"As Dawn Breaks" by Kate Breslin

Amid the Great War in 1918 England, munitions worker Rosalind Graham is desperate to escape the arranged marriage being forced on her by her ruthless guardian. When the Chilwell factory explodes, killing hundreds of unidentified workers, Rose realizes the world believes she perished in the disaster. Seizing the chance to escape, she assumes a new identity, taking a supervisory position in Gretna, Scotland, as Miss Tilly Lockhart. RAF Captain Alex Baird is returning home to Gretna on a secret mission to uncover the saboteur suspected in the Chilwell explosion, as Gretna's factory is likely next. Alex is surprised to discover a young woman, Miss Lockhart, renting his boyhood room, but the two eventually bond over their mutual affection for his family--until Alex receives orders to surveil her. Rose squirms beneath Alex's scrutiny while she struggles to gain her workers' respect. But when her deception turns to danger, she and Alex must find a way to put their painful pasts behind them and together try to safeguard the future.

I'd known of the women who worked in munitions factories for the war effort in WWII, but I hadn't realized how many women had in WWI as well, or what dangerous jobs they held--where the atmosphere was so physically explosive that one couldn't even have metal bra hooks or silk stockings, lest a spark from the static electricity blow the factory. And I can't imagine that so much exposure to TNT that one turned yellow was good for long term health. It was a fascinating bit of history!

As with any time one is lying about one's identity, there's the expectation that it will blow up worse than a munitions factory when one's secrets are revealed, and such is the case for Rose. I loved how she grew through the story, but I can see why Alex takes such great affront at her lies--she does look highly suspicious regarding the Chilwell explosion, and when there's a threat of sabotage where she's currently employed . . . it would be all too easy to come to the wrong conclusions. I greatly enjoyed some Mission Impossible-esque elements, though as is the case with any master of disguise plot, my head was left spinning trying to figure out who and what I has missed throughout the story. It was a pleasure to catch some cameos of characters from a previous book (High as the Heavens).

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

Kimberly Duffy's "Every Word Unsaid"

Augusta Travers has spent the last three years avoiding the stifling expectations of New York society and her family's constant disappointment. As the nation's most fearless--and reviled--columnist, Gussie travels the country with her Kodak camera and spins stories for women unable to leave hearth and home. But when her adventurous nature lands her in the middle of a scandal, she's forced to leave America entirely. Arriving in India, she expects only a nice visit with childhood friends, siblings Catherine and Gabriel, and adventures that will further her career. Instead, she finds herself facing a plague epidemic, confusion over Gabriel's sudden appeal, and the realization that what she wants from life is changing. As she grows closer to friends, old and new, and allows their words of truth to heal parched places, she pictures a new future. But when the fallout of her past decisions finds her in India, will it ruin her chance to finally stop running?

I was expecting Gussie to be more of a hardened journalist, but instead she is a delightful, fun-loving, soft-hearted adventurer. She could stand to be less impulsive and thoughtless, but I loved her right from the start. I loved that "proving herself in a man's world" wasn't even on the table. She is great at her job and doesn't doubt it (though, to be fair, her family hates it). Now, when it comes to pushing herself to write where she is feeling led to write (as opposed to what she was hired write), there the doubts assail her, and every word that people have spoken against her come back to haunt her. 

Words . . . they can build us up or tear us down, both the words spoken and the words withheld. Gussie has grown up with constant iterations of what she does wrong and rarely an affirmation for what she does right, or even affirmations she deserves simply for being a beloved daughter and sister. It's no wonder she is constantly running away to see the world when she feels so unloved at home. 

No one in the book is perfect (except maybe her uncle--I loved him and the way he's constantly following and keeping an eye on Gussie while still allowing her her freedom); her friends are fighting fear, feelings of worthlessness, the desire to control. Sure, sometimes they feed off each other, but most of the time they are able to encourage each other, uphold each other, and speak truth into each other's lives.

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.

"The Merchant and the Rogue" by Sarah M Eden -- Dread Penny Society, book 3

Vera Sorokina loves reading the Penny Dreadfuls and immersing herself in tales of adventure, mystery, and romance, though her own days are filled with the often mundane work of running the book and print shop she owns with her father. Brogan Donnelly was born and raised in Ireland, but has lived in London for several years, where he’s built a career as a penny dreadful writer. Brogan and Vera’s paths cross, and the attraction is both immediate and ill-advised. Vera knows from past experience that writers are never to be trusted, and Brogan has reason to suspect not everything at Vera’s print shop is aboveboard. When a growing criminal enterprise begins targeting their area of London, Brogan and Vera must work together to protect the community they’ve both grown to love. But that means they’ll need to learn to trust each other with dangerous secrets that have followed both of them from their home countries.

