Another Beauty and the Beast Rendition

 

So this book is another look at the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale, but Rachel Fordham has done a masterful job in bringing all the bits and pieces of the tale to life.  She put the characters in the early 1900s, so while it is historical, it is also a bit more modern.  

Sadie West has been working at the feather duster factory in Monticello, Iowa, when she is turned out of her boarding house for someone who will pay more.  She finds an abandoned factory to shelter in, and bathes in a freezing cold creek, but it is the only water available to her.  She is found out and then given a position at the Taylor mansion to help clean it up and get it ready to sell.  This is in addition to her job at the duster factory.  She is sending money home to pay for her father's doctor bills after he had an accident on the farm.  She is also paying the mortgage on the farm so that her family doesn't lose their home. 

Otis Taylor is the only remaining Taylor alive and comes back to Monticello to settle his brother's estate.  He'd been sent away because he was scarred and disfigured and his father didn't want to look at him.  Otis has quite a chip on his shoulder for the way his family treated him, but he eventually finds that his chip is too heavy to carry. 

Alta is one of the lesser characters but she plays an important part in the movement of the plot.  She so wants to be the one that Otis courts when he returns to town.  She's a little bit of a gold digger and a bit entitled, and plays the parts well.  When she finds that Sadie has been working for Otis for a while, she throws a temper tantrum worthy of a two year old.  

Beyond Ivy Walls has everything a reader could desire--a little bit of romance, a little bit of mystery, hard decisions, and a coming to terms with circumstances. I love the Beauty and the Beast type stories I've read and other than one written by Robin McKinley, this is the best one I've read.  Robin's is an extremely well-done rendition of the tale, while Rachel's is a more modern retelling.  It is still a five star book with two thumbs up and a beast who cares about family troubles.  

Thomas Nelson Fiction provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own.

The Song of Sourwood Mountain

Almira Dean has just found out that her teaching position has been eliminated.  That bit of news comes right after she finds out her landlady wants her room to give to a niece. A former classmate has come to town to promote the mission back in the Appalachians where his church is.  He asks Mira to marry him and come back into the hills with him to teach at the mission school.  

Ann H Gabhart has created a lovely story about the backwoods people of the Appalachians and their  lives in the early 1900s.  This particular novel is one that is one of the more enjoyable books I have read this year.  What begins as a marriage of convenience becomes a truly loving union.  Some of the children in the book are favorite characters.  The feels I had for Ada June were just too much at times.  She was alone in the world and was moved from pillar to post.  She spent most of her time outside in the woods or in a cave.  When Mira and Gordon offer her a bed to sleep in and regular meals, she begins to blossom in ways that are most rewarding.  Mira has a loving touch for all the children in the area and wants only the best for them--even the most misbehaved ones. 

The Song of Sourwood Mountain is populated with the churchy busy-bodies and the recalcitrant husbands who go through life just trying to live.  Most of these people don't have two pennies to rub together, but somehow they make life work.  These people are not afraid to work hard and keep goods stored up for the lean times.  The one telling point in their lives was the way they cared for others in need.  It was a beauty to watch the way they worked together.  

The book is easy to read and digest, but more importantly it is engaging to the reader.  Five Stars, Two Thumbs up and a bluebird of happiness to sing outside your window. 

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

 

These Tangled Threads

These Tangled Threads is an interesting novel about the Biltmore Industries, specifically the weaving industry.  Lorna Blankenship is the master weaver at the Biltmore, and she has been tasked with weaving a special fabric worthy of a wedding dress for Cornelia Vanderbilt.  The problem is that Lorna hasn't made an original weaving ever.  She has bought some patterns for weaving her cloth from a young girl, Gentry, who was working under her supervision and passed them off as her own.  Because she hadn't had a fresh idea in a while, she was tasked with making one more weaving--suitable for a wedding--and then she was being fired. She heads out into the back country of the Appalachians to find a specific weaver. 

Arthur is a friend Lorna has known for years and carves wooden items that the Biltmore sells to tourists who come and tour the mansion.  He finds that his parents have died and that he has a brother who has been in and out of trouble almost his whole life.  He wants to do his best for his brother and bring him to sobriety.  While both Lorna and Arthur travel, their paths cross frequently and Arthur has cared for Lorna for a long time,  He's just waiting for her to return his feelings.  

This is a time swap type novel but the times are so close together that it is confusing at times to figure out which era things are happening.  It might have been a bit more cohesive if Sarah Loudin Thomas had just made the book a narrative instead of jumping back and forth between times.  At least it would have been easier to read for me.  For this reason alone, I give the book four weak stars.  I wish I could do half stars, but the sites where I post won't allow half stars. 

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

Sandcastle Inn

This was an enjoyable book, but it has its drawbacks.  Irene Hannon has written a series taking place in the fictional seaside town of Hope Harbor. 

Matt's sister, Kay, has bought a Bed and Breakfast Inn that needs a lot of work to put it in usable order.  Vienna is visiting her mother and offers her skills as developer for inns and hotels in lieu of room and board at the end.  Matt finds a contractor who needs work and part of his pay is a room for the contractor and his wife.  

Much of the book deals with refurbishing the Inn and setting it up as a high-end romantic getaway rather than the interpersonal relationships.  The romance between Matt and Vienna really didn't develop through the vast majority of the book.  It wasn't until the latter portions of the book that romance bloomed.  I have read other books in this series and I wish that Charley had a larger role in this book.  He is the glue that holds the series together.  His role was underplayed, almost to the point of being non-existent.  

This is a four star book that doesn't reach the same heights as the other books in this series.  Pretty soon, though, Irene will have the whole town of Hope Harbor populated and developed. 

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