Historical – Page 5 – Fiction Aficionado

Top Ten Tuesday – Reformation Fiction

Happy Tuesday, reading friends. It’s time for another Top Ten Tuesday post, thanks to That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s prompt is a Hallowe’en Freebie, but 31 October also happens to be Reformation Day, when Martin Luther is purported to have nailed his 95 theses to the door of a church in Wittenberg, protesting against the Catholic Church’s practice of selling indulgences. And since I don’t generally celebrate Hallowe’en (or read books that are likely to qualify for a Hallowe’en Freebie list), I’ve come up with a list of ten books that in some way feature the religious tensions between Catholics and Protestants.

It’s actually quite a difficult topic to find fictional novels on, and I didn’t want to double up on novels that I featured in a Reformation Reads post from a few years ago, so I had to do a bit of searching to round out my numbers to ten. …

27 October 2020

A Portrait of Loyalty (Roseanna M. White) – Review

Zivon Marin was one of Russia’s top cryptographers until the October Revolution tore apart his world. Forced to flee to England after speaking out against Lenin, Zivon is driven by a growing anger and determined to offer his services to the Brits. But never far from his mind is his brother, whom Zivon fears died in the train crash that separated them.

Lily Blackwell sees the world best through the lens of a camera and possesses unsurpassed skill when it comes to retouching and re-creating photographs. With her father’s connections in propaganda, she’s recruited to the intelligence division, even though her mother would disapprove if she ever found out.

15 October 2020

Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey (Abigail Wilson) – Review

When the widowed Lord Torrington agreed to spy for the crown, he never planned to impersonate a highwayman, let alone rob the wrong carriage. Stranded on the road with an unconscious young woman, he is forced to propose marriage to protect his identity and her reputation, as well as his dangerous mission.

Trapped not only by her duty to her country but also by her limited options as an unwed mother, Miss Elizabeth Cantrell and her infant son are whisked away to Middlecrest Abbey by none other than the elder brother of her son’s absent father. There she is met by Torrington’s beautiful grown daughters, a vicious murder, and an urgent hunt for the missing intelligence that could turn the war with France. Meanwhile she must convince everyone that her marriage is a genuine love match if her new husband has any hope of uncovering the enemy.

12 October 2020

First Line Friday – A Portrait of Loyalty (Roseanna M. White)

Happy Friday, and welcome to First Line Friday, hosted by Hoarding Books. This week I’m in the thick of intrigue with Roseanna M. White’s Codebreakers. A Portrait of Loyalty released last month, and I’m finally able to dive in and read the conclusion of the series. Who else has read and enjoyed this series?

9 October 2020

Cover Reveal: Sing in the Sunlight (Kathleen Denly)

Welcome to the cover reveal for Sing in the Sunlight by Kathleen Denly.

Richard Stevens isn’t who he thinks he is. Neither is the woman who now claims his last name.

Disfiguring scars stole Clarinda Humphrey’s singing career, her home, and her family, but she refuses to let her appearance steal her future. While attending The Young Ladies Seminary in 1858 Benicia, California, she finds a man who promises to love and cherish her. Instead he betrays her, leaving her with child, and Clarinda must take drastic measures to ensure her child doesn’t suffer for her foolishness.

5 October 2020

Reckless (Tamara Leigh) – Review

THE WULFRITHS. IT ALL BEGAN WITH A WOMAN

A battle. A crown. The conqueror. The conquered. Medieval England—forever changed by the Battle of Hastings. And the rise of the formidable Wulfriths.

A REBEL MOST WANTED

Vitalis of the Saxon resistance wearies of leading men to victory only to next lead them to death at the hands of the invaders. But when an opportunity arises to shame the Norman who claims England’s throne, he takes it, as well as proof of that shaming. Now more than ever, William the Conqueror is determined to capture the rebel leader. And greater that possibility when Vitalis must keep his word to recover an impetuous Norman lady abducted by Saxon allies. Can he free her without making enemies of his own people? More, can he forgive the one determined to pry open his heart when bloodshed proves the price of her release?

3 October 2020

First Line Friday – Reckless (Tamara Leigh)

Happy Friday, and welcome to First Line Friday, hosted by Hoarding Books. And happy week, since it delivered a new book by Tamara Leigh straight to my Kindle! Reckless is book number five in the Age of Conquest series, the story of Saxon warrior Vitalis and Norman-born Lady Nicola D’Argent. And what a story it is. The appellation “Reckless” is not unjustified, but I found it impossible to dislike Nicola, and I was a very willing captive until their tale was all told. Look for my review coming soon!

2 October 2020

Blog Blitz + Giveaway: Palmer Girl (Dawn Klinge)

Welcome to the Blog Blitz & Giveaway for Palmer Girl by Dawn Klinge, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

When insurance tycoon, Cornelius Nordeman, is recruited to work for the Exposition Corporation, the New Yorker brings his family to live at the Palmer House Hotel, far away from any reminders of a recent tragedy. He’s hopeful this move will offer respite from his family’s grief.

Elizabeth Nordeman, his daughter, has something to prove, which leads her to seek work as a florist at Marshall Field’s, Chicago’s finest department store.

1 October 2020

The power of fiction, the beauty of words, and the God who made us to wield them for His glory.