Dear Mr. Knightley...a Modern Take on a Classic

The familiar March proverb "in like a lion, out like a lamb," was true not only weather-wise here in the Midwest, but also in my creative writing life. March was a hectic month socially for me and left little time for writing.

Now at the end of April, I've renewed my efforts to blog again  about books and movies. Despite March's eventful social month, I still manged to read a handful of books.  Over the course of the coming months, I"m sure you'll see a few book reviews trickle in.

The last week of March, I spent a relaxing and restful week in Florida on vacation.  When you're a bookworm on vacation you have two goals in mind; first, how many books can you pack to read and the second is to see how many of the books you transported are you able to read?  I ended up reading about half of the books I packed.

Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay was the first book I devoured in less than 24 hours. The plot is similar to Jean Webster's Daddy Long Legs...a classic and one of my favorites. Despite the fact that Dear Mr. Knightley's plot was akin to Daddy Long Legs, I still relished the modern take on this classic.  Fans of definitive British author Jane Austen will be delighted with Ms. Reay's references and traces to many of Austen's works.

Dear Mr. Knightley follows twenty-something Samantha 'Sam' Moore who is an orphan living at Grace House. Sam has been given an opportunity for an all-expenses-paid prospect of going to grad school to pursue journalism. Her one condition is that she has to write her benefactor letters on her progress and address him as Mr. Knightley...hence the title.  Sam finds herself sharing more than her growing pains of grad school with Mr. Knightley.  The reader is very quickly introduced to Sam's world, the people she comes into contact with, and her perception of the people and events and her struggle to 'fit' in.  One of the characteristics I liked instantly about Sam was that she was a voracious reader and had a phenomenal memory for recalling quotes and passages from what she reads.  Sam tends to hide behind her books and favorite characters and uses them as a shield of protection against the world.  She quickly learns that she can no longer use reading as armor, but she has to be true to herself and let her true character shine through. By the end of the story, Sam comes into her own sense of self. She still greatly enjoys reading, but she's able to separate fiction from reality.

Who is this mysterious benefactor who calls himself Mr. Knightley?  If you want to know you'll have to read the story and discover for yourself. I'll give you a hint: if your rooting for him and wondering could he be the Mr. Knightley?...you're probably on the right track!

One minor issue I had with Dear Mr. Knightley...I felt that Christianity and God were added at the end as an afterthought nearer the end of the novel. The author introduces Sam to Christian people who witness to her, but it seemed that she was still comprehending the gospel message and wasn't quite there in terms of believing that Jesus died on the cross for her sins and she needed to repent and believe.

Dear Mr. Knightley is Katherine Reay's debut novel and it was an exceptional first novel. I'm excited to read more from this talented author.

Like A Flower in Bloom by Siri Mitchell is a delight!!

Being a true bibliophile, I own a few books by Siri Mitchell, but truth be told I haven't read all of them yet.  After reading Like A Flower in Bloom, my interest in this author has been re-kindled. I found this historical romance set in 1850's England delightful, charming, and funny to the end.

Twenty-two year old Charlotte Whithersby has been allowed to assist her widowed father in her passion for botany. Her interfering uncle convinces her father that she needs to join society for the purpose of finding a husband because at twenty-two she's practically an old maid! Her father agrees with her uncle and before she can protest; her job assisting her father has been taken over by Mr. Edward Trimble, a sheep farmer from New Zealand who has a keen interest in botany.

Begrudgingly, she agrees with her father and uncle all the while hoping that her father would soon see how valuable she is to him and eventually she would get her job back.

Charlotte is a unique heroine who marches to the beat of her own drum.  In today's society this individuality is celebrated, but in 1850's England she was thought as a bit of an oddity. Personally, I found her to be a refreshing heroine.

