Baroness by Susan May Warren

Baroness
Author:  Susan May Warren
Publisher: Summerside Press
Genre: Fiction, Historical, Romance
Date: March 2012


Lily and cousin Rosie are coming of age in the Roaring Twenties. Both belong to families of great wealth the world is their oyster. The beginning of a summer in Paris opens their eyes and ultimately alters their lives. Lily discovers her love for flying and the interest of a man and Rosie discovers what she believes to be love. Before they can both blink they find themselves whisked back stateside and their lives part for a number of years.

Lily returns home to a dying mother and a step-father she wants nothing to do with. She sneaks away without telling anyone and heads as far west as the money in her pocket will take her. It doesn't take her very far west but it does take her to an airshow. Her love of flying reigns supreme and eventually she becomes a wing walker. She also takes great notice of her pilot, a handsome man named Truman.

Rosie enters New York and sets out to see her name in lights. She unknowingly gets into a relationship with a mob boss that will prove to be deadly. In her haste to escape his hold she runs away with a baseball player who turns out to be the love of her life. They settle in Chicago and make a home for themselves.

4 years pass.

Lily is divorced and working for her mother's newspaper. Rosie is married and pregnant and moving back to New York with her husband. Lily's "ex"-husband is on his way to New York and Rosie's ex-boyfriend the mob boss knows she's back in town. Drama and tragedy are on the horizon. Great healing and beauty are also very near.

I have to stop with my synopsis there are I might give the whole plot away. Just when I think I have  Susan May Warren all figured out she surprises me. Taking a giant step away from the familiarity of the other books from her I have reviewed she plunges her readers into a entirely different age. This is not your run of the mill romance book. Watching Lily and Rosie for this span of years is both enlightening and painful. You feel all of their angst right along with them. I applaud Warren for her superb character development. I also thoroughly enjoyed her handling of the time period down to the clothes worn, current events, and trends of that era. The wing walking aspect terrified me and intrigued me.

What I always love about Susan May Warren is her ability to reveal healing and God's hand in each of her books. I found the path that Lily took to healing and reconciliation with her step-father to be truly beautiful. It perfectly rounded out this book for me. 

I had a hard time getting into the first couple of chapters but once I was in, I was all in. This one definitely had me reading late into the night. This is the second book in the Daughters of Fortune series and I'm not sure how I missed the first one. I plan on remedying that immediately. You can read it as a standalone but why would you want to? I am anxious to read the one that follows Baroness because it ended on a bit of a cliff-hanger.

An excellent read I highly recommend!

Rated Pg-13 for adult content. 

Thank you to Summerside Press and my friends at Radiant Lit for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Resignation of Eve WINNER

Random.org chose #3 as my winner. Congrats to Jamie! I'll be sending you the certificate of the book tomorrow!

The Resignation of Eve (a review and a GIVEAWAY!)

Close your eyes and imagine a glorious typical Sunday morning—typical but without women. Most Sunday school rooms remain dark. A few men arrive with their sons but not many. Musicians struggle to lead worship without background singers. Ushers and offering counters are at full strength minus bulletins and pre-service coffee. The children's ministry is non-existent. "Won't happen," you say. Perhaps, but Jim Henderson offers up the possibility in The Resignation of Eve.

Females make up the majority of weekly churchgoers and volunteers. Yet since 1991, their attendance has declined dramatically, and the percentage of unchurched women has increased dramatically.  Using statistics, interviews, and extensive research author Jim Henderson dives into the subject of women in the church.

Between 1991 and 2011,
1) Adult women attending church during any week has declined by 20%.
2) Women attending Sunday School has plummeted by 29%.
3) The percentage of remain who are characterized as "unchurched" has risen by 94% during this period.
4) More than a third of all women are now unconnected from the church.
5) Most weekly church attenders are women (53%) - and they bring their families.
6) Most church volunteers are women (57%).
7) Women are the majority in terms of attendance of adult Sunday school programs (59%).
8) 60% of those who attend small groups or Bible study are women.
9) Due to the demographic data compiled (Barna 2000 study) about the median age (56-59) of women contributing (in every sense) to the Church - women's active participation in the future of the Church has been characterized as a "dying breed." (p.252).

What if Adam's rib is no longer willing to be the church's backbone?

I found this book to be extremely challenging and riveting in all of the good ways. It made me think, it made me reevaluate, and it challenged my thinking. Henderson's use of personal interviews made this possibly controversial subject seem approachable and real. This is a book to devour. Don't keep it to yourself. Share it with your pastor, with other women, with anyone willing to read.  Take time to ask the hard questions. The book is a book that will get you thinking not a definitive answer book. Therefore I won't end my review with a definitive thought on the book other than to say you need to read it.

Giveaway!
Thanks to Tyndale House Publishers I have a free copy of this book to give away! In order to win a copy post a comment with your name and e-mail address and on Friday, April 6 at 5pm (central time zone) I'll have random.org chose the winner. If you're the winner I'll contact you by e-mail.
 
resignationofeve.com

The Forgiven Duke

The Forgiven Duke
Jamie Carie
B+H Publishing Group
Coming soon! July 2012  
Genre: romance, historical, fiction
 
Summary: 
Tethered by her impulsive promise to marry Lord John Lemon - the path of least resistance - Alexandria Featherstone sets off toward Iceland in search of her parents with a leaden heart. A glimpse of her guardian, the Duke of St. Easton - the path less traveled by - on Dublin’s shore still haunts her.

