“The Rose of Winslow Street” by Elizabeth Camden

Sometimes when I finish a book, I close it quickly, toss it aside and grab the next awaiting me on my bookshelf.  But then there are those glorious times, when you turn the last page reluctantly and give a big ‘SIGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH’ and then dread trying to find another book that will somehow compare with the beautiful story you just finished.  The latter is exactly what I did when I finished “The Rose of Winslow Street” by Elizabeth Camden.  Please tell me there is a sequel!  However, I don’t think Camden does sequels.

(Tear.)

I’ve read Camden’s other novel, “The Lady of Bolton Hill”, which I also really enjoyed, but I would have to say that “The Rose of Winslow Street” is my favorite out of her two novels.  In this novel, the heroine is sweet and affectionate Liberty (Libby) Sawyer, who is dedicated to her father, her niece, her paintings, the neighborhood children and her cat, Ivan (precisely in that order).  She and her father are vacationing at her brother’s summer home (must be rough…) near the sea when her father receives an alarming telegram from their hometown of Colden.  Someone has moved in and taken over their home, a brute, blunt, widowed Romanian by the name of Michael Dobrescu.  He claims that he had inherited the house from his late uncle, who had died almost a quarter of a century ago.  With him, he brings his two sons, his sister and two friends (thugs, business partners, etc,).

What happens next is what you would expect: a legal fight over who the house really belongs to, etc.  But what you don’t expect is  the love story that unfolds between Michael and Libby.  Michael, who comes off rude and jerk-ish in the beginning, develops a soft, tender spot for Libby, who has weaved her way into their lives, showing mercy to the Dobrescu’s when the entire town shunned them on behalf of Libby’s father.  Libby is fascinated by this new, strange family from a foreign land and it surprises her when she finds herself falling in love with the bumbling Michael.

I really loved the novel and it will be added to my “to be read again and again and again” shelf. I can’t wait to read more by Camden as she releases them.

I received a copy of the novel for free from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.

“Heart of Gold” by Robin Lee Hatcher

Sometimes it is nice to read a novel that doesn’t have any tricky plots, hidden metaphors or creepy characters. Every now and then, I like to get back to the basics, and “Heart of Gold” by Robin Lee Hatcher did just that.  “Heart of Gold” is a breath of fresh air: simple, good, Christian historical fiction.

I’ve read quite a few of Hatcher’s novels in the past, but very few of those have been historical fiction.  In “Heart of Gold” the heroine, Shannon, a preacher’s daughter, moves to Idaho with her father in the midst of the Civil War.   What they find in Grand Coeur, Idaho is a town that was founded by miners that is a little rough around the edges.  It is nothing like Shannon’s precious Virginia that she left behind and she instantly loathes the town and unfairly judges its inhabitants.  Her opinion of Matthew Dubois, a Wells, Fargo driver, is immediately soured by his flippant attitude about the war that rages on in the East, the very same war that Shannon is most passionate about and served as a nurse to the wounded Confederate soldiers.  However, Matthew has more important things to worry about:  he has decided to put his nomadic lifestyle on hold to care for his ailing sister and her nine year old son.  Caring for her on top of holding down his desk job proves to be too hard of a task, so he seeks the help of Shannon, who is qualified to nurse his sister during her final days. Over the course of events throughout the novel, Shannon and Matthew come to care for each other a great deal and, well… the rest is quite predictable.  But it’s also quite good!

As much as I love novels that are different and have endings that I wouldn’t quite expect, I also really appreciate a novel that is quick and enjoyable to read.  My heart didn’t pound with anxiety of what was to happen next, but that’s okay!  Sometimes it’s nice to know that your beloved hero or heroine is going to be okay (even if that happens in the middle of the book!).

I reviewed this book for Thomas Nelson’s book blogging program called BookSneeze.  The book was given me to free, as were my opinions about the novel.

“Sweeter than Birdsong” by Rosslyn Elliott

I had picked up the first in the Saddler’s Legacy, “Fairer than Morning” from my local library.  The copy had been well read and justifiably so.  What I had a stumbled upon was a new author with the ability to captivate you with her eloquent words and innocent stories.  I loved “Fairer than Morning” and was delighted when I saw that part two in the series was already in the works.

“Sweeter than Birdsong” is a sweet story set in Westerville, Ohio focusing on Ben Hanby, a talented musician who is convicted by the atrocities of slavery, and Kate Winter, a shy,  intelligent young woman who wishes to stand up to her verbally abusive mother.  Throughout the novel, Ben and Kate grow together in trust, their relationship strengthened by their common faith in God.

One of Rosslyn Elliott’s gifts is being able to write historical fiction based on real events, and she does it well!   It did take at least a few chapters to get into the novel, so be patient if you experience the same thing!   When you finish, be sure to read the Afterword, as it explains the true story of Ben and Kate.  I really hope that Rosslyn Elliott is planning on a third installment of the Saddler’s Legacy.  However, I will be picking up anything she writes because I know that I am guaranteed a fantastic story and a history lesson, all bundled up with a beautiful cover.

I received “Sweeter than Birdsong” from BookSneeze, Thomas Nelson’s book blogging program.  My review is based solely on my honest opinion of the book.