Reviewer Committed to Jacelyn Rye's Books

Title:  Surrender to Fate
Series: Part One of Fate's Path

Author: Jacelyn Rye

ISBN #:   B00FA2B9US

Reviewer's Rating: 5 star

Where people can purchase the book:  http://www.amazon.com/Jacelyn-Rye/e/B00GW2WIAA/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1

Reviewed by Tracey Quintin originally for Goodreads

A Commitment. LOVED THIS BOOK & COMMITTED TO JACELYN’S BOOKS! ABSOLUTE MUST READ.

When I first started reading this book and saw it began in 1942, I thought to myself uh-oh I’m not going to enjoy this because I haven’t been interested in historical romances in quite some time. With that said, before I even completed Chapter 1 I was COMPLETELY RIVETED! I don’t think this falls into the typical “historical” romance category so if you aren’t into that either, you MUST READ THIS!

Jacelyn has written this totally captivating book so that the characters and story are vividly and beautifully brought to life. I literally wanted to live and breathe this book and for it to never end. The emotional journey you are taken on is enormous. You feel the emotions of each of the characters, you feel like you are at the locations described – all with such unbelievable clarity. I literally felt such pure heartfelt emotion reading every single page of this book.

In this story, you are taken on a journey that begins with 2 families in Colorado, parents and children the best of friends – neighbors, always there to help and support each other in any way, sharing events and holidays together. A sweet, tender, beautiful romance emerges from friendship between the son and daughter of each of the families.

Back then times were so tough, families fought hard to keep food on the table and being able to support their farms. Fate changes the path of 1 family with the promise of a steady job for the head of the house offered by an old friend that takes them from their “home” in Colorado and those they love to a brand new beginning in California. Dreams must be left behind for both families and children and love pulled away too soon.

In California, everything is different – the weather, the farm, the people, the stability. The family has a hard time transitioning to their new California roots as warm and inviting as the friend’s farm is and his family. With the passing of time, feelings of what used to be “home” seem to diminish but can you ever really let those feelings go? There are a lot of miles separating Colorado from California.

A crushing event happens to 1 of the families that turns their life upside down. Will they be able to ever find happiness again or will everything remain a memory?

The children grow and mature. Relationships grow, new romances develop on a more mature level but do they trust that the answer will come at the right time and be clear as to when and if to move on?

A 3 cent postage stamp can keep the connection through a letter – should the stamp be used? When should it be used? Would it make it there if used?

The attack on Pearl Harbor happens, sending young men to prepare for battle. Are decisions made too late?

I can’t rave enough about this book! I literally highlighted so many parts in the book that meant so much to me as a reader. There’s a thought from a main character in the story “...Once something leaves a profound mark on the heart, the mark is always there…certain that while the mark may fade with time, the scar would remain...” This book to me certainly was no scar, but has left a profound mark on MY heart.

Be prepared for an emotionally charged book that’s for sure with a major cliffhanger. Oh and read it to find out about “Me Ware Wo”! WOW!!!!

I have found another favorite author and absolutely can’t wait to read more of Jacelyn’s work. BRAVO on a brilliant piece of work! I’m STILL emotional about this book.

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jacelyn Rye connections:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/jacelyn.rye?fref=ts

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/JacelynRye

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7184742.Jacelyn_Rye

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Jacelyn-Rye/e/B00GW2WIAA/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1

ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Tracey Quintin connections:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/LOVEBOOKSWITHROMANCE/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ReadingIsOurPas

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/19886187-tracey-quintin

----- The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

University Professor Reviews Award-Winning Historical Romance

The Sandoval Sisters' Secret of Old Blood

Sandra Ramos O'BriantAuthor's Web site: www.thesandovalsisters.com

Genre: Historical Romance

ISBN: 978-0615615103

Published by La Gente Press, 2012

Available in print and e-book

 

 

Reviewed by Dr. Michele Shaul, Professor, Department of Foreign Languages Queens University of Charlotte originally for http://www.writing.ie/

 

 

Sandra Ramos O’Briant’s debut novel The Sandoval Sisters’ Secret of Old Blood won Best Historical Novel and Best First Book at the 15th annual ILBA, 2013.  The story sets the stage for a fascinating series about Anglo/Hispanic interaction in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and the struggle to control the Santa Fe Trail.

The author introduces the Sandoval sisters Oratoria, Pilar, and Alma who are independent and resistant to the restrictions placed on women in that place and time. Each controls her own destiny, making unconventional choices and always standing by family and friends.

Told in the sisters’ voices, the reader learns of each woman’s loves and losses and follows them on their trail to the end of the novel when the sisters need to come together to preserve their lands and livelihood from the new legal system that threatens the patrimony of many in what is now the Southwest United States.

Oratoria, the eldest, is not a sister by blood. Purchased at age five for the price of a bag of flour, Oratoria was originally Estevan’s gift to his lonely sixteen-year-old bride. Oratoria becomes a family favorite and indispensable to them all, truly integrated as a family member. She is the keeper of the old diaries that provide insight into the Sandoval heritage as well as instruction on cures and spells. She raises her sisters, making sure they are educated and independent thinkers. She is there when they need her and sacrifices herself to protect their livelihood.

