Book Review: The Inheritance of Beauty by Nicole Seitz/5 Stars

About the book:

Beauty is sometimes found in the most unlikely places.

In 1929, the train brought strangers to small-town Levy, SC. There was a struggle--and a fire--and the lives of four childhood friends would never be the same. Eighty years later, George and Magnolia Jacobs are living out their remaining days in Harmony House in Charleston. When an anonymous portrait arrives of a younger Maggie, George realizes there are things he still doesn't know about his wife. And when an old stranger moves in just down the hall, their past seems to be coming full-circle. Like it or not, George must now remember things from long ago in order to set himself--and all of the childhood friends--free from what happened in Levy.

The Inheritance of Beauty is an entrancing story about beauty and age, about the blessings and curses of each, and how the true beauty of a person, like true love, never fades.

My thoughts:

I feel like any words I say about this book will be so inadequate. It's just that books like this rarely cross my path, maybe because I don't go out of my way to read them.  What kind of book is that?  Part sadness, part pain, while also moving slowly, but deliberately.  Then, when I get my hands on a book like this, it always ends up that I love it or hate it.  Hardly does it fall somewhere in between.

The Inheritance of Beauty was a book that definitely fell on the "loved it" side of the equation.  And even after I've put it down, I still can't put my finger on what captivated me so much about these characters.  They're nothing spectacular.  Nobody did anything that changed the world.  They were just ordinary folk that were not far away from death's door.  In my opinion, George was the main character of the story.  He was like an open book; I always knew what was going through his mind.  At times, he was complacent, other times a bit hateful, but at all times, he loved his sweet wife, Maggie, in a way that caused tears to come to my eyes.  At one moment, he said, "I have loved Maggie since before I knew what love was.  She is love to me.  Without her, there is nothing for me here." Oh, to have a love that pure, that selfless from one person to another.  That, indeed, is a most beautiful thing.

As I read more and more novels, I have come to a conclusion about something.  Authors should always write about what they know.  When I discover that a particular book is loosely based on real life events, I can't seem to put it down.  Just knowing that this book was partially based on a photo of the author's grandmother, and how that photo had been a part of the history of her family, made this story so much more real.  I felt like I was peaking into a diary, only to discover that their family wasn't much different than my own.  We all have skeletons in our closets; it's just a matter of how much or how little we let them shape the rest of our lives.

I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to review this book as I doubt it would have ever crossed my path otherwise.  This book had a little bit of a literary flair, which I'm not normally too crazy about, but it worked so well here.  I can do nothing but give this book 5 stars, as well as a huge recommendation for people who love deep, and meaningful stories.  I know that The Inheritance of Beauty will stay in my mind and heart for days to come, as I'm sure it will for many others.

Southern?  Yes
Sass?  No

**Many thanks to Thomas Nelson through the BookSneeze program for providing a copy for review.

Book Review: Montana Rose by Mary Connealy/4 Stars

About the book:

Fire up your love of romance with Montana Rose, where Cassie Griffin, a seemingly spoiled pregnant woman, is widowed one day and wedded the next. Marrying handyman Red Dawson seems the only alternative to Cassie’s being hitched to a brutal rancher. But can this “china doll” bear exchanging smooth silk for coarse calico?

Red was reluctant to be yoked to an unbeliever, but sometimes a man has no choice. Will Red change Cassie’s heart by changing her name?

Wade Sawyer is obsessed with saving Cassie from a marriage of convenience. How far will he go make her his own?

My thoughts:

Mary Connealy's books always have a way of pulling me in and getting under my skin. Montana Rose was no exception at all! She took a seemingly ordinary setting out West with every-day people, and turned it into a story that was full of emotion. I connected with these characters in a way that hasn't happened to me in a very long time, so much so that I felt like I was a small part of their community.

I loved the compliment at the very beginning of the book that stated this was a tribute to Janette Oke's famous book, Love Comes Softly. It's been years since I read that book, but the story is one that I'll never forget. I thought Mary's take on this very similar story was done so very well that I never once compared the two. Mary's story stood apart and had it's own personality, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.

I cannot wait to read the rest of this series, and I have no doubt that I will fly through it! Book 2, The Husband Tree, looks to be a continuation of Belle's story that was featured in Montana Rose. Hopefully, she'll be able to do something with that dead-beat husband of hers, other than hit him upside the head with her skillet. :o)

4 Stars

Southern?  No
Sass?  Yes; it took awhile, but Cassie found some.  :o)

**Many thanks to Barbour Books through NetGalley for providing a copy for review.

Book Review: Stealing Adda by Tamara Leigh/5 Stars

About the book:

Life for Adda Sinclaire, New York Times best-selling author, Historical Romance Writer Extraordinaire, ironically reads more like a country song than a bodice-bursting, breathless affair. For starters, she has no actual romance in her life. That might have something to do with the fact that her husband--correction-EX husband--ran off with Stick Woman, whom everyone knew would never be more that a mid-list author anyway. To add insult to injury (and another verse to the country song), he not only took their dog but gave it to her. If this isn't enough, Adda's come down with a horrible case of writer's block and finds herself the unwitting target of a romance cover model's misdirected (and completely unreciprocated) amorous advances.