Will he come after her? Will he drag her back to London, quelling her mission to rescue her treasure-seeking parents, or might he decide to throw caution to the wind and choose Foy Pour Devoir: “Faith for Duty,” the St. Easton motto. The Featherstone motto Valens et Volens: “Willing and Able,” beats in her heart and thrums through her veins. She will find her parents and find their love, no matter the cost.

The powerful yet wing-clipped Duke of St. Easton has never known the challenge that has become his life since hearing his ward’s name. Alexandria Featherstone will be the life or the death of him. Only time and God’s plan will reveal just how much this man can endure for the prize of love.

Carie does an excellent job with this book. The story picks right up from the first book (my review here) and you are immediately swept away. Intrigue, treasure-hunting, danger, romance, and more. This series has it all. The plot thickens and the characters develop nicely. We finally get the satisfaction of the Duke and Alexandria meeting and much more. I hesitate to even say more but after reading the first book you will be chomping at the bit to read this one. Thankfully this one doesn't end on as much of a cliff-hanger but it is still enough that I am more than ready for the third book. Well written and enjoyable. I recommend. 


Thank you to Netgalley and B&H Publishing for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Guardian Duke

The Guardian Duke
Jamie Carie
B+H Publishing Group
February 1, 2012
Genre: romance, historical, fiction




Gabriel, the Duke of St. Easton, is ordered by the King to take guardianship over Lady Alexandria Featherstone whose parents are presumed dead after failing to return from a high profile treasure hunt. Unfortunately due to ill health Gabriel is not able to travel to Lady Alexandria right away so he starts a letter correspondence with her. While Gabriel struggles with regaining his mysteriously lost hearing Alexandria is slipping away. Convinced her parents are still very much alive Alexandria sets out on her own to find them. Her journey leads her directly into trouble and thankfully into the very capable hands of two unlikely protectors. Together the three of them follow the clues to Ireland. Meanwhile the Duke is giving chase in desperation to not only find this woman he has become attached to but because the King has told him the whole story behind her parent's disappearance and she is not safe. 

The twists and turns in this book will keep you up reading late into the night. You'll also find yourself frustrated as time after time the Duke misses the Lady but mere moments in his quest for her. The first in a trilogy The Guardian Duke will keep you guessing and will leave you delighted and wanting for more. Carie writes with beautiful detail of a time and places that are intriguing and colorful to the reader. I thoroughly enjoyed this first installment and look forward to the next two.

You can purchase your own copy here.

Thank you to Netgalley and B&H Publishing for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Beauty for Ashes

Beauty For Ashes
Dorothy Love
Reviewed by: Melissa J. MacDonald
Genre: historical fiction
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Date: 2012

Carrie Daly is a Civil War widow who is somewhat content with her rather ordinary life. She and her brother are happily living together on their childhood farm and her soon to be fiance is a steady likeable fellow. Things change drastically in her ordinary life when her brother takes a peckish wife with two rambunctious and rude boys. Then mysterious horseman Griff Rutledge comes into town and sets Carrie's heart to beating. Unable to endure her mean-spirited sister-in-law Carrie sets out on her own to pave her own wave. However, there is a depression going on and when her brother has to leave to find work and her sister-in-law discovers she is pregnant Carrie moves back in to take over the home. Meanwhile Griff keeps showing up and causing her to rethink what she has always known. Add to this that her "fiance" ran away and got married and you've got a recipe for an interesting book.

Neither Griff nor Carrie are perfect and it's always refreshing to see real characters portrayed in a book. I particularly found the historical aspects of the book to be quite interesting. The depression of that time was really quite severe and it was intriguing to watch the characters struggle through. Griff himself struggles through forgiveness and misunderstanding that adds depth to his character. While it is plain to me that Love had a number of good ideas for some reason the book did not completely mesh and come together for me. The characters could have used a good deal more developing and at times the story line was a bit confusing and down right dull. There were moments of interest and laughter but for the most part this book did not hold my attention for long. I do think Love has great potential and I look forward to reading more from her. If you're looking for an easy read that looks at a time of history in a different perspective than you just might enjoy this read.

Rated: PG 

Thank you to Thomas Nelson for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Desired

Desired 
Ginger Garrett
October 1, 2011
David C. Cook Publishing
Biblical Fiction, Romance, History   

Book Description:

 Before Samson was an Old Testament legend, he was a prodigal son, an inexperienced suitor, a vengeful husband, and a lost soul driven by his own weakness. This is his story as told by three strong women who loved him-the nagging, manipulative mother who pushed him toward greatness, the hapless Philistine bride whose betrayal propelled him into notoriety, and the emotionally damaged seductress-the famous Delilah-who engineered his downfall and propelled him to his destiny. Desired celebrates the God of Israel's to work powerfully in the midst of hopes, fears, desires, and sorrows

My thoughts: 

Growing up I used to love the story of Samson. Without fail when dad got boring (pastor's kid speaking here) I would have mom find the story of Samson in my Bible and I would read it over and over again. Love, gore, adventure, and riddles would grip me. This book was no different. I was gripped from the very beginning. Garrett is a masterful storyteller. She describes in great detail and her characters come to life. Unfortunately the tale of Samson and the women in his life is one of great sorrow. Even though I knew how things ended I was profoundly saddened by this story. Samson's tale is one of great heartache and misdirection and yet God chose to use him. Another lesson for me. Delilah is portrayed as misunderstood instead of the vixen I was taught growing up. I enjoyed seeing her in a different light. All in all this was a good book. I would suggest entering into the world of Biblical fiction with this one but definitely put it on your "too read" shelf. 

My thanks to Netgalley and David C. Cook for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.