Headstrong Alma, determined to not marry her father’s choice for her, runs off with the love of her life (Bill) only to discover once they arrive at his family home that she really does not know him as well as she thought. Cultural clashes between her Spanish background and his Anglo family, clashes with his domineering, mean spirited mother and betrayal by a woman she believed was her friend present the reader with an interesting read and better understanding of the climate of the times and the challenges faced by those who married across boundaries.

The youngest sister Pilar is more of a free spirit than the other two sisters yet she is most suited to marriage to Alma’s rejected elderly suitor, Geraldo. Because of his patience and maturity, Geraldo provides Pilar the blessing of love but more importantly, independence and autonomy. Pilar is able to fend for herself (and others) upon his death. She is more than up to the challenge presented by being one of the landed, moneyed families of the region.

Woven among the stories of love and life is eroticism, mystery, witchcraft, folktales, superstition, political intrigue, corruption, violence, and told with a fluid style that grabs you from the first page and leaves you hungry for more at the end.

About the Author

Sandra Ramos O’Briant‘s work has appeared in numerous journals.  A complete list of her work can be found at www.thesandovalsisters.com

 

 

 

 

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

M.B. Tosi Celebrates Release of Second in The Indian Path Series

Title: The Secret Path of Destiny 

Author: M. B. Tosi 

Genre: Historical Romance Fiction.

Publisher: WestBow Press, 2012, a division of Thomas Nelson.

Book Two in The Indian Path Series

ISBNs:

978-1-4497-3349-0 (e-book)
978-1-4497-3350-6 (soft cover)
978-1-4497-3351-3 (hard copy)
Available on Amazon

Brief Synopsis of The Secret Path of Destiny

The Secret Path of Destiny is Book Two of The Indian Path Series. In The Secret Path of Destiny, a young, disabled, German-American girl, named Isolde, and her destitute mother reach out for a lifeline being offered by a widower in the German town of Fredericksburg, Texas. The year is 1865, and the two travel from New York City through the aftermath of the Civil War. But another war is brewing, this time with Native Americans, and Isolde and her mother are heading right into the heart of Comancheria, the homeland of the Comanche.

It is not the Comanche Isolde fears, but her mother’s new employer, who becomes her stepfather. Isolde realizes he is a cunning man who is not who he pretends to be. As the situation worsens, Isolde is forced to make a life-changing decision to escape; desperate, she seeks refuge with a Comanche Indian, who befriends her at first, but later joins a warring band of Comanche. Her malevolent stepfather pursues her across Texas, turning her life upside down. In the midst of her troubles, Isolde’s faith sustains her, and she unexpectedly finds the love that has always eluded her. Eventually, Isolde accepts the difficult circumstances of her life and realizes that a person’s destiny is often hidden from view because the path is sometimes rocky.

The Sacred Path of TearsTBook one in The Indian Path Series ISBNs:978-1-4497-2167-1 (e-book)978-1-4497-2168-8 (soft cover)978-1-4497-2169-5 (hard cover)
Available on Amazon

Brief Synopsis of Book One, The Sacred Path of Tears

The Sacred Path of Tears is a journal written by a young Cheyenne Indian woman, nicknamed Mokee, during the Indian Wars in Kansas in the late 1860s. After Mokee and her companion observe the Sand Creek Massacre, they warn the other Indian camps along the Smoky Hill River. They take cover in a barn near Salina, Kansas, where they are discovered by a widow and her two sons.

Mokee’s companion leaves to join the fight against the white soldiers but hating war, Mokee, with her lighter coloring, gains a safe haven with the widow’s family. She finds a mentor in the well-educated widow and embraces the opportunity to read and write English. As her life unfolds, Mokee is torn between two worlds at war and the two men she loves, one a white settler and the other, her companion who has become Cheyenne Dog Soldier. Though war is her constant shadow, Mokee tries to find the purpose for her life and a path of peace in her war-torn world.

AboutThe Indian Path Series

The Secret Path of Destinyis Book Two of The Indian Path Seriesand about the Comanche. Each book of the series stands independently and focuses on a different Native American tribe during the Indian Wars in the late 1800s. The lives of different fictional characters are woven into the true events of that historical period.

The theme of The Indian Path Series is how to find life’s purpose and a path of peace, love, courage, and faith in times of trouble. As American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said, “If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man’s life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.”

About the Author

M.B. TOSI has been an editor of nonfiction books and a weekly newspaper. She teaches piano and has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s degree in education. Born in Pierre, South Dakota, she has lived in Alexandria, Virginia; Bucks County, Pennsylvania; and Toledo, Ohio. She has three children and three grandchildren.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Reviewer Lisa Lickel Raves about New Romance

No Other
By Shawna K Williams
c. 2010
ISBN – 978-1-936000-53-1
A Desert Breeze eBook
Genre: WWII Era Inspirational Romance


Reviewed by Lisa Lickel

From the Publisher:

In the aftermath of WWII all Jakob Wilheimer wants is to get over his pain, get on with life, and if at all possible, forgive those who've wronged his family -- including himself. But it's hard to do when there are constant reminders. One of them being his former schoolmate, now teacher, Meri Parker -- Miss Port Delamar Pearl, Mayor's daughter, Belle of the town -- Meri Parker.

