Tag Archives: Dorothy Love

Reading Road Trip — South Carolina

22 May

To start the summer traveling season off right, I am headed to South Carolina in my Reading Road Trip. The Palmetto State stretches from the sandy beaches and marshes of the Low Country to the edges of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Known for its Southern hospitality, the state is rich in history. I have included women’s fiction, romance, mystery, suspense, and historical fiction on my list. I hope you will find the perfect read for the lazy days of summer.

Carolina Gold by Dorothy Love

The war is over, but at Fairhaven Plantation, Charlotte’s struggle has just begun.

Following her father’s death, Charlotte Fraser returns to Fairhaven, her family’s rice plantation in the South Carolina Lowcountry. With no one else to rely upon, smart, independent Charlotte is determined to resume cultivating the superior strain of rice called Carolina Gold.  But the war has left the plantation in ruins, her father’s former bondsmen are free, and workers and equipment are in short supply.

To make ends meet, Charlotte reluctantly agrees to tutor the two young daughters of her widowed neighbor and heir to Willowood Plantation, Nicholas Betancourt.  Just as her friendship with Nick deepens, he embarks upon a quest to prove his claim to Willowood and sends Charlotte on a dangerous journey that uncovers a long-held family secret, and threatens everything she holds dear.

Inspired by the life of a 19th-century woman rice farmer, Carolina Gold pays tribute to the hauntingly beautiful Lowcountry and weaves together  mystery, romance, and historical detail, bringing to life the story of one young woman’s struggle to restore her ruined world.

Beguiled by Deeanne Gist and Mark Bertrand

In the shadows of Charleston, someone is watching her

Rylee Monroe, a dogwalker in Charleston’s wealthiest neighborhood, never feared the streets at night. But now a thief is terrorizing the area and worse, someone seems to be targeting her.

Reporter Logan Woods is covering the break-ins with the hope of publishing them as a true-crime book. The more he digs, the more he realizes this beguiling dogwalker seems to be at the center of everything.

As danger draws ever closer, Logan must choose: Chase the girl, the story, or plunge into the shadows after the villain who threatens everything?

Called to Protect by Lynette Eason

For the past year, Chloe St. John has been working as a K-9 cop with her German shepherd partner, Hank. After being dumped by her fiancé for another woman, Chloe has decided that Hank is just about the only male she likes. She’s over the whole romance thing and focuses her attention on doing her job. Because a serious case of human trafficking with connections to her missing cousin just landed in her lap.

When US Marshall Blake MacCallum’s daughter goes missing, he’s ordered to kill the judge he’s protecting and tell no one about his daughter’s disappearance or she will die. Blake races against the clock to rescue his daughter while Chloe and Hank are asked to be a part of the task force assembled to bring down the traffickers. Chloe finds herself attracted to the silent, suffering man, but thanks to her previous bad judgment, she wonders if she can trust him. And can Blake trust himself around this firecracker of a woman?

Flies on The Butter by Denise Hildreth Jones

Can you ever really go home again?

Rose Fletcher’s come a long way from her South Carolina up-bringing of Sunday church and Mamaw’s fried chicken. As a high-powered lobbyist in Washington, D.C., Rose has put the South behind her. But the peace and happiness she has sought eludes her. With her marriage on the brink of disaster, her mind races with the chaos her life has become.

Now Rose must head south for home. She’ll face her demons, relive her coming-of-age, and confront the issues that have kept her away all these years. It’ll take the intervention of strangers and a painful miracle of grace to help her find that place called “home” once again.

Still Waters by Lindsey Brackett

Cora Anne Halloway has a history degree and a plan: avoid her own past — despite being wait-listed for graduate school. Then her beloved grandmother requests — and her dispassionate mother insists — that she spend the summer at Still Waters, the family cottage on Edisto Beach, South Carolina.

Despite its picturesque setting, Still Waters haunts Cora Anne with loss. At Still Waters her grandfather died, her parents’ marriage disintegrated, and as a child, she caused a tragic drowning. But lingering among the oak canopies and gentle tides, this place also tempts her with forgiveness — especially since Nan hired Tennessee Watson to oversee cottage repairs. A local contractor, but dedicated to the island’s preservation from development, Tennessee offers her friendship and more, if she can move beyond her guilt.

When a family reunion reveals Nan’s failing health, Cora Anne discovers how far Tennessee will go to protect her — and Edisto — from more desolation. Will Cora Anne choose between a life driven by guilt, or one washed clean by the tides of grace?

Sunrise on The Battery by Beth Webb Hart

She wanted her husband to attend the town’s society-driven church. God answered her prayer in a radical way.

An emptiness dogs Mary Lynn Scoville. But it shouldn’t. After all, she’s achieved what few believed possible. Born in the rural south, she has reached the pinnacle of worldly success in Charleston, South Carolina. Married to a handsome real estate developer and mother to three accomplished daughters, Mary Lynn is one Debutante Society invitation away from truly having it all. And yet, it remains—an emptiness that no shopping trip, European vacation, or social calendar can fill.

While her husband commits social suicide and the life they worked so hard for crumbles around them, Mary Lynn wonders if their marriage can survive. Or if perhaps there really is a more abundant life that Jackson has discovered, richer than any she’s ever dreamed of.

 

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Reading Road Trip — Tennessee!