Ms. Mitchell hits the perfect balance with the reader's reaction to Charlotte...a mix of sympathetic to her plight of being pushed into unfamiliar and awkward social situations, but at the same time amused and chuckling at her social faux pas. One funny example in particular is when Charlotte meets a young woman at a dinner party, she informs, Miss Templeton, her new acquaintance that the embroidered flowers on her dress do not have the correct number of petals.
 "Do you know that the flowers on your dress haven't got the right number of petals?"
She glanced down at it. "I had no idea."
"Some of them have five petals and some have six, and although that's possible considering the different varieties of the strawberry have different number of petals, I would assume that your dress is meant to depict just one variety, wouldn't you?"  (Mitchell, 73)

Edward Trimble is distinctive hero. He has a variety of interests, botany, sheep farmer, and he's also knowledgeable of ladies fashion and the social rules of the day. He reminded me somewhat of Mr. Knightley, Jane Austen's hero from Emma.

The banter between Edward and Charlotte is charged. The quote below is one of my favorite moments in the book between the two leads and I think it shows how much he admires her.
"He studied my face for a moment and then glanced down at his empty sketchbook. "You don't approve of my choice?"
"May I remind you of a bluebell, Mr. Trimble? It's a very common flower. One might say it's the commonest."
"I have never thought so. Indeed, most consider it the kingdom's favorite flower. And what would our lives be- how would we even make it though a barren winter- without the hope of our bluebell woods come spring?"
"But bluebells droop under the weight of their own blossoms, of their expectations. They're much too fragile for the realities of life."
"Bend, Miss Withersby. Bluebells don't droop, they bend.They offer their strength to the needs of the moment." (Mitchell, 256).

Ms. Mitchell slowly builds Charlotte and Edward's relationship. I felt that Like A Flower in Bloom had undertones of Jane Austen's works. Like many of Austen's characters the road to love is full of ups and downs; the same could be said of Edward and Charlotte. Also, Charlotte plays the role of matchmaker between her new acquaintance, Miss Templeton and another young gentleman in the story. Jane Austen's Emma sprang to mind.

Like A Flower in Bloom is one of those stories that stays with you long after you read it.  Ms. Mitchell's books will most certainly be added to my ever growing "to be read" pile.

Undaunted Hope is a dramatic conclusion to Jody Hedlund's Beacons of Hope series

Jody Hedlund is quickly becoming one of my "go-to" and "must read" authors.

The Doctor's Lady was the first book I read by Ms. Hedlund and after that I was hooked on her books and her unique style of writing. One of the aspects I like about her writing is that her books are loosely based on historical people. Her books entertain you, but at the same time you also get a history lesson without feeling like your reading a textbook.

Ms. Hedlund effortlessly weaves history into her stories and you can tell she's done her research when she writes her stories.  This makes me enjoy her books that much more because I know the author isn't simply 'making up' facts, but has taken time to research before writing. Another facet of her writing that I identify with is the way she seamlessly incorporates the gospel in all her books.

Ms. Hedlund's new Beacons of Hope series continues to showcase her high caliber of storytelling and most importantly reminds readers of the hope there is in the gospel.

Undaunted Hope takes place in 1870's Michigan and follows lovely school teacher Tessa Taylor as she travels to a copper mining town to teach. Desperate to escape her past she throws herself into teaching both the children and the miner's of the community.

Tess faces extreme opposition from Percival Updegraff, the superintendent and principle mine clerk who rules the town with an iron fist and knows everything that goes on.

She soon finds herself drawn into the world of the Bjorklund brothers, Michael and Alex. Both men work at the lighthouse in town. Michael, a widower, with two young children is the light-keeper and Alex is his assistant. Both brothers vie for her hand, but ultimately only one brother wins. Which brother will it be? You'll have to read the book to find out!

One of the qualities I liked best about Tessa is her willingness to help others. Especially, when it came to education...she's eager for her students of all ages to learn. Not only education, but anytime she was called upon to help out in the community she did. This willingness to serve others caused the townspeople to respect and appreciate her and eventually stand up for her when she needed them the most.

Unlike Ms. Hedlund's previous books in this series where the lighthouse is seen as a beacon of hope, Tessa does not view the lighthouse as this having lost family members in tragic accidents. Her view is the complete opposite...she's bitter and vows to never set foot in a lighthouse or marry a keeper.

