Vintage Jane Austen Blog Tour!

Hey guys! Very excited to share a little bit about this new series today!!! Some of you may remember my review of Emmeline a while back! (If you missed it, take a minute to check it out! Maybe it will whet your appetite for the rest of this exciting series!)

About the Series:

What would it be like to see Elizabeth Bennet in 1930’s clothes? What if Emma Woodhouse was the daughter of a car dealership owner? What if Marianne Dashwood was seeking to become a movie star in the golden age of film? The Vintage Jane Austen series explores the world of Jane Austen, set in 1930’s America. Five authors took on Jane Austen’s five most popular novels and retold them set in the depression era, remaining faithful to the original plots. As an extra bonus to the series, there is a collection of short stories that were inspired by Jane Austen. Which of these books do you most want to read?

Emmeline by Sarah Holman (Emma): The talk of stock market crashes and depression isn’t going to keep Emmeline Wellington down. Born to wealth and privilege, Emmeline wants nothing more than to help her new friend, Catarina, find a husband. Emmeline sets her sights on one of the town’s most eligible bachelors, but nothing seems to go right. Even her friend and neighbor Fredrick Knight seems to question her at every turn.

Suit and Suitability by Kelsey Bryant (Sense and Sensibility): Canton, Ohio, 1935. Ellen and Marion Dashiell’s world crumbles when their father is sent to prison. Forced to relocate to a small town, what is left of their family faces a new reality where survival overshadows dreams. Sensible Ellen, struggling to hold the family together, is parted from the man she’s just learning to love, while headstrong Marion fears she will never be the actress she aspires to be. When a dashing hero enters the scene, things only grow more complicated. But could a third man hold the key to the restoration and happiness of the Dashiell family?

Bellevere House by Sarah Scheele (Mansfield Park): It's March, 1937 and Faye Powell couldn't be happier. After moving to live with her uncle, a wealthy banker, she's fallen into the swing of life with his exuberant children--including Ed. The one she'll never admit she's in love with. But she hadn't reckoned on the swanky Carters getting mixed up in that vow. Ed seems to be falling for charming, sweet Helene Carter. And when Faye's cousin BeBe trusts her with a secret about Horace Carter, Faye is in over her head. Will she betray the confidence BeBe's given her? Will she lose Ed to Helene? The days at Bellevere House are crowded with surprises and only time will tell how God plans to unravel Faye and Ed's hearts.

Perception by Emily Benedict (Persuasion): Upstate New York, 1930. Thirteen years ago, Abbey Evans was persuaded to break off her engagement to a penniless soldier headed to the front lines of the Great War. A daughter of one of America’s wealthiest families could never be allowed to marry so far beneath herself. But Black Tuesday changed everything. With her family's prominence now little more than a facade, Abbey faces the loss of her childhood home. As if that weren’t enough, the only man she ever loved has returned after making his fortune – and he wants nothing to do with the young woman he courted before the war. With the past forever out of reach, the time has come for Abbey decide her own fate, before it is too late…

Presumption and Partiality by Rebekah Jones (Pride and Prejudice): Coming soon…A retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice… set in 1930s Arizona.

Second Impressions: Jane Austen's stories have inspired writers for generations...in this collection they inspire fiction across the genres!

From the English Regency to the American 1950s, in Houston or a space freighter, fairytale land or a retirement center...Austen's timeless characters come to life again.

Visit these blogs during this week to find interviews, book reviews, and much more!

