The Golden Ticket: A Life in College Admissions Essays by Irena Smith

Each chapter of The Golden Ticket :A Life in College Admissions Essays starts with a prompt from a college essay. In the spirit of the book, I am sharing a prompt from MIT’s application.

We know you lead a life, full of activities, many of which are required of you. Please tell us about something you do simply for the pleasure of it.

Luckily as the author shares we are adults and do not have to worry about word count!  For me, things I do simply for pleasure are reading, scrapbooking , and connecting with friends. How would you answer?

My Review: I have thoroughly enjoyed reading The Golden Ticket: A Life in College Admissions Essays by Irena Smith. The author uses college application prompts to share her story, the stories of her students and families, and weaving in valuable lessons about living life. The author has the gift of sharing stories about her family while being real, funny and thoughtful. Her honesty is refreshing, and her story will resonate with anyone who has had a struggle with a child.

As the mom of students who have filled out many college applications I deeply appreciated her humorous, insightful and honest views on the college admittance process. She has a gracious way of putting the process in perspective, making you laugh out loud, and reminding you what is really important in life. I highly recommend The Golden Ticket by Irena Smith.

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.

Irena founded her college consulting practice 15 years ago, drawing on her experience as an admission officer at Stanford University, where she read and reviewed thousands of applications. Now, she helps school students find and celebrate their best stories as they navigate the application process.

Irena has a BA in English from UCLA and a PhD in Comparative Literature, also from UCLA, where she received a Distinguished Teaching Assistant Award and a Dissertation Year Fellowship.

Irena has taught literature and composition at UCLA and Stanford and has nearly 20 years of experience as a writer, editor, and teacher. Her memoir, The Golden Ticket, explores the college application process from the perspectives of a parent, college counselor, and admissions officer. She is a voracious reader, a fervent proponent of the serial comma, and a shameless consumer of Trader Joe’s chocolate-covered espresso beans.

 

The Baby Inheritance by Tina Radcliffe

 

The Baby Inheritance by Tina Radcliffe is first in her new series, The Lazy M Ranch. Drew Morgan is a rancher and lives with his family at the Lazy M Ranch. Sadie is a college professor trying very hard to control her life and make up for her past. They are opposites who become guardians of their best friends’ baby. Just looking at the cover you know this is going to be good.

I was very invested in this character driven story. Drew and Sadied are so different, but together they are a delight. Drew’s brothers, Grandpa, and Bess brought humor, depth and a sense of family to the story. The story walks through faith topics without being preachy, and I appreciated the themes of friendship, family, and trusting God for the future.

I am so excited about this series, and I can not wait to see what happens with the rest of the Morgan brothers and spend more time at the Lazy M Ranch. This story delighted me and was the perfect read. I highly recommend The Baby Inheritance by Tina Radcliffe.  Publishing April 26, 2023.  Pre-order now. 

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.

Publishers Weekly bestselling author Tina Radcliffe hails from Western New York. She left home for a tour of duty with the Army Security Agency stationed in Augsburg, Germany, and ended up in Tulsa, Oklahoma. While living in Tulsa, she spent ten years as a Certified Oncology R.N. before heading to Colorado as a library cataloger.

A freelance writer for over twenty years, Tina is a Romance Writer of America and American Christian Fiction Writers Honor Roll member.

Tina is also a two-time RWA Golden Heart finalist. She is a four-time ACFW Carol Award finalist and a three-time ACFW Mentor of the year finalist. ​Her Harlequin books have won the ACFW Carol Award and the Holt Medallion. She has placed or won over thirty RWA chapter-affiliated contests in her career. As a short story writer, she has sold over forty short romances to Woman’s World Magazine.

​Tina is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Sisters in Crime, and Women's Fiction Writers Association. A popular workshop speaker, she currently lives in Arizona, where she writes fun, heartwarming romance.

Dawn's Untrodden Green by Carolyn Miller

There is nothing like a wonderful Regency romance and Dawn’s Untrodden Green by Carolyn Miller is a wonderful Regency romance! Theodosia Stapleton lives in the tiny Northumberland and has accepted herself as a spinster who is taking care of family and lives in her sister’s shadow. Captain Daniel Balfour is a decorated war hero who is not comfortable with his fame. He comes to Northumberland to be with his niece after the passing of her mother and meets Theodosia.