Just when she catches her breath--and quite possibly the eye of a certain fabulously good-looking man--her arch-nemesis gives the pot one final stir.

My thoughts:

Ok, it's time to officially add Tamara Leigh to my list of favorite authors!  I love her stories, her style, and her fabulous sense of humor.  Her books fall a little bit into the chick-lit genre and a little bit into the romance genre, but by the time I finish one, I'm a fan of the "I-don't-care-what-you-call-it-it's-so-good-I-wanna-read-it-again" genre.  (Wow, what a mouthful!)

I became a fan of Tamara's right after reading Splitting Harriet (which was just as great of a read as this one).  But before reading this book, I honestly had no clue that Tamara Leigh had once been a successful, mainstream romance author.  After I read Stealing Adda (along with a few book reviews of it, too), the light bulb went off in my head that this book very easily could've been her journey through the world of writing.  Everything was so spot on--the deadlines, the writing conferences, the agent phone calls, the best-seller lists, the red pen of death from the editor--that I felt like I was in the midst of all that drama right beside Adda.

But let me tell ya...that just barely scratches the surface about how great this book was!  I cannot believe how many times I could not stop laughing!  And I'm not talking about a little chuckle, either.  I'm talking about LOL funny!  Adda had these very "unique" names for people (mostly for people she didn't like) that summed them up to a T.  "Stick Woman" was a personal favorite of mine, as well as Adda's friend, "Puffer"...better known as Joyce.  "Prim" and "Improper" stole the show a few times, too.  :o)

As great as the humor was, the romance was enough to make me weak in the knees.  Goo.... (you'll know what I mean after you read it for yourself).  :o)  "Chocolates" was every girl's dream guy, even if he had a tendency to be non-committal a good portion of the time.  The chemistry between him and Adda was the kind that would have you imagining fireworks in the background...it was that good! 

But seriously....this book is the kind of book I would give to someone that wants a great story, but maybe they're not a Christian.  It showed the journey from non-believer to believer in a very real way that wasn't preachy or "church-ey."  Instead, the Christian characters that were featured had a genuine faith that was just part of their personality.  They weren't trying to witness every 5 minutes, or saying "I'll pray for you" all the time.  They lived their faith by example instead of trying to cram it down your throat.  What a refreshing change.  :o)

So, with all that said, I think there should be a Tamara Leigh Fan Club, and I very seriously doubt that I would be the only member!  Anyone else wanna join?  (Er....maybe we should ask Tamara what she thinks first.....)

5 Stars (as if you had to ask)  :o)

Southern?  No
Sass?  Oh, my!!  Heaping loads of it!

More favorites by Tamara.....

**Click here if you'd like to read my review of Splitting Harriet.
**Click here if you'd like to read my review of Leaving Carolina.

Free Kindle Books!! Yay!

This is not something I normally post on my blog, but I wanted to let everyone know about a couple of great NEW free books on the Kindle.  Yep, I said new......and.......*FREE*!  Woohoo!!  :o)  Both of these books are Christian historical fiction published by Revell, and first in their respective series.  Be on the lookout in the next few weeks for the 3rd book in each series to be released very soon.

First up, The Edge of Light (At Home in Beldon Grove, Book 1)

It is the summer of 1838 in St. Lawrenceville, Missouri, and Molly McGarvie's life is about to change forever. When her beloved Samuel succumbs to cholera, Molly is heartbroken but determined to take care of herself and her children. But when Samuel's unscrupulous brother takes over the family business and leaves Molly to fend for herself, she knows she must head out on her own. It is a dangerous journey and Molly has to leave her old life behind. Somehow she must find a way to make a living, keep her family together, and fend off some over-eager suitors. Book one in the At Home in Beldon Grove series, The Edge of Light will captivate readers with the true-to-life emotions of one woman's struggle to survive.

Next we have Paper Roses (Texas Dreams Trilogy #1)

The future stretches out in front of Sarah Dobbs like the pure blue Texas sky. Leaving the past behind in Philadelphia, mail-order bride Sarah arrives in San Antonio ready to greet her groom, Austin Canfield, a man she has never met but whose letters have won her heart from afar. But there is one problem--he has died. And Sarah cannot go back East.

As Sarah tries to reconcile herself to a future that is drastically changed, Austin's brother, Clay, struggles with his own muddled plans. Though he dislikes working on the family ranch and longs for a different life, Clay is driven to avenge his brother's death. But something between them is growing and neither Clay nor Sarah is ready to admit it.

Book 1 of the Texas Dreams series, Paper Roses will sweep readers into the Hill Country with a tale of love and loss, closed doors and beautiful possibilities that will leave them wanting more.

_____________________________

Now, of these two books, I've only had the pleasure of reading Paper Roses, and to tell you that I loved it is an understatement.  If you'd like to read my thoughts on this book, you can click here to read my review.  I promise you....you'll have a hard time putting this book down!

But don't wait!!  Snatch up these two Kindle freebies while you can!  :o)