November 5

        Review of Emmeline - Once Upon the Ordinary

Review of Bellevere House - Kaylee's Kind Of Writes

Series Spotlight - A Real Writer’s Life

Interview with Kelsey Bryant - Resting Life

Series Spotlight - Kelsey’s Notebook

November 6

Interview with Sarah Holman - J. Grace Pennington

Review of Emmeline - Kaylee's Kind Of Writes

Mini-Reviews and interview with Sarah Scheele - Deborah O’Carroll

Interview with Rebekah Jones - Livy Lynn Blog

Review Suit and Suitability - Resting Life

November 7

Interview with Kelsey Bryant - J. Grace Pennington

Review of Perception - Kaylee's Kind Of Writes

Review and Interview of Perception - Purely by Faith Reviews

Review of Second Impressions - The Page Dreamer

Series Spotlight - Finding the True Fairytale

November 8

Interview and Review Suit and Suitability - Once Upon the Ordinary

Review of Suit and Suitability - Kaylee's Kind Of Writes

Review of Perception - A Brighter Destiny

November 9

Series Spotlight - God’s Peculiar Treasure

        Review of Second Impressions and Suit and Suitability - Ordinary Girl, Extraordinary Father

Interview with Rebekah Jones - Kaylee's Kind Of Writes

Series Spotlight – Christian Bookshelf Reviews

November 10

Review of Suit and Suitability - With a Joyful Noise

Series Spotlight - Liv K. Fisher

Review of Second Impressions- Kaylee's Kind Of Writes

Review of Perception - She Hearts Fiction

Interview with Sarah Holman – Rebekah Ashleigh

November 11

Series Spotlight - Reveries Reviews

Review of Suit and Suitability - Faith Blum

Interview with Sarah Holman - Kaylee's Kind Of Writes

Interview with Hannah Scheele - Peculiar on Purpose

Review of Bellevere House - Seasons of Humility

As part of this special blogging event, we are giving away a $25 Amazon gift Card!

Click HERE to enter GiveAway!!!

Book Reivew(s): Distorted Glass & Quest for a Beast

Got the last two short story reviews for y'all today!

Distorted Glass, I felt, was a well-crafted story that dealt honestly with some heavier subject matter. I was very impressed with the way Sarah crafted Jared's character (his personality and character development as a whole). He was written as a young man who genuinely wanted to please God and help his sister-- but he wasn't perfect-- the way he diligently sought God's will was done so fervently, but realistically, with it's hiccups along the way. Never once did I feel his character was too perfect-- that a sixteen year old guy wouldn't behave that way. I did, however, finding myself wishing there was a way I could get my younger brother (more that age range) to read this story. 
As for the subject matter!! <3 I thought Sarah did a great job with Jared's sister who has an eating disorder. it was treated/discussed honestly yet wholesomely. I also loved the way  the subject of modesty was discussed in this book!! (claps hands enthusiastically) This was another reason I wanted my brother to read this! The feelings expressed by Amber about the church's focus when teaching modesty is something I have heard from young ladies close to me, and while it is not an excuse to sin, SHE IS NOT WRONG, and I LOVED that Sarah addressed that!!! 
I was very impressed with this story as a whole, and enjoyed it very much! 

Quest for a Beast, while cute, I felt didn't reach it's full potential. Parts of the plot felt a little contrived, stretched, to me; I also felt that the main characters displayed behaviors/did things that were not quite consistent with their ages (ie, a college-aged girl allowing herself to be swept up in fairy tales; bounty hunting of sorts). 
What I did find awesome were (again!) the lessons Sarah incorperates into her writing. a few lines in particular really stood out to me as I finished up this story today:

“What keeps it from being that simple for you? Following Christ is not easy, but it is a very simple message.”

“…we have both come face to face with an ugly part of ourselves. We both have to have the courage to allow Christ to transform us. If not, we will remain in our prisons.”
Still a good story, but I felt it could have been better. 

Thus conclude my 10 week reading challenge with Sarah Holman! Again, if you haven't yet, you should really check her books out-- especially Emmaline and the Tales of Taelis series!!! (oh! And Kate's Innocence is pretty fantastic, too!!)

Book Review &Tour: Dreams and Devotion

Hey everyone! I have been looking forward to this blogpost for a couple weeks! I really enjoyed this book and I hope I can accurately convey my excitement as to why for all of you today!!! 

Some dreams will be dashed, and their devotion will be tested.