10 Apr

Tennesse has a long and illustrious history. The Volunteer State was the 16th state admitted into the Union, the last state to join the Confederacy, and the first state to re-join the Union following the Civil War. It borders 8 states and has the Appalachian Mountains in the east and the Mississippi River on its western border. Nashville is known for its vibrant music industry, while Memphis was home to Elvis. I have a long list of books set in Tennessee. They vary in genres, so there should be something for every reading taste. I hope you enjoy your book travel to Tennessee!

 

A Beauty So Rare by Tamera Alexander

Eleanor Braddock – plain, practical, no stunning Southern beauty – knows she will never marry. But with a dying soldier’s last whisper, she believes her life can still have meaning and determines to find his widow. Impoverished and struggling to care for her ailing father, Eleanor arrives at Belmont Mansion, home of her aunt, Adelicia Acklen, the richest woman in America – and possibly the most demanding, as well. Adelicia insists on finding her niece a husband, but a simple act of kindness leads Eleanor down a far different path – building a home for destitute widows and fatherless children from the Civil War. While Eleanor knows her own heart, she also knows her aunt will never approve of this endeavor.

Archduke Marcus Gottfried has come to Nashville from Austria in search of a life he determines, instead of one determined for him. Hiding his royal heritage, Marcus longs to combine his passion for nature with his expertise in architecture, but his plans to incorporate natural beauty into the design of the widows’ and children’s home run contrary to Eleanor’s wishes. As work on the home draws them closer together, Marcus and Eleanor find common ground–and a love neither of them expects.

But Marcus is not the man Adelicia has chosen for Eleanor, and even if he were, someone who knows his secrets is about to reveal them all.

Beyond All Measure by Dorothy Love

Ada Wentworth, a young Bostonian, journeys to Hickory Ridge, Tennessee, in the years following the Civil War. Alone and nearly penniless following a broken engagement, Ada accepts a position as a lady’s companion to the elderly Lillian Willis, a pillar of the community and aunt to the local lumber mill owner, Wyatt Caldwell. Ada intends to use her millinery skills to establish a hat shop and secure her future.

Haunted by unanswered questions from her life in Boston, Ada is most drawn to two townsfolks: Wyatt, a Texan with big plans of his own, and Sophie, a mulatto girl who resides at the Hickory Ridge orphanage. Ada’s friendship with Sophia attracts the attention of a group of locals seeking to displace the residents of Two Creeks, a “colored” settlement on the edge of town. As tensions rise, Ada is threatened but refuses to abandon her plan to help the girl.

When Lillian dies, Ada is left without employment or a place to call home. And since Wyatt’s primary purpose for staying in Hickory Ridge was to watch over his aunt, he can now pursue his dream of owning Longhorns in his home state of Texas. With their feelings for each other growing, Ada must decide whether she can trust God with her future and Wyatt with her heart.

Christy by Catherine Marshall

The train taking nineteen-year-old teacher Christy Huddleston from her home in Asheville, North Carolina, might as well be transporting her to another world. The Smoky Mountain community of Cutter Gap feels suspended in time, trapped by poverty, superstitions, and century-old traditions.

But as Christy struggles to find acceptance in her new home, some see her — and her one-room school — as a threat to their way of life. Her faith is challenged and her heart is torn between two strong men with conflicting views about how to care for the families of the Cove.

Yearning to make a difference, will Christy’s determination and devotion be enough?

Secrets over Sweet Tea by Denise Hildreth Jones

Secrets can be funny things. We think they keep us safe, but more often than not, they spill out when we least expect and make a mess out of everything. It’s a truth Scarlett Jo Newberry knows all too well — a truth Grace Shepherd and Zach Craig are about to learn the hard way. As the lives of this boisterous pastor’s wife, polished news anchor, and beleaguered divorce attorney intersect in the tree-lined streets of Franklin, Tennessee, scandal threatens to topple their carefully constructed worlds. Grasping at survival, they embark on a journey of friendship and courage, desperate to find a way back to laughter, love, and life.

Justice Delayed by Patricia Bradley

It’s been eighteen years since TV crime reporter Andi Hollister’s sister was murdered. The confessed killer is behind bars, and the execution date is looming. But when a letter surfaces stating that the condemned killer didn’t actually do it, Detective Will Kincaide of the Memphis Cold Case Unit will stop at nothing to help Andi get to the bottom of it. After all, this case is personal: the person who confessed to the crime is Will’s cousin. They have less than a week to find the real killer before the wrong person is executed. But much can be accomplished in that week – including uncovering police corruption, running for your life, and falling in love.

Vendetta by Lisa Harris

No one needs to push Nikki Boyd to excel on the Tennessee Missing Person Task Force. The case of her own missing sister, still unsolved after ten years, is the driving force in her work. When a Polaroid photo of a missing girl shows up at a crime scene, Nikki quickly recognizes similarities to the past. The closer she gets to the abductor, the more she feels that this case is getting personal, and that she is not the hunter at all – but actually the one being hunted.  

 

 

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Reading Road Trip — Georgia

13 Feb

Georgia, the southernmost of the thirteen colonies, was established in 1733. We have had a rich, but turbulent history, with wars and civil rights, booming times and busts. With almost 10 million people and growing, the state is an economic powerhouse in the southeast. The last time I posted, I focused on books set in Atlanta, but there is more to Georgia than our state’s capital. Georgia has a lot to offer — the starting point of the Appalachian Trail and the Blue Ridge Mountains, coastal islands, and small and not so small towns galore.

