Amy

Robert came to Galveston to fulfill his promise to a dying man and look after his widow. He didn’t expect to find love in the unlikeliest of places.

Shelley Shepard Gray might usually write Amish romances,, but she has the golden touch with historical fiction, too.  I love the way that she created a backstory for this book that sets up the entire series – and developed some seriously awesome men to play the main characters.

Beyond that, the setting is a bit unusual.  Set on an island in Texas in the years following the Civil War, the townspeople were loyal to the Confederacy and shunning one of their own.  Gray’s setup makes for a seriously suspenseful story, though, with lots of personal drama.  The high action keeps the story moving and the kindness of Robert and Miranda gives the reader a vested interest in their lives.

Gray builds that high action with a wide cast of characters and multiple villains.  With several subplots in addition to a few romances, there’s not a dull paragraph in the book.  Gray keeps that tension high throughout the entire story and builds a great lead-in to the next book in the story.

Gray is an expert at building that tension and keeping the reader turning pages – even when the story has ended.   I can’t wait for the next book to be released, and while I’m frustrated at having to wait, if it’s anything like The Loyal Heart, it’ll be well worth it.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Phoebe Von Bergen is excited to accompany her father when he travels from Germany to purchase sapphires in Montana. Little does she know that her father’s plans–for the gemstones and his daughter–are not what they seem.

Ian Harper, a lapidary working in Helena, finds the young woman staying at the Broadwater Hotel more than a little intriguing. Yet the more he gets to know her, the more he realizes that her family story is based on a lie–a lie she has no knowledge of. And Ian believes he knows the only path that will lead her to freedom.

Meeting Ian has changed everything. Phoebe is determined to stay in America, regardless of her father’s plans. But she may not be prepared for the unexpected danger as the deception begins to unravel.

Tracie Peterson has penned another winner, although, really; does she write any other kind? What stands out about A Beauty Refined is the setting.  The idea of German royalty visiting a resort in the Wild West is unlike any other book that I’ve read, and the mystery and intrigue definitely added another layer of suspense to the story.  I read the entire book in one sitting – I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen to Phoebe and if she would find the happy ending she desired.

The characters weren’t all my favorites – Ian was a bit stuffy at times, but there were others who more than made up for that, and his flaws were explained throughout the story.  I especially enjoyed the mystery character who appeared partway through the story.  Her bravery was admirable, and while I don’t know that I would’ve made the same decisions that she did, her actions were certainly food for thought. 

The issues that Phoebe faces are really too serious to call this a ‘fun’ story, but it is definitely an intriguing one.  I enjoyed the read, from the setting to (most) of the characters to thinking about how some of these problems are handled in our society today.  A Beauty Refined is definitely worth the read.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An ounce of courage. A split-second leap of faith. Together, they propel two young women to chase a new life—one that’s reimagined from what they might have become.

In turn-of-the-century America, a young girl dreams of a world that stretches beyond the confines of a quiet life on the family farm. With little more than her wit and a cigar box of treasures to call her own, Mable steps away from all she knows, seeking the limitless marvels of the Chicago World’s Fair. There, a chance encounter triggers her destiny—a life with a famed showman by the name of John Ringling.

A quarter of a century later, Lady Rosamund Easling of Yorkshire, England, boards a ship to America as a last adventure before her life is planned out for her. There, the twenties are roaring, and the rich and famous gather at opulent, Gatsby-esque parties in the grandest ballrooms the country has to offer. The Jazz Age has arrived, and with it, the golden era of the American circus, whose queen is none other than the enigmatic Mable Ringling.

When Rosamund’s path crosses with Mable’s and the Ringlings’ glittering world, she makes the life-altering decision to leave behind a comfortable future of estates and propriety, instead choosing the nomadic life of a trick rider in the Ringling Brothers’ circus.

A novel that is at once captivating, deeply poignant, and swirling with exquisite historical details of a bygone world, The Ringmaster’s Wife will escort readers into the center ring, with its bright lights, exotic animals, and a dazzling performance that can only be described as the greatest show on earth!

Move over, Karen Kingsbury and Danielle Steele, there’s a new epic storyteller on the scene!  Cambron’s newest work will enchant you with waves of fun, hope, and heartbreak in her newest work about John Ringling’s beloved first wife Mabel and the impact of the circus on the culture of America.

Mabel Ringling was the wife of circus king John Ringing and impacted many who knew her, although she stayed away from the media spotlight and out of the circus business.  Cambron brings her to life through the imagined characters of Rose and Colin, with Mabel leaving a tangible legacy that is felt for decades to come.

Not a linear story, The Ringmaster’s Wife tells a tale in pieces, allowing the reader to reassemble the story in bits at a time.  You’re kept fascinated with the plot line and wanting more with each turn of the page.

I never expected a circus story to excite me as much as this one did.  I enjoyed the reminder that fun has it’s own place in this life, and that dreams and hopes add joy to life that is too easily snuffed out by day-to-day drudgery, and smiles, like those inspired by the circus, are important to the abundant life that Jesus promised.

Despite the trials Colin, Rose, and Mabel face throughout the book, the story is inspiring.  Write on, Cambron!

Click here to read other reviews on this bloggy hop or here to purchase your own copy now.

Kristy Cambron fancies life as a vintage-inspired storyteller. Her second novel, A Sparrow in Terezin, was named Library Journal Reviews’ “Pick of the Month (Christian Fiction)” for February 2015.