Historical Romance – Page 6

The Silent Night + Giveaway

Twas the hour after midnight and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, except for the owls. And Holly.

Holly is no stranger to the night. Her unique position means that the still hours in the darkest parts of the night are when most of her work gets done. It’s not completely silent—she has Parliament to thank for that—but it does get a bit lonely. Not even the letters from her faithful correspondent can completely fill the empty space, and it’s only a matter of time before she loses even those.

Dominic Klause has watched as, year after year, the winters in Weihnacht grow longer and colder. The nights are dark, food is scarce, and his fellow countrymen are desperate for a miracle, but too proud to accept charity, leaving Dominic no choice but to hide his attempts at helping them under the cover of darkness. But his resources are limited, and not even the brilliant suggestions of his friend Joy can change the fact that it will require the riches of a king to continue his charitable efforts.

As Deus Natus Eve approaches, Dominic turns his attention towards the one place that could solve all his problems—the abandoned castle of the former king. But all is not as it seems behind the towering holly hedges that surround the castle, and Dominic encounters more than he bargained for. When the unexpected gift of love is dropped into his lap, will Dominic find the treasure he seeks? Or will it be lost to the silence of the night?

This book is a part of The Christmas Chronicles, a collection of festive novellas filled with clean romance, chilly weather, and cozy adventures.

My Review:

Sqqquuueeaaaalll! Eeeeeepppp!!!Squeeeeeeep!!!!!

This is me in a discombobulated state of dithery biblio-phoria because I’ve just discovered a new-to-me fave author who writes fairy tale retellings!!!!! And this one is beyond clever. A mix of Sleeping Beauty and The Legend of St. Nicholas and it is BRILLIANT!!!! There are some one liners in here that had me laughing out loud and more then a few ‘aha’ moments as I discovered fairy tale connections. So. Much. Fun.

Beran has a lovely storytelling ‘voice’ that suits this specialty genre to perfection. I don’t think I can find the words to explain just how much I loved ‘The Silent Night’. The author is. an absolute genius at creating a unique story using familiar fairy tale ‘prompts’. I’m astounded and gobsmacked and eager to read more Sarah Beran very soon.

I enjoyed listening to the audible edition of this book. Tawnya Rollingson charms with her heartfelt narration which added to my overall appreciation for these characters and their story.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a print or ebook copy. Winner’s choice.

US – available in print or ebook — winner’s choice

Canada – available in print or ebook or audible (if available) — winner’s choice

International – ebook copy if you have a US Kindle account.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of the The Silent Night, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday December 7 2024.

Holly’s Homecoming + Giveaway

indie!

A Christmastime Novella of Restoration and Sweet Romance

It’s the end of 1897 and Christmas approaches. It’s been years since Holly Moore has seen her father, a well-known lumber baron, but she has heard he’s come back home to Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. Having lived with her aunt and uncle since the age of ten, Holly holds mixed feelings about seeing the man who once abandoned her.

When the opportunity comes for Holly to slip into the household of Grapevine Lodge—her childhood home and the seat of the Moore Lumber fortune—virtually unnoticed, she takes it.

While at Grapevine Lodge, Holly encounters Matthew Peterson, the son of a business associate of her father’s. She quickly develops a friendship with Matthew, but when she finds out just who he really is and what he’s come to the lodge for, Holly questions their relationship.

Will Holly’s father recognize her? Can she move past all that has kept her and her father apart and finally be able to truly come home? Can Holly keep her feelings for Matthew and still step into her role as the heiress to a lumber fortune?

Find out in this short and sweet, Christmas-themed novella with a surprise twist. Readers of Christian historical fiction, Christian or clean romance, and Christmas fiction will experience a heart-warming story of all that makes Christmastime magical.

My Review:

published in 2021

A heartwarming Christmas story featuring reconciliation and romance.

Holly is on a quest to discover more about her estranged father and a past she doesn’t understand. Love the atmospheric setting and the unexpected way Holly’s arrival at Grapevine Lodge gets turned around, giving her an opportunity to seek answers through stealthy means rather than confrontational ones.

The author’s storytelling style sets the tone beautifully. A little bit haunting, a wee bit mysterious and very intriguing. I felt for Holly and her desire to know the truth…even if she isn’t prepared for it! The gentle romance brings a sweet reprieve to her inner turmoil. And the frosty ambience of a house left neglected for much too long is the perfect setting for a story that is as much about forgiveness and mercy as it is about love.