We also have a number of books set within the boundaries of the Peach State. I have had fun visiting my adopted home state through the pages of a book. So whether you like historical novels, romances, or mysteries, there is something on my list for you. The hardest thing was keeping the list to a manageable size! Hope you find a book you will love.

The Sentinels of Andersonville by Tracy Groot

Near the end of the Civil War, inhumane conditions at Andersonville Prison caused the deaths of 13,000 Union soldiers in only one year. In this gripping and affecting novel, three young Confederates and an entire town come face-to-face with the prison’s atrocities and will learn the cost of compassion, when withheld and when given.

Sentry Dance Pickett has watched, helpless, for months as conditions in the camp worsen by the day. He knows any mercy will be seen as treason. Southern belle Violet Stiles cannot believe the good folk of Americus would knowingly condone such barbarism, despite the losses they’ve suffered. When her goodwill campaign stirs up accusations of Union sympathies and endangers her family, however, she realizes she must tread carefully. Confederate corporal Emery Jones didn’t expect to find camaraderie with the Union prisoner he escorted to Andersonville. But the soldier’s wit and integrity strike a chord in Emery. How could this man be an enemy? Emery vows that their unlikely friendship will survive the war—little knowing what that promise will cost him.

As these three young Rebels cross paths, Emery leads Dance and Violet to a daring act that could hang them for treason. Wrestling with God’s harsh truth, they must decide, once and for all, Who is my neighbor?

A Respectable Actress by Dorothy Love

India Hartley, a famous and beautiful actress, is now alone after her father’s death and embarks upon a tour of theaters across the South. Her first stop is Savannah’s Southern Palace. On the eve of the second night’s performance, something goes horribly wrong. Her co-star, Arthur Sterling, is shot dead on stage in front of a packed house, and India is arrested and accused of the crime.

A benefactor hires Philip Sinclair, the best — and handsomest — lawyer in Savannah to defend India. A widower, Philip is struggling to reinvent his worn-out plantation on St. Simons Island. He needs to increase his income from his law practice in order to restore Indigo Point, and hardly anything will bring him more new clients than successfully defending a famous actress on a murder charge.

Because India can’t go anywhere in town without being mobbed, Philip persuades the judge handling her case to let him take her to Indigo Point until her trial date. India is charmed by the beauty of the Georgia lowcountry and is increasingly drawn to Philip. But a locked room that appears to be a shrine to Philip’s dead wife and the unsolved disappearance of a former slave girl raise troubling questions. Piecing together clues in an abandoned boat and a burned-out chapel, India discovers a trail of dark secrets that lead back to Philip, secrets that ultimately may hold the key to her freedom. If only he will believe her.

The One True Love of Alice-Ann by Eva Marie Everson

Living in rural Georgia in 1941, sixteen-year-old Alice-Ann has her heart set on her brother’s friend Mack; despite their five-year age gap, Alice-Ann knows she can make Mack see her for the woman she’ll become. But when they receive news of the attack on Pearl Harbor and Mack decides to enlist, Alice-Ann realizes she must declare her love before he leaves.

Though promising to write, Mack leaves without confirmation that her love is returned. But Alice-Ann is determined to wear the wedding dress her maiden aunt never had a chance to wear ― having lost her fiancé in the Great War. As their correspondence continues over the next three years, Mack and Alice-Ann are drawn closer together. But then Mack’s letters cease altogether, leaving Alice-Ann to fear history repeating itself.

Dreading the war will leave her with a beautiful dress and no happily ever after, Alice-Ann fills her days with work and caring for her best friend’s war-torn brother, Carlton. As time passes and their friendship develops into something more, Alice-Ann wonders if she’ll ever be prepared to say good-bye to her one true love and embrace the future God has in store with a newfound love. Or will a sudden call from overseas change everything?

A Time to Stand by Robert Whitlow

Adisa Johnson, a young African-American attorney, is living her dream of practicing law with a prestigious firm in downtown Atlanta. Then a split-second mistake changes the course of her career.

Left with no other options, Adisa returns to her hometown where a few days earlier a white police officer shot an unarmed black teen who is now lying comatose in the hospital.

Adisa is itching to jump into the fight as a special prosecutor, but feels pulled to do what she considers unthinkable — defend the officer.

As the court case unfolds, everyone in the small community must confront their own prejudices. Caught in the middle, Adisa also tries to chart her way along a path complicated by her budding relationship with a charismatic young preacher who leads the local movement demanding the police officer answer for his crime.

This highly relevant and gripping novel challenges us to ask what it means to forgive while seeking justice and to pursue reconciliation while loving others as ourselves.

As The Tide Comes In by Cindy and Erin Woodsmall

When an unthinkable loss sends Tara Abbott’s life spiraling out of control, she journeys from North Carolina to Georgia’s St. Simons Island. Although confused and scared, she hopes to find answers about her past – her life before the years of foster care and raising her two half-brothers as a young adult. Will she find steady ground on the island, surrounded by an eccentric-but-kindhearted group of older women called The Glynn Girls and a determined firefighter? Or will the truth splinter what’s left of her identity into pieces?

