"Shadows of Swanford Abbey" by Julie Klassen

News of her brother's worrisome behavior spurs Miss Rebecca Lane to return home to her village. Upon her arrival, he begs her to go to nearby Swanford Abbey, a medieval monastery turned grand hotel rumored to be haunted. She reluctantly agrees to stay at the abbey until she can deliver his manuscript to a fellow guest who might help him get published--an author who once betrayed them. There she encounters Sir Frederick--baronet, magistrate, and former neighbor--who long ago broke her heart. Now a handsome widower of thirty-five, he is trying to overcome a past betrayal of his own. When the famous author is found dead, Sir Frederick makes inquiries and quickly discovers that several people held grudges against the author, including Miss Lane and her brother. As Sir Frederick searches for answers, he is torn between his growing feelings for Rebecca and his pursuit of the truth. For Miss Lane is clearly hiding something. . . .

This book put me in mind of the author's Ivy Hill books, but with a murder mystery in it; there's the same close-knit sense of village life, with all its connections and shared history--both the positives and negatives. It isn't a fast-paced mystery by any means, and definitely more of a classic mystery than suspense, as there's very little sense of danger to the story. I'd hoped there would be a more Gothic flavor like some of the author's earlier novels, but in spite of the supposedly ghost-haunted abbey, the story didn't have a dark or spooky feel. It was interesting learning more about the police procedurals of Regency village life--or nearly lack thereof, since any investigation beyond cause of death falls to Sir Frederick as magistrate and the village constable, who is even greener in his elected position than Frederick. 

There was nothing particularly objectionable about Frederick or Rebecca, though they didn't stand out to me like some of the main characters in other books by the author; maybe it's because the investigation took up more of the spotlight, leaving less room to delve as deeply into their dreams and desires. I did like Sir Frederick's patience and kindness--he knows that Rebecca is hiding something if not outright lying, but instead of pushing her into a confrontation, he lets her know that he will be willing to listen whenever she's ready to talk; he doesn't impute his unfaithful wife's actions upon Rebecca. And I can't blame Rebecca for wanting to protect her brother--fearing he's done something terrible, castigating herself for thinking such things, and hoping against hope she's wrong.

It was not my favorite, but it was still a pleasant read.

"Proposing Mischief" by Regina Jennings - Joplin Chronicles, book 2

Maisie Kentworth is stuck on the ranch. Having fallen in love with the wrong guy, she can't risk inflaming things between her former beau and her protective family. Left to rue her mistakes, she keeps busy exploring the idle mine at the edge of their property. Boone Bragg is also stuck. With his parents on vacation, the management of Bragg Mining falls on him, and one of his advisors wants him as a son-in-law. One wrong move, and Boone will end up either offending an associate or getting married to a woman he can't endure. While closing up a spent mine, Boone gets two surprises. One is an untamed farm girl who's trespassing with a pickax, and the other is the amazing crystal cavern that she's discovered. Suddenly Boone sees a way to overhaul the family business. With part of the cavern on Kentworth land, Boone makes Maisie a proposal that he hopes will solve all of their problems. Instead it throws Joplin into chaos.

This was a fun marriage of convenience story. I enjoyed the progression of strangers marrying for practical reasons to friends to finally in love, with all sorts of shenanigans in the meantime. 

Although they come from two very different worlds, Boone and Maisie ended up being a fun and believable couple. They're both awkward in their own special ways--Maisie mostly out of country bumpkin-ness, and Boone out of extreme single-minded focus. But they do have one other trait in common--sheer practicality. It's a bit scary what creative activity Maisie might get up to when bored, but it's amazing that how no matter how off the wall her decision might be--like breaking into a locked trunk to borrow equipment for her trespassing expedition in a mine, or marrying a basic stranger--it's undergirded with practical thinking. And they both have a strong sense of commitment and loyalty. Perhaps they do have a lot in common after all!

