To Win Her Favor (A Belle Meade Plantation Novel #2) by Tamera Alexander
Zondervan, May 12 2015
352 pages
Review copy provided in exchange for review at Historical Novels Review
Burton Book Review Rating: 4 stars

A gifted rider in a world where ladies never race, Maggie Linden is determined that her horse will become a champion. But the one man who can help her has vowed to stay away from thoroughbred racing for good.

An Irish-born son far from home, Cullen McGrath left a once prosperous life in England because of a horse racing scandal that nearly ruined him. He’s come to Nashville for a fresh start, hoping to buy land and start a farm, all while determined to stay as far away from thoroughbred racing as possible. But starting over proves harder than he’d wagered, especially when Maggie Linden’s father makes him an offer he shouldn’t accept yet cannot possibly refuse.

Maggie is certain that her mare, Bourbon Belle, can take the top purse in the annual Drayton Stakes at Nashville’s racetrack––the richest race run in America. Maggie only needs the chance to prove it. To give her that chance, and to save Linden Downs from being sold to the highest bidder, Maggie’s father––aging, yet wily as ever––makes a barter. His agreement includes one tiny, troublesome detail––Maggie must marry a man she’s never met. A man she never would have chosen for herself.

Cullen and Maggie need each other in order to achieve their dreams. But their stubborn, wounded hearts––and the escalating violence from a "secret society" responsible for lynchings and midnight raids––may prove too much for even two determined souls.

Tamera Alexander introduces us to new characters in the familiar setting of Belle Meade with To Win Her Favor, easily allowing the novel to be read as a stand alone. The main protagonists are Cullen McGrath and Maggie Linden who are strangers forced to work together to save Maggie's homestead of Linden Downs in Tennessee. It's not an easy life any longer for Maggie in 1869 with her ailing father when Irishman Cullen McGrath befriends her father. Although Cullen is considered an outsider as an Irish immigrant, Mr. Linden can see Cullen's potential when he solicits an intriguing contract with Cullen: "Marry my daughter and you can have Linden Downs."

Maggie has no wish to marry anyone, let alone a lazy Irishman, but she sees the wisdom in her father's wishes if she wants to save her home. With slavery still a painful product of the South's way of life and the racist attitudes, Linden Downs barely has a fighting chance to survive once the crooked leaders of the town set their sights on the property. Cullen already has a target on his back as an immigrant, and his new wife has ideas of horse racing that Cullen cannot sanction for very personal reasons.

The story evolves around the blooming relationship between the newly married couple and their slow to ignite romance due to their mistrust of each other, but romance readers will appreciate the building tension. The novel highlights the struggles for Cullen and Maggie to overcome the town's prejudices while suspense and intrigue accentuate the story.

Cullen stands out as an easy hero to like, though Maggie's sensitivity borders on selfishness as she focuses on entering her horse in Nashville's race. Quiet undertones of a Christian message of seeking redemption while keeping the faith and surrendering to God's will should easily satisfy Tamera Alexander's growing fanbase.


Read my review of the first Belle Meade Plantation Novel, To Whisper Her Name
Read my review of the first Belmont Mansion novel, A Lasting Impression
Read my review of Tamera Alexander's Belmont Mansion novel, A Beauty So Rare

In comparison with Tamera's other novels mentioned above, this novel has a bit more of a romantic feel to it where there were a few more "tinglings" than normally mentioned in Christian novels. This one was also a shorter novel than the others, where To Whisper Her Name was 480 pages and this one was 352 pages. I had always appreciated the longer length of the previously mentioned novels, and wonder why this was shortened. As a historical novel, longer novels seem to be norm, yet Christian romance novels seem to be shorter. I hope that Tamera's upcoming novels are allowed to be longer in length and that this was the exception.

A wonderfully crafted surprise of a novel

The Abduction of Smith and Smith by Rashad Harrison
Atria Books, January 2015
352 pages Hardcover 978-1451625783
Review copy provided by HNS in exchange for this review
Burton Book Review Rating: 4.5 stars

In this harrowing and thrilling work of historical fiction, two enemies become the unlikeliest of allies as they fight to save their own lives aboard a hell ship headed into the dangerous unknown.The Civil War is over, though for Jupiter Smith, a former slave and Union soldier, many battles still lie ahead. He returns to the plantation he worked on before the war in search of his woman, but rather finds his old master gone mad, haunting the ruins like a ghost. Out of pity for the now mentally ill Colonel, Jupiter strangles him and heads west to seek a new life in San Francisco.