“No man had ever expressed admiration for her before. Well, no man that she regarded highly has done so. And while her head still warned that she was most likely to have her heart broken if she dwelt too long on his words, she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to venture into the realm of romance.”

This delightful character driven story has such depth and beauty. Captain Balfour is all things charitable and gracious who works to serve and care for others. Theodosia is a hospitable loving and considerate woman who shares her heart in such a contemplative way. I enjoyed walking with her as she shared her thoughts and struggles. It was a joy to connect with such a relatable heroine. The story’s themes of friendship, loving people for who they are and family resonated deeply with me. I adored this book.

Dawn’s Untrodden Green, drew me into Theodosia and Daniel’s world and I did not want to leave. The setting, themes, and beautiful characters made this a fantastic story that I will not soon forget. I very highly recommend Dawn’s Untrodden Green.

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.

Carolyn Miller is an inspirational romance author who lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia with her husband and four children.

A longtime lover of romance, especially that of LM Montgomery, and Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer’s Regency era, Carolyn holds a BA in English Literature, and loves drawing readers into fictional worlds that show the truth of God’s grace in our lives. She enjoys music, films, gardens, art, travel, ice hockey and food.

Return to Satterwaite Court by Mimi Mathews

 Return to Satterwaite Court by Mimi Mathews publishes April 11. You can pre-order now.

📚Review: Return to Satterthwaite Court by Mimi Mathews is number three in the Somerset Stories. Captain Charles Heywood is back from his many adventures in the British Navy and ready to settle down. He loves his family and his country. Lady Katherine Beresford is twenty and has not been impressed with who she has met during her London seasons. She is great with a pistol, riding horseback, and also used to getting her way. This incredible story is a stand alone, but readers will experience more joy if they have read Gentleman Jim and The Work of Art

This beautifully written story is a pure delight! Captain Charles Heywood is an amazing hero that I enjoyed cheering for. Kate is full of spunk and so likable I wanted to be her best friend too. The themes of the value of family, loyalty, and pursuing righteousness resonated with me. The setting in Somerset and London during the Gilded Age was beautiful and the historical details included by the author made it an amazing story.

This story was filled with lovely romance, marvelous characters, and wonderful historical details. I enjoyed each minute of the story. I highly recommend Return to Satterwaite Court by Mimi Mathews.

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.

USA Today bestselling author Mimi Matthews writes both historical nonfiction and award-winning proper Victorian romances. Her novels have received starred reviews in Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and Kirkus, and her articles have been featured on the Victorian Web, the Journal of Victorian Culture, and in syndication at BUST Magazine. In her other life, Mimi is an attorney. She resides in California with her family, which includes a retired Andalusian dressage horse, a Sheltie, and two Siamese cats. Learn more online at mimimatthews.com

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murders by Jesse Sutanto

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murder by Jesse Q. Sutanto is absolutely delightful! I enjoyed every minute listening to the story read by Eunice Wong. The story opens when Vera Wong finds a dead body in her tea shop one morning. As she tries to solve the murder she meets and helps many people. We find out that things aren't always as they seem.

I absolutely love Vera Wong as a character, and wanted her to be my best friend by the end of the novel! She is funny, caring, and always looking for adventure. Maybe she is a little bit meddling, but honestly who isn’t? This character driven story is told from multiple points of view, but I was easily able to keep everyone straight. The mystery is well set up, and you are not really sure who is responsible till the end. The author has interwoven all the characters' lives and connections seamlessly.

I was so invested in this story. Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murder reminded me of the importance of family, friendship, and looking beyond the façade most of us put up. I enjoyed laughing and reflecting as I read the book. I highly recommend Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murders by Jesse Q. Sutanto. I found listening to the audio book read by Eunice Wong made the story even more enjoyable.  

I was given the audio by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.

Jesse Q Sutanto grew up shuttling back and forth between Indonesia, Singapore, and Oxford, and considers all three places her home. She has a Masters from Oxford University, but she has yet to figure out how to say that without sounding obnoxious. Jesse has forty-two first cousins and thirty aunties and uncles, many of whom live just down the road. She used to game but with two little ones and a husband, she no longer has time for hobbies. She aspires to one day find one (1) hobby.

