After the Shadows by Amanda Cabot

 

Amanda Cabot is back with another small town tale on love and finding life after loss.

After the Shadows focuses on the story of Emily Leland. Faced with the recent loss of her parents, her husband, and the departure of her sisters, Emily finds herself running a boarding house out of her childhood home for Mrs. Carmichael, the new schoolteacher Mr. Ferguson, his son Noah, and more as she struggles to rebuild her life and find the truth behind her father's passing.

Now, one thing you can count on with Cabot's writings is a romance that will pull on your heartstrings and After the Shadows is no exception.  

Given Emily's introduction, it would be easy to see her "in need of rescuing" in this genre but Cabot has provided a protagonist who's a wonderful balance of heart and determination as well as vulnerability and healing. Cabot really works well to provide a balance for the type of space and grieving the difficult and painful situations in Emily's recent life would have created while also showing the resilience possible when people are given room and support to heal.

I also must say Cabot created a wonderful male lead in Craig. I appreciated how he too had his points of grief and restoration needed rather than the default "white knight." 

 Cabot also included a subplot that brought up the topic of ableism centered upon the young resident Beulah a young girl who physical and mental disability. I'm definitely a fan of including disabilities into the stories we read and Beulah was a sweet young girl in the story that had to face down many challenges. The story was a bit hard to read as a disabled person though when I realized how many of the Christian townsfolks protests at Beulah's inclusion are still prevalent in churches today.

Now, I will say, I wish there had been a little more satisfaction with the storyline involving the new ministers family. It felt a little rushed and incomplete compared to Cabot's usual attention to detail, which threw me for a little seeing how much these characters affected the town. However, I've made note of similar "hanging threads" in the first of a Cabot trilogy before only to find more revealed in books 2 and 3. So perhaps the minister's wife and daughter may return?

For readers who may be sensitive to certain topics, it's worth noting that this particular novel does touch on spousal abuse, suicide, murder, and as noted above ableism where a town's actions are directed towards a minor.

4 out of 5 stars.

Book was provided courtesy of Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. and Baker Publishing Group.

The Maid of Ballymacool by Jennifer Deibel

 

Jennifer Deibel is inviting her readers back to 1930s Ireland in a tale filled with mystery, charm, and heart. Deibel has such a talent for infusing her stories with the little details and nuances that help bring them to life and it's one I see growing with each novel she writes. From her usage of Irish in her characters dialogue, to her sensory filled descriptions of the Irish landscape, to her attention to detail in building her stories you can feel the excitement and love she has for the characters she's created and the country itself.

Anchoring this particular story is Brianna Kelly, a young maid who works and lives at Ballymacool House and Boarding School. Brianna feels, to me, like a wiser and more lively Cinderella type character. Brianna serves as a wonderful guide as the story leads readers through questions of identity, faithfulness through hardship, and grief. 

Michael provides a strong counter as this story's "prince charming" a bookish member of the gentry. While he definitely has his heroic moments it's his willingness to serve and to advocate that makes him such a memorable character. 

I really appreciate how Deibel is able to walk the fine line between giving readers a cozy romance that feels like it deserves it's own cuppa and a cozy blanket with allowing her characters to engage in a full range of emotions and the consequences of their decisions and the actions of those around them. 

I do wish that there had been a little more time to give cousin Adeline more nuance throughout the plot. Deibel gave hints of her story that just leave her story feeling like it was still swirling with untapped potential. Maybe Adeline will make an appearance in a later novel as Deibel has shown she is open to having old characters reappear if the era and location allows.

Deibel fans, old and new, will not be disappointed 

4 out of 5 stars

Disclaimer - I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. The opinions are my own.

All the Lost Places by Amanda Dykes

 

Amanda Dykes is back with a tale of love, redemption, and discovery of self in a beautiful tale set amongst the historic canals of Venice.

Dykes infuses beauty and poetry into every element of her storytelling. I'm always amazed at the amount of heart and soul that streams out of her narratives. Dykes, by far, is one of the most talented storytellers in her genre today. 