When the Colonel’s son, Confederate soldier Archer Smith, arrives at home and finds his father murdered, he vows revenge upon Jupiter for all he has lost—following his former slave to the far reaches of the continent.

But things take a new turn as Archer’s desire for retribution is overwhelmed by his dependency on opium, and he ends up the target of a gang of “crimpers”…the very gang that Jupiter works for in San Francisco. When Jupiter fails in an attempt to save Archer, they both end up shanghaied aboard a ship headed on a dangerous mission and ruled by a merciless captain. Will the two Smiths work together to stay alive and return home, or will they become victims of the sea, the crew, and their mad captain?

 For a novel that started out with a uneasy beginning, the author was able to hold my attention as I read the entire book in one day. The setting of the American Civil War's aftermath is a popular one for readers, yet this story brings us to a harsh reality of how the war's effect caused ripples for years to come. Wholly intriguing characters in a unique setting set this novel apart as the author writes with no holds barred. Though it comes off as crude when we are dealing with sailors and ruffians who kidnap innocents to force them to work on ships, and run ins with the mobster like villains who hold the cards of the day, the entire package presented by author Rashad Harrison is a well thought out suspenseful masterpiece of a story. There are many moving parts, from the fractured relationships of slaves and masters, brothers in arms and women who seek restoration after so many hardships which will captivate the reader as things slowly begin to connect to each other.

These many twists and turns intermix to create a powerful story as Jupiter Smith, a freed slave, seeks his wife after seven long years. During his search he encounters people from his past and battles the harsh reality of his life after freedom has been granted through the war. Through one of those twists of fate Jupiter finds himself kidnapped along with his former master's son Archer Smith and they are both forced to rely on each other begrudgingly for mere survival's sake during the dangerous voyage. Several characters are featured in the novel which the author creates short chapters around each scene, and there are even a few sketches interspersed throughout. The short chapters make it a quick read but the story itself is a vivid tale that is unforgettable and creative as it brings us to the underbelly of San Francisco to Shanghai and all the way to Liberia. A wonderfully crafted surprise that I would not hesitate to recommend.

This inspiring historical will make your mouth water!

A Beauty So Rare by Tamera Alexander
Bethany House Publishers
Paperback 484 pages
NetGalley eBook provided by publisher in exchange for this review
Burton Book Review Rating:4.5 Stars
Other Tamera Alexander novels reviewed here:
To Whisper Her Name
A Lasting Impression

From the USA Today bestselling author of To Whisper Her Name and A Lasting Impression comes a moving historical novel about a bold young woman drawn to a group of people forgotten by Nashville society--and to the one man with whom she has no business falling in love.

Eleanor Braddock, a spinster--plain, practical, no stunning Southern beauty--has long since dismissed any hope of marriage. But when a dying soldier whispers his final words, she believes her life can still have meaning and determines to find his widow. But this compassionate deed takes a harsh turn, and Eleanor finds herself dependent upon the richest woman in America and the most despised woman in Nashville--her aunt, Adelicia Acklen, mistress of Belmont Mansion. A clandestine act of kindness leads Eleanor to an unlikely path for her life--building a home for destitute widows and children from the Civil War. And while Eleanor knows her own heart, she also knows her aunt will never approve.

Gerhard Marcus Gottfried, Archduke of the House of Habsburg and fourth in line to the Austrian throne, arrives in Nashville in search of a life he determines, instead of one determined for him. Collaborating with botanist Luther Burbank, Marcus seeks to combine his own passion for nature with his expertise in architecture. But his plans to incorporate natural beauty into the design of the widow's and children's home run contrary to the wishes of practical, frugal Eleanor, who sees his ideas as costly nonsense.

Yet as the construction project continues, Marcus and Eleanor find common ground--and a love neither of them expected. But Marcus is not the man Adelicia has chosen for Eleanor to marry, and even if he were, someone who knows Marcus's secrets is about to reveal them all.