 

 

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Top 10 Tuesday — Southern Settings

1 Nov

By book club loves a story set in an exotic locale, but we also love a book set in our own backyards — the Sunny South! I’ve compiled a list of books  (18 in fact!) with Southern settings that will be a hit with your book club; many were hits with mine and the others I don’t hesitate to recommend. I could have gone on and on — so many great books set in the South! You may also see I am kind of partial to books set in my home state of Georgia!

To find out what other books bloggers are recommending to book clubs, please visit The Broke And The Bookish Top 10 Tuesday.

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Top Books with Southern Settings

Cozy Mystery Series

Murder on A Girl’s Night Out by Anne George (Alabama)

Them Bones by Carolyn Haines (Mississippi)

Who Invited The Dead Man by Patricia Sprinkle (Georgia)

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Historical 

Lighthouse by Eugenia Price (Georgia)

A Respectable Actress by Dorothy Love (Georgia)

The Sentinels of Andersonville by Tracy Groot (Georgia)

The Swan House by Elizabeth Musser (Georgia)

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Romance

Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Beth Vogt (Florida)

Her One And Only by Becky Wade (Texas)

The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck (Alabama)

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Romantic Suspense

Dangerous Passage by Lisa Harris (Georgia)

Midnight on The Mississippi by Mary Ellis (Louisiana/Mississippi)

Shadows of The Past by Patricia Bradley (Mississippi/Tennessee)

Vendetta by Lisa Harris (Tennessee)

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Women’s Fiction

Dancing on Glass by Pamela Binnings Ewen (Louisiana)

The Pirate Queen by Patricia Hickman (North Carolina)

Secrets over Sweet Tea by Denise Hildreth Jones (Tennessee)

The Things Left Unspoken by Eva Marie Everson (Georgia)

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What’s your favorite setting?

 

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Book Review: A Respectable Actress

5 Nov

51lcxid7DDL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_When India Hartley is accused of murder, she must uncover the deceptions of others to save herself.

India Hartley, a famous and beautiful actress, is now alone after her father’s death and embarks upon a tour of theaters across the South. Her first stop is Savannah’s Southern Palace. On the eve of the second night’s performance, something goes horribly wrong. Her co-star, Arthur Sterling, is shot dead on stage in front of a packed house, and India is arrested and accused of the crime.

A benefactor hires Philip Sinclair, the best—and handsomest—lawyer in Savannah to defend India. A widower, Philip is struggling to reinvent his worn-out plantation on St. Simons Island. He needs to increase his income from his law practice in order to restore Indigo Point, and hardly anything will bring him more new clients than successfully defending a famous actress on a murder charge.

Because India can’t go anywhere in town without being mobbed, Philip persuades the judge handling her case to let him take her to Indigo Point until her trial date. India is charmed by the beauty of the Georgia lowcountry and is increasingly drawn to Philip. But a locked room that appears to be a shrine to Philip’s dead wife and the unsolved disappearance of a former slave girl raise troubling questions. Piecing together clues in an abandoned boat and a burned-out chapel, India discovers a trail of dark secrets that lead back to Philip, secrets that ultimately may hold the key to her freedom. If only he will believe her.

DLove-26A native of west Tennessee, Dorothy Love makes her home in the Texas hill country with her husband and their golden retriever. An award-winning author of numerous young adult novels, Dorothy made her adult debut with the Hickory Ridge novels. When she isn’t busy writing or researching her next book, Love enjoys hiking, traveling, and hanging out with her husband Ron and their rambunctious golden retriever. The Loves make their home in the Texas hill country.
Find out more about Dorothy at http://dorothylovebooks.com.

 

My Impressions:

I have been on a suspense reading jag and in desperate need of a change of pace. Dorothy Love’s latest historical novel, A Respectable Actress, was the perfect choice! Well-researched and richly detailed, this book brought post-Civil War Savannah and St. Simon’s Island to life. I became thoroughly immersed in the sounds and sights of a genteel world struggling to adapt to the new order in which they find themselves. Add a romance and a mystery, and you get a complex book that definitely exceeded this reader’s expectations. A Respectable Actress gets a highly recommended designation from me.

India Hartley is a renowned and beloved actress endeavoring to make a living following the loss of her father and her theater company. She hopes that touring the theaters of the South will be a fresh start for her life and career. But an actress is sometimes treated with disdain and suspicion and could prove the perfect person to take the blame for murder. India soon finds herself swept into a murder charge and left to rely on Phillip Sinclair, the brooding attorney hired to represent her. Desperate to belong, India finds herself once again on the outside feeling the judgment of others.

There are a great many things to love about A Respectable Actress. I connected with main character, India, immediately. The story is told in the third person from her perspective. This reader felt all the emotions — fear, doubts, confusion and loss of identity — as India strives to regain her equilibrium and prove her innocence. India is the consummate actress, and while she is successful in hiding her emotions from others, her true self is revealed. Other characters are well-developed as well. The historical details of the novel ring true. I learned a great deal about the theater of the 1800s as well as the plight of Southerners, both genteel and common, in the aftermath of the Civil War. Fortunes were lost and roles were changed. Some characters, such as Amelia, Phillip’s sister, and Binah, a former slave, meet the challenges with courage and determination. Others give in to despair and depravity. I found the novel also had just the right balance of mystery and history. Fans of du Maurier’s Rebecca and/or the historical novels of Eugenia Price, especially her St. Simon’s Trilogy, will find much to love here. As for themes, Love explores how appearances play a large role in how we view and treat others.

