Born of Gilded Mountain by Amanda Dykes

 

Born of Gilded Mountain by Amanda Dykes is an incredible story. Mercy Windsor comes by “Galloping Goose” to Mercy Peaks to hide after her life is turned upside down in Hollywood. She buys an old estate, attempts to solve a mystery, and is wants to find out what happened to her childhood pen pal, Rusty Bright. In the beautiful setting of the mountains, she takes a deep breath and becomes who is she meant to be.

I was enchanted by this book written in the most unique way. The story is shared through letters, news articles, plays, and storytelling as it moves back and forth through time. The beautiful setting of the Colorado mountains and the wonderful map of the town of Mercy Peak included in the book helped me to imagine myself there. The characters were so engaging and I was very invested in seeing what would unfold. I found myself slipping away to read the story.

Born of Gilded Mountain by Amanda Dykes was one of the most beautifully written books I have read in some time. The author weaves in themes of redemption, friendship, and healing to create a memorable story that will stay with you long after you turn the last page. Born of Gilded Mountain will be one of my top books of 2024 and I very highly recommend!

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.   

Amanda Dykes is a spinner of hope-filled tales who spends most days chasing wonder and words with her family. She’s the winner of the 2020 Christy Award Book of the Year, a Booklist 2019 Top Ten title, and the winner of an INSPY award for her debut novel, Whose Waves These Are. She’s also the author of Set the Stars Alight (a Christy Award finalist), Yours is the Night (recipient of the Kipp Award, Christy Award finalist), All the Lost Places (Christy Award finalist, starred reviews from Booklist, Library Journal, and Foreword), and three novellas. Find her online at amandadykes.com.

The Keeper of Stars by Buck Turner

The Keeper of Stars by Buck Turner is a novel that pulls you in and makes you want to know what happens next. The story starts with the end and goes back in time to tell the story of Elizabeth and Jack who met when they were in their teens.

It is told from both of their view points and is interesting to read. The story is well written and delves deeply into the characters’ hearts, minds and souls. I found myself very absorbed and turning the pages to find out what would happen. I appreciated how the author shared social issues in a way that makes you think.

In The Keeper of Stars by Buck Turner the characters are well developed in this engaging love story that draws you in. I recommend The Keeper of the Stars by Buck Turner.

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

CW I would consider the story door ajar

BUCK TURNER is a beloved storyteller. Best known for his diverse writing style and ability to blur genre lines, Buck is something of a literary chameleon. Author of seven novels, including the smash hits The Keeper of Stars, The Long Road Back To You, and The Hearts We Leave Behind, Buck delivers an emotional, unforgettable experience to his readers.

As diverse as his writing is his taste in authors, including Nicholas Sparks, Lisa Jewell, Ernest Hemingway, George Orwell, and Robert Louis Stevenson.

As a graduate of Lincoln Memorial University, Buck holds an undergraduate degree in Fine Arts and a Master's in Business. Having spent his childhood in East Tennessee, Buck draws on his experiences in the South, including the rich traditions, diverse characters, religion, and charming small towns (many of which serve as backdrops for his stories). When he's not busy writing, Buck enjoys spending time with his family, playing golf, fishing, drawing, and painting.

Buck is represented by SBR Media. For inquires into literary, foreign rights, audio, film, and other media outlets, contact Katie Monson at SBR Media.

A Lady of Conscience by Mimi Matthews

 

A Lady of Conscience by Mimi Matthews  is a delight and is the fifth in her Somerset Stories and continues the stories of the Heywood and Beesford families. Hannah Heywood is having her debut season in Bath as she is looking of a quiet like-minded gentleman who loves animals. James Beesford, Viscount St. Clare is a very serious man who is looking to find someone who will uphold the family name and mingle in high society. Would they be a good match?

There is nothing like stepping into a Mimi Mathews book and slipping away into the world she has created. I adored my time in Bath during the Victorian age catching up with everyone from the Somerset Series. I enjoyed watching James and Hannah’s interactions with each other, their wonderful chemistry, and meeting many wonderful animals. They were both such interesting characters. I read this delightful story in 24 hours and wished it would not have ended.

This was a beautiful clean romance with engaging characters, a wonderful setting, and a story to get lost in. I highly recommend A Lady of Conscience by Mimi Matthews.

