend when she finds out he cheated on her. She doesn’t know how to handle the complicated mess of her life, so she flees to her childhood home in Scotland to serve as bridesmaid and make the wedding cake for her friend Beth’s wedding. The drama intensifies as even more issues come to light.

This is an enjoyable and relaxing read that gives me all the feelings I wish for in a book of this genre. I loved that this story has such a light, happy and sometimes funny vibe to it. There are patches of life wisdom scattered about, which I find an added bonus. I feel drawn in by plenty of descriptions of life in Glendale, which reminds me of rural life of my childhood in northern Norway. I always seem to enjoy stories set in Scotland. There’s just something about descriptions of relationships and the rural community feel that that appeals to me so much.

Beth Williams, bride and small town power house, is working to breathe new life into the community using her grandmother’s inheritance. She has chosen to make her wedding a major community rally to both make the wedding perfect and to add business and activity to the Glendale area.

I am pleased to see Emily has support of her close Scottish friends and family at a time when she feels life is tough and she doesn’t know what the next step is. There is a whole cast of background characters in this story who are all Emily’s friends and family. Most important is commitment phobic boyfriend Greg, who fortunately goes through a major development throughout and is essential to the plot. Also vital to this story is handsome minister Brodie Stewart. His presence intensifies the drama and complications even more.

I really appreciate how the writing relates a cozy vibe despite the complexities and drama of the plot. Relaxing summery weather descriptions add to a relaxed holiday feel. Wedding preparations get a distinct place in the story. We get to follow planning of the color scheme, bridesmaid’s dresses and wedding cake as well as the outdoor arrangement of flowers and lights on the gazebo in the grounds of Glendale Hall.

This was an enjoyable and relaxing read, just as I was expecting. I would recommend it to fans of Victoria Walters and readers of romance woman’s fiction. This is book 2 in the Glendale Hall series. I read it as a standalone, which worked out just fine, and will be on the lookout for future installments.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Hera,  for this ARC in return for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

My rating: 5 stars / 5

Info about The Book New Beginnings at Glendale Hall (Glendale Hall #2)

Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC

Kindle Edition

Publication: February 5th 2020 by Hera

ASIN B081RZKDGL

Series Glendale Hall #2

About the Author of New Beginnings at Glendale Hall (Glendale Hall #2)

Victoria Walters has always been a bookworm and loved making up stories whilst growing up in Surrey. After studying a BA degree in Sociology at Warwick University, she worked in human resources before deciding to pursue writing more seriously. She now works part-time as a bookseller and loves recommending books.

Victoria is slightly too fond of cake and shopping, and might be the only writer who hates coffee. She has a kitten called Harry (named after Potter, not Styles) and posts too many pictures of him on Twitter.
Dancing in the Fire, her New Adult romance, was the winner of a short story competition run by Simon and Schuster and is available as an eBook exclusive now.
For more information about the author, please visit: https://victoria-writes.com/