Saturday, April 29, 2023

"Loving Lydia" by Susan Pope Sloan

About the Book

Book: Loving Lydia

Author: Susan Pope Sloan

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: April 25, 2023

Two Southerners thrown together by the Union army. He’s on a quest for vengeance. She’s determined to preserve her family.

Lydia Gibson’s life is overturned when the Union Army invades her hometown and burns down the cotton mill where she and her stepdaughter worked. Even worse, she and the other workers are arrested and sent to Marietta, where they wait for the army to send them north.

Confederate Sergeant Seth Morgan finally reaches Marietta to check on his family, but the last thing he expects is to meet a woman who sparks attraction he thought he’d never feel again. Unfortunately, she’s a Yankee prisoner and being sent north to Louisville, Kentucky.

Seth is forced to return to his unit in Virginia, and he never anticipated their next meeting would be when he’s taken to Louisville as a prisoner. While Seth searches the Confederate ranks for the man who murdered his wife, Lydia implores him to ask after her missing nephew. Neither one expects just how far the search will take them, or what they’ll discover along the way.

My Thoughts 

This book is the second book in the Rescued Hearts of the Civil War series and it is important to read the books in order. This book overlaps the events of the first book for a good portion of the book but from different points of view. It is helpful to have an understanding of what is happening and who the characters are by reading the books in order. It was interesting to see the events from different perspectives. For the most part, I enjoyed reading this book. Unfortunately, it contained one of my biggest pet peeves in historical fiction...the self serve grocery store before 1916. I am annoyed that writers continue to perpetuate the falsehood that people walked into the general store and just perused the aisles for what they wanted. This was not what happened until 1916 (and then it didn't immediately take effect in all grocery stores, either) Customers would give their list to the worker who would retrieve the items from shelves behind the counter and give them to the customer. I did appreciate the biblical faith thread and clear gospel message in the book.



Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Born into a family of storytellers, Susan Pope Sloan published her first articles in high school and continued writing sporadically for decades. Retirement provided the time to focus on writing and indulge her avid interest in history. Her Civil War series begins (and ultimately ends) in her home state of Georgia with references to lesser-known events of that period. She and husband Ricky live near Columbus where she participates in Word Weavers, ACFW, and Toastmasters

 

More from Susan

As a “pantser” when it comes to writing, I never know how the story will develop or which characters will demand more “stage” time. Lydia Gibson was always destined to be a main character, but I had no idea who would be her leading man. When Seth Morgan appeared in Rescuing Rose, I saw him only as an object to create tension between Rose and Noah. Then I learned how his wife died and knew he had to be rescued from his grief and anger. At first, I thought he might match up with Celeste, but it made more sense for him to be drawn to Lydia, who was a war widow. He was a fun protagonist as he loudly proclaimed his lack of interest in marrying again but always went out of his way to assist the women he met. Seth liked to create the illusion of being a tough fighter, but what he really wanted was someone to love and share his life. As Lydia struggled to overcome her poor self-image, Seth discovered his strength in following the path of peace.

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, April 19

Karen Baney Reviews, April 19

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 20

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 21

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, April 22 (Author Interview)

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, April 22

Connie’s History Classroom, April 23

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 24

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 25

For Him and My Family, April 26

Betti Mace, April 27

Holly’s Book Corner, April 28

Blossoms and Blessings , April 29

Pause for Tales, April 30

Simple Harvest Reads, May 1

Cover Lover Book Review, May 2

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Susan is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/258b0/loving-lydia-celebration-tour-giveaway


I got a free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and given voluntarily. No compensation was received for my review.

"A Summer at Sagamore" by Lisa M. Prysock

About the Book

Book: A Summer at Sagamore

Author: Lisa M. Prysock

Genre: Historical Christian Romance

Release date: March 14, 2023

Can summer love survive amid mystery and mayhem?