This is the first book in the‘Botanical Seasons Novellas‘ collection as well as the first book I’ve read by Jenny Knipfer and I definitely intend to continue with this series and this author . I’m extremely excited over her new ‘Retold Fairy Tales’ series she has releasing next year. Eeeeeppp!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a print or ebook copy. Winner’s choice.

US – available in print or ebook — winner’s choice

Canada – available in print or ebook or audible (if available) — winner’s choice

International – ebook copy if you have a US Kindle account.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of the Holly’s Homecoming, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday November 30 2024.

Secrets in the Snowstorm + Giveaway

Indie!

Evelyn Wayford must marry, and quickly, before all of society learns her secret, one she fears will tarnish her future without question. Luckily, she has found just the man, and a Christmas house party is just the place to secure his proposal. She is confident in her plan, so long as her brother’s friend Gilbert keeps his distance, as his flirtatious ways tend to be particularly distracting.

Gilbert Marshall has secrets of his own. Secrets that demand he marry for wealth regardless of where his affections lie. If only his heart didn’t long for the one person he feels he cannot have. And if that knowledge was not enough, now he must endure the torture of watching Evelyn form an attachment to another man during her family’s house party.

When an unexpected snowstorm strands Evelyn and Gilbert alone in a hunting lodge for Christmas, both remain convinced of their separate futures, until Evelyn begins to experience a side of Gilbert she has never seen. Secrets have a way of coming to light when two people are trapped together, but will the revelations bring them closer or push them apart before the snow clears?

My Review:

Eeeeeeppp! Regency! Christmas! New-to-me author! I am in bibliophile heaven! And the close proximity trope is written to perfection! Happy sigh!

So, Gilbert (brother’s best friend trope) has been falling in love with Evelyn for years but he has a secret that prevents him from acting on his feelings. He’s created an annoying (to Evelyn) persona in order to keep his distance so this also starts out with a bit of enemies to more trope too. Eeeeep! But Evelyn also has a secret which, of course, complicates things even more.

The romance is so well paced. Unhurried, with lots of banter and playfulness…and fireworks! Loved how Gilbert and Evelyn gradually lower their guard and really get to know each other. And the way the author builds the suspense behind their secrets (especially Evelyn’s) kept me riveted. At first I thought she was being a ninny but when I realized there was so much more going on…well, just, wow!

All the lovely old-fashioned Christmas celebrations and games brought a nice, cozy ambience to the story. Such a different time, with much simpler and more innocent amusements! Kinda made me homesick for a past I never experienced!

A beautifully written, heartwarming holiday romance. Will definitely be hunting down more Miranda D. Nelson novels in my reading future.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a print or ebook copy. Winner’s choice.

US – available in print or ebook — winner’s choice

Canada – available in print or ebook or audible (if available) — winner’s choice

International – ebook copy if you have a US Kindle account.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of the Secrets in the Snowstorm, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday November 23 2024.

We Three Kings + Giveaway

In this Christmas collection, Weise men still seek Jesus–and love

Best-selling romance authors Caudill, Putman, and Strong follow three generations of the Weise family in this third collection of Christmas novellas from Kregel that will prove just as popular as the previous award-winning volumes.

“Star of Wonder” by Crystal Caudill
The Christmas-themed maiden voyage of his family’s grand steamer ship was supposed to be Aldrich Weise’s chance both to instill investor confidence and to romance Celestia Isaacs. Instead, he must foil a criminal and leave his lady love behind forever.

“Beauty Bright” by Cara Putman
Lieutenant Charles Weise served as a Monuments Man after World War II and now works to restore stolen art to rightful owners. Captain Lillian Thorsen pairs up with him not only to return treasures but also to fix the war-torn lives around them.

“Perfect Light” by Angela Ruth Strong
Essential oils mogul Brendon Wise is drawn to Lacey Foster, the event planner for his huge Christmas lights festival. But when he inadvertently makes a spectacle of her on television, Lacey wants nothing to do with him. Will a chance to give gifts to those in need at Christmas be the key to discovering common ground–and maybe love?

My Review:

A wonderful collection of Christmas novellas written by some talented authors. While each story is unique, they are linked by the generational ties of the Weise family.