Dara's life is full of farm work and worries, especially now that her older brother is a priest in a far off city. Yet she still has time to dream of the life she hopes will someday be. She dreams of marrying her dear friend and the worries of her family ending. Now, the selfishness of one person threatens her very way of life.

Dresden's initial excitement about living a life devoted to the service of God quickly is dashed on the rocks of reality. The life of a priest is nothing like what he imagined. To make matters worse, he finds out his family back in his home village is on the brink of disaster. Torn between his vows and his love for his family, what will he choose?

Buy the book for the special preorder price, here.

Review: 

Dreams & Devotions was actually my intro into Taelis-- I read it before I read books 1,2, & 3; so as I went back and read them in order (along with the short stories) little details included in this work made total sense. They can each totally be read alone; however, when you read it in correct sequence, you 'get' and appreciate the cameos and 'history' references so much more lol ;) 

What I Liked:

This book was just ..... super realistic. It is as though Sarah took realistic struggles we deal with today, crafted them, and plopped them into the middle ages. 

One character makes a selfish decision that leaves the rest of his family to wonder, stress, and pick up the pieces. REAL. Another character begins the book with an incredibly real and passionate walk with God-- and then experiences incredible discouragement while trying to serve Jesus and make a difference. SO, SO REAL!! Yet another suffers romantic disappointment-- and doesn't get her stereotypical 'happy ending'. STANDING OVATION, HAND-CLAPPING REAL REAL REAL!!!!!!! I am passionate about this story for these reasons! I could identify with each character and their characters (some to small degrees, and others 110% because I am literally walking through them!!!) and I can think of friends and family members who are also going through similar circumstances. I found myself saying "YES!" and being able to empathize and then being convicted and encouraged and inspired. 

These characters experience and deal with major disappointments in a very satisfying way . The story lines are so realistic, but so were the outcomes; and THAT is why I love this book. The problems the characters face that cause their character development were 'resolved' in realistic, 'this actually is what happens' ways-- not the way you 'know' or expect it to happen in a fictional story. You empathize with these characters SO much because you relate to their pain. You want them to experience their happy ending; however, they experience their "God-grace" endings. God meeting them where they are, providing the daily strength they need to survive and be a blessing to others.

This story was an incredible blessing in that way because wow. You can tell Sarah prayed over and really put heart and love into this story. It shows. You do not walk away from a neatly package bow ending thinking "yeah well that was just a story, but this is real life". You walk away thinking, "wow, that was legit!"

What I Didn't Like: 

The only thing in this story that I had a hang up about was Dresden's struggle. He goes from very spiritually mature, to having what I felt was a very immature faith problem. However! I may have struggled with this plot-line because.... well... Have I mentioned this book was real? I can't quite hate on it too much because I have done the SAME THING in my walk with God, so...... 

It was a sharp contrast that happens very fast- and I think that is what I struggled with. I know in my life it was a slower dissent into where he then finds opportunity for character development. But this may just be my reaction to it and don't think everyone will have this reaction. ;) As so many of my 'dislikes' are, it may just be because the author is talented in her craft and I was feeling the desired emotion!! :)

I loved each of these books in the Taelis series for different reasons; this story's characters and the way God meets with each of them, met me where I am at. It was a very timely read and was a great encouragement to me, and I believe it will be to others also!!! Sarah worked hard on this and it shines through in her writing! 

 Time for another GIVEAWAY!! 

(This is an AWESOME opportunity, btw!!! I have been living in Taelis for the past six weeks, and to be able to get the entire series free is AMAZING!) 

ENTER HERE!!!

About the Sarah

Sarah Holman is a not so typical mid-twenties girl: A homeschool graduate, sister to six awesome siblings, and author of many published books and short stories. If there is anything adventuresome about her life, it is because she serves a God with a destiny bigger than anything she could have imagined.