Murder in Postscript by Mary Winters

 Do you read advice columns either in print or online sources? OR Do you have a favorite advice column? I am always a fan of reading the letters from readers and the responses. I enjoyed Dear Miss Manners growing up and Dear Abby. I am always interested in what someone will write in.

Murder in Postscript by Mary Winters published by Berkley publishes March 28. I would encourage you to get a copy of this wonderful book!

📚 Review: Murder in Postscript by Mary Winters is a splendid cozy historical mystery set in Victorian era London, England. Countess Amelia Amesbury is a widow who takes care of her niece, and she also secretly writes the Lady Agony column in the paper. When a reader shares that she has witnessed a murder Lady Amelia tries to solve the murder with the help of her friend Kitty and Simon Bainbridge, a marquis. 

This book was a sheer delight to read. The characters were very endearing and I was very invested in the story. I adored Lady Amelia and her kind, thoughtful and independent heart. The time period was charming and I enjoyed traveling to the shops, ballrooms, shipyards and drawing rooms of Victorian London as I tried to solve the mystery with Amelia and friends. The mystery kept me on my toes right to the end, and I enjoyed the touch of romance. I am hopeful that there will be more in this series as the ending seemed to imply. I would certainly read anything in this series!

This is a great read for fans of cozy mysteries and for those who love historical books. The author weaves mystery, romance and humor together beautifully. I highly recommend Murder in Postscript by Mary Winters.

Although I have degrees in Literature and Creative Writing, my love affair with Victorian fiction didn’t start in the classroom but with a monthly book club. I was a young eighteen years old, working a job I didn’t particularly enjoy, when I made the fortuitous decision to join a subscription service. From the moment I received my first chunky paperbacks and pink wine glass, I was hooked. I loved coming home and delving into my historical romances. They were the gateway to other historical fiction, including mysteries, like the Amelia Peabody series.

When I enrolled in college, I had already written my first novel, not surprisingly a historical romance. My professors frowned upon the genre, but I understood the heart of the work. The heroines were nonconformists, constantly challenging the conventions of the time. Their fortitude inspired my own writing a great deal.

By the time I entered graduate school, I put away my romance novel and wrote a literary novel for my thesis. Then, when I graduated, I put away my literary novel and started a mystery series with an amateur sleuth professor.

But always my love for Victorian literature remained, and in 2019, when my family and I took a trip to England, it was reignited. Seeing Regents Park, Piccadilly, Grosvenor Square—all those places I had first read about so many years ago—I knew I wanted to write another book, a mystery, set in the time period. That book became Murder in Postscript, which will be published in 2023. I’m thrilled to see this first dream come true.

An Amiable Foe by Jennie Goutet

An Amiable Foe by Jennie Goutet is a sweet Regency Romance. Marianne Edgewood has lived at Brindale castle all of her life and it is her life. She pours all she has into taking care of it and keeping it up. After the sudden death of her Uncle she knows a new owner will take control. Peregrine Osborne is very excited to inherit Brindale. He is not expecting Marianne when he arrives nor is he expecting her to get his attention.

There is nothing quite like a good Regency novel to bring me joy! This endearing story took me back in time to 1810 in Kent, England with beautiful details of the time period and delightful characters. An Amiable Foe had some mystery, an old castle, quirky neighbors, sweet romance, a memorable pig and changes of heart. I enjoyed watching Peregrine and Marianne go from enemies to friends to more. A truly delightful story.

The themes of friendship, learning to value what is truly important, and remembering to look at others kindly resonated with me. I highly recommend an Amiable Foe as it is a wonderful Regency Romance.

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.

Jennie Goutet is an American-born Anglophile, who lives with her French husband and their three children in a small town outside Paris. Her imagination resides in Regency England, where her Clavering Chronicles and Memorable Proposals series are set. Jennie is author of the award-winning memoir, Stars Upside Down, and the modern romances, A Sweetheart in Paris and A Noble Affair. A Christian, a cook, and an inveterate klutz, Jennie writes about faith, food, and life—even the clumsy moments—on her blog, A Lady in France.