Crystal Caudill starts us off in 1884 with a shipboard romance fraught with mystery and adventure. Fast forward to the end of WWII in 1945 and Cara Putman brings the Monument Men to life as Lieutenant Charles Weise works to restore stolen art to their rightful owners. And finally, Angela Ruth Strong takes us into present day with an unusual holiday romance that just happens to feature my least favourite trope but she nailed it!

Nice variety, compelling stories and the generational link makes this collection shine.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback copy and is available to any reader, any where — so, yay, another International Giveaway!

If you would like a chance to win a copy of We Three Kings, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday November 16 2024.

The Liberty Scarf + Giveaway

In the midst of a seemingly endless war, a scarf connects three women in the cold winter of 1917 . . .

As an ambitious scarf maker, Iris Braxton spends her days surrounded by color and luxury not often seen during the dark days of war that promised to be over by Christmas. That promise has come and gone for three years with still no end in sight and her days continue in a monotony of rations and threads while she spins a dream of becoming Liberty’s first female pattern designer. She hasn’t the time or interest in rakish soldiers, but the temporarily-on-leave Captain Conrad Jones is persistent–and before long his charm wins her over. But war is cruel and all too soon Conrad leaves once more for the Front, but not before vowing to meet again in Strasbourg, France, the most magical of Christmas cities. Iris begins stitching small messages into each of the scarves she makes in hopes that one will find a way into Conrad’s hands to let him know she’s thinking of him. And when she receives word that he’s wounded in Strasbourg, she rushes to his side. Along the way, she passes a woman wearing one of her scarves . . .

Geneviève Tremblay, a French-Canadian immigrant, is a telephone operator living in Lewiston, Maine. Her beau is a member of a prominent family who has helped to Americanize her in a community often unfriendly to Canadians. As part of this effort, she enlists in the US Army Signal Corps to serve as a bi-lingual operator. Along the way, she meets a French officer who makes her question whether losing her identity is too heavy a price for acceptance.

The Clara Janssens, a Flemish Nurse, and Roman Allaire, an Alsatian violinist, are chosen to play for an orchestra providing morale on the front lines. This is a world they’ve never known, far beyond their routine provincial and countryside lives–and the expectations in those towns. Their love of music creates a spark between them, but the destruction of battle and the fulfillment of a promise threaten their romance. Still, the appearance of a kind stranger and the unexpected gift of a treasured scarf bind them long beyond their stolen moments and offer them a future beyond what they could have even hoped.

My Review:

Gobsmackingly good! Exceptional storytelling. And what a surprise to discover that this is one continuous story written by three authors. I went into this read assuming it was a collection of novellas set in different eras, instead, the authors cover the same timeline from different characters’ perspectives which makes a stunning impact.

Each author’s story flows seamlessly into the next one — but oh the cliffhanger endings in the first two! They have distinctive styles in both plot and characterization but the stories mesh beautifully into a cohesive whole by the end which made ‘The Liberty Scarf‘ such a rich, emotional read.

Love the diverse settings (US, England and Europe) and the historical insights each brings to the story. There’s even a French-Canadian heroine! (says this Canadian reader proudly.) I love learning about history in my fiction and these authors captured elements of WWI that I wasn’t aware of which made the read that much more interesting.

Oh — and there’s a bit of the epistolary novel within these stories as well which I absolutely loved. While mostly told in ‘real time’ there are letter writing components too and those glimpses into the characters’ inner most thoughts were priceless. Such a great way to enhance the story!

I listened to the audio edition of this book and really enjoyed the multi narrator performances. Anne Marie Gideon, Gary Furlong, Caroline Hewitt and Saskia Maarleveld did an incredible job. Such a rich, rewarding listening experience.

My thanks to Harper Muse Audio and Net Galley for providing me with an audio edition of this novel.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a print or ebook copy. Winner’s choice.

US – available in print or ebook — winner’s choice

Canada – available in print or ebook or audible (if available) — winner’s choice

International – ebook copy if you have a US Kindle account.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of the The Liberty Scarf, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday November 16 2024.

A Kindness for Christmas + Giveaway

INDIE!