Tamera Alexander's newest Belmont Mansion novel will delight her fans with new characters set against the familiar backdrop of the famous home of Adelicia Acklen. Eleanor is Adelicia's niece is new to the area and determined to make her own way in spite of how that would look to her aunt's society friends. Eleanor is a free-spirit who enjoys helping others and making good use of her time without regard to her looks or what sense of decorum her aunt thinks she should emanate.


The love interest in the story is Marcus Gottfried who is hiding his identity as heir to the Hapsburg throne. He is handsome, strong, independent and down-to-earth - and perfect for Eleanor. Aunt Adelicia of course has other plans for Eleanor, and plans to marry her off to some stodgy banker. The romance is faint emotion that runs throughout the novel, and as with Tamera's other novels the story is a clean Christian historical.

This compelling novel is a long one so that you truly have a chance to marvel at the flowing writing style of Tamera and become enchanted with the characters and the setting of a post-Civil War America. Eleanor's work with the poor of Nashville was a major inspirational theme that becomes a passion for both the character of Eleanor and the reader. And even though this is part of a series, you can read it as a stand alone - especially because Aunt Adelicia seems a lot different this time around!

There are interesting posts on Tamera's site this month in honor of the book's release; everything from recipes to dressmaking and photo shoots. One of the charming scenes in A Beauty So Rare is where Eleanor tried, tried, and tried again to make a streudel for Marcus (though it still was not as good as mutter's streudel!)

Just in time for spring, and even Mother's Day, here's a yummy recipe to try that Tamera posted on her site:

3/4 cup butter at room temp (1 1/2 sticks)
1/2 cup powdered sugar*
1/3 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour (sifted)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, then spray a smaller (8-9 inch) cast-iron skillet very lightly with non-stick cooking spray. You don't need that much spray. Trust me, the butter in the recipe will take care of that.

Cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, then the vanilla. Next, work in the flour. You can either mix the flour in with an electric mixer, or you can get into the 1860s way of doing things and knead the dough on an unfloured surface until it's nice and smooth. Press the dough into the iron skillet (or you can use a pretty shortbread pan too). Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. Cool for about 10-15 minutes then flip the pan over onto a wooden cutting board. Cut the shortbread into pieces while still warm. It "sets up" as it cools. Or serve it warm. Serves 10-12. And it really does. This stuff is rich and delicious. Hope you enjoy.
Find more recipes here.

Edited to add that A Beauty So Rare was a 2015 Christy Award finalist. Congrats, Tamera!

A stubborn character, will she ever see the light?

Where Wildflowers Bloom by Ann Shorey
Revell, January 1, 2012
 336 pages paperback 
Review copy provided by the publisher via HNR, thank you!
Review originally posted in Historical Novels Review Magazine, May 2012
Burton Book Review Rating: 3.5 Stars

Faith has little faith in herself, and her aging grandfather. They are both struggling to overcome the losses of the War Between the States, and Faith dreams of the wildflowers of Oregon. Even though Grandpa has the same painful memories of family long gone, he wants to stay in Missouri and have Faith run his mercantile store even though a woman running a business is frowned upon.

The story unfolds as Faith tries to force her wayward dream into reality, but we hope that love blooms between Curt and Faith which would hold Faith in Missouri where she belongs. However, Royal Baxter, a childhood fancy of Faith’s, returns from the war and offers Faith her childish dreams. The author meanders through this love triangle with some mystery and plenty of historical ambiances, along with Faith’s eye rolling moments. Where Faith’s character is stubborn, willful and determined, she is foolish in many of her decisions. Faith’s friend Rosemary is the wise and rational counterpart to Faith, and is shunned for being a nurse during the war. Reading of these two ladies and their struggles was engaging, and I do hope to see these characters in the next installment of the Sisters At Heart series, even if it's just to see if Faith had matured some!

Edit to add that I just learned the next novel in the series, tentatively titled When the Heart Heals, features Faith's friend Rosemary Saxon. Ann Shorey's fiction debut was in 2009 with The Edge of Light, Book One in the At Home in Beldon Grove series.

Set on a military base, this is great historical loving fun!

