"Paint and Nectar" by Ashley Clark - Heirloom Secrets, book 2

In 1929, a spark forms between talented watercolorist Eliza and William, a charming young man who has been hired to forge her popular paintings. Her aunt makes it clear Eliza should stay away from him because of a feud over missing heirloom silver. But the source of the rivalry was long ago, and the two fall in love. William regrets the job that desperation led him to take and their families' ongoing bitterness, but setting things right comes at a cost. In present-day Charleston, Lucy Legare has just inherited an old house along with all the secrets it holds, possibly including an old silver heirloom. Declan Pinckney is determined to buy the house for his family's development company. But as Lucy uncovers secrets about the house, garden, and silver, she becomes more determined than ever to preserve the historic Charleston property, not only for history's sake but also for her own.

As is often the case with two storylines, I confess to finding myself more invested in one than the other--in this case, the historical timeline more than the contemporary. How can one resist a forger falling in love with the artist he's forging? I was actually quite surprised by how their story turned out, especially given the way facts revealed in the contemporary timeline made things appear for a while!

I did struggle to understand the exact connections between storylines. It's probably more my fault than the author's--I was pretty exhausted when I read the book (and fell asleep for a while about a third of the way in), and I suspect it strongly affected my comprehension. I also might have been more invested if I knew anything about Charleston or antique silver. But as an artist who loves botanicals, I most certainly appreciated Eliza's occupation and subject matter!

I enjoyed all the connections to The Dress Shop on King Street--while I don't think one would have to read that book first, there are a lot more connections than I anticipated between the two stories. It makes me wonder if book 3 will be so thoroughly intertwined as well! I recognized a bit of set-up for it, especially near the end.

Thank you Bethany House and NetGalley for the complimentary e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

Heirloom Secrets
1. The Dress Shop on King Street
2. Paint and Nectar

"The Paris Betrayal" by James R Hannibal

After a rough mission in Rome involving the discovery of a devastating bioweapon, Company spy Ben Calix returns to Paris to find his perfectly ordered world has collapsed. A sniper attack. An ambush. A call for help that brings French SWAT forces down on his head. Ben is out. This is a severance--reserved for incompetents and traitors. Searching for answers and anticipating a coming attack, Ben and a woman swept up in his misfortunes must travel across Europe to find the sniper who tried to kill him, the medic who saved his life, the schoolmaster who trained him, and an upstart hacker from his former team. More than that, Ben must come to grips with his own insignificance as the Company's plan to stop Leviathan from unleashing the bioweapon at any cost moves forward without him--and he struggles against the infection that is swiftly claiming territory within his own body.

One thing I have gathered from the books I've read by James Hannibal, you can count on a fast-paced international thriller with plenty of twists and turns. The villains are so clever you'd think the hero has no chance--until it proves that the good guys are cleverer yet. 

The story seems to be set post-corona--there are references to the pandemic, but more so in past tense. At this point I'm pretty sick of anything pandemic-related, but it didn't bother me in this book--rather surprising, given that the plot centers on weaponizing plague. But that's the power of engaging characters and captivating plots. I loved how this book continued to surprise me. It would make a great action movie. The author tosses in the occasional spy tip, and the weird thing is, some of them are actually practical for everyday life--like how to survive going through the ice on frozen lake. 

While the story never mentions God or Christianity, it has an allegorical feel; it wasn't until I read the author's notes at the end that I discovered that the story derives a lot from the book of Job (which sounds strange, given this is a spy thriller, but it actually works).

Thank you Revell and NetGalley for the complimentary e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

"The Nature of a Lady" by Roseanna M White - The Secrets of the Isles, book 1

Lady Elizabeth "Libby" Sinclair, with her love of microscopes and nature, isn't favored in society. She flees to the beautiful Isles of Scilly for the summer and stumbles into the dangerous secrets left behind by her holiday cottage's former occupant, also named Elizabeth, who mysteriously vanished. Oliver Tremayne--gentleman and clergyman--is determined to discover what happened to his sister, and he's happy to accept the help of the girl now living in what should have been Beth's summer cottage . . . especially when he realizes it's the curious young lady he met briefly two years ago, who shares his love of botany and biology. But the hunt for his sister involves far more than nature walks, and he can't quite believe all the secrets Beth had been keeping from him. As Libby and Oliver work together, they find ancient legends, pirate wrecks, betrayal, and the most mysterious phenomenon of all: love.

