Want to know my all-time favorites? Scroll down...
What I Left for You (Liz Tolsma)
1939 Helena Kostyszak is an oddity—an educated female ethnic minority lecturing at a university in Krakow at the outbreak of WWII. When the Germans close the university and force Jews into the ghetto, she spirits out a friend's infant daughter and flees to her small village in the southern hills. Helena does everything in her power to protect her family, but it may not be enough. It will take all of her strength and God's intervention for both of them to survive the war and the ethnic cleansing to come. 2023 Recently unengaged social worker McKenna Muir is dealt an awful blow when a two-year-old she's been working with is murdered. It's all too much to take, so her friend suggests she dive into her family's past like she's always wanted. Putting distance between herself and her problems might help her heal, so she and her friend head on Sabbatical to Poland. But what McKenna discovers about her family shocks everyone, including one long-lost family member.Liz's books are always so well-researched, bringing a little-known aspect and/or culture to life for the reader. In this story, we travel to Poland and learn about the Lemkovyna population, a group nearly completed erased by the war. A Jewish mother, a Roman Orthodox mother, the partisan rebels, and the dangers of educated women are all addressed in this WW2 story of persecution, loss, grief, and the neverending search for those missing parts of one's heart. There are many parallels to the modern-day storyline, and both are told simultaneously. It's a story of heartbreak, but with a beautiful, make-you-cry ending! Honestly, I had never heard of the Lemko people until I read this book, and it makes me wonder how many other cultures were lost throughout history to various wars,,,
1956: In a quiet English village, the smoldering ruins of Rosemont Abbey have set the residents' tongues wagging, and everyone is quick to accuse troublemaker Paul Everly of the crime of arson. Paul has vanished without a trace, leaving only his plucky twin sister, Louisa, certain of his innocence. Fueling her conviction is an inexplicable connection--she felt her twin's death an hour before the abbey went up in flames. Armed with nothing but her wit and her keen sense of intuition, Louisa embarks on her own investigation, challenging the dubious townspeople and the disdain of her aunt and uncle. Even Inspector Malcolm Sinclair, once Paul's closest friend, warns Louisa to abandon her pursuit. But Louisa is determined to solve a murder no one else believes was committed, even if it means unraveling secrets that could shake Wilbeth Green to its core.
Legends are tucked into every fold of the Colorado mountains surrounding the quaint town of Mercy Peak, where residents are the stuff of tall tales, the peaks are taller still, and a lost treasure has etched mystery into the very terrain. In 1948, when outsider Mercy Windsor arrives after a scandal shatters her gilded world as Hollywood's beloved leading lady, she is determined to forge a new life in obscurity in this time-forgotten Colorado haven. She purchases Wildwood, an abandoned estate with a haunting history, and begins to restore it to its former glory. But as she does, her every move tugs at the threads of the mountain's lore, unearthing what became of her long-lost pen pal Rusty Bright, and the whereabouts of the infamous Galloping Goose Railcar No. 8, which vanished years ago--along with the mailbag it carried, whose contents could change the course of countless lives. Not to mention the fabled treasure that--if found--could right so many wrongs. Among the towering mountains that stand as silent witnesses, the ghosts of the past entangle with the courage of the present to find a place where healing, friendship, and hope can abide amid a world forever changed.
As the German army invades the Netherlands in 1940, Aleida van der Zee Martens escapes to London to wait out the Occupation. Separated from her three-year-old son, Theo, in the process, the young widow desperately searches for her little boy even as she works for an agency responsible for evacuating children to the countryside. When German bombs set London ablaze, BBC radio correspondent Hugh Collingwood reports on the Blitz, eager to boost morale while walking the fine line between truth and censorship. But the Germans are not the only ones Londoners have to fear as a series of murders flame up amid the ashes. The deaths hit close to home for Hugh, and Aleida needs his help to locate her missing son. As they work together, they grow closer and closer, both to each other and the answers they seek. But with bombs falling and continued killings, they may be running out of time.
Mary (Shannon McNear)
This series has overdelivered with every single book! As someone who loves both history and the Outer Banks, I was intrigued by the premise of these historically-based stories of women from early America. In Mary, we learn much more about the Croatoan people and their customs, as well as how the English are integrating with them. It's a most fascinating depiction of our nation's first interracial couples and the murkiness that came along with them. The author does a fantastic job of weaving obscure historic facts with speculation to create a riveting read!