One feature of this series that I liked was the wooden cross made out of driftwood along with a story of a romance and instructions to pass it along to someone else who needed hope. This was a recurring theme in all Ms. Hedlund's Beacons of Hope books. At the end of Undaunted Hope this story comes full circle. Hint: if you've read the novella Out of the Storm you'll make the connection.  I was so excited when I made the connection and thought it was so unique that the author chose to tie in the stories of this series with the beginning novella. Saying it was so cool is an understatement, but it was cool!

Ms.  Hedlund's Beacons of Hope series is wonderful and I urge you to check it out if you enjoy historical fiction interwoven with a solid gospel message.


~~ Undaunted Hope was provided to me by Bethany House in return for my honest opinion. I received a copy of this book via Net Galley from the publisher , for which I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone ~~

At Love's Bidding is an endearing romance

At Love's Bidding( Ozark Mountain Romance Book 2) takes you back to Boston in 1873. Miranda Wimplegate assists her family at their renowned auction house.  Her grandfather Elmer Wimplegate has accidentally sold a prized portrait of an influential Boston family.

In an order to help save the auction house from scandal and ruin; Miranda accompanies her grandfather to the Missouri Ozarks where they have tracked the painting. In an effort to keep the painting from being sold the Wimplegates buy the 'auction' house in Missouri not realizing that they specialize in livestock not antiques!
Wyatt Ballentine, the good-looking manager is irritated with the new owner's changes as they clearly have no idea of how a livestock auction is run. He was doing just fine on his own until Miranda Wimplegate stuck her nose in his business attempting to change some of the ways he operated the cattle barn.

Can Miranda and her grandfather find the portrait in time to salvage the reputation of their public sale house?

At first, there is some animosity between Wyatt and Miranda, but over time this enmity turns to friendship and the friendship blossoms into love.  I liked how the romance slowly developed between this unlikely pair.

Another aspect of Ms. Jenning's novel that interested me is that the grandfather Elmer had a fairly large role in the story.  Typically, I find when grandparents are involved in a story their role is minor and in At Love's Budding,  Elmer has a little bit more of a major role. I also liked how Miranda genuinely cares and is concerned for her grandfather. I thought this was so sweet and as a reader this quality endeared her to me.

If you've read book one in this series, (A Most Inconvenient Marriage) Ms. Jennings reunites readers with characters from her first book. Having enjoyed book one it was a delight to have favorite characters interwoven into At Love's Bidding.

Ms. Jennings is making her mark in Christian fiction with her blend of mystery, romance, and humor. If historical fiction appeals to you I would most certainly check out At Love's Bidding and other works by Ms. Jennings.



~~At Love's Bidding  was provided to my by Bethany House in return for my honest opinion. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, for which I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone ~~

Fire and Ice....a Satisfactory Ending to Mary Connealy's Wild at Heart series.

When I saw Fire and Ice (Book 3 in the Wild at Heart series) in the new books section of my local public library I snatched it up. And it didn't even bother me that I hadn't read book 2 Now and Forever yet....well it bothered me a little, but not enough to stop me from Ms. Connealy's Wild at Heart series out of sequence. I survived and happily lived to write about it!

In Fire and Ice, Bailey Wilde, the oldest sister gets her own story. Bailey has always been the one to take care of her sisters,  but now that her sisters are both married and moved away; Bailey finds taking care of her spread lonely. After a long, hard winter she agrees to a crazy plan by her neighbor Gage Coulter. Coulter needs a wife. He wrote his mother that he had a wife in an effort to keep her from worrying about him. This plan backfired on him as his mother wrote Gage that she was coming for a visit. Desperate Gage proposes to Bailey. She agrees to marry him with some conditions. The first being if she doesn't like being married to Coulter she can leave and the second is that he sign over the deed to the canyon on her land that he owns.  Because he's in a bind he agrees to her conditions. 

I feel that I need to preface this book review a bit. Anytime I read a Mary Connealy book I know I'm in for a fun, crazy, adventure filled with strong, sassy, women and no nonsense cowboys and I've loved all of Ms. Connealy's books I can get my hands on. But in Fire and Ice I felt it took a bit longer to pick up speed. Once Bailey agrees to marry Coulter then the story picked up pace and I rapidly turned pages to the end. 

