Category: Historical Fiction

Beta Reading, Cover Reveal, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Kindle Unlimited

Cover Reveal: An Echo in Time, by Boo Walker

Kristie

Yesterday, author Boo Walker revealed the cover for his upcoming book, An Echo in Time! He has worked extremely hard on this novel and I feel honored to have been able to contribute a few ideas as a beta reader and give feedback on cover prototypes. I’m thrilled with how beautiful the cover turned out! It reflects the story perfectly.

An Echo in Time will be released on August 20th of this year. You can preorder it now on Amazon (the ebook is only $4.99) and it will be available on Kindle Unlimited if you are a subscriber. For those who are signed up on NetGalley, the arcs should be there some time in April.

This has been a fascinating journey for me as a first-time beta reader, and I could not be more fortunate to work with an author who is so generous, encouraging, and open to ideas. I’m aware of at least three other projects he’s currently working on, one of which I hope to see in a few short weeks.

I will have more updates on An Echo in Time in the future, so stay tuned!

ARC (Advanced Reader Copy), Autobiography, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Reading Wrap Up, Women's Fiction

January 2024 Reading Wrap Up!

Kristie

Here it is, the sixteen books I read in January! All of the 5 star books have their own individual reviews, so be sure and check those out. Secret of the Sassafras is a reread (still loved it!) But the other 5 star books are all very highly recommended! If I had to pick my 3 favorites that you NEED to add to your TBR I would say The Women, by Kristin Hannah; One Summer in Savannah, by Terah Shelton Harris; and The Frozen River (probably my top favorite of the month,) by Ariel Lawhon.

And what about February? I have several books at the top of my list of hopeful reads for next month. I may have to interrupt my mood reading in exchange for some beta reading, but until I know for certain, here’s a short video with some that I hope to read very soon:

Fiction, Historical Fiction

The Frozen River, by Ariel Lawhon

Kristie

Welcome to the first book of 2024 to receive 10/10 Stars!

The Frozen River, by Ariel Lawhon, is getting a lot of attention right now, and if you read it, you will understand why. Set in Hallowell, Maine in 1790, a dead body is pulled from the Kennebec River. Martha Ballard, the local midwife, is asked to identify it and determine a cause of death. She is the closest thing to a doctor in their town, but she is wise and blessed with a lot of common sense. When she sees injuries that could not be from drowning, Martha determines the cause of death to be murder. Others disagree. But when the victim is identified as Joshua Burgess, a scoundrel of a man recently accused of rape, no one is sorry to hear that he’s dead.

This mystery unfolds throughout the story, but there are other issues present as well. Joshua Burgess’s supposed victim, the minister’s wife, is now pregnant, and his accomplice is a prominent man named Joseph North. Martha and her husband, Ephraim, have known North for decades, watching him become increasingly wealthy and influential. But being the town midwife also allows Martha the privilege (or curse, depending on how you look at it) of being a keeper of people’s secrets. This is a power within itself.

Everything is told through Martha’s point of view and we see her multitask with delivering babies, healing the sick, and managing her family. She frequently battles sexism and often has to keep her opinions to herself, but she is strong, passionate, and still respected by many. One of the greatest lessons she teaches is that the treatment of a person is always more important than approval, something she exemplifies again and again.

I can say, without exaggeration, that this is one of the best books I’ve ever read. A master class in storytelling. I’m excited to read more by this author.

A very worthy 10/10 stars!

Trigger warnings for this book: sexual assault (told as a memory,) death of children due to stillbirth or illness, lots of childbirth scenes, one scene of male mutilation. None of these are described graphically.

Fiction, Historical Fiction, Reading Wrap Up, Romance, Series & Collections, Suspense, Women's Fiction, Young Adult

November 2023 Reading Wrap Up!

Kristie

Twenty one books for November, not bad! Lots of Christmas-themed books, lots of historical romance, some rom-coms and YA. I feel like I’ve stayed fairly up to date on reviews, so I won’t repeat myself here. I will say that my best new author discovery has been Caroline Fyffe, who wrote An American Duchess and Heart of Eden. These are both parts of a series that I plan to continue and have been really excellent. They are available on Kindle Unlimited with audio. On to December! (Seriously, how did that happen? Wasn’t Halloween, like, yesterday?)

Fiction, Goodreads, Historical Fiction, Quick Reviews, Romance, Thriller, Videos by Me

*Video* Goodreads Best of 2023: Books I read that did not get my vote.