It was fun learning more Joplin history, like the fact that a crystal cave did (and does) exist--it's just no longer physically accessible. And getting more of the Kentworth cousins was a delight--from rough-and-tumble Hank and Amos, to dogged--but elegant--former Pinkerton agent Calista, to genius architect Olive. Hopefully Olive will star in the next book, but I'm looking forward to it, whichever cousin it will feature!

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.

Joplin Chronicles
1. Courting Misfortune
2. Proposing Mischief
3. Engaging Deception

"You and Me" by Becky Wade; Misty River Romance book 2.5

Easy-going, artistic Connor Bryant fell hard for his friend Shay Seaver when they were both in the seventh grade. Now, sixteen years later, he's returned to Misty River. She's finally between boyfriends. And his crush on her hasn't wavered. Now's his chance. He tells Shay that he's found someone he wants to date and is in need of a makeover when it comes to his appearance and dating strategies. He asks if she'll serve as his consultant -- in hopes that he'll learn how he can become her ideal man. What he doesn't tell her? That she's the one he wants to date. Shay immediately agrees to Connor's request because he's one of the best guys she knows. However, she quickly realizes she's in over her head. She's pledged to help him win the affection of another woman -- even though she dearly wants to claim his heart.

If you're looking for a short, sweet romance, look no further! It's full of the author's trademark humor (gotta love Connor's mom's quirky relationship with food), which enhances the fully satisfying romance. Those who love Christmas romances will take joy in the setting. I was glad, though, that the author doesn't attribute the story to nebulous Christmas magic--rather, she turns Shay's focus to the true reason for the season, and that's not her desires, or Connor, or her family. 

While connected to the novels in the series--with cameos by most of the main characters from Stay With Me and Let It Be Me--this story stands on its own; it's not actively about the Miracle 5 like the novels. So it's a fun supplement without being vital to the series, and vice versa. I enjoyed it.

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 Lines Between Us" by Amy Lynn Green

Since the attack on Pearl Harbor, Gordon Hooper and his buddy Jack Armitage have done “work of national importance” in the West as conscientious objectors: volunteering as smokejumpers, parachuting into and fighting raging wildfires. But the number of winter blazes they’re called to in early 1945 seems suspiciously high, and when an accident leaves Jack badly injured, Gordon realizes the facts don’t add up. A member of the Women’s Army Corps, Dorie Armitage has long been ashamed of her brother’s pacificism, but she's shocked by news of his accident. Determined to find out why he was harmed, she arrives at the national forest under the guise of conducting an army report...and finds herself forced to work with Gordon. He believes it’s wrong to lie; she’s willing to do whatever it takes so justice will be done. As they search for clues, Gordon and Dorie must wrestle with their convictions about war and peace and decide what to do with the shocking secrets they discover.

I love learning new bits of history, and this book has a plot hinged on a fascinating aspect of WWII homefront danger that I'd never heard of before (and won't share, for spoiler reasons). 

For all that the story begins with Dorie and Gordon's brief love affair via letters, it isn't a romance--just a journey to restored friendship, which I think works better; those two would have a lot of points of contention in fundamental areas, which would make marriage a challenge. I wasn't too keen on Dorie at first--despite her convictions in supporting the war so far as to become a WAC, she practically lives to thumb her at authority when it interferes with what she wants. But her audacity is admirable at other times (and I know the value of a friend who can talk their way into or out of anything), and she grew on me. I related much more with Gordan's quieter, more introspective personality. 

A major facet of the story is pacifism vs serving in the war effort. Gordan lands squarely on one side and Dorie on the other, but in the end both learn some value of the other's stance. I think the author strikes an excellent balance between the two sides. Even within the pacifist side, there are different viewpoints expressed by various characters--a non-religious communist, an extremely religious dogmatic, a black man, a jokester. It's a group of men who are united by a job and a shared moral belief, but they're still all just men with different personalities and histories that shape the way they view life. 

"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