After enduring the stigma and isolation associated with the internment camp, the awkwardness of going back to school should've been a cake walk. But Jakob didn't expect to find himself inexplicably drawn to Meri. Or to discover that the pain and loneliness of her life surpassed his own. She needed to be rescued from the wretched people seeking to control her life. And more than anything, he needed to be the one to save her.

Review:

And, wow. I haven’t enjoyed a read like this since I first picked up Tamera Alexander: one where I didn’t have to edit in my head as I read along; one where I wanted to finish the book in order, without skipping ahead. The couple of historical facts I felt compelled to look up were right on. Thank you, Shawna!

Shawna’s No Other is a fairly short read, but not a light story by any means. Immediately following World War II in Texas, Shawna doesn’t spare her readers the nastiness of the era, the suspicion that pervades our culture even today. Meri and Jakob fell in love, fell into temptation, but didn’t fall in to despair. And throughout their tangled romance, even when he allowed temptation to hold sway, Jakob kept his faith firmly fixed and wanted Meri know that his God was in charge like No Other.

Shawna’s writing technique is beautiful with well-rounded characters and well-established settings. I love unusual relationships, and although I tend to be a bit squeamish about teacher-student situations, in this case, Jakob returned to finish high school after the war years and was legally of age. The scene of Jakob caring for his baby neice is one that comes back to grab me often. Shawna’s theme of temptation, failure, and forgiveness wove a firm pattern across their lives.

I read this book in pdf format with no trouble.

~ Review first appeared on Goodreads.com, Barnes and Noble.com and on http://lisalickel.com/cgi-bin/blog

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using the widget below:

Rogue Novel by Jo Beverley Anyone?

Lady Beware
By Jo Beverley
Historical romance
ISBN 978-0-451-22149-0
Signet, $ 7.99, PG-13
5 hearts

Reviewed by Mary Benn for the Romance Reader


Jo Beverley carries off a remarkable achievement in Lady Beware, the latest and
possibly last in her Company of Rogue novels. In a world where the loud, the
graphic and the sensational sell, she cultivates a silent and subtle build-up
but rocks her readers to their core. Her craft deserves close attention, but it
is the unusual combination of familial comfort and risqué pleasure that makes
this book a winner.

Horatio Cave, Lord Darien attended Eton at the same time as the Rogues, but he
was not admitted into their exulted company. His violent and scandalous family
history, which includes murder, madness and Italian opera singers, had already
branded him. His belligerent behavior didn't help. Even good-natured Dare (the
opium-addicted hero of To Rescue a Rogue) took issue and warned, "Cave Canem."
Well versed in Latin, the Eton schoolboys immediately recognized the pun (the
inscription cave canem, or "Beware the Dog", was carved on the doors of Roman
homes). The name stuck, and Cave has never forgiven Dare or the Rogues for it.


In the meantime, Cave has made a very different name for himself as a hero of
the Napoleonic wars. His bravery isn't enough to whitewash his family name. So
when Dare's honor in the battlefield is questioned, he sees it as an
opportunity to redeem himself. He coerces Dare's sister Thea Debenham into
accepting a bargain: if she acts as his betrothed, thereby gaining him the
social respect he craves, he will clear her brother's reputation.

It is easy to see what this set up could have become: a predictable story about
a false engagement that eventually becomes a real one. That is not the path
Thea and Cave take. He immediately does his part but allows Thea to withdraw
from hers. Her mother, on the other hand, is determined to pay off the family
debt . More naturally cautious, Thea remains wary of this dark, dangerous
stranger, but she is also intrigued — and secretly thrilled.

Beverley brings her characters to life by examining them in their social
universe. A former soldier, Cave is very much a man's man, and it is mostly
through his interaction with other men that we discover his loyalty and
decency. He deploys all the authority which goes with his rank, but never
abuses it: there is no condescension or false camaraderie in his concern for
his former soldiers. Similarly, Thea's unspoken anxieties and elegant poise are
seen most clearly in her family relationships and her female friendships.

Beverley ensures her characters are multifaceted and doesn't overlook the
erotic dimension of Thea and Cave's relationship. She pens several daring
encounters, but overall subtlety is the key to her art. In one scene, Cave
strokes Thea's gloved finger with his. There is more sensual tension in that
caress than in some of the most explicit descriptions I have recently read.

Throughout the novel, Beverley sets her own leisurely pace and draws her
enraptured readers towards a firework finale. Ominous hints maintain the
novel's tension and the reader's curiosity. The bad things come as no surprise
but still hold us at a fever pitch.

No doubt about it: Lady Beware is yet another jewel in Beverley's heavily-
decorated crown.

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Jo Beverley "Arguably today's most skillful writer of historical
romance..." Publishers Weekly
5 time winner of the prestigious RITA award.
"Romance at its best." Romantic Times.