Kristie

Here is a 7 minute video I made about Goodreads 2023 nominees that I read but did not vote for this year. Some I still loved! Some, not so much. But I hope you’ll watch and find something you want to read in the future.

Email subscribers: remember to click the gray box in your email of this post. You’ll be sent directly to YouTube. Or just hop on over to the actual blog in your browser. It’s here waiting for you!

Fiction, Goodreads, Historical Fiction, Romance, Videos by Me

*Video* Goodreads Best of 2023: Round 1 Voting (My picks)

Kristie

Have you been over to Goodreads yet to vote for Round 1? I voted last night. Surprisingly, some books that I thought had been released this year were not, so I only voted in four categories. There were a few tough choices! Here’s a little video I made showing my picks:

More videos on the way! I’ve been experimenting and having a lot of fun learning something new. ***Next up will be other Goodreads book nominees that I have read but did not choose (and why.)***

Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance

Two Historical Romances by Emma Melbourne…

Kristie

Riding on the heels of the previous rom-com post, a well-written historical romance requires a lot of the same balance of great characters, banter, plot, and pacing. Here are two that succeed. They’re fun, they’re clean, and I found a new author. A win x 3! The stories work in tandem, so read them together and read them in order.

Miss Fleming Falls in Love and The Mysterious Mr. Oliver, by Emma Melbourne, were two of my favorite reads last month.

Miss Fleming Falls in Love: We begin with Miss Amelia Fleming, a spirited young woman who is trying to settle her father’s gambling debts after his death. Desperate, she visits the Earl of Langley, who won a fortune from the family estate. Again and again, Amelia offers different solutions to pay back what is owed, never quite knowing the exact amount. Again and again, Langley steers the conversation away from money and into a battle of wits. Like two magnets, these characters attract and repel each other repeatedly. Every meeting is full of clever dialogue and prideful rebuffs. I enjoyed this book immensely! 9.5/10 Stars

The Mysterious Mr. Oliver picks up soon after Miss Fleming ends. This time we are entertained by Amelia’s beautiful younger sister, Isabelle and land agent, Mr. Oliver. While visiting her sister at Stonecroft, a country estate, Isabelle looks for a quiet setting to write a book. In doing so, she intrudes upon Mr. Oliver’s work cottage, prompting a rocky beginning to their relationship. But, feelings cannot be denied. Isabelle is tenacious and Oliver has a secret. Like its predecessor, this book is a wonderful read with well-developed characters that are a joy to know. 9/10 Stars

Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Women's Fiction

Windsong Manor, by Julie Wright

Kristie

A few weeks ago, while touring St. George, Utah, my husband and I stopped in at a Deseret Book. Two authors were there introducing and signing new books and, because it was early evening, the store was relatively empty. One of those authors was Julie Wright, who I recognized from a Facebook group I follow. She had two new books, one of which was Windsong Manor. I apologized for not buying it there, confessing that I prefer digital ebooks on my Kindle, but she was very nice and I was captivated by the plot. After several attempts to find it on library sites, I relented and ended up buying it, hoping that I would not regret my purchase.

I did not. In fact, Windsong Manor is now in my special collection of “Kristie’s Favorites” in my Kindle, a file I only reserve for those rare books who draw me in and transport me completely.

The plot: Eleanora Coventry is a baroness and a young widow. Her late husband was much older and domineering and her young son, who was sent away to school, has returned with all of his father’s worst traits. To add to her challenges, Eleanora “Nora” has also been tasked to raise her late husband’s illegitimate daughter, a recent orphan and the product of an embarrassing affair. Life is topsy turvy.

In an effort of lead a quieter life, Nora moves her family from their London townhouse to Windsong Manor, the late baron’s country home that he rarely visited. While finding her way as a single mother with two challenging children, Nora befriends the quiet stablehand, Ridley Ellis. Despite his social station, Ridley moves and speaks like a gentleman, and his calm influence on everyone around him is felt deeply by Nora and the children.

The writing is as wonderful as the plot is intriguing. Nora and Ridley’s characters are excellently developed, with terrific dialogue and pacing. Both are strong and steadfast in the midst of their many challenges. Their kindness to each other and others makes this story one of warmth and depth. I loved every bit of it and highly recommend this book for a very satisfying read. It will leave you with renewed faith in people and modern literature.

9.5/10 Stars