The Master Craftsman (Kelli Stuart)
Mrs. Witherspoon Goes to War (Mary Davis)
The Newcomer (Mary Kay Andrews)After she discovers her sister Tanya dead on the floor of her fashionable New York City townhouse, Letty Carnahan is certain she knows who did it: Tanya’s ex; sleazy real estate
entrepreneur Evan Wingfield. Even in the grip of grief and panic Letty heeds her late sister’s warnings: “If anything bad happens to me—it’s Evan. Promise me you’ll take Maya and run. Promise me.” So Letty grabs her sister’s Mercedes and hits the road WITH A TRUNKFUL OF EMOTIONAL BAGGAGE and her wailing four-year-old niece Maya. Letty is determined to out-run Evan and the law, but run to where? Tanya, a woman with a past shrouded in secrets, left behind a “go-bag” of cash and a big honking diamond ring—but only one clue: a faded magazine story about a sleepy mom-and-pop motel in a Florida beach town with the improbable name of Treasure Island. She sheds her old life and checks into an uncertain future at The Murmuring Surf Motel. THE NO VACANCY SIGN IS FLASHING, & THE SHARKS ARE CIRCLING . . .And that’s the good news...
A lazy read for a lazy summer's day....Mary Kay Andrews has another hit with this murder mystery! The cast of characters illustrates the differences between northerners and southerners, and their quirks will draw you into their 'family.' At times flashing back to earlier moments, it tends to be a fairly straightforward and easy read. The reader will be rooting for Letty and Maya, wanting to have their questions answered, and occasionally surprised by a twist! Overall, the perfect beach read.
Dear Miss Dupre (Grace Hitchcock)
I read about a book a day, and this was one of the most entertaining books I've read in quite some time! In a Victorian-age Bachelorette, Willow is being forced to find a husband as quickly as possible. It truly plays out like the Bachelorette tv show, with hijinks, underhandedness, and multiple affections...but this a Christian romance, so it is clean. It ended the way I had hoped, and I cannot wait for the author to write the next book in the series....I sincerely hope it is about Flora and the runner-up (did you think I would reveal the winner?), as they deserve their happily-ever-after, too!
*I received some of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*
Burning of Rosemont Abbey (Naomi Stephens)
1956: In a quiet English village, the smoldering ruins of Rosemont Abbey have set the residents' tongues wagging, and everyone is quick to accuse troublemaker Paul Everly of the crime of arson. Paul has vanished without a trace, leaving only his plucky twin sister, Louisa, certain of his innocence. Fueling her conviction is an inexplicable connection--she felt her twin's death an hour before the abbey went up in flames. Armed with nothing but her wit and her keen sense of intuition, Louisa embarks on her own investigation, challenging the dubious townspeople and the disdain of her aunt and uncle. Even Inspector Malcolm Sinclair, once Paul's closest friend, warns Louisa to abandon her pursuit. But Louisa is determined to solve a murder no one else believes was committed, even if it means unraveling secrets that could shake Wilbeth Green to its core.While I struggled to connect with the characters and get into the book, my fortitude was rewarded with well-developed protagonists who work together to solve this unusual mystery. There are a multitude of suspects and twists and turns on every page. The abbey, which survived so much history only to lose to arson, is itself a mystery, as it what happens to Louise's twin brother Paul, and they all tie together in a neat little bow, but not an expected one. There is also a lot of soul-searching and inner turmoil for our protagonist as she delves into her own personal past. A la 'Clue,' this is a classic whodunit mystery that will leave you guessing until the very end!
Born of Gilded Mountains (Amanda Dykes)
Legends are tucked into every fold of the Colorado mountains surrounding the quaint town of Mercy Peak, where residents are the stuff of tall tales, the peaks are taller still, and a lost treasure has etched mystery into the very terrain. In 1948, when outsider Mercy Windsor arrives after a scandal shatters her gilded world as Hollywood's beloved leading lady, she is determined to forge a new life in obscurity in this time-forgotten Colorado haven. She purchases Wildwood, an abandoned estate with a haunting history, and begins to restore it to its former glory. But as she does, her every move tugs at the threads of the mountain's lore, unearthing what became of her long-lost pen pal Rusty Bright, and the whereabouts of the infamous Galloping Goose Railcar No. 8, which vanished years ago--along with the mailbag it carried, whose contents could change the course of countless lives. Not to mention the fabled treasure that--if found--could right so many wrongs. Among the towering mountains that stand as silent witnesses, the ghosts of the past entangle with the courage of the present to find a place where healing, friendship, and hope can abide amid a world forever changed.Unlike some of Dykes' other stories, romance is not at the center of this book, but rather it's the story of a friendship. It's also one of faith, though it's subtlely woven into the narrative, rather than being overt. Randomly assigned as penpals as children, Rusty and Mercy have forged a close relationship through the years yet never met. Mercy (Marybeth) has had to flee Hollywood (and the references to gilded-age Hollywood were wonderful for a black-and-white lover such as myself!), and finds herself heading to Rusty's town, where she hopes to find some security. What she finds, however, is that Rusty is no longer there, but there's an intriguing stranger with a fabulous mystery that needs to be solved, so she stays. Told in dual-timeline format, this is a story of friendship and grief.