Honestly, if I could only recommend one historical novel from the last 12 months this would be it.

While I'm usually drawn in by a character in the fictions that capture a piece of my heart, with All the Lost Places it wasn't so much a character but a question -Who am I? Dykes draws on the tensions between the weight of the past and the hopes of the future throughout the plot with each character holding to the central question of identity. From Sebastien's mysterious origins as an infant in a basket on the canals of Venice, to Daniel's life of loss and regrets, to Venice herself shifting and flowing against the plans of stronger forces each story draws readers back again and again to that query of who am I and who can I become.

That's not to say the characters aren't strong as well. Sebastien, Daniel, Marianna, Vittoria, and the Guild each hold their place as Daniel seeks to find the lost book detailing the life of Sebastien Trovato. 
The character pairings balance each other well and are engaging, well thought out characters. But this is one of those novels where it's the story shines beyond its characters long after the last page is finished.

5 out of 5 stars 

Book was provided courtesy of Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. and Baker Publishing Group.

The Sound of Light by Sarah Sundin

 

WWII fiction lovers are in for a treat with Sundin's latest novel  The Sound of Light. 

In this latest novel, Sundin is inviting readers to Denmark 1943 alongside American physicist Dr. Else Jensen and Baron in hiding Henrik Ahlefeldt. 

I was quite excited to see Sundin chose to base her novel around Denmark's own tale of resistance and community during the German occupation as it's a story that has continued to catch my interest throughout the years and I find people are either very familiar or completely unaware of the courage the Danish people illustrated during this time. It really is such a fascinating slice of history.

It also served as a solid backdrop for Else and Henrik as the wrestled through questions of courage, truth, and standing up for what is right. I really appreciate when an author can explore a theme from multiple angles without it feeling forced or overused. Between Henrik's relationship with his past, his role at the shipyard, and his work with the villa through to Else's challenge with her coworkers and her work with the paper, to the Dane's decisions regarding the "cold shoulder" and their Jewish neighbours, Sundin managed to weave courage in all it's forms into each corner of her tale.

I also appreciated how Sundin allowed both her main characters to have an arc that allowed them to grow and develop rather than a one sided rescuer romance. Else's challenges really resonated as she struggled to find her voice in a male dominated field and then as she sought to find her courage in the face of societal wrongs with the occupation. However, I loved that Henrik had a solid redemption arc of his own that required personal and emotional work before Sundin allowed the story to veer into romance. Honestly, it made the story feel richer and made the relational story threads feel healthier.

As usual, Sundin has delivered a solid Europe based WWII novel filled with heart, historical detail, and hope. 

4 out of 5 stars

This book was provided as part of the #RevellReads book tour. The opinions are my own.

Yesterday's Tides by Roseanna M. White

 

This may be my favourite story from White to date. 

While the synopsis focuses on a young innkeeper, Evie, and a possible German spy, the reality is that White has invited readers into a tale that weaves itself through the decades and across the generations tied together in the small island of Okracoke.

Now, I'll be the first to admit, it took me a little while to catch the flow of this story. 

White initially alternates each chapter between Lousia's experiences during WWI and Evie's in 1942. 

Although many characters are the same in both timelines, the alternating plot and the multitude of nicknames did make my head spin for the first few chapters, but once I caught White's rhythm I could not devour this story quick enough.

So what did I like about this book? First, I have to highlight Grandma Elsie. I loved that White not only included a disabled character but also gave her equal character development to other secondary characters rather than relegating her to "inspiration porn" or a moral lesson. I love when disabled characters are simply living their lives and the descriptions of ASL were a nice addition to the detail of the plot.

White gives readers a plethora of characters with her dual storyline plot but I was quite impressed by Evie and Louisa's ability to anchor their plots. I felt like Louisa's storyline with her quest to understand her past, her complicated relationship with Rem and family, and her friendship with Celeste gave a lot more emotional depth and intrigue to latch onto as a reader. Evie's story was necessary to make the plot feel complete and properly resolved  but Louisa was my favourite. 