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review. This publishes 7/30

Mimi Matthews is a USA Today bestselling, award-winning author of historical romances. Her critically acclaimed works include The Siren of Sussex, a 2023 RUSA Reading List shortlist pick for Best Romance; Fair as a Star, a Library Journal Best Romance of 2020; Gentleman Jim, a Kirkus Best Book of 2020; and The Work of Art, winner of the 2020 HOLT Medallion and a 2021 Daphne du Maurier Award nominee.

Mimi’s novels have received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, Kirkus, and Shelf Awareness, and have been mentioned in The New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, NPR, Oprah Daily, PopSugar, Goop, Paste Magazine, BookPage, Book Riot, and BuzzFeed. They have been translated into eight languages.

When not writing historical romance, Mimi authors nonfiction books and articles on all aspects of nineteenth century history—from animals, art, and etiquette to fashion, beauty, feminism, and law. Her work has been featured on the Victorian Web, the Journal of Victorian Culture, the Costume Society UK, and in syndication at BUST Magazine.

Finding Mr. Write by Kelley Armstrong

Finding Mr. Write by Kelly Armstrong is a fun romantic comedy! Daphne McFadden decides that she is going to submit her newest book under a male pen name. She is completely surprised when her book gets into a bidding war, they want to meet the author, and she ends up needing a man to be the face of her pen name. Her friend Nora helps her find Chris Stanton an accountant who did some acting in high school to fill the role. What could possibly go wrong?

This is a slow-burn romance filled with great banter, humor, and engaging characters. I enjoyed this quick read, and was rooting for Chris and Daphne to find their happily ever after. You have to love an account who looks better as he ages, and a woman who can live in the Yukon. I enjoyed learning more about the publishing industry and visiting the Yukon. It was a great read that made my July better.

I thoroughly enjoyed Finding Mr. Write by Kelly Armstrong and recommend this very fun read!

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own

Open Door but skippable 

Kelley Armstrong believes experience is the best teacher, though she’s been told this shouldn’t apply to writing her murder scenes. To craft her books, she has studied aikido, archery and fencing. She sucks at all of them. She has also crawled through very shallow cave systems and climbed half a mountain before chickening out. She is however an expert coffee drinker and a true connoisseur of chocolate-chip cookies.

Meeting Her Match by Jen Turano

 Meeting Her Match by Jen Turano is third in The Matchmakers series.  Miss Camilla Pierpont is a renowned matchmaker and very influential member if the New York Four Hundred.  She has vowed to never marry, but enjoys helping others find their happily ever after.  Mr. Owen Chesterfield has heard of Miss Pierpont’s success and hopes to engage her to help his sister make her way in s West Virginia society. Owen is not known for his finesse, but wen Camilla is in trouble and has to leave New York she decides she would enjoy some time in West Virginia.   

This is probably one of my favorite Jen Turano books, and my daughters agree!  I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to West Virginia in the Gilded Age.  As one who has traveled through the area I enjoyed the engaging local characters, the beautiful setting, and the local colloquialisms.  Camilla was a delightful heroine who surprised me with her flexibility, sweet nature, and ability to see the best in everyone. Owen was a gentleman with the biggest heart who I adored.  The cast of side characters including family, friends, animals, and those who worked with the family were delightful and added so much to the story. 

I appreciated the mystery, dialogue, banter and sweet romance which made this such a fun story!  The author has a way of making me laugh and her books are so appealing to all ages.  I highly recommend Meeting Her Match and hope you enjoy your time in this wonderful story. 

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.  All opinions are my own.  

Named One of the Funniest Voices in Inspirational Romance by Booklist, Jen Turano is a USA Today Best-Selling Author, known for penning quirky historical romances set in the Gilded Age. Her books have earned Publisher Weekly and Booklist starred reviews, top picks from Romantic Times, and praise from Library Journal. She’s been a finalist twice for the RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards and had two of her books listed in the top 100 romances of the past decade from Booklist. When she’s not writing, she spends her time outside of Denver, CO. Readers may find her at www.jenturano.com – www.facebook.com/jenturanoauthor, www.instagram.com/jenturanoauthor

Jen is represented by Sarah Younger, senior literary agent, Nancy Yost Literary Agency, New York

How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Poole and read by Clare Corbett

 

Thank you to PRH Audio for the #gifted audiobook #PRHAudio

How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley read by Clare Corbett is one of the funniest books I have listened to this year. The book starts with a minibus that is being stopped by the police looking for a criminal, and everyone on the bus begins to confess to a crime. We spend the rest of the story finding out what happened to get to that point.

