The Belle of Chatham by Laura Frantz Reviewed

 

Title: The Belle of Chatham

Author: Laura Frantz

Source: Purchased

Format: Audio & Hard Copy

Pages: 384

Publisher: Revell

In 1777, caught in the crossroads of the American Revolution, sisters Maebel and Coralie Bohannon's quaint New Jersey village becomes a battleground as they house American officers in their home. Rebellion ripples through their family as members take opposing sides--Patriots and Loyalists--causing a deep chasm that fractures their once-unbreakable bond.

As Mae's friendship grows with the American general Rhys Harlow, Coralie continues her liaison with her childhood sweetheart, a British officer stationed in New York. Torn between her growing love for the general and suspicion that her sister is a British spy, Mae leaves the only home she's ever known for the New York frontier. When betrayal strikes in the heart of the wilderness, she's forced to take a perilous journey that tests her very survival and those she loves, all in the name of liberty.

Goodreads || Audible || Amazon || B&N || Baker Book House

My Thoughts

Reading this book felt like the 250-year celebration all in one. I've read a lot of history in my young life, and Ms. Frantz wrote seamlessly about the Revolutionary War in such a way that I was right there in and amidst the battles.

The romance was palpable. The romance between Rhys and Mae had its ups and downs, as well as a trek across the country, yet with Ms. Frantz's pen, you felt like you were really a part of the story.

For me, this had all the markings of a true Revolutionary War novel. Battles were described, uniforms, and how the women were making the uniforms, material descriptions, even the buttons.

Don't pass this book up!

About Laura Frantz

I was born and raised in Kentucky, living first in Ashland, Mammoth Cave, Bowling Green, and then Lexington. But my heart has always been in Berea, Madison County, the place my family has resided since the 18th-century. I came to know Christ there at the age of 12, was baptized, and spent my childhood roaming through the woods and swimming in the rivers of my books.

My earliest memories are of the public library, standing in front of shelves filled with those little biographies of famous historical figures like Daniel Boone and George Washington and Sacajawea. I began scribbling stories at age 7 and thankfully never stopped. My passion then and now is history and all the wonders of past centuries.

I attended college at Denison University in Ohio and also in England, living in a manor/castle and studying the American Revolution from the British perspective. Shakespeare and 18th-century literature form the backbone of my English degree. Strangely enough, I only took one creative writing class.

It was never a desire of mine to be published. I simply love to write for the sheer joy of writing – and that was enough. But as Proverbs 16:9 says, “The heart of a man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”

I hope my books bless you.

You can find Laura on these platforms; Website || Facebook || Instagram || Pinterest || Twitter

Top Ten Tuesday Books Renting Space

 

Happy Tuesday, and welcome to another edition of Top Ten Tuesday link-up sponsored by That Artsy Reader Girl. Today's theme is Books That Live in My Head Rent Free. I'm not sure all of these rent space. I think about reading the fiction novels. The Inductive Study Bible taught me how to study God's Word. Horseshoes and Honeymoons is my current read. The others just

 bring back great memories from reading them.

My 3-year-old granddaughter asked me to come over and color with her

tomorrow. She even wanted me to put her to bed, so I may not be around a lot to respond to your comments, but I'm going to do my best to do both.             

What about you? What books occupy your mind? Let me know in the comments, and I will remember to comment.

As Sure As The Stars: The Sweetheart Romance That Happened by Tricia Goyer Reviewed

  

About the book:

Title: As Sure As the Stars

Authors: Jennie K. Drollinger and Tricia Goyer

Source: Gift from authors

Format: Hardcover

Kelly Richardson thought she had love all figured out—once. At seventeen, she was the girl who believed in forever. Jake Forester was the boy who made her believe it. They danced under the Alaskan stars, made promises, and dreamed about a future that was never meant to be.
Then life happened. Choices. Distance. Silence.
Now, decades later, Kelly is a successful divorce attorney in Boise, Idaho—helping other women pick up the pieces of broken vows while quietly wondering if love is just a beautiful lie. Then one morning, she looks up and sees Jake again, and her carefully constructed world begins to shake.
Jake’s now a father of six, and a man carrying his own regrets. As they’re brought together by friends—and maybe by providence—Kelly begins to realize that sometimes the hardest part of love isn’t losing it, but letting it return.

Told in tender, time-swept layers between 1980s Alaska and the present day, As Sure as the Stars is more than a romance—it’s a journey of faith and rediscovery. It’s a reminder that true love isn’t about perfection; it’s about persistence, forgiveness, and trusting that God writes better stories than we do.

Amazon || B&N || Audible

My Thoughts:

I live in Idaho and haven't been a fan for 17 years, but these authors made Boise seem like a cozy, peaceful, and enjoyable place to live.

This is a sweet second-chance romance story, one that will have you cheering for Jake and Kelly. The 80's era time period is the best! All the memorabilia and bands brought to life in the story was like reliving my high school years. Kelly and her strawberry Lip Smacker, my choice was watermelon, Def Lepord; all the things 80's made the book even better.

It was also a time slip novel. 80's in Alaska, and present time in Boise, Idaho.

My Bottom Line:

If you've never felt seen, and someone makes you feel seen, then you've found the person God has for you. I know this from personal experience. My husband makes me feel seen, where my ex didn't. This seems to be the main thread throughout the book. You have to read this book while listening to 80's music. 