Summer of Promise (Westward Winds Book#1) by Amanda Cabot
Review copy provided by the publisher via HNR, thank you!
Review originally posted in Historical Novels Review Magazine, May 2012
Burton Book Review Rating: 4.5 Stars

Though she had planned to spend the summer in Vermont with her sweetheart, Abigail Harding cannot dismiss her concerns over her older sister. Charlotte's letters have been uncharacteristically melancholy, and her claims that nothing is wrong ring false, so Abigail heads West to Wyoming. The endless prairie seems monotonous, but when her stagecoach is attacked, Wyoming promises to be anything but boring. Luckily, the heroics of another passenger, Lieutenant Ethan Bowles, save the day.

When circumstances--and perhaps a bit of matchmaking--put Abigail and Ethan together, there's certainly attraction. But Abigail is planning to marry another man and return to life in Vermont as soon as she is finished attending to her sister. And Ethan loves his life in the Army and the wilds of Wyoming. When summer ends, will Abigail go back East? Or will she fall in love with this rugged land herself?

Book 1 of the new Westward Winds series, Summer of Promise is a tale of following your heart to unexpected places. Readers will enjoy Amanda Cabot's passionate characters and vibrant setting in the beautiful high prairie.

With a perfect mix of romance, suspense and discovery of faith Amanda Cabot brings us a bright new series featuring three sisters raised in the East. In this first book, the impulsive middle sister Abigail travels to Wyoming Territory to visit the eldest sister Charlotte at Fort Laramie in 1885. Abigail meets Lieutenant Ethan Bowles on the way there, and the two immediately hit it off.  Once the summer is over, Abigail must choose between the steady life and love she left behind or the promise of an eventful future with Ethan.

Before she does, she has to help Ethan discover who is behind the stagecoach robberies without either of them getting hurt, but that proves more difficult than it seems. Abigail's evolving character is likable, as we are eager to see Ethan and Abigail's mutual attraction become acknowledged. Sure to please any historical romance reader, this was a well written story with a great mix of characters with a fast moving plot that includes a range of topics from family bonds, Army deserters to mischievous puppies. I am already looking forward to the next installment of Westward Winds which will follow Charlotte's path. I am also on the hunt for the author's previous Texas Dreams series! I still do not know - five years post this review - what the author's pseudonym is though I tried several times to google unsuccessfully.

I love this cover! It was perfect for the book!

Love on the Line by Deeanne Gist
Bethany House Publishers, October 2011
Paperback 368 pages 0764204098
Review copy provided by the publisher via HNR, thank you!
Review originally posted in Historical Novels Review Magazine
Burton Book Review Rating: 4 stars

Rural switchboard operator Georgie Gail is proud of her independence in a man's world ... which makes it twice as vexing when the telephone company sends a man to look over her shoulder.

Dashing Luke Palmer is more than he appears though. He's a Texas Ranger working undercover to infiltrate a notorious gang of train robbers. Repairing telephones and tangling with this tempestuous woman is the last thing he wants to do. But when his stakeout puts Georgie in peril, he realizes more than his job is on the line.

Loaded with intrigue, birds and historical context this is a well-written story of telephone switchboard operator Georgie Gail and Texas Ranger Lucious Landrum in 1903. The Ranger goes undercover as a telephone salesman to catch a criminal in Brenham, Texas, and he soon finds himself in love with the bird-loving Georgie. If he blows his cover with Georgie, he could risk his law career and lose the trail of the notorious Comer Gang.

Georgie is ferociously protective of birds, and a large part of this story is Georgie’s stance against the use of bird parts as decorative accessories on clothing, and in the spirit of Nellie Bly she educates the townsfolk on her favorite pastime of bird watching. Meanwhile, it is the very townsfolk who are members of the Comer Gang that the Ranger is tracking, and Georgie finds herself immersed in the Ranger’s plans to trap the men. If the two survive the Comer Gang, can they allow themselves to love each other when the stubborn and strong-willed Georgie learns who her telephone salesman really is? A fast-paced, humorous and well researched story with many intriguing characters that offers a little bit of everything, Love on the Line is the perfect historical romance to curl up with on a long weekend.

2012 RITA Finalist for Inspirational Romance! Also note that for those readers who enjoy Julie Klassen's work, she is one of the editors for this novel.