So if you are looking for a book to sweep you away into another world, with great characters, an intriguing plot, and excellent research and writing, be sure to check out Dorothy Love’s A Respectable Actress.

Highly Recommended.

Audience: adults.

To purchase this book, click HERE. 

(Thanks to LitFuse and Thomas Nelson for a review copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

 

 

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Book Review: Among The Fair Magnolias

6 Aug

51mx7tavsmL._SX326_BO1,204,203,200_In the most turbulent decade of our nation’s history, four Southern women—destinies forged by birth, hearts steeled by war—face near impossible choices on their journeys in life . . . and in love.

To Mend a Dream by Tamera Alexander

Savannah Darby would do almost anything to revisit her family home. So when new owner, Aidan Bedford, a Boston attorney and former Union soldier, seeks to redecorate the house for his fiancée, Savannah jumps at the opportunity. But the clock is ticking. Can she find the box her father supposedly hid there during the war before her assignment is completed? And before she sees yet another battle lost on the home front. This time, one of the heart.

An Outlaw’s Heart by Shelley Gray

When Russell Champion returns to Broken Arrow, he’s determined to begin a new life. But when he arrives at his mother’s homestead, he discovers she’s very ill, and the woman he loved is still as beautiful and sweet as he remembered. With time running out, Russell must come to terms with both his future and his past.

A Heart So True by Dorothy Love

Abigail knows all too well what is expected of her: to marry her distant cousin Charles and take her place in society. But her heart belongs to another. A terrible incident forces Abby to choose between love and duty.

Love Beyond Limits by Elizabeth Musser

Emily has a secret: She’s in love with one of the freedmen on her family’s plantation. Meanwhile, another man declares his love for her. Emily realizes some things are not as they seem and secrets must be kept in order to keep those she loves safe.

 

FairMagnolias-320.pngTamera Alexander is the best-selling author of numerous books including A Lasting Impression and The Inheritance. Tamera is a two-time Christy Award winner, two-time RITA winner, and a recipient of the prestigious Library Journal Award.

A native of west Tennessee, Dorothy Love makes her home in the Texas hill country with her husband and their golden retriever. An award-winning author of numerous young adult novels, Dorothy made her adult debut with the Hickory Ridge novels.

Shelley Gray is the author of The Heart of a Hero series. Her Amish novel (written as Shelley Shepard Gray), The Protector, recently made the New York Times best seller list.

Elizabeth Musser, a native of Atlanta, Georgia now living in France, is a novelist who writes what she calls entertainment with a soul. For over 25 years, Elizabeth and her husband, Paul, have been involved in mission work with International Teams.

Find out more about Alexander, Gray, Love, Musser at http://www.thomasnelson.com/among-the-fair-magnolias.

 

My Impressions:

Four talented historical romance authors come together to bring stories of hope and love set amidst the change and turmoil of the American South in the mid-1800s. Each novella-length offering in Among The Fair Magnolias is what you would expect from Dorothy Love, Tamera Alexander, Shelley Gray and Elizabeth Musser — heart-filled stories featuring characters to cheer for. For fans of historical romance, it doesn’t get much better than this!

All four novellas are set in the American South either before or after the Civil War. Change comes swiftly, and the characters learn to reach for their dreams as they rebuild their lives. Settings include South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia and Texas and give the reader an insight into the challenges faced by those living in this era in our country’s history. Main characters scale obstacles in their lives as they reach out to their true loves. The authors tackle such issues as race relations and the mending of a splintered North and South. Strong faith messages run throughout, as the characters struggle with family duty, worthiness and purpose. I enjoyed all four of the stories and am glad that Thomas Nelson brought these authors together for this project.

Perfect for fans of historical romance, each standalone novella is a quick read, yet with a depth of characterization and plotting usually only found in full-length novels. A good bet for end of summer reading.

Recommended.

Audience: older teens and adults.

To purchase this book, click HERE. 

(Thanks to LitFuse and Thomas Nelson for a review copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

 

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Book Review: Carolina Gold

4 Jan

687618The war is over, but at Fairhaven Plantation, Charlotte’s struggle has just begun.

Following her father’s death, Charlotte Fraser returns to Fairhaven, her family’s rice plantation in the South Carolina Lowcountry. With no one else to rely upon, smart, independent Charlotte is determined to resume cultivating the superior strain of rice called Carolina Gold.  But the war has left the plantation in ruins, her father’s former bondsmen are free, and workers and equipment are in short supply.

To make ends meet, Charlotte reluctantly agrees to tutor the two young daughters of her widowed neighbor and heir to Willowood Plantation, Nicholas Betancourt.  Just as her friendship with Nick deepens, he embarks upon a quest to prove his claim to Willowood and sends Charlotte on a dangerous journey that uncovers a long-held family secret, and threatens everything she holds dear.

Inspired by the life of a 19th-century woman rice farmer, Carolina Gold pays tribute to the hauntingly beautiful Lowcountry and weaves together  mystery, romance, and historical detail, bringing to life the story of one young woman’s struggle to restore her ruined world.

dorothy_love_photoA former journalist, free-lance writer and college professor, Dorothy Love explores the intersection of history and human relationships to create novels that speak to the hearts of women everywhere. She is the author of the acclaimed Hickory Ridge novels set in her native state of Tennessee.