Find her at www.thedestinyofone.com

Book Review(s) : Waltz into the Waves & Father Forgive Them

Hey all! I am back today with two more reviews, but these are for short stories that author Sarah Holman has written! They were short and sweet, so their reviews will be as well ;) 



Up first, we have Waltz into the Waves. This is a sweet re-rendering of the classic Cinderella story <3 It follows the basic storyline we all love and are familiar with, but Sarah sprinkled the right amount of new twists and details in there that help keep it fresh. As it is a short story, you can easily blow through it in one sitting, and it was a precious, angst-filled story with just the right amount of laughter and pure, low-key, romance! If you are a fairy tale-retell junkie, this is a super cute read!! (link in the title ;) )



Next we have Father Forgive Them: A Resurrection Story. Guys. I just finished this story, and I finished it with happy tears. It is extremely short (only three chapters) but WHOA was it BEAUTIFUL!!! I wish I had read it around Good Friday/Easter, when she published it. Father Forgive Them gives us a heartfelt look at what the crucifixion might have been like from a Jew's perspective, who at first was eager to see "justice" served but then undergoes a personal struggle as he realizes, "wait.... what if that Man was who He claimed to be!?" 
The description of Jonathan's internal struggle was phenomenal! Small excerpt: "It was the feeling of darkness without starlight, the feeling of a lighting storm without rain, the feeling of hopelessness and fear...But even after the earth stopped shaking, his heart still felt heavy with fear, the fear of something he could not identify. He had been afraid before, but never had it penetrated this deep. His very soul was deeply disturbed....longer. He turned and ran toward the city, running from that feeling and fear, but he couldn’t get away from it..."
(As someone who struggles with depression/anxiety, I found this to be a beautiful and accurate word picture <3)
This was just completely beautiful and moving<3

I hope you all are having a great and Godly day! Don't forget to come back tomorrow for a first look at Sarah's new book Dreams and Devotion, coming out July 15th!!! (Also! I am still open to any blog-post ideas you all have!!! <3 )

Book Review: Tales of Taelis (books 2 & 3)

Hey all! I have got a double book review for you today! I am taking part of a challenge with author Sara Holman, which has meant reading one of her published works a week and doing reviews on them (and her unfinished upcoming work, which is goooood. I am excited to share with you about it in the coming weeks!!)

I have gotten behind the past few books so I decided to do a review of the 2^nd and 3^rd Tales of Taelis books together :D

Brothers & Betrayal:

Amazon Description {part of it}:  "A boy, running for his life...A princess, trying to save her people... And an archer who seeks to defend the defenseless..." {link here!} 

Coming after Adventures & Adversities, we have Brothers & Betrayal. This was an adventurous Robin Hood sort of story and I enjoyed the more lighthearted spirit of this one, while it still taught deep, tough lessons.

What I liked: the Archer. Oh my soul the Archer. Enough said lol. Well, no, not enough ;) I the way his character was written—courageous, Godly, intelligent, noble—with just the right amount of sass ;) I also really enjoyed Brianna’s story line, and her respectful working to right her father’s wrongs instead of brazen rebellion (the all-to-familiar stereotype of female MCs).

There was also a scene near the beginning that literally made my jaw drop. I did not see ‘that’ coming. If a book can make me involuntarily, physically react? That author has my respect.

What I didn’t like: I really enjoyed this Robin-Hoodesque story, but this was also the book during which I realized I was becoming attached to the characters. When you message an author half-way through reading a book and say, “You can’t make that happen to this character!! Why?!!??!” followed by several broken heart and bawling emojis….. Yeah. I have been living in Taelis too long ;)

Courage & Corruption:

Amazon Description: Catherine is going with her mother and younger siblings to the mountains to hide from the coming war. While she fears what might happen she is looking forward to some time away from her twin brother, with whom she often fights. One foolish act changes all their plans, and one story caused not only confusion, but more fighting. 

