Title: Love and Lavender: A Mayfield Family Romance (Book 4)
Series: Proper Romance
Author: Josi S. Kilpack
Genre: Historical Romance, Regency Romance, Inspirational Fiction
Publisher: Shadow Mountain Publishing (November 2, 2021)
Length: (320) pages
Format: Trade paperback, eBook, & audiobook

 
Book Description:

Hazel Stillman is a woman of rare independence and limited opportunities. Born with a clubbed foot, Hazel knows marriage is unlikely, so she devotes herself to teaching at a private girls’ school.

When her uncle offers Hazel a substantial inheritance is he marries, she is offended. What kind of decent man would marry for her money? But when she learns the school might be sold, she knows she must consider all her options.

Duncan Penhale thrives on order and process. He has no interest in marriage, so when Elliott Mayfield, his guardian’s brother, offers him an inheritance if he weds, Duncan finds it intrusive. However, an inheritance means he could purchase a building and run his own firm.

Hazel and Duncan believe they have found a solution to both of their problems: marry one another, claim their inheritances, and then part ways to enjoy their individual paths. But then Uncle Mayfield stipulates that they must first live together as a couple for one year.

Over time, their marriage of convenience becomes much more appealing than they had anticipated. At the end of the full year, will they go their separate ways or could an unlikely marriage have found unsuspecting love?

Josi S. Kilpack has written more than thirty novels, a cookbook, and several novellas. She is a four-time Whitney award winner, including Best Novel 2015 for "Lord Fenton's Folly, and has been a Utah Best of State winner for Fiction. Josi loves to bake, sleep, eat, read, travel, and watch TV--none of which she gets to do as much as she would like. She writes contemporary fiction under the pen name Jessica Pack.

Josi has four children and lives in Northern Utah.

With its exotic setting and feminist themes, this novel will appeal to fans of historical fiction looking for something different.

Reviewed by Lauren Carr

Kari Bovee amazes me. I have tremendous respect for any author who can take a compelling challenging mystery and wrap it in an intriguing period of history. Writing a mystery novel is hard enough. Add to that the research to convincingly bring the characters, places, and time to life takes a special talent and Kari Bovee has it.

Set in Hollywood in 1924, Kari’s second installment in the Grace Michelle mysteries has Grace and her husband Chet owning a ranch in Burbank. Grace is a costume designer for movies while Chet, a retired private investigator, rehabilitates horses on their ranch. They have employees in their home to help with numerous children who Grace and Chet foster.

The trouble starts when a movie producer who Grace works for requests that they host his party at their ranch. Of course, she can’t exactly say no. This party seems to draw in all the stars in Hollywood, but Grace doesn’t have time to mingle. She’s too busy keeping an eye on the partiers and the children. She is particularly concerned about the well-being of Lizzy, a teenaged girl who has caught the attention of both the producer and a movie star.

Grace’s concern is with good reason. After losing sight of Lizzy, Grace finds her unconscious in the barn next to the producer, who’s been murdered.

Now the mystery begins!

Everyone is questioned. Lizzy is taken into custody. Another murder is discovered. AS if that’s not bad enough, another of their children is arrested. Chet comes out of retirement to investigate the case and Grace searches for clues to clear her children’s names.

FIVE STARS! Lovers of both history and mystery will certainly love Kari Bovee’s new release. GRACE IN HOLLYWOOD is an excellent mystery that grabs the reader by the throat and won’t let go until they have made it through the last twist and final turn. Be warned, there is a lot going on in this book, but each ingredient adds meat and depth to the plot. The equal mixture of mystery and history pulls the reader into another world that will both fascinate and intrigue them.

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​When she’s not on a horse, or walking along the beautiful cottonwood-laden acequias of Corrales, New Mexico; or basking on white sand beaches under the Big Island Hawaiian sun, Kari Bovee is escaping into the past—scheming murder and mayhem for her characters both real and imagined, and helping them to find order in the chaos of her action-packed novels.

An award-winning author, Bovée was honored with the 2019 NM/AZ Book Awards Hillerman Award for Southwestern Fiction for her novel Girl with a Gun. The novel also received First Place in the 2019 NM/AZ Book Awards in the Mystery/Crime category, and won First in Category in the International Chanticleer Murder & Mayhem Awards. It was also a finalist in the 2019 Next Generation Indie Awards. Her novel Grace in the Wings won First in Category for the 2019 International Chanticleer Chatelaine Awards. Peccadillo at the Palace won Grand Prize in the 2019 Goethe Awards, and was a finalist in the 2019 Best Book Awards Historical Fiction category.

Bovée has worked as a technical writer for a Fortune 500 Company, has written non-fiction for magazines and newsletters, and has worked in the education field as a teacher and educational consultant.
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Ends July 26, 2021

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​Carl Buccellato was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1942, and is of Italian-American descent. Throughout his career and travels, Carl has met a broad array of different people. Some, down on their luck, some at the pinnacle of their careers and personal lives. Many of the people and their stories left a mark on Carl's heart and mind. It is from some of these encounters that Carl has drawn inspiration for a few of the fictitious characters in this novel. Today, Carl resides in Coral Springs, Florida, with his wife Mary Ellen. She is an award-winning multimedia artist and speaker. Together, Carl and Mary Ellen love traveling the globe and looking for new inspiration for their gifts and talents given to them by their loving God.
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Ends July 26, 2021

Reviewed by Laura Fabiani

A novel set in WWII France with the theme of a librarian passionate about saving books immediately caught my attention and I was eagerly anticipating a great read. Oh, and that cover is just beautiful.