As one who enjoys botany, I was looking forward to an in-depth look at naturalists of the early 1900's. While it is a subject important to both Libby and Oliver, lets just say the story turned in a different--but plenty exciting--direction: towards local lore and pirates and treasure hunts. I was surprised to discover that the pirate John Mucknell--commissioned by the Prince of Wales in exile himself--is an actual part of the history of the Isles of Scilly (even if the treasure was fiction). As they say, sometimes truth is stranger than fiction!

Oliver is as sweet and kind as can be (when not dealing with his arch nemesis, at least), an excellent match for Libby. Libby lacks confidence early in the book, but she grows more of a backbone as time goes on. If I had a problem with the story, it's that Libby's lady's aid, Mabena, is a supremely compelling character--to the point that she overshadowed Libby, and I wanted to skip ahead to Mabena's parts. A decent portion of the book is from her point of view, and she has a fascinating backstory so at odds with her current appearance and profession. And an equally entertaining romance.

I'm excited to spend more time with the characters! Hopefully we'll be seeing a lot more of Beth and Sheridan and Emily in the books to come. I suspect certain disreputable characters will continue to make life difficult for them as well.

Thank you Bethany House and NetGalley for the complimentary e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

Secrets of the Isles
1. The Nature of a Lady
2. To Treasure an Heiress
3. Worthy of Legend

"Let It Be me" by Becky Wade - Misty River Romance, book 2

Having graduated college at 18, Sebastian Grant has continued to leverage his intelligence and determination to become a pediatric heart surgeon. Then he meets high school math teacher Leah Montgomery, and his fast-spinning world comes to a sudden stop. A math prodigy, Leah has always wanted to pursue her PhD, but after her parents' abandonment, she willingly put that dream on hold to raise her brother. Now that he is of age, she's set on avoiding any obstacles to her goal--including romance. When Leah receives surprising news in the process of taking a test for tracking her ancestry, she asks Sebastian to help her comb through aged hospital records to learn more. Soon his presence isn't so easily ignored. When Sebastian learns his best friend also has feelings for Leah, he feels honor-bound to step back.  Attaining their deepest desires may require more sacrifices than they ever imagined.

Leah is funny. Really funny. When I think of personality traits that might characterize a math prodigy, a solid sense of humor is not one of them, but I loved Leah's way of expressing herself. She's not funny because she's socially inept--in fact, though she is well aware of her lack of skills in the department of interpersonal relations, she's not actually an awkward person. And when she senses she's verging into awkward territory, she will flat out state what she means and and ask what she wants to know--no beating around the bush. While Sebastian can be funny, he's super intense, and Leah's humor balances him nicely. 

Sebastian and Ben's relationship was one of the hardest--and most rewarding--factors in the book, as Ben has been openly (to Sebastian, that is) in love with Leah for two solid years. As infatuated as Sebastian is with Leah, he absolutely refuses to cross the line in pursuing Leah while Ben is in love with her. And even after Ben offers his blessing, it is more important to Sebastian to make sure his relationship with Ben is on solid ground. Theirs is a friendship for the ages.

I can't wait for Luke and Ben's stories--we get a hint of what Luke is up to (freshly released from prison), and we know that Ben is nursing a broken heart, made more complicated by the fact that the girl of his dreams is in love with his best friend. 

Thank you Bethany House and NetGalley for the complimentary e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

Misty River Romance
0.5: Take a Chance on Me (prequel novella)
1. Stay With Me
2. Let It Be Me
2.5: You and Me (novella)
3. Turn to Me

"The Gentleman and the Thief" by Sarah M Eden

From the moment Hollis Darby meets Ana Newport, he’s smitten. Even though he’s from a wealthy, established family and she isn’t, he wishes he could have a life with her by his side. But Hollis has a secret: he supports himself by writing penny dreadfuls under a pseudonym. If not for the income from his novels, he would be broke. Ana Newport also has a secret. Though she once had a place in society thanks to her father’s successful business, bankruptcy and scandal reduced his fortune to nothing more than a crumbling town house. So Ana teaches music during the day, and at night she assumes the identity of the “Phantom Fox.” She breaks into the homes of the wealthy to reclaim trinkets and treasures she feels were unjustly stolen from her family when they were struggling. When a spree of robberies rocks the city, Ana and Hollis join forces to solve the crimes, discovering that working together deepens the affection between them. After all, who better to save the day than a gentleman and a thief?