After earning a masters degree and Ph.D, she authored dozens of magazine articles before breaking into book publishing with a number of award-winning novels for preteens and young adults. The Hickory Ridge series marked her adult fiction debut. Currently she is working on several stand-alone historical novels set in the South.

When she isn’t busy writing or researching her next book, Love enjoys hiking, traveling, and hanging out with her husband Ron and their rambunctious golden retriever. The Loves make their home in the Texas hill country.

My Impressions:

Dorothy Love has captured the reality that was the Reconstruction South in her newest novel, Carolina Gold. Filled with realistic characters, beautiful descriptions and the emotions of post-Civil War South Carolina, this novel is a must read for those who love historical novels set in the South of the 1800s. I really liked this book and am sure you will too.

Charlotte Fraser made a promise to her father that she would restore the family plantation, Fairhaven. Armed with determination and grit, Charlotte tackles the task despite the warnings of other planters, unpredictable weather and labor shortages. Her courage is admired, but her neighbors feel that her dream of growing rice is a lost cause.

Charlotte Fraser is a wonderfully complex character. She is a woman that never quite fit into the mold of the Southern belle. She faces hardship, failures and naysayers with focus. Yet Charlotte also yearns to have what other women desire — a husband, a home and a family. The promise to her father determines  her actions, yet her work to recapture what had been must give way to life in the New South. Other characters are equally well-developed and capture real emotions and attitudes of the time.

The Reconstruction South is brought to life in Carolina Gold — changed relationships between former masters and slaves, the deprivations following the defeat of the Confederacy, the many laws that sought to regulate the southern states — are all seamlessly interwoven in the narrative. Blacks and whites, poor and the formerly wealthy, all have to adapt in order to make a new life.

Perhaps the best part of Carolina Gold is that it was inspired by a real-life person, Elizabeth Waties Allston Pringle, a woman rice planter in the Lowcountry. I love that Love brings to light this remarkable woman.

Carolina Gold was a great start to my 2014 reading. Recommended for those looking for a well-written, well-researched historical novel.

Recommended.

For other reviews, click HERE.

(Thanks to LitFuse for a review copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

To purchase a copy of this book, click on the image below.

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Book Review: Every Perfect Gift

29 Nov

Sophie Caldwell has returned to Hickory Ridge, Tennessee, after years away. Despite the heartaches of her childhood, Sophie is determined to make a home, and a name, for herself in the growing town. A gifted writer, she plans to resurrect the local newspaper that so enchanted her as a girl.

Ethan Heyward’s idyllic childhood was shattered by a tragedy he has spent years trying to forget. An accomplished businessman and architect, he has built a majestic resort in the mountains above Hickory Ridge, drawing wealthy tourists from all over the country.

When Sophie interviews Ethan for the paper, he is impressed with her intelligence and astounded by her beauty. She’s equally intrigued but fears he will reject her if he learns about her shadowed past. Just as she summons the courage to tell him, Ethan’s own past unexpectedly and violently catches up with him, threatening not only his life but their budding romance.

An accomplished author in the secular market, Dorothy Love makes her inspirational fiction debut with her Hickory Ridge series of historicals set in her native South. Her skillful blending of the historical and the personal reflect her passion for discovering the histories of ordinary people who accomplished extraordinary things and set her apart as an authoritative voice of Southern historical fiction.

My Impressions:

Every Perfect Gift is the third and final installment in Dorothy Love’s Hickory Ridge series. (You can read my reviews of the two other books in the series by clicking on these titles:  Beyond All Measure and Beauty for Ashes.) What a wonderful conclusion to a great historical romance series. Old friends are encountered and new are met. And some lingering mysteries are uncovered.

Sophie has returned to Hickory Ridge from Texas. All grown up, the former orphan who was shunned by most of the town has purchased the defunct newspaper in town with dreams of bringing it back to life. The town of Hickory Ridge was still reeling from the Civil War and economic depression when she left, but with the new resort up on the mountain, Blue Smoke, the town is again booming. Sophie is soon attracted to the architect and manager of the resort, Ethan Heyward, but secrets about both their pasts keep them from a lasting relationship.

I really liked all the books in this series, and Every Perfect Gift is a very satisfying ending. The characters are well-written and the setting of the small town and resort feel so real. I liked the way Love reintroduced characters from the first two books; it was really like going home again for Sophie and the reader! The theme of secrets and the consequences to ourselves and future generations was well-developed — perfect for a discussion group. Actually the whole series would be good for book  clubs. And if you are looking for a gift for the historical romance reader in your life, the Hickory Ridge series is perfect.  The books can be read as standalones, but the whole set would be a great gift.

Added note and hint to the author: Sophie’s family history is somewhat uncovered for her. I think that story would make a great book!

Highly Recommended.

(I received Every Perfect Gift from LitFuse in return for an honest review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

To read what other reviewer are saying, click HERE.

Welcome to the campaign launch for the third book in Dorothy Love’s Hickory Ridge Romance series, Every Perfect Gift. Dorothy is celebrating by hosting the Home for the Holidays 12 Days of Gifts contest.

Celebrate the holidays with Dorothy Love and her protagonist, Sophie Caldwell, as they count down the days to Dorothy’s author chat party with 12 Days of Gifts! Dorothy will be giving away copies of Every Perfect Gift and other holiday essentials, as well as key items from the book that Sophie would have worn during or used to celebrate the holidays (a beautiful, red shawl, Victorian ornaments, stockings). It’s all happening on Dorothy’s Facebook page. She’ll post a new giveaway each day.