White provides an intricate, detail-filled plot that will take readers on a journey of love and loss, prejudice and restoration. This one's definitely a book I'll pick up again.

Trigger warning: Readers should be aware that aside from the obvious heavier nature that can surround wartime novels, White also includes a scene involving the last minutes of a torpedoed ship, racial discrimination and violence, and a storyline that involves the coercion and abuse of an intimate partner.

5 out of 5 stars

Book was provided courtesy of Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. and Baker Publishing Group.

The Rose and The Thistle by Laura Frantz

 

Laura Frantz is back and inviting readers to join her back in the days of early 1700s Scotland. 

Lady Blythe Hedley is in trouble. Aside from her Catholic faith in a now Protestant England, her father has been secretly supporting the Jacobite rebellion putting their holdings and lives in danger. Sent to her godparents for safety she finds herself in a Protestant Scottish hold with her godfather recently passed and his eldest son navigating the ever changing political climate.

Frantz is one of those authors I know will pack a lot of emotion and detail into her plots and The Rose and The Thistle is no exception. Although some may find it slows their reading speed, I highly appreciated Frantz time to include Scottish dialect and brogue into the Hume's dialogue. It added such an interesting texture to the conversational segments and was a lot of fun to sort through, especially as Blythe began to try some out herself. 

Frantz also showed her usual skill in descriptive writing allowing the scenes and landscapes to jump off the page in the readers imagination. I'm always caught off guard just how vividly she writes and it's always such a joy to explore.

As far as main plot goes, Hedley and Hume are a fairly familiar contrast  in historical romance. So while there are no real surprises in the storyline, the ending does wrap up the main plot threads involving the main characters.

Which does lead me to some elements of the story that didn't quite hit their target with me personally.

Although I appreciated Frantz's happy ending their was a lot of really good luck and some reliance familiar plot twists (such as the brother confusion in battle). It felt almost too neatly wrapped up for such a messy period of history.

Also I felt the main characters were oddly firm on some beliefs and passive on others. The matter of Blythe and Everard's opposing sides in religion felt quickly resolved considering the historical ties and Blythe's own consideration of convent living prior to Scotland. I felt like this could have been a far more interesting point of conflict vs the typical spurned suitor which came into play.

Also, considering how tightly Blythe held onto her mother's fallen status (in an era where most women would have been keenly aware of how little power they had especially in relation to the king) it felt odd that her tightly held faith was so easily resorted into Protestantism for a wedding. It felt inconsistent to the character.

However, most of Frantz readers will probably be thoroughly charmed by Blythe, Hume, and the cast of supporting characters (including dear sweet Orin)

Book was provided courtesy of Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. and Baker Publishing Group.

Under the Starry Skies by Tracie Peterson

 

I've been thinking a fair bit about this particular story since finishing it the other night. While Peterson writing itself shows the skill and finesse one expects from a writer as prolific as Peterson, the content and characters frustrated me to the point of lowering my enjoyment of the story.

Cassie Barton is described as "sensible and independent" in the book's description but despite having lived mostly independent while her father grieved in a town marked by the railway and increasing activity from revolutionaries she shows so little common sense. She doesn't lock her door, she goes out to dinner with a man who threatened her as a show of Christian goodwill, among other things. All of Cassie's character development was connected to other characters, rather than independent she read as very passive and dependent as a result.

I was equally frustrated with Brandon's storyline. While I fully acknowledge his background was traumatizing and had a lot of potential for the solid redemptive storyline Peterson has favoured in the past. Brandon's communication with his pastor regarding his familial history, while most likely era, reads as very victim blaming/victim shaming which left a bad taste in my mouth as well. 

It is also important to note that this story involves domestic violence against women and children as well as two description of killing (one premeditated and one reactionary) for readers who may be more sensitive to those plot themes.

2.5 out of 5 stars

Book was provided courtesy of Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. and Baker Publishing Group.