A second fun installment of the Dread Penny Society. It's been quite a while since I read book one, but my forgetfulness in no way impeded my reading of this book--it stands on its own quite well, while at the same time advancing the ploys of the Big Bad.

Hollis is delightful--a charming gentleman with more skills than he appears, but more importantly, a permanently sunny (if, occasionally, good naturedly snarky) attitude. Ana appears pretty demure at first, but once she is caught out, she blooms with confidence (and competence) and is quite a lot of fun as well. The two have a wonderful rapport.

I look forward to further escapades of the Dread Penny Society and their vendetta against London's criminal underworld!

Dread Penny Society:
1. The Lady and the Highwayman
2. The Gentleman and the Thief
3. The Merchant and the Rogue

"Winning the Gentleman" by Kristi Ann Hunter - Hearts on the Heath, book 2

Aaron Whitworth hasn't had control over most aspects of his life, but he's always taken pride in being an honorable businessman and better-than-average horseman. When both of those claims are threatened, he makes the desperate decision to hire the horse trainer of a traveling circus as a temporary jockey for his racehorses. Sophia Fitzroy knows that most horsemen don't take her seriously because she's a woman, but she can't pass up the opportunity to get away from the tumultuous world of travel and performing. As she fights for the right to do the work she was hired for, she learns the fight for Aaron's guarded heart might be an even more worthwhile challenge. Will Aaron and Sophia sacrifice their former dreams and forge a new one together--against all odds?

I am so glad to finally have Aaron's story, after meeting him four books ago and getting to know him better in the previous book! Since he is the illegitimate yet acknowledged son of an aristocrat, he doesn't quite fit in anywhere; he's always on the fringes, a position that I think a lot of people can relate to. But he is a great guy. Definitely has some hang-ups and issues to work through, but I thoroughly enjoyed his story. 

I got quite a kick out of Sophia's inability to stop talking, but she has much more to recommend her as well: she's brave, fun, and not afraid to acknowledge when she needs help. The supporting cast was wonderful as well, with lots of old friends from previous books. Makes me want to start rereading Hunter's books from the beginning!

As usual, I loved the humor of Hunter's novel, balanced beautifully with an engaging story full of heart.  I can't wait for her next book! I'm hoping it will be about the eccentric Harriet and/or good-hearted Lord Rigsby . . .

Thank you Bethany House and NetGalley for the complimentary e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

Hearts on the Heath
1. Vying for the Viscount
2. Winning the Gentleman

Related series: (Chronologically Hawthorne House comes first, Haven Manor second, and then Hearts on the Heath)

Hawthorne House
0.5 "A Lady of Esteem" - a free novella introduction to the Hawthornes and friends!
1. A Noble Masquerade
2. An Elegant Facade
3. An Uncommon Courtship
4. An Inconvenient Beauty

Haven Manor
0.5: "A Search for Refuge" (free prequel e-novella)
1. A Defense of Honor
2. A Return of Devotion

3. A Pursuit of Home 

3.5: "Legacy of Love" (published in The Christmas Heirloom novella collection)

"The Indebted Earl" by Erica Vetsch - Serendipity and Secrets, book 3

Captain Charles Malvern owes a great debt to the man who saved his life--especially since Major Richardson lost his own life in the process. The best way to honor that hero's dying wish is for Malvern to escort the man's grieving fiancée and mother safely to a new cottage home by the sea. But along the way, he learns of another obligation that has fallen on his shoulders: his uncle has died and the captain is now the Earl of Rothwell, and with the earldom comes some unexpected complications. . .

I enjoyed Charles and Sophie's relationship, from strangers to allies to friends to lovers. The progression felt natural; Sophie starts with some understandable feelings of anger toward Charles in that he shoulders (rightfully or wrongfully) some of the blame for her fiancé's death, but as circumstances push them together more and more, they grow all the closer, learning to forgive each other and themselves, and bonding over shared love of the people in their care. 

I enjoyed the references that one has to read the rest of the series to understand (like Sophie's brother Marcus's enigmatic actions). It was nice of Marcus to impart some of the wisdom he gained (belatedly) in the previous novel. I would have liked to see what happens with Cilla, who is on the periphery in these two later books--maybe someday there will be a fourth book or novella so we can know she's not at the mercy of her domineering mother-in-law the rest of her days?

Thank you Kregel and NetGalley for the complimentary e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

Serendipity and Secrets
1. The Lost Lieutenant
2. The Gentleman Spy
3. The Indebted Earl