When Abigail Greenwood and her cousins settle in for their annual summer retreat at the stunning and impressive Sagamore Resort in the Adirondacks,  all she wants is to spend as much time as possible plunking out stories on her typewriter. But when her cousins insist she join them in the tradition of choosing a beau to adore from a distance during their stay, she reluctantly plays along, setting her sights on a mysteriously quiet and aloof guest. What started as harmless fun soon changes as Abby finds herself captivated by debonair—and handsome—Jackson Gable. Who is he, and why does his arrogant amused smile exasperate her so much?

When a series of events causing mayhem and mischief begin to occur at Sagamore, journalist Jackson Gable is determined to get to the bottom of it, since his father is an investor of the resort. Jack has a nose for mysteries, but he may have to use his recently earned law degree and some of his posh family connections to sleuth out the culprit. Are the events connected? Why are they happening? And why can’t he get the beautiful Abby off his mind?

My Thoughts 

I was excited to read another book in the Gilded Age Resorts series.  (The books are not tied together in any way other than they take place at resorts during the Gilded Age) I also liked the fact that Abby was an author. Right from the beginning, I felt like I was missing something with the repeated reference to Asuza. I thought maybe it was from a different one of her books, but when I looked, nothing seemed to fit. Then Abby mentioned it as a revival, so I googled it and found the reference to a historical event. It was almost as if the author expected that everyone would know what she was talking about. But as a denomination other than Pentecostal, I had never heard of it before. I also was a little uncomfortable with the so called miracles that Abby said happened at this event.  I would rather not read a book that is so far apart from my own religious beliefs. I would have liked to have felt more like I was in the setting. We did get descriptions of every single dress that Abby changed into which I didn't care about. I look forward to reading more books in this series, though.


Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Lisa M. Prysock is a USA Today Bestselling Author who writes both Christian Historical Romance and Contemporary Christian Romance books—”Romance with a Dash of Food, Fashion, Faith, & Fun.” She writes both traditionally and indie published novels.

Kentucky inspires her writing and is home. Happily married to her husband of more than 24 years, she homeschooled two of their five children, now grown. When she isn’t writing, she likes to cross stitch, crochet, sew, scrapbook, read, swim, dance, take walks, travel, explore historical homes, garden, cook for her family, learn to play the piano and violin, and read great books.

 

More from Lisa

Behind the scenes at A Summer at Sagamore

When a dear writing friend approached me about writing a contribution for Romance at the Gilded Age Resorts, my heart leapt. The Gilded Age is my favorite time to write. Ask me to write anything from 1870 to 1910, and I’m hooked. I love the way traditions are colliding with progress and changing the world in this era.

 

An exciting time for women, I knew the heroine, Abigail, would be a writer, enthralled with her new, clunky, heavy manual typewriter. Independent, set to inherit her grandmother’s wealth, she would not be looking for romance. I wanted Abby’s grandmother, cousin, and sister to give us plenty of humor and fun along the way. Meanwhile, Abby, would portray a young woman on the brink of writing about her faith, inspired by a few pioneer writers and a previous experience to join the endeavor to pave the way for others to do the same.

 

Along comes our hero, Jackson. Jack has this Clark Gable kind of vibe, only younger, more handsome. He has strong faith, but it’s quiet, stifled by his position in society. Abby brings out the best in him. I loved watching their romance blossom and their trust in God grow amid the mystery of all the happenings at the Sagamore. More themes came out of the book than I expected. I can’t wait to share it with you.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, April 16

Texas Book-aholic, April 17

Books You Can Feel Good About, April 17

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 18

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, April 19 (Author Interview)

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, April 19

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 20

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 21

Mary Hake, April 21

Connie’s History Classroom, April 22

Cover Lover Book Review, April 23

Holly’s Book Corner, April 23

Book Looks by Lisa, April 24

Sylvan Musings, April 25

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, April 25

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 26

Blogging With Carol, April 27

For Him and My Family, April 27

Splashes of Joy, April 28

Blossoms and Blessings, April 29

Pause for Tales, April 29

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Lisa is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/2566e/a-summer-at-sagamore-celebration-tour-giveaway


I got a free copy of this book.  All thoughts and opinions are my own and given voluntarily. No compensation was received for my review.

Friday, April 28, 2023