The Garden Within (Dr. Anita Phillips)
Too often we’ve been taught to view our emotions with suspicion, seeing them as something to be suppressed, managed, or mastered. This isn’t true. Emotions are not your enemy. Internal war is not your destiny. You were created to flourish.
In this game-changing book, trauma therapist and mental health expert Dr. Anita Phillips reveals how embracing emotion is the key to living your most powerful life. Just as gardens thrive in good ground, the abundant life you’ve been seeking can only be grown in the soil of your heart.
Blending faith, the latest discoveries in neurobiology, and her own research and work as a licensed therapist, Dr. Anita shows you how to cultivate a state of emotional well-being that can:
- strengthen your body and reverse the effects of trauma,
- calm anxiety and renew your mind, and
- unleash a new level of spiritual power in your life.
This book will equip you with the tools you need to nurture a part of yourself that has been misunderstood for too long — your heart — setting you free to live just as the Creator intended.
This book takes a holistic approach to emotional health and general well-being, including both faith-based approaches and scientific research in her plan for healing, self-acceptance, and empowerment. Dr. Phillips draws from her experience as a trauma-informed therapist to help readers with anecdotes, practical exercises, and tangible, usable advice for moving forward on their journey to self-healing, including overcoming anxiety and other trauma-related aftereffects.
This is a guide to:
- Strengthen your body and the reverse the effects of trauma
- Calm anxiety and renew your mind
- Unleash a new level of spiritual power in your life
Some of Yvie's Favorite Reads
Embers in the London Sky (Sarah Sundin)
As the German army invades the Netherlands in 1940, Aleida van der Zee Martens escapes to London to wait out the Occupation. Separated from her three-year-old son, Theo, in the process, the young widow desperately searches for her little boy even as she works for an agency responsible for evacuating children to the countryside. When German bombs set London ablaze, BBC radio correspondent Hugh Collingwood reports on the Blitz, eager to boost morale while walking the fine line between truth and censorship. But the Germans are not the only ones Londoners have to fear as a series of murders flame up amid the ashes. The deaths hit close to home for Hugh, and Aleida needs his help to locate her missing son. As they work together, they grow closer and closer, both to each other and the answers they seek. But with bombs falling and continued killings, they may be running out of time.
I love Sarah's novels, but this one was even better than my favorites from the past! Set amid World War 2, this book begins in Denmark and moves to England, both London and the countryside. It's early WW2, before and during the Battle of Britain, and revolves heavily around child evacuees and the politicization of that movement. There's a little bit of romance, but largely two separate yet intertwined mysteries that must be solved...and the ending will surprise you!
Mary (Shannon McNear)Immerse yourself in the “what if” questions related to the Lost Colony of Roanoke. What if an English boy and a native girl met in the wilderness? The push-and-pull between two very different worlds begins as one seeks simple friendship and the other struggles to trust. And can it—dare they—allow it to be more? Sparks fly between Mushaniq, free-spirited daughter of Manteo, and Georgie Howe, whose father was brutally murdered by undiscovered native warriors before they’d been on Roanoac Island a full week. As Georgie struggles to make sense of his life and to accept that not all they call “savage” are guilty of his father’s death, Mushaniq grapples with her own questions about who Manteo has become. As tentative friendship becomes more, forged in the fire of calamity and attack upon their community, both must decide whether the One True God is indeed who He claims to be and whether He is worthy of their trust.
Libby has been given a powerful gift: to live one life in 1774 Colonial Williamsburg and the other in 1914 Gilded Age New York City. When she falls asleep in one life, she wakes up in the other. While she's the same person at her core in both times, she's leading two vastly different lives. In Colonial Williamsburg, Libby is a public printer for the House of Burgesses and the Royal Governor, trying to provide for her family and support the Patriot cause. The man she loves, Henry Montgomery, has his own secrets. As the revolution draws near, both their lives--and any hope of love--are put in jeopardy. Libby's life in 1914 New York is filled with wealth, drawing room conversations, and bachelors. But the only work she cares about--women's suffrage--is discouraged, and her mother is intent on marrying her off to an English marquess. The growing talk of war in Europe only complicates matters. But Libby knows she's not destined to live two lives forever. On her twenty-first birthday, she must choose one path and forfeit the other--but how can she choose when she has so much to lose in each life?
I read a few hundred books each year, and enjoy time-travel, historic fiction, and mysteries....this is a combination of all of the above, with a bit of romance thrown in, too. It's almost like reading two books at the same time - one set in Colonial Williamsburg and one set in WWI England - until they begin to intertwine toward the end. And the ending...oh my heart! There are so many different facets to this book; it could have been a hot mess, but author perfectly weaves together each and every one of them to create a masterpiece. I look forward to seeing what comes next in this series!
