FEATURING: The Au Pair by Emma Rous

Does Laura, the Au Pair, have the answer to the question that no one would ever answer?

Nothing can top a good old mystery with family secrets, right?

FULL REVIEW HERE.

 

House of Serenades by Lina Simoni

Thank you to eggs of Litsy:

#AcrossApril

@eggs

Today’s Prompt:  SERENADE

Wealthy Italian families, lost love, definite class separation, and family secrets are what you will find in the THE HOUSE OF  SERENADES.

I really enjoyed this book.

FULL REVIEW HERE.

Spotlight and Giveaway of The Lane Betrayal by John A. Heldt

Photo Source
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John A. Heldt is celebrating the release of his book:

THE LANE BETRAYAL

With an International Giveaway!!
Ebook only - PDF, MOBI, or EPUB format 

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Information in this post is courtesy of the author, John A. Heldt

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PRAISE FOR THE LANE BETRAYAL:

Taken from Amazon with permission of the author.....

"With vengeance, murder, heartbreak, and the ugliness of war, The Lane Betrayal is an intriguing and imaginative story deeply rooted in historical fact and fiction." -- The Reading Cafe

"Heldt has surpassed his previous works with this entry. Politics, intrigue, suspense. It's all here." -- Books are Theater of the Mind

"I don't usually read stories set during the Civil War, but I enjoy Heldt's storytelling and his ability to meld history and science fiction together. The Lane Betrayal is easy to read, and the plot sucks you right in." -- Girl Who Reads

"As in all this author's novels, there is suspense, romance, and a lot of action. The scenes and the people of the era will come alive on the pages for you as our country grapples with war, peace, and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln." -- Miki's Hope

"The action is amazing. The historical events woven into the storyline will have you on the edge of your seat." -- Donadee's Corner

"Heldt has done a fabulous job researching the history, people, and locations surrounding Washington, D.C. in the midst of the Civil War. This novel takes us on that tour of our nation's capital while laying the groundwork for a story that will captivate and draw you in from the word go." -- NC Reader Girl

"Along with the fictional characters, the reader gets a chance to visit the end of the Civil War, see the despair and joy that time brought us, and look into the workings of a political system in a kinder, if not gentler, age." -- Jackie's Reviews

"A mystery story which drew me in and left me dying to find out what was going to happen next. I'm definitely invested in this family." -- MP Book Reviews

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ABOUT THE LANE BETRAYAL:

From the author of the critically acclaimed Northwest Passage, American Journey, and Carson Chronicles series comes the first book in the Time Box saga.

Virginia physicist Mark Lane has a problem. Weeks after privately creating two time machines, he learns his corporate partner wants to use the portable devices for nefarious purposes. Rather than give him the chance to do so, Mark takes the time boxes and escapes to the relative safety of 1865.

For Mark, wife Mary, and their children, the adventure is a chance to grow. Mary runs a business. Jeremy, 19, and Ashley, 12, befriend escaped slaves. Laura, 22, finds her place as a nurse. Jordan, 25, falls for a beautiful widow. All hope to find peace in the past.

Billionaire Robert Devereaux has other ideas. Shortly after Mark's betrayal, he sends an assassin to 1865 to retrieve his property and set matters straight.

Filled with romance, suspense, and history, THE LANE BETRAYAL follows a modern American family as it tries to find security and contentment in the final weeks of the Civil War.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

PHOTO CREDIT:  Aaron Yost

John A. Heldt is the author of the critically acclaimed Northwest Passage, American Journey, and Carson Chronicles series.

The former reference librarian and award-winning sportswriter has loved getting subjects and verbs to agree since writing book reports on baseball heroes in grade school.

A graduate of the University of Oregon and the University of Iowa, Heldt is an avid fisherman, sports fan, home brewer, and reader of thrillers and historical fiction.

When not sending contemporary characters to the not-so-distant past, he weighs in on literature and life at johnheldt.blogspot.com.

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GIVEAWAY: 

ONE ENTRY PER PERSON PLEASE.

I am partnering with the author, John A. Heldt, for this giveaway.

E-BOOK - INTERNATIONAL
April 16 - 23

Enter here

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Books With HOME In The Title

All enjoyable reads.

Have YOU read any?

Please share if you can name some books.

Simon The Fiddler by Paulette Jiles

 

Simon was able to avoid being conscripted during the war between the states, but on one of his fiddling events he was caught and sent to the front.

Luckily he was conscripted at the very end, and being in the band had allowed him to do a show when the war ended.  At the show he saw a girl he couldn’t keep his eyes off of, and a girl he had to ask around about.  He made it his job to earn some money and come back for her.

He snuck out of the army compound without discharge papers and headed to the Rio Grande along with his fiddle with hopes of finding Doris.

We follow Simon and three fellow musicians as they make their way in a boat to San Antonio.

When they landed, they had to hide from patrols and find lodging and work.  They thankfully found lodging in an abandoned home and found work at different functions and saloons.

They had adventures, and Simon still never forgot about Doris Dillon.

SIMON THE FIDDLER has Ms. Jiles' excellent writing and beautiful detail, but it was a very slow read.  

I actually was disappointed since I loved NEWS OF THE WORLD, and was looking for a character to love like Captain Kidd.

If you have time to read beautiful, detailed descriptions and also learn about music, SIMON THE FIDDLER will be a book for you. 

This book was not a favorite for me. It dragged and only became interesting in the last 10% of the book. It actually was a struggle to continue reading. 3/5

This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The New Husband by D. J. Palmer

 

A new house, a new neighborhood, a new “boyfriend” for mom, but nothing but hatred for Maggie.

Having Simon, the new boyfriend, move in with them wasn’t something Maggie liked because she extremely disliked him. She just wasn’t comfortable around him and felt something was not quite right.

Since her father was never found after a boating accident, things had been rough, but this seemed worse.

As the days go on, Maggie sees more things happening that seem like control on Simon's part.  

Why can’t her mother see this especially since Simon always said subtle things indicating that her mother shouldn’t go back to work because she couldn’t handle the house and a job.

As we look back, Maggie's father wasn't much better since he had been lying to her mother as well.

As we get to know the characters more…

1.  Nina needed to wake up and listen to her daughter.

2.  Connor needed to be more aware of what was going on.

3.  Maggie needed to keep questioning her impressions of Simon.

 4.  And Simon needed to leave.

Can you tell I didn't like Simon? He was such a manipulator. 

I kept wondering and worrying about what his real plan was and what he was going to do next.

Tension, ill will, subtlety, lies, and suspense abound in THE NEW HUSBAND.

The tension throughout the book was very strong but the ending tension was so strong, you will be talking out loud to the characters and having your blood pressure rise.  5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Happy Easter - This Week at Silver's Reviews

Happy Easter!!

 

I hope you can stop by this week.