The story is from told from the perspective of four of the characters. The narrator did an incredible job differentiating the characters and making the story come alive for me. I found the characters charming, engaging and laugh out loud funny. I also appreciated the deeper issues that challenged the characters, the mystery of trying to figure out their back story, and how they all pulled together to save their community center.

How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley was filled with humor, great characters, and an interesting ending. The audio book read by Clare Corbett was amazing. This will be one of my favorites of 2024. I highly recommend, and hope you will listen to the audio book!


I was given a copy from PRH audio and not required to write a positive review.

Clare Pooley graduated from Newnham College, Cambridge and spent twenty years in the heady world of advertising before becoming a full-time mum.

Realising that her ‘wine o’clock’ habit had spiralled out of control, Clare started writing a blog, Mummy was a Secret Drinker, which has had nearly three million hits. Her memoir, The Sober Diaries was published in 2017 to critical acclaim.

Clare’s debut novel - The Authenticity Project, was inspired by her own experience of exposing the rather grubby truth about her own seemingly perfect life. It’s published in thirty-two languages, was a Radio 2 Bookclub pick, winner of the RNA Debut Novel Award and a New York Times bestseller.

Clare’s second novel - The People on Platform 5 (titled Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting in the USA/Canada) was published in Spring 2022.
Clare’s third novel - How to Age Disgracefully is out in June 2024.
Clare’s talks include a TEDx talk - ‘Making Sober Less Shameful’, a talk for Radio 4’s Four Thought, and numerous podcast interviews.
Clare lives in Fulham, London with her husband, three children and two border terriers.

Clare Corbett is a British actress and a winner (2000) of a Carleton Hobbs Radio Award.[1] She studied at the Welsh College of Music and Drama[2] and has appeared in television programmes such as Casualty, Eastenders and Doctors,[3] as well as a number of radio plays (including Absolute Power, Venus and Adonis and Dr. Zhivago),[4] and video games, including the Dark Souls series along with other Soulslikes by FromSoftware.

She has narrated numerous audiobooks including Vanessa and Her Sister, Shopaholic to the Stars,[4] and The Girl on the Train,[5] which won the 2016 Audie Award for Audiobook of the Year.[6]

In 2017 she was nominated for "Best Supporting Actor/Actress" in the BBC Audio Drama Awards[7] for her role as Franciska Lazar in the drama serial Keeping the Wolf Out.

The Lady Glass by Anneka Walker

The Lady Glass by Anneka R. Walker was an absolutely enchanting Regency romance and Cinderella retellingTheresia Dvorak has little left after her parents’ death. She is trying to reclaim her crystal vase made by her father. Rolland is trying to find a killer at the Duke’s house party. He and Theresia must forge a plan to find the vase, save his father, and maybe find love.

What a thrill to attend a Regency house party with some mystery and very interesting house guests! I adored Theresia and enjoyed watching her transformation throughout the story. Rolland was a great main character who charmed me with his kindness, loyalty and friendships. The story wove in themes of friendship, love and redemption with a wonderful happily every after. I always enjoy visiting Regency England and the author did a great job with the details of the time period helping me to paint a picture in my mind.

 This beautiful, enchanting and delightful book held my attention and brought me such joy. I very highly recommend The Lady Glass by Anneka R. Walker.

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own

 

 Anneka R. Walker is a best-selling author of historical and contemporary romance. With humor and an abundance of heart, she crafts uplifting stories you won't soon forget. She is the winner of the Swoony Award, the LDSPMA Praiseworthy Award, and various chapter contests. Her books have received praise from Publishers Weekly, Historical Novel Society, Midwest Book Review, and Readers Favorite. She graduated from Brigham Young University-Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in English and history and hopes to never stop learning. She is a blessed wife, proud mother of five, lover of Jesus, connoisseur of chocolate, and believer in happy endings.