I read a few hundred books each year, and enjoy time-travel, historic fiction, and mysteries....this is a combination of all of the above, with a bit of romance thrown in, too. It's almost like reading two books at the same time - one set in Colonial Williamsburg and one set in WWI England - until they begin to intertwine toward the end. And the ending...oh my heart! There are so many different facets to this book; it could have been a hot mess, but author perfectly weaves together each and every one of them to create a masterpiece. I look forward to seeing what comes next in this series!
The Master Craftsman (Kelli Stuart)In 1917, Alma Pihl, a master craftsman in the House of Fabergé, was charged to protect one of the greatest secrets in Russian history--an unknown Fabergé Egg that Peter Karl Fabergé secretly created to honor his divided allegiance to both the people of Russia and the Imperial tsar's family. When Alma and her husband escaped Russia for their native Finland in 1921, she took the secret with her, guarding her past connection to the Romanov family. Three generations later, world-renowned treasure hunter Nick Laine is sick and fears the secret of the missing egg will die with him. With time running out, he entrusts the mission of retrieving the egg to his estranged daughter, Ava, who has little idea of the dangers she is about to face. As the stakes are raised, Ava is forced to declare her own allegiance--and the consequences are greater than she could have imagined.
Wow! This wasn't exactly what I expected -- it was so much better! Fans of Dan Brown or the National Treasure movie series will love taking a treasure hunt across time, through Imperial Russia, in search of a priceless, lost artifact. There are twists and turns all along the way, some intellectual sleuthing, and soul searching for many of the characters. What's the real treasure here? You'll have to read to find out!
Mrs. Witherspoon Goes to War (Mary Davis)Peggy Witherspoon, a widow, mother, and pilot flying for the Women’s Airforce Service in 1944 clashes with her new reporting officer. Army Air Corp Major Howie Berg was injured in combat and is now stationed at Bolling Field in Washington D.C. Most of Peggy’s jobs are safe, predictable, and she can be home each night with her three daughters—until a cargo run to Cuba alerts her to American soldiers being held captive there, despite Cuba being an “ally.” Will Peggy go against orders to help the men—even risk her own life?
I loved everything about this book! Growing up in an aviator-family, the author's descriptions of airplanes and aeronautic maneuvers, with the lingo, felt like slipping into a warm, comfortable blanket. She has definitely done her research on the world of aviation as well as on the WASPs and even the weather of this time! Like any good air show, the book took twists and turns, appeared as though the protagonist would fall to her death, and then recovered at the very last moment to bring cheers from the audience....ahem, readers. A must-read!
The Newcomer (Mary Kay Andrews)entrepreneur Evan Wingfield. Even in the grip of grief and panic Letty heeds her late sister’s warnings: “If anything bad happens to me—it’s Evan. Promise me you’ll take Maya and run. Promise me.” So Letty grabs her sister’s Mercedes and hits the road WITH A TRUNKFUL OF EMOTIONAL BAGGAGE and her wailing four-year-old niece Maya. Letty is determined to out-run Evan and the law, but run to where? Tanya, a woman with a past shrouded in secrets, left behind a “go-bag” of cash and a big honking diamond ring—but only one clue: a faded magazine story about a sleepy mom-and-pop motel in a Florida beach town with the improbable name of Treasure Island. She sheds her old life and checks into an uncertain future at The Murmuring Surf Motel. THE NO VACANCY SIGN IS FLASHING, & THE SHARKS ARE CIRCLING . . .And that’s the good news...
A lazy read for a lazy summer's day....Mary Kay Andrews has another hit with this murder mystery! The cast of characters illustrates the differences between northerners and southerners, and their quirks will draw you into their 'family.' At times flashing back to earlier moments, it tends to be a fairly straightforward and easy read. The reader will be rooting for Letty and Maya, wanting to have their questions answered, and occasionally surprised by a twist! Overall, the perfect beach read.
Willow Dupré never thought she would have to marry, but with her father's unexpected retirement from running the prosperous Dupré sugar refinery, she is forced into a different future. The shareholders are unwilling to allow a female to take over the company without a man at her side, so her parents devise a plan--find Willow a spokesman king in order for her to become queen of the business empire. Willow is presented with thirty potential suitors from the families of New York society's elite group called the Four Hundred. She has six months to court the group and is told to to eliminate men each month to narrow her beaus until she chooses one to marry, ending the competition with a wedding. Willow reluctantly agrees, knowing she must do what is best for the business. She doesn't expect to find anything other than a proxy . . . until she meets a gentleman who captures her attention, and she must discover for herself if his motives are pure.
*I received some of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*