Jerry got caught up in a war he wanted no part of; one that left him paralyzed from the waist down on the day of Lee’s surrender. Now he stood the risk of losing his ranch if he wasn’t married by the deadline. But what woman wanted a man who may never walk again?

Leanne was left destitute as the war raged. Her hometown was now taken over by a wealthy criminal…and he had his sights set on her. She was given a choice…either marry this corrupt man, or she and her three friends would be forced into bondage as saloon girls. Not only did she desperately need a way to escape, but she had to take her friends with her.

Through an intense, dangerous scheme, the Lord answered her prayers but her chance at freedom came with a price…she had to become a proxy bride to a man who may never walk again.

The four Yankee hating women were temporarily relieved to find safety. But what will they do when they find out the man willing to rescue them is a decorated Union Officer? Can Leanne ever overcome her terrible memories of destruction, and strong hatred for Yankees, enough to live with this man, “til death do us part?”

My Review:

Woohoo! New-to-me author alert! Thrilled to have discovered Lynne Lanning and I will be looking for more of her books in the future. Her storytelling captured my imagination and my emotions and kept me riveted right to the end.

A heartwarming Christmas novella that begins in the springtime when both our hero and heroine find themselves in desperate situations that might just be alleviated if they work together. Eeeeeepp — not only a mail-order bride romance, but a proxy bride as well, which I don’t think I’ve read before.

While the majority of the story doesn’t have a holiday setting, the Christmas-y grand finale definitely earns this novella the right to be considered a holiday read.

Loved the significant faith content in ‘A Kindness for Christmas’ as Leanne and Jerry look to God for guidance and inspiration as they face difficult challenges. It’s never preachy — just bears a gentle testimony about the power of prayer, the healing forgiveness brings and the importance of living a God-centered life.

So grateful for bookish friend recommendations that led me to this inspirational fiction gem!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a print or ebook copy. Winner’s choice.

US – available in print or ebook — winner’s choice

Canada – available in print or ebook or audible (if available) — winner’s choice

International – ebook copy if you have a US Kindle account.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of the A Kindness for Christmas leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on November 2 2024.

Specter in the Glass House + Giveaway

In 1921, Marian Arnold, the heiress to a brewing baron’s empire, seeks solace in the glass butterfly house on her family’s Wisconsin estate as Prohibition and the deaths of her parents cast a long shadow over her shrinking world. When Marian’s sanctuary is invaded by nightmarish visions, she grapples with the line between hallucinations of things to come and malevolent forces at play in the present. With dead butterflies as the killer’s ominous signature, murders unfold at a steady pace. Marian, fearful she might be next, enlists the help of her childhood friend Felix, a war veteran with his own haunted past.

In the present day, researcher Remy Shaw becomes entangled in an elderly biographer’s quest to uncover the truth behind Marian Arnold’s mysterious life and the unsolved murders linked to an infamous serial killer. Joined by Marian’s great-great-grandson, can Remy expose the evil that lurks beneath broken wings? Or will the dark legacy surrounding the manor and its glass house destroy yet another generation?Renowned as a “trailblazer extraordinaire” (Booklist) of inspirational dual-time suspense, award-winning author Jaime Jo Wright weaves a haunting tale of mystery, legacy, and the relentless pursuit of truth across two distinct eras.

My Review:

Thoroughly Gothic and more than a little eerie. And I feel like that is practically all I can safely say about this book without giving away any spoilers.

Wright excels at this type of dual timeline mystery which includes stunning complexities in both character and plot. Our heroines, Marian in 1921 and Remy in present day, are faced with similar dilemmas yet both have very unique stories to tell.

Past and present are cleverly woven together with impeccable pacing. I hung on every word. I don’t know how the author manages to keep all the details straight! And the way she builds the suspense as well as the creep factor is phenomenal! (You might need some comfort chocolate and a security teddy to make your way safely through to the end.)

So, definitely an unputdownable read. The kind that keeps you scrambling for logical explanations in the midst of so many impossibilities. A spectacularly stunning read!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a print or ebook copy. Winner’s choice.

US – available in print or ebook — winner’s choice

Canada – available in print or ebook or audible (if available) — winner’s choice

International – ebook copy if you have a US Kindle account.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of the Specters in the Glass House, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday October 26 2024.

The Gentleman’s Confession + Giveaway

Inexperienced in love, Jemma seeks help from her best friend, Miles, unaware that he has secretly loved her for years.