To Have and To Hold by Tracie Peterson and Judith Miller (Bridal Veil Island Book #1)
Bethany House Publishers, September 2011
Christian Fiction/Historical Romance
Ppbk 352 pages
ISBN 0764208861
Review copy provided by the publisher via HNR, thank you!
Review originally posted for Historical Novels Review Magazine, February 2012
Burton Book Review Rating: 3.5 stars

When Audrey Cunningham's father proposes that they move to Bridal Veil Island, where he grew up, she agrees, thinking this will help keep him sober and close to God. But they arrive to find wealthy investors buying up land to build a grand resort on the secluded island—and they want the Cunninghams' acreage.

Contractor Marshall Graham can't imagine why the former drinking buddy of his deceased father would beckon him to Bridal Veil Island. And when Boyd Cunningham asks him to watch over Audrey, Marshall is even more confused. He has no desire to be saddled with caring for this fiery young woman who is openly hostile toward him. But when Audrey seems to be falling for another man—one who has two little girls Audrey adores—Marshall realizes she holds more of his heart than he realized. Which man will Audrey choose? And can she hold on to her ancestral property in the face of overwhelming odds?

A popular writing duo returns to historical romance with this formulaic novel focusing on faith, tragedy and hopeful triumph. After conquering alcoholism, Boyd has found God but not in time to save his ancestral home. He faces hard times while his daughter Audrey feels the burden of his mistakes during her struggle to secure her own future.

Struggling with her faith in God, Audrey is forced to deal with her family's changing circumstances of both financial hardship and the loss of loved ones. Bridal Veil Island is to become a resort town, and Audrey has to help see this plan come to fruition. As host to contractors and investors, forcing a Southern welcome so soon after the Northern Aggression is hard on Audrey’s family. When Marshall Graham arrives at Bridal Veil Island, Audrey is quick to judge and oblivious to Marshall's admirable qualities.

What is left for Audrey when the construction is over is up to her, but will she be able to see past her resentfulness and skepticism? Written in a slow fashion with a few twists, the reader follows along as Audrey battles obstacles and interacts with shady characters; those who don’t love Audrey’s stubbornness won’t love the novel. Audrey could come off as unreasonably righteous and stereotypical while she tried to determine what path to take, and as the main protagonist this was difficult to ignore. Aunt Thora and her shotgun was an amusing element, and I wouldn't mind hearing more of her own story. I would be interested to see what comes next in the Bridal Veil series.

The Measure of Katie Calloway by Serena Miller
Paperback, 316 pages
Published October 1st 2011 by Revell
Review copy provided by the publisher via HNR, thank you!
Reviewed originally for Historical Novels Review
Burton Book Review Rating: Four glittering stars

The Civil War has ended, but in Katie Calloway's Georgia home conflict still rages. To protect herself and her young brother from her violent and unstable husband, she flees north, finding anonymity and sanctuary as the cook in a Northwoods lumber camp. The camp owner, Robert Foster, wonders if the lovely woman he's hired has the grit to survive the never-ending work and harsh conditions of a remote pine forest in winter. Katie wonders if she can keep her past a secret from a man she is slowly growing to love.

Hypnotizing storyteller Serena Miller writes such atmospheric writing that it deftly absorbs the reader into the story of the loggers and the plight of Katie Calloway.

While the straight and narrow character of Katie lacks emotional development, the plot makes up for it with both tragic and endearing situations. She is taking care of her young brother and desperate to escape an abusive marriage which is a political clash of North and South in post-Civil War Georgia. Katie seizes the opportunity to run away, taking little Ned with her to parts unknown. Traveling to Michigan, she meets up with Robert Foster who gives her a respectable job as a cook for the loggers whom he employs, offering a sanctuary for Katie that she has never had. The lines eventually begin to blur between the boss and cook, but the secret that Katie hides threatens everyone's security at the logger camp.

Katie’s story is made more enticing with the scenery and supporting characters of the camp: a surly head cook, the many loggers at the camp, and Robert and his children. Robert battles his own demons, but can Robert save Katie from her marriage and still feel like an honest Christian? A captivating story, that will almost make you believe that you can smell the white pine forest from your bedroom.

2012 RITA Finalist for Inspirational Romance!