I was not required to write a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

About Tricia Goyer  

Tricia Goyer is a busy mom of six, grandmother of one, and wife to John. Somewhere around the hustle and bustle of family life, she manages to find the time to write fictional tales delighting and entertaining readers and non-fiction titles offering encouragement and hope. A bestselling author, Tricia has published thirty-three books to date and has written more than 500 articles. She is a two-time Carol Award winner, as well as a Christy and ECPA Award Nominee. In 2010, she was selected as one of the Top 20 Moms to Follow on Twitter by SheKnows.com. Tricia is also on the blogging team at MomLifeToday.com, TheBetterMom.com and other homeschooling and Christian sites. In addition to her roles as mom, wife and author, Tricia volunteers around her community and mentors teen moms. She is the founder of Hope Pregnancy Ministries in Northwestern Montana, and she currently leads a Teen MOPS Group in Little Rock, AR. Tricia, along with a group of friends, recently launched NotQuiteAmishLiving.com, sharing ideas about simplifying life. She also hosts the weekly radio podcast, Living Inspired. 

Learn more about Tricia at www.triciagoyer.com

                                                        

TTT New To Me Authors On My Wish List

 

Happy Tuesday, and welcome to another blog link-up sponsored by That Artsy Reader Girl. Today's theme is new authors I want to read on my wish list. I had a somewhat difficult time finding Inspirational authors I haven't read in the last nineteen years of blogging. I almost flipped the topic and did authors I wish wrote more.

Hope you had a great weekend. We're sweltering. I love the heat, but Mark not so much. 

I have seen the last book everywhere lately, and it makes me very curious. Have you read any of these, or are they on your wish list too? Let me know in the comments. I hope you are having a great Tuesday!

Books With the Word "Memory" in the Title

Hi! Welcome to another edition of Top Ten Tuesday blog link-up sponsored by That Artsy Reader Girl. Today's theme is Book Titles That Include the Word “[insert word of your choice here]” (Pick a word and share ten book titles that include that word!). I chose Memory because I had memories, pun intended, of books with it in the title. 

Hope you survived the 4th. In our neighborhood it's a war-zone for two to three days on the fourth of July, and New Years. My poor little dog was so scared she hid behind the couch last night when they started. I was afraid that she was going to have a heart attack on Saturday with all the panting and shaking.

 

All of these brought back fond memories of reading them, again pun intended. What about you? Have you read any of these, or are they on your TBR? Let me know in the comments, and thanks for stopping by.

Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis Reviewd

 

Title: Grief Observed

Author: C. S. Lewis

Source: Purchased

Format: Paperback

Written with love, humility, and faith, this brief but poignant volume was first published in 1961 and concerns the death of C. S. Lewis's wife, the American-born poet Joy Davidman. In her introduction to this new edition, Madeleine L'Engle writes: "I am grateful to Lewis for having the courage to yell, to doubt, to kick at God in angry violence. This is a part of a healthy grief which is not often encouraged. It is helpful indeed that C. S. Lewis, who has been such a successful apologist for Christianity, should have the courage to admit doubt about what he has so superbly proclaimed. It gives us permission to admit our own doubts, our own angers and anguishes, and to know that they are part of the soul's growth."

Written in longhand in notebooks that Lewis found in his home, A Grief Observed probes the "mad midnight moments" of Lewis's mourning and loss, moments in which he questioned what he had previously believed about life and death, marriage, and even God. Indecision and self-pity assailed Lewis. "We are under the harrow and can't escape," he writes. "I know that the thing I want is exactly the thing I can never get. The old life, the jokes, the drinks, the arguments, the lovemaking, the tiny, heartbreaking commonplace." Writing A Grief Observed as "a defense against total collapse, a safety valve," he came to recognize that "bereavement is a universal and integral part of our experience of love."

Lewis writes his statement of faith with precision, humor, and grace. Yet neither is Lewis reluctant to confess his continuing doubts and his awareness of his own human frailty. This is precisely the quality which suggests that A Grief Observed may become "among the great devotional books of our age."

My Review

I've been a fan of C.S. Lewis since I was a kid. Besides The Chronicles of Narnia, I read The Screwtape Letters in college.
I'm not sure how I came across this book on Amazon, but for my bleeding heart regarding my dad's death, it was a salve.

Lewis's anecdotes, his mumbling, if you could call it that, showed that death, no matter who it is, messes with our brains.
I loved how he said, "Then comes a sudden jab of red-hot memory and all this 'commonsense' vanishes like an ant in the mouth of a furnace." He couldn't be more right. He put into words what I've been feeling for nearly two years.

He even struggled with a loving/good God. I loved seeing that, because I've wondered too.

While this is about the death of his wife, Helen, anyone could get comfort from this little 71-page book.

Books I Can't Wait to Release

       I don't know what's wrong with GOOGLE, but I nearly lost my Jesus trying to get the picture's uploaded, I was able to get the book covers, and it took me hours to get the main photo uploaded. There are times that I hate the internet, and this is one of them! 

I don't want to lose my following, but I'm seriously thinking about closing this one down and going to WordPress. 

Besides my blog woe's Welcome to the weekly  Top Ten Tuesday link-up sponsored by That Artsy Reader Girl. How's the weather in your neck of the woods? I think Idaho forgot that it's summer, the weather has been more like spring.

Are any of these on your lists? Don't Cross the Blue Line releases today and I'm anxious to read it.

Let me hear what you're looking forward to reading.