Brookeside, England, 1822

Jemma Fielding has always considered herself an independent woman, but to honor her beloved grandmother’s dying wish, she makes a promise that she will marry and fall in love. To fulfill her promise, she turns to the Matchmaking Mamas Society for assistance and is paired with the charming Mr. Bentley. Though he is everything Jemma could hope for in a match, she is clueless about how to win his heart. Desperate to make a good impression, she seeks guidance from her dearest friend, Miles Jackson, a humble rector with a talent for understanding matters of the heart.

However, Miles’s secret affection for Jemma has spanned years, and teaching her to love someone else threatens to betray his own heart. Trapped by his own selfless nature, Miles fears he will never be more than a humble rector in her eyes.

Even as he gives Jemma lessons in love, Miles grapples with the challenge of convincing her that Mr. Bentley may be a perfect gentleman but he is not the perfect match for her. Will Miles’s advice in romance jeopardize their years of friendship, or will it reveal the attraction that has quietly blossomed between them, proving that this time, the Matchmaking Mamas may have made a mistake? Miles must decide if he’s brave enough to confess his feelings to Jemma before she is whisked away forever.

My Review:

Squuuueeeealllll!!! I’m in Regency heaven! Well, if you can call being rapturously tortured by a kinda/sorta love triangle heaven. It isn’t usually for me but…oh…my…word!!!!!!! Miles as the silently besotted friend, forced to assist Jemma in her bid to make herself fall in love with another man. Gasp! My emotions were in tatters for most of the book .

I have a certain fondness for brooding heroes, though I will confess wanting to throttle Miles on more than one occasion during the course of this read. He’s his own worst enemy — being all noble and vicar-ish. Bwahaha! So much of his misery is caused because he doesn’t take action so situations spiral out of control and it sent me into a tizzy of the vapours. I so needed my fainting couch to see my way safely through to this happily every after.

And while it might sound like the dreaded LT is all angst…it isn’t really because it’s obvious that Jemma and Mr. Bentley are not a good match. And, the author has written some truly hilarious scenes that make this more of a lighthearted read. Plus, I could clearly see ahead of a few of the plot twists so that provided me with a comforting safeguard and upped by bibliophile bravery so I could soldier on.

And then, oh….my….THUD…when Miles finally makes his move! Toe-curls and swoons ensued and I was one very happy reader.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening the audio edition of this novel. Mary Jane Wells and James Joseph’s performances were stellar! They captured all the angst and the humour to perfection.

Of note: This is the third book in the ‘Matchmaking Mamas’ series but can easily be read as a standalone. I haven’t read the other books…yet…and I had no problem jumping into the series here.

My thanks to the publisher, Dreamscape Select and Net Galley for providing me with an audio copy of this book.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a print or ebook copy. Winner’s choice.

US – available in print or ebook — winner’s choice

Canada – available in print or ebook or audible (if available) — winner’s choice

International – ebook copy if you have a US Kindle account.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of the The Gentleman’s Confession, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday October 19 2024.

The Captain’s Daughter + Giveaway

Random Retro Re-Read

London 1879 – Forced to leave all she loves behind, she seeks a new life in a city bursting with opportunity, but fraught with danger.

When a series of circumstances beyond her control leaves Rosalyn Bernay alone and penniless in London, she chances upon a job backstage at a theater putting on the most popular show in the city. A talented musician and singer, she feels immediately at home and soon becomes enthralled with the idea of pursuing a career on the stage. That is, as long as the shadows from her past don’t catch up with her.

After a hand injury forces Nate Moran from his army regiment in India, he returns home to London, a place that holds bitter memories. He agrees to fill in temporarily as a stagehand while his brother recuperation from a broken leg, but Nate is counting down the days until he can rejoin his regiment. His future is decided — until he meets a beautiful woman who has found a new lease on life in the very place Nate yearns to leave behind.

My Review:

published in 2017

A spectacular start to a promising new series. I felt that special thrill of discovery a reader gets when she embarks on what she knows is going to be a memorable fictional journey. It was anticipatory delight from the very first page! I mean, what’s not to love — a bit of Dickenish overtones mixed with Gilbert and Sullivan and the London stage! And make sure to check the author’s notes at the back of the book (once you’ve finished reading, of course) to sort out the facts from the fiction. Fascinating historical details are expertly woven throughout Rosalyn and Nate’s love story.