One of the characteristics I liked about Bailey is that she was an extremely hard worker. I also enjoyed seeing Bailey's transformation from 'tomboy' to a more feminine woman. She's still tough, but over the course of the book she softens considerably.  

Similarly, Gage is also a hard worker like Bailey. They are alike in this trait. Another way that Gage and Bailey are similar is the way they react to their parents. The juxtaposition  of Gage's controlling mother and Bailey's father's relentless effort to build a shrine in the form of a large spread of land to his dead son Jimmy and his stubbornness at not recognizing Bailey as a women affect both Gage and Bailey in different ways.  

The ending to this series is fitting and bittersweet. 

Humor and cowboys are Ms. Connealy's niche. If you enjoy this type of novel I highly recommend you check out her new Wild at Heart Series...it'll be one wild and fun ride. 

Deanna Durbin's Last Hurrah: Film review of Lady on a Train (1945)

Deanna Durbin known affectionately as "Winnipeg's Sweetheart" charmed audiences from 1936 till her retirement in 1948. She was known for her beautiful singing voice and vivacious personality.

She is credited with an impressive 23 films in her short 12 year career. Why you may ask did she retire after only 12 years in film? Despite her success Deanna was never comfortable with the praise and adoration of her fans. At the young age of 27 and at the height of her career she walked away from it all. She married her third husband director Charles David (David directed Durbin in Lady On a Train) on the condition that she could one  day leave all the success and fame to live a quiet normal life in France and she did just that.  I applaud Ms. Durbin for being willing to cast off all her fame and fortune for a simple, quiet life.  Although, I do wonder if she had continued in Hollywood how far would her stardom have risen?
I"m glad that some of Ms. Durbin's films are still available for movie buffs like me to experience and enjoy.

Deanna made the classic, somewhat zany, whodunit comedy, Lady on a Train in 1945. She traded her trademark dark locks for blonde proving that blondes do have more fun!  This is one of my favorite roles of hers. Durbin plays Nikki Collins, a socialite traveling to New York via train who witnesses a murder from  her window seat on the train.  Determined to discover who was murdered she tried to involve the police, but they think she's crazy due to the fact that there's no body. She convinces a reluctant mystery writer, Wayne Morgan (David Bruce) to help her solve the murder.  Lady On a Train is a witty, fast-paced mystery that'll have you second guessing yourself until the very end.

The three numbers that Durbin sings in Lady on a Train really showcase her singing talents. When she sings she's displays a variety of emotions. Deanna's hauntingly beautiful rendition of Silent Night almost brings you to tears, but then when she's singing Gimme a Little Kiss she shows a fun and playful side. The third and final song she sings is Night and Day and this song seems perfectly suited to her vocals.  

If you're a fan of Durbin's work or simply want to watch more of her films, I urge you to watch Lady On a Train. It'll be of the most pleasant 94 minutes (movie's running time) you spend.

Autumn Brides is a Delight from Beginning to End

I've seen these  seasonal 'Bride' collection novellas in the library and bookstores. There are Spring Brides, Summer Brides, Autumn Brides and Winter Brides. A friend of mine purchased the Winter Brides collection for me on my Kindle and after reading Autumn Brides, I'm excited to start that set of novellas, but I'm getting ahead of myself.  Let's focus on Autumn Brides since it is fall and my favorite season.

Autumn Brides is a 3 in 1 collection.  I read this book in two days and probably would have read it faster if life didn't get in the way. 

Out of the 3 authors, I'm only familiar with one author, Beth K. Vogt. The other two authors I had never read before, but after reading novellas by them I'm anxious to add them to my ever-growing list of authors. Because I have to read things in chronological order I read these novellas in sequence. If you aren't as OCD as me you can certainly skip around and read them in whatever order you prefer. There were so many great laugh-out-loud moments throughout this series.  Each novella was it's own separate story, but I felt that the choice of stories flowed really well together. 