While I enjoyed the setting, and I have read a slew of WWII historical fiction, I have to say I struggled with this story. The elements were all in place for a gripping account and it did start well, but somehow it fell flat for me. I did not feel the great love story between Jocelyn and Antoine, and the other love interest seemed too quick, and unrealistic.

Published under a Christian publishing house, I noted inspirational themes of love that I did appreciate, gems of wisdom that the author was trying to portray.

Although this novel was translated, I thought it was well done. I think this is a novel that will strike a different chord with each reader depending on what you love about WWII historical fiction.

Mario Escobar Golderos has a degree in History, with an advanced studies diploma in Modern History. He has written numerous books and articles about the Inquisition, the Protestant Reformation, and religious sects. He is the executive director of an NGO and directs the magazine Nueva historia para el debate, in addition to being a contributing columnist in various publications. Passionate about history and its mysteries, Escobar has delved into the depths of church history, the different sectarian groups that have struggled therein, and the discovery and colonization of the Americas. He specializes in the lives of unorthodox Spaniards and Americans.

Reviewed by Laura Fabiani

Release date: March 30, 2021

Content Rating: 

Book Description:

An epic saga from New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Dray based on the true story of an extraordinary castle in the heart of France and the remarkable women bound by its legacy in three of humanity's darkest hours.

Most castles are protected by powerful men. This one by women...

A founding mother...

1774. Gently-bred noblewoman Adrienne Lafayette becomes her husband's political partner in the fight for American independence. But when their idealism sparks revolution in France and the guillotine threatens everything she holds dear, Adrienne must choose to renounce the complicated man she loves, or risk her life for a legacy that will inspire generations to come.

A daring visionary...

1914. Glittering New York socialite Beatrice Astor Chanler is a force of nature, daunted by nothing--not her humble beginnings, her crumbling marriage, or the outbreak of war. But after witnessing the devastation in France and delivering war relief over dangerous seas, Beatrice takes on the challenge of a lifetime: convincing America to fight for what's right.

A reluctant resistor...

1940. French schoolteacher and aspiring artist Marthe Simone has an orphan's self-reliance and wants nothing to do with war. But as the realities of Nazi occupation transform her life in the isolated castle where she came of age, she makes a discovery that calls into question who she is, and more importantly, who she is willing to become.

Intricately woven and beautifully told, The Women of Chateau Lafayette is a sweeping novel about duty and hope, love and courage, and the strength we find from standing together in honor of those who came before us.

Reviewed by Laura Fabiani

Wow, this is the first book I read by Stephanie Dray, and it won't be the last! I was captivated right from the start. It's an epic novel about three women who lived during different times, a triple timeline alternating throughout the book. I was amazed by how seamlessly the author moved from one era to the other. And the fact that two of the women were based on actual historical figures made the story all the more interesting. It was evident the book was well-researched and very well-written.

All three timelines were equally interesting to me and were connected by the Chateau Lafayette, a fortified manor house (it's a museum today) that is situated in France and is the birthplace of General Lafayette. I did not know much about Lafayette nor the role his wife played in politics. What an amazing woman she was! History tends to downplay women's roles, but the author brings them out through careful research and skillful writing. She succeeds in building unforgettable characters, strong women that took risks, that made a difference, that were devoted and avant-gardists.

This novel was like reading three books in one. There was never a dull moment. It's a long book with almost 600 pages and typed in small font. It's not a book you want to rush through. It's one that has a lot going on and that makes you invest in its characters and their stories. No fluff here.

If you are a serious historical fiction reader who loves epic well-written stories, look no further. Stephany Dray satisfies the thirst for sweeping era-based historical fiction novels that are sure to become classics.

Stephanie Dray is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, & USA Today bestselling author of historical women's fiction. Her award-winning work has been translated into eight languages. She lives near the nation's capital with her husband, cats, and history books.

Reviewed by Laura Fabiani

This book caught my attention from the first page when I was introduced to the spunky Hazel Winters, a 15-year-old girl whose family fell into poverty after her father returned from WWI with injuries and later died, leaving his family destitute. I couldn't put this book down even though it was so heartbreaking and had me trembling with rage at the injustices the British home children suffered at the hands of Canadians.

When things get worse and their mother could no longer feed or take care of them, Hazel Winters and her 6-year-old brother William are left by their mother at an orphanage with the promise that she would return. But the orphanage sent them across the ocean to receiving institutions that placed them on farms to work. Hazel has a good heart and a strong love for her brother. It is this familial love that keeps her spirit alive when she is placed in a farm home and treated cruelly.

I think the author does a great job of bringing the plight of the British home children to life through the story of Hazel. There is no sugar coating of the harsh reality, but hope, resilience, and the will to survive are beacons of light in this sad tale. Although this is fiction, the fact that it is based on historical facts made this a very compelling read. The characters jump off the page and the story flows well. As a reader, I rooted for Hazel as I experienced an emotional journey with her. The book ends with the possibility of a continued story, and since this is marketed as Book 1, I am thinking the unanswered questions I have will be answered in the sequel.

After I finished the book I was curious about the British home children and did research. I came across this website  https://canadianbritishhomechildren.weebly.com/ that says: From the late 1860s right up to 1948, over 100,000 children of all ages were emigrated right across Canada, from the United Kingdom, to be used as indentured farm workers and domestics. Believed by Canadians to be orphans, only approximately 12 percent truly were. I knew nothing about the role my country played in the mistreatment of children in need of a home and support.

If you like stories based on the resilience of the human spirit in the face of injustice and cruelty, this one is an unforgettable dramatic read. I will always remember the beautiful character of Hazel Winters.

Ends April 23, 2021