Christopher does not believe his father’s story that they are descended from royalty... However, he is forced to go to the mountain castle of Coraway along with his mother and siblings. Will his father ever see him as a man? Will he and his twin ever be able to stop fighting?
Little do Catherine and Christopher realize that they hold the key to Taelis’ future in their hands. While they discover the truth before it is too late? {Link here!} 

What I Liked: Oh where to begin with this story lol There was a little angst in this, guys. I love my angst. So I enjoyed that aspect.

This story hit a little closer to home, in while that I am not experiencing the conflicts of the MCs, per se, I am personally struggling with the lesson they learned—and kept learning (which is also something I enjoyed—but I digress). This story dealt a lot with (that big, ugly word) surrender. So this story was timely for me in that way. As mentioned previously, I appreciated that when the main character finally came to grips with “hey I’m wrong, I need to change”—he did not change over night. He wasn’t suddenly perfect—he could still be a jerk and occasionally selfish, but he was now aware and working on it, so he acted out on it less and less. This is how change usually happens in real life, so to see it occur I the story was genuine and encouraging. (Especially to see how he continued to learn and grow in it.)

What I did not Like: This is actually a good thing, but the two main characters bicker a ton in the beginning and frankly, it drove me nuts lol! However! The bickering is essential to their stories and character growth and we as readers are not supposed to enjoy it, so it was actually great writing on Sara’s part. But it drove me bonkers lol. So we get a good sense of sympathy to those suffering around our MCs because of it lol

Having finished up these three Tales of Taelis I wanted to say this: these are good stories, yall!  They were fun, entertaining. I experienced real joy, sorrow, and shock with these characters, and truly laughed at several points (the sailors arguing with Lady Laila out at sea will forever be my favorite XD) , yet, they are soo crammed full of godly truth! I am impressed with how Sara was able to weave these valuable lessons into such entertaining stories, without just tacking them on, and making them feel contrived. I stand in awe as a writer, and am inspired in my own writing in that way, thanks to her!

That having been said: she has another story coming out within the next few weeks that was by far the most applicable to where I am at right now in my life and walk with Jesus (like, beta-reading this story had me going ‘oh no, this is totally going to happen…. Oh it did…. OH DO I FEEL FOR THIS CHARACTER BC THIS IS HAPPENING TO ME RIGHT NOW!’) I think it will encourage a lot of hearts! So stay tuned!

Book Summary: Befriended

Befriended was another short Tales of Taelis story that helped to tie up loose ends/answer questions left by the larger novels in the series. It was an adorable, swift read giving us a look at Eleanor’s life after Adventures and Adversities. The best thing about this story were Eleanor’s little charges, Nathaniel and John—very accurate portrayal of little boys LOL. The only thing I regret about this story was that I wish it had been longer and more fleshed out. I was definitely glad to get what we do in this short story though! Overall a sweet, short read that helped me feel a more satisfied with the main novels in the series :D

Order Link: https://www.amazon.com/Befriended-Tales-Taelis-Short-Stories-ebook/dp/B01MF4YG1O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496540388&sr=8-1&keywords=befriended+by+sarah+holman 

Book Review: Adventures and Adversities

About the Book: 

"One day Alditha is content living with her family, the next she is taking her friend's place to serve at the king's castle. Her father's final instructions, to keep smiling and to do what is right, will be harder to live out than she ever imagined. She will face a royal nephew who delights in making people miserable, and angry servant girl who will stop at nothing to get what she wants, and noblemen who plot murder. Will she be able to keep the promise she made to her father? will she find the faith she longs for during all her Adventures and Adversities"?
What I Liked: Adventures was a sweet story to allow myself to be swept away to. Reading it reminded me of watching a Narnia movie, as it is set in the medieval period and contains castle sieges and battles out at sea :D There were so many small-yet-profound lessons to be gleaned from Alditha and William's story- mainly around our perception of God vs how He really is, and also not allowing hardship to harden you, embitter you. I loved the main characters determination to do right, and to always endeavor to see the bright side of things (something I could learn a lesson or two from ;)

What I Didn't Like: At several parts throughout the story, I found myself, while always ennoying it and not getting bored, wondering exactly what the plot was, or what it was leading up to. I think I kept waiting for this big build up to a climax or big main problem Alditha would have to overcome....when in reality, instead of one big mountian, the obstacles came in little hills and valleys for our characters (yes the last one is a little bigger ;). They do however round off nicely at the end. This book would make a great tv mini-series lol. 

