The American Revolution is finally over, and Sophie Menzies is starved for good news. When her nearest neighbor, General Seamus Ogilvy, finally comes home to Tall Acre, she hopes it is a sign of better days to come. But the general is now a widower with a small daughter in desperate need of a mother. Nearly destitute, Sophie agrees to marry Seamus and become the mistress of Tall Acre in what seems a safe, sensible arrangement. But when a woman from the general’s past returns without warning, the ties that bind this fledgling family together will be strained to the utmost. When all is said and done, who will be the rightful mistress of Tall Acre?
The Mistress of Tall Acre: A Novel
Frantz’ characterization of Sophie and Seamus is excellent. The pair make a great couple. Their romantic longings are clear and yet modestly described. Despite it all, their ties are not physical but are based on much deeper reasonings, making this book rank far above most romantic stories. The great lessons and historic research only up this ranking.
Having been in Williamsburg, Virginia, only last week, another aspect of the setting excited me. Several specific historical places were named in the story that I saw last week. Raleigh Tavern and Bruton Parish Church are still on the Duke of Gloucester Street, where it’s easy to imagine how life must have looked and smelled and been all those centuries ago. Reading about those places in this story brought it all to life again and made the story that much more exciting for me.
Emma Keim was heartbroken when her husband, Sanford, passed away, leaving her to raise three young daughters alone. Though several years have passed, her relatives have made it no secret that they expect Emma to remain a widow, mourning Sanford indefinitely. But when she meets Jay Hilty—a handsome widower with three young sons of his own—Emma is delighted to have a new friend who understands her struggles. Still, she is dismayed that her family is so opposed to their friendship—and the idea of it ever becoming anything more. She honors her husband’s memory every day, but is she destined to be alone forever?
Shelley Shepard Gray is a two-time New York Times bestseller, a two-time USA Today bestseller, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time Holt Medallion winner. She lives in Southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town’s bike trail.
Straight from 
After losing everything she held dear, Abby never wants to love again. But 
‘> rings all the right bells as a holiday romance. With strings of lights and charity events woven throughout the story, love is the bedrock of the plot on many levels. Forgiveness is just as important to the romantic element of the story as the action that flies in the face of the danger that each person faces. Silent Night Standoff isn’t a fluffy romance. It’s a hardcore crime story with two people sharing great future potential. Their feelings collide every time danger approaches, which it does with amazing frequency. Between car bombs, road rage, hostage situations, and explosions, the action is high on every page, making it the perfect book for both die-hard romantics and crime fanatics alike.