So bring on the Christmas cheer with Dorothy and the Home for the Holidays 12 Days of Gifts. Then join Dorothy on the evening of December 13 for her author chat party! During the party, Dorothy will announce the 12 winners from the Home for the Holidays giveaway and host an author chat about Every Perfect Gift and favorite Christmas traditions. Oh, and she’ll be giving away lots of fun prizes. RSVP today.

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Book Review: Beauty For Ashes

3 Mar

She’s a beautiful young widow. He’s a charming Charleston gentleman with a notorious past. Both need a place to call home.

After years of mourning the death of her young husband and longing for a family of her own, Carrie Daly has promised to wed bookstore owner Nate Chastain. But questions about his true feelings for her cause her to hesitate.

After years of mourning the death of her young husband and longing for a family of her own, Carrie Daly has promised to wed bookstore owner Nate Chastain. But questions about his true feelings for her cause her to hesitate.

Charlestonian Griffin Rutledge, scion of a low country rice planter, former blockade runner, gambler, and horseman, arrives in Hickory Ridge to collect an old debt before heading off to try his luck in Australia. Estranged from his family for years, Griff is a loner and likes it that way. Offered the opportunity to train a magnificent Thoroughbred for the local banker, he settles down . . . temporarily. But a chance meeting with Carrie triggers a chain of events that causes him to question his choices. Maybe God brought him to Hickory Ridge – and to Carrie – for a reason.

 

Before returning to her writing roots in historical fiction, Dorothy Love published twelve novels for young adults. Her work has garnered numerous honors from the American Library Association, the Friends of American Writers, the International Reading Association, the New York Public Library, and many others. The Hickory Ridge Novels mark her Christian fiction debut.

For more about Dorothy visit her website, www.dorothylovebooks.com or friend her on Facebook.com/DorothyLoveBooks.

 

My Impressions:

Do you like historical novels that have that authentic feel?  Then you should pick up Dorothy Love’s book Beauty For Ashes.  The second book in the Hickory Ridge series, (see my review for Beyond All Measure), this stand alone novel will bring you back to the hard times faced by many Southerner’s in the years following the Civil War.  Hickory Ridge, Tennessee, a small town in the Appalachians, is feeling the effects of the Depression of the 1870s.  Many businesses are closing. Men are leaving their farms and families to find work elsewhere.  Carrie Daly’s life is affected as well.  Along with financial struggles, the young widow has always felt at home on her family’s farm, but the introduction of a new sister-in-law with two rambunctious boys forces her to flee to a boarding house in town.  She wonders if she will ever feel at home again.  But Carrie feels the pull of duty over desire, a sentiment echoed by friends and family alike.  Then Griff Rutledge, a slightly disreputable gentleman, comes to town to settle a debt and is enticed to stay to prepare for a big horse race sure to bring back the fortunes of Hickory Ridge.  Carrie’s attraction to Griff goes against all reason, and her reputation suffers from the association.

Beauty For Ashes explores the struggle to do what is acceptable and the urge to follow the heart.  It also focuses on the overarching will of God in our life. Carrie’s struggles to meet obligations are very real.  It is easy to succumb to society and family expectations even when our heart yearns for something more — even when God longs to give us more.  The book also looks at life lived with regrets, and God’s desire to free us and bring us to an abundant life.

Dorothy Love’s characters are very real.  Her descriptions bring the small town of Hickory Ridge to life.  And if you like romance, you will love Carrie and Griff’s story.

Recommended.

(I received Beauty for Ashes from the publisher and LitFuse in return for an honest review.  The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

To read more reviews of Beauty For Ashes, click HERE.

 

LitFuse is thrilled to announce the fun giveaway Dorothy is hosting! First, she’ll be giving away a Kindle Fire (3/1-3/20), then on the evening of the 20th she’s inviting everyone to her Facebook Author Page for a fun Author Chat party! Don’t miss a minute of the fun … sigh.

One beautiful winner will receive:

  • A Brand new Kindle Fire with Wi-Fi
  • Beauty for Ashes by Dorothy Love
  • Beyond All Measure by Dorothy Love
Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends 3/20/12. Winner will be announced at Dorothy’s Facebook Author Chat Party on 3/20. Come for an evening of chat, trivia, and a sneak peek at the next book in Dorothy’s Hickory Ridge series – bring your friends! She’ll also be giving away some GREAT prizes: gift certificates, books and a stunning sapphire ring!

So grab your copy of Beauty for Ashes  and join Dorothy and friends on the evening of March 20th for an evening of fun.

Don’t miss Dorothy’s delightful giveaway and party. RSVP TODAY and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 20th!

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Book Review: Beyond All Measure

7 Nov

Ada Wentworth, a young Bostonian, journeys to Hickory Ridge, Tennessee, in the years following the Civil War. Alone and nearly penniless following a broken engagement, Ada accepts a position as a lady’s companion to the elderly Lillian Willis, a pillar of the community and aunt to the local lumber mill owner, Wyatt Caldwell. Ada intends to use her millinery skills to establish a hat shop and secure her future.