A September Brides by Kathryn Springer 

Annie Price jumps at the offer of bookstore manager at  Second Story Books in Red Leaf and sees it as an opportunity to start fresh and build roots in a small community.  Deputy Jesse Kent is suspicious of the fact that his mother handed over the keys of her beloved bookstore to whom he considers a virtual stranger. His suspicions are due to the fact that years earlier his mother 'trusted' someone and ended up having her whole life savings taken. Jesse decides to keep an eye on Miss Price and winds up volunteering to be a 'groom' in a wedding re-enactment to Annie's 'bride'. The wedding re-enactment was of a famous well-known couple who founded Red Leaf.  Will this make-believe wedding reveal Annie and Jesse's true feeling for one other?

From the moment Annie appeared on the pages of this book, I liked her. She  had a genuine sweetness about her. She quickly befriended many people in the Red Leaf community and she embraced small town life. I like that she was a keen observer of people. 

Jesse had some great hero qualities. He was always willing to lend a hand and help others in his town. I really liked how protective he was of not only his mother, but other people in the community. 

There was most definitely an undeniable chemistry between Annie and Jesse. I found myself turning pages looking forward to the next interaction between these two. 

The town of Red Leaf and it's residents was also like another character. I found myself wanting to live in a place like Red Leaf. Felt like I'd step back in time to Mayberry. This book was just so charming from beginning to end and I found myself not wanting it to end or leave the delightful town of Red Leaf. 

I look forward to reading more books by Kathryn Springer. 

A October Bride by Katie Ganshert

Emma Tate has had a crush on her brother's best friend, Jake Sawyer for years. While house sitting for her parents, she find her dad's bucket list. One item on that list catches her attention.  

Walk Emma Down the Aisle. 

Two years ago, Emma's dad was diagnosed with cancer.  Emma is determined to help her dad fulfill all his items on his 'bucket list' even if it means getting married.  Hard to do since she broke up with her fiance two years ago and isn't dating.  Enter her brother's best friend Jake. Jake proposes that he be her 'groom' for the fake wedding. Will this fake wedding between Emma and Jake reveal their true feelings for one another?

One of the traits that I love about Emma was how she loved her family. Her family was extremely important to her so much so that she was willing to go through a crazy scheme like a phony wedding. Her heart and motives were in the right place.  

Jake Swayer....well what's not to like about him? He's a hard working, handsome, quiet guy. The chemistry between him and Emma slowly grows given the fact that he's known Emma practically his whole life and is a friend of the family.

 I feel like the author handled the transition of Jake and Emma's relationship well. It progressed naturally and easily and eventually their feelings for each other deepened beyond friendship. 

Another couple of characters I feel deserve mentioning are Emma's parents.  I loved how godly, wise, and courageous her dad was. Even though he was battling cancer, he lived each day to the fullest. There were a few honest and heart-felt conversations he has with Emma and I shed a few tears. I think because I can see my own dad saying something similar to me and because I've lost loved ones to cancer. 

I'm really excited to discover more books by Katie Ganshert. Her October Bride novella left me wanting to read more.

A November Bride by Beth K. Vogt

Beth K. Vogt was the only author I was familiar with when I read this series of novellas. A few years ago I read Catch a Falling Star and really enjoyed it. I like that some of Ms Vogt's heroines are a little bit older. Now that I'm past my twenties it's nice to read about older heroines. 

November Bride finds 30 year old personal culinary chef Sadie McAllister  fed up with 'text only' dates and is tired of being dumped via text.

Enter best friend Erik Davis. The only man who can put down his phone and have a face-to face conversation with her.   Sadie and Erik have been best friends since they were 13. Once Erik realizes he's falling in love with his best friend Sadie can he convince her that his typically ''date-for-fun' attitude towards relationships is changing into a more serious 'till death do us part' kind of relationship?  

I really liked Sadie and Erik as a couple. They are both accepting of one another's flaws and little quirks. I cracked up that Erik hums Born in the USA by Bruce Springsteen when he's upset because it calms his down. I found it amusing that Sadie was such a neat freak and every time she and Erik hung out he'd always rearrange something in her house and it would drive her a little nuts. 

Ms. Vogt stuck a good balance with the right mix of life long friends chemistry that blossomed into a growing romance between these two friends. 

If I had to pick which novella I liked the best I'm not sure I could do it. I liked certain elements of each novella.  

Check out Autumn Brides. The writing is top notch and it's great escapism fiction.