How to Stir a Baker’s Heart by Candice Sue Patterson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
If you know me or follow my reviews, you know I don’t read many contemporary novels, but I *always* read them if Candice Sue Patterson is the author. And this one didn’t disappoint. Lively, touching, humorous, and heartfelt, this book is an emotional rollercoaster of a ride. You’ll find yourself cheering for both Blake and Olivia as they find their way through that thing we call life. Plenty of reasons to keep turning the pages on this one!
Tags: Book Review, Candice Sue Patterson, Christian Fiction, Christian Romance, New Release, Pegg Thomas, The Sheepish Scribe, Twin Willows Farm
Sand Creek Serenade by Jennifer Uhlarik
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A deeply moving story set against the backdrop of a tragic moment in U.S. history. Even amid turmoil, however, love can blossom. When a young female doctor meets a Cheyenne brave, both their worlds expand. However, it’s a dangerous time to be on the plains. Blood has been spilled from both sides. Tensions are impossibly high. Some men aren’t to be trusted–even men in positions of authority. How can two people from such polar-opposite backgrounds find common ground that will allow them to help those who are hurting the most? Read this one and find out.
Tags: Book Review, Christian Fiction, Christian Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction, Jennifer Uhlarik, New Release, Pegg Thomas, Sand Creek Massacre, Smitten Historical Romance, The Sheepish Scribe, Twin Willows Farm
Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
How can anyone give just three stars to a classic like Les Misérables? When it takes an avid reader almost six weeks to slog through it. Yes, I love the story! Who doesn’t? But the writing is not only old-world writing, it’s positively sloggy. For instance, there are four or five chapters that simply describe the sewer system in Paris and its history. Okay, Jean Valjean must walk through the sewer, but we don’t need chapters of description. (Tell us what time it is, don’t tell us how to build a watch.) There were also multiple chapters describing the street talk of the homeless youth of Paris. And – no – the reader didn’t need to know any of it. So while the story is excellent and the characters are fascinating, digging them out from amid the dross is a flat-out chore. Even for me … and I love reading the classics.
Now I’m ready to watch the new PBS Masterpiece Theater adaptation and I’m sure I will positively love it!
Tags: Classic Literature, Historical Fiction, Les Misérables, Pegg Thomas, The Sheepish Scribe, Twin Willows Farm, Victor Hugo
Songbird and the Spy by J’nell Ciesielski
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Romance with a healthy dose of intrigue that will keep you turning the pages. A young American music student is caught behind the lines in occupied France during WWII. Her French relatives try to shield her, but she winds up alone and afraid until a kindly brother and sister take her into their home. They run a local pub, and she sings for her supper–literally. They pass her off as a French girl. When a certain German captain catches her eye, she does everything in her power to avoid him, but he won’t go away. The German captain isn’t what he seems either, and that revelation starts a whole new round of tension, conflict, and danger. A wonderful story by the same author as “Among the Poppies.” Well worth reading!
Tags: Book Review, Christian Fiction, Christian Historical Fiction, Christian Romance, Historical Fiction, J'nell Ciesielski, New Release, Pegg Thomas, The Sheepish Scribe, Twin Willows Farm
Beauty in Battle by Robin Patchen
Pegg Thomas