Having studied Russian in college, I was delighted to have Vera--a Russian--as a main character, though she is admittedly very British, having spent most of her life on London's south side. But her father certainly has a fascinating history. As immigrants, Brogan and Vera have a lot in common, even if they have quite different backgrounds, and I liked how they formed a friendship before moving into romance. 

It's light and fun read, though the danger to the Dread Penny Society--and all of London--is ramping up. I'd have liked a bit more detail at the end--some decisions are made, but we don't see the results of them yet. Hopefully it will be resolved in the next book. I look forward to getting to know more of the society members better!

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

Karen Witemeyer's "Under the Texas Mistletoe" novella collection

Spend Christmas in Texas this year with these charming holiday novellas from bestselling historical romance author Karen Witemeyer, whose writing is spiced with her signature blend of humor, thrilling frontier action, and sweet romance.

A Texas Christmas Carol: in which a town's wealthy, Scrooge-like bachelor finds his world invaded by a woman set on earning his donation for helping the local poor.

~It's obviously a Texas-romance retelling of A Christmas Carol, and there were a lot of sneaky references to it throughout the story. My favorite line was when Evan Beezer yells to his assistant, "Bob, scratch it!" It was cleverly told. I'm not a huge fan of the original story, but I did enjoy this version.

An Archer Family Christmas: in which the Archer clan encounters an unexpected request for help that will require all their effort and a Christmas miracle to see them through.

~It was wonderful to see the Archer clan again, and I really appreciated that Jim and Cassie finally get their own short story! Their whirlwind romance and marriage took place as a subplot in Short-Straw Bride, so they haven't had a story told from their perspective until now. I hurt for Jim and Cassie right off the bat, but they do get a bittersweet miracle after a pretty hair-raising encounter with an outlaw gang. While not a romance, it is about a couple who are still very much in love and uphold each other in their deepest hurts.

Gift of the Heart (Previously published in The Christmas Heirloom: Four Holiday Novellas of Love Through the Generations): in which a widow uses the family brooch as collateral for a loan from the local resort owner, but the more she comes to know the man behind the stern businessman, the more she hopes for a second chance at love this Christmas.

~The problem with including children in a story is that they tend to steal the show, and Naomi is adorable--both sweet and wise for one so young, as she demonstrates in her unreserved love Beauregard, even before he (by worldly standards) earns it. But the romance is sweet too. Really, Bo is just plain sweet and not at all the stereotypical wealthy tycoon one would expect.

Related novels:

Archer Family 
Short-Straw Bride
Stealing the Preacher
"A Cowboy Unmatched"
"An Archer Family Christmas"

"The Heart of a Cowboy" by Jody Hedlund - Colorado Cowboys, book 2

After watching his ma suffer and die in childbirth, Flynn McQuaid has sworn off women and marriage forever. Headed west to start a new life, he has his hands full not only taking care of his younger siblings but also delivering cattle to his brother. He doesn't need more complications. When Flynn rescues scientist Linnea Newberry from drowning during a river crossing, Dr. Powell promptly hires Flynn--unbeknownst to Linnea--to act as her bodyguard for the rest of the trip. As Flynn fights against the many dangers of the trail, he soon finds himself in the greatest danger of all--falling for a woman he's determined not to love.

Given my love for botany, it was exciting to have a heroine who is a botanist cataloging the flora of the Great Plains and Rockies. It would have been nice if she hadn't spent the book worrying about proving her worth (the trope of a woman proving her worth in a man's profession gets a little old), but it wasn't unrealistic. I always enjoy learning something new, and this time I learned about all the renegade bands of confederate soldiers harassing the trail all the way to Denver--I hadn't realized the Civil War spilled over that far west. 

With the journey on the Santa Fe Trail, it reminded me of the author's earlier work (and my favorite of hers), The Doctor's Lady. They feature different routes west and different time periods, but there's a lot of similar hardship along the trail (and, funnily enough, problems the direct opposite of each other). For me, this one didn't have the emotional punch that loved in The Doctor's Lady, but I enjoyed it. 

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.

