A View most Glorious by Regina Scott ~ a book review

I have read other books by this author and she never fails to impress me.  Her story lines are unique and always based on actual historical facts and events.  Her attention to detail is wonderful.  She describes things in a way that makes them very real. 

This book is about the first women mountain climbers and the women’s suffrage movement.  The heroine, Cora, is very involved in the suffrage movement.  The author does a great job of depicting her devotion to it while also reminding us of the social stipulations of the time.  Cora tries very hard to comply with the social standards that her mother holds so dear while still exerting her independence.

Her mother has determined that Cora should marry a man that will keep her in “the fashion she is accustomed to”.  Cora has a deep dislike of the man, so she makes a deal with her mother.  If she is able to climb Mt. Rainier to the summit and back down, her mother will drop her plans to marry her off. And as a bonus, there will be a lot of coverage and publicity for the suffrage movement.

This is where our hero comes in.  Nathan was a son of a once wealthy man and “in” society.  When the market crashed and banks failed in the late 1800’s, his father commits suicide and the family is disgraced.  Nathan leaves the city to become a climber and guide and lives in the wild.  He does not want to take Cora to the top but when he hears who her intended is, he changes his mind. The man Cora’s mother wants her to marry is the man that Nathan blames for his father’s downfall.

At times, I found myself becoming angry with Cora for not just telling her mother no! But, that wasn’t done in those days.  

This is from the publisher's website:

Reluctant socialite Coraline Baxter longs to live a life of significance and leave her mark on the world. When her local suffragette group asks her to climb Mount Rainier to raise awareness of their cause, she jumps at the chance, even though she has absolutely no climbing experience. If she can do it, any woman can do it. And after her mother issues an ultimatum--that Cora marry the man of her mother's choosing if she fails--Cora must do it. But she can't do it alone.

Noted mountain guide Nathan Hardee initially refuses to help Cora but has a change of heart when he sees what is at stake. He knows enough about the man Cora's mother has chosen to know that the headstrong young woman should have nothing to do with him, much less marry him.

These unlikely partners may just discover that only together is the view most glorious.

The author takes us on an exciting journey through history.  I’m not going to spoil the ending. You’ll have to read it yourself!  Does Cora climb the mountain?  Does she end up having to marry the scoundrel?  Do she and Nathan find love?

Go HERE to read an excerpt

I highly recommend this book.

Go HERE to learn more about Regina Scott and her other books

 

 

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell and Baker
Publishing Group through their book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed above are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

 

A Christmas in the Alps by Melody Carlson ~ a book review

 

This is a delightful novella that will put you in the Christmas mood.  It’s a heartfelt, charming story of love, acceptance and a mysterious secret set in the festive and picturesque French Alps.. 

While this is characterized as a Christian romance, it would more appropriately fit in the sweet, clean romance genre.

It took a little while for me to get drawn into the story. I was anxious to “get” to the Alps! The first quarter of the book deals with Simone cleaning out her grandmother’s house and her eventual trip to France.  Along the way she meets a clockmaker, Kyle, also traveling to France.  She is on a quest to locate her family that she never knew existed. He is hoping to apprentice at a world renowned watch factory.  They part ways and don’t expect to see each other again, but as happens in most romances, they find their way back to each other.

This is from the publisher’s web page:

" Get ready for a magical mountain holiday

After a time of heartache and loss, Simone Winthrop discovers a tantalizing letter from her French great-grandmother, which seems to suggest that Simone is heir to a family treasure. Ever practical, Simone assumes the claim is baseless, but her best friend encourages her to find out for sure. Despite her deep-rooted fear of flying, she boards a jet to travel to Paris at Christmastime to uncover the truth.

During the long flight, Simone meets the charming Kyle Larsson, who's on his way to France to become an apprentice clockmaker. Though they abruptly part ways, an unexpected rendezvous in the French Alps at Simone's family's clock factory may lead to the discovery of the family treasure . . . and so much more.”

This is a keeper for me.  I usually receive soft cover novels to review but I was surprised to open the mailer and find a hardcover!  I will pull this out and read it for many Christmases to come.

Go HERE to read an excerpt

                                  Learn more about Melody Carlson and her other books HERE 

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell and Baker
Publishing Group through their book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed above are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

 

Beyond The Tides by Liz Johnson ~ a book review

 

This is a contemporary, clean romance. It is categorized as Christian, but I would have liked to have seen more dependance on faith than is written.

The characters are very believable, each with their own strengths and weaknesses.  Meg Whitaker grew up in her family’s successful lobster business.  She never took much interest in it except for what it provided for her.  The story opens with her returning home because her mother is ill and her father has made a big decision that he wants to tell her.  He informs her that he is thinking of selling the business but not to her.  She isn’t too upset about that since she never took much interest in it anyway.  That is, until she hears who her father wants to sell to.  He wants to sell it to the boy in high school, who she thinks spoiled her chances at an important college scholarship, Oliver Ross.  Now, as a grown, successful woman, she is still holding a high school grudge against him and vows to stop him from buying.

This is from the publisher's website:

When Meg Whitaker's father decides to sell the family's lobster fishing business to her high school nemesis, she sets out to prove she should take it over instead. Though she's never had any interest in running the small fleet--or even getting on a boat due to her persistent seasickness--she can't stand to see Oliver Ross in charge. Not when he ruined her dreams for a science scholarship and an Ivy League education ten years ago.

Oliver isn't proud of what he did back then. Angry and broken by his father walking out on his family, he lashed out at Meg--an innocent bystander. But owning a respected fishing fleet on Prince Edward Island is the opportunity of a lifetime, as well as a way to provide for his mother, and he's not about to walk away just because Meg wants him to.

Meg's father has the perfect solution: Oliver and Meg will work the business together, and at the end of the season, he'll decide who gets it. Along the way, they may discover that their stories are more similar than they thought . . . and their dreams aren't what they expected.
 

This is a clean, heartwarming story of two people who have to overcome their pasts in order to find happiness.  .  It’s a story about maturing and dealing with life’s ups and downs.

 

I must admit, I wasn’t overly interested in the lobster hauling industry,  but I never realized how cut-throat it could be.

There is a bit of mystery in the story with a twist in the end.

 

I will look forward to reading more from this author.

Go HERE to read an excerpt 

Go HERE to learn more about Liz Johnson 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell and Baker
Publishing Group through their book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed above are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”