Haunted by unanswered questions from her life in Boston, Ada is most drawn to two townsfolks: Wyatt, a Texan with big plans of his own, and Sophie, a mulatto girl who resides at the Hickory Ridge orphanage. Ada’s friendship with Sophia attracts the attention of a group of locals seeking to displace the residents of Two Creeks, a “colored” settlement on the edge of town. As tensions rise, Ada is threatened but refuses to abandon her plan to help the girl.

When Lillian dies, Ada is left without employment or a place to call home. And since Wyatt’s primary purpose for staying in Hickory Ridge was to watch over his aunt, he can now pursue his dream of owning Longhorns in his home state of Texas. With their feelings for each other growing, Ada must decide whether she can trust God with her future and Wyatt with her heart.

Dorothy Love is the author of the Hickory Ridge series,  historical novels set in the beautiful Smoky Mountains region of  her native Tennessee.  Her well-researched, heartwarming stories of small town Southern life, faith, friends, and family reflect the emotions, concerns, and values of women everywhere.

Growing up in McNairy County, Tennessee, Doro attended  Bethel Springs Presbyterian Church and  the local grade school where she spent every spare moment writing stories to share with her classmates. As a college student in Texas majoring in teaching and English literature,  she co-edited her university newspaper. After earning a masters degree and a Ph.D, she authored dozens of magazine articles before breaking into book publishing with a number of award-winning novels for preteens and young adults. The Hickory Ridge series (Thomas Nelson Fiction)  marks her adult fiction debut.

When she isn’t busy writing or researching her next book, Doro loves hiking and hanging out with her husband Ron and their two golden retrievers, Major and Jake. Lifelong avid travelers, the Loves have explored the cities and the back country of New Zealand, photographed the Cuna Indians of the San Blas Islands, traversed the Panama Canal, explored Bermuda on motor scooters, and combed the best beaches in Hawaii and the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.

For more than twenty years they have collected antique maps depicting their many ports of call, chiefly those  maps by 19th century mapmaker and engraver John Rapkin. Published by John Tallis of London, Rapkin’s maps in the 1851 edition of Tallis’ Illustrated Atlas are among the most visually appealing of the Victorian age.    The Loves make  their home in the Texas hill country.

My Impressions:

The struggles of a small, Southern town post-Civil War come alive in Dorothy Love’s book, Beyond All Measure.  Hickory Ridge, Tennessee is doing better than most towns in the South following the Civil War that left so many wounded and broken. Thanks to a prosperous sawmill, the town is growing.  Yet there are still problems — farmers, black and white, struggling to get by and the threats of the Klan.  But most of the people are welcoming, even to a Yankee outsider like Ada Wentworth. Ada has come to Hickory Ridge as a companion to Lillian Willis and to make a fresh start following the death of her father and the heartbreak of a failed engagement.  Wyatt Caldwell is Lillian’s nephew and Ada’s boss.  But their relationship grows into much more.

Beyond All Measure is a story of second chances, forgiveness and finding a place in the world.  The characters are well-drawn; the plot believable.  Not all is rosy, but God has a plan that supersedes those of man.  I would recommend this book to anyone who likes romantic, historical novels.  If you love the South, you’ll love Hickory Ridge and Beyond All Measure.

Recommended.

To win your own copy of Beyond All Measure, click HERE.

Check out book 2 in the Hickory Ridge Series — Beauty From Ashes due out February 2012

She’s a beautiful young widow. He’s a charming Charlestonian with a taste for adventure. Both need a place to call home.

For Carrie Daly, life seems to consist mostly of mourning and ashes. Widowed when her young husband died at the battle of Shiloh, Carrie has spent the intervening years living quietly on her family’s farm with Henry, her older brother. But then Henry marries Mary Stanhope, a difficult widow with two rowdy sons in tow. Feeling that there is no longer a place for her on the farm, Carrie moves to the genteel but shabby Verandah Ladies Hotel and takes a job at Nate Chastain’s book shop, intending to make a new life for herself.

But a chance meeting with a newcomer to Hickory Ridge changes everything. From their first glance, Carrie is drawn to Griff Rutledge, a charming Charleston gentleman who has a way with horses and a taste for adventure. Griff seems attracted to her, too. But some folks in Hickory Ridge are suspicious of the newcomer and disapproving of their friendship. Then a family crisis sends Carrie home to the farm.

As Carrie struggles to help Henry’s new wife and children, Griff is called home to Charleston. It will take a leap of faith on both their parts to redeem the hurts of the past and discover God’s promise of beauty for ashes.

(I received a copy of Beyond All Measure from TLC in return for a review.  The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

Dorothy Love’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Tuesday, October 18th:  2 Kids and Tired

Wednesday, October 19th:  Reviews by Molly

Thursday, October 20th:  A Chick Who Reads

Monday, October 24th:  Reviews from the Heart

Tuesday, October 25th:  All Grown Up? 

Wednesday, October 26th:  I Am A Reader, Not A Writer  author Q&A

Thursday, October 27th:  A Fair Substitute for Heaven

Friday, October 28th:  Life in Review

Tuesday, November 1st:  Deb’s Book Bag

Wednesday, November 2nd:  Cheryl’s Book Nook

Thursday, November 3rd:  Life in the Thumb

Monday, November 7th:  By the Book

Tuesday, November 8th:  Southern Sassy Things

Wednesday, November 9th:  Christian Bookshelf Reviews

Thursday, November 10th:  Luxury Reading

Monday, November 14th:  The Overweight Bookshelf

Wednesday, November 16th:  Peeking Between the Pages

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