Colorado Cowboys
1. A Cowboy for Keeps
2. The Heart of a Cowboy
3. To Tame a Cowboy

"Autumn by the Sea" by Melissa Tagg - Muir Harbor, book 1

Abandoned as a toddler, Sydney Rose has spent years wondering who she really is, homesick for a life she's never lived. When a private investigator crashes into her world, she finds herself heading to a tiny seaside town in Maine to meet a woman named Maggie, who's searching for the granddaughter she lost decades ago. If not for Maggie, Neil MacKean might still be back in Scotland, bereft and alone. Instead, he has a full life in Muir Harbor with an adopted family he loves and a blueberry farm to run. But the farm is struggling and strange occurrences have him concerned. Worse, Maggie's once again caught up in the past, convinced she's finally found her long-lost granddaughter. Worried for Maggie, Neil is suspicious of the city girl who shows up at the farm. But there's something about Sydney that tugs on him, drawing out secrets he never meant to share. While Neil grapples with the future of the farm, Sydney wrestles with a past that's messier than ever. Together, they're pulled into a mystery complete with a centuries-old legend, unexpected danger . . . and a love as deep and wild as the sea.

I don't read a lot of contemporary fiction, but Melissa Tagg is an author whose books I can't resist. This story lived up to that standard and raised it a level (I need the next book! There's a presumably-series-long mystery that is yet unsolved!).

Given her backlist of books full of adorable and/or hilarious meet-cutes, I have no idea how she always manages to top them--she has so many spectacular ones. But this one really cracked me up. There's plenty of humor (in case you couldn't guess that by my previous comment), but Tagg knows how to write a poignant storyline too. I teared up multiple times; Sydney is simply trying to find her place--trying to find out if she has a family somewhere that actually wants her--but is met with suspicion and hostility by the rest of the Muir clan. It reminded me of the 1997 animated film Anastasia, though subverted in many fun ways.

As aforementioned, I'm definitely looking forward to the next book and the one after that! Indi, Lillian, and the dashing private detective all caught my attention--I can't wait to read their stories!

Muir Harbor

1. Autumn by the Sea

2. A Seaside Wonder

3. Wedding at Sea

"Shiloh" by Lori Benton - Kindred, book 2

A year has passed since Ian Cameron reluctantly sent his uncle's former slave Seona and their son, Gabriel, north to his kin in Boston. Determined to fully release them, Ian strives to make a life at Mountain Laurel, his inherited plantation, along with Judith, the wife he's vowed to love and cherish. But when tragedy leaves him alone with his daughter, Mandy, and his three remaining slaves, he decides to return north. In Boston, Seona has taken her first tentative steps as a free woman, while trying to banish Ian from her heart. Then Ian arrives, offering a second chance Seona hadn't dared imagine. But the wide-open frontier of Shiloh feels as boundless and terrifying as her newfound freedom--a place of new friends and new enemies, where deep bonds are renewed but old hurts stand ready to rear their heads. It will take every ounce of faith and courage Ian and Seona can muster to fight for their family and their future . . . together. 

This is essentially the second half of the story begun in Mountain Laurel, but at the same time, it's also a sequel to Burning Sky. It was a surprise how closely the characters of Burning Sky are entwined with the characters introduced in Mountain Laurel, and how some unfinished business from Burning Sky has come to haunt them all. I think the story summarizes events from the related novels well enough, but I'd highly recommend reading both before reading Shiloh. 

I'm glad that there is, at last, a happy ending. There's a part of me that felt like it should have come a lot sooner--doors opened quickly enough for it--but Benton takes a slow, realistic approach. Seona is now a free woman, but she doesn't know how to be free. She has never been forced to make choices before, since as a slave, she'd had none. She'd been hurt badly when Ian broke his promise and married Judith while handfasted to her. Now she has the chance to marry Ian in the eyes of the law, but she's weighed down with fear. He can't keep his promises of safety. As she is reminded, as a savior, Ian will always disappoint. But there is a Savior who won't. 

I did like Ian more in this book; he's much steadier, with a faith that now sustains him. But he has a rough go of trying to woo Seona back to him while making sure that she is choosing him, not just doing what she's told. We get to know Ian's family much better, with all their heavy undercurrents, and even see what comes of Joseph Tames-His-Horse a decade after Burning Sky. It was good; slow, for the majority of the book, but good.

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

Kindred
1. Mountain Laurel
2. Shiloh
2.5 The Journey of Run's Far

Related Novels:
The King's Mercy
Burning Sky