Pegg Thomas

Angelina’s Resolve

Angelina’s Resolve by Cindy Ervin Huff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this “what if” story. Author Huff explains that the idea came about from “what if” Horace Greeley’s “Go west, young man!” had been answered by a group of women. And while it could have been a typical “I’m as good as any man” type of drivel, it’s not. It’s a refreshingly honest look at what women could – and couldn’t – hope to accomplish on their own in the post-Civil War years. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series.

Lumberjacks & Ladies

Lumberjacks & Ladies: 4 Historical Stories of Romance Among the Pines by Jennifer Lamont Leo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a really fun collection to be a part of. First, I got to write with some of my favorite authors! Second, I got to set my novella in the collection right in my own backyard. Third, I got to write a lighter, more upbeat story after digging into deep issues and harsh history in the Fort of Refuge novels.

Follow the stories of lumberjacks and their ladies as trees fell across the country from 1851 Maine to 1865 Michigan to 1881 Wisconsin to 1890 Idaho.

A Heart Adrift

A Heart Adrift by Laura Frantz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another lovely Colonial America story set at the beginning of the French and Indian War. There is nothing of the war itself in the book, but that geopolitical event is a large part of the tension for the characters. A second chance at love story, the hero and heroine meet again after a tumultuous breakup and a 10-year separation. He’s a sea captain who loves to sail, she’s a sea captain’s daughter who resents her father’s absence in her growing up years. The setting is beautifully portrayed on the barrier islands off of York, Virginia. There are some real historical characters included. This one is well worth reading.

Lost in Darkness

Lost in Darkness by Michelle Griep
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’ve read quite a few of Michelle Griep’s books, and I have to say, this is my 2nd favorite. It’s very different, and I think that’s part of why I liked it so much. It’s not the same-old/same-old that historical romance can sometimes fall into. It’s a little dark, as the cover indicates, but I wouldn’t call it gothic. It just … different and intriguing. How? Maybe how she handles the character of the heroine’s brother? Maybe how the story comes together with elements you don’t see coming? Maybe the diversity of characters? I don’t know! You have to read it and find out for yourself.

To Rescue the Republic

To Rescue the Republic: Ulysses S. Grant, the Fragile Union, and the Crisis of 1876 by Bret Baier
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’ve been fascinated by the Civil War since Jr. High. I’ve read widely on the subject, and so it’s always fun when I stumble across a new book that adds something I haven’t read before. I was able to attend Bret Baier’s talk at the Reagan Library in late October, so I had a good idea what was in the book, but I still found a few nuggets that intrigued me.

The first half of the book is about Grant and brings us up through the end of the war. There was on new – and startling – fact I found in there. I won’t put a spoiler in here though. Then the end of the book was about Reconstruction and the election of 1876. I didn’t know nearly as much about Reconstruction as I did about the war, so I learned quite a bit.

Probably the most intriguing part of the whole book is the horse-trading that went one during the 1876 election. The claims of massive fraud (some of which proved to be true – some of it couldn’t be proven) and the possibility of a second war erupting kept me turning the pages.

This wasn’t dry, dusty history. Baier does a good job of telling the story and keeping the reader engaged. I haven’t read his other books, which are more recent history, but I may have to pick them up after reading this one.

At Love’s Command

At Love’s Command by Karen Witemeyer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I bought this book to read after seeing the social media flap about it. I couldn’t imagine half of the vitriol I was reading was true. It wasn’t. Other than the book starts with the massacre at Wounded Knee, nothing about the story meshed with that vitriol.

A historical romance with a very strong-willed heroine and a very self-assured hero that takes place in Texas. Having lived through the horrendous event at Wounded Knee, the hero has turned his life around and along with three close friends, they are trying to right wrongs where they can. Having studied to become a medical doctor, the heroine finds the hero and his attitude very taxing and annoyingly appealing, until she needs his special brand of assistance.

I have to stand with the 13 juried literary judges for the Romance Writers of America who saw nothing untoward about this story. It addressed a great wrong in American history without sugar-coating or romanticizing or glorifying it. It was portrayed as what it was, a massacre.

Goodreads Giveaway!

I’m giving away 20 ebooks of Sarah’s Choice via Goodreads. Pop over and enter to win. Drawing will be August 31st. Amazon will draw the winners and send out the books. Easy-peasy!

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Goodreads Book Giveaway

Sarah’s Choice

by Pegg Thomas

Giveaway ends August 31, 2021.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/widget/329508

Hell-Bent on Blessings

Hell-Bent on Blessings by Heather Blanton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I grew up watching westerns on TV like The Wild, Wild West and Bonanza and Gunsmoke. If you did too, you’re going to enjoy Heather Blanton’s books. And if you didn’t – you young whippersnappers – you need to read a few and learn what good story-telling is all about! Engaging characters with their own individual strengths and flaws, classic western setting, plenty of horses (written by someone who must actually *know* horses!), and plenty of action rounds out this fun romantic romp.

Mysteries of the Messiah – GIVEAWAY!

Mysteries of the Messiah: Unveiling Divine Connections from Genesis to Today by Jason Sobel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you love biblical numerology, you’re going to LOVE this book! But if you’re like me, numbers begin to sound like Charlie Brown’s teacher in your head, mawaw-waw-wawam. But there is plenty in here besides the numbers. It’s worth the price of the book for Chapter 9 alone – the chapter explaining Pentecost before and Pentecost after Jesus and how they are connected.

What interested me about the book in the first place was understanding more about the Jewishness (is that a word?) of Jesus. As one who grew up with the paintings of a blue-eyed, light-skinned, light-haired Jesus, I wanted to see Him more authentically. And learning that the author is also a consultant for the series “The Chosen” was a clincher.

The book delivered on that point, connecting Jesus more to His Jewish heritage. It’s not a light read – even aside from slogging through the numbers – but it’s a thoughtful one. Well worth the time if you want to see Jesus differently than Da Vinci.

AND YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO WIN A COPY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Need more info? Here’s a youtube video with the author.

Behind Love’s Wall

Behind Love’s Wall by Carrie Fancett Pagels
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Behind Love’s Wall takes the reader on a double journey of intrigue and romance on Michigan’s Mackinac Island. Author Carrie Fancett Pagels does a well-balanced job in this dual-timeline story. From 1895 to 2020, the setting of the famous Grand Hotel immerses the reader in the grandeur and elegance of a time gone by that is still accessible today. While Lily and Stephan do their best to hide their pasts in 1895, Willa and Michael are equally determined to unearth them in 2020. There are enough tangled webs in this story to keep the reader happily turning each page. This may be my favorite book by this author yet.