Favorite Quote: There were so many great lines, little nuggets of well-worded wisdom, burried throughout this entire story, that it is hard to pick just one; one that is repeated several times in the book that I enjoyed was, "Whatever you do...wherever you go, trust God, and never stop smiling. Your life will be hard, and bitterness will be the easiest thing for you to feel. Remember that you serve a God who knew that this would happen before you were born." 

Final Thoughts: Remember my review last week on Sarah's short story "Admirable"? Admirable was a prequel to Adventures & Adversities, and had me very eager to read it and the rest of the series...... It did NOT disappoint!!

Purchase Link: 
https://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Adversities-Tales-Taelis-Book-ebook/dp/BooHFFDCEE  

The Secret Slipper: Book Review

I have been looking forward to this book release for a looong time!! I was beyond blessed to be a part of the beta team for this and I am excited to finally get to share this incredible story with all of you!

About the Book

Being a cripple is the only the beginning of Lia's troubles. It seems as if Bioti's goal in life is to make Lia as miserable as possible. If Lia's purpose is to be a slave, then why did God make her a cripple? How can He make something beautiful out of her deformity?
Raoul never questioned the death of his daughter until someone reports her whereabouts. If Ellia is still alive, how has she survived these ten years with her deformity? When Raoul doesn't know who to trust, can he trust God to keep Ellia safe when evidence reveals Bioti's dangerous character?
As time brings more hindrances, will Raoul find Ellia, or will she forever be lost to the father she doesn't even know is searching for her?

What I Liked

Oh my. Where do I begin?! When Amanda messaged me "So.... I may have another story for to beta read.... ;)" I may have very literally jumped up and down in glee lol!!! I unabashedly embraced every aspect of this book (except perhaps one hard-to-decipher character with whom I have unresolved feelings ;) )and have come to love these characters and their story!

I loved everything about this book, but I appreciate that Amanda wrote Lia in such a way that I could intimately empathize with her. As someone who already knows Christ, I knew the answers to her questions and doubts and "whys?!" all along. As Christians, we often know the right answers in our heads, but when bad things happen-- and then continue to get worse instead of getting better-- we often let feelings of anger, abandonment, bitterness, and fear well up in our hearts and overtake them. We have sooo many legitimate feelings/questions we want to ask of God and church leaders but "know better" than to ask. Throughout the course of the story, we experience these feelings with Lia (all the legitimate unfairness of her situation) and, in response, we receive one of the most exquisite explanations of salvation I have ever read. But I loved that we were allowed to experience those "forbidden" emotions with Lia-- and given such a beautifully crafted but accurate answer in response. 

What I Disliked

Again? Literally nothing. Well, maybe a few characters-- I completely loathed the 'bad guys' in this story with a black, burning passion-- but because they were so believably sly and evil! As the reader we are supposed to hate them lol So again! It was beautifully well done! 

No complaints from this reader! 

oh wait.... there was that character I am still very much at odds with..... ;) 

The Secret Slipper takes you on a crazy-amazing journey from the first few angst-filled lines (ohmysoul, guys! SO much angst!!) and does not let you go til the very end!

Purchas Link

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071R5859Y

Get "Befriending the Beast" 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01L2IDEUQ 

So I'm attempting something new this book review (because I love this story soooo much!) and am hosting a giveaway! Enter for a chance to win a free set of the Tales of Faith series (paperback for US readers, eBooks for International readers)

U.S. Giveaway: Enter to win the set of “Befriending the Beast” and “The Secret Slipper”

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/483ac2ab21/?

International Giveaway: Enter to win the eBook set of “Befriending the Beast” and “The Secret Slipper”

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/483ac2ab22/?