The Longdale Legacy

I enjoy almost anything Carrie Turansky writes.  I got sucked into this book without warning and found it utterly captivating.  It is written in dual time with parallel love stories and parallel heart-breaks occurring one hundred years apart.  

1912--Charlotte Harper's father has died while speaking and in going through his things, Charlotte finds that he wasn't the father she thought he was and became quite distrustful of men in general.  When her mother has to sell the family home to settle her father's debts, Charlotte, her mother, and her  little sister, Alice, move to the Keswick district of England.  Charlotte's mother is hoping to reconcile with her father at Longdale Manor, but he all but closed the door in her face until he needed her help.  

2012--Gwen Morris has made a huge blunder in her grandfather's art and antiques appraisal business.  He sends her to Keswick to Longdale Manor to appraise and sort antiques and art that the owner wants to sell. During the time she spends at Longdale, the owner shares with her a journal she found that was written by Charlotte.  The more Gwen reads the more she wants to know about Charlotte.  At the same time, she wants to find out about her father and meet him, if possible. While hunting for her father, she comes across her grandmother who lives at the farm where Charlotte ended up, and she finds out that Charlotte is in her family tree.  

Both Charlotte and Gwen find love in unexpected places and when they both were not looking for it. Both of their stories are so satisfying in the end, in spite of the hardships they go through getting there. This is definitely a five star book, with two thumbs up, and a love story worth telling to your children. 

Bethany House Publishers provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own.

 

You Make It Feel Like Christmas

 

I have read several books by Toni Shiloh.  She writes about real characters with real world problems and brings reasonable solutions to the issues.  

In her newest offering, she has a plethora of characters who each fill a role in this story.  She has a self-centered narcissist, a victim of the sister's machinations, stalwart brothers who protect their sisters from the world at large; then there are the parents who push their children to fit into molds the children didn't choose for themselves.  

Angel is marrying Starr's ex-boyfriend.  The night he met Angel, he broke up with Starr and went directly to Angel's hotel room to ask her out.  

Starr is going home for Thanksgiving partially because she lost her job and partially because Angel wants her there to help with wedding preparations.  When their brother, Gabe, introduces Starr to his best friend, things begin to look up for Starr's holidays.  Starr helps Waylon revitalize his mother's Christmas shop so that it begins bringing in a profit.  Waylon's gentleness attracts Starr and she begins to realize that while she has helped Waylon with his dream, she hasn't been living her own dream.  

I love Toni Shiloh's books.  She has a way of putting her words together that draw the readers in and keeps them hooked until they finish the book.  Four Strong Stars

Bethany House Publishing provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

All's Fair in Love and Christmas

This book is a quick read, hard to put down, and thoroughly enjoyable.  Most of the characters are quite likable (except Frank, but every book needs a Frank for all the readers to "hate"), but the best ones in this book are the main girl and main dude, who happen to be rivals in their boss's competition for the yearly promotion.  

Jeremy wants the promotion and commensurate pay raise because his  teenage niblings are going to be needing cars, college funds, clothes, shoes, and groceries.  Mackenzie's mom is in a memory care center and the costs are going up.  Mackenzie needs the raise just as much as Jeremy does.  Since the competition revolves around Christmas, Jeremy begins by pulling out all his  stops and making pomander oranges for each member of the staff, but his next few efforts are less than stellar.  Mackenzie's efforts are a bit more understated and subtle, but shows she knows her coworkers well and does all she can to recreate some of their best memories.  

Sarah Monzon has written a completely entertaining book that will be a cozy read for the Christmas season, especially with a cup of hot cocoa in hand. The ending of the book is quite a surprise and quite satisfying. And I LOVE happy endings. Four Strong Stars. 

Bethany House provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own.