And what a sweet, tender…and reluctant…love story it is. Nate is all stoic military who thinks the only way he can run from his demons is by facing the rigors of army life head on. India is no place to bring a wife even if Rosalyn was so inclined. Which she’s not. She has no intention of leaving her sisters in England behind. And then there’s the lure of the stage and the new life she’s creating for herself in a world she’s never imagined. There’s the kind of dynamics between these two that still makes me slightly giddy. Such a rich, multi-layered romance.

Be prepared for plenty of angst and drama. Laughter too. And a host of intriguing secondary characters — both delightful and sinister — and just plain infuriating. An exciting start to the London Beginnings series.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback copy and is available to any reader, any where — so, yay, another International Giveaway!

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Captain’s Daughter, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday September 14 2024.

The Cloverton Charade + Giveaway

A house party in Regency England provides the perfect opportunity for two rival antiquity brokers to scope out a potentially valuable collection while trying to keep their attraction at bay.

Olivia Brannon’s knowledge of antiquities is unparalleled, having learned everything she needs to know from her broker father. She longs to use that knowledge to make a future for herself, but as a woman, her options are limited . . . until the day a former client, who happens to be the previous mistress of Cloverton Hall, approaches Olivia about evaluating an obscure, private collection. But there is a catch: the evaluation must be conducted in secrecy to prevent the widow’s nephew, the new master of Cloverton Hall, from having knowledge of it. Alicia sees this as her one and only chance to prove her worth, so she agrees to attend a house party at Cloverton Hall and conduct the evaluation covertly.

The younger son of England’s foremost antiquities purveyor, Lucas Avery represents the future of his family business. When he learns that the new master of Cloverton Hall intends to liquidate his deceased uncle’s impressive collection, Lucas is determined to be the broker who oversees the sale. The new master of Cloverton Hall invites Lucas to a house party on the estate, during which time he will have full access to the collection. Lucas jumps at the opportunity, for if successful, he stands to make a great deal of money, as well as solidify his family’s future.

Olivia and Lucas both arrive at the house party under the guise of guests and quickly recognize each other as business rivals, raising their suspicions. After they conduct their individual assessments, it becomes clear to them both that some of the pieces in the collection are counterfeit. They reluctantly join forces to understand the scope of the deception. As their work brings them closer together, an undeniable bond begins to form. Then when one of the most famous pieces in the collection is broken during the house party, everyone is a suspect. Both Olivia and Lucas must decide how much they are willing to risk not only their professional reputations but also their hearts.

My Review:

It is universally acknowledged, that an avid reader in possession of well stocked bookshelves, must be in want of one more Regency Romance. That’s my motto and I’m sticking to it. And, eeeeeeeeeepppppppp, doubly so when the book holds the added allure of a mystery as well.

So, I was all atwitter with bibliophile ecstasy as I began listening to Jude Mason’s skilled narration of ‘The Cloverton Charade.’ Her polished performance breathed life into these characters and she’s a master at altering tone, accent and inflection to match the unique personality of each character. Made for a divine listening experience.

And this story!!! A house party, and all the social intricacies that involves, with Olivia attending (and out of her element!) under the guise of a guest though she’s really there to evaluate the widowed hostess’s valuable private collection.

Meanwhile, Lucas has been invited (again under the guise as guest) by the hostess’s nephew, and legal heir to the estate, to provide an evaluation of the uncle’s vast collection with the intent to sell it all.

Love the subterfuge and how it all plays out — especially since Lucas and Olivia know each other and there’s bad blood between their families and businesses. So, a kinda enemies to more romance in the midst of mystery and intrigue…and all the house party drama!

Brilliant pacing balances lighthearted moments with tense ones as Olivia and Lucas make their way through a maze of conspiracies and manipulations….and find their own happily ever after by the end. Of course.

My thanks to Thomas Nelson, Zondervan Fiction Audio and Net Galley for providing me with an audio edition of this book.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a print or ebook copy. Winner’s choice.

US – available in print or ebook — winner’s choice

Canada – available in print or ebook or audible (if available) — winner’s choice

International – ebook copy if you have a US Kindle account.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of the The Cloverton Charade, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday August 31 2024.